“So you get a kick out of rebelling then,” I say. “I can relate.”
“That’s right. You’re Prince Player, after all.”
I groan a little bit. “I forget about that nickname sometimes.”
“Is it true?” she asks me, suddenly serious.
“Is what true?”
She cocks her head. “Have you really slept with thousands of women?”
I laugh and shrug. “Maybe. Who keeps count? That’s weird.”
“Gross,” she says, making a face.
“Are you judging me?”
“No, it’s just, I don’t know.”
“Your American prudishness?”
She sighs and nudges me. “Maybe,” she admits.
“We have that here, too, you know. But a lot worse.”
“I’ve noticed.” She bites her lip. “Are people here going to accept a foreigner like me?”
“Yes,” I say seriously. “Right now, this country is at a crossroads. We can modernize, become a true global player, and evolve as a people. Or we can look inward again, cast out anyone that differs from what we think is right, and bury our head in the sand. I don’t want to be afraid of foreigners or others, Hazel. I want to bring my people into the future.”
She looks at me with a hint of surprise in her expression. We come to the end of the hall and stop in front of a door. I want to ask her what’s so surprising, but before I can get the words out, the door flings open and Andrew stumbles out.
“Nolan!” he says loudly. “I was wondering where the fuck you were. We broke out the Kubb already, and I’m getting truly blasted.”
“Hi, Andrew,” I say. “You’re having a good time.” I grin and pat his back.
“Yes, yes, I am.” He looks over at Hazel and bows stiffly. “Hello, Wife Consort. Fair warning, I am drunk and off duty.”
Hazel looks at me a little surprised, and I grin back. “What did you think we were coming to?” I ask her.
“You said we were going to see some nobles you know.”
“We are,” I say. “They just happen to be young and fun. And they also want to celebrate my marriage.”
“Your first fucking marriage!” Andrew shouts. “Get in there, you piece of shit!”
I’m shoved in through the door, laughing the whole way. Hazel follows me, looking totally shocked as we step into the large upper banquet room.
Inside, tables line either side of the large room. In the center, a group of people are playing a game called Kubb, which involves throwing long pegs to knock down the opposing team’s blocks. It’s a complicated game, but it’s fun as hell once you get how to play.
“There’s that fucking prince!” Ryan shouts. He’s tall, with flaming red hair that’s starting to recede. “I was wondering if you’d show.”
He walks over and shakes my hand. “And miss my own party? Never.”
“Is this her?” he asks.
“Hazel, this is Duke Michelo Dryan Dearbloom.”
“Call me Ryan,” he says, grinning. “The title is such a fucking bore.”
“Nice to meet you,” Hazel says.
“Come on, come see everyone. How long’s it been since you were last at court, ten years?”
I shrug. “Something like that.”
The next ten minutes are spent saying hello to everyone. All told, there are about twenty people there, all around my age or a little younger. I grew up with a lot of the people here, and although we’ve grown apart, I know they’ve always supported me. In the castle, these are the people that I can count on.
They’re the children of dukes, duchesses, marquises, and prominent business leaders. They’re the rich and the powerful, but mostly, right now, they’re drunk as fuck.
“The Wife fucking Consort, eh,” Scotty says, leaning against me. He’s clearly wasted.
“Hi Scotty. Are you losing in Kubb?”
“That bastard Andrew can’t toss worth shit,” he says, slurring his words. Scotty is a Scottish man whose parents were royalty a long time ago. They came to Polovia to try and rejoin the royal court, though mostly they’re outsiders.
“Sorry about him.” A tall, blonde girl comes over and steers Scotty away from me.
“Jessie?” I ask.
“The one and only,” she says.
I hug and kiss her cheek. “It’s been ages,” I say, laughing. “This is Hazel, my wife. Hazel, this is Jessie. We grew up together.”
“Didn’t think anyone could get this man to settle,” she says to Hazel, hugging and kissing her cheek. “But I can see why he likes you.”
“Uhm, thank you,” Hazel says, laughing.