The Cursed Tyrant and His Reluctant Queen

Oh, damn it. I slapped a King.

It's a grave crime. What will happen to me now? Will they behead me after a process? Or can I survive with my hand cut off?

There weren't any witnesses outside of my family, so we might agree on a version to lighten the sentence.

I have the duty to survive as Crown Princess of Mages. I need to live if I want to help them in the future.

It's one of the first things mother taught me: dying out of bravery is a good deed only if someone else is saved by it. If not, it's just stupidity.

Father would sometimes say I don't need to die to save anyone either.

Yet, when I found out I was lied to for a month, I couldn't contain my rage.

Even if it's Ignis, the King is known for his bloody deeds and merciless nature. Will he close an eye if I apologise and promise not to do it ever again?

Oh, what if he decides to punish me without a process? It wouldn't be the first time, according to the rumours.

And also, what is his real name? Ignatius or Aurelius?

Is the marriage really valid, or was it all a ploy to drag me in bed?

So many questions and, unluckily, a single way to get an answer. Asking the last man I want to see right now.

While I walk down to the dining hall, I see Antonio and Marius strolling in front of me.

The first is wearing his training armour, carrying a huge sword in both hands and taking the most convinced steps I've ever seen. The latter is pacing after him, holding his stomach because of laughter.

«You'll die immediately!» Marius comments when he can talk enough to form a sentence. «That man killed so many people... How do you think you stand a chance?»

«It's for our sister's honour!» Antonio exclaims. He stops for a moment and turns to him. «It's my duty to free her!»

«I agree: she must be freed. But she stands more chances than you, Antonio! You can't do more damage than her when she's angry.»

Oh, come on, I'm not that dangerous when angry. I know how to contain my emotions pretty well.

«I need to protect her honour!»

He repeats these words, trying to sound more convincing. At eighteen years of age, he's taller than me. He's training often, so he's starting to build the physique of a warrior. He improved a lot the few weeks I couldn't see him.

Marius is fifteen. His black hair is tied in a low tail on the back of his head. He's also a fair swordsman, but he knows his limits. Contrarily to Antonio.

«What in the world are you two trying to do?» I ask them.

They both startle, caught red-handed.

«We were defending your honour!» Marius replies; this silly fox. As if I didn't just hear him say it's a waste of energy.

«Sister, you're back!» Antonio replies. He lowers the sword and leaves it on the floor before running to me and hugging me tightly.

I rub his hair and wait for him to calm down.

«That cruel man abducted you, but we'll find a solution. Father needs a couple of days to collect the army. We can run away now and hide for that time...»

Oh, he's so emotional.

«Father won't call the army, so it's pointless to run away.»

«Don't give up yet, Veronica!»

«But... like...» Marius murmurs. «I guess she likes him.»

«What?» I murmur. How does he know? How precise can gossip be?

«If he's still alive and, what more, he crossed the door in one piece... Veronica must like him, right?»

Antonio blinks, confused.

«Are you sure you like him, sister? He's the cruel King. I'm certain he swindled you somehow. I still think we should get rid of him before it's too late. We can find you a husband closer to here.»

How precise is these brats' instinct?

«You wouldn't last a minute against him, Antonio,» I say.

I stretch out my arm to Marius, and he walks to add into this familiar embrace.

«Ignis is among the best swordsmen I've ever seen,» I sigh.

«Is that how he survived your wrath?»

«No, that's how we all survived assassins' attacks. He knows how to defend himself and me.»

«Not even a chance?»

«Not a single one.»

I split from them just to drag my brothers towards one of the unused rooms. We sit on the couch there, and Lucia reaches us as soon as I close the main door. She opens the servants' entrance and peeks inside. She was waiting for us to appear.

«Mother locked them in the room when you arrived, so we managed to avoid being executed altogether,» she explains. «But now that you've met them, I hope we won't die anymore.»

«We won't die,» I say with a smile. Even though I'm not a hundred per cent sure.

About them, yes. About me, not that much.

But I can try convincing Ignis to spare me. If anything, I'll use his sense of guilt and make him forget about the slap.

I shouldn't have been violent, to begin with. But my heart hurt so much that I wanted him to experience part of the pain. I wanted him to understand what's happening to me.

I'm not just throwing a tantrum.

I've been tricked into a marriage. And then to consummate before coming home. Ignis made it sound as if I was the one deciding. He made me admit I'll take responsibility!

I can't just eat my word and forget about my honour. And, also, it's not like it's easy to divorce a tyrant. Dying is so much easier, isn't it?

«What will we do now?» Marius inquires. «If we can't beat him with the sword, we can make him change his idea about wanting to be in-law with us. Or we can make him realise it's easier not to be married to Veronica.»

As if.

Regardless of my sighs, the three black heads move closer to each other, and they whisper for a while.