How not to set a crown prince on fire.

Sigrid inhaled sharply and looked around, they were still on castle grounds in the territory of the king. What he had just insinuated however thinly veiled it was, could easily result in both of them losing their heads.

"Grandfather, maybe we should not be having this conversation in this place because we risk drawing the ire of certain someone's."

Duke Thorin laughed. "You worry too much Sigrid, don't we have the death free medal?" 

He reached his right hand out and touched her head, patting it carefully as if she was a small kitten. "Relax, I would never set the crown prince on fire, that would make you a widow. That is not to say I cannot do something else if he humiliates you." He sighed. "I really don't like this match Siggy, the crown prince doesn't love you, let alone like you. I am afraid that your marriage is going to be an unhappy one."

"It's not as if I truly had a choice grandfather, I am a woman, I have only a limited say in these matters."

She looked up at the clear blue sky, a flock of birds was migrating to the West. Sigrid envied their freedom, at least they could go anywhere they wished. She could not even pick a husband as she wished, the decision was in the hands of her parents, the king, or the office of marriage.

Who knew that a day would come when she would envy a bird? On earth, she never appreciated the freedom she had, it was a constitution given right that nobody could take away. If a woman was in an unhappy marriage, she could divorce.

On Eldoria, a woman could not apply for a divorce but she could be divorced by her husband__a thing of great humiliation.

This unfair law was the reason why some wealthy men had new secondary wives every few years, they just kept swapping out old ones for younger fresh ones.

They even had a name for it....Spring cleaning!!!

"Someday, women of Eldoria will decide for themselves what they want in life and who they want to marry." Sigrid whispered.

Duke Thorin looked back at the castle doors. The more he delayed out here, the more impatient the king would be. "I should go back inside now, whatever you said in there doesn't count. The royal family must give you gifts and a lot of them, your wedding must be the most memorable one in the royal family. Go home now my child, you will be wed in two days, there is much to be done." 

"Try not to set any roses on fire grandfather." Sigrid chuckled.

The duke snorted, then Sigrid curtsied and left.

*******

From the left side of the steps below, two men that were wearing double-breasted jackets that were meticulously fitted and secured with two ornate brooches walked out from the spot where they had been hiding.

They looked dashing in their regally tailored princely attires that were similar in design with intricate gold patterns but different in color.

One was wearing red and the other blue, the one in red was the crown prince, Roland Stormwind Maximus and the one in blue his fifth brother Benjamin Brightspire Maximus.

Benjamin was wearing a sunny smile on his face while Roland was the opposite with a look of fierce anger on his. He brows were furrowed deeply, his eyes set in narrowed slits and his lips in an thin cruel line.

His hands were clenched tight around the hilt of the curved sharp steel two pronged sword in his hands. He was watching his bride to be as she slow walked towards the main entrance of the castle.

Benjamin put a hand on Roland's shoulder, even though he was younger, they both stood tall at the same height at 6 foot 4 inches.

"I say brother, you should loosen your hand around that sword or else people might think that you want to kill your bride to be."

Roland brushed Benjamin's hand away. "They would not be wrong, I would rather marry a horse than an ill mannered vicious woman like Sigrid Thorin. She does not have the makings of a queen, lacks any usable respectful talent and spends lavishly. Her character is so flawed that even a tavern wench is better in comparison. If the bride dies, there will be no wedding, it is what i call a victory in my books."

He gripped the sword tighter, if he threw it out and controlled it with magic, it would pierce through her back and his problems would be over.

"Until the Thorin's bring war to Eldoria and open up the Eastern boarder to invaders to avenge her death. I do not like your bride to be but killing her is not an option, you heard the old duke, he will set you on fire.

Sigrid is his only granddaughter, the old man raised her personally, taking her away from her parents because he treasures her so much that he did not want to be away from her for a single day.

She is the most indulged woman in Eldoria, hell, she lives better than any of our sisters. There are some benefits to marrying her you know." Benjamin said, his shrewd eyes making calculations as well.

"I don't care, she is morally flawed!" Roland growled out.

He vividly recalled the day of the royal hunt when he had been taking a bath in the river because deer blood had splashed all over him. Sigrid Thorin had been caught by his men, sneaking around, peeking at him from behind a rock.

As if that was not bad enough, she had a paper and ink. While she was hiding she had been busy drawing his nude body. When she was caught, she was not even apologetic and she just drooled lewdly with her eyes roaming over his bare upper body.

She has no shame at all, even the prostitutes in all the brothels in the kingdom were more reserved than her.

As if that was not bad enough, she had threatened him with her chastity, claiming a naked man and woman together in close quarters was grounds for a marriage and demanded he take responsibility for her.

He would have killed her right there if the queen had not showed up and taken her away. That kind of woman did not deserve to be his wife, she deserved to be thrown into a barracks and turned into a military prostitute since she wanted to see and draw naked men so much.

"Just because you marry her does not mean that you make the marriage real. Just take a good secondary wife, pick any daughter of a noble family and I guarantee that the parents will bring her to your castle before night falls." Benjamin advised.

Roland clenched his empty hand, picturing Sigrid's neck and he imagined himself snapping it. He reigned in his anger and moved towards the steps, leading into the castle.

"Let's go, I will argue my case before father. I do not believe that the marriage will hold if I express myself earnestly.

I am willing to marry, as long as the bride is not Sigrid Thorin. If he insists that I must wed her, then the question of who sets the other on fire first after the wedding will be answered soon."