Page 6 of His Unforgettable Bride
“I do, and if I remember correctly, we were beyond weary of her boasts about her superior equestrienne skills. Then you challenged her in an open meadow.”
“How better to discover if she told the truth?”
Dobbin nodded.
Sutton, a well-known tattler, attempted to dissuade the match, threatening to tell the King. Henry called his bluff, and the contest began in earnest. “I led the entire distance from oak tree to oak tree—just as we expected.”
“Indeed, you did.”
Then Henry had twisted back around after crossing the finish line, probably grinning like a joker. He had spotted Faith lying in the grass with Sutton at her side. Later, they discovered she had broken her leg. “That was the first time Sutton yelled he would never forgive me for what I had done.”
“Even back then, he’d loved the girl.”
Henry nodded. He and his brother shared the blame for their frequent feuds over the years. The more spirited of the two, Henry knew how to provoke his sibling and purposefully needled him. Eventually, their thorny relationship grew even pricklier.
And now, no more opportunities to make amends.
He raised the letter again but read silently.
If you are reading between the lines, and I assume you are???—the wisest of my wonderful children?—it is time to accept your duties and reorder your plans. I am sorry to clip your wings, though I bid you to return home posthaste. My dear heart, you are now the next in line to the Bascandy throne.
Henry’s stomach muscles clenched as if primed to receive a punch. Of course, he had reached that conclusion himself, but seeing the written words stirred something soul-shaking inside him. He had always wished for an ordinary existence—no pressing appointments regarding the monarchy, no expectations to lead a life of duty, and no pressure to be anyone but himself.
Such a wish was selfish, unkinglike, and nothing but a fairy tale.
He pictured his homeland—a small sovereign country off the coast of France, with English as the official language. The monarchy held weight in Bascandy, but a prime minister led a parliamentary government. Long ago, larger nations attempted to conquer their small island. Yet Bascandy had persevered, held firm, and earned respect worldwide.
“Do you wager peace will continue to govern once I rule, or shall I ruin the streak?”
“When it’s your turn, you will be as strong of a leader as your father.”
Henry scoffed. “You, my friend, are incredibly biased. According to him, I am too carefree. Too playful. Too irresponsible. All true, I suppose.”
“I disagree, though you are far different than Sutton.”
Sutton had always been disagreeable toward Henry, but over the years, they had learned to cope with one another. But then, on Henry’s tenth birthday, the King brashly suggested that he strive to be more like his older and more responsible brother.
Father’s harsh comment had built resentment inside Henry, festering over the years so that all Henry desired was to be the opposite of his brother. If Sutton announced he loved peas, Henry proclaimed he hated them. Sutton adored fencing, so Henry convinced himself he loathed the sport. Almost since birth, his brother only had eyes for one female, which convinced Henry not to rush finding a marriage partner.
“You have the makings of a wonderful king,” Dobbin spoke quietly and with assurance. “You’re admittedly headstrong, yet decisive, brave, and willing to learn. Once you return home, your father will teach you everything you need to know.”
Henry sighed and picked up where he left off with his mother’s letter.
It is time to face the facts. You must now wed Faith since Sutton cannot. I have no doubt you shall both accept the new plan in time. Your father believes the match is for the best.
Although an advantageous pairing based on wealth and connections, the King did not need to increase his riches or standing. He primarily desired to join families with his oldest and most loyal friend, Faith’s father. “I cannot.”
Dobbin leaned forward, his hands on his knees. “Can’t what?”
“Marry Faith, who will undoubtedly love Sutton forever. I shall never measure up to my brother in her eyes either.”
Besides, Henry had always hoped to wed for love. Among all the things he would have to give up, he did not wish to abandon that dream.
He read the letter’s closing and lowered the stationery embossed with the royal seal to his lap before pinching the bridge of his nose. A stack of additional correspondence sat unopened on the pedestal table beside him. But reading through them would have to wait. He needed time to absorb the news of Sutton’s death before doing anything else.
The room’s heat suddenly stifled him, and he longed for cool air.
He stood, folded the letter, and tucked it inside his trouser pocket.
