Arthur Bright was currently seated in a carriage, right beside his bride, who seemed content to stare at the floor of the carriage. Arthur couldn't tell, but his new wife was hiding the deep blush of her cheeks, an attempt to keep her composure.
The carriage was quite spacious. As such, it allowed for ample space between the two individuals.
"I apologise, Your Highness. My intention had been to court you properly rather than propose"
He said with a bit of regret in his tone. His voice was not gruff, but it was deep enough to be masculine, and that made it a little less intimidating for people when he spoke.
Arthur was a commoner by birth as such a union with any noble lady would have been impossible. However, there was an exception
That exception was a gift. If he was able to provide a gift that the father of the woman deemed worthy, then a commoner man could court and then marry a noble woman was possible
He intended to present a gift that would at least allow him to get to know the princess and then work his way up from there
He didn't think the King would announce the marriage right then and there, practically throwing the princess at him. The entire thing happened so quickly, and the King kept speaking over him, so he didn't get a chance to clarify his intentions.
Although thinking about it now, he could see why the King had forced the issue of marriage.
"It is quite all right, Husband. I am your wife starting today, and I shall ensure to fulfill my duties"
She expressed her voice low, but there was a hint of happiness within her tone. However, Arthur was unable to pick up on such a subtle detail. If anything, he thought she might be upset at him.
Second princess Esme Elizabeth Martha Lionheart, was the second daughter of the king out of five children and the king's second youngest daughter.
She was currently at the age of 19, a bit late to get married however due to her mother having been a commoner, marriage proposals didn't come easily to her, of course her commoner origins were not the only reason for that.
The first reason would be her body, while she would not be considered lean by any means, she also wasn't fat either, her body was thick and full more chubby than anything else however she lived in a kingdom where men did not particularly prefer women like her
The second reason is that her mother had died of a deadly disease believed to be passed down from generation to generation as such no noble dared to offer up marriage proposals to her and thus leading to her being unable to get a husband.
"I was starting to get worried that I would never find a husband, so I thank you for choosing me as your bride"
She spoke again, the tone of her voice now conveying clear elation, and she gave him a beautifully bright smile as she expressed her gratitude.
Arthur was stunned momentarily as he witnessed her beauty once again, feeling his heart beat faster as he witnessed her magnificent features.
The princess was a remarkably beautiful woman who had stunned Arthur the first time he had seen her last year.
She had a beautiful chocolate coloured skin that portrayed a sense of smoothness and suppleness if touched.
She had incredibly mesmerising and glistening emerald eyes that sparkled with an ethereal glow when the light of the sun reached them. Such beautiful eyes could only have been inherited from her mother. She had a lean and cute nose, with beautiful and thick lips coloured with cherry pink lipstick.
Her hair was an illustrious mane of long and shiny black curls, reaching down her lower back and her figure was thick and full and she had bountiful breasts, while bountiful they were not too big but just big enough for her thick figure
Her rump was beautifully plump and thick, both being firm and soft. This thick rump was also accompanied by beautifully thick thighs, and such magnificent thighs were a weakness Arthur would never be able to conquer.
She wore a light green and bottom bottom-layered ballroom dress with silver frills. It hugged her waistline, hid little of her cleavage, and showed much of her neck and nape.
The necklace around her neck was made of glistening silver, and it held a sparkling emerald as its centerpiece. It complemented her dress quite well.
Having heard her words and seen the smile on her beautiful face only made Arthur feel all the more guilty and conflicted.
"Then as your husband, I will make sure of your happiness. That is the least I can do"
He remarked, there was no point in dwelling on what had already happened. Going back and canceling the marriage would hurt her reputation more than it would help.
'I'll try and make the best of this'
He thought to himself. He had done things in reverse order, he began with the marriage so now it was time that he properly courted her, unfortunately the downside to this was that there was a possibility that she just won't like him, if that happens then there is nothing he can do except leave her be.
Of course, he could just give her some money and let her go wherever she wants, however that has its own issues, she's a princess and quite possibly does not have the common sense of the average person.
There was also the fact that becoming a sex slave was extremely common for women, at least it was in some of the kingdoms he's been in, and in his old memories which has also been the stereotype in most fiction.
'Damn! I should have thought things through!'
He inwardly expressed disappointment with his own rash decision, and now he was in a situation that wouldn't end well for her if things didn't work out well.
"Uhm… Husband?"
She hesitantly called out, and Arthur turned to look at her. However, laying eyes directly on her face caused a small blush to appear on his face, The princess was a beautiful woman indeed.
"Please, call me Arthur, calling me husband is a little…"
"Then you may refer to me as Esme, as well"
She stated after nodding in agreement to his request and Arthur returning the nod to her request, having realised calling her "your highness" would have been odd.
Esme gave him a questioning look, to which he hummed in response, prompting her to ask the question she wanted to ask.
"Do you not like it if I address you as Husband?"
She asked in honest curiosity, referring to the man you have been married to as Husband was an instant notifier to anyone around that as a woman you were taken and he was off the market as well, however referring to them with their name publicly can invite problems as it can imply that you aren't intimate with each other.
"No, it's not that, it's just you weren't consulted about this, I can't expect you to call me husband when you didn't even agree to be my wife"
He expressed his reservations while shifting slightly in his seat. It would be too much for him to accept that when her opinion on the marriage was entirely ignored.
"That is how marriage works in this kingdom, my husband. I am your wife now, and I shall fulfill the duties expected of me as a wife"
"If that is how marriage is, don't you hate it?"
He asked, she seems far too pleased for someone who was practically forced to marry a stranger out of the blue.
"Why would I? That's simply how things have always been, I don't see the issue"
She said as she looked at him with a confused expression. She did not understand what he was trying to say. Her honor as a woman was trampled by the fact that no man had wanted to marry her. However, it was restored by his marrying her. Why would she hate that?
Arthur found himself blinking multiple times as his mouth opened wide in surprise. In his shock, he couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
'No no wait, maybe I'm misunderstanding something'
"I see, out of curiosity, what would you say are your duties as a wife?"
"That would be cooking and cleaning, taking care of our home, and bearing our children"
"I see. Then what are my duties as your husband?"
"Work to provide for our family and protect us and our home"
He hummed in understanding, to him that seemed like an even trade at least. However, he still had another question.
"Are you allowed to work or earn money for yourself?"
"Goodness no, that's the husband's job, If I wish to have money, I can simply receive it from you"
She informed him, and Arthur couldn't help but feel more guilty about the whole situation as now it seems he just took advantage of an individual who was in a vulnerable position
"I see"
He said in both understanding and resignation, he had multiple other questions regarding her status as a woman however he decided to just let it be for now, at least for the most part she didn't seem to hate the current situation.
Although he did wonder why the King was so eager to give away his daughter to a random guy, he had expected a lot of pushback back hence why he was prepared to slay multiple high-ranking beasts to prove himself.
Although when thinking about it, he could see why he would be so eager to marry his daughter to an Explorer.
"Husband?"
"Yes?"
"Is the carriage taking us to your home? If so, it feels a bit slower than it should be, if your home is outside the capital"
"No, my house is still within the Capital, I recently received my citizenship in this kingdom and bought a house near the outskirts of the Capital"
"Does that mean you have lived in this kingdom for three years now"
He gave her a nod. Of course, that nod was a lie. He's only been in this kingdom for four months best. This was one of those times when corruption benefited him
"I see, I am assuming you have enjoyed my father's Kingdom since you chose to settle here"
"I suppose you could say that"
He felt a bit guilty for the lie, although it is true he came to this kingdom a year ago on a quest but had to leave soon after. It's how he first saw her, but of course, she didn't see him.
The carriage stopped, and Arthur quickly realized that they had arrived.
"Looks like we've arrived"
He announced before quickly opening the door and stepping out first and then helping her step out.
The sun blinded her a bit, but her eyes quickly adjusted, and she was able to properly lay eyes on the house, her new home.
"What do you think?"
He questioned.
The house wasn't anything special and was fairly large. It seemed about the same size as a low-ranking noble mansion, which was quite impressive by commoner standards. It also had a wide open yard with ample space.
"Pardon?"
"I mean, is the house to your liking? Is it too big or too small?"
She looked at the house. She wasn't an architect, so she had no idea what to say or critique.
"I believe it is quite all right, I don't particularly care for houses, and even if it is not to my taste, it is my home now. We can always improve upon it."
Arthur hummed but then simply shrugged before he led her towards the gate.
He decided that all problems regarding their relationship would be addressed in due time, so for the time being, if no one is seemingly unhappy, then there's nothing to do.