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“My job as the second-born son is to traipse around the country and look good while doing it. You could look it up. It’s a constitutional law.”
“It is not,” giggled Penelope.
“Well, they’ll never know that because we’re not going to the state house.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Wonderful job with your speech the other day, your majesty. I’m given to understand the Almodovars approached you about joining with their maritime enterprise?”
“That’s not all I hear they want to join with, our good king.”
A round of guffaws sounded around Leo’s office in the east wing of the palace. Looking up from his desk he saw a line of rotund torsos shaking in a cringe worthy mockery of out of shape belly dancers. Much of the nobility were older men who’d grown fat on the wealth their status and their ancient fortunes provided them. But also in the room sat many of these men’s sons, the next generation who would take over as gout and heart disease claimed their father’s in the end.
“Did you not speak at all of agricultural trade during your time in the states, King Leo?” the soon to be Baron of Balansya asked.
The blond-haired, baby-faced man was by far the youngest in the room; a year or two younger than Alex, if Leo remembered correctly. The current Baron of Balansya was at present bedridden, but still grasping firm to his title. Balansya was one of the most fertile regions in all of Cordoba, with coffee beans being their best crop.
“I didn’t only speak with the Almodovars about maritime opportunities,” said Leo. “I reached out to a number of other countries and industry leaders. Many will be at this weekend’s Union Day celebration.”
“Excellent,” smiled the young baron in training.
In Leo’s mind, the training wheels were ready to come off, and the man could, and should, take full ownership of his family’s lands before his father ran what little profit remained into the ground.
“What about the Almodovar woman?” pushed another of the old guard.
“Yes, are we expecting a new queen soon?”
These grown men were like teen girls gossiping at the lunch table. Leo could tell them that he and Lady Teresa had met and had a connection, of sorts. He could tell them that she’d agreed to come visit and pursue their potential relationship this weekend. But his mouth stayed shut for some unfathomable reason.
“I still say my daughter is the best option,” said the Duke of Ebra.
“Your daughter is sixteen years old,” said the Viscount of Jucar.
The baron’s son discreetly pulled out his cell phone and began texting. Leo doubted it was to any friend or paramour. The young man was likely looking up stock prices of coffee beans. Coffee he could have with any girl he wanted, being a baron and not a king.
Leo noted the Earl of Larida sitting in a corner with his head in a book as per usual. Daniel would read the ketchup bottle if it were the only thing available in the room with printed words. He and Esme would get along perfectly. Both liked to live in made up worlds rather than the reality. Earls didn’t have quite the same restrictions as kings either. Daniel was free to marry whomever he chose, within a certain degree. But that degree was more than Leo had.
“Is the fate of our great nation boring you, Larida?” asked Leo.
“Oh, no. Not at all. Carry on.” Daniel didn’t even bother to look up. He waved his hand, and his head disappeared entirely in the book.
“I just figured you might have something to add to this conversation?”
“About your intended bride, agricultural trade, maritime expansion, or statutory rape?”
Leo bit his tongue so that he didn’t chuckle. He should’ve known his friend had caught every word of the conversations around him. Daniel simply wasn’t interested in them.
The man was lucky they were close friends or Leo would throw him in the dungeons. But that would likely be a vacation for him. Sitting in a cell where no one would bother him. He could read all day and night to his heart’s content.
“If that’s all, gentlemen,” Leo said. The phrase was a statement, not a question, that meant he was done with this audience. It was Leo’s favorite power as king. Besides, he did have a full schedule for the rest of the day that didn’t include entertaining the nosey lords of the realm.
As the room cleared out, Leo leaned back in his desk chair. It was his great grandfather’s desk, but his father’s chair. Inheriting the desk made him aware of his responsibilities to this country, to his people, to his family. But the chair was what let him know that he was king.
He’d come in here often as a child, sit quietly in a corner and watch his father conduct business of the state. He was always quiet and watchful.
Outside the window, he heard giggling and laughter. Leo stood and peeked out the curtains. He saw the lush gardens his great grandmother had had installed. Guarding it along the path were stone dragons, a gift from Asian royalty that had once visited the island over a hundred years ago. Though the dragons were all in need of repair. He added that to his list.
Finally, he found the source of the laughter. It wasn’t Esme. It was other children. He recognized a few as children of nobles who were staying in the castle for Union Day, including the Duke of Ebra’s teenage daughter. The girl smiled at a child, and Leo caught sight of her braces.
