Page 22 of Rise of a Fallen Man

“Do you feel any preference for any of the three?” Mother asked. “I’m not trying to push you into deciding on the spot, of course. You do have time. But I haven’t noticed you leaning toward any of the princes yet. Do you feel any pull at all, however slight it may be?”

It’d been three weeks since the princes’ arrival to Rorrim. In that time, Mother had held plenty of balls and parades in their honor. Every day had been packed with events and festivities. The usual council sessions had been put on hold, replaced by quick briefings with the queen for the most necessary discussions and decisions.

The influx of people to Egami had been disrupting the routine of the city dwellers. But there was also excitement in the air, both in the city and in the arena right now. The crowd shouted and clapped as the princes made their horses jump over the various hurdles erected for that reason.

So far, there hadn’t been any “pull” on my part, however. Not at the slightest.

“Do you not have any preference at all?” Mother insisted.

“I already told you my preference, Your Majesty.”

She sighed. “Yes, I know. You decided on Prince Leafar. But that was before you even met any of them. You made that decision based solely on the dowry agreements. I’ve been hoping that after you’ve spent some time with the princes and gotten to know them, you will form a connection with one of them.”

So far, there had been no connections formed. I’d met all three princes together and individually. I’d danced at the balls with them and had a few conversations with each. They all acted appropriately and said all the right things, with nothing particularly standing out for me to like or dislike.

“I see no reason to change my decision, Mother. Prince Leafar will make a fine king consort for Rorrim.”

“And for you?” She tilted her head to get a better look at my face. “Don’t forget, you’re not doing it only for Rorrim. The man you’ll choose will also be your husband and eventually the father of your children.”

I inhaled deeply, curling my fingers around the carved armrests of my brocade upholstered chair on the royal platform.

Accepting my upcoming marriage as my duty was one thing, but sharing my bed with one of the princes, touching him, kissing him, having sex with him, and ultimately starting a family with him... That was a whole other undertaking that felt like an unwelcome chore at best.

I intended to postpone the intimacy between us for as long as possible. Hopefully, I could drag out the period of getting to know each other until I’d grown used to having a husband and he’d also grown a little older too. Maybe after having been married for a while, we’d grow closer, find many things in common, and the intimacy between us would come naturally at some point. At least, that was my hope.

The crowd clapped enthusiastically as Prince Leafar’s horse cleared a piece of a fence painted green to look like a hedge. I clapped too, keeping the mandatory smile on my face.

This was the second tournament where the princes had gotten a chance to display their horse-riding prowess. Prince Elbon had very narrowly won the last one. And this time, Prince Leafar seemed to have a lead, though I couldn’t say for sure since I hadn’t been paying attention or keeping the score.

The gloomy weather and, frankly, not that much action on the arena invited sleepiness, forcing me to fight to keep my eyes open. The princes pranced on their horses politely, neatly jumping over the pretty obstacles in the exact same way they had done it the last time.

Thankfully, the crowd cheered, having a great time, its enthusiasm likely fueled by the free meat pies and fruit wine served to the spectators at the crown’s expense.

Finally, the tournament ended, with Prince Leafar being declared the winner this time. He received a white sash over his shoulder and a diamond-studded ribbon. As a part of his prize, he also got to sit on my right for today’s gladiator games.

As he climbed up the stairs to the royal platform, his cheeks rosy and his blue eyes shining with excitement, my smile turned genuine. It proved impossible not to share his joy.

Mother folded her fan, put it on her lap, and clapped her hands. “Congratulations, Prince Leafar. Well done.”

He gave her a deep bow, then took a knee in front of my chair.

“Congratulations,” I said sincerely.

He looked elated and so proud of himself, it was hard not to feel his excitement.

“Your Highness,” he said, placing his winner’s ribbon at my feet. “From now on, all my victories belong to you. Everything I achieve, I do for you and in your name only.”

“I’m flattered and eternally grateful, my prince.” I accepted the ribbon because doing otherwise would be rude and even cruel. “Please, sit with me.” I gestured at the armchair on my right.

He took the seat, beaming with pride.

“You are an excellent rider,” I said.

The blush deepened on his clean-shaven cheeks.

“Thank you. I’ve been riding since I was two.”

“Two? That young?”

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