The Arch Duke and Your Mother

You enter the council room with Dietrich and Wilbur into tow. It was dimly lit by only a few candles. The moon and star light coming from the windows barely helped to dispel the darkness. At the center of the room was of course the council table, a large table with several accompanying seats meant for the use of the nobles and men of merit appointed royal council.

The first person you see is man wearing clothes that are elegant and fitting for a nobleman of high stature. You immediately realize that the man is Franz Jacques, the Arch Duke of Lothelsabourg and Wilbur's lord and master. A man in his late 30's or perhaps his early 40's, he has brown hair with a clean, shaven face and similarly brown eyes. He stands imposingly tall, all prim and proper. His eyes observe you perceptively just as you observe him.

The other occupant in the room is none other than your mother, the Queen Mother Beatrice. Dressed in a fine, wonderfully tailored dress truly made suitable for the wife of a deceased king. This is the woman gave you life. Beatrice, a woman who is also around the age of the Arch Duke, has kept most of her youthful beauty. Long, glossy hair which flowed down all the way down to her mid-thigh. Her eyes, ever so alluring. Her wide hip having well facilitated the birth of her children. Beatrice's breasts had always been large but her pregnancies have made them even larger with little loss in their firmness. The rather recent birth of your baby sister have made them milk-heavy once more. Aside from a little belly fat from those pregnancies, Beatrice has retained most of her maidenly beauty.

How your father kept his relationship with her as purely political and platonic with deserved respect, you will never know.

"Mother," naturally, you approach her first. "My son," She says back. You embrace each other as a mother and a son should. You then address the figurative elephant in the room. "Greetings, Arch Duke Franz Jacques. Has your stay in my Kingdom been kind?" You offer your hand.

The Arch Duke takes your hand and shakes it, "Most kind. Too kind if I may say so. A congratulations are in order of your coronation, young king, and my late condolences regarding your father and brother."

You silently sigh at the topic of your father and brother, "Thank you, Arch Duke. How long have you been a guest here?"

It is Beatrice who answers your question, "Franz Jacques has been our guest some days after your brother and father died. He has been... such good company." A little amount of suspicion raises within you at your mother's words. But you put it aside. Dietrich bits his lower lip but quickly reverts it back to its regular position.

"You sent your man to come get me, Arch Duke. May I ask why? Do you wish to talk trade or maybe a military alliance?" The opportunity this presents is not lost to you. "I would be willing to discuss those with you."

"Ah," Franz Jacques raises a finger and nudges it, "Straight to the point. I can admire a man who goes straight to the point. Allow me to return in kind. I would like to propose a marriage."

"A marriage between me and your daughter, good Duke?" You assume. Now this has caught the attention of Dietrich.

Franz Jacques laughs softly and heartily. As does your mother. "How perceptive of you, young King. But you are mistaken, not that I blame you for making such as mistake. It would have been the obvious conclusion. Still, I am a little amazed you know that I have a daughter of marrying age. I did not think the priests would teach you matters outside of religious significance."

Wilbur interjects, "If I may interrupt, the King here is actually knowledgeable of you and your domain, my Lord. We spoke on the way and has surprised me as well by how much he knows. Perhaps the monks always prepared for this contingency?"

Franz Jacques stares at his man before asking, "How much does he know?" He softly demands. "Only what everyone else is bound to know, my Lord." Wilbur answers a little frightened. The Arch Duke turns his attention back to you, "Going back to the subject at hand, I have no daughters to offer in a marriage alliance. My one and only daughter is set to marry Prince Louis. So no, the marriage would have me as the groom, the bride would be-" You cut him off as you deduce who is getting married at your end, "-my mother!"

You think back to your much younger days, when you were but a small child wondering about the castle. Back then all you wanted to do was play with your siblings. Unbeknownst to you, you would soon be shipped to the priesthood. But one memory soon reaches the surface. You had stumbled upon quietly to a group of maidservants. They were gossiping as women often did. What they said at the time meant little to you. You barely understood it. But now it seems there was more to it.

You see the Arch Duke move quite close to Beatrice and he takes her hand in his. He does so lovingly and she smiles at him so serenely. There was love between them. "I remember overhearing years ago that you were once betrothed to another. How your marriage to father was arranged so suddenly, that your heart belonged to another." You explain to your mother. "I did not give it any thought at the time and it is such a distant memory but I remember."

"Yes." Beatrice admits. "Your grandfather had originally set for me to marry Franz Jacques but he changed his mind when your father had become eligible for marriage."

You turn to the Arch Duke, "And you... you kept yourself from remarrying all this time... just for her?" You are stunned by such actions. "I will not deny that." He reveals.

"And what do you offer in exchange for her hand? A large, generous and hefty dowry? A trade agreement? Or perhaps use of your men for any future military campaign I may have?"

Franz Jacques looks at you mother before answering you, "All those and more, Sire. She and I have waited for the chance we could finally be together. So I will make you an offer you cannot refuse. In addition to all that you said, I will offer my loyalty and my realm wholly and willfully to you and everything it entails."

Wilbur and Dietrich, having been silent this whole time, have their mouths both drop, stunned immensely at the equally immense offer. They understand what Franz Jacques said and so do you. "Unless I am mistaken, Arch Duke, you had just offered to annex your realm into mine."

"There is no mistake, your Highness. My realm for your mother."

"No other lord would make such a bargain. Is this some test? Are you in your right mind?" You demand.

Beatrice steps forward, "I assure you it's not a test. If you let him marry me, his lands will be incorporated into your Kingdom. That's more territory and prestige to you."

"You do realize," You address Franz Jacques, not your mother, "that the Kingdom of Frankia may not take too happily with this. Your cousin, King Francois would no doubt protest. He will not be happy he just lost all rights to your land. It could lead to war. Your land maybe easily defensible. My men adding to its defenses would most certainly make the event of invasion rather difficult but I'd be a fool to rely solely on such defenses. A smart opponent would find away around it." All present in the council room with you take notice of your insight and caution especially Dietrich. A King, after all, has to weight his choices carefully and mustn't be arrogant.

"I am aware of the risks," admits the Arch Duke, "but I care not. Your mother is worth it!" He insists.

"With due respect to my mother, she is a widow who has born her fair share of children of another man? Could you truly accept her?!" You challenge.

"Am I no different?" Franz Jacques reasons, "Am I not a widowed too with a child of my own from another woman? If I let such a trivial matter get in the way of my love for your mother, would I still be here asking for her hand?" The conviction in his words are strong and quite convincing. You sense no lies from him.

"My son, please." Beatrice pleads with you.