Apollo

Chapter Sixteen

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THE ALLIANCE HAD BEEN SIGNED.

    Duke Westchester seemed happy to agree to all terms after his wife had unintentionally insulted the princess to her face, and Emmett was not about to complain about his readiness to do so. Yet he could not help but wonder...had David been right? Was Victoria's dislikability truly a product not of her own nature, but of her appalling mother? After overhearing how horrible her mother had been towards her, he had developed substantial sympathy toward her. Perhaps she was not as bad as both him and his sister had believed.

    Either way, it no longer mattered to him. He would not be marrying her, nor would he continue to associate with her. His sister had been quite right – she was not pure evil, but no one ever really was. He mostly disliked her and that was ample reason to steer clear of her. He would not speak with her ever again...and her relationship with her mother was her own business.

    Meanwhile, Emmeline, too, was troubled by the newfound information about Victoria Arden, and, one fine evening, brought it up at the table as she dined with her husband's family.

    "...and so I am no longer sure how to think of her," she explained. "I have always viewed her poorly, but now that I know of her circumstances, it is difficult to dislike her with the certainty I had before."

    "Why, my dear, forget her," Sarah suggested. "Harbour no ill feelings toward her, and think no more of her."

    "What about Frederick?" the princess asked, and the man in question looked rather green. "Georgeanne Arden has her heart set on making Victoria second in line. She will not let her leave us in peace."

    "We shall ignore them," was the matter-of-fact reply from the matriarch. "The girl herself has no interest in Freddy, only her vicious mother. This is reason enough not to respond to any request for a union they might pursue."

    "I do wonder, however, who might own Victoria Arden's heart," Emmeline hummed, in deep thought. "She was no doubt about to confess her love to another. Who?"

    "I do not imagine he might be—"

    "I do not understand your need for idle gossip such as this," Prince Javier snapped, interrupting his mother and shocking everyone at the table. "This is why I so dislike being home, Mother, and it is only worse with this girl in the house. I will never understand why women behave like such giggling idiots."

    Alexander's expression turned stony immediately. "Javier, I must insist that you treat our mother and my wife with the respect they deserve—"

    The younger prince narrowed his eyes. "What, brother, has marriage changed you so quickly? Have you been so thoroughly enraptured by your lovely wife that you might jump to her defence so quickly? Only weeks ago you would have been happy to agree with me!"

    Alexander's hackles raised instantly, and Emmeline placed a hand on his arm to soothe him. Before he could shout back, however, his father cut in.

    "Enough!" King Andrew thundered. "Javier, we sent you away hoping you would learn to be less rebellious. In this aspect your brother has grown immensely, but you seem to remain the same obstinate child! Perhaps we must find you a bride also!"

    "Father, I refuse to be chained to a woman!" Javier shouted.

    King Andrew's eyes narrowed. Refusing to engage with his son in a full-fledged argument, he lowered his voice to his normal volume. Yet somehow he sounded even more threatening when he spoke quietly. "Well, son, neither did Alexander, and now he is perfectly content with his wife."