Then the heroine should argue that point when she goes to collect the kids, rather than agree to go thru the trial. The "king" in this case seems to be an earned title from his clan, and that cheat showed him as not worthy to lead (stated in the epilogue - not the cheat, but what he put the heroine up to).

The book in question, btw, is Home from the Sea by Mercedes Lackey, under the Luna imprint. Luna was one of the first to cross-over romance with fantasy, with more of an emphasis on the romance. Lackey has done very well there, apparently, but the writing seems to have suffered quite a bit (see the note about reading a library copy - things have gone downhill enough that I'll still check it out, but only when I happen across a copy).