Royalty is not above the law.
So they changed it.
Atsushi Nakajima... almost 19 now and still no suitors. No princess who had met him and decided that he wouldn't be that bad to marry. It was either "too girly" this or "not manly enough" that. He felt like a disgrace to his family. And his family didn't exactly assure him otherwise...
The prince sat at the dinner table. Out of absolutely desperation, his parents had changed their law. Men were now allowed to marry men. Women could still not marry women. That was a law that didn't change. They only changed the male law for some sort of hope for their son.
Atsushi Nakajima... was such a failure as a manly prince that.. his parents were now looking for male suitors. He was too girly and petite for any woman. So maybe a man would take him. That's exactly what his parents told him. They were disappointed in him. And they made it known. Of course, outside the palace.. they were a lovely couple. According to them, their son had rejected so many suitors because he didn't like women. Their dashing son had admitted a romantic interest in men. And they were completely supportive of them!
Supportive... loving parents. While every praised them for being so understanding about their son... he was ridiculed, shamed, and given gross looks by— many many people. Whether it be peasants, royalty, commoners.... anyone.
There was no one left in this world that could genuine look at Atsushi and see something more than a pathetic failure.
"W-what-!?"
"Put on the dress." His mother hissed, forcing the baby blue gown into his hands. It was a gown that would reach his knees. It was on purpose. To show his legs that never grew hair. To make him look more like a girl. The sleeves were long, to his wrists. The dress had a black bow around it, the bow specifically on the back. Black heels. And black decor all over it.
"I-I'm- I don't want to! Mother— I'm a boy!" He tried to hand them back to her but his mother had already turned her head away from him. As if even looking at him— was somehow going to make her contract some sort of disease. A hateful look. He hated it.
"No man wants a masculine bride!" She hissed. "We're trying to actually find you a suitor, not send them away." She still wasn't looking at him, but he could only imagine how cold and hateful those eyes had to be.
"But-"
"No buts! Or it'll be a day without meals again!" She slammed the door behind her as she left.
"....." it was humiliating enough to know he was already too feminine for princesses to like... and now he had to dress like one. He kept the water that threatened to fall from his eyes under control.
Atsushi got dressed in that outfit. He looked in the mirror. He honestly— really might've liked this dress. He wasn't again many things.
He wasn't again the same gender marrying. He wasn't against wearing opposite gendered clothes. He wasn't again— anything. It was just that this was all his parents doing. He had no choice.
A game isn't fun if you're forced to play it.
But his parents didn't care.
The male fixed his hair, trying to make it look as nice as possible. As if it weren't bad enough, he wasn't allowed to wear a crown. He had to wear a tiara. A tiara.
He sighed shakily. Maybe— if this prince that was coming by today... if he was kind— maybe Atsushi could convince him to tell his mother he prefers men who don't dress like women. Then she'd never make him dress like this again.
