The King Arranges a Marriage 8
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
In the lavishly decorated golden hall, the royal musicians played fervently, and the melodious music echoed throughout.
"Earl Pryce Parker—present!"
...
"Earl Pearson Abbott—present!"
...
The ceremonial officer at the entrance continued to call names.
One by one, the nobles of the Aldor Kingdom filed into the golden hall.
Despite being prominent figures ruling the country, most of them could not contain their inner excitement as they entered this sacred hall.
Some wore solemn expressions, others appeared exceedingly nervous, some looked around, and some even had tears in their eyes.
The Aldor Kingdom's territory is vast, with numerous lords bestowed lands across various regions; opportunities for all the lords to gather together are rare.
Not all lords had seen such a grand occasion, and some had never even visited the royal capital in their lifetimes.
Most of the lords naturally divided themselves into groups based on their regions.
Yet, there were those who seized this rare opportunity to expand their social circles.
On the northwest bay side, Duke Henry Fraule watched the mysterious smiles on the faces of Earl Pryce Parker and others, perplexed.
Poor Henry! When everyone set sail together, he had to return to port due to severe seasickness, and then rush to Crystal Glare from the mainland.
So he had just arrived here.
The duke curiously asked, "I feel like you all are hiding something important from me. Where's Paul? Why haven't I seen him?"
Derrick Heller could no longer hold it in; he whispered in the duke's ear, "Actually, it's like this…"
"Oh my God!"
After hearing Derrick's words, Henry Fraule's eyes widened in disbelief.
---
In a side hall next to the main hall.
The protagonist of this gathering, King Rodney the Eighteenth of Aldor, was making final adjustments to his attire.
Several palace servants surrounded him, intently checking for any imperfections in his appearance.
Of course, the king was not alone.
Also present were several core royal family members who would accompany Rodney the Eighteenth.
The king's wife, Queen Emily Rodney.
The king's father, Prince Jassim Rodney.
The king's two brothers—Yuriko Rodney and August Rodney—who are now also princes.
The king's sister—his uncle's daughter—Princess Catherine Rodney.
And another, Earl Paul Grayman, who was about to become the king's brother-in-law.
The former queen, Felice, and another princess, Eileen Rodney, were absent, as per Aldor's tradition, women other than the queen were not required to attend such occasions.
Catherine was there partly because she was a figure of significant political influence in the kingdom, and partly because the king planned to announce her marriage to the gathered lords.
As for Paul, he was invited to the palace yesterday afternoon, met with Catherine and Eileen's mother, Felice, who was relatively pleased with him. She invited Paul to stay for dinner and spend the night in the palace.
This morning, Rodney the Eighteenth requested him to accompany him to the lords' audience.
However, upon arriving in the side hall, Paul felt a bit uneasy; apart from King Rodney the Eighteenth, he was unfamiliar with everyone else, including Catherine, who was to become his fiancée.
"Your Majesty!" he quietly asked Rodney the Eighteenth, "Shouldn't I go into the main hall and join the other lords from the northwest?"
After all, their engagement had yet to be announced.
"Oh no, no, Paul," Rodney the Eighteenth said with a smile, "You are about to become my brother-in-law. How can you be with others? Of course, you should be with me… with us."
He turned his eyes to Catherine, "We are family, right?"
Catherine averted her face with a blank expression, leaving Rodney the Eighteenth feeling a bit disheartened.
"Hey, young man!"
A voice sounded from behind, and Paul felt a pat on his shoulder.
He turned around to find Prince Jassim Rodney, the king's father.
"Oh, Your Highness!"
The prince smiled kindly, radiating warmth. "Just call me Uncle Jassim, like Catherine does."
"I've heard many good things about you from His Majesty. You're an excellent young man, and I believe you will take good care of Catherine."
Paul nodded firmly, "You can rest assured; I will do my best."
"Sniff!" Prince Jassim actually choked up, tears welling in his eyes as he had to take out a handkerchief to wipe them.
He said mournfully, "If only my poor brother were still alive; he would be overjoyed to see you."
His two other sons—Yuriko and August—came up to comfort him.
"Father, please don't be sad; he will be happy in the embrace of the Lord of Light."
"Yes, I believe Uncle is at peace in heaven upon hearing this news," August said, looking at Paul. "Paul!"
He seemed like a very familiar person.
"We are all very happy that the royal family has new blood."
What's this? I'm not marrying in!
Paul thought to himself while smiling in response, "I'm honored to become family with you."
He secretly glanced at Catherine, wondering if he should say a few words to her.
However, Catherine was just staring blankly at a mirror.
At that moment, a court attendant walked into the side hall.
He respectfully bowed to King Rodney the Eighteenth and reported, "Your Majesty, all the lords have gathered in the main hall; please head over!"
"Alright, everyone!"
Rodney the Eighteenth exclaimed, "It's time for us to go; everyone is waiting for us."
At that moment, Catherine approached Paul, standing beside him, likely wanting to walk out together.
August smiled at the two, "You will receive everyone's blessings."
Paul's intuition told him that August was sincere, more so than his father and brothers.
He smiled and nodded at August in thanks.
What surprised Paul a little was that Catherine also managed a stiff smile at August.
Rodney the Eighteenth stepped forward toward the golden hall.
Including Paul and Catherine, the royal family members followed him in sequence.
As soon as the king made his entrance, the music in the hall transitioned from a soothing pace to a brisk tempo, becoming more majestic and grand.
Rodney the Eighteenth walked beside the throne and slowly took his seat.
(End of the Chapter)
---
Read (FF) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c811. [+2]
Early Access at $5.
Translated (5) Series, (2K+) Chapters, (2.5M+) Words.