“No. But particularly the women here are underemployed. Child marriages are still happening in the more rural villages. I know your father looked the other way...”
“Yes,” he said, his teeth gritted. “We fought to stop that. We did not look the other way.”
“I know. And I know you’re still fighting for it. Again. I did a lot of reading today. I feel like I understand... More of what you’re trying to do here. Well. I believe in it. And you’re right. It doesn’t do us any good to live a life to serve only ourselves. And that has never been my goal. Don’t you know I have a charity with my sister, for women who are abused?”
He shook his head. “I regret that I do not.”
“My sister... She ended up raising her best friend’s baby after her friend’s ex-lover murdered her. My sister has always been so regretful that she couldn’t do more. And so the two of us established a foundation in her honor. I’ve been looking for more ways to help vulnerable women. Minerva inspired me.” She blinked. “I did work only for myself for a while. To try and make my father...” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Working on this charity has made me feel better about myself than anything else ever has. Making Monte Blanco my European base will bring an entirely new light to the country.”
“You think very highly of yourself.”
She shook her head. “No. But I do know a lot about public perception. And I’m very good with it. Gauging it, manipulating it, I suppose. If you want to call it that. I can help.”
“Well. I don’t think Matteo would be opposed to that.”
“I know he wouldn’t. And what does he think, anyway? That he could just put me on ice here until he gets back?”
Javier laughed. “I guarantee you he thinks exactly that.”
“I’m to believe that he is the softest, most compassionate ruler this country has ever known?”
Javier nodded. “He is. You may find that hard to believe, but it’s true.”
“I have a question for you.”
“Why bother to let me know? You don’t seem to have any issue saying exactly what you think or asking for exactly what you want to know.”
“All right. So tell me this. How did you know that what your father was doing was wrong? And what inspired you to try to fix it? How did you see outside of the way you were raised? Because a few hours ago when you were facing me down, I realized something. We were not speaking the same language. We expect different things. Because of our realities. For you... Caring about this entire nation of people is part of you the same as breathing. But it wasn’t for your father. You weren’t taught this... How did you know it?”
It was something he would have wondered, had the memory not been so emblazoned in his mind.
“The answer is the same as it always is. The moment you see the world outside of the little bubble you’re raised in, is the moment you stop believing that your perspective is infallible. It is the moment that you begin to question whether or not your reality is in fact the true reality of the world. It was a child marriage. I was newly in the military. Sixteen years old. I happened upon a village. A six-year-old girl was being married off, and she was terrified.”
Even now the memory made his teeth set on edge. Made him burn for blood.
“I put a stop to it. Rallied the military, ordered them to hold her father and the groom captive. I remember picking the child up. She was terrified. When I went to my father and told him I was appalled to see that these things were still happening in our country... He scolded me. He said it was not up to me to impose my beliefs on our citizens. My father was no great believer in liberty, Violet. His motivations were related to money. Peace, border protection. Not freedom.” He stared hard against the back wall of the gym. “The minute I knew that was the minute that I stopped believing what I saw. It didn’t take me long to realize my brother was in a similar crisis of faith. And that was when the two of us began to work to affect change.”
“It’s amazing,” she said. And somehow, he truly believed her. He had never felt particularly amazing. Only like a grim soldier carrying out marching orders that he had never received. But the ones that should have existed. If their leader had had any integrity.
“Most people look away, you know,” she said.
“Not me,” he said.
“No. Will you please take me out into town?”
“Yes,” he agreed.
Because he saw her purpose now. Saw her intent. And because she was correct. It wasn’t reasonable for Matteo to keep her here on ice, so to speak.
Anyway, he did not have to check with his brother on every last thing. They had to trust each other. With the way things had been for the past decade and a half, they had no choice. And so, Matteo would have to trust him in this as well.
“Perfect. But I need... I need a phone.”
“Your phone, along with your makeup, is making its way here. You will have it tomorrow. And then I promise you, we will go on your field trip.”
“Thank you,” she said.
It occurred to him then, the ludicrousness of it all. Of her thanking him when she hated him. Of him standing there, desire coursing through his veins when she was off-limits.