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🎀 Y A N I Y A 🎀
"He didn't even look at me once last time! Why do you keep saying that it will be different now?"
Yaniya understood her sister's frustration, but she couldn't help but try to lift her spirit by telling her that history wouldn't repeat itself. It was all she was able to do right now because it was already too late for changes, they were driving onto the palace grounds just this second. There was no way their father would order to turn the carriage around to drive them back to the harbour and prepare their departure from Ravka; their ship wouldn't go back to their home country for the next few weeks.
"Because the war has changed things." Yaniya tried again. "And he needs a stable alliance for the future."
"That doesn't mean that he will choose me, he will go for a fjerdan, a kerch or even a shu woman – although their relationships seems ... restrained."
"Why are you this pessimistic about it?" Their father asked with a sigh. "Give it a second chance, my dear. That is what we are here for, remember?"
"I will repeat myself once more: This is a waste of time!"
"He needs a wife more than ever. With his neighbours quiet, he has to seek an allegiance with the lands beyond the sea in order to maintain his position. Which is why he will look for ladies from these countries – meaning you. And he will choose you. I am sure of it."
"Then why invite the ladies from Kerch and Fjerda if it's so certain that he wants to marry me?"
He shrugged. "To mask a fair chance, I guess. He has to play it nice with these two as well."
"This is all ridiculous, a farce," Aneela scoffed. "He rescued the merchant's daughter the last time, he will choose her, her father is an important man in Kerch – no need for us to even show up!"
"Maybe you'll charm him," Yaniya said and winked at her. "And he'll forget about the Schenck girl the second he gets to know you."
Her little sister shot her an annoyed look. "I won't take time away from him when he can charm her."
"Why? Don't you want to shoot your shot at him?"
"Why would I?"
"You may like him if you give him another chance," Her father tried to calm her. "And I am sure he will try his best to get to know all attending ladies and will not go after only one like last time."
"Why should I give him a chance now when he didn't give me a chance all those monthsago? He will choose Brigitta!"
In the late summer of last year, Nikolai Lantsov had been King of Ravka and invited marriageable ladies from all over the world to a courting season to seek out a wife. Although the plans for Aneela had been different, they decided to follow the invitation and travelled to Ravka with anticipation. Yaniya remembered how excited Aneela had been, but her spirit was crushed after just a few days.
