“Are you that sure he’ll agree to the contract?”
Rupert glanced at the man in question again. Winter was dressed in a brightly colored robe and seemed to have rings on every finger. Everything about him screamed “frivolous”.“I don’t see how he has any choice. I outrank him. Even if he doesn’t appreciate the honor I’m giving him, his family will.
“Father can send out an escort for him and arrange transportation, make all the arrangements for the wedding the way you know he wants to do. If we time this right, I can be married the day he arrives, and then you and I should be at your father’s estate just in time for the next hunt.”
“If you say so. Can’t say I won’t be happy to go home.” Tristan got up at the same time Rupert did. “I’ll get the paperwork done in the morning. If Winter and his family are staying here overnight, it’ll save me hunting down a messenger.”
Rupert wasn’t worried about the details. He was mentally chuckling at the look on his father’s face when he brought home a peacock of a man who would be more at home in a fashion house than on the back of a horse.
Chapter Two
“All right then, my lovely people. What have we got? Can we work this marriage business to our advantage, or do I need to pull in a favor at the World Council and get this debacle stopped for reasons of national security or something similar?”
Closing the sitting room door behind him, then rubbing his hands, Prince Winter of Martingale went over to the fire, warming his fingers. It was just before lunch, the day after the coronation in Monce, and Winter had been up and about since dawn.
The coronation of King Serron and his consorts, King Consort Jaq and King Consort Patin, had been a perfect opportunity to network, gather gossip, and meet a few people in what most would perceive as a casual social situation. Very few people knew that nothing Winter did was casual.
Although the three people gathered around the table did. His hands feeling a little less chilled, Winter went over to the chair left for him. “Who wants to go first?” he said as he took a seat and accepted the coffee slid in front of him. “Thank you. Pippin?”
“Crown Prince Rupert and his companion Lord Tristan of Middlethorp left the castle shortly after breakfast,” Pippin said quickly, peering at Winter from under his curly bangs. “I didn’t hear much more than what I heard last night…”
Winter grinned. Pippin, being under Rupert’s table at the time the man was discussing his marriage issues, had been a stroke of luck rather than good management, but Winter would take all he could get. “You did good last night,” he prompted gently. “What happened at the stables?”
“Lord Tristan was trying to explain the importance of the marriage contract details to Crown Prince Rupert, but the crownprince wasn’t listening. At least that’s what I thought,” Pippin added quickly. “The crown prince seemed very abrupt, talking about trying to get back to Simigile so that he could attend a hunt that starts in three days. From what I can tell, he wants to attend that one, and one more before the wedding, and there was mention of a ball…?”
“That will be the Fall Festival Ball, held at the Pinkle’s estate just outside of the Simigile central city.” August, Winter’s brother, looked up from a pile of papers. “We were invited, but under the circumstances, Father felt it was best you didn’t attend. You’d left before he could discuss this marriage contract with you this morning.”
“I had those two jobs to attend to this morning. Both successful,” Winters said, nodding. “I thought I’d told Father, but things have been hectic lately. What else did Father say? I take it, he’s headed home?” The king of Martingale took the running of his kingdom very seriously and rarely left.
August nodded. “Joseph is with him. They made their departure not long after Crown Prince Rupert did.”
Winter had expected that. Joseph, the crown prince of Martingale, traveled with their father on those rare occasions he attended any function outside of their own country. “All right, then. What is included in the marriage contract? Did Father sign it on my behalf?” He looked over to Sigmund, who worked as his adviser.
“No, sir.” Sigmund pulled out a short scroll. “The king was happy to abide by your decision in this. It was drafted by Lord Middlethorp and appears to be a direct copy of a template the World Council uses for such occasions.”
“A template contract? That could be fun.” Winter chuckled. “What conditions is the crown prince determined to inflict on my person?”
“I doubt the crown prince bothered to even read it, and Lord Middlethorp appears to have done the bare minimum.” Sigmund sniffed, indicating his disapproval. “With our king making ready to head home, I attempted to go through the clauses with Lord Middlethorp, but he seemed very impatient with me. Crown Prince Rupert’s signature was already on the bottom of the document.”
Sigmund tapped the inky flourish. “Far too many curly cues for my liking, but regardless, Lord Middlethorp simply insisted that if there were any conditions you’d like included, then to fill them in and file the paperwork. ‘Immediately’ was the word he used.” Another sniff let Winter know what Sigmund felt about being ordered to do anything, especially from a person none of the family had a high opinion of.
“That’s not surprising. Thanks to Pippin, we already know the crown prince can’t go back to Simigile until this contract is lodged with the World Council.” Winter tapped his chin. “What’s Joseph’s take on this, August?”
August let out a long huff. “You know what Joseph is like, Winter. He thinks the marriage would be a good idea for the family business. We don’t actually have a contact anywhere near Simigile, so it could be useful to operate out of there. It would allow us to expand our reach. But Joseph doesn’t have a high opinion of your intended spouse, and he worries about you because marriage is a serious commitment. He wants you to be happy, so he’s not pushing you on this either way.”
“No, Joseph would never do that.” Winter knew he was lucky. He came from an extremely supportive family. He had eightbrothers and three sisters, and after their mother’s untimely and unexpected death two years before, the family had pulled closer together than ever to support the devastated king.
“It’s only four days ride from Simigile to Martingale on a fast horse. I’ll still want to visit Father at least once a month.”
“From what I heard, sire, the crown prince in Simigile is barely going to be at the castle, so is not likely to notice if you’re not there,” Pippin pointed out.
“That would make the business side of things easier as well,” August added.
“True. True.” Winter looked at Sigmund. “How likely is it that my intended fiancé will want to stay married? I’m not moving the base of my operation to the Simigile castle, only to be kicked out under the piss-off clause three months later.”
Sigmund tapped the desk with his ornate pen. “I’m more concerned about what you’ll do if you want out of the marriage, sir,” he said, frowning. “Lord Middlethorp put a line through the exceptional clause section. If I could offer an opinion, I believe that was done because either the crown prince or Lord Middlethorp, worried you wouldn’t want to stay married to your husband once you got to know him.”
“Hmm, that changes things.” Winter was thinking fast. “What about the clause relating to infidelity? Does my fiancé intend to remain faithful to his husband?”
