“Thank you.” Helena smoothed her skirts. “Now, as Aldric was attempting to say - the other kingdoms respect Safe Harbor’s industry and trade. But they view us as merchants and builders, not...refined.”
“Refined.” Darragh wrinkled his nose as if he’d smelled something bad. “We’re not refined enough?”
“They see you as a bachelor king who lives rough,” Thomas added quietly. Darragh didn’t think he’d ever heard the man raise his voice. “A king who spends more time in the shipyards than in the castle. Someone who drinks with common sailors and…”
“I’m not going to apologize for knowing my people.”
“No one’s asking you to.” Marvin stepped forward. “But hosting the World Council summit is an honor, Your Majesty. It shows trust. It shows that Safe Harbor is a legitimate political power, not just a trade hub.”
“And having a spouse is a further sign of stability,” Aldric added. “Being married shows that you’re...settled and responsible.”
“I am responsible.” Darragh’s voice dropped dangerously low. “I’ve kept this country safe and prosperous for five years.”
“We know that.” Helena’s expression softened slightly. “But appearances matter, especially with the other kingdoms. Especially with the World Council representatives who will be here for two full weeks.”
Two weeks. Darragh scratched his chin. He’d forgotten that little detail. The summit wasn’t just a quick meeting where he could fake being polite and responsible. It was an extended diplomatic event with banquets, receptions, and all the other nonsense he barely tolerated.
He walked back to his desk and slumped into his chair. “You want me to get married and be settled with a new spouse all within six months.”
“We want you to try,” Aldric said. “That’s all.”
“In case you forgot, I did try. Two years ago, for six long months, remember? I traveled to five different countries and met seventy-three eligible women.” The exact number was burned into his brain. “Every single one of them was more interested in my crown than my personality.”
“Perhaps your standards are too high,” Helena suggested.
“My only standard was that the person I wed would be someone I could actually talk to.” Darragh picked up his pen and tapped it against the desk. “I want someone who will tell me when I’m being an idiot. A person who has their own opinions and isn’t afraid to share them.”
“That’s not unreasonable,” Thomas said.
“It is when you’re a king,” Marvin muttered.
“Then I’ll stay single.” Darragh went back to his documents. “Problem solved.”
“Your Majesty…”
“I’m done discussing this.” He didn’t look up. “We’ll host the summit, and I’ll be perfectly charming to all our guests, and if anyone has a problem with me being unmarried, they can take it up with my nephew. He’s my heir, even if he does live in another country, but they can go and bother him there. My succession is secure. What more do you want?”
The silence stretched long enough that Darragh finally had to look up. His advisers hadn’t all tiptoed out of the door in silence as he’d hoped. No. All four advisers were staring at him with identical expressions of determination.
“Oh, hell. You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“What if,” Aldric said carefully, “we limited the search to Safe Harbor?”
Are they up to something?“What do you mean?”
“You complained that foreign women didn’t understand you,” Helena said. “That they were too concerned with protocol and propriety. What if we looked within our own society families?”
Darragh set down his pen. “You want me to trawl our own nobility for a spouse?”
“Not trawl.” Marvin looked offended. “We could issue a formal call for candidates. From good families, who are properly educated, and familiar with our culture and values.”
“People who already know what Safe Harbor is like,” Thomas added. “Who wouldn’t be shocked by your...hands-on approach to governance.”
“My hands-on approach.” Darragh couldn’t help the smile tugging at his mouth. “That’s a polite way of saying they won’t faint when they find me in the shipyards covered in sawdust.”
“Precisely.” Aldric leaned forward, sensing an opening. “Someone from here would understand that Safe Harbor’s king needs to be among his people. They’d expect it. Appreciate it, even.”
Darragh turned the idea over in his mind. It wasn’t completely terrible. At least people from Safe Harbor knew what they were getting into. They wouldn’t expect him to suddenly become some refined, distant monarch who ruled from a throne and never got his hands dirty.
