An Oath and a Promise

"Think of it this way, Mat. Astrid is a vegetable."

I peered up at him. "Excuse me?"

"Your brother is the appropriately shaped chorizo," my prince explained, making a lewd gesture in case I'd somehow missed his meaning. "And I am the chicken. And the prawns and the sauce and everything else tasty, but you, Mathias! You are the rice."

"Is this supposed to do anything other than make me hungr-"

"You cannot have paella without rice, darling," Ren informed me very seriously, his brown eyes wide and surprisingly sincere. "You are the key ingredient. And if the rice stuck only to the chicken, it would be a terrible dish indeed."

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm relevant?" I guessed, and Ren chuckled.

"Yes, Mat. You're relevant. You're vital. Every one of us around that table cares for you. You're what pulled us together, and you're ultimately who they've been listening to today, not me."

"Nathanael, Aratorre and I may have had our differences, but that was before..." He shifted his weight between his feet, clearly uncomfortable, and cautious hope flickered through me at the confession. "Before I realised what he meant to you. Before I watched you two together and saw how happy he makes you. Before..."

I stared back at him, unable to speak.

"Fuck, you're really going to make me say it?" he pleaded.

"Yes," Ren said from behind me, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Say it."

Valeri sighed. "Before I realised that he wouldn't make the worst king."

"Ren," I began. "Remember how Commander Grachyov tried to have me killed while I was in Quareh so that Mazekhstam could hide their fuck up from my family?"

My prince growled at my side. "I haven't forgotten what I'd like to do to the bastard for that, I promise you."

"Well, I was just thinking he owes me a lot more than a chicken."

Ren's expression perked up at that. "Are you suggesting we engage in some petty thievery?"

I grinned back at him. "I'm suggesting we engage in very petty thievery."

"Leave this room before we are done, Aratorre, and I will offer you nothing. Algejón will remain with me. You might as well have never come here."

I looked at the door, and then at Mazekhstam's queen. I thought about everything she could give me, how she could help in recovering my country and my crown, all the people I could save with her as my ally.

And then I followed Mathias outside.

"Do you, Nathanael Velichkov," he asked me, "third prince of Temar and honorary royal of Quareh, take Renato Aratorre to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I looked at Ren.

He looked at me.

I shrugged.

"If I must."

Ren winked at me, mouthing exactly what he was going to do to me later for that little display of public insolence, Mathias.

The bishop faltered. "Uh, Prince Nathanael, I need you to say-"

"I do." I said, unable to stop the huge grin on my face as I spoke the fateful words. Ren's eyelashes fluttered, his throat delicately bobbing as he swallowed.

"And do you, Renato Aratorre, king of Quareh, take Nathanael Velichkov to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Ren looked at me with such love in his eyes that I knew we'd be forever.

"Hell fucking yes I do."