FLEUR | Claude - Who Made Me a Princess?

2: engagement

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Sofie was very obedient to Anne, as well as surprisingly accepting of the whole situation, but not without arguing. She complied with Anne's wish to keep it between the two of them and helped Anne with understanding many things about herself.

"My wedding is in two days?!" Anne felt her soul leave her body and squirm into the sky. "I'm gonna die," she exhaled, leaning back into her chair.

"Milady, you will not! That much is assured," Sofie stated and handed her lady a cup of tea. "His majesty is... not that bad, I believe."

"Didn't he murder his harem?" Anne inquired, sipping her drink.

"Oh my! You remember that?"

"Uuuuuuh, some things are a bit hazy," Anne chuckled awkwardly. "I'm to be the Queen Consort, correct?"

"Yes, Milady. Not the empress."

She sunk even deeper into her cushioned chair. "Thank god," she whispered. That's perhaps the only good thing, right? "I can't annul the engagement?"

"No, I believe that would become a declaration of war," Sofie stayed nervously. "This is a wedding to stop a war from happening."

Anne put her teacup down gently and clasped her hands together, leaning onto the table while resting her chin on her hands. "Fuck."
She was going to marry the man who killed her, and to her, that was only yesterday.
There was nothing she could do-she didn't understand why she'd gone back in time, she didn't understand why she was suddenly in the body of a woman she murdered because of another's jealousy, and didn't understand why it had to be her.

♢♦︎♢

Anne spent the rest of that day in her room and soon enough, the next morning rolled in.

"I'm a princess," she mumbled, staring up at her ceiling. "But I'm an assassin. I don't even know proper etiquette!" she whined out, kicking her legs for a moment before stopping and rolling onto her side.

As Serenia, she never had this much. She was a commoner all her life and lived in poverty for most of her childhood before being taken away to be sold.
In conclusion, her old life was shit-even as an assassin-and now she had the lavish life of a princess who was about to marry an emperor. "Did I... kill Anne around this time?" She sat up, "is that why I'm here now? Because she was supposed to be dead?"

A knock came through the door and in came an array of servants. "Your Highness," many bowed and greeted. "We're here to prepare you for your travels."

"A-yes, alright," Anne nodded and stepped out of her bed. The trip to the Obelian Empire would take nearly the entire day, so it made sense to leave early in the morning.

Anne stood still and acted compliantly to the servants who dressed her in jewels and rich fabrics, not knowing what else to do besides accept her fate. Accept my fate, huh? Maybe she was only being this way because of how she basically faced death two days ago.

"Your Highness, are you feeling alright?" a butler asked her.

Ah, that's right. Anne Winfelle was known as a tyrant princess, the "Evil Princess." Anne paused for a moment before smiling. "Yes, I'm fine," she answered, brushing the skirt of her dress lightly. "Thanks for asking."

Her words of gratitude made many in the room pause and stare and Sofie began shifting awkwardly. D-did she hit her head?! many in the room thought.

Anne stared at herself in the mirror, eyes wide in astonishment. I've never been this beautiful, she thought, then suddenly looked sullen, but this isn't me.

"My Lady," a young looking maid approached her. "We best be off now. You must wish the royal family goodbye," she bowed.

"Right. Let's get goin'." Anne cleared her throat once she saw Sofie's glare. "Going, let's get going." Just as the servants were filing out of the room, Anne stopped Sofie and asked in a low, "Why isn't my family joining me for the wedding?"

Sofie whispered back, "His Majesty, your fiancé, insisted it to only be between you and him. No guests."

"Oh~ I see."
Anne followed her maids downstairs to the large hall leading the the front doors, then was met with a teary eyed man wearing gold and fur. "My dear little Anne!" The man, her father, cried out and ran forward to the girl with arms opened. "My little baby is leaving~!" the king cried.

"F-f-f-father!" Anne shouted awkwardly, hesitating to return the hug. She settled on patting the sobbing mans back before he was yanked off.

"Jeez, Father," a girl huffed, holding him from the back of his collar. "You'll ruin her dress."

This is my-Anne's sister, Maybelle.
She had long, straight dark brown hair and pale skin, and wore a yellow dress which matched both her and her sister's eyes. Anne remembered her from when she did a background check on the princess three years ago.

"Sister," Anne bowed slightly, panicking internally, is this how I should act?

"Oh my," Maybelle pushed her father to the side and walked up to Anne with arms crossed. "You're so docile, little sister."

Yellow eyes clashed with yellow eyes, then suddenly Anne smiled gently. "Well, I suppose." I suppose I'll just act nice.

Her sister let out a whistle, "The engagement must've gotten to you. Well, safe travels. Shame we're not attending."

"Yes, indeed. I'll... miss it here." Was that a good thing to say?!

"Whooo~ if little brother saw you acting like this he'd probably faint," Maybelle chuckled. "It's a good change, goodbye sister."

"My baby~!" Anne's father once again clung onto her, sobbing. "I'll miss you!"

"I-I'll miss you too..." she said softly, patting his back again. She'd never had a father-let alone a family-in her life so she was, to say the least, extremely uncomfortable. She didn't hate it though.

And so, she left the castle of Winfelle and headed to the Obelian Empire-
she headed to her killer.