"Absolutely not!" Keith shouted at his mother.
"Keith," Krolia said, clearly exasperated that Keith hadn't given in at all since she had told him. "It will be amazing for our family."
"I'm not going to get sold off as a sex toy to some prince so you can eat off golden plates! Our family is doing fine!" Even as Keith shouted it, he knew it wasn't true. His family had been struggling ever since his father had died two years earlier.
"You know that isn't what's happening." Krolia said, "You're acting like a child."
Keith scoffed. "If I were a child, I wouldn't have to marry Lot-whore. Why can't Shiro do it? He's attractive and he has a job!"
"Shiro is already courting that Olkari boy."
"Well then why can't you marry him?"
Krolia snapped a pencil in her hand. Keith could see that she was only growing more aggravated, but he didn't care. "I am far too old, and besides, Prince Lotor chose you. You should be grateful. He could have had anyone in Diabazol and he chose you."
"Well I didn't choose him!" Keith yelled, "Why does Shiro get to choose his boyfriend but I get married off? It's not fair!"
"That is enough!" Krolia stood up and slammed her hand against the table. Keith could tell she was seething.
'Good.' He thought, 'So am I.'
"You're acting so selfishly!" Krolia snapped.
"I'm acting selfishly? You're the one trying to control my life. It's my life! I should get to choose!" With that, Keith stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Keith walked to the park and sat next to the pond. He watched the ducks until they got bored of him. He didn't go back home for dinner, or even when it began to grow dark.
"Oh," A deep voice said from behind him. "I didn't realize anyone else would be here."
Keith looked behind him. The dark obscured the voice's figure despite all three moons being out tonight. Usually he would be able to see better in the dark, but tears tended to worsen his night vision abilities.
Not that Keith would ever admit he had been crying.
"You don't own the park. I've got just as much of a right to be here as you do." He snapped back at the tall figure.
The figure laughed. "I suppose you're right. It's just that usually no one else is here at this hour."
Keith looked up at the moons. He hadn't realized how late it had gotten. "Hm."
"I come here to think." The figure said. "I assume you're doing the same?"
Keith nodded, knowing that the figure had the unfair advantage of his sight working. "Guess I am."
The figure sat down next to him. Keith still couldn't see his face, which irritated him. Why was this guy so tall?
"Would you like to talk about it?" The tall man asked. "I've been told I'm an excellent listener."
Keith considered the offer. Usually he talked to Shiro about his problems, but Shiro thought the marriage was a great idea. Adam didn't like the idea of it, but there wasn't anything he could do.
"Sure," Keith said, "That'd be nice. No judgment, though, right?"
"Of course not. So long as you do the same with my complaints."
"Deal. My mom is making me marry this guy. I meet him tomorrow, and then I have to marry him the day after."
The man made a sympathetic humming sound.
