You're Not Going Anywhere

You tenderly set your hand on Eliza's back and give her a comforting rub. "Sorry, it wasn't my intention to make you cry." You say with the utmost sincerity. Eliza looks at your with her red and puffy eyes. She wipes her tears with her arm. You gets out of Mathilde's soothing hold and she faces you. You've caught her in a moment of weakness.

"What do you want?" She says meekly

"Nothing I haven't already said."

"You want to use my body and bear you a bastard." She says defeated.

"Not if you won't let me. You are more than welcome to say no. It is within your right to do so. As for the bastard, if you are a part of my realm and I your king, I can legitimize the child son or daughter and he or she shall succeed you. But he shall be a subject of to his or her half-sibling. I know you don't want to marry and I respect that. But I also know as well as you that suitors will come again. So this is the solution I came up with."

"Ostgrenze is quite the far away land from Toscana." She remarks.

"And I am sure my Duchess of Toscana can handle it all on her own without any man to answer to in close proximity."

"Be part of the Kingdom of Ostgrenze but I get to keep what I have." She clarifies.

You shrug, "Well as far as it's culture, law, economics and infrastructure are concern, yes. But your soldiers and ships will answer to me now and I get to use your ports."

Eliza looks down in thought. She soon pulls out her handkerchief and wraps it around your neck. "We can't have you going around with that rather obvious wound now, can we?" Her way of apologizing for cutting you. "Would you please leave me with my cousin? If it's not too much to ask, please tell my council to come in. They need to be a part of this?" Oh you see now. She's considering your proposal.

"I can do that." She nods as a sign of gratitude.