Work Text:
He did not know exactly what the King might have wanted from him. He had locked himself in the council chamber with Prince George, little Sebastian and Charles in tow after all the councillors had been dismissed and returned to their rooms.
Somehow he had then called Max inside. Not that he was agitated, he knew he had performed his duty as impeccably as ever, so he certainly wouldn't get an earful. Besides, even if he had done something wrong, he certainly wouldn't have scolded him in front of the two omegas and the little one
-Your Majesty, Your Highness-
-Max, come, sit with us- King Lewis invited him to approach his small group. The King was sitting in his usual place at the council table, behind him the wall with the family portraits. George and Charles were snuggled with Sebastian on the sofa next to the King's chair. During the last months of pregnancy, they had made some adjustments to the council chamber so that the Prince could attend more often, as it was his right, both during the pregnancy and once he had the baby. King Lewis had also been much less stressed during the last few months, without the anguish of not seeing his mate all day, who was in a vulnerable state and needed him. Max sat in the chair the King pointed out to him, the one to his left that belonged to Chancellor Allison. Between Max and the King, there was room for another chair, the Prince's, which had been momentarily removed to make room for the sofa. Certainly, the Prince had been fortunate to find himself next to the amiable Chancellor Allison, on the side of the room where more sunlight filtered in, and not next to that great pain in the ass of Councillor Wolff. Luck, or perhaps the King had deliberately avoided having his husband suffer that misfortune.
-Your Majesty, what is the occasion?-
-I wanted your opinion on a matter that George and I have been pondering for a while. We wanted to hear what you think before we bring it to the council-
-Of course, Your Majesty. What is it?-
-I would like to know your opinion on Lord Piastri. Afterwards, I will explain why I am asking-
-I think he is a good person, he is certainly capable at his job, from what I know he is a faithful husband who takes care of his family-
-I'm glad to hear you say that, he made a good impression on me right away. We were thinking of admitting him to the council, he seems like an intelligent and right-minded man. He could be a good resource for the council-
-We wanted to have your opinion because you are the one who knows him best and clearly because you are the First Knight of the Crown- the Prince added from his sofa.
-I think it's a good idea, were you thinking of giving him a department right away possibly or just putting him on the council?-
-In the future, we thought of giving him a department, but provisionally we would like to see how he does in the council. We are sure that he will be a good resource for the treasury in the future, he has a good nose for business and can sniff out situations that are better not to get into- the Prince continued.
It was clear to everyone the matter of a few years earlier to which he was referring, when Lord Piastri had backed out at the last minute from a big deal with a mainland company that had collapsed and gone bankrupt shortly afterwards. Many had referred to the young man as a clueless enriched bourgeois as soon as he had retired, but they had soon changed their minds once that company had gone bankrupt and his investments in another company had paid off. He had gained an excellent reputation and had certainly impressed the old Lord Norris who had given him his son in marriage, even at the cost of mixing his name with that of an enriched bourgeois. In the end, that marriage had been yet another successful affair for Lord Piastri, who found himself rich, married into a family of ancient nobility and father of three little angels with a fourth on the way.
-Do you know how he treats his mate? I do not admit to the council those who do not respect the equal opportunities of my laws- this time it was the King who intervened
-I don't know at home but in public from my point of view he is a respectful man, I know they are a family united by love. Lord Norris seems to be much happier than he was before and even with his children Lord Piastri seems to be good, Daniel said he treats the adopted one just like the others-
-That's a good thing, Max. We also thought that one of their children could become Sebastian's attendant in a few years, if Lord Piastri's inclusion in the council goes well-
-The three sons already born are one of each secondary gender, the fourth should come soon-
-We were thinking of the second beta son in fact. The first son is an alpha and legally he is the one who will have to run the family and the name. At the moment it seems that he has chosen him as his heir, we will see what happens when the next one is born and in the future-
-My King, may I ask a question?-
-Sure Charles, go ahead-
-What would happen if the father of the child came back and claimed his rights to the first son, both if he is the designated head of the family and if he will be with us as an attendant-
-Nothing Charles, Lord Sainz lost his claims on the child the moment he abandoned Lord Norris. When that happened a few years ago, I made Lord Norris the sole legal guardian of his son. It was by his own choice that the legal responsibility passed in half to Lord Piastri when they got married and he adopted the child, took its surname and right to inheritance. It is as if the child is his by birth for the law so Lord Sainz can say and do what he wants, he will get nothing-
-That seems fair to me-
-It is, Charles, and he is not even welcome in my kingdom- Charles nodded, returning his focus to the little one in the Prince's arms who was waking up from his nap. He was happy to live in a progressive kingdom, King's Lynn wasn't too bad but King Lewis' reforms were still pure utopia. He was also quite surprised that there was very little reticence in that room about the paternity of the child. Max had told him previously that it was supposed to be Lord Sainz the lord of the continent who had given a son to Lord Norris but it was not a certainty. Apparently, for the King it was pretty certain or he had more information and trusted them to keep it private
-Max, I'd like you to investigate a bit at the tavern next time you go. Not a thorough investigation, just gather a couple of opinions inconspicuously-
-Yes, Your Majesty-
-I will also introduce the topic to the council soon, I don't think there will be any particular objections. Next week we could invite Lord Piastri and his family to dine with us. I will have a letter prepared by the communications offi...- the King was interrupted by the cries of little Sebastian, who definitely woke up and demanded his parents' attention -What's the matter, Seb, do you want to do the talking in my place already? Or are you hungry?-
-It's time to eat Seb- the Prince pulled himself up from his half-stretched position to try to open his dressing gown. King Lewis promptly helped him, sliding it down from his shoulders
-And it's time for us to go- Charles said, getting up from the sofa to make room for the King and dragging Max with him out of the room. It was time to get out of the way and leave the two monarchs alone. He shut the door behind him, once they were alone in the corridor he stroked Max's arm covered by the shining armour -I'm going to the tailor's to check on the progress of the Prince's clothes for the upcoming events, I'll be waiting for you to eat together when you take down the guard?-
-Sure, would you give me a kiss?- Charles obliged and left a light kiss on Max's lips before the latter put his helmet back on
-Max...-
-Mh?-
-Do you think I asked a stupid question earlier? Be honest, I won't be offended-
-No, it's an advanced law, you couldn't have known. I think the King was pleased that you took an interest even though you're not part of the council-
-Thank you. See you later then, I love you-
-I love you too-