Leo blinked at being dismissed but he stood and, with a nod at Vasily, strode up the pathway to the castle, Thomas at his back.
Vasily led Blackbird inside and into her stall and set about removing the saddle and bridle. Felix did the same for Shadow and they worked in tandem, and at first the only sounds were the drag of the brush and the soft huffs and snorts from the horses.
It was when Vasily was halfway along Blackbird’s body that Felix spoke. “Have you told him?”
Vasily’s head whipped up so fast that he smacked it into Blackbird’s shoulder. “What?”
“Mother. Have you told him?”
Vasily’s heart stuttered in his chest, and his voice shook. “I don’t know what you mean, sire,” he lied.
Felix gave a snort that would have rivalled one of the horses. “Please. Don’tsireme. We both know who’s the groom and who’s the real prince here.”
Vasily put a hand against Blackbird’s side to steady himself. He knew he should tell Mother, but he’d been putting it off. Perhaps it was selfish, but he couldn’t bear the thought of Mother treating him differently or perhaps not wanting anything to do with him at all. “Why?” he said in a low voice. “Why do I have to tell him?”
There was the sound of a curry comb hitting the tack table, and then Felix was right there in the stall with him, barely inches away. “Because,” he said, voice equally quiet, “he deserves to know who, exactly, he’s dallying with. And what’s more, he deserves to know you’re not staying.” His gaze was hard. “Mother Jones is a decent man. He’s not a plaything for a spoiled prince.”
“No! It’s not like that!” Vasily protested, but his heart sank—because it wasexactlylike that.
“Oh?” Felix challenged. “Decided to stay, have you?”
Vasily blinked against the wetness blurring his vision as the reality of his situation hit him full force. Because even if hedidwant to stay—and who was he fooling? Of course he did—it wasn’t possible. Princes, even fourth sons, didn’t slink off to neighbouring kingdoms and not return.
It just wasn’tdone.
“So what do you want me to do?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest in an attempt to hide how close he was to tears. “Give up the one good thing in my life?” His voice cracked, and he cursed the sign of weakness. His father would have been disgusted if he’d heard. He squeezed his eyes shut and ignored the single drop of moisture that trickled down his cheek.
Felix blinked, and his brow creased in concern. “Shit. Don’t cry, Vasily.” He placed a hand on Vasily’s shoulder. “That’s not what I mean. I don’t want you to give him up. I just want Mother to know the truth before he falls even harder for you. At least then he’ll know what he’s dealing with.”
Vasily froze. “Mother isn’t falling for me,” he whispered.
Felix let out a low chuckle. “He is, though. I’ve known Mother my whole life, and I’ve never known him to have a romantic entanglement. With you, though? He gazes after you like a lovesick calf. He holds your hand. He glares at anyone who looks at you sideways. He definitely has strong feelings for you.”
His chest tightened, and he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Hearing that Mother was falling for him was all well and good, but it didn’t change the fact that Vasily was a prince—and that he couldn’t stay. It was an impossible situation, and it was only made worse by the fact that if he was honest, Vasily was falling just as hard. He sniffled and leaned against Blackbird, hiding his face as he whispered into her coat. “He’s not the only one.”
Felix rested a hand on his shoulder. “So? That’s a good thing, Vasily. You should tell him that you care.”
Sighing, Vasily lifted his head, scrubbing the heel of his hand over his eyes. “What good would that do?”
Felix rolled his eyes. “Well, for a start, it would make him happy. And if anyone deserves to be happy, it’s Mother. So you could, I don’t know. Start with the fact you’re besotted with him, and once he’s over that, sort of…casually mention that you’re royalty? And then, once he stops calling you sire and hyperventilating, you can both figure out how you’re going to stay together.”
Vasily snorted. “Yes, because obviously that’s going to happen.”
“Why can’t it?” Felix asked, the corners of his mouth quirking up.
“Because itcan’t,” Vasily mumbled, staring at the floor.
Felix lifted his chin with one long finger. “Look me in the eye and tell me that a prince can’t fall in love with a groom and live happily ever after. Idareyou.”
Vasily blinked as a flicker of hope ignited in his chest, but he shoved it down, twisting his head away from Felix’s touch. “That’syou. That’s Lilleforth. It’s different for me.”
Is it, though?
Vasily tried and failed to ignore the voice in his head. He couldn’t help but ask, “If I did want to stay, how would that even work? I can’t exactly disappear from Koroslova. People would notice.”
Felix ran one hand through his hair and rested the other on Blackbird’s nose, petting her absently. “I don’t have an answer for you. But Mother should know who you are, at the very least. And then maybe the pair of you can figure something out. They do say two heads are better than one.”
Vasily let out a gusty sigh, knowing Felix was right. “I’m going to tell him,” he said. “It’s just…finding the right time.”
