Page 53 of Downfall of a Princess

Mother brought her hands together, nodding with approval. “Just the right age for a man to get married.”

“What makes it the right age?” I asked.

“They are in their prime time for procreation,” Father explained. “Old enough to ensure healthy offspring, but not too old for their virtue to have been compromised.”

“Men are lustful by nature,” Mother commented with a sigh. “Parents of boys often face a real challenge when preserving their sons’ purity. As the boys grow older, they’re faced with more temptations. It’s best to marry them off early, to give them the much-needed guidance and protection of a wife in a timely manner.”

Father nodded as she spoke, agreeing with every word. “The families of all three princes vouch for their purity, of course.”

“Of course,” I echoed flatly.

I loved spending time with my parents. Right now, however, I would rather carry loads of bricks in the scorching heat outside than be here with them. The whole situation felt more uncomfortable than an ill-fitting shoe.

Now, they both stared at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to choose a husband right then and there.

When I said nothing, Mother gestured at the pictures.

“Trebor, why don’t you tell Ari a little about each prince?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Father stood behind the first picture, placing his hands on the frame. “Prince Elbon is the nephew of the Queen of Tresed Queendom.”

“Right. He’s the one with hounds and horses.” I remembered the ambassador gushing about the prince.

Prince Elbon reminded me a little of the ambassador’s husband. He had the same serene expression in his dark eyes, his mahogany-brown hair was also braided in neat rows close to his head, their ends hanging down to his shoulders.

“Yes. He is very passionate about both horses and hounds,” Father confirmed.

“The ambassador has made it very clear that our treaty with Tresed Queendom would be renewed on extremely favorable terms were Prince Elbon to become your king consort, Ari,” Mother said. “However, we need to keep in mind that he’s only the queen’s nephew. Her own son is too young for marriage, butit’s safe to assume that the queen will ensure her son’s dowry is much more generous when he’s of age. That new union may weaken our standing with Tresed in the future.”

“The other two princes are queen’s sons, aren’t they?” I knew enough about the current royal families to remember that.

“Yes.” Mother pointed at the picture of a pale-faced young man with raven-black hair braided into a long plait. “Prince Nevar is the only son of the Queen of Western Islands.” She then gestured at the picture of the blue-eyed man with his medium-length blond hair coiffured into a frame of curls around his youthful face. “Prince Leafar is the youngest and rumored favorite son of the Queen of Olakrez.”

“Are they both into hounds and horses too?” I asked since it looked like some response was expected from me here.

“They are,” Father chimed in. “Prince Leafar is an excellent rider. He participates in horse races and has been an undefeated champion in his country for the past two years.”

“The prince has no shortage of marriage proposals,” Mother added. “The queen has declined a number of them already, searching for a perfect match for him. However, I have it on good authority that our courting efforts will be favored by her.”

“What is his mother offering as his dowry?” I asked.

Since the princes’ appearance made no difference to me, I might as well use a more materialistic approach.

“As a part of his dowry, our peace treaty with Olakrez would be extended for one hundred years.”

That made me pause. “One hundred years? Really?”

The last Rorrim war was with Olakrez. It lasted for several years and completely devastated the people of the disputed territories on both sides of the border. The historical accounts of the brutalities of that war were hard to read. I couldn’t even imagine what it was like to live through them.

The peace treaty was several centuries old now, but it remained shaky and was renewed on a year-by-year basis, constantly hanging over our heads like a sword ready to drop. A guaranteed peace for an entire century would bring a lasting stability to the relationship between our queendoms.

“Mother, Father.” I moved my eyes from her to him. “Prince Leafar it is, then.”

“Splendid.” Father clasped his hands together. “An excellent choice, dearest.”

However, Mother’s forehead furrowed with a deep wrinkle of concern.

“It’s not a decision to be made lightly, Ari.”

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