King Of My Heart (mpreg)

CH 25

The week went by in a slightly drunken blur; the Iberians knew how to party I'll give them that. The week was packed with feast after feast followed by plays, performances, hunting and various different activities.

I sat between Antonio and Juan, the day before we left to meet Maria, as their honored guest as various Iberian Knights, or as they are called in Spanish, Dons, got ready to joust. "What do you say to a friendly wager between cousins" Juan said leaning over to speak in my ear over the music "Our best Knight against yours". I frowned at him "That hardly seems fair, you have an entire nation to choose from and I only have five companions". Juan laughed "And that is why I want to wager with you: only pick a fight you know you can win" he said as he laughed.

His laughter and music died though as Edward stood up "How dare you!" he said loudly before he yanked off his glove and smacked an Iberian in the face with it, a challenge to a duel. As the Iberian Edward slapped stood up, Trumpets rang out and two spare horses were brought into the ring; ordinarily a duel would just consist of a sword fight but since we were at a tournament, they would joust instead. "What's going on?" I asked Harry to stood behind me "I don't know, I couldn't hear" he said in my ear.

The actual Dons waited in a circle around the arena as Edward and the Iberian got ready for the duel; they were given armor and a shield before they mounted their horses and given wooden lances. The Iberian went to the far side and lowered his helmet; I was surprised when Edward rode over in front of me and lowered his lance on the railing that separated the fighters from the audience, pointing it at me. "You're fighting for my honor?" I asked, surprised as I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "I am, as any loyal servent would do" he replied as I tightly tied the handkerchief to the end of his lance.

Edward went to the opposite side of the Iberian and lowered his helmet, signaling that he was ready. After a horn blast, the horses lurched into motion, sprinting at each other as fast as they could. The wood of the lances shattered as the tips collided with the metal of the shields, Edward won the joust though as Iberian fell from his saddle but Edward managed to stay on. He held the end of his lance high in victory as another trumpet sounded and he went off the tournament field to get his wounds treated after a victory lap around the ring. "Perhaps there are more to the English than I gave you guys credit for" Juan said with a chuckle.

-

"What was that all about?" I asked Edward as he joined us for lunch in my room with several bandages on his face from where the splinters of the wooden lances entered through the holes in his helmet; he also had his shield arm in a sling since it was so badly bruised. "I'd prefer not to tell you my Prince, it's unfit for your royal ears" Edward said as Harry gave him some soup. I stared at Edward until he started fidgeting in his seat "He accused you of sodomy with Mr. Harry; naturally I could not let that stand" he glance between me and Harry with a smirk "no matter how true it might be" he finished. "Harry is a virgin, as am I, Edward" I said defensively. Eleanor, Culpepper and Edward all look at us surprised. "Truly? You have spent more nights together than alone, and anything can happen at the Devil's hour" Culpepper said.

"Believe me Culpepper: I'm not a virgin by choice, or by lack of trying" Harry said after he poured Edward some watered down wine, which he choked on when Harry made that comment. Everyone else didn't say anything nor reacted openly for fear of upsetting me; changing the subject I asked "Is everything ready or the trip to Valencia tomorrow?" Culpepper nodded trying his best to hide his laughter and keep a straight face "Yes and Princess Maria is very eager to meet you". Harry snorted but didn't say anything.

-

The King, all five of the Iberian princes, and my friends all waited outside of the nunnery which was just outside the city of Valencia. We didn't have to wait long a girl, eighteen or so, walked out in a pretty yellow dress with a white veil over her face, accompanied by two women in nun's dresses. The veil might have been a solid piece of cloth for all it showed.

Potential brides always wore a veil to be taken off during the wedding night; the veil was supposed to represent the bride's virginity but it was joked that women wore the veil to hide the fact that they might be ugly so the man won't leave her before they are married. Her dress complimented her body, she had wide hips and an ample chest, although her clothes didn't show any skin except for her hands which here folded daintily in front of of her. The perfect picture of modesty.

"Princes Louis this is my daughter, Maria de Los Reyes" King Antonio said. Maria curtseyed to me "A pleasure, honored prince" she said in a heavier accent than any of her siblings. "The pleasure is mine" I said extending my hand which Maria placed hers in gently before I kissed the back of it. "I'll return to the mayor's house, there is some business I have to take care of" the King said before remounting his horse and riding away.

Maria and I walked the grounds of nunnery, her brothers and my companions following not far behind as they were our chaperones to make sure no mischief would be going on; as if I would even try anything.

We had a pleasant enough conversation...well I did I guess considering I did 95% of the talking. Maria was everything she "should" have been: quiet, obedient, polite, a good listener. After spending so much time with Eleanor, I forgot that society told women to be like this. Although to be honest if I had to choose a wife to have children with, Eleanor wouldn't have been my first choice.

After we talked for a maybe an hour, Maria went back inside the nunnery and we made our way back to town where the King was waiting for us inside of the mayor's house. "Prince Louis, should I offer my daughter to return to us to Madrid?" The King asked. I looked at Culpepper, knowing full well that the King was asking if I wanted to marry his daughter. "Yes I think so" I finally said.

And just like that, without any pomp and circumstance, I was engaged.