"Come in!"

Jemma closed the door behind her, as silent as possible, trying to hold back tears. I ran to her, and enveloped her in a warm hug.

"What happened?" I whispered soothingly,

"Mum arranged a marriage for me with some prince from another kingdom. Skye, I'm leaving." The dam broke and her tears streamed freely down her rosy cheeks. I stepped back from her embrace in shock.

"Mom? How could she do such a thing? And how could dad let her? You're his favorite after all."

"Skye, this is not the time. You must help me find a way out of this!"

"You don't think I have other things to worry about? Look Jemma, maybe once you're gone, mom and dad will remember that they have two daughters, not just one."

I spat these last few words. Jemma looked horrified. She fled the room in tears, but I felt no pity. As the door slammed shut, I fell back onto my bed and groaned:

"Sisters."

"Jemma? Are you ready yet?"

"No Father." Jemma's voice sounded confident, and incredibly stubborn. From where she sat, unmoving on her bed, I could tell she would not be cooperative.

"We're leaving at sunrise, so you better hurry up and collect your-"

"No father. I am not going." She said sternly, she meant it, the evidence is in the way she held her ground. This was rare, and she almost always had her way. Defeated, I sat with her on the bed. Her facing the wall, and I the window.

"What's bothering you?"

"What do you think father? You're sending me away to marry a man I've never met before, all because our kingdom will profit? You are asking me to sign my life away for your own benefit, not to mention to leave behind everyone I care about…"

"Fitz?" I interrupted,

"You don't think I noticed how happy you were growing up with him by your side, and how you look at him; as if he were so much more than a servant? I'm not blind Jemma, I know love when I see it." Jemma finally breaking free of her stare at the wall, turned her head and looked at me.

"Well if you knew that I love him then why are you forcing me to marry another man?" Jemma took a breath, and realisation hit her. "This was mum's plan wasn't it?"

"Jemma, your mother loves you, but you have to realise; our kingdom is in great debt and marrying you would bring us out. If that were to happen our kingdom would be stronger than ever. The other kingdom has a powerful army and to withdraw from this marriage would surely make us their enemy."

"So I could withdraw from the deal?" Jemma's hopeless expression suddenly lifted into one of newfound hope.

"Well, yes, but at a great cost. So many people could be killed should their army attack. This isn't a decision to take lightly. I know you love Fitz, but you have to think of the people."

"If Prince William truly cared for me, would he not have sent for me himself? This is not love father. And as much as you want this to work for the good of the kingdom, I feel uneasy. I worry that once I am in their possession, they will have power over you. If they are threatening to attack, why have they waited? This marriage does not benefit them at all, they will someday decide they want more from you. And they will use me to get it. I've thought long and hard about this, and this is my decision. I'm not going." She said the last words with passion.

As much as I didn't want that to be true, I couldn't help but fear that agreeing to their terms could end in tragedy. I"m locked in; if I say yes I could lose my daughter and possibly my kingdom, but if I say no the consequences could be devastating.

"Jemma, this is an impossible decision for me to make. No king should be forced to choose between kin and kingdom. If I call off this wedding, you must understand this. You are next in line for the throne. If they attack, and I fall, you will have to return the kingdom to the way it was."

"Thank you so much father, while I know it will never come to that, I'm fully prepared to do whatever it takes to keep our kingdom safe." She got up from the bed, hugged her father, and ran out the door, surely to tell Fitz the good news.

Dear King Phillip,

We have received your correspondence, but I am afraid you've made a grievous mistake. You promised a marriage, and having broken that promise, we are forced to retaliate.

Kind Regards,

King Robert I