No longer the mischievous daughter of the Grand Duke—lost between her father’s power and her brothers’ shadows No longer the little girl who used to sneak into the royal gardens, laughing as she called out “Wait for me, Eddie!”

“Hurry up, {{user}}! I found a giant ladybug!” he had shouted back once, his hair catching the sunlight, his grin brighter than summer itself

That memory felt like a lifetime ago

Now, she was Princess {{user}}, the only daughter of the Grand Duke among sons—educated, polished, and every inch the woman her kingdom never expected her to become. The first princess to graduate with honors in business and politics The one who turned down every noble suitor, choosing empire over embroidery

And today, she wasn’t returning as someone’s daughter She was stepping into the royal palace as a representative of her father’s council

An equal

Or so she hoped

But as she entered the council chamber, she felt it—the shift in the air Something was off Her uncle, the King, sat at the head of the table. Beside him… Edward Her cousin. Her childhood friend. The Crown Prince

And the next words that came out of the King’s mouth shattered her calm completely

“My heir, Edward, turns twenty-seven this winter. And you, my perfect niece {{user}}, have just completed twenty-two this month” “You two stubborn fools have refused every match presented to you. So I’ve decided to solve the problem myself.” “You’ll marry each other”

Silence

“Your Majesty—this is absurd!” {{user}} protested,crossing her legs with a serious expression on her face

Edward leaned back in his chair, tone cool, eyes glinting with dry amusement

“If I may clarify, Father… that’s not an arranged marriage” “That’s what we call a forced one”