My Once Handsome Husband

A servant came in and announced that food was served and the King had finished his meeting with his cousin and brother.  Delaney and Sophia walked together down to a large room with long tables loaded with food and nobles sitting around them.

At the grandest table which sat on a lifted platform, Delaney saw King Daniel sitting where he could look out across the room in front of him.  He smiled at his wife and Delaney as they approached.

Vincent sat to one side of him and Delaney took her seat beside her husband.  Mason was sitting on her other side.

"How did you fare with my sister-in-law?" he asked curiously once their food had been served.

"Oh she's lovely," Delaney answered simply before looking down at her plate, feeling uneasy with the prince after the warning from the Queen.

"She can be," Mason chuckled, "Although she's not fond of me."

"I'm sure that's not true," Delaney answered quietly, not knowing what else to say.

"Are you alright love?" Vincent leaned over to whisper his question in her ear.

Delaney turned to her husband and saw they wore matching expressions of worry.  She slipped her hand under the table and took his into her lap.

"Please stay with me," she whispered back and watched as a frown creased his brow.

"What's wrong?"

"Brother," Mason leaned over to call down to Daniel, "You know what I was just thinking? Since we haven't spent time with Vince in so long and since the lovely Delaney hasn't ever spent any time at court, maybe you could convince them to stay for a while before they head to the ocean house."

The King looked between his brother to his cousin, "That would be a wise move after what we discussed this morning.  What do you think Vince?"

Under the table, Delaney squeezed her husband's hand tightly.  Vincent glanced at her with knowing eyes before turning back to the King.

"I'm sorry Danny we're on our way to the ocean house for the cool air..."

"It's already cooler here than Edgewood," Mason spoke up, "Isn't it cool enough here?"

Vincent ignored him but the King chuckled, "He's right Vince.  It's already much cooler here.  Why travel all that way?"

Vincent looked at Daniel seriously, "I'm sorry Danny but I fought in the Dragon War for you.  It almost killed me and left me looking like this.  I don't want to fight any more battles.  I want to enjoy my time with my wife.  We want to try to start a family."

His cousin looked at him equally seriously, studying him for a moment before nodding.  "Alright.  You don't have to stay.  I understand the want to have a family.  I hope you and Delaney have better luck than Sophia and I."

"Thank you," Vincent said sincerely and giving Delaney's hand a little squeeze under the table.

Delaney felt relieved by the close call but found herself wondering what Vincent had been talking about.  He'd said he didn't want to fight any more battles.  Were there more to come?  Was that what the King had talked to them about?

They finished their meal chatting idly about how crops were fairing over the summer and any impressive horses or hounds they had come across recently.  Delaney stayed quiet, suddenly not wanting to draw attention to herself.  She had been in the King's court less than a day and already felt uneasy about what could happen there.

Daniel and Sophia suggested they give Delaney a little tour of some of the castle while she was there.  Mason was quick to agree for her and Vincent, saying they couldn't turn down a tour guided by the King and Queen themselves.  So they all walked together, seeing the sites.

As they walked, Delaney paid more attention to Mason and noticed he did compliment her constantly as well as tease Vincent about leaving her alone with the Prince.  Vincent always smiled and rolled his eyes at his cousin but at this point, Delaney was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the attention.

When she met Sophia's eyes at one point she recognized the knowing look the other woman gave her. She wondered if the King had noticed the attention as well.  By the time the tour was over, she was anxious to be alone with Vincent and tell him what had happened.

The royals were not eager to let them go though.  They ended up walking out behind the castle where there was a large lake and beautiful gardens.  Unfortunately, there were also other nobles scattered around as well.

The King and Queen, in an effort to be kind, introduced Delaney to anyone they stopped to speak with.  Most of the nobles had already stared at Vincent plenty while they had been eating but when they were up close for the introductions, Delaney saw their poor attempts to hide continued studying.

Her husband was tense beside her and Delaney wished again that they could just leave.  After a few introductions, she caught Mason looking at her and Vincent as well.  A group of about half a dozen people were heading their way and Delaney glanced up to see her husband with his jaw clenched and his eyes looking around for an escape.

"Ah Danny I think I'm going to steal our cousin and his lovely wife away for a bit," Mason said as he stepped in front of the King and Queen suddenly to stop them, "I think they've probably had enough introductions for one day don't you think?"

The King turned to look at them, "Vince do you want to keep introducing your wife around court?"

Vincent rubbed the back of his neck, "I do but I think I'll take a break for a while to get out of the sun.  I'm always hotter than everyone else you know."

The King and Queen said their goodbyes and left the other three to head back to the castle.  Delaney didn't like that she was leaving to spend yet more time with Mason but she was also very relieved to be getting Vincent away from prying eyes.

As she looked at the golden-headed man in front of them though she wondered if he had sensed their discomfort with so many people staring at Vincent.  If he had, the King and Queen definitely had not.  She wondered if Mason taking them away was his way of being kind and saving them.

They followed the Prince across the lawn and towards a long building to the side that didn't have walls, just canvas curtains that were currently tied back to allow the breeze to blow through.  As they grew closer, Delaney saw there were large targets at one end and tables and chairs at the other.  When they were close enough, Mason called for the servant there to go fetch he, and Vincent bows.

"You want to practice our shots?" Vincent asked Mace curiously as they stepped into the shade of the building, "You hate practicing with the bow."

"I do," Mason sighed, "But it was the first thing I thought of that we could do.  Besides, I know you enjoy it."

"You didn't have to think up something to entertain us," Vincent said as he took the bow being handed to him by a servant.

"Well, I was tired of fake pleasantries from scheming nobles," Mason shrugged as he dropped into a cushioned seat, "So I thought I'd give you something else to do.  Delaney take a seat beside me and we can observe your skilled husband hit targets until he's bored again."

Delaney hesitated but knew she had no excuse not to do as he said.  She sat lightly in the seat beside him where they were both handed cups of cold water with fruit.  Vincent walked up to the place marked to shoot from and took aim.

Sitting stiffly, Delaney watched her husband as he practiced his skills with the bow.  Mason sat slouched in the chair beside her, arms propped up on the rests and knees apart.  He was frowning as he went from watching Vincent to watching Delaney from the corner of his eye.  At last, he sat up and turned towards her.

"Is court terrible for you?"

Delaney looked at him in surprise, "Excuse me?  No court is... court is fine.  I honestly expected it to be worse."

"Really?  Because you've been quiet and you've looked as if you're afraid someone might jump out and grab you.  What's wrong if not court?"

"Oh I... I'm just nervous is all.  I don't want to mess anything up."

"Is that so?  I'm sorry to say I feel almost like it's me personally you're afraid of."

"I-I'm sorry," Delaney answered quickly, feeling her heart leap into her throat, "It wasn't my intention to insult you."

"Of course not,"  Mason nodded, "But you have seemed uneasy around me since your chat with my sister-in-law.  So I must ask you, what did she say?"

"W-what?  Sophia?  No, nothing.  She said nothing," Delaney stammered, feeling her cheeks warm as she knew she was giving herself away.  She looked up desperately towards Vincent to save her but he was taking aim at the furthest target now, far from them.

"It's alright Delaney I knew she would say something," he sighed, running his hands over his face as Vincent did, "She's hated me for a very long time."

Delaney hesitated, wondering if she should reply or say nothing.  If she wasn't careful, she could end up an enemy of either the prince or the queen.  Either one was not a good place to be.  She found she couldn't help herself though.

"Why does she hate you?"

Mason looked up at her with serious blue eyes.  She thought that might be the first time she'd seen him serious.

"Vincent told you I'd broken my marriage contract which is very true although it is very much a secret.  The Queen has never forgiven me for that."

"Why?" Delaney asked in confusion, "Who were you supposed to marry?"

Mason took a deep breath and turned to her.

"I was to marry the Queen's twin sister."