Beyond the Bedchamber

Proposals and Mergers

He leaned away with nerves, the king saw his breath quicken as he struggled to hold his gaze up. His eyes were brown like his father's, but lighter like coffee with a touch of cream. His hair was pale blond like his mother's, in complete opposite of his lovely sisters. That did not mean that he was not passing handsome himself. His build was strong, short and stocky like his father's.

"Come and walk with me then, boy. Let's discuss what you consider worthy." A collective sigh seemed to be let out. The prince blinked and nodded. King Alaric motioned for him to join him and walked towards a long gallery that led to the royal gardens. It was silent as they left the room, but they knew that everyone would talk the moment they left.

"This is weird." He heard the boy mumble as the voices began buzzing the second they stepped into the corridor. The boy bit his lip and avoided looking at the large paintings that lined the walls. Until they came to a picture with a young King Alaric, that is, then he stopped to stare. "You look sad in this."

"I wasn't very happy at the time. Not only was my father just executed for killing my mother and eating parts of her, but I was forced to stand there for hours while my advisors asked me to make decisions for my new kingdom." He figured he would get the gruesome history out in the open instead of relying on the whispers that might have happened across the lands.

"So he really did go mad and..." The prince looked at him with a bit of shock. King Alaric nodded gravely.

"As did his father before him. There is a very good chance that I may suffer the same fate. Hopefully not as dramatic and frightening an end as my father. My grandfather just heard voices and walked off a parapet. I think you should know though, should you decide to do this..." He couldn't meet he boy's gaze and walked to the door that opened into the gardens. He threw it open and took a breath of fresh air.

It was slightly chilly out being well into the fall. The last of the blooms clung to the branches of rosebushes and the leaves in the trees had turned all shades of golden and red. A littering of leaves was being raked along the path by a faithful gardener. He smiled at irregular flower beds and pictured his mother sitting in her usual spot by the fountain making daisy chains.

"You are not your father. Just as I am not mine. I am willful and needy sometimes, I avoid my guards, I forget to do my chores, and I can't figure out how they tie this thing around my neck but I hate it." The prince told him frankly. The king laughed, the dark mood partially destroyed by the prince's candor.

"Indeed. I can be arrogant and very stubborn when I think I am not wrong. I don't like working in my office and my lords must chase me about my house to get any paperwork signed. I leave my window open and run a fire even though I know it is wasteful because I like the movement of air. I forget to take off my boots when I come in from outside and it is muddy." He turned with a grin to the smiling prince that had wandered out the door next to him.

"Shocking! Your servants must cringe when they see you coming." The prince joked.

"I hope not. I do try to make sure they are well taken care of." He replied."

Then you are not just a good king, but a good man." The prince said to him without a blink. It warmed his heart just to hear it, let alone be thought of that way.

"I try. I came to my throne at a very young age. Younger than even your brother is now. Your father could have taken advantage of the situation and taken my throne from me, but he did not. He was an important mentor at a time when this kingdom could have fallen to pieces. I consider him the dearest of friends." King Alaric explained.

"Is that why you would marry me? Because my father has asked it of you?" The prince asked.

"It is the only reason I would even consider it. I had sworn an oath that I would never marry and never bear children of my own. I would break half that oath for your father, but only if it is with you. As a man you will never be able to bear my children, nor will you ask me to break the other half of my vow. Besides that, I find you are intelligent, thoughtful, strong willed and perhaps a bit entertaining." The king said with a smirk. The prince scowled.