Chapter Twenty-Four

Most of their warships were docked elsewhere so they had to make do. Four large merchant ships, two for passengers, and one warship, the Wolf's Rage, went ahead. Smaller boats followed and would fall behind. Each of the four main ships were packed with werewolves, and sleeping arrangements would be tight with so many and the supplies they packed aboard, but it would work.

The main goal was to get Sébastien out alive because if a whole fleet bore down on the capital, the Prince's throat would be slit before they docked. Besides that, the Regent certainly had his army pouring in to gather and protect the capital. If Rowland attacked, they'd kill Sébastien, move the Regent further inland, and attempt to protect the coast.

Four big ships, only one of which had cannons, wouldn't get very far with reinforcements lagging behind.

They had a plan, and Remus had sent a messenger to hurry and fetch something important before they left. Tucked in his pack, he had statements written and signed by Nulio and Alessio. No matter what happened, Corentin's crimes would be known.

Remus still wasn't comforted as he sat on the deck of the Wolf's Rage that night. "If I don't make it, you're in charge. Do what you see fit."

"I've picked my side, so I'll fight for Rowland until the end." Lord Rochefort sighed. "If anyone told me a few years ago that I'd fight for the King of Rowland, I'd have said they'd need to stop drinking and smoking turf. I couldn't have imagined it."

"Things change."

Remus kept staring ahead in the dark, hoping to see whatever ship Sébastien was on. They hadn't left until late afternoon since cobbling together a fleet is no easy task. He was sure they had something swift and light to stay ahead by several hours.

Hours where anything could have happened. So many of the men in the Palace and city guard had viewed him as a frigid man who needed thawing. Remus felt sick at the mere thought because the Regent wouldn't care what happened to his nephew as long as the commoners didn't find out that he'd been horribly abused.

"Why did the Regent pick you to go with him?" asked Remus. They'd talked for hours to fill the void and partly so he wouldn't go insane.

"I guess because I knew the family. Mostly the sons."

"He didn't say anything that might seem odd now?"

"No. I received a letter detailing the basics of the trip. I had to accompany our new Duke to Midland, a troublesome place according to the Regent, and I was to bring my men to Arquous. Lord Dubois would be there, and we'd wait for the Prince to arrive. I wasn't looking forward to spending so much time with his annoying ass."

"Sébastien doesn't trust very easily, and he didn't trust you at all."

"I know."

"I'm wondering if he thought Sébastien might grow a little lax with you not doing anything blatant."

"Perhaps. I did know the family for a while. King Jean liked me when I went to court back when my Mother was still the countess. Enzo was closer in age to me, and his brothers always wanted to hang around." Lord Rochefort brushed back his loose locs. "That's why he allowed his sons to visit me when Prince Sébastien was thirteen. He trusted me. And then I led his boys out to hunt dangerous bandits because I was eighteen and stupid."

Remus cracked a smile. "I think we've all done dumb shit as teenagers."

"Have you led Princes out to hunt bandits?"

"No. I did shame myself once."

"How?"

"I went out drinking with my friends when I was sixteen. I ended up utterly smashed and my pals, who were equally smashed, forgot me. The tavern owner hadn't known what to do with me when he closed the previous night, and I was too big for him to drag home, so…he left me there. I woke up on the floor of a tavern with a raging headache."

"Why didn't he go get a couple of Palace guards?!"

"I guess he thought me being lugged home while senseless would be more embarrassing. I felt like shit when he got me up in the morning and told me I'd better go. I had to walk home with a hangover while stinking of whiskey since one of the guys had spilled his drink on me. I threw up before I reached the Palace right in front of a group of pretty ladies who all looked utterly disgusted by the sight of me."

Lord Rochefort let out a small laugh. "I can't see you doing that."

"Well, I did. Father said he hoped I'd learned to pace myself so I wouldn't make a drunken fool of myself in public. I learned."

Remus wanted to be able to tell Sébastien silly stuff from his past and hear stories from his youth. There were good things from before, and he wanted to know them. With everything happening so far, they'd never had much time to relax and just…live.

Lord Rochefort leaned forward in his chair and nudged his arm. "I'm going to bed. I know you want to stay out here, but do try to get some sleep. When you come into the cabin, don't worry if you make a little noise. Once I'm out, I usually sleep like a log."

"All right." They were both sharing the Captain's cabin with a little bed on either side.

"I know you'd rather stay out here all night and keep watching, but we won't catch up like that, and you need sleep. You need rest for what's ahead so you can tell Sébastien that story too."

"I will."

Lord Rochefort clasped his shoulder before he left. Remus listened to his boots on the deck and closed his eyes. They couldn't get this far for Sébastien to die. He'd get the Prince out or die trying because he didn't deserve to be abandoned.

***

They couldn't approach Belle ?me. Instead, they picked a spot about east of the capital. Tom knew to wait for the rest of the ships to gather. Afterward, they'd sail along the coast to Belle ?me. By then, they would have either won or lost.

Whisper didn't like lifeboats. They'd barely run aground before he jumped out and splashed in the surf, eager to be on solid ground once more. A few other lifeboats brought the horses they had. They didn't need many mounts to make things appear convincing. They were short a horse for the amount of men who would be going ahead, and Lord Rochefort rode behind Remus on Whisper.

The werewolves would follow and stay behind enough to not be noticed since a land attack would be unexpected. Remus's group included Arthur, and they moved into the tree line. While they rode, Remus made everyone go over the plan again.

They slept outside that night and rotated a watch just in case. The next morning, Remus dressed in what he'd brought. It was time to play prisoner. Since they were quite close to the capital, he'd stay on foot for the rest of the way. A prisoner shouldn't be on a horse.

"Lord Rochefort's going to ride you. All right?" Remus patted Whisper's neck. "We have to get Sébastien, and that means we have to pretend a little. You'll have your favorite fairy by the end of the day."

Whisper didn't appear too convinced. They'd done all that traveling, and he still didn't have Sébastien. At least he didn't mind Lord Rochefort who got up on him. Remus had bought a sturdy collar and shackles from a specialty shop in Norraco. They didn't enslave people, but consenting people might enjoy playing sex slave in the bedroom.

The items had no lirek in them and appeared real. Someone had mixed juice and a little paint, and Arthur smeared it on his clothes to make Remus look like he'd been injured. The men gathered in a loose circle as if Remus was a real prisoner they were leery of, and Lord Rochefort took the chain to lead him. Remus made sure he kept a good grip on the key to the shackles and collar with his fingers tightly folded around it.

Clouds had started rolling in on one side. One of the men mumbled that the moon was out, and Remus caught a glimpse of it beyond the canopy. It wasn't as humid as Rowland, but it was enough to make Remus start to sweat as they walked. It wasn't comfortable with his hands shackled behind his back either.

Since the Regent was calling in the army to protect the city, they heard noise before they reached the capital a little before noon. A patchy field by a road leading in was filled with tents in neat rows, men, horses, and cookfires.

A few soldiers were watching the road, and they called out to the group as they approached on foot. One recognized Lord Rochefort, and his expression darkened. The Regent had likely named him as a traitor.

"Move out of the way." Lord Rochefort yanked on the chain. "I have a prisoner."

The other mounted men shifted a little so the soldiers could see, and one gave the lord a blank look. "Who's that?"

"The Crown Princess of East Forest."

"Huh?"

"Who do you think it is? It's Remus Rizzo."

Arthur gave Remus a good kick in the back. "Kneel when your betters are talking."

Remus grudgingly got to his knees with his head ducked.

"You better get used to kneeling because the Regent is never letting you out again."

"That's Remus?" asked a soldier.

"Since Sébastien liked his slave enough to commit treason with him, I figured I should bring him back," said Lord Rochefort. "They can be cell neighbors and talk about the good old times when they plotted against the crown."

The soldiers took in Remus with his dirty face, wrinkled, bloody clothes, and the collar. "For Elira's sake, he must have fought like an animal. How did you get him? What happened?"

"I'm sure the story will get around after I tell the Regent."

"Maybe we better take him up there."

"I caught him. I know what happened. I'll speak to the Regent. Get out of our way. Regent Corentin is expecting us, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting. Perhaps I should mention you were holding us up even though we have the most valuable prisoner after his nephew."

The soldiers hastily moved back, and Nate kicked Remus's shoulder. "Get moving."

"Don't you want to see your lover boy?"

"Maybe you'll get to mount him one last time and say goodbye before he dangles from a noose."

"Or you can hang and die together. How sweet."

"I still can't believe the Soleilian Prince got with this animal," Arthur said as the group started moving once again.

As he trudged along on the end of the lead, he glanced up. The moon didn't look quite right. Usually, it was small and quite insignificant in the sky if it were visible during the day. It also didn't typically have a reddish tint.

At that moment, the ground trembled.