*clap clap* thank you to Sandy Nguyen for donation.

< christina,="" your="" betrothed="" is="" decided="">>.

One day, quiet some time after the dance, my father summoned me and began his speech with these words.

< what?="">>.

In his library, standing in front of him, I let out a gasp.

< father,="" you="" say="" that="" you="" need="" to="" talk="" to="" me="" and="" you="" come="" out="" saying="" that="" my="" betrothed="" is="" already="" decided.="" that’s="" a="" sudden="" news="" to="" me="">>.

It was not uncommon that, in the n.o.ble families, similar decisions were taken when the bride and the groom had more or less the same age. In fact, the more the rank was high, the earlier you had to decide: being the daughter of the Duke Noir, it was strange that they had not ever discussed about it before.

However, when I heard the words of my father, rather than being excited because soon I would have known which who I should have spent the rest of my life with, I felt a little confused.

< no,="" it="" is="" not="" a="" sudden="" thing.="" i="" was="" working="" on="" it="" for="" a="" while="" and="" now="" the="" agreement="" is="" concluded,="" thanks="" to="" the="" good="" impression="" you="" made="" at="" the="" ball="">>.

< oh,="" i="" see…="">>.

So the decision had already been taken behind my back longtime before, but I only had known in that moment, when it was definitive.

< christina…="" let="" me="" be="" clear="" on="" this="" point:="" you="" cannot="" meddle="" in="" such="" matters.="" your="" will="" doesn’t="" count="" in="" this="" case.="" is="" that="" clear?="">>.

< certainly,="" father="">>.

I knew that there was no room for opinion: similar decisions were taken only from parents. It was the price to pay for being of n.o.ble rank, and I was.

I was proud to be a member of the Noir family, one of the three most powerful ducal families of the Kingdom.

< i="" have="" no="" pretensions="" about="" my="" betrothed.="" what="" is="" good="" for="" the="" family="" will="" be="" fine="" for="" me="" too="">>, I said without hesitation.

My father looked at me smugly:

< well="" said.="" you="" really="" are="" my="" daughter="">>.

< of="" course.="" i’m="" your="" daughter="" ……="" ah,="" father,="" may="" i="" ask="" who="" is="" he?="">>.

I already knew the answer, but I asked him to confirm.

I was 90% sure that it was Charles, but it was possible that, thanks to the good impression I had made on everyone, someone else was been chosen in his place. Maybe someone in the highest political circles of the Country, entranced by my grace, had championed me to be given in marriage to the eldest prince and to become queen.

< yes,="" of="" course="">>.

My father’s answer obviously did not betray my expectations:

< his="" name="" is="" charles="" eduard.="" as="" you="" know,="" he="" is="" the="" third="" son="" of="" the="" king="">>.

< got="" it="">> I said, wiggling my lips.

< his="" family="" asked="" me="" to="" come="" over="" here="" to="" pay="" homage.="" but="" remember,="" when="" it="" will="" happen,="" don’t="" do="" anything="" stupid="">>.

< rest="" a.s.sured,="" father!="">>, I said shrilly, excited because I would have met my friend Charles sooner than I thought.

Inside of me I decided that, in antic.i.p.ation of that meeting, I would have worked hard on my good manners to become a perfect lady and leave him speechless.

< christina?="">>.

< yes="" father?="">>.

< why="" are="" you="" so="" happy?="">>, he asked suspiciously.

Happy?

< i="" am="" as="" always,="" father!="">>.

< are="" you="" sure?="">>.

Inside my head I was preparing a plan that, actually, wouldn’t have hurt anyone: I was just curious to see the face that Charles would have made. For the rest, I was still me…

< yes!="">>, I nodded vigorously, showing him my best smile, but my father didn’t seem of the same opinion.

< …="" if="" you="" say="" so…="">>.

What a blues! What the h.e.l.l got into him? His eyes seemed to wander away, thoughtfully:

< by="" now="" you="" too="" are="" in="" that="" age…="">>.

< …?="">>.

I wanted to know what was going through his head, but I could not decipher his answers.

< you="" look="" happy,="" but="" you="" actually="" hate="" m…="" no,="" forget="" it.="">

< ……?="">>

I couldn’t understand what he really was trying to tell me, but I was very annoyed by the fact that he was dwelling and nodding to his own suppositions.

< father?="">>.

< you="" once="" were="" such="" a="" fickle="" brat…="" or="" maybe="" a="" little="" now="" too="" …="" or="" maybe="" …="" christina?="" is="" everything="" ok?="">>.

< that="" sucks!!!="">>, with these words I poured out on him all my trouble.

>.

My father’s eyes widened in shock. I pull myself together and wore again my well-bred lady mask:

< with="" permission="">>.

< christina…="" christina="" wait!="" i="" demand="" an="" explanation="" for="" this="" behavior!="">>.

I walked away, leaving behind me the library and his recalling cries.