My husband- no, my future husband was visiting today. Albert something... Albert Daniel Trevino I think. But regardless, I was to meet this handsome man. Something about that name felt awfully familiar though. Was it the anime phase from middle school? Or was it the addiction to sherlock characters... oh wait isn't albert the name of a Moriarty in the sherlock anime? Oh... OH HOW NICE IS HE BASED OFF OF HIM?
My dreams were shattered when I finally paid attention to the man. He did not in fact look like the anime character. WRETCHED GIRL WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE HIM LOOK THE SAME WAAH-
"A pleasure to meet you, Junior Duke Crystalia," The man nods, and I nod as well.
"We'll talk about marriage terms... correct?" He smiles up at me after kissing my hand.
"Of course," I smile. "Please come this way."
I lead the prince down the hall of the house and explain a good chunk of the history to him. Now that I looked at him, he looked intimidating almost. I remembered making him the brother of the family who despised the attention given to him when outside of his home. He only loved his siblings, and eventually his wife Violet. Too bad I would be throwing him up on top and then leaving.
"Please have a seat," I smile. The servant pours us some tea and hands me the papers. "You are dismissed,"
"What do you think?" Albert smiles at me while I hold the papers.
"Disgusting," I grimace at the pre-written papers. "You didn't think that I would accept these terms, did you? Fifth prince in line?"
Sure he was distressingly attractive, but still Black hair, yellow eyes... so... mesmerizing... why tf did I make him so attractive again??? BUT!!! It's disgusting how self-centered these terms are.
"Of course not," Albert smiles and dismisses his assistant. "My siblings wanted to see how many of these terms you would accept."
"Now now," I sigh. "A royal who only cares about their benefit instead of the benefit of everyone should be despised. Now I'm worried for the palace's future if your siblings are all writing marriage contracts like this,"
Albert laughs a little. "My siblings mentioned that if there was anything that we disagreed on, then we should drink to see who wins. Paris said that you didn't seem like a lightweight."
My eyes glow mischievously. "Don't underestimate this woman's drinking ability Prince Albert. I'll have you know that I'm capable of borderline anything."
Sure enough, after we arranged things we've agreed upon, a maid had brought us fairy tears. Also known as vodka, but the nobles liked calling it fairy tears apparently.
"How many shots can you last?" I smirk.
"More than you little one," Albert smiles. "You look rather frail."
"Don't underestimate my metabolism." So we began drinking.
-⧖-
He lost. Not surprising but still.
"Daisy darling can you bring me a cup of the vitamin water I have you make? I need to dilute the alcohol out of his body," I shake from laughing slightly and Daisy rushes off to prepare the water.
I was drinking yes, but I wasn't a lightweight since I had a lot more water in my body than the average character. Crystalia had this upper hand, which is why she had never lost to a drinking battle. Crystalia was a moon user. Alcohol was nothing compared to the drinks that they drank at the temple each year for sanctification. The more alcohol she consumed, the more powerful she was. Not sure what my 13-year-old self was thinking, but I guess she wished to have high alcohol tolerance.
"Sorry Albert," I smiled. "Don't underestimate your fiance that much,"
Daisy hands him the cup of water and he comes back from the dead afterward. "I cannot believe you're able to consume that much alcohol."
"Yeah yeah, I'm a moon user. Next time try out-drinking me in tea or something," I brush off his comment and continue filling in the document. "I win... so I make the other terms. Is there something you're explicitly uncomfortable with?"
Albert thinks about it for a second before speaking up. "I heard rumors that you weren't taking this marriage seriously. Why the divorce?"
"I'm going to help you establish a position in high society and then I'm going to jump of the pedastool and then live in the woods by myself." I grin.
"Why the woods?"
"Because if I cast my home with shadow magic and generate artificial light then I can live on my own. I would just head to the marketplace occasionally to buy some meat or something," I swoon. "Which means!! I need to get divorced with you after we get married for four years."
Albert sighs. "What if we fall in love over the years?"
"A contract is still a contract," I grin. "I'll cast a spell with the help of the deities so that no one remembers that we were married after we sign the divorce papers, including us!"
"...Alright," Albert sighs. "One more requirement."
"Speak away," I grin.
"You can not change your last name to mine-"
"Wasn't planning on it," I tap my quill on the paper. "Check it over and then we can sign with magic."
"Alright," Albert takes the paper from my hand with a sigh.
What a pretty boy... cold features... but he was still so pretty. I don't even know
I smirk knowingly. Albert was not a family man, and neither was he someone romantic. He was the perfect man to marry and then leave. Mother had only seen him at parties, never at home. While that sounded sus, I promise you I analyzed each character very well. But being honest, when have I ever written a character who wasn't secretly soft for their wife?
"All is well," Albert nods. "Shall we?"
I nod. I call for a maid to bring in a dagger for both of us, and we both add a drop of blood to our wax mixture.
Every nobleman had a seal crafted upon birth. They made a batch of twenty upon the creation of the title, and each child chose one at birth. Personal seals were basically signatures. And the issue was that only the people who signed the contract could access it. It's a shame that I had thought so dAMN FAR AHEAD.
The contract shines, and I watch it disappear.
"Four years later." I smile. "Four years later, we will see that paper again."
"Then I shall get going," Albert nods. I escort him out of the place and watch him leave.
"Junior duke..."
"Don't worry about it" I brush it off. It didn't matter. It was just four years.