Read Novel Full Chapter 683: Royal Family [2]
Chapter 683: Royal Family [2]
By declaring the prize publicly and tying it to a contest, the duke locked the matter into a promise of honor.
If someone won, they would have the right.
If someone did not, no noble or prince could complain.
It would block the political pressure without offending the royal family too directly.
Michael exhaled silently.
Looking at Raelion now, it all made sense.
If I didn’t exist...
If that tournament had gone another way...
She would have been married by now.
A ripple of something he did not immediately recognize passed through him.
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t jealousy.
But it wasn’t pleasant either.
A mild discomfort sat at the back of his throat, subtle yet persistent. For a moment, he wondered if it was because Arianne was young and still had much of her life ahead of her.
Perhaps I simply dislike the idea of someone being forced into marriage too early, he
reasoned.
But a small part of him quietly disagreed.
He pushed that thought aside.
"Sir Mic?" Arianne’s voice came softly beside him.
Michael blinked and turned his head slightly. She looked more composed now, though her eyes still held a touch of something unreadable.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
Michael shook his head. "No. Just thinking."
Seria watched both of them from the corner of her eye, clearly dying to know what had just passed between them but far too polite to ask.
Michael returned his attention to the hall.
Prince Raelion was greeting nobles now.
But Arianne was not looking at him anymore.
She was looking at Michael.
"Sir Mic," she said quietly, her tone more controlled than before, "would you accompany me after this?"
Michael nodded. "Of course."
Arianne’s fingers relaxed around her glass, the tension finally fading.
Seria looked between them and felt another invisible dagger slip into her chest.
Michael, meanwhile, took another sip of wine.
He did not understand why that strange discomfort still lingered in his chest.
But he did understand one thing clearly.
If the duke held another competition right now...
He wasn’t sure he would be comfortable with the prize being the same.
He wasn’t sure why.
But he wasn’t.
Arianne took a breath, as if steadying herself, then lifted her gaze toward the raised platform at the far end of the hall.
"It seems His Highness the Second Prince will be the one taking control over the banquet tonight," she said softly.
Michael followed her line of sight.
The three princes were already making their way toward the front. Servants and officials adjusted positions smoothly, as if everything had been rehearsed in advance. The musicians began to ready themselves again, waiting for a signal.
Michael tilted his head slightly.
"Why the Second Prince?" he asked. "If they are all contenders for the throne, would they not share the role equally?"
Arianne gave a small, almost wry smile.
"That would be ideal in theory," she replied, "but this is the royal family. Superiority is still something that must be respected. Rank and seniority exist for a reason."
She lifted her glass and took a light sip before continuing.
"Even among contenders for the throne, there are differences. Birth order, achievements, military support, political backing. The Second Prince is older than the Seventh and the Ninth. More experienced in open court. He also happens to be the second person with the highest possibility of gaining the throne."
Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Second?"
Arianne nodded slightly.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is still the one most likely to ascend," she said. "In terms of open acknowledgement, at least. The Second Prince stands directly after him. His faction is very stable. The nobles trust his temperament. Many military officers respect his record. It is natural that he is the one to oversee formal occasions like this when the Crown Prince is not present."
Michael looked at the man again.
"It also serves another purpose," Arianne added quietly. "By allowing him to stand at the front tonight, the royal family reminds everyone that he is still an important pillar. Even with other princes rising, the old order has not yet crumbled."
There was no obvious criticism in her voice. Only a clear understanding of how things worked.
Seria listened in silence.
To her, this was familiar ground. Court talk. Power analysis. Yet hearing Arianne explain it so simply, with Michael standing beside her, made everything feel strangely more vivid, as if the three of them were standing near the heart of the kingdom rather than at the edge of the hall.
Michael thought for a moment.
"Then what of the Ninth Prince?" he asked. "If the Second Prince is second in line by possibility, where does Prince Raelion stand?"
Arianne hesitated, then answered.
"In terms of official acknowledgement, he is lower. In terms of potential dangers to the throne, he is much higher than his rank suggests."
Her lips curved just a little, but her eyes were serious.
"Some people like to call him a dark horse. I think he is simply someone who refuses to stay where other people place him."
Michael absorbed that quietly.
Second Prince. A stable candidate.
Ninth Prince. A dangerous contender with unexpected reach.
Seventh Prince. A younger player with room to grow.
The pieces of the royal family, arranged neatly before the eyes of the entire kingdom.
The music shifted, rising in a newer, more formal melody as the Second Prince stepped forward to address the hall.
Arianne lowered her voice to a whisper only Michael could hear.
"Tonight will mostly be greetings, introductions and veiled negotiations. It is nothing unusual."
Michael glanced at her profile.
"Yet you seem uneasy," he said calmly.
Arianne paused for half a heartbeat, then forced a light smile.
"It is only because too many eyes are here tonight," she replied. "Nothing more."
Michael did not call her out on it.
He simply nodded once.
"I see."
Seria watched them both silently.
The Second Prince stepped fully onto the platform.
The hall fell into respectful silence.
The banquet had truly begun.