The mercenaries fidgeted and watched him.
Maxence boomed over the crowd, talking more specifically to the French mercenaries Marie-Therese had bought. “Monaco and France have been the closest of allies, our peoples working together as one. We guard our shores against the same enemies. Our honor is your honor.”
The mercenaries’ weapons drooped as they listened to Maxence’s voice roll over them.
“We’ve stood together for a thousand years. Our honor binds us together in a holy alliance based on our mutual past.”
The guns in the crowd lowered still farther.
Marie-Therese called out, “Enough of this.I am the sovereign of Monaco.”
Maxence surveyed the crowd, but he didn’t see Dree’s bright blonde hair bobbing among the nobles.Surely, she had found somewhere to hide, somewhere low, behind something solid.He said, “Marie-Therese, if you have enough votes to win the election, then you have nothing to fear from another casting of the vote.”
“Why would I allow another vote to be castwhen I have already won?”she sneered. “I have nothing to gain from this.”
“Except respectability,” Maxence said. “And integrity, andhonor.”
Another one of Marie-Therese’s mercenaries who had been pointing a gun at Max perked up when he saidhonor,and then he fidgeted, scuffing his combat boots on the marble under his feet and staring off into the distance instead of watching the situation evolving in the throne room.
Maxence continued talking directly to Marie-Therese. “If you stop now, people will whisper about the way you ‘won’ the election, from how you influenced the votes to how your mercenaries pointed weapons at the nobles during the vote.”
“It won’t matter,” she said. “I’ll be the sovereign. If anyone says shit to me, I’ll throw them in jail. I’ll be untouchable.”
“Maybe,” Maxence said. “But if you win a re-vote, no one will be able to say that you didn’t win.”
Marie-Therese paused, her bright red lips pursed.
“It could be sixty years or more, Marie-Therese,” Maxence said. “Can you imagine people whispering behind your back that you cheated forsixty years?”
Marie-Therese looked up at him, her dark eyes staring right at him. “You’re right. I could not standall of youwhispering behind my back for sixty years that I didn’t really win. But we will not have a new vote.”
Maxence had been delaying the inevitable, and he prayed that he had delayed it long enough for Dree to escape or hide.
Marie-Therese announced, “I am the Sovereign Princess of Monaco from this moment forward, and I am the absolute ruler of this principality. I don’t needany of youanymore.”
Max flexed his knees and dangled his hands in front of himself, ready to leap at the nearest mercenary when Marie-Therese gave the order to fire.
The Act of Contrition began playing through his mind because there was nothing else he could do.O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee—
Marie-Therese raised her arm to point at Maxence.“Guards, shoot—”
Her head snapped back.
Marie-Therese shrieked,“Stop it!”as she flailed her arms and fell backward.
Her dark hair and red dress sank into the crowd.
Angry feminine grunts gurgled, and people began to stumble away from the fight.
Dree’s hoarse shout echoed to the high ceiling.“Now!”
The towering double doors exploded inward and crashed to the floor.
Chapter Four
A Good Ol’-Fashioned, Hair-Pullin’ Ass-Whuppin’
Dree
