The Reluctant Duchess Ch. 07

The Reluctant Duchess 07

Part 7 of a Hallmark-style romance reimagined for Literotica. This is the final chapter that leads ultimately to the required happy ending. Reading the prior chapters will certainly help you understand what is going on. Thanks for reading.

Sophie had started drinking more and terrorizing everyone around her again, as the fallout from the two embarrassing leaks caused her popularity to plummet in Klippenberg. Although under the Constitution, there was nothing that could be done to remove Sophie as Grand Duchess against her will, it was uncomfortable for her to hear the scorn and insults being sent her way on social media and elsewhere, so she stopped reading her daily reports. The elected members of the Council felt that it was now possible—even advisable--to oppose Sophie at meetings. Again, under the Constitution, she had the right to overrule the Council at her discretion, but it was a power that had been rarely wielded by her more recent predecessors in recognition of the archaic nature of an absolute monarch. She cancelled all in-person appearances during this period, and stayed in the palace, raging.

Mark, who was furious about the sex video, calmed down after Sophie insisted, in tears, that she had been drugged and setup. Convinced that she was a victim, he decided to overlook his anger at her willingness to take the trip in the first place, and came around to supporting her, although he insisted that they both be checked for STDs.

At a meeting of the emergency task force put together to deal with this information, Johan Mueller, the head of the national police, told Sophie, "We're pretty sure that this was a concerted effort by elements of the German government to force you off the throne, and give them an opportunity to annex the country and take over the Fund."

"My mother was right, I guess," she complained. "But does that mean that Janine was in on it?"

"I never liked her," muttered Johanna.

Mueller responded, "Grand Duchess, we are almost certain that she was. We were able to enhance the video—"

"Great," Sophie said, shaking her head in disgust that the police were able to watch enhanced closeups of two strange men fucking her.

"In doing so," Mueller continued, "we were able to make out a partial reflection in a mirror of the person filming it, and it appears to resemble Ms. Weidner, although we cannot make a definitive identification."

"And what about my call with Minister Frohberg?"

"We have to assume that the leak came from her office to embarrass you."

"Thanks, Johan. So, Karsten, what the fuck do we do about this?"

The Foreign Minister was a beefy, serious looking man with a mostly bald head, surrounded by a brown fringe. Usually, his job wasn't that difficult in an age where Europe was mostly united, and Klippenberg was a bit player, but this whole affair was mortifying, and he was not sure that his small country had enough leverage with Germany to make the situation better. "We could lodge a formal complaint with the German government, but if they were behind this at the highest levels, I doubt it would make any difference."

"I agree—unless we get more evidence tying them to the leak," Sophie replied.

Johan Mueller cleared his throat. "We need to approach Europol and ask them to investigate, see if we can find anything, and move on from there."

"Not a bad idea," Sophie responded. "But what if I call Janine first and see what she has to say?"

"I guess that can't hurt, Grand Duchess," Mueller replied, "but let's make sure we record the call, in case she admits to anything."

Sophie pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Mueller, who confirmed that the call would be recorded before handing it back to Sophie to place the call.

"Um, hey Sophie, um, how are you?" Janine answered in an unsteady voice.

"You know that I'm not good," Sophie stated, using every bit of her Grand Duchess voice. "What the fuck did you do to me, and why?"

"Um, I don't know what you're taking about. I have to go." Janine ended the call before Sophie could respond.

"I think it's pretty clear that she's involved," Mueller observed.

"Agreed," Sophie responded. "Let's get that bitch in here for questioning. Can we do that?"

Mueller nodded, "It may take some time, but we should be able to have a warrant issued, and have her extradited."

"Good. Start the process. Have Europol investigate. And Karsten, I want to see a draft of a strongly worded private statement to the German Prime Minister ASAP." The Foreign Minister nodded. "OK. Everyone get to work." She stood, and everyone else in the room did the same, waiting for her to leave the meeting before they went off to do what was necessary.

*

Outside the gates of the palace, angry protestors carried signs insulting Sophie both for offering to sell out the country and for the filmed sexual acts. Despite the generally progressive politics of Klippenberg, where marriage equality had been allowed for years and abortion was legal despite the influence of the Church, there was still a streak of conservatism which held that certain things were private, and should be conducted privately. This belief was even more ingrained when it came to the royal family, which was expected to act with discretion.

When asked what to do about the protestors, Sophie decided, against her mother's suggestion, simply to have security monitor the protests to make sure that no one breached the gates. She figured that eventually, if there was no push back, people would get bored and go home. She also directed that the protestors should be provided with water, and otherwise treated respectfully, as long as they behaved peacefully. Although the Constitution guaranteed the right to free speech, the Justice Minister had informed Sophie that there was a provision that had not been used in modern times which allowed the suppression of speech that insulted the royal family. Sophie made it clear that she had no intention of invoking this provision, and told the minister to remind her, when this mess was over, to discuss removing it from the Constitution.

Sophie met privately with her press secretary, Tatjana Brase, who was confident that if they could prove that Sophie was set up and drugged by the Germans, she could turn public opinion around, although they agreed that the initial contact about possible abdication was problematic. They also recognized that Sophie would have to take ownership of the contact, but fall back on her initial shock and reluctance to take the position after her father's death and hope that the country would show compassion.

The situation continued to be tense over the next weeks, as the legal, investigative and diplomatic wheels turned. Sophie decided not to make any public statements or appearances until she could present the country the facts, with supporting evidence. Protests continued, although in decreasing size, but criticism of Sophie continued online. For the first time in decades, an organized opposition group of nationalists and religious conservatives began to make noises about running a slate of candidates for the Council.

The first time Mark tried to visit Sophie at the palace after the leaks, he was abused by the protestors for continuing to support Sophie, despite the sex tape, and he was under strict orders not to respond. After that, it was decided that the best course of action was for Mark to stay away from the palace until the situation stabilized, adding to Sophie's unhappiness. One Friday evening, feeling lonely and depressed, Sophie gave Mark directions to the spot that she used to sneak in and out of the palace. When he finally arrived, her pent up anger and frustration at the situation led to a night of love making that alternated between explosive and tender, until both Sophie and Mark collapsed, exhausted, into each other's arms.

The following day, after another round of sex in the morning, Sophie and Mark were having a late breakfast with Charlotte Marie, who, Mark noticed, appeared to have aged years over the past weeks. She and Sophie were back to barely exchanging small talk, often snapped at each other, and it was clear that the tension was getting to all of them.

"Sophie, Duchess, after breakfast, I have some interesting news—at least I think that it's interesting—which I'd like to share with both of you, if there's time."

"If it doesn't have anything to do with leaks or Germany, then sure," Sophie muttered.

"I guess it has a little to do with Germany, but not recently," Mark replied, trying to maintain the suspense.

"Mark, I don't have any patience for games right now. Please, just tell us," Sophie responded testily.

"Yes, Mark, please," Charlotte Marie replied.

"Ok. I have to get something from my bag. I'll be right back." Putting down his napkin, Mark pushed the heavy wooden chair back and ran out of the dining room and up the stairs. Returning slightly out of breath with a slim portfolio, Mark could hear Sophie and her mother arguing in German, so he couldn't understand what they were saying, although he was happy not to hear his name mentioned. As he entered the room, the women stopped arguing. Noticing that the dishes and food had already been cleared, he sat down next to Sophie. "Duchess, if you wouldn't mind coming around, I want to be able to show you both this," Mark requested, pointing to the portfolio.

Intrigued, and happy for what she hoped would be a pleasant diversion, Charlotte Marie came around the table and sat next to Mark, on the opposite side from Sophie.

"When I first visited here, Duchess, we discussed my family, and I noted that I knew very little about my ancestry. During the period that Sophie and I were not seeing each other, I had some spare time, and I visited with your genealogist, Herr Eichel, and hired him to investigate my family tree. And he found some very interesting information."

Mark opened the folder, and pointed to the papers inside. Most of my ancestors, on both sides of my tree, are pretty ordinary. Farmers, merchants, tradesmen, both here in Europe, and in America. One line of my family emigrated from England in the 1600s, which is very early for America, but there's very little to distinguish my line."

Mark noted that both Sophie and her mother already appeared to be getting bored, so he decided to get right to the good part. "But my father's mother's line was a little more interesting." He turned the page. "This page shows just that line, and you'll see that 11 generations ago, I'm descended from Count Horst von Waldenberg." He paused to let that sink in, and looked at Charlotte Marie's face as the awareness dawned on her.

"So we are distant cousins?" Charlotte Marie stated, slowly, as if she was having trouble reconciling the thought in her mind.

"Wait—Mark—What the fuck?" Sophie blurted out, punching Mark in the arm. As Mark rubbed the painful spot, Sophie grabbed the sheet and examined it, before handing it over to her mother, who took out a pair of reading glasses from a pocket in her dress and examined it closely.

"All of these descendants are legitimate births? And confirmed by Eichel?" Charlotte Marie asked.

"Yes, Duchess. As you can see here," Mark pointed to the next sheet in the folder, "Herr Eichel states that I am eligible to be considered as a member of the House of von Waldenberg, not that that is really valuable anymore, but I thought you both might be amused."

Charlotte Marie paused and weighed her next comment. "Actually, Mark, you know that because of this, if you and Sophie decided to—"

"Mother—" Sophie interrupted. "Don't get started."

"All I was going to say, Sophie, is that if you and Sophie decided someday to get married—and I'm not saying you should or will—but if you did, it would comply with the law."

"And I wouldn't have to change the law. That is, if someday, you know... Because right now, trying to change it might be difficult—not that I've given that any thought, you know."

Mark was trying desperately to hold in his laughter. He knew Sophie well enough by this point to realize that she was pleased by the development, even as she tried hard not to let on. And surprisingly, Charlotte Marie looked happy. "Duchess, don't worry. Sophie and I have no plans to marry. Not now, at least." He gave Sophie a big smile, and raised an eyebrow at her, to let her know he was teasing.

"Well, cousin," Sophie began, in a mocking tone, "welcome to the family, I guess. Now, come with me." She led Mark away, before he could grab his papers, and they left while Charlotte Marie continued to pore over them.

*

Through the one way glass, Sophie noticed that Janine looked terrible. She had not slept, she was not wearing makeup, she had been crying, and the harsh light of the interrogation room was not flattering to anyone. If Johan Mueller had his way, Sophie wouldn't be at the national police headquarters, watching the questioning, but Sophie overruled him, and so she sat in the observation room with two members of the national police, one operating the recording equipment, and the other taking notes.

Her lawyer, from the public attorney's office of the Ministry of Justice, sat impassively next to Janine, and whispered in her ear occasionally.

"Look, Ms. Weidner, we have the video. We know you were there. We have your bank and phone records. This will go much easier if you tell us who put you up to this," Mueller stated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Janine responded, her voice wavering.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Ms. Weidner. We have enough evidence—evidence that you abetted a rape and attempted to damage the reputation of our country's ruler—a young woman that you befriended, who trusted you—to put you away for enough time that no rich sheik is going to spend a penny on you when you get out."

Janine looked down at the table, but said nothing.

"Or," Mueller continued, "you tell us who convinced you to betray our Grand Duchess, and we can make a deal. You'll be back out travelling the world with whatever sugar daddy you want in no time at all."

Janine looked at her attorney, and then whispered in her ear.

"Johan, I need to speak privately with my client."

"Certainly, Marina." He stood up and left the room. The glass between the interrogation room and the observation room went dark, and the sound went off. Mueller entered the room and sat down across the table from Sophie.

"Grand Duchess, she's about to crack, I think, and we can offer her a deal."

"Captain Mueller, I want that lying bitch to suffer," Sophie spat out, furiously.

"With respect, Grand Duchess," Mueller continued calmly, "what you should focus on is bringing to justice the two men who drugged and raped you, and the people who organized this sordid affair."

Although Sophie was furious, she knew that Mueller was correct. "You're right, Johan, and I'm sorry I snapped at you. Do whatever you have to do. But I insist on two things."

"And what's that?" Mueller asked.

"She will need to apologize to me, to my face. And spend some time in jail. Or no deal. Understand?"

"Yes, Grand Duchess. I suspect that won't be the hard part."

*

Sophie nervously handled the print copy of her speech, which was only there in the very unlikely event that the teleprompter stopped working. She realized the importance of this speech. If it went poorly, there was a chance that she'd never regain the confidence or support of the people, resulting in an unpleasant and ineffective reign, or even an abdication, which she remarkably no longer desired. She'd rehearsed the speech many times, but she worried what would happen when the red light went on.

Looking around the ceremonial office that looked more important than the functional one that Sophie actually worked in, she tried not to focus on all of the technicians and staffers all seeming to be doing something urgent. Sophie thought about all of her forebears who had sat in this same room, trying to do their best for the people of Klippenberg, and she thought of her father. How disappointed he would have been if he had been alive when the embarrassing information was leaked, but she thought that he would be proud of how she was handling herself in the face of the adversity. She looked over to Mark, standing quietly to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, and when their eyes met, he nodded slightly and mouthed "you've got this," which made Sophie smile, and relax briefly. Father would have liked Mark, she thought, and he's even won over Mother.

Tatjana counted down, "5, 4, 3, 2..."

The red light went on.

"People of Klippenberg, I know that the last few weeks have been difficult and confusing. You've seen and heard things that range from shocking to criminal, and until now you haven't heard anything from me, your Grand Duchess. That's because I wanted to wait until I could give you all of the facts, which I intend to do now.

It is no secret that I never expected to sit on the throne of this country that I love so much. My late father, Grand Duke Franz, was a healthy man with many years ahead of him, and my two brothers, both strong, smart and capable, were ahead of me in the line of succession. Therefore, I was never prepared for this important position, where the trust of an entire nation would be placed on my shoulders.

And when the horrible accident took my beloved father and brothers from me—from all of us—I was in shock." Sophie felt herself tearing up, and reached for a tissue to blot her eyes before continuing.

I didn't think that I could handle it, and I was deathly scared that I would be unworthy of my ancestors and let you all down. During this time of shock, fear, and being overwhelmed by responsibilities that I never imagined, I was approached by a representative of the German government, who, preying on my inexperience and shock, knew that if I abdicated, there was a good chance that Germany would be offered the chance to annex our small gem of a nation. Although I didn't respond at the time, as I continued to feel overwhelmed and inadequate, I did reach out to the German official who contacted me, to hear what she had to say. As you have heard, it was only an exploratory call, and no commitments were made.

After that call, I offered you the chance to decide the fate of Klippenberg, and you overwhelmingly declared that you wanted things to remain as they were, with me as your ruler. I did not advocate for the German option, or any option, because I wanted you to make the decision. As you all know, our Constitution places an enormous amount of power into the hands of whoever wears the crown." Sophie instinctively touched the crown resting uncomfortably on her head before continuing.

"I humbly accepted your confidence in me, and since that day, I have worked as hard as I could to be the best Grand Duchess possible. The learning curve has been steep, but I think I'm getting there, and we have had some positive results, mostly in our agricultural trade sector.

Then, I made a series of immature mistakes." Sophie took a drink of water as she attempted to control her emotions.

"Although I had accepted the fact that my future was as your Grand Duchess, in the back of my mind, I still missed the life I lived before the accident. I was a mostly anonymous young woman, living a fun life, in privacy. I still chafed at the restrictions my position placed on me, and the fact that my life was almost entirely public. I've even gone out to nightclubs in town in disguise so that I could dance and have a few drinks with friends, like a normal woman my age.

I was offered, by someone I thought was a friend, the chance to spend a weekend in Berlin, in disguise, and away from all of the responsibilities that were weighing on me, and I accepted. That was the first mistake.