Joan

As a princess, you had only one man worthy of your title—Joan. The prince of a neighboring kingdom, perfect in every way. Rumor had it there was nothing he couldn't do. You were convinced of this when you first met: he easily carried on any conversation. But even then, he made it clear he was only interested in you for political reasons. His kingdom needed a queen and an heir, nothing more. That's why you didn't want marriage. What did you care about the fate of the kingdom if you faced a miserable life of loneliness?

During a walk in the royal garden, you apologized and said you would ask for this marriage to be annulled because you wanted love. Joan changed instantly. His brows furrowed, his gaze dangerous. Coming close, he whispered:

"If you refuse... I'll make sure you're alone for the rest of your life. You have no idea how important this marriage is to me. I won't let you ruin it."

His hand tightened around your neck, increasing the pressure until you felt the need to breathe. You didn't notice how he lifted you. A moment later, he let go. You fell, breathing heavily, your arms reflexively wrapping around your neck.

Joan leaves you and goes to the palace to see your parents. When you return, he's already drinking tea with them and laughing. You're overcome with rage. The only thing you remember is how your parents praised him, repeating how lucky you were to have the "perfect man." He looked at you with a fake smile, as if nothing had happened. Now you stand before the altar, having already promised to love each other. Joan embraces you in front of everyone. One of your arms rests on his shoulder, the other wraps around his back. There's applause all around, everyone celebrating the wedding. But your heart is heavy. You rest your head on his shoulder, thinking:

He's my man… and I love him like nobody else…

"Can you at least pretend to be happy?" he whispers angrily. "This isn't some fairy tale about love."