Cinderella

Kindler

According to the prince's wish, Jakub woke him up the moment the first sunbeams began to gild the sky. He could not help but notice the shadows under his eyes; he had long since looked this exhausted, and the servant doubted it was caused only by the time at which he had gone to bed... he was convinced that the night had been wakeful for the prince.

He was not allowed to speak about such matters for they were too personal, therefore he decided to pave it over. Instead, he helped Gerard stand up (apparently, the prince's leg once again begin to bother him) and get dressed.

"If you will pardon my audacity, my lord," started Jakub quite hesitantly, "but would it not be wiser to rest? I shall call a medic if the pain has returned to your leg, my lord... and there are no such things that could not..."

"Indeed, Jakub," growled Gerard, apparently not in a good mood, "there are matters which may not wait, and this is one of them. And I wonder how many times I should tell you not to forget yourself. It is me who decides here, not you."

The butler fell silent, then stood in front of the prince and began tying his cravat, feeling somewhat anxious. He had already grown accustomed to his master being abrasive every now and then, but hardly ever was he this nasty. Moreover, he wondered what kind of matter could be so pressing – he did not know the details of the investigation the prince had conducted the previous day, after all. He had no idea what conclusions he had drawn out of it, therefore he could not know why the man wanted to understand the situation so badly.

First of all, Jakub did not even know where his master was heading for. And yet, he doubted such a visit could end well – not when the prince was in such haste. And in such a mood...

"Did you order to prepare a horse for me, Jakub?" the prince asked, tilting his chin so he could help the butler with his task.

"Yes, my lord," answered the butler, nodding and finishing tying the cravat. "The boys should have already prepared one for you."

"Wonderful. Then I am setting off immediately," said Gerard, limping towards the door as quickly as his ailing leg would let him. Jakub, seeing that, grimaced slightly. He knew perfectly that if the prince kept overexerting his body, it could end tragically for him. "Remember to take care of the young lady."

"There is breakfast waiting for you in the dining hall..."

The look the prince offered to the butler caused the latter to cease talking before the sentence was finished, and he quickly bowed, unable to bear it. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He had long since been admonished this way; he would have rather liked his master to shout at him, to lash his hands. There was no punishment worse than this glance which almost literally froze the blood in one's veins.

"Jakub," the prince spoke, his voice surprisingly soft, which never boded anything good. "I said I am setting off immediately, and this is what I mean. I am setting off right now, at this very moment. I have no time to waste. Do make certain that the young lady eats breakfast. Do not let anyone see her."

Jakub wanted to follow the prince, who right after those words had been said left the chamber, but he was stopped by the latter's swift motion of the hand. The butler did not want to defy his master for he knew the consequences he would need to face afterwards, and he did not want to risk, realising that all of the other residents of the estate could end up suffering. He could only watch His Highness, leaning heavily on the bannister, walked downstairs towards the vestibule.

Gerard had truly long since felt this dreadfully. He had not slept the whole night – he had only managed to drift off into a rather shallow slumber an hour before Jakub had come to wake him. His head ached, but most of all, his leg ailed unbearably, for he had not spared it in recent times, even though he knew well enough that he should have. Such recklessness could not end well for him.