“Can it be Thursdays?” Finn asked.
Darragh blinked. “Why Thursdays?”
“I don’t know. Thursdays feel underappreciated.”
“Most people choose the weekend.”
“Everyone expects important things on weekends. Parties, events, and ceremonies, we’ll probably have to attend. But Thursday? Nobody plans anything important on a Thursday, so no one will have an excuse to stop our day off.”
Darragh laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. “Helena, put down Thursdays.”
“Thursdays.” Helena somehow managed to look both exasperated and amused. “Moving on. Living arrangements. The king consort traditionally has their own suite of roomsconnected to the king’s chambers, but you’re obviously welcome to share quarters if you prefer.”
Finn felt heat creep up his neck. “We haven’t really discussed...”
“Separate rooms to start.” Darragh’s voice was gentle. “Connected definitely. So we have options.”
“Options are good.” Finn swallowed hard and tried not to think about Darragh in a state of undress.
“Options are very good.” Darragh met his eyes.Oh my goodness, is he thinking about that too?
Helena cleared her throat. “Now for the more complex clauses. The fidelity agreement. This isn’t required, but many couples choose to include it. Essentially, both parties agree not to engage in intimate relations with anyone outside the marriage.”
The room fell quiet.
Finn twisted the engagement ring on his finger. They’d barely kissed, barely knew each other beyond four days of dinners and conversations. But the thought of Darragh with someone else made him feel uncomfortable.
“I know you’re the king, and it’s up to you. But I want it.” The words came out rougher than he intended. “The fidelity clause. I always thought if I got married, I would want that in the contract.”
Darragh’s hand found his under the table. “So do I.”
“You’re certain?” Helena looked between them. “It’s binding. If either of you breaks it, the other can bring the case to the World Council. The penalties are severe.”
“I’m certain.” Darragh squeezed Finn’s hand. “I don’t want anyone else. I won’t want anyone else.”
Finn’s throat felt tight. “Neither will I.”
Helena studied them both for a long moment, then nodded. “Very well. I’ll include a comprehensive fidelity clause. Which brings us to the piss-off clause.”
“The what-what clause.” Finn tried not to laugh at the absurdly official way Helena said “piss-off.”
“If either party breaks the fidelity agreement before consummating the marriage, the offended party can invoke the piss-off clause and claim, essentially, everything. Titles, properties, wealth. The offender is usually left with nothing and shunned by society.” Helena set down her quill. “It’s meant to prevent abuse and protect the vulnerable party in a marriage contract.”
Darragh leaned forward. “But it only applies before intimacy?”
“Correct. Once a couple has been intimate - and the World Council has very specific definitions of what constitutes intimacy - the piss-off clause no longer applies. The marriage can’t be dissolved except under extreme circumstances. You could stop living together, and that’s allowed, but Darragh, you’d always be responsible for looking after Finn until death.”
Finn looked at Darragh. “So if we don’t include it, and one of us does break the fidelity agreement...”
“The other person would be stuck in the marriage with no recourse except appealing to the World Council for extreme circumstances, which is nearly impossible to prove.” Helena’s expression was serious. “The piss-off clause gives you protection. I’d recommend including it.”
“We won’t need it,” Darragh said the words with such certainty that Finn stared at him.
“You don’t know that. We barely know each other.”
“I know enough.” Darragh turned to face him fully. “You’re too honest to cheat on me, and do you honestly think I would do that to you when you’re the first and only person who’s interested me in years?” He smiled. “Besides, I know that if you’re worried about breaking my heart, that means you won’t do anything to hurt me or our relationship.”
Finn’s eyes burned. “What if I let you down some other way?”
