HRH Crown Prince Orion Espen James Schreave

One of Jamie's first lessons when he was old enough to understand what ruling required, was not to eavesdrop. His mother always emphasized this one. All he had to do was walk into a room and demand people tell him the truth-- and they always did. 

Perks of being a royal.

So despite the fact that he could try walking into the room and asking for the truth, he had a hunch that this time, his title might not work. 

Thus, Jamie was eavesdropping for the first time in his life. 

The rest of the selected had already returned to the castle-- along with Jamie's siblings-- for a late dinner. The sun was already dipping into the ocean, casting orange streaks over the bay as the darkness slowly forced it down, revealing the stars. 

Jamie kept his head tilted up, watching them closely as he listened to the conversation inside the garage. 

When Charlie hadn't emerged from the garage to join the rest of the selected, Jamie had sent them on their way, leaving them under Mason's supervision-- which may have been a mistake on his part. 

Jamie had almost been nauseous watching the race. The way that the Belcourt racer had been trying to drive Charlie into a wall and the audience-- he could've killed multiple people-- and then when confronted, had seemed so nonchalant. Jamie knew the races were dangerous but he hadn't realized that people could be so ruthless. 

Jamie also found himself wanting to check on Charlie-- despite her caste and her heritage and her life and job and everything else, she had been the one selected who had been the most normal around him, and he found it refreshing. It was nice to have a normal conversation with someone who was his age and wasn't related to him. 

So maybe that was the source for the tiny amount of shame that made his cheeks flush as he leaned against the stone wall-- another rule he was breaking-- and listened to the conversation inside the garage. 

"I don't understand what his fucking problem is. You made it here because of your own skill-- if anything, you've proven yourself more than he has."

Jamie tilted his head, pressing a hand back against the cool bricks. The garage door was propped open, and the car had been wheeled inside a while ago. Everyone else had left the tracks, so at least no one was around to see Jamie acting this way. 

That was Hector-- the head of pit crew-- talking. Even from outside the garage, Jamie could hear the rage in his voice. He must've been pacing, his heavy boots scraping along the concrete. 

"Well, it is clear that he knows more than he should," That was Mr. Gold, whom Jamie had grown to like. "Everyone knows you're a Seven, but the blaze thing? That was buried, and deep. There is no way he should know that unless he has a contact."

Jamie could hear the pressing silence and was certain they were exchanging glances inside the garage. Blaze thing? Could that be related to the Blazer letter he found in the library? It couldn't have been meant for Charlie, right? 

"It's not just that," Charlie's voice was heavy as if she had been awake for eons and just needed to rest. "This was shoved under my door last night."

Jamie could hear the rustling of paper-- a letter, perhaps? 

There was another brief moment of silence before Hector exploded. 

"Watch yourself? What is his problem? I'm going to hunt him down myself and make it clear what will happen if he causes any problems. We made a deal with him. He has no right to get involved."

"Hector, please," Gold murmured. 

"It's not like he is known for his honour code," Charlie responded. "I shouldn't be surprised that he comes sniffing around again the second that I get media attention-- I'm a threat to him and his trade now. He's going to make it clear that he is in charge and he will do whatever it takes to keep me silent."

There was another pause, the air thick with hopelessness, before Charlie spoke again.

"What am I supposed to do about Killian and Maisie? Killian knows bits and pieces, but he doesn't know everything, but he doesn't know that. If that man decides to threaten them, I don't know what I'll do."

"I'll talk to some friends in Clermont. I'll get some private security to watch them around the clock. They are the best of the best."

Charlie hummed in response-- though Jamie couldn't see her face, he was fairly certain that she was indecisive. 

"I don't want to back out of the race or the selection, especially because of the benefits, but if this man tries to get involved and hurt me or my family, I am going to have to step down. I don't know how many racers know the truth, but this is dangerous, especially if they try to kill me,"

Jamie felt his eyebrows shoot up. Quit the race and the selection? That meant Charlie would simply be gone. His informant would be gone. Still, was there anything that he could even do? Not without finding out what Charlie knew about this Blazer man-- assuming she did. Maybe she could even be of assistance to him. A quid pro quo perhaps. 

"Hey," Gold's voice was somehow stern and soft at the same time. "You aren't backing out. We've all gotten way too close to pull out now. I'll pull some strings and see what I can do to make everything safe for your family back home, and in the meantime, maybe I can find a private investigator here who will hunt this man down."

Jamie pressed his lips together. He couldn't keep eavesdropping like this, especially if he got caught. 

Jamie cleared his throat once and stepped away from the wall, turning the corner and knocking once on the edge of the garage. 

The three people inside turned to face him. Sure enough, they were exactly as Jamie had pictured. Hector was pacing back and forth in front of the car, his pit crew jumpsuit still on, his long dark hair tied up, and a toolbelt around his waist. Mr. Gold had removed his hat and was holding it in one hand, leaning against the side of the car. When the two of them noticed Jamie, they ducked into bows-- though Jamie couldn't help noticing that one of them hid a piece of paper in their pocket, another letter perhaps? Maybe Charlie knew a lot more than Jamie thought. 

Charlie was seated on an old wooden chair, her legs outstretched, her boots propped on a gas container. She still wore her race suit-- though it was unzipped and tied around her waist. Her white shirt-- which Jamie assumed was fireproof from the weird gleam that reflected off it-- was tight around her toned arms. Just as Jamie had thought, there was a dark shadow on her face, and her eyes were heavy, tinted with sadness.

Still, she ducked her head into a short bow from the chair. Gold swatted at her, evidently trying to get her to stand up to bow, but Jamie waved his hand.

"Not needed, I'm not my mother," Jamie straightened up, trying to resist leaning on the garage. He didn't want them to think he was too casual, and risk his public image. He glanced only once at Gold's pocket, where the suspicious piece of paper had vanished. If only he could see its contents, it might help him with the letter he had found. 

"I've just come to congratulate you on winning the race,"

Charlie nodded once. "Thank you, your highness."

"Are you planning on returning to the castle tonight?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her watch-- Jamie hadn't noticed it before. It was a thin black band, simple. 

She groaned, dragging a hand down the side of her face, pushing herself up to stand. As she moved, Jamie couldn't help noticing the way her dark curls caught the last remnants of the evening light. 

"I am so sorry, Your Highness. I lost track of time. We were doing a post-race analysis."

Jamie was fairly certain that what he had overheard wasn't a post-race analysis, but he didn't mention that. 

"Go," Mr. Gold gestured to Charlie. "We can talk more in the morning."

Charlie gave them a tight smile. "Thanks, I'll see you in the morning,"

Jamie nodded to Gold and Hector as Charlie slipped past him, heading towards the car that was waiting. There were a few security guards walking around them, but other than that, the track was empty. 

"It was an excellent race," Jamie commented. "I can see how you made it where you are,"

Charlie gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you, Your Highness,"

Jamie suppressed a frown. They had been comfortable acquaintances a few days ago-- now what? 

Maybe whatever had happened had rattled Charlie more than Jamie had thought. 

Still, even as he held the door open for the car and let her slide in, he couldn't stop himself from wanting to ask more, but doing so would mean admitting he was eavesdropping, and Jamie knew that would be more trouble than it was worth.

~~~

Jamie pressed his lips together, tightened his grip on the picnic basket, and turned the corner like he was marching into war. 

Near the edge of the garden doors, Cara Ferraday of Kent stood ramrod straight, her hands red from squeezing them. She was pretty, with dark skin and hair, her eyes like glittering onyx. She was wearing a soft peach floral dress and matching heels, which contrasted nicely with her hair. She was a three, but well-liked amongst the girls, from what Jamie had seen. Not to mention that Kent was a powerhouse amongst the provinces and she could be an excellent way to gain support. 

That was the reason Jamie chose her for the first date, and on a day as nice as this, a picnic seemed like a good way to get to know someone. 

"Prince Orion! Your Highness," She ducked into a curtsy.

Jamie smiled, nodding his head. She was nervous, which made him feel better about the gutwrenching tangle of knots his stomach was in. It wasn't like he got many opportunities to date, and after Mason and the French ambassador incident, he was worried. But at least if they were both nervous, it levelled the playing field. 

"Shall we?" Jamie gestured out onto the open garden, where the scent of warm flowers was seeping inside.

Cara nodded, a faint flush to her cheeks, and fell into step beside him. 

Jamie was faintly aware of the guards following him at a distance and internally sighed. At least he had chosen a picnic spot out of the way of the women's room, so nobody could spy on him throughout. Gossip soared around the palace, and the guards were bad enough without having the other selected watching his every move-- though he was certain most of them already did.

Cara assisted him in laying down the neat blue blanket on the grass before they both settled down, the warm heat of the sunshine heating Jamie's skin. He had asked the staff to prepare a small meal for the two of them and was pleased as he pulled out sandwiches, fruit, and two small pastries. 

"So," Jamie finally started. Gods he was so uncomfortable. Why couldn't he be more like Mason and a natural flirt and charmer? "Tell me about yourself, do you have any siblings?"

Cara tilted her head, examining him briefly. Jamie dug his fingers into the blanket to stop his face from flushing.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I've never dated anyone either. My parents are lawyers and I am an only child, so I've spent most of my time in private schooling. I understand how it feels."

Jamie exhaled slowly, unsure how he felt. He appreciated the sympathy and understanding, but still, he wasn't sure that he liked the situation he was now in. 

Cara smiled at him, tilting her head. Her dark hair fell to the side, her eyes glimmering in the sunlight. "What about you, I know you have siblings. What are they like?"

Jamie smiled back, surprised by the comfort that washed over him. 

Maybe this dating thing would be easier than he thought.