And that was without the impressive sword skills that Winter exhibited. Rupert knew that Tristan was a good swordsman, and Tristan was taller and bigger than Winter by quite a bit. And yet the way Winter had jumped up onto tables, leaped over chairs, and used other furniture as a means to leverage himself all over the place…he had Tristan tied up in knots.
Although, no. That was one of Winter’s men doing the tying in the end - standing guard, looking after him, being there for him, which was something Rupert realized he didn’t have. Nota single one of the people he called friends had leaped in to do anything when Tristan turned up with a weapon.
“Excuse me, Your Highness.” Percy tapped him on the shoulder and then quickly moved his hand when Rupert glared at him. “That all got a bit dramatic, don’t you think? Surely, you’re not going to let your husband imprison old Tristan, are you?”
“You think I should let him go, after what he just did?” Rupert indicated toward the staff still cleaning up the broken glass. “My husband just had to fight for his life.”
“Your consort walked out of here under his own steam, so it couldn’t have been that bad. You know Tristan didn’t mean it. You could see for yourself, he was a bit drunk, and sure, he said some things he probably shouldn’t, but we’re all friends here. He’ll apologize when he’s sober. If he goes before the World Court, then they’ll take his testimony out of context. They might even hang him for bringing a sword out against the man you married.”
“Those laws were put in place for a reason. So people like Tristan would know how important it was to treat their royal family members with respect. Tristan deliberately came in here, completely inebriated, attacked my husband, left him with blood on his robe, and you think I’m gonna let him go? Why on earth would I do something like that?”
“Your Highness, I didn’t mean any offense.” Percy took a step back, but Bakersfield was there now as well.
“Your Highness, we all know that you got married because your father deemed it necessary. We all understand the importance of family legacy and the importance of following the rules of our king…” Rupert was watching Bakersfield carefully, noticing the florid face and bead of sweat falling down the side of his face.He’s worried about the crappy things he said when he thought my husband couldn’t hear them.
“The thing is, sir, you actively chose not to marry from one of the society families…which is perfectly within your right and a very sensible suggestion,” Bakersfield added quickly. “If you had married one person in Simigile, every other family would have been up in arms, believing you were favoring one of us over another. I’m not saying you didn’t do the right thing. But, sire, Tristan wasone of us. By his own omission, your prince comes from Martingale. He doesn’t understand how things are done here. He’s hardly what we call part of our inner circle now, is he?”
Rupert remembered what Winter had said about his friends and about how there would come a time when he would have to pick from those same people to advise him, to sit on his council, to help him rule the country. Originally, Rupert hadn’t believed that would be a problem. But in the aftermath of what could only be described as a traumatic incident, all Rupert could see was greed, laziness, and a sense of entitlement carried by every single person in the room.
It was his fault. Rupert knew that, and he was disgusted in himself because he had set the example that the people around him followed. Society sons who believed themselves elite, purely because of their family name. Men who thought about nothing except for their own pleasure, to hunt when they pleased, recklessly discarding the carcasses and leaving them to rot. To live as though nothing was more important than having a drink, making merry, and gossiping about others in what could only be described as a cruel and entitled way.
While there’s a whole country of hard working and decent people beyond the walls of this and every other estate, who look to us as an example. Thank goodness I married Winter,becausein that moment, Rupert knew Winter was likely the only man who might actually be able to help him.
It was with those thoughts in mind that Rupert turned against his friends for the first time in his life. “Tristan is going before the World Court, and he is going to be tried for attacking my husband with a sword,” he said firmly. “As for myself, I am going to speak with Lord Middlethorp, as the owner of this estate and Tristan’s father, inform him of the events as they have occurred, and my decisions related to those actions, and then I am going to take my leave.
“I am warning you all now.” Rupert’s voice rose as he looked across the stunned gathering. “I am not blind or deaf. Neither is my husband. The disrespect shown toward him in the comments made tonight, even before Tristan made his disastrous entrance, were ignored purely and simply because we were raised to ignore ridiculous commentary.
“But heed this warning. My husband was right. You had better remember who he is and what title he now holds in this country. You are all aware of my father’s ailing health. While he’s rallied in part thanks to Winter’s company, I would be ignorant if I ignored that my time to rule this land is fast approaching. When that happens, I will be looking for people among the society families who are loyal, decent, hard-working, and honest to run my council and to advise me and my husband as we carry on the good work my father has spent his lifetime implementing.”
“We’ve all been friends a long time.” Percy had the cheek to protest. “Your husband knows nothing about that or us. We can’t be tarred with the same brush as Tristan. He was just having a bad night.”
“A bad night that would never have happened if you had all upheld the standards we live by. Personally, I have never been sodisgusted by a gathering - not you, ladies - but by the gentlemen in this gathering. Hiding behind your booze and crude jokes, all the while flaunting your sense of entitlement as if it meant something that you have a society name and were born here.
“Crown Prince Consort Winter showed more class and more breeding when he strode out of herebleedingtonight than any one of you has shown in the last ten years or more. I am absolutely disgusted that on my first outing with a husband you all professed you wanted to meet, that you would behave in such a negative way.”
“Your Highness, you have to admit tonight was an exceptional circumstance,” Percy said, and Rupert realized he was still expecting Rupert to countermand his husband’s orders and let Tristan go free. “You’ve never said you were unhappy with the way things were before.”
“No, you’re quite right, Percy. I didn’t, and I should have done because my husband was right, again. I believe that’s what I needed, perhaps what we all needed, was a fresh set of eyes to tell us where things are going wrong. Life is going to change, I believe, for the better. If you don’t want to follow along with those changes, if you can’t be the loyal, decent peoplethat I told my husband you were, then you will have no place in my court. Mine and my husband’s.”
Refusing to be deterred from getting back to the castle any longer, Rupert swirled around and strode out of the room. The head of the household was lurking by the front door.
“Jefferies, I’m pleased you’re still on duty. Please pass on my apologies to Lord Middlethorp, but tell him I insist on seeing him immediately. We’ll need a small sitting room where we can have a private discussion. While I’m talking to his lordship, please make arrangements for your fastest horse to be saddledand brought around to the front entrance. I will be leaving the moment my meeting has concluded.”
“Your Highness, your rooms are still ready from when you were staying here before,” the head of the household started to say, but Rupert shook his head.
“I will not stay under this roof a moment longer, not while my husband lies bleeding back at the castle. Please see to it that my orders are followed immediately. Thank you."
Rupert paced up and down across the main reception area, waiting for Lord Middlethorp to get out of bed.
Please be all right, please be all right.
He remembered chanting something similar back when he was a child, but Rupert ruthlessly pushed those thoughts out of his head. His focus should and would be on Winter. His husband wasn’t dying. It was just a scratch.No, that doesn’t make me feel any better. Hurry up Middlethorp. Rupert wasn’t focused nearly often enough, but he was definitely focused now. All he wanted was to be back at the castle, reassuring himself that Winter was all right.
Chapter Fifteen
“Sir, you can’t go in there. I absolutely refuse to let you into your husband’s bedchamber. That is his private space, and it should be respected.” Winter winced as he heard August yelling from the outer chamber.
It was the middle of the night, and most people in the castle were already asleep. He shook his head as there was a loud thud against the door. “August has plastered himself against the woodwork, hasn’t he?”
