𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 || 𝕂𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕠 𝔸𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕠

44. A Queen Need Not Wear A Crown

"I don't."

The second in which silence filled the cathedral as everyone processed Fischl's words dragged on as if an eternity, yet the moment it was over, it was as if it had never even existed. Where there was once a ghost of the princess's confident voice was now a cacophony of various sounds of surprise.

Kanari didn't even attempt to feign shock, instead choosing to quickly divert her attention to King Diluc. He sat on the front row of the Mondstadt side, the rest of the royal family surrounding him. A look of mingled horror and quiet fury flashed within his darkened eyes, his eyebrows furrowed as he glared at his daughter. His wife, Queen Jean, did not gasp, as many others did. Instead, her eyes were as wide and bright as the sun, attentive.

Perhaps Ayaka was saying something, but Kanari could not hear her words. The only thing she could perceive at that moment was King Diluc's carefully hidden annoyance, Fischl's expression of burning determination, and the pearls of tension strung within the thread of silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ayato's tense posture, his uncertain stature betraying the surprise Kanari knew was brewing within him.

Before anyone could question her, Fischl spoke up once more, drawing everyone's attention.

"For this man that I am told to wed, I hold no love. We are to agree to these vows, but how can I, when they are empty? A princess lies not, for it is her duty to speak only truth for the good of those she must protect. I had been coerced into hiding within the shadows for long enough. As a face of Mondstadt, I shall be trapped within this cage for no longer! The clock of fate strikes the hour of which freedom will fly."

Kanari glanced from Fischl to the Mondstadians, who were looking far more shocked than the Inazumans. It was evident that they hadn't been informed by King Diluc that this marriage was arranged, likely to ensure it went through smoothly.

"This marriage between myself and the king of Inazuma has been arranged by none other than my father!" Cried Fischl, her voice powerful as it bounced within the walls of the church. As she spoke, gasps filled the air once more, but this time, they were all directed at King Diluc.

"Three weeks prior, a patrol of Inazuman knights, including the king's right hand herself, was enclosed within the claws of the outlaws that we call treasure hoarders and those who hail from the nation of frost. The Fatui and the treasure hoarders guarded their hostages so vigilantly that even the most skilled warriors could not penetrate their fortress. Only with Mondstadt's help were the innocent captives freed. Yet, this assistance came with a hefty price. Contrary to the predictable actions of good alliances, King Diluc would only offer help if King Ayato agreed to wed me, an affair that I, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, had not even coveted. Traded as if a good was I, to someone who wanted me not. Such vile actions belong only to the lowest of criminals, despicable beyond the darkest nightmares that haunt a layperson.

"As sickening is my tale, that is not the extent of his schemes. We must pause to ponder why he would ever so desperately arrange a marriage for his only daughter and heir to the throne. Fortunately, the stars have granted to me kindly the answers we all seek. Evidence for his treachery is within my hands, as clear as the sky on a cloudless day. King Diluc has orchestrated much more than merely this wedding of mine. He was the one to contact the forces of the Fatui, filling their minds with images of grandiose that he claims he shall graciously give them, so long as they assist in his crusade. He told them to rile up the treasure hoarders and dangle prizes above their heads, making them cause calamity within the serene nation of Inazuma. He told them to capture hostages and ask for the throne in exchange, deceiving them into thinking it would work and that Snezhnaya and Mondstadt would have joint control of Inazuma."