Mirai was spending her time in her family garden. There was a small pond in the center of the garden. Mirai used to sink her feet in its depth while playing to make a daisies-chain. But the winter made the water too cold to be played with and she could not find enough daisies or other flowers since they seemed to be in hibernation. So instead she stood without particular purpose in the middle of the bridge which laid above the pond. She could see herself reflected on the water surface, but the view changed into something else in her mind.

“Ai… actually…,” Mirai stuttered. “I haven’t decided.” She was worried that the prince would spat at her for taking his precious time, instead she heard he answered with the same tone he used before: flat and almost indifferent.

“Then what do you want for calling me tonight?”

Mirai gathered all her courage. No, she was not scared, but nervous. It was the first time she met the prince in person, moreover talked to him. She used to see him from a far distance, as if when there was a royal campaign marched through the city or when she attended the royal festival much for her father insistence; remembering her father gave her a pang in her heart. She always saw the prince with his companions, who most of the time was Captain Nakajima; that was when she concluded that the captain was the prince’s most trusted ally. She ever reflected that Prince Ryosuke was not much taller than her, but somehow he emitted a certain aura which told people that he was not someone to mess with.

“My Lady?” his voice brought her back to the real world.

“Forgive me, Your Highness.” She bowed to apologize. “I… I want to ask some things before I make the decision. I hope you do not mind.”

He eyed her for a second, sent a chill to her spine. “Sure, but…,” he pointed a log not far from where they stood.

“Pardon?”

Caught her confusion, he explained, “I suggest you to sit first since it seems that you have a lot to ask.”

“Oh, right,” she felt a little embarrassed.

She settled herself to sit on the log while the prince chose to stood and lean to the tree across her. It was awkward until he broke the silence.

“So, what is it?”

Mirai organized her thought, recalling the questions she had prepared. “What is the consequence of each decision?”

“For you?”

She shook her head, “No, for everyone, including…you.”

He crossed his arms on his chest, “Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? If you chose to go along, then you’ll have to bear with the palace life and play your role as my… wife.”

“And what is it? I mean… the palace life?”

Mirai swore she saw his eyes narrowed. “What is the life you like?”

She was confused, “The life I like? It’s…,” she smiled remembering all those dreams she ever had. “It is a life in which I can be with the people I love, travelling to places I never know and having great adventures, meeting teachers who will teach me about life, and feeling the happiness of being welcomed.”

She looked up to the prince, “What was it about?”

Much to her surprised, he looked straight to her eyes. “The palace life is… all things against what you just said.”

She gasped. The way he explained with such words and the way he looked at her that time were quite intimidating. A fear crept up into her heart.

“Is… is it that bad?”

“It could be worse.”

Mirai exhaled a long breath then shook her head. “And… if I choose the other one?”

His face returned to be indifferent. He shrugged. “You’ll be free and get the life you want.”

“And the marriage? My family?”

“The marriage will be cancelled… or maybe postponed until they find other candidates for me. And your family… it will be a big chaos. It is king’s order, so the denial will cost your family some courts and the worst is accusation of treachery.”

Mirai shivered. Her nightmare flashed in her mind.

“But…,” the prince continued and Mirai dared to light a little hope. “That will happen if the denial comes from your family. If it comes from me, the result will be different.”

“Wha-what’s the difference?”

The prince straightened himself and walked several steps to the end of riverbank, hands in his pockets. While his back facing Mirai, he said, “If I deny the marriage, the consequence will fall to me, and your family won’t be touched.”

Mirai’s eyes widened. Before she realized, the words flowed, “Why are you willing to go that far?”

Prince Ryosuke turned around. “Don’t jump into conclusion, My Lady. I’m not doing it for nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sure you know politics, aren’t you? You have to consider my privilege as a prince and don’t forget about what I have behind my back.” He smirked.

If it possible, Mirai’s eyes widened more.

“But,” there was a guilt flashed in his eyes, but it vanished in a split of second. “There is possibility that even if I can prevent the courts, it doesn’t mean your family will stand unharmed.”

Mirai sent him a question look.

“What do you think people are going to assume about your family after knowing I reject to marry you?” He led her to the answer she sought. “And it maybe affects the probability of you marrying in the future. Though, for the later, I can help to arrange your marriage with your preferable partner.”

Mirai flinched when hearing his last sentence.

“For the first one, the only one I can do is preventing the news leaks out from the palace. And the advantage we have is that the plan hasn’t been announced to public until next week, so the remaining effect will only reside to how well your family copes with it.”

Mirai tried to absorb all the explanation he gave. It was too much for her and she felt dizzy all of sudden. For some times, the only sound they heard was the night breeze from the other side of the river. While giving Mirai time to think, Prince Ryosuke stared longingly to the sky.

“So,” Mirai pulled the prince’s attention. “The reason you need my answer in three days was that? So that you can execute your plan?”

“Yes.”

“If I choose to run away, the worst that will happen to my family is humiliation?”

“You don’t need to run away, but… yes, a humiliation it is.”

“But you can prevent that, right?” Mirai looked at him hopefully that made him to look away.

“If my plan works, then yes, I can.”

“You are not sure?”

“I am confidence in my plan, but I won’t deny the possibility of unexpected failure even the smallest one.”

Mirai seemed to think for seconds and the prince let her be.

“And if I choose to accept it, my life will not be happy?”

He answered calmly, “It depends on yourself, but I assure you that it will be difficult… to find happiness, because you’ll lose the freedom you love so much.”

“So it will only affect me, right?”

“I don’t think so. If your family love you enough, what will your unhappiness bring them?”

Mirai went silent.

Sounds of heavy footsteps pulled Mirai from her thought. She searched for its source and spotted a figure walked in her direction. She had to shield her eyes from the sun and tried to make out the figure. Once she recognized him, she burst into run toward her intruder. She jumped to his emb