Even if Jareth himself didn’t seem too thrilled.
“Well?” Henry said when Jareth didn’t answer quickly enough. “You do not seem entirely pleased. Chester de Long is a very wealthy man who has done much good for Bristol with the universitas he built. Why are you not happy about this?”
Jareth was very nearly receiving a lecture, trying not to look too ungrateful. “You have heard of the school he built, Your Grace?”
Henry frowned. “Of course I have,” he said. “Mostly, I know because when he built it, the church was distressed and demanding that he build a cathedral as well, which he did. The universitas is for mathematics and architecture, or at least it was, originally. But the Bishop of Bristol did not like that something important was built without being part of the church, or not at least teaching clergy, so your uncle had to pay for a cathedral as well as adding theology to the universitas. It was quite an uproar, for years, as I recall. Did you not know this?”
Jareth shrugged weakly. “You must remember I do not have much contact with my family, Your Grace,” he said. “I did hear something about it when it happened, but I have only visited with my uncle on a handful of occasions when he came to London. We were not particularly close, but closer than he was to my brother. I suppose that is why he made me his heir. At least he had one nephew with whom he still had contact.”
“And you are not pleased that you are his heir.”
It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Even after that lengthy explanation on family dynamics, Henry only seemed to be focused on whether or not Jareth was happy with the news.
A complicated question with a complicated answer.
“I suppose I am unsettled because I am not certain how his directive will affect my life,” he said. “I enjoy my position with you, Your Grace. I do not want to leave it. I am happy with my life in London.”
Henry seemed to understand that explanation. “While your loyalty is appreciated, I would be the first man to say that you deserve this good fortune,” he said. “Your uncle has entrusted you with, by all accounts, a tremendous fortune, so you must not fail him. More importantly, you must not fail yourself. You are duty bound to see this through.”
Jareth was listening with an unhappy expression on his face. “But what if it takes me from London for a great length of time?” he said. “What if I am required to remain in Bristol to oversee everything? That is something I did not choose, Your Grace. What if I do not want it?”
Henry grunted at the man’s reluctance. Standing behind him, he could see Thor, who seemed concerned for Jareth’s position. The man was clearly happy where he was, so the advent of an unexpected inheritance, and everything that entailed, was troubling.
An uncertain future always was.
“I think only an insane man would not want a wealthy inheritance, Jareth, and I do not consider you insane,” Henry said. “My suggestion would be that you go to Bristol and discover for yourself everything the inheritance entails. Then, if you do not wish to remain in Bristol, or you do not wish to manage it, then pay someone trustworthy to do it for you. But not someone from Bristol, who knows of it, and not someone who already serves your uncle. Find someone who has noaffiliation. It will be safer that way. You do not want someone who will rob you blind because they know what the inheritance is worth and you do not.”
Jareth nodded reluctantly. “Sage advice, Your Grace,” he said. Then he sighed. “I suppose I should go right away. Whoever was in the employ of my uncle could be robbing me blind as I speak.”
“Indeed.”
“Would it be inconvenient to you if I were to leave on the morrow?” Jareth said. “Unless you require me for a task, in which case I will remain.”
Henry waved him off. “Nay,” he said. “You may go. In fact… in fact, I have some thoughts I would like to share with you, Jareth. Would you spare me the time to hear them?”
“My time is yours, Your Grace.”
Henry reached for a cup of honeyed wine on the table next to him and took a big swallow. He ended up coughing, spraying some of it out, as a servant moved quickly to help him clean it up. It was indicative of his terrible health and the clumsy way in which his entire left side moved. It was the common opinion among the royal physics that Henry had suffered an apoplectic episode last year, something that weakened his left side. He was still able to walk and move, but it was difficult for him at times. Jareth personally poured the king more sweet wine as the servant finished cleaning the man up.
“Jareth,” Henry said, his voice hoarse from the coughing, “a great knight such as yourself should not be reduced to pouring me wine. That is what I wish to speak to you about.”
“Your Grace?”
Henry, a man who clearly had something on his mind, took a deep breath. “I do not believe I shall travel away from London again,” he said. “I know I told you that I may wish to hunt next month, but I have changed my mind. I am tired,Jareth. I am content to remain here with Eleanor and watch our grandchildren grow. Make no mistake, however—I shall remain in control. There are still things to do. My rule shall be absolute. But I do not see myself taking on any great campaigns or quests again.”
Jareth simply nodded, unsure why the man would tell him something like that. “You are a great king, Your Grace,” he said. “Should you ever choose to ride again, I will be by your side.”
Henry’s dark eyes twinkled with warmth, or as much warmth as the man was able to give. “You have stayed by my side through some difficult times,” he said. “When I look back upon our history together, you were there for a good deal of it.”
“I was, Your Grace.”
“My task here still is not complete.”
“What do you mean, Your Grace?”
Henry sighed again. “The country is still not entirely stable,” he said. “There are still those who remain allied to Simon de Montfort, though he has been dead these many years. There are still those who are not loyal to me, as their king. You know that the treasury has struggled to rebuild after the battles with de Montfort. That has not changed overly, and Edward’s quest to the Levant has taken more money than it should. I do not like instability, Jareth. It smacks of failure.”
Jareth shook his head. “It smacks of a king who was challenged by a usurper,” he said quietly. “In the end, you emerged the victor, as you should. But it will simply take time to rebuild.”
