Ultimatum

***@My-Dear-Hammy here's your surprise, doll. It's a couple days late for a birthday present, but I wrote as fast as I could for you.***

"For the last fucking time, I'm not getting married!"

Alexander abruptly stood from his seat at the head of the oval-shaped table, slamming his hands down on the wood as his chest heaved from his rant.

"Sire, we mean no disrespect, but you cannot continue to rule alone– not that you haven't done a brilliant job at it. We've given you the full year you needed to adjust, but you know our law." Nathanael Greene, his Royal Secretary of War, spoke up from the other end of the table. Greene was the head of his War Department, overseeing the organization of his army, navy, and the Royal Guard. He was certainly the finest general in his army, a very skilled soldier and leader indeed.

Alexander settled his glare on Greene. "Mr. Greene, did my mother not rule alone after my father was exiled?"

Nathanael gulped and looked away uncomfortably, fidgeting a bit in his seat. "Y-Yes Your Majesty, but that was different. The king had an affair, we would not force her to remarry." He stuttered a bit and cleared his throat awkwardly.

Hamilton growled and his Board shifted their eyes away from looking into his directly, choosing instead to look over his shoulders or the crown he'd left on the table in front of him.

"I don't want to get married off to some stranger!" Alexander huffed and scowled down at the dark wood of the table like it had personally offended him. No one wanted to point out that, technically, some stranger would be married off to him.

"Well, what if it didn't have to be a stranger?" Washington spoke up from his seat directly at Alexander's right.

Alexander's hard stare softened and morphed into one of confusion as he looked to George. "What do you mean?"

"Well, what about the Marquis de Lafayette? You two are pretty close last I remember, and he's still single to my knowledge."

A tinge of pink tinted Alexander's tan cheeks as he thought of his best friend and ex-boyfriend. "Lafayette is just my best friend, we ended things two years ago because he fell in love with his tailor."

He didn't speak bitterly on the topic, he was never mad at Gilbert for what happened between them. Love is love, it can't be helped. He didn't fall in love with Hercules Mulligan on purpose. He even cried when he admitted his feelings to Alex when he had traveled to visit him, begging for forgiveness though he'd done nothing wrong. It's not like he cheated on him. Hercules had become one of his best friends, and Alex thought they were very cute together.

George paused, seemingly in thought, before asking, "Alexander, how much do you trust me?"

Alexander gave him a puzzled look. "With my life, George."

"Enough to allow me to choose the perfect suitor for you, then?"

Alexander's features hardened again. "No."

George sighed at his stubbornness. "Alexander-"

"No way."

It was George's turn to cut him a sharp glance. "Let me finish."

Alexander grumbled something under his breath but said no more. George looked him over for a moment to make sure he would stay quiet before he continued, "as I was saying, I know you better than anyone, Alexander. I could choose the perfect suitor for you. I know all your tastes in men and women alike, although I do question them sometimes."

Alexander stuck his tongue out at George in response to the jab before turning back to the other five people at the table. Besides himself, Washington, and Greene, there was John Jay, Oliver Wolcott. Jr., William Bradford, and Angelica Schuyler Church. His Royal Secretary of State, Royal Secretary of the Treasury, Royal Attorney General, and Royal Secretary of Welfare, respectively. Jay carried out his foreign policies and dealt with all foreign affairs. Wolcott was his principal economic advisor; he was responsible for formulating and recommending domestic and international financial, economic, and tax policy, participating in the formulation of broad fiscal policies that have general significance for the economy, and managing the public debt. Honestly, Alexander believed he had one of the most important jobs on the Board. He had chosen him simply because his mind worked a lot like his own; their ideas on handling the country's financial situation were almost always on the same level for the most part. Bradford was the head of the Department of Justice. He was the chief law enforcement officer and chief lawyer of the Empire of Grange. He oversaw all of the courts across the empire including the Royal Supreme Court. Now, for Angelica, her position was so unique. Alexander had created a whole governmental department just for the people. Angelica reported to him on the state of the country and his subjects so he knew who and where needed financial aid, food, water, anything. His people's happiness was very important to him and he wanted all of their needs met. Angelica, a fierce believer in equality and rights, was the perfect spokesperson for the public. Yes, his government had a lot of facets to it as a constitutional monarchy often does. But restricting his power a bit was worth it if it meant his people enjoyed as much freedom as possible.

He forced each of them to meet his piercing gaze. "Is this what you would have of me?"

Angelica, almost like an older sister to him, was the only one who dared to speak up. She had never been afraid to speak her mind to him or any man or anyone anyway. She rather liked "gracing others with her opinion" as she called it. "If this is the only way to get you married, Your Grace, then I believe it's the best way to go."

Alexander, of course, opened his mouth to argue. Angelica, however, quickly cut him off. "If you don't like whomever George picks for you, we'll get someone else. But you have to try this, Alex, please."

Alexander honestly didn't have the energy to reprimand her for using his name– a nickname no less– in front of others, much less the Board. "Alright Angel, I'll try. But I can't guarantee that I'll actually like whomever is chosen, much less fall in love with them."

Angelica's face immediately brightened. "You're really agreeing?" She stated it as if it were the rarest of occurrences.

Alexander rolled his eyes. "What can I say, Lady Church? You've always been rather convincing." He sent a playful wink in her direction.

It was Angelica's turn to roll her eyes. "I suggest your new fiancé spend half a year here with you before we move on to the wedding plans. Seems like enough time to get to know them doesn't it?" Everyone around the table mumbled their agreement.

"Fine. Six months with a stranger living in my castle; what could possibly go wrong?" He huffed indignantly before scooping his crown off the table and fitting it back on his head.

He peered down at George. "You have a week, Washington." He then looked back to the rest of the Board. "This meeting is adjourned."

Alex leaned his hip against the table as he watched everyone file out, arms crossed over his chest. Angelica made her way across the room to him as the door shut behind the other Advisors.

A flirtatious smile grew on his face as her heels click-clacked their way over. He opened his arms wide for her to step into, wrapping them around her waist and looking up at her. Her height was intimidating for most men, but to him it was just another one of her winsome qualities. It added to her strength.

"Ah, the lovely Angelica Schuyler." He squeezed her close to him. "How are you, gorgeous?"

She laughed and wrapped an arm around his neck, using her other to remove his crown and place it back on the table. She used the new advantage of its removal to muss the black hair underneath it as you would a child. "I'm fine and still married, Tomcat." She kissed his forehead endearingly.

He grumbled exasperatedly, chagrined at the nickname. "John still treating you well?"

Angelica shrugged a shoulder. "He's not a lot of fun, but there's no one who can match you for turn of phrase." She ruffled his hair again and smiled down at him. "But at least he's rich."

"Like you needed anymore money." He gave her a pointed look.

"Well, I have to share Daddy's money with my sisters. I don't have to share my husband's money though." Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"And the handsome sum I pay you?"

"Do you think this outfit was cheap?"

He took a few seconds to admire her tightly laced pink dress. "My dearest, Angelica, you're telling me you spend your salary on shopping?"

"Maybe not all of it."

"Whatever you say, Angel." He nuzzled into her shoulder, taking comfort in the scent of her familiar perfume.

"You know, everyone else calls me Angie. Why do you call me Angel?"

"Number one, I'm not everyone else. Number two, it's cuter. Number three, you are my angel."

"How so?"

"You've been here with me, fighting for my people and by my side since the beginning. When the old guys in wigs say I'm too immature to rule, you're right there, arguing for every favorable part of my character. I couldn't do this without you, Angel."

"Don't worry, Alex. I'll always be here for you, even when you raise hell. That's what big sisters are for, right?"

"Of course. And what kind of little brother would I be if I didn't make you want to pull your hair out?" He reached up behind her to tug on one of her dark brown curls.

She gasped and slapped him hard on the arm while he cackled with laughter. "You're incorrigible."

"But you love me anyway."

"Unfortunately," she stated drily. She then pulled back from his now slackened grip around her middle, patting his cheek affectionately. "I've got to go make my rounds in the city now. I'll have a report on your desk by dinner." Angelica traveled throughout the imperial city twice a week as a part of her secretarial duties.

"When you get back, the rest of the night is yours. Maybe you can go visit your father and sisters."

"Really?"

"You've earned it."

Her face lit up. "And that's why I love you. I knew there was a heart in there somewhere for all your talk of lacking thereof." She patted the left side of his chest, right over his heart.

"Oh hush. Make haste before I change my mind."

"You'd never." She kissed his cheek, grinning knowingly, before turning on her heel and walking out.

"Have Margarita write me the latest gossip!" He yelled after her, her laughter tinkling in her wake.

Alexander's smile faded as the quiet and solitude he usually surrounded himself with set in. He was once again left with his thoughts, mind ever-churning. The reality that by next week he'd be engaged to a stranger for the next six months was now beginning to settle in. He sighed deeply to himself, the only noise in the large empty room.

This should be fun.

***A/N: Here are some things mentioned in the chapter in chronological order:*** 

- Government positions: Alex's system of government models the U.S. system of checks and balances without the three separate branches of government. The positions are the same except for Secretary of Welfare, I made that up. The U.S. War Department head also doesn't oversee the royal guard because we don't have one. Most of the secretaries were on Washington's cabinet. 

- Nathanael Greene was a Major General of the Continental Army in the American War for Independence. He emerged from the war with a reputation as commanding General George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer, and is known for his successful command in Southern theater of the war.

- John Jay was an American statesman, Patriot, diplomat, one of the Founding Fathers, signatory of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, second Governor of New York, and the first Chief Justice. He directed U.S. foreign policy for much of the 1780s and was an important leader of the Federalist Party after the ratification of the Constitution in 1788. He was the first Secretary of State, succeeded by Thomas Jefferson.

- Oliver Wolcott, Jr. was the second U.S. Treasurer, preceded by Alexander Hamilton. Anything else you want to know is a just Wikipedia search away.

- William Bradford was the Second U.S. Attorney General, preceded by Edmund Jennings Randolph. Randolph worked closely with Hamilton, but his actions were easily manipulated by the man himself. He basically just carried out Alexander's instructions. He was neutral to the Jefferson-Hamilton passive-aggressive feud, and was also a second cousin to Jefferson. He attended the College of William and Mary, the second oldest college in the States, with Jefferson. I chose Bradford over Randolph because of his life-long friendship with James Madison, which formed when they attended Princeton University (my dream school) together. It'll come into play later. Randolph still exists in this AU.

- Angelica Schuyler Church: It is historically accurate that Angelica was married prior to meeting Hamilton.

-The Empire of Grange: name of Alexander's country. It encompasses the North and Northwestern states of the U.S. including all of California although it is a Southwestern state just because it's very liberal and democratic. The empire's northern border is shared with Canada, and it's southern border with the Monticello Kingdom which encompasses the South and Southwestern states excluding California. Grange also takes Hawaii while Monticello has Alaska. Alex also has the U.S. Virgin Islands and the territory of Puerto Rico. The Jeffersons control all other US territories.

- Constitutional monarchy: A form of national government in which the power of the monarch (the king or queen) is restrained by a parliament, by law, or by custom.

- Hamgelica's relationship: She truly is just his "favorite older sister." They have a false flirtatious relationship in this book. Angelica's correspondence with Hamilton, now preserved in the Library of Congress, demonstrates a strong affection between them. There has long been speculation that she may have had a romantic and possibly sexual relationship with Hamilton. Hamilton biographer Ron Chernow notes that "the attraction between Hamilton and Angelica was so potent and obvious that many people assumed they were lovers. At the very least, theirs was a friendship of unusual ardor..." One letter sent to Angelica's sister Elizabeth, Hamilton's wife, is suggestive of a relationship, but likely an innocent joke between sisters. Speaking of Elizabeth's husband, Angelica wrote to her: "...if you were as generous as the old Romans, you would lend him to me for a little while." That is where Lin got "if you really loved me, you would share him." Despite a flirtatious attitude that fueled contemporary gossip, there is no conclusive evidence that Angelica's relationship with Hamilton ever went beyond a strong affinity between in-laws and the devotion that the whole Schuyler family showed to Alexander throughout his life. This, as well as the sisters' mutual affection and Angelica's 14 years absence from America (she was a prominent member of the social elite wherever she lived; first in New York, then in Paris, London, and New York again), speak against any impropriety that would have hurt our dear cinnamon roll Betsey.

   Anything else you want to know is just a Wikipedia search away!