How to Seduce an Earl

Chapter 11

Baron Rodrick Ducaine the Third wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his handkerchief. He was expecting an audience with Zeus today about his pending request for permission to marry Baron Chase's only daughter.

Lady Annabeth wasn't the most beautiful of his candidates, oh no. The Duchess Piper and Lady Silena were the top contenders for that title. But a pity that they were both spoken for. Baron Rodrick swore mentally at Duchess Piper, who had rejected his lucrative proposal to immediately fall into the Crown Prince's arms. A Crown Prince was much higher than his baron title. He respected that. So instead, Lady Annabeth would do as the mare for his son.

For his past marriages, Zeus had been very accommodating to his wheedling. All Rodrick had to do was present Zeus a few pretty girls just of child-bearing age from his underground brothel or some trinkets like a sapphire mine to help fill up the kingdom's coffers. After all, Baron Rodrick was doing this all for the Kingdom's well-being. More women in Zeus' harem would ensure heirs for the Kingdom and the money would ensure the stability of the economy. The baron had convinced himself that he was doing good for the kingdom.

But today was unlike any of his past dealings with the Zeus. Instead of finding himself facing the King, he was facing Crown Prince Jason instead.

The future ruler sat regally on the throne, as if already comfortable with the fact that he was inheriting the throne. Jason perused through the paperwork Rodrick had submitted with a blank face. Rodrick wiped his forehead again.

Zeus, while unpredictable in some terms, was predictable in his dealings with marriage permission grantings. King Zeus would not care if unions between families did not upset the power of the throne. Lady Annabeth, while linked to the royal family, would not tip the balance. But she was the daughter of the much loved Duchess Athena, and His Majesty was bound to pay more special attention. So Rodrick had planned a large sum of money and jewels and his third youngest daughter to convince the King that he would take care of Annabeth.

But Jason was well-known for his righteousness and morals. Rodrick had little to no connections with Prince Jason, as the prince had been off fighting in the war before returning victorious and immediately in the King's most favored graces. But the apple doesn't fall too far away from the tree, doesn't it? Surely, no man could help resist the chest piled high with diamonds and gold bars? Rodrick sneaked a look at his daughter, Lacy, beside him, gawking at the handsome prince.

Rodrick pinched at Lacy's arm, warning her of her indecent behavior. Really, if this wasn't in the Royal Palace, he would have slapped his daughter for being so unladylike. Didn't she know that every action of hers could make him look bad to the prince?

Unbeknownst to the baron, Jason caught the pained expression on the barely fifteen year old girl's face. If Jason hadn't been so good at holding his composure, he might have let his disgust show in his frown.

Baron Rodrick coughed and bowed again. "Your Highness, is His Majesty feeling all right today? I was told to expect an audience with the King today."

The prince flipped through another page of the paperwork, the sound causing the baron to flinch. "King Zeus is in fine health, thank you for asking. To better understand and learn how to be a proper King, I have been interning in his stead to prepare myself as the future King."

What Baron Rodrick didn't know was that Zeus was spending a vacation with Queen Hera as an appeasement for the last time he accepted five women all at the same time into his harem.

"Ah, yes, yes, that's what a proper prince should do! You shall be a fine ruler of Olympus, for sure!" Rodrick praised.

The prince didn't bad so much as an eyelash to his adulation, which irked Rodrick somewhat. Instead Prince Jason put down the paperwork.