Page 25 of A Gaze So Longing (The Fall of Livenza #1)

“Are you complaining that His Highness wants to make your life better?”

A dry laugh came from Rodrigo, now back to the cynic Favian knew him to be. “I am complaining that it took him until now to even really try. You told him to, didn’t you?”

Favian shrugged. “I am not in the position to tell His Highness what to do. But I did ask him to pay more attention to our lives and perhaps consider how to improve them.” That was certainly an understatement, but Favian did not like the side of himself he had shown to Leonardo last night.

He wasn’t going to share it with anyone else.

“You could have done that sooner, don’t you think?”

Favian’s fingernails were finding their way into his palms, burying deep. He had asked himself the same question, wondered if his passivity was to blame for Nia’s pain. There was no use dwelling on it, he knew—yet, he still did.

“How should I?” he replied, no louder than a whisper.

Rodrigo huffed. “There are so many other ways to rule a country, ways that don’t include treating your servants like shit. You could have suggested any one of them to His Highness in the last few months. Made use of having him away from the castle.”

How am I supposed to suggest something I don’t understand?

Nia had mentioned that Rodrigo was familiar with different forms of government as well.

No matter where Rodrigo had gotten his knowledge from, it did not seem to extend to the awareness that in Livenza, none of them were taught about any of these options.

But saying this out loud would have required Favian to admit to his sparse knowledge of politics, and he already frequently felt inferior to Rodrigo’s intelligence.

This was why he so often lost his arguments with the boy, he thought.

Despite being five years younger than Favian, Rodrigo was smarter than him, and every reminder of that fact made Favian want to crawl under his blanket and never return.

“I’m doing something now,” he pressed out. “Does that not count for anything?”

This made Rodrigo pause. He scanned Favian up and down, then nodded.

“You’re right. It does.” He inhaled and fixed Favian with his gaze.

“You understand now what your responsibility is here, then, don’t you?

If you want things to change, you need to use the influence you have on the prince. You’re our best bet.”

Favian had no idea who this we was that Rodrigo spoke of. Spoke for ?

“I’m glad you know about Nia now,” the boy changed the topic before Favian could ask. “It hurt me to hear you refer to her by her old name over and over again. It hurt her .”

“I wish she had felt comfortable telling me sooner,” Favian replied. “But I don’t blame her. I have never been good at talking about these things.”

These things encompassed a wide variety of topics. Truthfully, any topic that required Favian to make himself vulnerable in some way or another was one he preferred to negotiate around rather than through.

Rodrigo cocked his head, one hand drumming on the door frame. “That has never been the issue, though, has it?”

This raised Favian’s suspicion. “Then what is?”

“I think you know.” With that, the boy disappeared from the barn, leaving Favian alone with many more questions than he had the capability of answering.

He had been pretty preoccupied with himself as of late. Ever since the prince had returned, Favian scarcely contemplated anything else, yet his desperation to avoid thoughts of Leonardo had the exact opposite effect.

Never particularly gifted with reassuring or affirming words, Nia had still been patient with him for so long, taking whatever comfort he was able to give.

Rodrigo was right: his ineptitude for sharing in emotional matters was not at the core of the issue.

Favian had prioritized Leonardo over his sister, and in doing so, had given her the impression that he was no longer safe for her to come to.

Realizing that he had the power to influence Leonardo, to change not only his living conditions but those of everyone else in the palace, including Nia, also meant that he had responsibility not only for himself but for them.

For her.

He was going to use that influence thoughtfully, precisely, distinctly.

He would make sure his sister never had to endure as much pain as he had been made to, no matter the cost.

Favian had just finished grooming Alto when a familiar freckled face appeared in the doorway.

“Leonardo,” he said when the prince entered the stable, and the warmth in Leonardo’s eyes made it worth the risk. After last night, Favian no longer felt the need to hold on to a title both of them despised.

“Favian,” Leonardo breathed in return.

Following a moment that the prince seemingly needed to collect himself, a familiar grin materialized on his face. Being the reason for Leonardo’s smile, for the soft dimples in his cheeks, made Favian’s chest flutter, and his own lips quirked up in return.

With the council meeting today, Leonardo would not have time to take Azure for a ride, but on days like these, the prince would lead his mare out on the pasture himself.

And Favian finally had to admit to himself that maybe, just maybe, Nia had been right, and Leonardo kept his daily visits to the stables not only for his horse.

Their hands touched when Favian handed Azure’s reins over to Leonardo.

Their fingers lingered longer than necessary.