Chapter 70: Unfinished Business

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Unfinished Business

Nero had been in Altera for twenty-three hours, and he was beginning to consider that a sufficient amount of time for the kingdom to function without him.

Unfortunately, the kingdom disagreed.

He sat behind the broad walnut desk in his private office at the palace, one hand resting against his temple while the other moved through the final pages of a military dispatch he had been trying to finish for the better part of an hour.

Morning sunlight poured through the tall windows overlooking the eastern gardens, catching against the silver embroidery of his black formal jacket and the gold and purple rings scattered across his fingers. His white-blond hair had been tied low at his back, although several strands had escaped during the morning and now brushed his cheek whenever he leaned over the documents.

The office was quiet.

His schedule was not.

Nero signed the final authorization, closed the dispatch, and glanced toward the clock.

If he left within the hour, he could reach the villa before lunch.

Sebastian would probably be undergoing another examination, arguing with Roberta, or attempting to convince the physiotherapists that their exercise program was designed for someone recovering from a minor inconvenience rather than a former dominant alpha who had spent years training his body.

Nero smiled.

He missed the bastard.

That had become an increasingly inconvenient condition over the last month.

Sebastian was recovering well enough that the medical team no longer required Nero to maintain continuous pheromonal support, and although his receptors still responded more favorably when Nero was nearby, the transition had reached a point where short separations were no longer medically dangerous.

Nero considered that great news.

He also considered it deeply unfortunate that medicine had apparently removed his most defensible reason for refusing to leave Sebastian alone.

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter."

Idris stepped inside carrying a tablet and the expression of a man who had spent the morning rearranging a schedule only to discover that the universe had no intention of cooperating.

He was the second son of Sahir Admane, Saha’s former prime minister, who had died of old age two years earlier after spending decades serving the royal house.

Nero had known Sahir since childhood.

The omega had possessed the remarkable ability to look at Dax with an expression of frozen disapproval and make the king reconsider whatever outrageous decision he had been about to implement, a talent that had saved the royal administration from considerably more headaches than most people realized.

Idris had inherited much of his father’s appearance.

The same finely structured features, short blond hair, and strikingly pale blue eyes, so cold in color that they occasionally made his perfectly polite expressions look like silent judgments.

Unlike Sahir, however, Idris was an alpha.

He had also inherited enough of his father’s temperament that Nero occasionally wondered whether the royal house had simply hired the same man again with a different secondary gender.

Idris closed the office door and approached the desk.

Nero looked at him.

"No."

Idris stopped.

"Your Highness, I have not said anything."

"You look apologetic."

"I have received several scheduling updates."

"Then I refuse them."

"That is unfortunately not an available option."

Nero leaned back in his chair.

Idris placed the tablet beside the closed military dispatch, his expression remaining composed despite the obvious displeasure gathering across Nero’s face.

"Your presence is required for two additional meetings."

Nero looked at the screen.

"I have a flight scheduled."

"I am aware."

"To the villa."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Where Sebastian is."

Idris maintained his professional expression through what Nero considered an admirable effort.

"I am also aware of that."

"Excellent. Then you understand why I am leaving."

Idris inhaled slowly.

"Unfortunately, the first meeting concerns Melrose Mynatt."

Nero’s smile disappeared.

For several seconds, the only sound in the office came from the ventilation moving softly behind the wall panels.

Then Nero reached for the tablet.

"What does that snake want? I thought the incident would make him use his mind for once."

Idris opened the investigation file.

"Melrose has not submitted the request personally. House Mynatt is attempting to challenge his transfer into Vesper custody, and they have begun circulating allegations that Vesper was involved in supplying the rut enhancers."

Nero’s expression flattened.

"Excuse me?"

"They are claiming Melrose obtained the substance through individuals connected to House Vesper and that his subsequent detention was intended to conceal the distribution network."

Nero leaned back, his fingers resting against the arm of his chair as he considered the remarkable stupidity required to accuse one of the crown prince’s closest allies of drug dealing.

Vesper had followed his instructions, maintaining silence while the investigation proceeded.

Apparently, House Mynatt had mistaken that restraint for vulnerability.

"And the public?"

"Several media outlets have published the allegations. House Mynatt is presenting Melrose as someone who was exploited by a criminal organization rather than an omega who deliberately attempted to drug you."

Nero laughed quietly.

"How convenient."

Idris scrolled through the report, revealing another document bearing the Mynatt family seal.

"They have also submitted a proposed resolution."

"Let me guess. Their son is innocent, everyone misunderstood his intentions, and I should apologize for ruining his evening."

"Not exactly."

Nero looked up.

"They are proposing a marriage."

Silence settled across the office.

Nero blinked.

"A marriage?"

"Yes, Your Highness. They want Melrose married into another established house and removed from public speculation. In exchange, they are requesting that his execution be reconsidered and the incident with your drink be concluded privately."

Nero stared at Idris.

"They want everyone to forget he attempted to drug me because someone agreed to marry him?"

"That is the practical implication."

"And what happens to their accusations against Vesper?"

"They have indicated a willingness to withdraw them if an agreement is reached."

There it was.

Nero placed the tablet on his desk and rose, adjusting the cuffs of his black jacket as he walked toward the windows.

House Mynatt had deliberately damaged Vesper’s reputation to create leverage, apparently believing Nero would find protecting his allies more important than pursuing their son’s punishment.

They were correct about one thing.

Nero did protect his allies.

They had simply misunderstood what that protection involved.

"Arrange the Vesper meeting for this afternoon," he instructed, turning toward Idris. "I want their complete investigation, including the original evidence concerning the enhancers and every communication received from House Mynatt."

"And the Mynatt family?"

"Invite their legal representative."

Idris paused.

"To the same meeting?"

"Yes. If they have evidence that Vesper supplied the enhancers, they can present it in front of Vesper’s representatives and the Crown Prince’s legal office."

"That could become unpleasant."

"For them, certainly."

Nero returned to his desk and picked up the tablet.

"Have our investigators independently establish where Melrose obtained the enhancers. I want the actual supplier identified, regardless of which house they belong to."

Idris entered the instructions.

"And the marriage proposal?"

"Tell them I received it."

"Should I provide a response?"

"Not yet."

Nero glanced toward the clock.

The meeting would cost him the afternoon, and Southern Command still required his presence tomorrow.

Sebastian was going to be thoroughly unimpressed.

"Keep the aircraft ready for tonight," Nero added. "I intend to return to the villa after the meeting."

"You will need to return to Altera tomorrow, Your Highness."

"I understand how it works."

Idris gave him a look remarkably similar to the one Sahir had once directed at Dax.

Then he collected the tablet and withdrew.

Nero retrieved his phone.

Sebastian still had not answered his earlier message.

He pressed the call button and smiled when the connection opened.

"My moon."