Chapter 123: Diplomatic Silence

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Diplomatic Silence

"I will wear a band-aid."

"No!"

Sebastian turned his head.

Nero looked genuinely offended.

"It is a bruise."

"It is several bruises."

"Which makes medical dressings remarkably appropriate."

"You are not covering my work with bandages."

Sebastian stared at him.

"Your work?"

Nero showed absolutely no regret over the phrasing.

Sebastian shifted carefully in the bath, immediately regretted the movement when several muscles along his lower back protested, and decided murder would have to wait until he could reliably stand.

"I am wearing bandages."

"The collar would cover them better."

"I am not attending a constitutional meeting wearing a collar because you apparently confused my neck with an available canvas."

Nero’s mouth twitched.

Two hours later, Sebastian walked into the private council room wearing three flesh-colored medical strips near his jaw.

Nero looked ready to kill anyone who acknowledged them.

Sebastian, meanwhile, felt considerably better.

Mostly because Roberta had provided painkillers after taking one look at him in the medical suite and developing the expression of a physician reconsidering every professional decision that had led her to treat royalty.

Her examination had confirmed nothing more serious than strained muscles through Sebastian’s lower back, shoulders, and thighs, followed by a lecture on posture, recovery time, and the basic limitations of the human body.

Roberta had then looked at Nero.

"What exactly possessed you?"

Nero, infuriatingly, had answered, "Sebastian."

Claude had walked out.

Sebastian had considered following him.

The medication started working before they reached the council room, leaving Sebastian comfortable enough to concentrate.

Nero remained another problem entirely.

He entered directly behind Sebastian in dark trousers and a black jacket, white-blond hair tied neatly at the nape, carrying no visible pheromonal pressure whatsoever.

He did not need it.

His expression translated perfectly. Ask about Sebastian’s neck and die.

The auxiliary staff understood immediately.

One Palatine secretary saw the bandages, glanced reflexively toward Nero, and redirected her attention to the folders in her arms with such determination that Sebastian almost felt guilty.

Dax noticed all of it within seconds.

Unlike every other parent in the room, he did not even attempt discretion.

His purple eyes dropped openly to Sebastian’s neck, to Nero, then back to Sebastian.

A slow, delighted smile appeared.

Sebastian stopped beside his chair.

"Don’t."

Dax leaned back comfortably.

"I haven’t done anything."

Chris looked at him.

"You’re enjoying this far too much."

"Immensely."

Nero’s gaze narrowed at his father.

Dax’s smile widened.

That only encouraged him.

Lucas and Trevor were already seated opposite them. Lucas noticed the medical strips immediately, his green eyes lingering there for one painful second before shifting toward Nero.

His expression cooled.

Trevor noticed that too and calmly placed one hand over Lucas’s wrist beneath the table.

Lucas glanced sideways.

Trevor gave him the smallest shake of his head.

Dax watched the entire exchange like a man unexpectedly provided with premium entertainment before a constitutional meeting.

"This is an excellent morning."

"Dax," Chris warned.

"What?"

"You know exactly what."

Dax looked toward Nero again.

Nero looked increasingly unimpressed.

"If someone asks," Nero said softly, "I am leaving."

Dax gave a quiet laugh.

Sebastian pulled out his chair.

"You would think you weren’t responsible for raising him."

"I am extremely proud of the result."

Chris covered his mouth with one hand.

Sebastian sat down.

Nero immediately took the chair beside him, close enough that their arms touched.

Sirius entered from the adjoining office a moment later, followed by Zion and two members of the imperial legal staff.

Zion was halfway through saying something to his father when his attention landed on Sebastian.

He stopped. His green eyes moved to the bandages. Then Nero. His lips parted.

Nero looked at him.

Nothing else happened.

Zion closed his mouth.

Dax burst out laughing.

He leaned back in his chair and laughed while Zion gave him an offended look, and Nero somehow managed to appear even more murderous without moving a single muscle.

Sebastian rubbed his forehead.

"Wonderful."

Dax recovered enough to breathe.

"I have known Zion since he was born. I have never seen anyone shut him up that efficiently."

Zion sat beside Sirius.

"I decided international diplomacy mattered more."

"Coward," Dax said.

"You aren’t the one attending a summit in Saha in three months."

"That makes it even funnier."

Sirius looked between them.

"I assume I should avoid asking."

"Yes," Sebastian said.

"No," Dax said at the same time.

Chris turned toward his mate.

"Behave."

"I am behaving."

"You are encouraging everyone."

"That is different."

Lucas finally exhaled and opened the first document in front of him with slightly more force than necessary.

"We are here to review the agreement."

Dax glanced at him.

"You’re very focused today."

Lucas looked up slowly.

Trevor’s hand tightened around his wrist.

Sebastian caught the exact moment Dax realized he had found another source of entertainment.

"No," Sebastian said immediately.

Dax looked innocent.

"Sebastian, I have said almost nothing."

"You have spent five minutes trying to start three separate arguments."

"None of them started."

"Because the rest of us possess restraint."

Dax smiled toward Nero.

"Apparently not all the time."

Nero’s violet eyes became glacial.

Chris laughed outright.

Sebastian closed his eyes.

His future father-in-law was going to get him killed.

Sirius took his seat at the head of the table before the situation deteriorated further.

"The lawyers have prepared the first consolidated draft."

That finally redirected most of the room.

An imperial aide approached Sebastian’s side carrying several printed copies.

She was young enough that she clearly had not developed the hardened indifference of staff who had spent decades around royal families. Her eyes flicked once toward the bandage beneath Sebastian’s jaw.

Then she noticed Nero watching her.

She stopped approximately a meter away.

Sebastian took pity on her and reached for the documents.

"Thank you."

"Yes, Your Grace."

She retreated with impressive speed.

Dax immediately started laughing again.

Nero looked toward him.

"Father."

"I am allowed to enjoy my family."

"This is not family enjoyment."

Dax gestured lazily toward the door the aide had just escaped through.

"You frightened a woman because she noticed your fiancé owns a neck."

Nero’s face remained completely serious.

"She stared."

"For perhaps half a second."

"That was sufficient."

Dax looked delighted.

Chris shook his head.

"You made him."

"I know."

There was unmistakable pride in Dax’s voice.

Sebastian stared across the table.

"You realize this is encouraging him."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I’m having fun."

Lucas made a quiet sound that could have been either disbelief or resignation.

Dax immediately turned toward him.

Lucas pointed at the document.

"No."

Dax’s smile sharpened.

Trevor actually laughed.

Somehow, they eventually reached the contract.

The first draft established the separation between Sebastian’s future authority as Grand Duke and Nero’s royal position, formalized Saha’s renunciation of any claim over Fitzgeralt through marriage, preserved military command under Palatine’s constitutional framework, and outlined the political declaration that would later be made public.

Sebastian settled easily into the discussion once it began.

The painkillers had done their job, and after half an hour he almost forgot what his neck looked like.

Nero did not.

Whenever staff approached Sebastian’s chair, those violet eyes followed.

Eventually Sebastian slid one hand beneath the table and rested it on Nero’s thigh.

Nero looked toward him.

Sebastian squeezed once in warning.

Nero’s posture eased slightly before his hand covered Sebastian’s.

Across from them, Dax saw the entire thing.

His grin returned.

Sebastian pointed at him with his free hand.

"Whatever you’re thinking, keep it inside."

Dax leaned back.

"Impossible."

Chris sighed.

Lucas looked as though he was reconsidering diplomatic relations with Saha.

Trevor was openly amused now.

Zion had wisely buried himself in the contract.

And Nero, still holding Sebastian’s hand beneath the table, continued radiating the unmistakable promise of violence toward anyone foolish enough to discuss his neck.

Dax looked around the room, visibly pleased with the chaos surrounding him.

"This might be my favorite constitutional negotiation."

Sirius stared at him.

"We have accomplished almost nothing."

"Diplomacy at its finest."