Chapter Ten

Remus was pulled from bed around noon, taken for a bath, given a meal, and brought right to the Prince's rooms even though he hadn't slept nearly enough.

He'd spoken to the Regent in his room before he slept. Corentin had likely spoken to the physician too. He wouldn't be surprised if Commander Martin was already locked up.

Sébastien was up and on his couch. He was paler than usual, shadows lurked under his eyes, and he had the look of someone getting over a long illness. Oddly, he was dressed to go out with his purple cloak even though he appeared like he needed to head back to bed. The extra single color was strange.

"Stand there." Sébastien pointed. "How did you notice something was amiss last night, but not the night before?"

Not even a thank you? Remus would have accepted a stiff one. He glanced at the guards who'd brought him in. They stepped out, and the door shut. The fact that they were alone and no command came for him to go to the corner might have been some sort of trust, although it was rather shoddy.

"Well?" demanded Sébastien.

Same old tone and expression. This was not a man who'd wake up one day and go back to being innocent and pleasant no matter what Maxime thought.

"Last night, I had trouble sleeping, and I decided to walk up and down the hall. That's why I came out and noticed your guards were missing. The night before that, I went to sleep at a reasonable time. I have no idea what happened outside of my room."

"Tom came in this morning," said Sébastien. "No one's allowed to leave the grounds, and Tom says he heard nothing specific, but it's obvious there's been trouble, so he decided to come clean. He admitted that yesterday morning, he came for his shift outside of your door a couple of minutes early, and no one was around."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Is this…normal?"

"No. A man on shift is to wait until his replacement is there. I think, as a former Prince, you should know how a fucking guard rotation works." Sébastien leaned forward. "He said this isn't the first time it's happened, but he never said anything because he didn't want to tattle. Obviously, the others haven't said a word either."

"How many times have they left you unguarded all night?"

"I don't think they've been leaving me alone all night," said Sébastien. "After standing there for a while with nothing happening, they're bored and hungry, so they slip away a little early to get breakfast down in the guardhouse or go home. Chances are, within ten or fifteen minutes, nothing is going to happen to me, and the replacement keeps quiet so he can possibly do the same. They could be flogged if reported, and since it's peacetime and there's been no known threat, he didn't want to make enemies. Neither did the others."

"I'd say Tom did it with good intentions and didn't wish to cause strife," Remus said neutrally.

"I should sack him."

"He saved my life, and that, in turn, is why you're here now."

"He is a good guard overall, his fighting skill is quite excellent, and he's also settled some things between the other men. Besides, it's not just him that's guilty."

Sacking or flogging half of the men in charge of his safety wouldn't make the guards happy with him.

"I think Commander Martin knew of this, and he didn't bother to do anything about it. Before our discussion, he was already unhappy. Someone brought in the schedules from the guardhouse. Each man has his own tacked on the wall so he knows what he's doing over the next two weeks. For three nights, including tonight, nobody was scheduled for me at night, so Commander Martin gave me a good leeway."

"Nobody noticed?"

"The men pay attention to their own schedule. They don't check everyone else to ensure all spots are covered."

That made sense. The one in charge of it all would have that taken care of, and nobody should need to babysit a Commander.

"Maxime told me that gorvin black mold can cause near-paralysis after red wine. It's no secret I often like a glass of red wine at night while I read. It also wouldn't be impossible to find out the menu for dinner since the cook plans well ahead for the food and wine."

Remus wondered if the Prince speaking so openly to him was another sign of trust or if he simply felt like bouncing his thoughts off of someone who had to stand there and listen.

"But why was he willing to do this?" Remus asked as the door opened.

"Because he's angry at me. Your hunch was good, and since you figured out the murderer, you can have a reward."

"He does indeed deserve a reward," the Regent said as he came closer to the table in front of the couch. "That's also why he can come and see Commander Martin be dealt with."

"He doesn't need to come." Sébastien barely kept the insolence out of his voice. "Kneel when my Uncle enters your presence."

Remus slowly got on his knees as the Regent spoke.

"He saved your life, so I think we can offer him something within reason. We're about to go, so don't dawdle and make sure he's brought." The Regent left, and Sébastien cast the door a look as if his Uncle had commanded him to roll in dog turds.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" asked Remus.

"I want to see that fucker brought down."

"All right. I did save your life. You owe me, and what I want isn't that big of a thing to you."

The Prince's eyes slid to him as he pulled on his sleeves. "I don't owe you shit. It's your Father's fault that most of my family is dead. Save my life a few more times, and then you can say in pure truth that I owe you something. You owe me."

"You'd be dead."

Sébastien leaned forward. "Your brother would have slit your throat while crying treason and blaming you for his crimes. What else would he have done with you? It's because of me that you lived. If I died, the Regent wouldn't keep you no matter how important he pretends you are as a gift. You're nothing to him, and he has no interest in keeping a slave for himself. Do you want to spend years in a single room?"

Remus suspected that, but it figured the Prince would twist things around and make it so he was owed nothing, not even thanks.

"Go ahead and argue while my family lies dead in the tomb thanks to your Father," snarled Sébastien. "Pretend you have no debt to me. I think you know very well what would happen to you, otherwise, you would have happily sent me off to be laid down too. If you could do it without consequences, you'd lay me down yourself."

"I'm not him. None of my actions led to their death. I saved you because it wouldn't have been right to leave you dying on the floor. Yes, a part of it was self-preservation, but I'm not my Uncle, and if you're going to kill someone, you should face them. I know what betrayal feels-"

"You're Giorgio's spawn, and that's close enough. Besides, who led the fight that day Remere died?"

"I didn't kill him."

"It doesn't fucking matter at this point. Drugs or not, your Father had a darkness in him to rape a corpse because nobody else did that. The sins of the Father pass to the son. Now, name whatever you want, and I'll give it to you so you'll shut the fuck up, and I don't have to hear Uncle's complaints."

"I want those who were shipped here with me to be released," said Remus. "If it's only the five here, and if you don't know where the others are, I'll accept that."

Sébastien's expression flickered. He'd surely been expecting a request for books, more freedom to go about, a different room, or a whore or slave to spend himself in. Something that most would enjoy as a small comfort when they have little else. Or perhaps even an outrageous request for release.

A smile grew. "You still speak as if you think you're my equal. ‘I'll accept that.' As if you have a real choice."

"Regardless of who owes who, you'd be dead if it weren't for me. You can't deny it. I could have crouched right by you and watched you slowly croak or helped it along in some way. I tried to get help, and when that failed, I gave you tunfira and held you while you fucking vomited. I put you to bed, gave you water, and didn't dare touch you any more than I had to. I told Corentin what I suspected, and I was right. I'm not asking for something silly or expensive. Releasing five slaves who are innocent and only had the misfortune to be randomly picked is hardly trouble for you. They've done nothing wrong and didn't deserve to be ripped from their homes for a treasonous plan and sent somewhere to be raped and abused."

Remus realized his voice was rising, but he couldn't quite rein in it.

"One is barely nineteen, and his Master keeps him practically naked and done up like a cheap whore. I saw him being raped in that dayroom. He has a Father back home who'd probably take his own life if it meant his son could safely return home."

The Prince stood and started pulling on a riding glove. "No."

"You don't believe me?"

"I meant no, I won't release them. Do keep up when I speak."

Remus stood, and the Prince's posture stiffened as he squared up to him. "Are you that fucking selfish that you won't even release innocent people? You'd call my people monsters if we invaded Soleil and took random commoners as slaves to fuck. Oh, but wait, we don't enslave people, even criminals. Who are the real barbarians? People being raped in a room full of others means nothing to you?"

The Prince pulled on his other glove. "I suggest you calm that attitude. If you want them released, you'll have to ask my Uncle because I can't release anyone, and if I tried, they'd be dragged right back and likely punished even though I was responsible. That's why I said no before you blundered on. It's the equivalent of stealing another's property, and he'll be quite annoyed with me for doing that, not that I particularly care."

"I will ask him."

"Good. Stop bothering me over it and follow."

***

The party rode through the gate in a neat formation as they followed the Regent and his nephew. Since Remus had been rather unconscious when he'd arrived, he hadn't been able to appreciate the Palace with its pale stones. Two towers rose toward the back with pennants snapping in the wind.

With the scalloped metal edgings of the roofs that flashed in the sun, the neat bushes lining the simple wall around the grounds, and the neat pathways of matching stone, it looked more like something for a pleasant Prince and his court. A place where no one owned another fairy being, and the Prince genuinely smiled upon everyone who came to him for aid.

Not the Prince ahead whose white hair glinted silvery where the sunlight hit.

The section of the city by the Palace was a bit sparse and newer. A paved path led them by neat homes and businesses. No one dared to get in the way of the party, but plenty stopped to look.

"Prince!" A lady kissed her fingers and pretended to fling it at him. If Sébastien noticed, he didn't give any indication, and a couple of guards behind Remus snorted.

"She could toss that my way anytime. It's wasted on him."

"I'd rather get that from him."

A third joined in. "Good luck with that. He's stiff."

"If I had ten minutes alone with him, I bet I could sweet talk him onto his back and make something else stiff."

"Don't bother. Nobody's been with him, and half of the Palace would line up for his ass if they could. You're not special."

"Shut up."

"I'd pay a week's wages to have his lips around my cock. Imagine those silver eyes looking up at you while you keep him nice and quiet."

"You can't make a snarky comment with your mouth full."

"Do you think he's really still a virgin?"

"Yeah. You can practically hear the ice in his veins crackling when he moves." The last nearly choked with laughter at his own joke, and the guard beside Remus barked at them to shut up.

Since the Prince was farther ahead with the Regent, he hadn't heard the comments, but Remus could imagine the reaction if he did. He almost couldn't believe they'd dared to speak in such a crass manner in public about him. Calling someone a virgin and giggling about it was also quite stupid and the sort of behavior he'd expect from a thirteen-year-old. Remus rather doubted that the Prince was still a virgin at his age.

A chain ran from his collar to the saddle, so if Remus decided to jump off and haul ass, he'd have to drag the horse along with him. If he tried to make the horse run, the guards on either side would follow. Nobody cared that he had a stupid tunic on and wasn't used to riding with so much leg showing.

The stone path led them deeper into the city where the fairies and buildings thickened. The way widened into a proper road. Coming toward them along the side, a man rode a white unicorn. The lithe animal's steps were powerful yet dainty as he marched along with an air that he was better than any other four-legged mount for miles, and he tossed his horned head as if to say even a Prince's mount was trash compared to him.

"Move that away," the Regent snapped even though there was plenty of space.

The man mumbled something and pulled on the reins to move the unicorn more to the side.

Corentin must have been having trouble keeping his reserve if he was snapping at innocent riders. No wonder, since he'd almost lost his last family member overnight while he peacefully slept in his bed.

Remus spotted a few collared slaves in the streets. A couple were in tunics. One was dressed pretty normally, but he had a dead look in his eyes while a lady led him like a dog on a heavy chain.

A skinny woman with a baby and a tin cup was begging by the side of the road. The baby had a runny nose and a flushed face.

"Please! He's sick. I've got nothing." A few people hastened by without a glance. She spotted the Prince in his purple cloak who surely wouldn't miss a few kops or a silver din. She dared to come closer and held the cup out. "Please, Your Majesty. My baby-"

"Move it!" barked a guard.

Sébastien leaned over, and Remus caught a glint of gold before a whole lan neatly landed with a clang in her tin cup. Disbelief flashed in her eyes before she darted away to avoid the guard.

"You can't give someone a whole lan just because they ask," snapped the Regent.

Sébastien barely looked at him. "Isn't that unselfish? She didn't actually ask for a lan anyway."

"If you gave every beggar a lan-" Corentin huffed. "She could buy whiskey or Dust to snort while her baby squalls with hunger. We've been over this. You know nothing about her. A kop or two at most would have been sufficient."

"You're right. I don't know her, and you don't either. Maybe she'll get him medicine and something to eat instead of snorting Dust in some back alley."

Unselfish. He probably did that to appear that way, not because he cared. The lady would blab later, and everyone would say, "Oh, how nice of the young Prince."

No wonder people liked him.

If Remus didn't look at Sébastien or the others around him too closely, he could almost pretend he was free and home. Except the accents of the townspeople were different, and the buildings were all wrong. The Soleilians preferred peaked windows and arches, half-timber homes, and steeped roofs since it snowed in winter. There wasn't a single dome or corbel carved to look like a wolf. No triangular gables and fewer loggias. The houses were also closer as if everyone wanted to huddle together in winter. They passed a pinkish stone whorehouse called "Bare Hens" with a huge, strutting rooster on the sign.

Elira, he missed home even though it would feel empty now. To return, he'd have to deal with his twin, and afterward, it would be just him there along with servants and a court.

Provided he ever escaped.

Commander Martin's home was in a nice section of the city with pale green stone homes and fenced yards. Two peaked windows were on either side of the door, and one sat directly above it. The drapes were drawn, and the door with glass set in it looked expensive. A Commander wasn't given a cheap wage. The flower beds were immaculate, and little roosters decorated the tops of the iron bars that made the fence.

Everyone dismounted, and a few guards took care of the horses. One opened the iron gate and led the way up the steps to the front door. If Martin didn't hear the boots on the stairs, he certainly heard the hammering.

Sébastien took Remus's lead and followed his Uncle. "Now we can permanently deal with some of the rubbish."