Arashi took my hand in his and dragged me to his quarters.

His men bowed as we entered. A cold and dark aura was coming out of him and from the clenches in his jaw, I could sense he was angry.

I wanted to ask all sort of things but I didn't have guts to ask. As we entered the chamber, I saw all of his men looking at him warily.

I opened my mouth but I could not ask. One, because I wasn't suppose to hide things from him and two, I was scared of getting scolding...

He said with a cold voice, "Everyone, please leave us alone except for Hiroshi and Hans."

All of his men left and I looked around to see if I should go out as well but his grip was too tight on my arm.

My heart was thumping as Arashi looked at me, his eyes were red with rage and I shrunk back.

"Why didn't you tell me that he was awake?" He asked.

I opened my mouth and closed again. What would I say? The emperor requested me not to tell him anything.

"It—it's because..."

Arashi's hard gaze was on me and he said with a growl, "Do you have any idea how the people are here?"

"B—but he is your grandfather...!" I said.

Arashi scoffed but his anger never subsided. "He is my grandfather and he won't harm me but that doesn't mean that he won't harm you."

He looked the other way as he was thinking something and said, "Although, currently he doesn't hold much power. The only person who hold the power is uncle Shiroichi and mother emperor."

I nodded and looked down. How would I know something like this? I had never seen any kind of royals up until now. I wasn't familiar with their rules and systems. But that was why I wanted to learn about it.

He said, "What exactly did my grandfather say to you? Don't hide anything. Tell me everything..."

Since he already knew about Yukina being killed I suppose it wasn't necessary to tell him anything else about it. But what about his father's assassination? Did he know that as well?

I didn't want him to hate his grandfather and grandmother anymore.

They maybe we're cruel but if I were in their place, I might have...

No! I would never have done that.

I could never be so cruel to my own grandchildren even it meant for their sake. I could have tried to find another way to save them.

I decided not to tell him about his father's assassination and then the next remained my bold statements which I had told him later.

My face burnt as I remembered my bold statements...

I fiddled with my fingers and said as my face burnt, "I— he wants you to marry Akio and I..."

Arashi nodded, "I know that she is an offspring of King Otanoshi. It is already natural he would want me to marry her for the sake of power."

I nodded as he asked, "What did he say more?"

I shook my head. "Nothing else just wanted me to become your..."

The later word didn't want to leave my mouth as it got stuck in my tongue. But he fisted his palm and I knew he got it already.

He finished, "Concubine?"

I looked away as he gritted his teeth and punched the table.

He asked, "What did you say? Did you agree with him?"

The way he asked me as if he wanted to know how I felt about him. If I said I agreed he would feel that I betrayed him but I never agreed. However, the things I said were a bit embarrassing to confess...

I bit my lips and my heart thumped as he asked again, "Bianka, what did you say?"

"I—"

The tension filled around us all three of them looked at me intensely and I felt like I wanted to hide. How would I say those words?!

"I said that I don't care about status because I am already married and I won't let you marry anyone..." I said in one breath and silence fell upon us.

Arashi, Hiroshi and Hans all three of them only blinked at me and then started to laugh as I felt like digging the ground and hide there...

Why did I have to say those bold statements!

I was just so embarrassed that I could not even look into his eyes.

Hiroshi said, "That sure was expected and I have to say I am not offended at all."

My ears burnt.

Corners of Hans's eyes got moistened as he sniffed with happiness and said, "Oh! I am so happy that Princess Bianka had the courage to say those words loud and clear! As expected of our master's wife!"

I wanted to run away now... Please, don't say more or I might never come out of my room ever again. I thought at that moment.

Arashi's anger had vanished already as he nodded with a proud face as if he was admiring me.

"You did great. Remember, never submit to anyone here." He said as I looked at him and he assured me, "If anyone tried to do anything to you, I will always be there to protect you. I don't care about the status either."

"But Prince Rian, what about the trial?" Hiroshi asked.

He stiffened and said, "I won't let them do that to her."

I looked at them with confused gazes. Was the trial that bad?

I asked, "What this trial is all about?"

They looked at me with faces that said it was certainly very bad.

Hiroshi said, "The trials are created for the foreign princesses that is held in the name of our God."

Arashi said, "It is a simple quest where the foreign princesses would have to pass it to prove that they are worthy to marry us."

I asked, "So, it is more like an easy access to get approval?"

They nodded but their faces didn't change. Hiroshi said, "They have to go to the mountain's cave and search for a golden chain coin which has a symbol of this family's crest. If they do it successfully, they get the approval."

Then it was fairly easy...

Too easy to believe, if I assume.

Arashi finally said what was the problem behind it. "But the cave has way too many traps inside it and it can get you killed..."

A gap formed on my mouth. "Then what's the point of it if the princesses have to die?"

They nodded. "That is exactly why they only let those pass who they think is best suited. And the rest would just die."

I gasped. "That is so cruel!"

"That is not the bad news about it," Hans said, "They set up assassins in there just in case any princess got lucky."

I looked at him with wide eyes. "What! They assassinate there?"

Arashi nodded. "That is why I won't let you take the trial."

I gulped and nodded.

I was glad that I wasn't asked to take the trial. If they had, I might have ended up agreeing with them thinking it as a short way to get approved.

They say the shortest way is always the one with trouble and it seemed it was true. I was better off with the longest way. That was to make the empress approve of me.

Guess, I had to work even harder now to make them acknowledge me as his wife.

Arashi said, "Alright. After this marriage ceremony, we will leave."

I nodded as a smile danced on my lips. I was missing home and it would be better to go back.

However, we had no idea that it would never be possible at this moment...

----
9th November, 22