Without love no man is a king

14.

The king paced frantically as he listened to advisor after advisor tell him that this was a bad idea and how he'd made a terrible mistake. He still believed that this was the best chance of peace and he knew from what little conversation he'd had with the princess that she thought so too. It was too late turn back now in any case.

"Enough. Everybody out! Not you!" He scolded the prince "Beric you stay too."
"I am sorry father." The prince apologised
"Too little too late. You'd better hope she does not turn up with your child growing in her belly because God as my witness I will...."
"I was carful father. I assure you!"
"She has calmed down a little" Digby opened a door where he was sent with the princess "she is asking for her horse."
"No doubt so she can leave" the king stretched his arms out on his desk trying to clear his head. "You have annulled your Drecontonian marriage! You fool! She does not have to stay here if she does not wish to. As we agreed with Cedmond, the second you stray from her the marriage is over, as is their law. The peace agreement is over before it had even taken root! I am beyond disappointed with you. Why today of all days!"

"It was not planned."
"I do not care!" The king angrily yelled, tossing a book at his son "you looked me in the eye and told me it was a friendship and no more. not only did you lie to me you then go and continue your affair so blatantly! You did not even lock the blasted door! Did you want to get caught red handed so you didn't have to go through with this?"
"No! I was not expecting to even see her today! you are the one that invited her to prove a point! I told her to stay away after Inara saw us...."
"Are you now telling me this is not the first time? No wonder she is so upset!" The king raged

"She saw us kissing in the stables before we left for Dreconton. She warned me to keep my eyes off of her." The prince sighed "I ordered that lady Stephanie be removed and banned from the castle. I tried to distance myself from temptation father."
"Cedmond was correct. You are weak and pathetic." The king scoffed, the room falling silent
"I am truly sorry. Please, let me try and fix this."
"How? Tell me how? We have no linguist. She has caught you twice! You killed her friend. She put an arrow between her own brothers eyes to protect you. She may not love you but she is fiercely loyal by nature and you have disrespected her in the worst possible way. You as of this moment are not even married in the eyes of Dreconton law!"

"I did not even want this!" The prince yelled angrily back at his father "a loveless marriage with a savage barbarian! Without any warning. To prepare myself. I know I made a mistake and I know why this marriage is important. It is why I agreed to go along with it. Why I risked my own life in Dreconton. Took an innocent mans life. Why I have been trying so hard to gain her trust. Trying my best to communicate with a girl that does not understand a word I am saying. Do not act like I am throwing a privilege away, this is far from a privilege, it is a burden I must carry for the rest of my life! That I had no say in!"

"Your majesty" Beric interrupted the shouting match between father and son, nodding his head at Inara standing timidly at the door listening in, watching them with confusion.
"Inara I...." the prince took a few steps towards her "please. I am so very sorry. Please accept my apology and know that from now on I am loyal to you, it will never happen again." He pleaded, waiting for a response, hoping she could hear the sincerity in his voice even if she did not understand the words he spoke. "Please. I am begging you to forgive me. Show mercy.....for Peace."
"No peace" she spat out at him angrily "no happy"
"I know, I know you are unhappy and I have made your apprehensions worse. It was a moment of weakness. No feelings were involved, I swear to you. She means nothing. Please?" He held out his hand, silently praying she could make out what he was saying. He smiled when she stepped out taking his hand "I am truly very sorry. Inara...Roland. From now on. Just you and I. We will start again a fresh." He smiled over at his father, pleased he'd managed to fix his mistake.

The prince eyes widen at the feel of cold metal pointed at his neck, the king looking on horrified he'd gotten his son in this situation in the first place. The prince moved his eyes down to see Inara had taken his dagger again and was pressing its sharpened tip to his throat.

"Please. Forgive me. I'm sorry. Roland and Inara."
"No" she hissed up at him "Roland....witch!" She pressed harder "Inara.go.home"
"Inara" the king stepped forward "I know you want peace and understand that returning you home will start a chain of events that will only end with much blood shed. Death on both sides."
"Witch....death."
"Bring her in here! Now!"
"Father! No!" The prince protested

The prince stood still as a statue, waiting for his opportunity to regain possession of his dagger, Lady Stephanie being brought in, weeping.
"Father you can not do this."
"Inara?" The king asked "look at her. She is nothing. Understand? Look at her. She is no patch on your beauty. My son has been a fool. She is no more than a whore to him. She does not have his heart. I know you are upset. My son does not hold your heart but you expect loyalty. As you should. Or at the very least discretion" he mumbled at his son and lady Stephanie "girl, stop the tears." He demanded "do you see the hurt and pain you have caused."

"Do you love her?" The king asked his son "answer me honestly this time boy."
"No. No I do not. It was lust and no more and I was clear with my intentions from the start. That it would not end in marriage and would end the moment you chose a suitable bride, no, that it would end when summer did."
"Do you hear that? He does not love you!"
"Quimby" Inara lowered the dagger pointing it at lady Stephanie "Inara...no happy. Inara go home."
"Go home. Death. War....no peace." The prince tried again "peace? I know you want peace."

The room fell silent as they waited for a response, Inara dropping the dagger to the ground.
"thank you" the prince sighed picking it up
"He will never see her again." The king attempted to renegotiate.
"Witch!" Inara pointed at Lady Stephanie "no peace"
"No death" the king held his hand up "another punishment. How can I fix your grievance?"
"She does not understand you father. The same as she does not understand when we say we will never see each other again."

"Inara? Let us marry then sort this after. We will find a way." The prince held out his hand. She growled out something in Drecontonian at him, pointing between him and lady Stephanie. "No. I do not want to marry her, I want to marry Inara."
"Roland no like Inara" she shook her head "witch!" She pointed at lady Stephanie
"Roland and Inara" he said softly, entwining his fingers with hers
"Peace?"
"No. Not just for peace. Roland like Inara. Inara makes Roland smile. Makes me happy. Let me try and make you happy."

She looked at him scowling then pointed at lady Stephanie again, a tear rolling down her cheek
"I know." He shook his head sighing. This is not how he envision his wedding day to be even in an arranged political match "call off the wedding father. People have been waiting long enough, they know by now that there is an issue. We have to resolve this before anything else. Postpone it until tomorrow. Say she is unwell."
"I agree. Beric go tell the advisors then return. We need your wisdom in this situation. Get all the books out we have on Dreconton. We have to find a way of communicating with her."