Chapter 64: Chapter 52: The Crown Princess, Marina.

Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 52: The Crown Princess, Marina.

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-----Marina’s POV-----

Ugh… My body is all sore… Being cooped in a carriage for a week is truly the worst…

I have been away on a hunting trip alongside His Majesty, my father since last week. The trip itself was fun, but we didn’t have that much wild game to hunt… Despite that, I was able to spend some quality time with my dear father who had been really stressed and not eating much before we left.

I’m glad that he was able to relax during this trip and that I could spend time with him, but his sermons and his endless stories are still unbearable to hear… I wish the man knew how to finish telling one story before starting a new one…

(Still, for a man that doesn’t ever cook, he really knows how to make some delightful meat skewers. Though, his food definitely made me crave something sweet afterward… I might have some pancakes with honey for dinner tonight!) I thought while I was relaxing in my bed.

Oh! Speaking of pancakes! Tian Sebas should have arrived by now… That only means that everyone’s letters have arrived! 

As soon as that realization hit me, I shot up from my bed with a huge smile on my face.

“I can’t wait to read Julius’s letter!” I said with excitement. “Summer just can’t begin fast enough! In only a few months I will be able to see my best friend again! How thrilling!" I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

I should probably go get the letters before my sisters find out that I returned and they begin to swarm me just so we can spend time together… I love my sisters and spending time with them, but I definitely want to know right now what my best friend has been up to!

Almost as if I had received a second wind, my previously tired and very sore body was now filled to the brim with energy.

Without missing a beat, I quickly left my bed and walked toward the door, not even bothering to change my traveling outfit.

As soon as I opened the door, I was welcomed by the sight of the head maid of the castle, Agnes.

Agnes was a dwarven woman whose actual age was unknown. Just like most people who belong to the long-lived races of our world, she looks extremely youthful and beautiful despite the fact that she has been serving my castle before even my father was born. She has short dark brown hair decorated with some very modest yet stylish wooden beads and a pair of beautiful red eyes that appeared to be filled with affection and motherly love towards me, which makes sense since she has been taking care of me since I was a baby. I have always considered her my second mother!

In any case, she wore the standard maid outfit that all of the servants in this castle wear. There wasn't a single wrinkle on her uniform, which should be proof enough of her perfectionist nature.

"Good morning, Your Highness. "She bowed with utmost politeness. "I hope that your hunting trip with your father was a pleasant experience." She said with her usual kind demeanor.

"Thank you! It was a pleasant experience despite my father's tendency to never finish his stories or his sermons…" I nodded before letting out a sigh of frustration.

"I'm sure that His Majesty was just filled with so much excitement since he got to spend time with one of his dear daughters!" Agnes giggled in response before smiling softly. "In any case, do you need anything, Your Highness? You should stay in bed and rest after such a long trip." She asked with a worried expression.

"I'm fine Agnes, thank you very much." Immediately thanked her while shaking my head. "A short trip like this is not enough to tire the future Empress." I said with a smug look on my face.

"Is that so? Well, I still think that you should rest, Your Highness…" Agnes still seemed worried about me.

"It's okay, I have some important matters to attend to right now, so I will take a nap later in the afternoon." I said to Agnes with an easygoing tone, trying to brush off her concerns. “I’ll be off then, I have to go greet my dear Aunt Eliana.” I then lovingly patted her back before walking past her into the hallway.

“Ah, so it is one of those days again huh… I assume that Your Highness wants me to prepare everything in the garden to have some tea?” Agnes asked with a playful smile.

“Hmm? What are you talking about?” I tilted my head with confusion as I stopped walking. “Though the idea of having some tea does seem appealing, so I would be very grateful if you did that, Agnes.” I then nodded after thinking for a bit about my favorite tea.

“I’m obviously talking about the way that Her Highness gets ecstatic and starts smiling from ear to ear whenever she receives the letters that Tian Sebas brings to her after he returns from his travels… Is it possible that those letters are from a handsome young man? Has love finally come knocking on your doors, Your Highness?” Agnes looked at me with sparkling eyes, she seemed to be really delighted.

Before I could even begin walking again, I froze in place… I couldn’t help but look at her with bewilderment.

“N-N-No! Y-Y-You got it all wrong! W-W-We are just best friends!” I immediately tried to deny her claims but ended up stuttering badly… 

“A friend, is it? Sure, and I definitely believe that, Your Highness.” Agnes spoke with amusement as she walked up to me. “But you do not deny that you’re receiving letters from a handsome young man.” She gave me a hug from behind to prevent me from leaving.

"T-T-T-That's…"  I couldn't deny her accusations…

"What? Did you really think that you were hiding it well, Your Highness? Your behavior is clearly the one of a maiden in love." Agnes said with confidence. "The way your face beams with happiness whenever you're reading those letters, the way you start doing these cute little hops when you think there's no one around to see, that charming upbeat attitude you have for weeks at the time after getting a letter. Must I continue?" Agnes started giving me examples.

That is all so embarrassing…! Why is she bringing this up now!? I'm not a maiden in love, I'm just…

"Oh, I suppose I can't forget the change in your behavior after you returned from that trip with your Lady Eliana three years ago. I wonder how that happened?" Agnes asked playfully. "Before that you used to be a little bratty, demanding, and even a bit too serious for your own good, you were all duty and no games. But then, you returned as a humble, kind, and excitable young lady… You know, it is said that love can change a man, but the same thing can be said about a woman, don't you agree, Your Highness?" Agnes was clearly enjoying herself…

"I'm telling you that you got it all wrong!" I couldn't help but shout as I tried to break free from her embrace.

"How so? It is clear to me that whoever that young man you're exchanging letters with has won your heart a long time ago." My maid decided to press the attack and continue embarrassing me…

"No! You still…-" I was interrupted.

"I got it all wrong? Yes, yes..." Agnes then let out a frustrated sigh. "My dear Marina, I have been your personal maid ever since Her Majesty, Lady Eleonora brought you into this world and I have lived longer than both of your parents combined… Because of my life experience and the fact that I know you better than anyone in this castle, you can't deceive me, my little princess." Agnes had suddenly become serious. She had even called me by my first name instead of 'Your Highness' as she always does.

Despite knowing it was futile trying to convince Agnes otherwise, I still tried to deny her claims.

"W-W-W-We are just friends! You're completely mistaken about our relationship!" I vehemently denied her accusations.

"Oh, really? I'm pretty sure that is not the case, Marina." Agnes grew a little annoyed by me trying to deny her assumptions… "I know that for a fact because until now, there has been no one who has made you blush like this in all the time I have been serving you, so that person must be really special for you." She said while pinching my cheeks.

Ugh… She’s really being insistent about this… Though, she’s not wrong about him being special to me…

“Agnes… As I said, we are just friends. He is very important to me, you’re right about that. But he’s five years younger than me… There’s no way I could fall in love with someone that young…” I tried to clear up her misunderstanding.

“Oh? So you like them younger? That’s pretty cute, to be honest. I don’t really see the problem with that if you don’t mind waiting for a bit to get married… I believe you actually have that in common with your father.” Agnes laughed at my expense.

“Agnes!?” I looked at her with a mix of embarrassment and befuddlement.

“What? I am simply stating the facts.” She shrugged in response. “But for us dwarves and those who live as long as we do, that age gap basically non-existent, you know? You shouldn’t really concern yourself with such a thing if you’re serious about him, Your Highness. If you really love him and he makes you happy, you should simply tell him as soon as you see him. That is my friendly advice as your maid and as the one who basically raised you since you were a newborn. As you humans say, life is too short for fear, don’t you think?” Agnes said playfully before finally letting me go from her embrace.

Love huh… I’m not really sure if I’m in love with him… He is the first friend I made, followed by his adoptive sisters Liliana and Luna, and Mia, his fiancée… In more ways than one, he is a really special person to me. Just reading his letters about his day-to-day life with his family brings me immense joy. Whenever he remembers something I told in previous letters and asks me about it, my stomach starts feeling all fuzzy… Whenever I think of those cute soft cheeks and that gentle smile, my heart just starts beating faster and faster…

There’s even the birthday gift I received from him last year, which makes my face heat up every time I see it… A simple bracelet made with wooden beads and a silver ornament in the shape of a crown…

Is that how love feels like? I don’t know. We haven’t even seen each other in years, so I don’t even know what he looks like right now… Can I even be in love with someone who’s way younger than me and whose current appearance is unknown to me?

“Silent, eh? Seems like you don’t have it in you to refute me anymore! Good~!” Agnes seemed pleased with herself. “In any case, I’ll make sure to prepare everything up to your liking, Your Highness! Of course, I’ll make sure to keep this whole conversation a secret from your father as long as I get to meet the man who makes my little princess smile so much so I can decide if I approve of him or not.” Agnes lovingly patted my back and smiled warmly. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be off to carry out my duties, your highness.” She said to me as she started walking away from me.

I could simply stare at Agnes’s back as she left in the direction of the inner patio, all the while a warm and fuzzy feeling had taken over my chest.

“I guess he does really make me smile a lot…” I mumbled while staring at the empty hallway. “Am I really in love with him? Is it really that obvious to others, but not to myself? I hope that I can figure that out by the time we see each other again at the tournament, Julius…” I whispered to myself with embarrassment.

After a few moments just standing there blushing and reflecting on my conversation with my maid, I decided to leave it as that and just go retrieve my correspondence…

Julius… I wonder what are you doing right now… I can’t wait to read about what you’ve been up to!

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As soon as I entered my aunt's office, I was met with a familiar sight…

"Oh, welcome back Marina!" My aunt Eliana said happily.

"Welcome back, Your Highness. I apologize for the way I'm currently greeting you." Marie, the elven maid, and my aunt's lover, immediately bowed while sitting on my aunt's lap. She looked a little ashamed.

Most of Marie's skin was exposed as she was only wearing a simple white shirt to cover herself. That was probably due to my aunt's actions…

My aunt’s office looked a little messier than usual with all the clothing of the elven maid laying in the most random places. Most of those pieces of clothing were on the ground but a few were on the many bookshelves my aunt has and even one such piece was hanging from the window right behind my aunt’s desk which is at the center of the room and the place where my aunt is sitting with her lover. Unlike my father’s office, my aunt’s is less luxurious and way more practical and simplistic. 

"Dear aunt, how many times have Agnes, Tian Sebas and I told you to do this kind of thing in your bedroom? My sisters are still far too young to witness such a thing…" I couldn't help but scold my aunt.

My suspicions of what my aunt had done with her lover were well founded because of past events and the fact that my aunt's clothes and hair are currently a mess.

"Don't worry, all of your sisters are currently with their tutors… With the exception of Alicia who's currently holed up in her room due to a sudden bout of inspiration. She's been like that since yesterday." My aunt smiled and brushed off my concerns.

Alicia? Jeez… Not again… I hope she hasn't forgotten to eat like the last time she did this. For such a smart girl like her, she still doesn't know how to take care of herself well. I might go pay her a visit after this.

"Then what about me? I still don't feel precisely comfortable seeing you like this with Marie, you know?" I frowned in response.

"To be fair, I was not expecting you to arrive so soon… I thought that you would arrive around noon, so it wasn't really my intention for you to see us like this…" My aunt smiled awkwardly. 

"At the very least, I'm glad that you saw us like this. Had it been five minutes earlier and…" Marie didn't finish her sentence as she started giggling shyly.

Gross… Hearing about my aunt's romantic escapades is not something I want to do in the morning… Or at any time of the day for that matter…

"Changing the topic… I heard that Tian Sebas has already arrived. Can I have my letters so I can go away and leave you both with whatever you were doing before I came here?" I wanted to get away before things started to get overwhelmingly sweet with those two…

"Jeez… What's the rush, Marina? You've been away for a while, spend a little time with your auntie." My aunt encouraged me to take a seat. "Marie, how about you make some tea for all of us, my love?" She said to the maid sitting on her lap.

"I don't wanna… I just got comfortable…" Marie protested as she buried her face against my aunt's neck.

Sigh… it is too late to leave now…

"Aren't you a little spoiled for a maid?" Said my aunt who then kissed Marie's head and then started playing with her blonde hair.

"Whose fault do you think that is? Once you make a poor commoner such as myself taste a life of luxury and debauchery, there's no way they can go back to their former lifestyle." Marie hugged my aunt very tightly in response… She clearly didn't want to leave my aunt's lap.

Yeah… It is definitely too late now…

“Sorry Marina, it seems there won’t be any tea this time, but take a seat anyway.” My aunt didn’t seem particularly displeased by Marie’s actions.

“It is alright. Agnes was preparing everything for me to have tea in the garden anyway, so I don’t mind.” I said before taking a seat on one of the cushioned wooden chairs in front of my aunt’s desk.

“Perfect then.” My aunt smiled in response. “How was your trip with your father? Did you manage to hunt any interesting prey?” She asked while playing with the hair of her lover.

“It was fun. We didn’t have that many monsters to hunt other than a few orcs and a minotaur. He spent a lot of time lecturing me and going on and on with his endless sermons, which was the only bad part of the trip but I had fun and I’m glad that I could spend time with him. His meat skewers are as tasty as ever.” I couldn’t help but think fondly of the time I spent with my father. “Still, I can’t help but wonder why he only took me hunting when he usually takes all of my sisters too…” I ended up rubbing my chin due to my confusion.

“Well, you’re going to start your military career when you graduate from the Blaise Academy, so it is only natural that he would want to spend some time alone with his firstborn daughter, especially considering that you will be away traveling all over our country with hundreds of unknown men and women. Knowing my brother as well as I do, he’s probably worried out of his mind about you getting a lover while doing your military service.” My aunt spoke with a playful grin on her face.

“Huh? Why would he even be worried about that?” I frowned in response.

I’m going to enter the military with the same classmates I’ve had ever since I was a kid. There’s not a single one of them that I see in that sort of way… Also, my father is the one who will decide who I will get engaged to anyway, so those kinds of worries are unfounded.

“Oh, right! I forgot that there’s already someone else in that little heart of yours~!”  My aunt pointed at me as her grin grew wider and wider.

Someone…? Ah…! That’s…

I was immediately reminded of the conversation I had with Agnes just a few minutes ago and had quickly tried to forget about… I was going to refute my aunt but after what happened with Agnes, I decided to stay silent…

“What? No response to that? Jeez… I thought that I could tease you a bit about getting your first crush and such, but it seems that someone already beat me to it… It was Agnes, wasn’t it?” My aunt seemed a little annoyed. “Tsk… She really knows how to spoil my fun…” My aunt shook her head with disappointment.

I was a little taken aback by her frightening ability to accurately guess what had happened…

“You’re being a little mean toward Her Highness, don’t you think Eliana?” Marie asked while pinching my aunt’s cheek.

“Hehehe! You already know how I am, my dear. If you want, I can be a little mean towards you too~.” My aunt suddenly kissed Marie on the forehead.

Sigh…

“Are you done teasing me and trying to kill me with your sickly sweet behavior? If you’re done, I would like to have my letters now please.” I said with annoyance while trying to escape as quickly as possible from my aunt. I promptly stood up from my hair and demanded what belonged to me.

“Jeez! Don’t put that kind of face, Marina! Sit down please, there’s actually something important I need to tell you!” My aunt panicked a little and motioned me to take a seat again. 

“I’m listening.” I said coldly, not letting my guard down in case she tried to tease me again. Despite that, I sat down again just as she wanted.

“There’s no need to be so cold… I know that you’re just embarrassed and all but that is no way of treating your dear aunt even if you’re the Crown Princess of the Empire.” My aunt jokingly complained...

“I’m leaving...” I said before trying to stand up.

“Okay, okay! I’ll get to the point! You know I was just trying to have a little fun!” My aunt defended her actions.

“Yes, a little fun at the expense of the future ruler of the Empire…”  I said with a deep frown on my face. Handling my aunt can be really tiring at times…

“C’mon, don’t get mad! Don’t be like your father who even to this day is unable to handle a little teasing from his older sister!” My aunt smiled warmly. “Well, you might be angry at me right now, but I assure you that what I’m going to tell you will make you so happy that you won’t stop saying how much you love me!” She spoke with a lot of confidence.

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“I have the feeling that is something that is going to get me angry…” I shook my head in response. “But let’s hear it anyway...” I let out a sigh.

“I will just say it bluntly then.” My aunt looked pleased by my response and nodded with excitement. “The tournament is going to be held four days from now!”

Huh…? Did she just say that the tournament is going to be held four days from now…? The tournament that is usually scheduled during the summer just a few days after the Festival of Flares? The tournament where Julius, my best friend was supposed to represent me?

I was utterly stunned… I could only look at my aunt with bewilderment as I thought about the implications of her words…

“What the hell!?” I immediately rose from my seat and shouted, clearly panicking thanks to the realization that my champion and friend who lived so far away would never make it in time. “This is disastrous! Why didn’t anyone tell me about this!? Why was the tournament even moved in the first place!? We have to do something or else I won’t have anyone representing me… Wait, I know! Spatial mages! We need to gather all the spatial mages we know and summon Julius with a ritual spell!” Naturally, I was panicking thanks to the sudden reveal.

“Pffft! Hahahaha! Absolutely precious! You reacted just how I imagined you would! Seriously, you should see your face right now!” In response to me having fallen into panic, my aunt simply laughed very loudly at my expense even though it was an extremely serious situation.

“Okay, this time you’re being really mean, Eliana…” Marie looked at both my aunt and me with an awkward expression.

“How can you laugh about this!? Do you know what it means for me, the Crown Princess to not have someone to represent me at the tournament!? My reputation is at stake! How could you not say anything until now!?” I screamed at my aunt. I was beyond angry…

How in the world didn’t I find out about this!? Why didn’t anyone think of telling me about it!? I’m the future Empress! 

“Relax! I am not finished yet! Hehehe!” My aunt didn’t stop laughing at me… She was laughing so much that she was holding her stomach…

“There’s fucking more!?” I hit her desk with my open hands, almost breaking it in the process…

“Woah! No need to get violent! Didn’t I just tell you to relax?” My aunt with a big smile on her face.

“Could you stop making fun of me and take this situation seriously!?” I ended up hitting her desk again while looking at my aunt with rage.

“Marina, relax.” My aunt finally spoke to me with a modicum of seriousness in her voice. “There’s no need to panic or lose your composure as you did just now since your most beloved Julius is already in the city.” She said while looking at me in the eyes.

“That is not going to…! Ehh? He is already here?” All the rage I had boiling in my body immediately cooled down before I looked at my aunt with befuddlement. 

“Yes, he arrived yesterday along with his parents, sisters, his fiancée, and his future brother-in-law. Oh, he was also accompanied by a cute little fairy.” My aunt explained after nodding. “In fact, I had dinner with them and all. You really need to try the new dish Julius came up with! It was so good!” My aunt once again started smiling.

He’s here…? He’s actually here!? In this city!? At this very moment!?

…

…

…

So that means I can see him right now, right?

“I need to get changed! No, I need to take a quick bath first! Prepare my carriage! I’m departing as soon as I am done with my bath! Wait… I don’t have any new dresses either… Call all the seamstresses now! No! That would be way too slow! We are going to stop by the market and buy as many dresses until I find a suitable one!” I started panicking a little for an entirely different reason than before. I was almost going to run out of the office, but I was stopped by my aunt who had reached out to grab my hand.

I looked at her with surprise as I watched her standing while holding Marie with only one hand and stopping me with the other. Marie had her arms wrapped around my aunt’s neck.

“Marina, don’t try to rush out like that… I’m not done talking to you and you don’t even know where he is currently…” My aunt smiled awkwardly while she tried to prevent me from running away.

“You could have started by telling me that instead of getting me so irate!” I said to her while trying to free myself. “I have no time to waste! I want to see him now!” I declared while doing my best to fight against my aunt’s overwhelming strength…

“Jeez… You really must love him a lot, don’t you? To react like this when you’re usually extremely composed… It is so nice to be a maiden in love, isn’t it~?” My aunt smiled from ear to ear before looking at her own lover.

“You are…-” I tried to refute her, but thanks to my reaction from before and my previous discussion with Agnes, my whole face was heating up… I didn’t need to see myself in a mirror to know that I was blushing.

Even if I tried to deny it, it was already useless to try to argue about it with my aunt…

“Mistaken? I doubt it. There’s not one single person in this world that has ever made you react like that.” My aunt immediately interrupted me. “You can say that it is because you’re simply friends and all or because you want to see the other girls, but you won’t be able to fool your old auntie! So how about you take a seat and we continue our talk? You’ll have all the time in the world to spend with your beloved if everything I have planned goes well.” She said with a confident smile.

“What exactly do you mean by that? What are you planning?” I asked while trying to cast aside the embarrassment I was feeling.

“Oh? Did I manage to pique your interest? Good.” My aunt said with satisfaction. “First things first, take a seat. Standing around like this as enjoyable it may be, it’s getting a little uncomfortable.” She chuckled as she let go of my hand.

I did what I was told and sat back down once again. I was extremely curious about the plan she was talking about.

All the time in the world with him huh…

“Alright, the first thing you need to know is the reason why this tournament is going to be held early." My aunt said as she sat back down. "I'm sure that you must be aware that Alicia is about to become the youngest person to ever graduate from the Blaise Academy, right? Because of that and the fact that two princesses are graduating this year, one of them being the Crown Princess, it was decided that this specific tournament would be held early so both of you can graduate at the same time." She explained.

"I see… I assume that this has something to do with you." I couldn't help but look at my scheming aunt with suspicion.

"Believe it or not, this time I have nothing to do with it. It was an official decision from the vice principal." She immediately defended herself.

I was still feeling a little skeptical even if she denied her involvement, but I decided to keep that to myself.

"I understand." I nodded to myself. "You said before that I… That I could spend all the time in the world with Julius if your plan goes well… What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked my aunt with a lot of embarrassment.

"I'm obviously talking about getting the two of you married. In the future, of course." My aunt suddenly smiled from ear to ear.

M-M-M-Marriage!? She's not being serious, is she? She's just teasing me like before, right? Right…?

I don't even know if I like Julius in that sort of way, how could I marry him if I'm not even sure of that…?

"What? Is it that surprising that I want to support your love and happiness with the one you're infatuated with?" My aunt said with a smirk as she noticed my confusion.

Even if I was sure about what my feelings for him actually are, there are still two huge problems… My father and my status as the Crown Princess 

…

…

…

"This is only hypothetically speaking… If I were to see Julius in a romantic way, how would you convince my father to let me marry him? You know what he thinks about men being around my sisters and me… He barely allowed me to attend the Blaise Academy thanks to the insistence of the Prime Minister, my mother, and you, of course. There's also the fact that despite what I might feel for Julius, he is still a commoner and I am royalty… The rift between our social status is too big for a potential marriage to be accepted by the nobility and even members of our family." I said as I looked at my aunt with a serious expression.

While it may be true that Julius is the Apostle of a Goddess, that is a fact that just a few people know and something that he is not planning to reveal, so as far as every noble is concerned, he is a commoner just like any other.

"Would you look at that, you've actually given this some thought before! How cute~!" My aunt spoke with a teasing tone.

I couldn't help but frown in response to my aunt's attitude…

"Eliana, I believe it is not the time to be making jokes about this… Please don't play with your niece's feelings." Marie got angry at my aunt for my sake.

“Alright, alright… It was just a little joke. I’ll take this seriously…” My aunt looked at her lover with a dejected expression. “Marina, Julius’s social standing might be less than ideal right now, but that is not a problem that requires a lot of effort to solve. Do you remember what is one of the prizes for winning the tournament? What’s the thing that our family provides to those who have proven worthy?”

Ah! I see now…

“A noble title…” I muttered with a bit of disbelief. “You do realize that no one has gotten a title promotion in the last thirteen years, right? Is it even allowed for Julius to get a title just like that?” I asked my aunt.

Considering the fact that the Blaise Academy is for nobles only, one of the prizes of the tournament is to raise one’s noble title if you were to be in the lower ends of the hierarchy. It is already unusual for someone that is not of noble standing to participate in such a tournament, a commoner getting a title in that manner is practically unheard of…

“That is the thing, Marina. You’re going to be the ruler of this country, so your word will be the law. No one would risk going against you and getting on your bad side even if you give him a title just because you felt like it. That is unless you give him the title of Duke… That is definitely a way to piss off all of your future subjects.” My aunt smirked in response and spoke with a lot of confidence.

“I see… I would need to give him at the very least the title of Count for our marriage to be socially accepted…” I mumbled to myself.

“Depending on how he performs in the tournament, you could easily explain your reasoning for giving him that rank, but you don’t need to worry too deeply about that.” My aunt shook her head. “You’re not going to raise his rank after all… Your father is going to be the one to do so.” My aunt’s grin grew wider as she said something outrageous.

I couldn’t help but at her in confusion after hearing her saying that…

“This plan of mine will kill two birds with one stone, he will gain a title and we might be able to change your father’s mind about not letting men be around you. However, as I just said, it will be heavily dependent on Julius’s performance in the tournament. As protective as my little brother might be, he is still the Emperor for a reason, you know? If he wasn’t able to recognize someone talented with a glance, neither my father, my sisters nor I would have ever given him the right to ascend to the throne.” My aunt nodded to herself.

“Will it really work like that? He rejected to even discuss the possibility of a political marriage between me and the son of Lord Claudius Caprasania, a duke and his prime minister…” I had my doubts about my aunt’s plans.

I am already 15 years old and I am still not engaged, which is something extremely out of the norm in my family. In the long history of my family, most princes and princesses are already engaged by the time they are my age, or even as early as the moment when they are born. Both my father and my mother are clear examples of the latter case…

This situation might become a problem in the future if is not handled soon. After all, how will the royal bloodline continue if the current heirs can’t leave heirs of their own?

“True, that doesn’t seem like a good omen for my plan, but still there are two clear differences between Claudius’s son and Julius. Power and Talent. Julius might be the adoptive son of the Skull Crusher, but he is still his son nonetheless. He is the son of a man capable of going against the Ten Songs of Rokkshar on his own, the man with the title of the strongest human. Julius being the son of such a person, regardless if he is adopted or not, will be immensely important for our country even if he doesn’t marry you. If I was Greyfus, I would do absolutely everything in my power to form a connection with him and keep him on our side.” My aunt explained while tracing her finger on Marie’s shoulder. “I even thought about marrying him myself, you know? To wait a decade or so, just to form a connection with him.” My aunt suddenly giggled… If I wasn’t sure if she was kidding about that last part or not…

“Oh? Is that so? When were you exactly planning to tell me that? Where did I fit in that fucked up plan of yours? Why aren’t you in prison, you pervert?” Marie got really pissed off at my aunt this time.

“Marie, I said that I considered it, not that I was actually planning to go through with it. The kid also kinda hates me, so that plan would have fallen apart pretty much immediately… Though, I must say that the mere thought of that happening completely vanished from my mind hours after that the moment I met you, Marie. ” My aunt smiled at her lover and quickly stole a kiss from her.

“Hmm… I suppose I can forgive you, just this once.” Marie had a soft smile on her face after my aunt’s lips parted away from hers.

“Ahem… Could you not do that when we are talking about something so serious like my future?” I immediately complained after witnessing their lovey-dovey acts…

“Jeez… we are just being a little affectionate, but I suppose that is fair. In any case, don’t worry about the smaller details of the plan and leave your father and everything else to me.” My aunt nodded and tried to reassure me.

“I still have a few more questions… Why? Why do you care so much about this?

 Why would you go as far as you are going to just to cater to what could be a potential whim of mine? Why would you support me marrying a commoner? I thought you’d try to push me to marry a noble instead…” I expressed the remaining doubts I had to my aunt.

“Marina, as you know, everything I do is for the sake of our family, the Empire, and its citizens. No matter how virtuous or underhanded and vile a decision might be, if it benefits my country or our countrymen or our family, I will take it.” Said as she looked me in the eyes with pride and resolve. “I have determined that your union with Julius would be something extremely beneficial for the Empire as a whole. I have personally witnessed his worth… Julius Navar, the boy who managed to screw me over twice now, the boy that the Skull Crusher, the Crimson Witch, the Demonic Wind, and even the Dark Goddess all zealously protect, the boy who even Tian Sebas, a war hero from the last civil war, has praised for his talents and his fighting capabilities. It would be foolish of me not to take action and bring him to our side if I can, even if I have to make him Emperor or a Prince Consort in the process. Even if your father disagrees, I think there’s no better partner for you than that boy.” My aunt’s eyes were filled with a sincere conviction.

“I see… Thank you for answering, my dear aunt…” I couldn’t help but fall in deep thought after hearing her answer.

Julius is truly a strange individual… Even after we have been best friends for years, I can’t manage to understand him entirely.

“Don’t worry. While I said that I’m doing this for the Empire's and its citizens' sake, don’t forget that I’m doing this for the sake of my precious niece too. For your sake, Marina.” My aunt smiled warmly. “Even if you are the Crown Princess and our future ruler, you deserve the chance to experience the same things that everyone else. I want you to marry not because of duty, but out of love okay? After all, it is just like your great-grandmother used to say: Politics and ruling are already dangerous enough as they are, so having someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart is simply stupid. You need to marry someone who will always support you and have your back, just like our ancestors the Hero Rokkshar and Lady Marenna did when they fought the demons and founded our Empire.” My aunt spoke to me with a caring tone while her eyes became filled with nostalgia.

Marry out of love… Marry someone who will always have your back… I wonder…

“Sniff… That was beautiful…” Marie said with a few tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

“Yeah, my grandmother was a sly old lady with a huge talent when it came to giving advice to other people, despite her cunning and scheming nature…” My aunt smiled from ear to ear while looking at the ceiling. “I’ll tell you more about her another day, Marie. In any case, I believe I have nothing more to say about this matter for now. You know what that means, right Marina?” My aunt started wagging her eyebrows while a teasing expression appeared on her face. “You’re now free to go see your beloved future husband! I’ll cover up if your dear father asks about your whereabouts.”

As soon as I heard those words, I became filled with an unbelievable amount of excitement once again… I couldn’t wait to see him, as soon as I could…

I definitely need to stop by the market and buy more dresses now…

“Marina, I know what you’re probably thinking, so take it easy. You’re no longer denying that you have feelings for the boy, but please don’t tell him anything about getting the two of you engaged for now. I think it is better if we wait until after the tournament. We don’t want to put any more pressure on him before such an event, do we?” My aunt gave me a serious warning.

“There’s no way I could tell him that all of a sudden… But I understand.” I nodded weakly while blushing.

“Good~! You’re free to go now. I’ll tell the servants to prepare your carriage and tell them where to take you. Please make sure to return at a reasonable time before your father gets all riled up.” My aunt gave me the thumbs up and finally allowed me to go on my way.

It is needless to say that as soon as I heard those words, I rose from my seat and rushed out of the door to find Agnes without even considering saying goodbye to my aunt and her lover…

Julius… My best friend… My first friend… The man who will hopefully become my husband… I’m still not quite sure what exactly my feelings are, but if it is with you then I’m sure that I will treasure you more than anyone… Would you do the same for me?

Little did I know at the time that I would actually get engaged and marry Julius, the man of my dreams in the future… I was blissfully unaware of all the drama, the tragedies, and the dangerous events we would have to go through before that could happen. The War of Heroes would be the most important one out of all of those events…

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Chapter 52: The Crown Princess, Marina.

END

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