A Prince's Harem

Permission

He had just set the finished letter down on the table when his cousin was announced at his drawing room door.

"Her Ladyship, The Lady Graecie Caravel!" Scott's page, Owen of Oakhurst, called out, pushing the door open for Scott's mother's brother's illegitimate daughter to enter the prince's drawing room.

It was almost muscle memory for Scott's household to cease their activities and stand to show respect to the niece of their King and Queen, illegitimate as she may be, she was still blood related to the Queen and Princes.

Scott stood from his desk on the corner and tilted his head, smiling at his cousin, "My Lady," he greeted, his wings fanning out gently to stretch behind him.

Graecie fanned her skirts and sank into a deep curtsey to show her allegiance to the Crown and Prince, her own wings dipping in respect, "Your Royal Highness sent for me?" She asked politely, her head still tilted in respect.

She had been raised her whole life under the knowledge that Scott was her future king before he was her cousin, but Scott had been quick to tell her to promptly ignore that lesson.

Scott chuckled, dismissing those in the room that weren't a part of his or his cousin's household, mainly his parents close attendants, so that he could be informal with his cousin, "Graecie, you can stand! I hate that you have to do all that here in my own rooms."

Graecie stood and embraced her cousin tightly, "You almost never send for me on official terms, is everything alright?" They asked, concerned.

Scott returned the embrace for a few moments before pulling back to speak, "This is more of a case of formality, it's about Will, Will Renais that is," he explained, sitting down, gesturing for Graecie to sit too, across from him, as an equal in the conversation.

Graecie settled on the puffy settee, resting her hands on her lap, keeping her back straight, poise and perfect as any relation to the Prince must be, "So this matter involves my dearest friend? Is everything alright with them?"

"I have received permission to run and maintain a diverse harem, and as you know, I have been writing back and forth with Lord Will for many years now," Scott led, a small blush crossing his face.

"Are you asking me for my permission to marry Lord Will?" Graecie clarified, slowly picking up on the hints the prince was laying down as to where the conversation was heading.

Scott nodded, "I am."

"But why me? Why me and not Viscount Renais, you know, their father? Or perhaps, Captain Merton, his guardian for these visits?" Graecie asked slowly, she may have been Will's guardian in the Fae court, due to his half Fae status, but was that really enough to bless his future marriage prospects?

They knew that she had the power by right, it was hers based on Fae Blessing, but could Scott make that work in this context?

"Because you are Fae. If I was a human asking for his hand in marriage, then it would be different," Scott had done his research when writing to Will over the years, but now all his research was coming together into a reality.

"How so?" Graecie had never really had an opportunity to exercise her power over Will's Fae life so she was a bit nervous as to the limits they had in regards to blessing certain things like courtships and betrothals, especially to the heir apparent.

"If I was a human then, by human tradition, I would need the closest Fae and human's blessing because Will is half and half. I am not human, however, I am Fae, a fully blooded Fae. You are the closest female Fae to Will, as his mother is no longer with us," Scott shook his head slowly, a second of silence for the lady passed.

Graecie also let the silence wash over for a few moments in respect for the lady that she'd only known through her own mother's stories, she then bowed her head toward the Fae prince, "I am honoured, Your Royal Highness, to be even considered for this important role and included in this conversation pertaining to my dearest friend."

Scott, realising that there needed to be official witnesses documented in case anyone attempted to dispute the engagement at a later date, turned to face Katherine and Ros, "Lady Katherine, Lady Ros, would you be our official witnesses?" He asked the head of his household and Graecie's closest friend and lady.

"Your Royal Highness, I accept this honorable part in this conversation," Katherine dipped into a curtsey.

"If it does please Your Royal Highness then I humbly accept my place in this conversation," Ros curtsied next to Katherine, smiling in a supportive manner.

Scott stood and his blue eye began to glow whereas his brown eye remained free of any glow, "My Lady, you are the female Fae guardian of His Lordship and I ask humbly your permission to court and wed Lord Will and make him my consort and a chief member of my harem. Does your Ladyship accept this offer? If so, do you have any terms by which our engagement will hinge on?" The formal words rolled off his tongue in a way it could only roll off of a royal's tongue.

Graecie stood too, though there was a lack of glow in either of her eyes, instead, her water droplet design in her hair glowed lightly instead, "Should it please Your Royal Highness to wed my dearest companion then you have my full blessing on one sole condition."

"Your condition, Ma'am?" Scott held back his nervousness.

"You can marry Lord Will so long as he accepts your proposal wholeheartedly and with no hesitations," that was the one thing Graecie was adamant about, her own mother had been forced to be her father's mistress decades prior and she would not subject her friend to such horrors as being unwilling intertwined with royals and their families.

Weddings and alliances were often arranged for non royal nobility, especially daughters, with little concern for feelings and she knew that, but Graecie was not about to watch Will go through what both of their mothers had gone through.

Scott nodded his head, "Do we have ourselves an agreement, My Lady?" Scott held out his hand to shake.

"We do, Your Royal Highness," Graecie shook Scott's hand and in a flash of light, a scroll appeared in Katherine and Ros's hands, outlining the terms of each party's terms and conditions.

"Well, it appears I have a letter to send," Scott chuckled, smiling excitedly, his stomach giddy with anticipation.