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“What are you talking about? Marry another man?”
Caspian, fourth son and yet still a Crown Prince of Gunkermal knew he was a party to a marriage contract. Arranged marriages were common in his family, and he expected the contract would cement various trade or security agreements with another country. He just didn't realize the other party to his contract was a full-grown man, who stepped off his ship and into Caspian's life as if he owned it.
How much is this marriage worth to our king again?
Nikolas, Crown Prince and only heir of Westland, arrived in Gunkermal to fulfill his part of a marriage contract that was six months in the making. He was under no illusions about his prospective spouse. By all accounts, his intended was a womanizer, a lay about, and was likely someone who fussed if Nikolas should use a wrong fork at dinner. That's why Nikolas insisted their marriage contract have an infidelity clause. He figured his spouse would invoke what was known as the "piss-off" clause before Christmas and he'd be free.
It’s far better to marry someone whose weaknesses we’re already aware of.
One man went into his marriage contract blindly. The other thought he knew everything there was to know about his intended spouse. When circumstances suggested that neither man knew what was actually going on, was there a possibility the marriage could work after all? And what did a pirate captain have to do with anything at all.
The Infidelity Clause is a whimsical story that is the result of the author's muse taking a holiday. If you are a fan of MM arranged marriage stories, set in a land with a dash of magic, and a double dose of humor, you might enjoy this one. The main characters in this story are adults, so intimate situations are described. Please store your e-book content responsibly.
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Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Tropes: Fated Mates / Soul Mates, First Time
“What are you talking about? Marry another man?”
Hearing the loudly whispered complaint from the leader of the contingent coming towards them, Nikolas Everrune, Crown Prince of Westland, paused to smooth over the chest of his knee-length coat, fastened as it was with silver buttons bearing his crest against the chilly air. The docks were quiet, so it was easy to make out the welcoming party although they appeared stalled for a moment as the leader of the group got into a hushed argument with the four men with him.
“It would appear your intel on Prince Caspian is accurate,” he whispered as an aside to Petrov, his advisor/bodyguard, and friend. “He is, or appears to be, as lazy and uninformed as our intel suggests. We have, or should I say, you’ve been communicating with that harried looking advisor all this time, I would imagine, rather than the Gunkermal Crown Prince himself. How much is this marriage worth to our king again?”
READ MORE“We get substantial troops to protect both land borders, a tax-free trade agreement, and free passage over the Gunkermal ranges for all peoples at all times, which the king requires in his efforts to woo the newly widowed queen from the lowlands to the South.
“Dear old dad.” Nikolas chuckled. “Always a trier in the dating department, but that’s not a bad deal. As he pointed out, I have to marry someone, sometime, if I’m going to be perceived as a stable king. Apparently, it makes me look respectable.”
Petrov chuckled and then quickly covered it with his hand as one of the welcoming party looked their way.
“Remind me what’s in this contract for them again? What’s going to stop our dear Prince Caspian from backing out of this?”
“Apart from the fact he gets to be King Consort of Westland? A ranking he couldn’t possibly gain from marrying into any other family anywhere, his country has also bartered for vital wheat and other grain supplies they require as it’s not something they can grow themselves. We’ve also committed to patrolling their coastal borders. They’ve been having issues with people and supplies being abducted by pirates from the Islands of Hooit.”
“That will give us something interesting to do once the wedding palaver is over with.” Nikolas glanced back at his ships. There were only three of them at the moment, but they all stood sleek and proud in the water, with his personal crest flying from the center masts. The remainder of his fleet was due in the week after the wedding. He turned back to see Caspian’s arms were gesticulating wildly.
“It’s far better to marry someone whose weaknesses we’re already aware of. Not to mention someone who will probably end up invoking the piss-off clause within three months than someone that might actually fancy me.” Nikolas shook out his shoulders to mask the shudder. “Still, he doesn’t seem to want to stop fussing anytime soon, so it’s time for me to be the bigger man and save this farce of a greeting. Even if I don’t make a good impression on Caspian, his advisors will still probably appreciate it.”
Petrov leaned over his shoulder. “At least he’s pretty,” he whispered. “You could do worse.”
“Hmm.” Nikolas wasn’t going to confirm or deny. He’d learned long ago that pretty looks often hid an evil or lazy heart, and he wanted no bar of either. “Prince Caspian,” he said loudly, moving forward with a confident stride, prepared to lie through his teeth. “I swear, your pictures do not do you justice. After our lengthy correspondence, I’m so delighted to finally see you in the flesh.”
A hand wasn’t offered. Caspian turned, looking stupidly stunned, and definitely beautiful, so Nikolas took a limp hand, leaning forward, making kissing noises to the side of Caspian’s cheeks as he muttered, “Air kiss one, air kiss two. You remember greeting protocol, don’t you, Caspian?”
“That’s Prince Caspian to you,” the man muttered fiercely.
COLLAPSE
