Without love no man is a king

30.

The prince watched his curious wife, with a smile playing on his lips. The carriage bundled along, their horses being lead behind them by Digory, the princess' face keenly observing the world roll by the carriage window. Her spirits had already been lifted.
"My Roland! Bird!" She pointed eagerly to show him, with a wide smile. The prince got up from opposite her, looking out of the window "chicken!"
"Chickens can not fly. It is an eagle."
"Eagle" she nodded "box" she pointed at the carriage
"Carriage" he stroked her hair "you look beautiful today. You have combed your hair I see, these ringlets really are adorable."
"Comb" she nodded, pulling at her wild hair "hair!" She pointed "hair" she touched the prince's
"Thank you father. For your suggestion. I can tell it is already helping."
"You're welcome my boy. Now wake me when we arrive." He chuckled closing his eyes.

It was night fall by the time they arrived at the kings coastal retreat. Inara dashing out of the carriage and down to the sea with her husband chasing after her.
"Inara wait!" He laughed at her kicking the shoes off, running straight into the large waves, splashing and jumping with delight.
"My Roland! Sea!"
"I know! But it is dark and cold. Tomorrow. Come. Tomorrow I will bring you. I do not want you swept out to see at night."
"Sea very...big!" She splashed her way out, tripping into his arms
"Aye that it is" he smiled down at her, tucking her hair away from her face "come, I will carry you back up" he scooped her up.

"I knew she would like it" the king smiled instructing where trunks should go. "Let us retire to bed. I will have food bought up. Everyone is tired apart from your wife it would seem."
"She is eager to explore. I can tell" Roland carried her into a room "Inara?" He asked hesitantly "Roland stay? Roland and Inara sleep together, side by side?" He pointed to the bed. "Father? What would you suggest?" He asked when he didn't get a reply, Inara too busy looking out the window.
"Inara" the king called her attention "Roland is staying here with you. As your husband."
"No husband" she grumbled
"I know" the king approached taking her hands in his "I know under your laws he is no longer your husband. I understand. But he is still your husband under ours. Do not look away from me." He demanded, turning her head "I can tell you understand my words. You do not have to copulate with him but he will be staying here with you. Is that understood? It is my wish as your king and your father."
"Yes" Inara shyly nodded, glancing at the prince.

"No....no...." she thought, searching her vocabulary "want..Inara want my Roland be husband"
"You do?" Roland asked shocked "then why...."
"No can be" she shook her head, her tears falling "Inara.....angry father. Angry mother god"
"Mother Earth, you worship the land we walk on, the nature that surrounds us. Mother Earth is your god. I know" the king nodded "does she look angry to you Inara?" He pointed out of the window "calm. No mighty storm has descended on us, no plague, no famine because you can not resist my son. I understand how you are feeling my sweet girl, but you have committed no crime or sin. Not in Erathern."
"Deconton" she nodded worriedly "wrong doings!"
"Yes I understand in Deconton it is a sin to be with him now. Is there a way to fix that? Do you understand what I am asking? How roland become husband again?"
"Kill witch!"
"She is no witch and I know you know this. Your mother explained to you."
"Yes"

"She is no witch. Roland does not love her and never did. He loves you. He wants you as his wife."
"Woman live. No....no....no happy"
"I know. I can not order her execution."
"Woman live...no marriage."
"You are saying while she still lives you can not mend the marital bond between you? Is this one of your laws? If the king pardons my son, then you can still be married as long as his lover does not walk this Earth?"
"No words? No understand!"
"Inara" the prince stepped forward "she is gone. It is only you in my heart and mind. Only my Inara now."
"My Roland...no mine. No ever. No...no good girl" She shook her head, looking at the two men then running out of the room in floods of tears

"Father....I can not fix this. I know we need an heir, for our kingdom and for peace. However I think....I think she is upset she is living in sin with me, in her eyes. Until I find a way to fix that I do not think I should cross that line with her again. It is causing her to much pain...to much shame."
"I give it two days for you to cave on your vow of celibacy" the king chuckled, following his son in search of Inara. "Beric? What do you know of their marriage laws. I know he has annulled his Dreconton marriage, is there a way of reversing this?"
"Well, slaughter the whore that seduced him away from his wife would be the first thing that comes to mind and you already said no. He still would need Cedmond's mercy. As you know, without it, they would both be tortured to death. You and I both know he will not grant it. If she were a witch then perhaps. Presumably it is what Inara was thinking, it is not the same punishment if she were a witch and he were under her spell."

"Anything else, anything you can think of would be helpful. Even if it is to ease the princess' pain somehow. An act of...loyalty perhaps?"
"I'd say maybe remarry, but I do not know enough about their ceremonies to perform one....unless." He thought for a moment "you are bonded by the blood of the wolf and the deer. Reigniting that bond may work, I am not sure it would be enough while lady Stephanie breathes air. In her eyes as long as she does a piece of him will always be hers and he will never fully be Inara's. He bed her first. In her mind, he desires lady Stephanie more. Inara is the second choice."
"Deer and Wolf?" The prince thought out loud, fiddling with the wolf tooth around his neck "I can work with that. She still wears hers too. She has not removed it, it must be a good sign. Perhaps I will go hunting? Bring back an offering? however lady Stephanie....I told you the problem would not disappear by sending her away father. The wound I caused runs too deep. She is not my second choice! I had no intentions on marrying lady Stephanie. My wife is far more.... important to me."
"I think we should work on finding that new interpreter. These words you speak she still does not understand and it may help, however awkward having a stranger translate them for you." The king nodded