In Rosewhite kingdom, marriage was like any other. The princess marries the prince, and they reproduce. This cycle continues for centuries until the kingdom is burned to ashes. I have no choice but to be a victim of this cycle, because as the princess, all I can do is follow. All I've done my whole life is follow; the beauty standards, the social norms, and of course all of the royal ghost rules. 25 is the age that I'll marry for this cycle, though, unfortunately for me, my 25th birthday was yesterday. I was arranged a marriage with prince Izukude of Eclipsara kingdom, his cold demeanor slit a scar on my wrist immediately. Luckily, I was able to rip my mind away from the thought of fate by helping out the nearby townsfolk. As I walk through the sidewalks, I get plenty of stares, but I make my way through anyway until I see a young boy with silver hair and a tan, oversized scarf with red eyes, a gray kimono with a black haori and black pants and sandals, carrying a basket of charcoal on his back. I walk over to him, and tap him on the shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry, your majesty, I–" He started to apologize, before I cut him off with the gentlest voice I could've used at the moment. "No, no, it's okay, I just wanted to know if you needed any help carrying all of that coal? It seems like a heavy load." I held out my hand to carry the basket if needed. "Oh, yeah, thanks a ton." He hesitantly handed me the basket he had on his shoulders, and I carried it for him, my braids falling under the straps. "Of course." I reply, shooting him a warm smile, feeling strangely comfortable around him for whatever reason. Maybe it was his personality? I don't know, but I want to spend more time with him. I get a feeling he isn't like the rest.
"So, where we headed?" I ask, looking around the city before my gaze falls on his eyes. I haven't noticed it before, but they're really pretty. "Just left through town, I can handle the coal if we get any buyers." I nod, walking as he follows close by. After selling for a bit, we walked the path back to his home, which was some distance away. "The name's Tanaka, by the way."
"Athena."
"You're, like, the princess of Rosewhite, right? I'm surprised you don't act all spoiled."
"Spoiled isn't my thing. Well, kinda is, I just don't make it a personality trait."
He chuckled at my comment.
"I'm glad. Honestly, it's kinda the stereotype at this point..." I laughed as he spoke, he seemed like he could make me laugh with anything he said, almost as if it were magic that I laughed at the dumbest things with him around. I felt a warmth in my body when I was with him, like his presence would warm me no matter how cold a winter day. "Ah, well, I'll say you're not how I thought either. Just, uh, kinda.. different."
"I get that. Heh, I guess it's my looks." I scoff with a playful eye roll, I can sense the sarcasm in his voice. "Your looks don't tell me a lot about you." He laughs a bit at my answer, before responding. "Well, looks aren't always a one-way ticket into someone's soul, you just gotta kinda get to know them. Kinda like how you can mistake somebody for someone else.. Nah, that's a bad example. That's much more embarrassing." I laugh, feeling myself unable to stop for a few minutes. Almost like a spell. "Lord have mercy on my precious soul, you might just kill me one day."
"With a bullet to the head or lack of oxygen?" He joked, pointing a finger gun to his head before lowering his hand. "A stab to the chest, Tanaka, obviously." We both laugh in unison. I sigh, my laughter finally deciding to die down. "Y'know, I'd be willing to help you more often if you need it. I'm free.. Most of the time." I mentioned. "Yeah, I'm definitely gonna need some help with carrying coal on my back everyday. My shoulders are aching." He said as he moved his hand to his shoulder, a nervous smile on his face. "I wouldn't mind helpin' ya if you need it." I smirked, looking at the snowy atmosphere surrounding us as we walked back toward the village.