Aria happily strolled in the garden, as her hair flutters in the cool afternoon breeze. She finally reached the marbled gazebo where her mother was waiting. The gazebo glistened under the bright sun and looked enchanting surrounded by dozens of various flowers. Usually, they would have lunch in the main dining room, but after her mother gave birth and was cooped up inside the mansion for weeks, she decided to have lunch outside today.

“Sweetheart, you’re here,” her mother’s soft voice called over. “I hope you weren’t in the middle of anything important.” 

Aria smiled. “Of course not, mother.” 

Aria looked over to her baby brother in her mother’s arm. A big smile formed on her face as she stopped herself from running up and pinching his small soft cheeks. Aria bowed and gave her greeting. Finally, she slowly reached over to softly pat her baby brother’s cheek. 

Eugene’s innocent, blue eyes gleamed at the warmth from Aria’s hand.

“Look mother! He’s cooing to me. Eugene definitely knows I’m his sister,” Aria pridefully explained to her mother. “He’s also not crying or fussing anymore when I touch his cheeks.” 

 “Of course, he knows you,” her mother laughed. “His eyesight is also getting better now that he’s growing.” 

“Yes, Eugene is growing.” She gazed over Eugene’s plumped cheeks that reminded her of buttered biscuits. “And growing so adorably cute. I wonder if he’ll become as handsome as brother Cedric.” Aria pondered and chuckled at the sight of Eugene struggling to drink milk from their mother’s chest. 

“Of course, he’ll grow up to look just like Cedric, and maybe even more handsome than your father,” her mother said and warmly smiled down at Eugene in her arms. “He’ll grow big and strong and protect his sister, won’t he?” she said and squeezed him slightly. Eugene squirmed but continue to have his meal delightfully. 

“Is brother Cedric having lunch with us too?” Aria asked as she started helping herself to the sandwiches and refreshments. Everything looked so delicious. 

“No, he won’t be joining us,” her mother replied. “He’s in a council meeting with your father and a few aristocrats of the Marcellus house. They’ll have their lunch together later.”

Aria nodded and continued eating. She was famished from studying all morning. 

“I called you here because I wanted to know how your studies are going,” her mother said. “Miss Florence has only expressed positive opinions of you; especially with the abrupt changes in your studies.”

“My studies are going great…” Aria smiled wryly. “I’m struggling with needlework, but I’m sure I’ll get better with more practice.”

“I’m sure you’ll do well. You always exceed my expectations,” her mother said as she swaddled Eugene in her arms.

As Aria continue to finish her meal, she thought about on how caring and loving her mother was. Although, she was strict with Aria’s etiquette lessons, she has never expressed displeasure at her spontaneous hobbies like riding horses, hunting, or sword trainings with Cedric. In fact, she actually encouraged it, and often asked Aria what else she'd liked to do.

Almost as if time was running out.

Aria put her half-eaten sandwich down. “M-Mother, can I ask you a personal question?”

Aria’s fingers gently caressed the edges of her teacup, and she hesitated to continue. Will her mother be disappointed in her? Will her mother think she’s childish for asking such a silly question? 

Her mother may have noticed her nervousness and waved for a maid to come take Eugene. 

“Aria…” her mother softly said and covered Aria’s trembling hands. “Go ahead and ask me what you want to know.”

A small smile formed on her lips after seeing her mother’s calm expression.

“D-Did you love father when you married him?” she asked curiously.

Aria’s mother paused at her unusual question. 

As a highborn noble daughter, it was normal to have engagements and marriages with other noble sons without ever seeing them. And Aria knew her situation would be no different. But even so, she wanted to know about her parents’ experience. Knowing that would somehow calm her nerves about the baseless rumors of her engagement.

Aria’s mother looked out to the beautiful flowers surrounding them and smiled. 

“I was fortunate enough to have met your father before we married and had already fell deeply in love with him,” her mother said as she reminisced her younger days. 

“You met him before you were married?” Aria asked, clasping her hands together.

“Yes, and he was so handsome that I immediately accepted the proposal, and marriage. We both fell in love,” her mother’s voice softened as she said the word love. 

“Oh, I wish I could also experience the same thing too.” Aria commented, her voice hopeful.

Her mother hesitated to respond to her. As Aria realized that, her smile faded. 

“Your father and I…our experience is unique,” her mother finally said and reached over to Aria’s hands. “I’m sure your father will consider this for you too with your upcoming engagement.”

After playing with Eugene and talking to her mother about her studies, Aria finally took the chance wonder around the garden. She gazed happily at all the new flowers her mother had requested the gardener to plant. The flowers ranged in all different colors and varieties and made their garden bloom in delight. Aria felt like she was in a wonderful fairytale, and she was a tiny fairy going around blessing each and every flower.

As Aria walked through the garden, hidden deep within the dozens of other colorful flowers, she found one tiny rose bush. They were white roses – pure, innocent, and eternally white that reminded her a grand wedding where the bride promised her future husband, eternal loyalty. Aria bent over to the small bush that was quite far in and smiled at the sight of the white roses. They were small, bright, and truly so pure.

They’re the same color as my hair.

Aria reached over to her white hair strands cascading over her shoulders, and softly touched them. She smiled. 

Will I ever be a bride who can swear eternal loyalty to the person I love?

“Aria, what are you doing hiding in the bushes?” her mother called out to her, still holding baby Eugene in her arms. “Did you find some flowers you like? I’ll let the gardener know and he can pick them out for you.”

“Mother…” Aria called out and excitedly rushed out from the spot. “I didn’t know we had white roses here. They’re so beautiful…”

Aria’s eyes gleamed brightly, and almost hugged herself in delight.

“How come we don’t plant more of the bushes around the garden like the others? I think it would be so wonderful to see them every day.” 

Aria can only dream of holding a bundle of white roses in her hands and walking down a long and beautiful aisle with her future lover by her side. Even if it was a dream, she wanted to keep on dreaming. And it will require her to be enveloped in these beautiful white roses.

“White roses?” her mother questioned. “I’m sure I told the gardener to get rid of them.”

Aria’s gaze sullen.

“Get rid of them? Why?” she questioned suddenly. 

“Well, the trait of the Marcellus house is our white/silver hair. Mine is more platinum, but nevertheless, it's almost the same color as white roses. Those white roses pale us in comparison to the other colorful flowers in this garden,” her mother explained. 

She looked straight into Aria’s blue eyes. “And we shouldn’t surround over selves with such flowers that makes us dull.”

“But I think this flower is beautiful…” Aria mumbled. “I believe it’s the color of the Marcellus house.”

Her mother shook her head.

“No. A flower this dull should never represent the Marcellus’s,” her mother sternly explained. “You should know better than compare the Marcellus’s to a flower that does nothing but undermines the power your father, the marquess, and his previous predecessors have cultivated.”

Aria’s mother motioned the gardener nearby to come and dig out the last remaining white rose bush. The sight of it being dug out felt like sharp knife was cutting into her chest. 

“White roses look weak and somber. If you like roses…” her mother thought for a second and smiled. “Then red roses suit you much better sweetheart.”

Aria simply nodded to her mother’s suggestion. 

Maybe comparing white roses to the Marcellus house was overreaching. With their hair so white already, if they were to stand behind a row of white rose bushes, they would simply blend in and fade away. Aria could understand why her mother was disappointed in her comparison. Such a flower should not exist in their gardens – even if Aria thought they were truly beautiful.

***

“Your grace, would you like a moment alone?” Harrison asked after seeing the frustrated look in Marquess's face. 

He shook his head.

“Has Aria completed her studies?” 

“No, the young lady has not.” Harrison responded. “She just returned from the training grounds with Cedric.”

“Training grounds?” he smiled. “Call Aria in. I need to speak with her.” 

Marquess Ermis sat back in his chair, and contemplated on what to do next regarding his only daughter, Aria Marcellus, and the future of the Marcellus house.

The three great powers under the Augustus royal family were the Marcellus, Carina, and Delphina houses; however, beneath these powerful Houses, lay a tremulous power struggle that had span for hundreds of years. 

To decrease the fast-growing powers of the Delphina House, whose holy powers were equaled to the Augustus royal family, Emperor Damien Augustus married the daughter of the Carina House, Catherine Carina. Unfortunately, this marriage made the growing Delphina House more frustrated, and so under immense pressure, the emperor took in a lower imperial concubine from the Delphina House, Sylvia Delphina. 

Because the Marcellus's held no significant holy powers, they essentially became the mediator between the houses and royal family, but that soon changed after the death of Catherine, the empress. 

This unfortunate event forced the Marcellus’s to join hands with the Carina’s and engage in an all-out political warfare. This drained the marquess immensely, and now he was forced to considered marrying his only daughter to the crown prince, Catherine’s only son. 

***

Aria sat still in her father’s study, and waited as he finished his work. The sound of the pen scratching against the paper, and sound of the cold autumn wind blowing outside only made it apparent how silent and intense the room was. She has never stepped foot in here before, so she knew her father was planning to have a very important discussion with her.

“Aria,” her father finally said, the sound of pen scratching stopped. “I heard you are taking your studies very seriously. I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you, father.” Aria’s eyes lit up.

“I hope you continue this enthusiasm,” her father continued. “Like how I have high expectations of Cedric, I also have high expectations of you.”

Aria smiled, her finger fidgeting around as she takes in her father’s kind praises. Growing up as a daughter to the Marcellus house was a truly a privilege, but a lonely one as well. Not many expectations were put on her, like how it was for the marquess’ heir. So, she lived almost like Cedric’s quiet shadow, waiting for the moment to step out and shine next to him. 

If her engagement and future marriage would allow her to be useful to her family, then she would gladly do it with pride.

“I’m sure you’ve heard about the rumors of your engagement,” her father mentioned.

“Yes, I did hear; however, I won’t believe anything until I hear it directly from you father,” Aria responded. “Whomever you choose as my fiancé, I am willing to accept.”

Her Father’s eyes drawn down. “As you know, the Marcellus house is in a situation where every connection to a noble family is important. The House who you will marry into will also need to strengthen not only our family, but theirs too.”

Aria nodded. 

Noble families, especially powerful ones, tend to not marry for the sake of love or affections. Their duty was to marry for the sake of their families, and if love was to bloom, that would be a blessing – just like her father and mother’s marriage.

“Although nothing is promised, right now the best candidate as your fiancé is the Crown Prince of Aruelleia. I have met him before, and he is very capable like his father the emperor, and soft spoken like his mother, the late Empress.”

Aria nodded again, but this time her head fell slightly lower.

“He’s only a few years older than you, but I’m sure you and him will have pleasant conversations.” Her father suddenly reached over to his desk and grabbed something. He handed it to Aria.

“What is this?” Aria asked, as her father dropped a gold detailed seal in her hand. 

“You will start coming with me and your brother to the imperial palace regularly. You should familiarize yourself with the palace grounds and find time to meet and chat with the crown prince.”

Aria clutched the seal tightly and nodded. “Yes, father.”

Everything seemed to move so fast. After the conversation with her father about the crown prince, the topic turned to her coming-of-age ceremony. Aria just continued to nod to her father’s other explanations and requests like a doll. 

Aria looked down at the golden seal in front of her and tuned out her father’s speech about the history of the Marcellus house. Her mother was right. Her father was planning to have her meet and fall in love with the crown prince before they were engaged and married. Aria was being given the same opportunity that her parents were able to experience.

But the thought of entering the imperial palace regularly and to meet with the crown prince was daring decision on her father’s part. 

The Marcellus house has never openly participated in political theatricals. Her father could have quietly kept this decision a secret until their promised day. And despite that, her father was willing risk having an open battlefield with the other noble families, and announce his intention make Aria the crown princess. 

The pressure on Aria had just increased ten-fold.

***

“Father...” Cedric’s face paled. “Is there no other way?”

Cedric was just briefed by his father about her sister’s situation. His father knew that the decision to allow Aria regular visits to the imperial palace could be dangerous. This risked Aria’s life, and she may be targeted or hurt by enemies who have intentions to make their own daughters the crown princess. 

“Based on the report of Delphina’s movement, we must side with the Carina house. The Delphina’s cannot continue to ignore the imperial sanctions and regulations imposed onto them by us.” 

His father’s voice cracked. “It is the only way. Even I do not want my only daughter to be used as a political pawn, but my duty as head of the Marcellus house, and vassal to the royal family comes first.” 

Cedric, you must protect your sister.