Ludwig was taken aback. It wasn’t that he thought Valantín wouldn’t care. Quite the opposite. He just didn’t think he would be so upfront. “We haven’t discussed it.”

“But you are having sex with her.”

“Valantín!” Angelica slammed her hand on the arm of the chair between mortified and angry. “You go too far.”

Valantín spread his hands, looking at his sister.

His clipped question to Ludwig after his blunt declaration struck a wrong cord on Angelica. Because it had never been the tea or the cucumber sandwiches—with or without crust—that had begun this war between them.

It was himself and his lack of wife and heir. He was putting all the pressure on her. And it was not fair. Not fair at all.

“We need to discuss this, and it would be best if we spoke bluntly about it,” Valantín stated in a tone that admitted no refusal. He turned to Angelica. “Don’t you agree?”

Despite the fact that he was her brother and she was the closest flesh and blood that he had, they had never been intimate as friends due to their age difference. When she was born he was already fifteen.  

Angelica still remembered the day when she had gathered all her courage to ask her big, handsome, and very brooding brother to have tea with her, Maria, and all their dolls. He had smiled, sat in the minuscule chair, and eaten a cucumber sandwich. He had stayed, even if for just a few minutes, and had asked her how school was going, congratulated her, and told her she should be a nice girl and do what she was told.

At that time, she’d thought that if only she did everything right, when she was a bit older, he would stay longer, would take her riding with him. Perhaps, he would even rely on her.

Now she was twenty-one, the age he had been when he had sat with her and Maria. She had done everything right and he still didn’t trust her. “I am a grown woman and quite capable of handling my own personal relationships.”

Valantín nodded, his closed expression not telling Angelica if he was upset—or worse, judging. “I simply need to know what to prepare for. Are we preparing for a wedding? Or should I be preparing to mitigate another scandal?”

At least there was that.

Angelica swallowed the lump in her throat and stared at Ludwig, her hands clasped so hard that her knuckles had turned white.

Ludwig could almost hear Angelica’s thoughts. She had only ever intended for this to be a one-night stand. She hadn’t foreseen that he would find her so endearing. Frankly, neither had he.

Ludwig had a great deal of experience letting women down gently. He did not, however, have any experience discussing his relations with his lovers’ brothers—or fathers, for that matter—especially when that person was a king. Luckily, he had experience dealing with kings. His best friend was one. “We’ve had a few discussions on where we might go with our relationship.”

“That doesn’t sound promising, especially since my dear sister told me she was having an affair with you.” Valantín reached over and grabbed a sandwich, needing the fortitude of the familiar taste. “Are you willing to marry her?”

Am I supposed to ask you officially for her hand in marriage, Your Majesty? Now? “Well…I am. But…”

Ludwig noticed Angelica wincing at the word and strangling the napkin in her hands.

Valantín cocked a brow at him. “But?”

Ludwig had not realized until now how very much her answer did matter; had not realized, until now, how boring and depressing the days, weeks, and months to come would be if she didn’t accept. “Is she?”

For a moment, Angelica experienced a numbness of incomprehension before the words struck, sharp and stunning as a blow to the head. The room darkened and everything within wobbled drunkenly.

She snorted and set her cup down on the table hard enough for it to clatter on the plate. “Let’s not be ludicrous. You are not the type of man who would be willing to settle down. Especially not for the likes of me.”

Valantín settled into his chair, his expression saying he was almost enjoying this. This was the first time for a long time Angelica had ever seen him with anything other than a dour expression on his face.

She saw Ludwig’s hooded gaze drop from her face down to her neckline and she felt heat simmer there and spread, just as though it had been his hands—or his mouth—upon her, not his eyes.

“Perhaps we can discuss this later,” said Ludwig.

“No.” Valantín’s expression might be open, but his tone was not. “We’ll discuss this now, and I’ll know where we are going before we leave this room.”

I really don’t want to have this particular conversation with a third party included. Angelica closed her eyes for a brief moment and then retrieved her tea. “I do not intend to marry Ludwig.”

Those simple words hit Ludwig like a bullet. He hadn’t realized until now just how much he truly cared for her. “Why not?”

“You can’t be serious.” Angelica appeared to be out of her comfort zone and struggling to maintain control of herself.

The growing web of hurt inside him made him realize just how serious he was. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Angelica looked to her brother.

He raised a hand in question. “I would like to know the answer to this as well.”

She released a long breath as if trying to settle her nerves. “The political situation that we find ourselves in will not allow it.”

“The political situation?” Ludwig had never been turned down by a woman he cared about, so this particular argument seemed quite lame to him. “You’re going to hide behind politics?”

“I’m not hiding behind them.” Angelica could not believe they were having this conversation now. There were other more pressing matters they should be discussing. This certainly was not one of them.

“It kind of feels as though you are, Sister,” Valantín said softly, in that voice he saved for moments when he was trying to tell her she was being stupid. “I want to hear more.”

That was not what she needed to hear at the moment. “The Democracy for Aragon is getting bigger and gaining traction. The marriages we make must be smart.”

“And what should I be looking for in a wife?” Valantín asked. “A military? A large dowry, perhaps?”

This conversation was going downhill rather quickly. “We cannot use military force on our own people.”

“Precisely. So what force can we use on our people?”

Angelica opened her mouth to say something but was cut off.

“Rationality.” Ludwig’s expression was devoid of emotion. He had never realized before that he might have an ally in any of Angelica’s family. But he was going to take anything he could get.

She heard it then, faint but recognizable. She had hurt him with her admission of not wanting to wed him. Masculine pride was an exceedingly precious and fragile item. She knew it and was still a little shocked by the fact that in the twenty-first century men were still taught to built fortresses around themselves since childhood. They were taught to laugh when they were sick with fear; they were taught not to cry, even if they were broken with pain.

Besides, she did not think that he would care for her so much that he would ever want to marry her.

“Continue.” Valantín turned his attention to Ludwig.

“The only thing your people are looking for is the right people or persons who have their best interests at heart.”

That was something Angelica could agree with. The scarce time she’d spent helping their people had taught her that. Well, that and a great deal more. “What if the Democracy for Aragon is right?”

Valantín looked at her in surprise.

Ludwig frowned at her. “What?”

This had been yet another thing eating at her that she had been unable to voice. To say it out loud felt blasphemous or traitorous. “What if we are not the right government for the people?”

“You really believe that?” Valantín asked.

The truth settled in her chest like a stone weight.  “Sí.”

“Why would you say that?” Ludwig’s hands rose with the frustration in his tone. “Who loves this country and her people more than you do?”

Valantín raised his eyebrows at him but turned to his sister without saying a word.

“Look at this conversation, for one. We are so bound by tradition. We’re trying to decide whom I should marry for political favor.” Angelica shook her head.

Valantín dropped his gaze to his hands.

“I know that’s not what you were saying when you broached the subject. I’m quite sure that you were pushing me to find my own way. But what if we are just so outdated, so out of touch, that we are no longer best for our people?”

Ludwig stared at the two of them in the gathering silence. Finally, he set his cup on the table beside him and leaned forward. “Surely, you’re not trying to tell me that a political movement that thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to blow places up, killing people at random, is better and has truer intentions than you do?”

That was not what she was saying at all. “No, I—”

He slashed his hand to cut off whatever she might say. “You know how much you love your people. You work with them. You helped people in a dire situation putting yourself at risk, for God’s sake. I didn’t see anyone from the Democracy for Aragon doing that. I haven’t even heard word that they are wanting to put together a donation center in honor of those affected by the bombing. Or planning on helping rebuilding their houses and shops.”

Angelica did not like that Valantín leaned back in his chair, watching Ludwig with a keen eye.  Her brother was probably considering Ludwig as a viable wedding solution.

“No one else is better suited for this than you.” Ludwig looked at Valantín and then at Angelica. “No one cares about these people as much as you do. The way you fought for that new hospital? I didn’t see anyone else fighting so hard for it.”

Valantín rubbed his chin, his narrowed eyes focused on Angelica now.

She knew that look. It was the look that said he had caught her and had her positioned exactly the way he wanted her. Sometimes she really did dislike her brother.

“However,” Valantín said, turning his attention to Ludwig. “I do believe that we have grown out of touch with our people.”

“Then get in touch with them, for fuck’s sake.” Ludwig threw his hands up in the air in frustration as he stared at them. “But do not quit. Do not hand them over to a political party that says they care about your people, but whose actions state they do not.”

Valantín nodded once.

Angelica was floored by his passionate statements. Did Ludwig care this much? Could he? And what would he gain politically?

“Well, I have to go,” Ludwig looked at his watch and stood up. “You might be interested in knowing, Valantín, that I am closing the deal on a building for Lekten Royal Bank in Aragon in an hour.”

Valatín stood up too. “So, you are really moving here?”

With his electric blue gaze locked on Angelica’s, Ludwig nodded. “Really.”

With that, he turned on his heels and exited the room.

Valantín slowly sat down again. “What are you going to do?”

And as she did with her mother, Angelica didn’t answer. Because she still had absolutely no idea.