The door shut behind me once I went inside. In front of my eyes was my mother sitting on one of the many circular tables in the room where I suspect the Queen hosts her teas. Why not?

She was talking animatedly to another woman, who I could only assume as the Queen with her decorative wings and regal stand. Next to the Queen was a boy of my age.

While the Queen and Mom were chatting animatedly, the boy was silent and morose as he drank his tea, looking around his surroundings. His posture was bored as if he wanted this over with.

Why did he reach out?

They noticed me and beckoned. Ain's eyes widened when he saw his new betroth but when he had a better look at me, his lips pursed as if thoughtful.

Maybe he didn't like the way I dressed after all. Called it.

As I approached, my mother's eyes narrowed. I knew what to do or the etiquette gods and Mom will punished me horribly.

I bowed to both of them, with a smile on my face with, "Your Highnesses."

Then, I sat down carefully at a chair opposite Ain. The seconds ticked by, then the Queen laughed.

"Oh, you have really raised her right," the Queen said to Mom. Mom nodded, satisfied, for now.

"Yes, she can be a handful sometimes," Mom said. Understatement. "But she really knows her thing," Mom finished with a laugh.

They continued talking, all about the arrangements. We were to stay over a week and prepare the big betrothal party. With royalty, of course, it had to be extravagant. So, a lot of arrangements were discussed through tea though both me and Ain were equally silent. I didn't want this, and by the looks of it, neither did he.

The Queen express gratitude of accepting the betrothal invitation as she heard many good things about me, along with the Pisces Bracelets. Along the lines, I assume it was she who sent the invitation, not Ain. Half of the families are like that. The parents take charge of who their children's other will be.

Ain was mostly indifferent throughout and I repeated the look. Both mothers were not blind to this fact, although they were more focused on each other about mundane details throughout.

"Well... Aurora-chan," the Queen decided to break the tension between me and Ain, "I hope that my son will satisfy your need for this betrothal. Why don't you hang out with each other? The gardens surrounding the castle are so very nice. Ain-kun can show you."

Ain Henir nodded, and got out of his chair silently while beckoning me. Equally silent, I followed him.

We walked through the endless maze of the castle until he showed me a huge double door. Outside, I realised it was the back of the castle where the moat doesn't end in a full circle but cut off a bit like a horseshoe and between would be a winding path would lead to what could only be described as a forest of flowers.

My mouth was slack jawed in awe. Ain simply led a route where I could admire all this beauty. No forest could be more peaceful or beautiful. Nearly perfect could really be the correct words to describe the Jirachi Kingdom.

Ain looked at me and I got a better glimpse of him.

He was handsome with his wavy silver hair, turquoise eyes, a pale slim figure. If I could describe better, he would be said to be a younger Ain from Elsword except he has transparent greenish silver wings, not like a butterfly but maybe a bird?

"Having fun?" his voice was quiet, sounding as if he had sighed the words but it was velvety. I wondered how on earth he could fade to the background. This guy had all the appearance to be at front centre stage. It would be hard to not notice him.

I nodded. "Yes, I never seen a forest as beautiful as this. Thank you," I answered politely.

I was dragged into this betrothal against my will, so was Ain. We both knew it but we didn't breach it. We didn't know how.

We walked more in silence. There was a bit of tension between us despite the beauty of this forest that showcases magic as well. Some trees even sprayed out bursts of light into the scenery.

Later, where the silence was noticeable but not exactly uncomfortable, we met two people, chatting away. I noticed one of them was Milan and another, I do not know, a brunette with purple gemmed like butterfly wings.

I heard parts of their conversation.

"... mission?"

"Dunno, but..."

"Meeting..."

"I don't-" that was Milan and she stopped mid sentence when she saw us. "Hi, Ro. Your Highness," she bowed to Ain.

Ain looked at me, "Ro?"

"It's a nickname. All my friends used it for me. Much easier than saying 'Aurora'," I answered.

He nodded, "Ro, it suits you."

"Thank you," I said.

The other girl was scrutinising at both of us.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked. The girl said nothing.

Milan spoke for her, "She's Venice Franz. A friend of mine who also has a spot for Queenship."

"Nice to meet you," I smiled. She did not smile back.

"What are you both doing here?" Venice asked. I sensed hostility.

Maybe Ain sensed it too because he answered in that soft voice of his, "Mother told us to walk together, to know each other better."

"You weren't talking much, let along getting to know each other better," Venice said.

"I know," I nodded, "Everything's just complicated," I said.

"How could that be?" Venice asked, curious.

Milan however nodded at my words as if she understood, well from my point of view.

"What?" Venice asked Milan.

"Both Ain And Ro are betrothed. Knowing Ro, she was not all happy about it at all. So, it must be awkward for her," Milan explained. All my friends knew my idolising a single life, the gang included.

Venice didn't seem to hear the rest of the words.

"Betrothed? I thought... I hoped... You!" She spun towards me and threw a light ball towards me.

Oh-

Even before that thought could finish, I unsheathed my staff and like baseball, smacked the ball upward which with ice on its surface broke, scattering a thousand lights.

"Venice-san!" Milan was shocked.

"What's wrong, Venice-chan?" Ain asked, like the act was incomprehensible.

She did not hear both of them, eyes only for me. That gave me a good look of them. I have seen that look before, I knew what they meant.

"You love Ain-san," I said, as softly as Ain would have said it.

Venice flushed red and did not answer. She did slap me though, so fast I didn't even anticipated it.

My hand of course went toward my cheek where it stung. I was not surprised, nor angry. I understood. Being in an otome game, this was bound to happen. I've read enough to anticipate this. I just didn't expect it to be from a mob character.

Venice looked mad at my indifference. If she knew me better, she would have known I have always acted like that. No one could really raise my temper. The only one was my little sister from my previous world and she's not here.

"Why are you not angry?" She asked red faced.

I shrugged, "Well, you slap me, I get angry and then what? What's the use of being angry? Nothing. I would ask what's your problem but I guess it's obvious already."

Venice looked like she wanted to slap me again but Milan stopped her, looking at me with amazement. Ain looked amused.

"Why do you get betrothed to Ain? Every girl would want it but why you, who hasn't even met him until today?" Venice asked, jealousy in every word.

"Well, that's life for you. I couldn't do anything about it, so here I am," I answered honestly.

Some rage seemed to die as Venice scrunched her brow, thinking.

"Well, does that mean you didn't want to be betroth to him in the first place?" Venice asked.

"Not to any men," I answered honestly.

Venice looked happier, "Why don't you two break the betroth thing up even before it's begun? So far, no one knows it and it won't even cause a scandal. And I can be betrothed to Ain-san, like it should be..." she was looking at Ain lovingly at the end of the sentence.

"I can't," both Ain and me said in unison. We both looked at each other in surprise.

"What? Why not?" Venice asked, pouting at Ain but the question was for both of us.

"Mom/Mother won't let me," We said at the same time. Seriously, what is this?

"Man, this is bizarre," Milan said, while chuckling at our same answers.

Venice wasn't liking this at all.

She looked at me with something like hatred. "You will be sorry for not letting me have my way," and she flounced off.

Milan looked apologetic, "Sorry about her. I've forgotten how much she likes Ain," she said it as if Ain wasn't there.

Damn it. If Venice was yandere, I might be in real trouble. I need to know more.

"I didn't know that. If that was the case, why weren't they betrothed?"

Ain frowned at those words.

Milan answered, "The Queen doesn't really much like Venice. I understand, with Venice's arrogant and superior attitude from time to time, but it's probably stress from all the expectations," Milan then frowned.

Milan was probably the one who saw the good in everyone, like all those dense heroines. Which really does say that Milan was innocent as they come. Sometimes I wonder why she wasn't the heroine, and Alyssa is. Sometimes, I think the producers were just a angling for something new.

"Anyway," Milan continued, "Venice tries everything to woo the Queen for Ain-san's hand but to no avail. And Venice doesn't come from a high standard despite her high light powers. No good to marry a prince to a commoner," Milan shook her head.

"Anyway, I see I'm clearly interrupting a date," she smiled slyly at both me and Ain, "So, I better go. Bye," and she ran off, leaving me blushing.

Ain laughed, "That Milan..."

"Hmm?" I asked, "You know her?"

"Of course," he said, "I couldn't live in the castle for 7 years and not know everybody?"

I chuckled, "Hmm... I thought you were... a loner."

"Is that what they say? It's true though. What's use of the real world? It's nothing but bad news," Ain said bitterly.

"How would you know that?" I asked. If I didn't know any better, he sounded as if he were speaking beyond his years.

"Well... you know the betrothal plan, I really didn't want to do it," he looked to see my expression but I just smiled and urged him to go on.

"Well, Mother, she... she said that I've to or she'll banned me from the library and force me to attend more parties," Ain said, shamefaced, "Books are my life, the only thing that gives me life instead of what they call the real world."

"I feel you, man," I nodded, "I understand how you feel, but Mom threatened me to not go to my 'antics'" I made quotation marks, "or she will banned me from chocolate, my favorite food. Can you imagine that?"

Ain laughed, "Looks like both our Mothers are devils."

"I know, right," I said.

"Looks like we both don't want this," he said.

"Right," I nodded.

He smiled with an amused expression. It seems there is more than meets the eye with this reclusive boy.

"I thought that I would be going off with a shallow girl, instead you seem so much different than other girls from the parties I ever attended. Maybe us being betrothed wouldn't be such a bad idea, after all."

Damn, exactly what Black said, that it would be a good idea, but in my current situation, what could I do?

"Well, I don't," I said softly, "But there's nothing I can do about it, so just let it be. Know this, though, that we may be friends but I certainly will not fall in love with you."

"Did you really have to say that?" He asked, laughing, "How much do you hate love to say that? Most girls dream of a fairy tale romance as far as I read in many books, which is true for the girls here when I see them at parties. But not you. What do you want?"

"An adventure, dramaless live, happiness for myself," I said.

"Hmm... not bad. So as long as this betroth hold, how about we try to get what we both want together, not against," he said, and I saw him glancing at the Pisces Bracelets around my wrists, "And try to make ourselves comfortable in each other's company?" Ain asked.

"You speak well," I said, "And you really get me. I guess we can be friends, just try to move each other... fine," I relented, only for now. See how this shakes out, hopefully when I find the Arceus Diamonds, I will avoid a marriage I don't want by then.

We shook our hands, "To achieving our wishes," Ain declared.

"If that's possible," I said.

Ain laughed, "Sometimes, it is."

Then, we continued to walk through the wonders of the forest before coming back to the tea where our mothers were still chatting. They were pleased that we were holding hands.

"Now that you are better acquainted, we need you two to discuss more details about your betrothal party, you know? Come here," The Queen said.

Both me and Ain looked at each other. We were both thinking the same thing.

This was not going to be fun.