Chapter Sixteen
Jaq
Two days later, Jaq had completely recovered from his embarrassing ordeal. His suite of rooms at the Folkon estate was large, well-lit, and extremely comfortable without being ostentatious. Patin had been apologetic when he and Serron showed Jaq around.
“We don’t have a dedicated library here,” he said. “But as soon as the wedding and reception are over, you can choose one of the sitting rooms and convert that into your own dedicated library space.”
That had been very sweet of Patin to offer, and as they didn’t know how long they would be staying at Folkon, Jaq figured setting up a library would give him something to do after the wedding. Serron did say that he and Patin stayed at Folkon a couple of times a year anyway, just to get a break away from the constraints of court life, so another library wasn’t going to go to waste. In the meantime, Jaq did have his six trunks of books from Elembaum. The first morning of his stay, four footmen arrived with two large floor to ceiling bookshelves to fit in the sitting room slash office part of his suite.
Being alone a great deal of the time did give Jaq a chance to think. Serron and Patin were frantically busy organizing a short notice wedding and reception. It appeared once Queen Sophie had learned both Patin and Jaq were safe and well, she was pushing to organize a lavish reception from a distance, with carts and staff arriving from the castle in an almost constant stream.
Among the goods that arrived were presents from Queen Sophie to Jaq as well as letters from his mother and sister. Jaq immediately penned a very grateful and thankful note to Queen Sophie, wishing her good health and his best wishes during her difficult time and sending his respects to the king. Unfortunately, the letters from his own family weren’t as easy to respond to. Both letters suggested Crown Prince Rupert was still making a nuisance of himself.
His mother’s letter quietly suggested that if Serron wasn’t behaving “the way a husband should to his spouse” she would facilitate his immediate return home. Patin wasn’t mentioned directly in her letter – his mother would never pass on what she would consider common gossip, but her tone did surprise Jaq.
He had always assumed his mother would’ve heard of the relationship Serron had with Patin through her correspondence with Queen Sophie. But her concern for her youngest son was evident in the regret she expressed in accepting Serron’s offer for his hand so quickly and that none of his family was available to support him on his life-changing day.
Evangaline was a little more blunt, but then she’d recently become queen of Tyrion, so Jaq imagined she felt she was entitled to be. Crown Prince Rupert had blatantly told King Onyx that Serron’s relationship with an unnamed title grabber was common knowledge, and that Jaq was being taken advantage of in the most horrendous of ways.
For some reason, Rupert seems to believe you are incapable of assessing situations and making decisions for yourself. Indeed, he waxed on for some time that his only reason for approaching your family was in the guise of his deep concern for you, who he described as innocent and without guile. It took me all of my good manners not to laugh in his face. Doesn’t he know you?
Honestly, to hear him speak about you, it was as though he was describing a child as opposed to a fully grown adult who was perfectly capable in every way. In contrast, his descriptions of Serron bordered on slander, although that man was quick to insist his only concern was your welfare and he meant no insult to the crown prince of Monce.
What I fail to understand is that Rupert actually had the gall to withdraw his marriage offer for you himself, and now he’s sticking his nose into your business? The man’s an idiot.
Jaq had quietly chuckled at his sister’s assessment, but he admitted to himself he was having difficulties knowing how to respond to her or his mother. He didn’t want them to worry about him, but then he didn’t want to give any more fuel to the rumors Rupert was spreading. The man is definitely not making any sense in his behavior.
It didn’t help that there was a big part of Jaq that missed seeing Serron and Patin throughout the day. He’d been spoiled on their trip because the two men made such a point of including him in conversation and meals, but they had been so busy since the arrival at Folkon… It’s not like you to miss anyone.
Still wrestling with what to write to his mother and sister, Jaq was relieved when there was a quiet knock on his door.
“Enter.”
Brian, one of the footmen assigned to take care of Jaq’s messages and any personal duties he required, came in, bowing deeply. “Crown Prince Consort, Crown Prince Serron, and the Duke of Folkon requested that you join them for a late luncheon if you are free. They are in the small family dining room.”
“Thank you, Brian. I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.” Jaq got up, reaching for his jacket and slipping it on, buttoning it up quickly. “The smaller family dining room, did you say?”
“Yes, sire. I can direct you if you prefer.”
“That would be helpful, thank you.” Jaq smiled as he crossed the room. “I confess I’ve been staying out of the way with so much activity going on. I am sure I will learn the layout of the house soon enough.”
Following him out and closing the door behind them, Brian said, “If it helps, sire, consider the house like part of a honeycomb style hexagon, I believe it is called. That was what Mr. Hunter told me when I first arrived here. Your wing holds your personal suite, and those of the crown prince and the duke.
“There is a second wing to the left of us which is where other visiting dignitaries are housed if they stay the night, although that rarely happens here.
“The two bottom quadrants of the honeycomb are where the kitchen and staff are contained, and then the final quadrant is where the receiving area and main entrance are. Basically, sire, if you kept just walking around in the one direction, eventually you would find your suite, and then if you are looking for any of the living areas, they are all in the middle.”
“I appreciate the visualization, thank you, Brian.” Jaq was delighted. “Directions like that are so much more interesting and helpful than just saying ‘down this corridor, third door on the right.’”
“I believe one of the reasons both the crown prince and the duke enjoy this house is because there are clearly defined spaces between the living areas, the working areas, and the private chambers. It makes it easier during a time like this one, where they are hosting such a large reception, to keep unwanted guests away from private spaces.” Brian stopped by a large door, knocked and entered, bowing again. “Crown Prince Consort Jaq, as requested, Your Highness.”
“Your Highness, come in.” Patin hurried over to the door, bowing briefly before taking Jaq’s elbow and guiding him inside. “Brian, please let the chef know we will be ready for our food shortly, thank you.” He waited until Brian had left, closing the door quietly behind him, before relaxing his tone. “Come and sit down, Jaq. How are you settling in? Do you have everything you need?”
“I do, thank you. Serron, are you well?” Jaq followed Patin across another perfectly pleasant room, taking the seat Patin offered, smiling at his soon-to-be husband. The man looked stressed.
“Queen Sophie is being unbelievably involved in a wedding she wasn’t sure she approved of in the first place.” Serron sighed, running his hand through his hair that he’d left loose for the evening. “I apologize though, Jaq. I realize this situation is not ideal. We’ve barely had a chance to talk since we arrived.”
“Please don’t concern yourself. I am well-used to keeping myself occupied,” Jaq said quickly. “I never expected to be courted, or that you would spend time with me, either before our official wedding or afterward. It’s nice sharing a meal with you.”
“Actually, Jaq, we did have an ulterior motive for this meal.” Patin got up, going over to a bar counter and quickly making three drinks. “We believe, and please feel free to correct us if we’re wrong, but we believe our situation might have changed somewhat since we’ve arrived in Monce, and indeed Folkon.” He came back, placing a glass in front of Jaq, before giving one to Serron and sitting down again with his own.
Jaq felt a shaft of pain he didn’t expect. Rubbing his chest with one hand, he quickly took a sip from his glass with the other. Patin had remembered how he liked his drink, but that didn’t help the ache in his middle. He quickly put his hand on the table before his strange actions were noted.
“I believe that you need to be particularly blunt with me if you think the situation between us has changed,” he said slowly. “Have you decided since your father’s situation is so dire, Serron, that you are going to wait and marry Patin after all? The link between you both is still as strong as ever – in fact more so, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
“That’s nice to know,” Serron offered a tired smile. Then, to Jaq’s surprise, he reached over taking Jaq’s hand off the table and holding it in his own. “Do you remember when we first came to speak with you – my goodness it was only a week ago – but do you remember what you said about including Patin in all our decisions, our outings, and events when we were wed because you didn’t want him to feel left out?”
“Of course.” Jaq’s breathing increased along with his anxiety. “Have I done something wrong? Something to suggest to you two that I no longer feel that way? I’m not sure how I could’ve done as we’ve barely seen each other but…”
“No. No. Don’t distress yourself.” Serron sighed. “Again, I have to apologize. I am deathly tired, and indeed my mother’s expectations would have been better met at the castle, but we are making do as best we can. Patin’s poor staff have been run ragged, but they have been amazingly accommodating. The reason I asked if you remembered that particular part of our discussion was because Patin and I are now getting the sense that is how we’re treating you.”
“I don’t understand.” Jaq looked between the two men. They both looked worried, and Jaq got the impression their concern was about him. “I thought the reason you approached me in the first place was because I was self-sufficient and used to spending time on my own. I keep very busy, I…”
“What Serron is trying to say, in his usual ham-fistedly polite fashion, is that we’d like to spend more time with you,” Patin said bluntly. “We feel, as we’ve been running around trying to match Queen Sophie’s expectations and then retiring to spend time with each other at night, that we’re missing the third crucial part of our throuple. You.”
“Only if you were interested in being closer to us, of course,” Serron added hastily, which was probably a good thing because Jaq was stunned senseless. “I know that’s not what you signed up for, that you were only interested in a friendship with us. We also know we’ve not had the chance to get to know each other very well, and that it’s only been a week, but we do want to court you properly, and eventually, when you are comfortable with the idea, we’d like you to be an equal partner with us in all ways.”
Jaq swallowed hard. He could feel the intensity of Serron’s words, the same as he had with Patin’s. The two men were serious. They wanted to be with him . He was quietly relieved when a knock at the door had Serron letting go of his hand and sitting back as Patin let the server in with their meal. He needed a moment before he made a complete mess of his reply.