* * *
“You haven’t produced an heir?” her underling gasped in shock.
“Haven’t… Won’t,” Annabelle replied with a shrug.
“Why not?” her underling asked.
Annabelle glared at him, but decided she might allow him his questions. “Because children would complicate our situation,” she answered.
“How so?” her underling asked.
“Because children with royal blood tend to kill each other off once they become anything useful,” Annabelle replied.