My betrothed was accompanying a beautiful lady.
I’d just been asking myself where my escort could be when I saw them together. Lord Clarke, my fiancé and crown prince of this nation, stood before me, arm in arm with another woman.
“Leticia, this is Lady Brianna,” he said.
The noble lady flagrantly leaned even closer to the prince as they approached me. It was so blatant that for a moment, I was at a loss.
“I cannot keep you company today,” Lord Clarke declared, interrupting my train of thought.
His words rang clear in the silent hall, where other guests were watching us intently.
“Will you be accompanying her, then?” I asked.
“My apologies,” he replied.
“Does that mean our betrothal is...” I trailed off.
“It does,” the prince confirmed.
It does.
Those words echoed over and over in my mind. My hands, trembling, balled into fists.
It does. It does. It does. It does. It really does!
“Finally!” I exclaimed.
“Pardon?”
Surely I didn’t look very much like the daughter of a duke right now, with my hands in the air, jumping up and down. But I didn’t care. There was no longer a need for me to act ladylike.
I ran to my older brother, who stood behind Lord Clarke with a dejected look on his face.
“Did you hear that, brother?” I exclaimed. “Did you hear? You heard it loud and clear, yes?!”
“I did,” he said flatly.
“At last! At long last!” I joined my hands in prayer over my chest, gazing up at the heavens.
Oh, thank you, God! I thought. Prayer sessions at the church had been nothing but a hassle, but I promised my prayers would be sincere from now on!
“What a horrid ten years it has been! Ever since my betrothal to the crown prince at the age of seven, day after day, it’s just been study, study, study, study, dance, dance, dance, dance! And, oh, the incessant tea parties! Awful! Every! Last! One!”
“L-Leticia?”
“I’m criticized for any and every little thing I do! If I so much as laugh out loud, why, I’m too vulgar! But did my doing so inconvenience anyone? No, of course not! If I happen to be in a bit of a hurry and break into a jog, I’m improper! Faultfinding, so much faultfinding!”
“Lettie?”
“I was resigned to it,” I continued. “What else could I do? But now I don’t need to be! This is amazing! And it’s all thanks to you, ah... What was it? Buh...Be...Bre...Brie?”
“It’s Brianna!” the young woman snapped, beet red with fury, her ample bosom—which I was not at all jealous of, oh no—heaving conspicuously.
✦ ✦ ✦
I could tell I had offended her, so I faked a remorseful look and offered her an apology.
“Please pardon my indiscretion,” I said. “That was rather cheesy of me.”
“Do you mean to mock me?!”
“Perhaps a little, but I truly am grateful!” I exclaimed. “Thank you so much for taking on this bad debt!”
“Bad...debt,” she echoed.
“I can hardly believe you’re willing to suffer through being cooped up in a castle ten hours a day every day, studying, dancing, enduring nobles’ harassment at tea parties, all in my stead! Best of luck to you! I’ll be rooting for you!”
“Um...”
Brie went pale, but I was sure she would be just fine! As the minstrel who’d recently visited the town had said, “Love conquers all!” However, I didn’t have a single shred of love in me, so no conquering for me.
“Ah, brother, but you must be heartbroken! It was you who forced me into this engagement, after all! Please, do find some other means to establish ties with the royal family!”
“Of course,” my brother replied.
“Lord Clarke found himself a wonderful woman, so you’ll keep your promise to allow me freedom, yes?!”
“Of course,” he repeated, looking defeated.
“Ha ha! I’m free as a bird!” I exclaimed. “Goodbye, ladyhood! I’m moving to the countryside! I’ll go fishing, and then fish some more, climb trees, prance about with the village children, work the fields, and laugh with my mouth wide open!”
“Lettie—”
“Oh, my lord Clarke!” I interrupted. “Thank you so much for everything! I will move to a remote area and never again encounter anyone of such fine pedigree as yourself, but fret not for me! Please, flirt with whomever, produce however many heirs you wish to, and make the nation prosper! Truly, worry not! I’m happy as can be! I mean, yes, if you were going to do this from the start, I do wish you’d tossed me aside sooner, and I would prefer to have all the days I wasted back, but all of that will stay confined within my thoughts! Please, cast all worries aside!”
I waved emphatically at the smiling Lord Clarke. Now that I was no longer a lady, I didn’t need to worry about keeping my hand-waving dainty and restrained! Oh, what joy!
Granted, it was a little suspicious that he was smiling despite my rant, but such minor things no longer concerned me.
Leaving the stunned crowd behind, I headed for the exit, anxious to prepare. It was time for me to be truly happy. Great job, me!
Patting myself on the back, I envisioned my future as I climbed into the carriage.