.

Jylan and Sebastian didn't talk at all on the ride home. Jylan just sat up front, guiding the carriage through, and Sebastian stared out the window. When they came to the front, Sebastian climbed off and greeted the guards as he entered the castle again. Without looking back. 

Sebastian, however, was greeted with impatience and a rush and excitement instead of questions on where he'd been. He soon found that he had been summoned to the ballroom after a change of clothes and thorough cleansing. All the servants seemed to be in a good mood, and they kept giving him strange looks that gave him the creeps. 

As he entered the ballroom, all the servants cleared to reveal Princess Lei was standing in the middle. She wore a shimmering long ruby-red dress, a pearl necklace around her neck to make it seem like she was glowing. Sebastian reflected that he was wearing a seemingly matching suit, only a bit darker, and also that the princess finally looked like a princess and not a drunkard. She was quite pretty. 

"What's going on, ?" Sebastian asked, a questioning smile on his face. 

Princess Lei smiled, though there was something dark in her eyes. "Remember what we agreed on, Sebas? It's finally happening!" 

Sebastian's eyes widened as he realized what she meant, but for some reason, he didn't feel like accepting it. "What – what do you mean?"

 shakily took out a ring. The smile had vanished from her face, but she kneeled down with confidence. 

Sebastian froze. 

"Prince Sebastian, will you marry me?" Lei asked. Her voice was filled with fake, and instantly Sebastian knew that something was wrong. And for some reason, Sebastian's heart was screaming no-no-no again and again, shivers jolting through his body.

", isn't it a little early?" Sebastian questioned, working to keep his calm. Sebastian grabbed 's cold hands, taking the ring from her hands and clasping it in his own as he helped Lei settle down on the cold tile. 

 looked up at Sebastian, fear leaking onto her face until she started sobbing. "I'm sure you know m-my parents have been telling me to get married for a while now. And, they've been telling me to get married to you, Sebas. Just like we'd been guessing…" She stopped.

"It's alright, ," Sebastian whispered, slipping the ring onto his finger. He wiped a tear from the princess' eye, though the ache in his heart didn't let him cup her cheek. 

 took a sharp breath, regaining her strength. "My parents told me that they'd slit my throat if I didn't propose to you today, and get married by the end of next week." She moved one of the straps of her dress to reveal a long, narrow cut on her shoulder, made by a knife. Sebastian completely froze as he realized what that cut meant.

There was no one who would hurt a royal legally unless it was a fellow royal. Lei certainly wouldn't do this to herself. Meaning, that her own family had done that to her. 

Sebastian didn't say anything.

"I know you don't want to marry me, Sebas, and trust me on the fact that I simply do not want to marry you, but you're the only person I can turn to in this sort of situation!" Lei cried.

"You know, . My parents never once said they were proud of me. But maybe this time, if we bridge our two kingdoms together and I expand the territory, they might finally think I'm worth something from their place up there. So don't cry. Let's do this for the both of us." Sebastian said. He spoke loud a clear, forcing himself to hide the cracks in his voice. 

 wrapped her arms around Sebastian, burying her face in his chest. He didn't hesitate to hug her right back. "Thanks, Sebas," Lei said, voice hoarse, and Sebastian closed his eyes. 

His heart still screamed. No, no, no, no, no. But Sebastian didn't listen.

And then, suddenly, someone burst in.