The Fae King's Borrowed Bride

I make a living fixing other people's fae bargains. Flat fee, no refunds, no follow-ups. Then a client handed me a marriage contract with the King of the Summer Court, and I did the stupidest thing a hedge-witch can do: I read it. There's a clause nobody uses. It says the bride may petition for a real marriage at the end of the year, and the king must answer. I'm the twelfth mortal bride Aurelian has bought to keep a treaty quiet. He has pensioned the other eleven, been courteous to all of them, and married none. He expected me to be a signature and a departure. He didn't read the fine print. One year in a court that smiles while it sharpens. One year of wine I check for poison. One year with a king who has been doing this for eight centuries and is very, very tired. At the end, I get to ask him a question. And he has to give me a real answer.