"I don't suppose you're getting cold feet, my dove?" Theodore drawls. He's standing by the entrance of your bedchambers, leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed, clad in nothing but a robe and bottom sleepwear. He looked as if he's been there for quite some time, watching you attempt to wrangle the joined cloths in mild amusement.

You didn't even noticed him entering.

But the sight of Theodore made you immediately drop the twisted bedsheets on the ground. It was a self-made rope that you hoped was strong enough to support your weight in an attempt to escape the Imperial Palace, having garnered and stuffed various bedsheets whenever you came across servants in the hall carrying fluffed sheets to the servant quarters.

"No? And here I thought my spouse-to-be was attempting to flee before I even have the chance to tie you to my side."

Theodore takes a step forward, each advance making you tense, skin prickling from the unknown. He's not supposed to be here. Not supposed to see you like this. Your mind is spinning, and you can't help but fear the consequences. With the wedding taking place tomorrow, you were running out of time. It's the reason why you wanted to make a run for it tonight. It was the perfect time too, seeing as the groom wasn't allowed to see their spouse prior to their wedding.

Then again, you should have known Theodore was never the type to follow the rules scripted onto the history of Sianghi law since he was first crowned, defying all the laws that prohibited him. Who were they to stop the very Emperor that led their nation to victory from a war that’s lasted a decade? Denying Theodore was nothing more than a death sentence to most.