As promised, the man quickly returned and showed them where they could tend to their horses. Pavel was more than a little surprised that Prince James immediately started to tend to one of the horses himself. He was even more surprised that the Prince seemed to know what he was doing.

The staring didn't go unnoticed and James gave a half-hearted smile.

"Might I guess that the nobles here do not often attend to the needs of their horses?"

Flushing at being caught, Pavel turned his attention a little too intently to a burr in the horse's tail.

"In truth, Prince Leonard is the only nobleman I have ever known that is able to saddle his own steed. He does not consider that a man should call himself a true horseman if he cannot properly get all of the tack onto his own horse without assistance."

A soft chuckle came from James as an old memory came to mind.

"I recall one noble that sought to impress my Lady Mother with his riding prowess. He was unable to even get into the saddle without the assistance of three grooms."

Pavel couldn't help himself and laughed aloud at that mental image.

"Might I gather that he made a large impression, but not of the variety he was seeking?"

"An underestimation, young Pavel. My Lady Mother barely made it out of his sight before succumbing to a most violent fit of laughter."

The pair had just finished washing themselves off after finishing with the grooming and feeding of the horses when a woman entered the barn area. She wore a simple, but becoming gown and moved with a natural elegance that many court ladies fruitlessly strove to attain. James had no doubt in his mind who she was and knelt, bowing his head slightly.

"Lady Amanda."

The woman gave him a small nod, but first turned to her son.

"Spock, please go and watch over Leonard while I speak with our two guests."

It was plain to see that Spock did not care for the thought of leaving his mother alone with the pair, but he bowed his head and obeyed her wishes without argument. Once he was gone, she turned and moved straight to Pavel, smiling as if at an old and dear friend.

"You could only be Pavel. You have your grandmother's eyes."

Pavel's smile back to her was a mix of pleased and shy.

"My grandmother has always spoken of you with great fondness. I am pleased to finally meet you, Lady."

Lady Amanda brushed her hand lightly across Pavel's curls, then turned her head to take a long look at James.

"And you must be the James that my Leonard was asking after. He is quite concerned about your health."

Momentarily speechless, James shook his head slightly as he regained his voice.

"In the condition that he is in, he is worried about me? Please tell me - will he be alright?"

"He could not have held out much longer, but you got him here in time. Leonard has no wounds beyond my ability to heal. As to worrying about you? Love has that effect."

The guilty look that formed on the face of Prince James at her comment puzzled her.

"You do not believe Leonard's feelings are true?"

The blue eyes went wide and James shook his head emphatically.

"I have no doubt about Leonard's feelings. He has proven how strongly he feels. It is because he would not deny me that the King had him confined and beaten. I . . . I would have preferred that Leonard had denied me than be harmed as he was."

A smile that had a chiding edge to it formed on Lady Amanda's face.

"You have a great deal yet to learn about my godson if you think Leonard would have even considered denying something - or someone - he believes in."

James still didn't meet her eyes.

"But - if things don't work out - he's given up everything."

"Ahhh - I see. It isn't Leonard's feelings that you are questioning, but your own. Why is that?"

It took a moment for him to reply, but with a sigh, he finally managed the words.

"I have thought I was in love before and found I was wrong, Lady."

"I recall that Leonard left to attend a wedding in your lands. The wedding was to have been yours?"

"It was."

"You are aware that Leonard was once engaged to a young lady himself?"

"I am. I met the lady."

"Then how can you believe his love for you is sincere?"

"Because Leonard told me the story of how they met. He rescued her and, well, he did not say it exactly that way, but it sounded as if he felt responsible for her. And since the King was pressuring him to find a bride, he thought to solve both of their dilemmas."

Lady Amanda considered his words, then nodded.

"I believe that is a fair assessment of his engagement. What of yours?"

Flushing, James rubbed his hands against his trousers.

"I have never had a shortage of ladies seeking to be at my side. My parents threw a ball in celebration of the anniversary of my birth and Cinderella caught and enflamed my imagination by doing the one thing a maiden had never done. She fled from me. I know now it was the chase that drew me rather than the lady herself and I also know now how immature that impulse was. Leonard was right to give me the nickname of Infant."

"And you called him Bones."

The laughter in Lady Amanda's voice was not mocking, but James flushed again regardless as she continued.

"Yes, Leonard told me all about you when he returned from that visit. The boy with the eyes that were bluer than blue. He was right about your eyes."

She reached out and gently cupped his chin in one hand. It reminded him immediately of how his own mother would reach out and touch him in just such a way when she was about to say something she wanted him to pay close attention to.

"Tomorrow, when Leonard has rested enough to listen, you need to talk to him about how you feel. But for now, you and Pavel must follow me. I have prepared some food for you and a place to rest. We do not eat flesh here, but I trust the cheeses, fruits and vegetables will suffice."

"You have saved Leonard, Lady - you could give me nothing but a spot of ground to lie on and I would be content."

Her laughter spilled out again.

"Our beds may be humble compared to the palace, but I daresay they are more comfortable than the ground. Come."

The room they were led to was clean and comfortable with food laid out in readiness on the table in the room's center. Once they assured Lady Amanda there was nothing more they needed, she left them to return to her patient. The breads and cheeses were a meal in themselves and both men soon had their fill and readied themselves for sleep. Pavel was very quiet and thoughtful until James put out the candle, leaving the room lit only by the moonlight coming through the window. Then he spoke softly.

"I believe it would scare me as well."

James paused in the act of pulling the quilt over himself at that.

"What would scare you?"

"To know that someone loved me so deeply that they would give up all that they had - all that they know - for me."

Settling down and giving the quilt another tug, James nodded slowly.

"It is both highly flattering and highly frightening. What if Leonard wakes one day and realizes I was not worth his sacrifice?"

The silence drew out long enough that James began to suspect Pavel had gone to sleep, but then he spoke again.

"Would you give up for him what he has given up for you?"

"I would like to think I would, but that is too easy to say when I know that I will never be asked to do such a thing. My mother already knows and while she may not have wholeheartedly embraced our relationship, neither did she reject it."

Giving a soft sigh, Pavel settled further down into his own bed.

"I did say before that your Lady Mother is most wise. Sleep if you can, Prince James. As my grandmother always says, the morning is wiser than the night."

Closing his eyes, James thought that sleep was the last thing that he would find, but between exhaustion, relief and a full stomach, sleep found him at last.