…But, is that really okay? I returned to the throne, looking at Liscia beside me.
I had told Liscia we were only temporarily engaged so that I could potentially get out of it. But, now that the war with Amidonia was behind us, my thinking on the matter had changed.
People had died because of my orders. I carried a weight of karma far too great to ever return to ordinary life. I could no longer stop being king, or abandon this country.
I felt the same about my relationship with Liscia. Since the day we’d first met, we had overcome so much pain and hardship together. I couldn’t break off our betrothal, and I had no desire to. If Liscia would be my queen, I could accept being king.
…But, that’s a different issue entirely.
While I had resolved myself to be king, I still had reservations about taking more than one queen. Liscia, Marx, and even Juna had repeatedly told me it was normal, but as someone dragging along the moral views of modern Japan, I was hesitant.
…Yeah, it wasn’t that I thought it was insincere to love more than one woman. I wasn’t that full of myself. But I thought giving an immediate answer here and now wouldn’t be fair to Liscia.
I’d feel like I was cheating on her…
While I was thinking that, Liscia looked at me. Seeing that I was at a loss for words, Liscia said exasperatedly, “Souma, marry Aisha like you ought to.”
“Like I ought to…? You’re fine with that, Liscia?”
“I don’t have the right to refuse, but Aisha and her father have already told you it’s fine, haven’t they?” she said. “Actually, if you don’t take her, that’s probably going to be the bigger headache.”
“How so?” I asked.
Liscia stressed the practical aspects. “You’re a king, Souma. There may be situations where you’re forced to marry the daughters of major nobles or princesses from other countries as part of your internal or external diplomacy. In preparation for that, I want the higher-ranked queens to be filled out with people I can trust.”
“No… But… I mean…”
Seeing me still hesitating, Liscia sighed. “Souma, you’re able to make decisions when the country hangs in the balance, but when it comes to the women in your life, you’re so indecisive.”
“Urkh…”
“Honestly… Aisha!” Liscia called.
“Y-Yes!” The dark elf jumped in surprise. Aisha had been standing in her bodyguard position waiting anxiously as she watched things unfold.
Liscia leveled a finger at her. “I’m not giving up the position of First Queen, you hear me? You’re Second Queen, got it? If that’s all right with you, it’s all right with me. In fact, I welcome it.”
“Y-Yes! If it lets me be by His Majesty’s side!” Aisha cried.
Liscia nodded and looked me straight in the eye as she said, “I’ve set everything in place for you. Now… treat her right.”
“…Right,” I said slowly.
I dunno. I felt like I had been the future balance of power between the two of us get decided right there.
Liscia had shown so much spirit. I couldn’t keep pathetically waffling any longer.
I walked over to Aisha. Aisha, the fearless warrior of the battlefield, had eyes that were trembling with uncertainty.
Oh, geez, don’t look at me like that, I silently pleaded.
“Aisha,” I said.
“Y-Yes!”
“So… will you marry me?”
She inhaled sharply. “Yes! It would be my pleasure!”
I refrained from any quips about how her response made her sound like a server responding to orders at a Japanese-style pub. My face was burning with embarrassment.
In among all the smiles, I could see Sir Wodan’s face dripping with all the complicated feelings of being a father.
I said to him, using not the tone I would usually use as king, but a tone used towards those above you, “…This is how it turned out. I’ll come to formally give you my regards at a later date, Father.”
“Yes,” he said, smiling. “I will be waiting. Son.”
Thus, Aisha became my second fiancée.
With a second primary queen chosen…
“Finally, that’s one less burden on my mind,” Marx said with an expression of relief. Marx had felt a sense of crisis about the shortage of royals brought on by the succession crisis after the reign of the king before the last one. That was why, with my formal marriage to Liscia not having taken place yet, he was constantly badgering me, “Get more wives, make more babies.” He didn’t even seem to care if they were conceived out of wedlock.
That aside… what was I going to do with the kochiji title I’d come up with now? I couldn’t very well make one of my queens act like a personal bodyguard.
When I said that to Aisha, though…
“Leave it to me! Even if I become your wife, I will always protect you, sire!” Aisha declared with a broad smile, so I ended up letting her keep it.
For me, I knew Aisha was tough, so I figured it was all good, but the previously-elated Marx was immediately holding his head in his hands. I wanted to put the Second Primary Queen he had finally managed to get into a position that was synonymous with danger. I had to feel bad for the guy, only having new things to worry about.
Juna watched all of this with a slightly lonely smile on her face, but none of us realized it at the time.
…Juna. You…
With the exception of Excel.
With the very eventful reward for Wodan out of the way, it was finally Juna’s turn.
I offered her some words of commendation, then asked, “Is there anything you want of me?”
Of course, I knew what Juna’s response would be. She would likely ask that all of her achievements be counted as her grandmother, Excel’s. If Excel wanted to save Castor and Carla, she needed to have as much merit to her name as possible. This was the gentle Juna. I was sure she’d do it out of consideration for Excel.
Juna looked me straight in the eye and opened her mouth, “Your Majesty, I ask that all of my…”
“May I have a word,” Excel cut her off before she could finish speaking. “Forgive my sudden interruption. I would like permission to speak.”
“Hm?…Granted,” I said.
“Thank you.” Excel bowed and began to speak slowly. “As you are aware, Your Highness, Juna Doma is my granddaughter. However, Juna’s father, my son, has been married into the Doma family of merchants in Lagoon City. In other words, Juna is a commoner.”
I had heard that when Juna had disclosed her ties to Excel to me. However, why was she bringing up Juna’s low status now?
Excel continued. “I gave her a rank in the military because she is my granddaughter, but that doesn’t change the fact that Juna is the child of a common family. She has no connection to the doings of any noble house.”
“…What are you getting at, Duchess?” I asked.
Excel turned not to me, but to Juna. “I am sure you mean to use your achievements for my benefit, but that will not be necessary.”
“But, Grandmother…”
Excel silently shook her head. “It’s fine. You have nothing to do with the House of Vargas You mustn’t use your achievements for people you’ve never met. Use them for your own sake.”
“Grandmother…”
“I can’t sacrifice my granddaughter’s happiness for the sake of my son-in-law and my other granddaughter,” said Excel. “You don’t have to worry about us. You should have your own wish granted.”
As Excel turned her gentle gaze on her, Juna lowered her eyes and seemed to struggle internally for a moment. When she finally raised her eyes, she stepped forward and kneeled.