"Marriage!? To the son of a tyrant king! Father, must I remind you that I am to be your heir!" Amelia raised her voice without noticing. She couldn't believe that a letter had shattered her dreams, as the news had taken a toll on her mind and heart. Not only that, but her fool of a brother, Amon, was to become the heir.

"By new decree, Amon will become the next King of Castellan and you the Queen of Toveria!"

"Father, Amon can't even stand on his own feet! He can't even wield a sword. Have you paid no heed to the rumors of different women coming out of his chambers every morning?" Amelia was beginning to sound desperate, but she was telling the truth. Even the king avoided Amelia's gaze upon hearing the truths of his pathetic son.

"Is that the kind of leader you want for this nation, father?" 

"Enough." King Richard warned as he rubbed his forehead. 

"I, on the other hand, know strategy and have shown-" 

"I said enough!" King Richard shouted as he stood up from his throne. His voice echoed through the hall.

Amelia had taken a step back. She was frightened to her bones. This was the first time her father raised his voice towards her.  Amelia knew his father to be a wise, compassionate, and caring King loved by his people. He was poised in any situation and demonstrated leadership, but today he was nowhere to be seen.  Desperation was only seen through his eyes. 

The King sighed and sat back on his golden throne, avoiding her daughter's gaze. Amelia was lost for words. Unsure if to continue to prove her right to the throne or follow along with her father's command. 

"You will depart in a week," said the King.

"But father-"

"There is no other way! Your marriage to Prince Edmund is the only solution to bring peace to all of us. As a princess of Castellan, you must do your duty!" 

No other words were spoken by Amelia, her gaze was fixed on the floor. The word duty clouded her mind as tears hung in the corner of her eyes. 

"Guards!" The King commanded and the two guards stationed by the door came inside the throne hall with haste. "Take her away!"

Amelia raised her head and looked into her father's eyes engulfed in regret.

"Father I-" Amelia was cut off when she felt her arms apprehended with force. "Wait!" The guards did not listen to her plea and began to drag her down the hall. "Father! Please, there must be another way!" Amelia shouted but her plea was useless. 

King Richard had gotten up from his throne and disappeared into the shadows of the hall as the doors to the throne hall closed in Amelia's face. Her held-back tears finally streamed down her rosy cheeks as she tried to steady her breath. 

"M-my lady?" Amelia turned around to see Sophy and her other two ladies waiting for her in the long hall with concern plastered on their faces. 

"I wish to be alone," said Amelia as her head hung low. "The day is yours to enjoy."

"But, my lady-" 

"It is an order!" Amelia shouted creating an imaginary barrier between her and Sophy who had backed up a few steps. Amelia knew that this wasn't her and that she needed to apologize but instead ran away. 

Amelia kept running and running as more tears trailed down her cheeks. She was now in the hallway where the portraits of her ancestors hung. The servants were no longer cleaning the hall making it perfect for Amelia to stop and take a breather. As she looked around the portraits she spotted her family's portrait of her mother, her father, her foolish brother, and her. Amelia was 12 when that portrait was painted and when her mother passed away. 

Since her mother's passing, Amelia's father was no longer the same. He had become harsher on Amelia and disciplined her to become the next ruler of Castellan. Now, Amelia felt like those years of endurance and preparation were meaningless but a thought had crossed her mind. 

I'll prove it to him. I'll prove to my father that there is another way to stop this war. 

With newfound courage, Amelia continued her path down the hall as the sun shined upon her slender figure from the tall windows. Exiting the hall with pride and elegance. 

<><><>

"Wise choice, Your Majesty," said Lord Baston, the King's chancellor who stood in front of the King's desk. 

After the audience with her daughter, King Richard dismissed himself to his office. He was writing a letter to Prince Edmund informing him that he had approved the treaty that would save both nations from going bankrupt and being invaded by other countries. 

"What other solution could there be? Arranged marriages have always been the solution to bring peace between nations.", said King Richard to Lord Baston. 

"Indeed, but Your Majesty, I find myself concerned about how Princess Amelia reacted to the news. Do you think she will proceed as you've commanded?"

"You dare doubt my own blood? Do you think my daughter would run away from her duty?"

"I ask for your majesty's forgiveness." Baston bowed his head in repentance. 

"Let us make haste with the preparations." 

"Yes, your Majesty."

King Richard folded the letter he had written, sealed it with red wax, and stamped the royal seal above it.  He gave the letter to Lord Baston which he took immediately and left the room. It was the twenty-fifth sigh in the day that King Richard had let out. 

He closed his eyes and remembered the scene that he caused in the throne room. He felt the pain and fear that Amelia was feeling at the moment, but mostly the betrayal. 

<><><>

On the Queen's deathbed, a year before the war. King Richard promised his wife to make Amelia's dreams come true and protect her until he gave out his last breath. To make things worse, that promise was easily forgotten as the war with the Toverian Kingdom began. His focus was on winning the war and raising the funds for more weapons. He had forgotten that he had a daughter nonetheless a son. 

One day, the King was asked to see the newly listed recruits at the training grounds. He expected to see men ready to go into battle but instead saw a pile of defeated bodies under the sword of his daughter. His eyes weren't deceived that day, Amelia possessed great talent with the sword and intelligence that could be used on the battlefield. 

However, the king prohibited her daughter from going on any expeditions. He instead used her to plan new strategies to win the war. One time they were close to ending the bloodshed but their plan had backfired. On that painful day, the King saw Amelia blaming herself for the deaths of the friends she made on the day she visited the training grounds. King Richard was afraid to approach his daughter and console her. He blamed himself for allowing his daughter to take command and experience such defeat and pain. Convincing him of Amelia never wearing the crown and bearing the responsibility that came with it. 

In the following months, the war had ceased for a while as both nations were beginning to run out of funds making their nations a target to outer kingdoms to attack and steal their land. During that time, King Richard tried to teach his son Amon the ways of a leader but he never learned. Amelia, on the other hand, kept pushing for her father to notice her accomplishments in domestic affairs, but King Richard refused to acknowledge her. 

Then the letter from Prince Edmund arrived.

King Richard held the letter from Prince Edmund in his hands, carefully examining its contents. The words on the parchment announced the prince's desire for a peace treaty through an arranged marriage. However, skepticism clouded King Richard's thoughts, and he couldn't help but suspect a trap.

As the letter lay above the palms of his hands, King Richard's brows furrowed, and his mind raced with doubts. Conflicts and bloodshed had marred the history between their kingdoms. How could Prince Edmund's sudden proposition be genuine? Was this a ploy to gain an advantage over his kingdom? These questions echoed through King Richard's mind, fueling his suspicions.

The weight of responsibility pressed upon him as he pondered the potential consequences of accepting the treaty. Could he entrust the safety and well-being of his daughter and people to this prince? King Richard understood the importance of peace, but he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something was amiss.

With a heavy sigh, King Richard set the letter down on his desk, its corners curling slightly. He knew he couldn't make a hasty decision, for the fate of his kingdom hung in the balance. Therefore, he consulted his most trusted advisors, gathered intelligence on Prince Edmund's intentions, and weighed the risks and benefits of accepting the proposed peace treaty. Though skepticism lingered, King Richard acknowledged that peace was worth pursuing. Even if meant breaking a promise he'd made to his wife or his daughter's dream. 

<>To be continued<>