The Alliance Marriage Went Wrong

"Your Highness, will you enjoy the feast among us like you always did each year?"

Iria darted her eyes to Arin Helev when she heard the question that the young girl asked the Crown Prince. She was already amazed by how close the people were to their Crown Prince but... he even enjoyed the feast among them?!

Arin Helev bent his knees to match the height of the little girl who won't be more than 10. Then he slightly smiled as he patted her on the head. "Of course. That's a given."

The little girl's smile grew wider and she looked up at the Crown Princess. "Will Her Highness join us too? She is your wife."

Arin chuckled. "I'm not sure. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

The little girl nodded and shifted her small body towards Iria. "Will you join us, Your Highness?"

Iria glanced around and noticed how the people looked at her with hope. She narrowed her eyes at the Crown Prince and saw how he looked at her with an assuring smile. Then she gave in. She was the wife of the Crown Prince, for now. "I would love to," she responded with a slight smile.

Hearing her response, a smile plastered the faces of the people who gathered around them. 'The Crown Princess is kind and thoughtful just like the Crown Prince,' they thought. Their happiness for the peace that the alliance marriage brought instantly grew when they saw for themselves that the new Crown Princess was a great person.

The more the people admired her, the more Iria Alewine felt guilty! She knew very well that the number of people who will be hurt by the truth only increased this way! Why did things become messed up more and more?!

Along with the people, Iria and Arin walked to the ground where the feast was served. They took a seat on one of the benches which were arranged beforehand. Sitting opposite each other, the seats all around them were occupied by the people and still, most of the eyes were on them.

"Shouldn't we go and take the foods from the counter?" Iria finally asked Arin after glancing around for a while. She noticed that everyone picked up their own foods from the counter.

"No need. We -" Arin fell silent when two middle-aged women placed the food on the table between them.

"This is what I'm trying to say," he continued. "Even in the past years, they never allow me to grab the food myself."

Iria tried to speak up but... something caught her attention and that made her speechless! Did the women who brought the foods just ate the food to test them?

Just a while ago, she thought of how easy it must be for the Crown Prince to be poisoned in this situation but... the people test it for him to know if the food was poisoned or not? The two women seemed to be just average citizens.

What will they do if it was really poisoned? They will surely die! Didn't they care about that?!

"Everything's fine, Your Highness," one of the women said, glancing at the couple. "Please enjoy."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bavia," Arin nodded and turned to the other woman. "Mrs. Heron."

"It's our pleasure, Your Highness," the two women said with a smile. Then they bowed and walked away.

Arin remained quiet for a while but when he noticed Iria's flustered face, he slightly smiled. "I didn't tell you all these before. I thought that you won't join me. That's why."

Iria shifted her gaze to the two women who were now sitting with others to enjoy the feast. "They look like an average housewife."

"They are."

She turned to the Crown Prince when she heard his response. "What if the foods were poisoned?" She thought of how the Princess was poisoned and it made her squeezed her dress. "Aren't they afraid?"

Arin picked up the spoon and ate one of the dishes served before him. "I almost died 5 years ago," he paused and added, "In this place."

Iria raised a brow and narrowed her eyes at the food. "Poison?" she asked.

The Crown Prince nodded. "I was lucky to survive. Everyone believed that I won't make it." He briefly glanced at the people before he turned back to Iria. "When the people realized that I still plan to join them when the next year annual tournament arrived, they don't allow me to eat the food unless they make sure that it isn't poisoned.

"I protested as I don't want to put any of the people in danger just for my sake. They aren't even soldiers, why should they do it? That's what I thought," Arin said and laughed. "But do you know that people are undefeatable if they unite? That's what happened. I lost to them."

Arin took a deep breath and then smiled. "It's funny, right? How can a mere housewife and subject be brave enough to test the food while knowing that I was poisoned before? I still couldn't understand even now."

Iria quietly stared at Crown Prince Arin as the latter talked about his story. "I think I understand." The words unconsciously escaped her lips.

"You do?" Arin asked with a subtle smile on his lips. "I used to think that it must be because my mother is a commoner, just like them."

"Do you really think that way?" Iria asked. Didn't he know that he was the most unique among the royals? If royals were gems, he would be the rarest gem!

Arin nodded but he simply turned away again. "Then do you now understand why my dream is to create a better world for these people? It's because they deserved it. I don't even do much for them but the love I received from them is too much. I always feel burdened, wondering how to pay them back."

He paused and continued by saying, "That's why I promised to give them a better life. That's the best way to repay them."

Iria Alewine wondered if this was the reason why someone like him accepted the alliance marriage willingly. For his people? Because he felt indebted?

She recalled how he could even call the two women by their names and how much the people love and admired him. Arin Helev... he truly was the people's Crown Prince!

When she was thinking of these, Arin looked at her and pointed his chin at the food. "You should eat. Today, you received even more attention than me." He chuckled at his own words and continued eating again.

After quietly gazing at him for a while, Iria finally lifted the spoon and started eating the dishes.....