Aurelius

Your parents, the kings and queens of neighboring kingdoms, were close friends, but the same could not be said for you. You, as an only child and princess of your kingdom, often visited Aurelio, the son of the rulers of the neighboring kingdom. They believed that people of their station were best able to understand each other. Thus, they became close and found solace in each other. Soon after Aurelio's birth, your mother became pregnant with you, and you were born a year apart, the younger of the two.

You and Aurelio only brought your parents closer together, who were now raising you together, which you weren't happy about. Unlike them, your relationship was anything but friendly—as children, you were constantly arguing and even fighting. Your parents tried to make you friends, but only playful threats like denying you dessert worked. As adults, you learned to pretend to get along, but in private, your feud flared even more.

So you turned 18, and Aurelio turned 19. You still visited each other, but the hostility remained. To those around you, you were friends, though in reality, you despised each other. You kept it to yourself in front of your parents, so as not to ruin their friendship, because you loved them like second parents.

And yet, whenever someone allowed themselves to be slighted, you always stood up for each other, believing that only you were allowed to tolerate such behavior. Trouble or misfortune would briefly bring you closer together, forcing you to forget your feud.

One day, you were strolling through the garden with Aurelio at your parents' insistence. You exchanged barbs until the butler called you into the banquet hall. Such meals were not uncommon.

You walked down the hallway, ignoring each other, and, stopping at the door, were about to enter when Aurelio stopped you and gestured for silence. You froze, hearing his parents' voices through the door:

— Do you think they will be happy about the news that they are marrying each other?

You didn't feel anger, only a strange calm. Leaning against the door, Aurelio said quietly:

• Do you hear? They want to marry you to me.