From the Cup of Duty By LadyExcalibur2010.pdf

From the Cup of Duty By LadyExcalibur2010

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6961284/1/

Chapter 1: An Alternative

"You need an heir," my mother stated quietly.

I looked to my chief advisor and the look on his face was just as stern and

uncompromising as that on my mother's face. Usually the most gentle of women,

when she set her mind to something even the strongest knight had been known

to quail before her. My father had said she was the most dangerous weapon in his

kingdom – a keen, intuitive mind hiding behind a pretty face.

Once more, I missed my father desperately.

I scowled and stared at the table, wishing with all of my heart that I could avoid

this conversation for at least another three or four years. I had been crowned two

years ago and my mother was becoming restless, as were my people. I knew that

because Carlisle had informed me of that fact that very morning. His words has

been as blunt as they were unwelcomed.

"Your people want to see you settled," he said quietly. "They want a royal

wedding...they want an heir in the royal cradle."

That was all very well and good for them to wish; they weren't the ones who

would be saddled with a whey-faced noblewoman who had no interests beyond

embroidery and gossip for the rest of their lives. My mother and Carlisle had been

parading an endless stream of such women in front of me for two years.

Princesses from foreign lands, heiresses from duchies, it didn't seem to matter.

They all simpered and giggled and talked about fashion. Some of them hadn't

even known how to read. I accepted that women reading might be a modern

notion, but I demanded that my wife at least be literate.

My mother must have sensed my growing resolve to find a way out of my

dilemma because she sat down and took my hand in hers. "Edward," she said.

"You've done so well in your two years on the Lion Throne. I've been so very,

very proud of you. You've continued your father's legacy of protecting your

people, encouraging trade and prosperity instead of involving them in endless,

expensive wars. That is to your credit."

I met her eyes.

"However..." I should have known that there was a however coming. "You need

an heir. Life is uncertain, and your people need to know that our line will continue

to watch over them and protect them."

"I'm young yet," I protested. I was yet two years away from my thirtieth

birthday. Surely I had at least a decade before I needed to-

"Even if your wife conceives right away, and you were married by the end of

summer, it would be a year at least before your child is born," Mother said. "Your

people want and need this, Edward. I know you won't fail them. You never have."

I was well accustomed to them reminding me of my duties. I'd grown up being

reminded of my duties on a daily basis. For the most part, I could understand.

But the idea of being bound to a woman I dislike for the rest of my life...

I glanced at Carlisle and he was merely waiting for my surrender. We both knew

it was inevitable. "I've met all the appropriate royal and noble ladies," I mumbled

like a petulant child. "And none of them suited." I grunted and settled lower in

my seat as if I could escape my mother's eagle eye. "Besides, we're a small

country, and though we have a strong economy, it isn't as if I can look too high

for my bride. And thus far, no one who is suitable has much appealed."

My mother shot an amused glance at Carlisle. "That is true."

"Sire," Carlisle said tentatively. "If I might suggest an alternative to the

candidates we have entertained in the past?"

I motioned him to sit and he did so, pausing a moment as if to gather his

thoughts. "Sire...your lady mother and I have been discussing the situation." My

mother merely shrugged when I quirked a brow at her. "We think that perhaps

we have been approaching the problem from the wrong direction." Mother

nodded.

"Go on," I said. Anything to avoid one of the women that had been brought

forward for my inspection.

"Sire, one of the difficulties facing your family is a lack of male issue," Carlisle

pointed out with less than delicate circumspection.

I sighed. It was true. I had been an only son, an only child, as had my father

before me and his father before him. We were not a prolific lot, we Masens.

Legitimate children had been scarce, and bastards hardly more plentiful though

there were a few. Even my mother, descended from a distant branch of the

family, had no brothers or sisters still living. Each generation of the family

seemed able to produce one child, perhaps two – and never more than one son in

a generation. In a risky and dangerous world, that left our people in a precarious

position and even I, who most longed to deny it, could not escape that fact. My

people needed the reassurance that came from having an heir from the house of

Masen, their house, their ruler.

"Edward," Mother said. "Have you ever noticed that some families seem to thrive,

to produce a bounty of children that not only survive, but go on to create their

own flourishing families as well?" She paused. "Such families seem to have many

branches, whilst our own house seems to have only the trunk, with little growth

to be seen."

I nodded, having no idea where the discussion was going.

"A specific family has come to mind," Carlisle said. "He's a minor noble, a baron

on the border lands."

Mother smiled. "He rarely comes to court, and has not since you ascended the

throne," she said. "So you've never met him. But his sons are legends in the

joust, even the youngest, only fourteen, is a beast of a boy, requiring the largest

of horses."

"I can hardly marry a lad of fourteen," I said with a poor attempt at humor. My

mother sighed at my antics and suddenly I felt five years old again, called to task

for misbehavior.

"This baron has three sons," Mother continued. "And a daughter."

It took a moment for me to comprehend what they were proposing. "Oh no, I

won't marry some landless little nobody who is likely to resemble an Amazon

warrior, Mother. And I most definitely will not be bred out like a stallion to a

mare. I would do almost anything for my people, but not that. Please don't ask

that of me."

"You have no idea what she will look like," Carlisle pointed out.

"I can only imagine," I muttered. "With three brothers who are reputed to be

such warriors?" I shuddered. She would tower over me and pat me on my head

while she talked about the latest court gossip. Imagining a lifetime tied to such a

woman was painful and terrifying to say the least.

"Let me call the family to court," Carlisle advised. "You can at least meet the

young lady. If you absolutely won't suit, then you won't suit. We will keep

looking. But you must marry, Sire, and soon."

I got to my feet. I needed to escape the palace. I needed the fresh air in my face,

the feel of a strong horse beneath me. "I'm going hunting," I said. "Do what you

will."

Two months later, my mother was sitting in my chambers. We were playing cards

but I was doing an abysmal job of paying attention. "The Swan family arrives

tomorrow," she murmured.

"Yes, I remember," I answered. "How could I forget? Either you or our good

Carlisle is constantly reminding me." My mother had the good grace to blush

slightly.

"I think you will find the girl to your liking," she said.

"Girl?" I asked. "Exactly how old is she? I'm not taking a child to wife, and

besides if I'm in need of an heir, it would do me no good to take a child. I've no

taste for flesh too young to be called a woman."

"Rest easy son," Mother soothed. "She's fully sixteen years, soon to be

seventeen."

"And no betrothal?" I asked with a snort. "You would have me take a girl no other

man wants to wife?"

"There are many reasons for a girl to be unattached at sixteen," Mother pointed

out.

"Such as?" I had my mother there, for most girls were betrothed by the time they

were twelve and securely married before their fifteenth name day.

"Well, in young Isabella's case there was a betrothal," Mother admitted. "But he

died three years ago and her father has yet to make another match for her."

I grunted and my mother gave me an admonishing look. "She'll need to use a

war horse to get about the kingdom, so large and ungainly she'll be."

"You do not know that, Edward," Mother said with a sigh.

"You will see, Lady Mother," I promised. "Well, at least I shall be able to meet her

under slightly less strained circumstances."

My mother had arranged for a masquerade ball to welcome the border barons'

families. In order to disguise our intentions, several of the border barons had

been invited, though I had sent men in their stead to guard their lands. It would

have been foolish to leave my borders unguarded. Besides, I had hopes that the

barons – and their daughters – would soon be sent home.

"Just promise me that you will give the girl a chance," Mother said softly. Her

hand was on my arm and she smiled. "For the sake of your people, I would like to

see you with an heir. For your sake, I would like to see you happy."

I sighed. "Very well, Mother. I shall try." It was the best I could do. Besides, my

mother was right. I had to marry. I needed to get myself an heir. No matter how

distasteful it might be, the time had come to marry and try to plant my seed in

fertile ground.

It was my turn to drink deeply from the cup of duty, and I could only pray to the

gods that the brew would not choke me.

Chapter 2: At First Sight

I watched from behind a screen, for my plan was to allow the room to get full

before I slipped out and blended into the crowd. I adjusted my mask and

wondered which among the growing crowd would be the redoubtable Baron Swan

and his veritable litter of sons. Though, in truth, I did envy him that certainty of

knowing his line was secured. There had been a Masen sitting on the Lion Throne

for the last 278 years, but there had been times when it had been a near thing,

the dying out of our line. Perhaps Carlisle and my mother were right; maybe I did

need to look at my potential wife's ability to bear me an heir. There were no

guarantees, of course. The gods alone could give or take life. Still, it bore some

consideration. When I bred a stallion, I took a close look at the mare's bloodlines

and such. Was it really so different when it came to a wife? It sounded cold

hearted, but no more so than marrying for a large dowry or a peace treaty. A

king had to have sons no less than he needed coin or prosperity.

So I would at least consider this Isabella Swan and her promise of fecundity.

Carlisle was at my side to point out the prospective bride's family and when he

did so, I was not surprised to find that I would have needed little in the way of

help. Charles Swan was not so big as to attract undue attention. He was on the

tallish side, and somewhat slender. The lady at his side, the Lady Renee, was

small and curvy. It gave me hope that their daughter would not be some

Amazon. Then I glanced at the sons and that hope vanished with a look.

There were three of them, Emmett, the oldest and heir, Jasper, the middle son

and somewhat of a rebel according to Carlisle, and then the youngest, Jacob, who

had already starting making a name for himself in the tourneys. I saw no other

female figure with them until the behemoth Emmett moved out of the way. The

small, slender figure at his side drew my attention. She was slim, but curved in

all of the right places. Her slim figure came from youth. Her beauty came from

her mother, though she had her father's dark hair. All in all, she was quite far

from the warrior queen I had imagined.

"That's Emmett, the eldest," Carlisle hissed in a whisper. "He was married last

year and his wife presented him with twins just a few weeks before they left

Swan Castle to journey here. Emmett has a son and a daughter at the age of

twenty and three." Carlisle added with a sniff.

Immediately I felt guilty and inadequate, which was precisely Carlisle's intention.

A mere baron's son had managed to do what I had not. He had secured his line. I

wondered what Charles Swan felt when he looked at his three strong sons, and

now a grandson. What must such certainty feel like?

"Jasper there has been the target of many a young maiden's interest," he added.

"But so far, Jasper has avoided any entanglements." Lucky bastard, I thought.

With an older brother and a nephew, he would be under no pressure to marry

and produce a son.

"Yes, yes," I answered. "But what about the girl?" Surely Carlisle would realize

that I had no real interest in the sons of Charles Swan when I was being urged to

marry the daughter?

Carlisle heaved a sigh. "Well, as you can see, she's no giant," he pointed out

dryly.

"Yes, but what is she like?" I asked. "Does she like to read? Can she read? Does

she prefer the outdoors or to stay inside? Does she like to ride? Is she kind? Does

she even like children? That would be a fine thing, to give me children and then

not like them." I stared at her, trying to find the answers to the endless stream of

questions I had about her. My own childhood had been privileged but happy. My

parents had loved me deeply and had been involved in my care in a way that was

rare in a royal household. I wanted the same for my own children, if I was

blessed enough to have them.

"Then you shall appoint a very good nursemaid," Carlisle replied smoothly. "She

needn't be fond of children to give birth to them."

"I should prefer if the mother of my children at least like them," I muttered. "If I

must be tied to her for the rest of my natural life, I should like it if I could at least

respect her. I'm not expecting love, that would be too much to hope for in a

marriage, but mutual admiration would be preferable to disdain and dislike."

Carlisle sighed again and I watched as his eyes found my mother. A sudden

suspicion bloomed in my mind. Surely not...

I looked at my mother, realizing for the first time that though she was past

bearing a child, she was still a lovely woman...for her age. Her age was

comparable to that of Carlisle. He had come with her retinue when she arrived in

Voratania to marry my father. While my parents' marriage had been no love

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