I hissed as I fell on the harsh rock beneath me. I got a lot of scratches and cuts. My dress was almost torn apart from the edges around my legs.

I was scared and heavily wounded. My whole body ached and I took heavy breaths.

It was after a month, I got married to Prince Daichi. We became really good companion after some time. But now, it was the trial.

I had no idea that they would set a bunch of traps and it wasn't enough, they even sent assassins. I was scared as I heard the swords clanking whenever they clashed.

"Rose, are you okay?" Daichi called, his voice coated with worry as he fought with those assassins in the darkness of the cave. I couldn't see a thing and I was scared they would kill him too.

They were excellent and only Daichi was there who came to save me. If he hadn't come, I would have been long dead.

I sniffed as my stomach and legs hurt and said, "I am fine. Please be safe..."

He was still fighting as I heard their swords being clashing. I didn't know how many men came to assassinate but I knew there were at least three or four.

And suddenly, the cave got silenced.

My worry reached the peak of my head as I tried to look in the dark. Was he alright? He wasn't...dead... Was he?

My heart thumped loudly in my ears as tears ran down in worry. I was too scared to loose him.

He may didn't love me but he had always taken care of me.

I was too scared to call his name and my breath shook, my whole body shook.

"Rose?"

Then I heard his voice and I felt relief flooding over my body.

I asked, "Daichi! What happened there?"

"I don't know..." I heard him saying.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I stabbed one of them but the rest are dead as well. I don't understand..." He said as he sounded confused.

But he came to me immediately and then he lit the torch that had extinguished a while ago.

As soon as light flickered on him, I gasped. An arrow was poking out of the back of his left shoulder. "D-Daichi... Oh my God! You are hurt."

He hadn't realised it until I pointed it out and he said, "I am fine. Are you al-"

And his eyes widened as his eyes fell on my stomach. I looked down and saw the white kimono I was wearing had turned red with my blood from down to my stomach.

I hadn't realised it was this deep. I was gravely injured at that time but somehow, we both managed to survive.

He was so worried about me that he kept telling that he would kill those priests...

He left me near the cave entrance as he went inside so nobody saw him with me. He said he knew a different route to go out.

As I came outside, the people were horrified but they accepted me since I had successfully come out with their coin.

I got too sick after that. As we both were wounded, we needed enough rest to heal. Daichi healed fast while it took me nearly three months.

My father was scared when he heard the news and came back immediately. We told him that I fell from a cliff and a sharp object was there. Of course, we never told anyone about the assassination attempt. First, nobody would believe and a new kind of problem would arise.

Since my father saw I was really happy with Prince Daichi, he released the man he had hired to keep a watch on me.

After three months, I recovered completely and then Daichi announced that now we should hold the princess coronation.

My maid, Flora was preparing me in their traditional clothing. I wore a long deep maroon kimono. The pattern on it was so beautiful that Flora teased me.

"Now, Prince Daichi will surely look only at my Lady...oops, princess Rose..." She said and I chuckled while shaking my head.

She spoke in Daichi's language but I could understand her since I had been learning their language with the help of Daichi and Flora. I was still finding it hard to speak in their accent and also I kept forgetting some of their words.

As I got ready, I heard the footsteps I was really familiar with for these four months. Flora winked at me as she left immediately when Daichi entered.

I knew I should not yearn for his attention but my heart was still beating for his attention. I knew he loved Princess Akio but I still selfishly wanted him to fall for me.

Because in these four months, I fell in love with him. I was glad that Princess Akio had to leave immediately after our marriage which was why we got time to speak with each other. I knew it was shallow to think like that but...

I didn't want to loose him.

As I turned around, I saw Daichi in his attire. He looked extremely handsome in their traditional clothing. I was speechless and for a moment I forgot that my prime goal was to make him speechless...

And it seemed he was...

His eyes washed over me and my cheeks got colours.

He smiled at me and said, "You are looking beautiful..."

His voice almost sounded breathless that my belly flipped with joy. I was shy but somehow I managed to hide it and said in a manner of teasing him, "Don't I always?"

He chuckled and said, "Ah! So we are back to that again?"

I nodded as I raised my chin smugly. Lately we had been bragging about ourselves whenever we were near. I would brag how I learnt one of their kanji words and he would brag about his greatness. And in the end, we would make fun of each other and laugh.

He said, "Anyways, Rose! Do you know who is coming?"

I raised my brows. My parents?

"Who?" I asked.

"Akio!" He said, beaming with joy and my smile fell immediately. She was coming?

He hadn't told me...

I nervously smiled and asked, "S-she was coming?"

He nodded and said, "Even I had no clue. Her letter arrived just today."

My heart sank. He had told me everything yet he never told me about he regularly exchanged letters with her.

I tried my best to look happy but my inside was howling with sadness.

My coronation was the day where I hadn't felt any joy. What would I do with this title? The person who was responsible for giving me this title didn't even love me back.

Princess Akio wasn't there but I knew if she was there, Daichi's eyes were would be always on her.

She would be arriving in a few days and my mood was already sour about that.

I returned to my room and laid on the bed. My maid came and asked, "What happened, Princess Rose?"

"Nothing..." I said.

"Tell me, I might be a good help..." She said.

My lips quivered as I said, "Princess Akio would be coming and Daichi would forget everything about me..."

"Do you hate her?" She asked, "Do you hate Princess Akio?"

I shook my head. "I don't hate her... I am just... I am just jealous that Daichi has eyes only for her." My tears started to run as I sniffed.

"Why don't you just drag prince Daichi here to your room and let him be yours tonight?" She said and I looked at her with confused eyes.

She added, "Princess Rose, sometimes, you need to force your love on the one you love to let them forget about the past."

I didn't understand what she meant but that night, Daichi came to my room because he noticed the change in my mood and he was concerned.

As he came, he asked, "Rose, has something happened?"

I shook my head but didn't meet his eyes. I knew Daichi hated when I talked while looking other ways but not at him. He came near and grabbed a hold on my chin as he turned my head to him.

His face was near and he had his brows ceased together on his forehead, displaying an annoyed face. "I know something has happened. Until you say it, I won't let you go."

His demanding face was so adorable that I wanted to melt away but I didn't. If I said anything about Akio, he might stop spending time with me but even so, I wanted to tell him about my feelings...

"If I tell you, will you even care?" I asked as I looked away again.

At that, he was a bit furious and his hold on my arm tightened. "Why do you think I don't care about you?"

"Because you don't." I said, "You don't care when it comes to Princess Akio."

And his hands loosened their hold. He was quite and I knew he would never look at me the way he looked at Akio. His heart only ever wanted her and it hurt.

"Rose... You know that I..." He was cut off as I looked up at him and our eyes met.

Both of us were breathing heavily as we felt the tension rising around us. I said, "You love another woman... I know that already but can't you just stop it?"

He was about to say something as I said, "I am here for you and I am your wife! Why can't you just love me back like I love you?"

Tears started to fall as I sniffed and I finally confessed him my love although it was very lame way to confess.

He was shocked at first and then he was speechless as he had no idea what would he say. And I hated that he was always so sharp about everything yet he was so dumb when it came to love.

I got angry and laid down on my bed, crying. And I heard him leaving as my heart broke more.

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30th November, 22
1702