Chapter Text
"I will marry you off to Prince Ali from Aldebaran Kingdom."
What? What did his father said just now? An engagement?
"Why?"
"I want you to understand. It's the Aldebaran's King demand to stop the war between our kingdom."
"Politic marriage? You want to sell your daughter to another kingdom?"
"This is for the sake of our kingdom and you."
Kingdom? Me? Don't make me laugh.
Raib frown. All her father did was to force her to do anything he wants her whole life. To him, she's nothing more than a burden left by his beloved former wife. He just want her to be gone.
"But, do you ever think about me?! About my feelings?! What I want, what I dream, what I like! Do you know about that?! Do you have any idea about how lonely I have been this whole life?!" Raib snapped. Fuck manners and princess behavior, she doesn't care anymore.
"Ra, listen… I—"
"Fuck that! Now get out of my room!!! You're nothing than a scumbag who can't accept the fate about your dead wife!!!"
Tazk about to raise his hands, but seeing the rage in his daughter's eyes, he give up and walked out of Raib's room.
"I wa— no. I hope you to think about our kingdom"
As walked out, he's passing a girl in a maid suit. She's the age of his daughter, with brown hair that tied to a bun.
"Ah! Hail to the Light of Our Moon! Good morning, Your Majesty."
Tazk remember her, she's the girl who always with his daughter. He wanted to say something about calming down his daughter to her, but he didn't cause he suddenly remembered the sentence that Raib said to him.
"Yeah." Tazk walked through the hallway, the guard that he passed all saluting.
Seli saw the King walked away and sigh, she then remembered her will to see the princess. She ran to the princess' room.
"Hail to the Grace of Our Moon! Oh My! Princess!" She shouted as she saw the princess with a bloody hand and a shattered glass around her, Seli looked at Raib's hand with fear. That's not the fear of getting scold by her boss, but the fear that the princess is hurt so badly.
"For Goddess' sake! What happened princess?! Why are you hurting yourself?!" Seli felt tears falling down her eyes as she saw the princess gloom gaze and tears, she feel her chest clenched from the pain that Raib felt.
Her princess.
Princess Raib whom she promised to cherished and treasure forever.
Her beautiful, strong princess who always stood up for the weak.
She's crying in pain and hurted by her only family, and she couldn't do anything to help her.
"It's okay, Seli. Don't cry…" Raib brush away the tears from Seli's eyes, she frowned. She obviously doesn't like the crying Seli, her best friend that she see more than that. "It's because of that bastard!"
Raib clenched her bloody fist, using her power to healed them perfectly. Seli stare at the hatred in her princess' eyes, that's a very strong emotion that could even drive the calm princess crazy. Seli felt more worried, she doesn't know what's happening, but she swear she would curse anyone that hurt her. Seli stroked Raib's arm and shoulder gently.
"Princess…"
Raib looking at Seli with fond look, and that gaze turns into sadness in a second.
"What happened, Princess?"
"I'm getting married."
Seli become pale, she stepped back in shock. "What?"
Raib sigh. "I'm getting married to the prince of Aldebaran. That's what the Aldebaran's King demand for the peace treaty."
"Oh… I'm so sorry, Princess… If only I have more power to help you."
"No." Raib embraced her, tightly. "Stay with me. You're the only one who could help me feel better."
Seli's expression turns from shock to a gentle yet somehow sad expression, she patted the princess back. She couldn't say anything, but if her company could make the princess feel better, she would be happy to do so. After all, the princess is the one who save her and her family. It's a debt she can't pay even with her serving the princess her whole life.
"Yes, princess. I'm here. I'm always, and will always. I promised I would stay by your side."
That words warming Raib's cold heart, it's genuine and full of sunshine. Maybe because she's a Sun Clan, but Raib believe that because she love her. She may not love her the way Raib do, but as a person she always needed. She may didn't know about this, but Raib cared deeply about her. She want her to know, but Raib is not good at expressing her feelings. Being a princess means she have to hide her feelings and pretend to be perfect.
"I don't want to get married." For the first time, she let out a little whine and desperate cry. She doesn't like showing her weak side to anyone, but she thinks it's okay to her. Because she knows she won't leave her, no matter how bruised and broken she was.
Raib love her with all her heart. She's her best friend, sometimes a mother figure, sometimes a sister… Sometimes…
"No, not to him…" Raib pulled out from their hug, she looked at Seli's face and slipped some hair to the back of her ear. Raib try to hold back her tears, she grabbed Seli's hand as she trembled.
"You. I want to marry you."
She finally said it. The words that been stuck in her minds since a long time ago. She's too afraid that Seli would turn her back and stepped out from her life. Seli looked very shocked.
"I love you. I always do. So please…" Tears started to fall from her eyes again.
"Please stay with me… Don't leave me like everyone else does…"
Seli stunned. The princess love her?
As she saw her sobbing, she hug the princess tightly. All of their moments together started to flow in her memories like a movie. All the heartwarming memories from their friendship. All the sad memories from the war and many goodbyes. Raib loved her all along. And herself that couldn't bear the thought of her marrying someone else.
She feels bad for not realizing this before.
"I love you too, princess. Please stop crying, you know I hate it when you cry."
Raib always there when she needed anyone, now Seli wanted to do the same.
"We will get through this together, okay?"
Giving her the love she deserve. As much as she gave her.