#but he worries about laurent being caught looking like a pet and what itll do to his reputation

[behind-the-hood]

Ohhhh I need more of this Laurent as a pet AU! I’m so curious about what’s going to happen next and I really want to read when Damen will realize that Charls = Laurent. I’m guessing that he’ll try to kiss Laurent and he’ll recognize the kiss or something like that but you always surprise me in the best way so I can’t wait!

Aaand the new part eleven!!

When Laurent wakes up, it's to heavy pounding on the door. Damianos isn't in bed with him, but Laurent is still snuggled under the covers and the fire is now going on the other side of the room. There's a little sheet of paper on the side table with his name on it.

Laurent sits up with a groan and folds the note a few more times before tucking it into a discreet pocket in his pants where the gauze is thickest.

He catches his reflection on his way out, someone still knocking against the door. His hair is only a mild mess, but the oily paint on his skin is thoroughly smeared. He looks debauched.

Laurent ignores it in favor of answering the door.

He peeks it open, glancing out. His eyes meet leather armor, so he trails his gaze up farther and finds a guard staring down at him. Laurent opens the door wider and smirks. "Are you here to throw me out?"

The Akielon either doesn't speak Veretian or won't speak with Laurent, because he steps away, revealing Ancel standing behind him, in hardly a better state than Laurent, though with less paint. Berenger must have stayed the night again.

"The king wishes out presence," he says. "There's been an incident with the Akielon princes and we were called forth as witnesses, Charls."

Auguste is the worst.

Laurent brings worry to his features and hurries after Ancel.

They hook arms and walk with purpose like any pair of pets might when their patrons have given them leave.

"How bad is it?" Laurent asks.

"Word it, Prince Damianos stormed Prince Kastor's room this morning and tried to kill him." Ancel gives Laurent a rather lazy look, then turns his eyes back forward. "But you know how gossip gets twisted in Arles; there's hardly a kernel of truth to a story by the end of the day."

Laurent had assumed something to that effect might happen, though with a little less violence. If the kernel of truth is the attempted murder, then Laurent doesn't have Damianos figured out as well as he'd hoped.

-

When they are let into the throne room, sans council, for this is not a matter of state, Auguste's eyes rove over Laurent. Then his lips thin.

He's sitting on his throne, the new twin addition empty at his side. Damianos and Kastor both stand before the thrones, backs somewhat straight as they recieve whatever their punishment may be. Nicaise is in a small lineup of pets, and he's carefully dressed himself as a page. Every one of them are in Laurent's employ or are to be recruited once their contracts expire.

Laurent suppresses a smirk. Auguste knows him too well.

Auguste gestures, and Ancel and Laurent stand at the end.

Damianos glances at him.

Auguste stands now that everyone has joined them, and begins the proceedings.

"Prince Kastor, you understand the charges against you?"

Kastor nods, and looks more than a little pissed about being here.

"And you, Prince Damianos?"

Another nod, this one more accepting of its fate.

Auguste is still frowning, still staring down at the half brothers. "Everyone here claims to be witness to a woman in your room, Prince Kastor. Yet you deny it, and evidence of one could not be found when searched." Auguste walks up to Kastor, and stares into his eyes. Laurent is not comfortable with his close proximity. "How is it that they are all wrong?"

Kastor gives an ugly smile. "They're Veretian."

Auguste doesn't react, though more than a few of the pets do. They consider themselves the peak of beauty, and don't take to insult lightly. Laurent pulls a scowl.

Auguste steps back, then walks the lineup. "Please, would you all tell me her hair color?"

"Blonde," they all recite at once.

Auguste hums, turning to look at Kastor once more. He walks up to his throne and takes his seat. "Prince Kastor, I wish to inform you that Lady Jokaste was found in a secret passage when I had my guards search them, and she is currently detained in the dungeons."

Kastor stands straighter, and that gives him away. Auguste smirks.

The royal guard clap in him irons and drag him fighting down to the dungeon to join his dear, sweet Lady.

"Prince Damianos that just leaves the matter of you," Auguste says, sitting a little more lax in his throne, a little more bored in tone.

He probably hasn't even had breakfast yet. His guards likely reported the commotion the second it happened, which meant Auguste was pulled from bed by servants and dressed very quickly.

Laurent almost feels bad about it, but Auguste dragged him here to share his fate--with a plug still stuffed inside of him no less--and his sympathy withers like leaves in autumn.

"Do you deny visiting your brother this morning?"

"No."

"Do you deny seeing Lady Jokaste in his bed?"

"No," his voice comes out a little more gruff then, and Laurent notes it.

"Do you deny punching Prince Kastor?"

"No."

Auguste hums. "So you are guilty as charged, then."

Damianos smiles, wry. "It would seem so."

Auguste looks mildly amused, then straightens in his seat. "You should know, amongst Prince Kastor's effects, there was a tasteless, odorless vial of poison found in his room."

Damianos, ever the open book, lets his jaw drop. Laurent triumphs in being right about Kastor. He supposes Jokaste may have been the assassin. He doesn't know her skill sets, hidden or otherwise.

With the poison out of play, and the clients detained, it matters not whether she was the assassin or someone else. There will be no regicide.

Laurent will still have eyes on Auguste and any suspicious activity, but he is sure he'll sleep better at night now knowing Auguste is safe.

"I'm dropping your charges, not that it was to be a grand punishment," Auguste says. "A mere slap on the wrist and sent on your way. You've solved a crisis that has burdened my brother for some time now. And saved my life, of course.

"I am in your debt for this. I cannot go out by your side until such a time as I can return the favor, but you may ask one thing of me and I shall grant it."

Damianos seems awestruck, but still manages a bow and a thanks as he leaves.

Auguste waits until the door closes behind him before turning his wrath on Laurent. "Leave us."

Nicaise snorts a laugh as they all leave, but they won't speak of it outside of themselves. Laurent pays them too well.

Auguste storms up to Laurent, absolutely furious. "Before you try and defend yourself, I'm going to thank you for saving my life." His tone and expression do not convey thanks. "And now I am going to tell you that if Charls is seen wandering the halls, he is to be returned to Prince Laurent's rooms. On the king's orders."

He says this with the belief that Laurent won't be doing it again, not while under threat.

How annoying.

Laurent looks into his brother's eyes, and smirks. "Damianos is going to ask you for me."

Auguste's brow tics.

"I suppose he told you I could be found in his bed, yes?" Laurent starts to walk a circle around Auguste. He has always been better at containing his frustration with Auguste than his brother with him. Auguste feels too strongly, but it is not a terrible quality in a king. It would be in that king's spymaster. "It wouldn't be my first time there. He provides many good reasons to return."

"Stop this, Laurent."

"Why?" he asks. He makes himself aloof, stepping away to lean against a pillar. "I only tell the truth."

"Fine," Auguste growls. He puts his face very close to Laurent's as he says, "let me share a truth with you. Damianos is a man of honor. How do you think he'll feel once he learns who you really are?"

-

Auguste lets his guards close the doors to his office. If he were to do it, he would slam them hard enough to shake the walls and echo the halls.

Nicaise is sitting on the edge of his desk, his little bells once more around his ankles and page garb abandoned. He's smiling. "You torn into Laurent."

"You were watching."

Nicaise turns his head, earring swinging. "Of course not, the other pets wouldn't let me." He starts smiling again. "But I saw him as he returned to his rooms."

Auguste sits in his chair, folding his hands together. He props his chin on top of them. His body aches and his eyes burn. He's drained. Laurent has always been far too good at riling him up. "And?"

Nicaise puts the back of his hand to his forehead. Always dramatics. "Devastation."

Auguste's brows furrow. "Elaborate."

Nicaise pouts at him, then drops his hand back to the desk. "He didn't walk with his usual sense of entitlement. Once he'd hit the halls only the royal family can enter, he had his arms wrapped around himself and he'd lost all swagger."

Nicaise's retelling has equal chances of being exaggerated and being true. Either way, Auguste feels the words strike through his heart with the intention of hurting him.

He puts his head in his hands. Then sighs, "I should apologize."

Nicaise makes a sound, but Auguste knows his interest has shifted; outwardly, at least.

"I was too hard on him," he continues anyway.

"Of course you were," Nicaise says. He's never pulled a punch before, and especially not when Auguste is being less than kingly.

Auguste looks up to see he's playing with the feather of a quill.

Nicaise goes on. "Laurent is so clearly falling in love with Damianos. And while the feelings are obviously returned, it is through a farse."

And Laurent knows that, but wasn't acknowledging it. And Auguste had thrown it in his face.

He groans, burying his face in his hands once more.

Nicaise huffs a laugh.

-

Jord opens his doors without a word, and even Lazar is kind enough not to point out his state of dress for the expression that must be sitting on his face.

Laurent sits on his bed, even as a sigh passes his lips from the plug pressing deeper into him. He'll need to remove that soon, and clean himself out afterwards.

He pulls the note from his pocket.

He could read it now. See what words Damianos decided to spare him before leaving to deal with his brother.

He could read it later, when his mood has improved. He may be able to better appreciate the words then.

He could rip it up. He won't be allowed out as Charls again, so it is not as though they matter.

He sighs, lying back.