Noah blinked in surprise, staring at Edric.
For a moment, he thought he'd misheard him, but his mind offered no other option for what he'd said. The High Magus truly wanted him to become engaged to Ines.
Edric, standing before him, seemed perfectly calm, as if he'd just asked Noah to pass the salt at dinner.
"I don't expect you to marry her," Edric said finally, his tone casual and reassuring. "Not now, not even soon."
"What would hold back the pack of wolves right now is simply a betrothal. A promise. It would satisfy their demands and give the Queen what she needs most right now, which is time."
"Time?" Noah repeated quietly.
Edric nodded. "The council has been relentless. They see her youth as weakness. To them, the throne must be reinforced, whether politically, symbolically, or through a union that reassures the nobles that Camelot still stands united."
