My mother was a cautious woman.
So, after my father's miraculous failure, she deemed it necessary to secure the bloodline.
Unfortunately, I have no fiancées.
Annoyingly, she's compiled a wide array of nobles for me to select from.
Many barons have sent their daughters, presented as passable candidates for queen.
Since news of my ascension spread, the floodgates have opened.
Worse still, I've received word that Count Molotov has already found a partner.
That damn bastard once swore he'd remain alone, claiming he would appoint the strongest knight under his command to succeed him when the time came.
He's a traitor. I should have him executed.
But doing so would cost us a valuable asset.
I leaned forward and extended my hand to the girl seated before me.
She accepted it delicately. Her grip was soft, uncertain.
She had a plain, agreeable complexion framed by long, dark curls that shimmered faintly beneath the golden chandeliers.
Her eyes were large and round, holding a faint, crystalline light, pure, and impossibly blue.
She wore a deep burgundy gown of velvet, embroidered with gold-laced ivy. A polished onyx clasp cinched the fabric at her waist.
We sat across from one another at a polished obsidian table, its edges inlaid with fine silver filigree.
The room was silent and secluded, tucked within the eastern wing of the royal palace, well out of reach of curious ears.
Tall windows lined the far wall, cloaked in sheer violet curtains that softened the afternoon light to a pale lavender hue.
She was a noble from Gallah, a minor city nestled in the far east of the kingdom.
From my research, it suffered from chronic underfunding, caught between the tightening borders of Bamdia and a spillover of monsters from Anstalionah's frontier.
It was clear why she was here, to seduce me, win the title of queen, and secure her family's prosperity.
Her younger brother was gravely ill, and her elder brother had been too wounded to fight in the last war.
Her reputation among her people was fragile at best. Altogether, I found her a rather irritating candidate.
I was about to greet her formally when she dipped her head and gave me a sincere, direct smile.
"I'm sure you're aware of my situation," she said. "So I'll keep this short. My name is Uhana Greyfar. I'm here only to help my city."
I blinked, taken aback by her honesty.
It seemed she hadn't come to deceive me after all.
Smart girl.
Of the nearly fifty women I'd met so far, she was the only one who didn't begin by praising me or my father.
I leaned my cheek into my hand and smiled. "Oh? So you're not going to try any small talk?"
She leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs with slow confidence.
"As you can see, I'm fairly attractive. And I'm loyal, to the kingdom. Is that not enough?"
I barely held back a laugh. "Wow. Not even trying, huh? Fine, in that case, tell me why I should allow this."
She took a measured breath. "Gallah is a strategic point. We have hills, mines, and my younger brother has broken through the eighth wall."
I opened my mouth to interrupt, but she raised a hand.
"I've already broken through to the ninth. And I can tell, you're not much stronger than I am."
She extended her palm, summoning her Regalia.
A small, spectral brown bear appeared, cradling a yellow orb.
"My Regalia grants me access to wood magic and life magic. I don't yet know its name, but I can influence nature on a vast scale."
I stared at her, half in disbelief.
This was her pitch?
There were better candidates, at least politically.
Countess Silista Monroe, for example, ruled a much larger city.
Marrying her would grant firmer control over noble bloodlines and solidify my hold over the central provinces.
But she lacked strength. And compared to Uhana, she certainly lacked cunning.
And Uhana was right.
If Gallah were cultivated properly, with access to its untapped mines, it could become a keystone of the eastern frontier.
I couldn't help myself, I laughed.
She didn't look pleased.
"Are you laughing at my efforts?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair. "This was dumb. I'm leaving."
Before she could rise, I caught her wrist.
"No, no," I said with a grin. "You've convinced me. As of this moment, you are the new queen."
She stared at me, eyes wide. "Wait, really? You're not joking?"
I stood up and sighed. "Well, I do want to ask a few more questions, but I think my decision is grounded."
Her smile bloomed with quiet pride. "Then ask."
I rubbed the back of my neck, tone shifting. "My mother wants an heir confirmed soon. And I have plans to subjugate the northern ice continent."
My expression flattened, draining away any trace of humor. "What might you do with that information?"
Uhana looked up, gaze thoughtful as she answered slowly. "I want to live in a kingdom where I can honestly say it's safe. If those are the requirements for that safety, then I would agree."
I narrowed my eyes. "That's not an answer."
She met my gaze without flinching. "It is. Just not the one you wanted."
"I asked for your thoughts on producing an heir and invading the coldest, most unstable region on the map."
"And I answered: if it brings lasting safety, I'll support it."
"You avoided both points."
"Because both deserve more than yes or no," she said, voice steady.
"Let's take the heir first. I understand the need. But I won't rush into it like a contract to fulfill. If we do this, it has to be with intent."
I watched her closely. "That's a gamble. My mother won't like delays."
"She'll like an heir raised by someone competent more than one born out of obligation."
I didn't respond immediately. Instead, I turned toward the tall window, light washing over the violet curtains.
"And the northern campaign?" I asked.
She crossed her arms, composed. "Expanding north is a long-term play. Harsh terrain, unknown threats, and fractured tribes."
She thought for a moment. "If you push too fast, it'll bleed us. But if done with alliances, it might actually stick."
I raised a brow. "You think diplomacy will work on people who live off killing frost beasts?"
"I think you're underestimating how tired people are of fighting. Give them stability, they'll take it. At least some of them."
I turned back toward her. "And the others?"
"We kill the ones who won't listen. But only after we've offered something worth listening to."
I chuckled. "You're dangerously practical."
She smiled. "And you need someone who is."
I took a step closer. "Gallah still comes first to you, doesn't it?"
"It has to. It's the piece of the kingdom no one looks at unless it's on fire. But fixing Gallah means strengthening the whole east."
I chuckled. "And yet, you still haven't said anything romantic."
"I didn't know that was required." She said, her eyes flaring.
"It's not," I said, smiling. "But most people fake it anyway."
She smirked. "I'd rather prove my worth through action than pretty words."
We stood close now, the table no longer between us. Her gaze met mine, calm, unwavering, sincere.
Yes. I had made an excellent decision. She was the perfect candidate to be queen.