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married
and had a son with my Queen, you …” He couldn’t do it; he could not
say it. It does not matter, none of it. I will have no other
wife.
    “What? “Luana grabbed his face hard, turning
his eyes to her. “What are you not saying?”
    “It does not matter, Luana.” Baylin put his
hands on her hips. “It will not come to pass.”
    “Please,” she pleaded, “I want to know what
could happen. Once you are married and have a son with your Queen,
what becomes of me?”
    Baylin sighed in frustration and hurt. How can I make her see this does not matter?
    “Please, Baylin,” Luana begged.
    “She,” he began, “my wife, that is. Once she
and I have had a trueborn heir, she can have you turned out of the
castle and back to your family if she so chooses.”
    Luana’s eyes grew large with comprehension
as she braced herself, sitting on the padded settee near the
hearth.
    Baylin sat beside her, pulling a thick fur
around her shoulders. “Luana, I will say it again, this does not
matter. It will never come to pass. Tradition or not, I refuse to
marry Princess Isla or anyone else my father presents to me.”
    Luana’s tears could not be contained as they
slid silently down her cheeks.
    Baylin wiped away a hot tear from her face
with his thumb. “It is you I love, Luana, only you.”
    He leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly. I will make this right.
     
    *****
     
    The arrival of the royal family from
Mirstone was to be a grand celebration, even under the dire events
that forced it. King Ashmur and Queen Valasca felt it necessary,
given the status of their guests, to exercise the proper courtesies
that tradition required. Also, in hopes that a grand party would
encourage goodwill in the villages below, the royals invited the
entire Kingdom of Grasmere.
    Since King Ashmur remained weak, Baylin
assumed responsibilities for all the preparations with the
assistance of his mother, the Queen.
    Generally, when receiving a royal family,
the celebration began upon entering the Kingdom’s borders and
continued to the castle gates. However, given the winter’s bitter
cold, it was changed to take place the day following their arrival.
This allowed them to settle in and kept the guests warm within the
castle, instead of out in the elements.
    Baylin made sure the cooks had a full menu
to prepare. Though it was a meal fit for royalty, his larger
concern was having enough to feed the people of his Kingdom. This
was a prime opportunity to make sure everyone was fed and looked
after, and he planned to take advantage of it.
    He worked hard to convince Luana that it was
about caring for his people. Ever since she heard that Princess
Isla would be arriving, she was certain his heart lay
elsewhere.
    The night of the celebration party, Baylin’s
steward dressed him in his finest tunic. A silver doublet with
diamond-shaped indigo embroidery running along the seams. It was
the same one he had worn the night he chose Luana to be his bed
wife.
    The Prince looked over at Luana, who lay
sulking in the bed. “Dearest, you know this is for the people. I
take no pleasure in parading around in silks and talking to people
I don’t know. I would much rather be by your side all night.”
    Luana kept silent in her anger. It reminded
him of when he had first brought her to the castle as his bed
wife.
    The steward finishing buttoning the Prince’s
tunic excused himself from the room. Baylin went to the bed and lay
next to Luana. “Please, my love, do not be angry with me.”
    She sighed. “I feel like a prisoner, Baylin.
I cannot even be by your side. To the Kingdom I’m a simpleton bed
wife.”
    “It will be over before you know it.” Baylin
kissed Luana on the tip of her nose. “Besides, you’re supposed to
rest. Our baby needs you to take care of yourself, and a large
gathering such as this would certainly cause you unneeded
stress.”
    Luana huffed and rolled over, turning her
back to him. “Just go to your party.”
    Baylin kissed