The Royal Decree Part 2

"Ahem!" Gerad cleared his throat and stood up with a scroll in his hands. He walked down to stand in front of Alissia before unrolling the scroll. "We, the King of the Kingdom of Gransdale, Hereby declare that Alissia Geryworth will be married to my son Bradan Gransdale in two years' time. Your engagement will be officially announced during the Rune Festival in two months' time! Because of the nature of this decree, Alissia Greyworth will be granted the title of…."

"Hold it!" Alissia was having a hard time trying to comprehend what was happening. She looked at Gerad with a complex expression as she asked: "Your Majesty, did I do something wrong?"

"What? No! Far from it!" Gerad answered, feeling confused. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because you just told me to marry that damn idiot!" Alissia yelled out. "Why would you punish me?" Alissia's aggrieved face made Gerad begin to feel that he had done something very, very wrong.

"I…. Look… I know it may seem bad but listen to the rest of the decree. I am sure you will understand that this decree is not just about marrying that idiot… I mean, it's more beneficial for you than you think." Gerad quickly tried to explain.

Alissia looked at the man with a depressed look. She then took a deep breath and waved her hand for the old bastard in front of her to continue. "Ahem…. Alissia will be given the title of county princess. Awarded an estate within the city that will be under her name. Will have the right to ask for three things from myself, which I will have to grant no matter what, besides giving up the crown or divorcing Brandan. You will have the freedom to do as you please. Even if you are married to Brandan Gransdale, you do not need to ask about his feelings at all or answer to anything he requests. You can have any lover you wish, and he will have no say in any of it. You will also get a monthly salary of one thousand gold a month. Alissia Greyworth, please receive this decree."

"No!" Alissia yelled out and was going to run away, but the guards all stood in front of her.

"Father! What are you doing!?" Princess Fina began to panic. It seemed her father was going to arrest Alissia!

"Out of my way!" Alissia yelled. She was not going to marry some idiot for some perks.

"Alissia, please wait. Why would you not want to accept such a decree? It is basically a marriage for show and nothing more." Gerad asked. He felt confused. He thought the benefits would outweigh the fact that she would be married to that idiot.

Alissia gritted her teeth. The only reason she was not bashing her way out was because of both Princess Fina and Millie. She turned around and looked at the King with narrowed eyes. "Because I do not like men!" She yelled out. "If you change it to Fina, then I will agree!"

Everyone in the room froze. They all looked at the beautiful girl who had just declared she hated men and wanted to marry the Princess in shock. Only one person nodded her head in appreciation. A clapping sound was heard as the Queen stood up and said: "I knew it! I felt a vibe from you that was different from other girls. Bring out the other decree!"

"Huh?" Gerad turned and looked at his wife with a questioning look. "What other decree!?"

"While you were sleeping, I wrote up a second version of the decree just in case. Last night while you were plotting with that Greyworth brat, I was watching the girls interact with each other. Don't you remember that I asked you to sign something this morning? Even the Greyworth brat was forced to sign it." Last night while they were bathing and interacting with one another, the Queen was watching from the side. She could tell that Alissia was different from other girls.

Gerad stared at his wife in disbelief. Was he the King, or was she? Why was it that she seemed to always be in the lead!? Gerad was starting to feel depressed. "Fine, let us see the decree!"

He opened it and looked it over. All the things inside were basically the same except for one portion. He looked at Alissia, who was staring at him in a daze and then at his daughter, who was also in a state of confusion. Even he was confused by all of this. It was an unprecedented situation. "Alright, this decree is the same as before except for one thing. You have two years to win my daughter's heart. If you can do that, the two of you will be wedded. If you are unable to, you will still need to stay and assist the kingdom in its time of need. Alissia Geryworth, do you accept the decree?"

"Huh? Ah?" Alissia looked over at Princess Fina, who was still sitting there in a daze. "Fina….."

"Yes!?" Princess Fina cried out in a high pitched voice. She looked at Alissia and blushed. "I…. I leave it to you…." She had no idea how to answer. If someone asked if she liked Alissia, it would be a big yes. But as lovers, that was not something she had ever thought about before.

"Then no." Alissia said firmly. Princess Fina froze and stared at Alissia. She did not know why but hearing her say no made her feel pain in her heart. But it soon disappeared as Alissia continued: "Forced marriage of any kind is not something that one should ever have to deal with. Fina is Fina. She should decide on her own and not be pressured to marry or fall in love with anyone. "

*Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!*

"Very well said!" Surprisingly Gerad began capping. "I have decided the marriage part will be cut out of this decree. The rest still stands. If you are willing to come to this kingdom's aid and never harm it, you will gain everything else."

"Mmm… I can agree with that. But I want a clause that says that you must never turn against me either. If you wish to bind me by a decree I can say yes but this can not be one sided."