Cas could sense that the prince did not want to leave his valet. His round, brandy-colored eyes darted from Cas to Geoffrey and back to Cas again, where they lingered.

“Merrick?” a soft voice called from the study. “Are you there?” It was louder now, indicating that whoever it was—one of the women here for the prince, no doubt—was getting closer.

“Please…Your Highness,” Geoffrey said, his voice quivering.

“I’ll make sure he is well enough.” Cas gave the prince a simple nod. His word was all he had, so if he spoke it, he would see it through. The prince had no way of knowing how important Cassius took his word and likely would not believe it anyway. Is that fair? You don’t know him or what he would believe.

Cas ignored the voice in his head. His gaze snagged on Prince Merrick again, whose eyes were wide, staring into Cas’s with an expression he did not understand.

“Merrick?” one of the young women said again.

Cas opened his mouth to speak, but the prince beat him to it. “Thank you,” he said, surprising Cassius when he gave a quick nod before walking away. It was then Cas realized his mistake. He hadn’t addressed the prince properly with “Your Highness” or “sir.”

The urge to scream at himself surged through his gut up to his throat. He’d disrespected the prince, and now… What would happen now? Cas couldn’t believe he had been so foolish.

As angry as he was at himself, he knew he had Geoffrey to deal with. He couldn’t take back his error, but he could make sure the older man was okay. “You fainted.” Cas knelt beside Geoffrey again.

“I stumbled.”

“No.” Cassius raised a brow at him. “You fainted. I know what I saw.”

Geoffrey sighed, the sound shaky. “And you covered for me.”

“Yes, I did, but I cannot do it again. If you’re unwell, they need to know. What if you were to lose consciousness while you were driving the prince?”

A look of panic flashed in Geoffrey’s eyes. The thought must have not occurred to him. There was no doubt in Cas’s mind about that.

“I…”

“Shh. It’s okay. We will deal with that later. I must get to the study. Are you well?”

Geoffrey nodded, and Cas had to admit his eyes looked clearer. His voice was stronger than it had been a moment before.

He helped the older gentleman to his feet, keeping his hand on Geoffrey’s arm even after he stood.

“I am fine,” Geoffrey promised, but Cas still didn’t let go. If he was like either of Cas’s parents, he would feign good health so as not to worry anyone. His sister Emily said the same of their father before his heart attack, that he had looked unwell but swore to her he was fine. She carried a great deal of guilt for it.

“Let me try to get you upstairs to rest so I can continue to serve their nightcap.” He wondered how people could want to be served—royalty or not. Cas couldn’t imagine ever desiring someone to attend to his every need. He would feel…useless. Soon, he could be useless if the prince was angry at him.

“No.” Geoffrey shook his head. “I will be fine. Just a little accident. I’ll join Prince Merrick as I’m required to.”

“I do not think—”

“I thank you for your help, but I assure you, I am fine. It is my job to be there for the prince, and I will do so.”

There was a prideful tone in Geoffrey’s voice that made Cassius slowly pull his hand away. He didn’t move too quickly, in case he had to catch the older man again, but once Cas was sure Geoffrey was steady, he took a few steps back to retrieve the tray he had set down to help him.

“Go first, please, Cassius,” Geoffrey begged. “I do not wish you to be any later because of me.”

“If you are not there in one minute, I’ll come back for you.”

Cas lingered a moment longer to ensure the valet stayed steady on his feet. When he was as confident as possible, he quickly walked to the study, hoping they didn’t notice his extended absence and that he had not offended the prince too deeply. How would he take care of his family if he lost his position at the castle? If they let him go for not addressing the royal family properly?

The closer he got to the room, the louder the laughter from inside became. The king and queen were speaking with the Tulle family; both young women stood with the prince, hanging on his every word. Princess Marjorie was there too, strangely protective at her brother’s side, her hand on his shoulder.

The prince’s eyes snapped to Cas, and he could see the question there. Is Geoffrey well?

Cas didn’t think Prince Merrick believed their story, didn’t think he believed the accident had been caused by Cassius. He wasn’t quite sure why he’d made one up, but the lie had easily rolled off his tongue. Geoffrey was nothing if not proud, and Cas could understand the need to hold on to one’s pride. He wouldn’t want to show his weakness either.

Cassius gave the prince a discreet nod, then feared that was the wrong thing to do. Twice now, he’d treated the prince as though he were his equal. What was wrong with him? But then…he thought of the way the prince had looked at him during dinner, wrinkling his nose in a way Cassius hated to admit had been adorable. But it was okay for the prince to do such things, though; not so for Cassius.

His gut clenched as he made his way to the king and queen first, refilling their cups. From there it was the Tulles, who did not pay him any attention as he did his job. There was no reason why they should.

Cas could feel the prince’s eyes upon him, so when he turned, he was not surprised to see the dark arrows aimed directly at him. Before Cas had the time to contemplate it, Geoffrey entered the room. The prince’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and the small motion softened Cas’s view of him. He clearly cared for Geoffrey a great deal.

Cas took a deep breath before he approached the prince, princess, and the prince’s admirers. He refilled each glass, the prince’s last. When he was finished, Prince Merrick’s gentle voice said, “Thank you, Cassius.” Something about the way he said it, the deep timbre of his voice and the sincerity of it, made Cas’s stomach flip.

Princess Marjorie’s brows pulled together, but the Tulle sisters did not seem to notice. Cas cleared his throat before he forced, “It is my honor, Your Highness,” past his lips.

Cas stood back where he belonged while the families spoke. He kept his eyes averted from the prince, though he felt his hot stare more than once. It had been the same at dinner. He had watched Cas as though attempting to figure him out. As if in some way he found Cas interesting, which was a ridiculous thing to consider. He didn’t want to be interesting to the royal family either. It would be impossible for them to do anything but pity him, if that, and Cas did not want pity from anyone.

When the evening was over, Cas led the guests from the castle. Once they were safely on their way, he went back to the study to see if the royal family required anything else of him.

He saw Geoffrey and Harris huddled in the corner of the room in serious conversation, if their tone was any indication. Cassius wondered if Harris had seen Geoffrey’s fall in the entryway and if he was concerned. He was the head of the household, and it was his job to keep abreast of all staff issues and positions.

“Aren’t they lovely, Merrick?” the queen asked. “Cecilia is simply beautiful, and she is clearly smitten with you. She could not look at you without a smile on her face.”

Cas’s gut twisted as he listened to them, anger burning through him. They only cared of name…of status, of good breeding to carry their legacy. His father had loved his mother more than his own life. Did none of them care about that? It was not something Cas thought possible for himself, and he couldn’t imagine the courting process they partook in.

Finally, Merrick replied, “Yes, Mother. She was lovely, but…”

“I think her eyes were too close together and her nose slightly too big,” Princess Marjorie said, and Cassius nearly swallowed his tongue.

“Marjorie!” the queen shrieked. “That is highly inappropriate. You are the princess. I’ll not have you speaking that way. Thank God, your brother has more sense.”

Was it him, or did the prince flinch at that?

The king’s powerful stare caught on the staff in the room. No one was foolish enough to ever repeat anything said there, but still he commanded, “That’s enough of that for now. Merrick and I will discuss the ladies later.”

“If I may bring something up, please, Your Majesty?” Cas frowned at Geoffrey’s words. The prince did too, which told him Merrick hadn’t expected it.

“You may,” the king replied.

“Prince Merrick and I were discussing my position this evening. You and I have done the same, Your Majesty. I am afraid my old bones are not what they used to be, so…as much as it pains me to say so, it might be wise to fill my position soon.”

“Geoffrey?” the prince asked, pain evident in his voice. Cas’s heart bled for the older man too. He clearly hated this, but it wasn’t only him Cas thought of. That he meant enough to the prince that it would hurt him to lose Geoffrey…he did not know why he hadn’t expected that.

The king nodded, and Cas could see even he was surprised. Geoffrey had been at the castle longer than any of the other staff, outside of Harris. It made sense that he meant so much to them.

“Thank you for your honesty, Geoffrey. We have always been able to count on you. Your shoes will be hard to fill. I will have a call put out tomorrow,” the king replied.

“If I may make a recommendation, Your Majesty?” the valet added.

The king frowned in confusion but said, “You may,” for the second time.

“Harris and I have discussed who might be a good fit from the current staff, if you will.”

The king turned his gaze on the butler, who stepped forward. “Harris?”

“Geoffrey has made a special request that I would be willing to agree with. Cassius…he—”

“The footman?” the queen interrupted.

Cas could not have spoken if he had wanted to. His chest was tight. It felt as though something blocked his throat. Him? Geoffrey was going to recommend him?

“Yes, Your Majesty. I know it is unusual, but he has made his way up the ranks swiftly. He is known for his hard work and his ability to learn quickly.”

“He has been of help to both myself and to Geoffrey recently,” the prince added, and the boulder blocking Cas’s throat grew larger.

Princess Marjorie looked down, seeming almost sad for a reason Cas did not understand. None of this made any sense. There was a part of him that was angry. It was obvious they felt sorry for him—as if Geoffrey and the prince were trying to do him a favor because of something as simple as a cuff link and helping someone who needed it. He didn’t need their charity, and he damn sure didn’t want it.

“He would be a wise choice, Father,” the prince added without looking Cas’s way. He had a feeling that was on purpose. “He’s already in the household. We know he can be trusted and will be easier to train.”

Cassius’s nails dug into his palms in both anger and…interest…curiosity. Still, there was also gratitude for Geoffrey there. He had done this for Cassius, and Cas did appreciate it.

He allowed his eyes to dart to Geoffrey, who gave Cassius a quick nod as if to say he understood.

When the king and queen turned toward him, Cas’s spine stiffened. They looked just as skeptical and confused as Cassius himself was. “I trust your judgment, Geoffrey. Harris.”

Cas winced when he noticed the king did not say the same about the prince.

“If the footman is interested, he can have the position on a trial basis.” His attention was back on Cassius. “This is a great honor—being considered as Merrick’s valet. I hope you understand the importance of this position.”

Cas bit his lip to hold back the urge to tell the king that he did not want the job. That the prince should be able to dress himself. He obviously did not think Cas could do it, and it was the desire to prove the king wrong, along with the need to care for his family, that allowed Cas to find his voice. “Yes, Your Majesty. It’s a great honor. I will not let you down.”

When his eyes briefly caught the prince’s, he could have sworn he saw him blushing. Cas’s stomach flipped oddly, paired with a warmth there. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said, telling himself he had imagined the feeling and the slight pink on the prince’s cheeks.