Chapter Text
“You’re getting married.”
Those were the last words you thought that you would ever hear, let alone so early on a Tuesday morning. Maybe you were still asleep in your fluffy bed awaiting your alarm to go off or one of your best friends to barge in and wake you up.
The day had started off like any other day. Your alarm went off promptly at 7 and you quickly turned it off, promising yourself 10 more minutes of rest before you actually rolled out of bed. That 10 minutes turned into another hour and, before you knew it, your sister-in-law knocked on the door. That’s when everything began to go south. Nejire normally respected your privacy and never came into your room without being granted access, but today she opened the door slightly sliding into the room before closing the door softly behind herself.
“Hey, Love. Are you up?” she asks, taking a seat on your bed. This wasn’t your sister at all, you thought as you peeked out of the confines of your cover. Nejire wasn’t a quiet girl. Typically, she was bright and cheerful. Now her voice holds an unusual softness as she perches herself on the edge of your bed, making her presence feel more ominous than comforting. Even when you were younger, during the Great War, she was much more lively even if the safety of the castle and royal family was in great danger.
“We need to talk,” she continues, her eyes betraying a seriousness that catches you off guard. The covers slid down from your head and you sit up at her gentle instruction to do so. “You know I love you, right? And your brother and I want the best for you?”
A sense of foreboding grows as she spoke, and you can’t help but worry. “Nej, is everyone alright? Who died? You're scaring me.” You look in her eyes and she shakes her head. You can tell that she was hiding something. Trying to soften the blow. Somehow, the way she is now is worse than how the royal guards had explained to you that your parents died in the Great War and Mirio would have to step up as the new king of the land.
“No one died,” she chuckles softly, grabbing on to your hand and squeezing. You squeeze her hand back, and she takes it as a sign to continue. “Mirio had a meeting with his advisors last night to go over plans for the 5 year anniversary of your parents death. It went really well until the topic of you came up.”
“The topic of me? What about me? If y’all want me to sing or dance for some kind of party, then no. I’m not embarrassing myself for the enjoyment of some old geezers and random townsfolk.” You push yourself off of the bed going to your walk-in closet to find something to wear.
“I wish it was that easy.” Nejire is right behind you, picking up clothes that you are tossing to the side on your journey to find an outfit. “They actually think that you’re a little too... How can I say this? Childish?”
You turn around so quickly at the accusation that your head starts to spin. What is that supposed to mean? “Childish? I'm 20 years old; a grown woman!"
“They think you don’t take your responsibilities seriously as a princess. That, maybe, you should start thinking about marriage in the near-future. They actually want to announce your engagement during the anniversary ball in a few months.” You can do nothing but blink at your sister-in-law as she tries to give you her best “I’m sorry” smile.
“Nej, I love you and I mean no disrespect by this, but, are you crazy? Don’t you think I’m a little too young to be getting married?"
"Didn't you just say you were a grown woman?" You ignore her retort.
"Either way, I wouldn’t even know who to get married to!” You walk behind the changing partition situated in the corner of the closet. At this point you don’t care what you are wearing, you just need to get changed and, possibly, go see your brother because he had obviously lost his mind last night after dinner if he thought that you would agree to this absurd plan. You say as much to Nejire as you get dressed, throwing a couple curses to the wind at how crazy the morning is becoming.
Nejire sighs, her gaze sympathetic yet conflicted as she watches your silhouette behind the partition. “I know it’s a lot to take in,” she offers weakly, trying to bridge the gap between duty and personal choice.
“But?”
“But Mirio believes this could be for the best. He wants to see you grow, to prepare you for the future. You rarely leave the palace and you don’t really have friends.”
“So, Tsuyu and Denki don’t count?” You walk around the partition, hands on your hips, pissed. They were your best friends and had been around since the very beginning. They were there when your parents died in The War and when Mirio and Nejire went away to fight in their place. No one, not even your brother, the King, could talk down about them.
“You know what he means,” Nejire counters, her voice pleads for you to understand. “It’s about alliances, security. If another war were to break out—”
“So, I’m just some political pawn?” you snap, cutting her off sharply. Frustrated, you push past her back to your bed as she stood in the doorway. “We’re not at war anymore. We don’t need an alliance. Especially not one brought on by marriage. Do I even get a choice in the matter? Don’t I deserve a say in my own future?”
You hurriedly put on your shoes and Nejire attempts to lighten the mood with talk of princes chosen by the advisors. “Of course! The advisors have already picked out a handful of eligible bachelors for you to choose from,” she says tentatively, her tone hoping to reassure you this marriage idea is not as bad as you think.
A surge of disbelief and frustration shoots through you. Without thinking, you grab a pillow from your bed and hurl it towards Nejire. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!” Your emotions are raw, and you tune out her attempts to explain who the princes chosen are. You were the second-born with only a few princess duties. You can't see why marriage is suddenly being thrust upon you out of the blue.
Needing air, you approach the door, grasping the handle before Nejire’s voice halts your escape. “Where are you going?” she asks, concern etched on her face.
You hesitate, pondering your next move...