Josephine

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 15: 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓢𝓾𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓼 𝓐𝓻𝓮 𝓢𝓸 𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓓𝓻𝓪𝓫

October 14, 1968

I sat on the throne, waiting. I had finally decided to allow suitors to present their hand to me, following Conroy's advice. He was still sickly and bedridden and I felt terrible. I was about to meet my first suitor... I had heard there were dozens of them which sounded about right. I feel as though most will be here for power only, that or bragging rights. I was picky, like my grandmother, and it was a trait I took to heart. 

Besides, being a god-fearing young woman who wanted a happy, picture perfect marriage wasn't so bad right? My thoughts would be interrupted by the herald, who cleared his throat, dragged me out of my thoughts, and to the first suitor.

"Your majesty! I present to you Duke Ramsford of Belgium!"

Duke Ramsford entered the room briskly and approached the throne. When he reached a suitable distance he bowed down. He appeared a lot older than me. Like, a lot older. 

"Your majesty, it is an honor to vow for your hand, though I doubt any other man will need to try after I leave!" He said loudly.

Very egotistical, grandiose... that's a con already. I decided to address the obvious elephant in the room. 

"How old are you Duke Ramsford?" I asked, curiosity taking over.

Even if he wasn't way older than me, he still gave off unsettling vibes. 

"Forty-five and forty-six in months-"

"Absolutely not! I'm not marrying someone twenty-seven years my senior! Guards, please escort Mr. Ramsford out of the palace!"

He was taken aback and the guards quickly moved to remove him. Forty-five? How disgusting! That is close to how old my mother would be about now, and I couldn't bear to bring myself to do that to myself. I wouldn't marry my nephew, I wouldn't marry anyone with a direct blood relation, and I would never marry a man with a large age gap. Duke Ramsford clearly wanted a young wife to give him children, and he would never treat me as an equal. Such a man disgusts me, and I would never commit to such a marriage. 

"Get your hands off me! You will not pay such disrespect to me! Belgium will not tolerate such disdain!"

"Belgium will not tolerate such disdain? Please Duke Ramsford, my navy, and my army could wipe yours out in a single pitched battle and we could swallow your nation whole," I snarled, venom dripping off my tongue - at least in the metaphorical sense, "To be frank Duke Ramsford, how will Belgium think when they hear you tried to solicit an eighteen-year-old girl? Plus, I am aware that you are not the most popular Belgian noble. What exactly would you expect to happen?"

"Why, pretty young ladies such as yourself are the... cream of the crop, especially for heirless men such as myself-"

"Duke Ramsford I will not be marrying you. If this is the way men like you look down upon girls like me then by god you should not consider yourself welcome in America,"

But he KEPT going on, and now I was thoroughly annoyed, "What happened to America then? Under your mother this would not be such a fuss!"

"You mean my mother who hand picked the order to have tens of millions of Chinese massacred in cold blood? That was... the old America. This is a new America... my America,"

I leaned forward on the throne with a sneer, "Now be gone Duke Ramsford, I would prefer if you left my palace, and New York, in peace,"

He stopped resisting and let the guards remove him from the palace grounds. Not off to a good start so far.