long may we reign (arranged marriage au)
Haru Miura woke to golden rays of sunlight filtering into her bedroom, as she did every morning. But instead of the cheerful singing of the maids as they performed their duties or the jaunty clip-clop of hooves on cobblestone that normally greeted her return to the world, the castle was deathly silent. An aura of foreboding hung heavy in the air and permeated every silken surface of the suite she had resided in since birth.
Her refuge.
Her sanctuary.
But for how long?
Even as she was bathed in the warmth of day, Haru could not shake off the feelings of despair that wrapped themselves around her like a serpent. Today was the day. The day she traded the familiar green and blue of Namimori’s rolling pastures for the snowy peaks of Vongola. The day she signed away her life to a man she had never met and adopted the title “queen” of a land she knew only by stories and rumors.
Haru would be fooling herself if she said she was happy about her situation. She was a princess and marriage was her duty. Personal happiness could never overshadow the protection of her kingdom. Her prince, her husband-to-be, surely knew that as well, had it ingrained in him since birth so that it was no longer a lesson but a dogma that echoed in every step she took and word she spoke.
Think of your country
They were right. She was but a pawn in the overall scheme of things and her next move would be to unite the kingdoms of Namimori and Vongola against the growing threat of Millefiore. She shouldn’t think, leave that to the higher-ups, and only do.
Be a good girl and do as you’re told, princess.
She stood up and began to dress.