"Oh--oh, absolutely. You know that I would do whatever Your Majesty requires. If you cannot confide in me the identity of this person, I accept that."
"We will certainly tell you," Sapt says, "when the time is right. For now, we need to devise a plan to rescue her."
"I understand."
Frieda says, "won't it upset Michelle to see His Highness spending time with Her Majesty?"
"Indeed, I hope it does," Sapt says. "Whatever puts Michelle off balance is to our benefit. You do know, I'm sure, Your Highness, that Michelle would be eager to take you for her groom so as to improve her claim to the throne. She also probably would not hesitate to have you killed if she believed you were becoming an impediment."
"It seems a necessary risk," he says. "My life is my Queen's, to spend as she desires."
"Well, hopefully it won't come to that," Sapt says. "But it does involve risk, and we would be wrong not to mention it."
"I understand."
If there's nothing else, we'll clean up breakfast and arrive at the station in Zenda, where you will again travel by horseback into the game preserve.
--M. J. Young
Likely there is nothing else.
You mount the horse easily and ride comfortably to the lodge. By now you know the way, and easily take the lead. On arrival, Sapt attends to the horses while Frieda starts preparing the guns, leaving you alone with the prince for a few minutes. Your heart is pounding and you find yourself still tongue-tied, but he asks casually, "So, you've been coming out here three days a week. Is it just to spy on Michelle, or are you also escaping the pressures of being ruler?"
--M. J. Young
"To be honest, it's mostly to spy on her...And besides, I have no idea how to be a ruler anyway, I'm about as clumsy as a ballerina with no grace or poise."
Sapt comes in from the horses and says, "All right, let's get in some shooting practice this morning, and when it warms a bit we'll do the waterfront visit, and turn our attention to fencing to warm up the body a bit before dinner."
He fetches several rifles, pistols, and a couple of long bows with arrows.
"Target practice?" the Prince says. "I thought your majesty preferred hunting live animals, for the challenge."
--M. J. Young
"I've been feeling not up to hunting lately. Since the coronation, I haven't been able to hold a gun, bow, or sword straight."
"Wow, I guess the weight of leadership is pretty heavy. I never figured you for someone who would become serious like this after the coronation."
The conversation can continue as you move out to the targets and begin practicing with the various weapons until lunch.
--M. J. Young
Right now I'm believing he'll piece it together before we tell him.
Flavius helps you with your shooting, at times reaching his arms around you to help steady the various weapons. Your heart races when he does this, and yet it's clear that he enjoys being able to help you. Sapt does nothing to discourage the contact.
After several hours of target practice in the morning, you break for lunch and then you and Frieda dress in swimsuits that are extremely discrete, such that a man would not be tempted by the sight of bare ankles or forearms; yet it's clear that Flavius finds you attractive in the form-fitting suit. He, too, dresses for swimming in something that could be a full set of long underwear, and you all head to the water. The canoe and rowboat are waiting, and Sapt suggests beginning with those and doing the swimming after that, so that once you're wet you can return to the lodge to dry and warm.
--M. J. Young
I'm probably spending more my time watching for anything unusual with the castle rather then what we're up to.
As you and Flavius are afloat, he abruptly says, "See if you can swing us out around that outer tower once. I think I've got an idea."
--M. J. Young
"What kind of an idea?"
"Well=="
He seems a bit reticent, but with your encouraging look he continues.
"Not to seem too forward, but if your majesty were willing to--well, to give the impression that we were courting, there would be every reason for us to be out on the water for an evening private boat ride. We might attract attention from the walls, but since we want Michelle to think that you are going to marry me (and understand, I'm not trying to suggest anything by this) it probably helps serve that purpose. We could take several such evening cruises, to various parts of the lake including sometimes near the castle. Then when everything is in readiness, we could nonchalantly boat over to the tower, settle in a position we've identified as private (and who would think twice about the appearance of lovers looking for a sheltered and private spot on the lake?), from which I could climb to the bridge when the food is delivered, take out the guards, and rescue the lady.
"It would be better if we could both do this, but I would hesitate to risk your majesty in this endeavor and of course it has to be you in the boat--if it were two peasants, or even two of the gentry, Michelle would shoo them from near the castle, but she can hardly do so to you. Anyway, it's not a finished plan, by any means, but it has merit, do you think?"
--M. J. Young
"If we could do it without being seen, I think it could work. If any of the guards saw us too close, they might take it as a threat. But if we can find their blind spot to go into it..."
"I don't think Michelle could persuade her regular guards that your majesty is a threat. Now, I don't know about those henchmen of hers--Hentzau might take a shot at you if he thought he could get away with assassinating the queen so that Michelle would have to succeed you, but he probably also knows that he can't get away with it and Michelle would not be able to shield him. But we would have to find the blind spot, because if they see you alone in the boat after seeing us in it together, they will know something's up."
--M. J. Young
"They certainly couldn't get away with anything with you to witness..."
"Hopefully not," he says. "It would look entirely too suspicious for both of us to meet with a hunting accident on the same trip when we were not hunting." He smiles ironically, bringing a rush of excitement to you. You feel yourself blush, but he is looking away at that moment, looking out at the tower.
"So we need to circle it, and make it seem as if that's just something we're doing while we're on the lake--you know, like kids will swim to the dock and back, we're going to take the boat out around the tower and back to shore. While we're doing that, we can consider where we might park the boat and be relatively unseen."
You are in control of the boat at present. You've been involved in the conversation, but haven't indicated any action.
--M. J. Young
I'll likely be starting to move around the lake at this point, still carefully watching signs at the castle.
You meander around the lake a bit, getting some rowing practice. Then, when you are near the outer tower on the side away from the inner tower, Flavius says, "backwater and stow the oars."
You try to figure out how to do that, and in a moment have the boat spinning and drifting as you become flustered and embarrassed at your failure to steady it.
--M. J. Young
"Maybe you should take the oars..."
Flavius looks very serious.
"I should risk Sapt's ire? He has you out here to learn to do this. Besides, if you and I are to do this, my life will depend to some degree on your ability to handle the boat."
--M. J. Young
"Well, I meant both oars, but it is better to see if we can find a blind spot then for me to practice."
I don't see a persuasion score on your sheet. Thoughts on how persuasive you are?
--M. J. Young
((To be honest, between my lack of sales ability at my job and my track record for persuading my few friends, I'd say I'm about average at persuading people.))
Honest is good, and I assume you're honest all the time, since there's neither much fun nor much advantage in lying about your abilities in the game.
"We're not going to launch our plan tonight--and good thing, since you obviously need more practice with those oars. Get control of the boat, and we'll be fine."
The more flustered, you are still having trouble getting the boat under control. He waits patiently.
--M. J. Young
I'm most likely taking as much time as I can with it to try and keep from getting to flustered.
You calm yourself, stow the oars for a moment, take a deep breath, and then get back to rowing. This time you get control of the boat and put it exactly where you want it.
"There's a girl," Flavius encourages. "You've got it now. Yes, I think from right here they would not be able to see us--there are no windows this side of the tower, we're too close to the base to be seen from the parapet, and the view from the other tower is blocked by this one. So if we're seen to vanish into this secluded spot, probably no one will notice if one of us slips into the water and swims around to the opening.
"We'll want to come here often, though, so they tire of watching us when we do. For the moment, let's sit a bit, make them think we're enjoying our rare moment of privacy.
"So, how did your friend wind up Michelle's prisoner?"
--M. J. Young
"She wound up not coming to the coronation with me. Michelle used that to send someone after her. Since then, she's been locked away here."
Almost absently he grunts acknowledgment of your statement as he scans the walls more thoroughly. "So, was she sick or something, that she didn't come to your coronation? Or--maybe I'm prying. Sorry."
--M. J. Young
"Not at all, she just couldn't wake up, couldn't blame her, after the late night we had together after such a day."
"Oh," he says.
"Well, they say you are quite able to drink nearly anyone under the table. There are circles in which that's an admirable quality."
--M. J. Young
"There is something to be said for being able to withstand yourself against that much drinking I suppose."
"You don't sound convinced." He smiles. He's not exactly teasing you, but he does seem to find humor in your response.
--M. J. Young
"I can't imagine many you'd have to out drink..."
"Perhaps. On the other hand, I've heard that there are some diplomats, particularly among the Germans, who make a point of shall we say improving their bargaining position by being able to hold their liquor better than those with whom they are negotiating. I don't guess anyone can keep a clear head when they've had more than a few drinks, but if you can keep a clearer head than everyone else in the room you're more likely to get everyone to agree to terms that favor you.
"So perhaps your majesty has an edge for negotiating with the Germans. From the rumors in Prussia, that might be an advantage."
--M. J. Young
I'm likely chuckling while saying, "So I suppose it is a good thing then."
He is laughing as well.
"Indeed. You are well qualified to negotiate with the Germans--and perhaps, too, with the Italians and the Greeks, if you hold your wine as well as your beer."
As the laughter fades, he says, "All right, we should probably find our way to shore. After all, we want them to think we're stealing a hidden kiss, not surveying defensive weaknesses.
I suspect the suggestion that you might be stealing a kiss with the prince is raising a bit of blush in your cheeks. Mercifully his gaze is averted at the moment.
--M. J. Young
I'll probably just be moving back to shore.
After the boating practice you get the swimming practice. Even in the full-body bathing suit, Flavius has a very attractive form.
--M. J. Young
"Are you a strong swimmer Flavius?"