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He was handsome, that was certain, no one could deny it. And his council had pressured him to take concubines in addition to a wife to conceive an heir as quickly as possible and secure his lineage. It wasn't something that bothered him, so he took a wife and concubines to live at court.

However, it always degenerated and ended badly. His wife couldn't stand him spending so much time in his concubines' chambers and would end up throwing a fit, jealous and bitter towards the concubines. Sunghoon couldn't stand the shouting and would end up dismissing his wife or worse…

So yeah, no one wanted to get too close to the emperor's private life, especially since after six years, no heir was yet in sight. After two wives, Sunghoon decided to take a third, making Y/N, the eldest daughter of the great Y/L/N family, his wife. When the announcement was made, her mother had long wept over her daughter's departure, not wanting to see her married to the man, but protesting would do nothing.

Y/N hadn't flinched and had bid farewell to her family before climbing into the carriage that took her directly to the royal palace. Servants immediately took her to her private quarters in the East Wing, preparing her for the ceremony.

Dressed in her long red robe, the young woman didn't look up at her husband until the priest asked them to exchange their vows before pronouncing them husband and wife. She had to admit, Sunghoon was a very attractive man, and she could fall for him. But she won't.

The emperor gazed at her, appreciating the woman before him. Sunghoon gently took her hand in his and placed a kiss on it, Y/N gave a small curtsy. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the concubines whispering among themselves, betting on how long she would last against them.

"I will await you in my quarters, husband," Y/N declared, looking Sunghoon straight in the eye and speaking loudly enough for all to hear. "Come or not, I don't care." Sunghoon's eyes widened, not expecting such an affront. His wife bowed to greet him, then turned away, her ladies-in-waiting bowed awkwardly before trotting after her.

Arriving in her room, Y/N immediately removed the hairpins that were pulling her hair, placing them on small velvet cushions. Her ladies-in-waiting exchanged glances, not used to the calm of the emperor's wives. "Empress…"

"Have my suitcases arrived ?" Y/N asked.

"Yes, Empress."

"Can you put my things away ?" she asked, looking at two women. "Lay out my robes by color and put my books in the library, please." They nodded and quickly got to work while the other two helped her remove her robe. "I'd like to take a bath. I haven't been able to wash after that long journey, I had to go straight to my wedding."

"I'll heat some water right away, Empress."

"Take your time, I'm in no hurry." In her silk robe, the new empress stretched out on a sofa, her legs delicately folded, a book in her hand. Her attendants worked in silence, throwing her sideways glances. Her bath finally ready, Y/N removed her robe and entered the tub, immersing herself in the water.

The hot water relaxed her, and she closed her eyes, resting her head against the edge of the basin. She could feel her ladies-in-waiting's stares and sighed. "Speak, I can feel your stares from across the room."

They stepped forward cautiously, as if expecting a fit of nerves instead of calm. "Your predecessors met unfortunate fates, Empress."

"Yes, I heard that. Except I'm not here to play lovey-dovey with Sunghoon. I only want to live, and above all, survive the three hags who serve as his concubines. If they're expecting fits of jealousy, shouting, and tears, they'll soon realize that the only circus here is them."

The ladies-in-waiting visibly relaxed, sporting timid smiles. "We are happy to hear that, Empress. I am Hina. And this is Jiya, Suha, and Sunwoo."

"There's no need to call me 'Empress' when we're alone, Lady Y/N will suffice."

"Alright, Lady." Y/N got out of the tub and grabbed the towel handed to her to wrap herself in. She dried off and put on her nightgown.

"You may retire, I'll manage until tomorrow morning." The women bowed and left the room, the door closing softly behind her. Y/N sighed, finally enjoying the silence of her own company.

She slipped under the sheets and opened her book, reading a few pages by candlelight. She didn't expect Sunghoon to join her for their wedding night and therefore wasn't disappointed not to see him arrive. Y/N placed her book on the nightstand and blew out the candle to extinguish it. Tomorrow is another day.

Y/N didn't avoid Sunghoon, at least, she didn't try to. She simply didn't care where he might be or with whom, so her daily life was quite peaceful. Everyone at the palace expected the new empress to be as jealous as the other two, but seeing her lack of reaction and her calm disconcerted them all. But a little peace at the palace was also welcome.

Y/N was actually closer to the palace staff than to her own husband. It wasn't unusual for her to stop by the kitchen to greet the cooks or to stroll through the gardens talking to the gardeners. She was well-liked at the palace.

The young woman also fulfilled her role as empress by attending all of her husband's councils with the advisors and ministers, even if it meant sitting for hours listening to them talk about uninteresting things.

Y/N was sitting on her throne next to Sunghoon's, upright with her legs elegantly folded. Her dark red robe draped over her curves like a delicious caress, her fingers tapping the armrests of her throne to distract herself.

"If winter arrives before we can bring enough resources to the capital, we'll have to tighten our belts until spring returns !" a minister declared, once again raising the issue of winter provisions. She rolled her eyes, having heard this dozens of times since her arrival at the palace without any solution being proposed. "You know very well that merchants can only reach the capital through the mountains in winter, but the snow makes the crossing too difficult !"

She scoffed, exasperated by all these words said for nothing. To her right, Sunghoon glanced at her, contemplating her bored face. "Something to say, wife ?"

Silence fell over the throne room. Gazes slowly turned to Y/N, who wasn't surprised by her husband's call, looking at him without blinking. "Your ministers are useless, husband."

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, his mouth curving upward. "Excuse me ?"

She ignored him and rose from her throne, descending the steps to approach the table around which the ministers and advisors stood, maps and parchments covering it. Y/N fixed her gaze on the minister who had first stated the problem. "This is the fifth council I've attended, and you keep repeating this provision problem over and over. You keep complaining without ever proposing solutions."

"Empress, I…"

"Did I say you could talk ?" The man closed his mouth without a word. "It's all well and good to talk, but if no action is ever taken, we might as well dissolve this council right now. The problem isn't knowing whether we can transport enough food for the winter here, but how to ensure we can still have some even when snow makes the mountain crossing impossible. It's not that the merchants don't want to cross it, it's that they don't have time to do it in one day and are afraid of getting stuck in the mountains. You want a solution ? Here's one. You have four months before the first snows arrive, use the remaining funds from the last taxes to build several shelter chalets and inns in the mountains to accommodate the merchants. Thus, they can make the crossing without fear of freezing to death or their mounts breaking their legs. It doesn't matter if they take an extra week as long as we have the provisions in the end. You complain about all the problems you have to solve without ever considering the origin first."

Y/N turned to Sunghoon, who was watching her with a smirk, and placed a hand on her hip.

"So yes, I think your ministers shouldn't be ministers if they can't use their brains, unless the origin of the problem here is that they don't have any at all."

She turned on her heel, having heard enough for the whole day, and left the throne room, her personal guards on her heels. She wasn't going to put her ladies-in-waiting through those long useless hours. "God, these ministers are all incompetent !" Her ladies-in-waiting rose at her arrival, bowing.

"Lady, would you like some tea ?" Jiya suggested.

"Yes, good idea." The woman busied herself preparing tea while Y/N settled onto the sofa.

"You should stop attending councils if they put you in this state, Lady."

"And have people say behind my back that I'm not doing what's expected of me ? No way. I was just hoping that Sunghoon surrounded himself with smarter people." Y/N took the cup of tea Jiya handed her and took a long sip of the fruity liquid that relaxed her. She finished her drink in no time, then stood up. "Let's take a walk in the gardens, Ladies. Let's enjoy the sun."

She linked her arm with Suha's and emerged from the room. Walking through the palace, the women entered the gardens, the bushes perfectly trimmed and the flowers aligned. It was definitely Y/N's favorite place in the palace. It was always peaceful and problem-free.

"Well, well, well." Y/N turned and stifled a sigh as she saw the concubines coming toward them, waving their fans.

"If it isn't our great Empress taking a stroll in the gardens." They giggled, and Y/N stared at them wearily.

"If you had learned good manners like ladies, you would know that you should bow before your Empress," she said, turning her gaze toward the roses.

"You little…" The first concubine was held back by another. "You won't last here ! We are the emperor's true companions ! All these women they marry meet the same fate ! Death or exile !"

Y/N chuckled, her fingers tracing the flower petals. "How cute that you think you'll live here forever. You, low-born girls who only serve as cock warmers for my husband."

"At least we can enjoy his presence ! Unlike you, who have never shared his bed !"

"What's going on here ? We could hear you screaming from the other end of the garden." All the women turned to see Sunghoon and his Lord friends joining them, their hands clasped behind their backs. Immediately, the concubines took their victim stance and threw themselves at the emperor to complain.

"My love ! The Empress insulted us !"

"Yes, she called us low-born girls ! Even though we are royal concubines !"

Sunghoon looked up at his wife, who didn't care what the concubines could complain about, preferring to focus her attention on the flowers, which were decidedly more interesting. "The roses are magnificent at this time of year," she said to her ladies-in-waiting. "We must enjoy them before winter makes them fall."

"Yes, Empress," Suha smiled. "Let us ask the gardeners to make several bouquets for your apartments." Y/N smiled tenderly at the youngest of her servants, caressing her cheek.

The Emperor couldn't take his eyes off her, having never seen a smile light up her face since their marriage, at least not in his presence. And her gaze turned cold again when Y/N looked at him.

"Husband, you'd better put leashes on your dogs. Regardless of the deplorable taste you have in women you want to sleep with, I would appreciate it if you would train them. Bowing in the presence of the Empress and speaking only when invited is a golden rule at court."

"See, she's insulting us !" But Sunghoon was far from listening to their lamentations.

"If you think I'm jealous, think again and don't dream. I only expect the respect I deserve in this palace. They may be your concubines, but they are only whores you chose for a little fun."

Y/N fixed her gaze on the concubines and smirked. "And these little mice would do well to remember that I am the only daughter of the greatest house after the royal family, and if something serious were to happen to me, my father, the General, would be happy to hunt down those responsible." The women swallowed.

The Empress inclined her head. "Husband. My Lords." She rolled her eyes at the concubines. "Whores."

Her ladies-in-waiting giggled as they walked away beside her, Y/N sporting a satisfied smirk. Sunghoon followed her with his eyes until they disappeared into the palace, and his concubines rushed at him. "My love ! Do something !"

"Punish her ! Have her whipped so she learns her lesson !"

Sunghoon snapped out of his contemplation and turned his gaze to her, scoffed, and pushed them away with his arm. "I have better things to do than start conflicts with my wife. Go complain to whoever will listen and don't bother me."

He walked away with his Lords, the concubines fuming because they had never been treated like this. And the Empress would pay for it.

The following days were very strange. Even though Y/N and Sunghoon still weren't speaking to each other, he was more observant of his wife and discovered her in a new light. He had learned more about her, what she liked and what she hated, and found that she might not be so bad after all.

Y/N stared at Sunwoo when her lady-in-waiting returned carrying a cat in her arms. The white-furred animal looked around the room curiously. "What is that ?"

"It's a gift from the Emperor, Lady. He gave you this cat to entertain you, hoping you wouldn't be too bored."

"Sunghoon gave me this cat ?"

"Lady, it's so romantic," Hina cooed, looking up from her embroidery. "The Emperor has never given any gifts to his previous wives ! Perhaps he's beginning to like you !"

"Don't be ridiculous, Hina." Y/N took the cat from the woman's arms and stroked its head. The cat began to purr, and she found herself smiling. "I suppose I can accept this gift. But don't tell him."

Her servants giggled but nodded. Y/N named him Snowflake, and he definitely loved his new mistress, spending hours lying across her lap or on her bed. It wasn't uncommon to see the cat follow the Empress through the palace as if he were her bodyguard.

Y/N was returning from the library, carrying Snowflake in her arms, when a small body collided with her. She looked down to see a little boy who had fallen on his bottom and leaned down to help him up. "Sorry, E-Empress," he stammered, missing one of his front teeth. "I didn't mean to…"

"Don't worry, it's alright. Are you lost ?"

"Y-Yes. I'm looking for my mom, she works at the palace."

"I'll help you find her. What's her name ?"

"Sun-nia."

"She's one of the cooks, if I'm not mistaken. Your mom makes the best cakes I've ever eaten." The boy nodded, knowing his mother's talent for baking.

"Dear wife."

The young woman turned to find Sunghoon in front of her, flanked by two guards. "Husband." The boy hid behind her when he saw the terrifying emperor.

"Who is this ?"

"The son of one of the cooks. He got lost looking for his mother, so I was going to walk him there." Y/N patted the boy's head, he moved away from her. "Come on. Don't worry, he's not going to eat you." The child quickly bowed before hiding behind her again, making her smile.

Something made Sunghoon's heart beat a little faster as he looked down at the cat in her arms. "I see you accepted my gift."

"Indeed. I thank you, I really like cats. Alright, I'll see you later if you wish."

He nodded, and Y/N took the boy's hand to lead him toward the kitchens, the emperor watched them leave. A child among them would be so nice, something he had wanted for a long time…

"Seon-jun." One of the guards stepped forward. "Have my quarters moved to the East Wing where my wife is, not to the West Wing of the concubines. Let them have only guest privileges, not those of the royal family."

"Yes, Emperor." The soldiers exchanged relieved looks. The emperor was finally coming to his senses, they couldn't take those mistresses anymore.

Y/N was sleeping peacefully, Snowflake curled up at her feet, when she felt the blanket being pulled back and a body slipping into her bed. Her fingers closed around the handle of the knife she hides under her pillow, and she turned to press the blade against the person's throat.

"Jesus Christ, woman ! It's me !" Sunghoon whispered. She sighed and lowered her knife, putting it back in its safe place. "Why do you have a weapon under your pillow ?"

"You never know who might slip into my bed in the middle of the night," she mocked, giving him a weary look over her shoulder. "Like you, husband." She pulled the blanket over herself to go back to sleep, closing her eyes. "Why are you here, anyway ?"

"I settled into the adjacent room. I'm your new neighbor."

"I don't want you as a neighbor."

"Why ?"

"I don't want to hear you snore."

"I don't snore," Sunghoon defended himself.

"Yeah, right." Y/N gave Snowflake a stroke as he came to lie down beside her, giving her husband a threatening look. It made him smile as she kissed the top of his head, resting her head on her pillow.

Sleep soon overcame her again, while Sunghoon remained wide awake, watching her back, her chest rising and falling at the regular rhythm of her breathing. He couldn't fall asleep, his mind was racing in all directions, preventing him from finding rest.

The young woman woke up a few hours later, thirsty, getting out of bed to approach the table where the carafe rested. She filled herself a glass of water, bringing it to her lips and emptying it. She walked toward the window to observe the landscape bathed in moonlight.

Stifling a yawn, Y/N closed the curtain and turned toward the bed, startled to find Sunghoon watching her. "You scared me ! Did I wake you ?"

"No, I wasn't sleeping." She frowned, turning back to lie down and pulling the duvet over herself.

"Why ?"

"I have insomnia. And I can't stop thinking."

"That's bad." She lay back down, breathing deeply as her body relaxed. The young woman froze when she felt Sunghoon's body press against hers and his arm wrap around her waist.

"Is this okay ?" he asked.

"Yes." Happy with her answer, Sunghoon pressed his chest to her back, nestling his face in the crook of her neck. His eyes closed, he was finally feeling sleep overtake him when he heard her voice.

"Sunghoon ?"

Say my name again…

"Mmm ?"

"If you intend to play the husband at night when no one is watching, you can go fuck yourself. I will not be the secretly loved wife. And I certainly will not be another woman you repudiate. Do you want me ? Then show it to everyone. Do you want to sleep in my bed ? Fine, but don't go warming others' anymore. Be my husband, and I'll be the wife at your side."

"You would be the Empress at my side, and I would be your husband." Satisfied, Y/N nodded and let herself be lulled by his warmth to fall back asleep. Sunghoon listened to her breathing, his fingers tracing small circles on her waist, and her presence granting him the comfort he had so hoped for.

The change didn't happen overnight, but gradually, the servants and guards began to notice the Emperor's attentions toward his wife. Asking for her favorite pastries to be served during long councils or sending her herbal tea in the evening. He joined her more regularly at meals and was often caught watching her.

Of course, Y/N was satisfied to see that Sunghoon kept his promise, and if he continued like this, she would be ready to give him a chance. After all, she wanted to have a pleasant life with her husband if that was also what he desired.

The biggest shock was that Sunghoon hadn't visited his concubines' chambers for several weeks, which had never happened before. And the women were outraged to see that the Emperor had succumbed to his wife and no longer paid them any attention.

Sunghoon was coming out of his office accompanied by Lords Jay and Jake when his concubines approached him, dressed lightly enough to seduce him. "Hello, my love."

"Hi, Lords, we hope we're not bothering you." The young man nodded slightly to invite them to speak, which gave them courage.

"Why wouldn't you come to our chambers tonight ? You've had so much to do lately, we could help you relax."

He looked at them without a word. Before, he would have accepted without hesitation, seeking the pleasure that would ease his thoughts, but now, only the image of his wife came to mind.

"Thank you, but I will spend the night with my wife. Find yourselves lovers if you need someone."

They blushed with anger as they walked away, throwing a fit. Jake elbowed his friend, who turned his head toward him. "So, it seems your little wife pleases you."

"She is my wife, of course she pleases me," Sunghoon said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but you killed the others," Jay mocked.

"Stop it with that ! Those are just rumors ! I never killed anyone, and you know it, I just sent them back to their families with a large compensation. I'm sure it was Heeseung hyung who started those rumors."

"He's capable of it," Jake chuckled. "But what's different about her ?"

Sunghoon turned his gaze to the gardens, where Y/N was sitting on a bench, Snowflake on her lap, reading a book. The sun's rays reflected off her loose hair, and his eyes were drawn to her lips as she ran her tongue over them.

"Wow, we've lost him," Jay laughed. "God help us." The Emperor snapped out of his contemplation and bumped into them, muttering, as they snickered.

Y/N wasn't surprised to see Sunghoon join her at nightfall, which he now did every day. He slipped under the sheets, burying his face in the pillow. She gave him an amused glance. "Hard day, husband ?"

His voice was muffled by the pillow as he nodded. She set her book down on the nightstand before kneeling on the mattress, taking advantage of his bare chest to slide her hands along his back, massaging his tense muscles up to his shoulders.

Sunghoon groaned as he felt his muscles relax under her massage, the sensation of her fingers massaging his skin sent shivers down his spine. He turned his head to the side, his arms crossed under his chin. "This is divine, wife."

"I'm glad to hear it."

He rolled onto his back and pulled her into his arms, Y/N sprawled across his chest. Her cheek pressed against his chest over his heart, she could hear it beating fast. Sunghoon nestled his face in her hair, closing his eyes. "Thank you for giving me a chance."

"You kept your promise, you deserve it." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

Y/N soon fell asleep, Sunghoon didn't really sleep, only dozing due to his insomnia. His wife's presence beside him relaxed him, although sleep took a while to find him. That's why he heard the bedroom door open and the first floorboard creak.

He frowned, his eyes opening in the darkness to see two silhouettes slipping through the shadows. Without a sound, he slid his hand under Y/N's pillow to grab the knife she kept there.

He waited for the intruders to advance far enough, their shadows projected onto the bed, before pouncing. He crashed to the floor with one of the men, the sudden movement pulled Y/N from her sleep. She saw Sunghoon fighting on the ground with one of the intruders, the second one aiming for her.

The young woman jumped to her feet, grabbing one of the swords that served as decoration below the headboard but was just as deadly. She parried the man's blade, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her toward him. She stumbled out of bed, and they both staggered on the floor.

Her sword slipped from her grip in her fall, allowing the man to pin her to the ground, his hands closing around her throat. Y/N grabbed his wrists to try to force him to let go, in vain. Sunghoon saw his wife in a bad position, seeing red.

"Don't fucking touch my wife !"

He plunged the dagger into the side of the one attacking him before throwing himself at his wife's assailant, knocking him out with an uppercut, as the guards rushed into the room due to the commotion.

"Y/N !" He rushed to her, lifting her in his arms to set her on the bed. His gaze hardened when he saw the finger marks around her throat as she coughed, struggling to catch her breath. "You alright, baby ?"

She nodded, bringing the glass of water he handed her to her lips. The Emperor turned to the soldiers who had arrested the two intruders, clenching his fists when he saw their armor, confirming they worked at the palace. "Who gave you the order ? Was I the target of this assassination attempt ?"

They didn't answer, and Sunghoon grabbed one by the collar, lifting him off the ground. "Answer me ! And perhaps I will be lenient !"

"We were supposed to kill the Empress…"

"Why ? Under whose orders ?!" Sunghoon released the man after getting his answer, fixing his gaze on his wife.

He approached the bed and took her face in his hands to place a kiss on her forehead. "No one will hurt you again, I promise you." He turned to the soldiers. "Take these two to the dungeons, let them await their sentence."

The guards nodded and left the room. Sunghoon lay back down beside Y/N, holding her in his arms. Neither of them managed to find sleep until sunrise, remaining in each other's arms.

The Emperor called an emergency council to discuss the night's attack, the strangulation marks were still fresh on Y/N's neck despite the makeup applied by her ladies-in-waiting.

The couple sat on their thrones, the advisors and ministers facing them. "Did they talk ? Did you manage to get them to confess the culprit ?"

"Yes, it wasn't difficult. They will be executed at sunset, along with the instigators of this attack."

"Who are they ?" Sunghoon waved his hand, and soldiers returned with his three concubines in chains.

"Using your favors to manipulate soldiers and order them to kill the Empress was not clever," the young man declared. "They will be killed with the two soldiers tonight."

"You can't kill us ! You don't have the right !"

"Silence !" Sunghoon thundered, slamming his fist on the armrest of his throne. "When you attack my wife, your Empress, you must expect consequences ! This is treason !"

"How can you prefer her to us ?! She is useless !"

Sunghoon fumed, Y/N placed her hand on his arm to urge him to keep his calm. "In fact, their complaints annoy me. Take them to the courtyard and execute them now."

The women begged, cried, and screamed for mercy, but Sunghoon only turned his eyes to his wife. Y/N smiled at him, approving his decision, and he squeezed her hand in his, promising himself that no one would ever lay their hands on her again.

Except him, of course. Because she was his favorite wife. Only his.

Masterlist

“the Nishi kingdom is a slightly different place from where you come from, but don’t worry, you’ll get used to it” you frowned as you saw how he had a twitch in his left eye. you knew he was lying to you, you weren’t stupid. you came from the south of the continent, it was almost impossible for you to get used to that cold place. even though you wanted to go against him, you smiled. “of course”

the tall manmade a gesture for you to walk, you didn’t hesitate to walk while looking at the creatures in the background. “who are they?”

“while in the south of the continent there are fairies and mermaids, in the kingdom of Nishi there are monsters, my lady. i don’t say this to scare you, i don’t have the audacity to do it.” you clenched your fists when you heard him. “monsters don’t exist” you murmured. “i’m sorry to tell you, my lady, that they do exist, and that they live here” you looked down as you were approaching the entrance of the castle, you couldn’t even look at them. this was a nightmare, wasn’t it? they don’t exist, your mother told you... it couldn’t be a lie, right?

“nisha’s kings and your fiancé are waiting for you in the throne room” suddenly, all your fears of the monsters had disappeared, but a new one had entered. your fiancé. you had been engaged to him at the age of two, but you could never marry him for obvious reasons. once you turned twenty, your family decided to send you to him and marry you in their kingdom. thus becoming the next queen of Nisha’s kingdom.

you had heard evil rumors about this family, but you decided not to believe in any of them, not when you were going to belong to this one in a few months; once you entered the castle, you could see how dark it was, there were several workers kneeling bow, you couldn’t help but make a grimace. there was no need to bow, and even less towards you, you weren’t even married yet.

in the distance you could see the throne room, you could see how the two kings were sitting, staring at you, observing your grimaces, your movements. analyzing you. you looked down quickly when you entered and slowly approached them. your heart bombarded quickly and you felt that your hands were getting sweatier and sweatier. once you arrived, you bowed to the two kings. “your majesty, it is a great honor to be here in front of both of you”

you didn’t look up at any time, not even to look at your fiancé whom you had never seen in person, not even to look at what the throne room was like. you just expected a comment from them. but they didn’t give it to you. you don’t know how many minutes had passed since you spoke, maybe five, or ten, even fifteen. neither of them had opened their mouths, they were just watching you. until a female voice whispered.

“kiss our feet”

you smiled as you looked up. the woman looked at you with narrowed eyes while her husband looked at you with boredom. “as you wish, your majesty” you said bowing as you went up the stairs to get to them. once in front of them, you bent down first towards the king and kissed his feet. you tried not to make a grimace, not in front of them. but you couldn’t feel disgusted to see the king’s foot full of hair. the king didn’t even flinch when he felt your lips on his feet, it was as if it wasn’t something new.

once you kissed the feet of the kings, you went downstairs and looked at your fiancé, who was approaching you with a smile. the prince was tall and his brown hair fell down his cheek. It was just as you had imagined. his smile dazzled you, perfect and white. while his clothing was typical of his kingdom, black and dark blue gloves.

“i had been waiting for this moment since i was engaged to you, lady Musthag. and finally, we were able to meet” you smiled when you heard him while you noticed that your cheeks blushed. you made another bow and looked into his eyes. “the pleasure is mine, my prince. i have desired this moment for years, me with you, married, being together”

he took your hand to kiss it, but just when his lips were going to touch your hands, the door of the room opened abruptly and you could see how a tall boy with jet hair came in. staring at you as he approached you.

“you can’t interrupt, ni-ki” you heard the queen speak. “you’re a scoundrel” but the tall man didn’t flinch when he heard her, he stood in front of you staring at you. “i was late?” he whispered without taking his eyes off you. “you’re always late” said your fiancé letting go of your hand. “i’m sorry to disappoint you again, mother. but i finished late in armor, but i couldn’t wait as my new sister-in-law would be”

you frowned when you heard him and looked away to bow “my prince” you looked at your fiancé confused, still noticing the prince’s look on your profile. you heard a low laugh on his part. “i think i have done my duty” said the prince taking your hand to kiss it. “nice to meet you, lady mushtag”

“the Nishi kingdom is a slightly different place from where you come from, but don’t worry, you’ll get used to it” you frowned as you saw how he had a twitch in his left eye. you knew he was lying to you, you weren’t stupid. you came from the south of the continent, it was almost impossible for you to get used to that cold place. even though you wanted to go against him, you smiled. “of course”

the tall manmade a gesture for you to walk, you didn’t hesitate to walk while looking at the creatures in the background. “who are they?”

“while in the south of the continent there are fairies and mermaids, in the kingdom of Nishi there are monsters, my lady. i don’t say this to scare you, i don’t have the audacity to do it.” you clenched your fists when you heard him. “monsters don’t exist” you murmured. “i’m sorry to tell you, my lady, that they do exist, and that they live here” you looked down as you were approaching the entrance of the castle, you couldn’t even look at them. this was a nightmare, wasn’t it? they don’t exist, your mother told you... it couldn’t be a lie, right?

“nisha’s kings and your fiancé are waiting for you in the throne room” suddenly, all your fears of the monsters had disappeared, but a new one had entered. your fiancé. you had been engaged to him at the age of two, but you could never marry him for obvious reasons. once you turned twenty, your family decided to send you to him and marry you in their kingdom. thus becoming the next queen of Nisha’s kingdom.

you had heard evil rumors about this family, but you decided not to believe in any of them, not when you were going to belong to this one in a few months; once you entered the castle, you could see how dark it was, there were several workers kneeling bow, you couldn’t help but make a grimace. there was no need to bow, and even less towards you, you weren’t even married yet.

in the distance you could see the throne room, you could see how the two kings were sitting, staring at you, observing your grimaces, your movements. analyzing you. you looked down quickly when you entered and slowly approached them. your heart bombarded quickly and you felt that your hands were getting sweatier and sweatier. once you arrived, you bowed to the two kings. “your majesty, it is a great honor to be here in front of both of you”

you didn’t look up at any time, not even to look at your fiancé whom you had never seen in person, not even to look at what the throne room was like. you just expected a comment from them. but they didn’t give it to you. you don’t know how many minutes had passed since you spoke, maybe five, or ten, even fifteen. neither of them had opened their mouths, they were just watching you. until a female voice whispered.

“kiss our feet”

you smiled as you looked up. the woman looked at you with narrowed eyes while her husband looked at you with boredom. “as you wish, your majesty” you said bowing as you went up the stairs to get to them. once in front of them, you bent down first towards the king and kissed his feet. you tried not to make a grimace, not in front of them. but you couldn’t feel disgusted to see the king’s foot full of hair. the king didn’t even flinch when he felt your lips on his feet, it was as if it wasn’t something new.

once you kissed the feet of the kings, you went downstairs and looked at your fiancé, who was approaching you with a smile. the prince was tall and his brown hair fell down his cheek. It was just as you had imagined. his smile dazzled you, perfect and white. while his clothing was typical of his kingdom, black and dark blue gloves.

“i had been waiting for this moment since i was engaged to you, lady Musthag. and finally, we were able to meet” you smiled when you heard him while you noticed that your cheeks blushed. you made another bow and looked into his eyes. “the pleasure is mine, my prince. i have desired this moment for years, me with you, married, being together”

he took your hand to kiss it, but just when his lips were going to touch your hands, the door of the room opened abruptly and you could see how a tall boy with jet hair came in. staring at you as he approached you.

“you can’t interrupt, ni-ki” you heard the queen speak. “you’re a scoundrel” but the tall man didn’t flinch when he heard her, he stood in front of you staring at you. “i was late?” he whispered without taking his eyes off you. “you’re always late” said your fiancé letting go of your hand. “i’m sorry to disappoint you again, mother. but i finished late in armor, but i couldn’t wait as my new sister-in-law would be”

you frowned when you heard him and looked away to bow “my prince” you looked at your fiancé confused, still noticing the prince’s look on your profile. you heard a low laugh on his part. “i think i have done my duty” said the prince taking your hand to kiss it. “nice to meet you, lady mushtag”

“the Nishi kingdom is a slightly different place from where you come from, but don’t worry, you’ll get used to it” you frowned as you saw how he had a twitch in his left eye. you knew he was lying to you, you weren’t stupid. you came from the south of the continent, it was almost impossible for you to get used to that cold place. even though you wanted to go against him, you smiled. “of course”

the tall manmade a gesture for you to walk, you didn’t hesitate to walk while looking at the creatures in the background. “who are they?”

“while in the south of the continent there are fairies and mermaids, in the kingdom of Nishi there are monsters, my lady. i don’t say this to scare you, i don’t have the audacity to do it.” you clenched your fists when you heard him. “monsters don’t exist” you murmured. “i’m sorry to tell you, my lady, that they do exist, and that they live here” you looked down as you were approaching the entrance of the castle, you couldn’t even look at them. this was a nightmare, wasn’t it? they don’t exist, your mother told you... it couldn’t be a lie, right?

“nisha’s kings and your fiancé are waiting for you in the throne room” suddenly, all your fears of the monsters had disappeared, but a new one had entered. your fiancé. you had been engaged to him at the age of two, but you could never marry him for obvious reasons. once you turned twenty, your family decided to send you to him and marry you in their kingdom. thus becoming the next queen of Nisha’s kingdom.

you had heard evil rumors about this family, but you decided not to believe in any of them, not when you were going to belong to this one in a few months; once you entered the castle, you could see how dark it was, there were several workers kneeling bow, you couldn’t help but make a grimace. there was no need to bow, and even less towards you, you weren’t even married yet.

in the distance you could see the throne room, you could see how the two kings were sitting, staring at you, observing your grimaces, your movements. analyzing you. you looked down quickly when you entered and slowly approached them. your heart bombarded quickly and you felt that your hands were getting sweatier and sweatier. once you arrived, you bowed to the two kings. “your majesty, it is a great honor to be here in front of both of you”

you didn’t look up at any time, not even to look at your fiancé whom you had never seen in person, not even to look at what the throne room was like. you just expected a comment from them. but they didn’t give it to you. you don’t know how many minutes had passed since you spoke, maybe five, or ten, even fifteen. neither of them had opened their mouths, they were just watching you. until a female voice whispered.

“kiss our feet”

you smiled as you looked up. the woman looked at you with narrowed eyes while her husband looked at you with boredom. “as you wish, your majesty” you said bowing as you went up the stairs to get to them. once in front of them, you bent down first towards the king and kissed his feet. you tried not to make a grimace, not in front of them. but you couldn’t feel disgusted to see the king’s foot full of hair. the king didn’t even flinch when he felt your lips on his feet, it was as if it wasn’t something new.

once you kissed the feet of the kings, you went downstairs and looked at your fiancé, who was approaching you with a smile. the prince was tall and his brown hair fell down his cheek. It was just as you had imagined. his smile dazzled you, perfect and white. while his clothing was typical of his kingdom, black and dark blue gloves.

“i had been waiting for this moment since i was engaged to you, lady Musthag. and finally, we were able to meet” you smiled when you heard him while you noticed that your cheeks blushed. you made another bow and looked into his eyes. “the pleasure is mine, my prince. i have desired this moment for years, me with you, married, being together”

he took your hand to kiss it, but just when his lips were going to touch your hands, the door of the room opened abruptly and you could see how a tall boy with jet hair came in. staring at you as he approached you.

“you can’t interrupt, ni-ki” you heard the queen speak. “you’re a scoundrel” but the tall man didn’t flinch when he heard her, he stood in front of you staring at you. “i was late?” he whispered without taking his eyes off you. “you’re always late” said your fiancé letting go of your hand. “i’m sorry to disappoint you again, mother. but i finished late in armor, but i couldn’t wait as my new sister-in-law would be”

you frowned when you heard him and looked away to bow “my prince” you looked at your fiancé confused, still noticing the prince’s look on your profile. you heard a low laugh on his part. “i think i have done my duty” said the prince taking your hand to kiss it. “nice to meet you, lady mushtag”

“do you want to have coffee with us?” you shook your head while you put your things on the table. “no, i’ll go talk to heeseung before i go home, you go.”

“well, good luck”

your partner said goodbye to you and you started heading to your patient’s room. you opened the door and you could see heeseung sitting on his bed, looking directly at the door, as if he already knew you were going to go.

“good morning heeseung, how do you feel today?” you said closing the door behind yours and leaning on it. you saw heeseung smile when he saw you. “i don’t know, you tell me”

you tried to smile when you heard him, you had to keep a friendly image in front of him. “what do you mean?” the patient got out of bed and began to stretch, taking away the importance of the conversation. “do you think i’ve get better since the last time we talked?”

no.

he hadn’t improved, however, you couldn’t tell him that. even though he was locked up, serving his sentence, you didn’t want to take away the little hope that he could get better.

“you’ll get better to get out of here”

heeseung laughed when he heard you and you couldn’t help but frown. but even though you now wanted to turn around and go home, you stared at him, seeing how his eyebrows came together when he laughed and his weird laugh. “i killed my parents, do you think i have a chance to get out?”

“heeseung, do you think you have a chance to get out of here?”

you immediately tensed up when you saw that heeseung was slowly approaching you, however, you didn’t show any sign. you wanted to make it clear to him that you had more power in him than he did in you.

“you know what? sometimes i want to regret what i did, i killed my parents, what i did was wrong. but then, i think i did it right, right? they ignored me, they treated me badly, what else could i do? that day i took the knife and killed them one by one by the throat, little by little, making them suffer for everything i suffered” from one minute to the next, heeseung was inches from your face, putting a lock of hair behind your ear.

what was happening was wrong, and you knew it, but despite knowing it, you didn’t move away. you hated to admit it, but you was physically attracted to heeseung, but at the same time terrified you. you didn’t want him by your side, you wanted to get away from him, but every day you went into his room to talk to him, even though other doctors had already done it.

heeseung ran his thumb over your lips, making you raise your eyes to look at them, but he was already looking at you.

“you look so pretty scared.” you didn’t answer him, you looked down at his lips, wanting to try them. “do you know why i don’t want to leave here? for you. and if one day i get out of this hell, i would kill again to come back to you.”

you pushed him by the shoulders when you heard him. “this is wrong, heeseung.” you murmured touching your face with fear. what had you done? what had you thought? he was your patient, you couldn’t feel anything for him. “don’t do... don’t do this again, okay?”

heeseung grabbed your jaw, forcing you to look at him. “do you know what i would do for you, doctor y/n? do you know how many people i would kill just to have you by my side? do you know that every day that passed without you i’m getting worse?”

heeseung grabbed your hair tightly, forcing you not to move your head. “heeseung” but he no longer cared about your comments, since he kissed you.

the kiss was intense, fast and wild. heeseung knew he shouldn’t miss that opportunity. he had been wanting to kiss you since the first time he saw you, and he had imagined it every night before going to bed, however, even if you wanted to separate, you couldn’t, or you didn’t want to. you knew it was wrong, but you wanted more from him. but you didn’t hesitate to push him by the chest.

you touched your lips while you had a face of horror. heeseung’s pupils were very dilated with desire, which seemed that at any moment he was going to throw himself at you. but you no longer hesitated to stay in that room, since you didn’t know what you could do soon. you turned around and awkwardly opened the door. you heard heeseung’s laughter as you walked down the corridor. you didn’t want to go back there, your intention was not to deal with him again, but you knew perfectly well that tomorrow you would be in that room again.

JONGSEONG

jongseong was on the top floor, that is, on one of the worst. where there were murderous people, with anger problems and severe schizophrenia. and he was one of the worst.

he had tried to kill hundreds of doctors, he had threatened them and had even killed one by punches. the point came that they had to tie him to a chair. it was no longer known what else could be done with him. he had no remedy. despite that, you didn’t want to give up on him.

“please, talk to me” you murmured tiredly, you had been in jongseong’s room for an hour, with him tied up and without hearing a word from his mouth.

he just looked at you. you expected an answer, but as always he didn’t open his mouth.

“you know what? many of the other doctors no longer have hope that you will get better. but i do. call me a fool or a dreamer but i know you can get better jongseong, but to know you have to try, not for me, but for you.”

the named one narrowed his eyes when he heard you.

“let me go”

you sighed when you heard him and rested your arms on the table. “i can’t let you go and you know it” but the boy turned a deaf ear. “let me go” “and then what? are you going to try to kill me like you have done with the others?” you said tiredly. “i really want you to get better jongseong, but you must try with me”

“let me go”

“jongseong”

“i won’t hurt you. not you”

you looked away when you heard him. lies that he surely tells to the other doctors to let him go. you weren’t going to fall for that. “let me go and i’ll tell you everything you want” you looked up when you heard it, he seemed to be serious, however, you didn’t trust him. “i won’t do anything to you, i promise.”

you had to leave, it was clear that jongseong wasn’t going to tell you anything, but deep down, you knew he wasn’t lying. that he wasn’t going to hurt you, right? as if your body moved by itself, you got up from the chair and approached him, you knew it was wrong, but it was as if you were acting alone. you bent down and untied the knots on his hands and feet. you got up staying centimeters from his side.

jongseong got up and you looked up to look him in the eyes. it was the first time you saw him so closely and he was... attractive and tall. “my father hit my mother and me when i was just a child. i promised not to become as aggressive as him” jongseong murmured, without a hint of emotion on his face. “what happened to your father?” “it’s buried in the garden of my house. no one knows, except you and me”

you looked down when you heard him, why was he saying that to you? wasn’t it supposed to be worse? you were his doctor, he knew you would communicate it to the others. “jongseong-“ you couldn’t finish the sentence, since he grabbed your neck, which made you walk backwards, until your back touched the wall. you raised your hands to jongseong’s hands, trying to loosen the tie. “what are you doing? you promised me-“

“i’m supposed to hate you, you’re one of the people who locked me up in this damn place. but every time i see you... i feel something that, fuck” you should be afraid, he was a psychopath. however, you felt other things, all your emotions were stirred but in none of them was fear.

jongseong got closer to your face, leaving your lips a few centimeters away. “i will kindly ask you to separate from me, i am your doctor”

“tell me that i separated and i will” you had to tell him, you were being unprofessional by letting him be so close to you, but your words didn’t come out of your mouth. deep down you didn’t want him to separate. and suddenly, his lips were on yours. the kiss was hungry, intense. you were really attracted to Jongseong. you put your hands on his cheeks, bringing him closer to you while you felt his hands touch your body.

he separated from you, staying centimeters away from your lips. “i want you, doctor” you opened your eyes and saw him. this was wrong, what if your superiors entered the room? you took your hands off his cheeks and pushed him by the chest. you touched your lips with surprise.

what did you just do?

“sit down, i’ll tie you back up” you murmured confused. you thought he was going to answer, but he sat down and he tied his feet himself. you approached him with fear and began to tie his hands.

“i’ll be waiting for you tomorrow. i hope you come back”

JAEYUN

you frowned when you saw your patient’s room. the room was messy, the chairs broken, the mattress on the floor and the sheets on the floor. you looked at the corner of the room and you could see jaeyun cornered muttering incoherent things. you approached him and knelt next to him. “please, get out of here. please, get out of here” he said repeatedly.

you frowned and looked around the room for the pills, these were lying on the floor and you quickly took them. you touched his shoulder gently but he walked away from you quickly. “get away from me!” he shouted with fear. you raised your hands in peace. “it’s me, y/n. i’m not going to hurt you.”

jaeyun frowned when he heard you. “y/n?” you nodded as you approached him with fear. “you have to take the pills.” but what you didn’t expect was how jaeyun raised his hands and put them on your face, specifically on your cheeks. “you’re real”

you tried not to be alarmed by the touch of his hands, since he was not in all his senses. “yes, i’m real”

“i’ve seen them.” jaeyun murmured looking around. “they didn’t stop insulting me, hitting me... but i knew they weren’t real, you told me. i tried but they didn’t go away” you raised your hands and put them on top of his, jaeyun didn’t give you anything but pity. “they left” “but... are you real? you’re too perfect to be”

you smiled when you heard it. “i’m real and I’m here with you.” you said trying to reassure him, but he shook his head. “i saw you in my dream, you were wearing a white dress and your hair flew down your head. you’re too perfect.”

you ignored what he said and put a pill in his mouth. “please, swallow the pill” jaeyun didn’t take his eyes off you while he swallowed the pill. you tried to get away from him, but his hands were still on your cheeks, with no intention of separating from you.

“i wish you were mine”

you let out an ironic laugh under your breath. he didn’t even know what he was saying. “you must rest” jaeyun was just talking nonsense, he didn’t even know what was going through his head. “you’re my salvation” jaeyun said, leaning his head against yours.

you didn’t turn away. you felt something for him. you felt something for being mentally ill, how could you be so unprofessional? you wished in the bottom of your heart that he was a normal person, a man who is in college, or working, not locked in a hospital.

you raised your hand and stroked his cheek slowly. you knew that this couldn’t work, more knowing that every day he had a psychotic outbreak. “i have to go, jaeyun” the boy grabbed your hand tightly as he began to shake his head. “don’t go, please. don’t leave me alone again”

“jaeyun-“

“no! please don’t leave” you walked away from him with fear as you watched him crawl towards you. “i’ll be back tomorrow, jaeyun. you shouldn’t be afraid” “please don’t leave me, i hear them all near me, they breathe in the back of my neck. they are here” you opened the door with fear and closed it and rested your back on it while listening to the patient’s screams of despair.

you couldn’t see him again, for the sake of both. you didn’t want to do anything crazy.

that’s why, this same night you quit.

SUNGHOON

“he doesn’t talk to anyone since you took the vacation, he just looks at a fixed point doctor” you looked at sunghoon confused. the last time you saw him he was very good, why had he suddenly gotten worse? “it was never said that it would be easy”

sunghoon looked at a fixed point in the garden, his white clothes could be confused with his pale skin. he looked like a ghost.

sunghoon was a twenty-two-year-old patient who had lost his parents at an early age. a serial killer had done it, and unfortunately sunghoon had seen everything. “it’s good to see you outside.” you said behind him, sunghoon didn’t flinch when he heard your voice, for this very reason, you sat next to him.

you decided to shut up and look at the garden next to him, after all these months as his doctor, you had understood that his method was silence, and you had to respect it. “where have you been?” he murmured. you frowned and looked at him. “i was on vacation with my family, we have been to many countries. soon you will also be able to see it for yourself”

“you leave me alone” you shook your head. “it’s not that important” “you. left me. alone.” and for the first time, he looked at you, a look that wanted to embarrass you, but you had to show him that he had no power over you. “i have a life outside of here, sunghoon. you are my patient, you should not ask me things about my private life”

you didn’t know at what point but sunghoon had approached you, resting his hands on yours, caressing you. “i could barely breathe without you nearby, y/n. don’t ask me not to ask your whereabouts when you are the only motivation for which i have not committed suicide” you were startled when you heard him. “sunghoon, what are you talking about?”

sunghoon looked around, looking that no one was seeing them. “since you came i began to improve, i began to have hope, everything for you and seeing you happy. all for the fact that if one day i leave here, you could be mine” you felt his mank caress your cheek. “this is wrong, sunghoon” “i don’t care, I only care about you” you weren’t even yourself at this moment, feeling something for a patient? one who had tried to kill himself almost five times in his entire life? how could you carry this weight?

you walked away from him and got up from the seat, looking around you. “get beter, not for me, but for you”

“you will be mine?”

“first get better, sunghoon, for you”

sunghoon smiled when he heard you and you couldn’t help but feel a chill. “of course” you turned around and walked away from him.

you hadn’t heard from your husband in two weeks.

now you watched your children run around while you were sitting next to your lady-in-waiting. the only person you talked to was her and the maester, in addition to the people you had to work with.

“is there any news from my husband?” you whispered while listening to your children’s laughter.

“no, my lady, his last letter was from two weeks ago”

you couldn’t help but bite your lips while horrible ideas crossed your mind.

“do you think my lord crossed the wall? is it because there is no news of him?”

“no, my lady, the lord would not dare to cross the wall and leave his family alone”

you looked at the sky and sheltered yourself more with the coat made by animals that your husband gave you. “take my children, it’s too cold for them” your lady did not complain when she listened to you nor begged you not to be out at that time of the night.

you knew what you were facing when you married him, you knew he could be stuck in the wall for a long time, but it was the first time you were so long separated from your husband.

you felt a presence by your side. “is there a problem with the children, sanz?” you didn’t hear any answer from your lady, that’s why you turned around, but you were surprised to see who it was, it wasn’t your lady, but your husband. “heeseung” you murmured getting up from the grass and approaching him. your tears were running down your cheeks when you hugged him.

“my lady wife” heeseung murmured separating from you to caress your cheek with his thumb, wiping your tears. “my moon, my sun, my life” heeseung’s tears also went down his cheeks as he saw you as if it were the first time in years. “i missed you very much, my lord husband”

“my first and last thoughts of the day was you, my mind thought of you all day, every hour, longing to see you again. being separated from you was like being alive in pure hell” you smiled when you heard him and pouted. you had missed his sweet words, his voice, everything about him. you passed your hands around his neck and kissed him. the kiss was soft, slow and deep, you wanted to taste everything about him.

you separated from him and stuck your head next to his. “we must have a banquet, my husband came back and we must all celebrate it.” heeseung smiled and touched your waist. “but before that I must enjoy my beautiful wife” whispered heeseung you rolled your eyes and kissed him again.

after spending time with your husband and your children, you had celebrated the banquet and at no time had they separated again. you went everywhere together, holding hands, like your first months together. hours later the rumor had been created that you fell in love again. and they were not wrong.

JONGSEONG

humiliation, hatred, irritation.

this was everything you felt for your ‘wonderful’ husband, if you can call him that. you tried not to cry, he didn’t deserve your tears, but you couldn’t help it, you were pregnant and your emotions were more sensitive than before.

you heard how the door of your rooms opened with force and you didn’t even turn around. you already knew who he was. your husband knelt before you and grabbed your hands, kissing them.

“lady wife” jongseong made a grimace when he heard your sobs. it was not his intention to hurt you. “i’m sorry” you shook your head when you heard it, you didn’t want to hear his apologies. “you humiliated me in front of your subjects”

“i was angry with them and i accidentally ended up yelling at you, please, let me apologize” you moved your hand away when you noticed how your husband gave you little kisses. “you didn’t even see me, jongseong. you yelled at me to go to our chambers as if i were your maid, you humiliated me in front of them. how will they respect me if not even my husband can respect me?” you took the tears off your cheeks, looking at the corner of the room. “you promised me that we were going to walk”

“and we will. please, my love, forgive me, this could be bad for our son” you bit your lip when you heard him. “i think we should sleep in separate chambers today, my lord. maybe that way we can both clear our minds”

and that had been your last conversation with your husband. you hadn’t even talked to him all morning and you had locked yourself in the guest rooms. hardly had barely eaten and less gotten out of bed, your ladies-in-waiting had accompanied you at all times even though you had ordered them to be left you. and you knew perfectly who had given that order.

you hated being at a fight with jongseong, but you couldn’t help the embarrassment that made you go through. and that was probably the best, if he didn’t see you as his wife, as his equal, as the future mother of his children, the best thing would be to be separated for a while, at least until your son is born.

you touched your belly while they combed your hair. even though you didn’t want to see him, you had to be at today’s dinner, it was a very important dinner for Winterfell. since your husband had managed to sign the agreement in a peaceful way, and the fact that his wife was not with him could be problematic. “you look beautiful, my lady”

you ignored her words and got up to go to the door. “prepare the bed early today, i won’t last long in the feast” once you left the room, you went to the place of the feast, you couldn’t help but sigh when you heard all the bustle. nany of the guests made small bows when they saw you, but you didn’t stop to talk to any of them, you just wanted it to pass quickly.

once you arrived at the feast, you saw many people dancing and drinking, many acquaintances other strangers. you narrowed your eyes looking for your husband and he was sitting at the high table with a lost look, and as if you had called him, he looked at you, and his face began to light up.

you frowned when you saw how your husband stood up on the table and asked for silence. “please, i want a little silence. today, in front of everyone, i want to apologize to the love of my life, my wife. today i have acted horrible with her, i have treated her badly in front of my subjects, giving a bad image of both of us and humiliating her. i want to say that i respect my wife very much and love her with all my soul, and that i deeply regret my actions, for this very reason, i want to apologize to her for having made her feel bad. and i want to say, that anyone who dares to speak ill of my wife or have made her feel bad, his only destiny will be to meet death.”

you smiled when you heard him and hurried to get to him, ignoring the screams of support from the others. jongseong got off the table and hugged you when you got to him. “i’m sorry for treating you like that, my dear husband” jongseong shook his head while resting his hand on your belly and your lower back. “you were right, how could i treat the love of my life like that, the reason for my existence?”

you caressed his cheek. “jongseong…”

“i will never hurt you again, my lady wife, neither me nor anyone else”

JAEYUN

you were suffering, you couldn’t even walk properly and getting out of bed was much worse than going to war.

you had given birth to your little daughter, arya, and even though you were very happy to see your daughter’s face, it had been the worst birth you have given, it had been so bad that you had been afraid of losing your life. however, having your husband by your side, with no intention of leaving even though it was forbidden for men to be in the delivery room, had been your only motivation to continue.

even though you were tired, horrible and exhausted, you felt dirty. that’s why you were in the bathtub, looking at the ceiling, remembering how bad it was hours before.

you didn’t want to get pregnant again, at least not now.

“i thought i had given a clear order” you heard behind your back. “you’re still weak and tired”

you turned around and saw how your husband sat in a chair next to you. “i threw out the maids, they treated me as if i were almost dead.” even though you tried to joke, your husband didn’t laugh. “you almost lost your life, y/n”

“but i’m alive”

jaeyun stroked your cheek and kissed your forehead. “i don’t know what i would do without you, wife. i was so scared when you fainted... i thought i had lost you. for the first time, i felt fear.” you tried to smile when you heard him. “i was afraid too, jaeyun. i thought i wasn’t going to make it, i thought arya and i were going to die, jaeyun” you tried not to cry, but the tears were already passing. “i was so scared, husband”

“but you’re strong, wife. you’re the strongest woman i’ve ever met. you’ve given birth to two children. i’m proud of you, my love.”

once you finished taking a bath, Jaeyun helped you put on your nightgown and carried you to the bed they shared. you were so tired that you couldn’t even walk properly. once you lay down next to your husband, they brought your daughter to breastfeed.

even though it wasn’t necessary, since there were women for that. you wanted to breastfeed her yourself, you didn’t want any of your children to drink a milk that wasn’t yours. there was no need.

you closed your eyes tightly when you noticed how your daughter breastfed. your husband quickly got alarmed and touched your shoulder. “does it hurt?” “a little” you murmured.

once your daughter took the breast and you took out the gas, they brought your oldest son to be with you. “am i going to be able to play with her?” your husband smiled when he heard him and touched his hair, playful. “when she grows up.”

“and when will she grow?” you rested your head on your husband’s shoulder and sighed. “soon”

“can i sleep with you today, mommy? pleeaase”

you were going to smile when you heard him, you couldn’t deny anything to your eldest son even though you were very tired. “your mother is tired today, my boy. maybe another day” you closed your eyes while nodding.

jaeyun approached your ear. “these days i will take the days off to take care of you, my wife.” “but there is no need, the maids will take care of me”

“i want to take care of my wife personally, or can’t i?”

“jaeyun...”

“you are my wife and you are my priority, i don’t care what others say, without you, i wouldn’t exist”

SUNGHOON

“you look beautiful, my lady wife” you smiled when you heard him while your maids combed your hair. “my lord doesn’t look so bad either” you got up and gave him a little kiss on his lips.

“can we go? you nodded and grabbed your husband’s arm while they were heading to the party. today it had been a year since you had married the lord of Winterfell, and even though you had not had children, you were sure that you would have them soon.

once you arrived at the party, you both had dinner at the high table and soon got up to dance and celebrate with the others. your relationship had been nicknamed as the little lovers, despite the fact that you had married by your father’s will, it didn’t take long to fall in love.

and it’s been a long time since there was a couple so in love in Winterfell.

even though you loved your husband madly, the parties were very wild and violent for you, who had been raised in King’s Landing, where everything was more normal and formal. However, you made the effort to have fun and ignore your discomfort. but you couldn’t stand it for long by hiding it.

you turned to look at your husband and caressed his cheek. “i’ll go get some air, my lord” sunghoon frowned when he heard you. “is something wrong?” you shook your head, you didn’t want to worry him. “i feel a little tired”

“don’t take too long, my lady wife” you smiled and walked away from him, ignoring his gaze fixed on you.

once you left, you sighed and crossed your arms while closing your eyes. even though you were meters away from the party, you still heard the bustle. “my lady” you heard on your left, you frowned when you turned and saw a middle-aged man looking at you.

“is there a problem?” you closed your eyes nervously when you heard the man’s laughter. “did you come to the party alone?” you shook your head, moving away little by little from him. “my husband is here, you need anything?” from one minute to the next, the man approached you and grabbed your arm. “i need you. do you know how i feel when i see a girl as young and beautiful as you? do you know everything i want to do to you?”

when you heard him, you nervously hit him on the chest, trying to get away from him, but the man was stronger than you. he grabbed your hair and threw you to the ground. “where do you think you’re going, little whore? do you think you’re going to leave here without having satisfied me first?”

your whole body was shaking and your tears were running down your cheeks, how was Sunghoon going to react to this? is he going to believe you? or will he believe that you cheated on him?

“please don’t do anything to me, i’ll give you all the money you want, you won’t suffer any consequences but please-“

“shut up!” he said poncing on you. all you did was scream for help, hoping that someone was around.

and as the gods had heard you, the man was pushed aside. you opened your eyes and you could see your husband looking at you with concern, he lifted you up quickly and inspected both your face and your body. “are you okay? did he do something to you?” you shook your head when you heard him. your husband removed the tears from your cheeks and looked behind you. “take her to the party.”

you narrowed your eyes when you heard him.“sunghoon-“

“go, y/n”

the guard gently grabbed your arm and dragged you to the party. “how did he know?” “my lord ordered me to watch you, my lady” once you arrived at the party, hundreds of ladies cornered you worried about your state, you couldn’t even answer any questions because of how worried you were.

for you, it took like thousands of hours until your husband entered the room. but what you didn’t expect to see was the face of the man who tried to abuse you in your husband’s hand.