The news spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom.

Peace! After almost a century, peace was going to be signed!

Since he had seen the messengers leave the palace bearing the great news, Jasper had been feeling euphoric. Being witness to such a historic event delighted him. He knew that everyone was talking about it. In the streets, in the fields, on the roads, in the shops, everyone had an opinion.

Jasper enjoyed imagining what people were saying when he encountered groups in town engaged in lively conversations. Sometimes, their discussion abruptly stopped when he passed by; other times, people eagerly called out to him, asking questions to which he couldn't always respond.

Was the Dusk Kingdom plotting something?

Under what conditions had the priests of the Mighty Golden Dragon agreed?

And most importantly, what would their future queen look like? And what dress would Princess Beryl wear on the wedding day?

He had pondered these questions himself. Indeed, even though his future was closely tied to the results of the negotiations, he hadn't been invited. Did his father distrust his ideas? Did he think Jasper capable of accepting anything in the name of peace? Jasper considered this for a moment and supposed it might indeed be the case.

He shrugged. The right decision had been made.

That morning, after his brief outing in town, he hurried to his father's office where he had been summoned. Automatically, he checked the shine of his boots and the crease of his pants before a guard ushered him in.

Despite the room's size, it was already quite crowded. The king sat sternly behind his desk. Queen Opal stood in the background, statuesque in her chair. Her beautiful face softened only slightly when her son entered. A thin band sewn with gemstones held her auburn hair flat against her head.

The First Counselor and the Grand Priest were also present. They all bowed as the prince entered. Something about their demeanor put Jasper ill at ease. It smelled strongly of a heated discussion that had just concluded.

Beryl stood stiffly in front of their father's desk, and Jasper joined her. With her hands neatly folded in front of her, she threw a quick glance at him, too brief for him to read anything. Thus, facing the most eminent personalities of the realm, they looked like two convicts awaiting their sentence.

"It is time to talk to you about the details of our alliance with the Duskians," the king began, piercing his children with his sharp gaze. "Your marriages will take place twenty days after the Winter Festival. We have insisted heavily with the duskian diplomat that we organize them ourselves. This way, we will be sure to respect our traditions and the sacraments of our religion."

At his words, the king turned to the Grand Priest. Tall and massive, the man was dressed in a long white cassock embroidered with the silhouette of the Mighty Golden Dragon. A golden mantle was tied around his neck, and a cap of the same color nestled in his gray mane. Solemnly, like every one of his gestures, he nodded his head.

"We can indeed consider this a victory for us," he said. "We have also been able to obtain that Princess Acacia converts before the marriage. We could never have accepted a future queen from the Ruby Dragon's cult."

Beryl moistened her lips and parted her mouth, but remained silent. The king turned his gaze back to her.

"Of course, in return, you will also have to convert to their religion, my daughter," he said, responding to her unspoken question.

The girl's jaw tightened.

"Very well, Your Majesty," she replied, bowing her head. "It shall be as you wish."

"Do not fear, Your Highness," intervened the Grand Priest. "The Mighty Golden Dragon will know that you are making this sacrifice for your people and will not hold it against you if you keep a place for it in your heart."

"I thank you for those comforting words, Your Holiness," graciously responded Beryl. "It will be easier for me to move away from the light of the Mighty Golden Dragon knowing that."

Jasper had followed the exchange with growing horror. How could they impose this on his sister without even consulting her? He couldn't contain himself.

"How can you ask her for such a sacrifice?" he exclaimed. "Surely there must be another way! If we are to interact more frequently with the people of Dusk, there..."

Beryl interrupted him, placing her hand on his arm.

"It's useless, my brother. I won't go back on the word that has been given in my name," she said softly. "We will have plenty of time to change minds later."

Concerned, he lowered his head towards the large blue eyes that looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, and Jasper had to give up the battle before it even began.

King Lapis fixed his son, his brows furrowed. When it became evident that the prince would no longer protest, he resumed speaking.

"Now that this first point is settled, let's move on to the next one."

He paused and stroked his beard, his forehead creased.

"In my view, the second provision is an obvious waste of time due to the romantic notions of the Duskians and their lack of rigor. We accepted because it's not a detail worth debating."

"Do not regret it, Your Majesty," intervened the Grand Priest. "Accepting their request has given us points for the ongoing negotiations."

Jasper raised an eyebrow, a curiosity tinged with concern. What could merit such careful speech?

The king impatiently tapped on a document spread before him.

"In order to ensure that our alliance starts under the best auspices and that your marriages are founded on solid ground, the queen of Dusk invites you to spend a month in their kingdom to meet your betrothed and get to know them. Then it will be their turn to spend a month here awaiting the celebration of the two marriages."

A smile of relief lit up Jasper's face. Even though he was proud to fulfill his duty, a small part of his mind had worried at the thought of marrying a perfect stranger. But with two months to court her, that changed everything! Meeting his fiancée in her kingdom, surrounded by her family, would undoubtedly help him understand her better. The idea of subsequently showing her his future realm excited him just as much. A displaced young princess struggling to adapt to her new life was the last thing any court needed.

"I see that this idea seems to suit you," noted the king, observing his children's expressions. "I hope you will make good use of this opportunity given to you. The journey will be organized as soon as possible so we don't waste time with these follies."

The king then exchanged a look with the First Counselor, who hadn't spoken a word yet. Very dignified, in her eternal black robes, she still mourned a husband who had gone to war fifteen years earlier.

"We now come to the most important point," the king continued. "As soon as your marriages are celebrated, we will form a commission for the management of the Fall region, composed of members of our two peoples. Beryl, this is very important. I know this is all a bit complicated, but I hope you will do your best to encourage your husband to consider our interests. Talk to him about our kingdom, try to evoke his empathy."

The young girl nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Father."

"The Fall is a sacred region," intervened the Grand Priest. "Its exploitation will have to be subject to strict rules!"

He suddenly became very agitated, twisting and turning the signet ring on his finger.

"Of course, that's why places on the commission will be reserved for the clergy," argued the First Counselor in a pinched tone.

"But the priests of the Ruby Dragon will also have them," growled the Grand Priest.

The First Counselor rolled her eyes.

"That was obviously part of the non-negotiable conditions. Only an equality of treatment could pull us out of the status quo we were mired in."

"Thank you for these clarifications," interrupted King Lapis, raising his voice.

He scrutinized all the occupants of the room at length and clasped his fingers in front of him. Seeing that no one else was speaking, he continued:

"You may leave, that will be all for now."

"You two, stay," he added as his children prepared to follow the dignitaries leaving the room.

Apprehensively, Jasper returned to stand in front of his father's desk alongside his sister. As soon as they were alone, Queen Opal stood up, majestic in her ivory dress whose heavy folds completely concealed her figure. She approached the desk, still remaining behind her husband. Jasper and Beryl exchanged a nervous glance. It smelled like a sermon. Yet, as far as they knew, they had done nothing wrong.

"There are some recommendations we need to give you," began the king. "I am sure you both understand how important your roles are. Therefore, once in the Dusk Kingdom, your behavior must be impeccable."

Jasper nodded silently. It was obvious, for what kind of irresponsible people did they take him and his sister?

"We need this peace, and nothing you do or say during your stay should make them change their minds. Reverting back to war is not an option."

"Father, Mother, you can trust us," assured Jasper, pounding his chest with his fist. "We are perfectly aware of the stakes. However, there is one detail I don't understand. If you so strongly desire peace, why not have suggested it first, and much earlier?"

The king ran a hand over his beard, furrowing his brows.

"You'll understand this kind of decision better when you're king, my son. Maintaining a situation is sometimes simpler than getting out of it. It's better to have a war than a peace negotiated under unacceptable conditions. You can imagine how surprised I was by their proposal."

"We know very well that both of you only want to do well," said the queen. "But have you grasped everything that this implies? You will have to put on a good front regarding their religion, despite the lies on which it is built."

As she said this, the queen fixed her clear gaze on her son. Jasper clenched his teeth. He had been relieved to learn that his fiancée had agreed to convert. Or that it had been accepted on her behalf, as it had been for his sister. But would the Duskians be as respectful of his faith as he was supposed to be of theirs? Thinking of what the Ruby Dragon had done to the Mighty Golden Dragon, his fist clenched.

"Furthermore," continued the queen, merciless. "I must warn you. During these two months so generously granted by the Duskians, many things could happen. You will leave full of hope at the idea of meeting your betrothed, but what if they don't meet your expectations? If they disappoint you? Under no circumstances can your personal considerations come into play. Your marriages must take place."

"Mother, we know our responsibilities as heirs," said Beryl. "That's how you raised us. You have nothing to fear."

The queen briefly smiled and placed her hand on her husband's shoulder.

"We rely on you to make a good impression, young people," concluded the king in a suddenly gruff voice. "Go, you can return to your activities."

Once in the corridor, brother and sister exchanged a puzzled look. Jasper took his sister's arm.

"Do you want to take a walk with me in the gardens?" he suggested.

She readily agreed, and the two of them walked arm in arm down the stairs leading to the back of the palace.

Outside, the air was fresh, and as they eagerly breathed it in, they became aware of the oppressive atmosphere that had prevailed in their father's office. Jasper led his sister onto a small path of white gravel.

"We can always count on Mother to remind us that our lives should never be too pleasant or carefree," Jasper finally said when they were sufficiently ensconced in the midst of the groves. "Unfortunately, I have to agree with her."

Beryl remained silent, releasing only a brief sigh. They wandered in the shade of the tall oaks. Even though the silence between them was comfortable, Jasper had too many concerns in his mind not to break it. He chose the lightest subject.

"How would you imagine your fiancé, Prince Willow?"

She looked up at him, surprised.

"It's not reasonable, my brother. Did you hear what Mother said? What's the point of getting worked up if it's just to be disappointed by reality?"

Jasper made a disappointed moue, but he could understand that with her fragile constitution, his sister had to protect herself. He nodded.

"You're right; it's probably wiser not to anticipate the future too much. Too much excitement or disappointment could make you ill. However, as for me..."

He looked up at the sky, a dreamy smile on his lips.

"... I like to imagine that Princess Acacia loves horses, and that I could take her on long rides to explore our kingdom. That would be a delightful way to get acquainted."

Beryl smiled at her brother.

"A beautiful dream. I sincerely hope it doesn't remain just that."

Jasper wasn't naive; he suspected that reality could be entirely different, and he would cope. But for now, this hope helped him push back the apprehension of the unknown.

Beryl absentmindedly plucked a red leaf from a bush and twirled it between her fingers.

"If you want to know, I'm much more eager to see the sea than my fiancé," she resumed after a moment of silence. "At least, I'm sure not to be disappointed. A shimmering expanse of water, as far as the eye can see... it must be magnificent."

"Certainly!" Jaspe enthused. "I've also heard that a part of their kingdom is covered by a sand desert. I'm very curious to see that!"

"Really?" Beryl was surprised. "Yet we have quite acceptable rock deserts here. By squinting hard enough, you should be able to imagine sand in their place."

"Squinting? Why would you want me to do such a thing?"

Beryl covered her mouth with her fan, and Jasper understood she was teasing him.

Gradually, both of them felt excitement building at the thought of the journey. And whatever awaited them there, they would be together.

"I must leave you, my brother," Beryl said regretfully. "The seamstress is coming to take my measurements for the wedding dress. When she's done with me, it will be your turn."

She punctuated her mocking words by closing her fan sharply on her brother's ornate shoulder.

Jasper's gray eyes squinted in anticipated pleasure.

"I can't wait to see what my costume will look like. It needs to remain traditional, but perhaps a touch reminiscent of duskian attire would be fitting."

Beryl absentmindedly brushed the petals of a rose with her fingertips.

" Excellent idea, talk to the seamstress about it, I wouldn't dare to."

Jasper escorted his sister back to her quarters before heading to his own. It was time to start the preparations for departure.