Page 19 of How Not to Marry a Prince

Pushing to his feet, Amador locked the door, put out the lights and stoked the fire, and then finally headed to bed. It was only as he reached it and stripped off his robe though that he realized he'd just been speaking to Sohan alone in his room while wearing only a dressing robe. Of course he had.

Exhausted beyond all reason, Amador climbed into bed and mercifully fell quickly asleep.

It took two days for the paperwork to be ready, and nearly as long to secure an appointment with Lipovsky, who seemed to be avoiding everyone, which was fair, as he probably felt like a fish surrounded by hungry sharks.

After breakfast with Nazaire and Marcellette, he headed for the office Nazaire had given to him to borrow as long as he liked, where Soledad already waited with the lawyer and notaries. "Stay, please," Amador said as his bodyguards started to take up position in the hallway like usual. "I would like you to be present, so you can report on details to His Majesty should it be necessary."

The taller of the two women protecting him today frowned. "Do you anticipate trouble, Your Highness?"

"No, not at all. Maybe some colorful swearing at worst. I simply want witnesses to all this for the sake of thoroughness."

"As you wish, Highness."

"Thank you." Amador took his seat, and had only just settled when a knock came at the door. Soledad rose to answer it, and Lipovsky entered with his own secretary. His bushy brows were drawn down in a sharp V, mouth flat. "Your Highness, I am here as requested."

"I appreciate you coming, Baron, and on such short notice," Amador replied, motioning for them to sit on the opposite side of the table. "I promise this will be worth your time and effort."

Lipovsky said nothing, as they all knew very well that a lowly baron was in no position to brush off or threaten a prince, even a foreign one. "My pleasure to serve."

"It's in fact I that am here to help you." Amador gave a bare nod of his head, and next to him the lawyer laid out the reports Amador had put together. "Your estate is heavily in debt from mismanaged taxes. I suspect part of the reason you've been putting off declaring an heir is that the problem would become public knowledge when so far you've managed to keep it quiet."

"How did you learn of it? You've been here barely more than a week. This has nothing to do with you, Your Highness."

Amador spread the papers out. "That is for me to decide. Now, then, your problem compounds with the enacting of the Filandra Amendment, since many of the businesses located in your territory will take significant strikes from it." He pushed one of the pages forward. "I'm sure you've done the numbers yourself, but for the sake of thoroughness, this is the total amount your territory will owe. That is not an amount you will be able to cover, and most of the businesses will close."

"I'm aware of the problems," Lipovsky said icily. "I don't need some foreign prince trotting in to explain them to me."

"No, I suppose you don't, but you do need someone to provide the funds you require to come out of this mess. I also suggest you hire better accountants going forward, but we can discuss that later. Let's come to the point: I will pay your debt in full and grant you a generous surplus besides. If properly managed, the money will be more than capable of bringing your territory back up to flourishing."

Lipovsky's eyes widened, then narrowed. "What is your price?"

"Your heir of course," Amador replied. "You will name the person of my choosing as your heir."

"Naturally. What in the world could my territory possibly offer you?" Lipovsky asked, almost vibrating in place, anger and despair warring in his eyes.

Amador motioned to the lawyer again, who slid the contract across the table. "Nothing. Your territory doesn't interest me. What I want, the only thing I want, is for you to name Sergeant Vladlena Fosse your heir."

Lipovsky jolted as though brutally backhanded. "Her? To what end?"

"Doing the right thing is end enough."

Lipovsky laughed. "The right thing? Lifting up a whore's daughter?"

"Your daughter," Amador said, and Lipovsky recoiled from the heat in his voice.

"What's your real motive?"

"Read the contract. Come to your own conclusions."

"I will," Lipovsky bit out.

"It's sound," Lipovsky's lawyer said, regarding Amador and then his lawyer pensively. "Exquisite work, honestly."

Amador's lawyer smiled crookedly. "I would love to take credit, because it is most excellent work, but I just did the finishing. His Highness drafted it."

"You would make an excellent lawyer, Your Highness."

Lipovsky shifted impatiently, clearly fighting an urge to roll his eyes. "If we're quite finished fawning…"

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