The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 112: Brother, You Should Marry The Princess!
Arius grabs a handful of dried fruits and hands them to Henwell. "Why do you think I'm here?"
"To unite the two kingdoms through marriage! To marry Princess Catherine!"
Arius corrects him, "It's true that it's about uniting the two kingdoms, and yes, I need to marry a princess, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Catherine!"
Henwell is puzzled. "If not Catherine, then who? The king only has one daughter!"
Arius shrugs. "But the kingdom has more than one princess! The beautiful lady I spoke with tonight is Catherine's cousin. Her name is Karitan, the daughter of the king's brother. That unfortunate earl just received his title before falling ill and passing away, leaving behind young Karitan. The king, who was close to his brother, brought Karitan to the palace."
"When she came of age, she inherited her father's title and became a countess. However, having grown up in the palace, she never learned to manage her own lands, so the royal family has always governed them on her behalf. She has mostly stayed in the capital, rarely visiting her own territory."
"Growing up with the king and queen, they treated her as their own. She has a great relationship with the princes and has been a playmates to Princess Catherine since childhood. Early on, the kingdom granted her a princess title! But now that she's a countess, many people forget she also holds a princess title!"
Henwell is genuinely surprised, having no knowledge of these details. His intelligence network is still in its infancy, providing only limited information.
Arius continues, "Now do you understand what I mean? It doesn't matter which princess I marry, as long as she's a princess. To put it bluntly, even if the king randomly picked a girl and crowned her a princess, it would be the same for the duchy. It would still represent the kingdom's dignity and the success of the political alliance between the two nations!"
"I've already looked into Princess Catherine; she's not an easy person. Marrying her wouldn't be pleasant! But Karitan is much better—she's gentle, kind, and quite simple-minded, plus she has an entire county! Even if she marries, her lands won't be taken away. If we have children, they could inherit the county in the future!"
Whoa! You've already thought about kids? Got names picked out too?
Henwell keeps his thoughts to himself but says, "But wouldn't marrying Princess Catherine make the alliance between the two kingdoms even stronger? Plus, having a king as your father-in-law would be a huge advantage for your future endeavors!"
Arius sighs, "I know! Marrying Princess Catherine would indeed strengthen the relationship between the two nations, but it wouldn't be good for me. Many people don't want me to marry the king's daughter or have a royal relative. They'd go to great lengths to stop it! But if I take a step back and marry Karitan, it's a compromise many can accept. And personally, Karitan would make a great wife, which is a win-win for everyone."
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Arius chuckles wryly, "Otherwise, how could Karitan impersonate Princess Catherine at the banquet? No one stopped her or called her out! Such a significant national affair wouldn't happen without the king's approval. No matter how willful Princess Catherine is, she couldn't joke about the nation's dignity."
Henwell reflects that Arius, despite appearing as just a nobleman, has a mind full of strategy. It seems the offspring of the elite are rarely fools!
Just as Henwell finishes his internal praise, Arius grins mischievously, "Henwell, you're different! If you marry Princess Catherine, no one in the duchy would oppose it. It'd be a huge boost for your future! Plus, you're my good brother; you have to help me out! At least keep Catherine occupied so she doesn't ruin things between me and Karitan!"
Damn! You're pushing your brother into the fire here! Being a prince consort has always been a tough gig! Especially when one's foundation isn't strong, marrying such a princess could lead to being manipulated endlessly!
Henwell rolls his eyes, "I'm not interested. Why not send Robin? He's handsome and charming, much better than me!"
Arius scoffs, "Him? If he had half your skills, my life would be so much easier!"
After chatting a bit more, Henwell returns to his room. He thinks it over for a long time and decides he shouldn't get too involved with Catherine, let alone marry her. Not to mention the difficulty involved and the pressure from multiple parties. The mere fact that Catherine is not suitable as his own wife is enough to make Henwell abandon the idea.
Moreover, Catherine was originally meant for Arius. Even if Arius is now opting for the alternative of marrying Princess Karitan, Henwell still can't entertain any thoughts about Catherine. If by some stroke of luck he managed to win over the princess, it would only take a little gossip to create a rift between him and Arius. For someone who plans to continue developing within Arius's circle, that would be a costly mistake.
In the following days, Henwell sticks with Arius, attending various banquets. During this time, Henwell keeps a low profile, like a bodyguard or servant. In contrast, Robin is soaking up the praise from all the ladies, strutting around like a peacock in full display.
With someone else drawing the attention, Henwell is happy to stay in the background. What makes Henwell even more at ease is that Princess Catherine hasn't sought him out during these days.
The consecutive days of banquets leave Arius feeling exhausted, so he takes a break from socializing. One day, Arius approaches Henwell, saying, "Henwell, you have a caravan that comes this way, right? Have them bring some things for me. I’m planning a little surprise for Karitan!"
Henwell agrees and sets off on his own to his caravan's office to explain the situation. The messenger rides swiftly, reaching the Duchy of Vorry in a few days to deliver Henwell's secret orders to the caravan there.
A massive caravan, consisting of over a hundred vehicles loaded with goods and bearing Arius's token, makes its way to the Kingdom of Billie. Upon entering, they present the royal family’s pass, allowing them to proceed to the capital without hindrance. However, as they near the capital, the caravan pauses at a warehouse district for half a day. When they set off again, no one notices that some of the large carts have been swapped.
Everyone assumes Henwell is being opportunistic, using the free passage between the two nations to bring in a large amount of goods and make a tidy profit.
.
!
Chapter 112: Brother, You Should Marry The Princess!
Comments