The next morning

Jan calls you up early in the morning to see him. Dressed in your finest, you do your best not to show how nervous you are. Jan sits on his throne, staring intently. "Did you sleep well enough?" he asks. “Is the room comfortable, and perhaps the pillows soft?”

There it is, the sarcasm you associate to him.

“Yes, thank you for your consideration,” you say evenly.

He harumphed. “I never thought that someone like you would end up debasing himself by lying with a wench.”

There it is, the main topic of discussion without much preamble. “Yes, it is the test, isn’t it? I think I have certainly passed the test by pleasing her very much. I would have done it until dawn, but I did need to rest and freshen up a bit to meet you.”

"You dare lay with a wench even though my daughter is just nearby?” His voice is caustic.

You won't be cowed by a duke, elector or no. “Yes, I do, just as I put my life on the line to save you.”

Jan’s hardened eyes softened a bit.

You sigh. “I don’t really want to antagonize you from the beginning, but you know, I’m doing this to make a point to you,”

“Oh, do tell.”

"Your daughter is not your wife,"

"Tell me something I don't know." the Duke says sarcastically.

"No, you act as if you don't know. It doesn't have to be me, but have you really ever considered what kind of man you want for your daughter? These tests, all of them are to dissuade the men from pursuing her. I swear to god that I was confident that even if I reject the wench you sent me yesterday, you would disqualify me by saying that I'm not man enough to pursue your daughter."

"The wench is telling me how she is hopeful that your fornication will bear fruit."

You motion for a guard to approach you. The guard turns toward the duke and he nods. The guard gets closer and you hand him your sword before turning to the duke. "May I request everyone leave us?"

The Duke signals for his guards and a few seconds later the two of you are alone

"I'm sure her mother tell you the same, after you lay with her." you say to Jan.

The duke's hands gripped the armrests of his chair hard. "Are you telling me that I laid with other women?"

"I never said it was more than one, but yes, you have confirmed it."

Amelie may not realize it, but she is also the daughter of the Duke, but borned out of the tryst he had with the mother. Her mother knows that the Duke is the father, but since she cannot reveal that to her daughter, it ended up her telling Amelie that she will become a wench to a nobleman, which is a very subtle way to suggest that Amelie would do well to be involved with nobility in order maintain her status and place in the Duke's household. Even if it's just a maid, Amelie's position is still higher than a wife of a commoner.

"Yes, I'm just a man govern by his lust, but so are you. This is normal. What is not normal is how you are impeding your daughter's future hapiness."

"HOW DARE YOU?!" He screams.

"Yes, I dare!" you answer with an even but steely voice. "I dare to fight the bear. I dare to sire my bastard in your own, and I dare tell you that you're doing it wrongly with your other daugher!"

At that riposte, Jan deflated. "How?"

"You have to be clearer than that, Duke."

"How did you know Amelie is also one of my own?"