Chapter Five
“No.”
Darragh looked up from where he’d been staring at the table, still thinking about brown eyes and an easy smile. “Excuse me?”
Aldric folded his hands across his considerable stomach. “The boy was disrespectful, Your Majesty. He insulted his own capabilities, questioned the value of proper protocol, and admitted he had no skills relevant to being a royal consort.”
“He was honest,” Darragh corrected.
“He was inappropriate.” Thomas must’ve been concerned because he actually spoke up. “Your Majesty, we can’t seriously consider someone who thinks honey cakes are acceptable payment for labor.”
“Why not? If he enjoys honey cakes and knows the person he was helping didn’t have anything else to offer, where’s the harm in that?”
Helena sighed, the sound conveying decades of dealing with stubborn monarchs. “Your Majesty, Darragh. Be reasonable. The boy has no polish whatsoever.”
“I don’t want polish. I’ve told you time and time again, if I’m getting married I want it to be with someone I can talk to.
” Darragh leaned back in his chair. “Did any of you actually listen to what he said? He nailed the biggest problem facing Safe Harbor in three sentences. He understood the perception issue better than half our trade negotiators.”
“Understanding a problem and being equipped to solve it are different things,” Aldric pointed out.
“Are they? I’m not so sure.” Darragh stood, pacing to the window.
The throne room felt too formal, too constraining.
He wanted to be back in his study, maybe with a drink, definitely without three advisers telling him why the first interesting person he’d met in years was unsuitable. “He had solutions. Practical ones.”
“‘Show them we’re better’ isn’t a solution,” Thomas said. “It’s a philosophy at best.”
Darragh spun around. “It’s more than what anyone else suggested.
Lady Catherine wanted to redecorate the castle.
Lord Baltic wanted to eliminate half of our traditions.
And Lord Marvin, Martin, or whatever his damn name was, thought the World Council summit was something that happened thirty years ago. ”
“There were other candidates…”
“They bored me to tears.” Darragh cut Aldric off. “Every single one. They either agreed with everything I said before I finished saying it, or they spent the entire interview listing their qualifications like they were reading from a shopping list.”
Helena exchanged glances with the other advisers. “So you want to continue with Lord Finn?”
“I want a second round of interviews. With select candidates who showed potential.”
“How many candidates are we talking about?” Thomas pulled out his ever-present notebook.
“One.”
The silence stretched. Aldric shook his head. “One.”
“One.”
“You want second interviews with one candidate,” Helena said flatly. “Lord Finn.”
“He was the only one I could actually talk to.” Darragh returned to the table, bracing his hands on the back of his chair.
“He’s the only one who said anything interesting or that made sense.
He was the only person who wasn’t thinking about what might impress me or secure a political advantage for themselves. ”
“He told you he was unsuitable for the position!” Aldric’s voice rose. “Multiple times!”
“And I appreciated his honesty.”
“Your Majesty.” Helena’s tone shifted to the one she’d used when Darragh was younger and being particularly stubborn about something.
“You need a consort who can help you host the summit. Someone who understands protocol, who can navigate court politics, who won’t accidentally insult visiting dignitaries. ”
“Finn wouldn’t insult anyone. He’s too honest for that.”
“That’s precisely the problem,” Thomas muttered.
Darragh shot him a look. “You want me to marry someone who lies?”
“We want you to marry someone who understands diplomacy,” Aldric said. “A person who knows when to speak and when to remain silent. Someone who won’t tell the Brevarian ambassador that his trade proposal is idiotic.”
“Even if it is?”
“Especially if it is!” Aldric’s face was getting redder by the minute. “Your Majesty, please. The summit is in six months. We need someone who can handle the social aspects, someone who makes Safe Harbor look refined and sophisticated.”
“Someone, someone, someone. Why?” Darragh pulled out his chair and sat down, fixing each adviser with a steady look. “Why do we need to look refined? Why do we need to pretend we’re something we’re not?”
“Because perception matters,” Helena said quietly. “You know this.”
“Finn said the same thing. And then he said we should focus on being effective instead of performing refinement.” Darragh leaned forward. “What if he’s right? What if trying to be something we’re not is exactly why the other kingdoms don’t take us seriously?”
“That’s a very romantic notion,” Aldric said. “But the reality is that appearances do matter. Fair or not, the other kingdoms judge us based on court protocols and social graces.”
“Then they’re judging the wrong things.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that they’re judging.” Helena’s voice was firm but not unkind. “Darragh, we’re not saying Lord Finn is a bad person. We’re saying he’s not equipped for this role.”
“Neither was I, when I became king.” Darragh met her eyes. “My father died suddenly. I was thirty. I’d trained for leadership, sure, but I’d never expected to take the throne for another twenty years. And you know what? I figured it out. I learned what I needed to learn, and I ignored the rest.”
“You had advisers to guide you,” Thomas pointed out.
“And Finn would have the same. He’d have all of you, plus me, and every resource the castle offers.” Darragh drummed his fingers on the table. “He’s smart. He picks things up quickly. Did you notice how he understood the governance structure just from talking to villagers?”
“Book learning and practical application are different things,” Aldric said.
“It’s a good thing I need someone practical then.
” Darragh smiled, but there was steel underneath it.
“You’ve been telling me for two years that I should get married.
That I need a consort who can soften my rough edges, make me look more settled, and help me host the summit.
Well, I’m telling you now Finn is the only candidate who’s made me want to actually try it. ”
The advisers exchanged worried glances.
“Your Majesty,” Helena said carefully. “Are you perhaps...attracted to Lord Finn?”
“What if I am?” Darragh kept his voice level.
“Again. You’re not listening. I made it clear that the only person I would marry would have to interest me.
I wanted someone I could have actual conversations with - not someone who just agreed with every word coming out of my mouth.
You know I’m looking for someone genuine, and Finn is all those things.
For goodness’ sake, marriage is for life.
Do you want me to be bored for the rest of my existence?
I honestly don’t think I’d be bored with Finn. ”
“He’s also completely inexperienced in court life,” Thomas said. “Your Majesty, even if you’re attracted to him, that doesn’t mean he’s suitable for the role.”
“Why not? My parents were a love match. They figured it out.” Darragh stood again, too restless to sit still.
“My father picked my mother because he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Because she made him laugh. Because she challenged him.
And they built one of the strongest royal partnerships Safe Harbor has ever seen. ”
“Your mother was also the daughter of a duke,” Aldric pointed out. “She’d been trained in court protocol since birth.”
“And she still made mistakes. I remember...” Darragh moved to the window again, looking out over the harbor.
“I remember her telling me about the first state dinner she hosted. She seated the Valanian ambassador next to someone he was feuding with, and it nearly caused a diplomatic incident. She learned from it. She adapted.”
“That’s different…”
“How? How is it different?” Darragh turned back to face them. “Because she had the right bloodline? Because she’d been taught which fork to use? That’s exactly the kind of thinking Finn was talking about. We can get so focused on appearances that we forget what actually matters.”
Helena looked thoughtful. “And what actually matters, in your opinion?”
“Partnership. Trust. Being able to talk to each other honestly.” Darragh ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m going to be working alongside this person for the rest of my life.
That means my spouse will have to put up with my annoying habits for a start.
Can you imagine being with someone for the rest of your existence, and they just agree with everything you said just because you wear a crown on your head.
I want to be in a marriage where, at the end of the day, I’m not making excuses to get out of spending private time with my spouse. ”
“That’s all very romantic,” Aldric repeated. “But romance doesn’t help us host the summit.”
“No, but competence does. And Finn is competent. He manages projects, coordinates workers, and solves problems. Those are all skills that translate to royal duties.”
“Managing a roof repair or hosting a village festival is not the same as managing a state dinner,” Thomas said.
“Isn’t it, though? You’re coordinating multiple people, managing resources, solving problems as they arise, making sure everything gets done on time.” Darragh crossed his arms. “The scale is different, but the principles are the same.”
The advisers looked skeptical.
“Look.” Darragh softened his tone. “I know you’re worried. I know you think this is impulsive. But I’m asking you to trust me. Give Finn a chance. A real chance, not just a second interview you’re planning to sabotage.”
“We would never sabotage…” Aldric began.