"You will need to wed the Prince of the Shoubet Kingdom.   He will become the King very soon." 

"What are you saying? Why would I have to wed him? I haven't even seen him once!" 

Mother suddenly shot me a fierce look.

 "Be quiet! This Kingdom is falling apart and Shoubet is the only one that can help us! We need resources, food, materials!" 

 I had never seen my mother prattle so quickly and angrily at...me... 

Shouldn't I be the angry one?!  

The air escaped from my chest and it seemed the once huge room began to close down on me. 

"I-it has already been determined. Y-you will travel to the East in a w-weeks time.." Father said.

"How could you be so cruel...? Something you both didn't have to do, why do I have to do it!"

A pained look haunted dad's face and he said nothing. 

"The wedding date has yet to be set, but you will still have time to get acquainted with him before anything." Mother quietly mumbled. "...If you had a sibling, you wouldn't have to do this..." 

"Passing this cursed tradition to someone else isn't any better! 

"Stop shouting!" father exclaimed.

I could hear my own breath coming more quickly now.  No. No!

Quickly turning now, I grabbed my dress and ran out the room. Damond said something as I passed but I could not hear what it was. 

I slammed my room shut and crashed into my bed. My favourite black pillow started to soak. How could this be happening?...This could not be the only way...

Personally, I was never one to think about marriage. I thought it would come at the right time when I found the person I loved. 

All my life I had just assumed this would be the case, as were with my mother and father. 

Love, then marriage. Being sold off for monetary purposes was not what I had in mind. 

"Huck!" "Huck!" 

My hiccups unforgivably interrupted my tears. No, I want to cry more...I want to cry! I would rather cry than reminisce about the future that had now slipped away from my hands. 

The beautiful scenes of my future I once had in my head, now seemed like faded memories that I could barely remember. 

All I could see when I pictured my future now.... was myself trapped in an inescapable cage, locked with masks of pretense joy.

Soon, I would have to pretend.

Lying upwards now I stared at my bed curtains. The last tear trickled to the side of my face and my conscious began to fade into darkness....

Knock Knock!

Did I imagine a knock on the door just now?... 

It...it didn't matter anymore. 

                                                                                         ***

A shake. Another shake. Who is waking me at this hour! 

"Your Highness..." 

Ugh, It must be Daniella. 

How could it already be morning?! 

I tried to lift my heavy eyelids open but the sun caught it and almost blinded me. Ow...

"It is past noon your Highness."

It was as if my body were pure lead and my arms were no more than chopsticks. The feeling of getting up after crying the night before seemed more exhausting than being woken for dance lessons.

 Maybe it was the sadness and sorrow that weighed so heavily on me. 

"Um... y-your Highness. I have something to tell you. Um..." 

I could see her face more clearly now.  

Her bright red hair was more obvious sunlight and the freckles that dotted her face were often covered by a red shade of blush that could easily be seen through her pale skin.

"You may speak Daniella." 

I hadn't realized that my voice was still stuck with the pain of last night. It sounded groggy so I cleared my throat. 

She held both of her hands in each other and began to speak.

"W-we all heard about the situation l-last night and ..um...o-on behalf o-of all the servants...we are all very s-sorry Your Highness!" 

Ah. They all pitied me. As a princess, is it right to be pitied by my servants...? 

It shouldn't matter.

"I appreciate all of your concern and worry...but..."

"There is no need to worry Your Highness! Her Majesty the Queen has appointed me to accompany you through the journey and stay with you as your personal maid!"

Her green eyes seemed to burn with passion as she said that. 

Wait. Mother is actually letting me bring one of my favourite maids along? Is this my parents' way of trying to ease my anger...? 

How ridiculous. 

Still, I should appreciate it. It would have been terrible to go by myself. 

She opened her mouth to speak again. "And of course, Penelope and the Royal Guard will come as well."

"I appreciate your loyalty Daniella...as of the rest of you."

I meant that.

.....

"...Oh yes! I have brought tea and breakfast Your Highness. The bath is also ready."

Oh...

"It is alright. Please put it down. I will bathe and dress myself today." I knew she would be upset by my words. 

"Ah, alright... I will take my leave then Princess."

After bowing she put the tray down and began to leave the room. Her face seemed to darken with sadness but a smile dawned her face before she closed the door.

I wasn't even hungry. I'm not in the mood to eat....

Instead, I grabbed my unfinished novel and went to sit by the window sill.

I hadn't realised since that I had already been changed out of my dress overnight. I was in my nightgown now.

Knock Knock!

Clack! 

I already knew who it was without looking.

Oh Damond...