"So," I spoke slowly. "I have to meet the guy who wants to take my crown just because I can't rule alone?"
"Yes," Yuki, my advisor, answered me. "And you must act mannerly even though you and I both don't like this."
"Announcing the arrival of Lord Naobito Zenin and his nephew, Toji Zenin, from the Zenin clan."
I am the last of the Fushiguro bloodline.
My parents had died when I was young. My father went first when I was seven years old, and my mother followed when I was twelve due to an illness.
All my relatives, my parent's siblings, were either demoted to commoners or they were executed for scheming against the crown.
Yuki Tsukumo, my advisor, and Kento Nanami, the head of security at my palace in Kyoto, were the two who helped raise me after their deaths. Yuki has always helped me manage my schedule, making sure I get done everything I need to before the end of the day, and she also is the one who teaches me royal etiquette. She's taken over the motherly figure in my life although I would consider her more as the fun aunt. Nanami has taken up the position of always making sure I am safe. Although he seems strict to the book, he understands that I need to experience fun, and since he's accepted this fact, he's brought it upon himself to make sure I can defend myself in case of an emergency.
The court wants me to get married because they believe that there should always be an emperor. I disagree, so I've put off marriage ever since I turned eighteen. However, I am now twenty, and the court will not leave me alone about the topic. Now they are threatening me with a replacement. Apparently his ancestor was part of the line of succession if my bloodline were to die out or hand over step down from the throne.
Both males walked into the room. The older of the two must have been Lord Naobito because he definitely can't be the nephew. Looking over to the younger man, my eyes widened. He's more handsome in person. Hold on...this is the man trying to take my throne.
"Good morning," Naobito said to Yuki prior to looking at me. "Good morning, your highness."
"Good morning, Princess," Toji spoke, a subtle smirk on his face.
Whatever I'm feeling, I hope it isn't infatuation. He's just attractive, really attractive.
"Good morning," I smiled, sickeningly sweet then turned around and quickly left the room
I was just told I had to greet them. Never was told that I had to stay.
I was in the kitchen eating a plate of chocolate covered strawberries when Yuki appeared next to me.
"What was that?" she asked me. "We're trying to show that you are fit to rule, and when you pull something like that, it shows hypocrisy."
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't stay in that room any longer."
"Is it because he would be the one to take the throne if you don't marry?" Yuki asked, knowing that I really wanted to be Empress as I promised my mother I would be a good ruler in the future.
"Can you keep this between you and I?"
"Yes...what is it?"
"Remember that night a couple of weeks ago when I was hanging with Ieiri?" I asked. "It was prior to the court's decision that I needed to marry in order to take the throne."
"I do."
"Well one of the things we did was look at all the available bachelors to basically see who was handsome and who wasn't."
"So you both were judging people's looks," Yuki deadpanned at me.
"Well we were doing it off of if they were someone we'd want to be with," I explained. "Well, anyways, he was apparently part of the list, and I immediately said yes."
"Is this why you wanted to leave so quickly," Yuki asked, smiling. "You like him, don't you?"
"I just met him in person," I spoke, eyebrows furrowed. "Don't come to any conclusions."
"Look, I know your right to the throne is threatened by him, but that doesn't mean you can't like him. You do have to get married to take the throne as the court has ruled that mandatory."
"But if I were to even choose him, in a way he'd win, and I don't want him to win."
"What if you make him chase after you?" Yuki asked, although she intended for it to be more to herself than to the royal in the room, she was still heard.
"What's the logic behind that?"
"Uh...well, he would be going after you rather than the other way around, so you wouldn't exactly be giving him the throne, but instead he'd be working for it. You can even do it where you look for other suiters while you try to get him to court you. This way you would be winning more than losing."
"I'll think about it," I said, finishing my treat.
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