There are few days in the year that Aurora hates with as much passion as she does her birthday.

  The celebration takes six months to prepare.

  And she hates every single second of it.

  Ever since she was old enough to realize what exactly the celebration was for, she had despised it. Thousands of nobles make the trip and none spend more than two minutes talking to her before moving on to discuss politics with her parents or -as of the last few years- her brother, leaving her nodding and smiling in the background. The birthday of the esteemed princess of Luden little more than opportunities to curry favour with the King, Queen and King-to-be. It wasn’t like she wanted to talk to the nobles herself, she just wished it wasn’t so obvious she was little more than a stepping stone to her more powerful family members, their disregard clear in every aspect of the ceremonial celebration, even the act of gift-giving. The gifts brought each year are a testimony to how little they know, or care, of her wants or needs. Last year, a Ceran noble had gifted her an elaborate piece of gorgeous, expensive wing jewelry. She hadn’t even known what the damn thing was. But still, she’d had to smile and nod appreciatively as the noble had spent the next fifteen minutes going on about how rare a find it was, eyes fixed hopefully on her mother. Not even her gifts were for her, but opportunities to show off their wealth and connections.

  There was only one gift she had ever received that had genuinely brought her joy.

  “Don’t look now but I think your brother is about to kill Lady Pavian.”

  Speaking of which… Aurora turned around, a smile already on her lips. “Mira!”

  Mira was a gift Aurora had received on her 12th birthday. A tiny slip of a girl she had been then, dark hair pulled back into a severe bun, face gaunt and sallow as she had glared defiantly while the noble talked up his gift. Aurora had been delighted at meeting someone so different. Everyone in Luden was fair, with fair skin, and hair or eyes. It was said to be a leftover gift from Sora, after he had created the country. She had never seen someone like Mira with her dark skin and hair and eyes. A complete opposite from her in every way. It had been the only time she was truly happy with what she had been given and, despite her mother’s concerns, had been quick to appoint Mira as her direct maid servant. That was almost eight years ago. Since then, their relationship had grown and evolved into dear friendship. Best friendship, even. Not like Aurora had any other friends, but even if she did, she couldn’t imagine placing anyone over Mira.

  Mira smiled back at her. “Happy 20th. ”

  Aurora wrinkled her nose, smile dropping. “Don’t remind me. The day is still a blissful five months away and I’m desperately trying to ignore all the hints of marriage talks my mother keeps dropping in every conversation we’ve had this week.”

  Mira hummed as she sidestepped a server. “It could be worse. Remember Lady Estelle? She’s been betrothed to a man twice her age since she was a baby. At least your match will be age appropriate, if not one of love.”

  Aurora sighed wistfully as she stared across the ballroom to a corner where some couples had stolen away to whisper amongst each other, heads bowed together. “Is a love match really out of the question?”

  “Why, Aurora!” Mira gasped theatrically. “Are you in love?”

  Aurora pushed Mira away, trying to hide the blush rising in her cheeks. “Of course not. I’m just saying.”

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  And she wished that were true. However Aurora had long since been resigned to the fact that she had fallen deeply in love with her best friend, which was as cliche as it was impossible.

  She tried desperately to change the subject, “Besides I don’t think my brother wishes for Lady Pavian’s death but rather his own.”

  They both turned towards Lucian, Prince and Heir to the theone of Luden, and Aurora’s brother. He was an attractive young man, with fair hair and dark eyes that had been the subject of many a court lady’s poetry readings. He was currently dressed in formal attire which accounted for why he looked likely to jump out of his own skin. His fingers clutched desperately at the wine glass in his hand, as Lady Pavian, a woman known for her fair face but constantly flapping lips, appeared to talk at great length in his direction.

  “Poor guy,” Mira murmured. “He hates these things.”

  Aurora wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t feel too bad for him. At least people actually expect him to talk at these things. I have as much importance here as the decorations lining the hall.”

  “Oh poor you,” Mira teased. “How terrible it sounds to have to mingle and look pretty.”

  “I do look pretty.” Aurora conceded, a jokingly smug grin on her face as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

  Mira giggled, and opened her mouth to let go of what would undoubtedly have been another teasing remark, but the smile fell quickly off her face as she fixated on something over Aurora’s shoulder.

  Aurora’s eyebrows drew together in concern and she turned to see what had made Mira go quiet.

  It was her mother.

  Of course.

  She was glaring in their direction and as Aurora turned, the glare intensified.

  “Oh Sora no. What on earth does she want now?”

  “I think she might wish for you to come over.”

  “Why? It’s not like she treats me any different from a brick wall whenever I’m around.” But despite her words, Aurora found herself walking there anyways.

  Her mother turned back to the undoubtedly fascinating conversation she was having with the Luden noble in front of her as soon Aurora was in arm’s reach, her hand landing naturally, if forcefully, on her shoulder.

  “…the people are just bored, a wedding would be enough to quell all talks of civil unrest.”

  Aurora tried to hide her grimace behind a tight smile. Great, more wedding talks. She had no idea why her mother was discussing her looming marriage with random nobles. Surely -she ran the unfamiliar face through her memory of potraits she had seen- Lord Valen had better things to discuss with her mother than who she might end up marrying. Last she’d heard, he was happily seperated from his wife, often seen attending parties with his harem of male lovers. His heirs were still children and thus not part of any marriage talks yet. There should be no reason why he would hold any interest in her marriage prospects.

  Regardless, the talks went on. Her attention drifting, she found herself focusing at the end of the ballroom, where Mira had gone to stand with the rest of the servants, a placid smile on her face. Servants, even highly trusted maid-servants to the princess of Luden, were to be seen not heard and Mira was currently doing her best impression of a statue. Aurora liked to think she could tell what Mira was thinking behind the blank look currently on her face. She was probably judging the simpering attentions being bestowed upon her brother, or making bets in her head on how many times a noble lady would burst out into peals of fake laughter, but sometimes, Aurora liked to think Mira was thinking of her. A desperate thought borne out of how often she found herself thinking of Mira during these gatherings.

  The hand on her shoulder tightened and Aurora found herself drawn forcefully back into the conversation, her mother’s eyes glaring down at her even while a tight smile stayed on her lips. “Gone wandering off, did you dear?”

  Aurora adopted a bland smile. “I apologize, mother, you know I have no head for these talks.”

  Lord Valen chuckled. “Quite right. I find them terrible bores myself, it would be so much easier to just stand and smile while other people had all the complicated talks.” He winked at her conspiratorially.

  Her mother chuckled along, although the smile did not quite reach her eyes. “It’s alright, dear. I was just saying how excited you were to meet the Warren royal party.”

  Ah, that was something Aurora had been looking forward to. She nodded along, happy to have something to contribute. “I am very much looking foward to their arrival, they have been something of a mystery for so long. It was a bit of a suprise to hear they were coming, they hardly step out for these gatherings.”

  They both laughed like she had said something particularly funny, Aurora smiled as well though she was confused as to what in her statement had provoked laughter. Oh Sora, she’d die of embarassment if the Warren royal family had always been in attendance and she had never noticed. Just melt right into the ground.

  “Like they’d miss the chance to meet the newest addition to the family,” Her mother said, eyes fixed on her.

  Lord Valen’s laugh petered off into a smile. “The wedding will take place right after the birthday celebration, no? It would be nice for them to have six months to get to know each other.”

  He winked once again in her direction but Aurora was frozen, smile still fixed on her face like the fool she felt like. She hadn’t even known marriage talks had progressed to this extent. She had a fiancé she had never even met. The looming threat of marriage was less looming and more imminent. She would be married and shipped off to Warren in a mere matter of months. Her eyes flew, almost against any input from her brain, to the edge of the ballroom where Mira stood. It no longer mattered whether Mira thought of her as often as she did, it no longer mattered how cliche or impossible her love was. In six months, Aurora would never see her again.

  Lord Valen moved on, other nobles rushing to take his place, a background of laughter and political simpering, while Aurora desperately wished her birthday would never come.