His calm voice felt like a harsh slap to Katarina's face. Her fiancé words, or rather her ex fiancé cutting deep into her skin. She stood in the middle of the banquet hall, her expression shocked as she saw Maria Campbell, the infamous commoner clinging to her ex fiancé arm.
To the past Katarina, this would have been her worst nightmare come true, being abandoned by the person she adored most. For all her life, she had devoted it to being the perfect wife candidate for Geordo, trailing him everywhere like the moon trailing the sun as she desperately tried to convince herself that it was going to be a marriage of love. And yet, in this moment, as the realization finally crossed her mind, and her heart sinks at the thought of it—she feels some kind of relief. It was as if she had finally been free from the shackles that had kept her bound to someone who not once looked back at her.
It was all thanks to the commoner, the damsel in distress who had successfully captured her fiancé's heart. For a moment, Katarina thought of thanking her, but for the sake of her sanity, she needs to calm down first. She turns away from the whispering crowds and head out to the garden.
Just ten years ago, at the tender age of seven, Katarina was proposed to by the crown prince, Geordo, as an apology for scarring her face, even though it was no fault of his. She was the one who had been too enamored by his princely face to look at where she was walking. Even though it was only a formality, little Katarina was fully convinced that the prince had fallen for her. 'It's a marriage of love', she thought.She was optimistic that she wouldn't end up like her mother, ruthlessly betrayed by her father for another whore.
She too, was betrayed by her father, by bringing in an illegitimate child and deciding to take her birth right and transfer the heirship to his bastard son, all the while claiming she should only focus on her princess training now that she has nothing to worry about. But she is worried! Her father is spending less time with her and now she lost the right to the house of Claes.
Everything in her life seems to be going wrong—it was as if the moment she accepted the marriage proposal the universe went all out to make sure she suffers. She tries everything to mend her life and relationships. But now all her efforts are thrown out of the window for a meek commoner who would burst into tears at the slightest taunt from her peers. 'Can she even handle being a queen?' Katarina silently thought as a frown grace her lips. She's a beauty with a rare powerful healing magic, sure, but with her cowardly attitude, even a potential diplomat would laugh in her face.
She shouldn't dwell on that commoner any longer. Katarina takes a deep breath, cooling herself down in the academy's garden. She opens her eyes and takes in the scenery around her. The twinkling light of the stars and the moon illuminating her face. She never knew the academy's garden could be so peaceful, the perfect place to find solace, especially at night when it's desolated.
A sigh escape her lips as she begin to think of her next course of action. With her broken engagement, she wouldn't be surprised if her family decided to finally disown her and send her away to the countryside where she'll inevitably be forgotten and starve to death. But surely, her parents wouldn't be that cruel.. right?
Katarina does not feel ecstatic with that possibility, even if she claim they loved her, she can't truly tell. They changed a lot in the past few years, she barely ever sees or talk to them anymore. And with everything in her life going wrong, she might as well do something to prevent the gruesome future she conjures up in her mind.
The sound of something rustling jolted her out of her train of thought. She was sure it was nothing, after all, it is quite windy tonight. Her explanation was disproven by the tall figure approaching. Her body tense up the moment the moonlight hits the hidden face, revealing the identity of the tall figure.
"Alan?" Katarina whisper softly in confusion. This is one of the worst timing to stumble upon him, considering she had recently been dump by his twin brother just a moment ago.
'Not this..' Katarina inwardly sighs as she sees the pitying look on the sick prince's face.
There was a moment of silence between them, followed by Alan clearing his throat before finally opening his mouth to say something. Yet not a single word come out. Katarina knows very well what he wants to say. Sympathetic words that are supposed to console her, but coming from him, it would only rub salt on her proverbial wound. Before he could properly form a sentence, Katarina quickly shut him down with her words.
"I don't need your pity." She says coldly, her face calm and stoic; as best as she could maintain it in the face of her ex's twin brother.
"I was not going to do that." His reply took her by surprise, just when she's trying to act mysterious and cool he just had to embarrass her. "..Why are you here then?", she sputter as she tries to recover herself, turning her face away from the prince. He is sickeningly familiar to a certain blonde, and she hates it. She had always pointed out that they looked nothing alike. Turns out, she was very wrong in that matter.
"I was just out to get some fresh air, I was not aware that this garden is only exclusively for you, Lady Claes." She couldn't hold back a scoff at his biting remark, feeling even more annoyed. It's not like she was expecting him to actually comfort her. Obviously, they barely even talk to each other..but maybe, some part of her was secretly hoping that someone actually cared about her feelings, that they would seek her out and tell her that it will all be okay.
Not even her friends come to comfort her after the scene Geordo caused, much to her dismay. After all, his opinions influenced everyone; maybe not Alan, but most people. No doubt, after this night her reputation would be in shambles.
Katarina stays silent, not wanting to drag out the small remark into an argument like she usually does. She needs to reserve her energy for more important things, like figuring out what to do now with no objective in sight. Upon noticing her quietness, Alan's smirk fades away, replaced by a mixture of confusion and concern.
"I'm not trying to cheer you up, or make fun of you. But if you ask me-" "I didn't." Katarina interrupted. "I would say it's a good thing that engagement ended." Alan continued despite the interruption.
"If you actually did end up marrying him after you graduate, you would only be more miserable. I'm sure he'll stop at nothing to have Maria; maybe he would have an affair while still having you tied to him." Katarina stays silent, considering his words before speaking.
"With your grandfather's notorious love life, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being the same." Alan scoffs before smiling at her remark. "I was warning you and you just have to bring my family history into this don't you?"
Katarina turns her gaze away from the sky and turns to face Alan, a cheeky smile appearing on her face. "Is that worry I hear or is it just you trying to prevent me from being your sister-in-law?"
"What makes you think it's not the latter?"
Katarina let out a genuine chuckle at his response, feeling less miserable than before. "You're nothing like him." She point out, earning a raised eyebrow and a small smile from the other. "You just noticed huh."
They both fall silent once more, but it was less awkward than the many times they were left together. It reminds Katarina of the time when she was still blindly in love with Geordo, taking every opportunity to spend time with him, only to be met with excuses. Worse of all, he never straight up rejected her, it was always Alan who had to be the messenger and tell her that his twin was 'busy'. And every time, without fail, she would always glare at Alan, as if it was his fault that she's being ignored. It never was.
She sighs before standing up from the bench and dusting off her dress.
"You're leaving already?"
She nodded, her mind swirling with unwanted memories of the past. "Tonight's event has taken a toll on me, I'm heading back to the sleeping quarters to get some rest. Take care, and goodnight." She gives a small bow before walking away, her heart sinking as she remembers her predicament. What is she to do, now without a role to serve? She was supposed to bring her family honor, not shame.
Katarina couldn't fall asleep that night, her mind replaying the same sentence over and over again. The news has probably reached her mother by now, and she's quite sure a lengthy letter demanding an explanation is on its way.