Emmaline sat straight at the table, trying to push the anger down and keep a straight face. She was still extremely upset, but she knew things would not be good if he defied her father in front of Emil.

Emil still looked confused and concerned at the tension in the room, but stayed quiet none the less. He was still sat on the right side of the King, Emmaline next to him. Emmaline was grateful for Emil's silence, because she knew that if someone brought it up she would explode.

Emmaline's father began talking to Emil about something uninteresting, so Emmaline tuned him out again. She didn't care if he started talking to her and she didn't notice, Emil already knew of her flawed politeness, there was no point to pretend she was better than she was.

"Emmaline!" Her father hissed at her and she puts her fork down slowly, almost making the mistake of slamming it down.

"Yes, father?" She responds, and it comes out slightly more venomous and cold than intended. Her father narrows his eyes and she almost shrinks back and apologizes, but instead just stares back. Oh well, damage is already done. She thinks. Can't go back now, there's no point in sucking up.

"I asked you a question." He tilts his head in a challenge, but Emmaline doesn't fold.

"I didn't hear it." She raises her eyebrows, purposefully leaving the reflexive apology out of her retort.

"I asked you what you were doing in your room today." He says, eyes burning with anger.

"I was writing." She answers curtly.

"I called for you."

"I didn't hear you."

"I sent your sister in to get you."

"Then I didn't hear her."

The King's grip on his fork tightened, glaring at his eldest daughter. Elizabeth was glancing Emmaline and their father with wide eyes, quietly kicking Emmaline under the table as a warning to back down, which Emmaline ignored and continued to glare at the King.

Emmaline's mother's usually collected and polite expression has dissolved into an expression of disbelief, unsure if she should step in or not.

Emil was visibly uncomfortable, his usual smile gone from his face. He had his eyes fixed on his plate, refusing to look at either of them. Emmaline didn't blame him, the tension in room was quickly rising, she didn't know how long it would be until one of them snapped.

The King still hadn't responded to Emmaline, just had his lips drawn into a tight line. Emmaline should be scared but her anger and stubbornness was drowning out any other emotions.

He finally stands up and sets his napkin down on the table, eyes never leaving Emmaline's.

"Excuse us." He says coldly and walks down to the end of the table, placing his hand on Emmaline's back to push her out of the hall with him.

He keeps walking until they reach his study and he pushes the door shut behind them, almost slamming it.

"What are you doing?!" He seethes, taking a step towards me.

"I'm answering your questions," I snap back and he keeps walking forward. I almost step back out of instinct, but I force myself to stay in place.

"You are blatantly disrespecting me in front of the man you are to marry, who, might I remind you, has yet to propose!" He raises his voice slightly, but not enough to be heard in the dining hall. "He still has time to back out, and I would not blame him if he did!"

"Why? Do I disappoint you father?" Emmaline tilts her head mockingly, practically spitting venom.

"I don't think you want the answer to that question." He hisses, but regret flashes in his eyes when he sees Emmaline's expression drop.

There's a few seconds of silence where the two stand in front of each other, chests heaving from the argument, before Emmaline spins on her heels and marches back to the dining hall.

"Emmaline-"

"Excuse me, I have to finish my food." Emmaline cuts him off coldy, not even glancing back.

Emmaline strides into the dining hall, her sister looking up at her in concern. Emil reaches to pull her chair out for her, but Emmaline slaps his hand away and does it herself. Her mother gapes at her for a moment before opting to just stare down at her plate and attempt to ignore the scene.

Emmaline stabs her chicken with her fork and eats it, refusing to see the looks Emil and Elizabeth are giving her.

The King storms back into the hall, running a hand through his hair to smooth it down a bit. He sits back down into his chair, eyes boring into Emmaline's head.

Emmaline can feel his stare, but she refuses to look up at him. He either wanted to apologize or berate her further, neither of which Emmaline was going to entertain.

"Emmaline," Elizabeth calls softly, and the girl looks up. "Could you hand me the butter?"

"Of course," Emmaline smiles with fake sweetness and passes it to her, surprising the others. Emmaline goes back to her food, not responding when her father subtly tries to get her attention.

"Emil, please accompany Emmaline to the library, she has to pick out new books for the month." The King switches tactics, deciding to give Emil orders instead of Emmaline.

"Yes, your majesty." Emil responds and stands, holding out his arm to help Emmaline up. He looks back to the King nervously when Emmaline doesn't get uo, instead continuing to eat.

"Emmaline." The King snaps, quickly losing his temper.

"Emmaline, please." Emil whispers, growing fearful of the consequences the girl's continued defiance would earn her.

Emmaline sighs and sets down her fork, placing her hand in the crook of Emil's arm and standing up. They walk out of the hall and Emmaline drops his arm a soon and walks to the stairs as they're out of eyesight.

"Emmaline, we're supposed to go to the library." Emil points awkwardly in the other direction, quickly going after her when she doesn't turn around. "Emmaline!"

"I'm not going to the library," she says, the anger in her stomach melting into sadness now that her father's words sank in. He was disappointed in her.

"You'll get in trouble if you don't, we need-"

"I don't care!" She yells, tears starting to swell in her eyes, which she angrily rubs away. "I don't care anymore, okay? He can do what he wants, I don't care."

"I do, Emmaline I-"

"Nope. Don't care. I don't care about any of you anymore, all anyone in this family has done is hurt me."

"Emmaline." He finally catches her hand as she goes up the first step. She whips around to see him standing below with pleading eyes. "I can take you away from them. I can- I can take you to Greece! I can do whatever you need to be happy-"

"I don't love you." She snaps, past caring about the hurt in his eyes. She wouldn't entertain these proposals anymore, not when she had someone who she really loves. "I don't love you, and I never will."

"You don't have to, I'll leave you alone if you want, I promise." He continues to try and bargain, voice almost desperate. "I'll marry you, and then you could live in an entirely seperare wing of the castle if you like. I'll never ask for an heir, I can lie and say you're barren. Please, let me help you."

Emmaline stares at him, tears dripping down her cheeks now. She knows that she'd be crazy not to take his offer, it'd give her everything she ever wanted. But now she only wants, needs, one thing. A person, to be specific.

"No. I'm sorry." She pulls her hand out of his grasp, leaving him at the bottom of the staircase as she races to her room.

She reaches her door and pulls on it, only to find it locked. She furrows her eyebrows in confusion, tugging on it a few more times without so much as an inch moving. She hears a throat clear and she spins around to see her father standing with the key to her room in his hand.

"You're not getting this back." He starts, tone and expression deathly calm again.

"I need things from in there." She protests, but he ignores her.

"You have completely humiliated me," he points at her. "You're lucky I'm not doing what I ought to do."

The implications of the sentence sends shivers down Emmaline's spine, but she stands straight and holds eye contact.

"Here is what you are going to do," he tucks the key into his inside pocket. "You are going to go back downstairs, apologize to Emil immediately, tell him you have just been extremely stressed, accept his proposal, and convince him you want this marriage.

Emmaline couldn't do that. She refused to be shipped off with a man she doesn't love her when Anna is here. Anna who she loves, and she hopes loves her.

"And if I don't?"

A silence engulfs the hallway, the two staring at each other. The tension wasn't quite as high as before, since they had both calmed down, but it could easily rise again.

"The eldest daughter of the family is the only one required to marry, but I urge you to remember that the King is able to marry his other daughters off as well if he chooses."

Emmaline's heart dropped at the threat, mouth parting slightly. Elizabeth had always dreamed of marrying a man she loved, an arranged marriage would almost certainly destroy those hopes.

"You wouldn't." Her mouth dried. "Elizabeth is your daughter, you wouldn't make her unhappy."

"Would you be willing to test that?" He raises his eyebrows, and Emmaline's face falls. Of course he would. He was doing it to her right now. Emmaline flattens her expression and looks back at her father

"Elizabeth is safe if I marry Emil?" Emmaline clarifies and he nods. "She'll have the option to marry whoever she wants?"

"Within reason," he confirms and Emmaline takes a deep breath.

The girl walks past her father, standing straight and pushing back tears as she descends the steps again. She can see Emil sitting in a chair in the library, looking slightly dejected.

"Emmaline?" He looks up when she enters the room, standing quickly and staying a few feet away from her, unsure whether to come nearer or not.

"I am sincerely sorry for my outburst earlier." She begins, trying to sound as truthful as she can. "I have been under immense stress, and I was out of line."

Emmaline swallows and prepares to force out the worst sentence she despises the most.

"Please forgive me, I would love to marry you."

Emil stares at her in disbelief for a few moments, taking a few steps closer.

"What? You were just yelling at me."

"I know, I just haven't been myself lately. Please forgive me." she repeats, tears brimming in her eyes at the prospect of marriage. Luckily, Emil misinterprets them as tears for his forgiveness, and he takes her hand.

Emmaline ignores the urge to pull it away, and lets him pull her into a hug. While Anna's hugs feel like the safest and warmest place Emmaline has ever known, Emil's hug feels like a cage. A cage chaining her to a life of hiding and unhappiness.

"I forgive you." He whispers, and Emmaline sees her father standing in the hallway behind them, giving her a nod of approval.

"You really want to marry me?" He questions and Emmaline nods, forcing a smile onto her face. Emil smiles back brightly and pulls away. "I promise I'll make you happy. I know you don't love me, and I can't make me love me, but I'll do my best to make you happy. I promise."

Emil pulls her in for a kiss, and Emmaline almost runs away, but swallows her sadness and anger and relents.

Anna's kisses make Emmaline feel like she's floating on clouds, absolutely melting into her touch as butterflies swarm in her stomach.

When Emil kisses her, Emmaline feels nothing.

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I hope you liked this chapter! I'm excited for the plot points to come *evil laugh*

Love you all lots!