If you fail to produce an heir by next year, you can forget about inheriting the title, the lands, or anything at all! The letters always ended with the same threat. Leonid’s brow furrowed in annoyance. With a cold sneer, he tossed the letter into the fireplace, watching the offending piece of paper curl into ash as if it were a mortal enemy. He moved to the sofa by the window and slumped into it. His grandfather’s infuriating letter had shattered the evening’s peace, leaving his nerves stretched as taut as a wire.