The Royal Marriage Contract

"Forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Lutz!"

"It's fine. Let him speak."

This ruler seemed to be someone reasonable, unlike what my mother feared. She was panicking, but I decided that, at this point, I might as well say what's on my mind.

"You're all treating me like a criminal, but all I did was follow your orders to make a child. What crime have I committed?"

"None at all."

I was taken aback by the quick response. The king's answer left me dumbfounded, but when he set down his fan and stood up, his face was deadly serious.

"Indeed, you've committed no fault nor crime. But your power is too great. We cannot let you run wild."

"Isn't that a bit exaggerated…?"

"Let me ask you, Sir Ludwig. What was the reaction from the noble families when they heard the results of today's blessing ceremony? Weren't they all ecstatic, practically throwing everything they had at you?"

Ugh. I couldn't deny it. Lady Hermine hugged me so tight I thought I was going to suffocate. The head of her family practically pressed his forehead to the ground while thanking me. Other noble families offered their sons to serve me, some pledged their allegiances to our count's house, while others promised estates and lands—gifts that could ruin their own households. Of course, my mother, as the head of our house, politely turned them all down, except for the loyalty of Ayaka and the "Clan of Darkness."

"Sooner or later, the results of today's ceremony will spread throughout the kingdom. How do you think the nobles will act? If all they do is throw money at you and beg for your offspring, that's fine. But what if one of them declares that only their vassals are worthy of receiving your precious seed? That faction would grow rapidly, perhaps even rivaling the royal family."

Ugh. He had a point, and I couldn't refute it.

"Are you saying you'll punish Lutz?" my mother shouted, breaking her usual composure. I had heard that my mother and the queen were close friends from their time fighting together, but would that relationship save me from punishment? I hope this doesn't end with someone losing their head.

"No, no, no! Let's not jump to that conclusion. We just need to discuss this…" I muttered, trying to calm things down.

"Please, Eliza, spare his life! He can be exiled for life or sent to a monastery—anything!" my mother begged, desperate.

Wait a minute, Mom! I don't want to be exiled or sent to a monastery! As I glanced back at the queen, she looked exasperated by my mother's panicked outburst.

"Hilda, calm down. Just listen to me. I'm not planning to execute, imprison, or exile him."

"Then… are you going to… cut it off?!" my mother gasped.

Hey, Mom! Cut what off?! Oh… I think I know… My sense of humor was going to get me in trouble. I had no desire to become a eunuch.

"Alright, I admit the threat was unnecessary. I apologize, Hilda. Yes, Lutz's talents are dangerous, but they are also a force that could strengthen the kingdom. I wouldn't simply cut him down," the queen reassured her.

Even the queen was talking about cutting things off. Unconsciously, I placed my hands protectively over my groin.

"Lutz needs to use his talents, but if we allow him to breed freely, he could easily be manipulated by those with ill intentions. Allowing him such freedom would be dangerous, both for him and the kingdom."

Mom seemed to calm down once she understood that nothing vital was going to be cut off. She nodded in agreement.

"Whether you like it or not, Lutz's offspring will now be a matter of royal decree. You will only be permitted to breed with those the royal family approves," the queen said firmly.

"As long as Lutz is safe, that's all that matters," my mother quickly agreed.

In this world, my opinion didn't matter. The moment my mother gave her approval, I became a breeding stallion for the royal family.

"Thank you, Hilda. The royal family will take full responsibility for Lutz's safety and position. But we will need a legitimate reason for the royal family to manage his breeding."

"A legitimate reason, Your Majesty?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. As it stands, Hilda, as the head of your household, has the authority to approve Lutz's… breeding. Unscrupulous nobles will swarm your family with all sorts of schemes. For the royal family to step in and take control, we need a public reason that everyone can accept. Do you understand?"

"Public reason… Wait, does that mean?" I realized the dangerous direction this conversation was heading. The simplest way for the royal family to control me would be to make me a member of the royal family. And the quickest way to do that was…

"Yes, Lutz. You've figured it out. The easiest solution is to make you a royal consort. And the only suitable match would be my daughter, Beatrix. So, you two will be married," the queen declared matter-of-factly.

"Huh?"

Unlike my dumbfounded reaction, Beatrix, who was two years older than me, remained calm. Her porcelain doll-like face betrayed no emotion as she spoke softly.

"If it is for the sake of the kingdom and for my mother, then I accept."

Wait, she's agreeing to this?!

"Wait a minute, Princess! You're talking about your own marriage here!" I couldn't help but forget my place and speak out. After all, we just met today. Even a one-night stand would be more reasonable than jumping straight into marriage!

"Is it so strange? For royalty, it's not uncommon to meet their spouse for the first time at the wedding ceremony, is it not?" Beatrix tilted her head slightly, her golden hair swaying like the queen's. Her cool green eyes showed no hesitation.

When I thought about it, that might actually be the case. In the royal family, marriages are always political. The candidates for Beatrix's hand would likely be foreign princes. It wasn't unheard of for them to meet for the first time on the day of the wedding.

"But are you sure you're okay with someone like me? I'm just the fourth son of a count's family."

"If my mother says it's fine, then it's fine," she replied innocently, leaving me speechless.

"Your status doesn't matter. Beatrix won't be marrying down," the queen added.

"So, Lutz will be the Princess's husband… and become part of the royal family?!" My mother finally realized the gravity of the situation and began to panic. It took her long enough.

"Exactly. In fact, let's settle this once and for all. Beatrix, I officially designate you as the Crown Princess and my heir. Do your best," the queen said casually, as if she were assigning a trivial task.

"I suppose it can't be helped. But please delay your abdication for as long as possible," Beatrix replied with the same nonchalance.

The queen spoke of heavy matters with a light tone, while Beatrix accepted them with the same ease. Truly, these two were remarkable women.

"Eliza… so that means Lutz will…" My mother still seemed unsure.

"Yes, he'll be the future prince consort. Good luck," the queen said with a smile.

Wait… is this really happening?!

The queen wasted no time in summoning a scribe to draw up the engagement contract. A cardinal was already present as a witness, as if this had all been planned from the start. Beatrix and I signed the document—her with grace, me with trembling hands. But now, our engagement was an undeniable fact.

The contract covered everything in ridiculous detail. Not only would we marry once I turned fifteen, but I'd also have to accompany her to official events as her partner. That much was expected. However, there were clauses about meeting in private once a week, but also stipulations against producing children before marriage. Why was that even in the contract?

If the engagement was broken, the contract outlined penalties. If Beatrix broke it off, I'd be compensated with money and land. However, if I broke it off, there were no penalties on her side, meaning I'd never be allowed to end the engagement.

One surprise was that I could take multiple wives. If Beatrix and I didn't have children after three years of marriage, she had the right to take another partner or sire children with someone else. As for me, I could have up to three wives, but only with Beatrix's approval. Somehow, that seemed like an impossibly high bar to clear. Still, it was surprising that the next queen's husband would be allowed concubines at all.

"The royal family must give certain privileges if we are to secure the world's finest stud horse," the queen remarked.

"I doubt I could satisfy such a strong man on my own," Beatrix added, her expression unchanging.

Their comments left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. Was Beatrix implying something? Did she see me as nothing more than a monkey? Well, I had acted like one during the weeklong blessing, after all.

Thus, by the time the contract was finalized, the day had already turned to night. My mother, looking exhausted, let out a weary sigh.

"Ah… so much has happened today… Let's go home and rest."

"Oh no, Hilda. Stay the night. We've prepared dinner, and I've even got your favorite dessert wine."

"… I suppose we could stay," my mother replied, easily swayed by wine.

I just wanted to go to bed…