The Duke's Unwanted Wife

The Kingdom of Polivia wasn’t at all what Sebastian expected. He had heard about their unique architecture and the way their people dressed but it still surprised him, especially since the Princess dressed like the women of Ducroft. When she entered Polivia, she looked visibly relieved, almost like she was expecting something to go wrong.    

    

The palace of Polivia was grand, not as grand as the palace belonging to the royal family of Ducroft but it had its own unique charm. Everything he saw was novel and it actually interested him. The gears in his head started turning as he thought of new business ventures. But the thing that caught his attention the most were the wires suspended overhead. Along them, a long tube-like vehicle passed with people inside. Both Sebastian and Amaika were amazed.    

    

“What’s that, your highness?”    

    

“That’s the sky tube. The terrain makes it hard for us to use a carriage so we travel through the air instead. The Sky Tube runs on mithril and a lot of complicated magic circles. The fares are regulated by the ministry of finance but recently, the fares have risen at an irregular rate, making it hard for ordinary people to take the Sky Tube. They have to travel on foot or on animals to reach their destinations but the road is dangerous and animals can only be afforded by the wealthy class. It has caused quite a dilemma”    

    

“Hmmm, that’s a harsh way to ruin a novelty” Sebastian commented and they agreed. The Sky Tube was an invention never seen before in any other kingdom so it was information other kingdoms would pay for. It could bring in income for the kingdom for a short while but it would still be a lot of money. Using the Sky tube, they could successfully carry out trade elsewhere and build a different kind of military unique to their territory.    

    

“You want to know why we haven’t tried using this invention to change the situation of the kingdom? Well, because we’re so closed off, many people have very archaic beliefs and always protest change. If we were to expand outside of Polivia, it is believed we would quickly be invaded by another kingdom, especially if they knew of the Sky Tube. The terrain has protected us for thousands of years but….it has also served as our prison. I’ve been pushing for a reform but even I cannot think of a way to assuage their fears. The reason I kept reaching out to the Kingdom of Ducroft was to see if they were capable of protecting us. We don’t have a military because we don’t need one. However, we definitely need one if we need to expand”    

    

“I see. That definitely makes sense. I do have a question. For your engineers to build something like this, they must have a very unique sense of their craft, making defying the gods an easy feat for them. Why don’t we start from there? Let’s think of the inconvenience we are faced with and try to make the engineers come up with solutions? If we operate on a reward based system, like a competition that is free for all engineers to enter and we provide resources, we will definitely get answers”    

    

“That…..! Lord Sebastian, you’re a genius!”    

    

“You can’t praise me just yet. Even if they make these things, we have to think of a way to introduce them to the outside world and make a profit. Since you’ve established trade with Ducroft, there’s already an exchange rate. Although your currency is significantly lower than ours, it would make it easier for me to invest funds in this expenditure. Is your highness able to gather these engineers for this project?”    

    

“Yes, you can leave that to me! Oh, we’re already here”    

    

“Where’s here?”    

    

“This….is my palace. I have sent my steward a message already so they should have prepared for your visit. I might have to inconvenience you two for the duration of your visit since you have to wear our traditional clothes. Um, may I ask your gender?” she said, turning to Amaika.    

    

“I don’t mean to be rude but I couldn’t decide what kind of clothes to get for you” she quickly explained.    

    

“It’s fine. You can get me anything to wear, as long as it fits. I’m not sure if you know what a werephoenix is but we aren’t constrained to things like gender”    

    

“I understand. You can tell your requests to the Steward. Please come with me”    

    

They alighted the carriage, walking into the smaller palace. The servants were waiting by the entrance, greeting the princess as she walked in. A man approached them, the only man in the palace. He was presumably the Steward the princess spoke about.    

    

“Take care of these gentlemen. I will go in to change and I’ll be meeting my father with Lord Sebastian” she spoke to the steward in Polivian.    

    

“We will be meeting your father right away?” Sebastian asked, confused.    

    

“You speak Polivian quite well, Lord Sebastian. The meeting should go well”    

    

Even though Sebastian was thrown the curveball, he didn’t lose his composure. Thinking about his sister, who could adapt to any situation, he thought he could do at least that much. Now that she was on his mind, he was worried about her. Everything in him told him that she wasn’t being treated well. She could persevere but she didn’t deserve to.    

    

The clothes he was given by the steward were a bit uncomfortable because of how small they were. It was a bit hard for anyone, other than his sister, to get clothes that fit him well, especially someone who had only met him a few times. Thinking about it, she just brought a stranger into her home. On the other hand, they fit Amaika annoyingly well. The werephoenix looked elegant in the green outfit they were fitted in, giving them an air of mystery with their blank expression. The only time they had any expressions was when they were around Natalia. It pissed Sebastian off.    

    

“We would have to tailor a new outfit for you so you will have to be patient for a few days, my lord”    

    

“It’s fine. I can manage till then” he grimaced, adjusting the cuffs on his clothes. He caught a lot of attention because the tight clothes revealed his toned body, built by the various exercises he did. His chest was also exposed, causing a ruckus between the ladies. At that moment, Sebastian wishes he didn’t learn Polivian because of the comments from the ladies. The princess chuckled as they walked to the main palace, hiding her own expression. Amaika snickered as they heard the comments about Sebastian, their expression changing once they heard the comments directed at them.    

    

“Gender really doesn’t matter, does it?” they mumbled, shivering. They eventually made it to the main palace and were directed to the throne room where the King and Queen waited. More people gathered to see the visitors, commenting on everything, from their appearance to their clothes to their identities. Sebastian didn’t know who but he suspected it was the first princess that had people spread rumors about who they were. They sounded exaggerated but most of them were true.    

    

“I have returned, mother, father” the princess knelt, lowering her head. The two followed suit, since that was the traditional Polivian greeting. The royal couple were silent, staring at the visitors.    

    

“You may rise,” the queen said after a short while. They rose to their feet, Sebastian and Amaika averting their gaze from the Queen. She was the true monarch of Polivia so they couldn’t maintain eye contact with her.    

    

“I heard you were the one who proposed marriage to my daughter and according to her, you are willing to help our kingdom’s financial situation in exchange for a noble title, which means you want a position as high as the one you have in your current kingdom. May I ask why?”    

    

“It’s a transaction I’m sure would benefit both of us, your majesty. I’m sure I can be a huge asset to this kingdom and since I am marrying into this kingdom, I would like to establish myself properly in this kingdom for the sake of myself and my family”    

    

“Temara, is this your wish?”    

    

“Yes, mother”    

    

“Then let it be known that should the suitor of the princess succeed, he shall be granted the title of Duke of Graviscera and the territory of the north shall be handed to him” the queen declared.    

    

“Y-Your majesty!” the advisors in the hall exclaimed, alarmed. Sebastian was confused but he waited patiently for the princess to explain. She also looked shaken, almost like she wasn’t expecting it.    

    

“My orders are final. Do you accept my decree, First Princess Temara?”    

    

“Yes, your majesty” she sighed, kneeling. Once they were released, Sebastian asked what the title of Duke of Graviscera meant.    

    

“The northern territory of Polivia is mainly mountains and well, those mountains are mithril ores. Should you succeed, you would be granted ownership of those mines since the territory of Graviscera belongs to the royal family. That’s a show of faith from my mother’s side and the other nobles won’t be pleased with her decision, especially the Ministry of Finance”    

    

“If your mother is offering that much as a reward, then who am I to say no? I would work hard not to disappoint your mother” he grinned mischievously. Looking at that grin, Temara found that her heart skipped a beat. Lord Sebastian was a dangerously handsome man and that man was going to become her husband very soon. Her heart skipped in anticipation.