Chapter Eight
Pel
Pel would never have imagined that the High Prince was going to show up in Tond. Even in that unlikely event, however, Pel couldn’t envision that there would be much impact on Pel’s life. Prince Torex had never paid attention to Pel up to this point, so why would he start now?
The day after the High Prince arrived, Pel did everything as normal. He remembered about the man partway through getting dressed, and he snorted derisively. Prince Torex thought far too highly of himself.
Pel wouldn’t be at all surprised if both Bavil and Larexa were ordered to try to catch the High Prince, but it wouldn’t so much as cross his father’s mind that Pel could do such a thing—thank goodness!
It would surely appeal to Larexa given how she’d gone on and on about how she needed someone who was Extraordinary and could match her abilities.
Not only was Torex Extraordinary, he was the High Prince.
It would be impossible to come up with someone that their father would think better suited, at least now that High King Varex was married.
Maybe their father wouldn’t push Bavil to pursue a man when he’d always been interested in women, but tying the High Prince to Forex’s heir… It might be enough to make Forex ignore Bavil’s preferences.
Their father was probably already imagining wedding bells, but Pel couldn’t imagine that the High Prince would be at all interested in allying himself with Tond.
He was an arrogant ass, but he was also unreasonably handsome and the High Prince.
He could have practically anyone, so setting his sights on the smallest and furthest away realm made no sense.
Perhaps he wanted a break? He could still be surrounded by royals, as that seemed to be weirdly important to many people of their station, but he didn’t have to worry about them. If he didn’t outright outrank King Forex, it was a near thing.
Pel’s lip curled up. Yes, he could see Prince Torex coming here to get away from the High Court but still get fawned over. Maybe he’d wanted to see how ridiculously they’d behave when the High Prince deigned to visit them all the way up here.
Well, there would be at least one person who was not interested in him—though with Bavil and Larexa around, Pel didn’t imagine anyone would notice the difference.
Business as usual.
Pel grabbed breakfast from the kitchens, where he found to his displeasure—but not surprise—that there was an awful lot of talk about Prince Torex.
Weirdly, it seemed to be positive. And sure, the man was handsome and the High Prince, but given how he’d treated Pel? He’d thought there might be a little more grumbling amongst the staff. It wasn’t like they had a chance at marrying him.
But they probably hadn’t spent much time with him. Maybe they hadn’t yet had the opportunity to see all the ways that he was obnoxious and instead had only seen him wink and smile and charm.
Pel put up with the chatter, was as noncommittal as possible, and then thankfully escaped out to the stable so that he could go on his rounds.
He suffered an immediate check because the stables were occupied.
Well, the stables were always occupied, but—
It was morning. Pel hadn’t imagined he would see the High Prince anytime soon. But here he was, in the stables at the same time that Pel was.
Pel cursed his misfortune, especially as the man immediately caught his eye and grinned at him. “There you are. I thought you might like to go for a ride.”
“I’m busy,” Pel said shortly.
“With what?” the nosy man asked.
“Busy-ness,” Pel snapped.
He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. They made him sound like a child. From the raised eyebrow and amused curl of Prince Torex’s lip, he thought so, too.
Pel sucked in a sharp breath and blew it out roughly, trying to control the irritation that was racing through him. “I’m visiting the farmers in the surrounding area.”
“I’d be happy to accompany you,” Torex said promptly.
“You weren’t invited,” Pel snapped again.
Torex blinked at him. Pel realized that there was not being charmed by the man and then there was being actively, deliberately rude.
To the High Prince of the United Realms.
Pel ground his teeth together and then said stiffly, “This is something I prefer to do alone.”
The Prince considered him for another long moment, and then he flashed a grin.
“Of course. Whatever you prefer. I may go out for a ride on my own.”
“You’re sure that you can find your way back to the castle?”
Pel wished those words back as soon as he said them—what was wrong with his mouth?—but Prince Torex only laughed.
“If I can’t manage it on my own, I’ll remember to ask anyone who isn’t you, and I’m sure they’ll point me in the right direction.”
Pel was… not going to go anywhere near that one. He turned away instead, heading for Extraordinary. The stable hands had already saddled her because they knew his routine, and at least they didn’t seem to be allowing it to be interrupted by the arrival of the United Realms’ most annoying prince.
On automatic, Pel checked over the saddle and girth, and then he led his beautiful chestnut mare out of the stables, trying not to notice that Prince Torex was still standing there.
Why did he have to be so tall and dark-haired and pretty? The goddess shouldn’t bless one person with so much, surely. On the other hand, she appeared to have balanced it out with him being an ass.
Pel mounted, resisted the urge to look behind him and see if even now, Prince Torex was coming after him, and set off on his usual circuit of the farms.
Despite telling himself that there was absolutely no reason to be thinking about the man, Pel spent the entire ride doing exactly that, wondering why, of all things, the man had offered to come inspect the farms.
Pel could think of nothing that would be less inspiring for the High Prince, especially given the company he would be keeping, but he’d offered. Why?
The man didn’t make sense.
Resolutely, Pel pushed all thoughts of him out of his mind and concentrated on the farms—only to find that word of the High Prince’s arrival had already spread everywhere.
Because of course it had. So instead of doing his job, Pel found himself constantly confirming that yes, the High Prince was there, no, he didn’t think that it was because of any trouble, yes, he’d met the man in person, and yes, he was as handsome as “they” said.
Because when he’d tried the first few times to say that he didn’t have any opinion on the matter, it had caused so many protests and follow-up questions that it was easier to simply agree.
It was completely ludicrous, but Pel couldn’t be the man to shut the farmers down, because then they might think that he was judging them or implying it wasn’t any of their business.
Goddess help him.
He had to watch people who’d never actually seen Prince Torex sigh over how handsome he was. Little children wanted to know if he really looked exactly like the High King. More than one person wanted to know if he was as magnificent as they’d heard.
What did that even mean?
Stewing, desperately trying not to let it show, Pel could only repeat that he hadn’t seen the man perform anything that could be deemed Extraordinary, but he was sure that he was capable of it—again, because it was not worth arguing, and the man was named Torex, so clearly, he was Extraordinary.
(Not even royalty could get away with mis-naming their children.
It was a punishable offense to claim that you had more magic than you really did.)
So despite the fact that Pel didn’t see Prince Torex the entire rest of the morning, he was surrounded by him constantly. Plus he was on edge with the worry that the man might “happen” to run into him.
Not to mention the fact that he’d learned nothing about the farms today, which was the actual purpose of these rounds. But no, they didn’t even want to talk about issues they’d previously reported to him.
Unfortunately, the High Prince was the most excitement they’d had in ages.
They didn’t expect to meet him. Not like Pel, who was, for all his perceived faults, a prince, and who had, in fact, met Prince Torex on several occasions.
They’d actually spoken at the naming ceremony for Princess Cala.
It hadn’t been anything special, of course, and Pel hated that he remembered every moment of it—that bright grin, those blue eyes, so intent on Pel’s face—while it clearly hadn’t made a single impression on Prince Torex.
It had been superficial, light talk, the sort of thing each royal said to one another at a function like that.
But Torex hadn’t been rude or dismissive, and after Terila, that had meant something to Pel.
Prince Torex had probably forgotten him the moment he started talking to someone else.
It had been clear at dinner yesterday that the man had no idea that Pel had been there as well as Bavil.
That was reason enough for Pel to pay him no mind. He’d keep minding his own business, and if he were really lucky, the High Prince would do whatever it was that he was trying to do, and then he would leave, and Pel’s peace would be restored.
He couldn’t wait.
In the meantime, maybe he’d put in some archery practice. Hitting a lot of targets might make him feel a little better.
Tor
Tor had begun to understand the dominant pattern of behavior at the castle, and it was pretty much the exact opposite of what he’d been hoping for.
Bavil and Larexa were thrown at his head as often as possible.
There was almost nowhere that Tor could go that he wouldn’t soon be joined by one or the other of them.
He began to suspect that there were servants whose sole purpose was to track him.