Ian and Ilona stood quietly watching as the Prince paced back and forth in front of the dying fire, alternating between rubbing the back of his neck and running his hands over his face.
"This is a bad idea," he said to them without looking up, "She's only fifteen. I'll have to live in their court for years before she's old enough to be married and by then they'll have figured out that I'm not someone they want to be their king, let alone marry their princess."
"You don't know that," Ian shrugged, "You could end up being a good king... That does seem more likely than you being a good husband."
Ian smirked, teasing the other man, but Mason only frowned at him. For a man who was almost always joking, it was a clear sign of how seriously he was considering this decision.
