Page 114 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

She flinched a little at the insult inherent in his statement. But he was right. The king had insisted on their marriage because she was already a recognisable and beloved figure in the royal palace, having been accompanying the king for years as his aide, and because the king knew she would work hard to groom Sebastian for the shoes he was expected to fill.

‘I have no interest in forcing you to do something you are set against. Deciding to have children is a deeply personal matter—the decision is yours.’

Her eyes widened at this unexpected show of reason. ‘Then my answer is no.’

‘I understand.’

She couldn’t believe how reasonable he was being! ‘Thank you.’

‘Unfortunately,’ he continued as though she hadn’t spoken. ‘It means I will have to start the ball rolling on our divorce. It’s not ideal—and there’ll be a PR disaster to clean up given the brevity of our marriage—but I’m sure the palace machinery will know how to handle it.’

‘A divorce?’

Her back straightened. Her first thought was of the schools she was midway through developing in the least financially prosperous regions of the country—schools that would herald amazing opportunities for students who might otherwise be condemned to live out their lives in the same straitened circumstances as their parents. Who would complete them if she were not princess? Would the funding be withdrawn? The schools were her pet project; she’d fought for them, tooth and nail. Sending billions of dollars into low-tax areas hadn’t been particularly popular with the parliament, but Rosie had been determined. How quickly would the plans be scuttled if she were not at the helm?

‘We’renotgetting divorced.’

For the briefest moment, sympathy softened Sebastian’s autocratic face. ‘We are caught between a rock and a hard place. This has nothing to do with the king’s wishes and everything to do with the sense of his suggestion. It’s abundantly clear an heir is needed. But I have no interest in forcing you to be the mother of my child. So, what do we do, wife?’

‘I just can’t see why this has become such an urgent issue. We discussed all this at the time of formalising our engagement. The contracts—’

‘I did not perceive the urgency of the king’s health,’ Sebastian interrupted, a spark of irritation in his voice. ‘Had I known how ongoing and serious his health matters were, I would have thought more about the question of children.’

‘You think I should have told you?’

Something tightened in his face. ‘I thinkheshould have told me.’

It was yet another nail in the coffin, Rosie thought sadly. Their relationship had suffered so many—could it endure any more betrayals?

‘Your king would like a great-grandchild. Losing my uncle as he did, and now facing his own mortality, naturally he fears his time is coming to an end. This is an issue he wants resolved as a matter of priority.’

She shuddered. The thought of the king’s death was impossible for Rosie to contemplate. Even that morning, when she’d seen him so ashen and weak, she’d beensurehe’d recover. He had to. He was King Renee, capable of everything—and at seventy-four, he was far too young to die.

‘He’ll be around for decades,’ she said with false bravado.

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t argue the point. ‘If you don’t wish to have a baby—and of course that’s your prerogative—I’ll need to marry someone who does. You must see that.’

Rosie glanced sideways, towards the window. The city glittered. It was one of her favourite views, the sparkly buildings a mix of old—delightful, ancient homes and churches—combined with the very new and impressive—huge high-rises that seemed to reach right into the sky. Now it brought her no comfort, nor joy. Her heart was sinking, panic making her palms sweat. She thought of her mother, always asleep, unanimated, all because of Rosie’s birth.

‘I can’t,’ she moaned softly, turning back to face him.

‘Then you have a decision to make.’ His voice was emotionless, as though he didn’t care either way. And that, she supposed, was true. ‘Either we deliver my grandfather the heir he desperately wants to see—the heir our country needs—or we end this marriage.’

‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’

His eyes locked to hers and the air between them seemed to spark. She ignored it, just as she had the first moment she’d laid eyes on him and was hit with how handsome he was. She drew strength from the anger coursing through her and from the impotence of her position, from the betrayal that the king had discussed this with Sebastian before talking to Rosie. If Renee had come to her with this idea, she could have talked him around, gently guided him away from the necessity of considering a child just yet.

‘This marriage was not my idea,’ he pointed out. Then, after a beat, his eyes shuttered, revealing nothing. ‘But wearemarried, Rosalind. You are my wife. We said our vows in front of thousands of people, not even half a year ago. It would be my preference to maintain the appearance of this farce. My grandfather’s too.’

‘You discussed the possibility of divorce?’

‘If you were not amenable to falling pregnant, I suggested it might be necessary.’

‘And what did he say?’

‘He agreed.’

Rosie sucked in a sharp breath.

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