Page 98 of My Five Daddies

“Ready?” I askher.

She nods once. “I’mready.”

I knock on Andrew’s door and push it open before he canrespond.

He looks up from his desk and sighs. “You again,” hesays.

“Me again. And I brought company.” Hazel steps into the room and Andrew looks surprised. He stands up and nods toher.

“Hello, Hazel,” he says. “I’m Andrew. SecondSteward.”

“I know,” she says, curtsyingslightly.

Andrew shakes his head and looks at me. “You really got her to go along with this?” he asksme.

I pretend to be hurt. “This is a solemn occasion, Andrew,” I say. “We’re about to sign my marriagepapers.”

Andrew groans, shakes his head, and pulls open a drawer. He drops a stack of papers on the top of his desk and looks atus.

“Let’s get started,” he says, gesturing at the chairs in front of hisdesk.

We sit down across from him and Hazel keeps fidgeting slightly. I can tell she’s nervous as Andrew begins to go over the terms of thecontract.

“The basic idea is this: your official title will be Wife Consort, which is a very old but surprisingly real station,” he says. “You will be paid a yearly stipend in small chunks each month for the rest of your life. You will be allowed to live where and as you please, and you may even take a second husband. In exchange, you will give Nolan full custody of any children he sires with you, and you will return to Polovia twice a year to serve any ceremonial functions necessary. Do youunderstand?”

She nods meekly. “Iunderstand.”

Andrew looks at her for a second. “This is a big thing,” he says finally. “Polovia hasn’t had a Wife Consort at court since… I don’t know, hundreds of years atleast.”

“Quit trying to scare her,” Isay.

“I’m not trying to scare her. But people are going to talk, and it won’t be all nice things. She should know what she’s getting herselfinto.”

Hazel looks at me and I look back at her. She hesitates before nodding at Andrew. “I get it,” she says. “I’m stillhere.”

I smile as Andrew sighs and continues to go over the contract. For the most part, is simple legalistic stuff, just outlining every single detail imaginable. Each of us initials the bottom of every page, indicating that we read it, or at least that Andrew went over it withus.

It takes almost an hour to get through that stack of papers, which basically all boil down to what Andrew said in the very beginning. As we go through it all, Hazel is totally silent, and the only way you’d know that she’s paying attention is by watching the way she fidgets in her chair. She keeps moving, like if she settles down then something bad might happen or something. It’s actually fascinating to watch, and I feel like it’s the first real glimpse into her personality that I’mgetting.

Andrew, for his part, doesn’t seem to notice. If he does, he doesn’t comment on it, he just continues to do his job. I can’t tell if she’s nervous, afraid, regretting everything, or what. But she doesn’t ask any questions and she initials every page, so wecontinue.

Finally, Andrew gets to the last page. It’s an ornate thing, with lines for us to sign, and the enormous royal seal already stamped in wax. I see that my father signed the bottom, indicating his approval, although I doubt he actually signed it. I suspect my mother had his personal steward sign, which is surprisinglycommon.

“Okay Hazel,” Andrew says. “This is your last chance. If you get up and leave without signing, we won’t hold anything againstyou.”

She looks at me and I look back, but I don’t say anything. If she wants to walk away, I want her to go. I don’t want to force this woman to marry me. I don’t want her to feel like I had to convinceher.

I want her to wantit.

She looks away, takes the pen from the table, and signs her name quickly. She puts the pen down and looks away again when it’sdone.

“Okay then,” Andrew says, and looks at me. “Same goes for you, it’s nottoo—“

I grab the pen and sign before he canfinish.

Andrew sighs. “I now pronounce you man andwife.”

“May I kiss the bride?” Isay.

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