REQUISITION OR REQUIREMENT
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Banquet Hall,
The Imperial Castle,
Capital City of Tronder,
Kingdom of Velicia,
Early hours of the morning,
The Eighth Day of the Month of November,
Thirty Third Year of the Reign of King Jesse Crestings
"Would you not consider marrying her just for the sake of this old hag, Rayzenn, my dear?", the Regent Queen asked, her voice sounding earnest.
Something about her desperation drew his eyes to look at her. After a moment of contemplation, the young man sighed and broke a tired smile, "Alright, I will consider it", he resiled. "The concept of marriage in general, that is." It had been a very recent change of heart.
There was a spark of pure excitement in her eyes, like she, in that fraction of a moment, was envisioning the most blissful future ever and a whole royal wedding. Prince Rayzenn knew that he would eventually evade the situation, that he would soon break all her happiness, that the shorter her false hopes lived, the better. But for that minute, he said nothing to deny her those fantasies.
This joy and the coming disappointment it would bring was the reason he had been honest with her and had avoided the subject of marriage. He had not imagined that a slightly affirmative answer would bring her such boundless joy.
And so he added, "I am only considering. Per-haps I may not agree, but if such should come to pass, I promise you that I will so cancel based and grounded firmly on good reason for denial."
"And if it comes to that, with reasons being your own expectation and not the damsel herself, then you must marry another woman in her place at the very least!" Aunt Eliza bounced back immediately.
There was a hot, tingling sensation that skipped across his face, at her mention, for his mind had travelled to a certain woman, but he held it back. "The deal is yours", he consented.
The merry expression of pure happiness caused his aunt to rise to her feet, slap her hands together and almost sing her sentences in a melody, "Alright now, you must be heading to the Walterus Manor very soon after your visit with the King. I had Weston get Chase to prepare your carriage early this morning."
"If I may ask this one last request", Prince Rayzenn began, "Kindly hold back from uttering to anyone or making it public news that I may marry. I will fulfil it at my own pace."
There was a shade of disappointment that made its way across his aunt's face. It was like she knew what would happen, with that single sentence. The woman agreed, but Prince Rayzenn was unsure of how much she would keep her word.
He strode out the Banquet Hall and made his way towards his Father's wing of the Imperial Castle. Weston followed close behind him, and the silence was comfortable, with solely the sound of their footsteps against the polish floors.
Soon, they quietly stepped into King Jesse's chambers, where the man was lying still.
"Papa", Rayzenn began, earning a quick awakening from the senile man.
"Son, you're here", he responded, mirthfully.
"Aunt Eliza had asked me to visit you, and that you had called for me?" he asked, taking a perch at one of the chairs assembled by the King's bedside.
"Yes, yes. I received word from the Palace of Reagin" he began, his sentence interrupted by coughs. Rayzenn frowned in response. Such was the Kingdom whose crown princess was betrothed to his elder brother.
"They sent a letter that arrived last night, stating that they wish for a confirmation of the betrothal by means of a wedding with Francis this season. The sooner the better."
His illness continued to bring coughs to his parched lips, instigating his son to bring a linen to his face and some warm water to wet his throat. The young lads waiting on the sick king that would usually be in attendance at the chamber were sent out to make way for the private conversation.
"But your condition is seeing no improvement. Will you be able to handle the hosting of a wedding?" Rayzenn asked his father, tending to him.
There was a chuckle, before the man responded, "It is only a fever playing its game of weakness on my body this week. The chief physician said I would recover in a couple of days under proper medical circumstances."
The dark haired prince nodded, his expression still bothered by creases of worry. He knew that the underlying sickness always escalated when he took fevers that weakened him.
"So the royal wedding will be soon", He smiled, bringing fairer news to lighten the ambience of the chamber.
"Indeed it will. And since he has already been coronated, we shall have the event grand. But as for you, you must see soon coronation, in which case, you must be betrothed to a lady", said he, with a weak smile on his face.
"I will not disappoint you", Rayzenn promised, taking his father's meagre hand in his.
"I know, my son, you never could even if you dreamt of it. But I am concerned of when your marriage will happen. The law requires a King to be a man of one wife when he inherits the kingdom and you cannot afford to delay the matter. What if your brother's queen is a woman interested in the partition and birth right immediately after the marriage? Would that not render your position weak?" the elderly royal asked, a sad smile sustained upon his lips.
The green eyed young prince felt his heart heavily laden. Reasons such as ambitious women interested in wealth over a husband's love had inspired his lack of interest in marriage. But he did not expect for like reason from his brother's wedding to affect his life.
"I understand your concerns", he finally relented.
"She may turn out to be a loving woman of kindness and understanding, but she is not wrong in expecting her share, if she so does", King Jesse hastened to add, like he could read his son's agitations from the very look in his eyes.
Rayzenn smiled in passive mirth and gazed over his father's face before nodding slow, "The Kingdom remains in your hands regardless of all desires. You know the right time and place and will carry things on as needed", he said.
"Well, that is if I am here to withhold the parting until your settlement", the father replied, most hesitantly.
And the prince understood exactly why his father wished for him to hasten with his intentions.
His hesitations could cost him everything he was bestowed with.
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