Page 84 of The Infernal Battalion

“I know,” Raesinia said. “I’m just...” What? Not happy about having my body bargained with like a broodmare? “Unprepared. I hadn’t thought to address the problem of marriage until things were more settled.”

Dorsay raised an eyebrow. “Well, we are where we are, and we needs must make the best of it.”

“You think I should accept, then.”

“I wouldn’t dream of telling the Queen of Vordan what she should do. All I can say is that it seems to be one way of achieving what you came for, at a cost your nation is willing to bear.” He got to his feet. “It’s time for breakfast. Would you like to join me?”

Raesinia declined, as graciously as she could, and headed back to her own chambers. Barely and Jo fell into step behind her, as usual, but she was so lost in her own thoughts she hardly noticed them.

He’s right, damn him. Taking the king’s offer was the logical thing to do. It would accomplish everything Dorsay said, securing Borel’s aid now and in the future. All at the price of, what? Sleeping with a boring dimwit? Women have done far worse for far less.

The problem, of course, was that it wasn’t that simple. Prince Matthew didn’t know about her supernatural problem, and there was no telling how he’d react if he found out. Raesinia planned to “live” only a few more years in any case, before her agelessness became too obvious to deny. Any heir would be too young to rule at that point, so she needed a husband she could trust with the throne. I would trust Marcus with Vordan. But Matthew?

Then there was the matter of the child. Raesinia had no idea if she could conceive, in her current state, but she strongly suspected not. She hadn’t had her monthly flows since Orlanko and the Black Priests had made her read the name of her demon. If she couldn’t age, or even get drunk, she doubted pregnancy was an option. With a husband who was in on the plot, that was a problem that could be circumvented, but if she had to deceive him about the parentage of his child on top of her other secrets...

It can’t work. Something would go wrong, and then everything would fall apart. She paused outside the door to her own suite and caught her breath. I can’t take Georg’s offer, whatever Dorsay thinks. She felt a little better having arrived at the decision without invoking purely personal reasons. My need to be with Marcus can’t trump the good of the whole country. But it won’t work anyway. She nodded decisively. We just have to find something that will.

Eric and Cora returned just after noon from yet another round of meetings with Goodman and his clerks. The servants, at Raesinia’s orders, had laid out a cold lunch, so there was food waiting when the two of them came in. Cora, as expected, went straight for the buffet and started loading up a plate with little sandwiches and the tiny egg-​and-​vegetable pies the Borelgai were so fond of. Eric, moving a little slower, tossed his ever-​present notebook into one chair and then slumped into another.

“Do you need something to eat?” Raesinia said.

“Something to drink, for preference,” Eric muttered. He sat up a little straighter. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Thank you, but no. Not at the moment.”

“I take it you didn’t make much progress.”

“Much would imply any movement at all,” Eric said. “Talking to Master Goodman is like arguing with a wall. He listens politely, then repeats his position verbatim.”

“It’s actually impressive how consistent he is,” Cora said, from the table. “You can tell he’s an expert.”

“I don’t know how you can be so cheerful,” Eric said. “He’s been unbearably rude to you from the beginning.”

“’M used to it.” Cora had popped a whole hard-​boiled egg into her mouth and was chewing furiously. “People usually are. I think Raes was the first person who took me seriously.”

“People are stupid,” Raesinia said. She turned from Eric to Cora. “So, you don’t see any chance of getting to an agreement we can actually afford?”

She shook her head. “He doesn’t have any reason to give us one unless something changes. If Janus has a setback, maybe we could threaten to walk away.”

“That’s the problem,” Eric said gloomily. “It’s hard to negotiate when you haven’t got any leverage.”

Cora laughed. “Well, if we need leverage, at least we’re in the right city.”

Raesinia blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“Oh. It’s a joke.” Cora swallowed and set her plate down to gesture. “In finance, leverage can also mean debt. Because it helps you lift more than you otherwise could, you know? And Viadre has the largest debt markets in the world.” She caught the look on Raesinia’s face and sighed. “Not a great joke, I guess.”

“No,” Raesinia said. Something was whirling at the back of her mind, the core of an idea. It’s not all there yet, but... “You said you still had credit to your name here, right?”

“Some,” she said. “Quite a bit, actually, but not on the scale we need. Not if we’re talking about the national debt.”

“But you could grow it. With leverage.”

“Y-yes.” Cora turned away from the buffet to face Raesinia. “Probably. It might not be easy.”

“I know you can do it,” Raesinia said. “From now on, that’s your main assignment.”

She met Cora’s gaze and saw the flicker of worry in the girl’s eyes. Raesinia forced herself to look confident and watched as Cora drew herself up. It was manipulation, pure and simple. Cora couldn’t let her friend down, and so if Raesinia had confidence in her she’d try her damnedest regardless of how she felt. It was the sort of trick Raesinia had employed all her life—​she thought about Ben, with his puppy-​dog crush on her, and how she’d used him to further the revolution—​and she felt only a faint twinge of guilt. That’s what being a queen does to you.

“It’ll take some time,” Cora said. “I don’t know if I can get anywhere fast enough to be useful.”