Page 24 of Six Types of Apology

Vincent looked embarrassed. “It was basically money and throwing my weight around as a crown prince,” he admitted quietly. “Ryan always had the ideas. You know that,” he went on quickly. “Most of the contacts were his, and a lot of the equipment and things were readily available to a cash buyer. The transportation was a bit of an issue, especially bringing in the huts, which were premade, but see – we widened the track, and everything just fell into place.”

“It’s all incredible,” Orion said as they slowly headed to the caves. “You’re incredible. I’m blown away by what you canachieve when you put your wonderful mind and your energies into something productive.”

“We make a good team.” Vincent gripped his elbow a little firmer. “But look, here we are, and you’ve been seen.”

The next twenty minutes or so was bedlam. One of the men yelled, “The prince is here,” and Orion was greeted with cheers and well wishes, the likes of which he’d never seen. Ryan came over, clutching his cap in his hand, looking so emotional Orion was compelled to hold out his hand.

Shaking it, Ryan just kept mumbling, “I can’t believe it. I was so sure you were dead when we pulled you from that hole. I’m so glad to see you on your feet. So glad to see you.”

“I’m recovering,” Orion admitted. “It’s a slow process, but you’ve all been working seriously hard in the meantime. I’m so proud of all of you. Please, show me what’s going on. What have I missed.”

There were old hands to greet, every one of the work-hardened men showing clear emotion at seeing him upright and talking again. New hires were introduced, mumbling and nodding at him, but clearly they were used to Vincent, and it wasn’t long before they were laughing and joking as they showed Orion the exposed seam that glistened even without lamps.

Orion had a quiet attack of nerves as he first entered the caves, the memories of the fall still front and center in his mind. But Vincent was there, holding him steady, a solid presence as they slowly walked around. By the time he got back to the carriage, his back aching and his legs shaking under the strain, Orion was about ready to cry.

It was all so overwhelming. His mine project was operational, and that was largely thanks to Vincent. But the trip hadhighlighted his limitations as well. Limitations that had to be addressed, if only as a fairness to his husband.

“I asked the kitchen to prepare us a picnic,” Vincent said as they were heading away from the mine. He pulled a large basket from under the seat facing them. “I didn’t bring a blanket because we’re already sitting on seats, but can I interest you in a meat pasty, or a sandwich?”

“Thank you. Look, forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn, but how long will this last?” Orion accepted a pasty and a napkin, but sat with them resting in his hands. “I mean, what you’ve done for the mine or for me is so amazingly wonderful and I’ll never be able to thank you enough. But you saw how I was back there, having to use your arm for support and barely being able to walk for more than twenty minutes. What will happen to us when you’re ready to head off to your social circuit again? I worry that I’m not going to be able to keep up. Please be honest with me. I need to know.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Vincent had been expecting the question, or at least a variant of that concern. Mortrin and Morgan had both warned him separately that after what Orion had gone through, he was going to fret against the limitations the time it took to heal was giving him. Onyx had been equally blunt, sending Vincent a long message once he learned what Vincent was doing, warning him that Orion didn’t believe in his own value, and that Vincent was going to have to be patient if he genuinely wanted their marriage to last.

“I’ve always been a pasty man myself, but they’re not as easy to eat on the move.” He chuckled as the carriage wobbled against a rut in the road, causing him to drop crumbs on his shirt. “As you can see. But as to your question, I have some thoughts on that, but I’d first like to hear your concerns.”

“I would’ve thought that was obvious.” Orion sighed, his body slumped against the back of the carriage seat. “I’m worn out. Exhausted. One carriage trip, where all I have to do is sit here, and then a brief walk around, and I’m ready to collapse into bed and have an afternoon nap. I know Mortrin keeps saying that the body takes time to heal, but I can’t stop thinking about the itinerary John told me about on our wedding day. You had events planned in Monce, Scythe, and Faast – all of which I assume have been postponed for now. But those people will still want to see you. I’m just not sure I can accompany you and I’m not sure where that leaves us going forward.”

“I do think we need to attend at least one event in the near future. But that’s in Faast. The rest of them I have already canceled, not simply postponed. My mother will want to present you to the court as my husband soon after we arrive there, and Ido think that’s a good idea. Now hear me out,” he added as Orion was clearly going to object.

“That event is important to my mother, and for you, too, in your role as the crown prince consort. My heart rejoiced when you forgave me for my blunders at Carntan, and I know we said we wouldn’t speak of it again, but you need to see with your own eyes that I have changed, and I would never behave so badly toward you again. The people we will rule one day need to see how important you are to me. Because you are. In case I hadn’t mentioned it before.”

That got Vincent a small smile. “You’re fast becoming important to me as well,” Orion said slowly. “Which is why I feel we have to discuss this honestly and logically. Your previous behaviors aside, there is still the little matter of me never likely to be interesting to your friends, or even being able to dance with you for very long. Being sociable and attending one event after another is a huge part of your life. I don’t fit in that world, Vincent. I never have, and to be brutally honest, even if I didn’t have the physical limitations I’m experiencing right now, I’m not sure I want that sort of life.”

Vincent took a mouthful of his pasty, and thought about how to frame his answer. Orion was perfectly correct in one respect. Parties and socializing was basically all Vincent had ever done… until Orion’s accident. Swallowing and reaching for a bottle of water, he said, “Would you believe me if I said that the only reason I attended so many events was because that was the only way I knew how to fit in with others?”

“You don’t have any reason to lie to me about something like that, and I do believe you. But I think you need to explain yourself a bit more.” Orion was nibbling on his pasty.

“I like being around people.” Taking a swig from the bottle, Vincent went to pass it to Orion who shook his head, so hecapped it and put it back in the basket. “You’re right about that side of things. Being raised as the heir to a country, I learned that my only value came from being seen, making friends, networking, and generally showing people from royal and society families that I was a friendly, amiable person. I wasn’t always successful,” he added as Orion coughed. “But that was my role. That was how I fit in. That was what I was told a crown prince was supposed to do.”

“You’re proving my point.” Orion waved in the direction of the mine. “Crown princes don’t work. Just having my name on that sign back there is going to scream to anyone who reads it that I’m a working prince, and that’s looked down on by so many people of rank. In turn, that’s going to reflect badly on you and your reputation.”

“Only if we let it,” Vincent said. “One of the first things my dance partners at that event we no longer discuss said about you was that you worked for a living. No one could tell me what you did, or how they knew, but they talked about it in the same tone as they might mention you running naked down the street on the night of a full moon.”

“You’re doing a very good job in proving my point yet again. I’m sure you were equally concerned and horrified about it.”

“Hmm. In the spirit of honesty, I thought by marrying me, I would be saving you from a working life.” Vincent laughed. It sounded ridiculous to him now, when he had callouses and one of his blisters on his thumb was stinging. “I never knew, until you gave me the opportunity to see for myself, how satisfying and invigorating having something meaningful to do can be. I want to do it again.”

“Open another mine, you mean?” Orion frowned. “I’m not sure we’re ready to do that just yet. We need to see how successful this one mine can be first.”

“Not another mine as such, no. Not yet. But what if we found another project – a community project in Faast perhaps. Something like what you’ve done with the mine, where we can help build something or create a business perhaps providing opportunities for the people who will call us king and consort one day.”

Orion’s frown deepened. “But then your people will see you working. Your society friends, your family, everyone who is important to you.”

Vincent was good at picking up cues – all right, most of the time he was good at picking up cues from others. No one was perfect, but Orion sounded cautiously optimistic despite the furrows in his brow, and Vincent could work with that. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing? If you think about it, I know your brother works every minute of every day, even if he doesn’t get any recognition for it.”

Vincent fought to keep his opinions of King Oscar to himself. Orion would see for himself soon enough that his mother, Queen Julia, was nothing like that man, and her gender had nothing to do with it. She was a queen who cared about everyone, when King Oscar only cared about himself. “We could set our own trend, showing through example how good works benefit the community and improve the lives of the people we will rule one day. By actually working, even if we didn’t have to, can’t you see how some society family members, for example, might want to join in?”

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