37 - Fiancee
For several long seconds after the Holy Knights withdrew a few steps, no one inside the modiste dared speak. The tension lingered in the air like the fading echo of thunder.
Five armored warriors from the Luminaris Chapel stood near the entrance, clearly uncertain how to proceed. The priest accompanying them looked deeply troubled.
Meanwhile, the noblewomen who had originally come to admire dresses now stood clustered together in silent shock. They had expected a spectacle. But not this. In the center of the room, Mariana still stood beside the Crown Prince. Her hands were trembling. War.
The word still echoed inside her mind. Her brain felt overloaded. First the Church called her a Saintess. Then the Crown Prince threatened war on her behalf. Then her mother supported it.
She was one panic attack away from collapsing into the display rack of summer gowns. Zafiel noticed immediately. Of course he did. He turned slightly toward her. The sharp edge that had been present in his gaze moments earlier softened.
His expression shifted into something far gentler. Then he smiled. Not the calculating smile he showed the knights. Not the amused one he had used earlier. This one looked... warm.
"Grand Princess," he said quietly. His voice was softer now. Calmer. "You need not worry."
Mariana blinked. Her thoughts had been racing wildly, but his voice seemed to cut through the noise.
Zafiel leaned slightly closer-not enough to scandalize the room again, but enough that only she could hear clearly. "You are safe."
The words were simple. But the confidence behind them was absolute. Mariana stared at him. Her heart was still beating too fast. But strangely, her breathing began to slow.
Meanwhile, across the room, Grand Duchess Darelene watched the exchange carefully. Her brows furrowed slightly. For just a moment, she almost forgot something important.
That the Crown Prince standing beside her daughter was widely known as one of the most dangerous men in the Empire. Right now he looked less like a predator and more like someone gently calming a frightened girl. Darelene's thoughts flickered.
... how strange.
But the moment passed quickly. Because Zafiel straightened again. And turned back toward the Holy Knights. The softness vanished from his eyes.
The Crown Prince walked toward them slowly. Each step deliberate. Each movement controlled. The knights instinctively stiffened again. He stopped a few paces away.
Then spoke calmly. "There is another matter you should be aware of."
The captain frowned slightly. "What matter, Your Imperial Highness?"
Zafiel folded his hands behind his back. "Grand Princess Mariana," he said evenly, "is my fiancée."
The room exploded into gasps.
"WHAT?!"
Several noblewomen nearly fainted. One seamstress dropped an entire tray of pins. Even the Holy Knights looked stunned. Mariana's brain shut down.
Fiancée?
Her head whipped toward Zafiel.
EXCUSE ME?!
Her soul practically left her body.
Meanwhile, Zafiel continued speaking as if he had merely stated the weather. "That means," he said calmly, "she is the future Empress of the Empire."
The Holy Knights exchanged uneasy glances. Because if that statement was true, then this situation had become even more complicated.
Zafiel's voice grew colder. "Which means she will not be subjected to coercion from any religious institution." His amethyst eyes gleamed faintly. "Not now. Not ever."
The captain of the knights bowed his head slightly. "We were not aware of such an engagement."
Zafiel shrugged lightly. "It has not been publicly announced."
Which was technically true. Because it didn't exist. Mariana stood frozen behind him. Her brain continued screaming.
THIS IS NEWS TO ME?!
Zafiel ignored her silent meltdown and continued speaking.
"You should also remember something important." He gestured faintly toward the city outside the modiste windows. "This is Forebros." His gaze returned to the knights. "And beyond Forebros..." He paused slightly. "... lies Clematis."
The name alone carried weight. The Imperial House. The ruling bloodline of the Empire. Zafiel's smile returned. Polite. But sharp.
"Challenging the authority of the Clematis Empire is rarely a wise decision.
" The implication was unmistakable. The captain swallowed subtly.
The Crown Prince continued. "If the Temple of Astrid truly requires the Grand Princess's presence.
.." He tilted his head slightly. "... then you should simply wait. "
The priest frowned slightly. "Wait?"
Zafiel nodded. "Yes." He turned briefly toward Mariana. His gaze softened again. Then returned to the knights. "You seem to need her." His smile widened slightly. "Not the other way around."
The knights fell silent. Because he was correct. If Mariana truly possessed divine power strong enough to interest the Pope himself, then she was valuable. Extremely valuable. Forcing her would be foolish. Alienating her would be disastrous.
Zafiel concluded calmly. "So be patient." His tone grew slightly sharper. "Or you may ignite a conflict neither the Temple nor the Empire desires."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Finally, the captain of the Holy Knights bowed deeply. "We understand, Your Imperial Highness."
He gestured to his men. "We will withdraw for now."
The priest beside him looked reluctant but did not argue. One by one, the Holy Knights turned and began walking toward the door. The crowd parted quickly to let them pass.
When the door finally closed behind them, the entire shop erupted into noise.
"THE CROWN PRINCE IS ENGAGED?!"
"To the Grand Princess?!"
"She's the Saintess AND the future Empress?!"
The seamstresses looked like they might faint from excitement. Mariana, meanwhile, had reached the final stage of mental collapse. Her gaze slowly lifted toward Zafiel.
He turned back toward her. And smiled again. Completely unbothered. As if he had not just created an imperial-level scandal inside a dress shop.