Royal Fools

IX. Chores

Lucy caught Florence's hand. "You can't leave me."

"It will be all right," she whispered back as she smiled at Henry, who was waiting for her by the door. "You'll survive the man." Her eyes swiveled to the corner of the room where Emory sat, a steaming tea set in front of him.

"What do I say to him? He probably invited me for tea to get to know me."

"Then divert the subject. You tell him everything good about me. Sell me to him."

"Just join us."

"I have chores to do," she said. "And it's convenient that Henry offered to help." She grinned and leaned closer. "I'll get to know the king through Henry, and you'll make Emory more interested in me. Don't keep him waiting. Go." She caught Lucy's hand to add, "And don't forget—You're still a little weak from the flu."

Lucy swallowed and nodded. As her cousin walked away to join Emory, she approached Henry with a smile. "I'm utterly grateful you offered help, Henry."

Henry smiled. "It's no bother. What should we do first?"

She looked over her shoulder at Lucy and Emory. He was about to take a sip from his tea when their eyes met and she smiled, turning away before he could. Her cousin would do well. With quite a number of brothers and male cousins, Lucy knew how to talk to men on any subject. And she most certainly knew how to lead a conversation.

"We have to gather more water before the well freezes," she told Henry as she led him out of the parlor. "Are you up for it?"

"I was can't think of something better to do," he said, offering his arm. She took it with a chuckle.

***

Emory's gaze followed Henry and Lucy out of the parlor as he sipped his tea. Putting it down, he stared straight at Lucy and smiled. "How do you feel now, Your Highness?"

"It feels good to finally be out of the bedroom." She couldn't meet his eyes for a while, but when she did, she smiled back. "Thank you for your concern."

He considered his next words. "Your cousin is the most concerned for your health, and it's completely understandable, given that you both have no one to depend on for the last two months. But we're here now and the king has given me instructions to see to your welfare."

She nodded and was silent for a while. "Lucy has always been protective of me."

"Of course. You're the princess."

"No, my lord. It is because we're family."

He smiled tightly. "Yes, of course." He watched her fiddle between her fingers. "However, she's not a doctor. None of us are."

"She wanted to be a doctor once," she said, causing him to blink in confusion. "In fact, she wanted to be a lot of things since we were young." He was about to say something to veer them back to the subject, but she continued, saying, "Once, she wanted to be a fairy so she could fly. But then she realized they weren't real, so she wanted to be a bird instead. She also claimed to be a fish and nearly drowned because she thought she could breathe underwater. She had always been a free spirit, you see. That's why I'm fond of her. She takes me to adventures I would otherwise escape from."

"I'm certain she does. Have you thought of taking her on an adventure you want?"

"No."

He gritted his teeth. "But do you want to?"

She shook her head. "Me? Take my cousin on an adventure?"

"Of course. Why not?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't have the imagination or the courage to do so. But Lucy does."