A Heart Rejected

Leopold had waited rather eagerly for Elisabeth's acceptance of him as a mating partner. While he wasn't certain of her mind in the matter, he was also extremely confident that he had put his best foot forward. Afterall, he was a man who's life work hinged on his ability to turn any situation to his advantage. He wasn't just good at his job either. He was the best. There wasn't a man in the world he couldn't beat, so much so that he had garnered a somewhat terrifying reputation for his negotiation skills. A man feared by the most powerful men in the world couldn't possibly lose to a mere doctor in a mating ritual could he.

These thoughts were the things that Leopold tried to focus on leading up to Elisabeth final decision, however the closer he came to the day the more difficult he found it to drown out the thoughts of his missteps during the courting process. The first night was bitter sweet to say the least. Their second meeting was much better. He had managed to win her over with his candidness and honest vaunerability, but he couldn't help but remember how disappointed she seemed at the shortcomings in his relationship with his son. This hadn't bothered him much at the time, as he loved his son dearly and was confident that the love and care he gave him made up for the fact that he didn't have as much time to devote to him as other fathers may. Now, however, he was not only questioning his courtship approach but also his parenting. Did he really give Vincent the care he deserved? Lastly, Leopold could not ignore one fact that was sure to effect Elisabeth's decision. It was something that if in her shoes may have even changed his decision. The mere doctor he was in competition with was no ordinary doctor, but rather the miracle doctor credited with saving more women from the pandemic than any other in the world, the living reason that their country had such a large number of women compared to other countries. Among the list of women he was credited as saving not only Elisabeth's life but also Millie's. Millie was a bit of a sore spot for Leopold. She was Vincent's mother and he had been the one whom had sent her overseas, but he only agreed to do so because it's what she wanted. How ironic could fate be that he would send away the mother of his child only to become completely enamored with none other than her best friend in the world. The two of them even continued to exchange letters between countries. In normal circumstances he could never be bothered to feel inferior to Bill Thompson, but given the situation he had his doubts. Doubts which we're quickly confirmed as he received his formal letter of rejection.

While he wasn't completely surprised by this response the news hit him much harder than even he could have expected. As he tucked the letter away he managed to chuckle in slight relief that Jakob was not present when he received his response, as he could not stop the quite river of tears that welled up in his eyes and poured down his face, eventually dropping and staining the letter which has summoned them. He tried to stop, knowing that they were futile, pointless, and unwarranted, but the harder he tried the faster they fell. For the first time in his life it felt as if his very heart was being ripped from his chest, and he had no idea what he could do to fix it.

Once the tears stopped flowing he took a few deep breaths, hid the letter away, unable to bring himself to dispose of it, and went about his day with a tin smile that did lyuttle to hide the sorrow hidden behind it.

In the months that followed, despite himself, he often found his mind drifting to thoughts of Elisabeth and longing to see her again, to woo her in some way, but instead he dove headfirst into his work and filled his free time with special plans he specially crafted to do with Vincent. At least when busy or with his son his thoughts were drown out and his smile felt genuine for a few moments at a time, but at night when he was alone he couldn't help but wonder about Elisabeth and if she too ever thought about him.

By the time the results of the gender scans were revealed his mask was almost perfect. When it was read that Elisabeth was having twins he managed to fake indifference with enough skill to fool just about everyone, everyone but Jakob that is.

"Elisabeth, huh?" He inquired, with a curious glint in his eyes. "So that's the name of the girl who has rejected my dear friend." As he spoke there was a bitterness in the kings voice and gestures that was readily noticable. He had half a mind to teach this woman a lesson. Who would dare reject the most impressive man in this kingdom next to the king himself? It was insane.

Seeing this reaction, for the first time in months Leopold dropped the veil that his his true emotions and responded with honest passion. "Stop!" He shouted. "Whatever you're thinking don't." His voice began to crack and dropped to a mere whisper. "She hasn't done anything wrong. It was her choice to make." He breathed in slowly to control the emotion reverberating in his chest but looked at the king with steely determination in his eyes. He would not be ignored.

"Look what she's done to you." The king sighed. "How can you say she's done nothing wrong?"

Leopold's gaze shit downward as he struggled to speak the words he knew all too well. "You as how she can reject me, a man of my station." He said trying to keep his tone even. His gaze shot up, looking at his friend once again. The sight of his eyes stained red with unshed tears was enough to wrench the heart of the man before him. "But how can you expect her to reject a man who she owes her very life. How could I ask that of her?" With this Leopold turned on his heals and quickly left the room, never waiting for a response. He knew hime couldn't bare this topic any longer.

King Jakob was stunned. Even if he wanted to contradict his friend he didn't know where to start. Leopold may have been known for his ruthless negotiation tactics, but those who knew him were well aware of the kind compassionate man that he was. It was largely due to his efforts that the people of this country lived so peacefully. He put great care and consideration into every move he made. That's just the kind of man he was. So this outburst was unexpected. He had always been a loving, generous man, but this was much more than that. Was it possible that Leopold had actually fallen in love with a woman?