Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
Hugo followed the servant from the king’s study and into the hallway to find that Captain Ryze wasn’t waiting for him. There were two guards who fell into step behind Hugo and the servant back through the winding corridors. Yet, as the servant started up a set of stairs, Hugo hesitated.
“Um…excuse me,” he called out. “I think you might be going the wrong way.”
The servant turned and blinked at him as if he couldn’t believe Hugo would suggest such a thing.
“Or maybe there’s been a misunderstanding. Obviously, you know your way around the castle better than I do. It’s just, shouldn’t you be taking me to the dungeon again? Up seems to take me farther from the dungeon.”
That got the servant’s eyes to open so wide Hugo thought he’d have to lunge forward to catch them when they fell out of his head.
“The dungeon? No! No! No!” He hurried down the stairs to Hugo’s side.
“The king was very clear. There’s been some confusion, and you’re to be treated as a guest. I’m taking you to a lovely room.
Some new clothes are waiting for you. I’ll draw you a nice hot bath.
We have the silkiest soaps you’ve ever seen.
The chef is making a special snack for you.
” The servant smiled and motioned for Hugo to resume walking. “Come. You’ll love it. I promise.”
“A guest?” he repeated while looking over his shoulder at the two guards who hovered a few steps away.
“Don’t mind them. They’re just there for your protection. The king is worried that you’ll get lost in the castle if you go wandering about. They’re here to help you.”
Uh. Huh. Help me.
More likely to keep a close eye on him to make sure he didn’t go poking in places he wasn’t permitted. However, it sounded like he was getting a bit more freedom compared to being locked in a cell in the dungeon. That could be useful.
Except…
Hugo hurried up the stairs to catch up with the servant. “What’s your name?”
The servant brightened. “Peppercornelius Fitzwilliam.”
“Really? That’s a bit of a mouthful,” Hugo stated, fighting hard not to show his shock.
The young man appeared to be about Augustine’s age, and he flushed red. “It is. My parents thought it sounded regal, like I was some nobleman’s son, but it’s simply ridiculous.”
“No, I like it. You have a unique name. I’ve never met another Peppercornelius.”
“Most of the other servants call me Pep or Pepper. It’s easier.”
“May I call you Pepper?”
He nodded, his round head bobbing vigorously on his slender neck. “Sure. That would be fine.”
“Pepper, can you tell me if Prince Everand of Branem is still being kept in the dungeon? Has he been shown to a room like me?”
The servant cringed, and his eyes shifted over his shoulder before staring straight ahead, seeming to purposefully avoid meeting Hugo’s eye.
“I can’t say. I’ve only been assigned to you.
It’s not my business what happens in other parts of the castle.
My duty is to obey the king’s wishes, and he wishes for me to see that you are properly taken care of. ”
Hugo lowered his voice and leaned closer to Pepper. “Please tell me. Is he in the dungeon?”
Pepper winced, and after a couple of seconds, he gave a tiny nod.
Hugo sighed and stopped at the top of the stairs. This wasn’t going to work. “Pepper, will you take me to the dungeon? This isn’t right. I can’t accept the king’s generosity if my prince is still in the dungeon.”
Once again, Pepper hurried to his side, his face going from flushed to pale in a blink.
“No, you can’t reject the king’s gift. It would make him furious.
He never has guests staying at the castle.
” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Besides, if you accept the king’s generosity, wouldn’t that make it easier for you to persuade His Majesty to allow the Branem prince to move to more comfortable accommodations? ”
A frown tugged at Hugo’s lips. He had a lot of questions about the king’s so-called sudden generosity. What game was he playing at? He didn’t want to become a piece for Prince Everand and King Victor to shove back and forth on the game board.
“I heard through the grapevine that Prince Everand cares a great deal for you. Wouldn’t he want you to stay in a comfortable room? He would want you to be warm and happy.”
“Yes, but I’m worried about him alone in the dungeon.”
This wasn’t right. Tempting, but still wrong.
He started down the stairs, intending to find his own way to the dungeon if he had to.
He was not leaving Everand alone. If they didn’t tell Everand what was happening, he would panic, convinced that something horrible had happened to Hugo the moment he was out of his sight.
“Wait!” Pepper rushed past Hugo and squeezed between him and the guards blocking Hugo’s path.
“I wasn’t supposed to mention this until later, but the king wishes you to join him for dinner.
You’ll want to wash and change clothes for that.
And! You can request that the king grant Prince Everand a better room.
If he doesn’t agree, you can ask to go to the dungeon. That’s a good idea, right?”
It was…better. A little.
“Why am I not surprised that you’re the one clogging up the staircase?” Heavy footsteps accompanied the question. The two guards jumped aside and came to sharp attention, saluting Captain Ryze, but the commander ignored them, keeping his glare locked on Hugo.
“You know, it’s getting late in the day.
Shouldn’t you be getting home to your family?
” Hugo mocked, flashing the captain a tight smile.
He’d had enough of King Victor’s games and not-so-subtle attempts to torment Everand.
Hugo was in no mood to be someone’s pawn.
Unfortunately, since he couldn’t take his foul temper out on the king, he had to direct it at Captain Ryze.
“I would be home if it weren’t for a certain troublemaker causing problems once again.”
“I’m behaving.”
Ryze snorted. “By blocking the staircase and rejecting the king’s wishes?”
“No, I’m worried about Prince Everand. It’s best if I return to the dungeon.”
“No, it’s best if you do as the king wishes.”
“Everand will worry if I don’t return. He’ll think you’ve killed me.”
Ryze groaned and rolled his eyes. “I just came from the dungeon, where I told him you were being shown to a comfortable room, new clothes, and a much-needed bath.”
Hugo couldn’t deny he desperately needed a bath, but he continued to give Ryze a dark look. “Do you swear?”
“On my honor as a knight. Prince Everand was relieved by the news.” Ryze met his eyes, not blinking, as he spoke. “He must have tired of smelling you.”
Hugo believed him. Not about the smelling-him part, but Everand’s relief.
They might not have gotten their association off on the right foot, but Hugo was certain that deep down Captain Ryze was an honorable person who wanted what was best for his kingdom.
Even if it meant his king putting him in an awkward position.
“Fine. Go home. I’ll behave,” Hugo said with an imperious wave of his hand.
Ryze’s exhale was almost a moan. “I want to believe that.”
After flashing the captain a final thin-lipped smile, Hugo turned and followed Pepper along the corridor, the guards still tromping behind them.
He might not like the arrangement, but dinner would give him the chance to talk to the king.
If King Victor wouldn’t move Everand to a more comfortable room, Hugo would return to the dungeon. End of story.
In the meantime, a bath sounded heavenly.
Hugo was not surprised at all to find that the room was as beautiful as both of the rooms he’d stayed in at the Frostbourne palace, the one drawback being that Everand wasn’t in the room next to his.
The walls were covered in an elegant silvery-gray and blue pattern, while the rest of the room and furniture was decorated in shades of silver and blue.
The guards, thankfully, remained in the hallway while Pepper flitted about, pointing out this thing or that thing. He whipped open the wardrobe with a flourish to reveal several suits of clothes in a variety of shades and fabrics.
While Hugo appreciated it all, he couldn’t stop himself from heading to a set of glass doors that led to a small balcony. He pulled the doors open and stepped outside, only to sigh with disappointment.
Pepper chuckled behind him, and he turned to see the young man shaking his head. “You weren’t thinking that you could escape that way, were you? We’re up on the third floor!”
“No, I’d never leave without Prince Everand.
I was hoping to get a glimpse of Onisa. This is my first—and possibly only—visit to the city.
I was curious what it is like, if it is so very different from Frostbourne.
” As he finished speaking, he and Pepper lifted their gazes to take in a vast dark-green forest of pine trees and mountains. There was no sign of Onisa.
“Sorry. This side of the castle doesn’t face the city but the Faldare Forest. I’m sure if you mention it to the king, he might see about letting you go on a quick tour of Onisa. The capital is amazing with the best shops for snacks.”
Hugo grinned at his companion. “I’m a prisoner, Pepper. Not a guest. It doesn’t matter how anyone tries to pretty it up. Besides, my home in Branem rests along the edge of Shaggy Butternut Woods. When I look out most of the windows at home, I see trees, so this feels familiar.”
Pepper didn’t lose his smile as he chattered away, turning his attention away from tours and back to the guest room.
He worked on getting the hot bath drawn and choosing the right soaps to fit Hugo’s temperament and looks.
Hugo wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but the lovely aroma filling the bathroom proved Pepper had succeeded brilliantly.
After the man offered to play valet, Hugo shoved him out of the room. The relief that came with the peace and quiet lasted for about two minutes, and then the melancholy set in. He missed Everand. Was the prince okay alone in the dungeon? Were the guards tormenting him? Or was he lonely?
Hugo shook off those thoughts and stripped out of his filthy tuxedo. The white shirt had long ago yellowed under a mix of dirt and sweat. He’d be shocked if the garments could be saved. It would be better if they were burned, which made him sad for Mr. Booth. His creation was ruined.
Hugo sank into the water and groaned, his voice bouncing off the walls.
Clean and warm at last. For the first ten minutes, he soaked in the water, letting the heat ease days of fear and tension.
As soon as his fingers wrinkled, he grabbed a cake of soap and worked on scrubbing until his skin turned pink.
He washed his hair three times. He would have gone for a fourth, but he feared creating a bald spot.
Squeaky clean and refreshed, Hugo stepped out of the bath, wrapped in a soft blue robe that matched the decor of his room.
When he left the bathroom, he found a fresh pot of tea and some snacks waiting for him along with a note from Pepper that he’d return in three hours to help him dress for his dinner with the king.
That was enough time for Hugo to think of a plan to deal with the king and this entire tangled situation.
He might not know much about international politics, but he was experienced in dealing with scheming brothers.
King Victor was polite and kind to him right now, but this was likely all a ploy to use Hugo to better control Everand.
He wasn’t sure such a thing would work, but he’d be damned if he’d let Everand be put in that painful position.
No, what he needed to do was get to the bottom of this old dispute. He’d heard the Branem side of the problem. Now he needed to hear Wulia’s point of view. There had to be a middle point in all this that would allow them to end this war. Preferably without taking yet more innocent lives.
The only thing he couldn’t figure out was how he was going to get anyone to listen to him.