The morning dawned bright and clear, and Kagome nearly leapt from her bed in excitement. She was one day closer to marrying Prince Akitoki, and today, they'd finally get some time to themselves.
He was always so busy—running a kingdom would do that—and though she wanted for nothing, the loneliness that clawed at her throat every evening left her raw and empty. She never let it show, of course. It would do her no good to be anything but grateful, and one of the reasons he'd chosen her from a long line of other princesses was because of her smile.
She hadn't gone looking for him or even to get married, but her sister had dragged her to a neighbouring ball at the request of their parents. It was bad enough that she spent most of her time in the gardens, sketchbooks filled with various herbs and their properties, but creating a regiment for the nearby forest animals had garnered her some odd looks, and her parents had begun to worry.
Their kingdom was small compared to Akitoki's, but their blood was just as blue, and they'd almost sagged in relief when he'd spotted her gazing at the floral decorations adorning the windows, offering her a bloom before asking her to dance. She'd thought nothing of it, assuming he was one of the palace guards, but a crack about the royals spending too much time on building a new wing to the castle instead of those forced into the menial labour had him laughing.
He'd introduced her to his parents, remarking how refreshing her company was, and it wasn't until she'd noticed the crown jewels atop his mother's head that she'd realized his identity. He'd told her not to worry about it, several times, actually, and to enjoy herself now that she would be living in the castle.
He'd wanted to marry her on the spot, and it had taken much convincing before he'd relented in allowing them a proper courting. She wasn't going anywhere, had happily accepted his engagement, but the last year had been tumultuous, the sudden death of the king and queen putting off any wedding plans.
Kagome sighed as she got dressed, her initial vigour dissipating. She'd tried to tell the healers that they required a combination of herbs, but they'd brushed her off, stating a princess should be seen and not heard. The sickness that had claimed the lives of Akitoki's parents had been severe, but if they'd allowed her to travel back to her own kingdom, she was sure she could've saved them.
Kagome had used her status and influence as a means of making sure her voice was heard. The nobles in her own kingdom knew better than to ignore her knowledge of botany, but every occupation in Akitoki's castle was held by multiple people, leaving her with nothing but a title and her boredom.
She'd never known that to be a burden until now.