“There are players and jesters and all sorts,” Mother continued. “The king rides at the head of the procession, followed by members of court, and then the bishop. Once the bishop has blessed the fleet, the fishermen all receive a gold coin from the royal purse for luck, and then it’s mostly eating and drinking for the day. There’s even a fair with games. It’s meant to be for the youngsters, but plenty of adults enjoy it as well.”
“Felix is bellyaching already because he won’t be able to go and try his hand at the ring toss on account of being a prince now,” Janus said with a grin. “I told him not to expect any sympathy from his mother and me. That’s what he gets for marrying royalty.”
“Aye, it would take a lot to get me involved with that sort of dog and pony show,” Mother said with a shake of his head.
Vasily remained silent and did his best to ignore the lead ball that had lodged in the pit of his stomach. Mother was only saying that because he didn’t know, he reminded himself. When it came down to it, perhaps he’d decide Vasily was worth it.
He could only hope.
“Is the crown prince excited?” he asked in an attempt to change the subject.
“Davin? He can’t wait. He was up at dawn, and he’s spent the morning preening in the mirror, making sure he’s every inch the handsome prince.” Janus chuckled.
“Like father, like son?” Mother said with a wry smile.
“Peas in a pod,” Janus agreed. “But I will say he’s very diligent in his duties. If you ask me, I credit that to his time in the stables learning to do a day’s work.”
Mother chuffed out a laugh. “He was slow to start, but he turned out to be a decent lad in the end.”
“Most princes are, underneath the formality and bollocks,” Janus said, looking directly at Vasily.
A sharp gasp escaped him against his will. Ofcoursethe captain of the guard knew who he was. But Janus wouldn’t tell, would he?
He sent a silent, wide-eyed plea and received an almost imperceptible nod in return, which he took to mean his secret was safe. He drew in a shaky breath that had Mother turning to him, brow creased.
“Are you all right, Vasily?”
“Fine,” he lied and pasted on a smile. “Are we going to the Blessing?”
Mother gave him a shy smile. “If you’d like. I thought we could make an afternoon of it.”
“Yes, please.” Vasily brushed a stray bit of hay off Mother’s sleeve, just as an excuse to touch him.
Janus ran a hand down the back of his neck. “I’d better get back. I still have to choose who today’s guard of honour will be. Apparently, there are quite a few clamouring for the chance.”
“You should pick Jeremy,” Vasily said. He still felt bad about abandoning the young man for Mother, even though that hadn’t been his original intention.
Janus smiled. “Maybe I will. He’s a handsome lad. He’d certainly look fine in his dress livery.”
“He would,” Vasily agreed.
Mother’s mouth tightened, and he muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like“Pudding-headed pretty boy.”
He probably shouldn’t have been as pleased as he was at Mother’s jealousy, but Vasily still had to bite back a grin as he rubbed a hand over Mother’s shoulder. “He’s not nearly as handsome as you, mind.”
He was rewarded with a reluctant smile and a flush of colour to Mother’s cheeks.
Janus cleared his throat. “I’ll be back later. I have to go and get into my own dress uniform.” He wrinkled his nose and sighed. “All those damn buttons.”
Vasily thought about his own dress robes with their rows of tiny fastenings and wondered, when the time came, if he’d be able to get used to wearing them again. He pushed the thought away.
When Janus had left, Vasily and Mother worked side by side to make sure the horses were groomed and fed and the stables clean. It took most of the morning, and the process was definitely slowed down by Vasily’s propensity to stop and steal kisses. Then again, Mother didn’t object.
When it came time to prepare the horses for the parade, Mother selected the six mounts with the most placid temperaments. “There’ll be crowds and noise and all sorts,” he said. “We want horses that won’t get skittish.”
Vasily nodded, familiar with the hoopla that accompanied such an event—although in his case, his experience was limited to being the one on horseback.
They prepared the horses, making sure their saddles gleamed and their tack was spotless. Once they were ready, Mother led the mounts out into the courtyard, and while they waited for them to be collected, he tended to the manes on the royal horses.
