His father’s head snapped up.“You propositioned the king?”
“Well, in my defence, I didn’tknowhe was the king at the time.”
His father gave an exasperated sigh. “Only you could accidentally charm the king into bed, Flick.”
“The charming was mutual, I promise.”
His father shook his head. “If you tell me you’re both in agreement, that’s good enough for me. I don’t want any details.”
“And I will never, ever offer any. Except—” Felix pushed through his own awkwardness, jutting his chin out. “It was meant to be a one-time thing, but, um. Now it isn’t.”
“I guessed as much.” His father’s expression did something complicated like it always did when he was deciding whether to say something, and he drew a deep breath. “Flick,” he said quietly, “you know this can never be anything more than a tumble in the sheets, don’t you? Leopold will have to marry one of his princesses eventually.”
“I know that, Dad.”
And Felixdidknow. He had no expectation of anything more than a passing dalliance. He and Leo would have a good time, and when Leo tired of him in a week or a month or a year, the invitations to his bedchamber would dwindle away to nothing, and then they’d both pretend there had never been anything between them at all.
That was how these things worked.
His father gave an uncertain smile.
“It’s fine,” Felix assured him. “He’s the king, I’m the hired help, and this is fun, but it’s just a fling.” He bit into his sandwich in a desperate effort to stop talking about his sex life with his father.
Obviously, Felix wasn’t the only one keen to change the subject. “Mattias also said something about you being the king’s personal guard?”
Felix swallowed his mouthful of sandwich. “Oh! I’m going to be the king’s guard when he goes riding. Since you trained me yourself, he’s confident I’m up for the job.”
His father raised an eyebrow. “It’s a good idea, and I’ll take it as a compliment. Andyou’llcome down to the training yards at least three times a week to keep you sharp.”
Felix grinned. He might not have wanted to be in the Royal Guard per se, but he did enjoy sparring. “I’ll find the time.”
“Make sure you do.” Felix made to step away, but his father held up a hand. “Wait. One more thing.” He unbuckled the fastenings of his weapons belt and held it out, complete with a still-sheathed short sword. “Here. If you’re the king’s personal guard, you’ll need a weapon.”
Felix took it and fastened it around his waist, the weight reassuring against his hip. He patted the sheath, nodding his thanks.
His father put a hand on Felix’s shoulder, an affectionate gesture. “Your mother says come for dinner tomorrow. She thinks it’s not fair that I get to see you more than she does.”
“I will.”
They shared a brief one-armed embrace before Janus took his leave and strode with confidence across the cobblestones, doubtless on his way to knock the latest batch of recruits into shape.
* * *
Felix took himself up to the kitchens for lunch and when nobody gave him so much as a glance, he concluded that his father was right and his liaison with the king was still a secret. He shifted in his seat and smiled to himself at the lingering ache that reminded him of the night before. He wondered idly if the king was a fan of riding crops.
Once he’d eaten, he made his way back to the stables and leaned on the railings around the yard, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin as he watched Blackbird and Shadow meandering across the meadow. The day was bright and cloudless, and the blue of the sky reminded him of Leo and his laughing eyes, which led to him thinking about what his father had said. Given the king’s good looks, his sharp wit, and most importantly, the kingdom’s port access, Felix didn’t doubt that some princess or other would wrangle Leo into a political marriage eventually, though he appeared to be doing a good job of avoiding it so far.
And although Felix knew the king’s marriage was inevitable, he couldn’t help but hope it didn’t happentoosoon.
Not when they’d just started having fun.
He sighed and stood up straight. Now wasn’t the time for daydreaming. He had horses to look after. He clicked his tongue, extending his palms with two halves of a carrot as enticement. Upon hearing him and seeing what he held, Blackbird ambled over for her treat, Shadow following in an imitation of his namesake, and Felix led them back into their stalls.
He started with Blackbird, checking her hooves and running his hands over every inch of her before he set about grooming her properly. It was something both he and the horse enjoyed, and he liked to think it strengthened their bond. He loved the solidity and strength of her, and he soon lost himself in the circular motion of the currycomb against her coat, taking his time to work any dirt loose before brushing her clean and rubbing her down until her coat gleamed.
He brushed out her mane and tail and fed her an apple, and when he was done, he turned his attention to Shadow. The horse was steady, mild-mannered, and a dream to ride, which was why Felix liked him. He repeated the grooming process, then stored the brushes and made sure both horses were settled in their stalls.
He placed his hands on his hips and was just arching his spine to get the knots out of it when out of the corner of his eye he caught movement. A figure was walking toward him and as they got closer, he saw that it was none other than Leopold.
