Chapter Eight

"The way your brother was treated was intolerable, and you know it." Vincent rarely let his temper go, but seeing how upset his new husband was because of the rudeness of others – and the king did nothing at all… He was furious on his new husband's behalf. As the king had been spirited away to his quarters, the only person Vincent could vent to was Onyx. He supposed he should be grateful that Onyx suggested his office for their meeting. Morgan was already busy collecting his things so they could leave the damn country of Tyrion behind them.

"You know darn well that this type of insult to a royal family member from a visiting country is the sort of thing the World Court would jump on. When I make my complaint…"

"Please don't." Onyx held up his hand, before reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out drinks. "Look, I'm asking you respectfully, as an equally ranked family member right now, to please just let this go."

"Let it go?" Vincent flung his hand at the door behind him. "My husband felt compelled to leave his own wedding reception, upset at the crudeness of your guests. And when I complained to the king, he's the one who got upset with me. Laughing and cackling about how he'd secured a significant political merger over a game of cards. All while your audience applauded him."

"In fairness, the rudeness you both experienced from the Sullivans was due to your past behavior, not my brother's." Onyx pushed over a glass half filled with whiskey. "Sit down for goodness' sake. Your looming and flinging your arms around isn't helping anything."

"That still doesn't excuse the behavior of your king toward a visiting member of a royal family from another country. Countries have gone to war over less." Vincent sat, but only because he knew it would take Morgan a while to collect his things. "I have every right to go to the World Council. My husband deserves no less, and you know it."

"Orion will fully understand why you wouldn't. Things are…difficult here." Onyx ran his hand over his face with a sigh. "As I'm sure you've already guessed. I will explain, but first I need you to tell me why the hell you wanted my brother as a husband in the first place. That was not something you just decided on a whim, no matter how much you've tried to pass it off as one. You already knew how bad King Oscar is at playing cards – it's not like you haven't gambled with him before. So what was all this business about securing my brother that way in the first place? Orion was mortified by your actions and those of his father."

Vincent winced. "It was never my intention to humiliate Orion. But, yes, I've been here before and every time I tried to engage your king in a serious conversation about Orion, he suggested a game. For all I knew, all of Tyrion's business negotiations were conducted over the card table."

"If my father had his way, they probably would be. I do my best to intervene where I can." Onyx pointed his glass in Vincent's direction. "That still doesn't explain your desire to marry my brother. In all the years you've visited here, you two have never exchanged a single word. So why him?"

"Honestly, man to man, crown prince to crown prince?"

Onyx nodded. "Whatever you say in here won't leave this room, unless it's particularly disgusting or hurtful to my brother in which case I will tell him."

"It's nothing like that. Look." Vincent glanced around the room. It was clean, functional, but there were very few of the trappings evident, like the ones he had in his own office at Faast. "I have a reputation. Can't deny it. I've enjoyed the company of various society family sons and daughters and a couple of royals. But in every one of those cases, those people…" He struggled to explain. "Orion has never once fawned over me like I was someone special."

"I doubt that sort of behavior is in his nature. Was this marriage business a form of spite then? Because he didn't give you the attention you thought you deserved?"

Vincent shook his head. "Nothing like that, no. None of my previous relationships lasted very long, as I'm sure you've also heard. My companions were all pleasant. They all hoped to gain something from being seen with me, which is perfectly natural and normal. I lavished gifts on them, because that was expected, but anytime I tried to talk to any one of them concerning a serious matter, they all just agreed with me, shutting down the conversation before it even started. Do you know how frustrating or boring that can be?"

"Sucks to be you." But Onyx was grinning and when he lifted his glass in salute, Vincent did the same. "So the reason you wanted to marry my brother was because in all the countries you visit on a regular basis, he was the one person who didn't make a fuss or try to attract your attention?"

"That about sums it up, yes." Vincent took a sip from his glass. "Plus, I think he's a very handsome man."

"And it didn't cross your mind that perhaps my brother just didn't like you?"

Vincent had to think for a moment and then he shook his head. "No. He struck me as a man who would only come to that conclusion if he had spent time with me, and then didn't like who he perceived me to be."

"That's remarkably astute and accurate and now I can see why you didn't push to spend time with him before the vows were exchanged. You'll probably have to work a bit of your charm for my brother to get past the whole ‘won him in a card game' anecdote. That did not do you any favors in my brother's eyes or mine. However, you were honest with me, and it's only fair I respond in kind."

Thank goodness. Vincent would be happy if the whole idea of "winning" his husband in a card game could be forgotten, especially if it upset Orion so much. "Is the king often like this? Behaving badly in public?"

"He hasn't reached the drooling in his meal stage yet, but it's likely to happen in the not to distant future. The king imbibes far more than is healthy for him, and genuinely doesn't care about this country or the people who live here."

"Then why the fa?ade? Why not let me call in the World Council and have him removed? You're clearly already doing his job as it is."

"You think you're telling me anything new?" Onyx laughed, although there was no humor in it. "My dear, long suffering wife tells me exactly the same thing at least once a week. But think about what it would do to the Tyrion royal family name if the king were carted off to a psychiatric hospital. What it would do to my mother, or my sister in Carntan. Olivia is the crown princess there and having her father considered a lunatic or an unruly drunk would be hugely damaging to her reputation and by extension the Carntan royal family. That's without considering the hundreds of people here in Tyrion who look to the royal family to set an example.

"As the situation stands, the king hasn't actually hurt anyone physically, he hasn't gambled the castle away, and while he doesn't care about the people, I do all I can to keep them safe. His valet, Peter, is on my side. He alerts me if the king's behavior gets too much, dependent on the company he is keeping at that time, and that's when I intervene, claiming he has to deal with a matter of state. That's usually enough to get him away from the public eye and from there it doesn't take a lot to convince him he probably needs a nap because being a king is apparently so tiring for him."

"It sounds like you're dealing with an overgrown toddler." Vincent understood how important family reputation was and didn't envy Onyx's position. "There's not a lot I can do to help with that, seeing as I've been banished from the court. But if there is anything, you just have to send me a message and I'll do what I can." Then he had another thought and added, "Is this business with the king and the way he is why Orion's been so busy in the past two days?"

"No, Orion has been working on a project that could benefit this country in a life changing way for the entire population, if it comes through. Forgive me for saying so, but this wedding was a hiccup we hadn't accounted for. But that is on him to determine whether he shares the details of that project with you. I also hope, if he discusses it with you, that you will prove as helpful as you've offered to be here." Onyx stood as there was a quiet knock on the door and Vincent understood the dismissal for what it was and got up as well, putting his glass on the desk. "Be kind to him, please."

"I don't even know if he'll accompany me," Vincent admitted as Morgan poked his head around the door.

"Sires, my apologies for interrupting, but Crown Prince Consort Orion is waiting in the carriage for you, and everything else is packed up ready for us to leave."

"There's your answer." Onyx nodded. "One thing Orion is known for is keeping his promises. And please, don't concern yourself about the banishment. The king will have forgotten it by the time he wakes up from his nap. He'll probably be wondering why you're not around to play cards with this evening. That's just the way things are at the moment."

"A situation that can't be easy for anyone." Reaching over, Vincent shook Onyx's hand. "I'm just a messenger away if you need me for anything."

"Welcome to the family," Onyx said as Vincent followed Morgan out of the room.