The General's Daughter & His Majesty Book #1

Chapter Seven: Old Friend

Prince Dargan's POV
"Shut the door."

"Your majesty." I bowed. "Which side of the door do you prefer I should be?"

He looked my way obviously in no mood of useless humour. He gestured me forward. I approached the king. He pushed a glass of whiskey my way. "Should you be drinking?"

"Shouldn't you be pulling out if you can't use protection?"

"I see. It's going to be that kind of a night. Okay." I gulped down the whiskey. "Accidents happen. Give me credit, this is the first in..."

"You don't know how many. At dome point you just stopped counting. I want it to stop Dargan. I order you to be celibate until you marry."

"Are you serious?"

"Does this face look like it's interested in humour on this damned evening?"

My smile faded. Celibate until I marry? I can't! My blood runs hot and it runs towards a part of me that is easily aroused by beautiful women! What am I to do if I'm weak for them?

"No sir."

"Is it yours?"

"I'm not certain."

"Is it Richard's? It's not surprising if it is. That girl keeps limping between you and Richard Adair. How can you entertain that? Are you not possessive of what is yours?"

"I am. But she's not mine. I'm aware that she is occasionally with Richard. She can't seem to make up her mind."

"And now a baby has made the decision as to who she ends up with."

"But I don't want her."

"Dargan I don't think you understand how serious this is! You will stain this family's reputa with your promiscuity! It needs to stop! You're not a teenager! You're a grown man! Pick a woman and settle down! Bang her brains out all day and all night if you want to, just pick one! Just one son! It won't kill you!"

"Calm down. You're breathing very hard. Your heart-"

"Is mighty! But ever so weak because of your insolence." He served some more alcohol for himself. "There's a storm. Don't look outside the window. I'm speaking of a figurative one. One that is in our own back yard."

"What are you talking about?"

"The whispers in the wind say that the House of Adair want the crown."

"Are the whispers certain?"

"I'm validating."

"What is there to validate? Silence the whispers! Dissension can spread as fast as flames fanned by the wind! Silence the whispers!"

"Patience." He spoke softly. "Stop to think and then act."

"Won't it be too late?"

"My council is working on it."

"Your council? Do you trust tbis old men?"

"I do. They have never let me down, nor their predecessors before them. I trust them."

The Council comprises of selected men who form a bridge between nobility and commoners. Their work is to keep the crown in check and to advise the king. These right men represent the whole kingdom and favor no duchies in particular. They are replaced by apprentices that they themselves pick. But as much as my father says he believes them, he doesn't. He double checks everything they do.

"Will I be kept in the loop?"

"Of course. But I want you to focus on marrying and settling down. It's important to me that you do that as soon as possible."