Rose was in my room in Arashi's wings as she cried some more.

She was sad and I didn't know what to do her to help.

I knew what I did wasn't the way I could help her. Prince Daichi could tell that I forcefully took her here and moreover, I had slapped him. He could blame Arashi for that and it would be my fault.

I was in a bigger mess I could ever think of. And I couldn't tell Arashi about it either.

Because we weren't talking to each other...

Rose asked, "Prince Rian angry?"

I shook my head and said, "He won't get angry, I hope..."

Then she looked at me with horrified face, "But sister Bianka... slapped."

I gave her a nervous chuckle. Well, I was aware of that too...

I said, "Let us eat something..."

And I ordered some food for both of us. Lately I was so hungry that I wanted to eat or munch each second. Maybe I was too much worried of everything...

The maids came with the good as we both started to eat.

I was trying to know what happened to her house. Why did she said that she had no home.

Well, I was aware that after getting married we were expected to stay in our husband's house for the rest of our lives. Even if a woman could get the home her father had, people didn't like that law and it wasn't followed at all. They still looked for a man to inherit their properties. It was either their own sons or their daughter's husband.

So, if that happened Rose likely didn't have a home since Prince Daichi was had her father's territory.

It was cruel that even if she wanted to leave, she couldn't.

We spent more time and soon Rose had fallen asleep on my bed. She looked so tired and weak that I didn't want to wake her up.

Shin and Yoshi came in the room as I asked, "Yes?"

"Err... Prince Rian asked you to come...in his chamber." They said as I nodded.

I knew he had already known what happened and no matter how much I didn't want to talk to him right now, I needed to go see him.

I left Rose in my room and asked Shin, "Shin, can you stay outside of the room for a watch?"

He nodded and stayed as I went with Yoshi.

I wasn't talking much as Yoshi said, "News came from the mission..."

I halted and looked at him with wide eyes. I asked, "What happened to Kairo and Hans?"

Yoshi said, "Well, I am not supposed to tell you anything but I can assure that they are one rank upper than us so, I don't think they could be easily defeated."

I asked, "What's your rank?"

"In terms of skills, both Shin and I am rank A." He said and although I had no clue what that meant.

I nodded with a confused face and asked, "What's their rank?"

"S."

I was more confused. Was that good or bad?

I asked, "Does Hiroshi have any rank?"

He nodded and said with a proud face, "He and Koji are double S (SS)."

"So, everyone has ranks?" I asked.

Yoshi said, "Well, these ranks are given based on our skills and if we honed our skills, we could rank up."

I nodded and I was curious if Arashi had any rank.

He might have gotten my thoughts as he smirked and said, "Well, Prince Rian is above all of us so... He is obviously not a double S."

I nodded but I didn't ask. Why did I have to know his rank?

I grumbled at my own thoughts and said, "Okay, so, what does he want to talk about?"

He shook his head. "I am afraid, I don't know."

We started to walk and as soon as I came before his chamber, my heart started to thump. I knew he was going to scold me...

Shin announced my arrival as the men outside of his door opened the door. He was sitting there alone as he said with a deep voice, "Yoshi, stay outside. I guess, your princess and I need to talk."

And the way he gave me a cold glare made my feet frozen. Even Shin and the men who were guarding his door gulped.

Yoshi nodded and stepped back immediately as he felt the dark miasma coming out of Arashi. Even I felt the chilling atmosphere surrounding him.

I made a strong face but inside my heart was jumping around my chest. I went inside as the doors were closed behind me and now we were alone.

He placed the scroll on the table as he glared at me and I averted my eyes.

"Sit there..." He said with cold voice.

I said, taking a step back, "I—I am fine here..."

"I said sit." He hissed as I immediately sat on the chair before him and he placed his elbows on the table.

He asked, "What did you do in the garden?"

Cold sweat formed on my forehead as I said, "Wh—wha—what are saying? What did I do?"

"You know what you did."

"I only took Rose with me..."

"You did, didn't you?" He asked as his glares intensified.

I said, "It is not a crime to take her with me if she isn't feeling well..."

"But you do know hitting or slapping Prince Daichi is a crime..." He said as I froze.

He knew! Of course, he would! Now what? Was I going to get annihilated?

My heart pumped in my ears as I looked everywhere but him.

I said, somehow finding my voice, "He—he was being disrespectful to Rose..."

"That doesn't mean you have to slap him!" He growled as I flinched and my lips quivered.

But inside, I was angry. I was angry with him and with Daichi and with everyone!

I asked back but my voice was raising as well, "Then what should I do if he was taking her with him even when she said she didn't want to go back?! He said her bad words!"

"She is not your problem! She is the Princess of Kohoshi! Daichi's wife! Daichi is the only one who can decide what would she do with her." He said and it made my stomach boiled in anger.

"Why?" I asked.

He blinked. "What do you mean by why?"

"Why he is the one to decide for her but she can't do it for herself?" I asked as Arashi looked at me while his head started to think.

"Didn't you let me decide for myself too? Then why it can't happen with her as well?" I asked. "And why can't it happen with the rest of the women too?"

He was surprised by my question as he didn't speak for a while.

I added, "Rose is suffering too much and now she doesn't have anywhere to go. Her father has given the whole territory to her husband! It is now basically his not her. Prince Daichi might marry Akio and she wouldn't have anything. And I have a feeling that he is going to demote Rose as well."

His eyes were at me the whole time as I asked, "Why can't she inherit her own home? Why does she has to suffer this?" Now my tears started to fell, "Why can't I help her and why can't you help her when you have the power? Why can't the emperor help her either? Just because she was Daichi's wife!"

And I asked as my voice quivered, "Why can't she has her own rights?"

And slumped down on my seat as I said, "I had seen my father's first wife to get sad over the fact that another wife has taken her place. She is younger and more beautiful. Why does she has to suffer that as well when she was the one who did all the work in the house?"

Now, that I think about it. She certainly did a lot more than the third wife. She had raised her daughters and took care of the house and did everything to make my father happy yet in the end she was replaced.

She was staying in the house because she had no home to go. She had no place to leave. Just like Rose.

And my heart started to break. It was just too cruel. I knew there was no way anything can be done, the society worked like that and my father wasn't faulty in this either but it was just too cruel.

I sniffed and Arashi had gotten silent.

I said, "I am just lucky that I got you but, Arashi, the women out there aren't lucky. They are all suffering like Rose and I don't like it. I hate it and..."

I was sad that I couldn't help not one of them. Not even Rose.

I said, "I slapped Daichi because he hit her. And you know what? No one will say anything if she dies tomorrow because of beating. Because that's how it has always been worked and that's how it will always work."

I stood up and said, "I am going back to my room. At least, I can sooth her pain the little time she has with me. That's the only thing I can do."

Before leaving I said, "I know you sent Kairo and Hans because they neglected their work but it was my fault as well. If you really want to punish someone, it would be me. You should punish me as well. I don't want to be that lucky person who always get away with anything."

And I spun on my heels as he sat there without saying anything.

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13th December, 22
1639

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A/n: So, Bianka and Arashi are now fighting... What will happen? Is it good for their relationship or they will be falling apart?

;)

Let me know in the comments what do you think?