Page 44 of The Crownless Prince

Both young men left with Lucien’s permission to get their own food, and Adriana watched them go. Lucien pulled out her chair for her and then pushed her up to the table. He leaned down over her shoulder, on the side further from Father.

“Does my servant capture your fancy?” he whispered close by her ear. “You seem awfully interested in him and more eager to look at him than me.”

Her face heated. “No. I’m merely concerned for his health and welfare. Both of them. Both of their health.”

“And he hasn’t…sought you out in private? Either of them?”

A small jolt went through Adriana, and she knew she had to be blushing now. “Of course not,” she hissed, hoping her panic came across as anger. “Do you think I’d allow some male servant to see me in private? How dare you slander me like that.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about.” Lucien patted her shoulder before taking his seat to her right.

What did that mean? Did Lucien know that Marcus had snuck out last night and suspect where he’d gone? Was that why he’d choked Marcus and Edwin?

Although Marcus hadn’t looked worried. Unless his smiles were lies meant to put her at ease? She’d drive herself mad with such ruminations.

They were nearly done eating when Marcus and Edwin returned to the same corner they had occupied at breakfast. Lucien eyed them as they walked past and glanced between her and Marcus, his expression unreadable, so she fixated on her remaining food, determined to appear uninterested in Marcus’s arrival.

After dinner, Lucien suggested they go for a ride. That would have been perfectly agreeable, as the sun was bright and warm, glistening on the fresh snow that had fallen overnight, and riding required that there be space between their respective steeds. Unfortunately, Lucien commanded Marcus and Edwin to accompany them and carry blankets and canteens of water in case they had need of them, and thenFather advised them to also bring some sacks of candied nuts. While she rode with Lucien and Jairus, Marcus and Edwin jogged after them on foot with packs strapped on their backs.

Normally Adriana loved riding, but she didn’t love it when Lucien kept urging his horse into a canter and Marcus and Edwin had to run to catch up, sweat beading on their faces despite the chill. What if they caught cold? If their wet clothing and the cold air dropped their temperature enough, they could be in danger. But if she asked Lucien to return to the castle, would that make him more suspicious of Marcus?

She glanced back at Marcus and Edwin as they struggled through a windblown snowbank that came halfway up their calves. Their chests heaved with every breath that fogged the air in front of their red faces.

“Lucien, you’ll run your servants into the ground or risk losing their toes to frostbite.” Adriana turned her horse toward the castle. “We need to return. Besides, my ears are getting cold.”

“Marcus,” Lucien called as he wheeled his own horse around. “Bring some of those candied nuts for me. And give Princess Adriana a blanket to cover her head and warm her ears.”

“We don’t need to delay for that—”

“They’ll be fine. Right, boys?”

Panting, Marcus jogged over to Lucien’s horse. “Yes, my lord.”

Jairus reined in his horse beside Adriana’s and frowned. “You do seem to have little regard for your servants’ health.”

“A servant’s health is secondary to his lord’s needs,” Lucien said with a shrug. He took the small pouch of candied nuts from Marcus.

His eyes lowered, Marcus shuffled over to Adriana’s horse and helda blanket up to her. She wanted to ask if he was truly all right but didn’t dare with Lucien watching them.

“A servant in poor health can’t properly see to their lord’s needs,” Jairus countered. “And servants are men and women who offer us service in exchange for their pay and care. A lord’s duty is to his people, including his servants. Why should a servant continue to work for someone who abuses them when another lord will protect his subjects as he ought?”

Adriana smiled at her brother as she took the blanket from Marcus. Their gloved fingers brushed against each other. “Exactly. Servants are just as human as their lords.”

“But hardly deserving of equal respect.” Lucien sniffed. “Respect is earned.”

“Perhaps, but human dignity shouldn’t be earned.” She turned an icy glare on her betrothed. “And what, in your estimation, deserves respect? Am I deserving of your respect?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Marcus’s approving smirk.

“Of course, Adriana.” Lucien prodded his horse forward. “But perhaps we should discuss this inside. After all, you wanted to return, yet you’re the one stalling while my servants stand in the cold.”

“We could let them ride with us,” Jairus said. “Then we’d return faster, and they’d be less likely to freeze.”

Adriana could have hugged him, but Lucien laughed.

“An amusing jest, Your Highness. As if we’d share our mounts with snow-dampened servants.”

“Then they can ride with Jairus and me,” she exclaimed, indignationcrawling over her skin. How in Miraveld could Father be all right with marrying her to this churl? “Climb on behind me, Marcus.”

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