Own nothing. Sorry, I know this is sad, but arranged marriages tend to be.
.
.
.
Kat knocked on the door of her fiancée's study, her heart racing. How could this be so terrifying? Three words, just spit them out.
Alek opened the door, looking mildly surprised. "Ekaterina? Um, good morning."
"Good morning. May I come in? I'd like to talk."
"Of course." She followed him into the dark wood paneled room, sitting on a deep red couch he gestured to. "Is there a problem? You look very worried."
"I just wanted to say... I- I..." This was so hard, isn't love supposed to be easy and happy? "Ya tebya liubliu!" Oh God, that was definitely not German.
She could practically see the gears turning behind his green eyes. He was very good at languages; he would not forget his Russian classes in a hurry.
"You... love me?" he asked, with a strange expression. Kat buried her face in her hands.
"Y-yes... I just thought I should tell you, as we're to be married and all!" Not that it mattered, in an arranged marriage.
Then Kat did something that shocked herself. She swore.
"I don't want to be an empress! I want to be Kat!"
"I think I understand. Sometimes I still can't believe what has happened to the world, all because of me."
"Please, let's just... run away! Run away and be Kat and Alek!" He shook his head sadly.
"Our countries need us. I have a duty to Austria."
"Alek, do you love me?"
"Yes." He wasn't meeting her eyes.
That's a lie. You know it's a lie. Oh, but it would be so easy, beautifully easy, to pretend he means it. Truth... It does nothing but hurt me, a million cuts. If only I could live a lie.
It's like the stories of old, the maiden sacrificed for her kingdom. She was Andromeda, and she felt the waves at her feet and manacles at her wrists, chaining her to a rock named Russia. I know what must be done. The maiden, young, tragic, and dead. A pagan martyr, almost. For the greater good.
"Oh! I'm so happy, dearest Alek." She kissed his cheek, so he couldn't see the pain in her eyes. He embraced her, stiffly, pretending to be happy, but not as skillfully as her.
In the background, the sea monster roared for blood. Ekaterina faced it with an icy smile, and something close to courage.