Page 126 of Control's Undoing

Eric looked at everyone except Nikolett.

“Colum, you still want to be the archivist?”

“Yes.”

“Then you need to be married to someone in leadership.Hande wasn’t wrong about that, and I have a duty to look out for the future of both the society and the archive.At the time, there was only one unmarried admiral.”

Everyone carefully didn’t look at Nikolett.

Eric turned to look at Xavier.“Your mother told me you’d refused to even consider being admiral.”

“If that’s what is necessary for me to marry the man I love, and for him to be happy, I’ll do it.”

“And right now, you’re what?”Eric asked.

“A finance minister.”

Eric grimaced.“Even if your mother is fast-tracking your training, it will be years before you’re admiral.”

“He doesn’t need to be the admiral.Being vice admiral should do.”

Everyone whipped around to look at Nikolett.

“The admiral is not the sole leader of a territory,” Nikolett went on, and there was the faintest hint of relief in her expression, though Annie thought she was trying to hide it.“The leadership is a trinity—admiral, vice admiral, and security minister.”

“We only have to wait until he’s vice admiral,” Annie breathed, excitement tingling through her.Below the table, she started to bounce her foot, needing to do something.

“Arguably,” Nikolett went on, “the finance ministers are positions of leadership as well.Certainly financial leadership.In some territories, they’re the highest-ranking financial positions in the territory if the vice admiral is more focused on the territory’s knights, given that the vice admiral oversees both.”

“He qualifies…right now?”Colum asked hopefully.

“Arguably,” Nikolett said again, for the first time smiling at Colum.

“Admiral,” Eric said slowly to Nikolett.“Do you consider your finance ministers leaders within your territory?”

“I do.And I’m fairly certain if asked, the admiral of France would say the same.”

Eric raised his brows.

Xavier pulled out his phone, typing furiously.A second later, he held it up, screen turned toward them.“Yes, she does.”

“Then a marriage to a finance minister—assuming the finance minister position is considered and treated as leadership within that particular territory—satisfies the new marriage requirement for the archivist.”Eric maintained a serious expression for only a moment longer, then grinned at Colum.

“Eric.”Colum and Eric exchanged a long, meaningful look, carrying on some unspoken conversation.

“Josephine would be so happy,” Eric said softly.“Love.Happiness.A family.It’s all she ever wanted for you.”

Annie watched Colum’s throat bob as he swallowed heavily, and she had to blink several times to hold back her tears.

“Just to clarify,” Nikolett interjected.“Colum is marrying someone else, yes?”

Eric’s jaw muscle worked.“Colum, your original trinity is dissolved.You are no longer married.You’re free to marry the people you love, granted the Grand Master approves.”

A wave of relief washed over Annie, but what she felt was clearly nothing compared to what Colum was experiencing as he slumped in his chair.

Annie couldn’t stand it any longer, rising and skirting the edge of the table to sit on Colum’s lap and kiss him.A second later, Xavier’s hand was tangling in her hair, holding her steady so Colum could ravage her mouth.

“Okay, kids, time and place,” Eric called out.

---