The chaos began with Cassian screaming.
This was rare.
Sir Cassian Valecrest did not scream. He shouted. He commanded. He occasionally laughed heroically. But screaming implied panic, and panic implied loss of control.
Which made Aerin deeply suspicious.
The sound echoed through the palace corridors, followed by hurried footsteps and the unmistakable sound of furniture being knocked over.
Aerin sat upright in bed.
"…Is that Cassian?"
Elira appeared instantly at his bedside, already armed.
"Yes," she said. "Should I kill whatever is attacking him?"
"No," Aerin said quickly. "Let's… investigate."
They arrived at the training yard to find Cassian surrounded.
Not by enemies.
By women.
At least six of them.
All beautiful. All smiling. All standing just a bit too close.
Cassian backed away slowly, hands raised. "Ladies, please—this is a misunderstanding."
"Oh?" purred one noblewoman. "Then why did His Majesty say you were 'available'?"
Aerin froze.
"I never said that!"
Cassian shot him a look of betrayal. "You nodded."
"I WAS PANICKING."
The Harem Alarm rang once.
Cassian glared at the crystal. "You've ruined my life."
Lady Merrowin appeared, calm as ever. "It was inevitable. If the king pauses courtship, attention disperses."
"ONTO ME?" Cassian snapped.
"Yes," she nodded. "You're handsome. Unmarried. Competent."
Cassian looked horrified.
"I fight wars," he whispered. "I wasn't trained for this."
One woman took his arm.
Another complimented his shoulders.
Cassian fled.
Aerin watched him sprint away in full armour.
"…I feel bad," Aerin said.
Elira tilted her head. "Should I protect him?"
"No," Aerin said. "This is character development."
The palace gates opened at noon.
The herald cleared his throat.
"Presenting… Lady Honoria Vale of Westmere."
The crowd murmured.
A woman stepped forward.
She was small. Straight-backed. White-haired. Wrinkled but sharp-eyed, leaning lightly on a cane carved with intricate runes.
She smiled.
Aerin blinked.
"…She's… old," someone whispered.
"Eighty-two," Honoria said cheerfully, overhearing. "And I've buried two husbands, three rivals, and one particularly stupid duke."
Silence.
The Harem Alarm did not ring.
At all.
Aerin stepped forward instinctively and bowed deeply.
"Welcome," he said warmly. "Would you like to sit?"
She chuckled. "You're a polite one. Rare these days."
The crowd watched in stunned silence as Aerin offered his arm and escorted her inside.
"This must be a joke," someone hissed.
"It's a test," another whispered.
Cassian peeked from behind a pillar. "Please tell me this isn't happening."
"It is," Lina said calmly. "And he's passing."
They spent the day together.
Properly.
Aerin walked Honoria through the gardens at a slow pace, listening as she told stories of old wars, failed treaties, and one spectacular scandal involving a prince and a goat.
"I was beautiful once," Honoria said casually. "Terrifyingly so."
"I believe it," Aerin said sincerely.
She laughed.
They had tea. She corrected his posture. He asked about her youth. She scolded him gently for doubting himself.
"You think love is urgency," she said. "It's not. It's recognition."
The Harem Alarm hovered nearby, quiet and respectful.
People stared.
Whispered.
Some mocked.
Others softened.
Cassian watched from afar, arms crossed.
"He treats her like she matters," Cassian muttered.
Lina nodded. "Because she does."
When the sun began to set, Honoria stood.
"My dear," she said, patting Aerin's hand, "I won't pretend this was ever serious."
"I know," Aerin said softly.
"But," she added, eyes twinkling, "you will be a good husband one day."
She turned to leave.
The crowd parted respectfully.
Before exiting, she glanced back.
"Don't rush," she said. "The right woman will see you when you stop trying to be seen."
The Harem Alarm chimed once.
Clear. Pure.
Then fell silent.
That night, Aerin stood alone on the balcony.
The palace was quiet.
No protests. No dates. No alarms.
Cassian joined him, rubbing his temples.
"I was proposed to four times," Cassian said. "I fled through a window."
"I'm sorry," Aerin said.
Cassian sighed. "No. I get it now."
Aerin looked at the stars.
"I wonder," he said quietly, "if I'll ever meet someone suitable."
Cassian smiled faintly. "You already have. You're just too busy being kind to notice."
Elira watched from the shadows.
Mira watched from the garden.
The Harem Alarm hovered silently above them all.
Waiting.