The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Angelina gazed at him, her earlier concern slowly giving way to relief.

She had worried about the pressure the court might place on Ciaran because they had a daughter, but he was already thinking about how to challenge those expectations rather than surrender to them.

”So, don’t concern yourself with anything else for now. Just focus on raising our daughter,” Ciaran told Angelina. He glanced towards the cradle and smiled when he noticed the baby’s eyes had finally closed. ”Look, Aurelia has fallen asleep.”

”Yes.” Angelina rose from her seat and carefully carried Aurelia to the cradle. She laid her daughter down gently, making sure she was comfortable before rocking the cradle with a light touch.

”Aurelia will be proud of her father one day,” Angelina remarked, turning towards Ciaran with a smile. ”Not every man would think the way you do, especially in a world where girls are still considered less important than boys. I’m glad our daughter has a father who values her just as much as he would a son.”

Before Ciaran could respond, a knock sounded at the door. A maidservant spoke from the other side.

”Your Royal Highness, Prince August wishes to see you.”

”August is here?” Angelina’s eyes brightened immediately. She glanced at Aurelia, thinking her brother-in-law might have come to meet the newest member of the royal family. ”Go and greet him. Wait! We should see him together. It’s been so long since I last saw August.”

She rose and walked towards the dressing table, quickly checking her appearance and smoothing the creases in her clothes.

Ciaran, however, remained concerned. He knew August well enough to anticipate that his half-brother might speak harshly to Angelina, especially given their complicated relationship in the past.

Together, he and Angelina left the bedchamber, while a nanny remained beside Aurelia’s cradle to watch over the sleeping princess.

When they entered the living room, August immediately rose from his seat. He greeted Ciaran and Angelina with a respectful nod before straightening.

”Congratulations on the birth of your daughter,” August said. ”Sylvian told me about her and encouraged me to visit you both earlier, but I couldn’t find the time to come.”

Ciaran stared at him for a moment, caught off guard by the courteous words. He had expected August to be distant, perhaps even indifferent.

”Thank you, August. We’re glad you’ve come to visit us now,” Angelina replied with a warm smile.

”This is a small gift I prepared for the little one,” August said, holding up a decorated basket. ”Samir, a close friend of mine, helped me put it together.”

Angelina looked at the basket with pleasant surprise. She hadn’t expected August to bring a present, and the thoughtfulness behind the gesture warmed her heart.

”That’s very sweet of you, August.” She turned towards a servant and gestured for her to accept the basket. ”Why don’t you sit down? Aurelia is asleep at the moment, but I’ll bring her to you once she wakes up.”

”It would be my pleasure to meet the princess,” August replied.

After taking a seat, he glanced towards Ciaran, who had remained unusually quiet throughout their exchange. August couldn’t tell whether his brother was simply observing him or waiting for him to say something. Either way, Ciaran’s silence did not escape his notice.

”I’ll leave the two of you to talk,” Angelina announced, looking between them. ”Aurelia seems to demand my attention constantly, so I should return to her.”

August gave a small nod and rose just enough to offer her a respectful bow as she prepared to leave. Once Angelina had departed, he settled back into his seat, leaving the two brothers alone in the living room.

Ciaran took a seat opposite August, studying his half-brother for a moment before speaking.

”You surprised me by coming here,” he admitted. ”Your manner has changed, and it’s good to see you behaving this way.”

August’s expression changed, and the warmth he had shown earlier seemed to disappear as quickly as it had come.

”I can’t very well treat an innocent child and her mother the way your mother treated me,” he remarked bluntly. He shifted his attention to the matter that had brought him to the palace. ”Where is Father? He sent me a message out of the blue, but I learned earlier that he isn’t even in the palace.”

”Father has gone to the Northern Province,” Ciaran explained.

August’s brows drew together. He had travelled all the way to the capital in response to the King’s message, only to discover that his father was absent. The news was irritating, particularly since he had no idea when the King intended to return.

”I’m not like my mother either,” Ciaran said after a brief pause. ”But I’m glad you came to congratulate us, at least. It means something to Angelina and me.”

August looked at him without replying immediately.

”When will Father return, then?” he asked, his frown deepening.

”The King will return once the convention in the Northern Province concludes. It may take a week, perhaps less,” Ciaran replied.

”Fuck!” August cursed under his breath, leaning back in his seat with an irritated expression.

Ciaran raised an eyebrow at his sudden outburst. ”What’s wrong?”

August stared at him, wondering whether the King had truly kept the matter from his own eldest son. Had Ciaran heard nothing about the decision that had prompted August to travel to the capital?

”Don’t you know?” he asked.

”Know what?”

August let out a humourless breath before answering. ”Father has chosen a bride for me without even asking for my opinion. The message I received mentioned his decision and instructed me to come to the palace today.”

”Father did that?” Ciaran exclaimed, his surprise evident. ”I had no idea. He hasn’t discussed anything of the sort with me.”

He paused, recalling something he had heard earlier, and looked at August with renewed curiosity.

”I also heard that you brought a woman with you to the capital. Who is she?”

August leaned back in his seat, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he replied, ”The woman I adore.”