Prince Theron nodded. “Yes, mother. I am thankful that you are letting me have a final say on my own marriage.”

King Esteban was happy as well and said, “A man should decide his own fate. Should I have my aide fetch the list today? Do you want me to send it to your study later? I am sure you will like any of the young noblewomen we have on the list. Their backgrounds are impeccable, and we made sure their reputations are clean as well.”

“Father, I already have a lady in mind.”

“Whose daughter is she? From which family?” Queen Theodora asked.

“She is not a daughter of any noble, Father,” Prince Theron said.

His words made his parents tense with worry.

‘Not a noble’s daughter? A commoner? Did they meet during the military campaign to the west? It couldn’t be some lowly village girl, is it?’

Other than ladies from noble families, they could not accept anyone. Even a foreign princess was less desirable compared to a useful daughter of a low-ranking military officer. The Kingdom of Megaris treated women better compared to the rest of the continent, but that treatment came at the cost of being evaluated constantly by her peers. Talent, wisdom and background—a good lady should at least have one of them.

The woman Prince Theron would marry as his main wife was the most important as she would be the future Queen of Megaris. All the noble ladies who were part of the selection process as the Crown Princess candidates were those raised by their families with great care, educated about various subjects, ranging from the academe to the arts, and trained to handle the responsibilities of a queen.

How could a mere commoner compete?

As parents who wished for their son to have a blissful marital life, they wanted Prince Theron to choose the lady best suited for him. Even though she might not be the most outstanding, if Prince Theron chose her, then she would be able to at least be an acceptable queen.

However, if he chose a village girl—

Queen Theodora decided to break the strained silence that enveloped the room.

“Who do you want to marry, son?”

“Baroness Esther Burton. I want to marry her,” Prince Theron answered.  “Though she is not from a noble family, she is no less than any of the daughters from such families. I believe Father and Mother think the same.”

King Esteban didn’t say anything, but he looked to be in deep thoughts.

Queen Theodora asked, “Are you sure, Theron?” She had sensed something between the two, but she never thought it had already developed into this situation. On a personal level, the Queen liked and trusted Esther. She was a lovely, smart and diligent lady, and she had saved both her and her son’s lives. But to make her the Crown Princess…

Prince Theron looked at his mother confidently. “Yes, Mother. I want Esther to be my Crown Princess. Please permit me to have her as my wife.”

“Her background…”

“Father has granted her the title of baroness. She is now a noble lady so there should not be any issues.”

Though the King had promised to fulfil his son’s wish, he still didn’t want to outright agree to his demand. Being the Crown Princess meant becoming the future Queen of Megaris. The Queen had the same authority as the King.

Though King Esteban looked favourably on the young lady, she wasn’t clear from the doubts of having a mysterious background. The  King needed to check things as it was about the future of the entire kingdom after all.

On the other hand, Queen Theodora had no issues regarding whether or not Esther is trustworthy. Her hesitation was due to a different reason. Knowing Esther was not some ordinary human girl, she needed to consult with Lady Tyra about it.”

Both the King and the Queen shared a worried glance and then looked at their son.

Queen Theodora cleared her throat. “We are glad that you have found the woman that you feel is worthy of marrying you. Since you are asking for our blessing, give us time to think it over.”

Prince Theron found it reasonable and looked at his father. “I believe Father will keep his promise to me.” After that, he stood up and left after excusing himself.

Once he was gone, King Esteban talked to his wife. “My Queen, what do you think about our son’s demand?”

“Esther is a good lady, but this is truly unexpected. I need to talk to her first before we decide anything,” the Queen replied.

“Though we have granted her a title of nobility, we don’t know where she is from nor what her true identity is. Millions of lives will be affected if we make the wrong decision.  I will not allow anything, even the smallest possibility, to bring harm to our son and this kingdom,” the King expressed his opinion.

“Character and intelligence, there is nothing to worry about.  She had always been good to our family. It’s not like she had arrived here just yesterday. She was by my side for a long and I don’t doubt her. But…”

“But?” the King asked.

Queen Theodora didn’t know how to say it to her husband as she didn’t wish anyone to know about Esther’s abilities. “But…well, we are not in a rush. We have plenty of time to think and get to know her more before deciding anything.”

The King agreed with his wife. “I will leave this in your capable hands then.” Then he shook his head. “Once they learn of this, the nobles would be furious.”

“I would leave that in your capable hands then,” the Queen replied with a small laugh.

Afterwards, Queen Theodora returned to her residence and called for Lady Tyra.

Lady Tyra arrived at the Queen’s chamber and greeted her with a bow. “Your Majesty, did you ask for me?”

The Queen nodded, her face looking somewhat deep in thought. She gestured for the older lady to sit on the chair opposite hers before dismissing the other inside the room. Seeing her subtle expression, Lady Tyra understood there was something important that the Queen wished to talk with her.

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