As I dragged myself up the staircase, my head replayed the chaos that was my day. I didn't even think of having dinner; what I wanted right now was to lie down, go to bed, and get a long night's sleep.

But there was just a little dent in that plan when I realized that someone else was hogging my room, which was nothing new.

When I finally got there, I found my once neatly stacked books lying everywhere, weapons and armor were on the floor, and Yvon was sleeping comfortably on my bed, hugging my favorite pillow tightly.

I think my dear twin brother forgot that this wasn't his room again.

I sighed and cracked my neck before giving him a good shove, sending him crashing to the floor while I plopped down on my bed.

"Rude!" He exclaimed. "What was that for?!"

"Keep it down, will you? I'm tired. Go bother me in the morning," I said, turning my back on him and feeling sleep wash over me.

He pushed me towards the right side of the bed to make room for him, and he lay back down, snatching my pillow.

"You do remember that you have your own room, right? If you forgot, well, let me point you to it. Go out of my room and in front of it's a door. That's your room."

Hearing irritation in my voice, he sat up and poked my cheeks repeatedly like slime.

"Dang, you look like a monster."

"How nice of you to say that," I said sarcastically. "Now get out of my room."

"What's up with you? You're more vexed than usual."

"Well, that's because I'm exhausted and would like to get some rest. I just sped through wedding preparations the entire day and only had an hour-and-a-half break. So why don't you do me this one favor today and get out of my room."

"Wait, hold on. Wedding preparations?"

"Did you miss that part where I said get out?"

Ignoring me, he asked again, "What do you mean by wedding preparations?"

"I'm getting married."

"..."

"I'm sorry, come again?"

"I'm getting married," I repeated, a little louder this time.

I could feel myself drifting off to sleep, but Yvon grabbed me by the shoulders and sat me up, "One more time, I think I'm hearing things."

"I said I'm getting married! Now get out of my room and let me get some sleep! It has been quite the day!"

"YYYYOUU'REE WHHHHAAATTTT?!"

I let out a heavy sigh, "What does a girl have to do to get some sleep around here?! "

He paid no attention to my rhetorical question and looked flabbergasted.

His brows were furrowed as he asked me, "Yvie, what happened today?!"

I recounted what happened, starting, of course, with the unexpected announcement during breakfast. I obviously couldn't leave out that part.

Yvon's eyes bulged, and he smacked his forehead.

"Dang it! I should've gone with you this morning!"

"And exactly how would that have changed things? Whether you were there or not, it wouldn't have made a difference. By the time we were told, everything was already finalized. They weren't asking us about our opinion. They were informing us."

Yvon's protectiveness kicked in, and his frustration was at its boiling point.

"Our parents didn't even bother to consult you about this, and you're just supposed to go with it?! They are treating you like a tool, not as their child! This won't do. I want to talk to them right now!"

He was about to burst off and confront our parents when I grabbed his shirt and halted him, "Iy, calm down."

"How am I supposed to calm down?!"

"Listen to me first, okay? Lev and I... we agreed to get married."

He froze, "... What?"

♡

After that astonishing breakfast, our parents told us that we didn't have to worry so much about the wedding because they practically had everything ready except for a few details about the reception, which they wanted us to help with.

"Since the wedding planners won't be here for another hour or two, why don't you and Yvette take a stroll through the maze? It's quite lovely in spring, especially in *Gemellia. Go on, enjoy yourselves!" Said the duchess and the two of us.

(Gemellia - one of the 16 months in a year)

We glanced at each other and did as she suggested, not that we had much choice in the matter.

As we made our way to the maze, my hand around his arm, we were the center of attention.

He took me to the northernmost part of the maze. Tall grass brushed against the hem of my dress, wild plants were growing everywhere, and there was a rundown, mossy old fountain.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Placing a blanket on the grass that was hidden in a picnic basket under an old bench, he sat me down.

"This area is the most difficult part to get to. Even those that are familiar with the maze's layout have a hard time getting here, so as you can see, this area isn't well maintained."

"It's quiet here," I said, taking in the tranquil mood.

Lev nodded, "That's one of the reasons why I like it here. It's different from the usual noise at home and work."

"Being a vice-captain for one of the valorian squadrons must be tough," I remarked, making small talk. "I heard you even missed your friends' wedding because of work."

He flinched at the mention of friends. Even without mentioning who those friends were, he knew who I was talking about—my sister and her husband—his first love and his best friend.

It was true that I heard he supposedly missed their wedding because of work, but I also knew that piece of information wasn't true because he was indeed there that day, heartbroken.

"I gave them a huge present to compensate for missing it," he said. He had a smile on his face, but I could tell it wasn't genuine; it was just one that masked his true emotions. One that he puts on for social purposes. "But his radiance gave me an earful for missing it, saying that I should've just missed work that day."

I laughed at his response, "I don't think that's something the future emperor should be saying to his subordinate."

Lev chuckled at my comment. I didn't know he could make such an expression. He usually had a serious look on his face.

If he laughed like that more often in public, his fanbase would grow larger—it might become so big that it would be on par with the crown prince's fanbase.

"It surely isn't something my boss should say. Which is why I can't help but worry for the future of this empire," he joked.

The two of us shared a movement of laughter before I brought up the sensitive topic that brought about this excursion, "It's a shame they can't come to our wedding, don't you think?"

There was a brief silence between us for a few seconds, and the atmosphere became tense.

"You're aware that we can't avoid this?" Lev asked, his expression changing from casual to serious.

I shielded my eyes from the sun's glare and replied, "Mhmm. The empress' letter made that very clear. It was an imperial directive, albeit not an official one. Which means our hands are tied."

"Well, it's not like I didn't expect something like this. That agreement between our families built so many bridges between our territories that losing it would mean we'd go back to a state of war, and our families can't risk that. Serebro needs Sunglen, and Sunglen also needs Serebro," I added. "Which was why I could see just how uneasy our families were as we watched my sister's love story with the crown prince unfold. She was to be your intended after you both came of age. You two were supposed to be the ones to fulfill the agreement set by our grandparents, but we both know how that turned out. That's why they probably came up with a solution to the problem, and having the imperial family back this decision up makes it more decisive, hence our current situation."

"So, what do you think we should do about this?" I asked

Then another hand covered my eyes from the sun, and I turned to Lev, whose face was now closer to mine.

Determined, he answered, "We get married."

Our eyes locked, and I found myself captivated by Lev's Mesmerizing purple eyes.

His expression was blank and calm, as usual. I, on the other hand, could feel my face get hotter, a natural reaction when one's face is just inches away from a handsome guy's.

"As you said, this wasn't entirely unexpected, and both our families wouldn't have resorted to this if they had an alternative," he said. "This agreement—our marriage—not only concerns our families but also our territories and our people."

Then he added, "So let's get married. That is if you're willing to be my wife."

I tried to hide my blushing face, but he caught on, and I saw him smirk. Was he finding my flustered expression amusing? We are having a serious conversation here! But then again, he looks more handsome when he laughs, so laugh away.

"You remind me of your sister," he remarked.

I clicked my tongue and couldn't help but pull away because of a bit of frustration. Once again, I was being compared to her, and by my fiancé, no less.

"Before I answer that," I began, "Answer my question first. If we go through with this, are you going to marry me for me?

He looked confused, "What do you mean by that?"

I stood up, and as I did, my bun got loose, and my hair fell and cascaded around me. I was wondering when that would happen since I've been loosening it since we got here. Though it looked pretty, I wasn't comfortable with having my hair tied up like that.

"I think you know what I mean," I said, brushing the hems of my gown. "High society has countless showers of praise for my older sister. She's the sterling 'Golden girl' of Vreqiseon, after all. However... The same can't be said about me."

I clasped the locket around my neck, a gift from Yvon and a reminder that we only had each other to rely on.

"I'm certain that you're somewhat aware of my reputation. I've been called many things, an egotistical brat, a pompous shrew, and a conniving child are just some of the colorful labels attached to my name. But despite that, many have tried to get acquainted with me. Some even approach me as a potential romantic interest, not because of me but because they have surmised that if they can't become Yvonne's significant other, her little sister's the alternative. Unfortunately for them, aside from our faces, my older sister and I are very different people."

"Now, with all that being said, let me ask you again, Young Master of Niege, are you going to marry me for me?"

I repeated my question because I knew I had to ask him this. He's my fiancé, after all, my future husband. Suppose he's entering this marriage only because he sees me as a substitute for my older sister. In that case, our marital life is already off to a rocky start, not that I have any intentions of spending the rest of my life with someone who sees me as someone else's alternative.

Lev stood up and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"I know of the comparisons that high society draws between you two. I am also very aware that you know of what happened between me and their radiances. You were one of the people who had a front-row seat to it all, which is why I understand why you asked me this."

He pulled out a box from his coat and opened it, which revealed a *skar ring in a beautiful shade of magenta—the same color as my sister's hair. It was apparent that this was intended for her.

(Skar - a gemstone forged in the extreme heat of deserts and volcanic regions.)

How bold of him, proposing to me with a ring he intended to give my sister. I probably should cut him some slack since he's obviously under-prepared for this, given that we only knew about the arrangement an hour ago.

He took my hand and placed the ring on my left finger.

How bold of him, proposing to me with a ring he intended for my sister. Well, I should probably cut him some slack since he's obviously under-prepared for this, we did just get engaged half an hour ago.

"While neither of us was consulted about this situation, no one can really force this decision onto us since, let's be honest, we both have our ways of avoiding this," he began. "However, I think we should proceed with it for the sake of our people."

"And you agree to this as well know this: I will be marrying you for you. That's the truth," he answered. "Now that I have answered your question, shall we get back to mine?"

He went down on one knee and took my hand.

"To the fourth cygnet of Oryx, the Young Miss of Sunglen, might you consider becoming my wife?"

If someone were to pass by, they'd probably think something romantic was happening because this seemed like a scene ripped right out of a romance novel. In reality, it was more of a practical agreement between two individuals, more of a business partnership than an intimate one.

As I looked at him, I let out a sigh-laugh and thought about how reasonable yet ridiculous our situation was.

"It would be my pleasure to become your wife," I answered, taking his hand.

Kissing the back of my hand, he replied, "I look forward to our life together."