The goal of the prompt was to set up one of the Villainess stories that are making the rounds; but I didn't want to set up our Heroine, Villainess, Prince triple to be unwilling.

Onto the wrinkles to the story.

First is the engagement; Engagements as a part of noble houses are oaths of their own and are treated very seriously as they are a signifier of an alliance between the houses. It means that the prince's interest in the other girl is treated as a violation of the above oath. Not adultery mind you as neither party is married. The parents if the knew would be disdainful of the prince. Hence all the cloak, mirrors, pretense, and plausible deniability.

Second is the Society's love of death and her house's response to it. In short they are mitigating their eagerness for their own demise with their obligations. For men it is ruling and fighting, for women it is making sure there is enough people born to prevent the population from imploding. She has been trained to want to become a mother and then eventually get snuffed herself when the time is right. being snuffed is a privilege not a right, and she in a twisted sense of obligation wants to earn it.