[Interlude] Menexes Kingdom (7)
(Continental Year 581)
A coup occurred, and the epidemic that followed dealt a heavy blow to the nation.
The death of the Crown Prince truly seemed to have been a coincidence, but the Second Prince had already passed away, and the Crown Prince’s legitimate child had not even undergone baptism yet.
Amidst all this, the existence of the Third Prince came to light, and he returned to the castle.
It was said that Lady Anju, a secondary consort, had feared he would be turned into a puppet by Duke Raftara, and so she relied on her family home and raised him quietly there.
The existence of the Third Prince, who had been said to have died shortly after birth, was met with suspicion by all, but when he was presented before the nobility for the first time, everyone acknowledged him as a member of the royal family of the Menexes Kingdom upon seeing his violet eyes and the hair color inherited from Lady Anju.
However, the secondary consort had already passed away in the epidemic, and the prince himself had no experience with court society in his home country… rather, he had an unusual background of traveling the continent as an adventurer.
With so little support behind him, it was feared that if he became king of the great nation of the Menexes Kingdom, there might be interference from various countries. Thus, from the foremost ducal house of Gardenia, I, the eldest daughter, was chosen to marry him.
Because there was a significant age gap between myself and both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, marriage into the royal family had been considered hopeless for me, and plans had been made for a political marriage to forge ties with another country.
Having been born and raised in the Menexes Kingdom, I found the idea of leaving for another country,, though it was for my house, extremely disagreeable.
On this continent, the Menexes Kingdom is the largest nation, followed by the Lizmoni Kingdom. However, the Lizmoni Kingdom has many different races such as beastkin and dwarves, and I had heard that even among those related to the royal family, there are non-humans.
The Republic is treated as a single large nation, but in truth, there is no one who can be called a king, and matters are decided through council discussions, so no matter whom one marries, neither oneself nor one’s children would be able to hold real power.
And then, in the midst of all this, our country’s Third Prince was found, and hearing that the age difference between us was only four years, how could I not be pleased?
Given the current state of confusion, and considering that he had been engaged in the lowly profession of an adventurer, it was difficult to imagine that he would take a wife from the royal family of another country. With the other ducal house, Sicilian, no longer present, I was the woman of the highest standing in this nation, so it was certain that I would be chosen as queen.
It is known among those in the know that the Crown Prince’s son had golden eyes.
If I were to bear a child with the Third Prince, and that child possessed violet eyes, then that child would become the next king.
Thus, discussions for the marriage were arranged, and only my father and I were summoned to the castle’s conference room. My mother had passed away in the recent epidemic, so it was just the two of us present.
The Third Prince was accompanied by Chancellor Lionel and his son, Lord Argonas. At the end of the discussion, the Third Prince said this:
“I must apologize, but I already have a beloved wife and daughter.
This marriage will take place because it is said to be necessary to rebuild the country, but I cannot love you as a woman.
I understand that you must be confused at being told to marry a stranger like me so suddenly. I feel the same way myself. If you already have someone you love, you may continue that relationship.
I intend to restore this country in its current state of turmoil, and when my elder brother’s eldest son, Shukran, comes of age, I will abdicate the throne.”
… What did this man just say? He cannot love me?
It is not uncommon for political marriages among nobles to lack love. I know that even without making it public, it is not unusual for both sides to have lovers.
But he already has a child? A wife?
If he has already decided the next ruler, does that mean he has no intention of having a child with me? For what purpose, then, am I to marry?
“Your Highness the Third Prince, with all due respect, that is far too insulting to my daughter.”
“Duke Gardenia, Prince Filehien was raised without even knowing he was of royal blood. It was we who brought His Highness to the castle, half-deceiving him, despite the fact that he already had a family.”
The Chancellor continued speaking, but what of it?
If he bears the eyes that are proof of royalty and has chosen to become king, then such nonsense should not be permitted.
“I have traveled to many places across the continent as an adventurer. I intend to use the knowledge I have gained and the connections I have formed to rebuild this country.”
Indeed, since his arrival, the policies and reforms he had introduced were often unprecedented, and though there was confusion, Father had said that things were progressing in a positive direction at a surprising speed.
That was precisely why we were willing to proceed with this marriage, and yet in this man’s eyes, there was nothing but the goal of returning to his wife and child.
“Are you saying I am to become nothing more than a decorative wife?”
“That is correct. When you appear in public settings, you will act as his wife, but outside of that, we will ensure you are free to spend your time as you wish.”
At the Chancellor’s affirmation, I was left utterly speechless.
When I glanced at Father, wondering what he thought, he seemed deep in thought.
“However, Lord Lionel, the Crown Prince’s orphaned son was said to have golden eyes. That is not the eyes of a king.
In that case, even without love, would it not be acceptable for him to have a child with my daughter and provide that child with an imperial education?”
“What is the point of clinging to eye color? It is precisely because of these eyes that I have been bound like this.
When I was baptized, I was mocked as Raftara’s bastard, and now I am told they are proof of royal blood.
A former adventurer with an unprecedented background will become king. In that case, would it not be perfectly reasonable for my elder brother’s son, whose bloodline is purer, to become king after receiving proper royal education?
If you insist that eye color is proof of royalty, then perhaps it may appear in that child through atavism. Even if I were to have a child with your daughter, there is no guarantee that the child would have violet eyes.
Moreover, due to the stress of this situation, that part of me is no longer functional. In any case, if the act cannot be performed, a child cannot be conceived. I have no intention of causing you such suffering, which is why I am making this proposal in advance.”
It was the Third Prince himself who refuted Father’s argument regarding eye color and legitimacy.
To us nobles, the violet eyes we admire so greatly, he spoke of them as though he despised them.
Certainly, considering that the Crown Prince’s son had not inherited his eyes, even if I were to bear a child, there was no guarantee it would turn out as desired.
We did not even know whether the child would be a son or a daughter. Perhaps, in his mind, this was meant as consideration toward me, but he did not understand how deeply it wounded me.
As though my feelings did not matter, the discussions continued, and with Father’s agreement, the marriage contract was concluded. It stated:
When Prince Shukran comes of age, he will be formally invested as Crown Prince, and Filehien will abdicate the throne.
If a child is born between him and Analicia, that child will also have the right to inherit the throne.
As for the second clause, Father had insisted on its inclusion, saying, “If they spend several years together, it is possible affection may grow and they may become a true married couple. We should not eliminate that possibility from the start.”
Even in that case, it seemed it had already been decided that the Third Prince would leave the castle once Prince Shukran came of age, but that had apparently been a condition when he agreed to become king, so perhaps it could not be helped.
As long as a child is born, the tutors of the ducal house can provide an imperial education.
What do you think about this chapter?
