271

***

It was rare but not unheard of for cousins to get married to each other in Ortega. Such unions were not illegal in any way, and had even been rampant around some three centuries ago, all in the name of preserving noble bloodlines and estates.

However, as the obsession with lineal purity diminished, such marriages fell into disfavor, tainted by whispers of impropriety. Now, if cousins married under supposed necessity, everyone would scorn them as pitiable creatures, shaking their heads in judgment and gossiping behind closed doors, calling them beasts for coupling with their kin. That was what the nobility was like in Ortega.

Of course, Miguel Escalante and Dolores Signorelli would at least not be mocked in that context. And yet the empress had created an issue where none existed, driven by her motherly love-her desire to elevate her daughter's status. To be a Signorelli, a name reserved for the illegitimate offspring unacknowledged by their family, was a greater stain than any potential scandal of incest.

Dolores, the emperor's illegitimate child, had been nothing but a political pawn as a child, but she had grown dearer to the empress with each passing year. And the empress was every bit as appalled as Dolores whenever noble families turned her down for any marriage propositions as though she were unworthy. As the rejections piled up, the empress's frustration must have mounted watching the girl who was so much like her slowly lose her pride and wither away.

Empress Cayetana's sudden insistence on this union was not born from necessity but from desperation. Even though she had once stopped the imperial family from accepting Dolores as their own, asserting that an illegitimate child could not be on the same level as the crown prince, she now sought to secure her daughter a favorable match, hoping to replace the shame of "Signorelli" with one of the most noble names. And while each member of House Escalante needed to marry with great political consideration, she was willing to waste such an opportunity for the sake of Dolores, who she might love as her own but was ultimately her husband's misbegotten child.

Inés looked at Isabella wordlessly as they left the palace in the slightly rattling carriage. Isabella remained silent for a long time, her expression serious. The hand supporting her forehead was pale.

"For the sake of House Escalante, Isabella," the empress had insisted.

"I am his mother, Your Majesty. I understand that you brought this up because you have not seen how distraught he is, but..."

"Of course, I understand. He is my family as well. And you, Isabella, are like a sister to me. How could I seek anything but the best for Miguel? You know that I rely on you more than my own brother at times. My brother is often quite slow to grasp such matters, which is why I ask this of you. Though he may dismiss his sister's counsel, he will heed his wife's."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, you are aware of his disapproval of Dolores."

"That is where our opinions do not line up. This is a prime opportunity for House Escalante to prove their unwavering loyalty to the emperor."

The empress's words held an unspoken implication. But House Escalante owed no proof of loyalty-they had supported the reigning emperor long before his ascent to the throne, when he had been nothing but the unremarkable second son of the late emperor.

Inés had actually heard of this match before, save the times in her lives in which she had been ignorant of such things. The match had been publicly discussed in her past life as well. And though she knew that it would simply fade away without coming to pass, she felt sorry for Miguel for having to suffer through the ordeal.

Isabella's sigh echoed softly within the carriage.

"Miguel will refuse." Inés spoke carefully.

"His consent is of little significance," Isabella murmured, removing her hand from her forehead. There was no sincerity in her answer.

Relieved by the fact that Isabella was evidently not on board, Inés continued, "But you said His Grace would disapprove as well."

"He won't have a choice." Isabella let out an uncharacteristically mirthless laugh, tinged with bitterness. When Inés reached out and placed a comforting hand over hers, Isabella's eyelashes trembled and she sighed once more. "Miguel has a much gentler disposition than Cárcel and needed more tending as a child, but I had never thought his stubbornness would match his brother's..."

"I've noticed they have quite a lot in common."

"Indeed. Neither knows his own heart's wish. Miguel once told me that he did not see his betrothed as a woman, constantly grumbling whether he would ever see her as a wife. While Cárcel regarded marriage as a mere duty, which was somewhat impertinent, Miguel remained wholly unaware of his own feelings. Now, he has lost his love unexpectedly...I cannot imagine how devastating it must be for him."

"Do you intend to comply with Her Majesty's wishes?" Inés asked hesitantly.

"He needs more time. But the empress has never been known for patience." Isabella turned her face away, trying to mask her grimace, but her hand patted Inés's in silent comfort. "I am to deliver her message to the duke and endure all of his wrath for bearing news I neither endorse nor wish for in the slightest."

Inés waited for the duchess to continue, her heart heavy.

"I cannot believe I feel relief in being spared from forcing Miguel into it myself. What a failure of a mother I am."

"Do not speak so harshly of yourself, Isabella."

"All I can do is hope it does not come to pass. Dolores... Dolores, of all people?" Isabella scoffed.

"How could she? To even suggest that shameless girl as soon as Viviana died, as though she had anticipated this very day."

"That was completely thoughtless of her."

"Viviana's sister is out of the question, and the empress would never accept your cousin's family into House Escalante no matter how much Dolores loved him..."

"Her Majesty must have intended to suggest Dolores as a match."

"How could she claim it is an honor and an opportunity for my son when all other noble houses of the Grandes de Ortega rejected Dolores as a suitable match?" Isabella's voice trembled with restrained anger. "It makes me think that she regards me with equal indifference. How could she criticize Viviana's temper? How could she insult that gentle girl while offering up that disgustingly temperamental creature who takes after her so much?"

Isabella failed to hide her disdain for both Dolores and Empress Cayetana. Realizing it a moment too late, she seemed satisfied rather than guilty. But deep sorrow remained in the depths of her relief.

"How could she treat the deceased like a cumbersome piece of trash? How could I possibly find joy in this? Dolores tormented Viviana in their youth. Miguel could never marry that girl and call her his wife."

Inés watched her with concern.

Dolores had a natural talent for terrorizing others ever since she was young. She would torment them for as long as her attention allowed, regardless of age or gender. In doing so, she would bury her own flaws and act as though she wanted to appear more noble in comparison to her targets. The various wicked deeds Dolores committed to protect herself served to delay her realizing her own situation on top of Empress Cayetana's upbringing.

Inés could easily imagine Dolores throwing a fit at the palace after hearing the name Miguel Escalante, who wasn't the man she wanted. Inés still remembered the girl smiling kindly and mocking another young nobleman by saying that he wasn't his family's successor, and thus practically owned nothing.

"Five years ago..." Isabella began, lost in thought. "Yes, that was around the time. Empress Cayetana did mention this, when Dolores was starting to get rejected on all sides. She said that she knew she couldn't make Dolores a duchess, so maybe breaking off Miguel's engagement would be best in place of Cárcel."

"Did Miguel know about that?" Inés asked.

"His Grace was so disgusted by the idea that Miguel did not even hear about it. Now that I think about it, that was the only time my husband was so adamantly against his sister's wishes. He not only disliked Dolores, he actually despised her."

"I see."

"He and his sisters never fail to voice their opinion. He may not listen to his sister but he will listen to his wife? How absolutely insulting..." Isabella frowned almost aggressively, but the hand holding Inés's was cold. "She tends to use me as a shield whenever her brother refuses to listen to her. Then again, it isn't as though both my son and I haven't been treated as outsiders many times already."

"Isabella..."

"I did not wish to show you this side of me. I

apologize, my dear. It is all just so revolting..."

"Whatever it is, Miguel cannot be forced into something he does not wish, especially if you and His Grace do not wish it either. His Grace will not be happy about this, will he?"

"It's different now."

"How so?"

Isabella made as if to speak but hesitated and pressed her lips shut again.

Inés gave her a look to urge her to continue, almost out of habit. "Did something happen between His Grace and His Majesty?"

Isabella gave her a conflicted look before shaking her head. "It is just that various tedious issues have overlapped. All things that were no problem before..."

"Overlapping issues?" Inés repeated, deep in thought.

Isabella let out a helpless laugh. "It takes a lifetime to earn the trust of a monarch, but less than a day to gain their suspicion. Lord Ijar's scheme seems to have finally worked."

Inés suddenly remembered Dante Ijar giving her a silent warning as he stood next to the crown prince. She suppressed a sigh and looked at Isabella with a firm gaze as if to reassure her.

Isabella then finally spoke as if giving up. "His Majesty suspects my husband, and is trying to push our eldest son, whom he loved so much, into a war with no chances of survival. Empress Cayetana's suggestion is not entirely baseless. House Escalante does need to prove itself at the moment. But while Miguel is in such a state and the empress urges us to force him into a marriage with that Signorelli, things will not go smoothly, even if we were to force him ourselves. And the crown prince lusts after you, Inés, while my own brother continues to build up a massive debt to the duke day by day."

Inés widened her eyes at this information she had never heard of.

"The only reason my family has avoided ruin for years now is thanks to my wonderful husband. And because of that, I will always be in debt in their eyes."

"I... had no earthly idea, Isabella."

"I wonder whether things were ever this bad. After your marriage last summer, I have not had anything at all to smile about." Isabella ran a hand down her face, her expression empty and disillusioned, before she lowered her head. "This is the worst summer yet for House Escalante."