Page 29 of Love Me Forever

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.

Éloïse’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 thehouse, 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.”

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