3. Memory

As Song Eun Ha made her way down the grand corridor, her thoughts drifted, and for the first time since arriving at Lethian, the memory of Alexandria merged with her own.

Long before this marriage, long before she had been swept away into the world of politics and ambition, she had been Princess Alexandria Valentine Haleberg, heir to a distant kingdom far from the Empire’s reach. A land where the wind carried the scent of cherry blossoms, where the hum of her sword striking against an opponent’s blade was the only music she needed. A place where peace was a rare but cherished commodity, and strength — not power — was what defined a person’s worth.

She had been born to a royal family that valued discipline, honor, and mastery over one’s own fate. From an early age, Alexandria had been trained in the ways of the sword, taught to fight with grace, precision, and purpose. In her home, there were no grand balls or political maneuvers. There were no marriage contracts designed to secure alliances. There were only the dojo, her teacher’s sharp guidance, and her endless pursuit of becoming the best swordswoman in the kingdom.

But peace, as she had learned far too soon, came at a price.

When war threatened the kingdom between the Empire, her father — a wise but pragmatic king — had made the decision to marry her off to the Duke of Lethian. This marriage would secure peace between their lands, and the kingdom’s future would be ensured. A wise decision on paper. But one that tore apart her dreams. Alexandria had been young, barely out of her teens, when she was presented with the offer. She was to become a mere pawn in the Empire’s game of politics.

Her family had never truly understood her love for the sword. They had expected her to be a princess in the truest sense of the word — poised, graceful, politically astute, and above all, a tool to be used for their greater goals. But Alexandria, or Song Eun Ha, had always felt out of place in a world that valued diplomacy over strength, politics over personal will.

And so, when the marriage contract had been signed, her heart had broken. The dojo was left behind. The sword, which had been her only constant, was left gathering dust. Her kingdom’s peace was now tied to a man she barely knew, to a Duchy that was as foreign to her as the court she now found herself in.

Her new life as Alexandria Valentine Lethian, the Duchess of Lethian, had been full of cold receptions, impersonal formalities, and long days of isolation. Renald had been a stranger to her, a man who saw her only as a necessary part of his ambition. Their union had been one of convenience, not passion. He was the ruler of Lethian Duchy, with no time for affection or frivolity. She, on the other hand, was a princess forced to submit to the rules of a foreign land.

But even as she found herself trapped in a marriage she never wanted, the fire in her heart — the same fire that had once driven her to wield a sword with unmatched precision — refused to die. Alexandria had accepted the reality of her situation, but she would not let it define her. No, she would carve out her place in this foreign land. Her sword, though far from her now, would still be her guide. It had never truly left her soul. And in this strange, new world, she would find her own purpose — even if it meant going against everything she had been taught.

Her back straightened as she walked through the halls, the echoes of her footsteps mixing with the quiet, measured rhythm of her thoughts. It was strange, how the emotions she had long buried were beginning to resurface. Renald’s change — his newfound willingness to talk, to acknowledge her presence as something more than just his wife — was a surprise, but not something she would allow herself to get swept away by. Not yet.

Her life as a princess had taught her one crucial lesson: Trust was a luxury. It was not something she gave freely, not something she would ever allow herself to expect. Alexandria had never been one to rely on others — not when her strength had always been her own.

Yet, Renald’s words had made her question her resolve, just for a moment. Maybe this marriage was more than just a prison. Maybe there was a way out, but she would have to take the reins herself. To mold it into something she could live with. Perhaps, just perhaps, she could find peace in this foreign land. Peace, not by being silenced, but by using the voice she had long since suppressed.

And in the back of her mind, the sharp image of her sword appeared once more. The weight of the hilt, the satisfaction of a perfect strike. Maybe one day, she would wield it again — not for battle, but to carve her own fate.

Renald had watched her leave, but instead of retreating into his own solitude, his mind was busy unraveling the moment they had just shared. He had always been so sure of himself, so certain that his power would carry him through. But Alexandria had shaken that certainty. She was like no other woman he had ever encountered.

He had married her to secure an alliance, a political move. But now, he saw that there was more to her than just her title or her lineage. There was fire, resolve, and something deeper — a strength that he could not easily control. She was not his puppet. And despite his best efforts to keep her at a distance, despite the cold indifference he had practiced for years, he found himself drawn to her — not just as his wife, but as a partner.

It was a strange feeling — this respect, this acknowledgment that perhaps their fates were tied not by political need, but by something more profound. Renald had built walls around himself for so long, and yet, Alexandria was the first to make him question their necessity.

Perhaps this marriage could be more than just an agreement. Perhaps it could be the beginning of something new. Not just for the Duchy, but for them both.

Alexandria paused in the hallway, her fingers brushing the cool stone walls as she turned to face the study one last time. It was a strange feeling, knowing that she had left something unsaid, something unresolved. But her journey here was far from over.

For now, her sword would remain her silent companion. But one day, when the time was right, she would pick it up once more — not for war, but for something greater. The question was, would Renald be by her side when that time came? Or would she have to fight this battle alone?

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