2 Chapter One

Everything was dark around her. Aria thought that she might be at hell for the sin of trying to steal her younger sister's love.

"This is not hell, my child."

"Who are you? show yourself." A surprised Aria looked around in search of the owner's voice. A beautiful lady in white plain dress suddenly appeared in front of her. Aria froze because she knew the lady in front of her. She once saw the lady's statue. Metallia, the Goddess that the people worship.

"My child, I am truly sorry that you have a such a sad life." She had a sad smile. The goddess was crying.

"This was not supposed to happen." the goddess continued.

what?

"Everything you know is not entirely the truth."

what?

"I'm sorry that I could not help you with everything. Go, my child."

Everything went black and the next thing happened Aria could heard birds chirping outside of the mansion. I'm not dead yet? — was her first thought.

She slowly opened her eyes and realised that she was alone in her bedroom. A knock could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Milady, may i come in?"

"Yes, come in."

"Good morning, milady." a maid smiled to Aria as soon as she entered the room. The maid walked to the windows to open the curtains. "Today is another beautiful day." she continued. When she looked back at her lady, she noticed Aria had an expression of being confused. "What's wrong, milady?" she asked.

"I'm still alive."

The maid giggled when she heard it. "I'm sorry for laughing, milady." She quickly stopped laughing when she realised her lady intensely looking at her. "Of course, you're still alive, milady." the maid reached for her lady's hand.

"See, I can touch you. I will feel sad if you die, milady."

Aria was still confused. Was everything about her younger sister and the prince a dream? Her own death was a dream? That could not be just a dream. It was too realistic. Was meeting the goddess a dream too? That could not be just a dream too. She truly met the goddess!

Something suddenly came to the maid's mind. She almost forgot to tell Aria that the lord wanted to meet her after the breakfast.

"Oh milady, the lord wants to meet you in his study room after breakfast."

Aria had stopped having her meals together with her family after she realised that her father favors his new family and he was strict to her because of dislike.

"Tell him that I will."

"Yes milady."

After her breakfast, Aria went straight away to the study room. She took a deep breath before knocking the door to the study room. When she heard her father's voice telling her to come in, she slowly opened the door and saw her father who was busy reading the work papers.

"A very good day to you, father." she greeted with a forced smile. She just stood there near the door.

Her father put down his glasses and made a hand signal to tell her to sit down.

"I am good here."

Lord Graham sighed. He could not fight her stubbornness. Aria was a stubborn yet a quiet lady. She usually followed everything that he told her to do, but very stubborn to even try reconnect their relationship. She probably viewed herself as a worker instead of a daughter. But that was his fault. He knew that him being too strict to her had made her like that. A child that afraid of her own father.

"Aria, you are going to attend a royal party tonight. You are to introduce yourself as one of the crown prince's fiancée candidates."

"Father!"

Aria could not believe what she just heard. A royal party in search of the Prince Noah's fiancée? That was supposed to be held fifteen months ago! The goddess did not only bring her back to life. She just sent her back to fifteen months before her own death.

"I refuse."

"You refuse? Your reason?"

"I am not fit to be a queen. I suggest Riana to be one of His Highness' fiancée candidates."

Lord Graham sighed again. He thought she would be happy for this arrangement. He knew his first daughter was a stubborn lady, he just did not know that her stubbornness was to the point of refusing the arrangement to be one of Prince Noah's fiancée candidates. Many ladies would love to have that opportunity. Aria was different.

"You may lack the qualities on becoming a queen, but you are more qualify to be one compared to your younger sister."

"Are you trying to kick me out of this House? Are you making Riana as your heir instead of me?"

He could not believe the words that came out from his eldest daughter. He only wanted the best for her.

"Do you know what you are saying right now, Aria?" His high pitch voice clearly showed that he was angry.

"Yes, I know."

Hearing that, he could not control his anger anymore.

"Enough of this! Go get ready for the royal party. You are to introduce yourself to the crown prince, have your lessons, and if fate goes your way, marry him and have a child or two. And by that time you will realise that this is a good choice for you. Understand?"

Aria was startled for a moment. Her father had never been that angry to her before.

"Yes, I understand." Aria could not fight him more. She was out of words to do so. She could not tell him that she was from the future. Her father would see that as a lame excuse to reject his arrangement.

Aria left after the room after she lost the argument with her father. She never won an argument with her father that she already guess that she would not be able to escape the royal party.

She loved the prince and she knew the prince never loved her back not even for a moment. She already knew that he was already starting to fancy Riana.

"Cessy, where is Riana?"

Cessy was the same maid who helped her out that early morning.

"She is out meeting Lady Camelia of House Mormont and Lady Everlet of House Grey. They are out to buy their dress for the royal party. It is uncommon for the royals to do such party so suddenly, so the ladies are panic to find their dress for tonight."

"Are you sure she is not meeting a man? Has she told you anything about a man she fancy?"

"She's not with a man right now. She has never said anything about a man she like. But wouldn't milady be the first one to know if she likes someone?" All the workers in the mansion knew how attached Riana was to Aria.

"Oh, you are right."

Aria remembered that the prince once told her that he met Riana first before meeting her at the royal party. But the prince never told her the exact day or time. If the prince met Riana already, she should be with the prince instead with her two friends from House Mormont and House Grey. When did they met? Could it be during royal party?

Then, Aria would not disturb them during the party. Yes, she should be their cupid. She was going to die in few months later, so there was no need for her to be the queen. Yes, Riana should be the queen.

"Milady, do you wish to go out too?" Cessy tried to catch Aria's attention. Aria was lost in thoughts that she forgot she was still just outside of her father's study room.

"No. Let's just use what we have in the closet. Help me choose, Cessy."

"With pleasure, milady."

🍁🍁🍁

The crown prince himself was surprised to hear about the event from king. He was only 21, and to be married at that age was not in his list of thoughts. It was natural to be married at a young age but he wanted to enjoy his single life.

Sword practice, hanging out with the knights and young lords at the bar and hunting were what he enjoyed. He would not be able to enjoy all of that if he was to be married.

Though he was a playful young man, Prince Noah was actually good at managing the country as he sometimes acted as the stand-in for the king. He disliked being involved in politics as he had the heart of a swordsman. He preferred to be a knight instead of a ruler.

However, Prince Noah accepted his fate as a crown prince. He knew he would not be able to drop off his title. He had already promise that he would lead the country for long peace.

He wanted to enjoy his life as a free man before he ascend to the throne. Marriage would tear his plan apart.

"I'm not going to attend that party." said Prince Noah as he digged into his food. He was being incognito.

"His Majesty will get angry if you abandon the party." Sir James, his knight just stared at him eating. "Just go and you probably find your true love there."

Prince Noah stopped eating. He wiped his mouth with his bare hand with another one still holding the spoon. His blue eyes stared back at Sir James.

"I am not going to find one there. I don't even know how love works. How would I know who will become my love?"

"Seriously, is that head of yours only full with food, fight, war and the well being of your people? There's no room for love, huh?"

"None." Prince Noah replied, as he continued to eat.

"You'll find it tonight. And you'll be a crazy man in love."

Prince Noah did not reply to it. He quietly ate his food. A crazy man in love — he thought. He believed he would not be like that but he felt like he could not find the words to object his knight's words and that Sir James might be true about it.

As they finished eating, Prince Noah and his knight quickly walked away from the bar. They were actually on a two-hour break from sword practice. They needed to go back to the practice ground as soon as possible. Late attendance will give them another two hours extra time of spartan practice which they did not like at all.

As the prince fasten his footsteps, he bumped into a lady in blue dress. She felt to the ground and had her right high heels broke.

"Riana!" said the two ladies that surprised to see such scene.

"My lady, are you okay?"

End of Chapter One