He shifted restlessly where he was standing outside the king’s offices. Now was not the time to be thinking about Evan pinning his anything to anywhere. And it wasn’t like it would ever become a reality. Evan wasn’t interested in Thomas. He’d said so. He’d made a point of saying he was teasing, like he was worried Thomas might get the wrong idea. The rejection had stung more than Thomas wanted to admit.
And yet, he flirted with you in the first place. Maybe he did mean it after all.
Thomas pushed the thought aside and straightened his posture. He needed to focus on finding out who was threatening the king and stop worrying about whether the duke liked him.
As if summoned by a thought, Evan appeared at the end of the long hallway. Even at this distance Thomas recognised the sway of his hips as he meandered aimlessly past a group of court officials who were chattering among themselves. The group seemed unaware that Evan had paused right next to them, ostensibly to look at one of the many tapestries that lined the walls, but Thomas had no doubt it was so that he could take in the details of their conversation. Once the men had made their way to the staircase and disappeared out of sight, Evan lingered a moment longer then straightened up and strode towards Thomas with a determined gleam in his eye.
“Are they in there?” he asked. “No, wait, of course they’re in there. You’re not guarding an empty room.” He swung the door open and paused, raising an eyebrow. “Well, are you coming in or not?”
Thomas followed him inside.
King Leopold looked up from the pile of papers on his desk and drawled, “No, please do come in, Evan. We’re not busy at all.”
Evan flapped a hand. “It’s paperwork. It’s not going anywhere. And I’m here to do you a favour.”
Leopold sat back in his chair. “Oh?”
“Yes. I’m taking you riding.”
Leopold and Felix exchanged a glance.
Thomas cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Your Grace, but given past events, it was decided that Their Majesties can only ride with a full contingent of guards.”
Evan rolled his eyes and threw himself into the chair across from Leopold’s desk, stretching his long legs out in front of himself. “Yes, because nothing says everything is fine and we suspect nothing like a king who rides three and four days a week suddenly staying locked up in his office. Or worse, going riding but taking half the guard with him.”
Thomas opened his mouth to argue and then shut it. Evan was, of course, right. Thomas wondered again how he’d ever thought the duke stupid.
Leo sighed. “I understand what you’re saying, but Thomas is right. The last two times someone tried to kill one of us we were on horseback, so you can see why I’m not in a hurry to go riding right now.”
“It would be nice, though,” Felix said, letting out a wistful sigh of his own. “We haven’t been out in almost a week.”
“Exactly,” said Evan. “Everyone knows you love your horses, Leo. And Felix was a stable boy before you married him.”
“Excuse me, I was the royal groom,” Felix said.
“Same thing,” Evan said, with all the carelessness of someone whose position had always been at the top of the heap. “Anyway, my point stands. If you two stay indoors much longer, it’s going to look suspicious.”
Leo arched an eyebrow. “So, in order to not get killed, you want me to go and do the one thing that I’ve been told I’m not allowed to do in case it gets me killed?”
“In a nutshell, yes.”
Leo looked over at his husband. “Well then. I suppose we’re going riding.”
Felix’s face split into a grin and he pushed himself to his feet. “When are we leaving?”
Despite his initial misgivings, Thomas found himself looking forward to being out in the sunshine and fresh air. And proving Evan’s point, Mother Jones, the stablemaster, commented, “I think Blackbird missed you, Your Majesty,” as he saddled the king’s horse. Their recent absence hung like an unspoken question in the air.
“I’ve been wading through the paperwork from the trade deals, and Felix is a monster who refused to let me out until I’d finished it,” Leo said, with just enough of a pout to make it believable. Thomas knew that it wouldn’t be the first time Felix had kept Leo at his desk despite the king’s protests.
Mother accepted the explanation with a soft smile. “Ah well, you’re due a nice long ride then,” he said, petting Blackbird’s cheek.
One of the young grooms was still preparing Thomas’s mare, Poppy, when a cheerful voice rang out across the courtyard. “Hello!” Evan strutted across the cobblestones, his hands clasped behind his back, and peered at Thomas’s mount like he’d never seen a horse before. “Is mine here somewhere? I might take him out. For a bit of fun.”
Mother Jones’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “You’d like to ride… for fun, Your Grace?”
“Why not? It’s a lovely day for it.” Evan tilted his head back and inhaled, closing his eyes. He opened them a moment later and wrinkled his nose. “Lord, it stinks of horse shit.”
“You generally find that in the stables,” Felix said with a laugh.
