Chapter 96. The Struggle and the Betrothal
“It was precisely because William’s bloodline was too precious that I could not hand him over to you.”
Feir IV cut her off, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
“During the war in the Northern Frontier, you concealed intelligence for the sake of military merit, causing the kingdom to suffer grievous losses. Your reputation plummeted as well, and several princes are now watching you like tigers stalking their prey.”
“If I let you marry into the Kroll Kingdom at a time like this, they would only seize the chance to attack you. They might even secretly target William’s descendants. I cannot take that risk.”
He paused, then gave an even more direct reason.
“I have already chosen the Ninth Princess. She just turned sixteen this year. Her temperament is gentle, and she has no complicated faction behind her. She is better suited to be the piece used in this marriage alliance.”
Selena’s face turned deathly pale at once. Her lips trembled, yet she could not say a single word.
She knew her royal father was right. On the chessboard of power, she had long since become a discarded piece. She had no qualification to compete for the chance to marry William.
The ambition that had only just flared to life was instantly crushed, leaving behind nothing but a piercing chill.
Feir IV looked at his daughter’s devastated expression. A trace of complexity flashed through his eyes, but in the end, he did not relent.
“Go back. Stay properly in your palace, and stop thinking about things you should not be thinking about. The future of the kingdom has its own arrangement.”
Selena bowed, turned, and withdrew from the study, her retreating figure bleak and desolate.
When she reached the outside of the hall, the cold wind swept up the hem of her clothes. She raised her head and looked in the direction of the Kroll Kingdom, and her eyes gradually turned vicious.
“What if I were the only princess left?”
Wearing a chilling smile, Selena slowly returned to her residence.
She had already made her plans and was preparing to use the hidden trump card she had kept in reserve for a long time.
If she still failed this time, then she intended to accept her fate completely and think no more of it. Whether she lived or died would be left to heaven.
The situation in the Dragon Kingdom was entirely different.
Originally, the Sixth Princess could have become William Kroll’s first wife by right, and in the future, she would even have had a chance to ascend to the position of Queen.
Yet they had abandoned that opportunity.
And now, they had no choice but to compete with the Kadiya Kingdom for it.
After learning of William Kroll’s special talent, the situation became even more complicated.
The king had originally intended to continue with his plan of sending the Sixth Princess for the marriage alliance, but he met fierce opposition from the Queen, the other royal consorts, and the maternal clans behind them.
Each of them had an unmarried daughter of her own, so why should the daughter of the Seventh Consort be the one to enjoy such an honor?
After all, anyone with eyes could see that as long as one married into the Kroll Kingdom, becoming Queen was almost a certainty.
Because of that, the matter of the marriage alliance became impossible to settle for a time.
Inside the royal palace of the Kroll Kingdom, the atmosphere was somewhat delicate.
William was softly speaking with the young girl before him, Mary. A hint of shyness lingered on her face, but it could not hide the vibrant energy about her.
Nearby, Kroll II and Vivian were quietly trying to soothe Duke Tuso and his wife.
Duke Tuso looked at Kroll II, his tone carrying a trace of compromise.
“Your Majesty, I understand what you mean. Mary... even if she has to be a lesser consort, then so be it, as long as she can be happy.”
But his wife, Meda, could no longer hold herself back. She did not want her daughter to suffer. Just as she was about to speak, Duke Tuso secretly tugged at her sleeve.
William glanced at the tense crowd, then suddenly spoke, his voice clear and firm.
“Then let us be engaged first.”
He looked at Duke Tuso and his wife with utter sincerity in his eyes.
“Mary is the future Queen I have chosen. That will never change.”
“Duke Tuso, Lady Meda, please rest assured. I, William, promise you that I will never let her suffer the slightest grievance.”
Kroll II had wanted to say more. After all, the marriage alliances with Kadiya and the Dragon Kingdom were already set in motion, and William’s decision would undoubtedly make the situation even more complicated.
But when his gaze met his son’s calm eyes, the words at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down. William gave a slight shake of his head, as though saying, “It is fine.”
“Compared with those two princesses who have come for the sake of benefit, I much prefer a frank and sincere girl like Mary,” William added, without the slightest hesitation in his tone.
Kroll II and Vivian exchanged a glance and ultimately chose to acquiesce.
Seeing how resolute William was—especially after hearing the words “future Queen,” which were a promise in themselves—Meda’s dissatisfaction gradually faded. Duke Tuso and his wife said nothing more.
The next day, news spread through the royal palace: the Fourth Prince, William, and Mary, daughter of Duke Tuso, were officially engaged.
Though the matter came suddenly, it was also perfectly understandable. After all, His Highness the Fourth Prince was already eleven years old, and this marriage arrangement, decided in their childhood, had already been delayed for more than a year.
The betrothal ceremony was not especially grand, but it was solemn enough.
Wearing a light blue ceremonial gown, Mary stood at William’s side, and the shyness on her face had already turned into calm composure.
Holding her hand, William announced to all those who had come to witness the ceremony, “Mary Tuso will be my one and only Queen.”
The news quickly reached the ears of the envoys from Kadiya and the Dragon Kingdom, and both were visibly stunned. They had not expected the Kroll Kingdom to settle William’s principal wife at such a moment.
When the news reached the royal families of Kadiya and the Dragon Kingdom, their reactions were surprisingly alike: not a single one of them took the daughter of Duke Tuso seriously.
Inside the Kadiya royal palace, after hearing the envoy’s report, Feir IV merely curled his lips in disdain.
“A duke’s daughter? Is she worthy of becoming Kroll’s future Queen?”
He looked at the Ninth Princess beside him, his tone flat.
“There is no need to pay attention to it. Prepare according to the original plan. Once you arrive at the Royal Capital of Kroll, you will receive all the dignity that should be yours.”
The Ninth Princess lowered her eyes and replied, “Yes, Royal Father.”
The dispute in the Dragon Kingdom had not yet subsided, but because of this news, it gained an extra measure of mockery.
The Queen sneered at the various royal consorts. “It seems the Fourth Prince of Kroll is not much after all. Such talent, utterly wasted. He passed over a kingdom’s princesses only to choose the daughter of a duke.”
“Once our daughter marries over there, won’t a mere duke’s daughter be dealt with however we please?”
The Third Consort immediately echoed her words.
“Her Majesty is right. When the time comes, all it will take is a single ‘accident’—a slip into the water in the garden, perhaps, or being injured by a magical beast that suddenly goes out of control... It can all be done without anyone knowing. Who would be able to pursue the matter then?”
There was undisguised ruthlessness in their words, as if Mary’s life were nothing more than a piece on a chessboard that could be casually wiped away.
In the eyes of these royal family members, a duke’s daughter without the support of a powerful maternal clan was utterly unworthy of becoming William Kroll’s principal wife, much less standing in the way of their daughters’ futures.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Capital of Kroll, Mary knew nothing of this.
She was sitting by the window, watching the palace tailors prepare her formal attire, her face filled with longing for the future.
William had promised Mary that he would make her happy for the rest of her life, and so she believed him.