(no subject)

[never_promised]

Mmmm. Hmmm.

This bed is very comfortable. The light is coming in very strong, strong enough that it must be well into the day: what an idle king he is this morning! But if the king can't idle in bed, the softest bed, once in his life...

He sits up abruptly. Wait. He's supposed to be meeting the French court, the duke of Burgundy, princess Katherine.

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[harryhotspur]

The blanket-covered person beside him lets out a muffled sound that might be a greeting or might be a protest, or might just be meaningless sleepy sounds.

Then from the pile emerges Harry Percy, rubbing his face with his hands.

[never_promised]

Who did he even share a room with last night? Where's--there should be a servant ready to hand--there's--

there's

there's harry percy

oh god

[harryhotspur]

Muffled behind his hands, he begins to ask: "W-w-what--" Woah, what? He gives his head a shake, his face one last vigorous scrub, and starts to try again.

"What made we--" But then he realizes that that is not, as he assumed, Feuilly.

"--what."

[never_promised]

Hal is bunching the blankets hastily over his lap. "How came I here? I was--"

No, wait, he does remember things now. Stepping into Milliways, and then being--someone else? No, but it wasn't someone else really, was it.

[harryhotspur]

Yes, something like that, something-- he can't quite--

He laughs, because that seems preferable at the moment. "And now may I call myself bedfellow to a king?"

(For an instant, it's a feeling like he remembers from being a child, pure relief that the words came out so smoothly. Why, though?)

[never_promised]

Hal stares at him, and then starts laughing too, just a little unsteadily. "It seems to be so."

And oh look, there are dogs.

[harryhotspur]

Dogs! Hector is of the opinion that it is far too early to be waking up yet, but Lady is ready! to! go!!

Harry is-- not, quite.

"This is my room," he says, partly just to reassure himself that yes, he is where he thinks he is, even if he's not fully clear on how he got there. "When-- when did you return to Milliways?"

[never_promised]

Hal pushes the little hound away, gently enough. "Some...two days, or three?" This is Percy's room? It makes sense, in a way. The--oh, yes, he suddenly remembers, the stained surcoat in the closet.

He glances away from Percy. Had he worn that at Shrewsbury?

[harryhotspur]

"But I--" He frowns. "I have seen you since." He's sure he has. Well, clearly he has, because here they are.

He scoots to the edge of the bed-- a brief stab of soreness shoots through one arm when he uses it to push himself up to his feet.

[never_promised]

Hal rubs the back of his neck. "And how doth thy arm?"

Where are his clothes? He's in a shirt--thankfully not a child-sized shirt?--but he'd come here dressed for a kingly bit of business-- Ah, there, a heap of velvet and ermine and gold where he'd left the (muddy, bloody, torn) child's doublet last night. Isn't magic wonderful.

As he gets up, he looks over his shoulder at Percy, and flutters his lashes. "Come, dost not remember our time together? Dost not recall last night, my lord?"

[harryhotspur]

Harry is startled into a blush and a scowl.

"I know not-- methinks I can scarce say what was and what was but a dream." He rubs his arm. "It doth well enough, it-- why, we were thrown from Duncan's back, were we not?"

[never_promised]

"Methinks we were--a fine trick in itself, the Hotspur of the North thrown by an old hackney."

...wait. Wait, no, thinking back on the incident, maybe he shouldn't start mocking anyone.

[harryhotspur]

"Ay, well--" Actually, the incident is slowly, vaguely returning to him, too. "And didst thou not weep like a poor girl to see it?"

[never_promised]

"Ah--heh." Hal rubs his jaw and laughs. "Like a little child," he admits, since he has to. Yes. Well Maybe they shouldn't poke around too much into the last few days.

"Come, Percy, do thy king a service, and--if thou wouldst--" He lifts a sleeve of the complicated set of robes, laughing again, more helplessly. "It was not made for a man to dress himself."

[harryhotspur]

Harry nods and moves to take the robes from Hal's hands.

"Look you now what a fine privy gentleman I would be," he says as he untangles the heavy fabric and then holds it open. This is quite entirely a joke: there is surely no way, however favored by whatever king, Harry Percy would have ever been content to be a courtier.

[never_promised]

Nor would he have been chosen for the duty, however favored by whatever king. But between the two of them they get Hal decked out in assorted bits of splendor. He puts the ermine cloak by for the moment--too hot by half to wear in here.

"It has been five years since I was here last," he remarks, somewhere in the middle of all of it. "What is the news here?"

[harryhotspur]

"Five--!" He echoes, startled. "And how goes France?"

With a touch of wonder, he adds, "You are so much my senior now."

But right, to business: "All continues as it was. If you do recall a fire in the stable? The man was caught."

[never_promised]

"An old man, I," he agrees. Thirty-four. He doesn't look too bad for it, he thinks? There are scars, but Katharine of Valois is not such a young child as to take fright from that...

"Fire?" Fire, in the stable. Five years ago. "Ay--I do mind me of it; we spoke, standing looking at it, all charred; but my old horse was unhurt. It was set deliberate?"

[harryhotspur]

"So it was," Harry says darkly. It's a fresher memory for him, of course. "A gift for thou and I-- with kind regards from he called Jim. Dost recall such a man?"

[never_promised]

"Jim." His look is absolutely blank. Jim? Who is Jim? "Jim? O--a small man, dark-haired, who would have made some trouble between us?"

God, that really was long ago.

[harryhotspur]

"He, ay, he! A very nothing, a gnat of a man, a worm--"

[never_promised]

"I recall the man. Wherefore--" Is it worth asking? Maybe it is: because he's hurt, now, thinking that someone would do that to his horse, and because he doesn't mind Percy seeing that he's hurt. "Wherefore did he do it?"

[harryhotspur]

Harry shakes his head, no less frustrated now than when he first learned of it. "I have never known such causeless spite. I demanded reasons of him and learned naught."

[never_promised]

Mm. "Said he aught at all? What did they make of it, the security men here?"

[harryhotspur]

Harry snorts. "Locked away he was for some small space, and little good shall it do."

[never_promised]

Mmmh.

His eyes narrow for a quiet moment of thought, and then he gives himself a shake. "When he kills a man here, then they may take some greater notice. Sorry I am to leave thee with such a canker of a man. By rights he should be hanged, and then all might forget him."

[harryhotspur]

"My fortune is he liveth yet, in his place and in his own, and so may leave us oft."

[never_promised]

"Then he may be hanged there. We can but hope."

Harry would be lying if he said he didn't also somewhat enjoy Jim's presence here, so he doesn't say that. He moves restlessly around the room until a memory stops him. Ah, yes. One of the dresser drawers opens on some little boxes of food--pudding, half-eaten chunks of bread and cheese, a duck leg--and half a dozen apples. And Harry Percy's clean linens, now quite greasy. "Shouldst have thy servants whipped: disgraceful care they take of thee."

(The dogs, of course, are instantly at his side, noses in the drawer, tails wagging. They know where the food lives these days.)

[harryhotspur]

Harry laughs. "Nay but-- methinks that was the doing of a duke's son, was't not?"

[never_promised]

"And a most wretched page-boy he! A whipping or two more than he ever got would do no harm." Yes, yes, dogs. He's taking out what remains of the food and putting it on the floor for you. It's just a little more mess. "--Thou didst ask after France. I should tell thee, I go from here direct to meet Charles, his wife and daughter, the duke of Burgundy, and all. Our treaty is to be signed."

[harryhotspur]

Harry laughs again, triumphant now. "Why-- why, so all is won!" He looks like he wants to rush forward and embrace Hal, but he holds back. "England hath her own again. It is well won, your majesty, passing well."

[never_promised]

"I thank you, Percy!" He's grinning, and if Percy won't come and embrace him, he'll step forward and clap his hands onto Percy's shoulders. "There may yet be some work to do, some lords who hold out against their king's treaty, but--'tis done. I am to be named heir to Charles and regent of France, and I will marry Katharine his daughter, if she will have me."

He presses Harry's shoulders. "'Twas hard work, as thou knowest well: for thou wert with me at Agincourt."

[harryhotspur]

"I was. I was." And he still doesn't regret it.

A faint frown creases his brow. All of it-- Agincourt, wives, children-- has brought another topic to mind.

"But I wonder-- I wonder if I may some small service beg. If-- if you may find occasion and excuse for bearing it-- if you would bring a message to my son?" He pulls away, embarrassed. "Canst say-- I know not! An old cloak was found, an old trunk, a Percy servant fled to Calais that did give it thee..."

[never_promised]

Harry looks a little puzzled at the start of the request, or rather the start of the awkward rambling, but as soon as Percy names the favor his face clears and he nods. "I will, and gladly. If I deliver it not myself, personal, I will see it delivered--I must think what story will be believed, mark you. But yes, any such service that I may do, I will."

Should he mention that Kate has remarried? Hm, no, best not to, unless Percy asks.

"By all accounts the lad does well; he learns to turn his eye to the Scottish border."

[harryhotspur]

Harry brightens somewhat. "Ay, does he? I am glad of it. I pray he minds his lessons better than his father did. --and is fairer of speech, too."

[never_promised]

He gives Harry's shoulder a gentle punch, just a nudge, but doesn't comment. He's sorry he was an ass when he was a kid, okay? "--What message, though? Wilt write a letter? I shall bide me here in Milliways until thou'rt ready."

[harryhotspur]

He nods. "I shall write it, I shall see it done presently. I--" Must find Feuilly is the realization that pops into his head, and which he does not voice.

"--I thank you."

[never_promised]

"I'll not hang about thee, watching every word. Shalt find me in the common room or the library--the grounds--" Shrug. It shouldn't be too hard to spot him, he's probably the only guy in an ermine robe. "I am fair glad to do thee this service, Percy."

[harryhotspur]

"And I am glad to have it done. Methinks I should have seen to it long ere now, but--" What's done is done.

[never_promised]

"Thine own courier, I." He's happy to do it, honestly happy; as king Harry finds that he likes reconciliations and kind gestures. He's already thinking how to manage it, as he looks around the room, though when his eyes fall on the dogs licking their now-empty boxes he laughs and says, "But I am not thy manservant today. I leave thee with all this pudding-fat, Percy. And thy good hounds."

[harryhotspur]

"My thanks," he says dryly. "I soon shall seek you out."