"Announcing the presence of Crown Prince Alexander of Calathorne."
The double doors opened to reveal an almost circular room. The room was spacious. It was built with three of its sides forming a curve and in front of the last side stood a throne like seat. On the other side were six tables and chairs, which formed a semi circle, in which the dukes were already seated before his arrival. They stood up to bow as the prince walked in.
Alex walked to the throne like seat. On seating down, he gave Lucas the signal.
"Let the meeting begin." Lucas said with a straight face, standing beside the prince, facing the dukes.
The youngest of them, duke Collins, stood up with some parchments in his hand and walked to stand in between the dukes and the prince.
"Your Highness." He bowed in greeting before continuing.
"After much discussion between us dukes. We have come up with the proposal for you to take a wife." He paused.
Alex remaind silent, staring down at them from his seat like they were roaches. His seat was fairly high, like a podium so he was really seeing them as roaches. Alex had of course known about their plans. But they didn't know he had made plans also.
Duke Collin, taking his silence as approval, continued
"His majesty's health isn't getting any better. We don't pray for any evil but should His majesty leave us now it would throw the whole kingdom into disarray. You would need to step up to show the people you are capable of taking over from your father who is more powerful than any other of his ancestor. What better way than taking a capable wife for stability?"
"And by a capable wife do you mean your daughter?" Alex asked coldly.
Duke Collin paused. His expression shifting slightly, he bowed low and spoke
"Well if His Highness has noticed my daughter it will be my honor to—"
"Use her for the throne."
The room went dead silent. Duke Collin's eyes darted left and right. He was the youngest cause his father died early and he had to take up the dukedom. He definitely didn't sign up for this.
The dukes knew that the prince was aware they didn't want his father on the throne because the light mage's power's wasn't transferred to him, and they didn't want Alex on the throne because they think he would be too powerful for them to control.
But they didn't expect the Prince to call them out like that.
Duke Fernando was the first to recover,
"Your highness, don't misinterpret our concerns for something else. We are only considering the future of the kingdom." He said, still seated, with narrowed eyes.
"Of course duke Fernando. The future of the kingdom will be safe your hands. Or don't you think so?"
The duke gave a smug smile.
"Your father, the king did a good job in protecting the kingdom with your mother before the incident that took her life. Do you think you can do the same without a strong woman? Might I say you father is the strongest king in history.
If His Highness thinks I can do more then I can definitely do more."
Duke Fernando was trying to keep his composure but rage was seeping out from his smugness. But the mention of his mother made Alex finally snap. With voice as calm as the ocean breeze on a summer night, he spoke
"The more that can be done is poison?"
The room went ice cold. The duke's eyes widened then narrowed but before he could speak again another duke cut him off.
"Your highness, with all due respect but are you saying Duke Fernando poisoned the king?" Asked Duke Albert asked.
Alex leaned back into his seat like hadn't a care in the world, he suddenly had the urge to see the orphan boy again. Alex frowned and responded
"Of course not. I'm saying our healers have confirmed that the king was poisoned. All his meals have been thoroughly tested so it must have been through gifts or something. But nobody has gifted the king right?"
The question hung heavy in the air, like the elephant in the room. There was only one duke who had gifted the king and that was duke Fernando.
Duke Fernando gritted his teeth, though not loud enough for the other dukes to hear but the action didn't escape the prince.
It had been a mistake on the dukes part to gift the king. That was the only way to poison him directly but he didn't expect it to work almost immediately, or less than a month. He was given wrong information. Before he could speak again somebody cut him off again.
This time it was Duke Lambert. He was known as the peace maker and was also the eldest but since he couldn't stand against the other dukes Alex condemned him too.
"Your Highness. Please bear in mind that we only want what's best. While we do not doubt you abilities, we feel it will make the people feel safer knowing you have a worthy wife beside you. It doesn't necessarily have to be one of our daughters."
Duke Lambert spoke calmly, with a soft voice.
Though the rest of the dukes didn't share his opinion they couldn't say any more if not it would be too suspicious.
Alex signaled Duke Collin to continue with his proposal. The duke wasn't exactly the bold type, he had a shy face. It made sense that they would pick him for this. He cleared his chest and spoke
"It's been long since the castle doors opened so we are planning to host a charity ball for the people. Anybody and everybody is invited that way we can show the people that the kingdom still stands in strength." This way their daughters could also attend freely.
"That's fine with me but on a condition."
The dukes were too stunned to speak because they had expected the prince to counter it saying the king was too weak to let people in the castle.
"And what might that be, Your Highness?"
"Invite all the princesses from the other kingdoms."