Reign of Ice

Chapter two

"That's who I'm supposed to marry, father?" The voice was fragile and sweet, one that everyone knew in the kingdom. One that the King loves to hear each day but the rest of us in the kingdom dreaded to hear the overly sweet, more like annoying, tone of voice the princess always had. 

"Princess Azaria," I began as I bowed lowly to her and then to his majesty, King Edmund. "I did not realize you were here. Please forgive me for my hasty welcoming, I am just rather confused right now. I did not realize there was even a wedding to begin with." 

"Rest, my boy." The King spoke, power radiating throughout his voice. "Your parents and I arranged for this marriage to occur to pay for the debt your grandfather owed."

"Debt? What debt?" I asked looking from my parents who sat in the kitchen behind the royal family and then back up at the King. "I am afraid I do not understand. Surely this must be a misunderstanding between us. I already have plans arranged to propose to another girl. I am sorry but I cannot marry the princess." 

"What?!" Azaria's voice echoed through the whole house, I wouldn't be surprised if our neighbors had heard. "Men line up for my hand in marriage yet when you are given the opportunity to marry the most important woman in our kingdom, you refuse? What kind of man are you? If you ask me, you are not even a man. You are still just a young, foolish boy." The princess spoke of me as if I was a traitor for not wanting to willingly marry her. I would apologize but honestly, the princess did not deserve an apology. If anything, I deserved an apology from her. 

"Azaria, darling please. Let me handle this." King Edmund spoke to her daughter with a loving hand on her shoulder before looking straight at me. His eyes blazing like a fire raging in a forest. Obviously, he did not take kindly to my rejection of the princess. "Ashbel Forest, it is a royal decree that you will marry my daughter. Am I understood?"

"But your majesty, with all due respect, I must politely decline." I told him. How could he expect me to marry his daughter? I was a simple peasant boy who delivered firewood, I was not worthy to marry the princess, nonetheless, become King one day. 

"It is an order, Ashbel!"

"I already told you, I must decline!" As the King's voice began to rise, mine did as well. I could see the fear in my mother's eyes as the argument continued. Disobeying the King was a punishment worthy of death.

"I am the King, Ashbel Forest. There is no choice, this is an order!"

"How am I supposed to marry a girl I barely even know?"

"She is the princess, you should know her well enough!"

"But I do not! I wish to marry someone else!"

"I forbid you!"

"Forbid me?!"

"That is correct. I forbid you from marrying this girl you speak of. You will marry the princess, end of discussion. Unless you wish to see your parents along with yourself be thrown into the dungeon with the rest of those who owe money to the kingdom." 

"How much money did my grandfather owe? It cannot be enough that I must marry the princess." For a moment, the entire room was silent. My parents clearly knew something but they simply looked at each other in nervousness. They hid something from me... something that the King seemed to know... something that earned my fate to be next to this spoiled princess. 

"Your grandfather was the main suspect in the death of our late Queen Marissa." The King's anger was replaced by despair and sadness when he spoke of the deceased Queen. His confession confused me to no end. My grandfather? A murderer of the Queen? How could that be?