#endervale

Marital Conflicts

Masterlist

Ender

OC ~ Oneshot ~ Action Words: 1.5K Published: 2/13/2026

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“Falon. What is this?”

Ender was not entertained. He and his personal advisor were currently standing in the entrance to the castle’s throne room, looking at a crowd of diverse creatures, ranging from women to men to even fantastical creatures. 

“Well, your highness, it is your twenty-fifth birthday. It would be wise to gain political allegiance now, and marriage is the best solution.” Falon explained, trying to reason with Ender’s beliefs.

“I will not participate.” 

“What?” The older gentleman was taken aback, quickly pulling Ender away from the door so no one would hear their hushed conversation. “Sir, we are not in the position to negotiate feelings. Tensions keep rising within the continent. A married king will prove EnderVale is capable of stability.”

Ender did not seem phased. “I do not need an empty consummation to prove a nation's worth.” 

The younger man was lying to himself. He knew he wasn’t fit to rule alone, but the idea of ruling beside someone whom he never loved made him feel all the more unjustified for his people. How could he force them to suffer with two leaders who were both equally unprepared to rule? A partner was expected to teach their lover how to rule the kingdom. But if no one taught Ender personally, how could he teach someone likewise?

“Sir.” Falon gritted his teeth. “What do you expect us to tell these volunteers? To go home? After we promised a fair test of love?” 

“Well, what am I meant to do then, dearest Falon? Sit on the throne whilst they give their name and attempt to swoon over my undesiring heart? False hope crumbles a kingdom's trust.”

Falon held Ender’s eyes for a second longer before sighing. “Must you use what I’ve taught against me?”

“That I must,” Ender grinned teasingly, although he knew the matter was not up yet.

“Please, Ender, just give them a chance. Maybe fate has a different path in store for you on high.” Falon was doing practically anything for Ender to at least show he cared for the event. 

With a shove on his back, Ender finally sighed and walked into the throne room, standing tall on the altar in front of where the throne was seated. He looked upon the now neatly rowed civilians of his nation and the neighboring lands, all of whom heard the call for a trial of love.

As his eyes scanned the room, they finally fell back on Falon, who gave an indiscreet nod, urging the emperor to begin. So, taking a plummeting seat upon his throne, Ender returned the nod to the contestants, allowing them to begin their icebreakers.

. . . 

Holy boredom. 

Ender was fighting to stay awake as the hundredth person spoke the same prompt once again. “I promise to uphold the oaths of the rulers.” “I will support you.” “I can help the nation prosper.” “I want what’s best for you.”

All the offers were nice, and they were all goals he was interested in. But the way each person spoke gave way to their true intentions and wants. Most of the time, he could read the greed right off their facial expressions. Other times he’d have to wait to hear their voice. But it was always the same. And it always ended in a rejection.

Falon was getting tense, along with every other servant in the room. The emperor seemed so dissociated that everyone was losing hope. With an all too familiar sigh and a pit of despair, Falon pulled the ruler away once again for a chat.

“Your highness, do you truly see no one of interest?” 

Ender wanted to roll his eyes but held back for the moment. “Falon, you are asking me to choose a partner for life on a whim. Every creature in that room is fueled by greed; you cannot tell me that you are this blind.”

“Sir, this will help the peasants trust you more. If you are married, they will view you as stable and put together. A marriage of love—”

“Love. You all throw around that word as if it is a feeble ideal. You, the bachelors, the servants—everyone! Love is important—important enough that I will not waste it on someone whom I’ve never known.”

The older man sighed; it was obvious he would get nowhere with Ender’s stubbornness. “Alright,” he accepted, lowering his head in defeat. “Just give the last participant a chance. Be fair to them.”

The emperor couldn’t argue with that, knowing he had been acting unjustly. “Fine, who is it anyways?”

. . .

“Your Majesty, I am Vern of Scaldain, the daughter of Lord Signi and Lady Felu.” A powerful woman stood below the throne’s mighty height, not even daring to curtsy or bow before Ender. That was a first. Maybe he was right to give her a chance.

“I come on terms to ally our kingdoms in a marital union. I have conditions from my rulers of what this marriage will entail.” 

Oh yeah, no, he made the wrong choice.

“Firstly, I will be given 65% of ownership over EnderVale and its peasants. Secondly, a route of travel and trade will be opened to connect EnderVale and Scaldain.” Ender wanted to speak up and tell her how wrong she was, but the whole situation was so ridiculous that he could only stare at her.

“Thirdly, 70% of EnderVale’s resources will be exported into Scaldain as a wedding gift.” Vern was on a roll, reciting all of her claims from memory, practically ignoring the growing look of shock and disgust on Ender’s face. 

“Finally, new temples and monuments will be built in our honor by the peasants of this nation, and offerings will be mandatory.” She was grinning now, certain that Ender had already agreed to this. However, her grin fell when she saw Ender’s reaction.

At first, Ender was utterly disgusted by her demands and self-righteous personality. But then, he was holding a fist in front of his mouth, trying to cover up his scoffs and laughter to look like a cough.

Unfortunately, when he took one glance at Vern’s expression, he couldn’t help himself. The young emperor burst out laughing on his throne, hitting the armrests of plated gold and netherite as he cackled in delight.

“Oh! You are hilarious! Truly a blessing to hear,” Ender said, beaming down at Vern, his mood lightening tenfold. 

The servants in the room all shared uneasy glances, but they knew they couldn’t deny how preposterous Vern was. Vern herself, though, was livid. Her face was red with fury, looking just like the volcanoes native to Scaldain’s lands.

“Did you truly think I would allow any of that? In my own kingdom?” He was smiling still, but his laughter ceased, giving way to a threatening and condescending tone. 

“How dare you—” “Ah, I’m not done.”

Ender was having fun now, finally being able to reply. 

“You have no right to speak in my own palace, nor in my kingdom. Here’s what is going to happen.”

Ender leaned forward on his throne, his elbows resting on his knees while his hands intertwined into a thick fist. His frozen eyes glared at her jade irises through his lashes, a piercing steel gaze mimicking an icicle's point. 

With a growling ferocity of calmed anger, he began.

“You are to leave EnderVale respectfully, offering each of my citizens a kind wave and a bow. When you reach Scaldain, you will tell your rulers that you no longer wish to marry the emperor of EnderVale. When they ask about resources, you are to tell them that the continent will see to Scaldain’s needs better than EnderVale would ever offer. You will never return to my kingdom, or I shall have your head on display at Scaldain’s gates. Do I make myself clear?”

“...” 

Vern looked at the ground in resignation, avoiding the horrified and angry stares of every servant and knight in the room.

“I understand.” Vern managed to speak, wringing her fingers together behind her back to hide her emotions from Ender. The emperor himself made a pleased sound but didn’t move from his predatory pose.

“See her out. I want this woman removed from my kingdom in an honorable fashion.” 

And with that, Ender stood up and turned away. 

. . .

“What was that?!” Falon was having a rough time understanding what just happened as he walked beside Ender in the castle’s halls. “Your parents would never approve, your highness!”

“My parents would have never been in that situation, Falon.” 

The ruler was walking with his hands behind his back, keeping a professional appearance as they passed servants and guards and nobles alike. “I did what I felt was right. Would you blame my father the same?”

That made Falon go quiet. Ender had never talked about his parents so much in such a formal manner. Despite not being raised by his parents, he acted like them in every way.

“Now, if you’ll excuse your emperor,” they had reached the end of a heavily guarded hall, with a magnificent door looming over them. “I have business to attend to.”