Chapter 83: Remote supervision

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Remote supervision

By the third morning, Sebastian was beginning to suspect that Roberta’s recommendation for continuous proximity had been the greatest mistake of her medical career.

Nero had become impossible.

He slept with one arm around Sebastian every night, followed him through the villa whenever he was permitted out of the bedroom, and had somehow developed the ability to conduct government business without allowing more than several meters between them.

The western study had therefore become their compromise.

Sebastian occupied the long couch beneath the windows, one ankle crossed over the other while he drank coffee and watched rain slide slowly down the glass. The morning had turned the gardens beyond the terrace into muted shades of green and gray, with wet stone paths reflecting the pale sky between clipped hedges.

He had dressed properly for the first time since the episode.

Nothing formal, just black trousers, a soft cream sweater, and slippers because Roberta had vetoed shoes until the residual weakness in his legs disappeared, but it felt considerably better than spending another day in medical clothes.

A tray sat on the low table in front of him.

Coffee. Fruit. Three different pastries.

Sebastian suspected the quantity had less to do with hospitality and more to do with Nero monitoring his appetite.

Across the room, Nero had taken possession of the large walnut desk.

His white-blond hair was tied low behind his shoulders, and he had changed into dark trousers with a fitted black shirt open at the throat. Three tablets, a secure terminal, and several folders had transformed the otherwise elegant study into a temporary royal office.

Idris sat opposite him with his own tablet.

Dax occupied the largest screen.

"Move the defense procurement review to Thursday," Nero said, scrolling through his schedule. "The Southern Command stays tomorrow morning."

Idris made the adjustment.

"The infrastructure committee requested another hour."

"No."

Sebastian took a bite of almond pastry.

Everyone ignored him.

Idris continued. "They claim the northern rail project requires a full presentation."

"It required a full presentation last month."

"They have revised projections."

"They always have revised projections."

Sebastian swallowed.

"Give them the hour."

Nero stopped scrolling.

His purple eyes lifted slowly toward the couch.

Sebastian raised his coffee.

"What?"

"You are supposed to be recovering."

"I am recovering."

"You are interfering with my schedule."

"I’m preventing you from wasting two meetings because you’ll spend the first one waiting for it to overrun."

Dax’s mouth twitched on the screen.

Nero looked toward him.

"Do not encourage him."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were about to."

Dax leaned back in his chair. "He’s right."

Nero stared at both of them before turning to Idris.

"Apparently I have acquired a second scheduler."

Idris remained admirably neutral.

"Lord Fitzgeralt has considerable experience with government committees."

"And considerably better judgment," Sebastian added.

Nero narrowed his eyes.

The expression might have been intimidating if Sebastian had not woken that morning with the same man wrapped around him like an oversized scarf.

He took another bite.

"Move it."

Idris changed the schedule.

Nero looked betrayed.

Sebastian smiled into his coffee.

Over the previous two days, his strength had improved steadily. Claude had removed continuous monitoring that morning, leaving only the discreet sensor at Sebastian’s wrist and scheduled examinations twice a day.

He could walk through the villa again without someone physically supporting him.

Nero still followed.

Roberta had permitted short periods outside once the weather improved.

Nero had immediately requested a security assessment of the garden route.

Sebastian had decided not to ask what constituted a security assessment of a private garden surrounded by royal guards, surveillance, and enough defensive technology to discourage a military incursion.

At least Nero was working again.

His attention still shifted toward Sebastian every few minutes.

Sebastian deliberately reached for another pastry.

Nero noticed.

His gaze dropped briefly to the plate before returning to the document in front of him.

Sebastian almost laughed.

Idris opened another file.

"There is one administrative matter regarding the incident."

The humor disappeared.

Nero’s attention sharpened immediately.

"What?"

"The restricted medical notice. Palace communications needs confirmation regarding who is authorized to receive updates."

Sebastian placed his cup down.

"My parents still aren’t on it."

Dax became quiet.

Idris nodded. "They are not."

Sebastian had expected some lingering discomfort about the decision.

There was none.

Sebastian had spoken to them yesterday.

Lucas had asked whether he was sleeping enough.

Trevor had asked whether he was eating.

Sebastian had lied only slightly to both.

"I don’t want this changing because the episode was serious," he said. "Unless something happens that requires them here."

Nero’s expression remained unreadable for a moment before he nodded.

"It won’t."

Sebastian looked at him.

There was still something unexpectedly comforting about how easily Nero accepted that boundary.

Dax folded his hands on the desk visible through the screen.

"Christopher knows, but it stays between us."

Sebastian nodded. "Thank you."

"Chris has also threatened Nero."

Nero sighed.

Sebastian’s eyebrows rose.

"For what?"

"Being annoying while you recover."

"That is extremely vague."

"He apparently felt specificity would limit the warning."

Sebastian laughed.

Nero pointed toward him.

"You’re enjoying this too much."

"I like Christopher."

"You like anyone willing to bully me."

"That is not true."

Idris looked down very quickly.

Dax covered his mouth with one hand.

Sebastian glanced between them.

"Apparently it is."

Nero leaned back in his chair with the long-suffering expression of a prince betrayed by his entire administration.

Sebastian reached for his coffee again, feeling the warmth settle comfortably between his hands.

For the first time in weeks, the room did not feel medical.

No alarms. No physicians moving around him. No constant awareness of whether his body was failing at something it had never been designed to do.

Only paperwork, rain against the windows, Nero arguing with his father, and the quiet ache in Sebastian’s muscles reminding him that recovery was still happening whether he paid attention to it or not.

Idris returned to the schedule.

"The ambassador from Rohan is requesting dinner on Friday."

"No," Nero said.

Sebastian frowned.

"You can do dinner."

Nero looked at him.

"You are not attending."

"I didn’t say I was."

"Then I’m not doing dinner."

Sebastian stared.

"Nero."

"My moon."

"You cannot cancel diplomacy because I’m sitting on a couch."

"I can conduct diplomacy remotely."

"You cannot eat remotely."

"That sounds like a limitation of technology."

Dax laughed outright.