The Prince's Secret (Prince Harry Fanfic)

Part 42 - Bubbles and Bruises

Samantha

By the time we got back to Lainsworth the adrenaline was definitely beginning to wear off. I was glad that there were grooms to take care of the horses and all I had to do was make my way into the house. Harry kept his arm around me the entire trip, and even though I didn't really need his support as we crossed the yard, I didn't want to let him go.

He even helped me up the stairs. I did protest a bit at that, since the stairs were old and narrow and hard to navigate side by side, but he insisted.

I flopped on the unmade bed and Harry brought me some headache tablets. "I'm going to run you a hot bath. Don't look in the mirror," he warned me. "Wait till you're cleaned up a bit."

I figured I must look really bad, but the bed was really soft and I had no desire to stand up at that moment. I heard the water running in the bath, and then I remembered my phone, still in my coat pocket. I dug the phone out and flicked the camera on.

"Holy shit," escaped before I could stop myself.

Harry appeared in the bedroom door, still in his mud-stained buff breeches, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. "I told you not to look."

"Are you kidding? I want a picture of this as a souvenir. My first hunt." I grinned and snapped a few shots, then muttered, "Oww," as my muscles began to complain.

My helmet had taken the brunt of the hit, but somehow part of the branch must have smacked me in the face. My cheeks and chin were scratched and my nose was swollen and beginning to turn purple. Dried blood was smeared on my face and clotted in my eyebrows, and I had a feeling that the blood stains on my shirt were not going to come out.

"Come on," he said, picking me up. "Let's get you in the tub. A good soak will make you feel better."

Now I am not a tiny girl nor a featherweight one, but Harry carried me in his arms easily. I could get used to being pampered like this every day, I thought lazily, as he nudged open the door to the steamy bathroom with his foot. Especially by a prince...a handsome prince...Prince Charming!

And then Prince Charming slid me ever-so-gently into the gigantic steamy tub full of bubbles...with all my clothes on.

"What are you doing?" I spluttered, struggling to sit up.

His grin was mischievous. "Well, your clothes are going to need washing anyway. I thought it might save time."

I peeled off my wet clothes, tossing them out of the tub onto the floor with wet splats. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Harry nodded. "Some women find that attractive."

He stripped off his shirt and added it to the pile on the floor. Leaning over the tub, he said, "Come here, and I'll wash your hair and clean up those scratches of yours."

I scooted over in the enormous tub. "Why don't you come in here and join me," I said, "and we can wash each other's...hair."

With a grin he shed the rest of his clothes and climbed in the tub. As soapy water sloshed over the side onto the floor, he said, "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to have to get a housekeeper to come in and clean this place up before the Howards get back?"

I ducked under the water and came back up, ignoring the stinging of what seemed like hundreds of scratches and bruises, hoping that I no longer looked like some horror movie victim. Harry's freckled shoulder tasted soapy as I kissed him, murmuring, "Take it easy, or we'll need to call a plumber as well."

After our bath I slipped into leggings and a long sweater while Harry put on a pair of well-worn jeans and a tweedy-looking jumper. He seemed to be searching for something in his suitcase, and when he turned around he took one look at me and burst out laughing.

"What?" I asked, trying to sound innocent, although I knew why he was laughing at me.

He stepped closer and took me into his arms. "Okay, that's a first."

"First time you've ever shared a bath with someone?"

"First time I've ever had a girlfriend wear fuzzy bedroom slippers with actual puppy-dog heads on them on a romantic weekend with me."

I looked down at me doggy slippers. "Some men find them attractive," I said.

"I find you attractive," he countered, kissing me, "and I love your craziness. Puppy dog slippers and all."

And there it was. The L-word. It had slipped out of him so casually I wasn't sure that he meant it, and I was afraid to ask if he meant that he loved me. Afraid because I wasn't sure what it would mean if for us if he did love me.

"There was an old hunting tradition of smearing a little blood on the face of a rider after their first hunt, as a kind of initiation," Harry said, while I was still secure in the circle of his arms. "You're so good at it, you managed to do that part yourself, without any help."

"Choco helped," I growled. "He helped a lot."

"Anyway, not knowing that you intended to blood yourself, I took the liberty of bringing you a gift to commemorate your first hunt. I hope it's only the first of many." He pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to me.

I opened the box. Inside was a small brooch, about the size of a Canadian 2-dollar coin that we call a toonie. It was the tiny head of a foxhound or maybe a terrier, carved into a crystal and painted. It was amazingly detailed and looked, surprisingly, a lot like my dog-headed slippers.

"It's beautiful. Thank you," I said, my voice odd and scratchy as I tried to impart how much I appreciated the gift. I gave up trying to find words and kissed him instead.

"It's quite old. Edwardian, I think. Back when they really knew how to host hunts and house parties. It also matches your feet," he said with a laugh.

I pinned the little dog on the shoulder of my sweater. "I love it," I said, looking up at him.

"And me?" Harry asked, his voice soft. "Do you love me?"

I nodded, because I didn't know if I could find the right words. "Yes."

"That's good," he said. "Because I think I've loved you ever since you knocked me on my arse that day and were bold enough—"

"Stupid enough—" I corrected.

"Brave enough," Harry countered, "to ask me out. Well, maybe not from that exact moment. But that's the story I'm going to stick with."

"What now?" I asked, snuggling my head down onto his chest.

"Now? Now I'm going to make you dinner." Harry took my hand and led me down the stairs, saying, "and we let the rest sort itself out as we go."