"Father, it's time to dress." Jeb was busy being everyone's messenger. The elder Cain was sitting in one of his chairs with his head in his hands facing the window.
He did not respond to his son, not even a nod.
"Father?" Jeb put his hand on his father's shoulder and felt the shudder underneath his hand. The elder Cain finally looked up, but not at his son. There was a fire in his eye; an anger that Jeb had never seen except in mad men.
"Father, if you do not dress presently, we will miss the ceremony completely."
"Good." Cain muttered, sounding incredibly juvenile. Jeb hardly caught the word.
"What is your problem?" Jeb asked, forcefully.
"Nothing a good glass of whiskey can't drown," Cain bit his tongue as if each word were a bitter salt lick.
"You love her. You love the Princess." Jeb realized after a moment. He ran one hand through his hair and put the other on his hip, scrutinizing his father.
"Why the hell haven't you said anything?"
"You should be the last person that I need to explain myself to." Cain did not deny that his son was right but he would not talk about it. He was torturing himself enough as it was. He could not admit to loving the Queen-to-Be, not to mention the woman he faithfully body-guarded for almost 2 years now.
He was not worthy, he was poor, he was old… too old for her. And he was going to stand up at the assembly and watch her marry a man she didn't love… maybe she did love him, he didn't know. It was easier to think that maybe she did love Duke Adrian Lycas, because then he was just an irrational Tin Man.
But a twinge of hope sat at the back of his mind and he couldn't let it go.
"I'll change." Cain sighed and Jeb rolled his eyes, leaving the room. Cain stood up and changed into his dress whites. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed.
He had about 1000 steps to the grand ballroom to make the most important decision of his life.