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Lucan handed him a jerkin which looked like it had been stitched by a mad raccoon. Sebastian would not be seen dead in such an item of attire, but he managed to avoid saying that out loud.
He did not put it on either, however. He stood, holding the jerkin, and looking around the jumble of attire and other items, wondering if he too would look like a junk shop by the time he put this on. He imagined he would blend in with the general ambiance, and that ambiance would be one of a simpleton who imagined himself a king.
“We have very fine sheets, and of course, the pottery from the forest clay is unparalleled,” Timon was chattering happily, largely to himself because nobody was listening. He had clearly decided that Lucan was in charge, and was pushing various items on Lucan, many of them having absolutely nothing to do with their needs.
“Put it on, Seb,” Lucan prompted him.
Sebastian obeyed reluctantly. The jerkin did help a little to make the shirt seem less ill-fitting. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t entirely tragic either.
“Good,” Lucan smiled at Sebastian in approval and Sebastian felt as though the sun had emerged from behind vicious stormy clouds to finally warm him with its glory.
There had been little reason to smile up until this point. Guards and knights were stoic creatures, and every upwards creasing of Lucan’s lips had been more or less perfunctory. This though, this was a smile of true approval, a reward for obedience, and it made Sebastian smile in turn with a deep, glowing happiness that sank into his cold, sad bones and made everything feel just that little bit more normal.
Sooner rather than later, Sebastian was attired in a leather vest, leggings, and he’d even chosen some matching boots of his own accord.
He’d kept Lucan’s undershirt on, so that garment created a billowy effect that seemed to please the prince quite well. He spent a good amount of time plucking at the fabric and tightening the various ties until he was satisfied with the fit of his peasant attire. One could take the prince out of the castle, but one could not remove the tendency to refinement from the prince.
In a final act of fashion, Sebastian chose a dark woolen head covering that sat close to his face with long strings to tie up under his chin and flaps extending down his shoulders and back. It would be warm in cold conditions and keep rain from running down his back. Lucan was impressed with the practicality of his choices. The hat hid his hair, but framed his face, making his bright blue eyes the focal point of any onlooker.
Sebastian truly was gorgeous. That could not be hidden. The peasant attire did absolutely nothing to make him look less royal. If anything, it highlighted the geometry of his face, the fineness of his features, and the regal nature of his bearing. The peasant clothing might keep onlookers from a distance from noticing him, but as soon as anybody looked at his face, they would know they were in the presence of royalty. It was imperative to get him to safety at the Green Court as soon as humanly possible.
“We’d like to trade our beast for two horses,” Lucan said to Timon. “Good, sturdy beasts.”
“You can have your pick m’lord,” Timon said, obviously assuming they were of rank. The way they spoke gave them away. Sebastian was yet to say a word, and Lucan hoped he would stay silent. The less attention he drew to himself, the better.
“We’d trade this fine steed for two solid mounts,” Lucan added, gesturing to the horse from the royal stable.
Timon shook his head vigorously. “We’ve got no use for fancy horses here, sir. That’s a race horse, that’s what that is.”
“Do you have use for gold?” Lucan produced one of Sebastian’s rings, carefully picking one that did not have the royal insignia emblazoned. It was a gold band with a sapphire inset, and it was worth more than the merchants’s entire house and stock.
The old man’s eyes widened. “I’d say I do, yes, sir.”
Sebastian made a small squeak, and Lucan was certain he had inadvertently chosen one of Sebastian’s favorite rings. He was also equally certain that all of Sebastian’s rings were his favorite.
“If you will not take the horse, then we will keep the horse, and this ring will cover all our attire, provisions, and a beast of our choosing, including tack. Deal?”
“Deal, m’lord.” Timon said, speaking so quickly Lucan was certain he understood very well that what he was trading was worth the entirety of Timon’s stock, and probably more than the merchant would earn in several years.
Lucan ran his eye over the horses in the nearby pen. Most of them were of the draft type of beast, useful for dragging heavy weights. They were also cold-blooded, and probably quite safe for Sebastian, however they would likely lack speed. That did not matter greatly. Sebastian would probably not be able to ride well enough to ride safely at speed regardless.
