She was so tempted to explicitly refuse the proposal with everyone watching. It was Jihoon, sitting beside her, who whispered in her ear reminding her that her country’s honor was on the line, and he was right. She felt voiceless, even as all eyes turned towards her. She couldn’t express her discontent with the arrangement in front of everyone and embarrass her father.

She gulped down everything that was at the tip of her tongue for her father’s sake. She knew that she would complain to him later– but right now, she did what was expected of her and stayed quiet.

The King continued his speech and Yewon looked down towards her lap, not wanting to catch anyone’s eye at the moment (least of all Prince Jun’s). She felt so betrayed by Jihoon, by her father, by everyone who even thought to make this arrangement without her consent. She felt like she was about to explode from anger.

It didn’t help that Prince Jun had walked over to her table, a charming smile on his face when he held out his hand to her and asked her to dance with him.

“Go on,” her sisters encouraged her. All they saw was a charming, handsome prince from a powerful country, not the man who had once cornered her, touched her body, and was on the verge of violating her.

Her brother nudged her. If only Jihoon knew, he probably wouldn’t be as eager, Yewon thought.

“I’m not feeling very well,” she announced, rejecting Jun’s hand and standing up. “I’m going to my room.”

She walked out of the door and into the halls in a fast walk. A few moments later, she heard footsteps behind her, and she turned to see her brother following her out.

“What do you think you’re doing, Yewon?” Jihoon asked her, as if her were scolding her.

She turned to him and frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew you would react like this.”

“So you announced it publicly, as if that would force me to abide?”

“Yes…”

“I’m not marrying that man! Do you understand?”

“I know it’s hard for you,” her brother said to her. “I wished he chose Nayoung or Kyungwon, but he chose you, and he was so eager…”

“I am not marrying him.”

“No, Yewon. You are marrying him. Because your hand in marriage is price of this alliance with China. Do you understand how powerful Galacia would be with China’s support? Do this for your country…”

“When I was in Solen, Prince Jun cornered me. He began to feel my body in the most licentious way and threatened me if screamed,” Yewon informed her brother. She expected that he would be incensed by what she was saying­. She expected he would call off the marriage in that very instant, and tell her not to worry anymore, that they would certainly not let her marry such a person. But sadly, it was not how it happened. Jihoon did look surprised at what Yewon had revealed, and for a moment it did seem like he reconsidered it.

“Even if he’s not a good man…” Jihoon began, “you have to make the sacrifice.”

Yewon felt her heart drop. Did her brother really say that? Her big brother who had protected her from everything before; who wouldn’t even let a cat near her for fear that cat would scratch her; who had been vehemently against her marriage to Seungcheol because he was afraid that Seungcheol would take advantage of her; who had always been there for her, supporting her in everything: was he really consenting to letting her marry a man like that?

“I can’t believe what you’re saying,” Yewon said to him, hanging open in complete and utter shock.

He looked guilty and explained, “Yewon, you have to understand, this is what will save Galacia. This alliance will write us down in history as the victors of this war! And you will be princess of China; that sounds cool, doesn’t it? I heard they pamper women there…”

“No, I will not marry him!” Yewon snapped at him, her teeth clenched. She felt so completely and utterly betrayed by her brother, so completely dissappointed in him.

“But Galacia…”

“Don’t bring in Galacia to this. This isn’t the way to save Galacia. Ending the war is the way to save Galacia, not making an alliance with the biggest, most powerful empire. That’s how you proliferate the war, not end it! Just make peace with Solen, for crying out loud! Just end the war already. Release the hostages, let me go back to my husband. Stop this silly game you’re playing which is costing so many lives and so much pain and suffering to their families...”

“You have way too much sympathy for Solen,” he told her.

“And you have way too much hatred for it…”

It was only then that it hit her, a realization she had never come to until that moment, until those words slipped out of . Her brother was a chauvinist. His policies were violent and hateful. He was exactly like Jeonghan, but on the opposite side.

She almost laughed at herself. She hated Jeonghan so much for all the suffering he had caused to her countrymen, but here her own brother was, causing the same suffering to Solen. She felt stupid for not realizing it earlier, for somehow believing her brother had some kind of moral high ground over Jeonghan, when both of them were equally bigoted.

“Yewon. I’ll make you an offer. If you marry Jun without protest, I will release that Solenese young man that you identified. I will free him, heal his wounds, feed and clothe him, and then send him on a ship back to his country.”

“I’m not marrying Jun,” she repeated again. Wonwoo’s release was not worth consolidating an alliance with China against Solen.. and it didn’t seem like something Wonwoo would want anyways.

Jihoon clenched his teeth and sighed. “Yewon, I really didn’t want to do this, but you left me no choice." He looked straight at her and said: "if you refuse this marriage, I’ll order the guards to kill him.”

Yewon froze and felt her heart stop beating for a moment. Shocked that he would even think to threaten her with the life of Wonwoo, she couldn’t come up with any appropriate reply.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized again, seeing how horrified she suddenly appeared. “But this is important, and I don’t want your misplaced compassion for the enemy to ruin our chances at a victory. Good day, princess.”

With that, he turned and walked back into the ballroom, leaving Yewon more distressed than she had ever been in her life.

A/N: its short but at least its on time (kinda) lol. I’ll make up for the shortness by MAYBE updating on Thursday (no promises though!)

And by the time I update, our girl would have debuted please give lots of support to our lovely Princess Yehana ♡