Up for Heir - Stella Starling Page 0,69
about love?”
Hans scoffed again. “If Leopold marries, it will be a political decision. They all are. The royal family understands the need for strategic alliances. Why do you think so many dignitaries are in town?”
“Well, of course the prince needs to marry someone of a certain station,” the director said, all but rubbing her hands together. “But that doesn’t mean he can’t fall in love, too. Princess Amirah seems just Leopold’s type, if you ask me.”
No one had, but Edvin didn’t point that out. Probably couldn’t have, since both his tongue and his stomach were officially tied into impenetrable knots now.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hans said. “Love isn’t a factor in royal weddings.”
“King Alphonse and Queen Aubrey are in love,” the director said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Everyone knows that.”
“But it says right here,” Maja said, stabbing a finger at the newspaper, “that Leopold was given a list. That’s not love, that’s ‘hurry up and do your duty.’ He has to get engaged. An ‘anonymous palace insider’ says so.”
And Leo had said it too, hadn’t he? He’d said it was his duty from the beginning, and he’d even said it when Edvin had spent the night. Right in the middle of being intimate. And it had been a joke, Edvin knew that. It had made him giggle. He’d been… he’d been happy, but then again, he’d thought he was happy with Hans, too… right up until it was over.
Was Edvin fooling himself now?
He couldn’t be, could he?
You know I’ll do whatever duty requires, Leo had said right before he’d made love to Edvin. Isn’t that how I found you, darling?
Edvin’s eyes started to sting again. If… if he was fooling himself, if he was totally wrong about Leo’s feelings for him, how would it feel to spend his life loving someone for whom he was just a duty?
“Right, Edvin?” Maja asked, making Edvin feel like he’d missed part of the conversation, because honestly, he had no idea what she was asking him to back her on. Of course, what he really wanted was to miss all of this particular conversation—
Actually… maybe he could? He already knew that Hans was the type to walk away as soon as he got what he wanted, and once he did, Edvin could escape, too.
“Edvin wouldn’t know,” Hans answered Maja. “You can’t actually believe he’s friends with Prince Leopold.”
“I saw them together,” Maja said indignantly, hands on her hips. Then, with a sly smile for Edvin, added, “I even thought that maybe they were a little more than friends. And that’s what I’m saying! The prince shouldn’t have to marry for duty if he’s found someone who he—”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hans cut in with a derisive snort. “The prince isn’t going to marry a commoner, Maja. And certainly not one like Vinnie.”
“It-It’s Edvin,” Edvin whispered, hating how easy it felt to believe Hans’s words. How much more weight all the years of self-doubt carried when balanced against a few weeks of wonderfulness.
“Well, if the prince were to marry a commoner, Edvin,” Hans said with a cruel smile. “It would have to be someone exceptional, don’t you think?”
His implication was clear. “Someone exceptional” wasn’t, and never would be, Edvin.
“Is it even legal for a prince to marry a commoner?” Maja asked, bouncing on her toes. “I mean, it is the twenty-first century. Besides, he’s a prince. Can’t he make his own rules?”
“There really isn’t any precedent for it here in Rosavia,” the director said, tapping a finger against her lips thoughtfully. “But if you look at other monarchies, there have been—”
“I’ll do it,” Edvin blurted, just needing them to stop already.
“You’ll marry Prince Leopold?” Maja asked with a squeal. “Omigod. I want to come to the wedding!”
“I meant, um, m-m-meant about this weekend,” Edvin said.
“I knew you would,” Hans said smugly. “You’ve finally realized that pitching in to help preserve the Royal Library’s international reputation is a tad bit more important than nappy duty, or brushing up for parent-teacher meetings, or… or whatever your weekend ‘plans’ were, yes?”
Edvin blinked. Nappy duty? Had Hans actually paid so little attention to him that he thought Edvin’s siblings were that young, or was he just being an ass? And he was wrong about the importance of Edvin’s plans, too—Leo was definitely more important—but this was self-preservation.
“Hans,” the director said sternly, giving the man an admonishing look. “That was uncalled for. You are asking Edvin to come in on his personal time, you know.”
“Again,” Maja muttered under her