Chapter 8

Henri rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I can hear you and you already asked it so answer my question."

Audie cleared his throat. "Well, your Highness, as I am your guide, I was merely giving an illustration of how casual conversations are had."

Henri had been listening intently despite himself. "In casual conversations, inviting a person to your bedroom is seen as the norm?" He asked curiously.

"Encouraged even, your Highness, why don't you give it a try?" Audie went right on with a straight face.

The servants around them struggled to do the same, they didn't dare interrupt though, watching the train wreck in front of them.

Henri still seemed skeptical but it was obvious that he had not even the faintest inkling of how to have a casual conversation. "May I invite you to my room?" He hesitantly tested the waters.

Audie grinned, patting Henri on the shoulder. "Splendid work, your Highness." He cheered, looking to the guards in front of the Prince's chambers. "You heard his Highness, open the doors."

The armed guards shared looks with each other and quickly opened the doors, looking everywhere else but in the Prince's direction.

Audie marched right in, whistling as he did. "This is a fine establishment you have here." He mimicked a pretentious accent.

Henri stood rigid outside the opened doors, realizing that nothing about Audie's guidance had been accurate and all he wanted was to see his chambers. "Drag him out." He snapped his fingers at the guards, walking off.

The guards obeyed him immediately, dragging a protesting Audie out. They took him and followed after Prince Henri who was heading for his personal drawing room.

Henri regally sat down and stared down at Audie who was still held captive by the guards. "Tell me more about casual conversations."

Audie chuckled nervously. "I was out of line, your Highness." He said without remorse.

Henri just sighed, not even upset anymore. He knew that there was nothing he could learn from the mophead. "You may leave." He dismissed the guards who obeyed with quick bows.

Audie recovered fast, striding over to where Henri was seated. "What do you do for fun around here?"

"Fun?" Henri repeated, at a loss.

"Don't tell me you…" He trailed off, studying Henri. "Actually wait, I totally believe you don't have fun."

Henri scoffed. "Having fun isn't productive."

Audie winced, "You sound like my great uncle… I saw a stable when I was being brought in, why don't we go on a race?"

Henri had a difficult time keeping up with the speed of Audie's thoughts. "A race?"

Audie was already on his feet, "Splendid, it is decided then." He rubbed his hands, heading for the door.

Henri had no other choice but to go after him. Was this going to be a daily occurrence? Because he had no interest in babysitting a mop-headed noble.

Henri hardly ever had to go into the stables because his horses were always brought out for him but Audie had marched right into the stables so he had no other choice than to go along with the impulsive noble.

The Head of the stables immediately hurried out to personally attend to them when the report was brought to him about the Prince being in the stables with a guest.

"Your Highness, my Lord." He bowed deeply to both teenage boys. "You didn't have to come personally, just send the word and I would have the horses prepared for you…"

"It's fine," Henri cut short his rambling. "My guest would personally like to pick his horse, and I'll go with Rain today."

"Splendid choice, your Highness." The Head of the stables bowed. "If my Lord would come with me to make his choice."

Audie had just wanted to see inside the stables, while he was decent at riding, he wouldn't call it a favorite pastime of his. "Oh, there'll be no need for that, just pick any horse you deem fitting for me." He allowed, going out of the stables to wait with Henri for their horses.

Audie was a little bit too confident, he was sure that with Henri's stature, his horse, Rain would be a stubby mare.

The horses were brought out shortly, the first one was a large mahogany beauty that Audie could only gape at. But it couldn't have prepared him for the next one, the white horse was simply towering. How could anyone hope to get on that, much less ride it?

It wasn't brought for him, was it?

The Head of the stables had been the one to bring out the horses himself, accompanied by two stable hands. "Your Highness." He offered the white horse to Henri deferently.

Audie was struck silent for the first time, absently taking the reigns that were offered to him by the Head of the stables.

He was still distracted when they fed the horses apples before their race, staring openly at Henri and his monster for a horse who was openly nuzzling his palm.

"There's a creek off in the distance, the first to it and back takes the win." Henri explained simply, authority lacing his voice. "Could I trouble you to wait here for our return?" He turned to the Head of the stables.

The Head of the stables beamed at this. "Certainly your Highness, you can count on me."

Audie barely registered the rules of their games, waiting impatiently to see how Henri hoped to mount his horse. And when it happened he couldn't believe it, he stood still, staring blankly.

Henri calmly led his horse over to Audie. "Is there some difficulty?" He asked curiously.

Audie got on his horse finally. "I feel like I've made some grave blunder by asking you to a race." He admitted heavily.

Henri grinned, a surprising reaction. "It would be humiliating for me to go easy on you, Lord Johann."

"Losing terribly would be just as humiliating, your Highness." He responded, his countenance brighter. He hadn't expected the Prince to smile, he previously worried that the young Royal was incapable of the expression.