Chapter Nine

Sébastien sat on a bench, and his eyes, thankfully still normal, rapidly moved along the lines as he read. Sam sweated on the floor and was probably hoping they'd hurry off since they'd found something.

"Interesting. What training?" Sébastien peered over the edge of the letters at Sam.

"I don't know."

"Perhaps you'll remember after your other knee is broken."

"They didn't tell me anything!" yelled Sam. "What's it going to take to get that through your thick head? I'm not related, and I'm just someone to help and manage things. That's it. If I didn't do my work, they'd kick me out."

"How long have you been here?"

"Over a year."

"Do you live here when they're home?"

"Yes."

"Men living in close quarters who drink and socialize might grow comfortable," said Remus. "They trust you enough to let you stay when you could have taken valuable things and already hauled ass."

"Like I risk their anger for a few swords and axes."

"I think you're a little closer than you let on."

"No, I'm not-"

"Do you like men?" asked Remus.

"What's that got to do with anything?

"The Knights vowed to never marry, but that doesn't mean they don't fuck. You might be fucking one of them, and a man might start to trust someone with things once he's relaxed."

Sam flushed. "No, I'm not."

"Nice touch with the Southern Edge Inn," said Sébastien. "Uncle's willing to burn down the whole place to get to me. Nothing is too much-even innocent lives. They could easily get away with it too, considering where it's at. By the time a decent water line is started, I'll be a charred corpse or dead from smoke inhalation. If I live, there's the ship."

"What a tragic accident, right?" Remus stepped closer to Sam and let his boots thump. "I already broke a knee, so maybe I should get creative, Prince?"

"Elbows are good. I've heard that it's more painful than a wrist. You could also remove strips of flesh and keep someone alive for quite a while." Sébastien neatly stacked the letters. "Unless you tell me what training means? What exactly are those five doing at the Palace?"

"I guess…they're training soldiers?"

Sébastien leaned forward on the bench. "That would seem logical at first. When you think about it, it doesn't quite make sense."

Sam furrowed his brow. "They're some of the best fighters in the Kingdom. Your Father wanted to hire them as Palace Knights and give them proper Knighthoods before the war. They said no and that they could call themselves as they please, and they'll always fight for Soleil. They prefer independence. Any man who trained with them would improve. A Kingdom needs good soldiers. If Rowland ever decided-"

Sébastien tsked and shook his head. "I have no doubt they're good fighters, but those who work at the Palace are good for the most part even if they lack other skills such as putting up a damn tent."

Sam squinted. "Eh?"

"I think his Uncle would likely prefer that Sébastien be dead within a month at the very most if he fails to kill him in Meche," said Remus. There was always the route of treason, and Corentin could work that angle pretty well if accidents didn't end the Prince.

"They won't have that much time," added Sébastien. "A few lessons overall with all of the men wouldn't do much. Even with five, their attention would be spread thin, and quite frankly, it wouldn't be worth the time, money, and effort. I think this is something a little different."

"I don't know what you expect me to say."

"The truth. Or else." They still had to deal with the mess and kill the bastard. If they weren't back in time…Sébastien's dagger was sitting on the bench by him. Remus picked it up and headed for Sam who put on a defiant expression.

Remus pushed the tip against his crotch and let it pierce the fabric. Sam's defiance melted a little when it touched a certain sensitive area.

"Wait-"

"Tell me, or we'll see how talkative you are with steel sticking out of your crotch. If you still won't talk, we'll get started on some other painful things. Then, we'll cut off your balls."

"I bet the hogs would eat them," said Sébastien.

"It'd probably make them ill, but we'll see if they do," fibbed Remus.

Sam thumped his good leg on the floor as the tip dug in. "All right! They're working with a special group-not the Palace men. The Regent hired a few men from across the realm to work for him. They're all excellent fighters."

"Who?"

"I'm not sure-"

"You better start thinking real hard."

"They're likely bounty hunters and Knights who left service to go solo or whatever. Mercenaries. The brothers said they'd get more information at the Palace and find out what they'll be doing. If they're working with a special group, they'll likely be quite formidable. The Regent could use them for anything."

"Such as?" asked Sébastien.

"I don't know-"

Remus dug in the knife.

"I sweat to Elira! You can see the letters-"

"You know something that's not in them, which means a couple have been destroyed or lost somewhere in the house. Or a brother took them with him." Remus leaned in. "Talk, or I'll shove this dagger right into your scrotum, and we'll see what your testicles look like inside."

He wouldn't have the guts to do that because there are a couple of things in life a man shouldn't do to another. He'd already crossed that line to some point, and he wasn't willing to go further.

"Let's see," said Sébastien. "I'm curious to know if they matched a drawing in an anatomy book I once had. Nothing is quite so educational as real life."

Sam went paler than milk. "They're going to ambush you in Midland if you make it. They know where you'll be going in general, so all they have to do is track your group and either pick a good time or wait until you make it to Biatano if they decide that's a better idea. You'll likely get comfortable there."

"My Uncle's underhandedness knows no bounds. Thanks for that. Give me the dagger, Remus."

Sam's jaw tightened. "You killed one of the Knights."

Remus nodded as he pulled the weapon back as Sébastien came to stand by him. "Yes, I did. It wasn't personal."

"The rest of the brothers know you. They'll make you pay if you get to Midland and the people don't slaughter your group. The Prince is a job, but you'd be something special."

"I'm sure I would be," said Remus. Sébastien held out his hand, and he smacked the dagger into it.

"I bet you both like killing." Sam's eyes flicked from the dagger to his sword, his only hope to channel his magic. "You're both sick."

"I don't enjoy killing," said Remus.

"I bet you crowed at home after killing a Knight-"

"I didn't," snapped Remus. "I had to. As soon as he was dead, I had to keep fighting so I didn't end up dead in the mud. I don't take pleasure in it. You speak like someone who stayed at home while others went out and risked their lives."

"It's something that needs to be done at times." Sébastien approached Sam. "You've served your purpose now."

"But-"

"I'm sentencing you to death for treason."

***

The stable was a good place to hide bodies. They found a couple of shovels and set to digging. A couple of horses in their stalls watched the strange, new fairies who had come in the night to dig a hole in the middle of their home.

Sébastien dug as if his life depended on it, and when it was time to dump the bodies, he took the lighter one. Remus took Sam whose throat had been slit open. Each one was wrapped in a blanket because the Prince said he didn't want any blood dripping outside and creating a trail.

"What about Madam Diamond?" Remus asked once both corpses had been dumped into the grave they'd made. It was bigger than the typical one. "Do you think she knew or was it all Paltua?"

Sébastien rubbed his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and smeared dirt on it. "She might be truly innocent. Paltua was capable of thinking for himself, and he didn't like me."

"Like? I think he hated anyone who owns a slave. It's not done in their country on Earth, so this Kingdom likely disgusts him. I bet he only stayed in Soleil because his sister settled here."

"If Madam Diamond has something to do with it, I think we can leave her," said Sébastien. "She can't do much now without drawing attention to herself."

"What if she's with the Regent?" demanded Remus. "She wants money. He's got money to give if it means getting something in return."

"What is she going to do?" Sébastien tilted his head as he looked up, and Remus had the quick urge to wipe the dirt from his face. "We're not leaving right away because the group needs more practice. If Diamond comes marching down to our camp and starts screaming that I killed her brother, she'll sound insane. As far as the rest know, we've been asleep all night."

"But-"

"If she sends a note to the Regent, he can't exactly accuse me of sneaking out and murdering someone because that'll seem silly. I need to die by accident or in a way that makes everyone point the finger at someone else. If he fails in the long run, he'll resort to treason, and I can guarantee he's already laid out multiple ways to go about that. He'll have something that seems more likely than me sneaking out of bed to visit a whorehouse and a farm in the night."

"Okay." She couldn't do much directly without implicating herself. And perhaps she was innocent. Paltua wouldn't have needed her to go to Sam, who'd likely paid him a fat amount for the information.

"If she writes the two Knights in Meche, they likely won't back off," continued Sébastien. "Besides, two buildings burning down in one night around here would be a bit suspicious. I'm not my Uncle, and I'm not about to kill a bunch of innocent whores and customers. I'm also not killing a little boy who's in bed right now and ignorant of anything that's going on."

"She's going to notice her brother is gone," said Remus.

"I know, but he doesn't stay there," said Sébastien. "Paltua was going to lay low and let the drama wear off. By the time Diamond realizes something might be truly wrong or that he's dead, we'll be gone. Also, she wouldn't suspect me right away if she's done nothing wrong. She might be truly innocent."

"Did you think Paltua might betray you?"

"I didn't want to think that."

But he didn't trust anyone.

"We need to get the weapons from the house and bury them too."

Once they'd tossed in the weapons, they covered the deep grave, made sure it was even, threw hay down, and scattered the excess dirt outside. They released the horses and opened the pigpen. The chickens clucked in wonder when their coop was opened, and they didn't seem inclined to come out yet since it was still dark.

Inside, Sébastien did his best to wash up in the kitchen and came out in the jerkin with his arms bare. His shirt and corset were beyond soaked in blood, and it would take too long to wash it all by hand. He tossed the items in the fire, and Remus, who had blood on his coat, tossed that in too. Sébastien said he had another if Remus ever needed it.

"You plan for everything," said Remus.

"I try."

Remus had found a sack upstairs and gathered the cuffs without touching them, just in case. "How about if I hold the cuffs until we get back? Or…we could bury them."

Sébastien picked his cap up from the floor. "I'll keep them, but I won't wear them again, and I'll hide them in my trunk. Maybe I'll find some info about them."

"I was thinking of tossing them in the ocean."

"You're not tossing my possessions into the ocean."

"I'm certainly not letting you wear them again!"

Sébastien watched him for a long moment as if Remus had said something suspicious. "Maybe I'll find a way to break whatever spell was placed on them. Besides that, I'm not wearing them again. Prince Elio had a similar pair to that, and they didn't seem to be cursed."

"Lucky him." Remus hesitated as the Prince shoved his hair under his cap while facing the fire. "I was only trying to get them off, but I'm still sorry to have grabbed you like that and held you down on the floor."

Sébastien shrugged. "We have to start a fire."

They stood outside to watch and make sure the blaze took a good hold. If someone in the nearby village smelled smoke or noticed a glow in the sky, they'd likely get everyone up. Remus doubted it would spread that far. The people wouldn't want to take that risk, and they'd be concerned for Sam. They surely knew the Knights had left, although not for what reason.

They'd start a water line and do their best to put it out. Of course, they wouldn't find a body. If someone was smart and realized they should have found bones, teeth, or something that suggested a person had died, they'd be smart enough to notice the weapons were gone and possibly assume Sam himself had robbed the Knights, burned the farm, and fled in the night after releasing the animals. With such a collection to sell piece by piece, a thief would be set for quite a while.

The horses ran from the smell of smoke, and the hogs had already moved elsewhere on the property. Remus and the Prince hurried through the fields in case anyone from the village caught a whiff of smoke or noticed the glow. Remus was sure he caught a few panicked clucks in the dark. The chickens had changed their minds about staying in the coop.

"We've got a lot to watch out for later," Remus said once they hopped the fence.

Sébastien hesitated. "Yes, we do."

They walked in silence for a bit, and the fire was soon tiny behind them. In the moonlight, he could make out the paleness of the Prince's arms as they walked. It was so odd, Remus's eyes kept drifting over. The colors of the feathers were muted, but the sweeping lines made him want to touch them.

"Did you notice anything about the cuffs when you first got them?" Remus had the sack with them tied to his belt. "Anything at all? Maybe something you dismissed at that time?"

"No."

"You get…" Remus paused. "You get really angry sometimes, and in the Hall, it's like it wasn't you in a way."

Sébastien's head moved slightly. "I'm often angry."

He had a few good reasons too. "But you didn't feel anything at all when you first wore them?"

"No."

"Do you think they caused the fits?"

"Why would they? I've only had two fits in my life. They were far apart, and you could say my life is rather stressful."

Remus scratched his head. Since they had been years apart, he was likely right on that. Fits did seem to be a fluke for some people. They'd have one or two, and that was it. Others had them frequently, and it could be a serious health issue.

"Maxime said you came in, told him you didn't feel right, and collapsed," said Remus. "You convulsed, and your eyes turned red afterward. That's why he sedated you. Of course, when he told you what happened, he left that out because it sounded crazy. I asked you, and you snapped at me to ask if your hair turned purple too."

Sébastien shrugged. "I didn't know my eyes turned red, and I don't have an explanation for that. I'd been up quite late and reading. I didn't suspect that night's events, so I got lucky that time."

"Hmm. Spectacles might have gone into your room himself and killed you."

"Who?"

"I mean, Eworn. Sorry. I got used to thinking of him as Spectacles before I learned his name."

Sébastien let out a small, rough laugh.

"He was an odd one," continued Remus. "He offered me a slave my first morning there. I have no idea why, and he never did that again. I guess because I said no the first time."

"He did that because I said so."

Remus almost stopped right there in the grass. "Excuse me?"

Sébastien kept walking. "I told him to offer you a slave, and if you didn't like a woman, you could have a male."

Remus strode after him, and the cuffs clanked in the sack as it bounced against his thigh. "What the fuck? Why would you do that?"

He'd been abused and still offered someone else to possibly suffer that?

Sébastien stopped and turned to him. "Lower your voice."

"That was fucked up."

"You weren't going to be permitted to have her. If you'd said yes, Eworn would have taken her away anyway. I wasn't going to let you do that to anyone. Besides, even if I had been inclined to allow you to fuck another slave, why would you be allowed that on your first morning after your smart mouth the night before?"

"Then…why would you do that?"

"It was a test." Sébastien started walking again. "I wanted to know what you'd do."

Remus followed alongside, almost at a loss for words. "First, I don't have a reputation as a rapist. Even in the war-"

"Plenty of people don't have a reputation as a rapist," Sébastien said slowly. "Just because someone didn't do it in the war and not one rumor has gotten around means nothing. There are plenty of rapists that no one would ever suspect, and they all have a first victim."

Unfortunately, he would know. His abuser must have seemed quite decent since King Jean had allowed him at court, and he'd gotten close enough to get his hands on royalty.

"Just because someone is your enemy, it doesn't mean they're a rapist," pressed Remus.

"If you'd said yes and wanted to take the woman, who wouldn't be permitted to say no, I'd have known. Even if that was to be your first time doing it, it would show you're fucked in the head. Rapists don't care for others' feelings in the matter, so I think one would accept a slave. Just like a good deal of the court."

"You think that little of me?!" Remus barely kept from yelling. "You hadn't even known me for twenty-four hours yet, and you suspected I'm like that? Yes, I know I've grabbed you and done untoward things later, but I've never touched anyone in that way, and I never will do that to anyone, including you. It's disgusting to fuck someone who can't say no. Or to ignore it if they do say it."

Sébastien was quiet for several seconds. "Why would I trust you when you hadn't been there that long? I mean really, why would I trust the son of Giorgio after he's been dumped on my doorstep? I didn't know anything about you beyond what others generally know."

And they'd be in close quarters at times. Sébastien trusted no one, and if he'd known his abuser before the event, he likely hadn't suspected anything. He was right because a person could appear decent and be a secret monster. All monsters had to start at some time, right?

"All right…I get it. What if I'd said yes?"

"I would have told Eworn to deal with you, and that you were clearly too forward and thinking highly of yourself if you imagined you could take someone to fuck as you pleased."

Which would have meant a whipping or some kind of torment.

Remus was tempted to ask what he would have said if Quintus had asked him to take Remus as a gift. But if the answer was "yes" because it was a chance for revenge, it would piss him off. Sébastien wanted to get back at someone for all of the things that had happened. He hadn't been as nasty lately, but that didn't mean he liked Remus.

He'd never had a slave before, and while not everyone cared to own one, Remus was starting to think it wasn't the responsibility or a type of basic distaste and lack of interest in the concept. Perhaps he was reading too much into it, but for someone who had been abused, possibly more than once, they might have felt like a slave, correct?

A slave or prisoner couldn't say no, they couldn't get away from their captor or the guard making sure they stayed put, and they might experience terrible things. Sébastien had been too frightened to tell anyone, he hadn't had a choice in the matter, and he'd experienced a horrible thing.

The abuser was probably dead if Maxime was right. If he was wrong, and a guilty courtier ran free, the Prince would still feel trapped. It had also affected him in a way that would span years and never fully go away.

Sébastien had tried to reject him at first in a way, although he hadn't been able to fully do so with the slave handlers whining about why he needed to keep his present. A little crack of fear had shown through too when Remus had snarled that he'd break the Prince's ass. He imagined the Prince had felt as if he'd been shoved into a cage with a vicious beast, and everyone expected him to use it for sexual services. How disgusting that must have been in his mind.

"I'm sorry," Remus said because he wasn't sure what else to say.

"For not accepting the offer?"

"No. Because…" For the shitty people that existed and would never be fully erased from fairy kind. He was too afraid to outright ask Sébastien about his past, and he highly doubted the Prince would ever want to speak of such a thing to him. "Quintus dumped me in your lap."

"You have some use now," Sébastien said in a rather snotty tone.

"Mm. Thanks. Oh, I remembered something. Vemer mentioned your energy was off. Now I see why. Meph said that too. Since Whisper grew so irritated for a few moments, he might have sensed something was off even though he likes you as a fairy."

"I guess others could sense the jewelry in a way," said Sébastien. "Not that they knew what was causing it, and Whisper doesn't seem to mind anything about me now. We need to jog so we can hurry up. I want to go to bed and get at least a little sleep."

And for Remus to stop talking.