Chapter Fifteen

The Prince ignored him for several days which meant endless walking and staring at the wall. Nothing unusual happened that he knew of. He had Tom to talk to for a bit now and then, but the same old bath, meals, and tiny chat weren't enough to fill his day.

He almost felt like if it kept on, he'd be climbing the grating. He might even rip out the tough iron, fueled by madness. This couldn't be his life until he found a way to escape. How could anyone think it was right to trap someone in a small area with no real control over their life?

He missed home, Lupo, the food, the familiar faces-everything. He had no idea how he'd go about getting his throne when all he could see of the outside world was a garden, but it'd be a relief to step off of a ship and be on Rowland soil once more. He'd be a free man once more. Someday.

He thought about going to the Prince's rooms one night. If they could talk like proper men, he'd try to convince Sébastien that owning another fairy wasn't right. The whole situation that involved his arrival there was beyond wrong. If the Prince's brother had done such a thing to him, how would he feel? Remus wasn't truly a criminal, so by Soleilian law, it wasn't right to keep him.

It wasn't Remus's fault that other people had done bad things. He wasn't his Father, a werewolf, or the Knight who had killed Remere and later fallen himself in battle. Yes, he'd fought in the war, but many had gone to fight for their respective Kingdoms.

Such a conversation wouldn't happen. Sébastien didn't even see him as equal to a citizen of Soleil. The hate ran too deep, and he'd been too twisted.

Remus didn't expect his door to open one afternoon when he was doing pushups, and he jumped up from the floor. Truly, he wasn't sure if he was allowed to exercise in case that was seen as keeping strong for an escape or something silly.

The Regent paused. "Am I interrupting?"

"I was nearly done."

"Ah." The Regent waved at the guard who'd accompanied him. "Step back. He's fine."

Remus kneeled by the bed since some show of subservience was best.

"Have you been enjoying your time with my nephew?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. Enjoying? "He's been ignoring me lately, Your Majesty."

"He's often busy, although not with the right things. I mean when you're in his bed."

Remus hesitated. "I'm not in his bed."

"You're not?"

"No." Why lie?

Corentin paused by the window and looked up at the light filtering through the bars. "He hasn't fucked you even once? He seemed…amorous that night when you left the entertainment room."

"Er, he was trying to tease me."

"Tease you?"

"He thinks werewolves have besmirched me, so nothing's happened. He left me in the corner and went to bed."

Corentin sighed and turned to Remus. "Stand, will you? He's quite liberal with that insult. Plenty are. I doubt most fairies are fornicating with werewolves, and bonds between us are rare. Even though you're not in his bed, has he ever spoken of his future plans for anything?"

Remus shook his head. "No."

"Nothing? No ideas for the Kingdom?"

"He barely speaks to me at all, and he's certainly not sharing his thoughts." Unless they involved hateful ones toward Remus, his family, and his country.

He wondered what the Regent would say if Remus admitted that his dear nephew had unleashed death upon a room full of people. Of course, Remus would be considered a conspirator in that.

Corentin rubbed his chin. "He worries me. Again, he refuses to attend petitions. He often trains in the morning, but he could do that later, so he has little excuse. Remus, what duty comes first?"

"Do you mean on a typical day, Your Highness?"

"Yes."

"The people and their needs come first, and if petitions are scheduled for a certain time, it should be done then. Training can be done later since it's also important."

Corentin nodded. "Of course, you'd know. You were a Prince. I don't agree with what your brother did, and I don't believe you're a traitor either."

Interesting. He still took the offered slaves and didn't appear ready to release Remus even though he'd basically admitted that the twin was guilty of treason.

"You haven't caused too much trouble, and my nephew doesn't appear to have whipped you, so I guess you behave well enough in private too. That shows you've learned your place, and I hope it stays that way."

Fuck him.

"If I were you, I'd try to get a little closer to him. Be pleasant even when he's in a foul mood. Try to get him to talk and show interest in his words."

"Why?" Remus asked neutrally.

"If you crack him open just a bit, he may be a little nicer, and perhaps he'll be convinced to listen to you. If you bring up the fact that he needs to focus more on his duty, perhaps he'll do it."

"I can't command him."

Corentin smiled. "I'm his Uncle. If I say it, it goes through one ear and out of the other. My opinion used to be important when he was younger. Now, I'm the old man who nags. You're close to his age, and you once had status, so you're not some idiot from the street who was picked up because he stole a turnip."

He needed to rethink a justice system that enslaved a hungry man who stole a damn turnip.

"He despises me and won't tell me a thing," said Remus. "I hear shut up more than anything."

"Give it time. He used to be a nice boy until…" Corentin pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's hard watching your family drop like flies. One tragedy after another. Sometimes, I'd swear each one aged me by ten years, and then it was just him and me. Now, my littlest nephew has turned into someone I barely recognize at times. I love him, but he's difficult, and it's almost like raising an unruly child who doesn't want to do anything."

Remus considered sharing his concerns. If the Regent had no idea and it was true that Sébastien had been abused, it might rock things so hard he'd wish he hadn't. The Prince would be furious at Remus for speaking of it.

And what if it wasn't true? He could imagine Sébastien's reaction if his Uncle started hounding him for the name of someone who didn't exist.

"Let him trust you," said Corentin. "If you think you can manage it, get into his bed because I'm sure he knows werewolves haven't knotted you, and you're not defiled. If you fuck, perhaps he'll soften and grow nicer to you."

This wasn't going to work, and Remus felt like he was being tricked although he couldn't quite say how. Sébastien would never care about what he had to say. It didn't matter if they were close in age and not related. The Prince would sooner listen to a mangy dog from the street.

"Trusting can be hard for him," continued the Regent. "You saw what happened with Martin. That was unfortunate, and I don't think he needed to die, right?"

"Of course, he did," said Remus. "He could have killed your nephew."

"We could have kept him as a slave."

"That kind of attempted murder deserves the rope," said Remus. "The death would have been quite unpleasant for Prince Sébastien to say the least."

"Hmm. Lifelong humiliation works too in some cases since Martin could never go free again. Think about what I said, and try it." Corentin smiled at him.

"He doesn't care about what I think, and I have no interest in trying to bed him."

Corentin raised an eyebrow at his tone. "Remember, you are a slave regardless of your past position, so your Master's best interests are yours too."

Remus watched him go and sat on the bed. He'd had the handlers killed for not watching Vemer who slaughtered many, but he hadn't intended to hang the man who nearly murdered his only living relative? Slavery was shameful and horrible, but for something like what Martin did, the rope was proper.

And what was Remus supposed to get from this? He'd never think like a slave and consider his Master's best interests as his own.

Damn it, he was still a Crown Prince no matter what anyone said. Corentin go could gag on a dick.

***

Sébastien finally brought him out a few days later to dinner. A troupe of acrobats had been hired to perform. Remus didn't get to see it since he had to kneel on the floor by the Prince's chair. He assumed they were good since the rest of the Hall seemed to be enjoying the act.

At least Remus got to see a couple of fliers that hovered in the air and tossed a wingless fairy back and forth to flip. It was also something that wasn't his usual abode. He knew damn well that the Prince hadn't brought him out to give him a change of pace. It was to force him to kneel when he'd rather sit in the chair and see everything going on just beyond the High Table.

In his head, he ran over the routes he knew so far. He hadn't seen the majority of the Palace, but he knew how to get to a couple of rooms, not that Corentin's would help. Guards always held the lead when he was taken to bathe, and they waited outside.

The chain was a bigger obstacle than it appeared. With one guard holding that, it'd be easy to hang on if Remus tried to attack. Without a proper weapon, magic, or anything protective, he wouldn't last long.

If he could somehow convince Sébastien to leave off the chain when he was brought out, he could acquire more trust. If he asked, that would seem suspicious unless he framed it a certain way. Could Sébastien be convinced that leading someone on a chain looked silly? Probably not.

If he managed at some point to have that always left off, and he simply followed when commanded, he'd wait a bit to let them grow relaxed. In the future, he'd try to find a way to be taken outside.

Running for the wall might work. Or he'd get his ass kicked. He seethed inside because fucking up could have serious consequences, and it was difficult to plan for every little potential obstacle in his situation. He'd have to see about the lead being left off first. At least that was a start.

Once the acrobats finished to much applause and tossed coins, Remus listened to them exit. Sébastien pushed back his chair and seemed ready to go until the Regent touched his arm.

"Wait, wait. I have a special gift for you."

"What?"

"You'll see."

Suspicion crossed Sébastien's face as the Regent stood and called for quiet. "I have a very special announcement to make. I thought about saving it for a birthday present, but December is seven months away, so why not get started now? As I'm sure some of you know, Midland only has one lord at the moment in Biatano. The other towns are spotty and small. Calmerra is half in ruins since the fire."

And no one wanted to go there anymore.

"We have soldiers in some places because the citizens are troublesome even though they haven't fully revolted, and they don't seem inclined to be entirely peaceful."

Also, because the Regent didn't give a fuck about Middies. Remus bit his tongue.

"Since Midland requires some direct attention, I've decided to make Crown Prince Sébastien the Duke of Midland. He's suggested this himself since it's much better if someone is personally there, and I can continue to attend to matters in Soleil."

Remus could have sworn that Sébastien turned a whole shade paler while he tried to contain his own surprise. Sébastien quickly tacked on a lovely smile as the courtiers applauded. A Prince getting the title of Duke wasn't unusual, and the position gave them a portion to rule over while answering to the King. They did most of the work themselves, and it lightened the load on the ruler. It typically wasn't a position for Crown Princes who'd take the throne in less than three years.

Sébastien certainly hadn't volunteered for it, so why was the Regent lying?

The Prince kept up his perfect smile as the Hall congratulated him. What a lovely Prince, going to deal with the shit pile known as Midland so the Regent no longer needed to worry about it or try to force lords to be posted there.

The Regent sat and smiled at his nephew as he leaned in and spoke over the noise. "Consider this your punishment for not following protocol with Martin and for not doing your duty."

His eyes said more than his smile. Remus couldn't see the Prince's face since he'd faced his Uncle.

Once the applause settled, Sébastien stood to speak to the Hall. Remus expected a litany of scathing remarks and a blatant refusal to take the odd position. Instead, he gave a kind thanks and said pretty statements about Midland and how he'd improve it. Blah, blah, blah.

Remus was positive the courtiers were eating it up. It wasn't like they had to worry about Midland themselves. Someone else would do the work, and they'd go back to their lives of tittering, gossiping, games, and entertainment.

Midland used to be under Rowland command, but they'd never considered themselves the same, and they'd always been rather independent. Rowland had allowed them to deal with themselves for the most part and offered protection in exchange for tax. A good deal of grapes were grown there, and the timber was good, so while Midland wasn't densely populated, they had done well for the most part. Calmerra had also been a large city, and Soleil had taken over in the early part of the war.

After Lupo and Corentin finished negotiations, and Midland was declared to be a part of the Soleil Kingdom, the people had grown angry. The Middies had clashed against Soleil- born fairies, a few packs of werewolves still roamed about, and nobody wanted Calmerra after that incident. The citizens weren't too pleased with the Rowland Royal Family since opinions varied on who was responsible for Calmerra, but they particularly hated Soleil.

It would be a complicated and dangerous place. With Sébastien's attitude toward people who could technically be considered Rowland citizens, they'd eat him alive as soon as he stepped foot on land.

Why on Ymir's dirt would the Regent send him there even as punishment? There was a difference between disciplining someone and putting their life in danger. Unless…

Remus wore a placid expression as if the news was no big deal and didn't affect him. He was only a slave after all, right? Politics no longer concerned him.

Sébastien finished his pretty little speech and thanked his Uncle one last time. The Regent was all smiles and stated how proud he was of his nephew for finally stepping up.

"This will be good for you," he said in a low voice once Sébastien sat and called for wine to toast the news. The Hall grew loud with chatter once more. "It'll teach you to put effort in and stick with something. You need that."

"Of course, Uncle."

***

Sébastien had snapped at the guards who tried to follow, and they were alone as they headed up the stairs.

"Prince Sébastien," started Remus.

"Be quiet."

"No. I need you to listen to me." Remus might have been on a lead, but that didn't mean he couldn't get in front of Sébastien who bared his fangs.

"Move it. How dare you block-"

"Not until you listen to me." Remus remained planted in front of him and gripped the railing to his left. "I'm not trying to make you feel caged, but this would be a good time to listen and answer something. Just because I'm your slave now doesn't mean I've forgotten anything I learned before as a Prince. I also know Midland because I've been there before."

The slave line might have worked, or perhaps Sébastien decided to shut his mouth for once. "It better be important."

"You're not liked in Midland." Remus glanced over the railing and down to make sure no one was coming up. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten about the two lords who were sent there to take over a couple of places, and they mysteriously vanished. If you go there to get them in order as the Regent wants, they'll eat you alive. You obviously didn't ask for this position, and Crown Princes don't take positions as Dukes when their parents have it willed that they'll take the throne at twenty-five. Does your Uncle love you?"

"You could say that," Sébastien said coolly.

"Then why would he send you, the last heir, to a dangerous place less than three years from your coronation instead of keeping you at home and putting lords there to deal with it? It sounds like he'd rather get you out of the way and potentially put himself in your place if needed."

It was a bit wild, but not impossible. Remus had been betrayed by his twin, so he knew the throne could be quite tempting, and even family would kill for it. The Regent was in his forties, so he likely had many years ahead of him to enjoy the position. He could find a spouse or a consort and have an heir to keep the line going.

Sébastien dropped the lead and lightly tapped his hands together as a mocking smile grew on his lips. "Congratulations. You're not as dumb as you look. He loves the power more than anything and would rather stay. He's had a nice, long taste, and he's not going to step aside for me."

Remus widened his eyes. "You're not going to Midland, right?"

"Yes, I am. If I refuse and stay here, he'll get bolder in his attempts. Now move it."

"What do you mean by his attempts?"

Sébastien snatched the chain, and Remus tried to bat away his hands. "You're not going to cut me off when I'm not even halfway done. You just admitted-"

Sébastien yanked on it, and the collar dug into the back of Remus's neck as his head was forced lower and closer. "I'm also not further discussing this out here when courtiers are about to be leaving dinner. Fool."

Remus finally relented as they went upstairs while certain things fell into place.

That meant his "forgiving" Sébastien for his actions didn't mean anything. He wasn't an Uncle trying to give his nephew more chances. Corentin liked it when his nephew made himself look unhinged or at least like a spoiled brat. He didn't want Remus to try and get closer to straighten him out either.

He'd tried to kill his nephew, and since it hadn't worked, sending him away was a chance to put more nails in his coffin.

In the hall, Sébastien told the guard by Remus's door to fuck off for a few minutes. Inside, he undid the chain and wrapped it around his hand.

"The Regent was working with Martin, wasn't he?" asked Remus. "He let him do the dirty work, and Martin couldn't say no, but you killed him-"

"Martin did nothing for the Regent."

Remus remembered the fear in Martin's eyes and the way he'd sweated. His denials had seemed normal for any man who'd committed a serious crime and was headed for a noose. Deny, deny, deny. Deflect. Call the other side crazy. A guilty man would often pretend innocence even as the noose was tightened around his neck in the hopes of mercy at the last second.

Martin's denial had been genuine.

"You killed an innocent man?" he hissed.

"I killed him because he has certain proclivities," said Sébastien. "His slave looked quite young, and if it wasn't against the law to fuck someone under the age of eighteen, I think Martin would happily do it. He can't, so he picked a slave who looks younger."

"How are you so sure?"

"Let's just say he's shown…an unhealthy interest in men working here who are sixteen or even fifteen. Young men who can't consent but feel flattered that an older man is showing attention might not realize they're being groomed. Because of that, they might agree to things because they don't see it as abuse."

Remus could see that. "Did he-"

"As far as I know, nothing ever happened, and no official complaint was ever brought up to anyone, but see why he was an issue since that temptation can grow to be too much? One day, he might have taken the chance to push things further."

"Okay." If Sébastien had been abused as a young teenage boy, it made sense the Prince had a suspicion of someone like that. No adult, especially a man that age, should be showing interest in anyone under the age of eighteen. Plus, Martin had been abusing his wife and slave. The latter didn't automatically mean someone was into abusing children but with everything put together, Sébastien's reasoning wasn't wrong.

"The Regent has access to the guardhouse and the schedules. It'd be easy for him to find out if certain guards have been slackers, use that to his advantage, change them, and seek to poison me," continued Sébastien. "I'm sure Martin was entirely genuine when he swore his innocence on the matter of poisoning me, but he didn't die for nothing."

"But the guard found something-"

"That the Regent gave to him to keep so he could pretend to find it. Do you think Uncle has no one among the guards to do his dirty work? He has his favorites and special men too. When I realized I felt sick, I already knew Uncle had done something. You partially figured out what happened, but you were missing an important piece. As you saw, he's good at feigning concern, and to everyone else, he seems like a man who would kill anyone for harming his nephew. If I had died, the investigation would have pointed at Martin in the end."

Remus stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. Fuck. Of course, the Regent would know what his nephew preferred to drink and the menu for those nights. He didn't have to worry about Sébastien collapsing from the poison at dinner, and he'd given the situation some leeway.

As for poisoning the wine, bath scrub, and oil, he could have slipped in at many different times. No one would tell the Regent he couldn't enter his nephew's rooms, and they wouldn't even bother to mention it later or think it was suspicious. In their minds, why would the Uncle hurt his last remaining family member when he'd always been a loyal man before who gave his darling nephew chance after chance and tried to make him into a better man? Remus was taken to bathe every morning, and if Sébastien left his rooms to do whatever, Corentin would have had time.

"Did he do anything to Jean?" asked Remus.

"He loved his brother. The family dwindled, he took the position, and the temptation grew. I'm just a nasty brat and nothing like my two brothers were."

Remus side-eyed him. True, and a wrathful Prince might seem like a good exchange for power. "I thought he truly cared for you."

"You thought wrong. I'm sure you thought your twin cared. Now look at you. The Regent also isn't content with the peace."

People were loyal until they weren't. Remus had told the Regent that and didn't realize he'd been speaking to a snake who wanted Sébastien dead. "If he uses you to get Midland in line, he'll go after Rowland, won't he? The peace treaty was to calm things down so he could focus on eliminating you and plan ahead. If he sent you directly into battle before the treaty, people may have grown suspicious. Didn't your Father specifically command you to stay out of battle just in case things grew worse?"

"Yes," replied Sébastien. "Keeping me home then made my Uncle look good, he could plan a later war at his leisure, and plot to get me out of the way. The war ended a couple of years ago, and it's been long enough. Rowland hasn't gone against us or meddled with Midland since they kept their word on that. The people of your country are likely comfortable. If they hear of my death now…so sad, too bad. They won't expect the Regent to want to increase his land and power because he jumped on the chance for a treaty when your Uncle offered it."

"Which means you can't go-"

"I'm going, and I can deal with this regardless of what you think. As for your country, I don't plan to go to war if I have the throne."

"How can I believe that? You wanted Soleil to keep fighting, and you wanted the werewolves wiped out. You hated it when Corentin agreed to sign."

"Did you think perhaps I'm not eager to start another war now? Believe what you want."

Perhaps he meant it and realized that wasn't the best idea as long as Rowland and the werewolves kept to themselves. If Sébastien died, the Regent definitely would start a war. If Remus could somehow work this out to both of their advantages…

"Either way, you have to take me."

Sébastien rolled his eyes. "I don't need you."

Remus faced him fully. "My country is also on the line, and what do you plan to do? Even if you get Midland into shape, what then? Corentin will have all of Soleil's forces under his command, and while Quintus might prefer peace so he can enjoy his new position, he's not going to help you. This isn't going to end well for you."

"We'll see."

"Are you fucking stupid?" Remus spread his arms. "How can you stand there and be so…" He made a frustrated noise. "Your Uncle is planning to kill you, and the Middies might do it for him."

Even if Sébastien somehow managed to get all of the Middies to love him and follow him into a war, they'd be outnumbered. Small forces had won amazing victories in history, but that usually wasn't the case. Remus wasn't even sure if he could pull off something like that, and he had more experience.

He'd have to get a new army, and Remus was the only one who could do that for him.

"I already knew he wanted the power since he asked me to hand over the position of King to him." Sébastien tilted his head. "He'd rule until his death or retirement if he felt too old, and I'd take over after him. He said it would give me years of freedom, and I could marry and focus on starting a family without the weight of the Kingdom on my shoulders. Jean put in the will that I was to be King at twenty-five in case something happened to him and my brothers. Corentin would only be Regent. Technically, I could have said yes and agreed of my own free will, but the fact is, I know what my Uncle planned. He wasn't going to accept my no so easily, and even if I'd said yes, he'd likely off me at some point anyway in case I changed my mind. This is my birthright, and I'm not about to lay myself down with the rest of my family so fast."

"Then you'll need me to get by in Midland without ending up as a corpse. The people might take the risk to off you. Your attitude leaves much to be desired. I haven't heard of any outright rebellions just yet, but you stepping foot onto their land might be the thing that sets them off." Remus folded his arms.

"You can stay in this room and count your leg hairs for all I care." Sébastien smirked. "Are you going to be a good slave and do this for nothing in return? Are you really so loyal to me and planning to stay by my side for life? Huh? Do you think that we're friends?"

"I want my country safe," said Remus. If Sébastien did start another war, which Remus wouldn't put past him, he'd have a chance to stop that. "I care about my people, and I think I've already shown that. I don't want my Kingdom under that man you call Uncle. I'll make you a deal."

"Like you have anything I want."

Remus leaned in. "I'll help you take Midland and live to tell about it. You'll help me get my Kingdom back, and you'll have an army behind you to keep Soleil from him. Quintus might rule, and I can't guarantee that I'd have support anymore, but I think we could manage-"

"I don't need you."

"How are you going to beat him? Do you think a small group of loyal people will fight against the entire Soleilian army?"

"Maybe I have my own plan. Did that occur to you?"

Remus made an impatient gesture with his hand. "Are you going to tell me about it?"

"No."

Maybe he didn't have one and was only prolonging his life with the dread of failure and future death weighing on him while he tried to keep his head above water. "Do you plan to flee the Kingdom?"

"If death seeks me, I'd rather face it and fight. I'm not a coward."

"Fair enough, but that won't matter much without some precautions," said Remus. "I know Midland and the people, and I don't think you want to die even if you're willing to face it. You need to take me."

"Perhaps I'll think about it."

Remus almost wanted to scoff. Perhaps. "Think about what the Middies might do if they decide to rebel and get rid of you. They'll string you up, and once they decide to get rid of your corpse, they'll toss you in a deep grave, and throw some dirt and stones on top of you. Oh, and they'll probably stomp on it because they hate your fucking guts. The soldiers in the few locations won't stop them. Those two lords who dared to travel into Midland supposedly disappeared on the road. There's no one to arrest because they don't know who did it, but the Middies certainly weren't sad."

Sébastien headed to the doorway and called out for the guard before he turned. "Did you forget that you're the son of Giorgio? You could put a knife in my back just as easily as a Middie."

"I've already had that option more than once, and I didn't. You hate me for being Giorgio's son, but guess what?" Remus pointed at the Prince. "Before I was forced to come here, I never held any particular hate for you although your Father started the actual war. I don't look for new targets to aim my anger at when the old one is dead and gone."

Sébastien watched him with a blank expression as the door opened and the guard for Remus's door entered the hall.

"Also, did you forget that you sometimes lack empathy like a basic fairy being?" added Remus. "The Middies won't like you unless you're rotting in the ground. Stab one of them in the throat while they sleep, and see how the rest like it."

"Watch what you say because you mean nothing to the Regent, and in the long run, he wouldn't care if Elira herself had gifted you."

He walked away, and the guard took his place once more. Remus closed the door and sat on his bed. That's why Corentin had wanted Remus to worm his way closer to the Prince. He could be a source of influence, good or bad, and he was likely hoping that Remus hated the Prince's guts. Maybe he'd do the murdering instead at some point.

Except he had practically refused, and the Regent knew that Remus was a dead end.

It was time to send his nephew to a dangerous place, and if something happened…whoops. How lucky the Regent could take the burden of the throne. Poor Corentin, all alone with no one in his way.

Sébastien didn't have many options. If he went to Midland, dealt with it all himself, and nothing happened to him then, it wouldn't matter. The Regent could gather the army, bring them over the ocean to Midland, and start phase two.

Sébastien might have an accident, and Middies could be blamed if needed. Once the Soleil army was there, he'd disappear in some fashion. He might even be accused of treason with an elaborate story and fabricated evidence to put him in a noose. Afterward, it'd be on to Rowland to try again.

Giorgio was gone, and while Remus had managed the last portion until Lupo negotiated with Corentin, he wasn't sure if Quintus could manage a war on his own. He didn't even know the state of the Kingdom now or if the people trusted their new King.