The Tyrant Emperor's Wife

twelve - change

"Are you getting engaged, Val?" Ethan burst into my room, eyes round and worried.

I looked up from my book, and then turned the page absent-mindedly. "Um... yeah. I guess."

"Everyone's talking about it." He sat in the chair across from me, lower lip trembling. "Apparently dad had mentioned it during your party, but didn't specify who. I can't imagine my baby sister getting married... no one's good enough for you! What is dad thinking?"

I stared down at my book but couldn't focus on the words. "I don't know." My birthday banquet had been two nights ago. The more Ethan said, the more I thought of Roman. The more it hurt.

"Are you getting engaged, Val?!" Arthur burst in through the door, his silver hair messy and unkempt. He walked over with the same worried, lip-trembling look Ethan had. "You're too young! I'm not even married yet!"

"I can see why," I mumbled.

"Father's being ridiculous! Let me go talk to him, surely he can listen to reason."

I put down my book, sighing. "There's nothing you two can do. Father's already decided. It's for -" I clenched the spine of my book. "For the family. To restore neutrality."

Ethan looked even more hurt. "Because of me, you have to get married...?"

I looked over at him and smiled. "It's fine, Ethan. Roman saved your life. I understand that." I halfheartedly opened my book again but ended up staring out the window. "It's not like I mind anyways. I was going to get married eventually."

"But..." Arthur glanced at Ethan. "You're our baby sister. We should be the ones worrying about the family's neutrality and... we've always wanted you to marry for love."

I bit my lip. "Doesn't matter. It's not like I'm... in love with anyone at the moment."

I stared out the window, watching the emerald garden glitter in the sunlight. This was why I was doing this. To see the duchy full of life and splendor. To be able to sit comfortably within these walls. To -

A figure crashed in through the window.

I blinked.

"Are you getting engaged, Val?!"

Roman stumbled a little bit before straightening up. The three of us - Ethan, Arthur, and I stared at him. He looked up, shook a leaf out of his hair, and smiled sheepishly.

"Roman?" Ethan narrowed his eyes at him, and then glanced at me. "Valerie...?"

I shook my head. "This - this has never happened before, Ethan." My mouth opened and closed without another word. What - ?

"You've been sneaking into my little sister's room, Aenon?" Ethan's eyes flared and he started rolling his sleeves up. "My cute little sister's room through the window?"

"Ethan!" Arthur and I yelled at the same time as Roman flinched. "Ethan, I told you he's never -" I glanced at Roman and sighed, pinching the spot inbetween my brows. "He's never come in my room like this before. How - how do you even know where my room is?"

His eyes were annoyingly bright. "I can find you wherever you are, Valerie."

I flushed.

"No. No, no no. Nope. I'm with you on this one, Ethan." Arthur waved a hand in front of my face.

"Exactly!" Ethan sighed.

Roman ignored Ethan and took another step towards me. I couldn't look him in the eye, embarrassed. Was he always this tall? He reached out to take one of my hands, and I flinched at the feel of his rough thumb across my palm. These past few months I had always thought he looked young and naive, but... I turned to the side, suddenly light-headed.

"Valerie, are you getting engaged?" Roman drew even closer, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"I - uh..." I looked at Arthur and Ethan for help. "I think so?"

Roman grabbed both my hands and I turned to him instinctively to see his face mere inches from mine.

"Marry me, Valerie." He smiled widely, eyes glimmering. His gaze didn't feel cold. It felt like spring wind, rustling through my hair. It felt like dipping my hands into a refreshing stream on a hot summer day. I thought of that dance, two nights ago, in his arms.

"I won't let go of you."

There must have been something in my eyes, a feeling I couldn't quite express or name, didn't have the courage to breathe aloud. His smile grew wider, and despite the tension between us, he leant forward gently.

And softly kissed me on the head.

"I'm going off to find your father!" He drew back, grinning. Then, he disappeared just as quickly as he'd came, but this time he ran out of my bedroom door and down the hall.

"What?" I stared at the gaping doors behind him.

"What the hell?" Arthur huffed, using his sleeve to rub my forehead. "This is the guy you're risking your life to follow?" He glared at Ethan.

"He's... he's normally a lot cooler than this." Ethan sighed, burying his face in his hands. "But, I get it. Our cute little sister can make anyone look insane."

I picked up the book, preparing to throw it at him. "Thank you for that, Ethan."

In the following week, I saw Roman a lot more than I had in the past month.

"Please let me marry your daughter!"

Roman consistently managed to break into the manor and find his way to my father's study. Instead of watching songbirds outside my window, I watched the guards chase after a relentless Roman.

"He's here again?" Arthur bit into an apple from behind me, sounding nonchalant.

"Of course." Ethan huffed, walking over to place a plate of cookies by my desk. "Roman's the kind of person who can do anything once he's determined, you know."

Arthur gave Ethan a withering glare.

"Valerie!" I blinked. When had Roman made his way up to my window?

I got out of my seat and opened the balcony doors, smiling as he landing onto the railing.

"Here. A flower for you." He pulled out a lilac peony from behind his back.

I took it gently. "Thank you, Roman."

"Young miss?" A circle of guards waited beneath my balcony, seemingly out of breath. "You wouldn't mind... pushing him off or something, would you?"

"Believe me, I've tried to convince her." Arthur yelled from inside the room.

I ignored both of them.

"I've got to go back to the palace now. I'll visit tomorrow." Roman's eyes were soft.

"Be careful," my hand lingered on his arm. He gave me one last smile before jumping off again. Arthur gagged in the background.

I went back inside, carefully inserting the flower into an overflowing ceramic vase at my desk.

"Do you really have to follow whatever he does?" Arthur was munching on my cookies now, looking bored. "I thought you didn't like anyone. Also, he's ridiculously cheesy. I'll visit tomorrow," he mocked.

"Out." I smiled down at my vase of peonies.

"What?"

"Out. Right now. Ethan?"

Ethan nodded duly and grabbed Arthur by the arms. "What?" Arthur said through a mouthful of cookie crumbs. "Valerie?"

"This is what you get for eating the snacks I brought for Valerie." Ethan smirked.

"They were delicious," Arthur hissed.

"You want to fight?" Ethan scowled.

"Outside." I jerked my head towards the doors. Ethan nodded and continued to drag Arthur into the hallway.