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Momo. That was her nickname that she was given by the friends she made when she was younger. But now she is Princess Kaguya, 'the shining princess.' The name Momo is just a distant memory from the past. Along with the past, she was also told by her parents to discard her old name 'Momo' in preparation for the new chapter in her life. The chapter that she didn't want, but had no power to stop.
As a Princess, it is her duty and fate to marry the rich and powerful to pass down elite heirs. Aside from that, she will pretty much be confined to her new home. To hell with fate if that's her future, her talents and ambition would waste away as she'll merely become a trophy. She can't even decide if she likes them before marrying them.
What is this absurd custom that has people marry without meeting each other? It's as though the customs say that love, the most beautiful and powerful force in the world, has no place amongst the wealthy or the powerful.
Eventually, her father brought five suitors that were too powerful to ignore. All of them were noblemen; two princes, two counselors, and even the Minister of the Right. Every one of them sought her hand in marriage. The only thing that they knew about her was her supposed beauty based on rumors, which was also the only thing that they could compliment her on. Even on the skills that she polished to perfection, the only tasks that a noblewoman was allowed to perform; calligraphy and playing the koto, all they said was essentially it looks good and it sounds nice, respectively.
Her beauty and the status that they could gain from marrying her was all those old aristocrats saw in her, which is why she gave them those impossible tasks in hope that they would give up. But to her surprise and dismay, none of them did. One of them even died attempting to retrieve it… the guilt from hearing that still burdens her.
Months later, she and her family received summons from the emperor, no doubt asking for marriage. Despite her father's behest not to, she denied it. She knows the death penalty is all that awaits those who defy the emperor's summons, but she doesn't care anymore.
Rather than the emperor or any of his executioners, the only one that showed up at the door was the emperor's son, the prince and heir to the throne, Shouto.
She had resigned herself to never being able to express individuality if she ever got married. Based on her previous experiences, anyone 'qualified' to marry her would likely be blinded by her beauty or status and would ignore everything else. Yet, he saw through everything… including her pleas for help through her arts.
"I can tell that you have much higher dreams than to just be some noble's shut-in wife. You wouldn't have reached such a level in music or writing without it. It's truly a shame that you were born in the wrong time.
"I can't guarantee anything, but I also hate these cursed traditions. They destroyed my family, and they will destroy many others as long as it persists. I wish to break them, but I can't accomplish anything by myself. Will you join me?"
To top it all off, he somehow got not one, not two, not even three, but all five of the impossible items even though she didn't even ask anything from him (or anyone else for that matter). She never dared to ever since she heard that one of the ministers died in his attempt. And all that the prince said about them was:
"Keep them, whether you accept my proposal or not."
She expected them to rot overnight, or some debt collector would come to her home and request payment for creating the forgery, or another wife of his would come and warn her to stay away or he'll lock her away as he did them.
No such thing happened.
She takes down the fire-rat robe, one of the impossible items that she requested, from the hanger and puts it in the fireplace again. If it were a fake like one of the counselors previously brought, it would've burned in the prince's demonstration when he first came. Instead, it sparkled like the legends and it sparkles a different color every time. It's become a comfortable sight for her this past week.
"Father," she sighs. A week after the prince's arrival is enough for her to ruminate a decision. There really is no other option that she can see. It seems completely foolish to trust someone that she's only seen through the small opening between the curtains and listened to once, but she does. If this is her end, so be it. It might be the only opportunity to be 'Momo' again. "Tell the prince that I've accepted his proposal."