Later that night, Lapis was finally back in her chambers with Blue Pearl getting ready for bed.

"I can't believe mother would just throw something like this on me," Lapis said pacing back and forth.

At the same time Blue Pearl was trying to help Lapis get her corset off.

"Excuse me Lapis. If you could just... wait," Blue Pearl said as she tried to keep up with Lapis as she continued to pace back and forth.

"And she acts like I'm being ridiculous," Lapis said while she continued to pace back and forth. "Oh, sure. I'm sure any gem that was told she's going to marry some stranger she just met, she'd be thrilled. Not. Why did it have to be marriage? I wanted to wait until I'm older and marry someone that I love, not marry some stranger who acts gaga nuts over me."

"Mi La-Lapis!" Blue Pearl exclaimed. "Please hold still."

"Oh, sorry, Pearl," Lapis said sitting down.

"Now," Blue Pearl said unlacing Lapis' corset. "this Garnet fellow may be just as nervous as you are. And who knows? Maybe you could learn like Garnet. Your mother did move the wedding date to a month from now. She did that just for you."

"That was a nice thing to do," Lapis said. "But nonetheless, she still put me in an arranged marriage."

"Well," Blue Pearl said. "I don't think this was your mother's first attempt. This may have been her only option. She just wants to do what she thinks is best for her people."

"But... but I..." Lapis tried to say.

"Yes?" Blue Pearl asked.

"I just can't. I can't love Garnet, and I can't marry him," Lapis said.

"I'm sorry, Lapis," Blue Pearl said. "But neither of us can do anything about it. Just try and give Garnet a chance. Maybe you'll find that you actually like him."

Lapis was just silent and stayed quiet the rest of the night.

The next day, Lapis refused to leave her chambers. And the only gems she allowed inside were Blue Pearl and Peridot.

"Oh, come on, Lapis," Peridot said. She was sitting on the bed next to Lapis in Lapis's chambers. "Surely it can't be that bad."

"Easy for you to say," Lapis said. "It's not like you're supposed to marry Amethyst in a month."

"Oh," Peridot said scratching her neck. "I guess you have a point there."

"Oh, I can't do this," Lapis said getting up off the bed and pacing back and forth.

"Well, maybe if you just try and get to know Garnet..." Peridot said.

"No way!" Lapis exclaimed. "This Garnet seems like a shameless flirt. How can you expect me to come to terms with marrying him?"

"I know it's sudden and all," Peridot said. "But there is nothing any of us can do. So the best thing we can do for now is try and make the best of it."

"Yes. Yes, I know," Lapis said. "But how am I supposed to make the best out of this?"

"Just try and see Garnet as a nice guy," Peridot said.

"But that would be seeing him for something he's not," Lapis said.

"How do you know that?" Peridot asked. "You've barely even talked to the guy."

"First impressions are everything," Lapis said flopping back onto the bed. "I'll never forgive Mother for this."

"She's just trying to do what's best for our people," Peridot said.

"Easy for you to say," Lapis said. "How would you feel if you were in my situation? Would you just accept it and go through with it without feeling awful at all?"

"Well, um..." Peridot went silent. She had no idea what to say next.

"That's what I thought," Lapis said slamming her face into her pillow.

"Lapis..." Peridot tried to say.

"You can go," Lapis mumbled.

"What?" Peridot asked.

"You can go," Lapis said pointing at the door.

"O-o-okay," Peridot said slowly getting off the bed and leaving the room.

Once Peridot was gone, Lapis silently cried into her pillow.

"It isn't fair," Lapis said through her sobs. "It just isn't fair."