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“We’ve really gotta talk about this whole dictator thing,” Darcy announces over her breakfast, giving the morning news the stink eye. “It’s a bad image.”
That’s not what you thought last night
, Victor informs her silently, mindful of the staff milling about.
Darcy doesn’t even have the decency to blush.
What I want in bed and what I want the public to see are two different things.
She points her fork at him. “I’m serious, Victor. Your people love you, but the rest of the world doesn’t understand what the country was like before you took over. The word
dictator
leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. Latveria is prospering, but it’s small. It’s not a self sustaining country. You need to work on making allies, building relationships with other countries. And most countries will not make deals with dictators.”
Victor raises an eyebrow. “You needn’t emphasize with the cutlery, love.”
Darcy sticks her tongue out then shoves her pancakes in her mouth.
Just my luck to have a poli-sci major for a soulmate. You are a challenge, Miss Lewis.
That’s Dr. Lewis to you, if you’re going to be an asshole.
I’d rather it be Dr. von Doom.
One’s enough.
You needn’t change your name if you agree to marry me, you know. I’m a modern man.
Darcy rolls her eyes.
Victor sips his coffee, silently observing her for several minutes before heaving a sigh. “What do you suggest?”
“Oligarchy.”
“I am not sharing power.”
“And suddenly we’re back to the whole dictator problem.”
“Other options.”
“Autocratic monarchy.”
“I don’t like the title king.”
Darcy rolls her eyes. “Fine, electocracy.”
Victor’s eyebrows nearly disappear into his hairline.
Darcy smirks, as if sensing her impending victory. “Your people will elect you. You maintain complete power, and the rest of the world gets to call your country a democracy.”
“I’ll consider it.”
Darcy rolls into his side and pokes him in the ribs.
You’re feeling too loud.
You never call Latveria your county. It is always my country.
And?
And you are my soulmate. It is your country, too.
Darcy shrugs.
“In headline news today, Latveria has announced a shift to democracy, elections to be held next month.”
“Does electocracy really count as democracy? The people elect their leader, sure, but it’s still absolute power in the hands of one person.”
“No Latverian citizen has stepped up to run against the current dictator, Victor Von Doom, and even if someone does come forward, the question must be asked addressed: how can it be assured that the election won’t be rigged to keep Von Doom in power?”
“One of my sources says that an American company--a Stark subsidiary, actually--has been contracted to monitor the elections in order to ensure no tampering.”
“Isn’t Von Doom’s soulmate an Avengers associate? And the Avengers have quite the notorious soft spot for Miss Lewis. Who’s to say Stark himself won’t be biased?”
“And besides that, who’s paying for this contract? Von Doom has stated on more than one occasion that as long he’s in power, Latveria won’t be joining the U.N., so… what? Is he paying for the monitoring contract himself? And if so, how’s that supposed ensure no tampering with the election?”
* * *
“Victor Von Doom maintains the seat of power in Latveria after the country’s first election.”
“Is anyone really surprised?”
“The upstart that ran against him never stood a chance. Got less than a quarter of the votes in the country. And what did Von Doom do?”
“Oh, I heard about that! He made the man his ambassador to America!”
“If I were him, I’d be worried about appointing a competitor as my representation to anything.”
“He really doesn’t have anything to worry about, from all appearances. His competitor, Jean something, wasn’t it? Jean said he wasn’t actually in it for the competition. Swears up and down that he even voted for Von Doom.”
“And Von Doom has said in many public appearances that he believes Jean has several credible ideas for improvements in Latveria and that he has every intention of keeping him on as an advisor.”
“Call me a romantic, but I wanna know what Darcy Lewis has to say about all this. The former dictator’s soulmate has been unusually silent throughout this whole election process. I mean, she’s usually a firecracker, never keeps her opinion to herself. Where has she been for this monumental occasion?”
The press is calling for you, my love,
Victor’s voice, heavily amused, flits through her mind.
The press can shove it
, Darcy retorts.
“So,” Sil’s voice comes from the doorway.
Darcy leaps halfway out her old wingback. “Shit! Make a noise, Sil!”
“Sorry,” he grins unrepentantly. “Anyway, why aren’t you commenting on the whole political shift? It
was
your idea in the first place.”
“
Because
it was my idea. Victor needs the good press. That was the point of this whole thing.”
Sil chuckles. “Putting that doctorate to good use I see. Why not just tell the boss that, though?”
“A girl’s gotta have her fun somehow. Not much makes him squirm. Me holding my tongue freaks him out, though.”
Sil mock bows. “Evil genius.”
Darcy grins. “I know. Did you really just come to rib me for getting under his highness’ skin?”
“Not his highness anymore, my queen.”
She rolls her eyes.
“You are, however, correct. My wife is demanding your presence.”
“Ah, the real queen beckons. Let’s go.”
Sil grins and offers his elbow. Darcy takes it and lets him lead her through the halls toward his own quarters, in the same wing as Darcy and Victor’s.
“Wanda,” Darcy bursts through the doors, beaming. “Love of my life! Ready to run away with me and ditch our doting soulmates?”
Wanda bursts out laughing. “Perhaps one of these days.”
Darcy lifts the younger woman’s hand and kisses her knuckles. “I’ll ask until you say yes.”
Wanda grins. “They’d be helpless without us.”
Darcy winks and flops down onto the couch next to Wanda. “So true. Sil, you’ve done your duty and delivered me to your wife. You can go now.”
Sil shakes his head. “I don’t know if I trust you alone with her.”
Wanda’s fingers glow red.
Sil holds his hands up, admitting defeat. “Alright, I can take a hint. Enjoy your girl time.” He drops a kiss to both their head before retreating back to the hall.
Darcy lolls her head toward Wanda. “What’s up, witchy woman?”
Wanda rolls her eyes. “I love him, but I can only take so much coddling, and you are the only one who scares both him and Pietro.”
Darcy snorts. “Mother henning?”
Wanda nods.
Darcy leans over and kisses the other woman’s very pregnant belly before she shoves to her feet and saunters toward the kitchen. “I’ll get ice cream. You pick a movie.”
“I love you!”
“I know! As long as you know I expect you to return the favor if I ever get knocked up!”
“Deal!”
Darcy comes back a few minutes later, juggling a bowl of popcorn and a couple cartons of ice cream. She barely catches the flicker of light out of the corner of her eye before throwing a pillow in the general vicinity of the hall. “Pietro, out! You are not part of girls night in!”
The silver-haired man leans against the hall opening shamelessly. “You know you love me.”
Darcy and Wanda glare.
Pietro pouts. “Come now, ladies! You cannot expect me to leave my nephew to be influenced by nothing but your sappy romances.”
Darcy’s glare intensifies and she rests a protective hand over Wanda’s abdomen. “I will influence my
niece
however I damn well please.”
Pietro opens his mouth to protest and Wanda lifts a hand, fingers glowing red He has a rare moment of wisdom and flees.
Darcy snorts. “You still haven’t told him it’s twins?”
Wanda smirks. “What would the fun be in that?”
Tony holds a hand to his chest. “Intern! I’m hurt.”
Darcy quirks an eyebrow as she bounces Lewis against her shoulder and uses one foot to rock Petra’s cradle.
Tony leans over the cradle, making faces at the infant. “I can’t believe you let President Dictator knock you up and you didn’t tell me! Ohh wait, no… this one has boytoy’s eyes. Did you let your bodyguard knock you up?”
Would you like me to throw him in the dungeon?
Victor’s voice drifts across her mind.
Darcy scowls.
Eavesdropping is rude. And while the offer is sweet… just send me Wanda.
Victor’s laugh floats pleasantly across her mind and some of the tension in her shoulders releases.
Tony eyes her suspiciously. “What’s got you so chipper looking?”
Darcy grins. “Remember when I told you Sil’s wife was a mutant?”
“Yea-
aaagh
!” Tony screams indignantly as he’s whipped off his feet and hung upside down by wisps of red smoke. A pretty, almost frail looking brunette stands beneath him, hands glowing red.
“Tony, I’d like you to meet Sil’s wife, Wanda. Wanda, the mouthy asshat you’ve got suspended to the ceiling there is Tony Stark.”
“Pleasure,” Wanda greets drolly.
Tony gapes.
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
“Shit!” Darcy startles and partially falls, partially rolls of the couch, bumping her knee on the fireplace and cursing again. She rights herself and glares at Victor over the couch. “Warn a girl, asshat.”
“My apologies,” he inclines his head, looking utterly unapologetic, “but I feared if I warned you, you may continue this awful habit of avoiding me.”
“We’ve been in the same bed every night.”
“And you, my dear, have been oh so conveniently asleep within moments of kissing me good night.”
Darcy shrugs and heaves herself back up onto the couch. “Point?”
Victor settles onto the couch next to hear and gently draws her hand into his. “My love, if this is about my proposal, then-”
Darcy jerks her hand out of his and starts pacing in front of the fireplace. “Of course it’s about that, you jackass! You get elected president and then the first thing you do is fucking propose! I mean, props for not doing it in front of all the damn cameras, but what the fuck?! I tell you I want my own identity, apart from Doctor Doom, apart from the Avengers, apart from Latveria, apart from Jane. You get a shiny new title and the first thing you do is ask me to marry you! First Lady of Latveria Darcy von Doom, ladies and gentlemen!”
Victor stands and holds his hand out in front of him, placating. “Darcy! May I speak?”
She nods tersely.
He stops in front of her and reaches for her hands.
She lets him take them. “What?”
“I perhaps did not think through all the possible ramifications of my proposal under those circumstances. I asked in a moment of joy, as an act of celebration. My love, I do not care if you take my name, much less any title. I do not care if anyone even knows you married me. I simply wish to know you are mine.”
Darcy gapes a bit. “We’re soulmates, dipshit.”
Victor sighs. “Can you not drop the sarcastic shield even for a moment?”
She grimaces. “Sorry.”
“Soulmates…. Obviously, I believe in you, and believe in us, my love, but soulmates are outside of our control. Marrying me…
that
would be your choice.”
Darcy snorts.
Archaic
.
I prefer old fashioned.
She takes a deep breath and looks up at him. His eyes shine down at her, earnest and sincere and so full of love it makes her ache. She doesn’t know what she did to deserve but she is so grateful.
Of course I’ll marry you.