My name is Elysia Fortuna. I am 23 years old. I like horseback riding, swordfighting, and fishing. I live a modest noble life with my twin sister and 3 aunts.
And today I get married.
I know it's strange to start a romance novel with a wedding, so let's start from the beginning.
☆
"ENGAGED?" My shrill screech and the sound of my hands slamming on the table startled the maids, all eyes in the room turning towards me.
"Elysia! Keep your voice down, it's very unbecoming for a lady!" My Aunt Giselle huffs, smoothing her skirts and glaring at the maids until they shuffle along to continue with their duties. "But yes, we have found a suitable suitor and it has been decided that he and Elyana will be wed by the end of the summer."
"Honestly I don't get why you're even angry, Elysia," Chimes in my Aunt Lily. "You and Elyana are 23 now, nigh past ripe marrying age. We are quite fortunate to have found an eligible bachelor."
"Dare I say too fortunate..." Mumbles Aunt Sylva, ever the gossip, but Aunt Giselle fixes her with a sharp glare.
I look to my left at my twin sister Elyana, who has been sitting silently despite the conversation revolving around her. My lovely, timid sister. Never the type to provoke, and was willing to let a horse walk over her if it meant it wouldn't get it's hooves wet, a people pleaser to her core. Where I'm hot, she's cold, where she's calm, I'm angry; And oh, am I angry.
"Did you even think about how Elyana would feel? What makes you think she'd be all right with allowing herself to be married off to a man she's never even heard of!"
Aunt Sylva coughs and hides her face behind her fan as Giselle and Lily throw her nasty looks. I narrow my eyes at the three of them.
"Wait a minute... who exactly is this eligible bachelor?" I cross my arms and glare down at them.
All three remain quiet. Our staring contest lasts 10, 15 seconds before Aunt Sylva turns red fit enough to burst and her mouth flies open like a beaver's poorly built dam.
"Duke Klein Braxallin!"
All the maids in the vicinity gasp. Aunt Lily starts to fan herself, no doubt the guilt manifesting as nervous sweat. Aunt Giselle pointedly refuses eye contact. Even Elyana forgets about her 'cool and unbothered' persona long enough to look horrified at Aunt Sylva.
"Klein... Braxallin?" I wobble in place before falling backward into the seat behind me. Klein Braxallin. The name is unfortunately far from unknown to us, and not for great things. The youngest son of the Braxillan family that ruled over North Asdana was surrounded by endless rumors, none positive. It was well known that Klein was a cold monster with no real heart, desiring only power and violence. When his parents died in a sudden carriage accident it's said that he didn't shed a tear, only immediately holed himself in his father's office to tend to the division of their assets.
Not that there was much division to be done seeing as all 4 of Klein's older brothers had died shortly after, the maids who went to wake their masters each opening the door to a bloody surprise. Of course, despite being the sole survivor and main suspect, suspiciously enough none of it could be traced back to Klein. Any who dared to accuse him of such was said to be personally beheaded by Klein himself for treason and insubordination.
Aunt Lily cleared her throat. "So he doesn't have the best reputation,"
A bit of an understatement.
"But it's no matter! I'm sure he'll be a fine husband."
"Why can't you just decline?" I cried out. "I'm sure there are still many other young men available for us to meet and marry!"
"For your information the well of eligible young men has actually dried up quite a bit due to both someone's" -Aunt Giselle unsubtly narrows her eyes at me before continuing- "Overprotective nature and the war, so the market isn't quite as full as it should be."
"Even if it was," Aunt Lily interrupts. "He asked for Elyana specifically." The two of us looked up at her, shock coloring both of our faces. She continued before I could get a word out.
"I don't know why he asked for Elyana but we are not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. And that's exactly what this is, a gift."
"And above all his inheritance must have put a pretty penny in his pockets so at least you'll be living pretty cushy." Sylva said and the other two silently nodded in agreement.
I sat there astonished as the truth dawned on me. Our aunts were going to practically sell my wonderful sister to that tyrant and attempt to comfort her with what? A cushy life?
I'm jolted out of my thoughts by the feeling of a silk-soft hand sliding into mine, and I look over at Elyana again. Despite her calm expression, I could see the turmoil bubbling within her as she quietly intertwined her fingers with mine, a habit she's had since we were children.
'Elyana...'
Hearing this must be crushing her inside, but knowing her complacent nature she's sure to just smile and tell me that it'll be alright.
My lovely sister, always seen with her nose stuck between the pages of a book. While I had no interest in being stolen away by a man, she dreamt of a fairytale romance, of being swept off her feet by a figure on a golden horse and slowly falling in love like the princess she always wished to be.
I sink into my seat and let the tittering of my aunt's wedding planning drown into the background as I get lost in my thoughts. They were going to wed my sister to that monster of a man and not let her have any say in it? My mind raced desperately as I attempted to come up with ways I could find a way to get her out of this. Maybe I could pretend to be a stable boy and steal one of the carriages for us to run away with, or Elyana could play sick before the wedding and it would be postponed long enough that Duke Klein would get bored and find another bride? Or maybe-
"By the way, Elysia." The sound of my name shakes me out of my thoughts and my head snaps up to meet Aunt Giselle's eyes. "We know that you would be incredibly lonely without your sister so we've arranged for you to live with your mother's relatives in West Garland."
Any hope I had drained out of me like water from a broken glass.
I had no issue with living in West Garland, our family on our mother's side had always been kind to us and I enjoyed spending time with them. The problem lies in the fact that West Garland is an island on the other side of the continent, making visiting a month long journey across the ocean and that's with absolutely no delays. Not only were they selling my sister away to a monster, but they were sending me far enough away that I wouldn't be able to swoop in and save her like I always have.
I feel Elyana shake almost imperceptibly from where our hands are still connected and I rub my fingers on her wrist in an attempt to comfort her as our aunts continue their chattering.
Springing this on us so suddenly...
I can't let this happen. I don't know how, but I'll save my sister.
As a plan formulated in my head, I steel my resolve in my heart.
No matter what.