CHAPTER 8 #4
“You’re suggesting that you marry a pauper, a sanguine without a silver to her name? That can’t happen. We need this alliance with the Cavalieris to go through.”
“And I think you’re approaching this the wrong way,” Serafina said pointedly.
“Marriage contracts. Engagement balls. What is this, the eighteenth century? Please. No one is being fooled, father. They know this isn’t some grand love story.
All the comments on social media are saying the same thing.
That the prince should choose the commoner, choose the sanguine, not spoiled pampered rich brat Lara Cavalieri. ”
“He can’t marry a sanguine.”
“Why not? You did,” Dante pointed out. “And that’s really beside the point.
The refusal to accept Lara has zero to do with Alex’s sanguine specifically, and rather is a symptom of the public being fed up by rich elites when they are starving in the dead of winter.
An engagement to someone with the last name Cavalieri buys you nothing at this point in time if your goal is public goodwill.
Lara’s family created this problem. They have to solve it if you want people to like her. ”
“I did exactly what you told me to do.” Alex held up his hands.
“I read the statement. You know as well as I do that all the criticisms the people are making about us are correct. That’s why they’re not dying down.
If Lara wants to win their hearts, she has to find a way to do that through goodwill, not by manipulation. ”
“Use this misstep with the press to force Lara and her father back to the negotiating table,” Sera said. “We could finally be in a position to change things. They must get drug production back online.”
“And they need to put pressure on the oligarchs to back basic healthcare coverage for all workers in the sector,” added Dante.
“They won’t go for it,” Judas objected. “We’ve been down this road before.”
“A more prosperous sector benefits us all,” Alex said. “And once the changes have been announced, they’ll be reluctant to walk them back.”
“I’ve spoken with Lara. She agrees that the statement was a mistake.
So was forcing this girl out of the spotlight.
The public wants you to choose a bride. I think Lara Cavalieri is the best match for you, the right way forward for this family and for the future of the crown.
But, the public has been swayed by the idea of you with this sanguine.
They have this rags to riches fairytale story in their heads, and now they need to let that story play out and grow tiresome. ”
Alex had a sinking feeling he knew where this was going. “I’m not following.”
“We need to let them see why this sanguine would never be a suitable queen, to get this commoner romance out of their heads so that they realize Lara is the right match for you, the only match. You will bring the sanguine here until the ball.”
“I won’t use her that way.” Alex shook his head. “You’ve already decided that I’m marrying Lara. Just leave Daniela out of it.”
His vision was starting to blur. Dani was an innocent. She’d never asked for any of this, and he’d dragged her into the middle of his murderous family drama. Gods, his head was starting to hurt now, too.
“I think she should come,” Sera said slowly.
When he glared across the table, she continued, “While I’m sure father hopes you’ll ultimately choose Lara, I think he’s wise enough to know that a marriage won’t end well if either party feels they were forced down the aisle.
” She shrugged. “We all saw what happened with me and Finneas Hawthorne. It would be just as humiliating if Lara had the marriage annulled after a year because she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life married to someone who couldn’t stand being in the same room as her and refused to touch her in bed. ”
The Horse opened his mouth as if to object.
Dante shoved the basket of garlic breadsticks at him. “Read the room, dude.”
“I want to meet this girl,” the king said at last. “Bring her to the palace.”
“What were you thinking?” Alexander demanded the moment he managed to get Sera alone. “The last thing I want is for Dani to be brought here. We both know Lara and Father aren’t above arranging an accident.”
“Which could just as easily happen while she’s walking alone to her shift at the factory,” Sera reasoned. “Here, there are more of us who can watch her. We can also assign people to watch over Evan and Ava in the meantime. I’ve already talked to them.”
“Wait, what? You knew he’d agree?”
Sera wasn’t smiling. “Have you noticed any strange bruising over the past day or two?”
He laughed sharply. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m pretty much covered in bruises.”
“Can I see your right wrist?”
A chill shivered up his spine as he remembered the mark he’d seen just before the press briefing. He pushed up his sleeve—
There, at the base of his wrist, was a small intricate scrolling pattern of stylized swirls, the two largest of which formed a rough infinity symbol.
“Sera, what is this?”
“The same mark I confirmed on Dani’s wrist an hour before coming here,” his sister answered grimly. “And I’m pretty sure they’re mating marks.”