Just make it through to the wedding,Your Majesty, Winter hoped, as he chatted, making sure to keep the conversation light and entertaining. He wasn’t interested in bringing his wedding to Crown Prince Rupert forward, but Winter wanted the old king to die happy. Despite his concerns, it was clear the king loved his son dearly, and Winter hoped he’d be able to follow the king’s wishes in keeping his son on a responsible path in the months and years ahead.It would help if I knew what was wrong with the darn man in the first place.
Chapter Five
Rupert's guts had been churning from the moment he'd arrived at the castle the night before his wedding. Now, on the afternoon of the said event, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong. He just wasn't sure what it was.
Everywhere around him, everyone seemed perfectly happy. The castle was bustling with more activity than Rupert had seen in years. People were coming and going through all the public areas of the castle. Rupert had dodged flower arrangements on large trolleys, as well as piles of chairs and tables and so much more, just to reach his room after he’d arrived. There wasn’t anywhere Rupert could look that didn’t remind him of one of the country’s biggest events – an event where Rupert would be acting a leading role.
This is so wrong, he thought as he tried to soothe his agitation in the bath.So wrong on so many levels. Apparently, from what he'd heard, and that wasn't much, but from what had been reported from Tristan, Prince Winter had made himself quite at home in the castle, having arrived days before.
Rupert had been so sure he was going to get a lecture from his father about not being there to greet his fiancé when he arrived. That hadn’t happened. Apparently, his father was too busy with wedding arrangements to speak with him privately, which was a relief.
In the deepest part of himself, where Rupert had to face his truth, he recognized that not wanting to spend time with his father was cowardly. He wasn’t blind to the fact that his father had been ailing for years, and the brief glimpse he'd caught of him the night before had reinforced that impression. The manlooked like he had at least one leg in the grave, and the other foot was slipping.
Rupert didn't even want to think about what would happen when his father wasn't around. He was almost certain that the life he had carefully crafted for himself, a life where he controlled everything he did and everyone he associated with, was fast coming to an end.
Even in the last ten days, the changes to his life had been evident. News of the wedding had spread to his friends while he was attending his second hunt after his return to Simigile. Of course, his father invited his friends – it was the biggest event the castle had seen in the past ten years. Rupert closed his eyes, shaking his head as he remembered how inept he’d appeared, not knowing a single thing about his intended spouse. “It was the king’s idea,” was all he could say.
“Excuse me, Your Highness.” Rupert’s eyes flew open as he heard Tristan’s voice coming through the thick bathroom door. “Do you require assistance? You’re meant to be getting dressed for the ceremony.”
That was the last thing Rupert needed to hear in that moment. “I’ll be there shortly,” he yelled, knowing that if Tristan didn’t get a reply, he’d probably get someone to bang the door down. Rupert hadn’t been very successful in hiding his dour mood as the date of the wedding got closer.
It would help if I thought for a second that I was doing the right thing.Levering himself out of the bath, Rupert grabbed one of the large blanket towels kept for his use. Just being in the castle had him thinking of all the ways Rupert had mishandled his situation, leading to his current predicament.
I should’ve taken the time to talk to Winter before the ceremony.
I should’ve taken more time to spend with my father before he…
Rupert couldn’t even finish the sentence in his thoughts, let alone acknowledge the reality out loud.
No!
Rupert studied his bleak reflection in the large, polished metal plate that hung above his basin.I don't think those thoughts. I don't think what if. I just deal with what I have.
It was a mantra that Rupert had lived with since his mother died, and that was a lifetime ago. Rupert had only the faintest memories of the woman who’d been there in his early years. He remembered her smile as she caught him when he took his first steps. He remembered being curled up against her skirts as she read to him in the evening, teaching him his first words. He remembered the warmth of her hug, the soft tone of her voice...
NO! NO! NO!
“I can't think about that. I won't think of that today,” he muttered, running a wide-toothed comb through his damp hair and drying his face. In truth it was just another day. It wasn’t as though he even had much to do. All he had to do was attend a wedding, say his vows, and then if he could, find five minutes to spend in private with Winter so he could…
“Damn it,” he grumbled under his breath as he wrapped the towel around his waist and made his way out of the bathroom.
Tristan was dressed in his best robe, sitting in one of the chairs by the wide window of his bedroom. Although he jumped up and sketched a hasty bow as Rupert came into the room.
“Did you find out whether or not it’s possible to speak to Prince Winter this afternoon before the wedding?” Rupert asked as he made his way over to his large closet.
“I’m afraid not.” Tristan shook his head. “I sent a message to his suite, just as you ordered when we arrived last night, and received an immediate reply from his adviser that he was unavailable. I tried again this morning, mentioning the urgency of the request, only to be told that the crown prince consort was assisting your father with last minute wedding preparations, and then had to ready himself for what the adviser described as your joyous union.”
Joyous union? Was that man drunk already, or is Winter that deluded?
Then another part of what Tristan had said registered. Rupert glared at his friend. “What do you mean, Winter's assisting my father? You mean to tell me my father actually likes him?”
“From what staff in the castle have been saying, yes. Your fiancé introduced himself to the king on his arrival. That meeting alone was over two hours long, by all accounts, although no one is mentioning what they were talking about. The staff has always been intensely loyal to your father, and you know they won’t say much about private meetings. But aside from that, it appears nobody has a bad word to say about your intended, either.”
“I suppose that's a good thing.” Rupert rummaged around his closet for some undergarments, dropping his towel on the floor. “It would have been tediously annoying if I’d had to listen to complaints about Winter all day. As if this day wasn’t unbearable enough. Have you managed to find a solution to this wretched infidelity business?”
He looked over his shoulder at his companion, noticing Tristan swallowed hard, and all of a sudden he wouldn’t meet Rupert’s eyes.
“There is nothing that can be done, from all accounts. There was a lengthy message waiting for us from the hall of records.Written in World Council legalese, what the message basically said was that no marriage contract could be amended once it had been filed.
