Family of Lies: Sebastian (7 page)

“That is unnecessary, Your Majesty. The prince is still wounded, and Lord Pasley should stay by his side,” Sebastian insisted, wishing he could strike the court wizard without reprimand.

“He’s too weak to handle more healing tonight, as both of us know, and we should talk.” Pasley grabbed Sebastian’s wrist and dragged him away from the smirking King Harris and Captain Pembrost’s shaking head. Sebastian caught the captain muttering “Too much pride,” and concentrated on staying on his feet while being pulled against his will.

“What about my book?”

“After I question you.”

I
HOPE
you’re finally tired.
For hours, Sebastian had been stuck in Frederick’s study while spells were cast at the illusion on his cloak.

Lord Pasley threw up his hands and cursed. “For a family without much magic, you have in your possession one of the strongest enchanted items I have ever seen. Are you a hunchback that you go to such extremes of hiding your face? And your gloves are enchanted too!”

“Perhaps I should have mentioned that both items were gifts from my sister, Ophelia.” Sebastian watched Lord Pasley’s hazel eyes narrow and smiled beneath his hood. “Did I forget to tell you?” he asked innocently.

“The prince’s wound didn’t heal itself. Your sister made your clothing, but the healing was your magic!”

“Maybe, or the prince could have performed magic while I wasn’t looking.”

“Why do you hide your power?”

Because my siblings are asses who would bug me for spells every second.
“Why does it matter to you? The prince is safe, and I will have no further business with you when I leave. Besides, it’s costing you every hour I’m in your custody.” Sebastian folded his hands over his lap.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, my father insists that I need to be a better son, and nothing short of two purses of gold as a reward would satisfy him.” Lord Pasley’s eyes widened in shock. “I, of course, find payment for my actions mercenary and intend to talk my father out of being too greedy, but perhaps I should demand three purses instead. My father is dependable to exaggerate my good deeds to the point that I defended the prince from a hundred bandits, and I find my confinement annoying.”

“You’re too young to be so cranky.” Lord Pasley crossed his arms. “What about Prince Turren? He’s worried rightly that you’ll be gone when he awakes, and as you said, the country relies on his health.”

“The best compromise I can offer is that I will visit the prince before I leave. If he’s awake, I’ll speak with the stubborn ass.” Sebastian held up his hand to forestall the wizard from defending his prince. “And on the condition that you will not discuss ridiculous stories about me having magic with my family.”

Lord Pasley’s bushy brows arched out of their V of anger and reached up into his sandy-brown hair in speculation. “I’ll see what the king has to say. But I want your word that you will not try to leave without permission.”

“It’s yours… until it grows too late for my liking.”

Lord Pasley shook his head in the same manner as Captain Pembrost and muttered, “I pity my cousin,” and shut the door behind him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I
CAN
’
T
believe you and Anne caught up with them but didn’t interfere,” King Harris said. “What if he hadn’t brought Turren to safety?”

“Her Majesty felt confident that Turren knew what he was doing, and it gave us the chance to double back and catch a pair of the prince’s pursuers,” Captain Pembrost said.

“Are either of them talking yet?” the king asked.

“So far, they know very little,” Frederick spoke up. “Anne got the mercenaries talking, but she thinks we’ll find out more from who hired them. She’s sniffing around where they picked up the job. Turren seems happy about the outcome.”

The king sighed. “You could have told me Turren has romantic designs on Sebastian. I don’t see this pursuit working out in his favor.”

“Whether or not he succeeds, it’ll be a learning experience for him either way.”

“I have no idea what to make of Sebastian. What did you learn from seeing the boy?” King Harris asked him.

“He’s a strange one. I’ve heard no mention of anyone besides Ophelia and Diana possessing magic among the Orwell children,” Frederick said. “That’s part of the deal too. We let him leave on his terms and keep quiet about his powers.”

“I still haven’t seen him without the hood,” King Harris said in exasperation. “What’s your opinion, Pembrost? He asked for you when he rode up to the gates.”

Pembrost shrugged. “He’s cranky, secretive, and arrogant. Honest to a fault when it suits him, and has little patience. Damn good in a fight, loyal to his family but doesn’t bring himself down to their level. He is the main caregiver to his blind sister, Ophelia, and has eyes the color of peridot.” King Harris and Frederick stared at him in astonishment. “I’ve kept an eye on the boy because the prince’s interest never waned.”

Two pairs of eyebrows were still raised. “Have you seen his face?” King Harris asked.

“No, the part about peridot eyes is what the prince kept going on about after Sebastian hit him. I don’t think the cloaks held as strong enchantments then as they do today, so the prince was able to sneak a peek.”

“He hit Turren?” Frederick asked, incredulous.

“Against my better judgment, I allowed him to hang around Lord Orwell’s children. They were bullies, and Turren was no better. He made an unwise decision of joining them in making cruel sport of Sebastian,” King Harris explained.

“He was always reading by himself, and the children thought he was an easy target. Sebastian showed them that it’s never a good idea to disturb the quiet ones,” Captain Pembrost added.

“Who falls in love after being thrashed?” Frederick asked.

“I suspect the prince fell for him before that mess, but Sebastian made a bigger impact by making him feel shame for the first time,” the captain explained. “It’s not that unreasonable.”

“But Sebastian doesn’t return the prince’s feelings, so why are you intent on pushing him to see Turren?” Frederick asked.

“Because the prince didn’t have a chance as a boy, and I have faith in the man he’s become,” Captain Pembrost said proudly.

“Harris, how do you feel about Turren succeeding?”

“Despite my power, I have no authority in who my son loves. I wish he’d chosen an easier goal, but I like Sebastian’s backbone.”

Frederick threw his arms in the air. “You’re both crazy.”

“Y
OU
’
RE
LEAVING
?”
Damn, I sound too pleading.
Prince Turren lounged on his pillows in the low candlelight and tried to look relaxed.

“Yes.”

The raspy voice still sent tremors down Turren’s back, but the deeper tone it had grown into sent tremors lower.

“You should be sleeping. There was no reason for you to see me.”

There’s every reason in the world to see you.
“So you say,” he said.

Sebastian stepped closer to the bed. “Why do you want me here?”

Sex is a bad answer and not realistic in my state.
“What price do I have to pay in order to see your face?” Turren asked instead.

“I haven’t decided yet, on the price or who should pay it. You’re an odd man to be attracted to someone whose face you haven’t seen,” Sebastian said.

Turren’s cheeks turned red. “That’s not fair. I haven’t made the proper overtures yet.”

“I wasn’t trying to be fair.”

“If I prove myself to you, do you agree to let me see your face?” Turren asked.

“We’ve spoken about impossible promises before, Your Highness.”

“Do you agree or not, Sir Orwell?”

“No.” Sebastian stood over him, unrelenting as ever.

Turren sighed. “Not even as a request from an injured man?”

Sebastian shook his head.

“You never told me what you thought of the present, or maybe I can’t remember.”

Sebastian carefully removed the expensive book from his cloak. “Thank you for giving me what you already owed. Our kingdom might not be doomed after all.”

“If I manage to find the right husband, I’m sure I’ll do well as a ruler,” Turren whispered as he reached for Sebastian’s hands. He felt Sebastian’s muscles go taut because his fingers did not slide off, so he stroked them until they relaxed. “I won’t force the issue no matter what you think of me,” he promised.

“My opinion of you was never that low.” Sebastian didn’t move his hands. “I really have no idea what you see in me. Teaching you common sense once in your childhood should not have left such a great impression. I am not a pleasant person.”

“Harold Bast, one of the wizards who was considered for the court appointment, calls you his friend. Do you think I should disregard his opinion of you too? You have little tact, but you do the right thing when it counts. That’s all that I ask of most men,” Turren said.

“Too bad you’re asking more from me.”

“Isn’t it normal to have higher expectations of abnormal men?”

Sebastian picked up the glass of water from Turren’s meal tray. “I’m offended to hear you throw around that word,” Sebastian said before he took a drink. “You follow me around like a puppy, and I’m supposed to be the strange one.”

Turren stared. “The cup disappears into your hood.”

“My sister does not do shoddy work.”

As the cup disappeared into the hood again, Turren wondered if everything going into it had that effect. Turren swallowed hard and bent over in a coughing fit, clutching his stomach in pain. Sebastian frowned but poured another glass for him.

“What brought that on?” Sebastian asked.

“Nothing,” Turren said before he gulped down the water quickly.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be here.”

“I’m fine. I just need to watch my thoughts while I’m still healing.”

“What thoughts?”

“Nothing that would interest you,” Turren said.

“As mouthy as you’ve been, you’re suddenly playing coy.”

Turren put the cup back. “I’m being prudent.”

Sebastian eyed him suspiciously and frowned at the bulge Turren was trying to hide under the sheets. “Funny, I have a feeling that your thoughts might interest me a great bit. By what pleasure god could you have that reaction in your condition?” Sebastian asked as he pointed at Turren’s crotch.

Turren glared at him. “Since you won’t respect my dignity, I shall tell you exactly what my mind pictured. I thought it would be very interesting to watch my cock disappear down your throat while lovemaking.”

“How do you plan on making that fantasy come true?” Sebastian asked.

“Hard work and determination.”

“And this for the son of a dishonored lord? You plan on wooing me?”

“Yes and yes,” Turren said. “I will find out what curse maligns your body, and I will free you from it no matter how far I must travel to cure you. That is the only way I can earn your love and show how much you mean to me.”

Sebastian laughed. “You think your love can change my face and give me a life without these cloaks? I’m sorry to inform you, Your Highness, but you are an arrogant little shit. There is no remedy for my face, and I will always look like this regardless of your tries to free me from whatever horrific visage you’ve imagined. Knowing that, do you honestly think when I remove my hood that you could still be happy with me?”

Turren stared at Sebastian thoughtfully. “If you trusted me to see under your hood, I would be the happiest man alive. If you trusted me that much, then that means you return my feelings.” He smiled sheepishly. “No matter how little you think of them.”

S
EBASTIAN
LOOKED
at the prince and wished they had seen each other over the years. He could have watched the prince’s progress and not been blindsided by the fool’s confession. It was easier for Sebastian to reject the familiar well-wishers who hoped he could live uncovered one day. But the prince was a stranger who had no damn right making Sebastian wish for things he couldn’t have. Sebastian’s intention had been to fairly let the prince down without any ambiguity, but after Turren’s ramblings, Sebastian thought,
I am going to torment him.
Turren had faced downward as he mumbled about his feelings, and Sebastian bent slowly so he wouldn’t notice. Tilting his head so he could catch the prince’s lips unaware, Sebastian kissed him briefly.

Turren blinked as he touched his lips. He looked at his fingers and then looked at Sebastian. “Did… you?” He sat up straighter. “No, that’s not fair!”

“Excuse me?”

“I wasn’t prepared. Kiss me again!”

Sebastian rolled his eyes.
If Turren wants more suffering, then who am I to deny His Highness?
“Only one more,” he said as he bent again and allowed his lips to linger on wet skin that had been moistened by Turren’s tongue. Turren’s hand stayed on the bed, but he licked at Sebastian’s lips as the kiss continued. Sebastian was inexperienced, but he knew what the prince was requesting. Rolling his eyes again, Sebastian opened his mouth and permitted entry. A very warm tongue touched Sebastian’s front teeth and then went inside his mouth. It was startling to feel someone else’s flesh like that, but Turren wasn’t forceful and Sebastian relaxed. Turren’s tongue went deeper into his mouth, and after tasting as much as possible, it concentrated on Sebastian’s tongue until Sebastian responded. Sebastian pulled back so he could breathe, and Turren obediently released him. There was drool on both their mouths, and Sebastian licked his lips.

Turren gulped. “Does this mean that you are going to take my declaration of courtship seriously?”

Sebastian stared at the hopeful face that was mixed with a little pride.
He must suspect it was my first real kiss.
That only makes it easier to crush him.
Sebastian smiled and said, “No.”