1 Times of Tradition

There she walked. The ethereal glow of her white dress swayed with grace and presence. Between the gallows, down the aisle she seemed to float forward. A blinding white against blue, the woman approached a man and the officiant for her wedding. She had a look of saddness but smiled anyway. She was doing this for her people as a sign of unity. The man in front of her was powerful and if he kept her, she would bear a child who would both be blood of the Royal Empire and The Battula. This would end the constant warfare and cause an alliance. That was also the only reason why the Empire's Prince agreed to the union. The woman seemed to accept this fate of hers and the ceremony passed as her resolve hardened. The officiant announced the unity official as man and wife walked out to the Palace of Glass. There, the blonde and grey eyed woman would stay with her future children. There, she would raise the next heirs too both the thrones of The Empire of Froth and the Battula Supremacy. The handsome prince led her towards their bedchamber for the night, per tradition. He turned towards the woman once inside and said, "Princess, I hope you know I despise your every being. I only did this for my people, and I hope you realize that we will not produce any heirs together. I have concubines for that."

The princess' face fell. "Your highness, I am aware of your feeling towards me but for the sake of the future of our respective domains please, I have to get pregnant. There is no need for feelings, just the goodwill for our empires." The prince snarled. His green eyes darkening. He walked over to the princess.

"Watch it. I know why you are really here," he whispered in her ear. The princess shivered with the coldness surrounding her.

"I don't know what you mean. I am here for no ill intent," she defiantly looked into his green orbs. Looking for some kind of emotion but only received his disgust.

"You know exactly what your presence here really means. The Battula are trying to get their way into the royal family of Froth. Now you want to bear children with me? What are you planning? Are you going to use the child to overthrow me?" he questioned, growing ever closer to her face.

The princess reeled back, looking at him like he was an idiot, "If I may, I don't want to be here any more than you do. I am just looking for a way to end this constant fighting and death. It seems I am the only one here with the balls to throw my life away and everything I love to save my people. Honestly, man up. Ulterior motive? The Battula are losing, badly, they can't do anything against you in fear of extinction. What a joke. Not everything is here to hurt you, some of us want to save ourselves first." The prince widened his eyes, mouth agape. He had no words to the fire she spat at him. The docile looking woman showed strength in ways he could not. He saw her for the first time as a princess willing to do anything to save her people, even something as having relations with the enemy. In other words, he was captivated. As we backed off, he started taking off his cerimonial clothing, leaving him in his under clothes.

He turned back and saw the princess do the same. He walked over to some wine and offered her a glass saying, "Lets get drunk before. I'd rather not remember this." She nodded graciously, hoping for that outcome. Neither one of them wanted to remember the night he took her. After lots of drinks, the night ascended upon them. They got undressed and continued into a dance of primal lust until the morning. That was almost the last time the prince ever saw the face of his legal wife and the night that he would regret for a long time. Until the day he had to do it all again. His father was insistent on a grandchild. But his child was a surprise on it's own.