"Oh God, my child, how could you be interested in a bastard?"
Queen Maria was taken aback.
Although she had long known that her son was extraordinary and had ideas of his own, the notion of marrying a bastard was still far beyond her expectations—even if that bastard were the daughter of the Empress of Russia.
She immediately suppressed her smile and spoke in a stern tone.
"Clement, your status dictates that you can never marry a bastard. Your father and I will not agree to it. Put away such foolish thoughts. You are the heir to the kingdom—there are plenty of princesses worthy of you."
"Ah?"
Clement immediately realized the misunderstanding and hurried to explain.
"Mother, you misunderstand. I have no intention of marrying a possible bastard. That would severely damage both my image and that of the kingdom—I understand that perfectly well."
He paused, then continued carefully,
"What I meant was whether there are other eligible princesses in the Russian royal family. We could consider forming a marriage alliance with Russia."
"A marriage alliance with Russia?" Queen Maria frowned. "Those Eastern European barbarians?"
She hesitated.
At this time, Russia's reputation in Europe was far from favorable. It was not yet the 'gendarme of Europe' that would one day defeat Napoleon. Instead, it sat on the periphery of the continent, unable to compare with powers such as Britain, France, or Austria.
Even an old power like Spain looked down on Russia.
Queen Maria had mentioned the Russian princess only in passing and had never seriously considered a marriage alliance with Russia.
"What Slavic barbarians?" she scoffed. "Do they even deserve a marriage alliance with our noble Bourbon family?"
Seeing her hesitation, Clement—unaware of how deeply ingrained the prejudice ran—continued calmly,
"Russia isn't barbaric. They are already a powerful European nation and have recently defeated the Ottomans again. They shouldn't be underestimated."
Queen Maria pondered his words, then asked,
"Are you proposing an alliance with Russia through marriage? Is that truly necessary?"
She continued thoughtfully,
"This time, the Russians didn't even agree to join the war against the French rebels. Their focus has always been Eastern Europe and the Near East. Can they really help us?"
Her political insight was sharp—she accurately identified Russia's strategic priorities at the time: territorial expansion.
However, she underestimated both the long-term impact of the French Revolution and Russia's ambitions as its power continued to grow.
The Russia that would later become known as the gendarme of Europe—the steamroller of the continent—had never abandoned its desire to dominate Europe.
If not for the centuries-old rivalry with Britain and France, and the constant interference of their allies, perhaps Russia would not have had to wait until the era of the Red Empire to make Europe tremble.
Clement understood Queen Maria's concerns perfectly and patiently explained his reasoning from a geopolitical perspective.
"First, although Russia and Spain are geographically distant, that distance works in our favor. It means we rarely have conflicting interests, making us natural allies.
"Second, in the Mediterranean, the Near East, and even the Far East, we share common enemies and overlapping interests, giving us ample room for cooperation.
"Finally, when facing Britain, France, Prussia, and Austria, if Russia serves as a counterweight on the other side of the continent, the pressure on us would be greatly reduced.
"In short, I believe that forming an alliance with Russia through marriage would be beneficial to both nations."
There was one thing Clement did not say aloud: he was not optimistic about the upcoming war against France.
This time, neither Russia nor Prussia had joined the anti-French coalition. With only Britain, Portugal, Spain, and Austria involved, defeating France would be no easy task.
Rather than rushing to curry favor after Russia gained prestige, it would be wiser to invest early.
After all, Spain's future lay not in dominating Europe. Using the presence of a powerful ally as deterrence was far preferable to standing alone.
"Alright…" Queen Maria said slowly.
She considered his words and found them reasonable. She trusted her eldest son's judgment—during the American Revolutionary War, it had been Clement's advice that allowed Spain to gain more than it lost.
She sighed softly.
"You child… since you feel this strongly, I will make inquiries with Russia.
"But Russia is far away. A messenger's round trip will take considerable time. It seems impossible to arrange your marriage before your departure. We'll have to wait until you return."
"Perhaps this is God's test," Clement said with a gentle smile, "meant to reward me with victory—and a beautiful, virtuous wife."
"I hope so…" Queen Maria nodded.
Her gaze lingered on Clement, filled with the same worry any mother would feel when her child was about to go to war.
The moment passed quickly, and she straightened, returning to matters of state.
"I will instruct the State Council to fully cooperate with your departure. Everything is nearly ready, correct?"
"Yes," Clement nodded. "We'll depart no later than next month."
"Next month… that sounds right."
She paused, then added casually,
"Oh, and one more thing. Godoy will be accompanying you this time."
"Hm…"
"I know there are some unpleasant rumors about Godoy," Queen Maria continued, "but those are nothing more than baseless gossip. You shouldn't take them seriously.
"In truth, Godoy is an outstanding young man, and I have high hopes for him. Having him by your side will put me at ease.
"When you have time, exchange ideas with him and build a good relationship."
Hearing this, Clement nearly lost his composure. He quickly took a deep breath to steady himself.
What does this mean?
I'm the crown prince and commander-in-chief, and they're sending a supervisor?
Sending a supervisor was one thing—but did it have to be him?
His mother's favoritism was blatant.
Unpleasant rumors? From nobles to bureaucrats, everyone in Madrid knew that Godoy was Queen Maria's lover.
Perhaps only his naïve father, Carlos IV, was unaware—or perhaps he knew and simply didn't care.
In any case, it didn't matter.
What mattered was that someone like Godoy was now being sent to "assist" him.
After venting inwardly, Clement finally understood Queen Maria's true intention.
He wanted to use the expedition to build his own reputation. His mother wanted the same opportunity for Godoy.
Her real target wasn't Clement—it was the Council of State.
She was already preparing to move against the senior officials left behind by King Carlos III.
This was not good news for him.
He would have to find an opportunity to deal with Godoy—quietly.
With that thought, Clement smiled calmly and said,
"Don't worry, Mother. I'll get along well with him."