Many things in life might have been a whole lot fucking easier, Will thought bitterly, if His Royal Highness Derek Malik Nurse hadn’t been so devastatingly attractive.
Will had, after all, spent quite some time convincing himself that this marriage was a horrible idea. Which it was. The land of Faber was in the process of an unusually difficult trade negotiation with the neighboring republic Samwell, and announcing a royal engagement in the midst of the ongoing political shitshow was clearly a recipe for disaster. Not to mention that the country of Andover (from which Prince Derek had traveled on what seemed like an entirely foolish, actually spontaneous courtship tour to any royal household that would have him at such stupidly short notice) was quite a bit larger than Faber. The merit of the alliance was worth considering, but Will had to wonder what Prince Derek really thought of Faber, and it’s debatable importance in the world. Surely there must be other, much more favorable marriage prospects for him to consider, if he so desperately wanted to rule out romance and go the royal route?
Still. Chowder seemed to kind of like the guy.
Will had positioned himself in a corner of the room, next to a table of refreshments and various delicacies. He’d refilled the carafe of water twice during the afternoon, but hadn’t needed to head down to the kitchens for any additional cheese or fruit. It seemed that Chowder and Prince Derek were preoccupied with each other’s company, for the time being.
“Derek,” Chowder was saying presently, his tone politely inquisitive. “Tell me more about yourself. What are your likes, and dislikes? Your hobbies?”
“I’m not sure if there’s very much to tell, that you can’t easily find out from someone else.” Prince Derek was smiling pleasantly as he spoke. “I like to read, and I also write a bit more than I really have time for. I like to go horseback riding.”
“What kind of books do you read?”
“I’m really into poetry, right now. It’s a welcome escape from political propositions and financial reports – I’m sure you’re more than familiar with how tedious those get, after a while?”
“I also like to go horseback riding,” Chowder replied evasively, taking a sip from his glass of water and meeting Will’s eyes briefly across the room – Will barely tipped his head forward in acknowledgement. “I always make time to ride my horse, Goldie, several times a week, even when things get crazy busy.”
“I’ve heard as much. Her full name is Going for Gold, I think?”
Chowder tilted his head a bit to the left, almost thoughtfully. “Someone’s done their homework, huh.”
“Like I said – I like to read.” Derek smiled again, yet this time it was a little more tentative. “I hope you don’t, uh, mind? I promise I didn’t google for very long.”
“Well,” Chowder said, his smile briefly widening into an amused grin. “That much is extremely evident.”
In the corner of the room, Will coughed pointedly.
“Right, right.” Chowder got to his feet. “You know, I think I need to rest up a bit, before dinner this evening.”
“Oh, don’t let me stop you,” Prince Derek immediately assured him, standing up as well. “I’ll find some way to amuse myself.”
“Actually, I might have an idea for that,” Chowder said. “How would you feel about visiting the stables, and getting to know my Goldie a little better? You have more than enough time to go for a ride. Christopher here can show you everything.”
“Are you sure that’s okay?” Prince Derek asked, glancing unsurely towards Will. “I mean. I don’t want to inconvenience your staff.”
“You wouldn’t,” Chowder said firmly. “Chris is going down there either way. I’m sure he’d be glad for the company.”
“It’s no trouble, your highness,” Will filled in, and Derek looked over again, meeting Will’s eyes for the first time. “Really, I’d be happy to help.”
“Well,” Derek said, still looking a bit unsure. “All right. Some fresh air might be nice.”
“Great.” Chowder offered Derek one last smile. “I’ll see you tonight?”
“Absolutely.”
Chowder left.
As soon as the door had closed behind him, Derek sat back down on his chair again, his head in his hands.
“Jesus,” he muttered, before glancing up at Will. “Sorry, I’m sorry. I just… I keep forgetting that it’s always this weird.”
“I’m sure Prince William is just as nervous,” Will said politely. “I can give you a few minutes alone, if that’s what you need?”
“No, it’s fine.” Derek took a deep breath, and then got to his feet. “I really would like to get some air, and to ride Going for Gold – did you know that the prince competed in international showjumping, a few years back?”
Will smiled briefly.
“It’s a short walk to the stables. I’m going to go and get changed – could you meet me down at the main entrance in a few minutes, your highness?”
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