"Hiraya, would you be my betrothed?" he asked, kneeling down on one knee. He definitely had some gut to ask the next ruler of his rival kingdom to marry him; in a room full of guests attending that same very kingdom. A man Emperor Koiki Miyamoto was to even remotely attempt something as such.

The room broke into whispers, gasps and gossips, all of which I could care any less of. I was too stunned to process anything that had happened. Why was he asking me to marry him? And that very moment the memory struck my head. Five years back, when we had met in the Nysaran Empire, he had cracked an inside joke that I had forgotten long before. The joke was a silly thing about marrying each other if we stayed unmarried after 5 years we'd met that same year never imagining he'd take it seriously. 

I only realized how long I was dealing with my inner turmoil when he softly called me out of my thoughts "Are you thinking of what happened that day?", a chuckle escaped his mouth. I nodded looking at him nervously, yet still trying to process everything. I held him by his shoulders, motioning him to get up and he did so. 

I looked around the room, the buzz from the guests still hadn't calmed down and I really do not think it was about to calm anytime soon. Whatever the next step was, the buzz would only cause an uproar. "Sincere apologies, my lady. I didn't mean to startle you. Please take all the time you need to deliver your reply. Till then I shall wait for your words." He had such a way with words it could flatter anyone's heart, perhaps mine was fluttering too. 

I took one look at my father, perplexed and overwhelmed by whatever was happening. He flashed me a smile and nodded his head, as if he were trying to tell me all would be okay regardless of my decision. It didn't help to answer any of the questions I held in my head but it did ease off all the worries I had.

"I will accept your proposal if you, the great Emperor Kouki of the strongest Empire Nysara, manage to defeat me in a duel; the rules of which I shall decide."