"Your Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail, on behalf of all the people of Bulgaria, I welcome your arrival!" Metev said courteously.
"Thank you! I'm very glad to see you again, Marquis Metev!" Mikhail said with a smile.
(Mikhail's full name: Mikhail Alexandrovich, Nicholas II's younger brother. After the February Revolution, Nicholas II abdicated in his favor, but he refused. Thus the Romanov Dynasty fell. Even refusing the throne did not spare him from disaster; the following year, he was ****** snap.)
"Marquis Sazonov, it has been a long time!" Metev continued his greetings.
He knew that Sazonov was still in charge of the negotiations. Grand Duke Mikhail's visit was merely an exchange between royal families; he would not take part in the talks.
"Indeed, my old friend, we haven't met for almost three years. Now you're already a marquis—congratulations, Mr. Metev!" Sazonov said with perfect poise.
Yet a flicker of envy flashed through his eyes. If nothing unexpected happened, he would have had a share of the credit for this as well.
Mikhail's sudden visit caught Ferdinand somewhat by surprise. Ferdinand did not think much of him, and they had hardly kept in touch.
As a rule-breaking rebel, Mikhail was not particularly well-liked within royal circles. Ferdinand still remembered how Xenia had fallen out with him over his marriage.
Breaking the tradition that nobles and commoners could not marry was not much of an issue; the social climate had already grown considerably more open at the time, and Russia permitted marriages between nobles and commoners.
Unfortunately, he had married a woman who had been divorced twice, whose private life was scandalous, and who was already pregnant out of wedlock—without even knowing for certain whose child it was.
Xenia had urged him to calm down. At the very least, he