"I'll go," My voice silencing the small chamber where father, mother and sister were all conversing in secrecy. Since the moment of my return and news of the mysterious King decree was laid upon every one of his subjects door. My father and mother had been at odds of what they were too do.

Tighten my jaw, as my father looked away, all while my mother held her hand over her mouth with tears streaming down face. Once again, I knew I had to do what was right for this family. 

"Chrissy, no please." My mother sadden voice croaked. Hours of crying making her voice hoarse. Her shoulders shaking in anguish as she once again went on to another No longer holding back her despair. Making me harden my resolve. Mother wouldn't make it. 

"No, mother I must." Grasping her hand away from her face, tightening it, lending her my strength. The cold, small and smooth palm reminding me so that she wasn't made for what Clair was going to walk into. 

The fragile woman that spent most of her time in a sickly state wouldn't be able to help much to what her daughter was beacon for. 

Well neither was Clair, my younger sister, as she wailed out, making the whole situation seem like she was being sent to the gallows to hang. Refining from rolling eyes, I decided not to point out the obvious, if I did, this damn sob huddle would never end. 

Shifting my position I placed mothers hand on her lap as father stood behind her. His own face already lined with aged. His eyes down casted and red. 

Why I wasn't the crier in the family made more sense looking back. Something in me didn't allow for pity. I was never one to wait for the solution to drop on my lap. 

Fuck no. I was the type to go grab it. 

If mother went with Clair she wouldn't be strong to guide her accordingly.

Having dealt with the socialites the past several years as one of the Kingdoms soldier had made fourtunate to undertand the innerworking of the high courts.

If father went, lookig at his modest attire I know he would feel ashamed of himself. I loved my farther dearly but I knew he didn't have it in him to understand much of what happen in the castle walls.

I knew what I was doing was going to be for the good of this family.

Fully aware that father would have sent me in steed of my younger sister, if I had actually looked like a lady. Tighten my hands to a fist, noting the callous from all the training and sword handling I had to do as one of the kingdom soliders.

Hating that once again this family was put into another tight corner. The pass three years had been hard. Partly due to the chaos I created three years ago.

My mind going into what had happened.

A coup took the Kingdom by storm. Creating a unsteady shift in power. Also not helping that during that time our country was at the brink of war. To resolve the uprising and other wars looming in the herizon. The new King had draft all eligible men of age to enlist as solider. That included one male of each household, no mater the age. Father was to go.

I didn't allow it. In the middle of the night I did what I had to do to make sure my father wasn't killed. Which I knew was going to happen if allowed.

Sighing once again, I caught my refelction ina small mirror. Their was no way I could pass a lady. My hair was cut short, fairly short, framing my face. Most ladies in court would flirt with me, stating I had angelic boy looks. Which I didn;t really take to heart.

Me, being a woman in the kings army was very much a secret. Only my family knew, and thats as many people I wanted to know.

Again the sound of some one wailing and snorting took me out of retrospec. The rising urge to reach out and strangle the person in question was riding me hard.

Several feet from me, seated in a cusion seat was my sisters with her golden hair and slim frame bawling her eyes out still. It was all my parents fault from haven spoiled her so much.

I suppose I couldn't complain, father and mother had given me other liberties that I had taken full adventage of. Grimancing as the hilt of my sword flashed.

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. My irritation peaking as another wail resounded in the small room.

The idiot wasn't crying over the "vile mysterious king" the kingdom had dubbed him, she was crying from being chosen for the concubin selection process.

The selfish sister of mines was moreso crying because if she was selected to be a concubine she would seperated from her beloved lover. Which if I remember correctly was still hanging from the tree next to the small alcove by her bedroom.

The tree where I made him tell me the whole sordin story of their idiotic love story.

Sighing I decided not to dwell on the "now". What I needed was to figure out was how the hell was I going to save my moronic sister from becoming the kings concubine. Not that it couldn't be avoided, just that Clair looks had always found us in perdicaments which made no sense what so ever.

From the time, the priest son, broke his vows to just get a chance to marry my sister. Showing up at our door stating "Clair looked like one of gods angel."

To one of the nearby Dukes son demanding her hand in marriage. Which was hastily told no. Prompting him to request a dual. Mind you, he didn't take so well to loosing to me, niether did his father after finding out his son was made a compelete fool from "country side commonor".

Come to find out the jackass was brothel to marry one of the Elite family of the Kingdoms' daughter. Soon after the dual, the family found out about his blunder in asking my sister hand in marriage. Apprently the Dukes wealth statues came to light. Us "lesser" folk had just about the same amount of shillings as they did. Further ruining the image they tried so hard to maintan. Jackass.

I suddendly found myself slitting my eyes at the person in question, Clair froze. Paling further as I raised a eyebrow. Making her aware that I knew.

I made a pointed look at me parents who were now holding eachother. My father soothing my sweet mother.

Like the damn sly fox she was Clair, coughed. Spooking our parents out of their moment.

"Yes Clair, are you alright." Mother softly asked. Probably thinking Clair had fallen sick from all her dramatic. Still trying to pull herself together. Clair eye were nervously looking between me and our parents. Probably gauging which of the two was her best chance of survival.

Seeing her resignation, as she came to the same conclusion I did several moments again. She licked her lips and hastily nodded.

"Yes mama, please you must rest." Clair meekly said to mother.

"But were not done with." Father objected, making me cut him off. "Father, please, we must rest. You must rest." I said looking pointly at my mother watery blue eyes. Just like Clair, he was quick to take a hint.

Clair was like father in some regards, both were cowards, even if I loved them dearly, yellow bellys idiots.

Standing, I hauled Clair up without so much of a fight. Feeling her plaint.

"Father, mother, will discuss this matter in the morning, when were very much clear headed." My mind already made up. From the corner of my eyes Clair blew her nose into her nose. Grimancing as she stupidly looked at the napkin. Gross.

As if knowing her cue, Clair piped up.

"Yes mama, papa maybe its all a misunderstanding. Maybe,maybe I wont have to go." I internally rolled my eyes. Her hopeful voice making me want to smack her. Hopeless dreamer that she was.

Looking over to see my mom give her a half smile, all while father still had a somber expression.

They both nodded to her slowly, trying to belive such a fanciful ideas. At the moment I didn't have the heart to dissuade them.

If only though, looking over at Clair. Imagining myself take her place. Sighing deeply, knowing that wasn't something I could do.

Clair, was quite the oposite of me, blond long hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin. All while I was tanner, more my father skin tone, green eyes and short hair. Hair that stay out of her face when fighting, something that I very much preferred. A hair style that had people assuming I was boy.

Not that I cared.

It helped in certain situation. When one male of each family was drafted to enlist in the Kingdoms military. It had help saved father from having to serve.

I only had six more month of being the soldier named Chris.

Once I was out, I could go back to Chrissy.

Regardless, we were opposite in every way, even down to the amount of brain cells. Seeing her press her lips and now look her nails. Comepletly obliovous to the moment.

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head in esperation.

"Please go to bed, we willl deal with this in the morning." I said, breaking no agruement. In a matter of minutes I had mother and father in there chambers. While I watched the younger shifty sister of mines look back and forth between father and mothers corridor to her. Presumably ready to sprint.

And… there she went, sprinting down the hallway trying to get to her door before I could get her.

As always, she seemed to think she was going to get away with this crap. Not even breaking a sweat I was already behind her pushing back the heavy wooden door to her bedroom. Spooking her as the loud banging crashing on the walls of her chambers.

"How dare you!"

"Don't bother." I cut her off, shutting her door much quieter then our entrance.

"So tell me little sister? What do you think is going happen if you dont show your face?"

I sneered, watching her flinch, making her aware that I already knew of her plans to elope and run away. No less with the other fucking Dukes other son. Clairs eyes widen finally understanding how much I knew.

"What did you think your little plan with your penniless boyfriend was going to work?" Taking a step back as I walk toward her. Clearly intimidated by me. Not seeing me this pissed off in a very long time. If Clair would have been brave enough to carry on with her plan, god knows what the hell would have happened! Besides ruining her, what about this family. Mother would surely wouldn't survive. And father.

Father wouldn't know how to handle the situation.

"Do you know what you would have done to this family?" Clair shook her head, clearly more scared then thinking of what I had just asked.

"You would have ruined us!" I hissed between clenched. Her eyes widening, now understanding the gravity of the situation.

"Father would have been to blame, who knows what the Dukes family would have done! Sued us!" Her eyes taking half her face as she coward. "You know damn well father and mother don't have that type of money!" Knowing what they had now was due to my own work being a solider. Something that I worked hard for. Regardless, I paused myself from reaching out and shaking her.

Curling my hand to a fist, I dropped it to my side. Instead I groaned loudly, throwing my head back. Fuck!

Feeling powerless once again. Knowing that sending Clair to the King concubine selection migh be the safest option for the family at the moment. Finding my boot clicking on my sister bedroom floor as I paced the length.

We, no, I couldn't afford to make a mistake in what happened next. Why pray and tell that is? Why couldn't I just let my sister continue with her dumb plan? Why???!!!

Because this was a pivotal moment in this fucking story. A story that I had read dozen of times and now was living in. Why!

Becuase I stuck in a fucking Isekai I was doomed to die in!