Is It True Love?

Chapter 32: What Her Heart Values Most

Blanche

The noble girl hurries inside the castle as fast as she can while wearing high heels. Eager to have the final touches done on her gorgeous white gown, then all preparations for their union will be completed. Just four more days await until she walks down that aisle, and her bubbling excitement can hardly be contained.

"I've arrived, My Prince!" Blanche throws her arms around the ash-blonde and squeezes him in a tight hug. This is her common greeting amongst close friends, even more so toward her beloved fiance. Although he usually tries to squirm from such affection, now doesn't move a muscle at the embrace. Perhaps, the boy is coming around to their woven destiny at last.

"I'm so excited to try my wedding dress on again! It's only a few nights until I put it on for the ceremony, and after that, we'll begin a new life together in this palace. I'll get started right away so you can show me our bedroom, given we had skipped it during the previous tour."

"...Blanche, before that, may I speak with you in private about something?" he asks, causing a slight damper on her cheery mood.

"I suppose, if it won't take very long. This is our only date left prior to our big day."

Her father goes off ahead to the queen's study to discuss any uncovered details concerning their deal. Wendell leads her the opposite direction to the castle balcony with a magnificent view. Being high up, the servants look so small as they continue their work, and the gentle breeze blowing against her skin feels nice on a hot afternoon.

The prince, however, has a distant gaze as his sights are pinned to the clear skies above. He seems more troubled than during their outing at the field games, and she is a bit worried about what could be weighing on his mind. The coronation ceremony is approaching which might be the cause of his distress, but what would that have to do with her?

"...We could call the wedding off this very moment," he declares, and the girl's amethyst eyes widen in pure surprise.

"W-Wherever is this coming from? Are you saying this because your kingdom no longer needs hired men from Quincy? I'm relieved the war ended with no heavy casualties, but I did fear what it would bring..." A sigh escapes her, knowing she would be the perfect person to sit beside Wendell on that golden throne. "Has the red string connecting us not become a little visible to you?"

"Possibly, since I lost hope in my ideal future bride... I tarnished the valuable relationship I had with Kana, and she'll never accept a proposal from me. Therefore, it doesn't matter who's hand I will take in marriage. No one will ever capture my heart the way she did, but that doesn't mean you have to go through with this."

Wendell glances back, a certain glimmer absent from his dull blue eyes. The prince speaks as if he is suggesting this for her sake and Blanche's heartbeat suddenly escalates. Not quite sure how to respond, she stays silent waiting for him to proceed.

"I know you requested this, to begin with, and seem happy about our engagement. Still, if you decided you'd rather spend the rest of your life with another, then we can drop our planned ceremony today. Things may have changed for you in the past two months, and I'm fine attending the typical marriage banquet, upon reaching twenty. So, here and now, I'll ask you just once..." The ash-blonde faces her with quite a serious glint in his ocean irises. "Blanche, is this what you truly want?"

His simple question sparks a strange feeling inside the noble girl's chest which, in turn, has her mind go utterly blank. What should have been a straightforward reply filled with tender words, rather leaves her struggling to form a single syllable.

W-Why am I hesitating? Of course, this is what I want! I've dreamed of such a day since I was a little girl.

"...Yes, you needn't even ask me! I'm beyond thrilled about our union more than actions can explain. Your heartache for that peasant will soon pass, and the red thread between us will be much stronger. We'll rule the kingdom side-by-side and one day raise a family in this beautiful castle," she answers, though her proud confession oddly comes out a hardly audible whisper.