Lord Governor Henri Coutre was not what he would consider an old man, but there were certainly days when he felt his age more than he expected. The current day was one such occasion. He sat in one of the sitting rooms in the guest wing of the castle, his gaze focused on the small party of riders entering the castle's outer gates. The flag carried by the lead rider indicated that the king was among them though Henri could not pick out his figure from his current position. He had heard that the king lived despite his sojourn into Blackveil, but he had not truly believed the stories before. After all, everyone knew that the corruption of Blackveil made it inhospitable to any living thing. Perhaps the king had not really entered the forest. In fact, it was most likely that he had not. He was the king, after all, and his job was not to undertake dangerous journeys into unknown places. He had a kingdom to govern, a kingdom with plenty of subjects far more suited to adventures.

Henri had heard other rumors as well, but those seemed even more like speculation than the rumors of King Zachary's travels in Blackveil. The rumors talked of the Kmaern, a people once thought lost but who had somehow been found. The story Henri heard claimed that the Kmaern had sworn allegiance to Zachary, acknowledging him as their king. It would be an unprecedented occurrence which simply made it all the more unlikely. Especially because that rumor claimed that Zachary earned their allegiance by battling and killing a dark mage in the forest.

Henri shook the thoughts from his head. He was a practical man who had no time for rumors. It did not honestly matter what had happened while Zachary was away. What mattered was the fact that he had returned and with him had come Henri's best chance of having a Coutre on the throne. He knew his daughter was one of the most beautiful women in the land, and he had named her heir to his province, knowing that distinction would merely increase the number of her admirers. But Henri had his eye on only one man—a man who, mysteriously, seemed to be one of the few not inclined to pursue Estora. Henri was sure his daughter would sway the king soon enough, however. He was, after all, a man.

Henri gave the king three days to settle in from his journey before requesting an audience. It was enough time that his request would not be considered rude but not so much that the king would fail to remember that Henri was an important man who deserved respect. Cummings, the king's secretary, obviously did realize that, for he found thirty minutes on the king's schedule that very evening. At the appointed time, Henri made his way to the king's study. He had considered bringing his secretary or and advisor or two, but he had eventually decided against that idea. Since he requested a private audience with the king, he doubted the king would have such people though Henri would not have been surprised if the Rider Captain was still present at the meeting. Henri was not quite sure why she played such a prominent role in court. If she were not over a decade older than the king and had grown up treating him almost like a brother, he would have suspected that perhaps she was the reason the king refused to accept his perfectly reasonable proposal of marriage. As it was, he could not fathom a single reason for the king's reluctance. He had some of his most trusted advisors check into the rumors of an ongoing illicit affair, but they had found no evidence of one.

When Henri entered the study, he found the king sitting behind his large mahogany desk, a variety of papers spread in front of him. He offered a small smile in greeting as Henri bowed. "It is good to see you alive and well, Sire," Henri remarked.

"It is good to be alive and well. And to see that my advisors have managed well in my absence. I trust you played a large part in that as well, so I thank you."

"I only did what I felt best to serve Sacordia, Sire."

"Indeed. Please, sit." The king gestured at three chairs in front of his desk. Henri took one, seating himself slowly to avoid too much protest from his aging joints.

"I had actually asked for this meeting to discuss an important matter, Majesty." The king steepled his fingers under his chin, regarding Henri with an expressionless face. Henri wished that he could figure out what King Zachary was thinking, but alas, the man's mask was nearly impenetrable. "I understand that you have been gone for some time, but I had hoped the time away might bring additional clarity regarding the contract I gave you before you left."

"Clarity." Henri sensed an undercurrent of amusement in the word, but he did not have long to dwell on it before the king continued. "I suppose you could say that my journey brought clarity on a number of items. But in regards to your contract, I have read over it and do have some questions. First and foremost, I want to ensure that Lady Estora is comfortable with the arrangement."

"Oh, we are all very excited about the prospect."

Zachary's eyebrows rose slightly. "I did not ask how all of you felt. I asked specifically about Lady Estora. She is, after all, the critical person."

"I am sure she is quite excited as well."

"Nevertheless, surely you must understand why I would like to hear that from her. I just want to make sure that she is satisfied with this arrangement."

"Of course," Henri said, keeping himself outwardly calm though he was fuming internally. He knew that Zachary was merely using his "concern" over Estora's reaction as an excuse to delay the contract further. However, Henri could not refuse the king the right to talk with his daughter about the marriage without seeming like a heartless father, and both knew that. Henri took a moment to remind himself that despite the king's young age, he was quite skilled at the game of politics—almost as skilled as Henri himself. But Henri had years of experience on his side. "She is staying with me here at the castle. Perhaps we can arrange a meeting?"

"Yes, I will have Cummings bring you some times tomorrow," Zachary agreed. He opened his mouth to speak again, but a loud cry from the other side of the room interrupted him. Henri's brow furrowed as Zachary stood, quickly crossing the room. He bent over the sofa, whispering something. His voice was low enough that Henri could not hear his words. When Zachary straightened again, a small boy rested on his shoulder, his head buried in Zachary's neck. Fury boiled inside Henri as he took in the boy's features, noting his many similarities to the man holding him.

"I did not realize just how much clarity your journey brought," Henri said, remembering the earlier conversation. The king's eyes narrowed, the only outward sign of emotion he allowed.

"I did meet Xavier on my return journey, but I think perhaps you presume too much."

"Is this why you will not agree to marry my daughter? You would rather continue to consort with your mistress and raise your bastard child to be king?"

Zachary's expression darkened further. "Watch your tongue, Lord Coutre. I am still your king, and you have no right to make baseless accusations."

"From where I am standing, Excellency, there is plenty of room to accuse."

"Xavier is not my son."

"If that is true, then why will you not accept the contract?" Zachary hesitated. Henri nodded and stood. "For a man who claims not to be having an illicit affair, you are certainly acting like you are."

"I have reasons for my discretion, Lord Coutre, but I had hoped you would know me well enough to know that I am a trustworthy man."

"You are a Hillander. I would think long and hard about that contract if I were you, Excellency. You need a legitimate heir and a strong marriage. You would not want to give the country the impression that your position was weak, would you?" Henri let a hint of threat creep into his words. Zachary pressed his lips together in a tight line.

"I do not appreciate threats, Lord Coutre."

"And I do not appreciate being lied to." With that, Henri swept from the room. He strode quickly back to the guest chambers where he was staying, fuming. When he entered the outer receiving room, he found his eldest daughter on the sofa, her needlework held in her lap. He took a moment to study her. She was beautiful, possessing a combination of her mother's fine features and the Coutre strength. Her blue eyes were clear and intelligent, and minstrels had sung songs of her golden hair. Henri could not fathom why the king would not wish to marry her.

"What's wrong, Father?" she asked, obviously noting his expression. He shook himself from his contemplation, schooling his features.

"Nothing to bother you with, my dear," he told her.

"You can confide in me, Father. I can see something is bothering you. Harren said that you had a meeting with the king—is it something he said? Does he still refuse the contract?"

Henri growled. "Yes, he still refuses the contract. And I think now I know why." Henri went on to recount everything which had happened in Zachary's study. Estora listened carefully as she had been taught, never once interrupting him. Generally, Henri would not have confided so much to his daughter, but his anger urged him to tell someone. He needed to validate his feelings, to hear someone else agree that the king's actions were not the actions of a trustworthy man.

When he finished, Estora sat in silence for a few seconds. Finally, she said, "I have always believed that King Zachary is an honorable man. It seems out of character for him to hide a child."

"Trust me, my dear, the child was his. A father knows these things. You should have seen the way the boy clung to him in sleep."

"But you said he met the boy on his return journey."

"That is what he said, but I suspect he has been lying to us for years."

"Then why bring the boy to Sacor City now?"

"Perhaps the mother threatened to tell of his sins. It is impossible to say. The point is that he has and does not seem afraid to flaunt his relationship with the boy. But we can use that to our advantage."

"Our advantage?"

Henri gave a smile. "A king is only as strong as the support of the leaders of the provinces. I am sure Lord Arey and Lord Bairdley will be most. . . interested to hear of this new development."

"Father, perhaps you should find a bit more information before writing them."

"Don't worry about it, my dear. You deserve to be queen, and I will see that you are able to take that position." Henri reached out, patting her shoulder. Before she could say anything else, he turned and strode to the room he had been using as his study while at the castle. He had a couple letters to write. He needed to arrange a council of war with Arey and Bairdly. They had worked too long and too hard to ensure one of their heirs made it on the throne. And Lord Coutre had already made promises, agreeing to ensure that both Arey and Bairdly's descendants would receive a marriage contract with any future princes or princesses. Coutre intended to keep that promise, but first, he needed to remove the current threat. After all his years in politics, it should be relatively easy. It would not be long before his grandchild was the heir to the throne.