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“I sure hope preparations have started right away,” Lord Gerald said.

“More like you are dreaming of the free wine,” Another Duke teased.

“Ay,” Lord Gerald tapped at his belly. “There is always space for more.”

“I think it should be a small ceremony,” Frederick spoke. “It’s still too soon to have a very large celebration.”

“We want to dispel any grief lingering within these walls,” Kitana’s father, Aaron, spoke for the first time. “And might I add, the Grenao bloodline is known for producing many heirs.”

“You pride yourself as the future in-law to the King when he hasn’t even told us which Princess he has picked,” Henry, the Duke of Darstun, reminded Aaron.

“The King has made his choice, so there is no need for arguing,” Lord Gerald raised his voice above the others. “And if we are to all listen to him, perhaps we can finally find out who.”

Their voices lowered until it was quietened, and Aaron shot them all a dirty look while pumping up his shoulders with victory. He barely concealed the smirk as he waited for the King to share the news.

.....

Zavian’s eyes locked with Azriel’s, and the General Commander gave him a wary nod. No one knew of his choice, and Zavian took in a light breath, his decision as solid as ever.

“The next Queen will be my concubine, Neera,” Zavian announced. “And like I said, in two moons’ time, the wedding will hold.”

There was the kind of silence in between pauses of conversations when words were being searched to fill it in. There was the kind of silence that existed in the dead of the night when slumber had covered towns in its blanket. There was the kind of silence that was born out of fear, bated breaths, and anticipation just before the ball dropped for good or bad news.

The kind of silence that descended in the meeting room that day was the type that was so loud, so full, and pregnant with the shock that seized all their words. A pin could drop, and it would echo across the room, sweat could drip down a brow, and its plop will resound.

Until it was broken.

The scraping of a chair, and Frederick was on his feet, glowering at the King, “What?”

That seemed to put everyone out of their momentary stupor, and voices began speaking all at once, hurried, baffled, louder. Azriel raised his hand to silence them, but that was ignored.

Zavian met his friend’s eyes, and he could see the anger in them. He ignored it like he ignored the barrage of questions shot at him, and when he stood, the hall fell silent again.

“My decision has been made, and no one is allowed to dispute it…”

“…but your Majesty…”

“…absolutely no one,” Zavian reiterated, shutting off anything Aaron was about to say, “can dispute my decision.”

Zavian sat back down, and the Dukes all shifted in discomfort, exchanging glances, mumbling incoherently under their breaths.

The Duke of Taos raised a hand. “If I may, your Majesty…”

Zavian’s glare was enough warning for him to watch his next words. He sat forward, and bowed his head a bit, avoiding meeting the King’s eyes.

“When it comes to love, I know how it works,” The Duke began. “My first love was a Princess, and who gave me my second love, my daughter. I can kill for them, I can die for them. It is not a matter of logic, it is just what it is. I see my family as a part of me because I love them wholeheartedly.

“So I understand when you want to marry the woman you love, even if it doesn’t hold much logic to most of us here, I do understand,” The Duke said. “But please, your Majesty, you have the chance to have your love by your side as your concubine, and take a Princess as your Queen. Sometimes logic rules and we have to make compromises. Your Majesty, please, there is going to be a tip in the balance of things.”

“Then let there be,” Zavian said, coolly, calmly.

The Duke looked to the others at the table, waiting for another to jump in to help. No one did, and so, he rubbed his hands together, stringing his words are carefully as he can.

“Your Kingdom is strong, no one can fight that. But we do know that unity builds us even stronger, makes us indestructible,” the Duke said. “And with the recent misfortunes that have plagued all our lands together, we need to stand together more than ever, your Majesty. And you will need as much support as you can get if, we hope not, something even worse happens.”

“Is this your way of saying I don’t have your support anymore?” Zavian asked him.

The Duke paled. “No...no… your Majesty. I was in no way saying that. I was only pleading with you to reconsider your decision.”

“I reconsidered it before I married Jasmine, didn’t I? The second time around, I have done all the reconsideration that needed to be done a long while ago,” Zavian said. “And if any of you will not render your support, if anything evil were to come again, as the Duke of Taos put it, let me know now.”

“We aren’t here to form enemies with you, your Majesty,” The Duke of Darstun spoke up. “Please, this isn’t right, your Majesty.”

“Like I said,” Zavian emphasized his words. “Anyone against my decision is against me. If you want to take me as an enemy, speak up.”

The same dead silence returned to the hall. No one spoke anymore, and no one moved. Even eye contact was avoided. Everyone was tight with an indignant tension, and it wound around them like a rope, stiffening their bodies to their chairs.

“Well then,” Zavian rose from his seat. “I will see you at the wedding.”