By that logic, she would need to wed Anastasius, Hildebrand, our father, or me. Eglantine, the Zent, could always take another husband, but Anastasius was in no position to take a second wife. Father already had three wives, and Hildebrand was both too young for Hannelore and already engaged to Letizia by royal decree. I was the perfect choice, especially since I had intended to marry Hannelore to begin with.
“Spread word to the populace: the second divine avatar marrying anyone but a royal will sow the seeds of war in Yurgenschmidt once again. Give them every reason to question and criticize Dunkelfelger.”
“Understood.”
“Seek help from Hauchletzte, Gilessenmeyer, and Blumenfeld,” I said. “We must make it seem as though this perspective is the norm, not just our own creation. Securing their assistance should be trivial, considering the rewards I will reap upon acquiring a divine avatar.”
“As you wish.”
If everyone at the Royal Academy agreed that Hannelore’s current suitors were unworthy of her, Dunkelfelger would find it even more difficult to justify their engagements. From there, I would propose, and my status as crown prince would deter anyone else from pursuing her.
“Once the rumors are circulating, we will need to submit a formal petition to Dunkelfelger,” I continued.
No longer were we dealing with the backward, backwater duchy of Ehrenfest; an archduke candidate from Dunkelfelger would surely understand the logic of complying with us. I would propose in short order and work out the particulars with Hannelore’s father during the Interduchy Tournament. Then, the Zent would approve the engagement as part of the Archduke Conference.
By then, a year would have passed since my divorce. No duchy could claim that I was acting in haste.
No sooner had the scholar set out for the teleportation hall to send my response to the Royal Academy than I turned my attention to my head attendant. “Proper groundwork will need to be laid such that my engagement to Hannelore can progress smoothly. Contact Anastasius—having the Zent declare that I am the most ideal partner for the new divine avatar will aid me greatly.”
“Understood.”
“I would also like Father’s support, if possible.”
Because the royal family’s crimes regarding Lanzenave had never been made public, society at large believed that Father had peacefully abdicated the throne to Eglantine once she was given the Grutrissheit. As it stood, many lesser and middle duchies still valued his opinion over that of the new Zent, who openly favored Rozemyne and Dunkelfelger over preexisting duchy relationships.
“We should also have Father speak with Dunkelfelger,” I said. “Lady Magdalena becoming his first wife should make it easier for him to pass on our request.”
In the end, both Anastasius and Father refused me. “I do not believe Aub Dunkelfelger will allow his daughter to marry into Korinthsdaum after hearing how Adolphine was treated,” the former said. “Furthermore, the Zent has stated that she has no intention of giving Dunkelfelger orders on this matter.”
To think such words could come from kind, obedient Anastasius. Perhaps staying in the royal family as the Zent’s husband had gone to his head. By all rights, I should have risen to power—or at least married the woman who did instead of me. Irritation surged through me at the thought that my little brother had forsaken the throne for love, only to end up with both.
I erred in letting him be with Eglantine. He should have married Adolphine in my stead.
It was too late to regret such ancient choices, but I should never have prioritized my affection for my brother over my own security. If I had married Eglantine, I would have been the husband of the highest authority in the country and would not have needed to cast Adolphine aside for all her willfulness and greed.
Father’s response had taken a more severe tone: “It was your own shortcomings that kept you from becoming the Zent. You could not pay the Divine Avatar of Mestionora the respect she deserved, nor could you build a healthy relationship with Adolphine. Not a word of any new engagement of yours shall pass my lips. I am an aub now, not the Zent—I have my own duchy to manage, and I will not anger Dunkelfelger for your sake.”
Despite his harsh rebuke, I saw nothing wrong with my treatment of Adolphine during our engagement. Our union had served a purpose—to bring more mana into the royal family—and the birth of my child with Nahelache had come first.
In fact, why was the blame being thrust upon me? Our entire family had given her administrative duties to complete, and we had all gained from the mana she provided us. How shameless my father must be to turn on me for my actions, despite having enjoyed the fruits of my engagement. I refused to be the only one penalized.
“By the look on your face, I assume their responses were far from ideal,” Nahelache observed.
“Indeed. Father and Anastasius have chosen simply to watch as we fight to keep our heads above water. Do you not think it wrong of them to abandon their own family?” I sighed. “I would never have guessed they were so heartless—that their own flesh and blood means so little to them.”
Nahelache gave a resigned smile. “Perhaps Lord Trauerqual does not have the leeway to assist you. The land of Old Werkestock, now part of Blumenfeld, was utterly ravaged, and its people harbor a deep-seated resentment toward the former royal family. Not to mention... maybe those of Blumenfeld wish to secure the new divine avatar for themselves.”
Her speculation sent a chill down my spine. I had dismissed Hildebrand out of hand, deeming him too young to marry Hannelore, but what if she waited for him to come of age? As cousins, they had met even before his baptism, and their time together in the Royal Academy’s library committee had made them closer than most students.
As the coup de grâce, the boy’s mother—Father’s first wife, Magdalena—hailed from Dunkelfelger. If, as Nahelache suspected, Blumenfeld sought to take the second divine avatar for themselves, such a connection would prove invaluable. I might have been a more suitable partner in terms of age, but my Gilessenmeyer heritage put me at a considerable disadvantage.
Just as I desired a Grutrissheit from Hannelore, Hildebrand might seek to repair his inferior schtappe. In such a case, I could see Blumenfeld resorting to any means to secure her. Against the country’s former Zent and Magdalena, I would barely stand a chance.