Ludmilla had sighed, and then, with a hesitant look at her maids, who were sitting a respectable distance away from them so that they couldn’t overhear, she confessed to him: “I find I’m not as enthusiastic about my upcoming marriage as I should be, brother.”
“Is it the fact that you will have to move to Sunvaara? Because you can always visit—”
“That isn’t it, brother,” she’d interrupted him. “Or at least, that isn’t the only reason.” She’d sighed then, as if she’d had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“It’s…my fiance.”
“The Crown Prince?” Luka had narrowed his eyes as all of Maya’s misgivings about the man had come back to him in a rush. “Has he said anything improper to you? Or done something to offend you?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” She’d paused then, before saying in rush: “It’s just that the more I’ve come to know him, the more I find my heart filled with misgivings about the future. I’m not sure I could ever be happy with him.”
“Ludmilla—”
“Oh, what difference does it make?” Ludmilla had laughed then, a bitter sound. “I cannot escape the demands of my position, any more than you can. We both need to make political marriages, I always knew that, but…” Her grip on her teacup turned white, and her hand had trembled as she’d set it down carefully. “I had hoped I would still be able to find my own happiness.”
“No, Ludmilla, you’re wrong,” Luka had said, taking her hands in his as a sudden wave of determination swept through him. “Youwillbe happy. If you don’t want to marry this man, I’ll make sure you don’t need to.”
He’d had enough of sitting around and feeling sorry for himself. Now, it was time he did something about it. The time for wallowing in his feelings was over. Now was the time foraction.
He’d been blaming Maya all this while, but if he thought about it, had he told her how he truly felt? How could he have expected her to commit to him when he’d left his own feelings for her so unclear, especially with the shadow of his engagement to Lady Demidova hanging over them?
That evening, he’d seen Maya at the ball again, and it had served to solidify things for him: she still cared for him, despite everything that had happened in Kamenev. And he had never stopped loving her.
And so, Luka had made his plans.
Two days later, when Luka had an audience with Crown Princess Annika, he was ready.
When he was shown into the sitting room, he made sure his steps were straight and sure, feeling a little twinge of pain as his prosthetic rubbed at the stumps in his bad foot. He’d felt the pain most keenly on the night he’d danced at the royal ball, and the morning after had been as hellish as any of his early days at the estate when his feet had hurt all day, before Maya had developed his prosthetic for him. But now, he knew he was able to project a level of confidence he didn’t quite feel.
He'd never truly seen eye-to-eye with his sister, and it had only gotten worse when the Tsar had decaled her his heir. Their differing schedules, and the fact that they’d each grown in the ancestral seats of their mothers had only served to increase the distance between them. After all these years, they were more like strangers than siblings.
But if Luka wanted this to work, he needed Annika on his side.
He sat in the seat across from his sister, observing her. She waved for her butler to pour them both steaming cups of tea in a charming little Merovian tea set. After she’d sweetened hers to her taste, Princess Annika sat back, looking at him silently.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me, sister.:”
“Yes, well, I admit to being curious as to why you requested to meet.” When he didn’t respond, she tapped a finger against her saucer. “What is it, Luka? I'm busy.”
Luka took a breath, screwing up his courage. “It's about the political marriage that our father has proposed for me. I cannot go through with it. I refuse to be wedded to a woman whom I do not love.”
Annika frowned. “And what do you expectmeto do about it?”
Now Luka smiled. “This engagement with Lady Demidova was only meant to shore up your political power proposed by keeping the trade routes in the Sothern Seas under your control, is it not? Well then, I propose a trade. What if I could give you something just as good?”
“I’m listening. Go on.”
“In exchange for my freedom from this political marriage, I will work to build up the northern sea trade routes with the Elves. Their ambassador, Lord Erlan, has agreed to give us exclusive trade rights. We could establish new markets and increase our revenue tenfold.”
“You know how I feel about the Elves, Luka. They cannot be trusted. And besides, we already have established trade routes with the Demidov family. Why do we need the Elves?”
“Because their ships are faster, more efficient, and can carry larger cargoes. If we have their support, we can dominate the trade market and solidify our position as a powerful nation. Please, Annika, consider it.”
His sister nodded. “I'll consider it, but I make no promises. And you must understand that our father may not agree to release you from your marriage agreement. It’s a matter of politics and alliances.”
Luka bowed his head. “I understand, sister. But I know that you will be able to convince him to change his mind, since this closely concernsyourreign. I say again: I cannot marry Lady Demidova. I am willing to face the consequences of my actions, but I implore you to support me.”
“Like I said, I’ll think about it, Luka. I will talk to him.”
