By the time they drove back to the castle, Merrick’s teeth were practically chattering despite the heat being turned up by his valet. Cassius didn’t look much better as he held open the door so Merrick could exit the back seat.

Merrick noticed how the butler raised an eyebrow in their direction, and he had the urge to burst into laughter over what they’d gotten caught up in at the orphanage. Geoffrey would have put an end to the escapade immediately—would have not merely scolded Merrick, but the children as well—and Merrick might’ve missed out on much-needed fun.

He had always been reprimanded for this or that over the years as he grew into his position and role, not solely by his parents, but also by his valet, who was a generation older than the king and queen.

Maybe the sudden staff change wasn’t so bad after all. Having a valet close in age might prove to be just the thing he needed to stir things up in his overly organized life.

“Your Highness?” Harris remarked, but it was more of a question. More like, Your Highness, what in the hell happened to you?

Merrick cracked a smile as he walked past him and two additional footmen toward the castle’s entrance. “Don’t even ask.”

“You two look like wet rats,” Marjorie exclaimed as Merrick and Cassius stepped inside the grand foyer.

Cassius dipped his head as his cheeks reddened, more than likely regretting the decision to allow the snowball fight to last as long as it had.

“The important thing is, the children had fun. Or at least I hope they did,” Merrick said, brushing off his overcoat. “I certainly did. How about you, Cassius?”

Cassius’s eyes widened, and though Merrick wanted to grin at his mortified expression, he felt bad he’d put his new valet on the spot.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Cassius muttered, the color now spreading to his ears.

“I can see that,” Marjorie chastised with a smirk. “Better head upstairs before Mother has something to say about it. Off you two go.”

Merrick could hear the tittering whispers of the staff as they climbed the stairs, but he did not care. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so freely.

As soon as they entered his room, Cassius strode to the bathroom to retrieve a large towel for Merrick to dry off with. Merrick fished the fluffy material from Cassius’s grasp and ran it through his hair, shivering as the warmth seeped into his scalp.

He handed the towel to Cassius. “You should dry off as well.”

“You-your Highness?” Cassius hesitated and then stammered, “I…uh, thank you.”

Cassius took the towel but only awkwardly ran it over his sleeves, and Merrick could tell he was feeling off-kilter about the offer. He’d have done the same for Geoffrey. Wouldn’t he have? Though he couldn’t remember a time when his valet wasn’t completely composed and prepared for most things. Except the last few weeks when his health had begun deteriorating.

“Let me run you a bath, Your Highness,” Cassius suggested, glancing around the room as if recalling his duties. “I’ll have a footman replenish the fire so it will chase the chill from the room.”

As Cassius helped Merrick peel off his soggy overcoat and then began unbuttoning his shirt, Merrick’s throat suddenly felt dry. Ignoring his handsome valet’s cool fingers grazing his skin, he focused on the damp curls at Cassius’s ear and his swollen lips, possibly from biting them. “What about a bath for you? You must be freezing.”

Cassius’s eyes grew wide as if he didn’t altogether understand Merrick’s meaning.

“Wh-what I mean to say is…” Merrick stuttered, shaking his head. “I’ll be fine here if you need to get warm. I can undress myself.”

Cassius took a step back from Merrick’s bare torso, blinking repeatedly. Merrick’s wet trousers hung open, and his heart thrashed wildly in his chest. Why the hell did this man unnerve him so?

“As you wish,” Cassius finally replied, dipping his head. “I’ll change into dry clothes while you bathe. Then I will return to set out your evening wear.”

“Evening wear?” Merrick asked, following behind Cassius as he strode to the bathroom and twisted the hot-water nozzle in the tub.

“Sir?” Cassius asked, glancing back at him. “You have a dinner tonight with, uh…the king of Cairn, who is traveling overseas for business.”

“Christ, I’d almost forgotten,” Merrick replied. The day seemed so full already. “Yes, of course. Thank you.”

Cassius inched toward the door, throwing him a pointed look. “Best to not be late.”

Merrick smirked and shook his head, his reputation obviously preceding him. Geoffrey might’ve also shared stories about his younger, more incorrigible days.

Speaking of Geoffrey, he needed to inquire about his health.

“And, Cassius?” Cassius’s hand paused on the doorknob. “Would you be so kind as to inquire after Geoffrey? That is, if he’s already returned to the castle.”

“Of course.”

When Cassius shut the door behind him, Merrick finally stepped out of his wet trousers and undergarment, breathing a sigh of relief that he was finally alone to think. He had completely gotten swept up in his outing and had forgotten his schedule. His father was away on business and had asked him and Marjorie to help his mother entertain the king. Merrick sighed. Another boring evening of formalities. He longed for a day to himself. He loved to ride out into the forest on his horse, Ursula, and bring his pencils along to sketch the beauty of the forest.

As soon as Merrick stepped into the hot water, his muscles relaxed. He felt good… Dare he say it? Content. He enjoyed his charity work and was getting acclimated to Cassius being in charge of his schedule. Merrick had grown close to Geoffrey over the years, and the man had become like a stern, grandfatherly figure, so maybe Cassius could be more like a friend or companion. Except he was an employee, Merrick reminded himself. Still, it would be nice to have someone his age in his presence on a regular basis.

He was reminded of how Cassius had tensed on the drive to the orphanage when he’d mentioned the playground. Merrick hoped he did not offend him. He couldn’t help wondering what Cassius’s childhood had been like. Based on how he talked about his family, he was going to guess it had been happy, though they definitely struggled to make ends meet. Merrick was glad the valet position could help provide for them better. Guilt lanced through him. Merrick should be grateful he’d never had to worry about money or employment. From a young age, he was always told what his role would be. So what if he had to sacrifice things in his life, like never experiencing the love of another man? Others had it so much worse.

Just as he wondered if Cassius had ever been in love or had a lady back home, there was a knock at the bathroom door. A moment later, Cassius said, “Your Highness, I have returned if you need my assistance.”

“You may enter,” Merrick replied, because it was customary for his valet to prepare for the evening while he bathed, but he had never been more aware of his nakedness than in that moment. Not even the water could completely shield all his wet skin on display.

Cassius averted his eyes as he entered but not before his gaze quickly took in the scene. Merrick noticed how his hair now appeared dry, but some tendrils were falling from his tie. He had also changed into a different pair of black trousers and white shirt.

“Feeling warmer, Your Highness?” Cassius asked, his gaze landing somewhere along the back wall.

“Definitely,” Merrick responded, keeping his hands in his lap beneath the waterline. “And you?”

“I am better, thank you,” Cassius answered. “As you requested, I inquired after Geoffrey, but he was not in his room. Harris informed me that he was to be put on bed rest in his family’s home so as to not infect the staff.” When Merrick raised an alarmed eyebrow, Cassius explained further. “Apparently, he’d been suffering an upper respiratory infection, his condition worsening the past few days, and was placed on antibiotics.”

“Goodness. I am glad his illness is finally being treated.” It was just like Geoffrey to ignore his symptoms in favor of duty. Merrick would instruct Cassius to send flowers and the family’s good wishes tomorrow, if his mother hadn’t already done so.

“Do you need anything else, Your Highness?” Cassius asked as he laid clean undergarments for him on the vanity. “I’ll set out your suit along with the green tartan sash.”

Merrick nodded in approval; Cassius had remembered that when dignitaries from other countries visited they were to show their Evergreen pride. The queen and princess would also wear sashes with the embroidered family crest this evening.

Just as Cassius headed to the door, Merrick realized he did not include a towel for when he finished his bath. “I am ready to dry off, lest I turn into a prune.”

“Ah, very well,” Cassius replied, turning toward the linen closet and retrieving a large bath towel. When he held it open and stepped toward the tub, Merrick hesitated. This was a perfectly normal part of the routine for him and Geoffrey.

Forcing from his brain the ridiculous notion that he had not been naked in front of a man he found attractive in ages, Merrick grasped hold of the side of the tub and stood up, the water sluicing down his torso. Though Cassius had averted his eyes, a line of crimson had formed on his cheeks, and it was as if Merrick’s body had other ideas.

He silently cursed as his prick began steadily filling with blood. Mortified, Merrick hastily grasped for the towel, taking Cassius by surprise, his fingers fumbling awkwardly as the material dropped on the floor between them.

“My apologies,” Cassius stammered, reaching down to retrieve the towel and attempting to hold it open for Merrick once more, but not before his gaze snagged on Merrick’s plump cock as it stood proudly against his abdomen.

A nearly inaudible gasp escaped Cassius’s lips, and Merrick quickly turned his back, now exposing his buttocks to the new valet. Merrick wanted a fiery pit to open in the floor so he could fall to his imminent death.

The towel was clumsily draped over his shoulders, and then he heard Cassius fleeing the room, mumbling something about prepping his suit for dinner.

Merrick absently dried himself off but felt like he was burning up from the inside.

He could not go out there and face Cassius; he just couldn’t.

Merrick changed into the undergarments Cassius had laid out for him, and then he paced around the room until he finally knocked some sense into himself. For Christ’s sake, he was an adult, let alone a prince in respectable standing, and his erection could be explained away, should it be brought up again. It’d be best to ignore the awkward exchange and move on, if they were ever to have a suitable prince-servant relationship.

Inhaling a lungful of air, Merrick cracked opened the door. Cassius, head bowed in deference, stood like a stone statue near the bed, where Merrick’s clothing was neatly organized.

No, this would not do. It would not do at all. “Cassius, I…”

“Your Highness, please…” Cassius spluttered. “No apology or explanation is necessary. This situation must be very strange for you.”

Merrick quirked an eyebrow. “Strange how?”

“Forgive me, sir,” Cassius replied, glancing in his general direction for the first time. “Due to circumstances beyond your control, you’ve been forced to replace your valet, and I cannot imagine how this feels…or maybe it is I who needs a longer adjustment period…”

“Please don’t,” Merrick commanded, finally finding his confidence. “You’ve been nothing but professional and conciliatory. The onus is on me—”

A sharp rap on the door startled them both as a footman announced, “Your Highness, the king has arrived.”

Cassius’s face paled. “We’ll be late,” he rasped.

Further conversation ceased as the valet dressed his prince at a speed neither was accustomed to. Thankfully, they made it to the front hall just in time for all members of the royal family to greet their guest.