Aestir stiffened in the king's embrace, beginning to babble. "Sir, I-I-"
"I prayed to the sun for clarity on why I was being led to allow my daughter to marry a Strexxan and was told that Stelle would finally know true peace through my daughter's union." Began the king, releasing Aestir and pacing back and forth as he explained himself. "I was told to allow her to marry one opposite of her soul and that she would find they were actually whole. And the way I would know this was the right decision? Her betrothed would ask if he could unite them together in the ultimate display of love; being married during Lyphen at the Midsummer Festival of Hope."
Aestir went pale and rushed to rectify his mistake, not wanting the king to misunderstand his intentions. "Sir, I-"
"I don't need you to explain, dear boy; I understand. My wife Celeana was as radiant as the sun when I saw her in court for the first time, and I knew from the moment she smiled at me that I couldn't let anyone else have her. There's no doubt in my mind you feel the same about my daughter; why else would you ask to marry her during Lyphen?" Pressed the King, raising a challenging eyebrow at Aestir.
"I-"
"You're Strexxan, and your people value logic and reason above all else." Continued King Virion, cutting Aestir off once more. "Of course, you would thoroughly research our land and customs before coming here. It makes complete sense that you'd want to profess your love in the biggest and boldest way." He then grinned, pulling Aestir into another warm embrace. "I will alert the kingdom! We must rejoice and prepare at once!"
Aestir rushed to explain himself before the king could misunderstand further. "King Virion, I-"
"Thank you, Prince Aestir! You have proven once again that the sun will never lead our people astray." Finished the king, gesturing for Aestir to follow him out of his office. "There is much to do and much to plan; please, excuse me as I take my leave. We will begin celebrations for the wedding tomorrow during our breakfast feast."
Aestir grew vexed as the king strode away before he could rectify this mistake, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He'd just given the king -and his kingdom- the wrong belief that he'd fallen in love with the princess, which couldn't have been further from the truth. The prince recklessly phased through the shadows and materialized back at his suite with a temper, more pissed than he'd been in a long time. "Oliver!"
His attendant emerged from his room and began walking down the suite's winding staircase, raising an eyebrow at the prince. "Ye-"
"What is so monumental about proposing to get married during Lyphen?!" Seethed Aestir, angrily pacing back and forth in the suite's common area.
Oliver gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You didn't!"
Aestir's face twisted into a feral snarl, his beryl eyes narrowing dangerously in ire. Every word he spoke was more hostile than the last and flung out like the sharpest knife, piercing through the walls of the suite and reverberating throughout their quarters. "What does it mean?!" He was too incensed by his current predicament to control himself.
"For Aephisians, the Midsummer festival represents the one time of year when they are closest to the sun. It is the hottest month of the year, and in the middle of the month, it is the hottest day of the year. On this day -Lyphen- if a marriage occurs, it is the deepest profession of love for an Aephisian trying to marry another Aephisian." Explained Oliver, crossing his arms in disappointment and silently disapproving of the prince's explosive outburst.
The prince groaned and collapsed into a nearby chair, not understanding how he fumbled so horrendously and got himself and his kingdom into a chaotic situation like this.
Aestir's yelling had evidently brought the courtiers and academics of Strexxa out of their chambers as they were now gathered around him, perplexed by his outburst. Reiden, one of the head scholars of Strexxa, made his way to the front of the gathering, his face pinched in concern as he scrutinized the prince. "Your Highness, why are you acting so erratically?"
Aestir looked up at Reiden, who he considered his closest confidant besides Oliver. The concept of "friends" didn't exist in Strexxa, but Aestir supposed he'd think of Reiden as one if it did. "Apparently, I've just professed my love for the princess and am now marrying her in the ultimate display of love for an Aephisian in a month."
Reiden regarded him as if he'd caught the prince frolicking in a field of daisies. "What?"
"I'm not actually in love with her," Huffed Aestir, his head whirling from the morning's events. "It's all a presumptuous misunderstanding." He'd experienced more emotional highs and lows in a mere week in Aephis than he had his entire life in Strexxa and didn't recognize the man he was becoming.
"Then use it to your advantage." Reiden supplied as if it were the most evident answer in the world. "What's wrong with taking advantage of the situation? You've found a way to get the Aephisians to admire and trust you without expending any effort. This is the perfect opportunity to gain the loyalty of the king, his daughter, and their kingdom."
"But this will hurt the princess!" Argued Aestir. He snapped his hands over his mouth when those words left him and inhaled sharply, shocked by the statement.
What the hell did he just say?
Reiden raised a critical eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed by the prince's reasoning. "Prince Aestir, may I remind you you're Strexxan; we pride ourselves on logic and reason above all else for a reason. This is a political move, and sacrifices must be made for the greater good."
Aestir leaned back in his chair, feeling the heavy weight of the burdensome decision he must make. Reiden was right; this could be a chance to secure Strexxa's footing in the west and possibly expand its borders even further. But at what cost? The idea of hurting Celeste in any way made the prince uneasy, but it didn't make sense to turn down such an opportunity. He exhaled slowly, his mind beginning to race as he mulled over what to do.
"Prince Aestir, why do you care so much about how the princess feels? Won't it make your life easier if she believes you love her?" Interrogated Reiden, his face scrunched in disbelief as he observed the prince's temperament. "Why do you, of all people, care about lying to her?"
Aestir didn't have an answer to Reiden's question. It was true that he didn't know the princess well, and he definitely didn't love her. But after their breakfast together earlier that morning, it didn't sit right with him to marry her under false pretenses. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't want to hurt her.
"I need to be alone," Muttered Aestir, abruptly standing up from his chair, and surprising everyone present. "Do not bother me."
Reiden nodded stiffly, his eyes narrowing in disapproval. "As you wish, your majesty."
The prince went to his bedroom in the suite, wanting some time to think alone. He vehemently loathed others influencing his thoughts and mind and wanted to work through his unruly emotions and determine what to do next.
Because as far as he was concerned, taking advantage of Celeste was not an option, and… he needed to figure out why.