“Thanks to you, I think I have all the houses and families down, as well as the different titles for the royals and the aristocrats. Whether I’ll end up making myself look like a fool is another matter altogether.”
What Reigna offered Jasiri as someone who was well-versed in networking and socializing with the goal of furthering an agenda, Regina would never be able to provide for Aléx. Where Reigna was suave, Regina was blunt. And the first time someone said something that remotely rubbed Regina the wrong way, she was way more likely to curse them out than her cultured twin. Not that Reigna wasn’t famous for gathering folks too. She wasjust a great deal more elegant about it, when she needed to be, than Regina.
“Are you regretting asking to learn what it means to be an Obsidian queen yet?”
Eliana’s trimmed brow was lifted into a perfect arch. If it weren’t for the teasing smile on her face, Regina would think the woman was taking sadistic joy in her discomfort.
“No,” Regina countered. “I’m enjoying learning about your history and its connection to Nyeusi. It’s sort of awesome that sister nations now have sister queens.”
Eliana’s smile broadened. “I hadn’t thought about it like that. But you’re correct, it is pretty awesome.”
“You’re sure you aren’t bothered by that fact?”
Confusion turned her sea-blue eyes into a darker cobalt as she stared at Regina.
“Why wouldn’t I be thrilled about that?”
“Well,” Regina began, “if your brother hadn’t married me, you’d be the next queen.”
Eliana raised a manicured finger, shaking it slightly. “That’s only if my brother never married or sired any legitimate heirs. And even if those two things were true, he’d have to precede me in death. Also, you’re assuming I want the job.”
Regina scanned the woman’s face to see if she could discern any artifice. She could find none. The woman was serious. Eliana leaned in, placing a hand on top of Regina’s.
“I love my country, but I have never wanted to be its monarch for any reason. I’d sooner give it to Jasiri than take it on myself.”
“Jasiri can inherit the throne here?”
“One of the weird things about royal blood is that most royals in the world share some kind of consanguineous connection. In Europe, most royals are related through Queen Victoria. For Obsidian Island and Nyeusi, it’s Queen Nairobi.”
Regina nodded along as she made the connections in her head. “Jasiri once mentioned the consanguinity part.” She opened one of the books she’d been reading and found Queen Nairobi’s picture and pointed at it. “Your brother said she was a Nyeusian princess.”
“Not just any Nyeusian princess,” Eliana clarified. “She was the daughter of a Nyeusian king, which meant her descendants are part of the line of succession in both Obsidian Island and Nyeusi. If the royal line was wiped out on Obsidian Island, Jasiri would have a legitimate claim to the throne. The same is true for my brother and any heirs you and he produce. You could give birth to a future monarch who could claim both thrones.”
She took a big, exaggerated breath as if relaying that information had tired her out. “But thanks to you, I will be pushed to the back of the line of succession once you and my brother procreate. On that count alone, you are now my official favorite person in the world. I like fun and chaos too much to want to be the monarch of this country.”
Eliana’s excitement about Regina’s place and purpose concerning the line of succession lightened her heart while simultaneously scaring her to death. What would happen if she couldn’t give Aléx, and by extension the nation, an heir?
She could feel panic trying to close its grip around her throat, but she refused to allow it. The best way to combat the unknown was to create a plan using as much viable and pertinent data as one could find. She couldn’t science her way into getting her husband to love her. But she could damn sure science her way into giving him the child they both wanted.
“Are you all right, Regina? If I’ve broken you with all this talk of lines of succession and babies, my brother is sure to punish me by assigning me some dreadfully boring task like listening to a presentation from the minister of agriculture.”
That pulled Regina out of battle plan mode and made her laugh until she could feel wetness in her eyes.
“I’m fine. I just need a little help from someone who enjoys fun and chaos and is probably good at getting things in and out of the palace without anyone knowing, especially not the king.”
Eliana clapped her hands together, rubbing them in a conspiratorial way that let Regina know her sister-in-law was all in.
“I am your faithful servant, my queen. What does Her Majesty require?”
“I need a bunch of ovulation kits. If your brother and I are gonna make sure you never have to become queen, I need to use science and technology to figure out the optimal time to do that. I just don’t want everyone knowing and adding extra pressure on me and, by extension, your brother.”
The sharp planes of Eliana’s face softened with compassion. Regina figured if anyone understood what living under scrutiny was like, it had to be an actual princess.
“You’ll have them in your hands by tomorrow.”
Regina had never considered what it might be like to have another sister. She and Reigna were literally two halves of one whole, a built-in second self who would always hold you down no matter what. This woman was showing her that non-twin sisters were valuable too, even if they didn’t share any DNA with you.
Chapter Twelve
