After the marriage date of Prince Lucan and Princess Katrina was fixed for three months’ time, King Edward ordered a royal celebration. This was to commemorate the peace between the two kingdoms and also to entertain the Crown Prince of Gube and his envoy.
All the noble families in Nixel’s royal city received an invitation. Lady Thorne looked at her daughter and said, "Now that the second prince is engaged to Princess Katrina, I can finally bring up the topic of you joining the queen’s royal court."
Previously, since the queen had hinted at wanting her daughter to marry the injured second prince, Lady Thorne had not dared raise the matter of Amber’s inclusion. But now that the second prince was officially engaged, she felt reassured enough to approach the queen again.
"What do you mean by that?" Before Amber could respond, her father, who had just entered the hall, questioned sharply.
"My lord, it’s nothing," Lady Thorne replied quickly. "When the queen announced the names of the ladies chosen for her royal court, she did not include our daughter. So I approached Her Grace, the king’s mother, but she once again suggested that we marry Amber to Prince Lucan. What a joke. I heard that the prince wouldn’t live past a few years. Why should I agree to such a marriage?"
"You foolish woman," Lord Thorne snapped, visibly surprised and angered by her words. What did she mean, Prince Lucan only had a few years to live?
Even the King of Gube was willing to give his most cherished daughter to Prince Lucan, and yet she believed her daughter was too good for him? Ridiculous. They were only a marquess household. Though they held influence, it was largely due to the late king’s favor.
But the late king was gone, and even his most trusted seer was now under suspicion. The new king would naturally be wary of those close to his father because of the poison incident. While he made no moves yet, changes were bound to come. If his daughter married the king’s brother, it would secure their family’s future. But his foolish wife dared to look down on the prince.
"My lord, I know he is a prince and seems suited for our daughter, but if he won’t live long, why should we push her into such a marriage?" Lady Thorne argued, convinced her husband was ignoring their daughter’s well-being.
"Then look across the entire royal city and tell me—what man is more noble than the second prince? What do you take your daughter for? Is she more precious than the daughter of a king?" Lord Thorne asked coldly. He usually doted on Amber and valued his wife due to her close ties with Queen Mary, but only now did he realize how shortsighted she was. Had she grown so accustomed to the queen’s favor that she thought herself invincible?
So what if Prince Lucan might not live long? If he fathered a child, that child would still have a claim to the throne.
He had also heard rumors that the queen was having trouble conceiving. What if she never bore a child? This was a golden opportunity for his grandson to become the next king—but his foolish wife had thrown it away.
He should have arranged Amber’s marriage long ago, but she had made a secret agreement with the queen that their children would marry. Later, King George arranged the crown prince’s marriage, and the queen promised that Amber would marry the second prince. But before an official engagement could happen, the prince was injured in battle. His fate was uncertain, and the matter was set aside.
During the king’s coronation, Lord Thorne also heard whispers that the second prince had little time left. Still, he had chosen to wait and observe how King Edward would handle court affairs before raising the issue again. He never expected the King of Gube to move first. Perhaps it was fate. Yet now he realized the real obstacle had been his own wife.
She had not even thought to inform him of such a critical matter. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on ⓝovelFire.net
Still unconvinced, Lady Thorne muttered, "The King of Gube had no choice this time but to offer his daughter. Their kingdom just lost a war—it’s only natural."
"Where did you hear that?" Lord Thorne shot her a sharp look.
Lady Thorne looked at her husband in confusion. She truly believed Princess Katrina had been offered to secure peace.
"You are indeed foolish," Lord Thorne spat. "The second prince still has years to live. His descendants will have a claim to the throne. Even if they never become kings, his sons will inherit titles. Were you deaf when he was granted a title? I also heard the queen is having trouble conceiving. How could you let such an opportunity slip away?"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. Gube this time did not have to offer a princess for peace. They did so because they understood his title within Gube.
"Do you also despise the second prince?" he asked, turning to Amber. He had always been proud of her, but now he was genuinely disappointed.
Amber blinked, caught off guard. She had always admired the crown prince, but now that he was beyond her reach, his brother was indeed a fine choice. After hearing her father’s reasoning, she would be foolish to cling to her mother’s views. Life and death were determined by heaven—even a healthy man could die at any time. And even if she became a widow, as long as King Edward reigned, she would be well cared for. She would be a part of the royal family, no other man could grant her such title within the kingdom.
"Father, I listened to Mother and thought the prince wasn’t a good option," Amber admitted softly.
Lady Thorne was stunned by the turn of events. She knew Mary had been displeased when she subtly refused the marriage, but now, listening to her husband, even she began to feel regret.
"And what are you looking so regretful for?" Lord Thorne snapped. "Why didn’t you ask for my opinion on something this significant? You had better pray the king’s mother isn’t holding a grudge for how you looked down on her son. Otherwise, forget about your daughter joining the queen’s court. I look forward to seeing what ’promising’ husband you’ll find for her now."
With that, he turned and walked away, unable to bear the sight of her any longer.