Drabbling – Empire

Today, with her marriage, the truce would become full peace. There was no time to make the preparations, but standing with her commanders to meet the delegation, she realised that no preparations would have helped her anyway.
Their leader was young – younger than herself, but then this war had taken many older nobles.
“I come to fulfil the honour of my Clan, to bind the peace by marriage.”
She stepped forward trying to hide her true feelings.
“Then I welcome you – as my third husband.”
It was a slow way to expand her Empire, but it was proving remarkably effective.

E.M. Swift-Hook