Enemies Meet in an Arranged Marriage

EMIAAM 6

“Leo!” Kaon slammed open the door to his sister’s office, the scent of his deceased father’s old study filling his nostrils.

Two figures occupied the space: the ever-present Joseph and, of course, Leo, the current owner of the office.

Joseph, ever the stickler for propriety, frowned in disapproval. Kaon’s mother, a staunch defender of etiquette, would surely faint upon witnessing such blatant disrespect. Yet, something in Kaon’s thunderous expression made Joseph hesitate.

“We can finish this later,” Leo muttered.

“Yes, Master,” Joseph replied, his gaze dropping away from Kaon’s burning eyes.

Unfortunately for Joseph, Kaon’s anger sharpened his perception. “What’s that reaction about?” he demanded, “Everyone knew but me?!”

The absurdity of being the last person to know about this burned in his gut. It felt like a betrayal he couldn’t comprehend.

Leo, ever calm and collected, simply replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb!” Kaon roared, his patience running out. “Who else could have possibly ordered me to share a room with the princess?!”

“Ah,” Leo responded nonchalantly, triggering a fresh wave of frustration in Kaon.

“Is that all you have to say?” Kaon’s voice rose an octave.

Leo only offered a small nod, further twisting the knot in Kaon’s stomach. He groaned, burying his hand in his already ruffled hair. The pressure threatened to make his head explode.

“There’s no reason to object. You’re already engaged, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, you’ll be married when you come of age. This isn’t just a casual promise; it’s a formal agreement between our families. Besides, they’ve entrusted their princess to our care, and sharing a room is simply the most practical arrangement,” Leo tried to explain.

“But why? We just needed mages, and they needed the money. It was supposed to be as simple as that!”

“You’re well aware. Yes, we need mages. We’ll continue to need them in the future.”

“Why are you bringing that up again? We’ve already discussed that before.”

Ferdinand desperately needed mages, while Ingelos was on the verge of financial ruin, desperately needing funds to keep the lights on. Ironically, despite being sworn enemies, they were the perfect trading partners for each other.

So a deal was struck. Alessia’s arrival symbolized their new alliance. Kaon, however, couldn’t fathom why Leonidas was reiterating this.

“Didn’t I tell you already? You two are engaged, with a few years before the actual wedding, of course.”

“But we’re not of age yet…”

“Marriage with parental consent was still possible, you know,” Leonidas countered, “until as recent as ten years ago. It was quite common back then. While unconventional, it’s certainly not out of the question. If Duke Aubrey hadn’t caused such a stir with his scandalous behavior, this wouldn’t even be an issue.”

Kaon vaguely recalled the incident. The king’s younger brother’s unsavory actions led to the abrupt ban on underage marriages.

“Any other questions?” Leonidas inquired.

Kaon refrained from mentioning the room-sharing situation. He knew the difference between an engagement and marriage, and rehashing that specific point seemed pointless. His priority was understanding the reasoning before addressing it with Alessia, especially since he wouldn’t dare to claim it was a mistake.

Leonidas strolled towards the window, her gaze sweeping across their prosperous land. Lush fields and a temperate climate attracted a large population to Ferdinand. However, bordering them to the left was the menacing monster forest. Just as humans gravitated towards areas with abundant resources, so did monsters.

The protective barrier erected by mages around the forest was steadily weakening. More anomalies were being detected, requiring frequent intervention from the Royal Knights. Lives had been tragically lost, and Leonidas, vowing to protect her territory at all costs, was constantly seeking solutions.

“Ingelos is desperate, yet refuses to yield to the king’s demands. Their current docility is a begrudging acknowledgement of their precarious situation,” Leonidas explained.

They would rather entrust their mages to an enemy’s family than surrender to the king’s control. The agreement even stipulated that Ingelos held full responsibility if their provided mage failed to fulfill their obligations.

“But once their hunger has been satiated, won’t they be showing their true colors?*1[T/N: the original dialogue here said something like, “can the feeling of hunger be the same as the feeling of fullness?” Which is a rhetorical question that can also be interpreted as a reflection on the human condition. We often crave what we don’t have, and when we finally get it, we may not appreciate it as much as we thought we would.]” Kaon questioned.

Such was the gamble with magic research. Failure can cost a fortune, but success can build a family’s legacy. People were still drawn to the unknown. The success of a mage could not be compared to that of a knight.

“So you’re saying I have to share a room with her just because Ingelos might become uncooperative? Talk about a twisted logic!” Kaon thought, bewildered by his sister’s statements.

Kaon scoffed, still not convinced. “She’s a princess, pampered and delicate. It was stressful enough that she moved to an unfamiliar territory, but asking her to share a room with some hulking guy? She’ll be running for the hills.”

“That wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

“What?” Kaon sputtered.

“If the engagement falls apart, the side who called it off is on the hook. Princess flees the scene, Ingelos owes us a hefty chunk of change,” Leo said flatly, closing the curtains and plunging the room into darkness.

Kaon, about to explode, stopped short as he looked at his sister. Since when had she looked so cold and devoid of emotion?

His memories painted a different picture of his older sister. She was not overly affectionate, but she was kind. When he got into trouble with their parents, she casually sneaked him his favorite snacks as an effort to somehow cheer him up.

Now, this stranger in front of him was willing to exploit a young princess, throwing her into a terrifying situation. He understood that Leonidas was playing the political game, but some things just went against his conscience.

“So, you’re suggesting I scare her off? Make her miserable?”

“Or you could charm the princess’ pants off her so she doesn’t want to leave,” Leo countered. “Sharing a room breeds familiarity, after all. If that seems more manageable, fine. Though her family might throw a fit.”

“Enough with the crazy ideas!” Kaon snapped.

“Neither option appeals? Then find a reason to disqualify her. If Ingelos plays dirty, they’ll face consequences too.”

Ultimately, it boiled down to Alessia: would she stay or leave? And that likely hinged on how his household treated her. The deadline was their coming-of-age ceremony, where their families would revisit the marriage talk.

“Kaon, don’t forget,” Leonidas said, her voice serious, “we need a loyal mage, dedicated solely to Ferdinand.”

With a familiar face but speaking unfamiliar words, Kaon slipped out of the office, leaving his sister behind.

***

“Ugh, fantastic.” Kaon groaned, rubbing his face. He sought for answers but left with a mountain of new questions. How is he supposed to explain this mess?

The initial shock from Baroness Robert’s announcement had left him speechless. Then, realizing it wasn’t a joke, he stormed to his sister’s office immediately.

He couldn’t even remember what the princess looked like. Probably for the best; he was too embarrassed to look at her anyway.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Now, he had to explain this whole situation. And to what extent could he even be honest?

“Ugh, how am I supposed to break this to her? Basically, tell her ‘tough luck, don’t like it? Pack your bags and send another mage who’ll stick around. Or, you know, just fall in love with me and deal with it’?”

Just the thought of uttering those words made Kaon cringe. He wasn’t that dense. It was absolutely not happening.

Sometimes, a white lie was the best policy. He vowed to take this secret to the grave and started brainstorming a decent excuse, something believable and harmless.

Suddenly, a jolt of surprise interrupted his train of thought.

“Hey, did you actually see the princess? Is she terrifying?”

Kaon’s mind screeched to a halt at the word “princess.” A group of servants huddled near a pillar, oblivious to Kaon’s presence as they gossiped.

“Yeah, I saw her. She’s…”

“Spill the tea! Don’t leave me hanging!”

“Her eyes are, like, super red. Never seen anything like it. Kind of creepy, honestly.”

“Mind control, maybe? Like hypnosis? I heard mages did that in the old days.”

“Nah, doubt it. She’s from Ingelos, so I can’t know for sure.”

“Just to be safe, avoid eye contact! Our poor young master is the one stuck with her, though.”

Kaon choked back a laugh. It seemed his sister was barking up the wrong tree. It turned out, the staff already hated and feared the princess. Who would want to live in a place dripping with hostility? Alessia would probably get fed up and run away, exactly what everyone wanted.

But would that peace feel right to Ferdinand? Somehow, that didn’t sit well with Kaon.

 

 

 

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