"Marie," I moan, my face buried in my arms as she diligently does my hair as usual. "I need to find a husband, fast."
I can feel my nursemaid's body shake with silent laughter as she buttons me up into a dress that makes me look far sweeter than I truly am. The budget allotted to me has slowly risen over the years, so even though it's still a far cry from Julia, I'm still living lavishly on the surface.
"A good marriage will be chosen for you by your parents," Marie cautions. But she knows who my parents are and she knows what nearly happened yesterday. "However it wouldn't hurt for you to start getting to know the young gentry in the empire, your highness."
"Precisely," I agree. There wasn't a hint of discomfort in my father's eyes as he prepared to give away my future to the kingdom of Aidel. It would be best to secure a potential marriage before something like that happens again.
