His personality needs work though. Personally, I’d go for Lancelot in real life.
But in stories like these, the nicer alternative tend to be boring for readers. It’s sad.
That’s true. Usually in stories these types of characters get their arc and then everything is rosy (unless, its one of those rare ones where they actually choose the good guy...but then a predictament and mess is usually there that makes the MC hard to attain them). In real life, i would want a lancelot as well.
But based on how the princess sees the MC, we still dont know what lengths she will take to ‘off her off the face of the earth” . In the original story wendont know 100% the cause of alicias death. If it comes to survival a contract marriage with Ares...when it comes to love ...yes the fitting option would be lancelot (unless there is something else..we still need more info on the characters we only got snipets)
Look at Ares entering all hot and unbothered into the scene. Just marry him, not only is he favoured by the emperor (your brother), he rich and respectable. So he can protect u more leniently if princess butterswine tries to cut your head off,