---
The royal court was quiet as the evening wind swept through the high arches of the throne hall. Candlelight flickered against the polished marble floor. The King sat tall on his elevated seat, a man whose presence could silence an entire army. His crown gleamed faintly under the torchlight, and his expression was unreadable.
Cassian stood below him, hands clasped behind his back, Celestia by his side in a formal gown of sea-blue silk.
The King leaned forward slightly. "You've been betrothed to the crown princess since childhood. I trusted this arrangement would bring strength to both our kingdoms. The time has come to make it official."
Cassian didn't respond immediately. He could feel Celestia's eyes on him, sharp and unreadable.
"I understand, Your Majesty," he said finally.
"But do you agree?" the King asked, voice low and calm, yet firm.
Cassian hesitated. That single second of silence seemed to echo through the throne room.
"I…" he began, then glanced sideways at Celestia.
She tilted her head ever so slightly. "It is what we've prepared for, isn't it, Cassian?"
Cassian's jaw tensed. He bowed low, masking the turmoil in his chest. "I will do as the crown requires."
The King nodded. "Good. A public announcement will be made in two weeks' time. Prepare yourselves."
Cassian bowed again and stepped back. The audience was dismissed.
---
Later that night, Cassian sat alone in his quarters. He hadn't even removed his cloak. His mind reeled with the weight of the King's words. The weight of destiny. Duty. Alliance.
But his thoughts kept circling back to one person.
Not Celestia.
Not the King.
Ren.
The strange, delicate boy who looked nothing like a soldier. Who wasn't noble-born. Who had lips that trembled when he laughed, and hands that had held a sword despite the fear in his eyes.
Cassian sighed and leaned back, rubbing his temple.
"Why now?" he whispered. "Why him?"
He remembered that fleeting moment in the corridor, when Ren had collided with him. That soft gasp. The confusion. The flutter in his chest that hadn't left since.
Cassian didn't sleep that night.
Because for the first time, he wasn't sure if he was making the right choice… or just the one expected of him.
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