Chen stands up and hugs him. 

"What happened? — What happened today, I mean." 

"Well, Audrey was talking about 'when we're married' and I was like 'what, I'm fifteen, don't you think this is a little fast' and she was like 'you're fifteen and you're about to be king, do you really think you're going to be a king without a queen' and then I went to talk to Asher about it and Asher pointed out that I don't have any siblings or cousins and I really do need several heirs as quickly as possible."

He hugs Ben tighter. 

"You can designate someone else as heir, if you do it in advance — and that would be better anyway if something happened, because any kids you have spend a while too young to rule and you'd have to designate someone as regent anyway unless you want Audrey ruling —" 

"I mean, she'd probably do fine, right? That's the point of having a queen, so you have someone to step in who already has practice."

Gosh! Subtext!

"I'm sure she'd make a lovely wife —" his stomach twists at the words — "but I do not particularly think she'd make a good ruler, no. And in the short term she wouldn't have practice.

And I don't think you actually want to be married to her." 

"I mean, she's very pretty and smart and well-liked both among nobles and among common people and she has an excellent family background."

"And you came here because you had to marry her." 

He's hugging Ben very, very tightly. 

"I love her! It's just a little overwhelming to think about getting married when I'm fifteen!"

"Then don't. The last thing you need is to be more overwhelmed, and — there are going to be things you have to do even though they're overwhelming and thinking about it is terrifying but getting married shouldn't be one of them." 

"I love her, I guess, I just."

I just talk to you when I'm upset and not her.

He hugs Ben tighter still. "...I think my real feeling here is that you shouldn't plan to get married while that's still an 'I guess.'" 

"Then I might not ever end up getting married to anyone at all."

"I don't know about your parents, but one of the things my mom was always very careful to warn me about was getting married too soon because I didn't think there'd ever be another chance." 

"My parents were not really big on the, uh, useful life advice."

He laughs, a little. It's not really funny. "It's still true. And — not only is that something you definitely can't know while you're fifteen — even if it was true, if you didn't get married and instead designated heirs you already know and already trust, would that be such a bad thing?" 

"I think certainty of succession is important. The way you prevent civil wars is having it be very very clear who the heir is. Adoptive monarchies typically tend to be less stable."

(It sounds like Asher.)

"First of all I can tell you're quoting Asher. Second of all, you aren't wrong, but adding more things you're overwhelmed and freaked out about when you don't have to do that isn't going to make you more capable." 

Hugs are really nice.

"...I... am pretty sure I'm right that I'm not really going to fall in love with someone."

There's a pang of something. Chen isn't sure what. 

"Okay," he says, instead of 'why.' "Do you want to talk about it, do you want to lie down so we can cuddle more, do you want both —" 

"...I do want to cuddle you. I don't know if I want to talk about it, I don't want you to think less of me..."

"You don't have to." Bed? Bed. 

Bed!

"I don't... like... girls. In the normal way."

"Does Audrey know?" 

"I don't think anyone knows except you and maybe Asher but if he knows he hasn't talked to me about it."

"Then you definitely shouldn't marry her, that's a disaster waiting to happen."