Not but moments after that did the atmosphere change. The tense, ruthless nature of the battle was long forgotten. Instead, a party ordained by my father was commenced much to the crowd’s delight.

The absence and prior presence of Prince Christopher are forgotten amongst the masses.

Father was probably the quickest to move on.

“What a glorious day it is! And what a splendid performance from young Lord Regal,” bellows my father.

He, like the rest of our family, now mingles amongst the guests down in the courtyard. People surround us from all angles. The ring where blood was almost spilled now contains food, drink, and the like.

Likeminded cheers emit from the crowd.

Gai gazes out amongst them.

I do the same.

We stand side-by-side awkwardly, though admittedly more on my end. Gai is no longer dressed like garbage. In the minutes between the bout and the current festivities, my father ordered a jacket for him and some minor grooming. He’s still not dressed great, but the extra clothes do a lot to cover up how half-assed Gai is as a person. Father knows this, yet he is still allowing Gai to marry me. That’s love right there.

Father kind of stands on an impromptu pedestal while Gai and I stand below him, looking out at the crowd. Floral wreaths dawn upon our heads to signify our newly engaged lives.

I’m engaged to a guy…

Awesome…

“Haha!” I cover my mouth, hiding my sudden burst of awkward, horrified laughter.

“You okay?” asks Gai.

“Don’t talk to me.”

“Ouch. Still mad I take it.”

Even though I’ve had five years to mentally prep for this eventuality, I’m still not happy that I have to do this. The panic of being forced into marriage at fifteen and now eighteen only accelerated my discomfort.

Now today is the day.

Scarlet Embers, formerly Felix Cortez, is to be married to a baron’s drunkard son who’s apparently really, really capable with a sword. Oh, and an insanely sexual pervert. Can’t forget that fantastic, non-nerve-wracking detail.

I suppose it’s a better reality than getting fat in my apartment watching Netflix in between letting innocent people go to jail and die because of a fucked up judicial system.

But not by much.

“As my treat for the newly engaged party, a night of festivities!” declares Father. “Let yourselves drink! Eat! Make merry! Let the band’s music sway your souls. It is not just a glorious night for our family but for all of Zalevet! Rejoice!”

“Yaaaaaa!” the crowd cheers.

Drinks are sloshed. Some splashes on my dress.

With that, the sun dips down in the sky, almost as if on cue.

The band begins to play. It’s a folky orientation, though somehow more refined. I expected as much. There are guitars, horns, and other stringed instruments. They play a melody I’m not familiar with. That’s the norm, though. The music of this world is still foreign to me.

It’s a pity I’m not allowed to practice the guitar. Father informed me they were “peasant tools,” and that was the end of that conversation. I’m so out of practice now I don’t even know if I can play anymore.

“You may wish the new couple the best in their endeavors going forward!” My father suddenly ends his speech. I’d been largely ignoring it, but that part stuck out to me.

“Oh damn,” Gai mutters. He remains smiling.

Huh?

Father walks away with my mother in tow. Some of the people around their age follow as they move to a different, more secluded part of the courtyard. The younger and less prominent nobles stick around while those “in the know” segment themselves from my masses with my father.

Then the dam bursts.

People rush us.

Oh no.

•

For the next hour, Gai and I are bombarded with congratulations. Sometimes it’s only words. Other times it’s a gift. People hug us, kiss our cheeks, shake our hands. One guy ‘accidentally’ touches me. Two girls ‘accidentally’ touch Gai. Too many people. Too much touching.

But the crowd eventually breaks.

And with that…freedom!

Gai’s shoulders relax. “Damn, that took forever.”

I feign sadness, “I hate everyone now!”

Gai chuckles.

We both breathe out, relieved.

“Oh no, I think people are coming this way again.”

My eyes widen. Fear drips through my veins. “Save me.”

“Yes, my love,” Gai replies sarcastically.

“Ew. Wait. I hate you. Don’t be so casual with me.”

“You’ll need to work on that,” jokes Gai. He grabs my hand and lures me away from the crowds.

“Why?”

We arrive near a table. It’s relatively picked clean of substances, but there’s still food and drink available. Some people linger nearby. They offer us mild greetings, but they do not openly assault us with affection. That’s a positive turn of events.

“A wife’s got to learn to please her husband,” says Gai. He lightly pats my back. His hands then go to the table. He plucks up two plates, slaps a bunch of food on them, then hands one to me.

“Thanks. I would need to respect you first though, and I don’t. I doubt I ever will.”

Gai hands me a mug of mead. “We’ll see.”

My eyes narrow.

Gai shrugs.

“How did you get so good with the sword?” I suddenly ask.

Honestly, the question has been in my mind for some time now. I’ve been dying to ask him even though he annoys the shit out of me.

Gai pops a slice of ham into his mouth. “That?” He gestures back to where he fought Christopher. “It was nothing.”

“Stop that. You’re an asshole, but that was amazing. How did you do it?”

“How does anybody excel at anything? Practice.”

“Christopher likely had a lot of practice, too. Still, there was a massive difference between you two. You know why, don’t you?”

Gai pauses. “Because he’s never killed anyone before.”

My face tingles. I blink in surprise. “What?”

“That was the difference.” Gai starts to drink. He stops and smiles after a long sip. “Ahhh! This helps!”

Goosebumps rave my flesh. “Hold on, back up. Killed? Have you…”

“Killed someone? Yes,” answers Gai bluntly. “It’s only hard the first time.”

“When…who?”

It’s odd to think that this half-assed man has done harm to anybody, let alone kill people.

“I’m not a murderer if that’s what you’re alluding to,” scoffs Gai.

“N-No, I—”

“I’m a traveler. I haven’t been home to my family in a few years. I don’t even remember how long. I don’t have a horse. Only my sword, the clothes on my back, and a stash of cash.” Gai chuckles. “You have to fight to survive when you’re out on the road. I had formal training with bows and swords back at my home but never applied them to real-world scenarios. If I’d stayed in my prior environment, Christopher would have won. But I didn’t. And he didn’t.”

“What…happened? When did you...”

“Kill?”

I nod.

Gai takes a breath. He looks at me as if contemplating his tale, but speaks anyways.

“It was my first month away from home. I was spending money getting drunk like a naïve little shit. Wasn’t paying attention to anything. I went back to my camp in the woods for shut-eye when a group of guys ambushed me. They were going to kill me and take my shit. Luckily, I always keep a spare knife in my boot. I used it to stab the closest guy so I could pull my sword free without getting hurt, but I still had three people to contend with. The first guy didn’t even die when I hurt him. Just kind of crippled him. The odds were brutal. Kind of scary,” Gai admits.

I can imagine.

“The first guy lunged for me. He had some rusty sword. No skills. It was easy to block him. I got an opening on the first strike. I went for the hit, but I froze.” Gai pauses. “The man stabbed me for my good graces. I was so shocked by the hit, I barely felt it. My arm lashed out in panic and I slashed the man’s throat. There was so much blood...I wanted to throw up. Faint. But…then it got easier.”

I shiver.

“I massacred the rest of the lot. Barely remember it honestly. I was in a haze. All that was left in the end was the first man I’d stabbed. He hadn’t gotten up yet,” says Gai. “I could tell he was trying to get away. I could have let him. Instead, I walked over to him and stabbed him in the back of the neck. I watched the life drain from his eyes. Killing the other men was hard, but it was self-defense. This one was differnt. It was so deliberate and cold. I wasn’t defending my life. I made the conscious decision to kill him when I didn’t need to. It changed me. I grew crueler. My combat decisions sharpened.” He breathes out slowly. “Once you embrace the thin wall between life and death, it opens up something inside of you. The sword becomes your companion. Like a lover, you cherish it, follow it. I… it’s…different.”

“I can see that,” I reply meekly.

“I would never lose to a man who doesn’t know the gravity of death. Without that instinct, he never had the edge to take me.”

“I…see.”

We kind of stand in silence for a minute.

I meekly finish my plate of food. The awkwardness compels me to drain my drink as well. Gai does much of the same, though he’s on his third glass to my second.

“Moving on from that,” Gai takes a sip from his glass. “am I going to see you naked tonight?”

I choke on my drink. “W-Wh….What?” I clear my throat. “What was *cough* that?”

Gai raises an eyebrow. “That’s the wrong phrasing. Will I see you naked again? It’d be a good way to celebrate our union. Among other things. The embargo your dad put on me’s gone now. I can come visit you whenever I like without it being awkward like last time. So how about it?”

I shake my head. “Never. After what happened between us, what part of you thinks that I’d agree to that?”

“Oh?” Gai chuckles. “Then what you’re saying is that our marriage, for which the purpose is to have children and solidify our family’s political ambitions, is pointless? Is there a reason for marriage without the prospect of sex and children, I wonder? What would your father think? Tsk, tsk.”

I freeze.

I’d forgotten that we haven’t entirely agreed upon a whole fake marriage yet. We talked about that, but the cards are all in his hand. I’m screwed if he’s not screwing with me right now.

That was all before I broke his nose and threatened to kill him. He holds all the cards to ruin my life.

Shit, Remi’s right. I should have thought about this more than I did. In my defense, not a single part of me thought he’d both stick around and win.

Dammit…

“Ahahahah!” I suddenly interject. “I’m just saying…that stuff…should be saved for…marriage? Yeah. Not until we’re married. Officially.”

Gai crinkles his brow. “Why? What’s your rationale?”

A good question. Not necessarily one with foundational Christian principles, mind you, but a valid one in a world where the idea of saving yourself for marriage is essentially non-existent. Paganism is the current way of the world. Sex isn’t really held in high regard. It’s something people do when they like each other or want to take the edge off. For the most part. The only thing “saved for marriage” is children to promote the healthy growth of the child. I’m assuming it has to do with the harshness of this world and a high child mortality rate, though I doubt there’s data on that given the times.

I understand it conceptually, but it’s weird to see this stark change in cultural norms regardless.

If Gai and I were peasants, for example, we’d already be screwing. If there was an accidental baby, well, there’d be something like a “shotgun wedding.” But that’s how a vast majority of marriages occur in the lower class. An “oops” ratified, by law, by your local priest.

As for royalty and nobility, there’s “officially” a chastity period until a promised engagement. After that point, they are free to do as they wish. Obviously, given that people like Gai exist, the upper class doesn’t follow these norms. They still go to whore houses and sleep around when they can. The only difference is they have the resources to “get rid” of the problem whereas peasants don’t have the option.

I know too much about marriage and its eccentricities because I’m terrified of it. When I fear something, I learn everything I can about it.

Essentially, “wait until marriage” is a principle that no one on this planet believes in.

It’s little wonder why Gai’s confused.

But…I don’t really have anything else to lose. It’s a ‘Hail Mary’ at this point.

“I’m very religious, alright? There’s certain scripture that refers to sex being an act only done in an attempt to make a child,” I lie. “If it’s not for that purpose, then I cannot do it.”

Gai blinks. “Oh.”

Yes! He bought it! Sucker! He has no way of fact-checking me! Pre-internet, bitch! Muahaha!

“So…eventually…”

“Huh?”

“Eventually.”

I feel my blood chill. “You…want kids? I thought—”

Gai grins. “Hell yeah! As soon as possible! I love kids! What’s wrong? Don’t you want them, too?”

“O-Of course! Hahaha!” I lie again.

Gai continues to laugh.

“What?!”

Gai points at me. “Liar.”

“N-No, I—”

“Have you already forgotten our deal?”

“The…the one about…you know…getting me the hell out of here?”

Gai nods.

“…are you going to?”

Gai nods again.

For the first time in this life since I turned thirteen, a taste of freedom satiates my brain.

“You hate nobles. I hate nobles. Marriage is a trap. I feel the same way as you. I got free of my situation. The only reason you can’t run is because you’re a woman. That shit annoys me,” Gai says earnestly. It’s the second time I’ve seen him serious. “What happened a few nights ago, it sounded shitty. I’m sorry. I won’t do wrong by you again. I promise. So, let’s have fun, yeah?”

I stare at him for a moment.

“You don’t believe me.”

“No,” I reply. “It’s kind of hard to.”

“How about this, there is nothing stopping me from doing whatever I want to you. Even so, I’m not going to try anything unless you want me to. You don’t have to trust me yet, but at least be willing to maybe do it someday. Just…I’ll try to do better from now on. Beat me up if I do something you hate. I’ll never fight back.”

“Sexist and admirable. That’s almost impressive.” Even so, a small weight lifts off my chest as I chose to tentatively accept his conditions. “Fine. I will hold you to that, but you need to relax on trying to screw me."

“Oh, yeah, no. You're my type in every way imaginable.” Gai shrugs, completely unashamed. “There's no need to be so guarded. Sometimes life feels better when you live on urges instead of thinking about shit.”

“I’m sorry, but what the fuck happened to you to make you think that way?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Gai flinches but quickly hides it with a smile. “Nothing. I’m just an asshole.”

Noticing that change, I frown, but I let the slip slide. “So you did just interfere with my engagement party because you wanted to screw me?”

“Not entirely, no. I wanted to help you at the tail end of our first talk. I just forgot until a few days ago,” drones Gai. “I still do, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that I’ve spent time with you and gotten to know you, I’d feel bad doing that and ditching you. There’s something here.” His hands motion between us. “I know it in my soul that if I stick around with you, amazing things will happen. You’re too unique a person to have a boring life.”

“And you’re an enigma.” I shake my head, scoffing. “Though I appreciate the honesty, I still think you’re an asshole.”

“Ha! Yeah, I am. But as far as husbands go, I’m your best option, and it’s not like I’m ugly."

My best option would have been Harold, but there was too much pressure from his parents and my own for that to be a possibility. I don’t even know if this qualifies as a close second. Hell, I can imagine dozens of other people better than Gai Regal. If only I could have met them...

“You are not. It’s about your only redeeming quality so far.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. It doesn’t mean you’re a good person.”

“Oh, I usually am, but I’m just a little less considerate after a few good drinks,” says Gai like that’s supposed to make him seem better. “Drinking makes the day easier and women make the nights less cold. They’re a great combo, but when there aren’t people around, you can still drink. If nothing else, it makes time go by faster instead of it fucking dragging.”

“Is that the excuse you’re going with? Gai, if you like to drink as much as you've been implying, then you have a major damn problem.”

“I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. Nothing bad has happened to me. It feels great, and it’s not like I’ll die from it. I don’t get what you’re implying.” Gai seems genuinely confused by my concern.

“What the fuck...? He cannot be serious,” I whisper. “How often do you drink then?”

“How often?” Gai pauses. “Every day? I’ve got the money and my favorite thing to do is to try out new bars. It’s kind of my hobby. There are a lot of cool hole-in-the-wall places in Water's Bastion if you’re—”

Oh my Gods, it all makes sense now. That’s why he is such an nonsensical bastard. He mentioned he didn’t really remember all the stuff he did to me. I just kind of thought he was lying because it sounded like an excuse and I was angry, but if he’s drinking every day in the amount I witnessed while we were hanging out...his personality did seem different that morning compared to other times we’ve talked...

Shit, it’s been staring me in the face this entire time. The carefree personality, him being an inconsiderate asshole, the lack of boundaries...he’s an alcoholic.

“Yeah, no. No more of that.” I shake my head. “Only drink when you’re with friends. It’s time to start initiating a little self-control.”

“What the hell? Why?”

“Because then it isn’t as pathetic or harmful. And if you don’t change, I’ll probably end up killing you.”

“Oh, ouch.” Gai frowns. “Wait, seriously?”

“Yes.” My unblinking eyes stare into his. “Promise you’ll do that, and I might be able to trust you someday.”

Gai stares at me for a moment for the longest time. It feels like minutes have gone by before he speaks again. “Fine. Shit...if that’s what it’ll take, I’ll do what you say.”

“Good.”

“Then I guess we have to be friends now so I can drink,” says Gai with a sigh. “Congrats! You’re my first female friend! Isn’t that exciting?”

My face deadens.

“Isn’t it better that you watch over me since you’re so concerned about it?” suggests Gai.

I blink slowly and painfully. “Right...”

Great.

If it makes him a better person eventually...then I guess it is worth the sacrifice...

Gai chuckles. “We are gonna have so much fucking fun, I can feel it.”

At some point in the night, Gai and I diverge from one another. He leaves me to get drinks and mingle as we agreed it would be his last night of full alcoholic freedom. We’ve spent way too much time together as it is, and I don't care enough to be his sit over his shoulder and be a dick today.

Alone, I lean against a nearby column. The stress of the night has finally dissipated from my body. I sigh, looking up at the two moons watching over us.

“That’s so weird,” I mutter up at the sky.

What a day…

“Gai doesn’t seem like as bad a person now that I've gotten better context for his actions. He's a little scummy, but not as much of a monster as I thought,” I whisper. “If he’s true to his word, changes, and actually helps me, I’ll be able to leave this life behind me. Fight. Earn my freedom. Help people. I won’t be some stupid baron’s hostage of a daughter anymore.”

A voice suddenly sounds behind me. “Is that so?”

I jolt. My body turns. I brace myself into a kickboxing stance. It’s absolutely perfect form but looks highly exaggerated in a dress.

Nigel gawks. “Are you okay?”

I clear my throat. My body resets to a more normal stance. “You startled me.”

“Sorry. How are you doing?”

My body relaxes against the pillar again. “I’m fine now.”

Nigel settles in beside me. “Just fine?”

“Yeah.”

Nigel makes a ‘hm’ noise. “I suppose that’s okay.”

“I hope so.”

“Watch out for Gai.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s trouble. The way he moved with the sword, there was something different about him. I can’t quite place my finger on it. It sets off warning signs in my head,” explains Nigel.

“Do you think you could take him?” I ask honestly.

Nigel pauses.

“No!” I point an accusing finger at him. “Don’t pause! Say yes immediately! I can’t beat you, so you have to be the strongest!”

“I’m not at all the strongest,” Nigel relays blandly. “I’m as good as I can be, and I’m always improving. We all are. Unfortunately, there will always be someone better.”

“And Gai is better?”

“He might be. Absent me using my gift, I feel like it’d be close,” says Nigel.

“That’s not very comforting.”

“He is impressive.”

“That he is.”

“I meant his sword skills. Not anything else,” clarifies Nigel.

My eyes narrow. “What are you implying?”

“The staff are gossiping about how Gai snuck out of your room early one morning. It was the talk around the castle for a while before Remi suppressed it.”

“Nothing happened.”

“But he was there?”

“…yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he was drunk and snuck in while I was sleeping.”

“While you were sleeping?” Nigel’s eyes set firmly. I suppose hearing how security failed against a drunken noble rightly makes him angry. “Did he…?”

“No.” I shake my head. “He apparently doesn't even remember doing it. We just had a much needed talk about boundaries and over-drinking, so that kind of crap shouldn't happen again," I mutter. "It was horrible though. Master Talbert woke us up because I’d slept through our lesson then a maid caught him sneaking out in his underwear. Again...nothing happened. There is a zero percent chance we would have had sex and he wouldn't have mentioned it. The guy is...well...sexually liberated is probably the polite term.”

“Alexander’s heard the rumors, by the way.”

“Fuuuuuuck!”

Nigel nods. His anger subsides when he sees I’m more annoyed than angry.

I look out into the crowd. My mood has dropped now that I know I’ll get demeaning comments from Alexander for the rest of my life. It’s in his nature. I’d expect nothing less. Still, it’s annoying.

The drunkenness seems to have set in. It’s funny seeing rich people intoxicated. It is not unusual by any means. They have the time and money to do so more than the working class. Even so, you’d think they’d try to keep up appearances. Then again, a world devoid of much entertainment leads to many blackout nights. I should know. I live here, too.

Many of the elder nobles have left. They must have followed my father and mother’s cue and moved on to quieter parts of the castle. The younger ones are still out here raging, eating, and talking.

Off in the distance, Gai and Alexander clank their mugs together. A splash of foam emits from the contact.

“That’s a dangerous combination,” I express, pointing over to the newly formed pair.

Nigel stares across the courtyard. His eyes land on the two men then focus entirely on Alexander. “You’re supposed to be on guard duty,” he mutters.

“That seems to be a real problem for you, getting people to guard others,” I tease.

“Seems like it.”

Upon a nearby roof, Remi watches over the crowd. Rather than her castle armor which she only wears on rare occasions, she’s dressed discretely in dark fabrics. Her job is more recon-based, so it makes sense. Her black hair hangs around her face as she fulfills her role as an unsung protector of the night.

“I’m going to go talk to Remi.”

Nigel looks upward. Surrounding the courtyard is a small coverage area, maybe a story tall. That’s where Remi sits. “She’s up there doing her job. Don’t bother her.”

I stick my tongue out at him. “Too late.”

“Why do I try?” whispers Nigel.

Using my abilities, I produce a dark tendril. It hooks onto the roof. I casually walk up a pillar. A few people notice and gasp. Most are too drunk to care.

I quickly walk onto the roof, release my gift, then wander over to my friend. “Sup!” I call over with a wave.

“Suuuuup,” drones Remi. She waves to me once. Her eyes do not leave the scenery below.

I sit down beside my friend in the rafters. “How are things looking?”

“Everyone appears to be having fun.”

“I’d hope so. Got your eyes on anyone in particular?”

“Your piece of shit fiancé,” replies Remi immediately. “I had Alexander go buddy up to him. He’s taking it way too far.”

“You need to tell Nigel. He thinks Alexander’s neglecting work.”

“He’ll be fine.”

“That’s about how I feel.” I snort. “It’s nice to see you all so concerned about me. It really warms my heart.”

“Can’t have you marrying a complete psychopath. I haven’t stopped watching him since you told me what happened. Not that it matters. Gai won. We don’t have any real control over what he does to you now. I really love that, Scarlet. It doesn’t worry me at all,” she says sarcastically. “Even still, I keep losing him when trying to surveil him. My guys do, too. He’s light on his feet. Evasive. But he’s still a piece of shit.”

“Nigel said something similar.”

“That he’s a piece of shit?”

“No, that he’s more trouble than we think he is.”

“Yeah…” Remi turns to me for a brief moment. “Be careful, okay? At least until we learn more. After watching that fight…you really need to be careful, okay?” Remi turns her gaze back to the courtyard. She glances around. Her eyebrows knit together. “Where did he go?”

A male voice speaks behind us. “I’m not hiding anything.”

In a flash, Remi bolts up. A small blade sets in her hand. She has the point aimed at the man’s femoral artery within his leg.

“Damn, that was quick,” snorts Gai. He waves at Remi. “I am a friend. Do not stab.”

A bead of sweat drips from Remi’s brow. I, too, stare in amazement. If anyone were going to hear Gai come onto the roof or notice it at all, it would have been Remi. But she didn’t, and I did not notice him come up either.

Remi blinks. She puts the knife away. “My apologies. You startled me.”

“Clearly.” Gai chuckles. He sits down on the roof and muscles his way between the two of us. “What do you want to know about me?”

Remi narrows her eyes at the man.

“I’ll tell you anything you want. Just ask. Whatever stops people from lurking in my shadow all the time,” says Gai.

“You noticed?”

“Oh yeah.”

“It’s for the protection of my friend. Nothing you can say will make me any less cautious when it comes to her.”

“Awww,” I audibly coo.

“Friend, huh? Not master? Employer? You’re really friends?” Gai points between the two of us.

“Yes,” says Remi.

“Then I promise you, I will not hurt your friend. You can beat my ass if I ever do, okay?”

Remi glares at Gai. “I was very much going to whether you gave me permission or not, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

Gai turns to me. “She’s scary.” He points at Remi. “I like that. I take it back; you’re both absolutely free to watch me any time you want.” His arms droop over both of our shoulders.

Remi frowns. She looks at Gai out of the corner of her eyes. “Do you mean it?”

“Hm?”

“That if you do something bad to Scarlet, I can hurt you?”

“Absolutely.”

“Great. Then I have permission.”

Remi punches Gai right in the crotch.

I watch in stunned silence as Gai keels forward. “Mhmmmmm!” he grunts in pain.

Remi holds up his hair until she’s face-to-face with him. “I heard what you did. Scarlet may be a forgiving person, but I’m not. Do oh so well to remember that.”

“…n…noted,” grunts Gai.

Remi releases him.

Gai places his hands between his legs as he rocks slightly back in forth. Sweat drips from his forehead. “I probably deserved that,” he says in a high-pitched, raspy voice.

“Yes,” says Remi bluntly.

“Wanna hit me too?” Gai turns to me. The sweating has increased as his face pales. “I said you could. Might as well keep the hits coming.”

With my hand, I push Gai forward. “If you insist.”

We maintain eye contact, his surprised and mine neutral, as he falls forward off the single-story roof.

Crash!

“Oh wow! Maybe you should stop drinking!” I call downward at a semi-unconscious Gai sitting in the middle of a broken table. Food and drink are splashed upon his body. “Can someone please take my lovely fiancé to his room? I think he’s had enough fun for one night.”

A few guards follow my orders and bring Gai back inside.

“That actually felt really good,” says Remi.

"You know what, after talking with him, I think everything that happened between him and me the other day might have genuinely been an accident," I mention.

"How is that possible?"

"He says he's been drinking nearly every day since he was a kid. It explains a lot, but he's still a cocky shit that doesn't think anything through and doesn't really care about anything. All he's got going for him is that he's a great swordsman, apparently, and isn't boring." I sigh. "At least he seems to listen to me and takes what I say seriously. Well, that remains to be seen still, I suppose." I pinch my brow.

Remi frowns. She thinks for a moment. "I still don't really like him."

"I don't either, but he promised me he'd be better. Heh, I'll believe it when I see it. Hopefully, he isn't lying."

Remi shrugs. "It's fine. If he does anything harmful to you, I'll just kill him."

I stare at my friend for a moment. "Gods, you're terrifying."

"There's not a lot I wouldn't do for you," says Remi.

“Likewise. Hey, there’s no need for you to watch Gai anymore. Want to drink?” I ask.

“Sounds like an excellent idea,” agrees Remi in a much more chipper tone.

•

The party continues long into the night. After fetching some drinks, Remi and I make our way back up to the roof. Eventually, Nigel joins us. Then Alexander. We talk of the day, of the future. It’s a pleasant moment. I haven’t felt like we’ve had time together in quite a while.

Then the night ends.

We go our separate ways.

I head back to my room, ready to start a new chapter of this life. A lull phase between marriage. The time when I can plan for a life outside of this castle, its walls, and this region.

I yawn. “Ahhhh! What a day. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Probably cause I’m a little tipsy. I’ll complain more tomorrow.”

My door feels heavier than usual as I push it open. The echo of its movements rings through the hallway like the groan of a wounded animal.

Time for sleep!

I cross the room, kicking off my shoes as I go. My hands stretch to my back. They struggle with the contraption of strings behind me. When they eventually come free, I pull the dress down past my breasts.

Immediately, relief floods my chest as it is finally unrestrained from a day in that outfit. I strip it fully off. The cloth falls to the floor in a pile. The compulsion to be lazy overwhelms me. Rather than toss it in the laundry bin, I wave it off for the morning.

Ready for sleep, I slide into bed. My body is somewhat sticky with sweat. I feel gross, but I’ll have the maids strip the sheets in the morning while I’m taking a bath.

Tomorrow feels like it’ll be a lazy day, so why not?

The dark room is my blissful paradise as I sneak beneath my sheets. With drink sloshing through my mind, I roll onto my pillow, close my eyes, and sigh.

“Goooooodniiiiiiight,” I drone.

Someone whispers, “Goodnight.”

Huh?

A hand suddenly reaches out and mushes my mouth closed.

“Gaaaaah!” I thrash out of bed onto the floor. My head hits the ground. I soon see stars.

A head peeks up from over the bed. “Huh? What happened?”

“The fuck are you doing here, Gai?!”

“I was brought here.”

I stand up, rubbing the back of my head. “Bullshit!”

“The guards brought me here after you pushed me off the roof then some maids dumped my shit inside an hour later.”

“Bullshit,” I say again as I look around. Sure enough, a small bag sits in the corner of the room. His jacket is on a hanger, and my stuff has been moved aside. Sure, Gai could have done so himself, but he was completely out of it after I dealt with him earlier.

Wait.

Remi said this might happen, didn’t she?

“Oh Gods.”

“I’ll be honest, I really didn’t fight against it too hard. Oh, you look great, by the way,” notes Gai.

“Huh?” I look down at myself. Just a pair of underwear adorns my lower half. “Ah dammit.”

Gai holds up two fingers with a smile. “That’s twice now.”

“Three times,” I mutter.

“Oh yeah.”

I lick the top of my lip nervously. “Glad to know I’m so forgettable,” I say as I walk over to my wardrobe. I pull out a long shirt and throw it on over top of my body.

“I wouldn’t say forgettable, but I—”

I hold up a hand. “Stop talking, please.” I snap my fingers. “Sleep on the floor. Now. Or the hallway. Or whatever. Not there.”

“I was here first. You sleep on the floor,” Gai pouts. “Doesn’t seem fair now, does it? Besides, is this really how you want to treat your future savior?”

“Yeah, well, this is my room. Savior or not, and that remains to be seen, I get ownership rights.”

“Our room, future wife,” taunts Gai.

“I’m gonna hurl.”

“That’s insulting. I think I’m attractive, but you do a good job of making me feel like some deformed invalid.”

“You’re not ugly. I just want to sleep in my own bed alone like I always do. Is that too much to ask?” I whine. “Gods, I’m too drunk to deal with this.” I crouch down and hug my knees before the edge of my bed in painful silence.

Gai rubs his fingers through my hair out of sympathy, almost like one would a puppy. "Heh, that's usually my line. Weird to here it from someone else."

It feels kind of nice, especially after such a long, stressful day.

I frown.

“Relax. We’ve got this. Everything will be fine.”

I stare up at the man. “Only if I can trust you.”

Gai rolls his eyes. “Of course you can! You just need to be more pumped up!”

“I guess…”

“It’ll be fun traveling around with a wife.”

“Meaning?”

“You know—” Gai’s hands lazily drag down from my shoulder to the side of my thigh. “—adventurous.”

“Heh heh,” I chortle nervously as goosebumps ravage my skin. “Nooooo, thank yooooou.” I lick the top of my lip nervously. “Never in a million years.”

“Ahhhh.” Gai chuckles. “I’ll get you to love me in the end. It’ll happen naturally. Guarantee it. My track record so far has been every person I've liked, minus you.”

I shake my head vigorously. “Nope! Your record will remain tarnished. So sorry about that.”

Gai leans in closer. I can feel the heat radiate from his skin. “We’ll see. I like a challenge.”

“Why start a challenge you can never win?”

“I wouldn’t say never,” says Gai. His mouth draws close to my ear. “Your body doesn’t lie. We’ve already been inches away from starting something amazing. Anything can happen.”

I shiver with fear...I think.

“Well, that’s enough teasing for today. I swear, you have the best reactions. This is going to be so much fun...except the whole 'less drinking' part. Gods, that's going to suck. Whatever.” Gai pats my head sarcastically twice like a puppy before flopping on top of the bed and turning his back to me. “Goodnight. By the way, I call the right side. That’s always been my side.”

I stare off at the distant wall, perplexed by the interaction.

“Night!” Gai laughs before yawning. His body flip-flops upon my mattress until he settles.

The edge of my tongue nervously slides over the top of my lip as I close my eyes in disbelief.