Chapter 10

The next few weeks were some of the strangest days that Prince Henri had ever lived through. Preparations for his resumption to the academy were underway and at the same time, Audie Johann found every opportunity to come visiting.

Contrary to what he kept insisting, he wasn't Henri's first friend, although he kept waving it around like it was some incredible accomplishment.

Henri did have a friend when he was much younger but that was years ago, besides, Audie wasn't his friend, merely a nuisance.

His thoughts were interrupted when his bedroom door suddenly opened, the only person who did that was his mother.

"Henri?" Marina's cheery voice filled his spacious chambers. "I've got your uni-"

"I'm not putting it on." Henri blandly cut her over, crossing his arms as he watched her practically skip into his room, clutching his school uniform.

Ever since the uniforms were sent over to the castle, his mother had been on an endless quest to get him to wear them. Her reason was that she had never gotten to see him wear one before.

"Just for a moment." She pleaded with him, a small army of photographers skulking just outside the doors of his bedroom.

Henri suppressed a shiver, he wasn't interested in playing dress up even for his mother. "It's just a few more days to the academy's resumption, I'll have to wear it then, you can take as many pictures as you want." He grudgingly allowed.

It had been agreed upon that his attendance would be kept a secret till the resumption day for several reasons.

Marina beamed at this. "I'll have your uniforms doubly cleaned and groomed." She giggled, hurrying out of the room.

Henri sighed longsufferingly, he was happy that his mother was happy but wasn't interested in being the object of her fixation. After the doors to his bedroom shut close, he sprawled backward on his large bed.

He was terribly bored.

It was a strange state of mind to be in because Henri had always found productive ways to occupy himself but for the first time, there was absolutely nothing to be done. It almost made him look forward to the academy's resumption.

Audie couldn't come over today because he had an appointment with his friend group, it was certainly a relief to Henri because it meant that the nuisance wasn't bothering him.

Henri had been invited to hang out but he had turned the offer down. He told himself that it was because he wanted to keep his attendance of the Alpha Academy a secret but was that really the reason?

Henri hardly ever left the castle, most of the balls were held in the castle and he only had to leave once or twice a year when his mother dragged the entire family to go to their vacation house.

Even so, their vacation house was like a mini-castle, servants still flocked around and there wasn't much of a difference between it and how he lived every other day.

He tentatively imagined going out with other boys his age, what would they do? Where would they go?

"Such foolish thoughts." He groaned, rolling over on his face. He was the crowned Prince, there was no time for him to play around like a commoner child.

The academy was merely a means for him to improve on his social education and observe how the citizens of his Kingdom went about their daily lives. It was to help him better make decisions when he eventually became King, that was all there is.

Audie was free to call him stifling all he wanted but Henri was still right, fun wasn't productive so it was unnecessary.

He rolled around on his bed a bit more, uncomfortable with having nothing to do. He was dressed in a loose dress shirt that was partially unbuttoned, and black breaches, his hair tousled from rolling around on the bed.

Should he go for a ride? After all, after he was admitted into the academy, he wouldn't have the freedom to ride as often as he liked.

That was enough to propel him forward, he didn't bother getting dressed in his stiff riding garb. He was a good enough rider that he could effortlessly ride wearing anything so he would go as he was.

Well, it was mostly because his mother had his personal maids moved to a different part of the castle as an incentive to help him become more independent. As someone who had never had to tie his own shoes, the first handful of days without his maids were awful, he never imagined that simply wearing clothes could be so taxing.

Fortunately, Audie had to attend to some important family matter so he hadn't been around those first few days, and by the time he returned, Henri had begun to get a hang of it. It was a relief to Henri because he knew that Audie wouldn't let that prime opportunity to jest pass him by.

So he wasn't changing into his riding garb simply because he was wary of going through the trouble of it. He wore his riding shoes, making sure to do a double knot. He had fallen on his face one too many times from tripping on his shoelaces to not know better.

Reid was the one to prepare Prince Henri's horse again, he had been praying and hoping for another chance at it since the first time. He had also not gotten a chance to see the Prince ever since that fateful day because he had been moved to the night shift for a while so there hadn't been an opportunity to.

He waited anxiously for the Prince's appearance, his personal black horse, Storm snorting and stomping impatiently like it couldn't wait to be ridden.

Reid was expecting a repeat of the last time with a stoic Prince showing up with an entourage and not at all expecting Prince Henri to show up alone wearing a loose dress shirt that showed off his pale collarbones.

"Don't bother riding after me." Henri ordered, breezily getting on his horse. It was an especially windy day and there was a small smile on his face as he rode off, his hair billowing around his face.

Reid couldn't have even if he wanted to because he was struck dumb by a brighter, freer version of the gloomy crowned Prince.