Mark could still remember when Aurik proposed to Adelinde. The guy followed pretty much every step—asked Mark, went to where their parents were buried and held a one-sided conversation with the graves, took her out on some elaborate date that suited his desire to travel. Aside from a few scattered friends around San Asari, Mark was pretty much the only one Adelinde could tell in person.
To some extent, she had seemed hesitant—whenever Aurik would come over she would lightly pester him if they could plan a wedding or set a date. Mark jokingly suggested one day that Aurik was putting it off, and in response Aurik gave some kind of shrug and said he was still waiting for something. Considering how the engagement ultimately ended, it was one of those conversations that made a lot more sense in hindsight.
Adelinde talked with him about possibly marrying Rene, and Mark didn’t have any protests. His largest concern with Rene was how she seemed to avoid the Dazuz family after moving in—although, granted, adopted children were weird in that they could separate from the family after they turned eighteen as long as they weren’t explicitly given any inheritance or anything. Otherwise she got along well with Matteo and almost seemed to care for Adelinde more than Aurik had—or at least, she understood Adelinde in a way that Aurik hadn’t—so he honestly couldn’t stop her.
It seemed like Adelinde told Matteo as soon as they got back, and Adelinde officially told Mark just before dinner that evening, then carried on the conversation almost immediately into any agreements on announcements, plans, musing on how she envisioned it once Rene and Matteo came. Matteo only seemed to listen for a second when his name was said, otherwise staring at Rene’s new ring. Suffice to say, Aurik only ever smiled and nodded when Adelinde brought it up; Rene actually entertained productive conversation.
Seeing how happy Adelinde was, Mark didn’t really have a reason to avoid or postpone any conversations. As such, about a week after she told him Rene accepted the proposal, he decided on a day and asked her to come to the office.
She smiled more than she used to, coming into the office more like she would when Father needed her for practice work. That alone gave him his own smile.
“I just wanted to talk to you for a bit,” Mark said.
“About the engagement?” Adelinde asked, wandering a bit closer to the desk.
“About you resuming your full position as queen.”
“Oh.” She paused a moment, then glanced over at the work. “I can take over if you need me to.”
“Actually,” Mark said, giving her a kind look, “I was thinking I can rule from here on out.”
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She didn’t seem to expect it; she gave him a somewhat disbelieving smile when it seemed to sink in.
“You’re truly willing to do that?” She must consider it to be like a pipe dream or something similar; the kind of joy she had just convinced him of it more. Adelinde didn’t mind the work itself as far as he was aware, but it took more time than any other job and could be unpredictable.
“I’m not going to force you to spend time away from your family,” Mark reasoned. “Matteo still needs a mom and Rene would probably appreciate being able to take her future wife on dates.”
“And you’re sure you’re allowed to?”
“I did all the research earlier. The decided heir—you—just needs to have one blood-related child—Matteo. That kid stays the next heir, and their parent is free to do whatever they want. I fulfill the requirements—blood related to the royal family, capable of doing work just as well as current ruler, and I have experience with the work itself.”
“…It’s a tempting offer,” Adelinde said after a moment. She looked at him, apparently still thinking that she needed to confirm. “You really wouldn’t mind?”
“I don’t have the kind of obligations you do,” Mark pointed out nicely. “You don’t have to worry about balancing work and family—you wouldn’t even have to stay at the palace if you didn’t want to. Your only real limitation is that Matteo still needs to be close enough for me to teach him before I get too old for the position.”
She watched him for a minute, although he knew she barely needed that time to come to a decision. He continued on just to make sure she wouldn’t feel guilty for it.
“I honestly can’t see myself with my own little family at this point,” he said. “Meanwhile, you have a four year old and a fiancée. I’d feel bad if you’re in here doing paperwork while I’m out trying to figure out if I even have any hobbies.”
She looked ready to continue some kind of argument, then some idea must have come to mind and she gave up with a feigned sigh and a grateful smile.
“Well…thank you. Do you want to get the paperwork done now?”
“The sooner the better, I think. We can write that up, I can get it to the council for approval, then the announcement could be sent out alongside your engagement. You have enough of a sympathetic standing now that I don’t think much people would mind.”
Ignoring anyone who felt like Adelinde should’ve retaken full power years ago or never give it up at all, who either preferred Mark or wanted someone else entirely, Adelinde was probably one of the most-liked recent rulers—mostly because she went through what she did, and make regular appearances in the city. Within San Asari, at least, a majority of them could recognize Adelinde when she went out to play any of the instruments, so they all kind of collectively claimed her as a kind of daughter or sister—that made her a more trusted leader, but they would also understand if she chose family over leadership because of it.
Adelinde nodded, and they drafted the request together; Adelinde wrote a majority of it and just asked Mark for input in certain areas, both signing it at the end. Mark got up to put it in the meeting room, which would let the council see it in the next few days.
He didn’t think he could go back to a not-working life even if he wanted to—not while Adelinde smiled more now than she did with Aurik. He wouldn’t be the one to take that happiness away or possibly dull it in the future when he didn’t have anything that could justify making her work instead.