"—When is the funeral?" I asked.
"—I'll find out. Don't worry about that."
"—…I'm afraid of facing them."
"—Stop being afraid of things while you're under my name, while you have my power. It doesn't suit my name."
"—Why are you doing this for me? You could have married my sister. Leyla. She's less pathetic than me. At least her family didn't cast her aside like this."
"—Then I would have married a woman who got engaged immediately after her sister's death, without waiting a day. As I said, Stormwell is a noble name. I couldn't do anything that would tarnish its nobility."
"—Victor. You shouldn't have chosen me. There were other people of royal blood."
"—It's too late now, My Lady. Don't you think so? Besides, I don't want another member of the royal family. Only you are worthy of being queen."
"—We're not married. For now… You can withdraw. I don't want to force you,"
I said.
Victor pulled out a piece of paper; frankly, I was surprised he'd prepared the marriage certificate so quickly. Victor must have been a prepared man.
—We can discuss the terms of the contract before signing.
—"You're clear on this, aren't you?"
—"Yes I am."
—"How could a man who doesn't consider anything worthy of himself consider someone like me, abandoned by my entire family, worthy of himself?"
—"It surprises me that you would care whether or not you are worthy of me."
—"I don't care."
—"Then continue to not care, My Lady. Your existence without needing anyone's words or value suits you better. Your nature suits you very well, My Lady. Don't lose it. So don't be sad, you are far nobler than the families of all the sultans in history."
I smiled to him.
—"You spoke as if you knew me.
—"I was practically raised as a soldier. As I said. The Stormwell family is a little strict in raising children. When I reached a certain age, they practically made me work as a soldier. Our Duchy was a bit of a chaotic place. There were bound to be conflicts. So I'm good at understanding people."
—"Really? That must have been difficult."
I said.
I didn't doubt what he said much. He had that demeanor you could only see in soldiers. It was hard to believe that the child of an aristocrat was frequently sent to war but perhaps it was possible… If they were a family that valued war and power, then it could be. I don't know these Stormwells very well. I know they're powerful. I've heard their names before. I don't really know where that power comes from.
—"Where does your power come from?"
—"We are the soldiers of the royal family. We protect them. We go to wars."
—"I understand…"
Now that I'm part of this family, I guess I'll gradually learn all their secrets…
(5 years ago, from Victor's perspective.)
I was riding my horse across the meadows. I had come to Heranis on a business trip. My father had sent me here for a while to learn some inter-kingdom diplomacy and to work as a secret agent.
This day was like any other day I had spent in Heranis, but who knew that something about to happen would make this day different from the others, something that would remind me of it years later?
My horse, with its noble, jet-black color, left sharp tracks on the green meadows, leaving the sky and clouds behind. I roamed freely, freer than I had ever been. Freer than I could ever be. I was trying to forget the responsibilities my family had left me. I wanted to be someone else. My soul was weary; my hands were covered in wounds and calluses from holding swords and guns.
Yet I wished I could hold a brush or a pen instead of a sword. I wouldn't want to watch people lose their lives. That's why, if I ever became king, I wanted to create a world where no one hated anyone else, where war was over. While lost in my daydreams;
Then, I saw that woman. She was on a snow-white horse. Actually, in the eyes of the nobles, she was an ugly woman, because for some reason I don't understand, the nobles only liked people with fair skin. But in my eyes, she was so beautiful and so natural. She was real. Her sun-tanned body created a beautiful color. Her hair flowed endlessly in the wind. She was either a member of Heranis's harem or one of the Sultan's daughters—because this was the palace, no other women were allowed in—and in either case, I, Victor Stormwell, shouldn't have been watching her with such admiration, but I wasn't Victor anymore. Right now, I had put aside all my responsibilities and my name, and all I could think about was that woman. The woman I loved with all my soul.
Seeing her felt like living again. After a long time.
She was dressed like a knight.
Suddenly I realized that another man dressed as a knight was charging towards him on his horse, sword in hand.
I asked Sebastian,
—Sebastian. Who is that woman over there? The one dressed as a knight?
—"She must be a slave. Or a member of the harem or something. Otherwise, what woman would have to wear such an outfit? Making a woman a knight wouldn't even occur to the most wicked nobles! That knight in front of her will kill her without a second thought!"
—" They're just spoiled brats who haven't received any education from their parents. Come… Let's save her. Let's give the slave's owner the money he wants to free her. Just so she doesn't die like this."
That day, perhaps influenced by being a 17-year-old teenager, I said that to Sebastian,
—"Okay…"
He said.I steered my horse towards her. Just as I was about to approach…
That woman I saw…
She threw the man from his horse. She didn't even struggle. She held her sword with such grace and a subtle ferocity. At that moment, I realized how well that ferocity suited her. Yes. She wasn't born to be a lady. I saw this as I got closer.
I stopped. And I laughed.
—"Sebastian. You need to tell me that woman's name.
—"I don't know, sir… A knightly woman… with long hair? Could she be a noble? Could she be Princess Almila? She also gets involved in such strange things. Actually, they try to keep this information secret from everyone. So that the Lady's reputation isn't tarnished."
—"Strange?"
—"Strange for a classic Heranis woman."
—"Most women in this kingdom are classic Heranis women anyway. Let one of them not be."
—"There's no way she can get married. She must be 15 years old right now… She definitely won't be able to get married."
—"I don't think marriage is that important. Whether a person is married or single…it's the same thing. So,is that girl single?"
—"She definitely has a fiancé… Most princesses of Heranis Empire are engaged to the children of important men in the empire before they're even born. But she will probably break up with her fiancé soon. She's very much ignored among the Heranis people. No one sits at the table where she sits, even though she's a princess , Her fiancé will leave her soon…"
—"Why?"
—"Also, Princess Leyla, her sister, said bad things about her. Sultan Almila isn't the person you think she is."
"—I don't believe Sultan Leyla's words. She's one of the most shameless women I've ever seen. She said inappropriate things to me, that she would leave her fiancé for me... Her eyes are truly on other men. I'd bet your salary that she's doing it for attention."
—"I don't think they're wrong. It's strange that a 16-year-old lady isn't mature at that age, as I tried to explain earlier."
—"So she's a year younger than me?"
—"Sir. Your interest in that woman won't go away no matter what I say, will it?"
—"That seems difficult, Sebastian."
—"I understand. Right now, focus on keeping your word, rather than on women. You said you would reclaim the throne that belongs to us."
—"Yes. That's what I'm focusing on."
—"Your interest in the princess is contradictory. Their race stole the throne from us. They stole our rights."
—"Yes. You are right."
—"And it's a bit ridiculous that you think the king will let you market one of his daughters. He hates us."
"—He won't. Don't worry, I have my own plans."
—"What are they?"
—"You'll see."
—"If you're trying to do what I think you're doing, don't even think about it."
—"I'll think about that, Sebastian. Don't tell me what to do."
—"The only problem preventing you from marrying that girl isn't just the Sultan. It's our lineage, our blood, our race. You can't betray him. You can't betray our true homeland. You can't defile our race."
__"I won't do such a thing."
—"We, Azelia, the people of this kingdom, have suffered so much racism. So much of our blood has been spilled…"
—"I know, Sebastian."
—"We have so much to lose, Vic. You have too many responsibilities to be swayed by just anyone."
—"Doesn't everyone choose just anyone to fall in love with? That's natural."
—"Yes. They have so much of our blood on their hands that you have to go against your nature. If you like her, you have to stop that liking."
—"I understand, Sebastian."
—"I don't want to see you with that girl." —"Okay."