Most of the people were looking at him by the time he finished his sentence.
The unruliness died down.
Maxence intoned,“His Grace Duc Alexandre de Valentinois has requested a roll call vote, as is his right. A roll call vote shall proceed.”
Every single noble and all the people around the perimeter of the room stared at him.
Alexandre said, “I believe I see Maxence’s secretary. Please come forward and record the vote, Miss Clark.”
The crowd separated.
Dree was already standing near the dais, her hands clenched to her heart in a position of hope and prayer. She looked around herself, staring back at everyone staring at her. “I don’t have a pen and paper.”
Maxence directed it to be done.
A pad of paper and a pen were brought, and three liveried servants moved an armchair onto the dais for her.
Alexandre angled himself toward the far wall of the room. “The motion is that Prince Maxence Grimaldi—the manright here,again,he’s standingright here—heir apparent to the sovereign principality of Monaco and chosen successor to Prince Rainier IV, be disqualified from the line of succession due to hisabsenceduring these proceedings. Again, he’sright here.One person, one vote, andallthe votes will be counted. Starting over here”—he pointed to the left wall—”state your title and name, and your vote.”
Max’s great uncle Louis looked up from his phone. “I object to the roll call vote.”
Much muttering sputtered in the crowd.
Maxence asked him, “Why do younotwant a roll call vote? Do younotwant togo on recordas having voted for this particular motion?”
An older man stepped out of the crowd.
Maxence was, of course, related to everyone in the room because anyone more than three generations away from the previous sovereign was disqualified from participating in the Crown Council.
This older gentleman, whose hands trembled but whose gaze was steady, was the great uncle of Max’s father. Étienne Grimaldi had been a constant fixture for years, never missing a Crown Council session. When Maxence had been canvassing the electors, Étienne had refused even to discuss voting for Nico because Nico wasn’t close enough to the throne.
Max’s great-great-uncle Étienne said, “I second the motion for a roll call vote. I have never agreed with this electoral format. Monaco should return to being a true monarchy with male-preferred primogeniture, as istraditional.But, at the very least, I also demand a roll call vote so that we knowwhodisqualified Prince Maxence, the heir apparent andtraditionallynext in line for the throne.”
Alexandre looked toward the left wall. “The motion is seconded, not that it needed to be, but thank you, Uncle Étienne. We shall proceed. Uncle Louis, your titles and vote?”
Max’s great uncle Louis looked up at the two of them from his phone, startled. Then, he ducked his head again and said in a monotone, “I am Prince Louis of Monaco. Prince Maxence Grimaldi was not present during theopeningof these proceedings. Therefore, I cast my vote todisqualifyhim from the line of succession based on the fact that hewasnot in attendance.”
The next two people cast their votes to reinstate Maxence in the line of succession, but then the three people after that voted to throw him out, though none of them looked up from their phones when they spoke.
Less than thirty votes remained to be cast.
Alexandre glanced at Maxence, worried.
Maxence was losing.
Chapter Twenty-Two
LOSING IT
Maxence
If Maxence didn’t do something right then, Marie-Therese would win the election.
But dammit, a lot of the people in that room had been lied to or threatened into voting for their own exploitation and destruction, and Maxence should try to convince them not to do it. He owed it to Monaco’s other citizens, the ordinary people who worked for a living and saved their money, to not allow their country to be destroyed by a brainwashed or blackmailed or lied-to few.
It wasn’t that Maxence wanted to be the prince, but he wanted Monaco to be safe.
Alexandre muttered, “Screw it. My turn,” and stepped forward. He spread his arms like a rock star in front of a crowd. “I am Lord Alexandre Grimaldi, Duc de Valentinois of Monaco, and I will now cast my vote. Prince Maxence has always been the best of us. Even though Pierre was the oldest and was therefore traditionally ahead of him in line to inherit the throne, we all know Maxence has always been the better choice. For a decade, when it became clear who Maxence was andwhatPierre was, we whispered about setting Pierre aside in favor of Maxence.”
