“Acting school, Adrien,” Sabre said. He turned to Rey. “He’s being humble. He’s funding all the new schools in the lower city, but yes, I have invested in a few scholar’s houses.”
“I’d love to see one if you have the time to show me,” Rey said, trying to hide his excitement. “I’m staying at the blue house on the main street, next to the pleasure district.”
“Then we’re neighbors,” Sabre said, with a polite smile.
“Oh, we are?” Rey tried not to let his confusion show. “I thought you would be in the noble district, Your Grace, or in the palace.”
“He’s a de Rue as well as a de Valois,” King Adrien said. “He married Lord de Rue, do you know him?”
Realization dawned as Rey remembered the pretty man in his velvet suit walking into one of the pleasure houses. Surely not. “Oh. Oh, yes. How did you meet?”
Adrien and Sabre exchanged a look, and Adrien’s brows furrowed slightly.
“It’s all right.” Sabre handed Rey a card. “It’s almost refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t know. Call on me in the afternoons at the House of Onyx, James, and I’ll be happy to lend you a hand.”
Chapter
Seven
Eli sat on the edge of the couch in their rented townhouse, head in his hands.
“Sabre married Laurent de Rue,” he said.
“I’m sorry. He was there, so I had to do a little digging.” Rey had blurted out the news as soon as they were inside, and was now kneeling by the couch, trying to keep Eli from falling down the spiral he’d been tumbling into since he heard his brother’s name. “I’m not sure how it happened, but there seems to be some kind of history there. Still, it’s good luck, isn’t it? That they’re so close?”
“I’m going to be sick.” Eli rubbed his face with both hands. “They were right there last night, weren’t they? Both of them. Do you think he loves him?” he lifted his head to look at Rey, who looked slightly panicked.
“I don’t know. Probably. Why would a duke marry a minor lord if not for love?”
“But does Laurent de Rue love Sabre?” Eli thought of the morning he learned his father was dead, the fairytale book gathering dust on the shelf, the aching loneliness that permeated the house when Arthur de Valois was gone. That was what a lack of love did to a duke. “What if Sabre’s being taken advantage of?They used to say that Laurent de Rue traded his soul for silver coins, that money was all he wanted. And if Sabre had just lost his family, it would be easy for someone to sweep in.”
“Your brother is an adult,” Rey said, “like you. He can make his own decisions.”
“So could my father.” Eli groaned and tipped his head back on the couch. “I know. I know. This is just not the best news. I have to know he’s all right.”
“We can figure that out and still retrieve the sword, you know.” Rey patted Eli’s legs. “I picked up a social calendar at the palace. It has all the events most nobles will try to attend. We can go to a few of those and see if we can find Sabre and his husband, or we can call on them personally…”
“Big events first,” Eli said, quickly. “Just to get an overall look.”
“And to prevent you from panicking when you see them,” Rey said. Eli groaned again.
“I know. I’m panicking right now because I’m in private, thank you.” Rey was quiet. Eli looked down at his sardonic expression, and Rey grinned. “Oh, fine, I’m aware.”
“It might still be true love,” Rey said. “I know you don’t believe in it, but I bet there was a time you didn’t believe magnificent creatures like myself existed either.”
“Oh, yes,” Eli said, patting Rey’s hair. “You’re just too magical for my mortal brain to conceive of sometimes.” Rey fluttered his eyelashes, and Eli couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll keep it together.”
“Good. So here’s what we have,” Rey said, unfolding a piece of paper from his vest. “I have a card from your brother when we’re ready for it, but in the meantime, there’s a ball a week from now.”
“Sabre doesn’t like to dance any more than I do,” Eli said.
“No balls.” Rey moved his thumb down the list. “A charity for…horses. A horse charity. I can get behind that.”
“He likes horses.”
“Excessively, or just an ordinary amount?”
“An ordinary amount,” Eli said. “I was the one who liked them excessively, as a kid.”
