Noah

 “Sir?” a deferential man in a dark suit said in a low voice.

I turned and blinked at him in surprise. I was in the morning parlor, and it was usually quite until around eleven am, when Gabriel would come in and start pestering me—he was a late riser. So it was strange to be approached by a man I’d never seen before.

Actually, I had seen him before. He looked vaguely familiar, and I thought I’d seen him standing at the Queen’s side during formal occasions.

“Ah, yes?” I said hesitantly, “Am I supposed to be somewhere?”

He bowed slightly. “The Queen invites you to have breakfast in her private dining room,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me questioningly.

“Right now?” I said stupidly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh dear,” I looked down at myself. I wasn’t wearing any of the lovely suits that had been bought for me, or the handmade loafers or anything.

Instead, I was wearing a ratty pair of trainers that were at least three years old, a worn old t-shirt that I’d gotten free at a charity run and jeans so thin from washes they had a hole at the knee.

“The Queen’s breakfast is a casual affair, sir,” he said, correctly interpreting my hesitation. “I can assure you, she will see nothing amiss in your attire.”

“If you’re sure,” I sighed. “I suppose we shouldn’t keep her waiting, after all. Can you show me the way?”

“Of course, sir.”

He led me into a pretty, sunny room with floral wallpaper and graceful silk-cushioned wicker chairs around a wicker table with a white, rose-trimmed tablecloth and a tea service ready.

At the head of the table sat the queen, looking regal despite still being in her dressing gown. I relaxed a little. Clearly this wasn’t going to be very formal.

“Ah, Noah, so glad you could come,” she said, waving me to one of the chairs.

I noticed that she was looking a little heavy-eyed, just as she hid a yawn by pretending to take a sip from her cup of tea and smiled inwardly. Clearly the aversion to mornings ran in the family.

“You must be wondering why I asked you to come,” she said frankly, spooning almonds and apricots into her bowl of porridge.

“Whatever it is, I’m delighted to be here,” I said, not very truthfully. The Queen scared the daylights out of me, to be quite honest.

She was far more intimidating than Gabriel, who was rash and impulsive and often rude but always approachable. The Queen had mastered the art of making you feel as though she could order your execution without turning a hair.

She smiled slightly, as though sensing my half-truth.

“I asked you to come because I wanted to congratulate you on effecting such a drastic change in my son,” she said.

“Me? In Gabriel?” I laughed, “Only Gabriel is capable of changing Gabriel. And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to change, so I’m sorry but you must be mistaken.”

“I don’t think I am,” she said, looking at me steadily. “You know, he was a very lonely boy,” she said, changing the subject.

“He—well, it didn’t sound like he could have many friends, growing up,” I said. “He had his duties and his studies and he said after his first few friends sold stories about him to the press, he stopped trying to have a normal social life.”

“Did he tell you that?” she said, sounding surprised. “That’s entirely true. Gabriel found, as we all do, that friends only go so far when faced with the temptation of a lot of money.”

“I thought that was really sad,” I said impulsively. “But I suppose he had Lucas.”

“That’s true, he did have Lucas. But Gabriel and I both know that Nicholas hated seeing Gabriel and Lucas together when they were children. Back then, he was convinced that the throne was rightfully Lucas’s.”

“Really?” I said, surprised. “I never knew. He seems so nice now.”

“I believe the years have mellowed him,” she explained. “He’s used to the idea that Gabriel will inherit the throne now. But Gabriel always had the sense that the throne was a heavy burden to bear. I think you’ve brought out a little of who he would have been if he wasn’t the Crown Prince.”

“Well, thanks,” I said awkwardly. “I think it just might be my lack of courtly manners though. I’m sure a fiancé from a noble family would treat him with more respect.”

“And I’m sure that a noble fiancé would bore the living daylights out of him,” she said, smiling at me unexpectedly. “I just want to say that I’m glad he’s opened himself up to you—don’t deny it,” she said, raising a hand when I opened my mouth to object. “He’s different now after meeting you. Less lonely, less unhappy.”

I was flattered.

“I’m glad I could do that for him,” I said, ducking my head and flushing. “He’s very—you know—he’s so kind and generous and protective. I never thought he’d have an actual personality other than ‘spoiled playboy’, um, no offence,” I said quickly.

Oh man. I sounded like I had a crush on Gabriel.

“Not that I have—those kinds of feelings for him! Not that he’s not, um, very attractive, because he is. Extremely attractive, I mean. It must be weird for you, having a son named Most Eligible Bachelor three years in a row,” I babbled. Oh my god, why couldn’t I stop talking?

Luckily, the Queen seemed to be more amused by my word vomit than annoyed.

“I see that Lucas has shown you those magazines,” she sighed. “He does so like to pull Gabriel’s leg. And I’m pleased to hear that you and Gabriel have been—getting along so well,” she said, raising an eyebrow as I flushed a deep red.

“It’s not—we’re just friends,” I stammered.

“Of course,” she said, kindly but disbelievingly. “Now, I have some meetings to attend with various ministers. If I’m not mistaken, Gabriel will be up and about and wondering where you are.”

“Right,” I said hastily, getting up and almost knocking over a delicate teacup, “Sorry—I’ll just go now. Thank you so much for everything!” I added, attempting a clumsy bow and almost fleeing.

I wiped my forehead once I was in the corridor. I hadn’t expected the Queen to suggest that Gabriel and I were—

Which was ridiculous. Obviously. Just because he was incredibly attractive and surprisingly funny and considerate—didn’t mean that I had feelings for him. Or vice versa.

Did it?