Chapter 574: Arrivals

They heard Amaru and Nero before they reached the western reception hall.

Dean slowed halfway down the broad staircase and glanced toward Arion.

"That sounds peaceful."

Arion listened for another few seconds.

"No."

Amelie sighed beside them.

From somewhere beyond the next archway, Amaru’s voice carried clearly through the corridor.

"You cannot simply declare ownership over another country’s pastry chef."

"I did not declare ownership," Nero replied. "I offered him employment."

"In my kitchen."

"That was where I found him."

Dean stopped on the final step.

Amelie closed her eyes.

Arion’s mouth twitched.

"You left them alone for twenty minutes."

"I left Amaru with two adults and a four-year-old."

"That was optimistic."

They continued toward the reception hall as Amaru answered with increasing offense.

"You offered him three times his salary while eating the pastry he made for my coronation."

"Four times."

"That does not improve it."

"It improves his situation considerably."

Dean walked through the archway just in time to see Nero gesture toward Amaru with the casual confidence of someone who genuinely believed the argument had already been won.

"If your loyalty depends on underpaying a pastry chef, perhaps your monarchy has deeper problems."

Amaru stared at him.

"I am being crowned tomorrow."

"Then begin with economic reform."

Sebastian was several meters away from both of them, seated on one of the pale sofas beneath the tall windows and looking entirely uninterested in mediating.

The reason became obvious immediately.

Theo was asleep against him.

The child had apparently survived the royal kitchens long enough to eat at least one pastry, drink a glass of warm milk, and then surrender completely. His cheek rested against Sebastian’s shoulder, one arm trapped loosely between them while his dark hair fell across his forehead. Sebastian had removed his jacket and draped it over Theo’s legs, leaving him in a fitted dark-green waistcoat and white shirt with the sleeves buttoned neatly at the wrists.

Dean smiled.

"So this was the kitchen emergency."

Sebastian looked toward him.

"He ate half a pastry."

Nero turned.

"One and a half."

Sebastian’s expression flattened.

"The second one was yours."

"He took it."

"He took three bites."

"He demonstrated intent."

Dean crossed the room and brushed Theo’s hair back from his forehead without waking him.

"Milk?"

"A full glass," Sebastian said. "Then he announced that he was not tired and fell asleep while saying it."

"That sounds accurate."

Arion stopped beside them and touched two fingers lightly to Theo’s cheek.

His son did not move.

Amaru followed, still glaring at Nero.

"For the record, the pastry chef is staying."

Nero looked genuinely unconcerned.

"We will see."

"You are attending my coronation, not conducting recruitment."

"I can multitask."

Amelie stepped between them before Amaru could answer.

"The Rohan delegation has arrived."

That succeeded where reason had failed.

Amaru’s entire attention shifted.

"Where?"

"Being escorted here."

He looked toward the doors.

Whatever nerves Dean had seen beneath his composure earlier appeared again for half a second before disappearing beneath something warmer.

Eryx was his brother.

After everything that had happened to their family, that mattered more than tomorrow’s ceremony probably ever could.

A moment later, movement appeared beyond the tall double doors.

Heather entered first.

The Queen of Rohan wore a deep wine-colored traveling suit with gold detailing along the collar and a long coat draped over her shoulders, her bearing unmistakably royal even after several hours of travel. Beside her walked Eryx, taller than Dean remembered and dressed in charcoal with Rohan’s crest pinned discreetly at his chest.

Amaru moved before protocol could become relevant.

The brothers met halfway across the hall.

Eryx smiled.

"You look terrible."

Amaru hugged him.

"You crossed an international border to insult me."

"I could have done it remotely, but Heather said the coronation required physical attendance."

Heather approached Amelie with considerably more dignity, although her smile ruined some of the ceremony.

"Congratulations in advance."

Amelie embraced her.

"Thank you."

Behind them came Sylvia and Thomas.

Dean immediately noticed two things.

Sylvia looked healthy.

Thomas looked exhausted from trying to ensure she remained that way.

Her pregnancy was beginning to show clearly beneath the flowing dark-blue dress she had chosen for travel, while Thomas maintained exactly half a step of distance from her side, one hand hovering near her lower back whenever she moved across uneven flooring.

Sylvia saw Dean looking.

"Do not."

Dean smiled.

"I said nothing."

"You were about to."

Thomas greeted Arion while Sylvia hugged Dean carefully.

"How was the flight?"

"Fine."

"And Thomas?"

"Worse."

"I heard that."

"You were meant to."

Theo stirred against Sebastian at the sound of several new voices.

Sebastian immediately adjusted his hold, one hand supporting the child’s back while Theo shifted his face farther into his shoulder and went still again.

Sylvia noticed him.

"Oh."

Dean followed her gaze.

"Kitchen expedition casualty."

"He looks enormous."

"He is four."

"I know, but the last time I saw him properly, he still needed help getting onto the sofa."

"He now believes furniture should adapt to him."

"That sounds inherited."

Dean looked toward Arion.

Arion chose not to defend himself.

Heather had reached Sebastian by then.

There was a brief but noticeable change in the room as she greeted him.

Tomorrow would make Nero and Sebastian’s relationship politically visible in a way it had never been before, but among the people gathered here, there was little ceremony left to perform.

"You look well," Heather said.

Sebastian nodded.

"I am."

Her eyes moved briefly toward Nero.

"Despite circumstances."

Nero placed one hand over his chest.

"I have been extremely supportive."

Sebastian looked at him.

"You tried to order six versions of tomorrow’s formal coat because you disliked one seam."

"It was an offensive seam."

Eryx laughed.

Amaru pointed at Nero.

"You see? This is exactly why my pastry chef is in danger."

Nobody understood the connection except Amaru.

Nero apparently did.

"It was a poor seam."

"That has nothing to do with pastries."

"It demonstrates standards."

Amelie touched Amaru’s arm.

"Let it go."

"He is attempting to dismantle my household before I am even crowned."

"You wanted a family," she reminded him.

Amaru looked around the room.

"That was before I understood the administrative consequences."

Dean smiled.

This was precisely what Amelie had meant upstairs.

Nobody here was behaving according to rank.

Heather was already asking whether Amelie had slept properly before the coronation. Thomas had found Sylvia a chair despite her insisting she did not need one. Arion was standing behind Sebastian, looking down at his sleeping son with the patient expression of a father deciding whether moving him was worth the risk.

Nero solved that problem by reaching for Theo.

Sebastian shifted away.

"No."

Nero stopped.

"He is my godson."

"He is asleep."

"I can carry a sleeping child."

"You were arguing loudly enough to wake the dead thirty seconds ago."

"I have become calm."

Amaru laughed.

Theo stirred again.

Every adult near him immediately became silent.

Dean stared around the room.

"That is ridiculous."

Nobody disagreed.

Sebastian carefully stood with Theo still against his chest.

"I’ll take him upstairs."

Dean started to offer, but Sebastian shook his head.

"He’s fine."

Nero followed him automatically.

Eryx watched them cross toward the staircase, his expression becoming increasingly amused.

Then something seemed to occur to him.

"Sebastian."

Sebastian turned, careful not to disturb Theo.

Eryx smiled.

"Did you and Nero like your marriage gift from Draxil?"