Page 57 of Measure of the Stars

“You mean he actually...Wesley was right?He beatchildren?”

“I don’t have time for this,” Delauney said.It felt cruel, since Peter was clearly falling apart under the weight of his actions, but it was true.He didn’t have time to figure out why Peter cared about Lennox, or how long it would take for him to grapple with whatever internal war he was waging.Delauney left Peter, Ned, and Alain without a word, striding into the ballroom.

He’d made it roughly ten paces across the floor before his father found him.Delauney barely heard what he said, weaving around him on his way to where the king stood with a glass of lemonade, speaking softly to Sabre de Valois with Captain Ferrin at his back.King Adrien smiled warmly at Delauney as he approached, but his expression froze as Delauney grabbed Sabre’s arm.

“Are you actually the king’s spymaster?”Delauney asked.

Sabre’s mouth fell open.Laurent de Rue, standing just behind him, smiled coldly.

“Don’t be foolish,” he said, a sharp, cutting dominance in his voice.“He’s my submissive, nothing more.”

Sabre blushed, but Delauney barreled through regardless, ignoring the way his skin prickled at the thought of displeasing a dominant.“No, butreally.Areyou?Because I need you if you are.My parents just had Wesley taken to Captain Lennox’s home in Duciel, and I can’t ride a horse to savemylife, let alone his.So I’m hoping you have someone who can.”

Over Adrien’s shoulder, Ferrin went cold and still, a hand on his sword hilt.

“What?”Adrien looked almost disappointed.“I didn’t see that whatsoever.”

“You can’t see everything,” Sabre said.He glanced at Ferrin, all pretense of surprise gone.Instead of the kind, easy-going man Delauney knew, he was faced with a curt, authoritative submissive with confidence in his tone.“I have people in Lennox’s home.I might be able to reach them first if I leave now.”

He bowed shortly to Adrien and turned on his heel.

“Ifweleave,” Laurent said, striding after him.“I’m not risking you injuring yourself on some hare-brained chase through the countryside.”

“It involves horses,” Sabre said.“And a great deal of mud.”

Laurent shuddered.

Delauney turned to look at Ferrin, who was speaking softly into the king’s ear.

“Absolutely not,” Adrien said.Ferrin scowled.“If you’re going along, I can’t very well stay here.Besides, a member of the gentry just tried to abduct one ofmysubjects under my nose.Imagine how it will look if I don’t address this personally.”He extended a hand to Delauney.“Would you like to join me in my carriage?We’ll probably miss all the fun, but at least we’ll get there in style.”

“Watching me beat a man half to death won’t be particularly fun, your majesty,” Ferrin muttered.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Adrien said.He glanced into his drink, raised his brows, and handed it to a passing nobleman.The nobleman stared at it in confusion as Adrien took Delauney’s hand, tugging him toward the entrance.“Come along, Delauney.You should be there when we find him.Oh, and Ferrin?Do send some of your people to escort the de Mazets to Duciel.Make sure it’s noticeable.”

“Not Leo, please,” Delauney tried to say, but Adrien was already dragging him past the crowd of flabbergasted guests and into the drive, where Ned was helping Peter into their carriage.Ned met Delauney’s gaze briefly, and Delauney realized with a pang of grief that if he spoke up about Peter to the king, it would mean the end of their relationship.Ned must have realized it, too, because he nodded somberly as Delauney passed, pain clear on his lovely face.

“Of course we’re bringing your brother,” Adrien said, practically shoving Delauney into the royal carriage.“I have plans forhim.”

Delauney didn’t think Leo would appreciate the king considering him more than was strictly necessary, but he supposed that his parents had ruined that.He settled in the carriage next to the king.The darkness of the carriage closed over him, finally giving him room to feel the panic threatening to fill his body like a fog.He forced himself to breathe through it, hands clasped tightly in his lap.The only thing stopping him from losing control was the thought of what Wes would say when he found out that Delauney had involved the king.Weshatedusing any connection to the nobility, and Delauney had gone straight to the most powerful nobles in Staria.Not to mention Ferrin, who stood at the door of the carriage with the air of a walking storm cloud.He directed guards to the outer benches and handholds of the carriage before regarding the king with his mouth pressed in a hard line.

“Wes makes that expression when he’s displeased,” Delauney said.At first, he thought he’d misspoken, but Ferrin met his gaze after a short silence.Delauney instinctively looked down.

“We’ll find him,” Ferrin said.He turned to address the king.“You’ll stay in the carriage when we arrive, your majesty.There could be a fight.”

“Yes, very exciting.”Adrien crossed his legs, leaning back against the carriage cushions.“Don’t look so glum, both of you.No one will be hurt tonight, I promise.”

Ferrin looked so much like Wes at his most contrary that Delauney would have laughed if he had the heart for it.When Ferrin spoke, his voice was so low that only Delauney could hear him.

“I wouldn’t be so certain about that.”

He pushed away from the carriage, and as the guards moved into position and the carriage slowly started rolling, Delauney watched Ferrin unhitch a horse from a post and climb onto it without a saddle.He urged it ahead of them and onto the dark, quiet road.

“Was that technically theft?”Delauney asked, leaning to get a better view of Ferrin’s retreating back.

“If it was,Ididn’t see it,” Adrien said, smiling with the wicked gleam of a true brat.“Did you?”

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