Page 98 of Rise of a Fallen Man

The duchess snapped her fan closed. “The Queendom of Olakrez demands you fulfill your agreement with us and make Prince Leafar your husband in every sense of that word.”

I’d requested the meeting with the duchess, intending to fight her on it, but I had no fight left in me. I felt too broken inside, too tired, and too numb to argue.

“Where is Leafar?” I asked wearily.

“The prince is in your bedroom,” the duchess informed me. “He’s waiting for you to perform your marital duty.”

She headed for my bedroom door. Her entourage of highborn ladies stirred, ready to follow her in.

I quickly stepped forward, positioning myself in her path.

“The prince expressed his desire for privacy,” I said. “I wish to honor his request.”

“I’m afraid his wish can no longer be honored, Your Highness. You can’t be trusted to fulfill your marital duties in a timely manner anymore. Goddess knows you’ve had plenty of time to do it since your wedding.”

I’d been trying to postpone the inevitable. Subconsciously, I’d dreaded to betray my feelings for Salas. But that was over now. Salas was gone. All I had was a life of duty ahead of me and an unfulfilled responsibility right in front of me.

The duchess came face to face with me.

“I will not ask where you spent the last hour, Your Highness.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can only assume by the smell from your clothes that it was somewhere awfully close to the horse stables.” She shrugged, spreading her arms aside. “Women have needs that their husbands can’t always fulfill. I certainly won’tquestion your affairs outside of your bedroom as long as you fulfill your duties inside it right now.”

“Of course, how can you question my ‘affairs’ if the Queen of Olakrez is known for keeping a harem of handsome boys for her pleasure?” I retorted, holding her stare.

“The queen is well within her rights to do as she pleases,” the duchess huffed. “She has ensured an heiress of the royal blood for her throne, and everyone knows it takes more than one man to satisfy a woman. I don’t question your desire for other men, Your Highness. It’s your lack of desire for your own husband that presents a problem. I am not leaving your chambers until I am fully satisfied your duties to our countries have been fulfilled. Otherwise, I am taking Prince Leafar back to Olakrez tomorrow.”

Going back home was Leafar’s worst nightmare. I couldn’t allow her to take him. But I also suspected the duchess’ threats didn’t have as much weight as she wanted me to believe.

“We both know the prince is of little value to the queen at this point,” I called her bluff. “If the marriage is annulled, his status as a former husband won’t possibly be the same as that of a pure, virginal groom. The queen won’t be able to find another match for him as advantageous as his current match with Rorrim.”

The duchess glared at me.

“His reputation is now forever stained. Thanks to you.”

“It’s a good thing then that I don’t care about his reputation. Prince Leafar’s value to me isn’t tied to his purity, and his wishes are important to me. He is a citizen of Rorrim now, and in Rorrim he shall remain.”

The duchess’s mouth fell open, but she didn’t rush with a reply. A calculation was behind her narrowed eyes.

I had to drive my point home, in front of all these witnesses.

“I want you to acknowledge the fact, Your Grace, that my husband is to stay in Rorrim when you leave tomorrow.”

“Only if he is your husband in every sense of that word,” she insisted. “To spare his modesty, however, I am willing to give you a chance to rectify the situation right now, with only me and my escort in attendance, as opposed to a far greater number of witnesses at the public consummation tomorrow.”

“If I ‘rectify the situation’ tonight,” I said with a calm confidence I did not feel, “There will be only the prince and I in that room. No one else.”

“How can we be sure it happened if we don’t witness it with our own eyes?” the duchess asked suspiciously.

“You’ll have to take my word on it.”

“Like I said, Your Highness. My faith in your word on this particular matter has been severely shaken.”

“How about Leafar’s word then? I know he confides in you. He wouldn’t lie.”

The duchess blew out a derisive laugh. “I’d be a terrible stateswoman if I believed the words of men.”

I leaned with my back against the closed bedroom door.

“What would it take for you to accept it once it has happened, Your Grace? Because I swear on everything that has any value in this world, you are not watching me fuck your nephew.”

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