Page 23 of Love Me Forever

“Did he run?” Tom craned his neck to look behind Sébastien.

“No. Do you really think I’d let him run away and come moseying back here like nothing happened?”

Tom frowned. “Oh. I can guess what’s back there.”

“I gave him a nice smile on his neck. Do you have a hanky or something?” Éloïse was still holding his.

“Yeah…”

“Clean that for me, will you?” Sébastien handed over his dagger. A little red was near the handle.

Tom took the weapon. “At least this one deserved it.”

Sébastien ignored that comment and crouched in front of Éloïse. “You’re going to ride with me on the unicorn, okay?”

She nodded while staring at him like he was Elira in the flesh. “Is he going to come back and take me away?”

“No. You’ll never see him again. You’re safe now, and I promise that.”

“Can I have a piece of bread? I’m really hungry, and I ain’t got money.”

“We’ll get you something to eat too, but you have to see the physician first. You have to hold onto the pommel and sit still while we ride. Tom, I need you to go fetch a couple of city guards. Tell them what happened and why. Deal with the…remains.”

Tom handed back the dagger. “I should stay with you.”

Sébastien stood to tuck the dagger into the sheath on his belt. “I’m going to Maxime’s house. I’ll be fine. Remus won’t kill you for leaving me alone because I said so, and I can take care of myself in general.”

Tom didn’t argue after that. Sébastien helped Éloïse onto the saddle and climbed up behind her. He’d already made his choice, and it hadn’t taken much thinking considering he didn’t have many choices. It wasn’t like he could leave her in the street.

“Do you have family somewhere else? Like a Grandma or an Aunt?”

“No.” She sniffled.

Then it was definitely settled. Like fuck he was going to plunk her on the street and ride away. He had to bring her home since she had nobody. The problem was that he and Remus hadn’t actually decided on kids. Heirs are generally important, but Sébastien didn’t particularly care if his bloodline continued,and Remus hadn't seemed eager to get started on making plans for a kid as an heir. Since they weren’t married just yet, it hadn’t seemed important to get started on settling those details.

Whisper walked down the street and gave a cart a wide berth as Sébastien spoke. “How long have you been on your own?”

“Um…”

“Can you guess how many months?”

“I don’t know.” She tried to twist around to look at him.

“Face front and don’t let go of the pommel.” Even though Sébastien had his arms on either side of her, the last thing he needed was for her to slip off. “What was it like outside when you had to leave your home? Warm? Cold?”

“Mama got sick the next day after you were made King.”

“Do you mean when I was made the Duke of Midland?” He hadn’t been coronated yet, so there was no way she could have seen that.

“Oh. Yeah. Mama said you weren’t the King yet. I forgot.”

Dear Elira. She’d been on her own through winter in nothing but an old dress while she ate rubbish and begged for the occasional coin. “She got sick the next day?

“Yeah. And she wouldn’t get up, and then, she stopped moving, and I told a neighbor, but they couldn’t make her wake up.”

“I'm sorry,” said Sébastien. She wouldn't be the first left destitute after a parent grew ill and died.

Remus wasn’t going to like this. What man asked another to marry, and then had a kid to take care of shortly afterward? She wasn’t his by blood, and it would be a huge change in their life. It wasn’t like with a consort or adoption where they’d have time to get used to the idea of having a kid and could plan for the coming change and responsibility.

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