Francis stopped.
“Granny?” he said, just as Hans ran past the opening upahead.
The junior secretary skidded to halt and doubled back, panting slightly as he offered out the sealed envelope.
“From Queen Maria, sir.”
Francis took the letter. “Next time, Hans, lead with that.”
“Yes, sir. Very sorry, sir,” Hans said, still panting.
Francis opened the letter and read his grandmother’s flowing script.
“She wants to see me,” he informed Hans. “Today.”
“Shall I arrange the carriage, your highness?” Hans asked.
“No, I’ll take my horse,” Francis said firmly. “The ride will do me good. Go find Archie and tell him, would you?”
“Yes, sir. Right away,” Hans said. He made to walk away, then looked around him at the hedgerows. “Sorry, sir,” he added. “Do you know the way out?”
Francis smiled. “Follow me.”
* * * *
The ride to Granny’s estate was a few miles cross country, and Francis knew the way.
He enjoyed a brisk ride across the acres of open fields and scattered woodland that made up the adjoining royal estates of Stormburg. Riding with him was Lieutenant Archibald ‘Archie’ von Dassel, Francis’s equerry and good friend, plus two of the household guards.
They hadn’t dressed in finery, opting for practical yet elegant riding clothes instead. Granny would never tolerate less than elegant.
They arrived at her ancient and sprawling estate in time for tea.
Francis dismounted, leaving the horses with thegroomsmen.
The butler showed them indoors, straight to a side table and two household staff pouring out cups of mulled wine from a warm pot, and brandishing plates of tiny buttermilk biscuits.
They drank the wine to warm up, then Francis bid Archie and the guards wait for him.
“I’ll take it from here, Archie,” he said. “You enjoy the refreshments.”
“Yes, sir,” Archie replied. “Do you expect to ride back before it’s dark?”
Francis considered, but it all rather depended on what Granny wanted him for.
“No, if she wants me to stay for supper, we can stay in the guest rooms and ride out in the morning.”
“Yes, sir,” Archie replied, then added quietly, “Are you in any bother?”
Archie wore an eye patch over his right eye, from a wound received in battle many years ago. His left eye was deep blue and showed genuine concern.
Francis smiled at his friend.
“No idea, but I shall soon find out,” he said, and slapped Archie on the arm as he walked away.
It was unlikely he was in any great trouble. He was Granny’s favourite, and she’d never been cross with him in his whole life.
But also because there wasn’t a lot of trouble for him to get into. He’d never been next in line for the throne, that duty had fallen to his elder brother, Joseph, and now Joseph’s young sons were next in line.
