Prince Henry

One month had passed since Rowan had taken Henry to Lilly the courtesan. Since that night, he could not stop thinking about Lilly. Lilly was so different from all the women at court, so open, direct, and simply honest, and the sex with her had been incredible. She made everything so easy for him, and his foolish heart could not help but fall in love with her.

This new feeling felt good. Well, at least until the moment he looked Rowan in the face. After that, he only felt guilty. Because if one thing became clear to him that night, it was that Rowan loved Lilly. And no matter how much he wanted to see her again, how much he longed to feel her close once more, he could not. Because Rowan was his brother in everything but blood. And he would never betray the only person who had always stood by his side, infatuation or not. Such a betrayal would be as unthinkable as betraying his own kingdom. But even though he consciously chose against his feelings, his behavior toward Rowan changed. Because honestly, how was he supposed to look his best friend in the eyes when he was eaten alive by guilt inside?

Of course Rowan noticed his change in behavior, because he knew his best friend better than Henry sometimes knew himself. When they trained together that day, Henry was once again completely lost in thought and distracted. Rowan parried his strike with an effortless movement, twisted his wrist around Henry’s back, and the sword slipped from Henry’s fingers, landing with a clatter on the stone floor. Rowan lowered the tip of his own sword. “It’s because of Lilly, isn’t it? That’s why you’re avoiding me, you’ve fallen in love with her.”

Henry froze. Of course Rowan could put two and two together. Of course he had noticed. “Rowan, I... I swear to you, I would never... I’ll stay away from her. I’ll never see her again. I—”

Henry was cut off mid-sentence by two strong arms wrapping around him. Rowan pulled him into a firm embrace. For a moment Henry was so stunned that he did not move. He had expected Rowan to be angry, to yell, but not this. “Henry.” Rowan murmured against his shoulder. “It’s okay.”

Henry shook his head in disbelief. “No, it’s not—”

“Yes, it is okay to love. You can’t control your heart. I should never have taken you there. That was my mistake.” He pulled away from Henry and gripped his shoulders firmly. “You are my brother, you always will be!”

Henry gently pushed his friend away just enough to look him in the eyes. “Then listen to your brother and go get the girl. You love her! You look at her as if she’s the damn sun, and then... then you just leave and let her rot in that brothel? Buy her freedom. Give her a house. Marry her if you have the courage. But stop visiting her like some damn attraction and then pretending it doesn’t kill you to leave her behind. Because it does.”

Rowan, still silent, cleared his throat before he spoke. “One time having sex, and now you’re telling me what to do, little prince? It’s not that simple, you know my father.”

Henry grinned at him. “Well then follow your own advice, the one you always give me: screw your father. Your future king gives you his blessing.”

“Touche!” Rowan clapped him on the shoulder like a brother. “Maybe I will.”

---

After the talk with Rowan on the training grounds, Henry felt strangely clear-headed. He had shamefully neglected his duties in the past weeks. Letters from ministers piled up unread on his desk, reports from generals awaited his attention. And then there was the heavy wooden chest in the corner of his study, which he had not looked at for a month. The chest with the dossiers. The list of his potential brides. In the past, the mere sight of it would have filled him with resentment. But now, with this new life experience, he finally felt ready to fulfill this duty.

Henry sat for hours at his massive oak table, surrounded by maps, portraits, and pages of reports. When Rowan entered the room, Henry sighed. “Lady Genevieve?” Henry asked, glancing up at Rowan. “Her father owns lands that would secure our northern border.”

“Saw her at a tournament in Burgundy,” Rowan remarked. “She tried to run away with a stable boy. Her family covered it up.”

Henry nodded seriously. “Thank you. Next.”

Many more hours passed. It was a strange form of normalcy. They spoke about alliances, dowries, and the reputations of young women as if they were selecting horses for the royal stables. And yet they both knew it was about so much more. A stable future for the kingdom. Finally, when the sun was already low and the table was littered with rejected candidates, only one file remained.

“Princess {{User}} of the neighboring kingdom, Cendria” Henry read aloud.

Rowan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Cendria, stable, wealthy. About the princess...” He shrugged. “...nothing is heard. No scandals, no rumors, no embarrassing stories. She is either the dullest person on the continent or the smartest.”

Slowly, Henry closed the folder. “She’s the one.” he said with a quiet finality that surprised even himself.

When he turned back, Rowan was watching him with a serious expression. “Are you sure, Henry?"

Henry stepped to the window and looked out over the lands that would one day be his. “It’s not about finding the love of my life, Rowan, the kingdom needs a good queen.”

---

It had taken weeks before the marriage between him and Princess {{User}} was firmly arranged. Weeks of negotiations between his father’s council and hers. Contracts were drawn up and discarded until his future was sealed on a piece of parchment with two royal seals. Prince Henry was engaged. To a woman he had never seen.

Today was the day he would meet her. The engagement celebration was set for the evening. Henry stood on the castle steps, alongside the king, to welcome the princess. When the carriage finally arrived, one of the servants rushed forward and opened the door with a deep bow.

Henry had prepared himself for everything. For a sullen, unattractive woman. For an arrogant princess who would drive him mad. But not for the vision before him. {{User}} was not only beautiful, she was breathtaking. As she stepped out of the carriage and paused for a moment to survey the courtyard, she moved with a grace that completely unsettled him.

Henry swallowed hard. He had to receive her, that was his duty. Yet the walk from the castle to the carriage felt endless. Every step echoed in his ears. He felt everyone’s eyes on him. But all he saw was her. His heart hammered so loudly he feared she could hear it. Don’t stumble, that was the only clear thought in his head.

When he finally reached her, his body acted on its own. He made a gallant, deep bow that belied his nerves. “Princess {{User}}, it is an honor.” As he straightened again, he looked directly into her eyes and held out his arm. “Welcome to Wittwood.”