8 Chapter 8: The Cross family I

The only reason Christopher could come up with was that Charlton must be a romantic at heart. Briefly, he recalled that three years ago, in one of the afternoon tea parties his mother hosted, Charlton mentioned that he was hoping for a match that season and he already had a maiden in mind.

Obviously, that idea of his did not come to fruition given that he was still unmarried. Now, three years have already passed since then and most of the eligible debutantes that season were already married. Thus, the possibility of having that unnamed maiden as direct competition to his sister was minimal.

In any case, that proves Charlton was not only looking for a politically advantageous match, but was also looking for, dare he say, love.

Now, their family's motive for having Annalys marry Charlton was purely political in nature. Although to the public eye, their stance in the political arena was neutral, they were in fact one of the leading figures in the radical faction. Of course, this stance of theirs was subject to change depending on which would benefit them the most.

In the past, the distribution of military power in the kingdom was that 40% went to the Daniels but since the vice minister of defense position was rescinded from their family and given to another, the Cobalts, they only held 20% of it now. Meanwhile, 25% was under the direct rule of the king, 15% to the crown prince, and 20% to the Cross family.

Of course, to Christopher, these numbers may not necessarily be true. Like for example, 20% may be too little considering his family have been secretly amassing their private militia over time.

So why the insistence on Charlton? Don't get it wrong. Given their family's influence and power, the hand of Annalys has been very well sought after. For example, before the betrothal between Geoffrey and Serena was agreed upon, the first candidate for the crown princess position was Annalys. However, due to some political maneuvering, the position landed on Serena which left his father with a bad taste.

The thought that the next king of their nation would come from his daughter's womb triggered his father's ambition. Although the possibility of that happening through a union with Geoffrey has vanished, that did not mean that his already ignited desire went along with it. In fact, his motivation only became stronger and his means of achieving that only changed its course.

Though another opportunity arose with Frederick's, the second prince, suit, why would they tie their ship to one whose ship has little to no possibility to sail?

Geoffrey's position as crown prince was unshakable. He had the capabilities, the charisma, the drive, the supporters, and the unswaying popularity to the masses with the help of his wife, crown princess Serena. He was impenetrable with no room for loopholes nor weaknesses. He was like an insurmountable mountain that for a moment, his father simply thought of abandoning their plans and instead take his wife out of the picture to make way for Annalys.

They knew of her admiration, or to take her word for it, undying love for Charlton, but regardless of her opinion, their father insisted that she take a shot for that position, especially that queen Loretta, Geoffrey's mother, was obviously supporting her.

Annalys did not want to be a second wife to Geoffrey. She reasoned that she was witness to how resolute Geoffrey was on his love for Serena, and if they were to insist, nothing good would come out of it. Besides, taking Serena out of the picture like what their father suggests was never a good plan. Inevitably, Geoffrey would later figure it out, and then they can kiss their necks goodbye.

At this point, they were at a loss, until Annalys came out with her own devious stratagem. According to her, since Geoffrey loved Serena so much, what she represented was his strength and weakness. As crown prince and future monarch of their kingdom, it was his duty to procure an heir. Without one, his position won't be stable enough.

So, what if Serena, his wife that he loved so much, could not birth him one?

As Serena's lady-in-waiting, Annalys have access not only to privy matters, but also to Serena's day to day routine and inconveniences, such as her food intake. Her opportunities were far-reaching enabling her to do what others cannot. It was risky, but as she said, she was willing to take it, and if she were to get caught, she would solely take the blame.

Duke Argent Cross was not a steadfast believer of love. However, if by chance that what his daughter said was true, whatever happens would be a win-win situation for him.

On one hand, Serena without a child would later open the position for second wife. From there, his daughter can take over and no one would be able to say anything about it.

On another, if Geoffrey insists that he won't take another wife, although the effect would only be gradual, many would still be dissatisfied. Eventually that dissatisfaction would lead to them having opportunities to penetrate his walls and to subsequently topple him.

Meanwhile, Christopher was against it not because he worried for his sister, nor because he thought it too devious. He was also a man of ambition, but his sister's means was just too far fetched. He could not see why Geoffrey would let himself be in that position just for a woman. It was also risky for their whole family because chances were, she will get caught eventually. However, his protest fell on deaf ears as his father supported her scheme.

--

TBC