A HENRY STORY 2: Trials Of The Fallen Prince

XXXV. Word of Mouth

"I gather that you will be joining us for dinner, as per usual?"

Nodding at Susannah, Henry caught a glimpse of Howard's furrowed brows behind her from the corner of his eye. It was hard to miss when he towered over her by more than a head.

"Very well." Clasping her hands, Susannah straightened the skirt of her rather old-fashioned dress. "Dinner will be served in an hour. I shall see you there." Though unspoken, he picked up on her silent request for him to avoid roaming in her home unaccompanied—which he would do regardless, of course.

Susannah had a gift for anticipating people's motivations and intentions, especially when they contradicted the established norm. This was one of the reasons why Henry had never quite connected with her or with York, whom he considered an even worse stickler than Howard. At least he did not share his father's intense focus on punctuality and efficiency. York was known to scold anyone for even the most inconsequential missteps; when he had once dared to reprimand Vikus, Solovet had delivered a perfectly valid explanation in just one crushing sentence. Subsequently, York had refrained from speaking to either of them for several months.

"I shall see you there indeed." Henry tipped an imaginary hat to Susannah and Howard. As expected, the former put on a courteous yet genuine smile, and the latter did not.

"Hold on, where do you believe you are headed?" Howard caught up to him as soon as his mother was out of sight. "Mother may be too considerate to say anything, but it hasn't escaped my notice that you've been wandering around here unaccompanied and inappropriately mingling with our female staff since your first visit. This is private property."

"I am not mingling with anyone who wishes not to mingle with me," retorted Henry, a smirk playing on his lips. "And I am certainly not wandering. Not unless you have proof, that is."

The look Howard gave him was frigid, yet his mouth remained firmly shut. They stood in one of the eight arcades that surrounded and linked the central hall with its large spherical dome to four hallways, forming a square around and leading deeper into the keep. Howard quickly glanced back before fixating on Henry again.

"In fact, I shall now be looking for my flier . . . outside. If you will allow." Henry made a taunting gesture in Howard's direction, then pivoted on his heel.

He felt Howard's stare on him until he disappeared out of sight; as soon as he was in the clear, Henry began to run. His rugged boots nearly slipped on the strangely unfamiliar polished floor tiles, and so he slid the last few yards to the entrance, where he seized the chance to strike a pose—much to the amusement of the guards who were lazily loafing by the gate. "I shall return in a minute!" he exclaimed toward them, and they made no attempt to stand in his way as he flew through the open gate.

At that moment, he couldn't be happier that the Fount Keep had an actual ground-level exit, unlike the Regalian Palace. Peering over the parapet down at the frothing moat surrounding the elevated keep grounds, he mused that this exit really posed no risk. The only ways on or off the island were by flying or using the extendable bridge, which could only be operated from one side—more than sufficiently secure.

"Death!" He caught sight of Thanatos perched on a specially designated ledge with other fliers who inhabited the city. Upon spotting Henry, Thanatos descended and landed next to his bond. "Did they invite us to dinner again?"

"In an hour, said Susannah."

"And you intend to spend that hour . . ." Thanatos glimpsed at the entrance. "Inside, yes?"

"Obviously," replied Henry with a grin.

Thanatos sighed. "How many propositions did you receive this time?"