In Which Prince Hugo Grows Up A Little

(continued from here)

We untied Prince Hugo’s hands and Father took him away to the barracks to wash; Mother told me to come to the hall as soon as I’d changed, and was gone before I had a chance to say anything. I hadn’t intended to change at all, but Lynde said it would be a favor to all the men on both sides if I dressed for an affair of state, or at least as much as I could in a quarter of an hour. She helped me into my blue thing with the train and the silver embroidery, but she stayed in her leathers herself and said she would stand two paces behind my right shoulder, like a retainer.

The hall was jammed with people. Marshweather’s men were lined up down the middle, each one flanked with two of our men. They had their hands behind their backs as though they were bound, but I saw one of them scratch his nose so I think it was mostly for show. Their captain is a harassed-looking middle-aged man with a scar on his cheekbone that was years old, and a limp to his right leg that I think we gave him this morning. He actually was bound, and Evan Archer had him by the arm, but he seemed quite philosophical about it and he and Archer seemed to be getting along well. Rafe was already there with Tarpley at his elbow, and while he was still quite white in the face, he had a gleam in his eye that said he wouldn’t have missed this show for anything.

I stood with Mother at the door, and we were announced by the majordomo. The room got quiet when we were announced, but when we came in there was a murmur – Mother was wearing her purple, and I really do think my blue is the fanciest thing I have, so we must have made quite a picture. All the men on both sides looked sort of solemnly gratified, and I began to see what Lynde meant about it being a favor. We went slowly through to the top of the room so that everyone could get a good look at us, followed by Lynde who actually did stand two paces behind my right shoulder – I thought she’d been joking. Finally the majordomo pounded the floor three times with his staff and intoned “His Majesty, King Davin of Bentlefay!”

Honestly, I was almost afraid of Father myself, he looked so impressive and so stern. He wasn’t in full armor, just the breastplate and shin guards over a fine shirt and breeches, and his big red cloak, with a circlet instead of the big crown. Prince Hugo marched behind him between two of our men, and although he has quite the royal look himself he wasn’t a patch on Father.

They strode to meet us at the top of the room with the men all bowing as they came through. There was a bit of shuffling as everyone got into position, and Father asked “Should I be over here?” quite audibly, which made Rafe chortle. Then the majordomo pounded the floor three times again, and we had the formal surrender.

I’ve read terms of formal surrender before and they’re not very long or very interesting, so I was rather waiting for the whole thing to be over so that we could all have breakfast. I’m never up that early and I don’t usually eat much in the morning, but a surprise attack at dawn has a remarkably stimulating effect on the appetite, especially if your side wins. In any case, I wasn’t paying very much attention until Father asked rhetorically who would be giving the oath on behalf of Marshweather, and just as Captain Smoot opened his mouth to speak, Prince Hugo stepped forward and said “I will.”

Well, I just gasped, since he hadn’t seemed much for taking responsibility back in my bedroom, and if the reaction of his men was any indication, he wasn’t much for it back in Marshweather either. Mother just smiled, however, and Father clapped him on the shoulder, and Captain Smoot beamed on the whole tableau like a nursemaid. I never imagined a surrender could be such a festive occasion, but everyone seemed happy, although Prince Hugo’s voice trembled a bit when he gave the responses. He swore the same bit about laying down swords, preserving the peace of the house and holding its people from harm that he’d done for himself, and a bit more about hospitality and honorable terms, and then Father said something about never taking the last portion of the best dish – which was a joke, of course, but Prince Hugo was so nervous he swore to it anyway, and everyone laughed.

There was some confusion about the releasing of bonds, because Smoot was the one wearing them, but Archer untied him in a hurry and Father just held the strap around Prince Hugo’s wrists for a second, so that he could drop it and say “the hospitality of our house is yours on your honor.” After that the rest of the men could stop pretending to be tied up, and there was a great smiling and chattering and shaking of hands as everyone milled around looking for their friends.

It was turning into rather a party and my stomach was rumbling so that you could hear it in Seaward, but finally there was an announcement and the men all trooped off to the barracks for their breakfast.

The only ones left were Mother and Father and me and Lynde, Winnie with Sir Bardolph, Tarpley and Rafe and Smoot and Prince Hugo. We all stood around for a few moments looking at each other, and then Prince Hugo took a deep breath and stepped forward.

“Master Rafe,” he said. “I want to tender you the duty of my house toward--” at which point he boggled, and nodded at Rafe’s missing hand. He obviously couldn’t think of the statesmanly way to say he was sorry and wished he could do something to make it better, and none of us could figure out a way to help him. We all stood there with our mouths opening and shutting like a school of fish, until finally Mother, as she so often does, put her finger on the problem.

“It’s all right,” she said. “You can use normal words in front of the family.”

So Prince Hugo said “I’m awfully sorry about your hand, sir – I don’t suppose there’s a way to pay you back exactly, but I will try to think of a way to make it right if I can.”

“You needn’t,” Rafe replied. “It’s not the first time I’ve bought experience, although the price was higher than I expected.”

“Oh,” Prince Hugo said, obviously not understanding.

“There now,” said Mother. “Who’s hungry for breakfast?”

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