To My Dearly Detested | ✎

1 | to loathe an enemy

Prince Adrien stood enraged before his father's throne. King Gabriel was seated atop it with a messenger standing at his side. In his arms were an armful of sealed letters. One of the letters, in particular, was wedged between the king's fingers as he read its contents to his son.

His eyeglasses were perched on the edge of his nose, and he never once looked up from the parchment while he read, but his words were very clear—so clear that there was no mistaking them.

Adrien couldn't help but gape at his father ridiculously. "You want me to marry the enemy's daughter?! You must be mad!"

Well, as you can see, Adrien was not taking the news very well. The reason for this was because Kingdom Cheng and Kingdom Agreste had been each other's enemies for as long as Adrien could remember. He remembered the countless wars they'd once had with each other before his father was crowned king. Adrien even remembered his grandfather's pure hatred for the neighboring kingdom.

He wasn't so sure of the reason for their hatred. Some claimed the kingdoms had once been allies a long time ago, and their hatred originated from one stabbing the other in the back—the betrayal of all betrayals—a feud that seemed unending. He didn't even know if that was true. All he knew was that they were enemies—that despite being each other's neighboring kingdom, they could never be allies.

And now his father wanted to change that? With a marriage?

"I may be your father, but I am still your king." Gabriel briefly glanced over the lenses of his eyeglasses, his voice sounding entirely unperturbed. However, his eyes spoke volumes. They were stern, a warning. "Watch how you speak to me."

Adrien stubbornly folded his arms across his chest. "Why must we marry to form an alliance? Can you not simply shake hands or sign an agreement to not attack each other?"

"It is not that simple, Adrien. Alliances call for a form of trust."

"And why must my life be used to gamble in your game of trust? You did not even bother to consult with me before making this decision! You should have asked me before agreeing to their terms!"

The king slowly folded the letter once more before turning to his messenger. He placed it in the boy's open hand. Then, the king cleared his throat. "You would have been wed someday to someone not of your choosing, regardless. What difference does it make?"

"Before, I had the option to choose whom I court between a list of suitors. Now, you are forcing me to marry someone I do not even like."

Gabriel sighed, seeming disinterested. "How do you even know you do not like her if you have never even met her? Perhaps she might surprise you."

"Or perhaps she might try to murder me in my sleep," Adrien replied dryly.

With a wave of his hand, the king dismissed the messenger. The poor boy practically ran down the steps, having no intention of staying around for the royal's anticipated brawl. The king stood from his throne and stretched his limbs. Then, he began to descend down the steps.

Adrien watched in silence with calculated irises.

Finally, his father reached him at the bottom, and when he did so, they were practically nose-to-nose. The stern king met his son's eyes, the look in his eye unwavering. "Let me be clear. You do not have a choice in this matter. You will write a letter to Miss Marinette about the engagement, and you will make it seem as if you are genuinely interested in her hand, do you understand?"