Zerath's words hung in the air like the remnants of a fading echo, and the silence that followed felt even pricklier and more unbearable than ever. The Emberlain Convoy was too dumbstruck to respond while Zerath's own side wasn't any less stupefied either. Even Lucian, his most trusted aide, could barely register this development.
But of all present, Vivia's condition was the most dire. Her swirling thoughts and apprehension came to a screeching halt as she tried her very best to process Zerath's request - which she had assumed would be another political demand.
Huh…What? How is he suddenly talking about marriage? What? Why? How? Huh?
A second wave of dizziness consumed her, and her heartbeats could barely hold it together. Her earlier collapse seemed pale in comparison to the electrifying jolts now running havoc through her veins.
Will I be really returning to Emberlain today or will I die here from too much stress?
Elvin slowly rose from his chair and walked towards Zerath with slow but pressing steps. The two Crown Princes stood face-to-face, staring dead straight into each other's eyes with as much no-nonsensical sentiments as they could muster on their handsome features.
"I struggle to understand you, Crown Prince Zerath. You…want to marry Clairette?"
"Yes."
"Let me rephrase the question for you. A demon is proposing to marry a human?"
"Yes."
"Fully understanding that such a union is a blasphemy in both realms?"
"And also knowing how history has unfolded."
A livid, raging fury resounded all of a sudden, but not from Elvin.
"Preposterous!" Balam exclaimed, jumping to his feet, his chest heaving breathlessly as if he had just climbed a treacherous slope.
"My lord, what kind of a blasphemous request is this!? There's no way a human and a demon can ever be allowed to marry!"
Elvin smiled sardonically. "Well, at least some demons in this chamber still hold their sense of judgment."
A lump formed in Vivia's throat. She was well aware of the chaos their love would bring if brought to light, but facing such outright hatred and opposition still gripped her heart with fear and melancholy.
Xaviston swiftly intervened, trying to dial down the tension. "Crown Prince Zerath, you do realize that there's no way either of the realms can agree to this, correct?"
A chuckle escaped Asmodea's lips. "So what can Emberlain agree to? You don't want the formal treaty nor my lord's proposition."
Xaviston pressed his lips, still holding his patience together. "Lady Asmodea, with all due respect, it's not our fault if you're putting forth impossible requests before us."
"How can both requests be impossible? Hm, maybe a little inconvenient? But surely not impossible," her eyes twinkled.
Elvin's eyes locked on an unfazed Zerath, then alternated between him and his sister.
"Crown Prince Zerath, please tell me that you've some really good basis for uttering those sinful words that could get anybody's head under the guillotine."
Though blasted by undeniable indignation from both sides, Zerath remained unperturbed.
"Indeed, I do. I had been partially expecting your disapproval over the Realm of Harmony's formal treaty. Hence, I concluded after much contemplation that a marriage union between our realms could dissolve the rising tensions over its neutrality. Rudaheim won't ask Emberlain to sign a treaty if a royal marriage is in place. I believe a lot of misgivings could be prevented."
On his side, Xaviston intently studied Zerath's eyes and words, yet even after years of his diplomatic experience, he couldn't truly figure out his motives. At first, he assumed that Zerath was in love with Clairette - no matter how slim that possibility seemed - but as he put forth a plausible political motivation, he couldn't decipher if the former was the truth or the latter? Whether they agreed to the treaty or the marriage, Emberlain's loss lay in both requests.
No. He doesn't love my lady, he carefully surmised.
He's using her. She's like that goose who'd lay the golden egg for him. He's trying to establish his foothold over the Realm of Harmony just like us. He wants to deter us from making any moves, which is why both his requests point to securing Realm of Harmony's interests one way or the other.
Then it clicked him.
No wonder they asked about the formal treaty first. They wanted to see His Highness's reaction. If he would've agreed, then Crown Prince Zerath probably wouldn't have proposed a marriage union at all.
It'd be too humiliating for Emberlain to deny both of Rudaheim's requests because it would signify that my lady's life and safety means nothing to us.
The smell of a carefully laid trap reached his nostrils, and his lips pinched together.
The same realization slowly dawned upon Vivia too. Love had no place in politics, but marriages of convenience surely did. Zerath's answer to securing their relationship was the same - politics.
How did he come up with this? Just how far does he think? An unconscious shudder escaped her.
"Also," Zerath calmly continued, breaking everybody's chain of thoughts. "Princess Clairette and I are technically engaged, so it makes sense if we get married as well."
Her heart leaped into her throat, blocking her breath.
Huh? Engaged? When? Where? How?
The revelation of their engagement was another strike to everybody's composure.
Elvin's countenance only continued to worsen. "Please do not test my patience, Crown Prince. There's no way you're engaged to Clairette without our knowledge and permission."
"It happened last night at Casca's festival when Princess Clairette pinned this beautiful brooch on my coat."
Brooch? Disbelief was a small word to express Vivia's shock.
Balam now stared at the brooch as if he would burn holes through it. It was a fairly simple assumption that Zerath just probably bought a new brooch for himself. Like a piece of fancy jewellery. But Gressil and Doloros almost lost their footing in disbelief.
Patience was the sentiment Elvin trying to keep but kept miserably failing at.
"...Please help me understand how that means anything."
Zerath blinked.
"It's a very old tradition in my realm tied to an ancient legend. Many demons have forgotten about that story, and I suspect you wouldn't be interested in listening to it either. But the conclusion is something like this -
There're rare times when a demoness proposes to her lover. Generally, it's the other way around, and a demon is expected to profess his love. But at times, a demoness does, and her way of proposing is to present a brooch to her lover. Thereby, if the demon agrees, he lets her pin the brooch on his shirt and falls upon his knee. He kisses her hand as a way to appreciate her, as professing love takes courage. This seals their engagement."
The exact series of events from last night replayed in her mind like an endless loop, freezing Vivia to her place. While she dealt with the onslaught of chill and shock, the same jeweler's parting words echoed in her mind.
'To compromise to this extent for the brooch, I hope you have a happy married life.'
The realization crashed upon Vivia hard and fast.
Is this what he had meant!!?