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Chapter Text

The nations of Newtopia and Wartwood had been butting heads for the last centuries. With each year that passed, more violence would be spread across each kingdom, causing grief and destruction every day. The rulers of the two kingdoms had made several attempts to unite the kingdoms, but with Newtopia lacking a next of kin, plans fell through. This year was different, as the only princess of Newtopia had reached the age of eighteen, and was old enough to be wed off. Andrias, the king of Newtopia had called the princess into his quarters to meet with the girl for an urgent matter.

Marcy Wu would make her way down the long hallways of the Newtopia palace, taking her time to stop and gaze at every painting on the wall. Eventually, she'd make her way to King Andrias' quarters, softly knocking on the door before opening it and stepping inside. The young girl would make her way to the king, who was sitting at a table hunched over scribes. He'd turn when the girl made herself present.

"Ah, Marcy, it's good to see you, my dear. I have important matters to discuss with you," Andrias rolled up his scrolls, stood from his seat, and patted Marcy on the shoulder.
Marcy laughed, "I got your message, my lord, I came as urgently as I could-"
"But it appears you are over an hour late," the king raised a brow as he looked over the girl before him. This is a very important matter, Marcy. As you know, Newtopia and Wartwood have been fighting against each other for the past century."
"Yes," Marcy would move to sit on one of the sofas that had been in the quarters, "I remember you teaching me that during my history lessons."
Andrias smiled, the man pushing a hand through his silver beard, "I'm glad you've been paying attention," he'd moved to lean against the table, "As you know Marcy, you are the only princess of Newtopia, and since you have reached your eighteenth birthday, I do have a very important request of you."
Marcy beamed, shifting in her seat to sit up, "Yes, I can do whatever duty is needed of me. Is this about reconfiguring the farming infrastructure I had discussed with you a month ago?"
Andrias paused, shaking his head with a sigh, "No Marcy, that isn't of importance right now. Wartwood has a young prince within their kingdom, we were hoping to wed you and him in order to combine the kingdoms."
Marcy's face would drop, "what? No- you can't be serious, I'm not going to marry some random prince, especially not someone from Wartwood."

The man would let out a boisterous laugh, holding his belly as he did so. The king was taller than Marcy, towering her over with about two feet of height. He was a lot older than Marcy, his age showing through his silver hair and his outgrown hair. A crown on his head, and dripping in jewels, it was obvious the man had a clear place of power.

"Marcy," Andrias smiled, "you are my only offspring, and you know that we have been in battle for the longest time. The citizens of Wartwood continue to destroy and pillage our peaceful kingdom, and you might be the only thing that can stop them."
Marcy shook her head, frowning, "I don't want to. I don't want to have to marry off to some stupid guy I've never met. I don't want to have to be a savior for this kingdom just to be at the hand of a prince!"

Marcy was short in stature, and petite across the body. Her hair was a mess of layers, but she didn't look unpresentable. She had been clad in a knee-length skirt, and a bodice layered with a vest. To top it off, she had a tiara that was similar to King Adrias' crown.

"I don't want to do a lot of things either, Marcy, but with this much power you have to take some responsibility and grow up," Andrias would cross his arms over his chest, giving Marcy a stern look over, "not everything can be sunshine and happiness when you're in charge over a kingdom."
Marcy sighed, pressing her fingers against her temples, "I don't have much of a choice do I?"
The king would shake his head, prompting Marcy to let out an exaggerated sigh.
"I suppose I will go through with it, but I don't believe I will ever be happy with this man," Marcy moved to stand from the sofa, "when am I to meet him?"
The king would clap his hands together, smiling, "We will send a letter to the king and queen of Wartwood immediately to plan for your meeting. You promise you'll be on your best behavior?"
Marcy rolled her eyes, "Yes Father, I will be on my best behavior."
"Fantastic, then the dates will be arranged for you. I do believe you will get along nicely."

After the discussion with the king, Marcy would make her way out of the room, head down as she made her way through the halls of the palace. On her way, she'd stop in front of one of the older portraits of the castle, looking over it with somber eyes. The painting would depict
a scene of Newtopia before the war of the kingdoms had started. Newtopia was gorgeous, full of lush greens, a vast population, and gorgeous statues. The current Newtopia was still beautiful but had changed over the years from the war.

Marcy would wonder if the marriage would be enough to unite the two kingdoms. If it would be enough to return Newtopia to its former state of beauty. The princess wouldn't ponder on it too much, the thought of getting married already causing her stomach to twist and turn in every which direction. Marcy would shake her head, moving on from the painting as she made her way to her quarters.

Once inside her own room, she'd flop herself down onto the bed, rolling onto her back as she looked up at the ceiling. It was much lower than the one in Andrias' room, and the ceiling had been made of glass, allowing sunlight to peek through the roof.
"Stupid princess duties," Marcy would mutter under her breath to herself, "stupid, dumb prince of Wartwood. Thinks he has to marry me just to unite our kingdoms."
Marcy would grab one of the pillows off her bed, tossing it in the direction of the open balcony adjacent to her bed. Despite Marcy attempting to throw the pillow as softly as she could, the pillow would end up over the side of the railing. The girl would jump to her feet, running over to the balcony, and looking over the side. The pillow had dropped into the garden of the palace, landing in an active dirt pit where flowers were being planted. Marcy groaned and waved a hand to gesture to the garden keepers of the palace.

"Sorry!" Marcy's eyebrows pinched together in embarrassment as she watched the groundskeepers retrieve the pillow and throw it into a trash cart.
Marcy would hide her face, heading back into her bedroom as she shut the doors to the balcony behind her. Marcy would move back into her bedroom, hiking up her skirt as she wrestled with her boots. Eventually, she'd slip the shoes off her feet, tossing them against her wall. The boot would hit the wall, chipping off a bit of paint in the process, and Marcy would groan in defeat.
It seemed like everything that day was going wrong for Marcy. Not only was the girl told the worst possible news she could imagine, but now she had lost one of her pillows and ruined the paint on her walls. When Marcy was young, being a princess seemed like a luxury. The girl never had to worry about where her next meal would come from, or where she would sleep for the night, and everyone within the kingdom showed the girl respect. As she had reached adulthood now, things were far from luxurious.

Marcy would drop to her knees, and sit on the ground with her back against the balcony doors. The girl would ponder in thought as her eyes blankly stared across the room. She could run away, and try to forage on her own, but surely the king would send an army to find her. She could refuse the marriage with the mystery prince, but Andreas would never accept no for an answer. None of the solutions that crossed through Marcy's head seemed to result in any kind of positive outcome.

The young girl would sit on the floor of her room with a blank slate as thoughts of the upcoming marriage riddled her mind. Hours would pass in thought before the girl would be greeted with a dinner bell and a knock on her door. Marcy swiftly stood up, looking up to the ceiling as she noted the darkened sky.

"Miss Wu, you are late for dinner," the man on the other end of the door would state with another soft knock, "your father is promptly requesting you down to the dinner hall."
"I'm coming!" Marcy would shout from her bedroom, as she moved to grab for her boots, slipping them on and fumbling to the door. She'd open the door, leaning against the doorframe as she looked over the butler who had come to retrieve her.
"Your father is not going to be happy," the man would slip the bell into his pocket, and gesture for Marcy down the hall, "you're late already, your father was requesting you fifteen minutes ago."
"I know I know-" Marcy huffed, starting to make her way down the halls, "I just lost track of time. Andrias had given me some news earlier, and I just needed a moment to sit."
The butler laughed, "I'd imagine that's some big news for a princess like you. Your father is not happy with your tardiness though, you know he wants you to be prompt to his orders."

Marcy would roll her eyes at the lecture, and make her way down the hallway hastily. Once reaching the dining hall, she'd peek her head in, looking over her father who was waiting with a disgruntled expression. The princess slipped into the room, trying to hide her nervousness with a lopsided smile. She'd move to sit in her spot at the dining room table, among the other's who had positions within the palace.

When Marcy sat at the table, Andrias would give Marcy a displeased look, and the girl would shrink into her seat.
King Andrias would clap his hands together, a silence sweeping over the table as all attention was drawn to him. The man would grab for his glass, and raise it as the rest of the table followed suit.

Andrias cleared his throat, "I am honored to announce to all the royal members of the Newtopia palace that no longer will we be living in fear of strikes from the Wartwood army. Our beloved princess, Marcy, has graciously agreed that she will be wed off to the young prince of Wartwood to unite our kingdoms together," Andrias paused to catch his breath, "we have sent out a formal letter to the king and queen of Wartwood, along with a portrait of Marcy to arrange for a meeting for the two royals. This is a new beginning for our kingdom, and wouldn't be possible without Princess Marcy. A toast, to Newtopia, and new beginnings with our neighbors of Wartwood."

The dining hall would erupt with the sounds of metal clinking against glasses and applause for the kingdom. Marcy would softly tap the side of her glass with her knife but didn't speak a word. She'd slowly lift the glass of wine to her lips, taking a small sip. Andrias looked at Marcy, gesturing for her to break the silence.

Marcy cleared her throat, "Yes, uh- I just wanted to thank my father for giving me my first official duty as your princess. I uh- I am privileged to take on this responsibility, and I hope my sacrifice is enough for peace to be spread across our kingdoms for many years."

Marcy would look to Andrias for approval of her short speech, and the man would give a small nod of his head. With the speeches concluded, the kitchen staff would deliver plates of food to the table. For a special occasion such as this, Andrias didn't hold back with the feast. Across the table would be a scatter of fruits, breads, and every kind of meat that could be found within the kingdom.

The one good thing to come on this day would be the feast. Marcy didn't hold back as she began to pile food onto her plate and try everything that was on the table at least once. The other members of the Newtopia royalty seemed just as pleased with the feast, and it wouldn't be long until all plates were full of food. The palace would chatter among themselves in the dining hall as they basked in the good news from the king.

The dinner would proceed into the early night as congratulations and celebration were given to Marcy. Despite the warm welcomes, Marcy felt uncertain about everything and tried to fake being happy about the news. When the dining hall was dismissed, Marcy would be the first to leave the dining hall, making a beeline for her bedroom. She'd shut the door behind her, locking it, and sank against the door. The night would be long, and Marcy would toss and turn in her sleep as the upcoming marriage clouded her brain.

It would be early in the morning when a fleet of soldiers on horseback would arrive at the Wartwood kingdom, making their way to the palace. The residents of Wartwood would look at the Newtopian soldiers with disgust as they passed. Eventually, the soldiers would reach the gates of the Wartwood palace, where they would be met by palace officials who gestured them in. The horses would be tied up, and the Newtopian soldiers would make their way into the Wartwood palace with a letter and covered portraits in hand. They would be ushered to the throne room where King Grimes would meet them.

Grimes would lean back in his throat, "Ah, I wasn't expecting Andrias to send you so soon, he's always so late with getting messages across the kingdoms. Always thought of him as a punctual man."
The soldiers would softly chuckle among themselves at that remark, and one of the taller soldiers would set forward, "Your Highness," he'd clear his throat, "King Andrias of Newtopia has sent with us a formal letter agreeing to wed Princess Marcy Wu off to your prince. The king has also sent with us a portrait of the princess to be looked over."
Grimes would hum, sitting up a bit taller in his seat as his eyes scanned over the covered portrait, "Perfect! I will call for my son to come at once to review the portrait."

Grimes would stand from his throne. The king of Wartwood was short in stature but bulked with more muscle than expected. He'd have a shaved head with the shortest stubble, and an unkempt shadow around his chin and under his nose. Grimes would gesture for one of his soldiers, who would leave the room to retrieve the prince.

It wouldn't be long before the soldier would return with a prince who looked like he had just woken up. The prince would saunter into the room, rubbing at his eyes as he moved to sit on the throne next to Grimes. The young prince had long blonde hair that was tied back with a ribbon. He would be much taller than Grimes but have just as much muscle in his body. The prince's face would be littered with freckles, and his eyes would be sunken in with a lack of sleep.

Grimes would elbow the prince, who would, in turn, sit up a bit straighter in his seat. Grimes would gesture to the portrait that the Newtopia soldiers would have brought, and that was enough to get the prince to sit up straighter in his seat. He had heard about the plans to marry a young princess but hadn't gotten any more information until this moment. A mixture of anxiety and curiosity flushed over him as he looked at the covered portrait.

The prince would speak up, "Thank you Newtopians for coming so urgently with the portrait of the princess. If my name has not been introduced, I am Sasha Waybright, first prince in line for the throne of Wartwood, and leader of the Wartwood army. I am excited to view the portrait you have brought along."
One of the soldiers would speak up, "Prince Waybright, it is a pleasure to be meeting you, and the members of our kingdom are excited about uniting the kingdoms. We have brought along a portrait of Princess Marcy Wu along for your viewing."

The soldier would remove the sheet from the painting, revealing
a vibrant oil painting of the young princess. The portrait would be of Marcy sitting upright in a regal gown that hit the floor. She would be dawned in the family crown, and holding a book in her lap. The entire portrait would be surrounded by a gold frame. When the portrait would be revealed, Sasha and Grime would gasp, almost in unison.

"My, Marcy does take on a lot from her father," Grimes would laugh, and nudge at Sasha.
Sasha looked over the portrait, mouth agape as he took in the details, "She's- breathtaking."

Grimes would laugh at Sasha's remarks towards the portrait, and raise a brow, "So you find the princess attractive?"
"Yes-" Sasha practically blurted the words out of his mouth, "she is stunning. Is she a scholar? I haven't seen a princess carry around a piece of literature before."
One of the soldiers would laugh at the question, "Princess Marcy is no scholar. King Andrias has strictly forbidden the princess from pursuing a higher education. Marcy is very smart."
"I don't think Marcy needs to pursue any higher education, she is far smarter than anyone I've met in the kingdom," a female soldier would chime in."
Sasha would hum at that, moving from his throne as he paced towards the painting, "I see. She does look like a very bright lady. I imagine she is smart enough to help us unite the kingdoms and bring peace. I don't believe she'll let us down."
Grimes would smile, and fold his hands together on his lap, "Then it is settled, Sir Waybright is entranced by Princess Marcy and the two shall be set to wed."

The soldiers would nod, and a portion of the group would split off to follow the Wartwood soldiers to have the portrait hung. One of the soldiers that had stayed back with Grimes and Sasha would speak up.

"That is fantastic news, we are happy to hear that you are so willing to help unite the two kingdoms. King Andrias asks to set up a date on which Sasha would be able to come to the Newtopian palace to meet Marcy for the first time," the soldier had a soft smile on his lips.
"Yes," Grimes would clear his throat, "I believe we ought to get things moving with this marriage. Sasha has some duties he must attend to with our army, but we will send him to meet the princess within a fortnight."
"Very well, we will inform King Andrias of the plans for Sasha to come visit, and have a banquet arranged for him upon arrival," the soldier would give a nod of the head.

The Wartwood throne room would continue to be filled with chatter among the parties, talking about the future plans to unite the kingdoms. The talking would go well into the night until Grimes would dismiss all parties. Sasha would make his way to his quarters to rest for the night, and the Newtopian soldiers would start their journey back to their kingdom.

For two weeks, Marcy would live in an anxious state, the curiosity, and questions about the prince riddling her mind. In those weeks, King Andrias would relay little information to Marcy, only acknowledging that the prince had agreed to meet, and the date on which he would be coming. For the majority of the weeks, Marcy would spend time in her room by herself, trying to imagine what life would be like with another by her side.

In contrast to Marcy's isolation, the Newtopian palace would be busy with members of the royal staff moving from room to room to get the palace ready for Sasha's arrival. The flowers would be changed from their vases, the statue busts would be dusted, new curtains would be hung, and the royal kitchen would be busy planning what meals would be served when Sasha arrived. The preparation didn't ease Marcy's nerves. The more staff that worked to get the palace prepared for Sasha's arrival, the more Marcy would ponder on the prince's arrival.

It felt like years passing while Marcy awaited her future suitor to arrive. However, the wait would conclude as trumpets would ring from the outside of the Newtopian palace. Upon hearing the trumpets, Marcy would run to her balcony, looking over the rails as she watched a small army on horseback making their way to the palace. Marcy squinted, her eyes narrowing in on one of the men who would be at the front of the group. The prince would be dawned in a suit of Wartwood armor, complete with a shielded helmet, and a thick fur coat.

Marcy gasped, and slowly moved away from the balcony, quickly shutting the double doors, and pulling the curtains over. Her heart rate would increase with each blow of the trumpets. The prince was approaching. The princess swiftly moved about her room, opening her wardrobe she would wiggle against the clothing, and then shut the doors. If she had any luck on her side, the king would assume that Marcy had fled the palace, and everything would be fine.

When Sasha's troops would arrive at the palace gates, King Adrias would warmly welcome them in, offering a handshake to King Grimes, and giving a firm pat on the back to Sasha. The members of Wartwood would be let into the castle.

"Sir Waybright," Andrias would start, "it is an absolute pleasure to have you within our palace. I know Marcy has been excited to see you since I proposed the arrangement to her. She has been talking nonstop about you since the news."
Sasha would laugh, and gaze around the palace, "I'm thrilled that Marcy is as excited as I am. When I saw the princess' portrait, I knew this arrangement was going to be what brought the kingdom together."

Andrias would laugh, putting a hand on Sasha's shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze, "You know, I think this arrangement is going to work out nicely. Did you want to see Marcy? I'll call for one of our staff to get her."
Sasha would nod, "Please, yes I would."

Andrias nodded in return, gesturing for one of his butlers to retrieve Marcy. The staff would acknowledge the king, and start for Marcy's quarters. Upon checking Marcy's room, the girl was nowhere to be found, and the butler would only assume that Marcy had run at the last moment. He'd do a brief look over the room before he would return back to Andrias sometime later.

"Your Highness," the butler would start, "I checked for Princess Marcy in her quarters, and she is nowhere to be seen. Her room is empty."

The king would laugh, but when his staff didn't show any indication that it was a joke, his face would fall. His eyebrows would then press together, a scowl forming on his lips.

Andrias turned to Sasha and dropped his expression, "I do believe Marcy is just wandering the palace halls," Andrias turned to his staff, "Would you please gather the other members of the palace staff, and search the entirety of the palace for Marcy?"

The butler would nod at Andrias' request and hastily move to gather the rest of the staff for a hunt of Marcy. The castle staff would begin to roam around the palace, searching every corridor and room within in an attempt to find Marcy. Meanwhile, Andrias would bring Sasha to Marcy's room. When the two were within the princess' quarters, Andrias would gesture for Sasha to sit on one of the chairs in the room.

"The princess hasn't run off has she?" Sasha would raise a brow as he spoke.
"Oh no no," Andrias laughed, shaking his head, "Marcy wouldn't run off like this. I believe she's wandering around the palace somewhere trying to shake off her excitement."
"I'm sure when she returns she'll be filled with more excitement when she sees me," Sasha laughed.
"I'm going to join the staff in the search for Marcy," Andrias pressed his hands together, "you're more than welcome to stay in here until we find Marcy. Would you like a glass of wine- or tea while you wait?"
"No, I'm fine. Thank you," Sasha leaned back in his seat.

The king would leave the room, shutting the doors to Marcy's quarters as he joined the search for the princess. Sasha would stay seated in Marcy's room, taking a moment to look around. He'd eventually stand, moving to a bookshelf that Marcy had in a far corner of her room. The prince would run his fingers along the spines of the books, skimming the titles as he did so.

"Wow," Sasha laughed, "she really is a smart girl. I can't believe she's reading literature on herbal medicines."

Sasha would then move to look over at Marcy's bed. It was a mess, her pillows and sheets thrown around haphazardly. The castle staff must not have come to fix up her room for the day, Sasha imagined. As Sasha did a bit more exploring of the princess' room, he'd jump at a loud THUD hitting the floorboards. Sasha quickly turned to look at the impact sight, and his eyes widened at the sight.

Marcy had fallen out of the wardrobe in such a clumsy fashion that she had fallen head first. The petticoat of her skirt had flipped over her face, exposing her drawers underneath. One of her legs was kicked up and stuck among the clothes from the wardrobe.

"Ow," Marcy would groan when she hit the floor.

Sasha looked over the display of the princess, and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. The chuckle would grow louder, and the prince would have to push a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. The princess had heard the laughing, however, and slowly raised her head to look at the prince. She squinted, staring at his feet, and turning her head up until she met Sasha's gaze. The princess would quickly move to her feet when she realized she had been caught.

"Was that your grand entrance?" Sasha would take a deep breath to stop his laughing.
"What? No I-," Marcy fumbled over her words as she tried to regain herself, "I was just trying to make sure my clothes were in order."

The excuse didn't seem believable, but Sasha wasn't going to push too hard, especially being the first encounter with the princess. Sasha would move across the room, standing in front of Marcy. He'd bend at the waist, hand across his chest as he bowed to Marcy. Marcy would rest her hands on either side of her body, placing one foot in front of the other as she bent her knees, curtsying to the prince. Sasha would stand up straight, and look at the princess with a soft expression.

"Princess Marcy," Sasha's words would be just as soft as his expression, "it is a pleasure to be meeting you in person. I have heard so much about you recently, and I believe that there is hope for the future of our kingdoms. I look forward to getting to know you after we are wed."
Marcy stopped in her tracks, letting out a gasp, "after we are wed?"
Sasha rose a brow, "did the king not inform you? We are set to be wed at the end of this week."
"The end of this week?!" Marcy would exclaim as she threw her hands over her head.
"Yes, King Andrias has set a ceremony for us to be wed this Sunday," Sasha would keep the distance between himself and Marcy, "why do you seem disdain by the matter? Aren't you excited?"
"Excited?" Marcy laughed, "Why would I be excited about being wed off to some stranger for the rest of my life?"

Sasha stood in silence for a moment, blankly staring at Marcy. Earlier, the king had stated that Marcy was thrilled to be meeting Sasha. Hearing Marcy's words confused the prince, and his chest sank.

"My apologies," the prince would sigh, "I was under the impression that you were excited for my arrival, and even more so about the wedding."
Marcy looked over Sasha, "I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression-"
Sasha sighed, shaking his head, "You do not have to love me. You don't have to like me. We can live distantly, I just ask that you go through with this wedding to unite the kingdoms."
"How am I to live distant with you if we are to be wed? If we are supposed to live together, and share everything?"
"We will live closely to each other, yes," Sasha frowned, "but you do not have to take any interest in me."
Marcy brought her hands up to press her fingers against her temple, "I know I don't have much of a choice. If I back out of this wedding, my father won't ever forgive me. If I back out of this wedding, our kingdoms could be fighting for another century!"
Sasha shrugged, "those are all very potential things."
"Why can't you," Marcy would move closer to Sasha, popping her hip as she'd point at Sasha, "command your army to not come and pillage our kingdom?"
Sasha laughed, "I don't know, princess," Sasha's voice had a hint of a condescending tone to it, "why can't you command your army to not do the same?"
"What?" Marcy laughed, "I don't even have much power in this kingdom! I think the most power I've had is to get married to you to fix everything. How do you think I would go about commanding our army to stop?"
Sasha hummed, "Hm, I don't know. How do you expect me to command the Wartwood army?"
Marcy would roll her eyes, "Aren't you the head of your army?"
"Well," Sasha started, "I am the head of the Wartwood army. But I don't have much of a say in what our forces do. That is all up to King Grimes."

Marcy groaned at Sasha's words. It seemed like for everything that Marcy had to say, Sasha would have a point to refute it. With every sentence the two would bounce off each other, the more Marcy began to realize she was not getting out of this. The princess would run her hands along her skirt, smoothing it out as she thought carefully over her words.

Marcy would push her hands together similar to the king, "I will agree to the marriage. I will try to be civil with you in the matter, but I will not guarantee that we will ever fall in love."
Sasha nodded his head, "Very well, I can agree to the terms. I understand there is no guarantee, but I hope we grow closer in the future."
At that moment, Andrias would move into Marcy's quarters, a sigh of relief escaping his lips when he saw the princess. Marcy looked over at her father with an uncomfortable expression.

"I'm glad to see Princess Marcy has found her way back to her quarters," the king would move closer to the two, "where have you been Marcy?"
"I was uh-," Marcy stared at her father for a moment, scrambling to find an excuse for her absence.
"She was on the balcony," Sasha would speak up over Marcy, "I suppose your staff had just missed her with the curtains closed. She was actually watching for my arrival. Must have dozed off and missed when we were approaching."
The king seemed pleased by that excuse, "I am glad you two have gotten a moment to meet each other," he turned to Sasha, "I do have some business to attend to with King Grimes. If you and Marcy would like to take a stroll through the garden to get to know each other, you are more than welcome to."
Sasha nodded, "I hope your meeting with my father goes well, I will make sure to stay close to Marcy."

The king would leave the princess' quarters, shutting the doors behind him as he left. Sasha and Marcy would be left in the room alone, staring at each other for a moment. The silent tension of the room was enough to make even a bystander uncomfortable.

"We don't have to go to the garden, you know," Sasha tried to ease the tension.
"Well," Marcy laughed, "my father wants us to get to know each other. And knowing him, if he sees that we are apart before the wedding, he's going to sit me down for a long talk."
"So," Sasha raised a brow, "are we going?"
Marcy groaned, "I suppose. I don't think you will be too interested in anything I could talk about."

Sasha would laugh, and close the distance between the two as he reached for Marcy's hand. The prince would turn Marcy's hand over, placing a kiss against the back of it.

"I know nothing of who you are, other than you are the princess of this kingdom," Sasha cleared his throat, "but I don't think anything you say would be a bore to me."

For a moment, Marcy's face would soften a bit. Sasha would take Marcy, linking their arms around the elbows as he'd start to lead her for the door. The two would walk through the palace halls together and towards the garden. As they made their way through the palace, the staff would look at the two of them with hope. Seeing Marcy and Sasha together was enough for those of the palace to have something to look forward to. The entirety of the palace would put their trust in Sasha and Marcy for the future of the kingdoms.

Sasha would lead Marcy out the back of the castle gates, into the garden. It was a large garden, filled with statues of previous kings, topiaries of different animals in the kingdom, and an abundance of different crops and flowers. The two would move through the garden, and sit side by side on one of the marble benches by a large fountain. Marcy would shift in her spot, putting a bit of distance between herself and the prince.

"I can understand why you're upset about this arrangement," Sasha stated bluntly, "you hardly know me, you probably want some independence, but despite that, you have to have this responsibility put on you."
"Finally," Marcy sighed, "someone understands."
Sasha laughed, "I've watched the other princesses within our kingdom get married off. They're usually not happy with the arrangement. I've seen a few girls yell at Grimes."
Marcy laughed, "I don't think I could ever yell at Andrias. He is a stern leader. I think even if I tried to explain calmly to him that I didn't want to go through with this, he wouldn't ever let me hear the end of it."
Sasha shrugged, "Grimes is a softie sometimes, but even if he understands the situation, he still follows through with the plans."
"Did any of the other girls end up getting out of the marriage? Were they ever able to have a bit of peace?"
Sasha shook his head and chuckled, "No. They always end up married. Usually end up with a few offspring for the kingdom. And oftentimes they end up growing closer to the person they are wed to."
"Don't get your hopes up about any of that," Marcy laughed, looking over at Sasha.
"I won't," Sasha's voice was flat as he spoke, "I saw your portrait. I don't think I've ever seen a painting of a princess holding a book, that's new."
"I had to fight the painter to keep the book in the painting," the girl would sigh, "he insisted that it was improper to have the book in the portrait and that anyone who looked at it would think that I was more capable than I was."
"Are you not capable?" Sasha raised a brow.
Marcy giggled, "I think I'm more capable than people want to give me credit for. Just because I'm short doesn't mean I can't handle myself."
"I wouldn't think for a second that you couldn't handle yourself," Sasha shifted in his seat, trying to inch closer to Marcy, "it's a shame that others don't think you're capable."
Marcy shrugged, "you'd be surprised what a lot of people think about me."

Sasha hummed in thought for a moment as he thought over Marcy's words. Other's opinions might have been the reason she was so hesitant to get married. Possibly a lack of believing that anyone could think of Marcy higher than they already did. Sasha himself had a hard time fitting in with the other members of the Wartwood palace. Whether it be the way that he spoke or the way that he held himself, it seemed as if no one thought he was capable of being a prince.

"You may find it hard to believe, Coming from a stranger like me and all, but I understand to an extent how you feel on that matter," Sasha would look over at Marcy with a soft look, "I don't think there's a single person within the Wartwood palace who think I am capable enough of being a prince."
"You're at least given more responsibility than me. You lead an army, and I'm sure you have other duties around the palace, don't you?" Marcy raised a brow.
"Well yes."
"I don't have any duties. Not until I was told to be wed off to you. My father couldn't trust me with anything," Marcy shifted to turn to Sasha, "I can't be trusted with the crops, I can't be trusted with the funding of the kingdom, I can't be trusted even with the smallest duties in the palace. It's like everyone thinks I'm some- some child."
Sasha laughed, "I would love to be in your shoes. Less responsibility, more time to sleep and relax. I'm sure it gives you more time to read your books."
"Well sure, I have all the time in the world to read," Marcy shrugged, "but what's the point in reading every book front to back at least twice if I can't put the knowledge towards something?"
"You're young aren't you?" Sasha inquired with Marcy, "I imagine once you get older, your father will give you more duties to tend to around the castle."
"I'm eighteen!" Marcy exclaimed, "I'm old enough to be married off, I should be old enough for some kind of responsibility."
Sasha laughed, "I'm surprised the king offered you off to be wed so soon. You're just barely the age to be wed off."
Marcy shrugged, "I guess at least my father trusts me enough to wed me off so soon. Or maybe he was waiting since I was born for this because uniting the kingdoms is for his benefit."
"I imagine he did it for the benefit of everyone in Newtopia and Wartwood," Sasha would stand from the bench, offering a hand out to Marcy, "come on, how about you show me around the garden? I don't think we should dwell too much on the future."

Marcy would stand after Sasha, stepping in front of him to take the lead. The princess would gesture down a paved path that led across the crops of the garden. Sasha would follow closely behind the girl. The path of crops was vast, and filled with all different kinds of crops, both vegetables and fruits. A majority of the castle's produce would come from the garden, and it seemed they were not in short supply.

"You probably don't want to hear this," Sasha started, "but when I saw your portrait, I thought you were gorgeous."
Marcy looked over at Sasha, "That's the first I've ever heard that from anyone."
Sasha laughed, "You know, a thank you would have been suitable."
The princess would huff softly, and roll her eyes, "thank you," she'd pause, and glance over at Sasha, "you know, you're not half bad yourself."
Sasha chuckled at that compliment, "Thanks."
"I didn't mean it like that-," Marcy would wave her hands out, almost to omit what she had said, "it just feels like calling you handsome is so straightforward when we've only just met today."
"And I thought you were gorgeous from a portrait," Sasha shot a smirk in Marcy's direction, "if you believe I am handsome upon first appearance, why don't you just state it as a fact?"
Marcy shrugged, as she walked along the garden path, "it seems so blunt. Like someone you would say to someone, you have known for a bit. I hardly know you."

Sasha would stop in his tracks as he walked. They barely had any introductions to one another, and Marcy hadn't even gotten Sasha's name. Sasha would jog a bit ahead on the path in front of Marcy, stopping to face her. Marcy would stop in her tracks to not run into Sasha.

"You're right, you hardly know me," Sasha laughed, and offered a small bow once again, "I am Sasha Waybright, youngest son to the Wartwood royal family, and heard of the Wartwood army. I spend a majority of my time tending to the horses in the stables, and working up on my combat."
Marcy would look over at Sasha, offering a sarcastic curtsy in return, "I'm sure you already know who I am."
Sasha shot Marcy a look.
Marcy sighed, and started again, "I am Marcy Wu, the only child of the Newtopian royal family. I don't have any duties around the castle, so I spend a lot of my time reading, writing, and- I guess I've been learning how to sew recently. I had a few skirts that were torn that I needed to patch up."
"You're an old child?" Sasha raised his brow, "I suppose that explains why there was no one else that could have had my hand in marriage. It must be nice being an only child."
"How could that possibly be nice?" Marcy would ask back.
"For one," Sasha started, "you don't have to fight to see who's going to be next in line for the throne."
Marcy snorted, "I wouldn't have even had a chance at the throne."
Sasha shrugged, "you don't have to worry about sharing a room with your siblings."
The princess would gasp, "Oh my gosh you have to share a room?"
"Yes."
"That must be awful, how could you live like that!" Marcy was shocked at the fact that anyone would share a room.
Sasha snickered, "Yeah well, it's definitely not pleasant at all. Annoying at times, but it's not awful. I also have to worry about my clothes being stolen, my brothers blaming me for their mistakes."

As Sasha and Marcy would walk through the crops together, they would begin to notice how different the two are. Despite them both being royalty, there was much that was different about them. Marcy was an old child, and Sasha hated having siblings. The princess was more focused on education, and knowledge while the prince cared more for brute strength. While Marcy was on edge about getting married, Sasha didn't seem to mind it too much.

The two royals would spend the afternoon through the garden, and the sun would begin to set. The Newtopian skies were known to be some of the most gorgeous skies across all the kingdoms. When the sun would set, the sky would light up with brilliant hues of ambers and coppers with a subtle hint of lavender. Eventually, the two would find their way back to the fountain they started at, and Sasha would look up at the sky.

"Wow," Sasha laughed, "I don't think sundown has ever been this gorgeous in Wartwood before. Is it always like this?"
Marcy turned her attention to the sky, "it's been like this as long as I can remember. In the winters, the skies are usually darker, but we get a lot of meteor showers to look over."
"I've seen meteor showers from Wartwood, but they're hard to make out. They look like they're miles away."
Marcy offered Sasha a bittersweet smile. The future of the princess was mostly uncertain. She knew that she would be married off to Sasha, but she wouldn't know where she would end up. Marcy could never imagine leaving Newtopia behind, especially not for a place she had known nothing about. Sasha would notice Marcy staring off in thought and would reach his hands into the fountain. The prince would cup his hands together, grabbing a pool of water which he would splash at Marcy. The girl would snap out of her thought, hitting Sasha's arm.

"What was that for?" Marcy huffed and crossed her arms.
"You looked like you got something on your mind," Sasha chuckled, wiping his wet hands onto his tunic.
"I was just thinking. You didn't have to splash me with water, you know."
"What, a guy can't be a little playful?" Sasha laughed.
"Well I'm wet now, and it's cold," Marcy kept her arms crossed as she shifted the weight of her hips onto one leg.
"I'm sorry," Sasha's face dropped for a moment, "did you want to head back inside? I'm sure it's much warmer, I can get you a fire started."
"Aren't you a gentleman," despite Marcy's words being sarcastic, she would appreciate the gesture.

Sasha would gesture for Marcy to go first, leading the two back into the palace. Once inside, there would be butlers and maids running around the palace in an attempt to tidy up the area. Since it was Sasha's first night within Newtopia, the king had wanted to make sure a dinner would be held in honor of the new couple. Seeing all the castle staff, Sasha quickly grabs Marcy's hand, tugging her through the halls to avoid the staff.

Sasha would find a room with the door slightly open, he'd peek in and note that there was no one inside. The prince would tug Marcy into the room, shutting the doors behind them. He'd grab for a small oil lamp, and the matches beside them. The prince would strike one of the matches, lighting the wick, and gently putting the globe down onto the wick. The male would bring the oil light over to Marcy, setting it down on a table next to her.

"What was that for?" Marcy raised a brow as she moved her hands closer to the lamp to heat them.
"I'd imagine if any of the palace staff saw us, they'd want us to report to your father immediately. It looked like they were carrying plates, must've prepared a whole feast for me," Sasha laughed, pushing a hand through his hair.
Marcy would take the lamp and hold it between her hands, trying to warm herself up, "I wouldn't be surprised. My father throws feasts for the smallest things. It's so silly sometimes."
"Well it's appreciated, I'm sure I'll be starving in a little bit," Sasha would move back to Marcy's side, sitting next to her.
"Does Wartwood hold a lot of parties and feasts?" Marcy asked Sasha as she looked over to him.
"Sometimes," Sasha shrugged, and held his hands out near the lamp, "Grimes usually doesn't like to host a lot of parties or feasts. The people of Wartwood are a little crazy sometimes, so there's a lot of cleanup."
Marcy laughed, "No wonder you guys are always wanting to come invade our kingdom," Marcy would move the oil lamp so it was between the two of them.
"I wouldn't say that's the case exactly," Sasha chuckled, "it's a feud that's been going on for centuries."
Marcy nodded, "yeah, my father told me about it. Started with his great-great-great-grandfather, and has been going since. I mean- the guys who started it are dead anyway, why can't we just end the feud?"
"Well, we are ending the feud," Sasha looked at Marcy.
The princes would huff, "end the feud without us having to get married. Can't your father and my father just come to some kind of agreement and say let's stop fighting?"
Sasha laughed under her breath, "I don't think it works like that. The citizens know this feud has been going on. If the kings just now agreed to stop the feud, they'd be pissed it didn't happen sooner. They need some kind of reason."
Marcy groaned, "Why didn't they just call off the feud years ago? Instead of putting us in this mess."
Sasha shrugged, "I dunno, they were stupid."

Marcy would nod her head slowly at that. For the first time, Sasha was saying something that the princess could agree with. Despite Sasha's words, Marcy still thought it was dumb that the feud couldn't just be called off. It was essentially what they were doing, just with a wedding and a ceremony.

"Do you think," Marcy started, "if we just spoke to the citizens of our kingdoms if we would just do some kind of speech, that everyone would listen to us."
"I don't think it works like that, princess," Sasha gently nudged Marcy's shoulder, "what, are you trying to get out of this arrangement?"
"Well yeah," Marcy laughed, "I've been trying to get out of it since before you had even come," Marcy paused, "Do you really think we can grow to like each other?"
Sasha shrugged, "you are talking to me more than you had earlier."
"Did you want me to stop?" Marcy rose a brow.
"No- that's not what I was saying."
"Good, because I'm sure you prefer this more than me just staring at you with a scowl on my face until we were wed."

Sasha would laugh at Marcy's words. Despite the two being vastly different, Sasha would get a kick out of Marcy. She had a hint of sarcasm and sas to her that Sasha hadn't seen with a princess before. Sasha wouldn't get his hopes up, but a small part of him was hoping that Marcy would soften up to him over time.

With the oil lamp between the two of them, Sasha and Marcy would spend a few more passing moments warming their bodies up, and chatting over small, insignificant things. After a while of chatting, the doors to the room would open, and one of the butlers would step into the room, making his way to the two royals.

"Your Highnesses," the butler would bow his head, "King Adrias has requested for you both to report to the banquet room. For the arrival of Prince Waybright, he has prepared a feast."
"Thank you," Marcy's words were soft.

The butler would leave the room and after Sasha and Marcy would move to stand. Sasha would step closer to Marcy, a hand reaching up into the girl's hair as Sasha would pluck out a leaf. Marcy raised a brow, running her hands through her hair.

"Just had a leaf in your hair," Sasha laughed, and held the leaf over the oil lamp, letting it burn before he blew out the wick.
"That was in my hair the entire time?" Marcy gasped.
Sasha nodded, "it's just a little leaf, what are you worried about?"
"The leaf was in my hair the entire time, and you didn't say anything!" Marcy exclaimed as she shook her head.
"It's just a leaf, don't get pressed about it."

Marcy would roll her eyes at Sasha's comment. Sasha didn't let it affect him too much, instead, he would just follow Marcy out of the room, and down the hall towards the banquet hall. Once they went inside the table would already be set, and a majority of the royals and staff would already be seated. For a special occasion like this, the king had brought in extra tables to seat the staff. Sasha and Marcy would make their way towards the tables, where King Andrias would greet them. He'd gesture for the two to sit at the head of the table, and so they would, sitting alongside each other like a king and a queen.

It would take a few moments passing for the remaining guests to join at the tables and for everyone to be seated. The tables were lined with deep green tablecloths and stacks of plates where each person sat. Across the middle of each table would be an abundance of foods, covered with either a metal dome or a cloth over top. When the remaining guests had arrived, Andrias would clap his hands together, and call a silence over the tables.

"Welcome to every one of the Newtopian palaces," Andrias would clear his throat, "I have invited you all together, along with our new friends from the Wartwood kingdom. They have brought along with them King Grimes, and Prince Waybright. I am honored that we are all able to come together. As you know, our kingdoms have been fighting for the longest time, but I am pleased to announce that our princess Marcy and prince Sasha will be joining to be wed at the end of this week to unite our kingdoms."

After Andrias' speech had concluded, he gestured to Grimes, who would stand and make his speech.

"Members of Newtopia palace. I know you have all come to live in fear of those within Wartwood, just as we have of you. I am very pleased that Princess Marcy and Prince Sasha have agreed to come together in unison to be wed. I guarantee this will bring a new, and long future for our kingdoms. A toast, to our lovebirds."

Both kings would raise their glasses, and all the tables would follow suit, cheers, and laughter roaring across the room.

"Now, let us all enjoy this celebration with a feast!" Andrias would roar out.

Everyone at the tables would move to uncover the foods, taking portions onto their plates as they began to dig in. Across all the tables, everyone seemed pleased with the news. Even the members of the Wartwood army seemed pleased with how things were progressing and were getting along with members of the Newtopian royalty. Both Sasha and Marcy tried their hardest to avoid too much conversation with each other and with other members at the tables.

A way into the dinner, Sasha would nudge Marcy's leg, "Hey princess, you wanna sneak out?"
Marcy would take a bite of a slice of bread, swallowing and speaking up, "What? Sneak out."
Sasha lowered his voice, "Yeah. Sneak out of here. I dunno, go outside and get some fresh air. Maybe give me a tour of the kingdom, I haven't seen anything outside the palace."
Marcy would furrow her brows, and lower her voice with Sasha, "I don't know- what if we get in trouble?"
"Oh come on, there are so many people here, do you think anyone would notice?" Sasha raised a brow.
"Sasha, we are the entire reason this celebration is being held- do you seriously think they wouldn't notice if we slipped out?"
"Fair point," Sasha laughed. He'd nudge Marcy's foot again, "Come on, we can tell them we snuck out to get some bonding time or something."
"But you know that isn't true," Marcy would push another slice of bread into her mouth.
"They don't know that do they?" Sasha wiggled his brows at Marcy.
"Fair point," Marcy laughed.

The princess would look around the dining hall, and when she deemed that no one was looking, she'd grab for Sasha's wrist, tugging the man out of the dining hall. Once they were out of the room, Sasha would laugh, and slowly start walking towards the palace doors. As he walked by Marcy's side, he'd gently brushed up against the girl's shoulders. Marcy would look over at Sasha.

"You ever sneak out before?" Sasha smiled.
"No," Marcy laughed, "never."
"Kinda figured," Sasha laughed, "you don't seem like the type to be rebellious at all."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, it just means that if you were rebellious, you would've snuck out when you heard about the arranged marriage. You would've taken over duties you weren't given, or maybe talked back to your father," Sasha shrugged.
"Oh and let me guess, those are things that you do?" Marcy would purposefully bump into Sasha's shoulder.
"Sometimes, I try not to get into too much trouble. But-" Sasha would take a deep breath, "Grimes does have a lot on his plate dealing with me."
Marcy snickered, "You're not going to be a bad influence on me, are you?"
"Why? Did you want me to?" Sasha looked over at Marcy with a shit-eating grin.
"No, I think I'm fine the way I am," Marcy paused, "plus, I think if I started to be rebellious, my father would disown me."
"I don't think he'd disown you."
"I don't think you know my father."
"Fair point," Sasha would offer Marcy a nonchalant shrug as they reached the front gates of the palace.

Sasha looked at the gates for a moment, and then at Marcy. Slowly, the prince would move to open the doors, and Marcy would follow out. They'd shut the doors behind them, and give a half-hearted excuse for their departure as they headed out to the town square. The town would be a bit of a distance away from the palace, but luckily a stone pathway marked the direction.

"You're nothing like me," Marcy would state bluntly as she kicked a few rocks across the path.
"Nothing like you?" Sasha laughed, and when they approached the rock again, he'd kick it, "I wouldn't say that I'm nothing like you. We're very different, but I think we have some things in common."
"Like what?" Marcy would take her turn to kick the rock.
"We're both royalty," Sasha laughed.
"That's all you got? With that logic, I have as much in common with you as I do with King Grimes, or even my father," Marcy shook her head.
"We both agree that having to share a room is the most awful thing you can do to someone," Sasha looked over at Marcy, smiling.
"I'm sure anyone can agree that having to share a room is awful," Marcy was blunt.
"Oh! Earlier, when we were in the garden, you said that sourdough bread was the best kind of bread that could be made, and I like sourdough bread the most," Sasha would kick the rock once again.
"I imagine a lot of people like sourdough bread the most," Marcy would kick the rock, but miss, "Aw fuck-."

Marcy would turn back, standing behind the rock, and giving it a forceful kick to get it on track once again.

"We both have been kicking this stupid rock," Sasha would kick the rock as forceful as Marcy.
"That's your argument?" Marcy laughed, "That doesn't prove anything."
Sasha shrugged, "I'm not saying that we both like rocks or that we're the only people who like kicking rocks. We just started kicking it together, without anything needing to be said."
"I think I could kick this rock by myself if I wanted to," Marcy was stubborn.
"I don't doubt you could, but would that be as fun?" Sasha rose a brow, kicking the rock with such force it would send it off the path and into a patch of grass on the side, "shit-."

Sasha would run, moving to the patch of grass where he would dig through it, holding up the rock between his fingers. Sasha would move back to Marcy, setting the rock on the ground in front of her. The princess would hesitate before she kicked it on the path once again.

Sasha smirked, "you didn't have to kick that rock. You could have just rolled your eyes, called the rock out of bounds, and kept walking."

Marcy shrugged.

"But you didn't," Sasha smiled, "you kicked the rock when I brought it back, and I think that counts for something."
Marcy huffed, "I was being nice. Don't you think it would be rude if I just ignored it and kept walking?"
"Of course, I probably would've been heartbroken if you just ignored it," Sasha would take his turn kicking the rock, "but, even with that as an option you didn't. I think you like me."
"You think I like you?" Marcy laughed, "I was just being nice. Don't get

Chapter Text

Marcy was up much earlier than Sasha, and she'd find herself awake with the prince's arm around her. Marcy would carefully take Sasha's arm, moving it from around her and setting his arm next to him. The princess would move off the bed, and over to her bookshelf, grabbing one, and heading for her balcony. She'd open the doors, and step outside, closing the doors behind her.

It wasn't uncommon for Marcy to get up early and read a book on her balcony. The weather was nice, and it was relaxing to get some fresh air while she read. She sat herself on one of the chairs she had outside and dug her face into the book.

Sasha wouldn't wake up until the mid-afternoon, and he'd find himself alone in the bed. He'd sit up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. A yawn would escape his lips as he sat up straighter, arms stretching over his head. His eyes would scan the room. With no sight of Marcy, he'd rub his eyes once more and give another scan over the round. Marcy couldn't have gone far.

Sasha would walk over to the balcony doors, pushing the curtains aside as he peeked through. A wave of relief washed over him when he saw Marcy outside with a book. The prince moved over to the girl's bookcase, scanning the books and grabbing one from the bunch. Sasha wasn't big on reading, but attempting to find common ground seemed like a foolproof plan to get them closer. Sasha would bring the book outside, sitting next to Marcy.

"Good Morning," Sasha smiled.
"Good Morning to you," Marcy said, pulling herself away from the book to look at Sasha. You look a lot more tired than you did before you fell asleep."
"Thanks?" Sasha raised a brow.
"I'm just teasing you," Marcy sighed, "you look fine."
Sasha softened up, "you reading anything good?"
Marcy would fold the corner of the page down, closing her book as she shifted her body towards Sasha, "It's a pretty good book. It's just a piece of fiction, so it's nothing too extreme," Marcy looked over at the man's book and laughed, "What are you reading?"
Sasha would look down at the cover of the book, opening the cover to try to skim the book, "Oh, it's just a silly little history book."
Marcy chuckled, "You find it on my bookshelf?"
"No! I brought it with me of course," Sasha couldn't keep a straight face when he lied, and Marcy could see right through him. Marcy gave Sasha a look and he sighed, "Yeah I took it from your bookshelf, I'm sorry."
Marcy shook her head, "You don't have to apologize, you're more than welcome to read through my books. I just didn't take you for much of a reader."

Sasha would flip through the pages of the book as he continued to skim over the text. Although Sasha had a basic knowledge of reading, there were a lot of words that jumbled together or that Sasha didn't recognize. As Marcy would resume reading her book, Sasha found himself stopping at almost every other word trying to decipher what the book was saying. He looked over at Marcy, who was reading easily without any worry.

Sasha would lean over, "Hey. You think you can help me with something?"
Marcy closed her book again, still on the same page she left off on, "Oh, yeah of course. What'd you need?"
Sasha would lean so the book was between them as he pointed to one of the words in the book, "I don't know what this says, or what it means."
Marcy leaned closer to the man, looking at the word he was pointing to, "bourgeoisie?"
"Yeah, that one, what does it mean?" Sasha furrowed his brows.
Marcy laughed, putting her book on her lap, "You don't know what a bourgeoisie is? They're the ones who own the land. Like the farms, the production lines."
Sasha nodded, "right," he laughed, "sorry I had just never seen it written out before. It doesn't look the way it sounds."
"Hm," Marcy hummed, "it is a funny word. You know I hate words like that. Where they look one way, but sound another. Makes it harder to spell them out, because they don't use the letters they sound like."
"It makes reading a lot harder," Sasha agreed as he looked back at the words, "how did you get so good at reading?"

Marcy would stop at Sasha's question. No one had ever inquired about Marcy's education or asked to learn something from her. Marcy would sit and think for a moment before she spoke.

"When I was really little I hardly talked. I'd really only repeat words that I heard my father say, or things I heard others around the castle say," Marcy laughed, "I wouldn't say I was really talking, more so just reciting what I heard everyone else say, regardless of what context it was being used in. My father could never understand what it was that I was trying to say, and even when he tried to explain words to me, I still didn't use them correctly," the princes shrugged, "so my father got a private instructor to come and teach me to read and write. I think I was doing
a lot better at reading and writing than my instructor was, maybe that's why they stopped coming."

Sasha paused. He hadn't learned in the way Marcy had and had never thought to try and educate himself more to read and write. It had never crossed his mind to go more in-depth on how to read and write. Frankly, he was happy with his strength and combat skills.

"You really are smart aren't you?" He laughed, "You think they were scared a princess would be smarter than a scholar?"
"You know," Marcy laughed, "I think if I was a scholar I would be a lot happier. Getting to sit and read and write all day. To have my opinions actually matter and mean something. Sounds better than being a princess."
"Your father really doesn't let you do much huh" Sasha would close his book.
"Not really. I mean, I sit in here and read and write sometimes, but he doesn't care to read any of my writings. And he interrupts to make me do the stupidest things sometimes," Marcy shrugged.
Sasha nodded his head, "I promise, when we get wed I'll make sure your writings are read. I'll build you a room just for your studies, and I'll make sure everyone in Wartwood and Newtopia gets a copy of what you write."
Marcy snickered and moved to stand, "My goodness, you don't have to do all of that. Don't you think it's an overkill?"
"No," Sasha stood after the princess, "you want your writings to be heard, and I want to make sure you're happy and taken care of. I don't think it's overkill."
"Really?" Marcy rose a brow, and started back inside, "You don't think building an entire room just so I can write is too much?"
Sasha shook his head.
"Man," Marcy would place her book on her desk, "you're trying to win me over aren't you?"
"You do make a fair point," Sasha would pause, and set his book on top of Marcy's, "if we are set to be wed to one another without much of a say in anything, then I might as well try my best to make sure you are happy."
The princess stopped in her tracks, "thank you, Sasha. That is kind of you, I appreciate it."
Sasha grinned, "am I kind enough to get a kiss?"
The princess couldn't stop herself from laughing, moving closer to Sasha, "really? You can't wait for the wedding?"
"No-" Sasha would blurt out, "I mean, no I can wait," he'd try to hide his eagerness, "I just think you're so beautiful I think it would be a shame if I had to wait until the end of this week just to get a kiss from you."

The princess would look at the man in front of her. She'd reach both of her hands up to cup either side of his face, turning a cheek, and pressing a soft kiss against it. It was enough for Sasha's face to heat, a pink hue dusting his cheeks as Marcy let go of his face. He'd freeze after, a hand slowly moving up to lightly brush against the spot he'd been kissed. The princess' lips were softer than anything Sasha had ever touched and warmer than any summer he had experienced in Wartwood.

"Hey, Sasha?" Marcy rose a brow, "can you hear me?"

Sasha would snap out of the trance he was in from the kiss, "huh? Sorry, what were you saying?"
Marcy laughed, "I asked if you wanted to go check to see if the kitchen had anything prepared for lunch. You slept through breakfast."
Sasha quickly nodded, standing up straight, "Yeah, I am a bit hungry."
"If you would've gotten up a bit earlier you could've had some sweet bread and fruit," Marcy teased.
Sasha gasped, "No? You're not joking, I missed out on sweet bread?"
Marcy nodded.
Sasha shook his head, "dammit- you are not letting me sleep in again if they're serving sweet bread."
"We'll see," Marcy grinned, "c'mon."

Marcy would lead Sasha back to the dining hall, where she would sneak into the kitchen, waving to the staff. Marcy would run ahead of Sasha, conversing with the kitchen staff for a moment. They would hand Marcy a covered bowl, and a covered basket. The princess would thank them, and join back with Sasha.

"The food is acquired," Marcy laughed, "plus, they said they're not going to tell my father that we're eating in private."
"Eating in private?" Sasha smirked as he nudged the girl.
Marcy rolled her eyes, "I just assumed you didn't want to have to sit at the table and eat with everyone again. The food will taste a lot better when you're not getting bothered every second, I promise."

Sasha would grab the basket from Marcy, taking a peek inside the basket, gasping when he saw a loaf of sourdough bread. He'd cover the basket back up, and grab the bowl that Marcy was carrying as well. He'd gesture with his elbow for the two to head back to Marcy's room. Marcy would lead the way, with Sasha following behind. The smell of the food was tempting, and Sasha had to restrain himself from immediately jumping in before they reached the room.

Marcy would push the doors open, holding them for Sasha. He'd enter with his hands full, placing the containers down next to the books on the table. Marcy shut the doors behind them and moved across the room, pulling two chairs up to the table. Sasha would sit first and Marcy would follow after, letting out a sigh of relief.

Sasha rubbed his hands together, lifting the cover on the basket, "I cannot believe they made sourdough bread- what was I saying? This is my favorite kind of bread."
Marcy smiled as she removed the cover of the bowl revealing tomato soup, "what can I say? The kitchen staff has a way of reading minds."

Marcy would reach into the basket first. She'd grab one of the slices of the loaf, tear it in half, and dip that half into the tomato sauce. When the food would hit Marcy's mouth, she'd hum in delight, and swallow before speaking.

"Sash hey-," Marcy hummed, "oh my gosh it's so good you actually have to try it."
"I've had bread before Marcy," Sasha would take the other half of the bread from Marcy, dipping it into the tomato soup. After trying the piece he'd speak up, "No no okay- you were onto something this is so good."

Marcy would shoot Sasha an 'I told you so' kind of look, but she wouldn't say anything. Rather, she'd grab for another loaf and continue to eat the prepared food.
Sasha leaned back in his chair as he followed suit with Marcy. Something about the princess made Sasha want to become closer to her, but he knew he couldn't push any boundaries. After all, they had just met and he knew Marcy wasn't too keen on getting closer. Sasha would stare at Marcy, before stuffing his face with another bite of bread.

When Sasha finished her portion, she'd speak up, "Hey, do you think we can go back to the festival tonight?"
Marcy laughed, "yeah?" she'd ask, then finish her bite and start again, "Were you wanting to go to the festival every day this week or something?"
Sasha shrugged, "I just figured, if we're going to be wed off at the end of the week, we might as well have some fun in between."
Marcy nodded, "do you think as soon as we wed, they're going to send us off to be in charge and make rules?"
Sasha would hum in thought for a moment before he spoke, "I'm not too sure of that, actually. Never been married off before."
Marcy snorted, "Well that much I figured."
"I'd imagine they'd throw us into everything relatively fast, if not on the same day. I know both our fathers are tired of the fighting," Sasha would respond.
Marcy exchanged a look over to Sasha, her brows furrowing together as she spoke, "Maybe we should go to the festival again. I think it might be our last chance at freedom from this."
Sasha looked at Marcy for a moment, before turning her head down at the bread, "Do you think you won't have any kind of freedom after this?"
Marcy shrugged, "I don't know. I don't believe you'd take away all my freedoms, but I'd imagine I'd lose a lot."
Sasha shook his head, "Princess, I promise I will do whatever I can to make sure you have as many freedoms as you do now."
Marcy would look at Sasha, and smile, "Thank you, that's really kind."
"Well you are going to be my wife after all," Sasha returned a smile, "we can grab a bottle of wine before we go to the festival."
"Yeah?" Marcy raised a brow, "my father told me wine is only reserved for major celebrations- I don't even think I've had any yet."
Sasha grinned, "Well it's your lucky day then! We will grab wine before we go and drink it on the way. I promise you'll like it."

Marcy would nod in agreeance with the plan. It would be her first time drinking wine, and a part of her felt guilty for drinking it behind her father's back. However, this was a celebration, and Marcy felt that she deserved at least a bit of the drink with the marriage coming up. Marcy and Sasha would finish their lunch, and Marcy would set the empty dishware outside her room.

"Hey Sasha?" Marcy looked over at the man.
"Hm?" Sasha would look back at the princess.
"Do you think you would ever be able to train me in combat? Like with a sword or- or a canon or something?" The princess would laugh.
Sasha shook his head for a moment, "you want to learn how to use a sword? Those are the most dangerous you know."
"What?" Marcy chuckled, "There's no way."
"Well yeah, you gotta be up close in order to get a hit on someone. Also puts you in harm's way," Sasha smirked, "I don't mind teaching you, but are you sure you wouldn't want to learn like- a crossbow or something?"
Marcy would shift her hip onto her right hip, "a crossbow might be easier to learn with. It would probably keep me out of danger and I could sneak up with distance huh?"
Sasha shrugged, "it does give those advantages. It's a little hard to learn though, do you think you'd be able to do it?"
Marcy laughed, "It can't be that hard. I'm sure with you being a teacher, I can figure it out in a breeze."
Sasha chuckled, "I'm not the best teacher I think, but I can show you the ropes."

Marcy's face would soften at Sasha's words. It seemed like a fair trade-off for the two. Marcy could teach Sasha to improve his literature skills, and Sasha could teach Marcy in the field of combat. It seemed like a fair trade-off. Marcy would stretch her arms over her head, yawning. Despite getting a full night of sleep, and being used to waking up early, the new adjustment was a lot for Marcy to take in.

Sasha nudged at Marcy, "So princess, do you happen to know where all the wine is kept in this castle?"
"I know they keep limited wine in the kitchen," Marcy would look over at Sasha, "but I know they usually keep that for special occasions. And I think the kitchen staff might notice if it's missing."
Sasha huffed.
"But-" Marcy would laugh, "there is a cellar that's full of wine, and I don't think they'd notice a bottle missing."
Sasha's eyes would light up with that, and he grinned, "So how about you and I go on a secret mission huh?"
"Secret mission? How secret can it be, I'm sure we can just walk down and-"
Sasha would cut Marcy off with a shushing sound, "Sh- no it's a super secret mission. We have to go undercover and be stealthy."
Marcy laughed, "I see, so you're just being silly?"
"No c'mon, you wanna be trained in combat don't you?" Sasha would ask, and Marcy nodded, "Well, stealth is important in combat, you don't want anyone knowing you're coming. Think of it as your first teaching lesson."
Sasha would move over to the princess' wardrobe, shuffling through all the clothes before he pulled out a long cloak. He'd bring it over to Marcy, putting it around her shoulders, and tying it in the front. He'd then pull the hood up over her head. With a hum, he moved back into the wardrobe, grabbing out a second cloak which he swapped with his own.

"Do you think these cloaks are less suspicious?" Marcy rose a brow.
"Absolutely."

Marcy would take Sasha's word, and just like that, the two would be making their way out of Marcy's quarters. The princess would lead the two of them down the hallway to one of the smaller staircases. It was located in the back end of the palace, almost hidden away. The staircase was useful for navigating to the lower floors of the palace without being around too many of the palace staff.

Marcy would lead the way down the staircase until they reached one of the lower floors. She'd make her way out, moving through the hallways until she stood in front of a large wooden door. The princess would open the door and gesture for Sasha to enter. When he did, he'd pause, taking a look around the cellar.

The cellar was packed full of different racks of wine that all seemed fairly expensive. There were several large barrels with different dates, and locations printed on them as well. There were several tables with chairs in the room, for those who wanted to drink in the cellar. Marcy would move over to one of the racks of wine, tracing her fingers along the bottles as she read the labels.

Marcy would turn her head to Sasha, "Anything specific?"
Sasha shook his head, "Nah, wine is wine. Unless it's white wine, that wine sucks."
Marcy laughed, and pulled out a bottle of red wine from the rack, bringing it over to Sasha, "is this okay?"
The prince would take the bottle from Marcy, looking it over before giving the princess a nod, "This will work, do you think we can grab another bottle or two?"
Marcy would put her hand on her hip, laughing, "And what are we going  to need three bottles of wine for?"
Sasha pursed his lips, "I've kinda gotten used to wine in my system, probably gonna need an entire bottle for myself."
Marcy would softly roll her eyes, grabbing for another two bottles off the shelf, "I'm not gonna have to carry you back to the palace am I?"
Sasha shook his head, putting the one bottle he had back into his pocket, and grabbing the other two from Marcy, "No, I promise I can handle myself with a bit of wine."

Marcy hadn't drunk too much wine in her life, except for the occasional celebration now and again. It was a shock to hear that Sasha had drunk a bit of wine in his life. Granted, Wartwood must have had a different way of running things, and Marcy was sure that Sasha had stolen a few bottles here and there.

After grabbing the bottles of wine, Marcy would usher the two out of the cellar, shutting the door behind them and closing it tight. The two would return up the flight of stairs, and into Marcy's quarters where Sasha would place the bottles onto her table. Marcy would be the first to disrobe the cloak, followed by Sasha who would put both onto their hangers and place them back in the wardrobe.

Sasha would move back, sitting in one of the chairs at the table. Marcy would sit down next to him, sighing.

"You're not as bad as I thought," Marcy chuckled softly.
"How bad did you think I was?" Sasha would lean one of his elbows on the table, moving closer to Marcy.
Marcy would roll her eyes, "I didn't think you were bad-," she laughed, "I just didn't think you'd understand me. You know? I sort of thought we wouldn't ever get along."
"So you're admitting I'm right?" Sasha would rest his chin on his hand.
Marcy sighed, "Yes Sasha you're right. I didn't listen to you when you said we'd get along."
Sasha grinned.
"That doesn't mean that I'm already falling head over heels for you," Marcy laughed, crossing her arms over her chest, "I just don't think it's as bad as I thought it was going to be. You're nice."

Sasha's face would soften at Marcy's remark.
The day would go on rather slowly, with Sasha and Marcy exchanging stories and small talk with each other. The two would come to learn that despite how different they were, they would be able to find common ground. Sasha wasn't pushy in his advances to try and win over the princess, and Marcy wasn't closed out with the fact of getting to know the male.

The setting sun would peek in through the cracks of the drapes, and it was a clear signal for the royalties to head to the festival. With all the talking, the two had forgotten to go for dinner. When Marcy had realized this, she didn't worry too much. After all, the festival had quite a bit of food, and it seemed like Sasha was happy with the choices.

"I guess the time just got away from us," Marcy laughed, "did you want to start heading out?"
Sasha would stand from the chair he'd been sitting in, "we can start heading out," the man would stretch out his back, "you know what they say, time flies when you're spending it with the people you like."
Marcy would stand after Sasha, "You know, I never heard that. I always thought the saying was time flies when you're having fun."
Sasha smirked, "Yeah, that too I suppose."

Sasha would grab two of the bottles of wine, putting them into his pocket. He'd grab for the third, reaching into a sheath around his belt to pull out a small dagger. Sasha would take the dagger, jamming it into the cork, and pulling it out. He'd set the cork onto the table, and offer the first drink out to Marcy.

Marcy would smile, and take the bottle from Sasha, bringing it up to her lips as she downed back a sip. Her face would twist for a moment, even with the soft taste of wine, it still hit the girl's tongue with a violent taste. She'd offer the bottle to Sasha, and he would follow suit with a stoic expression as he drank.

Marcy laughed, "Look at you, you're a pro at that aren't you?"
Sasha shrugged, taking a second sip, "I suppose, I used to drink a lot with my father," he'd offer the bottle back to Marcy.
Another sip from the princess as she spoke, "Really? I think if I even thought to ask my father to drink wine together he'd laugh, and tell me I must've confused the day for some celebration."
"Your father is a bit stubborn about traditions and the way he thinks," Sasha would admit this quite bluntly.

Marcy laughed at that comment and passed the bottle back to Sasha. The two would spend some time passing the bottle back and forth, making small talk in between. Marcy would be the one to finish the bottle with a final gulp before it would be set on the table.

With the wine hitting Marcy's body, she started to feel a little woozy. It wasn't anything terrible, and the girl could still function, but her head felt a little light. Sasha would move to stand by Marcy's side. He'd loosely wrap an arm around the girl and start to gesture to her for the door of the quarters.

"You gonna be okay Marcy?" Sasha would look at the girl, slightly worried.
Marcy would look at Sasha with dopey eyes, nodding.
"C'mon, I'll walk us to the festival," Sasha would open the door and start, "If you feel like you can't walk let me know okay? I'm right here."
"Thank you-," Marcy's words were soft and slightly slurred.

Sasha would walk Marcy with his arm around the girl's shoulders to the back doors. Sasha was gentle with her, making sure she wouldn't stumble over her feet or run into anything. Once they reached the back doors, Sasha would open them, letting Marcy through and following after her.

Once outside, the fresh air would give Marcy balance on her feet, and she would find her footing. Although she stumbled a little, it was better than when she was inside the palace. Marcy and Sasha would walk alongside each other, towards the festival.

As they walked, Sasha would gently brush her shoulder against Marcy's. The princess' face would heat up with the softest shade of pink and she'd gently punch Sasha in the shoulder. Sasha grinned and lightly shoved Marcy. As light as the shove was, with Marcy's tipsy balance she would fall back.

"Shit!" Sasha quickly ran over to Marcy's side, where she had fallen in a patch of dirt and grass, "shoot Marcy- I didn't mean to shove you that hard, are you okay?"
Marcy would stare up at Sasha laughing, "I'm fine-" the girl would chuckle, "Guess I just have to practice walking when I drink huh?"

A soft smile would spread across Sasha's face, and she'd extend a hand down to Marcy. The princess would take his hand and he'd pull her weight up. Marcy would brush the dirt off her skirt. She didn't look upset about falling, rather she seemed happy about it. Sasha would quickly brush the back part of Marcy's skirt where she had missed.

"I think I should practice lighter shoves," Sasha would flash Marcy a smirk.
"Aw-" Marcy chuckled, "it wasn't that bad! I'm just a little wobbly."
Sasha put an arm around Marcy's waist, "maybe I should escort you the rest of the way to the festival."
Marcy would softly roll her eyes, "What? Are you afraid I'm going to fall again?"
Sasha chuckled and pulled the girl slightly closer, "no," he'd started walking the two back on their path, "I'm afraid I might accidentally push you off the path again. I can't control how strong I am you know, it's without my control."
Marcy smiled, and looked at Sasha, "you're that strong?"

"Oh yeah," Sasha would laugh, and he'd move his arm from around Marcy for a moment. He'd roll up the sleeves to the undershirt he was wearing, exposing his arms. The prince would curl up his arm, and then flex his bicep for Marcy, "c'mon, give it a squeeze."

Marcy hesitated, before moving forward and giving Sasha's arm the lightest squeeze.

Sasha would roll his eyes, putting his hand on top of Marcy's to squeeze it a little tighter, "what kind of a squeeze is that? Can't you feel how hard it is?"

Marcy was feeling it. Sasha's arms felt rock solid to Marcy. Almost like clockwork, Marcy would give Sasha's arm another squeeze, tighter than the one prior. The red on the girl's face would deepen at the second squeeze and she'd slowly pull her arm away from the man's bicep. Suddenly, Sasha was starting to look a lot more handsome than he had prior.

Sasha would notice the girl's face, rolling down his sleeve with a laugh, "You like them? Been working on getting them like this for a few years now."
Marcy would nod, "Yeah, I think they're nice."
Whether it was the wine surging through Marcy's body, or Sasha flaunting his muscles, the princess was slowly starting to warm up to Sasha. The man would move again to wrap his arm around Marcy, slowly gesturing them to start walking again. As they continued walking, Marcy would try to peek a glance at Sasha's arm. How could she not notice he was hiding so much muscle under that shirt?

"You like them that much?" Sasha would smirk.
"Huh?" Marcy would quickly look away, "what?"
"You're looking at me."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes," Sasha laughed, "you're looking at my arms aren't you?"
"No no-" Marcy would look down at the path, trying to avert her eyes from Sasha, "I promise I wasn't looking."
Sasha chuckled, once again tugging Marcy closer, "Are you scared of me catching you?"
The princess would fall silent before letting out a soft, "Yeah."
Sasha nodded, "you don't have anything to be scared of. I know you were looking at me, and I don't mind flaunting my arms for you."
"You know you don't have to-"

Before Marcy could finish her sentence, Sasha would use his free arm to once again flex his biceps. Marcy would turn her eyes from the ground back to Sasha's arms. Sasha was nice, and his arms were nice. With everything happening, things almost felt like they were going to be nice.

"What'd I say?" Sasha laughed, "You totally like looking at my arms, I bet you think I'm hot or something."
Marcy smiled, "yeah. Yeah, I guess I do."
Sasha grinned, "Hey, well I think you're pretty hot yourself. Guess it's a good thing we're getting married huh?"
Marcy would gently bump against Sasha's hip, "Hey-," she'd laugh, "you can't just give me some wine and flash your muscles and expect me to fall head over heels like that."
Sasha raised a brow, "aw, it's not working?"
"Maybe a little," Marcy would tease, "but you're going to need to do a lot more than that. I'm not that easy to win over."
"Oh trust me, I can tell," Sasha would tease, "you're warming up aren't you?"
Marcy hesitated, "Yes. Yes, actually I am. I'd honestly say it's a little impressive how warmed up I've gotten to you so far."
Sasha would pump his free fist into the air, "hell yeah! So my plan is working!"

The two would continue along the path to the festival, laughing and making small talk along the way. Once they arrived closer to the festival, they'd see how big it was. It had seemed like since the previous night, the festival had only gotten bigger. Sasha would move his arm from around Marcy, instead grabbing for her hand to gently tug her into the festival. Marcy would walk briskly behind, following until they had made their way into the town square.

As soon as they made it into the festival, they would be filled with the same familiar scents and sounds of the prior night. Sasha would take a moment to stand still and look around, just taking in the moment and all that Newtopia had to offer. Strangely, Newtopia was starting to feel like home. It seemed everything that the kingdom had to offer was nice, and he enjoyed all it had to offer, especially Marcy.

When Sasha looked around, his eyes fell on a food vendor. As the man's eyes narrowed on the food stall, he'd gasp. Sasha had never seen such a variety of bread bowls being served before, and it made his face light up. Marcy would look over at Sasha, and notice as he stared. The princess would follow his eyes back to the bread bowl stand and laugh. She'd gently take the man's arms and tug him over.

"Marcy you didn't have to-"
Marcy would cut Sasha off, "I saw you eyeing the bread bowls. Did you wanna split one?"
Sasha smiled, "I'd love to," he'd hum as he looked over the options of soup, "do you like French onion?"
"Yeah, I like French onion. Is that what's piqued your interest?"

Sasha nodded, and the two would stand in line for the bread bowls. They'd order and again Marcy would hand over a few copper coins to the vendor. In return, the two royalties would be given a large French onion bread bowl and two spoons. Sasha would grab the bowl, and Marcy would gesture for a set of tables. The two would sit at the table, and Sasha would set the bread bowl down in between them and pass Marcy her spoon.

Sasha would be the first to dip into the bowl, taking a large spoonful of a combination of bread and soup. As soon as the food would hit his tongue, he'd hum softly. Somehow, the food in Newtopia seemed to taste better than any food he had before. Marcy would follow after Sasha, taking her spoonful and humming after her bite as Sasha did. When Marcy swallowed, they'd both laugh in unison.

"You know Marcy," Sasha would start, "when I was a kid, I remember hearing stories about Newtopia. Everyone made it sound like it was such a terrible place but- I don't think there is anything awful about this place."
Marcy laughed, "You know, my father used to tell me the same thing when I was little. Wartwood was the place you never wanted to go. The court was awful, the food was awful, and the houses and shops were awful. Everything was awful in my father's eyes."
Sasha would shake his head, "You know, I think the kings were just saying that because they had some kind of grudge against the other kingdom."

Marcy would scoop another serving from the bowl, holding it in her spoon for a moment, "oh no for sure- I don't think either of the kings have walked through the opposing kingdom," she'd shove the serving into her mouth.
"I think if they did they would've come to a resolution sooner," Sasha chuckled and followed Marcy in consuming the bread bowl.
"Did you hear anything bad about me?"
"No, did you hear anything bad about me?" Sasha raised a brow.
Marcy would laugh, "Oh yeah, totally. My father used to tell me all the time about a young prince who would run through the castle and break anything he touched.
Sasha would freeze, "Wait what?"
Marcy snickered, "No I'm kidding. My father didn't say anything about you, I just wanted to see the look on your face."
Sasha would tear a small piece of bread from the bowl and toss it at Marcy, "You're so mean."

Marcy would catch the piece of bread in her lap. She'd dip the small piece into the soup and then eat it, grinning at Sasha. The two would split the bread bowl, taking longer than any previous meal to finish as they got up in conversation. Somehow to Marcy, bread bowls tasted a lot better than she remembered when she was tipsy. When the two were finished, they would stand, disposing of their trash.
Sasha would move around the table to stand by Marcy, "Are we watching more pig races tonight?"
Marcy shrugged, "were you trying to win more coppers off betting on pigs?"
Sasha shook his head, "No no- I mean it's fun. I just don't know what there is to do."
Marcy giggled, "I'll have to show you more there's so much to do," Marcy paused, peering around as she squinted, "Oh my gosh! Did you wanna dance? It looks like the band is here!"

Sasha would gaze over at a group of members who were off on one of the sides of the festival with instruments. There was a large crowd of people dancing around as the musicians played. Sasha would turn back and look at Marcy. The poor girl was slightly sloshed and already had some trouble walking to the festival. The prince worried if Marcy was coordinated enough to dance. Sasha wasn't going to say no, though.

Without a word, the prince would link their elbows together and guide Marcy to where the band was. He'd slowly unlink their elbows and move his hand down to gently place a hand against Marcy's waist. The girl would move her hands up to Sasha's shoulders, her face dusting a soft shade of pink.

Sasha would start the dance with the first step, "Hey, we ought to get practice dancing before the wedding right? Don't want to look completely clueless."
Marcy chuckled, "That's what I was thinking," the girl would follow Sasha's lead.
"You take dancing lessons?" Sasha would raise a brow as the two would promenade around
"Of course," Marcy laughed, "I'm sure everyone in the palace had to take dancing lessons."
"Oh?" Sasha grinned and raised a brow, "so you know this trick?"

Sasha would grab Marcy around the waist, slowly dipping her back. Marcy would gasp as she was dipped, looking up at Sasha with a flushed face and wide eyes. Sasha offered the princess a soft smile before bringing her back up. Sasha would spin the princess around before taking the lead again.

"I uh-," Marcy was trying to compose her words, "I don't think I have until now."
Sasha smiled, "that's a shame. A princess like you deserves to be dipped like that every day."
Marcy's face brightened, "oh c'mon, you're just saying that to flatter me."

Sasha chuckled, spinning Marcy around his fingertips, "you think that? Really?"
Marcy giggled, spinning around on the balls of her feet, "You're being rather charming. I think you're just trying to win me over before the wedding."
"Maybe a little," Sasha would pull Marcy in closer, "but I do think it's true."

Marcy laughed as Sasha would spin the girl out once again, and bring her closer. The two would spin around the small patch that was designated for the dance floor. It seemed like the two had danced through the band's entire set, one song after another. When the two had grown tired, Sasha would pull Marcy over to the side, sitting them down against an overturned tree stump.

"I haven't danced like that in years," Marcy laughed.
Sasha smiled, "Me neither," he reached into his pockets, pulling out the other bottle of wine, "you want to drink with me again?"

Marcy nodded, and Sasha quickly popped off the cork of the bottle and handed it over to the princess. Marcy smiled, taking the first sip before passing it over to Sasha. The two would take turns trading the bottle back and forth until it was empty. Marcy would stand, stumbling a bit on her feet as she brought the bottle over to a trash drop.

Sasha looked over at Marcy with half-lidded eyes as the second dose of wine started to hit him. Marcy stumbled back to join Sasha once more on the log.

"Man that is-" Marcy giggled, "really strong. I think we might've grabbed one of my father's good bottles."
Sasha laughed, "Yeah- I don't think I've had anything that strong in a while."
"I'm grabbing a stick of meat and after that I dunno how much more I'll be able to take," Marcy smiled.
"I'm sleeping as soon as we get back," Sasha looked over to the princess, returning a smile.

Marcy would be the first of the two to stand, wobbling as she found her footing. Sasha would stand after her, and loosely wrap an arm around Marcy's shoulders. The prince would help guide the girl over to the meat stand, helping her in order. They'd start to leave the festival, with Marcy almost tripping over her feet as she walked, and Sasha helping to guide the girl.

As the two walked the path back to the castle, Marcy would eat the stick of meat she had gotten. The girl would offer out a small piece, and Sasha would take it, popping it into his mouth. It was a long and silent walk back to the castle. Sasha had to stop every few minutes to make sure Marcy wasn't going to fall, and Marcy was silent the entire time in her buzzed state.

Once the two had gotten back in the castle, Sasha helped to direct Marcy into her quarters. Marcy was groggy, and once the two were in the room, the princess would throw herself onto the bed. Sasha would stare over at the girl for a moment, before making his way over, standing on the side and looking down at the girl.

When Marcy heard the movement of Sasha close by, she'd turn her attention the the male, "hm?"

Sasha would move closer, his hands grabbing for the hem of Marcy's overshirt. He'd gently fidget the garment out of the skirt Marcy was wearing. He'd pull the shirt out, and then gently loosen it in the back, slipping it up over Marcy's head. The next to go were the stays as Sasha untied them and slipped them from under Marcy. The final piece was removed when Sasha untied the princess' skirt, pulling it down around her legs.

Marcy didn't move at all, too buzzed to be able to comprehend how to move her limbs. Sasha would stand over Marcy, looking at the princess who was now only clad in a chemise and a pair of drawers. He'd move in once again, stripping Marcy of her shoes before he tended to remove his own. With the boots thrown to the side of the bed, Sasha would remove his outer garments, and climb into bed next to the girl.

"Just helping you get a little more comfortable," Sasha sighed softly.
Marcy would let out a soft cooing noise, shifting closer to Sasha to close the gap. She'd rest her head against Sasha's chest and fully close her eyes, "m'night Sash."

Sasha would move a hand into Marcy's hair, "Goodnight princess, sweet dreams."

Chapter Text

The third night of Sasha's stay started with an abrupt awakening as King Andrias knocked on the doors to Marcy's quarters. The princess would groan, and spring out of bed without waking Sasha. Opening the doors, she'd offer a faint smile to her father as he started to make his way into the room.

"Princess Marcy," the king would clear his throat, "you aren't up as early as you usually are."
Marcy laughed, "What do you mean? I've been up for a few hours now."
Andrias raised his brow, "You haven't changed from your undergarments and you've been up for hours?"
Marcy sighed, "No I-."
Andrias shook his head and moved to sit in one of the chairs, "Marcy, the wedding is just around the corner and we still haven't done a fitting for either of you for the wedding. I need you to be punctual, and on top of everything within the next few days."
Marcy nodded, "I will be. Last night was just, different. Sasha and I went out to the festival and we didn't mean to stay so late."
"That isn't an excuse," Andrias huffed, "you know when you are a princess it doesn't matter what happens, you are to be where you are supposed to be even before they tell you to arrive."
"I know I just-"
"This isn't any different and you know that. You're taking on more responsibilities than usual, and I need you to be on top of everything," Andrias let out a small breath, "please get dressed as quickly as you can. I need to see you in less than an hour to do a fitting for your gown."
"My gown?" Marcy raised a brow, "I didn't know that a gown had been picked out for me."
"Well I had picked it out of course, it looked almost like your great grandmother's gown, just a bit bigger in sleeves," Andrias would stand from his seat.
"Oh," Marcy's face dropped a little, "I'll be down in thirty."
"Thank you, Marcy," Andrias would smile, and start for the doors of the room. As he left, he'd glance over at the prince sleeping in Marcy's bed, a smile washing over his lips.

Once her father had left, Marcy would look over at Sasha. He looked peacefully asleep, and the princess did not want to wake him. Rather, she'd move to change her undergarments and then put on a robe over top. It would be tied to the side. The outfit would be complete with a pair of low-heeled house boots.

The princess got dressed in a frock in less than ten minutes and spent another few penning a letter. The letter would explain where she would be when Sasha woke up. It would be placed at the foot of the bed in the open for Sasha.

With ten minutes left to spare, Marcy would start through the halls of the palace, weaving through the different corridors. Eventually, she'd reach a grand hallway with several rooms on either side. The princess would slip herself into one of the rooms, immediately being greeted by several maids who ushered her into the room.

At the center of the room, there would be a small circular slab, with a mirror in front of it. Several chairs would be positioned around the room. Off in a corner of the room, there would be a small changing divider. In the other corner of the room, a large white gown would be displayed on a mannequin.

The dress was rather out there, with large ornate sleeves that resembled a pastry. The bodice of the gown would have a gaudy amount of beading, that went all the way down to the waist seam. The skirt of the gown would be large, with several asymmetrical ruffles and layers over top of the base. If you squinted hard enough, the gown would resemble the one that Marcy's grandmother wore.

"You're early Marcy," one of the maids would laugh, grabbing Marcy by the arm and gently moving her into the room.
"I tried," Marcy awkwardly laughed.
The maid would move Marcy onto the circular slab, "We are so excited to get you fitted for the gown."
"You are going to look just as gorgeous as your grandmother," a second maid would say.
"And you'll be a striking image of your mother!" the first maid would chime in.
"Boy I hope so," Marcy let out a soft sigh.

The maids would move to either side of Marcy, helping to disrobe her and put the garment off to the side. A third maid would work to remove the dress from its display. A hoop would be placed over Marcy's head, and settle on her waist. Each maid would move to retrieve the gown, slipping it over Marcy as they began to lace her into the garment.

Marcy would watch in the mirror as the maids laced her in. Slowly, she was starting to look less and less like herself and was starting to hate the image in the mirror more. Marcy hadn't given too much thought about her wedding, but now that a gown had been picked for her, she wasn't enjoying it. Somehow, the silhouette and beading of the dress were nothing like Marcy's style.

Once the gown was fully laced up, the maids would step back.

"Oh my goodness-" one of the maids gasped out as she took a look at Marcy.
"You look just like your mother," the second maid would squeal.
"You know what would make Marcy look even more gorgeous?" The third maid smiled.
"I think it's fine you don't need to" Before Marcy could finish her sentence the third maid would run off.

She'd return with a fluffy veil, placing it on Marcy's head, followed by a large crown. It was adorned with several different precious gems. The crown was larger than any Marcy had worn and was fit for a queen. Though, with the size it almost looked like the princess was drowning in her outfit.

"It's perfect," the maids would squeal in unison.
"We need to take about an inch off the sides," the first maid would speak up.
"Oh and we need to bring the shoulders up about another quarter of an inch," the second maid would add.
"Yes, do what you must to it, but can I please get out of it for now?" Marcy would ask as she tried not to look at herself in the mirror.
"Not just yet, princess," the second maid would state, "your father must see you in it first."
"Yes, I'm sure he'll think you look lovely," the first maid would state, "I'll go grab him."

Before Marcy could process what was happening, the first maid would leave the room. After a few minutes, she would return with Andrias, who would sit in one of the chairs around the slab. Marcy would turn to her father, nerves covering her face and body.

"Marcy," the king's voice was soft, "how do you like it?"
"I think it's," she'd look over her father's face for a moment, and then look to the maids, "I think it's nice."
"Nice?" the king would laugh, "I think you look lovely. You look like you're fit to rule a kingdom."
"I suppose I look lovely," Marcy let out a soft sigh, "I just- don't think it's me."
"Well you sure look like Newtopian royalty, I can assure you that much," the king would state as he looked over the princess.
"I know- I look like mom and grandma but-" Marcy would try to speak.
"There are no but Marcy," Andrias would give the princess a stern look, "you look like Newtopian royalty and that is all that is necessary."

Marcy nodded her head, "You're right, and I like that it makes me look like Newtopian royalty," Marcy sighed, "I know the maids said they needed to fit it more, I'll leave them to it, I have to meet Sasha for some important plans he set up for the two of us."
Andrias would smile, and move to pat Marcy on the arm, "Thank you, Marcy. You really have grown up into a fine lady. I'll leave you and Sasha to your day."

Andrias would exit the room, and the maids would move to undress Marcy. They'd place the dress and veil into a box to bring to be altered. Marcy would express her thanks to the maids before heading back to her quarters. With the wedding days away, and Marcy just seeing the dress for the first time, she was growing nervous.

The garment was nothing like her. And she couldn't help but feel off in it. Like the dress had been made for someone else. It almost made her feel like she didn't belong. Marcy would try to shake off the feelings as she walked to her quarters. After all, things have been going well with Sasha, so why should a dress matter so much? The princess would move into her quarters, where she would find Sasha awake, with an unfolded letter next to him.

Sasha perked up when he heard the doors open, "Good morning princess."
Marcy laughed, "It is two past noon."
"Good afternoon princess," Sasha grinned and moved to stand from the bed, "how did the fitting go?"
"It was okay," Marcy laughed, moving towards Sasha, "they just need to work out a few things here and there but it fits alright."
Sasha smiled, "I'm sure you looked gorgeous in it."
Marcy would swallow a lump in her throat, "Yeah. Yeah, the maids and my father thought I looked lovely."
"I can't wait to see you in it then," Sasha laughed, and stood up from the bed, moving over to the chairs.
Marcy would join Sasha in one of the chairs, "Have you gotten fit for the wedding yet."
"Oh no," Sasha laughed, "my father is having me wear what I had worn when I was coordinated. We're just changing out the ribbons and sashes for ones a king would adorn."
"And you still fit into it?" Marcy rose a brow.
"I've hardly grown since I was coordinated. That was only," Sasha hummed as he counted, "about five years ago. Do you not fit into any of your older garbs?"
"I fit into most of them," Marcy laughed, "I guess my father was worried about my not looking like any of the other royal women before me. I don't think I had white either."
"Hey, I think this will be good for you," Sasha smiled, "a nice new dress. Something that fits you better, now that you're a lady."
"Gosh I sure hope it fits me," Marcy laughed.
"Why wouldn't it?"
"I just," Marcy laughed, "this is going to sound silly when I say it."
"I don't think it is."
"I just don't feel like I'm a lady now," Marcy would look over to Sasha.

Sasha would stifle a small laugh.

"Oh c'mon, you said you wouldn't think it was silly," Marcy groaned.
"I didn't say I thought it was silly, I just laughed," Sasha would cross his arms over his chest.
"You laughed, you thought it was silly," Marcy protested.
"I think it warranted a laugh," Sasha started, "I think it's laughable that you don't think you're a lady. What on Earth makes you think that?"
"I don't know," Marcy shrugged, "I don't think I look like the other royal ladies of Newtopia."
"Well sure," Sasha laughed, "you're not any of them, are you? You're princess Marcy, of course, you're going to look different."
Marcy sighed, rubbing her arms, "I know I'm going to look different. I don't think you understand Sasha, I don't look like any of them."
Sasha would stand in front of Marcy, dumbfounded for a moment as he looked over the girl. He couldn't seem to understand what Marcy was trying to convey, but he wanted to seem sympathetic. Sasha would move to rest a hand on Marcy's shoulder as he let out a small sigh.

"I think you look fine princess, what does it matter if you don't look like the other Newtopian royalties?" He'd ask gently.
"I don't know!" Marcy huffed, looking at Sasha, "I don't know why it matters so much. It just matters because it's me."

Sasha nodded, although he believed he'd never come to understand Marcy, he wanted to be there for her. He'd give the princess' shoulder a small squeeze.

"Hey, let's not think about that too much right now," he'd offer a soft look, "I'm sure the festival is still running today, did you want to go?"
Marcy shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't think I'm in much of a mood to enjoy the festival."
Sasha nodded, "Hey that's okay," he paced back and forth in thought for a moment, "perhaps we could-"
Marcy sighed, "I don't want to do anything, Sasha. I just want to sit and sulk. I don't like anything about myself and I'd rather just forget about the world right now."

With a frown, Marcy would move to sit against the sofa in the room. Sasha would make her way over, sitting down next to the girl. He'd leave a bit of space between the two of them so as to not add tension to the air.

"You don't like anything about yourself?" Sasha raised a brow.
Marcy would shake her head.
"What's not to like?" Sasha offered a small laugh.
Marcy sighed, standing up as she gestured down her height, "All of this. I don't like any of this. Any of how I look, or how I act, or what my interests are or-"
Sasha shook his head, "Marcy you're beautiful."
Marcy stopped in her tracks, looking over at Sasha and laughing, "Sure I'm beautiful. You don't have much of a choice to say that, you're my suitor and that means you have to make me happy."
Sasha would stand, "What? No Marcy that's not even-"
Marcy sighed, "You say I'm beautiful because you're set to marry me. I'm sure if you'd seen me in the marketplace you wouldn't think the same thing. I'm sure if I were to disrobe and take off all my jewels you wouldn't think the same."
Sasha slowly moved to rest his hands on Marcy's shoulders, "I don't think you're beautiful just because we are set to marry, I think you're genuinely beautiful Marcy."
Marcy sunk into Sasha's arms, "And I'm sure there are other princesses out there who are a lot kinder in the eyes. Who would look a lot more beautiful in the same wedding dress."
"Marcy you look beautiful to me. I'm happy it's you that I'm going to look at," Sasha's words were soft.
"I'm sorry if I am being a lot," Marcy sighed, "you hardly know me, and I don't think in such a short time I'll be able to believe you."
"That's okay."
"You won't get upset with me if I just sit and ponder today?"
"Oh no," Sasha laughed, "not at all."
"Did you want to join me, I was just going to brush up on a few novels I haven't read in a while," Marcy would make her way towards her bookshelf, grabbing for a larger book.
"Oh," Sasha would follow the princess over, but didn't touch any of her books, "I believe I have duties I must attend to prepare for the wedding. It is two days away."
Marcy would turn to look at Sasha, "I'll leave you to it."
"Don't miss me too much, yeah?" Sasha would shoot a smile over at Marcy before he'd head out of the room and down the hall.
Sasha had lied to Marcy. There were no duties the prince had been called for. Rather, Sasha wanted to try and help Marcy to feel better. The prince would head out of the castle, and towards the Newtopia marketplace. Newtopia was known for having the most shops in their marketplace, and the most extravagant items for purchase. The marketplace was well known across multiple kingdoms, and often, times travelers would come just to make purchases.

When Sasha left, Marcy would grab a few more books, taking them over to her couch where she'd sit once again. The princess would start with the first book, a rather known novel, she'd flip open the book to one of the pages in the middle where she had left off. Her eyes would dance across the pages as she began to read the story it held.

Sasha would arrive at the marketplace, and begin weaving around people as he scanned the shops. The prince was at a loss of what to get Marcy to attempt to make her feel better. As he scanned through the different shops, he found himself stumped. What was he supposed to get the princess to make her feel better about herself? Though it had been a brief first meeting, he thought the princess was the best thing he'd laid eyes on.

Eventually, the prince would find himself standing outside a clothing shop, peering in at the different arrangements they had to offer. After a moment of hesitation, he'd make his way inside. The shop would be full of different women looking through the latest fashions, and tailors helping to fit clothing. He'd make his way past the other customers and up to the front desk. There would be a woman with a tape measure around her neck and a pencil in hand. She'd look up when the prince approached.

"Are you here for a fitting?" the tailor would raise a brow.
"Oh no- I don't think a fitting is needed right now, I'm just looking for a piece I can give my future wife," Sasha would lean against the counter with a smile.
"Future wife?" the tailor would look over the prince's wardrobe, and understand his status, "what were you looking for?"
Sasha shrugged, "I'm not too sure, she hasn't been feeling the best about herself. I wanted to get her something to make her feel a little better."

The tailor would hum in thought for a moment before stepping from behind the counter. She'd gesture for Sasha to follow as she moved through the shop. The tailor would bring Sasha to the back end of the store, gesturing to a handful of pieces.

"How about something like this," the tailor would gesture to a short, revealing silk gown.
Sasha would look over the sheer piece, his brows furrowing together, "I don't know if that would be appropriate. We- haven't shared a bed like that just yet."
"Well the wedding night would be a great night to pull this out wouldn't it?" the tailor would urge Sasha.
The prince would look over the piece once more, "Are you sure this would make her happy?"
The tailor laughed, "Here's what you're going to do. You're going to give it to her, let her change into it, and when she comes out you're going to tell her how she looks in it."
Sasha laughed, "But she's going to be taking it off isn't she?"
"It's a gown," the tailor stated bluntly, "if you feel it gets in the way you could take it off."
Sasha's face would heat up, "You know- yeah I'll take that. How much would it be?"
"Fifty coppers."
"Fifty?"
"You want her to be happy don't you?" the tailor would grin, and Sasha couldn't help but agree.

The princess would shift her position on the sofa as she read over her novel.
With everything on the girl's mind, it seemed impossible to sit in one place and focus on her book. In the time Sasha had been gone, Marcy had hardly read through a chapter.

Sasha would leave the first store with a small brown bag in hand. As he carried the small bag, he debated if it was an appropriate gift or not. After all, he hadn't even seen the girl nude before, and with how recently they had met he didn't want to push it. The tailor had recommended the piece, however, and Sasha wouldn't refuse a recommendation. With the bag in hand, Sasha would make his way back to the palace. He'd be careful to sneak into Marcy's quarters, hiding the bag behind a vanity as he went to join Marcy on the couch.

Marcy would look over from her book, "Did you think I wouldn't notice you?"
"No no-," Sasha laughed, "just didn't want to interrupt your reading. How's it going?"
Marcy would hum, "It's alright, I mean, it's a little boring with the exposition but at least it gives me something to get my mind off things. How were your duties?"
Sasha shrugged, "they were alright. You know how responsibilities are, there's never fun revolving them."
Marcy sighed, and moved to shut her book, placing it on the table next to the couch as she rested her head against Sasha's shoulder, "I'm sorry about earlier."
"What? No-" Sasha laughed, "what would you need to apologize for."
"Getting emotional."
"Don't we all sometimes?" Sasha would raise a brow.

Marcy's face would soften a bit, and she'd move to stand up, putting her books away on the shelf. She'd take a minute to stare at the bookcase, before heading back to Sasha where she would sit down once again.

"I'm having a hard time with all of this Sasha," Marcy would gesture loosely in the air.
"A hard time with what?"
"I don't know. Just, getting married I suppose," Marcy would put a hand on Sasha's thigh, "maybe it's all the reading getting to my head. I guess I just thought when I would get married it would be natural, no forced feelings or marrying just to save the kingdoms. I thought it would be real."
Sasha's face would drop, "is what we have not real?"
"I'm not denying that," Marcy let out a weak chuckle, "I believe that over these past few days what we have has been real."
"Then none of that should matter right?"
Marcy sighed, "You don't ever wish for a second you weren't a prince? You don't ever wish that things like this happened naturally? That we were to just see each other in the streets as strangers and gradually decide we like each other."
"I don't think any of that matters too much, as long as I'm happy," Sasha would offer a faint smile.
Marcy sighed, pressing her fingers against her temples sighing, "I guess I'm being a little silly thinking you would understand. It just feels like if we weren't in some stupid royal arrangement, we would've never crossed paths, and you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me."
Sasha frowned and tried to scoot closer to Marcy, "I think I understand what you're saying, Marcy. I'm not as concerned as you are because I believe everything happens for a reason. I mean, you could've been wed off to one of my brothers."
Marcy laughed, "Are any of your brothers old enough to be wed?"
Sasha shook his head.
Marcy sighed, "I'm sure we fit together nicely, I mean I get along with you and you're fine. I'm just worried that- I don't know. If it wasn't this arrangement, if you were to get your pick of any woman in all of the kingdoms, I wouldn't be the one you picked."

Sasha's face fell for a moment as he looked over Marcy. The princess was serious in her words, and Sasha couldn't wrap his head around her thought process. In the eyes of the prince, there was nothing wrong with Marcy. She was a girl, just as any other girl in the kingdoms was. To Marcy, she was leagues behind all the other girls. Her royal title was just a badge she wore to make herself feel greater than she was. Her insecurities were hidden behind years of studying and knowledge out of fear that her brain would be the only place to get her anywhere.

The prince looked over Marcy once more, before reaching out to grab the back of Marcy's hand, "I can't say for certain who I would've chosen if those were the circumstances, but I can say that I am happy to be here right now," Sasha would press a soft kiss to the back of Marcy's hand, "and I am stunned by how beautiful you are."

Marcy would look at the prince for a moment, her face dusting a soft pink, "You're kind, Sasha. No one has treated me as kindly as you have, and I am grateful for that."
Sasha smiled, "I only want the best for you. For us."
Marcy's face softened, "everything is a lot to take in right now, and I'm afraid I need space to process everything. Thank you for speaking with me."

Marcy would move to quickly cup Sasha's face in her hands, and press a brief kiss between Sasha's brows. The princess would glance over the man one more time before excusing herself from the room and heading out of her quarters.

The princess would make her way through the halls of the castle. Her boots scoffed against the ground as she dragged her feet. Her steps were slow as she paced through the castle. It wouldn't be long until she approached the door she had been looking for, swinging it open. Through the doors, there was a large carved area in the ground of the room, filled to the brim with water. Around the pool, there would be multiple seats and columns of décor.
Marcy would shut the doors once she had gotten into the room, pushing them together with her back to ensure it was tightly closed. The princess would move closer to the pool, standing in front of it for a moment. After a second of hesitation, she'd start to disrobe, taking off her skirt followed by her bodice. Once the princess was fully undressed, she'd dip a foot into the pool. Her foot was followed by her calves, and then her thighs, and bit by bit the princess would inch herself into the water until it was up to her shoulders.

The water was calming against her body. It gave the princess a moment to relax in such a vulnerable situation. For once, Marcy didn't want to leave the spot she was in.