Courteously

"Then please allow us to sequester him, Prince Mortimer. I am sure there are many who would prefer that you never leave" The princess wasn't trying to insult him, and thankfully he didn't see any.

"Alas, me and my horse are inseparable. We had many adventures together...perhaps the princess would care to hear them?"

"I would love to" Liandra was studying him closely, trying to guess better the personality of this prince. Almost everyone had a side that was likeable, she was sure she could find his if she kept searching.

Mortimer had much to tell, of his voyages to far away kingdoms and the dangers he faced there. Liandra couldn't see how him, athletic as he was, could hope to face four ebony giants, but she was more interested in the wonders that he saw, and in the customs of the people he met.

"What do you mean, 'wives'?" his recounts of the Sand Kingdoms were gorgeous, it sounded like a fascinating place, very cosmopolitan, where knowledge of all arts flourished and men lived well even if Nature gave little bounty.

"The Sultan, the king of their lands, is entitled many wives, who spend their life in luxury." Liandra wondered what it would be like to live that way, not realizing how luxurious her life already was. "And how does he solve problems between his wives? surely they must bicker"

Their conversation lingered all day, and it was only at night that Liandra told him "we should introduce you to the court."
It was a grand event, and from that point onward the Prince had no peace. Every single noble born had to speak to him, welcome, speak of the beauty of Luxius, the kindness of the beautiful princess, and the good that could come from their union. Liandra endured part of it with him, but she left him to his suffering eventually. She mused to herself it was good that Mortimer didn't announce himself at once, otherwise they would never have a chance to speak.

Liandra found Ophelia, and the smile on her face told the princess things were going well. She asked about the willowy noble she saw earlier, and Ophelia replied "Yasmin? She is adorable. She has such a sense of humor. I suspect she has a bit of magic in her family, but she didn't admit that to me yet."

"So that is Prince Mortimer? He is handsome, I will grant you that" Liandra detected some jealousy in her voice, and wondered if Ophelia noticed any in hers. Probably yes. "He has his qualities. But you know he isn't someone I chose, he is just someone I need to learn to love"

Ophelia laughed "You may find that harder than you imagine. But as you are making an honest effort...do you want me to help with events? parties, festivals, i imagine a hunt..." Hunts were never something Liandra liked, but a virile man like Mortimer was bound to enjoy it. Either way, Liandra shook her head "No, there are many who will be glad to spend the Crown's coin. I was wondering, there are many kingdoms around the continent that have more positive aptitudes about numerous issues... is there a way to absorb their lessons into Luxius?"

The two argued for a while on the merits of free trade and free exchange, as well as the numerous laws that restricted the rights of various people. Their private conversation attracted the notice of a couple others, the Chamberlain and Duchess Elysa, with each expressing their views in a fair minded manner. The chamberlain was more conservative, of course, while Elysa pointed out the dangers of what could go wrong. Ophelia gave fairly good arguments against their objections, and conceded when it was obvious that her ideas were too radical for the Kingdom.

"So should we do it? there would be many laws that needs reviewing." A potentially monumental task.