1 The marriage alliance

Yetsune reclines in her basket swing, wholly ensnared by the book in her hand, while Erya, her personal aide, sways the swing.

The pages of the book whisk her through a rollercoaster of emotions—giggling at the sweet romance scenes, laughing at the comedic parts, and sobbing at the sad moments.

"Your Highness, you had better read inside. If word reaches the Queen's ears that you are reading these types of books, you will be punished," Erya advises, her vigilant gaze darting toward the courtyard entrance to watch out for anyone coming.

"You nag too much, Erya," Yetsune dismisses her worry without tearing her eyes from the pages.

Yetsune, the fictional characters within the pages of her books are more than mere ink and paper. After Erya, her uncle and sister, they are her cherished confidants. Within their world, her own fades, granting her an escape from the stifling reality that binds her.

Born as a Princess of the Asana Kingdom yet titled the Crown Princess of Aushasal from birth, Yetsune despises her life. She loathes the generational alliance marriage between the Asana Kingdom and Aushasal Empire that has saddled her with so many expectations. In fact, there is no expectation. No one expects anything from her, except she becomes a virtuous Empress in the future and bears many sons to carry out the Imperial bloodline.

Her mother wouldn't let her eat enough to keep her full since it is unladylike or read novels, claiming she has better books to be reading. Her clothes, jewellery, cosmetics and hairdo are all selected by her mother, not out of love but according to the standards she must uphold as a future Empress.

For a moment, Yetsune leaves her imagination, her grip on the book tightening with silent resolve. Very soon, all of this will come to an end, at least for a short time. She would leave permanently with Erya but there are still things holding her back. She loves her uncle and sister too much to abandon them and Erya might not want to leave her fraternal twin, Arya, forever.

"Is this your bedchamber?"

Her thoughts are interrupted by a familiar voice that sends her jumping out of the swing, hiding the book behind her while Erya scurries to stand beside her.

"Your Highness," Erya greets, bowing her head.

Yetsune smiles stiffly as she says, "Yettiri."

Yettiri strides forward them with a stern expression on her face, her hands clasped behind her and a whip coiled at her waist. "I let you skip training because you said you are not feeling well and need to rest. Is this how you rest?" Yettiri queries.

Yetsune's stiff smile grows nervously, a caught expression on her face. She discreetly passes the book to Erya who proceeds to conceal it behind her.

"You are not going to tell Father...are you?" Yetsune asks. She goes close to Yettiri, wrapping her arms around hers and looks up at Yettiri with big, innocent eyes.

Yettiri looks at her, pursing her lips with a sigh. How can she possibly scold her sister with that cutesy expression on her face?

Yettiri and Yetsune are identical twin sisters with Yettiri being the eldest of the two and the future heir to the throne of Asana. Although they are identical twins, their personalities are nothing alike. Yettiri is stoic and disciplined, she rarely ever smiles except in rare circumstances when she is with Yetsune or their uncle. She is also skilled in martial art, unlike Yetsune who is strong-willed, imaginative and boisterous yet lacks any skill in martial art.

"Let's go in," Yetsune says with a big smile on her face, knowing she has managed to melt her sister's cold heart. Yettiri remains still, leaving Yetsune no choice but to pull her in and Erya tags along behind them.

Yetsune pulls Yettiri to a seat around the centre table in her boudoir and sits beside her.

"You cannot keep evading your training, Yetsune," Yettiri says, then she turns to Erya. "And you. Not only do you fail to perform your duties in guiding your mistress but you join her in the same act," she chides Erya.

Erya hangs her head and responds, "I apologise Your Highness."

"You should learn from your sister," Yettiri adds in a berating tone and looks away from her.

"Why are you scolding Erya instead of me? She can't possibly force me to do something I do not want to do," Yetsune speaks on Erya's behalf, disliking the comparison between the two sisters. Erya shakes her head subtly, signalling Yetsune to let it go.

"Would I chide her if she fulfilled her duties?" Yettiri retorts, her voice rising.

"You may leave, Erya," Yetsune instructs her. Despite her reluctance, Erya obliges, bowing her head at the princesses before exiting the room.

Yetsune exhales deeply before speaking to Yettiri, this time in an amiable voice. "I know it is for my own good. But Yettiri, it is already difficult that our parents are suffocating me. Can you not do the same?" She takes Yettiri's hands into her own with a pleading gaze in her eyes.

Yettiri regards Yetsune for a moment in silence, her words draw at her heartstrings but she cannot be too soft with her. Her expression becomes frank and she responds, "How are you going to protect yourself when you are married off to Aushasal?"

"I do not need to protect myself, it is already too late to start learning anyways and I have Erya by my side."

"Erya is not enough to protect you, she is not nearly as skilled as her sister!" Yettiri yells at her, exasperated by how Yetsune doesn't see the need to become as strong and independent as she is.

"Goodness, Yettiri!" Yetsune spits in frustration, dropping Yettiri's hand. "I am the Crown Princess of Aushasal, once I marry into Aushasal, there will be many guards and servants at my disposal," She argues.

Yettiri suddenly grabs Yetsune by her shoulders, startling her. "Do you wish to end up like our late Aunt? You cannot entrust your life in anyone's hands, I am saying this because I care for you!"

"I..."

"We are already nineteen. Our Aunt already lived in Aushasal at our age, even before the current Emperor was made Crown Prince. You won't be any different," Yettiri says in a persuasive voice, her tone softening.

"Enough!" Yetsune raises her voice, pushing Yettiri's hand away from her shoulders then stands up in defiance. Yettiri stares at her, wide-eyed, her hands hanging in shock. "All you speak of is the darned marriage. If it is as you say then we don't have much time left together, shouldn't we then make better use of the time we have now?" She says, her arms outstretched in frustration.

The shock on her face absolves and Yettiri slowly stands to her feet, her jaw clenching. "I shouldn't have spoken without caution," she says.

Yetsune exhales in relief, thankful that Yettiri understands she is in the wrong here but her relief is short-lived when Yettiri starts walking away.

"Yetti--" Before she finishes, Yettiri has already flung the doors open and crossed the threshold, disappearing from Yetsune's sight.

Her shoulder slumps and she sinks back into her seat. She blames herself for overreacting, if only she had remained calm, Yettiri wouldn't be angry with her now. Yetsune is aware her sister is only speaking out of concern for her but she hates how the marriage alliance has become the only thing Yettiri ever speaks of these days. She never used to force her to learn martial art and always indulged her misbehaviours yet she has become increasingly strict recently.

Erya enters back into the room and closes the doors behind her. "Your Highness shouldn't have argued with the First Princess because of me," Erya asks as she nears Yetsune.

"It is not because of you," Yetsune responds.

She leaves the centre table and walks into her study which is attached to her room, Erya follows behind her. Yetsune sits at her desk and opens a compartment, retrieving a rolled-up parchment which she unrolls, revealing a map with red lines showing the pathway from the ruling clan of Asana, Aisin to Aushasal.

Erya takes a closer look at the map, recognising it to be one that was given to Yetsune by Lord Azryn, her uncle, at her request. She had obtained the map after fishing for information about Aushasal from her uncle, to find that the Emperor is currently on a tour around the country.

A big smile of mischief forms on Yetsune's face as she glances over the map. "Erya," she calls, her voice brimming with excitement. "We are going to Aushasal!"