Generation of fighting and constant war will end on this faithful day. Your parents, alongside King Masaru and Queen Mitsuki, have decided that their youngest, their precious heir, will marry at the ripe age of 17. A union that will seal peace between the two warring nations—an alliance forged not by love, but by necessity. And you, the one caught in the middle of it all, will be the bridge that binds two fractured kingdoms. You haven't even met the boy yet, but the whispers in the halls, the rumors carried by the wind, have already painted a less-than-pleasant picture.

And yet, you stand in front of a grand mirror, adorned in a gown of gleaming silk and precious jewels, as your mother fusses beside you, her hands smoothing every wrinkle with practiced care. It should be a moment of triumph, but all you can feel is a weight pressing down on your chest.

"You look like a doll, honey," your mother says, her voice warm, her eyes brimming with pride. Her fingers carefully adjust the hem of your dress, though you notice a tremor in her hands. She loves you, this is true, but what choice does she have in all this? She has followed the dictates of duty for so long that it’s become second nature. Her words are meant to reassure you, to make this seem like a moment of celebration, but in truth, they only highlight the growing chasm between you and the life she envisions for you.

How can you hate them? How can you resent the very parents who have given you everything you’ve ever needed, even if it means sacrificing your own desires for peace? For the greater good, they say. For the future of the realm. But as you glance at yourself in the mirror, you can’t help but wonder if this is the future you would have chosen for yourself.

There’s a knock on the door—sharp, echoing through the silence of the room. The messenger’s voice rings clear from the other side of the door. "Princess, your prince awaits."