MILO.
âAs if they would allow me to wear anything else to an event like this.â Milo mused back. Not that anything his sibling said would stop him from doing what he wanted, when it came to fashion he did not argue with an expert. Just like he would not argue artillery with a Warden. âOh, I can definitely get you in with them. If anything, Iâll give up one of my standing appointments. Itâs not like I actually need another suit.â A light chuckle fell from him. It wouldnât stop him, by any means. Call him spoiled, but he quite enjoyed having someone from the fashion industry in the family. If he could share that perk with an old friend, it was all the better. Especially considering his main expertise was no longer in the cards for Remus. Not a bad thing, quite the opposite. All fun and games until someone gets addicted. Then it becomes a problem and thatâs not something he wished on anyone, least of all a friend. Even if it did contradict how his fortune was made. Heâd much rather distribute pleasure in small doses to the masses than leave someone with a monkey on their back.Â
The blonde was quick to shake his head at the mere idea of indoctrination by a band of idiots in skull masks. âAbso-fuckinâ-lutely not. Bloody scum, the lot of them.â He scoffed it out with an extra bit of venom. The scowl quickly softened when the next words left the other Seraphim. He wondered if Juno would enter their conversation. Milo had witnessed a lot of death in his thirty odd years on earth. So much that heâd become numb to it, as just another part of business like paperwork. Not that one, that death would stay with him for a long while. He could not begin to imagine what effects it had on War and the Wardens. âWhile I enjoyed our previous truce, and yes I am well aware I am affiliated with those who broke it, this doesnât sit well with me. They need to atone for what they did to your family.â He placed a hand on the other manâs shoulder and gave it a light squeeze in an attempt to show what comfort he could offer. As if there was anything he could say or do that would ease the pain of that loss. He sincerely wished there was anything he could do and should the opportunity arise, best believe heâd be there to offer his support. Even if it didnât include the support of Pestilence, in this single instance.Â
He swallowed the lingering poison of the previous topic with a sip of gin and welcomed a new string of conversation. âHonestly, not as much as youâd think. I did hear about the campaign, of course. But, Iâve been so buried under bullshit, I havenât had the time to keep up with everyone like I used to.â A shame really, he felt like he used to know so much more of what was happening across rival lines and the city. Now he needed to rely on other sources to stay informed where he could no longer linger in the shadows and listen. It was bound to happen eventually, and that was why they had Dominions and advisors at the end of the day. âFrom what I have heard, most think itâs a bold move- which it is. I think the rest is just envy. With all the ties you all have, I am sure youâll do just fine.â His lips twisted into a smile. âDonât think Pierce is a name that can help in that area but you need some word out to the working class, let me know.â A genuine sense of happiness formed in his features when he heard the confirmation of the family his friend was forming. Perhaps a bit of envy underlying the grin that was followed by a matching gulp from his own glass. âGood. Congratulations, you deserve all of it Rem. I mean that.âÂ
A sigh fell when the question turned to him. âAll work and very little play for me. Though Pierce is expanding their reach into South America, through some clients in Mexico. Pest, is Pest and Pinketts are Pinketts. Trying to get the crown a bit less tarnished before I get an ego about it.â A breath of a laugh followed because while he would love to get into the details, that wasnât possible between them. âOther than that, Iâve been looking into some new business ventures of my own but I havenât gotten them fully sorted yet. Dadâs been nagging me to settle down with someone, but I think heâs just gettinâ sentimental in his old age.â Milo shook his head and finished his drink at the thought of carrying on the Pierce name. He didnât even know where to start with that one.Â
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They need to atone to what they did to your family. A simple sentence, a sentiment uttered a hundred thousand times by a hundred thousand different mouths across enemy lines. No one outside their ranks would dare defend Deathâs actions, no one can justify the recorded and treacherous killing of Juno Warden, all her familyâs sins aside. Words like these ring hollow over time, sympathy doing nothing to quell the familyâs worries or losses. But when Milo says it, Remus does find comfort; outside of his own family, he is one of the only people Remus still respects. He gives a solemn nod in response, washing down his initial reaction with the cold drink, suddenly thankful that the noise of the party nearly drowns out their voices. âI still canât believe sheâs gone,â he says, stuck reliving crystal clear memories of his little sister in all her grace and sophistication. Mangled with emotions, Remus feels everything from sadness to anger to relief to guilt to grief in each mention of her name. It takes the support of a recently returned wife to keep Remus from turning to old coping habits, powders and pills that will only pull him down further into despair â is this what Milo thinks he wants now? âIn a strange way, itâs made Saint and I closer. Weâre not at each otherâs fuckinâ throats anymore,â he says with forced laughter, knowing Milo was a witness to the youngest Wardenâs rise to infamy, and Remusâ jealousy brewing in response.Â
Two old friends, each a prince in their own right, inheriting their own corners of the empire of London and all the responsibilities that come with it. âOh trust me, I get it,â he laughs, more genuine this time. If thereâs one thing Remus Warden always needs more of, itâs time; stretched between Bellum and War and the campaign and preparing for the birth of their children, Remus hardly has time to play catch up with acquaintances â Milo is, as usual, the exception. âIt certainly is a bold move, but then again, thatâs why I did it. Iâm no politician, which is exactly what the people want. Itâs time for some fucking change.â He says it simply, unbothered by all the buzzing press, itâs nothing new to Remus anyway. âWell,â he starts, ever the strategist, âeven if you canât help me, itâs very likely we can help you.â Thoughts of his brotherâs new Archangel security plans run through his mind. âIf elected, Iâll have industry leverage where it matters.â Pharmaceutical regulations, fixed prices on common medications, things to have a hand stretch into other territories. âHave to work with Parliament to check off the to-do list, of course, but money always fucking talks.â
Able to recognize a fellow man stretched paper-thin, Remus nods in knowing response. âThatâs quite far from home,â he murmurs, swirling drink absentmindedly in hand as he considers the logistics of managing business that widespread. âAnd youâre doing this through proxy, or does this mean youâre traveling these days?â A question asked out of curiosity over his old friend and a desire for intel from Pestilenceâs Seraphim. Remus leans closer to his friend, pushing the words carefully out his mouth, though he smirks as he does it. âDo you still think Michaela will give it to you, or will you have to take it for yourself?â
Thereâs no stopping the laughter that tumbles from Remusâ mouth at the news of the nagging. Parents grow up and want grandchildren, itâs the nature of things â more so when thereâs an inheritance at stake, a global empire. âGood luck with that. Thereâs only one way to stop that from happening. Proposals, weddings, babies, that kind of thingâĻâ Things Gabrielle herself nags her children over, Remus only recently reaping the rewards of a happy soon-to-be grand mère. âYou have to admit, thereâs something creepy about a middle-aged man living a bachelorâs life.â Not that Milo was there, yet, but itâs true the kind of life they both lead will age them.















