A/N: I usually only write fanfics for the anime/manga fandoms I'm in because I'm shit at writing in character fanfiction for books, but then I realized that I was secretly Manorian trash and when I heard they didn't get a conclusive ending I was a bit disappointed. Rereading through the ToG series (though I haven't read Kingdom of Ash yet) I realized I'd forgotten that the queen hounded Dorian about heirs/wives and the lack thereof. Out of those two things this fic was born.

Since I've barely started KoA, this will probably be OOC. To cut down on the OOC (and my inability to write them well), although this will start from Dorian/Manon POV, it will switch to Hollin and Georgina POV quickly.

For clarity, here's the headcanons I employ for the purposes of this fic:

1. Hollin was possessed by a valg demon his entire childhood (why else would Perrington name him successor)

2. Georgina doesn't quite know what to do with Dorian or herself post-war other than continue on her old habits

3. The primary reason Dorian and Manon aren't getting married is their respective kingdoms

4. Manon is (not so) secretly witchling-crazy

5. Dorian has lost all interest in fragile, mortal women post-Sorscha and now has very targeted sexuality towards Manon; this includes a lack of interest in having children other than Manon's

6. Terrasen's court is pretty much a hot mess (not politically or financially, but as far as proper courtly behavior goes)

This assumes the Queen of Adarlan and her ladies in waiting never heard any Manorian gossip.

Disclaimer: I do not own Throne of Glass

A month after he returned to Rifthold to begin remaking Adarlan Dorian's life was upended. It was upended not by another war, political upheaval, or supernatural force but rather by a woman. A woman he knew all too well.

Prince Hollin, Dowager Queen Georgina, and her court had returned to Rifthold far sooner than Dorian would've liked. The castle was barely livable again and there still weren't enough servants or workmen to make it fully operational. The court ladies' complaints about the state of their quarters had only added to the headaches of recreating a kingdom from scratch. He was sure Aelin would've skinned most of the women by now, or at the very least threatened it, if she were here.

With Hollin mostly avoiding him as part of his own healing process and Chaol staying by a now heavily pregnant Yrene's side, Dorian was often left to eat with his mother and her gaggle of friends. Sometimes it was nice to hear the gossip floating around the court. It was always good to know what to look for and what information he could use as leverage against troublesome members of the court. Other times the conversation was less welcome, like tonight.

"Dorian, you need to produce an heir," he mother declared. "You're King now. You need a queen."

By this time – the 5th that week – he knew not to argue the point. It was bet to let his mother talk. This normalcy, the talk of normal court matters, was what his mother needed right now. Someday he would reveal that he was waiting for the witch queen to return to him, but today was not that day, not with memories of the war and sacking of Rifthold so fresh in her mind.

"Who would you suggest?" He wouldn't actually consider her suggestions, but it was good to hear his mother go on and on about the possibilities. It gave him time to think about more important things.

"Well, as I've said previously, it's quite a shame that Queen Aelin is married. You two seemed to get along quite well, and it would form a strong alliance. Any royalty you marry from the Southern Continent can't give you heirs, so they are out of the question. Within Adarlan there's many options," Georgina said.

"My daughter Rhea will be of age in a month," a plump woman Dorian identified as Lady Cassandra said.

Lady Cassandra's rival, Lady Deardre, was ready to strike back. "My daughter, Deanna, was courting you already before this mess began. I believe you liked her then, but she has only become more beautiful since."

At that point the gaggle of women got louder, fighting over whose daughter would make a better queen. Some, like Deanna, he remembered for reasons both good and bad. Others, like Rhea, were too young for his tastes. At any rate, he wouldn't consider any of them, so he chose instead to let them think he was listening while he actually pondered how he was going to clear the path to Elena and Gavin's tomb.

"As nice as it would be to ally with them, they did sack our city," Lady Deardre said. "So it would not be good to do so."

That peaked Dorian's attention. Talk of witches?

"You're right," Lady Cassandra said. "It would be much better for him to marry a woman of pure Adarlanian heritage to help rebuild our national image, not some monstrous beast."

"She is their Queen, though. Her kingdom could be an important ally," Queen Georgina replied. "Ultimately I would vastly prefer someone else. Perhaps we should look to the fae?"

Dorian wanted to speak up in support of Manon, but was stopped by the knowledge that he had to play his cards right to get anyone in Rifthold to agree to the union. As King he could do what he wanted, but as a good king he wanted some semblance of agreement. He also questioned if Manon wanted marriage. A child out of wedlock would be disastrous for him, but a witchling out of wedlock was entirely normal.

"In the meantime, perhaps it would be best to introduce him to the young women of this court," Georgina declared. "Would that be alright, Dorian?"

"Fine," he agreed. "I will meet with them, but I cannot guarantee I'll do more than that."

He could, in fact, guarantee he would not do more than that with any of the women of the court. Rhea was as bratty as Hollin – and barely older than him. Deanna, despite being one of the most talented women he'd taken to bed, was one of the least talented out of bed. Not talented could be said about almost all of the women his mother and her friends would suggest. Even if Manon hadn't become his ideal queen, he knew from the start that didn't want a queen that was one of the dozens of vapid idiots populating the court. If Kaltain was any indication, he supposed that there was a chance some were much tougher and smarter than they let on. That was still not much of a relief.

"Next week, then," Georgina announced. "Next Tuesday we'll invite the young women we think will be good matches to meet you for tea. Maybe we should have a ball as well so that you can dance with them?"

"We don't have the money to hold a ball for that," Dorian told her. "But tea would be fine." It would be more fun if Manon was there to terrorize the other women, or perhaps if he could see her squirm as she tried to sit through a formal human thing like tea.

"Surely you have someone in mind, though?" Georgina asked him. "You should invite her."

Dorian pondered inviting Manon, but figured he should let his mother and her court find out when they were a bit more healed from the war. Hopefully no word of their relationship would reach the queen or her court before then.

"I will have to think about it," Dorian told her.

Manon was on her way back to the wastes after a visit to Elide when she decided to take a detour to Rifthold. She wouldn't say it, but she missed the Princeling, and for more than just his abilities in bed. With the frustrations in rebuilding her own kingdom, she could use the distraction he could provide, even if it was for a night at a time.

By the time she reached Rifthold, darkness had fallen. Abraxos dropped her off into his empty bedroom before perching himself on top of the tower for the night. Finding his room empty, Manon took it upon herself to undress for the night and grab a book off the nightstand. She was slightly offended to see the title: Mannerisms for Court Ladies, but quickly became amused as she read about silly things women in human courts were expect to do. Manon wondered why Dorian would bother to read such a thing, but figured she could ask him later, whenever he deigned to show up.

She had shut the first book after only ten minutes, the book of stupid court proprieties having lost its appeal. After looking through all the books on his nightstand, she finally settled on some adventure novel he was reading.

Manon heard the footsteps approaching the door long before it actually opened. She peered above the top of the book to watch Dorian enter the room.

"Hello, Princeling," she purred in greeting.

"Hello, Witchling," he replied halfheartedly.

She put the book down so she was looking at him. She could smell the annoyance on him, but Dorian looked more mischievous than annoyed. The look he was giving her told her that she wouldn't be finding out any time soon, not that she was complaining. As he approached the bed, shedding his formal clothes as he went, she wasn't ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

Dorian was shocked to see Manon appear in his room the night before he was meant to have tea with his prospective brides, but wasn't about to complain. It wasn't until he was in bed with her that she knew it wasn't some cruel joke being played on him.

He wanted to hold her, but she reached over to the nightstand, grabbing a book he'd hoped she hadn't noticed.

"What's this?" She asked, a wicked expression on her face.

"Mannerisms for Court Ladies," he replied.

"You know that's not what I mean," Manon told him.

"My mother is determined to marry me off to produce an heir," he told her. "I'm supposed to be meeting with the candidates today, so I figured I'd need to know what to expect."

"Surely you know," Manon said. "You seemed to know courts well enough."

"I knew how to get them into bed, not how to convince them I'd be awful to marry," Dorian replied.

Manon smiled back at him. "I'm sure I can help you with that."

"Jealous, Witchling?"

"No, just interested," Manon replied. "Isn't your mother looking for alliances? One would think she'd suggest me as a choice."

"She thinks you're too evil for Adarlan," Dorian told her. "But I'm the one with the most say, so say the word and it's done. Until then I have to consider other options."

He saw her iron teeth flash in her mouth, reflecting her annoyance. "For her or for you?"

"For Adarlan. They won't accept an heir out of wedlock, so I need to produce one in a marriage," Dorian explained. He didn't say it, but Manon knew she was the only one he wanted to carry Adarlan's heir.

"Then the child could be an heir to the wastes," Manon said.

"The… Are you pregnant?" Dorian asked.

"No," Manon replied. "But I am taking no potions or tonics to prevent it, with how rare witchlings are."

"So there's a chance?" Dorian whispered.

"Yes," Manon said. "Don't get too excited. It still might not happen."

"No, I know," Dorian said, staring at her. "But we can still try."

Manon fell silent, but moved closer towards him. Dorian didn't know what she was doing until she dragged her nails down his torso.

The next morning Dorian woke up, thoroughly satisfied and ready for whatever courtly idiocy he would have to deal with at tea. He was not surprised to find that Manon had already left, given that she had to get back to her kingdom. On his nightstand a note was placed on top of the book about court ladies. He could tell it was from Manon.

Be expecting me back.

He would have to ask her for more specific information. He couldn't welcome Manon in a simple manner. The more important problem was how to broach the subject of marrying the witch with his mother.

Georgina was pleasantly surprised when Dorian showed up to tea with a smile on his face. Although she was desperate for him to get married and produce an heir, he seemed much more relaxed about the whole situation. It was obvious to her that marriage wasn't a priority for him, and having an heir was even less of one.

She was pleased to see him at the very least engaging with her potential successors, even if he didn't seem to be interested in any connection with them. Emotional connections weren't necessary for political marriages, and if an alliance couldn't be made with another country, one needed to be made in order to strengthen Adarlan internally.

After the meeting she had called her son to have a more private dinner so they could discuss his choices. He sat down quietly at the small table in her chambers. Although she could tell he was thinking about something she wouldn't dare ask him about the war, both for her own sake and his. She didn't want to learn about the horrors and he didn't want to talk to her about it, so she kept the conversations with him as light as possible.

"Is something the matter Dorian?" She asked her son.

He looked up at her. "No, everything is fine."

"Were you not interested in any of the ladies at tea today? I thought you and Kalyssa got along quite well," she said. "She's very pretty."

"Have you not heard the gossip about her?" Dorian asked.

"Yes, but she would calm down if she became queen," Georgina spoke rather unconvincingly. She knew as well as he did that Kalyssa was known for trying to conquer every young lord's son in court. She'd almost gotten Dorian himself before the war.

"How about Deanna?"

"She's nice," Dorian said. But that was about all he had to say for her. She had certainly mellowed out during the war, but he was almost certain she had someone else on her mind. If he married her she would spend time with her actual lover, not being queen. Certainly she was the most bearable of the bunch and probably wouldn't mind his relationship with Manon, but that didn't mean he would marry her.

"Surely there's someone on your mind, Dorian," Georgina declared. "If you're unwilling to consider anyone else." Privately she worried that the war had done something to his sex drive, and therefore his chances at preserving the bloodline, but she didn't want to bring up anything about the war.

"There is someone," Dorian answered. Georgina almost breathed a sigh of relief. "However, I would like to wait for the right time to introduce her to you. She is a very busy woman."

"Is she not a lady of Adarlan's court?" She asked.

"No, she isn't," Dorian replied. "And I doubt she will ever be."

The former queen raised her eyebrows at the news. "As your queen she must be a part of the court, regardless of her upbringing."

"I imagine she will show up occasionally or to learn about courts, but she is not one to enjoy the atmosphere of gossip and parties," Dorian explained. "If it will make you feel better, I can try to convince her to make appearances."

"Who is she?"

"I can't tell you that right now," Dorian replied.

"Is it the shapeshifter from Terrasen's court?"

Dorian laughed at that idea – his mother would be mortified if he married someone that was not only of common birth and a former prostitute, but more importantly to her a shapeshifter. Hopefully she'd be less mortified if he married a witch. "No, she's quite comfortable with Aedion Ashryver right now."

"How soon will I meet this potential queen?"

"I don't know," Dorian admitted. "Whenever she's ready."

"So she's agreed to marry you already?"

"I don't know," Dorian said. And that was the truth.

Only a couple weeks after her last visit, Dorian once again found Manon in his room early in the afternoon. This time she was dressed in a fine robe of black silk. Next to her sat two large, finely crafted wood boxes.

"Nice to see you again, witchling," Dorian said.

"Princeling," she replied simply.

"What are those?" Dorian asked, nodding to the boxes.

"They arrived a few days ago. The court of Terrasen thought it would be good to get me coronation gifts, although these two boxes can only be opened by someone with more… accessible magic," Manon replied.

"I assume one of your gifts was the robe?" Dorian asked, knowing Manon had no taste for fine clothing.

"The Queen of Terrasen insisted I needed some 'appropriate' clothes for dealing with human and fae courts. She took it upon herself to give me copious amounts of them as part of my coronation gift," Manon told him.

"And the rest of that gift?"

"Is this," Manon said.

"Would you like me to open them?" Dorian asked.

Manon nodded, looking towards the boxes.

Dorian used his invisible hands to open the lid of the top box. On top of what appeared to be a stack of more clothes was a note written in Aelin's most elegant script.

To Dorian and Manon,

Lysandra and I felt that normal gifts would not be fully adequate for our closest allies. We hope you appreciate our gift.

-Our regards

"The shifter was involved in this? Why am I not surprised?" Manon practically hissed.

Dorian also questioned their motives. Knowing Aelin he knew that either the note was sarcastic and the present normal or the note was sincere and the present would be something much less proper. From what he could see, what was inside was innocent enough.

Manon was ahead of him, already checking out the presents. The first two pieces of clothing were entirely innocent, if somehow embarrassing for the both of them: a matching burgundy and gold tunic for him and an elegant burgundy dress for her. The next piece was also a fairly normal shirt, although it was obviously for Dorian, not Manon.

As Manon lifted it, a note fell out. She read it and smiled. "You're wearing this tonight," she declared, throwing the shirt at him.

"And if we decide to proceed to other activities?" Dorian asked seductively.

"You'll still wear it," Manon answered.

"Then will you wear these?" Dorian asked, holding up the last items of clothing from the box: black lacy contraptions Manon couldn't identify. "Of course, you'll have to take them off before anything happens."

Manon raised an eyebrow and snatched the lace out of Dorian's hands. "Perhaps another time. I don't have the patience tonight."

Dorian moved to open the next box. There was no note, but given the increasingly risqué contents of the last box he was excited to find out what lay inside. They looked in together as Manon curiously took out some of the contents. The box was separated into different finely carved compartments, each with a small note tucked inside.

The first and largest compartment held a variety of carefully labeled flasks each filled with a different scented oil. Manon took out the note to read it while Dorian looked at the flasks.

"Massage oils?" Dorian asked.

"And lubricants." Manon put down the note and moved on to the next compartment. It held a variety of small, colorful stones. Dorian looked at a third compartment that held a larger object shaped much like a certain part of his anatomy.

Dorian stared at the box and its contents before turning to Manon. "Sex toys. They gave us sex toys."

Manon looked carefully at the note and the back at the stones in her hand. "It appears magic is necessary to activate these ones, so only you can use them."

"Then would you like to try them out while you're here?" He could get back at Aelin for this later, in the meantime…

Manon didn't answer him. She started rolling the various rocks in her hand and smiled at him. He knew exactly what that meant.

Hollin was having trouble adjusting to life. All of it. Having spent his entire life possessed by a valg prince hadn't been easy, and it was even less easy to be free of it. He was now missing most of his memories of childhood because he hadn't been present for most of it.

After the war he had tried to get back to normal life, but it was hard. Not when he couldn't remember most of his school lessons, let alone the members of Adarlan's court. Most were dead, but those who survived didn't like him. What he did remember of his, or rather the valg prince's, behavior was bad, but nothing more than that of a spoiled child.

Now he needed to know, really needed to know about his childhood. He had convinced himself to leave his room for the first time in days. The first thing he wanted to do was to speak to someone who would give him answers. His mother had coddled him and the servants wouldn't dare question a prince, so it would have to be his brother. The King.

He was too nervous to go straight to his brother's tower, so he instead went to the kitchens first to get food they could talk over. When he entered the kitchen the small staff now running it froze. Hollin could remember terrorizing them for food, but no specific incidents came to mind.

"Hello, Prince Hollin," the head chef said. Hollin couldn't tell if he was the same man from his childhood or a new hire brought on to replace someone killed in the war.

"I was wondering if I could get dinner trays for myself and the King?" Hollin requested, trying not to sound too demanding.

"Ah, of course," the head chef replied. He turned to a counter that held two trays on it. "I was wondering why he asked for two trays to be brought up to his room for dinner. Usually if he's eating in his room he does so alone."

Hollin wondered why there were two trays. He'd heard his brother had great magical ability, but had heard nothing about the possibility of those powers including premonition. Still, it was the best explanation he could come up with.

"Would you like someone to carry them up for you?" a woman in a servant's uniform asked.

"N- No thank you," Hollin replied. He didn't want to bother them more, not when he didn't know what he had done to them. So he struggled to carry the heavy trays up the stairs to his brother's chambers on his own.

When Hollin reached his brother's door he didn't quite know what to do. His hands were full, so he couldn't knock or open the door. He didn't know if he could balance well enough on one foot to use his foot for either purpose. Suddenly he regretted not asking the woman to help him. Inside he heard a hushed voice – likely his brother's – talking to someone. He couldn't hear the other person's voice. Hollin's arms were getting so tired that he chanced kicking the door with his foot. His brother suddenly stopped talking.

Footsteps grew louder as his brother approached the door. When it opened he was surprised to see his older brother with mussed hair and an shirtless. He remembered that his brother was a playboy, but his mother had been complaining that his brother hadn't even approached women in that way after the war.

"Hollin? You brought us dinner?"

Hollin wondered who was with him. "I thought I would talk to you over dinner. I didn't think you'd be busy."

Dorian looked back towards the door to his bedroom. He took a tray from Hollin's hands. "You can sit down, Hollin." He waved a hand towards one of the worn chairs in the sitting room and walked back to the bedroom.

"Your dinner," Dorian told whoever was inside as he handed them the food. Whoever it was didn't bother to thank him.

Dorian returned and took his own tray.

"Was I interrupting something?" Hollin asked.

"Yes, but I am more interested to know why you're visiting," Dorian told him. "Do you need something?"

"I was wondering if we could talk," Hollin said.

"About?" Dorian asked.

"Well, I don't remember much… From anything," Hollin told him. "I want to know what I – what whoever was inside me – was doing. How I can fix it. How I can be better."

"Perhaps we can go for a ride later this week to talk about it?" Dorian said. "Somewhere away from the castle?" He knew that being able to get away from the castle was still a comfort to him whenever he remembered his time possessed by the valg prince.

Hollin turned his head as something moved in the corner of his eye. He saw the most beautiful woman in the doorway to his brother's bedroom. She only wore a fine silk robe that offset the white of her hair. The woman looked rather annoyed as she appraised the room. She hardly gave Hollin a look before heading right towards his brother. Hollin watched as she took the bowl of meat stew off of Dorian's tray and walked back into the bedroom. Dorian sighed and then smiled fondly as she walked off.

"Who is she?" Hollin asked, both amazed and curious. "I've never seen her in the Palace before."

"Manon," Dorian said. "We fought together in the war."

That shut Hollin up. He knew it was inappropriate to talk to his brother about the war, or at least he agreed with his mother that it would be best not to bring it up. Suddenly he felt much more awkward than he had before.

"I should get going," Hollin said. "When should we go riding?"

"There's never meetings on Sunday," Dorian told him. "So that would work best. Meet at the stables at dawn."

Hollin shuffled out of the room quickly. "I'll see you then."

After he shut the door he didn't know where to go, so he decided he should go to dinner with his mother for once. He walked to the dining room usually used by the royal family to find his mother and a few other women preparing for dinner.

"Hollin?" Georgina asked. She didn't try to hide the surprise on her face. "What brings you down here?"

"I needed to get dinner."

"I'm glad you could join us," his mother said. She now had a soft smile on her face. "We'll need an extra setting, then."

"Dorian won't be coming," Hollin informed her.

"You went to see him?" Georgina asked. "How was he? He's refused all of the women I've introduced him to. I'm worried."

"I think he's fine," Hollin said. He didn't really know what it meant for Dorian to be fine, but he assumed that Dorian was fine if the way he looked at that woman was any indication.

"He told me he was coming to dinner tonight," Georgina said sadly.

"Something came up," Hollin replied.

The women began sitting down so he followed suit. He sat next to his mother, who occupied the head of the table. The woman began conversing about the day. Most of it was boring things Hollin didn't care about: petty gossip, talk of fashion and dresses, discussion about the best artisans in Rifthold… But a topic came up that interested him.

"One of the guards said he saw a Wyvern flying overhead," one of the ladies said. "It perched on the King's tower and then flew back towards where the Wyverns are being raised."

"Really?" Georgina said.

"Yes! He said there was no rider on the way back," the lady replied.

"Does that mean there's someone dangerous in the castle?" Another lady said. "Threatening the king."

Something clicked in Hollin's mind. The woman in Dorian's room – the unnaturally beautiful woman – was not a woman at all, but rather a witch who had made the journey to visit him. "I don't think so," he said. "Dorian told me that one of the wyverns from the war grew a little too attached to him. Maybe it wanted to visit him."

"I had no idea," Georgina said. "He did say he wanted to visit the wyvern hatchery soon. That must be it." Hollin could tell she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Speaking of Dorian," one of the ladies said. "Do you know his preferences in women, Hollin?"

Hollin blanched. If Dorian was sneaking a woman into his room, he probably didn't want anyone to know about her. Still, he couldn't help it coming out. "He did have a woman in his room tonight."

"Is that why he isn't at dinner?" Georgina asked. She looked down at her plate. "What was she like?"

Realizing his mistake, Hollin tried to walk back. "Well, she was pretty. You know, like any of the girls he brings back to his room."

"He hasn't brought a woman back to his room since he was crowned king," Georgina said. "Is she someone from the palace?"

"I don't know," Hollin said. "I don't know much else. I only caught a glimpse of her."

Georgina went silent before summoning a servant to her side. Hollin watched as she wrote a note and whispered something into the woman's ear. He hoped he didn't say something wrong, but he wasn't hopeful.

Georgina was anxious the next morning as she dressed in her finest morning dress. She hoped she was correct in her suspicion that the woman Dorian had brought over was the very same one he said he intended to marry. That's why she'd sent the note telling him that both him and the woman would need to be at breakfast that day. She didn't think Dorian would actually bring her, but she hoped he did.

She stood in the breakfast room fidgeting nervously. Until she met his son's prospective bride she couldn't know if her son had made an idiotic choice. She hoped he didn't. What sounded like one set of footsteps came down the hall towards the room. Georgina was surprised when two people appeared in the doorway.

One of the people she recognized as her son. He looked regal in the burgundy tunic he wore. It was the first time she thought he looked more like a king than her son. Next to him stood the woman. She wore a matching burgundy dress that offset her pale hair nicely. Her imposing presence made her a perfect match for Dorian. Their displeased expressions were also matching.

"Manon," Dorian said smoothly. "This is my mother, Georgina Havilliard. Mother, this is Manon."

Georgina wondered why he didn't include her last name in the introduction. "It's nice to meet you Manon."

Manon didn't reply at first. Her face didn't give anything about how she felt about the introduction. Then, awkwardly, she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Georgina swore she saw a smile of approval flash across Dorian's face.

"Shall we eat?" Georgina asked. As it was only the three of them, it would be less formal than a normal meal.

Dorian pulled out Manon's chair for her, but had to use a hand to make her sit down as if she was unaware of what the gesture meant. A sign she didn't come from a noble family of any country on Erilea. The meal began in a similarly awkward manner as Manon began eating her food in a rather undignified way, as if she didn't know table manners.

"Where are you from, Manon?" Georgina asked. She worried her son had made a mistake with his choice of bride.

Manon looked her in the eye. "The wastes."

Georgina could feel her eyebrows raise. Then she put the pieces together: she lived in the wastes, showed up after a wyvern was spotted, and was named Manon. This was the new witch Queen. "You're the queen, then?"

"Yes," Dorian responded for Manon. She sent him a look, as if it wasn't his question to answer.

An awkward silence fell over the room, so Georgina tried to salvage the conversation. "What is your wyvern's name?"

"Abraxos," Manon replied.

"He acts like a puppy," Dorian said. Another look from Manon, but this one was somewhat amused. "And he loves flowers."

"He's very good in battle," Manon responded. "Despite his tendencies." Georgina swore a smile crossed the witch's face.

That got Georgina to begin talking to Dorian about his line of hunting dogs. Manon didn't comment much, but was obviously interested to learn more about Dorian's dogs. After she began to open up more, or was at least beginning to ask questions of her own, Georgina finally felt comfortable to ask a question she was sure Manon and Dorian would have killed her for asking earlier.

"So then Dorian, is this the woman you want to marry?" Georgina asked them.

"Yes," he answered.

Manon blinked and looked at him. It was as much surprise as she showed.

"But only if she is willing to do so," Dorian added. He looked over to her.

"I have my own kingdom to take care of," Manon clarified.

"Then are you unwilling?" Georgina asked.

"No. I would like to wait until things are more stable and rebuilt," Manon replied. "Though I understand the prince- Dorian – will need an heir not born out of wedlock, so I will consider marrying sooner." Dorian looked to her both because she almost called him her pet name for him in front of his mother and because he was surprised she was willing to marry for his sake.

"I would also expect that we would rule our own kingdoms separately and producing separate heirs for the kingdoms," Dorian said.

"So you've discussed this arrangement," Georgina questioned. She was surprised to hear that Dorian had gone as far as to discuss this with Manon.

"Yes, but our countries come first," Dorian said. "She will not be moving here permanently or helping to govern Adarlan, and I will not be moving to the wastes to help her govern."

"Shouldn't your wife be by your side?" Georgina asked.

"She should be where she wants to be," Dorian told her.

"Unlike for humans, it is acceptable for witches to live their own lives," Manon told Georgina.

Georgina sat very still. "Will you be coming to official events as the Queen?"

Dorian looked at Manon.

"Yes," she said, a sly smile appearing on her face as she looked over to Dorian.

"If this is your choice, Dorian, it certainly is a bold one," Georgina advised her son. "But I will admit it provides Adarlan with a strong alliance and other advantages so I cannot disagree with your choice." She wouldn't tell Dorian, but she was happy her son would be able to justify marrying someone he so obviously cared for. Not that she liked Manon. Not yet. She wasn't enough of a proper lady.

Manon's smile widened into something truly wicked and Dorian looked at her fondly. Georgina prayed to the now nonexistent gods that her son had made the right choice.

Two years after Manon had met the former queen of Adarlan she had finally decided she would accept Dorian's proposal. They had a traditional witch wedding in the wastes before the formal Adarlanian ceremony in Rifthold. Dorian hadn't announced his bride's name before the ceremony, hoping it would help things go more smoothly. Both had wanted a small ceremony with little fanfare, but it wasn't possible politically.

Aelin, Lysandra, Yrene, and Nesryn helped the bride prepare. She wasn't used to being made up or dressed in a manner acceptable to humans, and they had volunteered to help. She wished she hadn't accepted it. Aelin and Lysandra alone were smothering, but Yrene's fussing was an added annoyance. At least Nesryn didn't do much more than help her into the heavy bundle of fabric they called a dress. Most of all, it hurt that her thirteen couldn't be there with her.

She had pity for Dorian as well. While Chaol would be a voice or reason, Aedion was bound to cause something bad to happen and Rowan likely wouldn't stop him. Manon hoped they weren't still drunk from their male-only party the night before.

During the ceremony he seemed sober enough. He was probably as nervous as she was for the next part. While their circle of friends would be who they talked to most at the ball, this would be the first time Manon would meet the members of Adarlan's nobility. Dorian assured her that it would be fine if she wasn't perfectly ladylike, but she wanted to show him that she could act proper. She was keenly aware that Dorian needed to solidify the respect his court had for him before he could truly rule, and that meant she had to make sure she was respectable as his queen. If not because she wanted to be proper, because she wanted to play the human queen for a day as a favor to Dorian. He had, after all, played the male witch quite well in the crochan ceremony.

The ceremony itself was rather boring. There was far too much formality and standing around in fancy dress. The nobles of Adarlan, despite being mostly tamed by Dorian, had disapproving expressions on her face when her name and title was announced. She made sure to grin widely at the young women mourning their inability to stand in her place on that altar.

At the party later she and Dorian were the last to be let into the ballroom. The glittering dresses and tailored suits of the other guests were overwhelming to look at. She looked around warily as Dorian led her to a table at the front of the room where they were to sit for dinner. When they sat, those around them sat as well.

Georgina watched as Manon carefully analyzed the room. Even as she ate she didn't look comfortable in the environment. During the ceremony there were no smiles or glowing from the witch queen, but Georgina had expected that. Manon didn't seem the type to marry in some overly ceremonial affair. The wedding in the wastes was much less formal and much more joyous than the sterile atmosphere of an Adarlanian royal wedding.

It got worse after dinner, but Georgina had to admit it had gotten more interesting. Dorian and Manon walked around the room greeting guests. As their friends (especially the court of Terrasen) were thoroughly enjoying the party in a somewhat far-too-casual way, Dorian tried to join in. Manon had begrudgingly shared a bottle of wine with Aelin and Aedion. Her cheeks were now flushed ever-so-slightly blue.

All of the royals who had attended the wedding, along with the witches that had come to support Manon, were sitting off to the side of the dance floor chatting. Georgina could tell Manon wanted to go over to sit with them, but too many Adarlanians wanted to offer her congratulations. As the line waiting to talk to the royal grew longer before them, Manon's face was becoming less and less neutral.

The real trouble began when the young women who had tried to woo Dorian before and after the war began to come to the front of the line. For the first few Manon remained stone-faced as they tried to flirt with Dorian. Georgina was happy she was that calm.

As the number of women mooning after her husband increased, Manon's face turned into a scowl. Noticing this, one of Manon's cousins brought her another glass of wine. Dorian kissed her again and placed an arm around her waist in an attempt to get them to back off. A few of the women backed off, but the drunk ones were undeterred until Manon released a snarl that silenced the ballroom and had the terrified young woman running away. Manon herself stalked out of the ballroom through a back door.

Georgina was horrified but relieved. She (and presumably many of the other nobles in attendance) thought a bloodthirsty witch like Manon would have slaughtered the woman on sight. Although the snarl was bad for Manon's relations with the court, it was a better outcome than covering the ballroom in blood at her own wedding. Dorian walked after her, looking calm given the circumstances.

Once he was out of the room laughter cut through the silence. Georgina looked over to see the Queen of Terrasen laughing into the chest of her husband, who joined in shortly. Soon Aedion Ashryver, Nesryn, and Sartaq had joined in. His wife, Lysandra, and Lady Elide were giggling into their hands. Chaol and Yrene, the most dignified of the bunch, tried not to join in. Heads turned towards the group as laughter spread. Suddenly Hollin began to laugh, and the tension in the room lifted.

Georgina walked over to the tables where Dorian and Manon's closest friends and allies were seated. Now that they had stopped laughing they had begun to argue about something. She could not have another violent incident ruining the wedding party, even if the couple being celebrated had left.

"Pay up," Aedion said.

"It's my win," Aelin claimed. She held out her open palm waiting for money.

"I said an hour into the party, you said forty-five minutes," Aedion told his cousin.

"Yes, but you also said they would leave because they were too horny to stay any longer, not because Manon was annoyed by the shallow women of this court," Lysandra reminded him. "We agreed that to win the bet you had to guess the correct reason and closest time."

"That would be my money then," Elide stepped in. "I said one hour, ten minutes and because someone tried to flirt with Dorian."

Aedion grunted and shoved some money into her hands. Aelin nodded to Rowan who did the same. Much to Georgina's surprise Sartaq and Nesryn each placed a large number of coins in front of Elide. Lysandra smiled but didn't drop anything onto the table. Yrene and Chaol stayed, for the most part, out of it.

Georgina sighed and turned away. If these were Dorian's friends, perhaps Manon wasn't the worst bride he could've chosen.

When they arrived in Dorian's chambers to spend their wedding night together, Manon was surprised to find a small box lying on their bed. On top lay a note not from Aelin (the only one they suspected would be bold enough to break into his chambers to do this), but from Chaol and Yrene.

Dear Manon and Dorian,

Congratulations on your wedding. Although most of your gifts will be opened tomorrow and be immediately useful, we hope you will find some use for this, whether it be tonight or years in the future. We've been working on this with the fae healers, so I do not know if it will help you, but I hope it will.

Best regards,

Chaol and Yrene

They opened the box together, curious as to what could be inside. Both had an idea based on the note, but they couldn't be sure until they picked up the vial and looked at the label. It was a fertility potion.

"Do you want to try tonight?" Dorian asked in a sultry voice.

Manon stared at him. The change in expression told her that he expected to have to wait. "Fine," she said. She didn't expect it to work, so there was no reason not to try. She snatched the vial out of the box and downed it.

"That eager, are we?" Dorian asked her.

"Why don't you see, princeling," Manon said.

Although she was convinced that the potion wouldn't work, as he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to him she secretly hoped it would.

A/N: I hope that wasn't too OOC on anyone's part. Manon is hard to write.