Following behind Diana, Marcus was led back to Mrazivy's private box where she had been recuperating after losing to Wyatt.
It had only been a few hours since then and Marcus was wondering how Mrazivy was handling it.
He doubted that she expected to lose, and it was a misjudgment on both of their parts to think that nothing in their plan was going to go awry.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Diana knocked on the door loudly before saying, "I have brought Lady Irene as request."
She then opened the door and Marcus saw Aria sitting on the couch in the room, though Mrazivy was hidden from view as she was laying down.
"Please come on in Irene." Aria said as she turned around to look at Marcus.
Walking in Marcus felt like there was a lump in his throat as he went around to the other side of the couch to face Mrazivy.
When he saw her his metaphorical heart dropped, since she had eyes that practically looked dead and were devoid of hope.
"Great Grandmother, thank you for taking care of me, but would you mind leaving us alone."
With a bit of concern in her expression Aria looked down at Mrazivy and then at Marcus.
If it was before she had learned what he truly was she would not have felt any hesitation to this request, but now.
'No, it should be fine. Gwyneira told us that they are a transmigration and do not follow the normal logic for a monster. Anyway, they have already spent plenty of time together, so it is unlikely that now something will happen. However just to be safe.'
After casting a listening spell behind her back, Aria, got up and left the room as Mrazivy had asked, though she planned on keeping tabs on the situation just in case.
Once everyone else had left and the door had been closed, Mrazivy who had become emotionless let the dam break and began crying profusely.
Before moving to sit down next to her Marcus switched his form back over, since he had been in his original identity when they first became friends and thought it would be more comforting this way.
He then pulled Mrazivy into his embrace and let her cry while trying to put her at ease her.
He had done this for Lilia a number of times, but he had never once thought he would need to do it for Mrazivy who always seemed so strong.
Petting her head Marcus did his best to calm Mrazivy down, but her tears kept coming and he could really not blame her.
"I know you are sad Mraz, and you have every right to be, but this is not over yet. You cannot go giving up hope right now, it does not suit you."
However, as much as Marcus was trying to console Mrazivy, she felt like all the doors in her life had been shut and her only way forward was misery.
"Of course, it is over, I lost. My father is going to force me to marry that sick pig. Do you not see, my life is over." Mrazivy said as her despair turned to anger and she began half heartily hitting Marcus.
Grabbing her hands Marcus stopped Mrazivy from continuing to hit him and looked her in the eyes with a kind smile.
"I am sure there is a way for you to get out of this. If your father saw how opposed you are to marrying Marquis Krenston's son and how depressed it would make, he might reconsider."
Calming herself down a bit after looking a Marcus' kind expression and seeing how much he wanted to help her, Mrazivy tried her best to put on a smile and said, "No my father was raised to be the ruler of the kingdom and he always does what is best for it, even at the expense of his family. He would rather consolidate the crown's power in Loursend through marriage than make sure I am happy. If he had to choose between burning all of us at the stake or letting the kingdom fall to ruin, he would light he fire himself with no hesitation."
Mrazivy then let out a pitiful laugh at this, thinking about how she had begged her father to not force her marriage with Krenston's son and his firm stance that it was going to happen.
Frowning a bit Marcus could understand the king's reason, and while they may have made him an impeccable ruler, they certainly made him a lousy father.
Thinking about other options, Marcus said, "If it is really that bad could you not just leave. Renounce your title as a princess and go to some other nation and live out your life as an adventurer.
"Hee, hee. I wish it were that easy. Do you think the adventurer's guild would be willing to damage their relationship with an entire kingdom just for my sake? No, they would tie me up in a bundle and ship me right back home and any freedom I might have left would be taken away. Running away would just make me a fugitive just like you and your companion, except I cannot change my appearance and disappear whenever I want."
"Fine, what if instead of the reward offered to me for winning the tournament, I asked for your engagement to be broken off."
Stopping her self-deprecating laughter, Mrazivy looked at Marcus seriously and said, "Why would you go that far. And even if you did, I doubt it would change my father's mind. It would have no value for him to do so."
Nodding his head Marcus understood what she was saying and after letting out a deep sigh said, "Then I could always give myself over after winning the tournament. I can become a new royal forgemaster, and as the winner of the tournament would that not give the kingdom some more prestige. I am sure that the weapons and armor I can make for the kingdom are worth far more than slightly better relations with Loursend. Heck I can ever fight on the front lines or delve into dangerous areas to collect valuable resources, whatever it takes."
Looking up at Marcus in disbelief Mrazivy said, "There is no way I can let you do that. You are basically saying you would become a slave to the kingdom. That would just mean that you are transferring my suffering over to yourself. Do you think it would make me happy to be free in exchange for your misery?"
"Do not worry about it, I have all the time in the world. Remember I am a ghost, so what is a hundred years or so of service to a kingdom I find comfortable. While I did not plan on staying here forever, it is a pretty nice place to settle down. So even if I have to hold off on my plans for a century or even a millennium, it is fine as long as you are able to live your life how you want." Marcus said with a reassuring smile.
With tears welling back up in her eyes Mrazivy began shaking her head violently and said, "No that is too much. I know we are friends, but this is well beyond just helping me out. You do not have to do this, our plan already failed so it is fine to give up. I was born a princess and knew that at some point I would be asked to do my duty, even as much as I wanted to be an adventurer like in the tales of my ancestor Boreas."
Then with a resigned expression Mrazivy said, "You have already done so much for me Marcus, just let my fate take its course."
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