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.
