Page 52 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
"You realise I'm going to need you to have a child for the succession, right?" Marcus says as he takes a seat in one of the comfortable chairs.
I freeze in place. Not just because he's accurately guessed what we sent to Agnes for, but because of the words he's saying. "Need us how?" I ask slowly.
"Well, I might have a little difficulty on the making-a-baby front," he admits.
I raise an eyebrow. "So you're not interested in women at all?"
"No. But even if I was, I wouldn't want a child with someone I didn't...no, never mind." He looks away, suddenly very interested in his hands.
"Oh, Marcus." I reach out to touch his shoulder. "Does Lord Luca know how you feel?"
He sighs and runs a hand over his face. "He knows. I mean, how can he not? But I've never told him. He's never told me either, but I don't doubt that he does, you know."
"You should tell him," Linc says. "You'll feel better for it."
I look over at him and smile, thinking of the moment he accidentally said it to me. "He's right. And there's nothing better than hearing the person you love telling you that they love you."
"I should know better than to talk about this with the two of you," Marcus mutters.
"Do you love him?" I ask, sitting down on the other chair and forgetting all about the tea.
"Yes." There's pain in his voice that I want to make go away. "But what does it matter? It isn't as if Father would ever let us marry."
"Is it not allowed?" I ask. I've not been to enough weddings since coming to court to know the answer to that.
"It's allowed," Linc says in response. "Mostly for second sons, it's less common for the heirs because a lot of the heads of Houses don't want their heir marrying another eldest son and having their Houses merged."
"Ah. So if Marcus were to marry Lord Luca, House Vermatchi would merge with the crown when Lord Vermatchi died," I say, looking at Linc to check that I've understood right.
He gives me a reassuring nod. "Pretty much. Though I imagine that Father's main argument against Marcus and Lord Luca would be that the Vermatchis aren't a very powerful House in the scheme of things."
Marcus lets out a sigh. "That and the inability for us to have an heir."
"Why would that be a problem?" I ask. "You could just claim an unclaimed dhampir at the next Golden Moon and say they're your child. Or you could make an arrangement with someone to have one for you. There are lots of ways the succession could be sorted for your father. Lord Vermatchi on the other hand..."
"He might need some more persuading if he doesn't want to forfeit House Vermatchi to the crown," Linc agrees.
"It would depend on the marriage contract," Marcus responds, though there's a hint of hope in his voice compared to before.
"That's what Bastian's marriage contract is like. House Tufflion will become part of House Rothorne if Bastian and Lady Ermentrude have a child," I say.
Marcus chuckles, the sound not losing the emotional edge from the rest of his words. "Why am I not surprised? I've been listening to Father complain about Lord Fallmartin's marriage contracts for months. He might have called the wedding off if he hadn't announced it publicly. And he is appreciative of the effect you've had on Linc."
I lean in, intrigued and a little scared. "What did Lord Fallmartin put into our contract?"
"There are a few things, most of them to protect House Rothorne."
"As is to be expected," I say.
"It is," Marcus says. "Though it is somewhat unprecedented to have a clause that states that should Lord Fallmartin, and anyone ahead of you in the succession of House Rothorne, die and leave you as the heir, you would hold the title of Lady Fallmartin yourself."
"What?" I can't work out what the predominant feeling in me is in response to that revelation. I don't think I've considered that I could become the head of House Rothorne at any point since I got here, even if I'm second in the line of succession.
"Independent of your title of princess, granted to you by your marriage," Marcus continues.
"Lord Fallmartin did that?"
Marcus nods. "Father isn't particularly pleased by it. I think he believed that this would be a chance to absorb House Rothorne into the royal family."
