The Child Prince (The Artifactor) (19 page)

“I’ve watched you off and on for the past four hours,” she continued when he didn’t say anything. “You’ve been blazing through these books, and you obviously didn’t need help or were confused at any point. Just how advanced is your reading level?”

Alright, maybe researching here hadn’t been the wisest of decisions. But at the same time, this was a beautiful opportunity to show her he wasn’t your average eight year old child. “Adult,” he admitted frankly. “Actually, there isn’t a book in this building that I can’t read. Unless it deals with economics,” honesty forced him to add.

Hana lifted a hand to cover a smile. “Yes, well, few choose to read those books. But adult level? Good heavens, no wonder you’re an Artifactor’s apprentice! It also explains why you have such an amazing vocabulary for someone your age.”

He offered her a smile, rubbing at the back of his neck shyly. “Yes, well….” Perhaps this had been a good idea, after all. In the future, if he slipped up and spoke in an un-childlike demeanor, she wouldn’t think it odd now.

“I underestimated you, Bellomi.” Shaking her head, she lowered her hand, revealing a rueful expression. “I do apologize. But I promise not to do so in the future.”

Bellomi tried using some of that charm Morgan had taught him as he responded, “Nothing to apologize for. I do look like an average child, after all.”

“I should have known you weren’t, though, since Sevana took you on. She has no patience with stupidity or ignorance.” Leaning forward, Hana picked up one of the books he’d already set aside. “You haven’t found the answer you’re looking for?”

“Yes and no,” he answered with a shrug. “These books do contain accounts of rebellions, but they’re not the answer I need.”

“The library closes in another half hour or so. Perhaps I should pull more books for you to take home?”

He perked up. “That would be very helpful.”

“It would help if you’re more specific for what you’re looking for,” she added.

Yes, it probably would narrow the selection. “I’m not sure if this has happened or not. But what I need to know is, have there been any princes in Windamere that took over the throne while their father was still alive? Any princes that did so without needing an army to take the throne, that is.”

“Hmmm.” She sat back in her chair, finger thoughtfully tracing the top of her lip as she considered for a long moment. “I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head. I can think of a few likely places to look, though.”

“Let’s start there, then.”

“Does this answer have a deadline for you to meet?” she asked in worry.

Oh, did it ever. “It’s not an immediate deadline. She doesn’t expect me to have an answer anytime soon.”

“That’s just as well, as I don’t think that you can find the answer quickly, even with my help.” Determined, she left her chair and headed back for the history section. “But I’ll get the books I’m thinking of.”

Bellomi sat and patiently waited for her, not quite sure how he felt about this situation. On the one hand, he needed an answer to this question quickly in order to make plans for the future. On the other, if he would have Hana’s help on this, he’d rather want to stretch this out so he could spend more time in her company.

He watched her move back and forth in front of the shelves, taking off books and stacking them in the crook of her arm, and let out a long sigh. What a conundrum.

“I’m sorry, Bellomi.” Hana put the present back in his hand. “I accept the thought, but I can’t take the gift.”

His heart fell and he flushed, panicking. “No, but—”

She put a hand on his head and ruffled his hair in a teasing way, smile gentle. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away, already back to her usual attitude when attending business.

She left him standing there in the middle of the sidewalk with a wrapped woman’s comb in his hand, a heavy heart, and a head full of confusion. Why wouldn’t she accept it? This was a rather ordinary choice for a gift that a man would buy for a woman. Or at least, he thought it a good choice after all of the books he’d read in his lifetime, where similar circumstances had played out.

After several dazed moments of just standing there, watching her back, he shook himself back into action. She’d refused the gift, but that didn’t mean he could stand there for the rest of the day like an idiot. Putting one foot in front of another, he made his way slowly back to Big, head a snarled mess.

Just why had she refused the gift? He hadn’t said anything about why he was offering it. He’d thought to say something along the lines of it being in gratitude for the help she’d given him. After all, he didn’t honestly think that she would be willing to court a supposed eight year old.

He obviously needed advice on this matter. He was missing some vital piece of information, some clue, that would make sense of all of this.

Now, who would be the best to ask? If he had a choice, he’d go straight to Morgan, but the man had gone off yesterday to deliver some finished wares so who knew when he’d be back. That left him only one real option—Sevana. He winced at just the thought. No, this wouldn’t be that bad. After all, Sevana, as a fellow woman, would have a better insight into the workings of the female mind. And she always told him the truth (usually in a brutally forthright manner, granted).

He entered through the front door of the mountain, calling out to Big as he came through, “Big, where’s Sevana?”

Workroom
.

Uh-oh. Feeling a little nervous, he cautiously asked, “Is it safe to knock on the door?”

Probably
. The mountain didn’t seem in the least bit concerned.

Bellomi really wanted to ask more questions (probably? Why not absolutely?) but Big didn’t give good specifics. He’d learned that from previous experience. Pocketing the comb, he went to her workroom door and tried putting his ear against the polished wood. Well, he didn’t hear anything…not that that meant much. Perhaps he should try asking her later. Yes, that seemed a better idea. She always came out to cook dinner in the evenings, he’d have her mostly undivided attention then.

Big, in an effort to be helpful, opened the door for him. Bellomi had been leaning some of his weight against it and when the door unexpectedly swung open, he lost his balance and stumbled three feet inside.

At that precise moment, a strange smell hit his face in a wave. He couldn’t begin to decipher it, just realized a trace of sulfur and chemicals lingered on his tongue, when the air sparked. He jerked up onto his hands and knees, half-panicked and praying he saw that wrong.

“BIG!” Sevana thundered. “BEL! Get out of this room NOW!”

Since the air sparked again, like purple streaks of lightening, Bel saw sense in this order immediately. Scrambling, he half-crawled, half-rolled back into the hallway, fetching up roughly against the opposite wall with his back pressed into cold stone. Big hastily shut the door behind him, the impact firm enough to make the
thud
echo in every direction.

Bellomi held his breath, half-anticipating an explosion of epic proportions, but nothing happened. After several taut seconds he cleared his throat and ventured, “Is she alright in there?”

Big answered in a worried grumble of stone rubbing stone,
Nothing exploded
. The feeling of ‘yet’ hovered in the air, unspoken.

Phew. Thank all mercy for that. Still, he didn’t think it wise for him to spend any more time indoors today. Not until Sevana gave him the signal to do so. That in mind, he almost tiptoed to his room, snagged several of the books he was supposed to study, and retreated hastily back outside.

After spending so many study sessions out here, Big had formed a sort of reclining bench for him in the side of the mountain, giving him a comfortable place to prop himself up and read. He liked the location as it sat not five feet from the main door and also gave him a beautiful view of the village and the river. He went directly there, stacking up the books next to him and scooting about on the rock until he had his legs crossed in front of him. Normally, the wide expanse in front of him served as a distraction, as he let the wind flow over him and the sunlight warm his skin.

Today, his own thoughts distracted him more. Just why had she refused it?

Lost in his own peregrinations, he almost leapt out of his skin when Baby appeared from thin air, landing lightly right beside him. “Baby!”

The mountain lion gave him a look that said,
Yes? That is the great me.

“Don’t do that!” he put a hand to his chest as he scolded the cat, convinced his heart had almost leaped into his throat. “My heart nearly failed me.”

Unconcerned, the big cat gave a yawn and started grooming his whiskers.

The prince gave him a resigned, if frustrated, frown. Right, of course. Baby had been raised by Sevana. Of course the cat would get a cheap thrill from giving everyone around him heart failure. She certainly did. Shaking his head, he gave up and attempted to go back to his studying.

This attempt abruptly failed when Baby flopped down next to him, putting his head solidly on top of the book. He rubbed his chin against the corner of the cover, getting a good scratch in while he did so. Bellomi tried to shift him away, but the cat outweighed him by a good hundred pounds, and the effort was beyond futile. Blowing out a breath, he gave up and started scratching underneath the cat’s chin as well, making Baby purr in a rumbling way.

They sat like that for a long stretch of time, Bellomi absently petting, Baby enjoying the attention with his tail flicking about happily. Without meaning to, the words tumbled from Bellomi’s mouth, “I tried to give Hana a gift today, Baby. I had it all planned out. I was going to tell her it was for the swimming lessons and the help she’s given me in the village. But I never got a word out. She wouldn’t accept the gift either.” Struck by a silly thought, he asked, “Say, if you wanted to court a woman, what presents would you give her?”

Baby opened an eye, considering his human friend for a long moment. Then in a smooth, easy movement he rolled himself up right and bounded off, heading directly up the mountain and into a thick patch of undergrowth. Bellomi watched him go in confusion, not sure if the cat had suddenly lost interest in the pampering or if he were distracted by something.

Within minutes, the cat returned, a struggling furry ball of something dangling from his mouth. Bellomi narrowed his eyes, straining to see, but as the cat came closer it became obvious. He’d caught a rather large mouse and had it by the tail. The mouse squeaked and twisted in every direction, more than alarmed and desperate to escape. Baby trotted directly to the still sitting prince and displayed the mouse proudly with a tilt of his head.

“Um, you’d give her a mouse?” Bellomi rubbed at the back of his head. He supposed in cat logic that made perfect sense. “Baby, I’m trying to court the woman, not feed her.”

Baby’s head tilted the other way, clearly not seeing the difference.

Perhaps for a cat, there was no difference.

Feeling a headache coming on, he rubbed at his forehead and sighed. “I see. Well, my thanks for the advice.”

Satisfied, Baby carelessly dropped the mouse, which landed with squeak on the grass. Scrambling, it tore off for the woods, desperate to get away. It shouldn’t have done so, though, as the sight of it running got the cat’s predatory instincts up. With a flick of the tail, Baby bounded back after it, entertained all over again by chasing down his prey.

Half-amused despite himself, Bellomi shook his head and went back to the book.

The sun rose steadily in the sky, making its way toward the other horizon. His stomach started rumbling and suggesting food might be in order. He hadn’t really been able to focus anyway, so he shut the book and put it aside. As he did so, he spied Morgan coming up the path, a large black sack in hand.

“Morgan,” he hailed with a wave. “I didn’t expect you up here today.”

“I had something to show Sev,” he called back. “Enjoying the day?”

“It’s a beautiful day to be out of doors,” he offered with a congenial smile.

Morgan gave him a quick study. “In other words, Sevana almost blew up her lab again.”

“Got it in one,” the prince admitted sourly.

Morgan cast the mountain a considering look. “Then it might be best not to go in there today. Later tonight might be a better bet. What say you about going into Milby with me and getting lunch there?”

That did seem the better option. A thought occurred and he regarded Morgan with more interest. Besides that, wouldn’t this be a prime opportunity to get the man’s advice? “Morgan. Perhaps as we walk, you can explain something to me?”

“Certainly, if I can. What’s this about?”

Still a little embarrassed by his failure this morning, Bellomi explained the situation in short sentences, ending with, “I don’t know why she refused the gift.”

Morgan sank down onto one knee, bringing them to eye level. “Because, Your Highness, a comb is a courting gift or one that you give a member of your family. It’s not something that a respectable woman would accept from a young boy.”

Bellomi opened his mouth to object, froze, and considered the situation again from Hana’s perspective. When he did, he let out a pained groan. “It would look terribly awkward for her, wouldn’t it.”