Chapter Thirteen

Lord Dubois acted as if Sébastien had announced that they'd build a crummy raft and paddle their way to Midland with a spoon.

"Are you out of your mind?" he yelled so loudly, several people on the docks looked over. Many eyes widened when they realized who the yeller was speaking to, and even a dock cat paused to stare.

Sébastien raised an eyebrow. "Last I checked, my mind is quite in order."

"You want to take a merchant ship to Midland? You're going to cram us into a merchant's ship with a bunch of shit we don't need? What we need is to get on the ship that's been waiting for us like we originally planned."

Remus wanted to punch the bastard in the nose and keep beating him until he admitted the truth. He had to know about the Knights, and his attitude said it all.

"Maybe you should check that your mind is in order," Sébastien said with a dangerous edge. "Before I sew your lips shut."

"We have a perfectly good ship!" Lord Dubois pointed at the aforementioned ship with its sails innocently fluttering in the morning breeze. Was Remus imagining it, or was a man by the mast watching them a little too hard? "We're to be crammed into another that's loaded with goods? Shall the men sleep on crates?"

"I'm sure there's plenty of space to hang a hammock, and we'll make do. The merchant ship isn't small. Also, some of the guards were in the war, and I'm sure they had less comfortable conditions at times. I've already spoken with the Captain and worked it out, so you don't need to trouble yourself with the details."

"You can't make last-minute changes like this," growled Lord Dubois.

"Why is that?" asked Lord Rochefort. "I don't see the problem. During the war, we had some cramped conditions when we left Soleil, and we made it just fine. Some of the lords had to sleep in hammocks hung close together."

"You can't make such hasty changes because-" Lord Dubois stopped. The Regent probably hadn't told him how to account for Sébastien suddenly changing ships.

"Are you mad because you didn't think to bring items to the Midland citizens?" Sébastien asked in the tone of someone asking a child why they were upset. Remus watched the lord's face, waiting to see if the bulging vein on his forehead would finally pop.

"They don't need anything! Making such hasty decisions isn't fitting for a Prince. It makes you look impulsive which is outrageous for one raised to take the throne and-"

"I have thought this over, and it's not something I did on a whim when we got up this morning. Your attitude is outrageous, and quite frankly, it's irritating. Must I tell you everything at once, including when I shit? Tossing you overboard is starting to look like a good idea so that I can have some peace and quiet." Sébastien turned Whisper who snorted and pranced away with his head held high.

The others automatically started to follow, and Lord Dubois had no choice but to do the same.

Tom got everyone's sleeping arrangements sorted on the ship and ensured the carts and wagons were brought onboard without issue. Since they'd have far more mouths to feed, and the ship wasn't equipped for that, a couple of sailors and two guards hurried to the market on a cart. They returned with a few barrels of dried fish, sacks of flour, and a few other things so they could all eat during the trip.

Captain Withry eagerly offered the Prince his personal cabin. Remus wasn't sure if he liked sharing such tight quarters with Sébastien. It was meant for one person, and when they dragged in a second small bed and crammed it against the wall, that made it tinier. If Remus was in bed, he could reach across the narrow space and touch Sébastien. Not that he'd do that. With a wash basin, Remus's large pack, the Prince's trunk and pack, and a cabinet that belonged to the Captain and contained whatever, it was cramped.

Normally, he didn't think much about his size even though he knew he was large. The tiny room made him feel like a giant compared to Sébastien, and he was sure the Prince wasn't exactly keen on their tight arrangement.

When Remus tested his new bed, it was barely long enough to accommodate his height.

Sébastien went out on deck to watch the shore recede once they were underway. Remus eyed the sailors in the rigging. A few were women, and all wore an orange shirt of some shade. On a couple of closer ones, he spotted a patch that matched the Captain's flag. It bore a flag with an anchor that said Withry Shipping.

The Knights wouldn't have been able to guess Sébastien's trick or acquire a shirt with a patch and sneak on. At least that was one less thing to worry about.

While some watched the shore grow smaller, Remus turned to look out in the distance. Rowland was a little closer even though it was too far to see.

***

Lord Dubois acted like he had a stick up his arse, and it didn't go away the next morning. Remus and Sébastien had survived their first night in the tiny cabin. Since the bed was a bit small for Remus's bulk, he'd banged the wall with his elbow a couple of times. He'd be happier in their tent. The Prince had jerked in his bed once, bumped the wall on his side with his knee, and sworn. He likely missed the tent too.

A small table was nailed down on the quarter-deck so it wouldn't slide around, and Sébastien sat up there in the morning after breakfast. It had been rather late since the two in charge of meals weren't used to cooking for so many at once.

Remus had been more than happy with the stuffed buns. The sausages had been flavored with a hint of fennel, caraway, and enough red pepper to make his eyes water. Sébastien had seemed to like them, and Lord Dubois had complained that those who'd eaten below deck were probably farting and turning the hold into a death trap.

"The sausages weren't that spicy." Lord Rochefort brushed back a loc that had escaped the tie holding half of his hair back.

"Damn near took off my tastebuds. A man shouldn't pile that in his gut first thing in the morning. It'll lead to an early grave if you keep doing it."

Remus kept quiet even though people back home had been eating spicy food for centuries without consequences. Lord Rochefort turned his head and discreetly rolled his eyes. Sébastien did it openly, although Lord Dubois wasn't looking at him.

"Send away the slave," Lord Dubois added as if he'd just realized Remus was opposite him at the table.

"He's my slave, not yours, and I want him here," said Sébastien.

"We don't need him."

"Mind your own property."

"Is he going to get under the table and suck your cock to keep you entertained?"

Sébastien raised an eyebrow. "Being on a ship doesn't agree with you, does it? Or is it your sour gut? Now to the matter at hand."

Even though the Prince would be taking Remus's advice on how to deal with Midland, hopefully, he still had to speak to the lords and pretend to value their advice. Lord Dubois's was for Sébastien to put down his foot right away and let them know he wouldn't take any shit from a savage.

"So I should swing in there with an iron fist?" Sébastien asked him.

"Yes."

"And piss them off even more?"

"They need to learn. They still fight with the soldiers and call us pigs and other names I won't repeat. The savages also-"

"We shouldn't call them savages," said Lord Rochefort. "Those feelings only come from the war. Also, when you're trying to bring someone around to your point of view, insulting them isn't a good idea. They refuse to consider themselves as Soleilian citizens, and calling them a name that suggests they're not a part of our Kingdom will only deepen the divide."

"We wouldn't say it to their faces, but they are. Two lords vanished, and no one wants to go there again. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole island is in complete anarchy when we dock." Lord Dubois tugged on his mustache. "They know they've got a Duke now, and they won't be happy about Soleilian royalty living in their special land."

"I doubt Midland is in total anarchy," said Lord Rochefort.

"We need balance, not iron fists and threats of ass-kicking," said Sébastien. "Which means I'll do all of the talking because I don't see you using the right words to-"

"You'll stay on the ship until we're sure it's safe. If the soldiers have to knock heads to keep them from getting riled-"

"I'll knock your head because you will get them riled if you go about it like that," snarled Sébastien. "Maybe you should shut up for a minute because you're already pissing me off."

Sounds of vomiting reached them since Morris and a couple of others weren't doing so well with the constant movement of the boat. They were leaning over the railing and sending their spicy breakfast into the ocean.

"Your Majesty-" started the Earl.

"Don't Your Majesty me." Sébastien smacked the table. "When you're going into dangerous territory, you don't show fear or react with violence right away. That'll make the tension worse, and I'm not staying on the ship when we dock. Have you had any logical thoughts about this on the way?"

Lord Dubois narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not cowering on the damn boat while you make the people hate me more. I'll be announced, and I'll speak to the people myself. Once I give Rowing Rest the contents of the ship-"

"You also don't reward troublemakers. The guards have trouble with the people in Rowing Rest, and you want to give them all presents? What are they going to do with silk thread? Patch their rags together?" Lord Dubois scoffed, and Lord Rochefort leaned back in his chair as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Maybe you'd be annoyed too if you had a soldier from another Kingdom up your ass half of the time after your people were attacked," Remus broke in. "Midland has been through some shit, and it's no-"

Lord Dubois's mustache bristled. "Who said you could talk?"

"He's from Rowland," said Sébastien. "I welcome his input on these people."

"He could say anything and cause trouble-"

"I think Remus seems quite loyal," said Lord Rochefort. "He's never far from the Prince, and he's done nothing wrong."

"He's too bold for a slave," said Lord Dubois. "Prince Sébastien, I know you never had one before, but you've lived around plenty of slaves. Have you had any logical thoughts so far about them? Once you were eighteen, and the Regent permitted no more children at the Palace so the court could engage in more public activities, I know you saw all sorts of interaction."

Sébastien shrugged. "What does me seeing people fucking have to do with anything?"

"Have you ever seen a bold slave?"

"Actually, I have. Remus hasn't tried climbing onto my lap to ride my cock without even a word of command. I've seen that at court."

"Maybe the Master liked eagerness and told him to do that sort of thing. My point is that a slave always does what he's told, no matter what. It doesn't matter if he's fucking his owner, fucking another slave for the enjoyment of their Masters watching, fetching a drink, sitting by his feet, or engaging in anything else. The slave serves, and he doesn't interrupt talk between his betters for anything unless it's an absolute emergency. He's shown too much boldness for this whole trip, and not once have I seen you take a whip to him."

"You don't know what I do to him in private."

"Tease him and get him riled up?" Lord Dubois narrowed his eyes. "If I were you, I'd have him tied to the mast, given a thorough lashing, and made to heal naturally so he knows to keep his mouth shut from this point on and obey. But then I guess you couldn't get mounted by him every night while he's healing."

Even with the sail, the creaking of the rigging, the water around them, and small noises from those on the ship, the silence pierced the air, and Lord Rochefort shifted. Remus was sure the temperature dropped by a few degrees.

"You think I let him mount me?" Sébastien asked in a deadly quiet voice.

"You're certainly not denying him, and I don't believe your flimsy lie about only teasing him because you like seeing him get frisky. I'm not stupid, and there's no way you'd let him act like that unless you're fucking ."

A piece of hair escaped Sébastien's bun to blow back. "We're not fucking. Maybe I should punish you since you can't check your mouth before speaking to your Crown Prince."

"I'm a lord who knows better than you, not an obstinate slave. The Regent would never allow that-"

"If I hear any more comments about my bedroom habits, which are none of your business, and something you know nothing abo-"

"It is my business when it clouds your judgment, and part of my responsibility on this trip is your safety," said Lord Dubois. It would have been a great time for him to shut up since Remus could tell the fire had been stoked too high. "You're young, and you seem like the sort who's more inexperienced. Your head needs to be on straight, not between some man's legs when we arrive in Midland."

"I'm going to check to see if the galley has any tea," Lord Rochefort mumbled as he got up to escape the coming storm.

Lord Dubois didn't take the blatant hint that a storm was approaching. Instead, he plowed on while Lord Rochefort hurried down the steps from the deck. "Someone like you, who's used to being special, won't like it when you realize you've never been special to the one fucking you, and you were a thing to play with. If you keep letting your slave-he used to be a Crown Prince, if you remember. Or did you forget? He's used to getting his way too. If you let him keep fucking you senseless, and you don't grow some sense in your brain-"

Dear Elira, why couldn't he shut up? It wasn't only that Remus was being painted as someone who merely used the Prince as a cum midden, it was the Prince's expression. Sébastien's face might as well have been cut from stone.

"I doubt you understand that the first man up your ass might not love you or even think much of you once he's had his fill. Any man might fuck you, Prince or not, and you'll mean nothing because you're a hole in his eyes. He certainly doesn't care about you, and if you were a virgin before him, you've wasted something valuable and flung it away for a man who doesn't give a shit-"

Something flickered in the Prince's eyes. His virginity had been ripped from him by some bastard who saw a bright, pretty boy and decided to use him. The fucker was acting like the Prince had wasted something precious. Whatever had been dragged up in his mind was freezing him, and Remus couldn't bear to see it anymore.

"Shut the fuck up," he snarled, and Lord Dubois stuttered to a stop as he slowly turned his head. "If you want his head on straight, stop fucking yelling at him. You don't know anything about him. You're also a piece of shit to be listening to stupid rumors about whether or not he's a virgin while you sit on your fucking high horse and talk down to him. It's none of your business, and we're not even fucking."

A vein ticked in Lord Dubois's forehead as he clenched his fist on top of the table and seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment.

"Sébastien," said Remus, hoping to bring him back and out of whatever was happening in his head.

He was almost afraid the Prince's eyes would be red when they snapped to him, but they were silver as usual.

Lord Dubois started to speak, and Remus stood to plant his palms on the table. "We've never fucked, and I dare you to say one more fucking word about him!"

He wanted to grab the lord by his throat, bash his head against the railing for everything he'd made Sébastien feel in the past two minutes, and throw him overboard. He had no fucking right to speak to him as if his virginity or lack of it made him lesser.

Lord Dubois sneered. "You're probably thrilled that he's dirtied himself with you, and gullible enough to think he's more than a hole when you plan to drop him later like a whore-"

Sébastien suddenly lunged around the table. Lord Dubois's chair scraped and tipped back as he jumped to his feet and started to say something, but he didn't get a chance. The Prince's fist flew into his face, knocked his head back, and split his lip. A kick to the knee brought him down to the deck. On his back, the Earl braced one hand on the wooden boards and clutched at his bloody mouth with the other.

"Sébastien-" started Remus.

The Prince smashed the heel of his boot right into Lord Dubois's throat, and a shout came from the rigging. The Earl's face turned purple as he grabbed at his throat, his eyes wide with shock. Sébastien lifted his foot again, and Remus grabbed him just in time to yank him back.

"Stop it! For Elira's sake, you'll kill him!"

If he broke the lord's trachea and managed to kill him like that, there'd be a perfect treason charge to tack onto him once the Regent found out. A Prince couldn't kill a lord over insults, and the Regent wouldn't care how badly they'd hurt.

Sébastien kicked at Remus who dragged him closer. "You can't kill him."

"Fuck you! I will!"

Remus bear-hugged him to pin his arms to his side and started hustling him toward the stairs.

"Get your fucking hands off me!"

Behind them, Lord Dubois wheezed as he tried to breathe. A couple of sailors who'd been about to come up paused at the bottom and hastily backed away at the sight of the Prince fighting like a cat against Remus.

"Uh-"

"Don't let that piece of shit up there near the Prince," Remus warned them.

Wide-eyed, they nodded, and several other sailors and soldiers on the deck stared as Remus fought to get the kicking, struggling Prince to their cabin.

"Let go of me!"

"No, because you'll kill him." Remus managed to get him in and slam the door before he pushed the Prince away and into the narrow space between their beds.

"I own you!" Sébastien snarled as he almost tripped and caught himself.

Remus rubbed his leg where the Prince had gotten him with a good kick. "You know you don't really own me. You never have, so don't bother trying that line again."

"I'll fucking throw you overboard once I've finished with him."

"No, you won't. Especially if you want my army."

"Fuck your Kingdom and army."

"Not if you want yours. It's not even me you're mad at, so cut the bullshit."

Sébastien almost looked like an animal with his hair half out of its bun and his chest heaving. He growled out one word. "Move."

"No," snapped Remus even though he was honestly tempted to let him do so. He'd wished violence on the Earl too, and he fucking deserved it. It'd be satisfying to watch Lord Dubois meet his end for being such a heartless piece of shit and a snake in their group. "If you kill Lord Dubois by stomping on his throat as you were about to do, the Regent will scream treason."

"I said to move."

Remus stood his ground. Again, the Prince hadn't tried his magic on Remus, so maybe he didn't want to do real damage to him. "No. He doesn't matter. Lord Dubois isn't even worth it. You're not dirty, and it doesn't matter if you're not a virgin or if you are. It's not a prize to give away or a thing that you can waste. That's not how it works. That bastard can go fuck himself, and you're not anything he thinks."

The hurt flashed back for a split second. Sébastien didn't believe it. All of the shit he packed down, the deaths, and the treachery at home had soured him, but who could blame him? He didn't deserve for anyone to yell at him and say hurtful things, especially since he'd never had a choice about losing his virginity.

"I swear you're not," Remus insisted as he struggled to think of something else to say that would erase Lord Dubois's words and fix everything even though he knew deep down it wasn't fixable. "You don't need to prove anything either."

A muscle in the Prince's jaw twitched.

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Sit on the bed. I'll sit outside, and you can have the room to yourself-"

Sébastien launched himself forward. Remus shifted to block the narrow way and grabbed the footpost of his bed as the Prince's full weight pressed on him.

"For fuck's sake! Knock it off!"

Sébastien's mouth was suddenly against his neck, and before Remus could say anything, he felt the twin pricks as the Prince's fangs pierced the flesh.

Shit. Fanged fairies bit to mark, and it was an urge for a good deal of them, but not usually out of the blue like that with people they didn't like. Sébastien let out a sound that was part growl and moan, and Remus instinctively wrapped his arms around him. The Prince had seemed to want to push past him at first. Now, Remus was sure the Prince was trying to press against him. His hands clutched Remus's shirt like he'd been dying for some kind of contact he'd been suppressing.

Or at least that's what his fragmented thoughts told him. It was rather hard to think with all of his blood rushing south. It grew even harder when he felt Sébastien's arousal against his leg. The Prince's ass was firm in his hands, and he squeezed it.

Sébastien moaned again when Remus smacked his rear with his open hand. It had to have stung, and the bulge in his trousers grew. The Prince loosened his fangs, and Remus took the chance to take him by the throat. Not hard, but just enough to exert some control with another swift swat to drive the point home.

The little noise of surprise Sébastien made was delightful, and he didn't fight the kiss when it came. His fingernails dug into Remus's back as his lips yielded. Despite all of the anger and fury Sébastien had shown seconds ago, his mouth was surprisingly soft.

Remus had a moment of indecision. Should he kiss him more to feel those soft lips surrendering to his? Spank him more? Or drop to his knees, suck his cock, and show him that sex didn't have to be a painful thing full of shame?

Remus broke off the kiss. A faint tinge of pink had colored Sébastien's cheeks, and he didn't look sure of himself. Whatever he'd been expecting, he didn't know what to do with what he'd received and was clueless about what to do next.

"You're fucking beautiful when you blush," said Remus.

A blowjob might be a bit much. If he secretly wanted a spanking, Remus could do that easily enough. Sébastien certainly hadn't disliked the couple of swats he'd gotten. He took the Prince by the waist, turned him toward his bed, and firmly grasped a handful of his messy hair. That gasp. There was something that would be seared in his memory forever.

"Put your hands flat on the bed," Remus ordered, and he let go once the Prince obeyed so fast, he must have been wanting something like this.

Remus squeezed the Prince's ass harder before giving it a good wallop.

"Is this what you want?"

"Yes."

Remus smacked the other side and squeezed the cheek. If he wanted to do this with his clothes on, and it felt safer, that was okay. It didn't have to go farther either. It might even calm him down since some of Remus's past partners had said being spanked released tension and stress.

"You can say to stop at any time if you want," Remus told him.

"Stop," Sébastien suddenly mumbled.

His whole body suddenly tensed, and his knuckles paled as he gripped the blanket, like he thought Remus would ignore him and continue.

Remus took his hand away, and the Prince still didn't move as he whispered again. "Stop."

Perhaps he thought Remus had lifted his hand to give him another smack on the ass. "I did stop. I'm not continuing if you don't want it."

The Prince hastily straightened up and turned away as his back heaved and his shoulders started to tremble. "Get out."

Everything had fallen away as quickly as it came.

"Sébastien…can you look at me first?"

The Prince tugged on his coat like that would force all the layers back into place and make his shoulders stop shaking. "I said to get out."

Remus ran a hand through his hair. He'd fucked up. Too much, too soon. He shouldn't have tried anything when the Prince had come at him in some kind of anger-fueled lust.

Sébastien stayed facing away with his fists clenched and his shoulders hunched. Remus racked his brain, trying to think of a way to fix this. Again, he couldn't see a way, and if he stayed, with his bulk taking up so much space, it wouldn't make anything better.

"I'll…be outside," said Remus.

***

Lord Dubois must have slunk off to hide in shame and have someone with healing ability tend to him. Half of the men were talking and asking what the lord had done to get his ass kicked. Remus just shrugged as he leaned against the railing on the starboard side where he could still see the cabin door.

The lock clicking behind him had sounded pretty final, so he could forget kissing or touching the Prince again. Sébastien probably fucking hated his guts more than ever and was cursing his name. Fuck. Why had he allowed that to go any further? He could still feel two little spots on his neck where Sébastien's fangs had pierced him.

He wanted to feel that again.

Those who had seen or witnessed at least part of the event kept staring at Remus, and he caught someone saying that the lord must have deserved it. One of Lord Dubois's men asked why he wasn't in trouble.

"You grabbed the Prince," he added.

"Only because it was getting too violent, and while Lord Dubois deserved it, we can't be killing each other."

"How are you going to stand there and say he deserved it? I've heard the Prince has an anger problem. He probably snapped over stupid shit-"

"Lord Dubois doesn't know when to stop bitching," another dared to say.

"I'll report you for saying that."

"Fuck you!" The second flipped him off.

"You don't speak about our lord that way-"

"I'll say what I want because it's the damn truth, and that's not a crime," added the second. "Remus has more sense than you. Say shit, and I'll tell the Prince because I think he'll see it differently. Also, he's not our lord because I'm under Lord Rochefort."

"Then shut your fucking face about Lord Dubois."

"Make me, bitch. Anyone can see his attitude is shit. All he does is whine, and I'm sick of hearing-"

The first stepped forward, and Tom suddenly fought his way through a cluster. "Both of you knock it off right now or else. Keep your mouths shut about the lords and mind your own business."

"Are you going to punish the slave for touching the Prince?" demanded Lord Dubois's man. "He's under your command."

"No, I-" started Tom.

"Oh, so we can't say or do shit, but the fucking Rowland guy-"

"You can't fight on the ship, so stand the fuck down!" snapped Tom. "Remus didn't fight anybody. He tried to stop one the best he could, and I don't see you doing that now since you keep flapping your lips."

The first grumbled as he walked away. The second leaned against the rail and folded his arms.

"Remus, is Prince Sébastien all right?" asked Tom.

"Yeah." Like he'd say anything else that happened.

"Does he need anything?"

To be away from everyone else so he could breathe for a change. Oh, and for his Uncle to be dead and gone. "No."

Lord Rochefort approached the group as a few others came from below deck. "Whatever you saw or heard, keep your nose out of it. One of our healers took care of Lord Dubois, and he doesn't want to hear anything about it."

"Because he's an ass, and he's been picking on the Prince's slave," one of Sébastien's men said. "I heard him saying Remus is going to snap one of these days and off his Master because he was the Rowland Crown Prince."

Remus wasn't surprised. Lord Dubois had already tried separating them and having one of his men constantly around the Prince.

Lord Rochefort held up a hand. "Lord Dubois is entitled to his opinion, but I don't see any reason to be wary of Remus. He works well with Prince Sébastien, and he also works just as hard as any of us. It's thanks to him that we learned a new move and were able to practice it. He busted his ass while practicing to make camp and tear it down."

"Also, if I was going to hurt the Prince, I would have already done it ages ago," said Remus.

"So you're just okay with being some man's slave after you've lived your life as a Prince?" asked one of Lord Dubois's men. "Because that sounds like pure bullshit to me."

"I'm making the best of the situation I'm in, and the Prince didn't pick me. My brother betrayed me and shipped me off. I can't exactly go home either since my twin would have me killed before I got two steps past the gate."

He hoped that worked. It sounded neutral because if he said that being a slave was absolute bullshit, he'd look bitter, and that wouldn't help any suspicions about him. Saying he didn't think of himself as a slave also wouldn't look good to some. No one had realized that Remus's mark of slavery wasn't underneath the high collar of his dark shirt. No one had even commented on his lack of wrist cuffs if they'd noticed since Remus was sure his sleeves had ridden up a few times. Not all slaves wore those anyway.

A few staring made him think they could see the marks Sébastien had left him with, although the collar of his shirt hid it. Someone mumbled that twins should always stick together. Remus almost rolled his eyes. Quintus apparently hadn't heard that, or he'd forgotten somewhere along the way. Lord Rochefort told the men to clear off and keep their mouths shut about earlier. If he heard gossip or anyone trying to stir up the embers again, they'd regret it.

They drifted off. A ship has limited room, but at least it was big enough for them to give the appearance of obeying, and many would likely talk in secret. They needed to work together, and Remus was pretty sure Lord Dubois's attitude overall had caused a slight crack between his men and that of Lord Rochefort.

"They're certainly loyal, aren't they?" asked Remus.

Lord Rochefort squinted. "Which ones?"

"Lord Dubois's men. He can be an ass, and that's fine and dandy with his guys."

"Who knows what he says to them in private?" the Earl muttered as he leaned out to look at the water. "What he says out loud for everyone to hear is dangerous enough. I left because I had a feeling he was going to get himself in trouble, and I didn't want to be in Prince Sébastien's path, although I wasn't expecting throats to be stomped on. Lord Dubois deserved more, but it's good you peeled the Prince off of him. He's a sour man and jaded after his spouse ran off with someone else several years ago."

"So he needs to insult the Prince and poke his nose into his business?"

"Insecure people tend to do things like that. It makes them feel better. If you can, try to keep the Prince calm so we can work together and not have any more fights. I know you can't control Prince Sébastien, but just try. He has been a little more level lately, and I think that might be because of you.

No, it was because Sébastien wasn't wearing those damn cuffs. He didn't have to sit next to his Uncle and play nice while his only remaining family member counted the seconds until he could wear the crown.

"Once he's settled in Biatano, and Midland seems to be in good shape, we can leave, and the Prince can pick and choose who he wants there as a guard. He won't be stuck with Lord Dubois for the rest of his life."

His life would be short if the Regent had a say.

"When Sébastien returns to Soleil at twenty-five to take the throne, he doesn't have to permit Lord Dubois at court either. He can even sack him. That might be the first thing he does."

Judging by the fact that Sébastien and his brothers had stayed with Lord Rochefort, the Prince was pleasant with him in general, and he seemed decent, he might have been worth trusting. The Prince wouldn't dare put that in anyone, and honestly, Remus still wasn't sure either. The Regent had picked both Earls to come along, and he was friends with Lord Dubois. Why Rochefort? Was it only because he wanted an extra, and Rochefort had known the family to some extent?

No wonder Sébastien trusted no one. He hadn't been safe in years, and he wouldn't even trust Remus to stop a simple action.

He hadn't moved to protect himself either. The damn whore at Madam Diamond's had only further ground in the fact that refusal doesn't work.

Lord Rochefort propped his elbows on the railing. "Erm, maybe you should stay quiet around Lord Dubois in the future. Someone said you yelled and cussed him out."

"I should have simply let him keep running his mouth and insulting the Prince?"

"Lord Dubois is the kind who gets fired up more. He won't take a look at himself and say, ‘I'm a serious prick who needs to shut up.'" Lord Rochefort cleared his throat. "Don't repeat that. Anyway, he has an anger issue in his own way. He's older and easily offended when those younger try to stand up for themselves or someone else because he sees himself as right. His experiences and views are the only ones that count, and anyone your age couldn't possibly have any brains, right?"

"Of course not," Remus sarcastically replied.

"He can't admit wrongdoing for the most part. I'm not close to him, and he wouldn't be my first pick for anything, but it doesn't mean I know nothing of him. Be careful of how you act around him."

"The Prince is mine to protect." Remus wasn't sure what the future all held for them both and their Kingdoms, but it didn't mean he couldn't stand his ground and try to protect the Prince from certain things including asshole lords. Even with their differences, walking away was plain wrong.

Everyone had abandoned Sébastien or left him in some form, and he kept picturing the Prince in the cabin, overwhelmed and constantly on guard with no real breaks.

Lord Rochefort glanced out over the water before he straightened. "Please do protect him." With that, he walked away.