There was a dinging sound, and she opened up the email program. She smiled just slightly when she saw his name. In an email program. It seemed so weird and modern, civilized, when in practice that man was none of those things.
She clicked on the message.
You will find that the treasury is solvent. There is a budget in place for certain things. Why are you asking about this?
She tapped Reply.
Because, I’m thinking about what I do to accomplish diplomacy. And that might necessitate expenditures.
Another email came in quickly.
This is your budget:
The sum that he provided was more than generous. He had been right about the treasury being solvent.
Amazing, but she supposed that was what happened when a horrendous dictator hoarded everything for himself.
She could see by looking through all the information that a lot of the money had been returned to the people. The treasury was still healthy, and they were able to implement the sorts of programs necessary to keep a country running, but also there had been a real effort to lift the citizens out of the abject poverty they’d been forced into.
She sent him a new email.
I also want a list of countries you would be interested in strengthening ties with.
There was nothing in the body of the returned email. Only a document.
She tapped her chin as she read through it. And she began to formulate a plan. If he wanted to make a statement with their marriage, then they would make a statement.
A national paid holiday for all the citizens, with a celebratory atmosphere. And a party thrown at the palace.
For all of these world leaders that he wanted to strengthen ties with. Yes. She could do this.
She was confident in it.
She created a proposal, an outline for the events and how it would be executed. Of course, she would hire people who were more experienced than she was to oversee the details, but one thing she knew from her father was how to create a spectacle that would engage even the most jaded of guests.
She sent the proposal to Ragnar.
She was surprised when he didn’t respond.
And when there was a deafening pounding on the door she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She scuttled away from the laptop, and opened her door. There was Ragnar, standing there holding printed-out paper in his hand, glaring.
“What?”
“A party?”
“Not just any party, reception. For our marriage. To set our intention for how we intend to rule the country together.”
“I do not do parties.”
“You wanted me for this. You want me to teach you how to be with people. So you have to let me do what you’ve asked me to do.”
“I don’t have to do anything. I can throw you in the dungeon for the next two years—or forever if I like. That I have given you anything is a gift.”
Her heart began to pound faster. “You are a beast. A flat-out monster, a feral animal who was raised by wolves. And if you want to be a king, a leader of men, then you have to start behaving like a man.”
The tragic thing was, she felt like this was in line with men’s behavior. She didn’t give that gender very much credit at all. Her own life was a testament to how selfish they could be.
