"I regret to inform you, Your Highness..."

That was how it always started. He'd grown used to this form of sharing information by now. His chambermaid had such an expansive vocabulary after all...

"... I bring grave news."

By now, Prince, no, King Edwin was aware, his new wife had gone missing. As they all did at some point in his life. She was his sixth wife. While his father was alive, he knew his inability to settle down was what caused his father, the former king, great suffering and embarrassment. He was the only heir to the throne, the former king's only chance to continue keeping up the spotless family name and continue to bring tranquility and prosperity to the kingdom.

King Edwin sighed and dismissed his chambermaid soon after she finished telling him what he already knew. His wife, an Heiress of Springbarrow, had mysteriously disappeared, leaving not even a goodbye note in her absence. The marriage did not last very long at all, maybe a year, if that. He was quite certain that the kingdom would not miss her, if they remembered her at all.

With the new title, this meant that in order for King Edwin to continue to rule, he'd have to remarry. Normally, remarriage under any circumstances were frowned upon, however, in normal circumstances the spouse does not vanish from the face of the earth as King Edwin's wives have been doing. He let out a sigh and continued sketching an image of a bird perched outside of his window.

He seemed to be very, very deep in thought, or maybe the opposite, having not a thought at all in his mind, however, either way, he was startled from his work when his mother, the queen, approached him with a sorrowful look on her face.

"I am so sorry for your loss, dear." She whispered as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Edwin nearly jumped out of his skin when her feathery touch had graced the velvet of his shoulder. "This pattern needs to come to an end, all eligible women in this kingdom and neighboring have already been married off... Those who were less fortunate had married you and were handed a grisly fate, I suppose."

Edwin remained silent for a moment. Still feeling jumpy over her touch and the way she always seemed to glide into his presence so stealthily without him being able to detect her ahead of time.

"There is no one left to marry. The subjects need a continuum, you need to produce an heir, we are walking a very fine line with another kingdom, boarding on possible war... You have no other options. A wife must be taken from the locals. While, she will not have good breeding, she can at least fulfill the duties needed to help this kingdom stand on it's own two feet."

Edwin searched his thoughts. A queen? So soon? His mother was always one to live for the moment, (sometimes the future as well) however, she was correct. There were too many responsibilities piling up on him. He needed another wife, but how to find her? The kingdom was filled with potential wives, if their breeding would not need to be considered, he could virtually marry any young woman he so pleased. The choices were endless...

The thoughts overwhelmed him too much and he stood from where he was seated in his window sill and dismissed himself from his mother's presence, mumbling as he quickly walked down the corridors of the palace about wanting to marry someone his age for once.

. . .

"My Prin-... Forgive me, My King... King Meriweather III, where is it that you are headed this morning? It is still very early, I'm afraid not even the birds are alive at this hour." It was certainly early. King Edwin was never one to need his horse so early in the morning, but today he needed to take a ride to clear his mind from it's troubles. He'd have his knights beside him the entire time, just in case, but other than that, he'd be alone. Away from the parliament, away from his queen mother and away from the responsibilities for a while longer.

King Edwin never really listened to his stableman. In fact, he usually ignored him, but it was not out of snootiness or for snobbish reasons. King Edwin Maxwell Meriweather III was very shy and held many secrets, many of which he worried people could see if they looked directly into his eyes. Another reason to avoid talking to anyone, this morning, on the other hand, he was feeling rather social.

"The Queen has already decided that the women of the kingdom will be lawfully inspected and brought to the castle for me to chose a bride among them. I have no such plans to follow through." He mounted his horse and gently ran a gloved finger through his horse's mane. "I am going for a ride, nothing more... Please inform the Queen that I will return promptly."

With that, The King allowed his horse to walk out of the stables, where his knights closely followed on their own horses and out of the palace they went, towards the dirt roads and foreign land... the place where the peasants lived.