Everyone gathered outside the Imperial Palace, awaiting the arrival of Prince Rasheen.
"Aria," Gawain said, catching her gaze, offering a reassuring smile as he held her hand.
From outside, five white carriages approached, adorned with the royal family's emblem on their flags, followed by a procession of ten knights. There was no doubt - the Prince of Targaryan had arrived.
"PRINCE RASHEEN TARGARYEN HAS ARRIVED!" announced a knight.
"Aria! I am finally here!" Rasheen exclaimed as he stepped off his carriage. "Where's the Princess? Where is she?"
"Ehem. Your Highness, please compose yourself," his butler reminded.
Prince Rasheen Targaryen, the third and youngest son of the Emperor of Targaryan, had arrived. Targaryan and Serolf Empire were longstanding friends. A year ago, during the Emperor's birthday banquet, they had invited the Targaryen family. It was then that Rasheen had first laid eyes on Aria. It was love at first sight, and he vowed to his father that he would marry her.
One day, a letter from the Princess arrived, and Rasheen was overjoyed to find it was a marriage proposal. The Princess wanted to marry him! However, Rasheen's father, knowing the Princess' personality, initially opposed the marriage. Rasheen, the most stubborn and impulsive of the king's sons, insisted and even ran away from the palace. His father had no choice but to agree, knowing Rasheen wouldn't return until he permitted the marriage.
They were married three months ago.
Finally, Aria met her third husband. Rasheen waved at her, paying his respects to the Princess and introducing himself, as he had been informed of her memory loss.
After the formalities, he retired to his chamber to change into fresh attire. In the evening, a grand banquet was held, attended by noble families from both lands.
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"Why don't you join him for a drink?" Gawain suggested.
"But I'm not sure how to approach him," Aria replied, glancing at Rasheen. He looked like an eager puppy, clearly wanting her to initiate contact.
"You'll be fine. He's your husband," Gawain reassured, smiling.
"Okay, I'll give it a try," Aria decided, standing up and making her way to Rasheen.
"Aria!" Rasheen rushed to her. "I've missed you so much!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly.
Oh my! She could hardly breathe!
They sat down, and he began sharing stories about her, behaving like an excited child.
"Tch. The Princess certainly enjoys collecting husbands. You're fortunate not to be one of them anymore," Nikolai remarked, watching them.
"Nik, we didn't come here to criticize the Princess," Claudius chimed in.
Nikolai looked puzzled. "You've changed, Claude."
"Why do you think that?"
"You used to criticize the Princess, but now you're defending her. Could it be that you..."
"Stop assuming."
"I'm just curious."
Claudius shook his head and continued sipping his drink.
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Phew! Finally, Im free.
Aria went to the balcony for some fresh air.
"Finally, some peace and quiet," she sighed and sat on a bench, gazing at the stars.
"Is the party not to your liking?"
Ack! She almost jump because Claudius' sudden appearance.
"Lord Claudius..."
"Aren't you glad he's back?"
He seemed unusually composed tonight.
"I'm not sure if it's something to be glad about."
He furrowed his brows. "Why? You're the one who married him."
Dude, I'm not the real Princess.
She forced a smile.
Claudius stared at her.
Why on earth is he staring at her? Does she have dirt on her face?
"By the way, regarding Lady Lory's marriage issue... I truly have no idea about it. I know you may not believe me, but..."
"I'm already aware. It's not your fault."
Wow, really? So he's no longer angry with me?
"Thank you."
"I've noticed you thanking everyone. I didn't think you knew how to express gratitude."
Psh... Of course, I'm not the Princess.
If the real Princess were here, she'd sooner die than thank someone and apologize.
"But still, I want to apologize. Because of me, you and Lady Lory didn't end up together."
"Do you feel sorry for me?"
"I-It's not like that! I just wanted to apologize, that's all."
He smiled. "No need for that."
"Ehh?"
He patted her head. "I have to go now. Good night, Your Highness." He got up and left.
What's up with that guy?
But wait, does that mean we're no longer enemies?
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"Hey Claude, are we heading home now?" Nikolai asked as he noticed Claudius heading towards their carriage.
"Yeah, I'm quite tired," he replied.
Nikolai got into the carriage first. He paused and glanced at the balcony. The Princess was still there.
"I don't know... I can't explain what I'm feeling right now. Every time I see her, I feel like I want to stay with her longer. But I need to stop this," he whispered.
"Hey Claude, aren't you coming in?" Nikolai called to him.
Claudius got into the carriage.
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The party is about to end when a magic circle suddenly manifested in the middle of the banquet hall.
"W-What's that?"
"It's a magic circle!"
"Is it from the mage?"
Visitors began to murmur.
A man with long silver hair and golden eyes emerged from the magic circle.
What's going on?
"Greetings to the sun of the Serolf Empire!" the man kneeled in front of the Emperor.
"Master Xerxes Grimaldi," the emperor acknowledged.
"Master Xerxes? The Grand Master of the Magic Tower?"
"The Great Mage!"
"He's as attractive as they said in the rumors."
People's attention were all on him.
He rarely left his Tower, making it a rare sight for anyone to see his real face. Known for his use of black magic, Xerxes was recognized as the most powerful Mage in the empire.
"Could you tell me what brings you here?" the Emperor inquired.
"Please accept my apologies for interrupting your party, Your Majesty. However, it appears that the Princess has forgotten about our agreement," Xerxes stated.
"A-Agreement?" Aria asked.
He smiled at her. "The Princess and I met a year ago, and she promised me that she would marry me."
Gasps filled the room.
"But... I don't remember anything. I..." Aria explained.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I brought our contract just in case you forgot about it," he said, showing them the scroll.
Seriously! The Princess was still unsatisfied with her three husbands, so she added another one!
This is so embarrassing. I believe I am the only princess in this world with so many husbands.
"Hmm... then there's nothing I can do if that's the case. Fortunately, the Minister of Marriage is here. We can discuss the matter later," the Emperor declared.
What? Are you really my uncle? You're really tolerating the Princess' bad habits.
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"Psh... This is ridiculous! I hope this is just a nightmare. Gawain is enough for me. Why do I need to have so many husbands?" Aria stomped her feet.
After the banquet, Aria and Xerxes signed their wedding contract, officially tying the knot. Aria laid down on her bed.
"Mom, Dad, your daughter is no longer single. Huhu."
"Your Highness, the Head Butler is here," William announced from outside her door.
"What is it?" she asked without opening the door.
"Your Highness, your husbands demanded that you spend the night with one of them," The Head Butler explained.
Spend the night?
"WHAT?" her eyes widened.
"They await you, Your Highness. You must choose one to spend the night with," the butler added.
NO!!!
"I…I didn't know about such a tradition?" she said.
"It's not a rule, Your Highness, it's a tradition for every married couple." the head butler said.
Still no!
"I'm tired. I want to sleep now. I'll do it tomorrow!" she said and covered herself with a blanket.
"B-But…" The Head Butler had no choice but to leave.
"I forgot about that kind of tradition. I had never done that with Gawain and Claudius before. I'll have to come up with a way to avoid sleeping with them every night."
Zzzzz…
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Aria woke up when she felt someone hugging her from behind.
Holy cow!
She looked back and saw Xerxes sleeping.
"Waaahhh!" she pushed him away.
Xerxes woke up and yawned. "What happened?"
"W-Why are you here?" she covered her body with a blanket.
She was still in her room, but how did this guy get here? She believed William was outside guarding her and wouldn't allow anyone to enter her room without her permission, especially in the middle of the night.
"The head butler said you were tired and wouldn't be able to spend the night with us, so I decided to come to you," he explained.
Seriously?
"But how did you get here?" she asked.
"I used magic," he grinned.
"Pervert!" she complained.
He ignored her and just closed his eyes.
"Can you please go back to your room? I want to sleep alone."
"But I want to sleep here."
"No."
He opened his eyes, then pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. "Shh... I won't do anything. We'll just sleep." He closed his eyes again.
She stared at him. Could she trust him?
But she was sleepy now…
She slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. They slept while embracing each other.
So, in the end, she still slept with one of her husbands.
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....
"Aria!" Rasheen rushed towards her upon seeing her enter the dining room.
"Your Highness, please slow down!" his butler cautioned.
"I was so lonely last night. I waited for you the whole night, but you didn't come. I heard from the butler that you were tired from the party and fell asleep immediately," he said, embracing her.
"Y-Yeah," she replied.
Gosh, he's so clingy. She could imagine him like a puppy wagging his tail. Would he mind if she patted him?
They began their meal.
"Master Xerxes seems to be in a good mood today," Gawain observed, noticing Xerxes smiling as he ate.
"I had a good sleep last night," Xerxes mentioned.
"My whole body hurts because you hugged me all night," Aria mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Seriously, why does Aria need to marry you?" Rasheen complained.
"I was about to ask the same question to you," Xerxes retorted.
Rasheen started to get irritated. "What did you say?"
Xerxes smirked at him.
Rasheen rolled his eyes. This guy is irritating. He felt an urge to stab him with his fork.
Xerxes continued eating.
Aria sighed, realizing these men would cause chaos if they were always together. They weren't getting along. She glanced at Gawain, who was eating quietly. When he noticed her gaze, he smiled.
After their breakfast, Aria left her husbands to attend to her duties.
The Princess had never fulfilled her duties in the past, though.
On her way to her office, she accidentally bumped into Viscount Milano.
"Good morning, Your Highness," he greeted without bowing.
Why is he looking at me like that? His hostility is palpable, sending shivers down my spine.
"Good morning, Viscount Milano. What brings you here?"
"I believe the Princess never cares about her surroundings. There's no reason for you to know why I am here."
How arrogant! If you don't want to tell me, then fine!
"I'm afraid I can't accompany you. I have duties to attend to today. Please excuse me." She left him.
That man is dangerous. I can't trust him.
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"I heard from the Head Butler that you didn't spend the night with your husband," Cedrik remarked while pouring tea into her cup.
"I'm trying my best to avoid spending the night with them," she replied, though she had spent the night with Xerxes because she was forced to.
"But why? They are your husbands." he asked.
Because she's not the real Princess.
She chose not to answer his question.
Cedrik smiled. "Here's your tea. Don't tire yourself. Just call me if you need me."
"Thank you." she said, then he left.
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....
Cedrik was on his way to the kitchen when Rasheen blocked his path. Cedrik bowed to him. "Is there something you want, Your Highness?"
"Hmph! I heard from the servants that you've become close with my wife. You even spent time with the Princess in her room alone. You're not even a concubine, so why is she paying you attention?" Rasheen said, crossing his arms.
"It's not what you think." he said.
"Oh really? Tell me, do you like Aria?" Rasheen asked.
Cedrik remained silent.
"Tsk. C'mon, answer me!" Rasheen yelled.
"I jus---"
"It seems the Prince is looking for a fight today?"
They turned around and saw Xerxes.
"I'm just questioning him. I won't harm him."
"Instead of taking an interest in that kid, why don't you focus on whom the Princess spent her night with last night?" Xerxes grinned.
Both of them were shocked.
"Y-You..." Cedrik was lost for words.
"Huh? But the Head Butler said she didn't spend her night with anyone last night!" Rasheen exclaimed.
Xerxes shrugged.
"D-Don't tell me... y-you..." Rasheen glared at Xerxes.
Cedrik found the opportunity to escape and ran away.
"Tsk. He escaped. This is your fault!" Rasheen accused.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. You're the one who let him escape," Xerxes retorted and left him.
Tsk.
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....
"The Princess is still alive, we need to make our move again. She will be a hindrance to our plans," said an unknown man.
"Are you really sure about killing the Princess? He will not cooperate if we kill her," the man wearing a mask inquired.
"We will not tell him that we are behind the Princess' death. As long as you keep your mouth shut, we will not be discovered," the man replied.
"But the crown prince is about to return from the war. What's your plan for him?" the man wearing a mask asked again.
"Just let him be. Our main target is the Princess. He despises her, so he will not care if she dies." the man answered, smirking.