1 Once upon a time…

Chapter 1 - Cake

A long time ago, a beautiful princess lost her family in a terrible accident. Her voice completely disappeared among her fear and tears never stopped to leave her eyes in despair.

Thankfully, the princess wasn't alone. She had brothers, who couldn't protect and salve her as true knights in shining armors and white horses.

So, despite the pain and all the fear she had, the young princess could smile again and live happily with them, until a tragic event befallen on her after her 22nd birthday.

"No! I will not accept this! I don't want to marry him!"

A prince, from a far kingdom, seemed to have fallen in love with her beauty at the first sight, and completely taken by the heat of this passion, he asked his parents for their blessing to marry her when the princess hadn't yet answered his letters.

His excuse for that? He believed the princess owed him it as part of her obligations after she stole his heart as he could lead his people without it.

"For the well-being and safety of the people, I can't fulfill your selfishs wishes this time, my dear grandchild."

And under the threats of a war, the King could only accept the prince's request, selling the princess for the far away land before she could even think of running away, where… Slowly, she saw how her husband wasn't such a beast as she believed, falling for him as her charming destiny, like he did one the first day they met…

Eventually, leading towards a happy marriage, several children, and a happy ever after as the ones she heard as child in the fairytales.

"Oh, at least, it would be amazingly good if it was too!"

There wasn't any princess, kingdom, or prince. Just an agreement between two companies, which was done ages ago… And I really mean ageeeees ago.

It was something written and signed by my grandfather when he was much younger, and my father was just a baby sleeping in my grandma's lap.

He and one of his childhood friends, who had also just started a company back then, thought it would be a great idea to betrothal their young children of similar age if their companies were still open and alive after five years.

Their business successfully worked as they planned, growing more and more during the years after it, surviving by decades through economical challenges until the forgotten promise was brought back to life by no one else but the grandson of my grandpa's friend.

He had found the old and lost agreement in his grandfather's office, but despite it being a great chance for his divorced mother, my father was no longer alive to reject them and their broken business… For my deep sadness.

Thanks to the smart old men and their younger selves, such stupid and dated agreement now befallen in me… The beautiful Princess, who could never reject her grandfather's wishes, despite the fact that she doesn't have a kingdom or people to protect.

On the other way around, there was pride and a wish to fulfill her grandpa's wishes after he got happy for the first time in a while, thanks to it and the chance to meet with his oldest friend.

It was more than enough reason for him to want to help his sick friend in need, leaving me, the princess, completely lost and without a way to refuse while even her heros, my brothers, couldn't stop such a version of the happy old man.

He wouldn't hear any of our words, and the emotional side of us didn't want to make him sad again after my grandma passed away.

All my brothers could say to me was to accept it, pretend for a while, a couple of years, and before I realized it would all be gone and I would be divorced as if it was as simple as this, leaving me in such an unpleasant situation… Or better say it did until I found a little secret of the prince from the far away kingdom…

It wasn't exactly a secret from anyone how he was fond of both men and women, but something else definitely was when I found out who his college days crush was… I just had to figure out how to put my third brother in this trap instead.

The agreement wouldn't be broken like this, my grandpa's friend and his company would be helped, and everyone would be happy and free to be with their loved one as they wished if I could make it happen.

… If I could make my brother and fiancée fall in love with each other.