“Do you think that’s allowed?” Rupert asked. He had no idea how the World Council worked. He had only been there twice before, carrying out duties for his father. “I thought if something was decided in the marriage contract, those vows had to be adhered to.”
“I’ll find out,” Tristan said. “I’ll get in touch with the council myself in the morning. But in the meantime, you can’t afford totake any chances. Lady Abigail is going to have to go to bed on her own, and so are you.”
Rupert sighed. He could still hear the music playing in the ballroom, tempting him to go back.
“Your Highness, do you really want to get into trouble with your husband before the vows are said?”
I’m certainly thinking about it.But Rupert shook his head. Tristan rarely invoked his title when they were alone together. “I’ll go to bed alone, this time,” he said, slapping Tristan on the shoulder as he walked past. “You get some answers about those marriage clauses – can they be changed, amended, and what’s the process for that sort of thing? I want answers as soon as possible.”
Rupert stormed off down the hallway, away from the music. There was no point in going back to the party. Lady Abigail was going to have to find someone else to warm the seat next to her. Rupert could already feel the lovely buzz from the hunting party and the whiskeys he’d drunk disappearing along with the sound of the party music.
I just wanted my life to stay the same. Was that too much to ask?Apparently, for now, it was.
Chapter Four
Winter could tell the moment he was ushered in to meet the king of Simigile why it was that the king had been pressuring his only son and heir to get married. The king was old, very old. Winter quickly scanned what he could see, looking for possible causes of what was an obvious decline.
There wasn’t much – a droop in one eyelid, a slight drop in the mouth on the same side of the face, and Winter could see a tremor in the king’s hand, as it rested on the arm of his chair. The king still managed to incline his head slightly as Winter introduced himself, and he had a generous smile as he invited Winter to sit down.
“So you're the man whom my son decided to rope into his scheme.” The king had a pleasant, deep voice and managed to chuckle, although Winter noticed that his aide stood close by, a cup of water in his hand. “You have old eyes, or perhaps I should say wise eyes, for such a young face,” the king continued. “Are you truly sure you know what it is you're getting into, marrying my son?”
Winter eased back into his chair, not enough to be disrespectful, but he wanted to show his new father-in-law he was as comfortable as the king appeared to be with him. “Would you be shocked if I confessed I don't know your son at all?” he asked with a smile. “I was informed Crown Prince Rupert had offered a marriage contract for me personally, but your son had left the event we were attending before I had a chance to speak with him.”
“That sounds like Rupert,” the king observed.
“It is common for royal marriage partners to be strangers to each other on the day they exchange their vows. That doesn’t concern me. Seeing as you’ve been so honest with me, sire, could I alsomention that I’ve heard tell that your son will likely be too busy to spend much time with me after the ceremony, but I accept that is often the plight of a royal spouse as well. For myself, I’ve never been in this area of the world before, and my father assures me that Crown Prince Rupert is a good match. Like most sons, I trust in my father's decision.”
The king banged his hand on his chair and burst out laughing. “Oh, you have such a polite turn of phrase,” he said, although it wasn’t long before his chuckles turned into coughing.
Winter respectfully averted his eyes while the king's aide helped the man sip some water, gently dabbing at his face before stepping back.
“Such a nuisance,” the king said, once he’d recovered himself. “As you can see, I am not long for this world, and please don’t offer any platitudes toward the contrary. I’m deathly tired of hearing people lie to me. I am afraid that all I had hoped when I pushed my son into marrying was that he would choose somebody who had a brain on their head.”
“I like to believe I can fulfill that category for you, sir,” Winter said quietly. “I’m just a little unsure what it is you hope I can do for your son. If I may speak bluntly, once you have departed this world, your son is unlikely to pay any heed to any advice I might offer him. He appears…” Winter hesitated for a moment, and then added, “A little headstrong, and from what I gather, your son is a man intent on getting his own way in all things.”
“You would be right about that,” the king said, nodding. “Like many fathers, I had a lot of hopes for my son when he was younger. However, being an only child, Rupert was indulged in many ways. I was of advanced years when he was born, and his dear mother didn’t last long enough to see his fifth birthday.”
Winter mentally winced, the memory of his own mother’s death still fresh in his mind. “I’m sorry for your loss, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, although that was over thirty years ago. I have done my best through the years, promoting Rupert’s image, suggesting to others that he works hard for his country, especially when he’s traveling. However, I fear, for all my efforts, it is evident to many that my son has always only been concerned with his own pleasures – hunting and spending time with his friends. He’s never shown an interest in running this country, and I will admit, as I ready myself to meet my end, that does pain me.”
The king paused for a moment, and then smiled. “Did you know I had to banish him from coming home to get him to sign a marriage contract at all?”
Winter smiled and nodded. “Yes, sire. My father heard about that and informed me of it when he discussed the contract with me.”
The lies tripped easily off Winter’s tongue. The king of Simigile didn’t need to know who he truly was – only who he appeared to be. Winter had even dressed soberly for his meeting.
“You will likely know, as a father yourself,” he continued, “that issue did give my father some concern. But I am one of many sons, and I believe my father fancied to have someone in the position of consort in a neighboring castle. I’m so low down the list of heirs in Martingale, I was never likely to see the throne there, except from a distance.”
“I like your candor, boy,” the king said. “And I hope you don’t take offense at my calling you that. As I said before, I believe you have a very wise head on those shoulders of yours, and that will be handy in the years to come. But tell me, how did you attract my son's eye? I confess I've never heard of you before, and Iassume that you’re not part of the circle of friends he usually hangs about with.”
Leaning forward, Winter rested his elbows on his knees. “I will confess, sire, that I believe it's because of a rather loud and very colorful robe I was wearing on the night of the coronation ball for King Serron with his consorts Jaq and Patin. I was not inclined to dress discreetly for such an unusual event. Perhaps I was the only person who stood out.”
“Ah, yes, the threesome!” The king's eyes gleamed. “Tell me, in your opinion, are they as close as rumor implies?”
I do believe this king is a bit of a gossip.Winter grinned and nodded again. “Yes, sire. From what I understand, the three of them are all very happy, and to put it politely, they appear equally comfortable with each other.”
“That fascinates me, it truly does,” the king said, leaning back in his chair. “Honestly, I could not get my son to pay attention to anybody in that way at all - male, female, in between, it didn't matter. He was so determined not to marry, and I could never understand why.”
