Page 10 of A Wayward Movement

“Xavier.” A familiar look of long-suffering had entered Theo’s eyes. “Have you even met with him?”

“Father didn’t need my assistance,” Xavier said, flicking his shoulder. “My attention has been better spent elsewhere.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Theo sighed. “But it’s not too late to start. I’m sure to be meeting with him within the next day or so. You can join me, and I’ll avoid doing the talking.”

“As tempting as that offer is,” Xavier said, “I’m going to be too busy with my anzu chick. Ah, speaking of which!” He brightened as he saw Charles emerging from a corridor into the entrance hall, something clutched in his hand. “Over here, Charles,” Xavier called.

“You’ve got an excellent commanding prince voice, Xavier,” Miriam commented. “It’s a shame you usually waste it.”

“It’s not a waste,” Xavier assured her. “Theo’s just been reminding me of my princely duty to endear our kingdom to Lord Liston, and the man’s daughter is besotted with our anzus. I’m hoping to win us all great favor with my new little companion.”

“That’s not even remotely what I said,” Theo contradicted, irked.

Xavier ignored him, focused now on receiving the warm milk Charles had retrieved.

“It’s a special dropper, Your Highness,” the servant told him. “Apparently the chick won’t be able to lap yet, and will need the milk dropped into its mouth. They told me that it should only take a couple of days until it can drink by itself, and a couple of weeks until it can hunt. When you start to see its first droplets or sparks, that’s your sign that it’s ready for solid food.”

“Excellent,” Xavier told him. “You can feed it for me, Charles, here you go.”

He tried to hand the anzu chick over, but the creature immediately began to let out a high-pitched mewing so grating to the ear that all activity in the entrance hall momentarily ceased.

“She’s imprinted on you, Your Highness,” Charles said, looking like he was trying not to smile. “I don’t think she’ll accept anyone else as a caretaker.”

Xavier stared down at the chick in alarm. Was he going to have to nurse it through the night like an infant? For a moment he was tempted to force the creature into Charles’s hands, but then he looked up to find Miriam and Theo both laughing shamelessly at him. He relented, a chuckle rising in his own throat.

“I’ve been caught by a lady at last,” he said in comical dismay. “I wasn’t ready for this kind of commitment.”

“And yet, you’re stuck with it,” Miriam informed him.

Xavier allowed the strange animal to nestle back against his elbow, taking the milk from Charles. The creature instantly stopped mewing and started to purr.

“Horrid infant,” he told it fondly. “I suppose I’ll have to think of a name for you.”

“Well, while you’re thinking,” Theo said, “think of what you’re going to do with your lady tomorrow morning. Because I’m determined you’re going to meet with Lord Liston and myself, and you can’t have her hanging off you during the meeting.”

“Are we speaking of the anzu chick or the lovely Lady Helena?” Xavier asked, genuinely confused.

“The anzu, obviously,” said Theo with impatience. His brows drew together. “Try to be serious, Xavier, because I certainly am. I’m bringing you along on this particular diplomatic process if I have to drag you.”

Xavier let out a sigh. “And to think I’ve actually been missing you while you were away, Theo.”

Noticing a servant striding purposefully across the entrance hall, his eyes on Theo, Xavier returned his attention to feeding the anzu. The creature eagerly received all the milk, sucking down the last drop, letting out a little hiccup, then curling itself up in the crook of his elbow and falling instantly asleep.

“That’s quite a skill,” Xavier informed it, amused.

“Your Highnesses.” The servant had reached them, bowing formally to each of the four before focusing his attention on Theo. “His Majesty wished me to inform you that he’s sorry not to be able to greet you and Princess Elowen in person, and will join you as soon as he’s able. He’s responding to an urgent missive that just arrived.”

“Thank you,” Theo said with the air of calm authority he’d mastered at age thirteen.

Around the time Xavier had first heard himself referred to in whispers as the wayward one, incidentally. He’d certainly been out of control, and back then it hadn’t been an intentional mask. He’d been a tumultuous mess on the inside as well as the outside, and it wasn’t a time he cared to remember.

So he pulled his mind back to the present, where he’d stopped being bothered by the whispers of the disapproving, because he knew he was the one pulling the strings.

“An urgent missive?” Xavier repeated the servant’s phrase, sending a mischievous look at Theo. “Sounds like something I should be involved in. I’ll see you lovebirds later.”

He could feel Theo’s eyes narrowed on his back as he strode away, accompanied by the servant. His brother knew him well enough to recognize the blatant excuse to get out of further discussion of Lord Liston’s business in Siqual.

“His Majesty didn’t request your presence, Your Highness,” the servant clarified nervously.