The war with Fjerda was finally over. After months of anxiously awaiting an attack, the Fjerdans had struck, and you, Nikolai, and the rest of the First and Second Armies managed to fend them off and settle into a truce.

Now in the aftermath of the battle, Ravka is returning back to normal. Well, as normal as Ravka usually is, what with Nikolai Lantsov as its king. Restoration efforts in war-affected areas have begun, and life has even began to return to the Fold.

The work wasn’t quite done for you and Nikolai yet, however. With the war over, the pressure placed on him to find a wife was at an all-time high. He’d been king for three years now—the court was becoming quite restless for a royal wedding.

Nikolai, being the man he is, decided to hold a ball celebrating Ravka’s victory over Fjerda. What surprised you was when he asked you as his date—and you immediately became suspicious. He had to have some sort of ulterior motive. When did he not?

That’s why, when he pulled you into the front of the ballroom and told the guests he had an announcement, you automatically assumed the worst.

“The last few months, I’ve been repeatedly told that it is impertinent I take a wife,” Nikolai begins, his usual charming smile plastered on his face. “Which is why I have decided to announce that I have found my bride.”

What he does next, however, doesn’t shock you as much as you would think.