Tiberius supposed he should have been expecting something like this. There was no reason for her to have brought it up at all if she didn't have some idea of how the process ought to be altered. Even so, the direction that she'd taken here surprised him. He wasn't one to assume a great depth of emotional attachment in any case, but wasn't offering up her sister (her unmarried sister, at that) a bit beyond the bounds of what would be considered... ah, sisterly? Tiberius certainly wanted the best for Tatiana, because he respected her. He supposed Antigone's idea could have sprung from respect, or trust — from, in other words, a certain degree of closeness — but her demeanor did not imply that was the case.

"I don't need you involved in the matter," he reminded her. He probably ought to have left it at that, but he was too curious about her motivation behind the recommendation not to explore them. Was it the resemblance that was important to her, for some reason related to pride? That didn't make a great deal of sense, given how detached she was from their two existing children. Maybe she wasn't keen on the idea of him sleeping with someone else without her direct knowledge, though that had never been a concern she'd expressed before.

"What would your sister think of such an arrangement?" he asked. He wasn't keen on the idea of using an unmarried woman, necessarily — it meant he'd be stuck with whatever progeny was produced, regardless of gender, and he didn't have any particular need for more daughters. The disadvantages to him were nothing, however, compared to the disadvantages for her — aside from the obvious loss of her virginity, she would also have to avoid society for a period of time, and avoid seeking a husband until their scheme had been completed. Why would she agree to such a thing?

Unless Antigone's point was that she wouldn't ever have to agree to it at all.