The Meet.

Ares had no clue where to put his hands, Phaedra was resting her head on his shoulder while she wrapped her hands around him. To say Ares was uncomfortable was an understatement, being touched without giving permission he felt he was being intruded. However, it seemed that his distaste for physical contact would be knocked far away to the back because not only was there a heartbroken woman that needed comfort but, it was his future wife, she needed comfort.

They stayed like that, Phaedra pouring out hot tears on Ares' armor while he stayed in an unmoving position staring at the wooden walls of her room. The room was just as random and uninteresting as anyone could imagine. It was just like the rooms in the tavern; wooden walls, a cupboard, a small bed and a small window, uninteresting, unalive. It was nothing compared to his own room, or the room of any of the royals. Even the walls of Aelia's room were marble and exquisite, the image of the Phoenix was decorated on it, most people found her chambers to be scary and uninhabitable solely because it was painted black and the soil was too malnourished to produce beautiful green plants and Aelia herself was too lazy to call for gardeners to attend to the needs of her palace.

Ares lightly shook his head, he was in the company of his future wife, past relationships, past desires should be left in the past. He should not be thinking of Aelia, not of her laziness, not of her palace, not of her symbol, not of her face. The woman currently wrapping her arms around him should be the only one he thought of, he longed for. She was his future after all.

"I'm sorry" His future suddenly lifted her head from his shoulder and dried her tears. Ares shook his head, signaling that he did not mind when in actuality, he did. He watched as she gently dries her tears off her face, her appearance wasn't one to be repulsed by, truth is, she was very beautiful, she had brown hair, and very delicate features, if she wasn't the Priestess she could've have been able to attract the attention of The King.

Compared to Aelia, Phaedra could stand a chance. Phaedra had soft features, she still looked like a baby, especially as her lips held a natural pout. Aelia was different. Aelia was older.

"When do you want to leave?" Ares asked. He watched as Phaedra looked around the place, sucking on her bottom lip, her eyes looked nostalgic. Before Phaedra could say anything, Ares added.

"The Kingdom might be heading for a war soon and the Monarch surely does not have spare time on his hands. Please, I know it's all a bit too sudden for you, but do well to consider all these before you make your decision. I am obligated to follow whatever choice you make" He rose to his feet, gave her a curt bow before walking out of the room.

Immediately Ares stepped out, Dianne and her sister Lydia both sneakily walked into Phaedra's room like they were teenagers hiding from their parents. Dianne noticed the look on Phaedra's face as she entered, so she remained quiet.

Lydia on the other hand must've been born clueless, she proceeded to ask Phaedra "So what did he say?"

Phaedra glanced at Dianne before opening her mouth to answer, but Lydia wasn't as generous as she seemed because before Phaedra could give a reply, she interrupted "I never knew the Marquis would be so young and good looking. Did you see how tall he is, and his hair, on dearest Supreme!" She exclaimed "There are so many things you could do to that hair, especially pull it when he's…"

"Aunt!"

"Lydia?"

Dianne and Phaedra yelled in unison to stop Lydia from going any further.

"What?" Lydia glanced at the both of them wondering what she said wrong. They were all adults, these were things they were more or less exposed to, there was no reason to act all pure and holy. She must've forgotten that Phaedra's new title was the Holy Priestess. She was practically holy.

"When are you leaving with them?" Dianne asked while taking a seat beside Phaedra in order to pull her close into a hug.

"I don't know, I don't want to leave," Phaedra said softly. There was a time in her life that all she ever wanted was to leave that small village, now that an opportunity had presented itself, it didn't feel as exciting as it used to.

"Whether you feel nostalgic or not, Phaedra you must remember that Thaleia needs you, just like what the Marquis said, we might be going to war soon and they cannot do anything without you, think about that" Dianne advised.

Those words circled in her head ever since Ares said them. Whether she liked it or not, she had a responsibility now, the whole Kingdom was her responsibility. The heaviness of those duties were too great, she could not bear them alone, she gently rested her head on Dianne's shoulder.

"Duty comes before emotions," her aunt Dianne added.

It was her duty to serve Thaleia, if the Princess were chosen, this wouldn't have been happening to her. Things would've been more different than they were now. She would still be with her aunts, she would still love Jordan, the son of the village head. However, the Princess decided to commit a great sin probably for the sake of a temporary pleasure which now plunged her own life into the pit it now is.

The complications of her life; Her feelings for Jordan, her aunts, her sudden responsibility to Thaleia, the Marquis of Order, the tradition and the war. These were all caused by the sinful, dirty, self centered Princess. She had been trained all her life to become the Priestess, not Phaedra, she had no idea about what would happen next, the Princess did.

"This is all because of Her Highness the Princess"