"I am sorry, Aurora."
Charles Celesta, King of the Celesta Kingdom, apologized to his daughter. Even on his handsome face, there was a faint shadow of reluctance, something restrained but impossible to miss.
He leaned back into his throne and tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest, in attempt to compose himself.
"Is Mother aware of this, Father?"
Aurora asked the question with a stiff expression.
It was taking all of her control to keep her face neutral after hearing what her father had asked of her.
"Your mother…"
Charles turned his gaze to the left, toward the empty throne reserved for the queen, his wife.
"I told her," he said at last, "but as you noticed, she is not here. She refused to hand you over to Thomen's son."
He let out a sigh.
"Your mother truly cares for you, Aurora. She shouted, argued, and nearly fought me to make me reverse my decision."
A small laugh escaped him as he remembered the furious expression his wife had worn when he had broken the news to her. Charles was a [Monarch], ruler of the kingdom, a man before whom ministers, generals, and nobles bent without hesitation.
And yet, faced with his enraged wife, he had been almost powerless.
Still, he had not yielded.
He had remained firm in his decision.
That decision was to offer his daughter, his pride to Edward Falkrona, heir to the powerful Falkrona Duchy.
"..."
Aurora smiled faintly at her father's words.
On her young face rested an expression of resignation, but not of despair. There was serenity in it too, a quiet acceptance that made her seem older than her years.
She knew what was expected of her.
As a princess, this was her duty to the kingdom.
She had to marry Edward so that the royal family and House Falkrona would be tied together more deeply than ever before, strengthening their bond and reinforcing their power within the kingdom.
The Falkrona House was feared even beyond the borders of Celesta.
In truth, it inspired even more fear than the royal family itself.
Its military might was terrifying enough, but beyond that there was the blessing of the family, and above all, Belle Falkrona. A genius of warfare, unmatched in strategy, she had never known defeat on the battlefield. Together with Duke Thomen Falkrona, her elder brother, she formed a pair so overwhelming that even neighboring nations spoke of them with caution.
Charles wanted to tie these two people currently resident in his Kingdom to his house, on top of also potentially earning the support of the Head of the Falkrona House, Thomen's father.
"I understand, Father. I will do as you ask."
Aurora raised her head slightly, and a determined expression settled onto her face.
Charles looked at her in silence for a moment.
He did not know whether he should feel proud to see such resolve on the face of his thirteen-year-old daughter…
Or grieve for the fate awaiting her.
Because that fate was not one most women would welcome.
She was being asked to marry Edward Falkrona.
In the span of three years, Edward had become the most infamous boy in the kingdom.
He had already been known before that, praised as a gifted child, admired for his intelligence, his talent, and the promise he seemed to carry. But after he passed the age of ten, his name spread for entirely different reasons.
And none of them were good.
He was now infamous for chasing after every woman who caught his eye. Rumors claimed he harassed maids without shame and would have gone much further if not for the intervention of his younger sister or his father on several occasions.
Those stories had spread everywhere.
Too many of them.
Too consistently.
And all of it was bewildering.
The boy who had once been described as kind, bright, and brave had changed into something unrecognizable. Many guessed that his mother's death had shattered him, and perhaps that was true, but even then, the violence of the change left people stunned.
Aurora included.
She had known Edward since childhood.
The Edward of before had not frightened her.
The Edward of now made the thought of this engagement settle bitterly in her chest.
"Strange movements have been reported within the Arvatra Empire," Charles continued. "According to our spies, Ante-Eden has grown unusually active over the last few years. Our kingdom needs to be strong and united now more than ever."
Even as he spoke, Charles felt pathetic.
Those words were true, but they also sounded like justification. An excuse. A shield he was hiding behind so his daughter would more easily accept the choice he had made for her.
"If not you," he said after a pause, "then I will have to give Syl."
"No, Father."
Aurora's voice rose immediately the moment her younger sister's name left his lips.
There was no hesitation in her answer.
No softness either.
She would never allow that.
If someone had to be sacrificed, then it would be her.
Not Sylvia.
"Aurora…" Charles's expression darkened. "If he becomes uncontrollable… if he ever tries to force himself on you, I will not hesitate to cancel everything."
There was frost in his voice when he made that promise.
For all the compromise he was making as king, he was still a father.
Aurora smiled gently at the concern hidden beneath his stern tone.
She would never resent him.
On the contrary, she was grateful.
Grateful that he had at least spoken to her directly. Grateful that he had not treated her like a mere bargaining tool without a voice. Grateful that, even now, he was trying in his own way to protect her.
"I have known Edward for years, Father…" She said softly.
For a brief instant, old memories surfaced in her heart, images of a boy who had laughed more easily, who had once looked at the world without that ugliness attached to his name.
"I may be able to bring him back to how he was before…"
She trailed off a bit, before clenching her fists slightly.
"No. I will change him. It is my duty as his future fiancée."
Her gentle smile turned wry.
It was still beautiful.
But there was sadness in it now.