ASHA’S POV

I don’t understand. What’s happening? He doesn’t want to marry Medea? That’s complete bullshit. The Emperor must have threatened him somehow, which means Rayleigh will take his anger out on me and my family.

> ”I wish for nothing more than to be free of your vile presence.”

“Your majesty...”

A knock on the door interrupts Asha’s attempt to salvage the situation, and when the Emperor gives his permission Baron Gusic and Medea are shown into the room.

She’s really lovely.

Long, shining blonde hair frames a small face with large golden eyes and full pink lips, while her gown - clearly a gift from Rayleigh, since it’s far too expensive for House Gusic’s miserable financial situation - shows off her slender yet curvaceous figure perfectly without being immodest.

Asha is reminded then that she’s makeup free and wearing only a simple house dress, and had raced to the palace on horseback without a hat - which means her already wild hair is no doubt looking more unruly than ever.

> ”Medea is an angel.”

Who wouldn’t want to leave me and marry her?

Chancing a glance at the imperial family, Asha is surprised to see the gazes of the Emperor, Crown Prince, and Crown Princess range from disinterest to suspicion.

As for Rayleigh...

Why is he looking at me?

Hurriedly averting her gaze, Asha listens as the Baron and his adopted daughter stumble through their imperial greetings, before the Emperor speaks without acknowledging the newcomers.

“At Rayleigh Loredan’s request, I hereby order his engagement with Asha Lamberg dissolved.”

“Wh...what?”

Interesting.

While the Baron is clearly trying to hide his joy at the announcement, Medea is openly beaming at Rayleigh.

I guess he told her he’d find a way to marry her somehow. Not surprising, considering how far he goes to make it happen in future.

“As an apology for breaking the engagement, Rayleigh Loredan will be making a payment of one million gold coins to House Lamberg.”

The Baron’s eyes look greedy and envious when he hears the large reparation sum the Lambergs will receive, though he says nothing. Medea doesn’t speak either, only looking at Asha out of the corner of golden eyes.

What is she thinking? That I’m stealing the money which is meant to be hers? Or that I’m a mercenary like my ancestors?

“The reason I’ve gathered everyone here is to command the engagement of Rayleigh Loredan and the adopted daughter of Baron Gusic.”

That’s got to hurt.

Except right then Asha doesn’t have the presence of mind to think about anyone else, not when the contract around her heart begins to swirl, filling her chest with immense pressure before vanishing.

It’s over.

The soul contract has disappeared completely, since the terms have been fulfilled.

I don’t have to worry about dying, for now.

“Now that that’s done, I hereby order the engagement between Rayleigh Loredan and the Gusic girl dissolved.”

Has this guy lost his marbles?! This isn’t a card game!

Both Gusics seem as stunned as Asha feels, Medea’s golden eyes beginning to glisten with tears as she stares beseechingly at Rayleigh.

Even when she cries, she’s beautiful.

Asha knows she looks absolutely disgusting when she cries. Rayleigh had told her so himself, many times.

With a wave of his hand, the Emperor signals to the knights, who immediately come forward to escort Baron Gusic and Medea out.

“Y...you...your majesty! Your majesty, what is the meaning of this?! How could you summon us here to play such an absurd prank on my House, on my daughter’s reputation?”

“Are you questioning my sanity, or falsely accusing me of a crime, Gusic?”

Somebody’s in trouble.

Either is a grave offense under Imperial Law, though the latter is much more severe and punishable by death.

“N...no, your majesty! Please, please forgive me! I meant no disrespect! I...I’m simply too foolish to understand your grand intentions, please forgive this lowly servant, your majesty!”

As the Baron grovels for mercy, Asha watches Medea, who’s knelt next to her adoptive father and is crying silently, tear-streaked face still a vision to behold as her chest heaves with emotion.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Once again, Asha is reminded of the fact that her own breasts are too small to ever interest a man, just as Rayleigh had told her in the future.

“Take them away.” With that, the Gusic duo is dragged out of the drawing room, door closing behind the knights even as the Baron continues to plead with the Emperor.

“Now then.” Asha is really beginning to wonder if she should start running, wonders if she and her House can make it to the north and raise the Ice Wall before this madman flips the empire on its head. “Rayleigh. You’re twenty-three years old, and currently unmarried with no fiancée. Surely you realize the situation you’re putting the empire in?”

An unmarried, unengaged twenty-three year old member of the imperial family invites chaos to society. Whenever it’d happened in the past, marriages and engagements among nobles were annulled or canceled, while foreign rulers sent their children to the empire to secure a political marriage by any means necessary - wreaking complete havoc on high society and often resulting in blood baths on the streets as nobles and royals fought dirty battles to secure a position in the imperial family.

“Yes, uncle.” Rayleigh is looking at Asha again, she knows it because the pressure in the air is different, and she’s starting to get a bad feeling about this. “With your permission, I’d like to marry Asha Lamberg.”

“DID YOU GET HIT ON THE HEAD OR DO YOU NEED A GOOD SMACK TO THE HEAD?!” Asha can’t help herself this time, demons take the consequences. After everything she’s been through, both in the future and here, the man who kills her and her father has now refused to marry the woman he loves and is instead asking to marry the woman he hates?

Monique and Valora can’t restrain themselves either, laughing merrily behind Asha. They’re not the only ones in the room who find the situation hilarious, though.

“Lady Asha.” She knows she shouldn’t look him in the eyes - shouldn’t actually look at him at all, since he’d told her he hates looking at her or listening to her - but Asha’s head is spinning from the ridiculous reversals so she ends up making eye contact.

Why does he look amused?

Oh.

When Rayleigh gives her a small smile, Asha’s heart suffers the after effects of the contract, and she looks down at her feet to hide the flush on her face.

“What about it, Callan?” The Emperor has finally managed to stop laughing, though Asha’s father is still chuckling. “Shall we arrange for our families to be united once more?”

“Aaron...” Those words stop the Count’s mirth cold. “I’d like to let Asha decide.”

Daddy...

Though the Loredan Empire allows women to lead families, inherit property, and own businesses, they can only do so either in the complete absence of male family members, or with the permission of male family members.

For a father to ask his daughter to decide if she’d like to marry a Grand Duke is unheard of.

Asha’s not the only shocked person in the room, the Crown Prince openly gaping at his teacher while everyone else stares at the Grandmaster who’s smiling serenely at his daughter.

“Asha?” Hastily turning to face the Emperor, she bows as her mind spirals and shatters. “What is your decision?”

This makes no sense. Why is Rayleigh asking to marry me? He loathes me. He KILLED me. Why would he refuse Medea and ask for my hand instead?

“Lady Asha.” The source of all her misery approaches, and Asha wishes he’d trip and fall on his sword. “I realize I’ve behaved poorly towards you until now, but please believe me when I say that I will be a good husband to you, and a devoted son-in-law to teacher.”

What’s he scheming? Is he not satisfied with his own wealth, so he wants Lamberg’s? Or does he want control over the Winterblades, known as one of the greatest knight companies in the world?

“Asha?” Daddy’s worried voice makes her snap her head up, and suddenly Asha understands what it’s like to be a rabbit caught in a hunting trap.

“I...I...” THINK, Asha, THINK. Why would Rayleigh ask to marry you? What does he gain from it? What would his family gain from...

Oh, I see.

The Ice Wall is a unique defense system that direct descendants of the Lamberg family - chieftains of the winter warrior clan since the Age of Gods - can activate when in the north. Doing so would immediately cut the territory off from the rest of the world, rendering them completely safe from outside forces, and isolated from the troubles of others.

They’d used it once before - when the Age of Gods was coming to an end, and the Age of Demons was beginning. Within their frozen territory, the clan had survived three hundred years even as the rest of the world burned, and the One Land was split and shattered into multiple pieces, becoming the various continents and islands scattered around the globe that they are today.

It was only when the goddess of war and wisdom had pleaded with them to aid the rest of humanity that the then chieftain had brought down the Ice Wall, and the fearsome winter warriors had spilled out into the world, charging towards their deaths solely for the sake of honor, and ushering in the Age of Men with their valor and sacrifice.

In gratitude, their patron goddess bestowed upon the clan the greatest glory of all: the position of guardians of the realm, chosen to protect humanity from demons each winter when the gates of the Far Side open and every nightmare of the gods comes pouring out, ready to devour the world whole once more.

They’re trying to stop us from going north, trying to keep the Lambergs in the capital and actively involved in the empire’s affairs and defenses. While daddy always goes back home for the Winter March, I stopped going with him when I was twelve. They know he won't raise the Ice Wall without me, so they’re looking for a reason to keep me here.

If I refuse, they might not let us leave. Daddy’s strong enough to take on the Imperial Knights on his own, but the Emperor, Crown Prince, Rayleigh, and Knight Commander are Senior Swordmasters, while Valora only became a Swordmaster three years ago. Dad and Valora will get hurt trying to protect me while holding the imperial men and their knights at bay. Not to mention the Court Mage is a Magic Grandmaster and the Crown Princess is a High Mage, while Monique is just a powerful Mage still working towards advancement. We’re outnumbered, and the biggest liability is me - I’m nowhere near swordmastery, and I stopped practicing my magic until recently.

I have to choose wisely. I can’t let my family die, not like this.

“I’ll marry him, dad.” His happiness breaks her heart, but strengthens her resolve.

Dad likes Rayleigh a lot, always called him his favorite protégé, and he must be thrilled that I get to marry the man I’ve loved since childhood, probably thinks that by changing the relationship between Rayleigh and I we’d have a better chance of escaping that future. I just have to be careful and keep myself and my family alive, at least until we can escape to the north.

“How wonderful! Bring the finest wines, we must celebrate! Lord Chamberlain, expedite preparations for a formal engagement ceremony immediately, I shan’t accept having it later than next week.”

This old fart is MENTAL.

The engagement ceremony of the emperor’s nephew is a grand affair, and foreign dignitaries will be required to attend for diplomatic purposes. To host such a gathering with only a week’s notice is either to invite disaster or achieve the impossible.

If memory holds, the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony had required more than a year of preparation. Yet he wants mine ready in a WEEK?

Wait, he said ‘expedite’. That means...

When the Emperor winks at her, Asha wonders if the world has gone down the plumbing.

“I’ve been getting things ready for years, my dear niece.” I’m not married to your nephew yet. “Now I can finally see you and Ray take steps towards becoming husband and wife.”

Some husband I’m getting. He KILLED my dad and I, you holey sock.

“Lady Asha.” Just live off the air between your ears, Rayleigh. “Thank you for accepting my proposal.”

> ”Even if we were the last people in the world, I’d never marry you.”

Why do you look pleased? Have you already put your plan in place to kill dad and I?

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MOONRISE BY LUNASEA: CHAPTER 8 END