{mingyoozi's scenarios}

Your heart is racing and adrenaline is pumping through your veins by the time you reach the castle walls. There’s a small door to the side of the gate, barely big enough for a small child. Luckily, you and Jieun are both young children and smaller than average. You throw the door open and push Jieun into the darkness. It swings closed behind you and you latch it quickly, hearing scratches and hissing not even a second later.

“Vampires,” Jieun stutters. You nod your head.

The adrenaline leaves your body in the form of fat tears, and Jieun pulls you into her arms to comfort you.

“Thank you for saving me.”

-

It’s impossible to tell if it’s the bounce of the carriage over a bump in the crossroads, or the presence looming above you and shaking your shoulder that finally wakes you. Your eyes snap open as you sit up properly, as opposed to leaning on the wall of the car. You can feel a wetness on your cheek and you wipe it away, hoping that Wonwoo hadn’t already seen it.

“Are you alright?” He asks, pulling back to give you as much space as he can in the small carriage. Your legs are still touching.

You nod. “Quite.” You say. You adjust your skirt in your lap, spreading it a bit more evenly to keep your legs from getting too warm. It’s nearing the warm season and the sun’s gaze is becoming harder to tolerate, especially from a poorly ventilated wood carriage. “Where are we?”

Wonwoo’s brows furrow together in concern, but he doesn’t question you. “Less than an hour to Yingan, last I checked. Did you need to make a stop?”

You shake your head. You would love to stop for even a minute, just to stretch your legs, but the yearn to see Yingan again is stronger. You hope that your old room is still being cared for, and that the summer robes you left behind still fit you. Tears start to well in your eyes as your heart fills with longing. Jieun should be here with you.

“Y/N,” Wonwoo starts, sliding his hand across the carriage seat to encapsulate yours. “Please tell me what’s wrong.” 

“I just miss it.” You explain, the tightness in your chest building as you fight against your instinct to start sobbing. “I— I don’t think I can do this alone. Not without Jieun.”

“You have me. I won’t leave your side. Jieun is being taken care of by the best healers that Yingan and Hwangyeon have to offer.” He squeezes your hand and you nod. “Thank you for accompanying me. I know how painful it was for you to leave her side.”

You shut your eyes, trying to block out the mental images of Jieun’s body laying lifeless in her bed, with barely any colour in her cheeks. Wonwoo keeps a steady rhythm of squeezing your head and running a thumb over the back of your palm.

“You know,” You start, keeping your eyes closed. “Before we were sent to Hwangyeon, Jieun and I never saw eye to eye. She was so proper and I was her wily, untamed kid sister. But we always kept each other safe. I’d give anything to go back to that.”

Wonwoo nods, giving your hand one last squeeze as the carriage comes to a stop. The door opens on Wonwoo’s side.

“Your highness, we have arrived.”

-

Seungcheol, the oldest of your three triplet brothers, meets you with teary eyes and open arms. You hoist your skirt up to your knees and run towards him, leaving Wonwoo and the rest of your entourage at the doors.

“Graceful as always.” Seungcheol teases, holding you tight to his chest. He smells like the pine trees that surround the palace, like he always has. Like everything in Yingan does.

You let a watery giggle escape from your lips, letting down the guard that you didn’t know you’d been keeping in place since you left. Yingan was your childhood, full of memories and time that you would never get back. You relished in the feeling.

“My room? My silk robes?” You ask, your heart racing with excitement.

Seungcheol grins. “Everything is as you left it, duckling.” He says.

You dig an elbow into his gut as he lets you go. “I would imagine that all those years in Hwangyeon have transformed me into the beautiful swan.” You tease, and Seungcheol’s eyes twinkle with fondness and something close to sadness, but not quite.

“You’ll always be our little ugly duckling.” You hear from behind you.

You turn to find Jeonghan and Jisoo standing there, staring at you. They pull you into a hug, burying their faces into your hair. Jisoo pulls you towards your old room, leaving Seungcheol alone to greet his foreign guests. You sit in your room for a minute, ignoring Jeonghan’s instructions to change quickly, just letting yourself be alone with your memories.

Your books lay strewn across your desk, untouched. Seungcheol wasn’t lying when he said everything was as you left it; some of the books are still laying open to a dogeared page. You strip down to nothing but your dirtied shift, throwing the heavier overdress onto your bed. There’s a linen shift hanging off a cast iron hook beside your door that you assume is clean, given the fact that it smells better than the one you’re wearing currently.

On most days, before you left Yingan, you’d have a maid or two to help you dress in the morning. Now, staring at an armoire full of silk and cotton robes, your mind draws a blank. It’s too hot for an intricate, layered evening dress — similar to the one you’d been wearing before — so you settle for an embroidered silk robe that you’re just barely able to lace up by yourself.

“Fuck.” You mutter once you see yourself in a mirror. The light blue silk that had once draped loosely over your body as a young girl now sits as close to your skin as your shift does. It was the cold season when you’d left Yingan, and with your rapidly changing body nothing from the warm season fit properly when it was time to pack up your things.

“Y/N?” Wonwoo calls from the other side of the door with a knock. “May I come in?”

He doesn’t wait for a proper answer before he enters, taking your unamused grunt as more than enough permission. There isn’t a point in even attempting to hide the poorly fit robe from him.

“I don’t know what to wear.” You state, turning away from your mirror and back towards your armoire.

He closes the door behind him and takes a seat on your bed. He doesn’t answer, instead taking in your childhood bedroom with wide eyes. It’s different from your room in Hwangyeon. This room has personality, everything was made custom for you and every corner is full of your belongings.

“That robe is fine. It’s just me and your brothers. The advisors won’t even be—“ He starts to say, but he chokes on his words when you turn around.

You’ve laced the robe as tight as you possibly can, but the ends don’t come together, showing off the shadowing between your breasts and the sheerness of your undergarments. You’d need a second chemise to preserve your decency, but the heat won’t allow for it.

“This robe is scandalous. I look like I’m trying to attract the likes of Mingyu Kim. I’d rather wear my hunting clothes.” You say.

Wonwoo chuckles at the mention of Mingyu Kim and his loose morals, and the fact that Mingyu is already attracted to you regardless. He takes his own turn rifling through your armoire as you unlace your robe.

“Here,” He offers, pulling a light silk dress out for you.

You hesitate. “Wonwoo, this doesn’t lace in the front. You’ll have to help me.”

His cheeks turn pink, but he nods anyway. You decide that modesty would be useless at the moment, you’ve already been gone for too long. Without waiting for Wonwoo to turn away you shrug the robe off your shoulders. He helps you pull the dress over your head, blushing the entire time.

“A king that helps a lady get dressed is unheard of.” You mutter as he begins to lace up the back of your dress.

He smiles. “What kind of a king leaves a damsel in distress?” He says. Being addressed as a damsel in distress would usually offend you, but the way that Wonwoo says it so teasingly leaves your heart fluttering. He continues in complete silence, concentrating on weaving the ties properly.

“There you are,” He says when he’s finished tying the final knot. He uses his hold on you to turn you towards the mirror.

The dress sits awkwardly over your shift, wrinkling in areas where you should have more undergarments to shape your silhouette, but the allowance for extra undergarments is what leaves it fitting comfortably. His hands drag over your waist, smoothing out the fabric, but they linger.

“Is that alright?” He says, quietly in your ear. You spot the darkening of his eyes in the mirror and your breath catches in your throat.

“Yes, thank you.” You say, pulling away from him and hoping that he doesn’t notice how breathless you are. He is married, after all.

“Don’t just sit there and pretend,” He said. “These walls are thin. I’ve been listening to you toss and turn all night.”

He took a seat on the corner of your bed and placed a hand delicately at the nape of your neck. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Hansol had been your roommate for three years, but you’d been friends for longer. You’d seen him pine after girls, have his heart crushed, and then patched back up again. If someone had told you years ago that you’d fall in love with him, you would’ve laughed in their face. However, at the stroke of dawn, it was an idea that was so real it haunted you.

“A lot,” You said.

“And nothing all at once?” He finished. He pushed at your legs. “Scooch.”

You made room for him and he nestled himself up against you, under your blankets. He’d showered before he went to bed, and the scent of his body wash still lingered. Or maybe it was yours. You’d shared the same space for so long that it had become hard to tell where he ended and you began.

“Hansol,” You started, turning to face him. Looking at him so close up was something that you seldom did, and the vision of his skin glistening in the warm early morning lighting made your breath catch in your throat. “Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we’d never met each other?”

He sighed to himself, but the corners of his mouth twitched with a smile. “I think I’d just be sad. You make me a better person. And I wouldn’t have met Chae.” He says.

You gulped down the lump in your throat. “How’s Chaeyoung doing? I haven’t heard from her in a while.” You say. His smile grows wider.

“She’s great. I think she misses you.” He said, his voice brimming with affection. You could tell how much she meant to him.

You moved closer, resting your head on his chest. He let you, lacing a hand through your hair and pressing his fingers to your scalp. It had been one of the only ways to get you to fall asleep on sleepless nights for as long as you can remember. And it always had to be Hansol.

“I know you think that she abandoned you for me or the other way around, but I promise she still thinks you’re her knight in shining armour or whatever.” He said.

You snorted. “She’s my best friend. She’s my knight in shining armour, too.” You said. You could feel your bones starting to weigh down into your bed.

Hansol pressed a kiss to the crown of your head as you started to feel yourself drifting into a sleep-like lull. “Thank you for letting me be her prince.” He said.

It’s the last thing you remember when you wake up the next morning to an empty bed and an empty heart.

-

“I’m so glad I caught you.” Chaeyoung says. She settles down onto the couch next to you.

Hansol had texted you while you were out getting coffee, telling you that Chaeyoung came around and you now required a third beverage in your order.

Chaeyoung lifts a cup from the tray and brings it to her lips. As soon as she takes a sip, she wrinkles her nose. “Nope. That’s definitely yours.” She says, passing it over to you.

You giggle. “I’m sorry that my taste in coffee offends you.”

“I can see why you and Hansol get along.” She says, as if she’s known him for longer than she’s known you.

“Yes, Chae. Our mutual love for black americanos is what’s kept us friends since we were kids.” You say.

She doesn’t sense the sarcasm in your voice and she giggles instead. She grabs the right cup of coffee this time, a sweetened cappuccino that you would probably be drinking if you weren’t so sleep deprived. You sit in silence for a minute before she speaks again, but it’s a comfortable silence that you’ve grown used to with her. Sometimes, you’ll sit in the same room for hours without speaking, but her company alone has always been comforting.

“You’re okay, though? Your meds— Hansol told me you haven’t been sleeping well. Is there something on your mind?” She asks, gnawing at her lips.

You sigh. “When have I ever slept well? I’m fine, Chaeyoung.” You say.

She nods and you return to your silence until you hear the creak of the shower turning off. Hansol steps out of the bathroom in his towel, grabs his coffee and presses a kiss to Chaeyoung’s forehead, and then retreats to his own room.

“I’m gonna go…” She trails off. You nod your head in acknowledgement; you know what she means. “Text me, yeah? I know I haven’t been around much lately, but I’m always here for you whenever you’re ready to talk.”

You nod again, staring down at the lip of your coffee cup so she doesn’t see the way that your eyes glaze over with tears. You can feel it building in your throat, and you try so hard to choke it down even after she’s gone. But when Hansol’s door clicks shut, your resolve shatters.

-

The transition into winter brings the smell of spices and pine trees. You and Hansol set up your little Christmas tree on a slow weekend, just the two of you and two mugs of hot chocolate. Christmas music is playing in the background constantly, and the glow of the Christmas tree greets you when you walk into your apartment on the darker afternoons.

“Your gift has been ordered.” Hansol mumbles one morning with a piece of toast half hanging out of his mouth. He’s clearly still half asleep and his hair is a mess.

You giggle. “Were you awake when you ordered it?” You tease. He swallows his toast and grins at you.

“I cannot confirm nor deny.” He says.

You trudge over to him and glue yourself to his back in a lump. He holds a piece of toast over his shoulder for you to take a bite out of and you chomp on it lazily while he massages the arm that you’ve slung around his waist.

“Chaeyoung and I are going to the Christmas market later. You coming?” He asks. He’s inhaled his toast in a matter of minutes, and he tries to maneuver his way to the sink with his empty plate while still keeping you blanketed over his body.

You freeze, trying to pull yourself away from him but he keeps his iron grip on your arms. “I have exams to study for.” You say. It’s a lie, all your exams ended last week and Hansol knows.

He sighs. “Will you please just tell me what’s going on with you? I’m getting really tired of guessing and I’m running out of ideas.” He says.

“Hansol, I—“ You start, but he cuts you off. He sounds angry, and you can’t really blame him.

“Do you like Chaeyoung? I’m sorry that I asked her out, but it’s almost been a year and you said you were okay with it when we started dating.” He says.

You feel your face start to get hot. You pull away from him, bringing your arms up against your chest like he’s burnt you. “What? Hansol, what are you talking about?”

“You always freeze up when I talk about her and you never hang out with us anymore. If you like her just tell me and I’ll break it off.” He yells.

Your stomach drops and his words start to ring in your ears. “Does she really mean that little to you?” You say, your words dripped with disgust.

“Of course not,” He says. “I love her, but you’re more important to me than anyone else. When will you see that?”

Fat tears start to roll down your face, catching on your chin and dripping off onto your crossed arms. “I’m in love with you, Hansol. I’ve been in love with you for, like, two years and it’s tearing me apart inside. Why do you think my anxiety meds and the sleeping pills don’t do anything? You take up so much of my mind and I can’t do anything about it.” You sob. You wipe your face onto your sleeve, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Fuck you, Y/N.” He says, his voice wavering, and that’s when you realize that he’s crying with you. “I can’t believe you never told me.”

You sniffle. “I didn’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you.”

“No, I’m—“ He hesitates, “I’m not going anywhere, don’t worry. I’m sorry I couldn’t see it.”

You nod, wiping away the last of your tears. Your face feels puffy and your chest hurts from sobbing so hard. “What now?” You ask.

“I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember, but I can’t just break up with Chaeyoung and move on in a day.” He says.

“So?” You ask. It makes you feel like a bitch, but you’ve gone this long wallowing in your own despair and you want answers.

Now, sitting confined in your room with the door locked and Mingyu begging for entry, that feeling seems so far away. It’s hard to remember. It sits in the back of your memory just out of arms reach and the horror of not being able to remember something so significant takes over.

Eventually Mingyu gives up. You hear another voice outside, coaxing him into the dining hall for supper. You can hear his hesitance to leave you and it crushes you inside. You feel selfish, mourning something that hasn’t happened yet. But no one can blame you. They all know how incurable Jieun’s sickness is. You sit in your lonesome in the eerie quiet of your room for as long as fate will allow. The peace lasts for an hour, and then Mingyu is knocking at your door again. It’s a soft knock, decibels quieter than the absolute uproar he had been torturing you with earlier.

You approach the door, your hand laying on the latch as you consider letting him in.

“Please,” You hear him whisper through the wooden slats. “I’m begging you.”

You flip the latch down and pull the door back just enough to let him know that he may enter. He pushes his way in gently and latches the door behind himself, effectively including himself in your isolation. Tears still leave your eyes, only now they leave in a drip instead of a stream.

“She’ll wake up.” He says, and you become overly aware of how much of a mess you must look with tear stains on your cheeks and redness in your eyes.

You wipe furiously at the wet trails on your face as he sinks down to sit beside you, creating a two person barricade along the doorway. “She won’t.” You say, refusing to meet his eyes.

“She will.” He says, taking your face into his hands and wiping away your remaining tears. “I swear to you.”

He dips his head down then, capturing your lips between his. You freeze for a second before you’re scrambling away from him, tears running down your face in a constant flow again. You’re still in your day clothes, the draping sleeves getting caught under your feet and your corset cutting into your chest as your ribs heave up and down.

“Y/N,” Mingyu says after a moment of shock has passed.

He reaches out towards you and you flinch, feeling nothing as you watch the hurt flash in his eyes. “Get out.” You say.

“I’m sorry.” He says, and you scream.

-

Jieun is pale and lifeless, transferred to her own room and heavily contrasting the dark red bed coverings. Wonwoo’s kingdom with all of its advanced medicines and remedies has managed to do absolutely nothing to improve her condition. You sit at her bedside, holding her hand. Your cheeks are still stained with tears from earlier that evening, but you just want to forget.

“Please wake up.” You say, running a hand through her hair. “I need you, Ji. I don’t know what to do.”

There’s a knock on the door then, a soft rap that interrupts your train of thought. The door opens before you can answer. Wonwoo stands before you, his head hung low as he enters the room.

“A message from Yingan, my lady.” He says, handing you a slip of parchment. “I’ve yet to read it, for your sake, but I can’t imagine that it says anything heartwarming. We rarely receive messengers from Yingan.”

Your heart skips a beat at the mention of your home. You take the message from him with shaky hands, almost tearing it in your haste to unfold it. The parchment slips from your hands as your brother’s neat script burns itself into your eyelids.

“M-my uncle he’s—“ You stop, seeing the bruises on Wonwoo’s hand that he’d been trying to hide. “You’ve hurt yourself.”

He shoves his hand behind himself, meeting your eyes with flushed cheeks. “Nothing. Do continue.”

“My uncle is on his deathbed. They’re crowning my brother as king in a fortnight.” You say.

“Is he requesting an audience for his coronation?” Wonwoo asks. You don’t know why he does, it’s tradition for the royal families of all three peace kingdoms to be present at a coronation.

You nod. Jieun won’t make it. It’s three days at sea and three days by carriage and she can barely breathe on her own lying still in bed. Wonwoo’s jaw clenches as he looks over at his sleeping wife.

“I can’t leave her side.” You say. Wonwoo takes a seat beside you and takes your hand in his. “What if something happens to her while I’m not here? What if this illness consumes her?”

“A Yingan healer was sent to look after her. She’ll be better by the time we’re back.” Wonwoo says. “You’ll have to stand beside me in her place at the coronation to symbolize the harmony between our kingdoms.”

“Tell me what happened to your hand first.” You say. The fingers wrapped around yours are black and blue.

He tightens his grip on you. “I care about you as I care for the queen herself. My cousin disrespected you, so he faced the consequences.”

“The consequence was your fist?” You say. Jieun has always hated violence, for once you’re glad that she isn’t awake.

Wonwoo smiles, lacing his fingers through yours and standing up. “Come. I want to show you something.” He says.

You nod your head and follow, making sure that the door is shut securely behind you as you leave Jieun’s room. Wonwoo leads you through the halls of the castle that have become so familiar to you over the past few months. Years. Time has blended together and it’s sometimes easy to forget that you haven’t been back home in years.

“This is for you. A gift to apologize for your sister and my cousin, but mostly your sister.” He says. He opens the doors to the armoury and leads you in. There’s a bow hanging near the swords and a set of arrows laying on the ground. “Mingyu told me about your love for archery back in Yingan.”

“That’s mine?” You hesitate. He nods and you run towards it, a light feeling in your chest that you haven’t felt in a while.

You lift the bow to inspect it. It’s beautifully made, easy for you to carry, and your name is etched into the side of the handle. You draw the bowstring back, testing the draw weight, and it feels almost identical to your bow back home. You turn to face Wonwoo again with tears in your eyes to find him grinning at you.

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.” You say. He just smiles and grabs a crossbow from the adjacent wall.

“What did you hunt back in Yingan?” He asks as he grabs his own set of arrows and starts to leave the room.

You have to think about that question. It’s been so long since you’ve seen the native animals of Yingan that they don’t immediately come to the front of your mind.

“Mostly rabbits in the warm season and deer in the cold season. I didn’t shoot to kill very much back in Yingan, it was mostly target practice on trees and an excuse to be alone in the forest. Violence angers the Gai, so we hunt with the intent to use every part of the animal.” You explain.

“The Gai?” He asks. In the years that you’ve been here, you’ve yet to have had a conversation about your own religion and culture with anyone in the castle. You never considered yourself a very religious person before you left your kingdom, so it’s been a while since you’ve had to think about the Gai and her rule over the world.

“Our goddess. I’m not as religious as Jieun is, but some of my kingdom’s religious morals resonate with me. Jieun still prays to the Gai every morning, you know? It amazes me.” You digress.

Wonwoo nods his head. “I see. What else do you believe in?” He asks.

You shrug your shoulders. “I’m not sure that I believe in much anymore.” You say.

While you were talking, Wonwoo had managed to lead you to the base of the Shengo mountain. As you step up onto a ledge, you’re glad that you’d had the sense to change out of your day gown before you visited Jieun. You spot a white rabbit in the grass that has managed to not notice you or Wonwoo.

You set an arrow into the rest of your bow and draw.

“Yes, this has been a very enjoyable evening, your highness.” You say.

He leans in close, placing his lips beside your ear. Your heart starts to race in your chest. “You can drop the formalities. There’s no one around to accuse you of treason, and I certainly won’t.” His voice is soft and delicate and barely audible.

You drop your head as you feel your face start to heat up.

“Of course.” You agree with a nod.

He stands suddenly and offers you a hand. You gather your skirt in one hand and take his extended one in the other.

“We should probably get back,” He suggests. “My mother will want me to see the guests out.”

“Yes,” You nod. You lace your arms together and allow him to guide you back towards the castle. “I should make sure that my sister is resting peacefully.”

You part ways at the castle door, bowing your head out of tradition and courtesy before you take your leave. You make it out of the way just as the doors are opening to let the party goers out to their carriages.You look back as you slink into the castle and find that Wonwoo is watching you with a smile on his face. You return it with a smile of your own, your cheeks turning pink as you scuttle back towards Jieun’s room.

-

Roses have always been Jieun’s favourite flower. She loves the juxtaposition of the delicate, pink petals with their thorn-covered stems. Now, though, seeing those petals collecting in her chamberpot, covered in blood and spit, makes her stomach recoil and her head spin. They spill from her lips like an avalanche, and each new petal sparks a burning hatred for the plant.

“Your highness,”

It’s a title that she hasn’t gotten used to yet. She hasn’t been the queen for more than two days, and she doesn’t know how much longer she’ll be fit for the position.

“Yes?” She replies, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Let me help you back to your bed.”

Jieun take’s the maid’s hand with barely any strength, allowing herself to be pulled onto two quivering legs. Each step feels like its taken on a bed of glass shards, and the winces leave her mouth as easily as the petals do.

“Is my sister coming?” Jieun asks, laying down on the mattress and curling up onto her side. She prefers to sleep on her back, but the doctor had told her that it would be dangerous, should her sick spells overtake while she slept.

The maid nods her head as she pulls the blankets up over Jieun’s shoulders. “I do believe that she’s slept in your bed every night since you came down with the illness.”

Jieun closes her eyes and hums. “My sweet sister. Make sure that she’s taken care of when I’m gone.”

“Your highness, don’t say such things. You’ll live a long and prosperous life as the queen of this kingdom.” The maid scolds her.

If Jieun had the energy, she would laugh. But she doesn’t, so she settles for sighing and sinking into the mattress.

It doesn’t take long for you to show up in her doorway, and Jieun smiles a sleepy smile at you as you approach her.

“Hi,” She says, reaching out towards you.

You take her hand in yours and sit by her torso, the bed dipping under your weight. Jieun struggles to hold your hand with a strength that matches yours, and she feels her stomach sink at the realization.

“Let me change into my nightclothes, and then I’ll join you.” You say.

Jieun lets her smile speak for her, placed softly on her face as if to say ‘thank you.’ You tuck her hair behind her ear and place a kiss to her forehead before you depart from her bedside.

-

Mingyu’s fingers close around nothing but the cold breeze of a spring morning. It settles over his bare skin, sending a chill down his spine. He winces as the pain in his head is enunciated by the feeling of the cool air on his face.

“My prince,” He hears muttered behind him.

A slender arm wraps around his waist from behind him. Mingyu cringes, lifting the arm from his body.

“I’m afraid that there has been a mistake.” He says, sitting up and facing the mysterious woman in his bed.

Staring back at him is a foreign princess, one that he had been briefly introduced to the night before. She has a pretty face and a pretty form, but he can’t bring himself to feel anything for her. His head throbs, a reminder of just exactly how many mistakes he had made.

“Is there anyone you must be faithful towards besides our king?” She asks him, cocking her head to the side in a way that should affect Mingyu in one way or another, and yet he still feels nothing.

“No, I’m unmarried.” He says.

She smiles. “Then what about any of this was a mistake? No one has to know.”

“Of course,” Mingyu says, returning her smile with a smile of his own. “You should leave.”

Her smile drops immediately and her face turns into one of complete scandalization. She throws the blankets back, biting back an argument, and shrugs on her clothes from the party all without breaking her glare. Mingyu lays back and watches her leave before snuggling back into his bed and falling back into a light sleep.

He’s awakened only a few minutes later by his door slamming open and a light weight settling on his shins.

“You should put some clothes on.” You say, and Mingyu finds something off-putting about the way that you manage to remain so impassive while sitting on top of his naked body.

“Why? There’s nothing important about today.” He says, keeping his eyes closed and a distant smile on his face.

“King Wonwoo was a few steps behind me.” You say.

Mingyu shakes his head and throws an arm over his eyes. “We’ve shared a bath before, it really is nothing to be concerned by.” He says, and he can just imagine how absolutely unimpressed you look.

-

Sometimes, it’s incredibly difficult for you to realize what’s happening until it’s already happened. Wonwoo visits you with tears in his eyes. He takes your hand in his without saying a word. You close the book that you had been reading, leaving it on your bed, and you let him lead you out of your sanctuary.

“Where are you taking me?”

You’re met with silence.

“Wonwoo, please. What’s happening?”

Again, he says nothing.

Your heart starts to race and your vision blurs with tears that leave hot trails as they fall down your cheeks, against your will. He leads you through the castle, and out into the warmth of a spring afternoon. Petals from the cherry blossom trees in the courtyard fly around you, landing in your hair and in your eyelashes, but Wonwoo shows no interest in how beautiful the grass looks covered in a layer of soft pink satin.

Your hand aches by the time he lets go, and your lungs burn with unfamiliar exhaustion. It takes a moment for you to recognize your surroundings. You’ve stopped outside of the queen’s private quarters. Wonwoo steps to the side to speak to one of the guards outside of Jieun’s door, saying something that you can’t hear. Your heart drops into your stomach, and the tears start to fall more carelessly from your eyes.

“Y/N,” Wonwoo says, placing a hand on your shoulder. You flinch.

Your mind starts to run on autopilot. You take your first step into the room and your only intention is to sit at Jieun’s beside and hold her hand, but an arm around your waist stops you.

The nurse speaks from Jieun’s side, a place that is rightfully yours. “She’s resting.”

“For how long?” You ask.

The nurse drops her gaze to her own hands. She’s choosing her words carefully, and you can almost see the cogs turning in her head. “It’s uncertain,” She says. “She’s been like this since the morning. Nothing will wake her.”

Usually, your face holds a facade of joy and content, completely unfazed by the fact that the only piece of family that you have left spends her days dying in her bed with no remedy for her illness. You hold on so tight that your cheeks burn with fatigue by the end of the day and you cry yourself to sleep.

Today, though, your heart shatters and the mask of happiness shatters with it. Your throat burns and it takes a while for you to realize that you’re letting out a strangled mix of yelling and sobbing. Wonwoo’s arms are strong around your waist, and they hold you against his body until Mingyu comes into the room and takes you from his hold. You resist, crashing your fists against Mingyu’s chest.

“Do something, Mingyu, please. You have to.” You cry.

“There’s nothing I can do.” He says. He wraps his arms around you and cradles you to his chest, but you push him away and stumble towards the door with tears in your eyes.

“I’ll be taking my leave, your highness,” You stammer, bowing your head in Wonwoo’s direction. “Please make sure that my sister is taken care of.”

Mingyu’s cries of your name are muffled in your head by the sound of your own sobbing. You flee down the hallway to your own room, barring the door behind you. It doesn’t take long before there are knocks on your door, begging you to come out and speak to someone, but you curl up into a ball on your bed and lay there until you fall asleep.