Page 12 of Love Me Forever

“Mhm. “Oh, look, the Prince became King, and he’s grown an iron fist.’” The situation was complicated, and trying to figure out who was who would be a lengthy, difficult task.

“You could try to figure it out, but you might end up with a lord who’s innocent and only looks guilty. Fuck, he doesn’t even need to actually be innocent. If enough people believe he is, it doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a revolt, but it won’t look good for you. You can’t even rely on slave testimony because someone might try to get back at their owner just because. A slave who’s mostly ignored and only made to do basic tasks here and there might still hate his previous owner simply for the fact that he was bought. Another person who was free but hated a particular person might say anything too.”

“That’s why I don’t know what to do. I’ve thought about allowing past slaves to come forward with accounts of what happened to them, but you’re right. How do I know if one is lying just to get revenge? I know the apothecary owner here didn’t buy anyone. He could come to me and say anything about anotherperson, and then I have to figure out if he’s lying or telling the truth.”

Remus rubbed his chin as he stared at the parchment. “Sébastien, I hate to say this, but I think you already know you’ll never be able to punish everyone, right?”

“Yes,” Sébastien forced out unwillingly.

“At any time in every Kingdom, there are always at least a couple of people running free who’ve done despicable, horrible things that no one knows about. It’s impossible to catch everyone. If your Father had lived, things had gone his way, and you never said anything, the Regent would be alive and free right this second.”

The prospect was like a knife. Every day, Sébastien had been forced to see his abuser and interact with him like nothing had ever happened. When Father had originally gone to war, and Sébastien had been made to sit with Uncle and watch him deal with petitioners, there had been a man brought in to be sentenced for rape. The woman’s family had accompanied her to give their statements along with the physician who had treated her many injuries. With that many witnesses to the aftermath, the evidence had been undeniable.

Violent rapists weren’t permitted to be slaves. Uncle had given him the typical sentence: the noose.

Sébastien, trying to pack down his own past during that petition, had felt sorry for the woman. He’d also been insanely jealous. The criminal’s death wouldn’t undo the past, but if she wanted, she could watch his neck snap and go forth in life with the knowledge that he’d never be able to touch her or anybody else again. She got to have at least some form of closure.

After petitions, Sébastien had to go to lunch with the man who’d hurt him instead of watching him dangle from a noose.

“I know I can’t kill them all,” Sébastien said as Remus put an arm around his shoulders. “I also don’t want to force anyoneto come forward to speak to me if it’s something they can’t talk about. Just because the Kingdom knows what happened to me, it doesn’t mean another might wish to share their own story.”

Remus squeezed him. “What I think you could do is send out a few people. Have them go from hold to hold and collect all the records of sale. Release too. Afterward, they could try to find out where those freed slaves are and attempt to speak to them. If one was raped or abused, they could write a statement. If they have proof or other witnesses, you could deal with the offender.”

“I don’t think most rapists do it in front of everyone.”

“If there was more than one slave or servant working in a lord’s home, they might have seen signs of trauma or abuse. They might have heard something. Not every rapist can hide it as well as your Uncle did, and since Jean and Remere were dealing with their own feelings after Margot and Enzo’s death, I don’t think they were paying a lot of attention to you.”

That would work. If a prior slave could provide evidence and witnesses, he could use that. It was better than neighbors possibly pointing the finger at others if they knew a hunt was going on. If a person wished to say nothing and try to move on with their life on their own terms, they could do that too. Truly, most of the worst were dead and gone or at least removed from power. Not all owners had been raping or abusing their slaves.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll do that in a while and-”

Tom’s voice came from down the hall. “Your Majesties, are you busy?”

“What is it?”

Tom came to the open doorway. “There’s a woman named Milly outside, and she wants to see you. Wasn’t there a Milly who used to work at the Palace?”

Sébastien blinked at him, almost at a loss for words. Milly had returned after all of this time? “Let her in.”

Tom headed down the hall as Remus spoke. “Milly was the woman you told me about, right?”

“Yes…she was the only one there with that name. I didn’t think she’d ever come to see me.”

“The Regent’s gone, so perhaps that’s why? Do you want me to go so you can talk and have a few minutes of privacy?”

Sébastien hesitated. “All right.” If she wasn’t mad at him, and he could ask her a particular question, she might not want to say it in front of Remus. “It’s not because of you.”

“I didn’t think it was. I figured you might want a minute with her.”

Sébastien hadn’t been able to speak to her after the necklace incident, and since she’d been sentenced to slavery for five years, and it had ended, he’d assumed she’d never return. He had the sudden thought that she’d come to blame him for everything right to his face.

Technically, it was his fault.

Footsteps returned, and Remus gave Sébastien a quick kiss on his temple when they stood. Tom entered to gesture into the office, and Milly stepped into view. Remus greeted her and excused himself.

“Hello, Prince Sébast-I mean, Your Majesty. You’re technically the King now, not a Prince.” Milly adjusted one of the straps on the pack she was carrying and came toward the desk to do a little curtsy.

“Hello, Milly.”

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