Chapter Seven

Remus wasn't mad, but he couldn't pretend he wasn't shocked. Kids had been a "maybe later" thing in his head. He wasn't sure if Sébastien would ever bring himself to sleep with a consort. Quite frankly, he wouldn't be into it either.

Without an heir, they'd have to later pick who would take over after them and continue the rule. Since they suddenly had a little girl, he figured that issue was out of the way.

He remembered the little girl who'd given Sébastien the drawing, although she was far skinnier than last time. Her dress was ragged, and she twitched her dull wings as she stuffed in another bite of bread.

Remus suddenly realized he had no idea how to be a parent. Father had taken care of two boys after Mother passed. How did one raise a girl?

"Go slow," said Milly.

élo?se's face lit up when she saw Sébastien. Faint dismay crossed her face at the sight of Remus like she didn't know what to think of him and wasn't sure if she should be scared of him or not. He was a lot bigger and unfamiliar, so Remus went for a smile while keeping a bit of distance between them so he hopefully didn't seem threatening.

"She ate some broth, and everything seems to be staying down," said Milly.

Sébastien crouched by the hearth to look at her. "Does your stomach hurt?"

"No. I'm full, but I'm hungry." She took another bite of bread and glanced at Remus who figured she meant that while she was physically full, her brain was telling her to eat while food was still available.

"Slow down, okay? I don't want you getting sick."

"You always eat what you have because it might not be there later."

"Who told you that?"

"Some boys. They gave me food once, but they said I couldn't join their group. No girls allowed." Her face grew pinched.

"Ah, well…you're staying here now, and you don't have to eat everything at once if you feel full. There will always be food. Nobody is going to take it."

She looked a bit doubtful. If she'd been on the street for roughly a year, she'd likely picked up a lot of habits quite quickly to stay alive such as eating whatever was available in case someone else tried to steal it.

"This is Remus Rizzo," said Sébastien. "Have you heard of the King of Rowland?"

She didn't seem to know his name. Politics and the general world beyond Soleil likely hadn't been important.

Remus knelt and tried to be small. "Hi."

She gave him a tiny wave and scooted forward to hug Sébastien and whisper in his ear.

He squinted. "You are. Remus lives here too because we're getting married, and we'll both be the Kingdoms of Soleil and Rowland."

She sat back on the hearth. "Do you have to ride in a big white carriage?"

"Hmm, we will go to the Temple in a carriage. It doesn't have to be white."

"But after you marry him, can I still stay with you?"

"You'll live here with both of us."

Remus couldn't quite get her thought process. Did she view him as a sort of evil stepfather who'd kick her out?

"Milly stays until after dinner, and a couple of servants come during the day to clean. Sometimes, there are guards in the house, but they don't stay inside for too long. Erm, there are petitioners too, and the occasional criminal. They're always led in by guards, and they won't bother you. That's what you can expect here."

"Can I have soup every day?"

"You can have lots of things to eat, not just soup. I'm sure your Mama fed you more than that, right?"

"She's not here to get the food."

"But we'll take care of that for you now."

Remus spoke up. "Since this is all going to be a big change for her, maybe she should spend more of her time with you for a couple of days. She already knows you and feels safer with you. It might help while she gets used to things. Maybe tomorrow, she can sit with you while you do petitions."

Perhaps that would help her a bit.

Sébastien nodded. "All right."

She didn't look so intimidated, but she didn't know Remus either, and while she was fine now, getting used to her new life wouldn't happen overnight.

"You can spend the morning with me," Sébastien told her.

She grinned and leaned over to fling her arms around his neck. Sébastien hugged her back with none of the leeriness or outright distrust he'd have if anyone else besides Remus attempted that.

"If you let me go now, I can ask my neighbor for a couple of things," said Milly. "Her granddaughter has wings, and she's growing like a weed. I'm sure she has a couple of things élo?se could wear."

"Would you ask her? Elira, I didn't even think of what she'll wear after a bath."

They ate soup and bread in the dining room, although élo?se's was more broth. Sébastien tried to get her to sit nicely by him in a chair with a cushion so she could reach the table better. Instead, she got into his lap and refused to budge. Sébastien let her and told her to be careful with her mug.

Since Remus knew things about Sébastien that he'd never discuss in detail with others, it was obvious to him that he wasn't cold although others had often viewed him like that. He also wasn't surprised that Sébastien had rescued the girl and brought her in although he was still rather floored that they had a child all of a sudden.

He couldn't pretend it wasn't a little odd that his future husband had relented so quickly and let her sit in his lap. He'd also been quite at ease with her in the kitchen. Perhaps he was one of those people who are naturally better with children even though he hadn't had much chance to show it yet.

Remus tried asking her some simple questions, and she answered, but she didn't seem very interested in talking to him.

Milly returned when they were almost done, and Remus heard her footsteps upstairs. They had an unused bedroom, and after some more noises and footsteps, Milly called out.

"I'm leaving. I made the bed for her, and there are a few things she can wear."

"Thanks," called Remus and Sébastien.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning."

élo?se yawned. "I'm tired."

"Do you think you could stay up a bit more so you can have a bath? You can't go to sleep like that."

"Yes, I can."

Well, she had, but that wasn't a good thing.

"You'll feel better if you take a bath," said Remus.

She didn't look very convinced as Sébastien scooted her off of his lap so he could stand. "Remus, can you put the dishes in the kitchen so I can take her upstairs?"

***

Remus hesitantly entered the spare bedroom and called out. "Do you want me to run out and get anything? Is there anything she really needs right now?"

"You can come in."

élo?se was sitting on a footstool in the attached privy room and kicking her feet while Sébastien carefully combed her hair. He'd wetted it down and seemed to be checking near her scalp.

"Thank Elira she doesn't have nits because I don't know what to do for those. I don't think we need anything urgently right now. I would like it if you could get the bath oil from our privy room so I can smooth her hair a bit. I need to comb out these knots before she bathes."

Remus fetched it and figured he'd leave them be. In the morning, he could go out with a list. As a kid, he'd had nice clothes made by a tailor, although he'd hated being measured or told to pick out colors from swaths because he hadn't cared what color coat he put on in the morning.

A little girl might like that sort of thing, and she needed clothes anyway. He could get a seamstress to come by later. Sébastien had one who'd made his wardrobe. Of course, all of his new clothes were dark, although at least not every single thing was black.

She'd probably love toys. All kids need toys to play with. Books too, if the family can afford at least a couple. What about a tutor? He sat on the bed trying to think of things to get her. The tutor could wait, but kids need a lot.

Sébastien called for Remus after a good twenty minutes, and he returned to the bedroom to find Sébastien sitting on the bed. Splashy noises came through the privy room door.

"Make sure you actually wash yourself and don't just play in the water," called Sébastien. "I think she knows how to bathe, but I told her anyway. It's easy to forget things at that age, and I went through a short period when Mother practically had to force me into the tub."

"Really?"

"I think I was…four? What?"

Remus was trying not to laugh at the image of a four-year-old Sébastien pouting and refusing to take a bath. "You, as a kid. I imagine you tended to be quite stubborn if you didn't want to do something."

"Sometimes."

Remus sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not sure if she dislikes me or if she's shy and simply more attached to you."

"I don't think she dislikes you. You are big, and I don't think she's been trusting of many lately. Especially after today. How would you feel if a random man grabbed you and demanded you beg to give him money?"

"What exactly happened earlier?"

Sébastien told him everything. Remus wasn't surprised that the bastard had met his end with a slit throat. He'd deserved it. Technically, it was right to have a trial, but no one was going to whine about Sébastien dealing with the guy in a faster way.

It took a disgusting man to enslave a little girl and try to use her. No wonder Sébastien had hastily decided to bring her home with no room for budging in his mind. Remus put his arm around Sébastien since the ordeal had likely reminded him of his past.

"It makes my skin crawl to think that if I hadn't been there at that exact time, I wouldn't have seen anything."

"You'd have come home, and we would have gone about our day." Remus didn't like to think of it either. Abuse and horrible things went on all of the time in secret, and they couldn't save everyone. At least they'd spared one.

"I was thinking I'll make a list tomorrow," said Remus. "The seamstress can come here, and right now, she pretty much has nothing."

"Okay. Are you properly washing up in there?"

"Yes!" élo?se called.

"After you put her to bed, do you want to have a glass of wine and relax on the balcony?"

"Yeah."

"You know, we'll take turns with this stuff later, right? You're not going to be doing everything even if she stays more with you in the next few days. It's only to help her feel more secure since she likes you more."

"I figured you're not that sort."

élo?se finally came out with her hair dripping. "I can't reach the buttons."

The small flaps on the back of the nightgown for her wings to fit through were hanging open, and Sébastien buttoned them for her. "Go get the drying sheet and your comb."

She ran back with the items and climbed onto the bed so her hair could be better dried. "I only want you to comb my hair," she declared.

"Remus could do it later."

"No," she said in a tone that was quite final.

"élo?se, do you ever remember a man being around when you were little?" asked Sébastien. "Perhaps he left for several hours during the day and came home in time for dinner?"

"No."

"What about a woman?" asked Remus.

"No."

"What did your Mama do for work?" asked Sébastien.

"She cleaned houses."

"What did you do all day?" he asked.

"I went with her. I had to be real quiet and stay out of the way."

That must have been terribly boring for a little girl. Whoever her other parent was, they must have left or passed away, leaving her with no memory of anyone but her Mama.

"No family ever came by to see you or Mama?" asked Sébastien.

"No. We didn't have a family. It was just Mama and me."

"I just wanted to know if there was anyone else. My family is gone too." Sébastien scooped her up to set her on his lap while he straightened a few feathers on her wings. "Since I'm going to be like your parent, Remus is too. That means you'll have two now."

"I just want to stay with you." She reached for a strand of Sébastien's hair to look at it.

"You don't like me?" asked Remus.

Her stony expression said no.

Oh. Great. Sébastien glanced at him and shook his head as if to say to not put much mind to her answer.

"Tomorrow's a new day, and it's time for bed now."

"Sébastien's going to put you to bed, and I will see you tomorrow, okay?" Remus stood and smiled at her. It wasn't returned.

***

"Don't take it the wrong way," Sébastien said when he stepped out on the balcony. "She's said she's not ever going anywhere with you."

"But-what did I do?"

Sébastien came around the cushioned bench and sat by Remus. "I think it's because that fucker snatched her this morning, so now she probably thinks you're going to mean to her. She didn't understand everything earlier, but he slapped her and was quite rough with her. She understood that. She's met me before, so it's different."

"I figured she'd feel better with you at first for a bit, but I didn't think she'd see me like that."

"She'll see in a few days that you're not a man who slaps little girls and grabs their arms to drag them around. Just give her some time. When you left, I told her you're about to be my husband, and I'd never marry a man who hits. I'm not sure if that got through to her. She wanted me to tell her a story called The Prince's Big Adventure."

"What's that?"

Sébastien shrugged and reached for his glass on the low table in front of them. "I don't know. I had to make up something. I know she's tired, but I think I bored her to sleep. Oh, she also made me check under her bed and in the wardrobe twice just in case monsters were hiding."

Sébastien's reasoning for her dislike made sense. Remus would be distrustful too at the age of five if some lowlife had slapped him, started making demands, and dragged him around. He was pretty big too, and in her young mind, that might mean bad.

In the light of the small crystal lantern Remus had set by the bottle of red wine, he noticed Sébastien's was a bit rigid. He was probably worried again because not only had he suddenly brought home a kid, she didn't even trust Remus.

"It hasn't even been a full day, so I'm sure she'll feel differently."

"I'm sorry," said Sébastien.

"Don't apologize. We'll figure this out as we go."

Sébastien leaned on him, and they looked up at the moon shining down. "I don't know how you have so much patience for me."

"Because you're a good man, and even when I thought you were despicable, you were just trying to protect yourself." Remus put an arm around him and kissed the top of his head. Sébastien eased against him. "You protected someone else today. Also, I was surprised at you earlier since you took so well to her."

"Hm?"

"In the kitchen, you seemed to know what to say to her, and you let her sit in your lap. I never thought you'd be a bad parent. Maybe it's because she doesn't like me, but how do you know what to do? She trusts you entirely."

"I made the bad man go away in her eyes. You would have done the same."

"Yes…"

"You would have been the nice man who saves little girls. That's all it is. And as a Prince and King, I'm sure I appear quite grand in her eyes. I don't know any parenting secrets. I've barely done anything, and so far, I've just been trying to make her feel safe by letting her do what she wants. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm not sure how to raise a little girl."

Sébastien shifted to look at him in the dim light as Whisper let out a snort from the yard below. "I think most parents figure things out as they go. There's no rigid set of rules that you need to instantly start following, Remus."

Perhaps he was overthinking it because it had been so sudden.

"What should I buy her?"

***

Remus left the house the next morning with a list that he'd made with Sébastien. When he'd asked élo?se if she wanted anything, she'd said she had no money. Sébastien clarified it'd be like a present, and she'd shrugged.

He stopped at the seamstress first and asked if the lady could come by that afternoon after lunch. The woman said she would.

"It's for a little girl, so think of colors that a little girl would like."

"A girl?"

"We adopted. Long story."

Clothes aren't made in a day, and élo?se would need at least a couple of other dresses plus shifts. Remus had to try a few secondhand shops to find something that was in good shape and looked like it would fit her. A pair of slippers would do for around the house until they took her to the cobbler for shoes.

The toy shop was a little easier. Every child needs things to play with, and she wouldn't think he was so bad if he got her dolls, right? Remus didn't know much about dolls. Any kind should be good. He picked three and noticed the woman behind the counter was giving him an odd look.

"Aren't you King Remus?"

"Yeah."

She raised an eyebrow at his armload of dolls.

"These are all for me," he told her.

"Mmm. Have fun, Your Majesty." She went back to doodling on a scrap of parchment.

What was better than dolls? A toy sword and shield. élo?se was five, so it was time to get her used to training. Remus had started training at four, which had mostly consisted of waving around a wooden sword. They'd teach her how to fight, and when she grew up, nobody would ever mess with her. Remus had loved playing with his toy soldiers as a small boy, so he grabbed her a few of those too. Why not? The dolls would need companions.