You do

Slowly and anxiously, Veronica allows you to lead her east, away from the enemy border. At her insistence, your party stops at the first church you encounter on your way back. It is a small building, made to service the small village nearby. While it is nothing like a proper royal ceremony, you don't want to risk her making a break for it after coming all this way. The local priest officiates the small ceremony, your dirty and road-weary companions being the only guests in the pews. The two of you say your "I do"s, and you have suddenly become a married man. What is mother going to think?

You take a more leisurely route home, stopping to rest and relax, (not to mention avoiding the places you've already passed through). Your return to the capital is one of surprise. Your subjects, large and small, are confused by your sudden marriage and choice of an unknown foreigner as your bride. The privy council and your mother, having seen her beauty, come to the conclusion that your marriage is the product of youthful lust and impulse. Though you explain yourself to your mother and the more trusted of the council, it serves overall as a blow to your credibility.

Still, regardless of your reputation, you've foiled a dire plot against your rule, and that is a worthy accomplishment. Whether or not your people realize it.