A/N: I wrote this during the first season of Arslan Senki and has no connection whatsoever to the second season--Arslan Senki: Fuujin Ranbu.
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Pars, Year 332—Twelve years after the reclaim of the royal capital, Ecbatana from Lusitania.

‘Your Highness, you are already 25 years of age and you should be married already by this day! None of the princesses who were sent here fits your taste?’ Daryun, Arslan’s general nagged. The two had been close since Arslan was only a child.

‘Daryun, I’m not interested in any of them. I have my hands full in restoring Pars to its’ former glory and keeping Lusitania out from invading again, who knows if Rajendra, the Turks or the Turan would suddenly come and invade? I would very much prefer to have things settled down first before marrying someone and besides, if I were to marry now, my future wife would be in danger.’ He stated, not looking up from his paperwork.

‘You can say what you want but the guest of the state is here, the emperor from the great eastern country sent his daughter here.’ Arslan’s head snapped up at this. ‘Why didn’t you say so?! How rude of us to keep her waiting!’ Daryun sighed and put a hand on the prince’s shoulder. ‘She’s not here yet, she’ll be here by night. But before that, let’s have an interpreter translate what the emperor sent us shall we?’ He set the scroll on the table.

巴斯王国的王子殿下，
(Prince of the Kingdom of Pars,)

寡人把公主殿下交给您娶为皇后， 希望王爷您能接受寡人之礼。
(I give you my daughter, the princess’s hand-in-marriage to be your queen, I hope Your Highness can accept the gifts I’ve sent.)

‘His Majesty, (Dynasty Name) emperor of the (Dynasty Name) Kingdom sent his only daughter—Crown Princess (Name) to be wed with Your Highness. Along the gifts that were sent by the emperor aside from the exquisite gifts of silk, tea, spices and pearls are 6, 000 foot soldiers, 1,500 archers and 3, 000 cavalrymen.’ The interpreter set down the scrolled and walked out of the door as soon as Arslan dismissed him.

‘10, 500 extra soldiers into our ranks, Your Highness. That would make 15, 000 soldiers including ours and 80, 000 more in Peshawar Fortress, this is beneficial for us since we have to rebuild the kingdom.’ ‘Why has His Majesty decide to help us now? Do you think he has any tricks up his sleeves?’ Arslan arched his eyebrow at him, asking for his opinion. ‘I do believe that you should redirect the question to Narsus, Your Highness. Do you want me to call for him?’ He shook his head, his silver locks falling down his shoulders.

‘Have them prepare a banquet to welcome our guest, that would be all. I wish to be alone with my thoughts.’ Arslan said. Daryun gave a bow and left, closing the doors behind him. Azrael, a messenger hawk of Kishward’s flew to him and perched on his arm. ‘Hello friend, what brings you here all the way from Peshawar? Did you not enjoy Kishward’s company?’ The hawk only screeches and stares at him in response.

As night fell, Arslan could see lit torches in the distance from his chambers in the royal capital of Ecbatana, signalling the arrival of the mysterious princess. Arslan got ready and went down to greet his guest, escorted by his guards. Everyone bowed to him when he arrived but everyone was actually waiting to see who this princess of the east is.

A palanquin with gold, blue and white held by six strong bearers situated in the middle, protected by 10, 500 soldiers as promised by the emperor. It was truly an amazing procession, all the soldiers showed no fear even though they were setting foot in a foreign soil.

‘The princess has arrived!’ The herald announced. Two of the princess’s handmaidens lifted the translucent curtains and helped the princess out of the palanquin. He couldn’t see her face clearly since it was covered by a veil, her long robe was made of blue silk and trailing behind her with an additional white garment inside, she also wears ornaments that holds her long hair and a crown on her head.

‘A banquet has been prepared for you, Your Highness. Please, come this way.’ Arslan gestured towards the entrance with a smile. Once everything is in order and everyone has sat down, the feast begins.

When you lifted your veil, you could see a surprised look on your future husband’s face. You gave him a small smile which made him turn the other way, you found it cute and begin to eat. Arslan was amazed that you weren’t complaining about the food and ate as if you were a native of the land, he was worried that the food might not suit your delicate stomach.

‘It appears that there’s something on your mind, Your Highness. May I know what’s worrying you?’ You asked in his native language, shocking everyone in the room except your handmaidens. ‘Oh no, it’s nothing. Is the food suitable to your taste? I apologize that the imperial kitchen cannot cook dishes from your homeland.’ ‘It does not matter, I savour the food that is placed before me no matter their tastes and origins.’ You smiled and drank from your cup.

It’s your first time here in Pars and you had heard about the war going on between the kingdom and its’ neighbours, it had gone on long since before you were born but you were interested in history and warfare, not the etiquette that the palace taught you. You were escorted to your chambers by your men, your handmaidens and the prince himself.

Once Arslan bid you a goodnight and left his guards posted outside the door along with your men, your handmaidens started to gossip when they were drawing you a bath. ‘Your Highness, isn’t His Highness Crown Prince Arslan handsome?’ They asked. ‘Yes, I admit. I’ve never met someone who had such fair skin, light coloured hair and blue eyes.’ You blushed.

‘But he’s known for rejecting girls, even princesses from other kingdoms… Are you not afraid that he rejects you as well, Your Highness?’ The taller one whose name is Lian asked. ‘I do not know what the gods have in store for me but I believe that I must make efforts if I were to win his heart.’ You got into the water once you were completely stripped of your ornaments and clothing.

The very next day, you were dressed in a light green robe with a gold sash wrapped on your arm. Your hair was decorated with gold pins that had dangling gold strings and flowers, your handmaidens made sure everything was alright before escorting you out of the chambers for a meeting with Prince Arslan.

A soothing cold colour to the eyes unlike the scorching and barren yellowish-brown of the desert. No wonder the people called her the Oriental Beauty and Dragon’s Daughter. Arslan thought to himself, smitten by your beauty and graceful, fluid movements. He took you on a tour and showed you around the palace, you made an effort to remember the place so you wouldn’t get lost easily in this huge place.

‘So… Tell me, Your Highness. What is it like in your homeland? What does the imperial palace look like?’ Arslan is curious to know what the great eastern country looked like. ‘My homeland…? It is filled with trees, rivers and mountains. The imperial palace is not as tall as this one but it has a wider area, the floors are made of the finest marble and the pillars are intricately carved in the image of a dragon. It is also surrounded by gardens which blooms beautifully during spring.’ You explained.

It must be an Eden there and to leave her own home to be wed to me must not be an easy task for her, she must miss her home… Arslan thought to himself. Seeing his face etched with worry, you decided to calm him down. ‘Fear not, Your Highness. I will be able to adapt myself to my new surroundings. Yes, I do miss my home but I think I’ll be thrilled to explore these lands which are foreign to me, it will distract me.’ The smile you gave him calmed him down but he was still uncertain if you would be able to withstand the harsh nature of this place.

For the next few days, you entertained Arslan with stories from your homeland in which he has taken an immediate liking to and has requested you to be by his side wherever he goes. You showed him how you passed your time in the palace, playing chess, playing instruments, reading books and literature works from famous writers, arranging flowers, drawing and calligraphy. He had not expected you to master the art of warfare but it surprised him even more that you could wield both a sword and a bow.

Today, Arslan is away in Peshawar citadel to check on his troops and making sure the Sindhurans aren’t invading from the east. You sat by the balcony, enjoying the cool spring breeze that blows into your hair. Even though he’s not in Ecbatana, you missed him dearly. It’s been the third week since you’re staying here, you’ve been keeping count of the days since you’ve arrived.

Sighing, you made your way to the studies only to find Gieve there. Strange, he never comes in here unless Farangis is. You ignored him and picked out a book to read after choosing a spot by the huge window to get better lighting. It was uncomfortable being watched but you concentrated on what you were reading.

By the time Arslan came back, it was already time to sleep, you were so tired from reading all those books that you could barely keep your eyes open. You found yourself alone in the library by the time you realized it was night, it was eerie and you decided to go back to your chambers. Walking along the empty corridor, you shivered and the hairs behind your neck rose, something isn’t right.

You heard footsteps behind you, each step becomes louder, heavier and faster. You were so scared, thinking it was a ghost coming after you that you broke into a sprint despite wearing a robe. Curse this robe! It’s hindering my movements! You yelled internally. A hand finally grabbed your shoulder and turned you around, your heart was punching at your ribcage because of the adrenaline coursing through your veins, it was only Arslan.

You broke down and sat on the floor, tears streaming down your face. ‘I-I apologize … I called out to you but you didn’t hear me…’ He was shocked to see you cry and hugged you in hopes of calming you down. ‘F-For a moment there, I thought it was some malicious spirit who caught me…’ You managed to say your sentence, trying not to choke on your tears. Your legs trembled and you couldn’t even walk properly.

Arslan noticed this and carried you bridal style to your room, no matter how much you protested about not wanting to let anyone see you like this, he was still persistent on carrying you back to your room. You enjoyed this moment of silence as he carried you, leaning into his shoulder and felt his heart beating against his broad chest.

Arriving in front of your chambers, you requested him to set your down, saying it was fine and that, you didn’t want to scare the handmaidens inside. Arslan was reluctant to do so but he complied with your wishes, he wants to marry you almost immediately but according to traditional laws, he has to wait for at least two months for his bride-to-be to get used to the palace. Every day, he’s counting down the days left when he could make you his.

You brought him back to reality as you gave him a peck on your cheek, blushing as you did so. ‘To express my gratitude for carrying me all the way back to my chambers.’ You stated and quickly went inside. Arslan stood dumbfounded outside but his heart leapt with joy, he now knows that you too, had the same feelings as he does.

The long awaited day has arrived and the subjects of Pars from all over the kingdom came to witness the holy matrimony between two influential people, the union between two great kingdoms. There were girls who cried because the handsome prince is now married to you and they didn’t stand a chance to be with him, when you saw them, you felt pity for them.

‘Finally, we’re together now…’ Arslan whispered in your ear, giving you that smile that made butterflies flutter around in your stomach. ‘How long have you been having these thoughts on marrying me? I’ve heard from your subordinates that you were known for rejecting other princesses, so why me?’ You asked, wanting to know the answer.

‘Usually, I just observe them when I eat with them and most of them couldn’t stand the spicy taste of the food. They kept complaining about it, I figured I wanted someone who could accept my culture and who sees me as I am, not my status as the crown prince.’ He explained. You’ve never looked at Arslan as the Prince of Pars but rather, as a man who’s worthy of your hand.

‘What about you? I’ve heard you’re rejected quite a number of suitors as well.’ He played with your hair. ‘Are we really going to spend the whole night talking about the people we rejected?’ You laughed, hitting his arm lightly. ‘Well, I’m curious to know and you already know I’m a patient and persistent man.’ He smirked.

‘*sigh* They are either too old, too young, too arrogant or too childish. I want someone who can meet my expectations and will not judge me for the things I like, I prefer learning the things a man does than the palace etiquettes which bores me to death.’ Truly, you’re the only princess who can be both feminine and masculine at the same time and he adores that.

One year later, you gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl. Arslan brought you and his newborn children to meet his parents, the former king and queen—Andragoras III and Tahamine. Their expressions were hard at first but softened when they saw their grandchildren.

Pars flourished and returned to its’ former glory under Arslan’s rule when he became king after the wedding, the people loves both you and him. There were days when you would fight with him but you couldn’t bring yourself to stay mad at him for so long and he would always give in to you, everything is perfect living with a loving husband and playful children. You just want to stay like this forever.