Dedicated Devotee | Roland & Ambrose
“La, my dear admiral!” declared Ambrose, dramatically tossing up a hand as if to pluck the thought from Horatio’s bold head and toss it across the room. “It is nothing, this once. I am magnanimous enough, I hope,” he began in what would prove to be an extraordinarily unmagnanimous speech when its contents were fully communicated: “To ignore these little forgetfulnesses in gentlemen so loyal to His Majesty, my brother, as yourself,” he replied, inclining his head in what he imagined was a regal and dignified manner but perhaps more closely resembled a man falling asleep where he stood.
It now perhaps became obvious to Roland (though not to Ambrose, himself,) that the prince had not fully listened to what Horatio (or, rather, Roland) had said, and had assumed that he was apologizing. Of course, as it happened, Roland had no earthly idea that – upon happening upon Horatio at the races on Tuesday last, Horatio had committed the grave error of calling Ambrose “Your Highness,” straight off and not – as Ambrose felt he ought – “Your Royal Highness,” before truncating the label to the simple epithet of “Your Highness.” Truth be told, it was likely Horatio, himself, was unaware of this perceived blunder – and certainly of any need to apologize for it – given the ridiculously petty nature of his supposed slight, but Ambrose had not forgotten. These trivialities were, after all, the primary concerns of his daily life.
“After all, it is not as if you can have forgotten my lofty stature, can you?” At this he laughed. It seemed to him there was no more ridiculous notion in the world.
Indeed, as it happened, any ruffled feathers were instantly forgotten, the moment Ambrose attended to what Horatio was actually saying. Realizing that he was in the throes of being lavished with compliments, he smiled in a particular self-satisfied way he had and, deliberately, he raised his hands up before giving a one-two clap. (It did not, as Roland had surmised, strike him as strange that Horatio had so missed him, despite having seen him only Tuesday last – it would not have struck him odd had he been with him but five minutes previously. Ambrose was of the happy habit of assuming that the people around him always missed him when he was not in the room. How could they not?)
At once, one of the footmen materialized from the crowd and held Ambrose’ monicle up to his eye. “Zooks! What a fine brace of pretty girls! I say, Horatio, you’re not so hideous a chap, yourself, though admittedly the comparison to my royal self sadly does you no favors,” he added, blissfully unaware that his companion was the far more attractive of the two. “Stay by me and we may well find you a wife, someday. Is there anyone you fancy? Doubtless one of these fine ladies would do for you, for, sadly, I fear they are all quite beneath my royal notice – after all, I see not a single princess amongst them, sad to say.”
Sighing dramatically, he clapped again, the monicle was removed from his eye, and he turned to Horatio with a histrionic look upon his face. “Tragic, indeed, is the life of a prince. Glorious as it may look to you, my good admiral, all I do is suffer. But you…I am convinced you can have no worries to equal mine. After all, if your cravat should not appear so fine, why, who will note it? And if your foolish valet should happen to stain it, why, what does it matter? The fabric cannot be near so costly as mine! What felicity, indeed, you must enjoy with such awful stress entirely removed from your sphere of living. But, then, we who live amongst the gods must perforce suffer these travails that those beneath us might live easier lives.”
As he watched the laughing ladies compose themselves, smiling as they fought to hide back tears of mirth – an expression which Ambrose took for admiration – he turned suddenly to Horatio as a thought occurred to him. “Egad! It occurs to me, my dear sir – do you think His Majesty the King, my brother, will…snap up Her Royal Highness the Serene Princess Arya, so to speak? She is, after all, to inherit a kingdom they say, and I daresay, if His Most Supreme Majesty my brother doesn’t go for her, you know, she could still use a strong husband such as myself by her side to help her through the duldrums of such weighty responsibility, what. What a striking – imposing, even,” he added, stretching out his leg in what he imagined was an imposing pose, “Figure of a king I should strike! Were His Most Magnanimous Majesty, my brother, to smile upon such a union, of course, that is. But why should he not, man? What say you, admiral?”
This was hardly the first time that Roland had stumbled across someone as Horatio to find that he had offended them at their last meeting. He supposed he should have expected it, given Horatio’s general unpleasantness and Ambrose’s sensitive nature, which made him especially susceptible to being offended.
Given such a combination, he doubled the prince had ever had a pleasant encounter with the real Horatio.
But Roland certainly had enough practice apologizing and so he bowed low a second time, “Your Royal Highness, please do forgive my past transgressions. I do hope you know that I am, as always, your most humble servant! Alas, I am, at times, subject to such horrendous wrongdoings. But, as I am of inferior in both breeding, rank, and intelligence, I hope that you shall accept my most sincere apology.”
Roland was not sure what it was he was apologizing for, exactly, but he knew that it would be hard to overdo one’s expression of regret when one was dealing with Ambrose Ardenne. And, as such, he used the same language here to apologize for stepping upon his toe as he might have for any number of insults.
When the conversation began to steer towards Ayra and Ambrose’s proposed pursuit of her, Roland could not resist having a bit of fun. Arya had become one of his own friends (even if she knew him as Horatio) and while he would never wish her a marriage Ambrose Ardenne, he couldn’t help but laugh at the image of a very encouraged Ambrose attempting to court a very uninterested Arya. He knew she wasn’t likely to let him off easily when she discovered that he was behind Ambrose’s newfound attentions, but he was convinced in this moment, that it would be worth it, whatever it was.
“I could not think of a better plan for your future! Of course, it all depends on the King’s own plans, but if he does decide upon her for his future queen, I can think of no better man than yourself to wed her.” He paused, stepping closer to Ambrose as if to discover a secret, “In fact, Her Royal Highness and myself have become rather good friends since her arrival and I have more than once heard her compliment your exceptional taste, devastatingly handsome features, and an unmatched lightness of foot on the dance floor. It has led me to believe that she would certainly not be opposed to the idea of such a match. In fact, I hope you will forgive me for saying so, but I do believe she prefers you to your brother.”
Roland wouldn’t be taking full advantage of the situation, if he did not take this opportunity to create chaos in Horatio’s life and he could not resist an answer when Ambrose asked him if there was any lady who had struck his own fancy.
“I confess that there is. I beg Your Royal Highness to speak of it to no one, as I have not said a thing to a living soul, but I have been completely entranced by Miss Teresa Villiers. I have often seen her in your company: I know she is a quite a devoted follower of your’s and I wonder if you might make an introduction?”
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