She wasn’t sure what response she expected from him, but his response was pragmatic and measured, more measured than she felt in this moment. Maddie was in a mood to burn down cities in this moment and tell Georgi where to go with his boorish, disgusting friends.

’A mercenary marriage? ’ if she was honest she hadn’t, she had always taken the balance of power to sit with her suitors, to pick her, to pluck her like a flower from a garden, choosing her, and the fortune that came with her and that she should be thankful. ’I wouldn’t be the first person in history to do that.’ she ran a hand through her hair. Little did she know that her own sisters elopement had been elicited by much the same motivation. Notions of a marriage of love, where someone could love her for her, and where she could still get what she wanted seemed far off and distant - a childhood dream, better left behind, no dream could come without sacrifice. It seems she was destined to have one or the other -she just needed to decide which she wanted more.

Still she nodded, and pushed herself up from her heavy lean against the jaguars plinth. ’If you know of anyone in the market for a wife and some money, please pass along my name’ she gave a sardonic, rueful laugh. ’As long as they are not currently sitting in the other room drinking with…’ she stopped herself from badmouthing Ana’s husband, ’with the other company, they are in the running.’

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