Na

"but gacha games are predatory by default, it's ultimately your fault for spending money on the game"

yes, they are all predatory. they're meant to get their consumers into a top-up addiction. however, infold is especially (and unfairly) scummy towards lds players.

if you are unaware, infold isn't a brand-new company — it's just papergames underneath an alias. they're mostly known for their nikki dress-up game series and mr love: queen's choice franchise (which is another otome game).

question ‣ but why, exactly, does this matter?

answer ‣ the way infold/papergames treats mlqc and nikki fans in comparison to lds is night and day.

for reference, i've played both game franchises and i first played infold's games back at 2017, right when love nikki, the game that catapulted infold in the mobile game industry, released. i've spent money on infold's games before love and deepspace's release.

the games' difference from lds in terms of f2p/p2p is laughable, the largest difference being the existence of the top-up accumulative system.

if you are wondering what the top-up accumulative system is, here's an example (DO NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE. THIS IS IN NO WAY INDICATIVE OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE.):

see what i mean?

infold has shit somewhat like this for all of their gacha games EXCEPT FOR LDS.

im going to continue posting content and fics for lds, not for the sake of papergames but for the sake of fans who can't enjoy the game without dumping their entire fortunes on this shit.

y'all deserve better.

A glob of whip cream freefalls off the metal tines and onto his plate. Those magnetic pink-blue eyes flash with a multitude of colors—like a sea-worn rock under the brilliant sun. 

However, as fast as your question hit him, he overcame it; no one could say that Mr. Rafayel, the art world's maverick and media-trained connoisseur, was slow in recovering his wits.

His signature teasing smile in place, Rafayel placed his fork back down onto the table.

Across from you, two friends were speaking in low tones and judging from their expression, unpacking their love lives with the sombreness of a priest reciting a divorce rite.

Rafayel blinked, tilting his head to the side. 

"Why would you ask, Miss Bodyguard?" 

He casually slung an arm over the back of his chair, a million dollar smile gleaming and ready. "Or, has something struck your most vivid imagination?" 

Laying it on thick, he couldn't even begin to disguise the gleam of his teeth—shining like the incisors of a great white after smelling fresh blood in the ocean. 

"I never thought you would be so sugges—ouch!"

Rafayel winced, and doubled over, rubbing his shin under the table. "What was that for?" 

You huffed, and fixed him a glare. "Don't embarrass me." 

"I was just joking."

"Wasn't funny." 

"Yeesh. You're really wound up about this, huh?" 

That infuriating smirk was plastered back onto his face; his boyish features making something in your chest squeeze. 

"Shut up and answer the question." 

He pretended to ponder on it for a moment. More color illuminates his stunning amethyst irises. Shining like jewels, only he knew the value of his true thoughts. 

Before you could retract your question and salvage this bright afternoon, Rafayel surprises you with his next words.

"Why don't I show you, my little conch shell?" 

You freeze. Scanning the area, you wondered if this was the right conversation to be having in such a brightly lit area. Granted, you and Rafayel were past the carnal stage —after being together for close to a year, your bodies were well-worn maps that lips and fingers could retrace and discover any time.

Fighting back a laugh, you shake your head.

"Is this another one of your racy propositions again?"

Rafayel merely smirked. "If that is how you wish to see it." 

Seriously now, you counter, "Will I have paint in my hair again?" 

Memories flash in your mind; of a large canvas, soft candlelight, and streaks of paint on the most random parts of your body found weeks after the deed was done. 

Your lover sits back, using one slender finger to cross over his heart. "I promise your hair won't go through such torment anymore." Despite your best efforts, your eyes trail to his broad chest, and the enticing V of his defined pecs.

As if sensing your eyes on him, Rafayel's mirth grows. "Looks like you can't resist much longer, I'll make you a deal—" 

He leaned in close—much too close—and you could smell the vanilla on his breath; the sunlight glinting off those purple irises softening with a look of warmth only he held for you.

"—come with me tonight to Whitesand Bay, and I promise you won't regret it." 

Muggy and balmy in the evening, Whitesand Bay wasn't exactly the ideal meet up spot for Rafayel to finally fulfill his promise and show you how mermaids reproduce. 

But, you showed up anyway.

Dressed in a light, silk dress to combat the heavy heat of the summer night, you cautiously made your way down to the docks, keeping your eyes and ears peeled for Rafayel. 

"You're here." He appeared a moment later, dashing as usual in his white button-down and pristine slacks. Dazzling under the half-light, you allowed him to take your hand and lead you right to a boat.

"We're not going for a to take a deep dive like last time, right?" Hearing the skepticism in your voice, he laughs.

"Of course, not. I paid Thomas a huge bonus last month and told him to buy a speedboat. For us to borrow, if you're curious." 

"Poor Thomas," you mused, letting him hold you close to his side as he helped you atop the board. "His boss is a tyrant... asking him to use his bonus for such lavish nonsense."

"Is it really a lavish nonsense if I get to have you here?" 

Rafayel's sincerity struck you mute. He breezed past your shocked figure, unaware of the effect he has on you. "Well? Are you going to continue mocking my methods of employment or are we going to do this?" 

Even though his chest was puffed and voice full of bravado, you could tell your sweet artist boyfriend was struggling with his nerves. The tips of his ears were bright red, a faint shadow of a pout on his lips. 

"Raffie," you whisper, taking his hand. He glanced at you, wide-eyed like a fish caught on the bait. "What're you so scared of? It's just you and me."

He lets you rub your thumb across his knuckles, tightening your hold on his fingers.

"I just..." he trails off. "... just don't want you to think I'm a freak. That's all."

Rafayel refused to look at you when he was this vulnerable, and you couldn't help the short giggle bursting past your defenses. He glared, and you quickly reached for his face, touching his cheek.

"Never," you emphasize. "I will never think you're weird. Ever. Besides, if you're a freak then I'm the weirdo in love with you."

Your dopey grin sets something aflutter in his chest, like ripples of ocean waves splashing across a strange shore. Rafayel smirks and takes your hand off his face, choosing to twine his fingers with yours. 

"Shall we make a move, then, my little conch shell?" 

"Rafayel..."

The sight before you stuns you with its splendor. Your beloved boyfriend had gone all out—picnic blankets, lighted candles, flutes of champagne, and spreads of seafood as far as the eye could see... arranged all across the flatbed of this hidden alcove where the sea kisses the land. 

In the distance, the gentle swishes of waves lapping at the shore greeted your ears, its waves illuminated faintly as if lit from within.

"Bioluminescent algae," Rafayel murmurs right behind you. His arms came to wrap around your waist, the heat of his breath fanning right across your exposed neck. "They only appear in the summer when the water is warm." You fight back a shiver, trying not to show how affected you were by his presence. 

"Oh." Dumbly, you weren't sure how to put your thoughts together, much less a coherent sentence. 

Sensing your speechlessness, Rafayel exhaled a laugh. "Come on. We should eat before the food gets cold."

There's a dip in his tone, something tinged with a darker emotion you barely had time to unravel before he was tugging you onto the picnic mat. The food was divine, his personal chefs going all out to satisfy both of your palettes. Conversation flowed easily like the champagne slipping down your throat, coaxing you to release the tightness in your chest in favor of bubbly giggles and flirty smiles.

Rafayel's cheeks were steadily growing pinker, and you were sure he would double over and pass out—forgetting about your brazen question—when you felt his hand on your thigh.

"Would you like to take a swim with me?" 

Memories of seaweed brushing your bare legs, Rafayel’s arms steadily around your waist as he led you past the shoreline fills your mind. Anything cool sounded like a blessing from this heat. 

Plus, he was a pretty good swimmer, as evident from what he truly was. Rafayel would never put you in harm’s way. 

Safe. That was the word. You always feel safe with him. 

“Yes.”

He takes your hand, gives it a squeeze and helps you stand.

Rafayel started to undress first. The hem of his expensive silk shirt reveals the fitted band of his equally expensive slacks—made by the best tailors in all of Linkon. Then, pale skin. It stretches, tightens over defined obliques, abs and then his impressively broad chest. 

Scattered across the sinew and muscle roping his torso were smatterings of moles and beauty marks. 

Someone once told you that these marks were spots past lovers used to love kissing. You idly trace your gaze over the one on his left pec, right over his heart. 

If Rafayel and you had been together in the past, you were sure that the spot over his heart would be your favorite spot to plant your lips on him. 

As furtively as you could, you tried not to gape at him, but completely failed.

Rafayel was a masterpiece made by the gods themselves, and you were the poor fool gaping at his altar; transfixed on the sharp V which led to a light dusting of his happy trail. 

His cock strains behind his slacks, bulging noticeably. You want to reach out and skim your fingers, eager to feel it twitch under your touch. 

"Well?" His gentle amusement tore your thoughts from their sinful vices. "Are you gonna just stare at me or are we going for a swim? Your pick, Miss Bodyguard." 

Showing that you were far braver than you felt, you stood up, shaky hands reaching for the straps of your dress. "Don't look at me." 

A surge of heat flooded your cheeks, your eyes resolutely turned to the side. Obediently, Rafayel followed your orders, though you could hear the cogs turning in his head. It's not like I haven't seen her naked before.  

But, this wasn’t the usual plotting, teasing and flirting you both would indulge in.

Something about the air tonight felt heavier. 

Intimate.

You swore Rafayel could pick up your heartbeat from where he stood. The heat on your cheeks spread down your chest, tingling on your fingertips.

“Okay. I’m ready.”

In nothing but in your lingerie, you shift from foot to foot, feeling too vulnerable and open.

The sky above yawns wide, inky black jaws lovingly unfurling like a spread of velvet sheets. His hand is warm in yours, and you squeeze it, trying to hide how you were trembling. 

“Hey.” Rafayel sweeps you into his arms. Try as you might to fight off the nerves, they bubble up in a short squeak when your face meets his chest. “Relax, baby. You’re shaking like a bubble in the sun… don’t pop just yet.”

You find comfort in his scent—oceanic and musky—breathing him in. 

Do you trust me? Rafayel once asked when you both were drunk on a night out. 

Of course, I do. You flick his nose. Why wouldn’t I trust you? 

Even if I’m different? He fixes you with a look, lucid for someone who had just downed an entire champagne bottle. And I can’t be normal for you? 

Especially because you aren’t normal in the sense of its word… I trust you even more because you trusted me, first. 

Waves lap at your toes, and you shiver at how cool the water is. 

“Easy,” Rafayel coaxes you. He takes the lead, sinking into the soft sand first, never releasing his hold on you. 

You do as he says, a sailor to his siren call, except you knew in your heart you would willingly follow him till the ends of the world.

Once the water was up to your waist, Rafayel exhaled. “Stay here. I’ll be back.” 

You don't have time to protest when he dives into the waves, barely kicking up a spray. Eyeing the softly luminated sea surface, you dip your fingers into the warm water, watching a blue orb float in between your loose fists. 

“Hey.”

Startling, you look up to find him grinning, lilac hair darkened with salt water; holding a bundle of what you thought was tangled hair in his grasp.

“I know you hate the taste of seaweed, but this’ll help when we… get into things.” 

He ends in an awkward note, and you wondered what happened to the once cocky, and sure Rafayel you knew. 

Unfurling his clenched fist, he hands you one single strand. “Eat this. It’ll help you breathe underwater temporarily.” 

“What is it?” you sniff at the strange vegetation. 

“Hydroweed. It gives humans the ability to breathe underwater for up to an hour.”

Putting your faith in his words, you nod. Opening your mouth, you bite into the Hydroweed. 

The briny taste was overwhelming, its tough fibers making it difficult for you to chew. But, you manage to swallow it down. 

Instantly, you felt your throat closing, the air choked out of your lungs. “Rafayel—!” 

Strong hands grab your waist, dragging you under the foamy waves. 

You gasp, about to scream at him to let you go, when you took in your first deep breath underwater.

The world suddenly came to life. Bright blue orbs floated right in front of your face, and you reached for them, in awe at how vivid they glowed now you could see them up close. 

Down in the depths, the waves became hushed murmurs in the background, filling your ears with a ringing silence. 

“Are you okay?” Rafayel’s voice shot through the floating calm like a shout, and you cringed back in shock. 

“Sorry,” he laughs, and pulls you to his side. “It’s way quieter down here than up above because sound travels differently. Strange, huh?” 

You nod, not entirely sure if you could use your voice. As if he read your thoughts, Rafayel chuckles.

“Go ahead and speak, my little conch shell. I can hear you just fine.” 

You take a deep breath. “O-okay.” Growing confident and more comfortable, you relax in his embrace. “It feels… strange. Like you said. But, at the same time, I don’t entirely hate it.”

“Mhm,” he rubs your back, smiling reassuringly and wide. “If there are other Lemurians within a few miles, they can most likely hear you scream.”

His double meaning didn’t register until you felt his palms tracing your hips, teasing down your body to give your ass a fond squeeze.

“Hey—!” 

You swat his hands away, mute with embarrassment. “I-is that why you all live so deep in the sea? For privacy?” 

Rafayel hums. It’s a little off putting how clear his voice sounds, like you were listening to him through a pair of high-grade earphones. 

“Usually, Lemurians mate deep in the trenches where the light can’t find us. It helps to keep things more private and intimate. If not, we travel to other seas uninhabited by our species. I used to know a guy who dragged his wife to the middle of the Atlantic when they were trying for a family.”

Rafayel’s focus ebbs into the distance, a tinge of sadness in his tone that appears whenever he speaks of his long lost people and home. 

You take his hands in yours and squeeze, trying to draw him back from the precipice of his ruined memories.

“We could try…” you trail off, unsure if this was the right thing to say. “...to repopulate it?” 

Like your words were a trigger, you found yourself planted right on the ocean floor, soft sand cushioning your body.

You squeak, quickly darting your eyes to his, arms instinctively wrapping around his shoulders.

Rafayel’s usual glimmering pink-blue eyes were shadowed by a darker emotion; reminding you of glinting shark teeth or a blade of moonlight slicing through choppy water. 

“Don’t say that, baby.” Was it you, or did his voice drop an octave? 

Your Lemurian lover’s low reprimand made a shudder run down your spine, his half-mast eyes causing your stomach to flip.

“You don’t know how those words make me feel… my kind used to reproduce by the dozens—I can’t wait to see you bulging with my babies.” 

Wait… babies? 

With a capital ‘S’?

His mouth lands on yours, hungry and seeking. You kiss him back with as much ardor, lost in the sensations that you almost forgot what he had said earlier.

“Raf… Rafayel—” you gasp when he starts to dig his teeth into your neck, nipping down your jaw and collarbone.

Deft hands unclip your bra, the motion fluid like he has done this a million times before. From the corner of your eye, you see every article of clothing he took off you floating right to the surface; moonlight bouncing off the fragmented surface, playing across the broad expanse of his back. 

Your head swims with fuzzy thoughts long discarded when he pushes the plush fat of your tits together, licking and nipping around your areolas, ignoring how your nipples were already circling with need. 

“Raffie…” You fist his hair, trying to push his mouth to where you need him the most. “Don’t tease me.”

He laughs at your soft whine. “I need to make sure you’re prepared, my love.”

My love. Rafayel only called you that term whenever he was in the thick of his passion; it seems like you were about to witness the cumulation of your innocent question coming true.

Strong hands held you firmly while he eased down your body, planting fleeting kisses on every inch of your skin his lips could touch. 

Down in the deep, gasps and screams weren’t sounds, but vibrations; the sounds escaping your mouth resounding around your entwined bodies.

“Fuck,” Rafayel cussed once he reached the apex of your thighs. “I can’t wait to finally taste you underwater.” 

Barely giving you time to brace yourself, the broad stroke of his tongue melted through your folds. 

Never would you have imagined you would be eaten out right on the ocean’s bed—going deeper and deeper into the neverending blue. 

Rafayel’s lips were wrapped around your nub, sucking and caressing it with his tongue exactly how you liked it. Your smaller fingers sank into his hair, the other entwining with his own above your heart; back arched to give him everything you have.

“S’good,” he murmurs, verging on the edge of slurring. “I love you.”

His name tumbles from your mouth like a primal echo, calling him right to the edge of a bottomless trench.

Rafayel wasn’t afraid; he would traverse the deep beyond for as many chances to be with you as he could.

“Put your legs around my waist,” he whispers in between sloppy kisses back up your body. 

If someone were to tell you that your sweet boyfriend was literally making love to you on the bottom of the ocean, you would tell them a Wanderer had infected their mind.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see his body emanating a faint glow. A distant memory claws past the thin membrane of your barely held together thoughts; moonlight bouncing off pink-blue scales, his unbearable body heat and a pearly sheen misting his eyes.

“Rafayel—” 

The change was imperceptible. At first, you couldn’t feel anything but the sinful sinking of his cock stretching out your cunt. 

Then, it hit you like a freight train.

His waist felt like it was expanding, pushing your thighs further apart. But, when you glanced down the line of your bodies, the length of his legs was replaced by something longer. Bigger. It distinctly had two fins attached to the end, bent at an angle to accommodate the position he was fucking you in.

“R-Rafayel—!” 

“Fuck,” he strains, lining his forehead with yours. “I-I’m scared of hurting you.” 

“N-no,” you force your thick tongue to relinquish the words. “You'll never.”

His skin grew harder under your touch, inches of pale expanses replaced by shiny scales. Minus his face, his limbs, back, chest and torso were completely covered by the armor-like toughness of multiple hardened plates. Where the scales couldn’t touch, they were bonded together by thin layers of lamella, giving his entire body an otherworldly sheen. 

Mesmerized, you titled his face towards you, marveling at the scattering of scales adorning his throat and jaw. 

“Wow,” you murmur, touching them. They weren’t as hard or sharp as you imagined; his scales had a delightful give you couldn't stop pressing down on. 

In response, Rafayel grunts. “Baby… It’s happening.”

You were about to part your mouth and ask him what was, when your eyes shot wide open. 

The place where you both were connected suddenly grew tighter, as if something was pushing against your insides. Your muscles instinctively tried to expel the foreign intrusion, tensing and tightening—it was a shot of fear unlike any other you had ever tasted. 

Panicking, you cried out, “Rafayel, stop!”

Immediately, he ceased rutting into you, breathing heavily. Anguished, pastel eyes peel clapped onto yours, a pearly sheen filming over them.

“Shit… shit, I’m so sorry…”

“What’s happening?” you blurt out, a tremble of fear in your question. “Are you… are you putting e-eggs in me?” 

“Eggs?” he sounds bewildered, and that causes you to be perplexed in turn. Breathing hard, Rafayel’s forehead thumps onto your sternum. He doesn’t refute you or confirm your suspicions. Instead, he takes in a deep, ragged breath, like he was trying to tame down a cresting emotion. “Did you actually think, for a single second, that I was going to leave eggs in you?” 

Before you can even speak, his broad shoulders start to shake. Rafayel’s quiet laughter roused your confusion and indignation; your brows furrowing together because he wouldn’t stop laughing.

“Shut up,” it was your turn to be the whiner in this relationship. “You’re mean. It’s a valid question!” 

“Oh, baby,” he wheezes. One second, he was laughing, and the next, he lapsed into a quiet seriousness, the sudden mood change giving you whiplash. “I would never hurt you like that, my love. Trust me.”

Gently grasping your hand with his, he slips it down both your bodies, right to where you two were connected. “What I meant to show you, my little conch shell, is this.” 

He brings your hand between your own legs. You thought he was going to make you touch yourself, but when you feel something hard and distinctively not flesh-like bump your hand, you flinch back.

“Ssh, don’t be afraid,” he murmurs. “Go on and take a look, my love.”

Again with my love. 

Rafayel was either struck with nerves, or he was completely enamored with you at this moment. 

You licked your lips, tasting salt water on them and cautiously stretched your fingers to feel the strange object up. It was long and girthy, like a penis, except it wasn’t.

Steeling yourself, you risk a peek.

Gone was the smooth, veiny skin of Rafayel’s cock. His human one. 

In its place, was a thick length, riddled with ridges and bumps like an octopus’ tentacle. His very human appendage was always a stunner—slender (like his physique), veiny, with a hooked tip—but the sight before you (that strange and downright alien sight) blew your expectations out of the water. 

Your gasp reverberated around the pressing silence. Rafayel was quiet, waiting for you to speak. In turn, you couldn’t keep your eyes off his new genitalia. 

“Is that…” you struggle to piece together a coherent question. “Is that all… going inside of me?” 

Rafayel grunts. “Unless you don’t want me to, sweetheart.”

You take a moment to gather your thoughts, staring past the crest of his shoulder towards the shimmering, seemingly impenetrable ceiling of a world beyond the bubble you both created.

“I do,” you finally whisper, your confession rippling around the both of you, suspending your forms in an endless wave of mutual ecstasy. “I want this. I want you.”

Rafayel doesn’t bother to waste his time replying. You brace yourself, heels digging into his hips, clinging onto him with all of your strength. 

The first breach of his otherworldly cock inside of you felt like a touch of electricity up your spine. You cried out, nails digging into his scaly shoulders.

“Relax,” he paces you through the sensations. “I need you to relax for me, my love. I can’t get in if you’re this tight.” 

You gulp in a few deep breaths with your eyes screwed shut, and eventually, your heartbeat slows down. Sluggishly cracking your lids open, you catch the gleam in his pink-blue irises; locks of his iridescent hair floating around his serene expression.

The strange sensation was back, easing past your ring of muscle. You choke on a moan, trying to swallow your fear. 

“Ssh,” Rafayel murmurs. To distract you, he leaves feathery kisses on your cheeks, jaw and then, your lips. 

If the bottom of the ocean wasn’t enough to drown you, his kiss would. 

Rafayel… you whisper into the water. 

His name was a prayer dedicated to the Sea Gods on your tongue, your body sprawled out beyond your comprehension. Every line of you was taut with tension, the achingly slow stretch of his appendage plunging deeper and deeper into your heat had your head spinning like a whirlpool was threatening to suck you in. 

“Almost,” his harsh whisper clashes with your breath. “So good for me; you’re doing so good for me, my love.”

“Rafayel,” you mewled, the sea taking your tears. Hiccuping his name, you shudder, hiding your face in the crook of his neck. 

Your fist clamped down on soft sand, your back arched, and finally—finally—you felt his hips clipping yours.

“Fuck.”

The both of you groan in unison. 

His kisses were still warm, flush on your parted lips. Rafayel shunted his hips forward, then back. Repeating the same motion. 

Again. Again. And again.

The sensation was unlike any other you had felt in this world. No cock could possibly compare to the ridges wrapped around his length, the blunt, elongated tip almost touching the deepest part of your body.

“Rafayel,” you cried in a thick voice, like your mouth was filled with cotton. “Oh, God…”

Your tits flushed to his chest, your fingers in his hair and his tongue twining with yours shook your inner world like a deep sea earthquake.

This wasn’t like your usual lovemaking sessions; everything was amplified, more sensitive and tangible.

God, was it all so tangible.

You could physically feel every scaly ridge under your fingertips. His modified cock dragging those ecstasy-inducing bumps across your walls. Even his taste was different underwater; like a briny, primal flavor which coated your tongue. 

“Y/N,” his moan more angelic than what you could handle. “I love you. I love you so, so much—” 

Rafayel choked, and you didn’t need to ask to know he was about to cum. 

The ecstasy of it all wrapped its tendrils around both your embracing bodies; a human and Lemurian entangled in a dance as old as time. 

“I love you,” you cry out, toes curling and your nails raking down his back. Rafayel grunts, and in the dim half-light of the ocean engulfing you, you swore you saw his frantic eyes shine like precious pearls.

The world was closing in, darkness seeping into the corners of your vision. 

You pushed on his shoulder, trying to get his attention; acutely aware that the ache in your lungs wasn’t because of his kisses, but of something else.

Something out of your control.

The call of the surface burned through your lungs, and you opened your mouth, about to scream for him to let you go, when it all slammed into you like a tidal wave.

Darkness exploded, splattering across your mind, and you heard his cry of your name, the sound now echoey and muggy.

There was movement. A sharp tug. What sounded like wind whistling through your ears. 

Through your snatches of consciousness, you were aware of the pushback both your bodies weathered through the wall of water; how the ocean was trying to hold you back.

As soon as the sensation appeared, it was shattered by a golden burst of fresh oxygen.

Gulping in mouthfuls of air, you yelled out in fright, blindly grappling across the writhing dark mess of endless ocean surrounding you. 

Rafayel! Rafayel!

You felt strong arms wrap around you, holding you in his embrace like how a father would cradle his child.

Close your eyes, you thought you heard him murmur in your ear. And don’t open them until I tell you it’s safe to.

Arms clamped around his shoulders and legs wrapped around his waist, your intrinsic fear of the ocean made you trust his word. 

Gently now, you were bobbing across the water, the cool currents rushing across your bare skin. It felt like gelatinous cold drafts constantly hitting every body part. Staying true to his promise, you kept your eyes shut until you felt rough sand on your back; the waves receding from your body to lap at your toes.

Gasping, you peel your eyes open, lid by lid.

The alcove where he took you tonight was back in front of you. 

Rolling onto your front, you tried to stand, but only succeeded in stumbling back onto the sand; losing your sense of balance from countless minutes spent suspended in the ocean's mass.

“Hey, hey. Easy there.”

Rafayel was still in his Lemurian form, and this time, under the dim, flickering lights of the bay’s lanterns, you were stunned into an awe-inspiring disquiet.

The flickering warmth casted shadows over his iridescent scales, those once tough and gray plates under the ocean’s darkness glowing from the inside out with a pink-blue flame.

Half of his tail was still submerged in the water, and you couldn’t help but drag your gaze across the stunning length.

Easily a few feet long, you couldn’t even begin to wrap your head around the mental image of how majestic his entire Lemurian form would look underwater. It was just too bad the Hydroweed’s effects were over before you could even get to the good part.

Your thighs were chafing, drawing attention to your gapingly empty cunt. 

Pulling yourself to your knees, you came chest to chest with him. 

Rafayel’s saltwater soaked fingers grasped your cheeks, titling it up to inspect you. 

Trickles of water seeped down his face, darkening the sand with droplets of wetness.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, fraught and remorseful. “I lost track of time. I could’ve seriously injured you.”

“It’s okay.” The both of you flinched back from how hoarse your voice sounded. Clearing your throat, you struggled to put your mushy thoughts into words. “I… enjoyed it.”

Rafayel dropped his hands, his breathing growing ragged. “I should get back to normal—”

“No!” 

You stunned him with your vehemence, scrambling to grip his shoulders, clapping your crazed eyes onto his widened ones.

You’re acting like a mad woman. 

But, he didn’t say that to you. Rafayel grasped your hands, drawing them to his chest, pouring every drop of attention onto you. 

“I want to… try it… here.” 

You pieced together your incoherent request, and a part of you wondered—dreaded—if you had already lost your mind from the lack of oxygen and crushing deep sea pressure. 

Rafayel stared at you for a moment, unspeaking.

Then, he gently dragged you closer. Before you could even squeak, he had you straddling his waist. 

This time, it was your turn to peer down at him, curtains of your wet hair framing your face.

“Take me, then,” his voice was equally as hoarse as yours, though you suspected it wasn’t from ingesting enough saltwater to fill up your lungs. Trembling fingers touched your face, smoothing across your cheeks. “I’m all yours. I’ve been bound to you since the very beginning. You can take me, I won’t fight back. I told you I wouldn’t that night, don’t you remember? I’m keeping my word now.”

Something about the longing in his tone, how those pink-blue eyes yearned to swim in your soul, brought a lump to your throat. 

“Rafayel…”

Strong hands helped to guide your hips over his cock, easing you down with quiet praises and encouragement.

So good for me, baby. Look at you. Taking me so well. Wish I could paint this moment—you look so pretty. All for me. My love. My love. 

“R-Rafayel!” Thin red lines bloomed on his chest from your nails, your eyes rolling back into your head.

Without the sea’s buoyancy to support you, gravity took over, easing you down his bulbous cock.

Rafayel’s thumb circles your clit, rubbing it gently, soothingly, to get you wetter.

Your body felt like it was about to split cleanly into two—he was much too big for you. 

“C-can’t!” you whisper-cried. “I can’t take all of you—ngh.”

His mouth found your nipples, licking and sucking along the fleshy nubs until they were coated with his spit and tightening obscenely; an erotic outline lit by the bay's dim lantern lights.

“You can,” he mumbled in between your breasts. “I know you can.”

The rough strip of his tongue slid from your sternum towards your neck, pausing right at your pulse point. Sharp bites bloomed on your neck from his teeth, and you shiver from the throbbing pain going straight to your clit. 

That strange, heightening sensation was back. You felt much too sensitive, like a lightning rod trembling from an impending electrical storm.

One touch could’ve made you explode.

Rafayel brought your lips to his, tangling his tongue down your throat; stoppering your cries. 

Warm, smooth, distinctively human palms caressed your hips and thighs. 

Almost in, baby, he whispers in between kisses. I can feel every inch of you. 

You flit your eyes to where both your bodies meet, in mute shock from how deep he already was in you.

“You like it, baby?” he breathes warmly on your jaw. “Like watching yourself sit on my cock?” 

Fuck. Stop teasing me, you want to whine. But, the words won’t slip past your clenched teeth. 

His name bounces across the soft sand, the wind picking up and making you shiver. 

The warm glow of the lanterns spill across his sharp cheekbones, planes of his jaw. You’ve never seen someone look this beautiful under a hazy night sky before.

“Tell me if I’m hurting you,” you feel him murmur against your lips. “Say the word, baby. We’ll stop.”

You’re panting now, trying hard not to break your progress and having to start over. Rafayel was about halfway inside, and you forced your body to push and receive. 

Guh, you gasp, tossing your head back. 

“Love seeing you stretch yourself out on my cock, baby,” Rafayel mutters hoarsely—passionately. 

The implicit meaning in his words is clear: I love how you give yourself so willingly to me.

For Rafayel, you would do this ten times over until your body memorizes him. Willing your cunt to make a home for his monster cock even if it would break your spine.

“Almost,” he reassures in a low groan. “You feel s’good baby.”

He’s sweating as well, bullets of exertion not to break his composure and fuck into you mingling with the last of the seawater droplets rolling down his temples.

Rafayel, Rafayel, you whimper his name over and over. Oh God…

Something bubbles inside of you, thick and hot. You think you’re about to spill over, thighs shaking from the effort of holding yourself up. 

Your lover groans, low and lusty, his eyes trapped right in between your legs. “You’re so wet—look. Your little pussy loves me, baby.”

You glance to where he’s telling you to look, and nearly pass out from the embarrassment. 

Thick, pearly droplets are oozing down his merman length, and you would’ve thought it was from him had you not felt your walls start to twitch—more wetness gushing and trickling down to stain his pelvis.

The added lubrication made it easy enough for you to bottom out on his cock, and both your mutual cries of ecstasy reverberated into the dark night.

Shit, shit. Too big. You’re too big for me.

“You can take it,” he mouths your earlobe, kissing down your cheek. “Doing so well for me.”

Your breathing trembles, like a question hanging in thin air. Can you fuck me now? 

Rafayel scoffs and bumps his nose with yours gently. “Always making me do the hard work. You really are my spoiled, pretty princess, aren’t you? Or…” his voice drops, the heat in his eyes almost scorching you. “Do you want to be my good girl?”

You gasp: I do. I want to be your good girl.

He hisses when you start to shift your hips, the motion making your clit catch on his pelvis. You mewl, leaning forward to repeat the same motion; trying to chase after that spark of pleasure over and over again.

Those big, smooth palms cradle your face, pushing your hair back.

Rafayel’s jaw is tense, like he’s biting down on some inner demon you can’t see. 

That’s it. That’s my good girl. 

Your nails leave white crescent moons on his pale shoulders as you ride him, every bump and ridge of his cock brushing your sweet spot. He was so deep in you, almost plunging right past your cervix. 

“Fuck,” he curses. “You’re gonna kill me, baby.”

An arm sweeps you right to his chest, your cheek pressed atop his heartbeat. Rafayel thrusts his hips up, meeting your sensual grinding.

Spit pools in the back of your throat, your eyes squeezed shut as you let your Lemurian lover have his way with you. You part your mouth, mellifluous moans touching the air and turning it golden to his reddened ears.

I love you. His whispers against your throat, the sting of his teeth soothed by the sweetness of his praise and adoration. I love you so much, my good girl.

“You fuck me so good,” the words tumble from your split mouth, recklessly thoughtful. “No one can fuck me like you.”

Yeah, he pants, mouthing your pulse point. Cream on this cock, baby. It’s all yours. His hands span across your lower back, traversing down to grip your ass and spreading you wider for him.

Give me everything you’ve got, Princess. 

His cock plunges so deep inside of you, and you were sure that if he came right now, he might’ve knocked you up in one try. 

All yours. Rafayel was all yours. 

You lean up, arms resting on either side of his head as the sand bites into your skin. 

Rafayel thinks he might’ve died and gone to heaven. He watches, mesmerized, as your tits sway right in front of his face. You’re fucking him now, meeting each fluid thrust he had to give; bouncing on his lap like you were riding out a desperate heat.

His thighs tense, and he feels your pussy clench down on him. 

Fuck, you stutter, and so do your hips. I’m close. 

He squeezes your ass, smacks it with both palms.

Your breathing catches, and you ride him even harder. Faster.

“Fuck,” those pretty eyes were hooded, latched on your bouncing tits and stiff nipples. “Look so good fucking me—you love using me, don’t you, Master?” 

You gasp, and Rafayel feels your composure slip when you squeeze down on him. He almost cums right there and then. But, he fights it off, needing to see you lose control first.

The sight of your stickiness frothing at the base of his cock nearly makes him white out in pleasure, getting messier with every stroke of his non-human cock. 

He’s never had a human before in his Lemurian form, but it’s something straight out of a wild, wet dream.

Your skin was so, so soft in comparison to his hard scales that he’s almost afraid of hurting you with them.

But, you prove you’re made of tougher stuff when you lean back, bracing both hands on the girth of his tail. 

Showing off your puffy pussy and glistening hole taking every inch of him like it was made for this and only for this purpose.

He feels himself drowning in you. No one has ever taken him this deep. His mouth falls open, a low grunt touching your hot ears. Good girl… good fucking girl. His praises make you warm all over. You would do anything and everything to earn his devotion. But, Rafayel doesn’t make you do it—he gives it to you freely. One large hand smoothed over your belly, your tits, pinching your nipples and smirking inwardly when you gasp and groan. 

Breathy whimpers resound, his thumb on your clit rubbing out full body shudders. The sky above spins, like he’s being sucked into and about to be spat out of a whirlpool.

His eyes bounce from the softness of your belly, your tits jiggling, and then back down to your pretty pussy taking all of him in.

“Like what you see?” 

Rafayel flits his gaze back up. Your eyes were two pools of smoldering heat, about to burn him alive.

You grab his wandering hand, pressing it right over your stomach. “I can feel you here.” He twitches, and you gasp. “So, so deep.”

Sloppy sounds of your bodies meeting; you were so, so wet and perfect. Your pussy was gushing, fighting between squeezing him out or sucking him in. 

I’m gonna cum, baby, he grunts. The vein in his neck tightens, and your whimper almost sets him off.

Gonna cum so deep inside of you. Make you so round and perfect with my babies. You’re my Queen, aren’t you? My love. I’ll love you until the seas dry up. You’re mine forever. 

It’s that tinge of possessiveness which does you under. You were putty to his deep, gravelly voice; those words of unending devotion and sin.

His thick, dark lashes flutter, those pretty eyes rolling back into his head.

Fuck, baby. He grabs onto your hips, looking for something to steady him. “I need you… I’m gonna cum,” he whines, and it’s pathetic really—how much you’ve affected him.

If he was a lesser man, Rafayel might’ve called you his weakness. But, you were more than that.

You were the reason he woke up in the mornings. The reason he relentlessly pursued the passages of time and space to find you; you were the muse to his madness. 

“Do it for me, baby,” you pant, and fall back into his arms. Chest to chest, lips to lips, every breath you took was exhaled by his own. “Cum for me.”

Make me yours forever, Rafayel.

The world goes white, and your pussy quivers around him, an ending opera note suspended in mid-air.

It comes crashing down, slo-mo turned to a normal pace when time rushes back to engulf your sluggish shore.

His cum fills you up, thicker and running hotter than a human’s. It felt strange; pulsating inside of you, glob after glob. Your pussy shudders and breaks, physical and emotional walls all torn down for him; voice hoarse and edged with mania. Rafayel, Rafayel, Rafayel…

You mumble his name like a prayer while he drags your lips to his, kissing you like an oath.

He feels you shudder around him, growing weaker like a kitten. It would be so easy for him to pierce your neck with his teeth, cut through your jugular with his scales. 

But, Rafayel tames his primal, oceanic urge to destroy, reining it back in favor of nosing your hair.

“Felt so good,” he mumbles tiredly. “Are you okay, my little conch shell?”

You hum, shift your hips. The bulbous head of his cock brushes the opening of your cervix. “I can’t believe I took you so deep.” You drift off and in a few minutes, feel him go from soft to half-hard in you again. 

“Are you still turned on, baby?” you ask innocently, voice soft and frayed with exhaustion. Rafayel swivels his face away, trying to hide his red ears.

“N-no.”

You huff a laugh, using all the strength in your jelly-like limbs to sit up. Something catches your attention, and in the corner of your eye, you pick up the dark strands, fisting it close to your mouth.

Rafayel watches, unsure what you’re intending to do. He sits up, squints, and almost gasps.

That’s enough Hydroweed for you to last a night under the ocean. 

He’s about to stop you, when you ingest it all in one go.

The second you convulse, he pushes you back into the ocean, your gasp of relief second to only his bruising kiss completely devouring your mouth. 

Your legs wrap around his waist, and your back meets the ocean floor again. This time, you take the lead, rolling him off to straddle his waist again. 

Rafayel glances at you, gorgeous pastel eyes hooded. 

He notices how comfortable you’re getting underwater; how easy it is for you to scoot down his torso, your playful smirk making his cock and heartstrings throb. 

“Baby—” he mumbles, only to be cut off by the sight of you kissing his bulbous tip.

Rafayel isn’t a believer of god per say (coming from his own experience as a retired sea deity), but at the sight of your pretty lips skimming his merman tip, he thinks he could give religion another shot. 

What’re you doing? His whisper carries across the currents.

Ssh, you hush him, rimming the tip of your tongue around his flushed head. You don’t miss how his tail twitches, cock now painfully at full mast. 

Isn’t it obvious? You mumble, kissing the tip reverently. I want to taste my Lemurian's pretty cock.

He seizes, back arching, putty in your hands when you take him down as deep as your little throat allows. 

What else you couldn’t fit, you used your hands to jack up and down.

Soft hisses slip past his clenched teeth. “You’re driving me crazy, baby.”

Mhm, you slur, flickering your hazy, fucked out gaze to his flushed face. Tastes so good, you whisper, and Rafayel was glad the ocean didn’t show the line of drool that usually trickles down your jaw; your fucked out expression which would make his control snap instantly. 

You would need to consume at least three more mouthfuls of Hydroweed before he was fully done with you. 

Luckily, Thomas’ yacht came with some fluffy towels.

Rafayel had wrapped you in one while he laid the other under your back; content to curl his tail around you, still in his Lemurian form. The honeywood deck was warm to the touch, the balmy evening offering comfort and respite from hours underneath the cold, dark ocean. 

“So…” he quips, not one for stewing in silence. “Questions? Thoughts? Comments?” 

You fight back a smile. 

“Was there really eggs put up inside of me? Swore I felt a lot of round and hard things sloshing inside.”

“That… would be my tip.” Rafayel flicks your nose when you scoff. “On a scale of one to ten, how freaked out would you be if I said I did actually put some eggs up in your body and it had to be fertilized so the rest would start falling out of you like gelatinous goo until the only one takes?” 

You blink. “Pretty freaked out, if I’m being honest.”

“So… a nine?” 

“More like—” you lifted your hand and made a so-so motion. “—a six, at best. I’m kinda used to your bullshit by now, babe.” 

“Hey!” Rafayel tugs on the ends of your hair, making you laugh. Growing serious now, he murmurs, “So, you’re absolutely fine with being knocked up with a half-Lemurian kid?” 

“Depends,” you mumble mildly. “Am I the first one you’re doing this with?”

Barely missing a beat, he nodded. “The only one. Never had time to sleep around. Always busy running a kingdom. Blah-blah. Typical God of the Sea stuff. No biggie.”

“Aw,” you coo, “I’m so honored you waited for me.” 

You expected him to scoff or roll his eyes, not lapse into a serious quietness. Rafayel’s silence stretched on, and you perched your jaw on his shoulder.

“Hey. Penny for your thoughts?” 

“Hmm.” Rafayel tugs you closer, grabbing your hand and pressing it to his cheek. His lips are inches apart from yours, warm breath touching your parted mouth. You taste him on your tongue, invigorating yet comforting.

A well-worn sign of home. 

“Just that I would do it all over again. Wait for you, I mean. Even if it takes a long, long time.”

A few centimeters and 800 years stand between the two of you. 

But, for tonight, you breach the distance and kiss him, grateful that you had been given this cherished memory together with Rafayel.

— rbs and feedback are appreciated !!

You've been waking up like that quite a lot of times this past two weeks and always in fear. But the thing is, you don't know what exactly it was you were afraid of. You had never had provlems sleeping in your room, it was your nest, you loved it so much. But lately it felt like something was in your room with you.

"I must be going crazy," muttering to yourself, you reached for your glass of water and gulped it down in an attempt to calm yourself down before going back to sleep. After putting your glass down on the nightstand, you scanned your room one more time, still feeling uneasy as if something was lurking but your eyes couldn't find anything (thankfully). So you simply laid back down on your bed and closed your eyes, letting sleep take you once again.

In your dream, you met the man that has beem visiting you in your subconscious plane. He was beautiful, dark hair, pale skin, and a birthmark under one of his eyes. He was mesmerizing and he was looking at you with so much affection. The beauty of the meadow was nothing compared to him. He was truly an art.

You walked closer to him and he reached out both hands for you to take, a gentle smile on his face as he brushed away a piece of hair from your face. "I've been wanting to ask if you wanted to be with me," he said with his deep, honey-like voice that made your knees almost buckled. Your hands automatically found purchase on his shoulders, pulling him close to you so that your faces were merely inches apart. "Of course I wanted to be with you," you said as you leaned close to connect your lips with his. Just as your lips were about to touch, you vividly felt the man's hands gripping you tightly, pulling you flush against him with one hand tucked around your back and the other holding your leg on the side of his hips. You let out a shuddered breath when you felt the outline of his very hard cock pressing against your core, the hard appendage putting pressure on your clit just right. "Is this you telling me that you're giving me permission to make you mine? To take you however I please?" He confirmed, lips now grazing each other oh so teasingly and you couldn't help but squeaked out a 'yes!' and practically pounced on the man. Your lips melding as your bodies tangled on the ground. "Take me, Yeosang," you moaned into his lips, not realizing that your subconscious rendez-vous was making your physical body aroused.

Just as your consciousness drifted away, a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Finally," the man breathed out shakily, taking a step closer towards your body that was laying down on your bed. Yeosang tugged his robe off, letting it pool on the floor.l to reveal his bare chest and low-hanging black trousers. Yeosang carefully climbed onto the bed, positioning his knees on either sides of your foot so he could tower over you. "You're mine, completely mine to use," he stated to himself, fingers clutching onto your blanket and tugging it off of you slowly as if he was doing a dramatic reveal of your body even to himself. Yeosang couldn't help but let out a shaky exhale when he was able to take your figure wholly and now with the chance of physically touching it.

Asmodeus was his demonic name but he hated it. He hated how people only see him as the Prince of Lust by calling him Asmodeus. So when he first visited your dream, unable to resist your sweet temptation, he was so close to devouring your subconscious form when you smiled happily and called him Yeosang. The innocence of your action and voice ironically caused his cock to twitch in his pants and ever since then, he made it his mission to have you give yourself to him and he will be patient. No matter how easily he could've just struck fear in you and forced you to surrender yourself to him, he didn't want that. For the first time ever, he wanted your devotion, he wanted your whole being and while it might have stemmed from him wanting to absolutely ruin you, the last thing he wanted was to actually destroy you.

With a gentle touch, Yeosang hooked his fingers on your sleep shorts and panties slowly. His adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed the lump in his throat as a string of slick appeared between your pussy and your cotton panties. It was almost immediate, but his resolve faltered and before he realized what he was doing, he was burying his face between your legs. It was hard for Yeosang to not just devour you completely, when his tongue dipped between your folds and he tasted you for the first time, his hands tightened on the flesh of your upper thighs in a vice as his hips rutted on your bed, seeking friction. A guttural groan escaped Yeosang's mouth and it sent vibrations straight to your cunt causing your body to involuntarily shift. Yeosang watched in delight when your legs spread wider open for him as your hips ground against his face. Your reaction served as a great motivator for Yeosang as he spread open your pussy lips with his thumbs and let his tongue flick your clit before dragging it down to dip at your hole. "Fuck," he moaned when he delivered a particularly harsh flick to your nub that made your hips jolted slightly.

Slowly, you regained consciousness. You didn't remember much but yoh remembered dreaming about Yeosang, about kissing him. Initially you thought that you woke up due to fearing something again as it was the only reason you could think of. But as yoh regained your consciousness, you suddenly felt a warm sensation creeping from your core and spreading to your whole body. The warmth was soon followed by pleasure as you began to realize that your room was filled with squelching sounds and that someone was between your legs, eating you out with tongue long and firm. Despite your confused state, you tried sitting up slightly to take a look but a hand shot up to hold you down by your stomach, causing you to gasp in surprise.

But it seemed like your surprise came too early because when you saw Yeosang lifting his head up from between your legs with a smirk on his face and chin wet with your arousal, you almost scrambled away. Of course, Yeosang wouldn't let you go so easily, his grip was like a vice on you.

"Hello there, good for you to finally join me," he chuckled darkly. Your body froze in fear but at the same time, you couldn't help but clench at how sexy he looked. "Yeosang," you breathed out shakily, managing to call his name as you immediately recognized him. It was surreal because you were sure he was just a fragment of your imagination and nothing more. But when Yeosang groaned and accidentally humped on your leg as you called out his name, you couldn't deny that you found that so incredibly hot of him and it turned you on. "I've been waiting for this for a long time," he breathed out as he slowly crawled up your body, revealing his milky white skin, his smooth pecs, and strong, bulging arms, it felt as if he was a predator and you're his prey, you felt small and intimidated just from the way his eyes were focused on you yet you couldn't help but get even wetter. "I'm so happy that you were willing to give yourself to me," his face was right on top of yours and his cold hand softly cupped your face. You could feel your heart beating out of your chest but you couldn't tell if it was from fear or arousal whichever it was, your legs instinctively snapped shut and it was only then you fully realized how wet you were, "Now, I'm making you mine," he said before crashing his lips on you.

You were caught by surprise, the impact sent you reeling back further into your pillow. While Yeosang's movements were both harsh and rash, his lips were soft and his touch was gentle on you. "What are you?" you asked, whispering against his lips in between kisses. Yeosang chuckled at your question, his lips slowly trailing down the side of your neck down to your collarbones, "I'm... the man of your dreams," you yelped when Yeosang bit into your shoulder in a teasing manner. Not satisfied with his answer, you whined and tried to push him off of you so you could look at him better. Yeosang's stomach churned and his hips twitched slightly when he saw you looking up at him with your bottom lip jutted forward and eyes glazed from sleep and confusion, "That didn't answer my question," your voice was small and low as if you were afraid to complain to him. And to be frank, if Yeosang were to focus on your scent, he could actually smell the fear out of you. But above that, your arousal is more prominent. When the scent hit his nose, his tongue tingled with your taste and he knew he had to make you his soon or else he'd go crazy.

So Yeosang pulled himself off of you momentarily, crawling backwards slightly to create space between you two (much to your disappointment). "I, my dear," you were suddenly pulled by both of your legs closer to him, your head left your pillow and instead resting directly on your sheets, "Am Asmodeus, Prince of Lust," with gentle, almost memory-engraving movements, Yeosang placed your legs on either side of him, "But to you," in a swift movement, he stuck two fingers inside you, causing you to let out a cry, "I am your King, Yeosang."

It was obvious that Yeosang was experienced and it wasn't just because he is the Prince of Lust, but it was because he seemed to know a great deal about how to make you weak without even trying. As one of his hands was preoccupied with pleasuring you, his free hand started taking himself out of the confines of his pants. You didn't even realize what he was doing until you felt him moving around under you as he was taking his pants off with one hand. Yeosang was barely pulling his pants down when you took ahold of the hand that was fingering you, surprising him. "Let me," you said, sounding a little braver now.

Tension filled the room, waiting for what to happen next. Slowly, you sat up the same time Yeosang pulled his fingers out of you which effectively made you feel empty but you decided that that didn't matter compared to what was anticipating you. Seeing you sitting up slightly, Yeosang stood on his knees towering over you with his bulky build. Your hands shook slightly as you reached for him, obviously intimidated because if what he said was true, then he was not a human being and you didn't even want to know what would happen if you fucked up. Little did you know, Yeosang could never think that you fucked something up, he absolutely worshipped the ground you walked on and it might sound weird especially since he was a demon and you were merely a mortal (or perishable according to his brother, Wooyoung), but the fact that you were so fragile was what made him so drawn to you in the first place.

"Don't be afraid," Your movements halted and your eyes snapped up to look at Yeosang, surprise on your face. "I'm as much as yours as you are mine," a shaky breath left your lips when Yeosang cupped your face in his big hands, his thumb gently caressing your bottom lip to soothe you. His words served as a great motivator for you as your movements became more sure. When your hands made contact with Yeosang's hips, he visibly shuddered and you couldn't believe how absolutely breathtaking he looked when his orbs turned from golden to red and how his milky white chest expanded when he took a breath. Nothing, though, nothing prepared you for the surprise that welcomed you when you pulled his trousers down and his cock sprung free, slapping his stomach with its tip angry red and leaking precum. He was massive, to say the least, hands down the biggest you've ever seen be it in real life or porn and you just know he knows how to use it. You had never felt attraction towards penises before as realistically speaking, it's still a penis and it's still weird looking but somehow when you saw Yeosang's, you just know you want it in your mouth.

"You're drooling," Yeosang chuckled. You blushed and swallowed the saliva that was accumulating in your mouth, embarrassed that Yeosang had caught you staring at his dick and getting so hungry over it. Though, he found it endearing, adorable even. He brought your face up to him, sealing your lips with a passionate kiss momentarily before detaching himself, "I know you want to have me in your mouth, but I'm claiming you first, okay?" he smiled.

In a flash, you couldn't even comprehend how it happened, but Yeosang had flipped you back onto your bed. You landed rather harshly so you were grateful for the cushioning. As you tried to make sense of the new position, Yeosang took his trousers completely off (allowing his cock to bounce and bob heavily with his every movement) and threw them somewhere he couldn't care for at that moment. He grabbed your right leg and placed it on his left shoulder, his lips trailing kisses from your calf to your ankle with his eyes closed, savouring the moment for himself as his other hand pulled your left leg to circle his taut waist. In this position, you could feel his bare cock pressing on your thigh and you surprised yourself when your back arched and hips rolled to have him graze against your cunt. "I've been waiting to have your body for so long, I fear I may not be able to hold myself back," he warned, eyes turning mockingly pitiful. You let out a whine when he bit the skin of your leg with his sharp canines though the pain merely made you clench your wet pussy. "Then don't hold back," you stated.

You could almost hear a switch being flicked in Yeosang as his grip tightened, on you and without doing much more than shifting his hips, he shoved himself halfway into your cunt without proper warning. If you think he was massive, now you DEFINITELY know that he was based on the aching pain in your cunt. It's not an exaggeration to say that it kind of felt like you were losing your virginity once again. So for the sake of the argument, let's just say you were losing your virginity whereas your virginity referred to being fucked by beings other than humans. "Fuck," you whimpered as tears dropped from your eyes when you squeezed them shut, the pain was rather too much for you as you didn't anticipate that it would be that bad. "You thought you could take me easily, didn't you, my ambitious little vixen?" Yeosang chuckled darkly, completely giddy from seeing your reaction to him. Your thighs shook when he tried to push in deeper and your body reeled backwards slightly, moving on its own to create a slight gap. "The pain will be over soon, I promise. I have to mould your little pussy with my cock first, okay? Can you hold on?" he asked, still in a mocking tone but his hands were caressing your legs as if to distract you from the pain he was inflicting. You know you could take him all in, you just needed time and put your trust in him. You wanted to answer but you found yourself unable to let noises out other than whimpers and cries so you simply nodded frantically to him.

It was rather torturous when Yeosang started moving, he pulled back first before pushing in slightly deeper than he had entered before. It was a tactic to make sure you both could progress without waiting too long. Because it was also torturous for Yeosang to pace himself and not just fuck you into oblivion especially when your cunt was gripping on him so tight and you felt so warm and you just looked so ethereal whilst taking his cock. You tried your best not to trash around and risk adding more pain to yourself, so to distract yourself, you held onto Yeosang's right hand on your left thigh as the other clenched onto your sheets. It was obvious that you didn't know how much you affected Yeosang as his muscles stiffened when he felt your hand reaching for him in an attempt to seek comfort. He was a demon for fuck's sake, what kind of a depraved human seeks comfort from a demon whose cock is fucking them? The best kind apparently. His.

The touch caused Yeosang to involuntarily thrust slightly deeper than he had intended and you could feel more pain than before. You yelped as more tears escaped from your clenched eyes and while it should've worried Yeosang, he only found you more beautiful as when you opened your eyes, they seemed like they were glittering.

Slowly, with every slow thrust Yeosang delivered, you felt yourself relaxing more and more and you felt your pleasure building soon you found your whimpers turning into moans and your cunt seeking more of him by grinding up. Yeosang smirked at the blatant display of need, it stroked his ego to see that you wanted him just as much (maybe slightly less, he assumed) as he wanted you. So he began thrusting harder. Your sopping cunt made obscene squelching noises each time he entered you, it was like you were sucking him in rather than him entering you and it felt amazing. The more you moaned, the more assured Yeosang became that you had gotten used to his dick inside you. "Shit, you're making it hard for me to control myself," Yeosang groaned as he started thrusting faster whilst simultaneously pressing his body onto you, widening your legs for him so he could press himself impossibly closer to you, effectively pushing the rest of him inside.

It wasn't until his cock was wholly inside you that you realized how thick and heavy it actually was. Your eyes rolled back into their sockets as your back arched, allowing the shirt you were still wearing to slip, revealing your bare breasts to Yeosang whom at the reveal simply wanted to suckle on them until they were raw. Your first orgasm came crashing down on you so abruptly, you hadn't had the chance to even realize you were cumming. Thighs shaking, hips rolling, and jaw slacking, it was like an opera to Yeosang who was transfixed at how you came from simply him filling you up. Although, the cherry on top was when you yelled out his name as your unravelled. No, you didn't use the name you gave him, the name that he held so preciously in his heart, but you called him Asmodeus. Never would Yeosang think that he'd love his name once again or even like his demon name as it was always tied to negativity and scrutiny. But the moment you called out to his demonic side, the moment you used it in a state of euphoria and pleasure, it felt like he was about to ascend to heaven. Which is both ironic and impossible.

The little bit of control left Yeosang's body seeing you come hard like that and before he could stop himself, he was pistoning his cock inside your sloppy cunt. You were barely done with your high when your core began buzzing with overstimulation. "Fuck!" Profanities started spitting out of your mouth when Yeosang shifted again, this time folding you in half, your right leg still on his left shoulder as his hands framed you on either side of your head. "You know," a powerfully thrust was delivered to your cunt so hard you could feel his balls slapping your ass, "I've never thanked you for giving me a name that I actually love," he smirked, pecking your lips gently, a complete 180 to they utter savage treatment he was giving your cunt. You wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but he took your breath away (almost literally) when he folded both of your legs into your chest, his hands were placed on your knees as he towered over your bunched-up body yet again. His muscles flexed with every move and the moonlight was shining onto him so that you could see how angelic he looked even in such a position. You had your reservations about deities before, but Yeosang confirmed that he truly was the offspring of fallen angels because nothing would explain his beauty.

"As a thank you, how about I breed your greedy cunt and give you my babies?"

Words meant nothing as they almost fell on deaf ears from your overstimulation. What Yeosang said was barely computed in your brain when he resumed in abusing your pussy, now with a goal in mind. "Can I?" He managed out in between animalistic thrusts, "That way you'll be mine forever." You thought you had reached your maximum level of arousal but Yeosang's little suggestion pushed you over the edge and you felt like you were about to pop then and there. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Fuck, bind me to you forever Yeosang- Shit! Make me yours!" You cried out pathetically as your hands shot out, not realizing that you had grabbed his shoulder and his throat.

Yeosang's eyes darkened at your action, he could easily assume that you didn't even realize what you were doing like maybe it was just a one-time reflex, but to say that Yeosang didn't immediately notice that you had the potential of getting into some of the harder things he liked to do. And when you squeezed his neck in a response to him making your pussy feel so good, Yeosang's eyes rolled back and his hips stuttered slightly, almost halting due to the pleasure of having the oxygen minimalized from his lungs. Inadvertently, Yeosang pressed his own hands onto you which allowed you to experience the shortening of breath that Yeosang was experiencing.

Everything started to become too much. The animalistic pace, Yeosang's massive cock, the pressure on your body, and the lack of oxygen. Once again you found yourself getting close to climaxing, you could feel it at the very edge as adrenaline rushed straight to your head in anticipation of releasing again. Suddenly, you felt vibrations in your hand and it brought your focus to Yeosang who was growling. The hand that was gripping his neck was tightening so much that your fingernails dug into his smooth skin, red started surrounding the area and you even noticed some started to form wounds. "You're really trying to make me love you even more, aren't you?" Yeosang scoffed teasingly, making you realize that he actually liked you being rough with him.

All of a sudden your body froze, muscles tensing and your form growing rigid, your hands now gripping onto Yeosang incredibly hard that Yeosang verbally choked. Your brain felt fuzzy and you swore you blacked out momentarily when you came with a cry that fell deaf on your own ears. With Yeosang pressing onto your lower body, you started squirting, drenching Yeosang's toned stomach and lower region along with your sheets. It was the feeling of your juice splashing on him that made Yeosang came inside you as he promised. His eyes snapped shut as he enjoyed the feeling of you being filled by him, your juices mixing together inside you. His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes snapped shut, overwhelmed with the feeling of his cum endlessly filling you up to the point that he felt like it was resisting him slightly, trying to push his cock out of your warm cunt. While to you it simply meant that Yeosang came inside you and depending on demon biology it meant there's a chance you might get pregnant, for Yeosang, it meant that if any demons were to get close to you, they'll notice his scent on you and back off.

It took a while, but your limbs soon fell limp to your sides when Yeosang released you from his position by standing straight, still not wanting to pull out of you yet. You had passed out from the activity, your shirt sweaty and your chest rising and dropping slowly while your limbs were unmoving. Yeosang couldn't help but chuckle to himself, proud that he had picked the right person to claim but also proud of you that you were able to stand so long. His hand gently caressed your face, pushing some stray strands of hair away so he could admire your beauty wholly and when you nuzzled your cheek into his touch, he couldn't help but completely melt and fawn over you.

Now, how can he convince you to let him put his mark on you?

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Your father, the King, entered, frowning at how tense you two looked. “Everything alright?”

“Just convincing our dear old gem to think with her head,” the queen said almost dismissively, which made you even angrier.

“I cannot believe you two are doing this to me,” you shook your head, “You’re both practically selling me off. If you make me do this… I’ll never return. You can have your peace, but know that your only daughter won’t be there with you. Consider her dead.”

“My dear,” the King’s expressions softened as if he was about to change his mind, but your mother raised her hand in the air, standing up and looking down at you- she towered over you a good few inches.

“You can stay,” her voice was steel, “But when your father and I are assassinated and Eden burns, know that all the blood will be on your hands.”

You had never heard harsher words in a tone like this from your mother, and it broke something in your heart as tears welled in your eyes and you shook your head before rushing off to the safety of your room, almost hyperventilating, your maid Mina rushing in to rub your back and give you water, and you finally calmed down after a few minutes.

“I’m guessing it didn’t go well?” Mina asked. You shook your head.

“They told me to think about the greater good, Mina. They’re treating me like an object.”

Mina hugged you and you were glad you had her by your side- she too, was alone and had only you or a few friends from the staff. She was the closest thing to a sibling, to a friend that you had. “I’m taking you with me if they marry me off.”

Mina laughed, “You can. I was waiting for the offer actually.”

You smiled at that, wiping your face when you drew back. “What am I going to do, Mina? I don’t even know what the Prince is like. What if he’s some… sadistic- can I curse? Bastard?”

Mina laughed a bit at that, “He could be. But he could also be someone caring and loving. Look at both sides of the coin.”

“Well,” you shuddered, “I don’t think I can stomach any care and love from a stranger.”

Mina looked at you knowingly, “I think all you need is that. Some love and care. Someone ought to put the walls around your heart down.”

“Well,” you drew your sleeves up, “They’ll be in for a war. So are you really coming with me or not?”

“I could… if you want me to. If the King and the Queen allow-”

“The least they could do for me now is this,” you said, “but only if you want to, Mina. I wouldn’t force you. It’s a whole new kingdom, we’d know no one there- oh my god, we’d literally know no one there. I’m going to throw my guts out.”

“We’ll be okay,” Mina assured you, “And I’ll come with you. It’s not like I have anything left here. I’d like to start over where no one knows me.”

You nodded- she didn’t have the best life and as soon as she was allowed to, she cut ties with her family and became a permanent resident of the castle. You and her knew each other’s backstories inside out, having witnessed first-hand. You rubbed her arm assuringly.

“It’s not wrong to hate my mother and father in such a situation, is it?” You asked.

“It’s not,” Mina smiled sadly at you and you nodded, pushing the guilt away.

You were going to raise hell.

—--------------------

The palace was nearly a fish market now that the Jeong family from Wonderland was visiting.

All the guards, all the servants and the staff were borderline panicking. Your father and mother had announced the ‘sudden’ arrival of the guests being expected in a week, and the staff was going-

“Crazy,” Mina entered your room, “You should visit the kitchen. It's havoc.”

“I mean,” you began, looking up from the documents- a part of your daily work as a princess, “It’s only them. Why is everyone acting like a war will break out if we don’t get, say, the right flowers for their welcome?”

Mina passed you a side-eye, indicating that yes, a war just might break out if you didn’t have the right flowers. You rolled your eyes, “So very assuring. So what- if I’m not a proper wife and look at my husband the wrong way, are they gonna send their troops to Eden?”

“That’s something debatable,” Mina started going through your closet, “But I was just in the kitchens, and the staff who’ve been to Wonderland or have encountered the Prince say that he is a very sweet, young man. Maybe you two might get along well.”

“Well,” you shuffled the pages, “My father is a very sweet man. My mother is the sweetest of all, isn’t she?” Mina passed you a disapproving look but you continued, “They care so much about me. No wonder the people of Eden love them.”

“Now, now,” Mina took out a pastel peach evening gown, spreading it on the bed as she thought, “They do care about you. And Eden might not love them but they know with how things have been the past decade, your parents are the best they could have.”

“Sure, Mina, whatever you say,” you mumbled, “I’m not wearing this gown- it’s too pretty. I want to look ugly the day they come.”

But a week later, you were in that gown, the colour bringing out the flush in your cheeks, your hair half tied and perfect curls falling down your shoulders, and you had to admit-

“You look extremely pretty,” Mina swooned, “I don’t know, if the Prince doesn’t think so, I think I’ll help you run away.”

You laughed nervously, “You did a good job, one you shouldn’t have. You should have made me look ugly!”

“I value my life,” Mina raised a brow, “An execution at this age! Just because I made you look ugly!”

“Stop being so dramatic,” you sat in your chair, waiting for your mother to arrive, “I am so nervous right now. I can feel rats go rampant in my stomach. Why haven’t I already run away?”

“You won’t,” your mother entered and Mina bowed, excusing herself to give you two some privacy and you felt her absence like a needle poking in your arm. “You look beautiful, dear.”

“Thank you, mother,” you said almost dismissively, standing up, “Lead me to the guillotine.”

Your mother shook her head in amusement but her face was softer now than you had ever seen in your life, “My daughter… I truly am sorry for making you go through this, whether you believe it or not. But as Queen and King, we had to think of the greater good. The merging of the two kingdoms… It means unity. Peace. We have been on our toes for way too long. Wonderland is going to provide us with the security we so desperately needed.”

“And I am the only way, apparently,” you muttered. You couldn’t believe how she had everything already justified. As if it could be.

Your mother patted your arm, “Think positively tonight. Talk to the Prince. Maybe you two will actually find something good out of this arrangement.”

“And if he’s a spoiled, smug brat?”

“What do you have to say about yourself?”

“Mother!” You gaped at her and she laughed.

“I jest. Come on, it’s time. They have arrived.”

Taking in a deep breath, you joined arms with your mother, suppressing the thick feeling in your throat, putting your chin up as you walked. You were not going to be intimidated by the Prince and his family. You were going to feel them out, you were going to figure out if they had other intentions as well and if you weren’t going to hell. Because if you were… there was no way you’d stay either here or there. You’d run.

You could hear the sound of the music from the hallway, the sound of people mingling, the volume getting louder as you walked to the Great Hall. Your maids joined behind you as well as your mother’s, and together, you finally entered the Hall after a reassuring squeeze from your mother.

You scanned the Hall once as silence fell, the Queen greeting everyone with a curtsy and the music went back, everyone going back to what they were doing. The King approached you two, patting your back. “Come on, let’s greet the Jeongs.”

You gulped once again and saw what had to be the royal family, all elegance and beauty, the King and Queen-

And the unmistakable Prince- unmistakable since he towered over them. You curtsied for the royal family, the Queen patting your cheek lovingly, “What a beautiful daughter you have.”

Your mother laughed in response, thanking her for the compliment and you followed, meeting eyes with the Prince but you two awkwardly looked away from each other as soon as it happened, making you wonder if he was shy. The Kings pushed their children ahead, “Why don’t you show him around, dear?”

If looks could kill, your parents would drop dead right there. You gave them the most fake smile you could muster and bowed your head a little as you excused yourself from their company, the tall Prince following right after. You turned your head a bit, “Drink?”

“Yeah, I could take one right now,” he almost mumbled and you smiled. He, too, was nervous. Why?

You grabbed drinks for you two from the waiter who passed by, “So, Prince. How do you find Eden?”

“Well, the view’s spectacular from outside the castle,” he nodded in acknowledgement, “But Wonderland… it’s much prettier.”

“Really? I don’t recall much from last time I visited,” you muttered, sipping your drink.

“I guess you’ll see for yourself soon,” he raised a brow and you gulped, scanning him rather slowly.

“Can I ask you something? Not here- balcony.”

Prince Yunho followed you to the balcony, appreciating the view he had mentioned earlier, the full moon making the city look more beautiful than it should be credited for. You took a deep breath, turning towards him. “What are your thoughts about… this arrangement?”

The Prince scanned you just as slowly as you had, swirling his drink lazily, “I guess you’re not a fan of this arrangement?”

“Are you?”

“God, no,” he said, and the way he’d so simply said it made you both sigh in relief and feel a little insulted as well. He must have noticed because he looked at you apologetically, “It’s just… I guess it’s the same for us. Our families want this.”

“Yes… did you not object?”

“I did,” he placed the glass on the bench nearby, returning with his hands in the pockets of his navy blue suit, “but my father insisted, and I cannot refuse him.”

“Is he as uptight and stubborn as mine?” You wondered out loud.

“He’s actually a good father,” Yunho raised a brow in confusion, “which is why I couldn’t refuse.”

“Oh,” you looked away, peering down at the city, “I see.”

Thankfully, the Prince didn’t probe about your father further. “I guess if we have to do this… I’m going to try. Try to make this a good relationship. It’s the best for both of us.”

“Can I ask why you are giving in so easily?” You looked at him, “Don’t you want to say no? Don’t you have, I don’t know… a person? You would want to marry?”

“I don’t, actually,” he sighed, “Which is why I really don’t see the problem here… yet.”

“And if I say I don’t want this?” You asked.

Prince Yunho did not break eye contact and after a few long seconds passed, his lips curved into a smile a little, “You go and fight, Princess. I’m not fighting.”

“I mean… you could help me a little,” you almost pouted.

“Do you have a lover?” The Prince asked and you gaped at how direct he was. “Why do you want to say no?”

“I just don’t want to marry a stranger, no offence,” you began, and he pretended to be hurt, “And I… I just don’t like how my parents so easily sold me off, practically, to ensure the prosperity of the kingdom.”

“The greater good, they say,” Prince Yunho sighed, “Well, Princess, we have a few weeks to get to know each other. If you still don’t want this… I can do something about it. I’ll try, at least, I promise.”

“Why give it a few weeks, why not now?” You asked, genuinely curious.

“Other than the logical reason that it would look suspicious if I try to stop this now,” Yunho shifted, running a hand through his strawberry blonde hair, “I don’t want to end this right now and regret the possibility of perhaps, a beautiful future with you.”

“Oooh,” you were impressed, and were probably flushing at this point, “So you’re a romantic.”

“I can be,” he smiled, tucking a strand of your hair back delicately, “Let’s go inside.”

You and Yunho- as he asked to be called by you- talked about your likes and dislikes. To your surprise, he was very interested in music and arts, and could play quite a few instruments. He was fond of games as well, and it just seemed like he liked to stay busy doing anything and everything throughout his day.

You learned more than you gave- you really didn’t want him knowing much about you before you could really judge him, and frankly, he was… strange, in a way that wasn’t bad. He was just… all giggles and warm smiles and caring.

“I can’t believe he’s so… soft,” you made a disgusted face at Mina, “He’s a sunshine, Mina, what will I do?”

Mina laughed, “What do you think will happen?”

“I’ll cast a shadow over his light is what will happen,” you took off your heels- it had been a long night. “He’s… too good. Almost perfect, and it’s annoying.”

“You really are ungrateful,” Mina said and she earned a scowl from you, “It’s only the first meeting. You have three days in a row to get to know him, and then more- maybe you’ll find something about him that you really don’t like, then he will be Prince Perfect no more. Though if I was you…”

“Yeah, yeah,” you dismissed, “you’d marry him in an instant, I know. But isn’t it the happy smiley ones who turn out all wrong in the end?”

Mina rolled her eyes, “I should ask the library to restrict fiction-”

“Hey!” you scoffed, sighing as you changed into your nightgown and fell into your bed, “I don’t know, Mina. I feel weird.”

“Give it some time,” she patted your cheek before turning off the candles, “You’ll know in your heart soon.”

—--------------

You dressed up casually for breakfast, a simple purple chiffon blouse with black wide leg pants, figuring there was no need to wear a dress now since you always kept dresses for the more formal days or events. You did tie your hair in a loose braid and wore minimal jewellery- it was important to show this side to the family because really, you didn’t want to wed in a place where only dresses were allowed, and you prayed Wonderland wasn’t that.

You arrived before the Jeong family, seating yourself in the middle so the Queens and the Kings could sit together and converse. Your mother gave you an approving glance, “How was last night?”

“Okay,” you simply said, pouring yourself water.

“Okay?” Your father asked. You sighed- you really did not want to give them more.

“Yes, okay,” you insisted, and thankfully before they could probe, you heard the door open and the Jeong family arrived, dressed casually as well. Yunho gave you a smile and seated himself in front of you, next to the King while the Queen sat next to you.

“I slept well last night, you must tell me which scented candles you use,” the Queen passed your mother a warm smile, “I’m taking a ship full with me.”

Your mother laughed, “All yours, dear. Please,” she said, passing her bread and you took it upon yourself to pass the nearest thing to the Prince before your father or mother could scold you for sitting idly.

“So,” Yunho asked as he put a scone on his plate, “Slept well last night?”

“Not at all,” you joked, “I believe you did.”

“Slept like a log,” Yunho grinned.

“So the thought of me did not keep you up at night, I see,” you nibbled on the egg.

“Unlike you, no,” he smirked, and you shrugged in dismissal.

“What are your hobbies, dear?” The Queen turned to you, “I, myself, absolutely love to crochet. I should start making some crochet mittens for my future grandchild-”

“Mother!” Yunho’s eyes were wide in warning but the two of them ended up laughing- you couldn’t believe how… friendly they were with each other. You passed a look to your mother that you hoped conveyed this sentiment.

“I mean,” the Queen laughed, “About time, what do you say dear?”

“Oh, it is,” your mother joined and you wished you could disappear in your seat, “I myself am fond of babies. I simply cannot wait for a little thing in my arms.”

“I don’t remember you holding me much, mother,” you muttered and you were glad only Yunho heard that, the mothers busy laughing at your demise.

Breakfast went by like that- the parents having a good chat and you two mostly listening, until you excused yourself for your daily duties, which involved defence strategies- something you excelled at.

You took Yunho for a tour of the castle in the evening, figuring that it was the least that you could do. You started from the kitchens, wanting to grab a snack since you were practically starving. “Have you had lunch yet?”

“I have. But I could grab something sweet.”

“Sweet,” you grinned, entering the kitchen and the Head Chef gaped at you.

“You did NOT bring the Prince into the kitchens!” She whirled around in frustration, a box of dough in her hands, “I should have seen this coming!”

“What’s so wrong, stop being so dramatic,” you glanced at Yunho who stood laughing.

“My Head Chef would have had the same reaction, don’t worry.”

You raised a brow, “So the Prince loiters around in the kitchen too?”

“What kid doesn’t?” He simply said, greeting the chefs who came and offered him the first batch of vanilla cupcakes that came out of the oven. You shrugged- he was right. As kids, you both probably thought the kitchen was the safest place in the castle- safe because no one would bother coming here to get you and you could eat to your heart’s content. At least that’s what it was for you.

“So this hallway has the portraits of our ancestors,” you arched your neck to look up at the dimly lit walls, “That’s my great grandfather,” you pointed at the picture you recognized, “and that is as far as I care. The rest, I often get them mixed up.”

Yunho found your lack of care amusing, and you raised your brow in challenge. He shook his head, “You’re telling me your parents- or teacher didn’t make you memorise basically all your family tree?”

“They did, and if I rack my brain for a while, I might actually recall,” you turned left, whirling once, “but who cares what my great grandfather looked like? He’s gone and forgotten!”

Yunho tried stifling his laugh but ended up grinning, “One day your picture is gonna be on one of these walls and some kid’s gonna say the same.”

“And I would expect nothing else,” you curtsied dramatically, “Here’s the music room- I wanted to bring you here today.”

Yunho took a deep breath before he entered, nodding in acknowledgement- it was just as big as the one back home, if not more. But he noticed a larger variety of string instruments, and as you named each instrument, he was impressed by your knowledge.

“Do you play anything?” He asked, running his hand along the piano keys.

“I tried, but I pretty much suck,” you shrugged, “I’m better a free spirit on one of the instruments, if I’m allowed.”

“And what is that?”

“That, you will find out if we stick together for a while,” you said playfully, “Please, I’m not telling you now. It’s kind of… embarrassing.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” Yunho was grinning, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“I’m sure it is, at least to me, and the reason being that you do not want to see me play the poor thing. I would wish it only on my enemies.”

“Tempting,” he said, and you sat on the stool near the piano.

“You said you played. Can I see?”

Yunho glanced at you, making you look away for a second just because something about that look made him seem very attractive- it was the playful nature of it, perhaps. He smirked, “Maybe if we stick together… I’d play for you.”

“Fair enough,” you smiled, “What do you play though?”

“A little bit of piano, a little bit of strings… but I like singing better.”

“Ooh,” you wondered if his singing voice was different from his speaking voice, “Are you not gonna sing for me?”

Yunho leaned in front of you, “You haven’t earned that privilege yet.”

“Wow, okay, someone’s confident in their singing,” you appreciated that, wondering just how good he was, and you watched his ears turn red, but decided not to tease him about it- it was cute. “Do you wanna see more of this boring castle or should we go to the gardens?”

“Whatever you like,” he simply said.

You got up, brushing your dress, “Gardens it is.”

Putting a hand on his arm that he offered, the two of you took the first exit outside and you told him how you spent your childhood playing with the guard’s kids and rolling in the mud, something your mother frowned upon but your father sometimes laughed over. You told him how as you grew up, you rearranged the theme of the garden, using mostly shades of blue, purple and white for the flowers, mosaic patterns on the fountains and how you would come back with shells everytime you visited the shore and spread them across the fountains.

“There,” you pointed, “I love tiny shells.”

Yunho leaned forward to get a closer look inside the fountain where you had stuck shells along the basin. “These are prettier than the ones we have in Wonderland.”

“Finally!” You clapped, “Eden has better shells than Wonderland, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Or maybe I never paid much attention- maybe you’ll find more beautiful shells in Wonderland,” Yunho said, and you noticed just how casually he said that, as if you coming to Wonderland was a given.

“So… what’s your story?” You asked as the two of you walked around the gardens, “I still don’t get why you aren’t bailing out of… whatever’s happening to us.”

“Well, I usually spend the day training with the guards or busy with paperwork- you know how it gets,” he said and you nodded, “I have friends in the castle, some have moved out. We go on trips once in a while, take a breather. A pretty normal life for a Prince, you could say.”

“But?”

“But,” he let out a short laugh, sighing, “Things haven’t always been good in Wonderland, you know. Eden and Wonderland have a conflict, yes. But Wonderland is also greatly threatened by Halaland. We fear for war with them, just like you fear for war with us. And we’re not to blame- it’s something that’s been going on since our forefather’s time. Unfortunately, Halaland’s royalty does not have a daughter I could marry-”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” you rolled your eyes and he laughed.

“So, here we are. Who knows? If you pull out of this, you might have to consider Halaland’s Prince. And with Halaland and Eden so strongly allied…”

“Oh,” you let out a breath, “Wonderland would be in danger.”

“It already is,” Yunho shrugged, “By uniting with Eden, we hope our relations with Halaland would become better in respect of the Princess- you. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

“And I’m the tool.”

“I’m the tool too, don’t forget,” Yunho added and you nodded- you shouldn’t forget that.

“But… don’t you think it’s unfair? Why do we have to go through with this if we don’t want this?”

“It is,” he agreed, “And I really wouldn’t want to force you. It’s up to you- as for me… I’m okay. I’m doing this for the people, my kingdom, but…” he stopped and you turned to him, almost taken by surprise when he put a hand on your cheek and caressed it lightly, “I’ll be a friend if nothing else to you, Princess. I can allow you a certain freedom… and I can be your friend, nothing more, if you wish. You get what I’m saying, don’t you?”

It was such a generous offer that it almost made you cry, because you really hadn’t expected him to be so… caring. So giving, that he’d allow himself to be shackled by you while allowing you freedom to not consider him a romantic partner at all. It truly was so gracious of him.

“I… Thank you, Yunho. Truly. I’ll keep it in mind… I think I just need to give it a good thought. I cannot ruin your life by not giving you something a wife would give you-”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said and you raised a brow in confusion, which was when realisation dawned upon him and he vigorously shook his head, laughing a bit, “I don’t mean that I will be looking for love elsewhere, no. Never. I’d never do that to you, you’d be my wife, how could I?”

“But, that’s unfair to you, why are you being so… considerate? You should be allowed to look for love elsewhere, or at least, you know, go elsewhere if not to me-”

“I guess that’s just how I am,” he smiled, shrugging, “As long as I have a friend by my side… someone I can simply talk to at night and fall asleep with a smile on my face, feel less lonely… I’ll be okay.”

You bit your lip, wanting to clench your hair because it just felt… wrong. You wanted to hug him and tell him he didn’t have to settle for you just because of his kingdom and he could have a wife that would actually love him, but… he really couldn’t get out of this, could he?

“I know what you’re thinking,” his smile was sad, “I really don’t want to be the one to say no to this, so it’s up to you. I’m just laying out what I can offer to you. It’s your decision now, Princess.”

“I… I would immediately say no just because you deserve to have a wife who would love you and care for you with all her heart,” you sighed in frustration, “but I… I have to think this through properly. And there’s the thing that if I say no, Wonderland and Eden really could find themselves in a war against each other-”

“I won’t allow that,” Yunho smiled, tucking your hair behind, “You’re a good person. The people here… don’t tell anyone but if you back out of this, I won’t allow a war- at least I’ll try with all my might. Wonderland and Eden used to be one- we really shouldn’t be in a war.”

“Thank you, truly, but I believe we are pretty much helpless when it comes to things like that,” you pursed your lips, “I’ll think this through.”

—-------------------

You sent off the Jeong family the next day after breakfast, and they promised to return in two weeks if there was a positive response, which meant that you had that time to think this through. You sat with your parents in their chamber, staring at the fireplace as if the fire would blow off by your stare.

“How pleasant the Prince is!” Your mother sighed dramatically, putting a hand over her heart, “Such a charming boy!”

“Truly,” your father agreed and you shrugged- you couldn’t deny his charms now.

“How does it look, honey? Are they really willing to let trade flourish if the marriage happens?”

“Well, if it doesn’t, they’re at war,” the King sounded grim, “And if they’re at war… We’d have to take sides with whoever offers us the best outcome.”

“So calculative,” you muttered, glad no one heard you.

“My dear gem,” your mother called you, “What do you think? Do you like him?”

“He’s tolerable,” you shrugged and your mother laughed in victory, “But ma, do we really have to? Didn’t you adults have a great time? Isn’t the bonding enough to allow trade to flourish and whatever it is that you want from them?”

“Oh, honey, if they do that,” your father sipped on his wine, “Halaland would turn on us too.”

You muttered a string of colourful curses in response, your mother giving you a warning glare even if she couldn’t hear you- she knew what face you made when you cursed. “You have a good chance to get to know him, so it will be less awkward when you do marry. Make most of it.”

But given your luck, nothing ever went in your favour. Halaland sent a warning troop to Wonderland’s border and the soldiers there barely made it out alive, given Halaland had the most advanced weaponry out of the three nations. You worried for Wonderland genuinely, and just five days from then, your parents announced that the Jeong family was arriving to proceed with the marriage.

“But it’s too soon!” You cried, “I barely got to know him, I haven’t made up my mind!”

“This isn’t about what you think,” your mother practically screamed from her clenched teeth, “This is about war and peace, Princess. There are greater things than not getting to choose your husband. He is a good person, be thankful for that. Do not make things worse for yourself and for us. I will not allow you to have the blood of your people on your hands.”

You had a good argument with your parents which mostly involved your father trying to calm you and your mother down but ending up raising his voice in anger and giving his final orders, that you will marry Jeong Yunho. There was no need for an ‘or else’. You bit back your tears, pointing your finger at your parents because they were not only ruining your life but Yunho’s life too, and they did not know that.

“Do not expect me to welcome you with open arms when you visit Wonderland.”

With that, you were rushing to your room, falling in Mina’s arms as you cried your heart out, explaining what Yunho had told you. “I feel more guilty about doing this to him. I cannot love him, and he does not deserve that.”

Mina calmed you down, making you sit by the fire with a blanket around you and brought tea for the two of you. “Listen, I know it’s not my place to say this, but…”

“It’s okay, go on,” you said.

“You could love him, one day. You wouldn’t even realise. Just… I think a big part of why you won’t allow yourself to love anyone is because of your parents. I think you need to put that past yourself.”

“Mina,” your tone was low, “He is a good guy. I simply do not see myself falling in love with him. Maybe I will, but… I don’t think I’d be good to him. You know me. I’d need time to open up. And what if I don’t love him? What if I don’t feel any romantic feelings towards him? What if… what if he gets tired of me then? He’s a man, he can go around anywhere. I’d be in the castle, in my room, wondering what it would have been like to fall in love with someone. What if an heir is demanded? What if we have to- oh god.”

“It’s gonna be alright,” Mina patted your back, “It isn’t the first arranged marriage that is happening in this world, is it? You’ll figure it out, and the Prince is patient. He’d be a friend to you, so he would understand, won’t he?”

You stared at the fire for the longest time, before Mina said, “I think when you love, you give them your all… And it’s both good, and bad. I just hope Yunho can deal with it. I know I did.”

You finally smiled, putting your head on her shoulder, “Thank heavens you’re coming with me.”

—--------------------

It happened in the blink of an eye.

You were walking down the altar, alone. Your mother and father stood in the front with wet eyes, and there he was.

Yunho.

You two did suck in your breath, perhaps because you’d never seen each other like this or because the gravity of the situation sunk in, now that you were in an ebony white gown that trailed far along your path, a bouquet of Wonderland’s staple jasmines in your hands and he was in a suit, waiting to hold your hand and slide the diamond ring on your finger. You kept your head straight- you couldn’t show the whirlwind of your emotions on your face though you wanted nothing more than to collapse right there.

For the people, you were chanting, for the greater good. For the people. For the greater good.

You took a step and Yunho extended his hand, a warm comfort to you as you held it, refusing to meet your parent’s eyes as you turned and faced him. Whatever vows were read went above your head as you locked eyes with him and you could read what he was trying to convey-

He had sneaked in your room last night, making you almost scream and run because you hadn’t realised there was a secret passage there. He grinned in apology, “I thought knocking would scare you- our castle has a lot of secret passages. I almost got lost, it’s practically a maze.”

You were in your plain black nightgown that fell below your knees, and you rolled your eyes as you sat back in front of the fireplace- you’d been staring at the fire for too long now- it had become a habit. Yunho sat down in front of you, reflecting your posture as he, too, stared at the fire.

“I wanted to apologise for the rush- it took me off guard too. I tried everything, but nothing seems to be working.”

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you,” you sighed.

“I came here to offer you a chance to run.”

“What?” You looked at him- was he serious?

“I can give you a safe passage- you can take shelter in my friend’s house. You don’t have to do this if the thought of it makes you so… disturbed.”

“No, I- Yunho, think of the consequences,” you slumped back, “I cannot be selfish anymore. Why are we changing roles?”

“I just… I’m sorry, truly,” Yunho shook his head, “We’ll work this through, okay? You don’t have to worry about anything. Just… trust me, if nothing else. Can you do that?”

“I trust you,” you assured him, “You haven’t given me a reason not to, and… thanks for the offer. The risk is too big- I cannot do it.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure,” you nodded, getting up and pouring wine for the both of you, handing him his glass, “Here’s to the last night of not being husband and wife.”

Amused, he clicked glasses with you and took a sip, “I thought you’d be bawling your eyes out, if I’m honest.”

“I’m too angry at my parents and the world to bawl my eyes right now,” you pursed your lips, “And I’m sorry to you too. You deserved… you deserve better than me.”

“Do I now,” Yunho wondered out loud.

“You do,” you put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently and he looked up at you, “I’ll be a good friend to you, if nothing more.”

He squeezed your hand, nodding.

And as you two stood facing each other on the altar, hands in his, he gave you the same reassuring squeeze as his eyes told you to trust him, and you took the leap of faith and did just that. The vows and promises were over, you were pronounced husband and wife, and Yunho slid the ring on your finger, a perfect fit. He took the tiara, placed it on your head and you placed the crown on his head, for which he had to bend down a good distance, making everyone laugh. Yunho put a hand on your cheek, nodding once and you braced yourself, but even the soft peck he gave you knocked the breath out of you, because-

You were married. Yunho was your husband now.

You barely heard the cheers and barely felt the hugs your parents gave you as you tried to make sense of how safe he made you feel in that moment. As you looked back at the smile on his face as he greeted his friends, you finally allowed yourself a smile.

You could be happy for him.

You enjoyed the rest of the night putting your worries aside, greeting Yunho’s group of friends and forgetting their names right after because they were such an overwhelming but friendly bunch, then greeting everyone with Yunho and exchanging so many hugs and kisses that you lost count, trying to find Mina and relaxing when you did and she got you water, and Yunho finally made you sit before you had to share a dance- the last event for the night.

“You better give me a foot massage tonight, friend,” you teased and Yunho laughed out loud.

“As you wish, my Princess,” he saluted and your heart jumped a little at his new nickname- my princess. You made a face, watching him go off and then Mina sat behind you, rubbing your shoulders.

“How do you feel?”

“Strange, I feel like this is a dream,” you looked at her, “I’m gonna wake up and I’ll be back in my room trying to sleep while you’ll be trying to wake me up-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mina laughed, “You wish. Are you ready for the dance?”

“Oh, no.”

You were. But you weren’t ready for how good Yunho was.

“Is there one thing you’re bad at?” You asked.

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Yunho twirled you around, “yet.”

“Hmph,” you made a face and he grinned, twirling you around and bringing you back to your original position where his left hand rested on your waist and the other held your hand and guided you along. The audience cheered and went on to find their partners, the two of you in the middle of the ballroom while the rest danced around you. Yunho tucked a stray curl that fell from your bun behind your ear as the song ended.

“One slow dance, with me, what do you say?”

“Do we have to?”

“No,” he smiled, “But I want to.”

You raised a brow, watching his ears flush and you laughed out loud for the first time since you came here, “Okay, my dear Prince. Last dance. How does it work?”

“You put your hands on my shoulders,” he guided your hands and you muttered, “Thank god I’m wearing the highest pair of heels.” His hands went to your waist and he hovered for a second as if asking for your permission and you nodded, his hands so warm you could feel it in your skin. He brought you closer, and as the music started, you swayed along with him, his eyes never leaving yours. You really felt as if you two were the only ones in the ballroom- he just had this way of grabbing your attention and you found yourself looking down one too many times. Were you shy? Maybe.

He finished the dance with a kiss to your forehead, “Thank you for having a good time with me tonight.”

—--------------------

After seeing your parents off who were taking the ship back to Eden right after the event, not really hugging your parents back, you sighed as Mina accompanied you to your room- Yunho’s room. Yunho told you he’d be there in a while, asking Mina to give you company so he could wrap up everything before coming. The guards at the door greeted you and you asked for their names and thanked them before entering Yunho’s chamber.

You liked the feel of it immediately- warm colours greeting your eyes. The gold in the room wasn’t too bright like the one in your castle and it made you content- it went along with the browns and greens of the chamber. You looked around with Mina, very comfortable and rather tempting sofas in front of the fireplace, the window giving a spectacular view of the sea, a grand piano sitting in the corner.

“This is nice,” you commented and Mina nodded, motioning to baby pictures of Yunho with a grin and you hopped along, laughing when you saw those pictures.

“He’s unbelievably cute!”

“He is,” Mina laughed, “Come on, let’s get you settled in your room.”

There were two rooms and a bathing chamber, and you were thoroughly pleased by the size and style of it. It looked like one room was mostly empty- perhaps for you to use as your room, while Yunho’s room was lit with candles, plants in a corner that led to the terrace that you could access through both the rooms. The king sized bed was grand with deep blue silk sheets and you decided to sit in front of the terrace for a while, let the cool air hit and relax you. Mina gave your shoulders a little massage before she heard the door open, wishing you good luck with a suggestive wink (earning a slap to the arm as she went out laughing). Yunho cleared his throat, entering.

“I hope you like the room.”

“Oh, the view’s absolutely wonderful,” you sighed, “I want to jump to the sea right now.”

“Don’t try that,” Yunho warned, grinning, “Tired?”

“Very. I knew weddings could be tiring, but… I feel like I could sleep forever.”

“I know,” Yunho shook his head, opening his drawer and taking a box out, “I have something for you.”

“Ooh,” you wiggled your brows, “A gift?”

“Yep,” he sat on one knee in front of you, urging you to open the box and you did, gasping-

“This is beautiful!” You gaped at him, “You know exactly how to please me!”

He gave you a victorious grin, “I noticed your love for tiny things,” he said, taking out the necklace, the pendant a silver shell-shaped thing with tiny diamonds encrusted upon it, “Allow me.”

Getting up, he put the necklace on you and you loved how it was the perfect length, falling right above your chest. “Thank you, Yunho. I mean it.”

“Anytime,” he patted your shoulders and you got up, sitting in front of the mirror and watching the necklace before going to remove the pins from your bun. “I also have something for you.”

“Really?” Yunho took off his coat, hanging it in the closet.

“Not an object, but a promise- that I’ll try. I’ll try to be your best friend, at least. I hope we can be that, if nothing more.”

Yunho smiled, coming to you and helping you take off the pins, placing it in your extended hand, “Thank you. I mean it.”

You smiled at how it was a habit for you two to repeat each other’s sentences in different contexts. He indicated that all the pins were out and you shook your head, moaning as you rubbed your aching scalp. “I should have never agreed with the bun.”

“Well, I don’t think I said it, but you looked beautiful tonight,” Yunho rubbed your scalp, “I liked this look on you.”

“Thank you, you didn’t look too bad either,” you scoffed, “Are you teasing me? You know buns are the most painful thing in the world, don’t you?”

“With beauty comes pain,” he said dramatically, laughing when you slapped his arm, “But really. You look beautiful. Even with your hair down.”

“It’s a freaking nest right now, Yunho, stop lying.”

Yunho laughed, messing your hair up further, making you shout at him and shush him away, combing gently through your hair and he told you he would be back after a shower while you dealt with your hair. And indeed, he was out in a black pyjamas, by which time your hair was manageable and smoothened out. You took off your pearl jewellery, placed it in the drawer and got up, finding your nightgown already in the closet, courtesy of Mina, your bathing products also in place. Now the only problem was-

“I can curse freely now, right, do you mind?”

“Go ahead,” Yunho rubbed a towel through his strawberry hair.

“This fucking dress won’t come off, I can’t reach the zipper!”

Yunho almost wheezed as he laughed, and you had to stop your struggling to actually look at him- you hadn’t heard him laugh like that yet, and it was… contagious. You were laughing before you knew it too. You kicked your heels in frustration, making puppy eyes at him as you asked for help. He got up, sighing, putting his hands on his hips as he tried to make sense of the intricate back of your dress. “How…”

“There’s just one string,” you told him, “You pull it, and voila!”

“There are like 10 strings here, Princess.”

“Pull at all of them? I don’t know, it should be at the bottom somewhere.”

Yunho took a deep breath, pulling the one string he found and you realised he truly wasn’t lying when he said he won in the luck department. You felt your dress loosen, sighing in relief and Yunho stopped pulling. “How much do I pull?”

“Pull all of it,” you waved a hand in dismissal and he cleared his throat, “Oh, come on. Get used to seeing a little skin now- you’re my husband now, Prince.”

He grinned shyly, pulling the string and you held the dress to your body before it could fall. “Now turn around- if you look at me I’m gonna behead you in your sleep.”

“Okay, okay,” he laughed, and you quickly grabbed your gown and towel after slipping out of the dress, half naked and rushed to the bathroom, shutting the door which was when he finally turned, shaking his head as he picked your dress off the floor and hung it in the closet.

You took your sweet time in the warm water relaxing and letting all the tiredness seep away. By the time you were dressed in your own black nightgown and came out, you thought Yunho had fallen asleep, but the movement you made when you got in the bed made him open one eye.

“How many candles do you blow out when you sleep?”

“All but one. You can keep them if you want.”

“I do the same,” you told him, blowing the candles one by one until the one at your corner of the room remained. You got in the bed, feeling awkward for the first time because the prospect of sharing a bed wasn’t something you really thought of much, worried by other more important things. Yunho gave you a lazy smile, watching as you positioned the pillows and you pulled the covers up, facing him.

Your heart did a good 360 in your stomach. The dim light was casting shadows of his lashes on his cheeks. “I’ve never slept with anyone before.”

Yunho started shaking with laughter, “Neither have I, Princess.”

“No,” you laughed, “I mean… I never even slept with my friends or my parents. I’ve always been… alone.”

Yunho opened one eye, “If you want, I can sleep in the other room.”

“No, I don’t want to trouble you more. I just… feel weird. Do you have any sleeping habits I should be aware of?”

“Not really,” he mumbled, “But my friends tell me I tend to lean towards body warmth. Oftentimes I end up hugging them as a pillow.”

“Now where’s my dagger,” you looked around, making him laugh again.

“You’re funny,” he sighed, “I’m joking. I am a normal person who sleeps like a log. Do you have a sleeping habit?”

“I’m probably a light snorer,” you admitted, “No point hiding. And I have nightmares when I’m stressed, so I’m sorry in advance if I wake you up.”

“It’s okay,” he nodded, “I’ll be here if you get scared.”

Something you’d never been offered. A source of comfort for when you were scared. “Thank you, Yunho.”

“Goodnight, my Princess.”

—---------------------

It was the sun shining directly in your eyes that made you open one eye, about to curse at Mina but realising you were not in your room in Eden, no-

You were in Wonderland now. Even the morning sky was different here.

You stretched a little, turning to see if Yunho was still asleep but he was seated on the sofa, already dressed in a white shirt and pants, reading a book- or maybe zoning out since he was holding the book upside down.

“Enjoying the book?” Your voice was husky.

“Oh, you’re awake- uh, yeah,” he said, and you pointed at a book with a smile, which was when he realised that you could clearly see the upside-down title. He grinned, shutting the book, “I was reading, but then I zoned out and somehow it’s upside-down now.”

“It’s okay,” you finally sat in your bed, feeling a little insecure because you probably looked ‘wonderful’ after waking up. “Not late for breakfast, am I?”

“Since it’s our first day, we’re pardoned from attending the breakfast early. It’ll be ready as soon as we arrive.”

“Good,” you got up, stretching once again a little too long and then groaning, “I’ll… be back, can you call for Mina?”

“Yep,” Yunho got up, going outside and you finally got the courage to look in the mirror-

“Fucking hell.”

You looked like a wreck with the leftover makeup from last night now smudged around your eyes and your hair sticking out in all directions. What a sight to show to your husband for the first time. Shaking your head, you went to the toilet and by the time you were out, Mina had your dress- a light pink pearly gown- ready with the accessories and all. She smiled at you, “Slept well?”

“Surprisingly, yes,” you nodded, sitting in front of the mirror and letting Mina style you as she told you about her new room and how the view was great, to which you agreed, and how she was already on friendly terms with the people around her.

“Everyone’s so friendly here, I don’t know if it’s because we’re new, but I’ve seen them talk to each other when they think I’m not there,” Mina put pearls in your hair, “They’re a really friendly bunch. You’ll love everyone.”

“So no one’s uptight like in Eden?” You smirked, “That’s a good change.”

Yunho entered after a knock, smiling because he’d heard you from the slightly open door, “You’re in for a ride- I apologise in advance for my friends that you’ll be meeting today.”

“I’ve forgotten all their names and faces, I met so many people yesterday,” you shook your head, “You gotta introduce them to me properly. I’ve heard so much about them already.”

Mina left with a bow and you stood in front of the full-length mirror, checking yourself out. Yunho was smiling, “They’ll love you. You ready?”

“Do I look okay? I hope this is not too much- I don’t know how it is here.”

“You look pretty, don’t worry,” he simply said, offering his arm, “Let’s go.”

You took his arm, commenting on his baby pictures as you went out of his chamber and greeted the new guards, observing the hallways and trying to memorise the path- it was the first time you were in the right headspace to actually observe your surroundings. The castle was similar in its colouring to the one back in Eden, and that’s where the resemblance ended- there were more arches, everything was somehow grander- or perhaps it was the clever use of gold and navy blue.

You arrived at the dining hall where the Queen and the King were already present, accompanied by a few other people you recognized from last night but couldn’t recall who. Everyone cheered as you entered and you curtsied.

“Oh, don’t be so formal, honey,” the Queen said, calling you to the empty seat beside her, “Come, sit.”

You and Yunho sat down and the King threw a wink to you two, making you smile nervously. “Good morning, I hope you both slept well.”

“Oh, we did, I passed out,” the King laughed, “She snored all night. Good thing I was out cold.”

“Oh, it’s not like you don’t snore, dear,” the Queen laughed, “Good thing my son is a silent sleeper, isn’t he?”

“I was out cold too,” you grinned, making them laugh, “I’m probably the one with that problem.”

“Well, lucky for you, the men in our household sleep like the dead,” the Queen almost whispered and you were amused- it was almost like sharing a secret. You watched as breakfast arrived, a variety of eggs, fruits, bread, soup-

“This isn't lunch, is it?” You asked Yunho and he shook his head no with a grin.

“Get used to the special treatment- won’t last forever.”

“Are you denying me a grand breakfast, good husband?”

“Are you saying you can eat all this?” Yunho raised a brow.

“Watch me,” you grinned.

You did taste everything and it went unnoticed by everyone just because your strategy was picking a little amount of everything turn by turn- anyone who took notice would have realised that the total amount you ate was pretty decent. It didn’t help that Yunho told you that he liked the fact that you ate well and kept putting more to your plate until you could take no more.

“Well,” the King wiped his mouth, “Where would the two of you like to go for your honeymoon?”

You almost choked on your juice- you hadn’t even thought about your honeymoon, and Yunho looked like he, too, had forgotten. He glanced at you and then turned to his parents, “Uh, we’ll think about it and get back to you?”

“Take your time,” his mother said, “It all happened so quickly. You can postpone it if you want.”

“Thank you,” you said, and Yunho nodded. The King and Queen excused themselves first, saying something about work and how good old times were over because the last time they didn’t have work was right after their marriage too, which made them envious to see you and Yunho- newlyweds. You looked at Yunho, wiping your mouth daintily, “Well, that’s something that clearly escaped us.”

“It did,” he laughed a little, “Do you wanna postpone it or forget about it?”

“Oh, why waste this opportunity?” You thought about it, “It’s a good time to show me around Wonderland, don’t you think? Unless, of course, you don’t want to go-”

“Oh no, I do,” he interrupted, clearing his throat and shifting in his chair, “I mean, I haven’t had a breather in a while too. I could use this. And I have a few ideas.”

You spent the rest of the day planning with Yunho- he had friends in the city so it wouldn’t be a problem because you two really wanted to travel around like two normal people instead of the Prince and Princess- you’d have guards but you two decided it would be better to travel informally and in disguise- it would feel like an adventure.

What did surprise you was when Yunho said he’d be back after informing and talking to the guards to make the arrangements while you relaxed in the gardens with the pet dog one guard had and he returned with 3 men you’d seen last night- some of his friends, if you recall correctly.

“She’s beautiful,” one of them said as they approached you, and you got up with a smile, passing a questioning look to Yunho as you glanced at him but he was laughing, trying to drag his friends back.

“Princess, we’re crashing your honeymoon!” one of them with the mullet announced and you put a hand over your mouth as you burst out laughing- this was getting interesting.

“I simply cannot let Yunho go alone!” the tall one wailed dramatically, “I cannot spend so many days without him!”

“Why don’t you all have your honeymoon with Yunho, the Princess can stay here,” another one arrived from inside, pinching his nose-bridge, “I apologise for the mess, Princess, I’m Seonghwa, Yunho’s friend and the only sane one of the lot.”

You laughed, “Pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” he smiled and you nodded.

“So… are they really crashing our honeymoon?”

“Oh, I’m crashing with them,” he grinned at you and the sudden change in his demeanour made you laugh out loud.

“Please do, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“She approves!” The loudest one came forward, pushing Yunho away, “Thank you for your permission, I’m Wooyoung.”

“She doesn’t mean it!” The one with the sharp features bowed, “I’m San. Welcome to the family.”

“And I’m Mingi,” the tall one said, “And I can’t believe my friend got married.”

“And I can’t believe you are Yunho’s friends!” You looked at him, “You didn’t tell me your friends were fun!”

“Oh, we haven’t even started,” Wooyoung grinned, “Actually, we plan to accompany you and drop off at our homes on the way. I hope you don’t mind- even if you do, we’re tagging along.”

“Of course, I look forward to our time together,” you grinned, immediately liking Wooyoung. Yunho finally joined you, muttering an apology and you told him it really wasn’t necessary.

“I’ll be back- I need to get the rest of them,” he said and looked at Seonghwa, “Make sure they… stay in line.”

“Of course,” Seonghwa laughed, waving him off, “I’m the oldest, so I’m usually the responsible one.”

“You seem so,” you told him, “So, tell me about yourselves.”

You learned that Seonghwa and Hongjoong- the one with red hair you clearly remembered- worked in the castle as Yunho’s advisors, Mingi as the Captain of Guard, and San and Wooyoung had an academy to train guards and soldiers in the city along with Yeosang. Yunho arrived with Yeosang and the rest. Jongho was a musician who came to the castles for concerts and events but usually was in another city, also with his own academy.

“This is a great opportunity for us to travel together, but I kind of feel bad for the newlyweds,” Hongjoong laughed guiltily, “One word if we become unbearable and we’re gone, Princess.”

“Noted,” you laughed. “I do hope we’ll have some female company too, Yunho.”

“Don’t worry, I have friends we can meet in the city, they left last night,” he confirmed and you nodded.

Planning your route with everyone while they shared jokes and teased each other, you noticed Yunho was a lot different with his friends- more relaxed, almost a free spirit, more loud and you smiled- you hoped Yunho could feel the same around you one day, though you were pretty sure you couldn’t compete with the bond he had built with his friend over years. Jongho noticed your gaze and smiled, “I know what you’re thinking.”

“You do?”

“Yunho doesn’t take much to open up,” he said, and you realised he did know what you were thinking, “He just needs a little time- as soon as he’s comfortable, he’ll be the most funny and mischievous person you could meet.”

“Interesting,” you grinned.

“He’s a good listener- so if you need one, feel free to talk to him- or Wooyoung there,” he pointed at him, “Even though he never shuts up, he’s a good listener. I’d say the same for Seonghwa and Hongjoong but they’re the boomers, so.”

“Says the boomer himself,” Yeosang, who was sitting nearby, laughed, “Jongho has the soul of an 80 year old, you'll see.”

“I was born in the wrong age,” he declared.

“I have the soul of a cranky old woman too, don’t worry,” you muttered and they laughed.

After more discussion and lunch in the hall with the friends, you were pretty exhausted by the time evening fell- but you felt good. Your cheeks were hurting from smiling too much and you realised how little you did that back in Eden. Yunho decided you could have dinner in your chamber and you both came back, where you slumped on the couch in the living room, groaning in relief, Yunho following.

“Tired?” He asked.

“Good-tired,” you told him, “I wish I had that many friends. None of my ‘friends’ cared enough to even come for my wedding.”

“Ah,” Yunho sighed, “Sad.”

“Mina’s my only real friend, I’m glad she could come here,” you told him and he turned to you as if he wanted to hear more, “She’s been working for me since I was 13. She knows me inside out and is like a sister to me. She’s very much like Seonghwa in nature.”

“Good to hear,” he smiled, unbuttoning his top button and loosening his shirt, “You really need a Seonghwa in your life, trust me.”

“Yeah,” you sighed, “Let me get out of this damned dress then we can… talk and eat.”

You went to your room and changed to a simple shirt and trousers, letting your hair loose and coming outside again, stopping when you saw how he was trying to massage his shoulders. You hesitated for a second but then went to stand behind him, holding his hands and putting them away, making him look surprised, and then you proceeded to give him a shoulder massage.

“I haven’t tried this on anyone, but Mina does this technique, so consider yourself privileged.”

“You’re good,” Yunho groaned, sighing as he relaxed more into it and you smiled- he was just so… easy. Comfortable. “You can stop though, you’re probably more tired.”

“Well, you owe me two,” you said, “You still haven’t given me the foot massage.”

“So you were serious?” Yunho looked up at you.

“No, I’m very ticklish there. Don’t even try,” you said, but Yunho was grinning, “Just letting you know, I sleep with the dagger under my pillow.”

“Of course you do,” he let out a chuckle. He let you continue for two minutes before getting up, “I should return the favour.”

You made a pleased face, almost hopping to sit back and he grinned at that, saying he had actually learned massage from his mother and did a neat job at it- and boy, was he good. You almost moaned shamelessly, stifling it because he shouldn’t hear the animalistic sounds you made… yet. But it seemed like he was trying his best to get you to at least produce one little satisfied sound and you ended up moaning, making him snicker. You slapped his hand- “You hit the right spot.”

“Good to hear,” he said, continuing expertly, and now you were somehow more focused on how his fingers felt on your bare skin, how long they were and how they were rough but you still liked how they felt. You realised your eyes were shut and you probably looked funny so you opened them with great effort, thanking him. You did note the smug look on his face as he sat back down after telling the guard at the door to call for dinner.

You raised a brow at how he was looking at you, “You want to tell me why you look so smug right now?”

“You clearly enjoyed the massage.”

So he had noticed. You shifted in your position, “Of course I did, Prince. You did a good job.”

He shrugged, still looking playful and you scoffed- Jongho wasn’t lying when he said Yunho could be mischievous, “What are you thinking, Jeong Yunho?”

“You don’t want to know,” he looked at you and you couldn’t stop yourself from flushing at the mere possibilities of the thoughts that could be going around his head, realising only later that you could be wrong. You poked his thigh with your bare feet, making him laugh and he tickled your feet as revenge, making you gasp at his action.

“I should keep my dagger with me at all times, shouldn’t I?”

“Where else do you tickle, Princess?” He wiggled his brows.

“Well, I’m not going to tell you if you’re going to be tickling me now, would I? Where do you tickle?”

“Me? Basically everywhere if you tickle me properly,” he laughed in defeat, making you clap your hands in victory.

“I think I only tickle at my feet. I don’t know if I tickle elsewhere,” you frowned.

“Well, I’ll find out,” he promised and you were glad food arrived because god, how would he ever find out?

—--------------------

The next day was spent packing your bags and planning the little tour with Yunho’s friends. Yunho showed you around the castle, the gardens, and promised to show you what he knew of the maze-like secret passages once you were back. You told him he didn’t need to- you couldn’t imagine getting lost and someone finding your bones there. Yunho assured you that he wasn’t stupid enough to not leave a trail- Wooyoung once had, and had ended up getting lost and creating so much noise by simply yelling that the guards got to him rather quickly just for the sake of shutting him up. You couldn’t help but laugh- it was a very Wooyoung thing.

Yunho had been working on some documents for hours now and you had been out with Mina who showed you around her room and introduced some of her new friends that she had made here. When you got back, Yunho nodded at you in acknowledgement, going right back in. You changed into comfortable clothes and poured some wine for him- the one you had often seen him drink. You sat down beside him and he thanked you, slumping back in his chair as he took a sip.

“You must be tired- I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“You’re not,” he assured you, “Just working on some strategies for defence at the border in the North- Halaland is becoming more aggressive than we thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they’ve heard of the marriage, but they’re still pushing on with the attacks at the border,” he sighed, “My father is trying to figure out what they want, meanwhile I’m preparing for the worst case possible.”

“And that is?”

“Don’t worry- we probably won’t get to that,” he patted your leg, “How was your day?”

“Good. Just tired from all the walking we did today, but I suppose that ought to prepare me for our trip.”

Yunho grinned, “I’m getting this all done tonight so I won’t have to take this with me during the trip- I really, really need a breather. Really.”

You laughed, “You want me to keep company while you work, or… do you prefer working alone?”

“A little company would be nice,” he glanced at you, “Unless you want to sleep, in which case, go ahead.”

“Well, as you should know, I excel at defence strategies. You want me to take a look?”

Yunho stared at you for a minute as if contemplating his decision, “Not that I don’t trust you, but… it is confidential, so I hope you don’t leak this information.”

“I’m thoroughly offended that you could think so of me,” you took the papers from him, “I would never do that- I know what leaks can cost us very well. Oh, and I’m also angry at all of Eden in general, in case you didn’t notice.”

“You still are?”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” You looked through the plans for the troops, making mental calculations, “They sold me out. I should sell them out, don’t you think?”

Yunho was quiet for a minute before he said, “I hope you’re… happy here.”

You placed the papers down, meeting his eyes, “Oh, of course I am. Yunho, I didn’t mean that I’m not happy here- you’re more than I deserve. But it’s just my parents that I’m angry at since they stole the choice from us.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Yunho sighed, rubbing his face, “Where would we be if we had a choice, I wonder.”

“Well, I’d probably have to marry one Prince or another, a ‘worthy’ suitor, you know how it goes,” you scoffed, “And you’d be meeting pretty princesses who’d laugh at everything you say and giggle with a hand over their mouths instead of howling like I do-”

“I prefer the howling,” Yunho teased.

“No, you don’t,” you smiled but didn’t look at him.

“My mother used to say that everything that happens is meant to be,” he shifted in his chair, “if two people are meant for each other, they’d end up together one way or another.”

“Poetic,” you looked up at him, feeling the urge to tuck his stray hair back, “Well, I like where I am. Do you?”

“I do,” he nodded, face resting on his hand as he looked at you and you couldn’t look away- he was beautiful.

“At least I’m not in Halaland right now, eh?” You wiggled your eyebrows and he laughed, “Anyways, what’s your wild card?”

You and Yunho went into a discussion where you told him how Wonderland shouldn’t reveal all its cards to Halaland- they should always have a wild card at disposal, and multiple of them which they could use at every turn for the worst possible situation. You presented some plans for keeping the border secure, leaving the choice to him. By the end of the discussion, Yunho was both amazed and surprised- he hadn’t expected this level of sharpness from you and he found it… interesting. Hot, even, if he wasn’t lying to himself.

"Are you sure you should like, I don't know, reveal all this to me?" Yunho was genuinely curious, "I mean, Wonderland and Eden could be at war one day if Halaland comes for us. If Eden sides with Wonderland, where do you stand?"

You thought about it, "I am Wonderland's Princess now, not Eden's. Well, still Eden's too, but you get what I'm saying. If, despite everything, Eden decides to join forces with Halaland… they would have to face me too. I do hope it never comes to that, but if it does…"

"It's tough to choose," Yunho wrapped up the mess at the table, "Eden's your homeland. You're here because of an arrangement. Your parents should not violate the arrangement in the first place but keep in mind that they, too, are bound by the 'greater good'. If the greater good comes in siding with Halaland…"

"Well, they can do whatever they want, but they lose their best defence strategist and the favour of Wonderland if they join hands with Halaland," you got up, "This is my home now. I'm Wonderland's Princess and this is where my future is. So, Prince, are you coming to bed with me because it's way past midnight and we have to get up early tomorrow."

Yunho took your extended hand, squeezing it as he smiled at you- you truly were something beyond his expectations. And he couldn't help but wonder if it was anyone else in your place, would they have made the same promise- to stand with him through thick and thin?

-----------------

"Watch your step," Yunho said.

"Do we have to walk?" You made a face, "Because I think we should keep the walking for more… fun places- he's looking at me!"

"He won't recognize you, Princess, he's probably never seen you before," Seonghwa said.

"And what if he has? What if he was like… one of the cleaners at the wedding?"

"Stop whining, you want to experience street food, here you are."

"Why does everyone let Wooyoung talk down to me?" You said to nobody in general and Yunho only snickered. You smacked Wooyoung's head, making everyone laugh as he howled in pain.

"Don't draw too much attention, we're still in the city," Hongjoong warned.

The 9 of you had started off the trip on carriages, dressed the most casually you all could, you and Yunho in dark cloaks too. Nobody would bat an eye, you looked as normal as the next person. Plus, surrounded by the rest, people could barely see you anyway.

You stopped at the food stalls, sharing a variety of snacks before you were off to the path that led to the forest. As you stood with an ice cream cup, you looked around, noticing how the sky was bluer here. You could see the mountains too- something you didn't see much of in Eden.

"You like it?" Yunho asked, "The view?"

"Yeah," you nodded, "I love mountains, but they never took me there."

"You'll love the mountains here- it has wonderful lakes."

You smiled, following the boys back to the carriage and taking off to the forest, Wooyoung, San and Mingi in your carriage. The whole ride was you 5 playing games with forehead flicks as penalty, and Yunho-

"One lucky bastard, he is," you muttered, massaging your very red aching forehead, "Why are we even playing with him?"

"You wanna team up?" Yunho offered and you were tempted to say yes but that would hurt your ego.

"No. Let's exclude Yunho and play a fair game, the four of us."

"I never cheated!" Yunho laughed, "I'm just good!"

"Nobody should be allowed to be this good!" Mingi pointed at him, "You really don't wanna go against him, Princess. Team up with him if you get the chance."

But at night, you and Yunho stood in front of each other in the living room of Jongho's family home, about to pick your teammates for a game of Ddakji. You looked around, smirking, "Jongho."

"Yay," Jongho happily went to stand behind you, sticking his tongue out at everyone else.

"Seonghwa," Yunho said and Seonghwa cheered rather loudly, clearly happy to be on the 'winning team' as he called it.

"Wooyoung," you said and he bumped fists with you as he stood behind you.

"Yeosang," he said and Yeosang let out a cute laugh that had you laughing along. You looked around- San and Mingi left. They both were begging you not to pick them and you were tempted to smack their heads.

"I'm good at this, okay? Trust me for once," you laughed in defeat.

"But Yunho always wins," San cried.

"San, you're coming with me, you little-" you smacked his arm as he passed by and Mingi danced in victory.

"Alright, I'm watching the time- start!" Hongjoong announced.

You had to flip as many disks as you could in a span of 5 minutes- and gosh, it was chaos. The first player had to flip at least one to pass the turn to the next player. Yunho's team was doing well and you two were waiting to be the last players-

You were going to win.

As soon as Jongho, the last player before you was done flipping one, you counted their disks- you had to flip at least 5 to become even. Yunho was already playing his turn-

You pulled your trousers up and rolled your sleeves, flipping the disks at a speed that had everyone else watching with their mouths hanging open, and even Yunho stood back and watched you. You later realized that time was up and you let out an exhale. "Did I win?"

Hongjoong started clapping, everyone following and you bowed dramatically, Yunho approaching you and shaking your hand, "You're better than I thought."

"It's the only game I'm good at," you said and everyone laughed.

After tea where Jongho played the piano and sang songs, you swayed along in a trance because he was so good, you looked at Yunho. "Have I earned the privilege yet?"

"What privilege?" Yunho frowned and you motioned at the piano. "Oh. Well, I could. Later. If I sing in front of them, they're gonna tease us."

"Yunho's singing!" Hongjoong announced and everyone burst out laughing, urging Yunho to go and play. Jongho said, "Everyone, let's sing our anthem!"

"Anthem?" You frowned. Yeosang told you it was a song they loved to sing together. Yunho started playing the guitar, Jongho the piano and everyone started singing the song-

"The sun is blue, the stars are purple,

Flowers are dancing, the song is extra!"

You laughed at the absurd lyrics and how Hongjoong was rapping, clapping along. Everyone was so good at singing, probably because of the years of singing they had done together. By the time they were ending, you were singing what you knew of the lyrics together, ending with a cheer.

"That was fascinating," you clapped, "Why aren't all of you singers like Jongho?"

"I ask that everyday," San said with hands on his hips, "We could be a band."

After some joking and teasing around, Seonghwa dragged everyone out to their rooms, leaving you and Yunho in the living room and you sat down with him on the stools in front of the piano. "Can you play something for me?"

"I can," he agreed, running his beautiful slender fingers along the piano and playing a tune you had never heard before, humming along with it. You wowed, clapping with your mouth hanging open.

"You're playing to me every night when we get back, okay?"

Yunho laughed, "Only if you play whatever it is that you're so good at."

You bit your lips, sighing in defeat, "It's… the drums. You don't wanna hear me play, you can imagine."

Yunho threw his head back and laughed, clapping loudly, "You play the drums! I ought to tell them-"

"Don't tell anyone," you put a finger to his lips, shutting him up, a smirk across his face. You slapped his cheek lightly, "Don't even think about it."

"Come on," Yunho held your hand, "They'll love to see it. I'd love to see it."

"No," you got up, trying to walk away but he didn't let go of your hand.

"Please?"

You stared at him- he was making the most adorable face and it was disgusting but in a good way. It made you want to run away and hide but also pinch his cheeks and kiss him-

"Uh, no."

Yunho pulled you towards him when you turned away, making you fall in his lap and your eyes went wide at this sudden boldness. You tried to pull away but Yunho was laughing, putting his arms around you and capturing you in his grasp. He brought his lips to your ears and they almost touched as he whispered, "Don't make me beg."

You gulped, squealing away because it was tickling you, "Fine, god, you're impossible!" He finally let you go with a chuckle and you stood staring at him with your hands on your hips. "He doesn't have drums here, right?"

He did. Jongho had everything. And after breakfast the next morning and a bit of fooling around when you thought maybe, just maybe, Yunho had forgotten, he announced that you had something to show.

The glare you gave him could have put him in an early grave but after endless cheering from everyone, you finally gave in, sighing. "If I ever hear from another mouth that the Princess plays drums, I'm gonna be assassinating you lot."

Jongho gave you the drum sticks and you arranged the different drums and a few cymbals as you wanted, taking a deep breath and rolling your sleeves up as you sat on the stool. You made eye-contact with each of them- they were in for a surprise.

And boy, were they blown. They perhaps hadn’t expected a ‘princess’ to lose her shit on drums and play like there was no tomorrow, hands moving so speedily that they couldn’t even keep track of the beats if they tried to. You threw a wink at a pleasantly surprised Yunho in between and by the time you were done, you were out of breath. You got up and curtsied as if you hadn’t been playing in a very ‘unladylike’ manner, as your mother would call it. “So?”

The 8 men were gaping at you as you shrugged and went to pour yourself some water, and the first one to speak was Jongho, who said, “Can you marry me so we can have concerts together without worrying about Yunho?”

You burst out laughing and Yunho put Jongho in a chokehold, “She can have concerts if she wants without marrying you, okay!”

“Please, I’m not a professional, that’s just… me taking my frustration out on the poor drums.”

“You have a lot of frustration in that case,” Hongjoong laughed.

You looked at Yunho who was grinning and gave you a thumbs-up, and you let out a breath you didn’t realise you had been holding in- perhaps it was because you had never expected to play the drums in front of anyone other than Mina and would expect people to frown upon you, because you were, afterall, a princess. But as you looked around, you realised they truly were very open-minded and accepting, and maybe it was the people of Wonderland who were all so nice. You were really liking it here.

“What are you thinking?” Yunho rubbed your arms.

“Just… Wonderland is nice. The people are nice. I really like it here,” you smiled.

“I’m glad to hear,” he said, leaning in, “And you can play the drums whenever you like, back at the castle. I can arrange for them to be in our chamber.”

“Oh no, you don’t want me waking you up with drumming, do you?” You grinned, “Just… I don’t play too often so it’s okay, but thank you. That was probably the most unladylike thing you’ve seen in your life.”

“Who said I like ladylike things?” Yunho grinned at you, patting your cheek and going to Mingi to say something, leaving you wondering how lucky you were to have such an accepting person as your partner.

The following week was the most fun you’d had in your life- without fear of being recognized, you were shopping in the streets, eating whatever you liked wherever you liked, going to parks and just relaxing, and the boys made it fun. You also met with Nayoung and Jiyeon, their childhood friends and you were glad for the female company- Nayoung was as sweet as Mina if not more, and Jiyeon was sassy which you enjoyed. You went to the mountains for two days and enjoyed huddling with the girls in front of the fireplace, ditching the men and gossiping all night long.

You were now on the way to the sea, near where the training academy was. San, Wooyoung and Yeosang were to drop off there while Hongjoong and Seonghwa would accompany you back along with Mingi, who was currently residing in Jongho’s home and would join you later. You and Yunho were in the carriage on the way with some guards from the academy and you were looking out from the window when you felt Yunho lean towards you- but when you turned, you realised he was half asleep, almost lying on the seat.

You smiled, shifting so he could rest his head on your shoulder- he must have been really relaxed if he was dozing off. You put his head on your shoulder, pulling the hair away from his face. You and Yunho were much closer and comfortable with each other now- each night when you excused yourselves, you’d go to your room and talk about childhood, likes and dislikes, just getting to know each other over some tea or wine, playing with each other’s hair when one would rest their head on the other’s lap, or you mostly playing with his hands because you loved them.

Yunho leaned in as if he was cold and you sighed- there was this new feeling inside of you that you still weren’t ready to address- how your heart would jump or squeeze whenever Yunho would look at you a second too long or give you an affectionate squeeze or something.

“Hey, we’re here,” you whispered, checking if Yunho wasn’t in a deep sleep. With a pat to his cheek, he opened his eyes, groaning.

“I was having the best sleep I’ve had in a while,” he yawned, “But… At least I’m fresh now. Come on.”

Yunho helped you get off the carriage and you wowed, looking around- the beach here was just as beautiful as the one in Eden. The sun was high up but not too strong, just the right amount of cloudy. You spread your arms, inhaling the fresh air. “This feels so good.”

“It does,” Yunho motioned for the guards to give you two some privacy, “You can collect your shells too.”

“Oh yes, I definitely will,” you nodded, marching to the shore and pulling your trousers up a bit, jumping in delight when the cool waves hit you. Yunho joined, bending down to pick some shells, showing you. You shook your head, taking his arm, “I’ll show you which shells are worth it.”

You spent the next half an hour picking shells- Yunho kept bringing the tinier ones since he found them cute. You were bent on the sand putting the shells in your satchel when water sprayed over you and you shut your eyes in disappointment.

“I’m sorry- I didn’t realise,” Yunho laughed and you got up, pushing your hair back.

“Jeong Yunho, how dare you spray water on a lady!”

“I jumped, I didn’t realise it would come and spray you- lady? Who?”

The way Yunho was wiggling his brows and being playful made you shake your head as a smirk spread on your face and you kicked the water, splashing him a good deal, making him laugh in disbelief.

“Oh no, you didn’t,” he bent and splashed some on you and you barely dodged it, squealing and kicking the water again which he, too, barely dodged. Then you were running and Yunho was chasing after you, out of breath because you were laughing so much and he was going to catch you any moment-

“No!” You laughed, jumping when he almost caught you and taking a few more steps before you felt his arms wrap around your waist and he twirled to keep you two from falling, stopping and settling on the sand when he felt stable. You tried wringing away from him but it ended with you facing him, still in his arms, a little too close as your laughter died down and you tried to calm your breathing.

The sun shining on his wet blonde hair made it look wonderful. You scanned his face, raising a brow because he was neither splashing water on you nor letting you go. He was dazed, and so were you. You pursed your lips, “So, my dear Prince, are you going to let me go or what?”

He was half smiling as he leaned forward slowly, planting a lingering kiss on your cheek that made your heart sink to the floor and swim away with the waves. And when he pulled back and you were waiting for more, he sprayed a little water on your face, making you gasp.

“That’s the dirtiest trick!” You shook your head in disbelief, struggling to catch some water in your cupped hands but Yunho held both your wrists and you pushed-

Resulting in him falling on his back, you on top of him pinning him to the surface of the sand except he was still holding your wrists and had himself pinned. You smirked, leaning forward until your faces were mere inches away, keeping him distracted until the wave came and drenched half his body, which was when you laughed in victory.

“That’s for being a smartass with me,” you said, and he shook with laughter, shifting so now you were on the surface and he was on top of you, and you started screaming and laughing because oh, you did not want to get wet. Yunho was grinning devilishly and you braced yourself, but right before the wave could hit you, he picked you up, making you sigh in relief into his chest.

“Gosh, thank you,” you looked at him, “Very Princely of you.”

“Anything for my dear Princess,” he teased, kissing your nose. “Come on, let’s get away from the water.”

You were taken aback from how… romantic he was being. It didn’t help when you both decided to sit and he put his head on your lap- you sighed internally, putting a chocolate cube in his mouth and another in yours.

“I wish I could stay here like this forever,” Yunho sighed, shutting his eyes close, “No worries in the world. Just you, me and the sea.”

“Hmm,” you ran a hand through his hair, “If only we actually could. Do you prefer the sea or the mountains though?”

“Definitely the sea,” he said, “It’s more fun.”

“Right,” you smiled, “You’re gonna miss the sunset.”

Yunho turned a bit to watch the sunset, finding the sky a beautiful mess of colours, but then he glanced at you and kept his eyes on you, loving the way your eyes were gleaming and the pastels of the sky reflected on your face, making it glow.

“The sun’s there, idiot,” you said, not looking down at him.

“Is it?” Yunho didn’t look away from you, “Kind of confused right now.”

You rolled your eyes, slapping his cheek lightly, “You’re being… so… soft and mushy today.”

“It’s the air, perhaps,” he grinned.

“Must be,” you made a face, making him tickle you on the waist except you were not ticklish there. You deadpan stared at him, making him mutter a little sorry. You tickled his neck in revenge, making him roll off of you.

“So you’re not ticklish on the waist, noted,” he said, sitting cross legged in front of you, “Where do I try next?”

“Let me just fish out my dagger first,” you went to open your satchel but he laughed, stopping you and making you laugh too.

—---------------------

The next day, you and Yunho received a letter from the castle demanding your return because things with Halaland weren’t seeming good- Yunho would have to travel to Halaland to try and smoothen things out. Yunho read the letter to you and apologised for cutting short the tour. You held his hand, caressing it. “It’s okay, I had the time of my life with everyone, and you, especially. Thank you for this.”

“Are you sure? We can manage two more days-”

“Yunho,” you held his face in your hands, shaking your head, “Wonderland needs you. How stupid would it be to stop for two more days just so we could have fun with the threat on our home? And what fun would we have with that worry?”

Yunho held your hands, sighing, “Thank you. You’re the best.”

“I know,” you grinned, “Come on, let’s pack. We have a long way to go.”

While you were packing, you noticed how Yunho kept glancing at you as if trying to make sure you were okay. You had told him how you’d barely set foot out in Eden, and Yunho had promised himself to show you everything he could. He’d seen how you enjoyed and became a different person when you were out. You caught him staring and he shrugged, scratching the back of his head, finding you standing in front of him. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Yunho sighed, “I just… feel bad. I know how much you wanted to see the lakes.”

“You giant,” you laughed, “how many times do I need to tell you that it’s okay, that I don’t feel bad?”

“Probably a hundred times more,” he laughed.

You shook your head, straightening his collar, “I don’t need to see some stupid lakes to be happy. As long as you’re safe, Wonderland is safe, I’m happy- even if I have to stay in my room for the rest of my life.”

Yunho bit his lips at your words- how could you say such things so easily and make him flush? “When you say it like that…”

You smiled, hugging him- it was probably the first time you weren’t hugging each other for the sake of teasing or annoying. It was the first genuine hug, and for a moment Yunho froze before he relaxed and put his arms around you, resting his chin on your head as he swayed you, sighing into it. He kissed the top of your head, “You’re the best fucking partner I could have asked for, you know that?”

“Look who’s cursing now,” you scoffed, “I thought I was the one with a dirty tongue.”

“I used it as an appropriate adjective,” Yunho defended himself.

“Well, thank you,” you broke the hug, “As your friend and wife, it’s the least I should do.”

Yunho kissed your forehead, “You’re doing great.”

You smiled, going back to your packing as if your heart wasn’t beating at an unnatural rate and you hadn’t wanted to stay in his arms forever.

With Seonghwa, Hongjoong and Mingi, the five of you made plans for the next steps- Halaland was bent on revenge because of the old family rivalry. They had been trying to push for war especially since they had better weapons now and thought Eden would side with them- they could take Wonderland and split it up.

“The important question is, where Eden stands, and if Eden is with Wonderland, would Halaland still fight?” Hongjoong pushed his glasses up his nose.

“Well, Halaland needs to realise that they need more than just brute force to win this war,” you said, “Eden is with Wonderland. Combined, we have better defences and can hold fort for longer. All it’s going to take is one weak spot for our forces to swarm into Halaland before them, and they’ll have no choice but to surrender.”

“And we would have to do it discreetly- the element of surprise. Wild cards,” Yunho looked at you and you nodded.

“How were the soldiers holding up?” Seonghwa asked Mingi.

“They were surprised that it’s escalating so quickly, there are gonna be some cold feet too, but we’ll manage. Yeosang and the rest are going to help. Jongho can reach out to Mist Island- we can get their fleet at our side.”

“Good,” Yunho said, “We have to prepare for the worst, but let’s pray it doesn’t come to that.”

But the thing gnawing at you was how sleezy Eden could be with their politics. Would they really break their promise, violate the arrangement of marriage and side with Halaland? Knowing them, if they thought their greater good was in that, they probably would, and it was making you nervous, because…

What were you going to do?

Yunho would have no reason to be with you anymore. Sure, you two were friends now, but he would have the chance to end this and send you home. You were still angry at your parents and if they did just that, you’d be angrier because that would mean they had no regard for you. And if Yunho sent you home to your parents…

As if Yunho had read your thoughts, he put a hand over yours, whispering ‘relax’. You hadn’t realised that you had been clawing at your skin. You passed a weak smile as you continued to look out of the window of your carriage.

—--------------------

Though you were received back warmly, it had turned into chaos soon afterwards- Halaland’s fleet was rumoured to be readying. The family, including you, had a meeting where it was decided that Yunho would go with his advisors to Halaland in hopes of a negotiation. You were suggested to go to Eden to make sure if they stood with Wonderland, and you made it clear that though the final decision was not in your hands, you’d make sure to try to get them on your side and get aid.

“You don’t have to go,” Yunho told you when you were back in your room and he had packed to leave soon, “I know how Eden works, Princess. They’d side with whoever they think is gonna win and right now, it doesn’t look like us.”

“I do have to go,” you said, “I’ll try everything. Wonderland is my home now, it’s the least I can do.”

“Will you be alright though?” Yunho approached you, rubbing your arms as he locked eyes with you, “I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re Wonderland’s Princess now and the future Queen- there’s a lot that could happen while you’re in Eden. They’ll try to get something out of you if they’re as selfish as you say…”

“I know them, Yunho,” you said, “I was one of them too. I know how they think, and I know how I can get to them. I don’t think they’ll side with us, if I’m being honest, so I, at least, need to make them aware of what they’ll be losing- Wonderland’s trust. Because Wonderland is going to win this war, and when they do, they’re gonna make sure Eden regrets not siding with them.”

“Let’s pray that doesn’t happen,” he smiled, “I can’t thank you enough for doing this, my Princess. If it was anyone else…”

“Let’s not think what would have happened if it was anyone else, eh?” You smiled back, “It’s you and me now. We stick through this, okay?”

Yunho cupped your face, caressing it slowly, looking at you with so much love you nearly melted right there. He was leaning forward in a daze when a knock sounded, the guard calling to tell that they were ready to go and were waiting for him.

You held Yunho’s hands that were still on your face, “Return safely to me, in one piece, will you?”

“I’ll try,” Yunho scoffed, kissing your forehead and then joining it with his, noses brushing and eyes shut as you two breathed, waiting for the other to make a move but this position alone was enough to send butterflies in your stomach. “Have a safe journey, my love.”

With that, he kissed your forehead one last time and left without looking back, leaving you breathless and smiling for the longest time at the words he had called you.

My love.

It was then you realised that Mina was right when she said that you were bound to fall in love with Yunho because he was everything you had ever needed and then some. And you realised, with a sinking heart, that you were already halfway there, and with fear because you weren’t sure Yunho would return the sentiment. It was, after all, an arranged marriage. And though he’d call you terms like ‘my princess’ or ‘my love’, it didn’t mean he felt the same way as you. It was just how he was- loving and caring to anyone who was a friend.

You had to gain Eden at your side. Because if that didn’t happen… Yunho would really have no obligation to go on with this marriage.

—-----------------

“Here we are, at the heart of the sick kingdom,” you looked at Mina, “Can’t say I missed it.”

“Truly,” Mina pursed her lips, “Wonderland is like a breath of fresh air and Eden is just…”

“All bleak and gloomy and parasitic. I can already feel the suffocation,” you said as your carriage reached the gates, “Let’s be on our best behaviours, shall we?”

“Rich coming from you,” Mina raised a brow and you scoffed.

“I’m only doing this for Yunho.”

“You’re so in love with him, it’s disgusting-”

“I am not!” You almost yelled but your flushed cheeks betrayed you. Mina scoffed, helping you get out of the carriage, instructing the guards to get the gifts you’d brought with you from Wonderland- an obligation, really.

You entered your parent’s chamber, greeting them with a bow first before they hugged you. “I hope you’ve been well, mother, father.”

“Oh, we’ve been okay, we miss you incredibly,” your mother said and you supposed they did- you did too. They were, after all, your parents. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been… great actually,” you took a seat, taking the glass of wine your father poured for you.

“So I hear,” he said, “The Prince treating you well?”

“Oh, yes,” you sipped on your wine, “We’re pals.”

“See, I told you he wasn’t bad,” your mother said, and you had to smile.

“He’s actually really good, which is all him,” you looked at her, “Which is why I couldn’t stay angry at you both. If it was a pompous bastard instead of him, I would have raised hell.”

Your parents laughed, and you had dinner with them, catching up on everything before you talked politics. It was late at night when you finally asked them if they had heard the rumours.

“Halaland really went on with war,” your father looked grim, “I didn’t expect to see another war in my life, but here we are.”

You knew he was talking about the time he was barely past 10 when he had witnessed his first war, which made Eden and Wonderland two separate kingdoms. You sighed, “It’s a bad time. We must stay strong, all of us. You never know who they could come for next.”

“Yeah,” your father nodded, “What’s your stance on all of this? From Eden’s perspective?”

“Well,” you stood in front of the window, “I think Halaland’s problem is that they’re too ambitious, which is going to cause their defeat in the end. Wonderland’s stronger than you think- I’ve been through their plans.”

“So Wonderland will be the last one standing?” Your mother asked.

“If what we’ve heard and seen of Halaland and they don’t have a card up their sleeve that could potentially destroy us, yes,” you said, “The question is… where do you stand? Why haven’t you sent aid?”

Your mother and father met eyes and you immediately knew where this was going. Your father sighed, “We’ve been thinking…”

“Oh, I know what you’re thinking,” you interrupted, “You think Eden would be safe if you side with Halaland.”

“I’m sure you understand,” your mother said.

“As a matter of fact, I do not understand, mother,” you glared at your parents, “You got me married to the Prince of Wonderland for the ‘greater good’, for better relations, whatever the number of reasons were. Now you’re going to pretend there wasn’t an arrangement just because Halaland turned to Wonderland first?”

“There are a number of things we have to consider,” your father began, but you interrupted him.

“Safety, the greater good, bla bla, everything but your daughter. Do you have any idea what this means? The arrangement could end, if Wonderland wins, you’d be next.”

“That’s a big if,” your mother said.

“No, mother,” you shook your head, “They have me. It’s not a big if anymore. And if you join us, Halaland would have to stop and consider, maybe take a step back. You’ve kept your position so murky, I can see why now.”

“And if we ally with Halaland and Halaland wins, we’d be safe. We’d still be a kingdom, don’t you realise?”

You glared at your father, “Do you have… no respect for the promises you make? Do you have no regard for your only daughter?”

“No, honey, it’s not you,” he shook his head, “The arrangement will end, you can come back to us-”

“No,” you surprised everyone including yourself with the strength in your voice, “I’m staying with them. I’m Wonderland’s Princess now- I’ll do my best. If he decides to let me go, there’s no way I’m returning here. Keep this parasitic hole of a kingdom for yourselves. Just remember that you lose your daughter if you side against me.”

Your mother called your name in a warning tone but you held your hand up, “I don’t have all week- you have until tomorrow afternoon to make a decision. You won’t regret siding with me, but you will regret siding against me, keep that in mind.”

“That sounds like a threat, Princess,” your father said.

“It is, and it isn’t a bluff,” you said, excusing yourself for the night, going to your room and finding it cold and foreign. Not even Mina’s presence could keep you from missing your room back in Wonderland, and most importantly, missing your husband.

—----------------

You were back in Wonderland, waiting for Yunho who was to arrive shortly from Halaland. You had met with the King and the Queen and explained Eden’s position and your own position as well. The Queen had hugged you and told you she was glad that you made Yunho happier and that the rest was up to you two.

You were biting your nails unceremoniously when he arrived and you almost rushed to the hall where he was with his parents and Seonghwa, Hongjoong and the rest of the advisors. You met eyes with him- his weary face told you it hadn’t gone well.

“Was your trip alright?” You greeted him and he kissed your forehead- a habit now.

“It was, though it didn’t turn out good,” he sighed, “It’s war now. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything.”

“It’s not your fault, can you smack him for us?” Seonghwa called and you did, making everyone laugh, “He’s been beating himself over it.”

“Some things just aren’t in our hands,” the King said, “You did good. Now, it’s time to plan. I’ll meet up with the Captains. Yunho, you should rest. We need you fully rested tomorrow so you’ll be in the right headspace.

After dinner, you two went to your chamber where Yunho collapsed on the sofa, and you brought his tea there. You told him about your trip to Eden, an utter disappointment. He looked grim, nodding silently as he heard your story, your heart beating nervously now.

“I hate, hate my parents for being the most selfish people on this planet,” you scoffed, “They stooped low. I’m sorry, Yunho.”

“It’s not your fault,” he caressed your hand, “You did everything you could. And their decision… As selfish as it sounds, they care for their people and have to look at their best interests. I can’t blame them.”

Your mouth was in a thin line and you shook your head, “Wonderland against Eden… Never thought I’d see this day, in this situation.”

“It’s sad, but it is what it is,” Yunho got up, standing at the window, peering down at his city, “We got married so Wonderland and Eden could be allies at times like this, but with this decision… the reason for the marriage has pretty much evaporated, hasn’t it?”

You froze in the middle of picking the cup, putting it back down as you cleared your throat- here it was. What you dreaded the most. He probably hated you right now.

Yunho turned to look at you, passing you a sad smile that made your heart shatter into a million pieces, “Halaland is at war with us and will come for Eden if you stay with me- they’ll always suspect Eden as long as you’re here. So… my dear Princess, I’m giving you the choice to go to your home and protect it. Protect your kingdom. You don’t have a reason to stay here anymore.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this to me right now,” you scoffed, “I have a very good reason, Prince. Wonderland is my home now. I am Wonderland’s Princess. We stay together, and we fight together. Eden is not a home to me, and I will never return there- even if you let me go. You probably hate me right now, but please don’t make me go to Eden- I’ll settle somewhere in Wonderland or hell, I’d rather go to Mist Island than to return to Eden-”

“Wait, why would you want to stay?” Yunho frowned, “You hated the idea of this arranged marriage. The reason we’re here in the first place has dissolved. Why, Princess? You could go back home and protect it-”

“I told you, idiot,” you almost cried, “You are a big enough reason for me to stay. I may have disliked the idea of an arranged marriage, but Yunho… you’re more than I deserve. You’ve made me feel like a fucking queen when I’ve never even felt like a princess. So if you want me to go… I will. But my answer is clear- I love Wonderland, and I love you, and I’m staying and fighting for you unless you want me gone-”

Yunho couldn’t have rushed faster to get to you and cup your face and kiss you like you meant the world to him. For a second you couldn’t comprehend what was happening and then you were kissing him back, holding on desperately at his collar, standing on your tiptoes so he could reach you better, moaning into the kiss when his hand went in your hair and tilted you up so he could access your mouth better, not even letting you breathe until he himself was out of breath and broke apart, lips still touching and breaths mingling, eyes fluttering. You finally smiled almost in relief and Yunho kissed you again, this time gentler, slower, as if thanking you and telling you how much he-

“I love you, my Princess,” he broke apart, “I should have told you earlier. I don’t want you to go. Tell me you’re staying.”

“I’m staying,” you pecked his lips, “for you. Only for you.”

Yunho hugged you tightly, kissing your temple and swaying you along with him. “I should have done this earlier, eh?”

“Not sure if I would have returned the sentiment,” you teased, making him laugh. He brought you to the sofa, making you sit on his lap as he looked up at you and put the stray strands of your hair behind your ears.

“You’re beautiful, you know that? And it’s not the way you look- it’s your heart I am in love with and have been in love with ever since I got to know you. You had me way too soon, Princess.”

“Well, I could say the same,” you bit your lips, caressing his cheekbone, “I’ve never met anyone more accepting and caring as you. I fell in love with you, even when I hadn’t meant to.”

“No reason to complain now, huh, my Princess?” He said, and you tried not to break down at the way he called you ‘my princess’ as you bent down to kiss him, pecking his lips teasingly multiple times until he groaned and his grip on your hair and thigh tightened and you kissed him properly, not gentle but passionate enough that he grew breathless, the way he met your lips so softly making you want to cry. He held your face as he trailed kisses down your cheeks to your jaw, making you breathless and squirming under him, and then he was trailing kisses down your neck-

There it was. Your tickle spot. You laughed a bit, almost folding in and Yunho smirked devilishly, “Ah, there it is. I should have known.”

“I’m not actually that ticklish, it’s just the way you- oh,” you moaned when he found your sweet spot and started to kiss and suck there rather slowly, your hands going to his hair on their own accord, your eyes rolling back in pleasure and soft moans and laughs leaving you.

“Don’t make those sounds,” he mumbled against your ears, “I’m gonna lose it.”

“What sounds?” You asked innocently, making the same sound again and he shook his head, holding you bridal style as he decided to take this to bed, almost throwing you on the mattress as he took off his jacket and bent on top of you, pinning your hands on the bed and going back to kiss your neck everywhere, making you squirm and moan and laugh- you could feel his smirk even if you couldn’t see it and it was driving you mad.

“You’re such a tease, fuck,” you moaned, and Yunho kissed your lips, quickly changing it to open mouthed wet kisses, one hand guiding your face while the other trailing all over your body, your own hands laying limp because god, how could he kiss you like that and make you an absolute fucking mess?

Your moans were growing louder by the second and it was as if it fueled him, kissing you with a fervour like he hadn’t just spent two days travelling and wasn’t tired. The way he looked at you made you become undone and you made him lie down properly, getting on top of him. “You’re tired,” you told him, his hands on your waist as you straddled him, “You should be resting.”

“I don’t feel tired,” he caressed your waist and you smiled, kissing his forehead, caressing his face lovingly, kissing him again and again until you couldn’t take it anymore and started making out with him again, matching his enthusiasm, biting playfully at his lip and he mumbled dirty little things which made you shy all of a sudden, laughing.

“We should sleep,” you kissed his cheek, “Busy day tomorrow.”

Yunho made you lie half on top of him, your head resting on his chest as he pulled the covers over you two, saying you were officially his body pillow now. You scoffed but agreed- it felt really nice and warm to sleep like this in each other’s arms.

You prayed you’d get to share nights like this, you prayed you two would make it alive and well out of the war.

—--------------------

“There’s no way you’re going alone,” you folded your arms as you looked at Yunho, the look making him wonder if he had really said something so unbelievable the way you were shaking your head, “If you go, I go with you.”

“It’s dangerous, love,” Yunho sighed, “I cannot risk it.”

It had just been a few days since you and Yunho had returned from the neighbouring kingdoms (and finally revealed your feelings to each other). The days that followed were as busy as they could be, the only comfort you two got was in each other’s arms at night time, too tired to even talk much, just dozing off. Halaland was advancing forward and while Yunho was busy overseeing the preparations for the war, you were busy finding leverage, anything that could make Halaland turn back.

“You said the old castle is right near the border,” your eyes were gleaming with hope, “That means there’s history there, Yunho. There has got to be a loophole in this whole family rivalry that provides us leverage to slow them down, at the very least. Think about it- they’re using it as an excuse- why? It’s pretty lame- though we know that it’s also because they’re greedy bastards, all of them. There has to be something they’re afraid would come out in the open if they’re ready to even accept Eden, of all the other kingdoms, as their allies. They hated Eden.”

Yunho leaned back on the sofa, putting one leg over the other as he thought about it, scanning you- you were still in the black evening gown, and when you talked like this… Yunho found it very attractive. He shook his head, pushing the distracting thoughts away. “I can try to find that, or get some men to do it-”

“Nope,” you shook your head, “No one would have the time and the headspace for that. They’ll be looking right at it and see nothing. Come on, you know I can do it.”

“I know you can, but it’s… dangerous. I have to guide the soldiers so I have to be there, and I can’t afford any distractions- I don’t want to be worrying about your safety while I’m on the battlefield.”

You raised a brow, “You know I can defend myself, and I’ll have guards- heck, if you don’t trust me with your guards, trust me with one of your friends. They’re good enough. I could certainly use a brain with me too. You don’t have to worry about me, Yunho, I’ll do the worrying. You’ll be on the fucking battlefield- you think I’ll be okay if I stay here doing nothing but dressing up and walking around like something couldn’t happen to you any second?”

Yunho got up because your voice was rising and you let out a frustrated sigh, turning yourself to the fireplace as you stared at it in order to avoid the tears slipping out of your eyes. Yunho came to you and rubbed your arms, bringing you in for a hug.

“While holding the sword… I cannot embrace you. And when embracing you… I cannot protect you.”

You finally cried, making him hug you tighter and sway you a little as he caressed your head- it had been a stressful few nights for you ever since Yunho announced he’d be on the battlefield too. You’d woken up in the middle of night with nightmares, Yunho always holding you to comfort you just like he was now. You sniffled, “I can’t- I won’t let you go alone. You’re stuck with me. Deal with it, Prince.”

Yunho smiled, kissing your forehead, “On one condition- if things get too dangerous and if I fear your safety is compromised, you go back. No arguing, no fighting- you go back.”

You thought about it- you’d probably raise hell before you went back. Yunho shook his head, “I know what you’re thinking. You’ll have Hongjoong, and… San with you. I’ll have them cuff you if you resist.”

“Okay, okay,” you let out a laugh, “Deal.”

“That’s my girl,” Yunho wiped your tears, kissing you for a good minute, “Promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“You promise me you’ll stay safe,” you looked up at him, your hands on his chest, caressing it, “You’re the Prince of Wonderland. If things get dangerous, you have to make sure you’re safe.”

“I’ll try,” he smiled, “Let’s go to bed.”

—------------------

You travelled with Yunho, Mingi- who would be accompanying Yunho at all times, San, Hongjoong and Seonghwa. To say that you all were nervous and worried was an understatement- you all were either biting your nails or fidgeting uncontrollably as you got closer to the border. Yunho, who was sitting with you kept squeezing your hand as if reassuring you, or maybe himself. Seonghwa tried to keep himself busy with reading a book but as soon as it got dark, he kept sighing. Hongjoong dozed off perhaps as an escape but he'd wake up looking like someone scared him. And San and Mingi… you could see the anxiety on their faces.

You decided to chat with Seongwha to keep yourself and him busy, inquiring about the family rivalry between Halaland and Wonderland. Seonghwa, glad for the distraction, told you all that he knew- Apparently the royals of Halaland were holding a grudge because of the 'unfair' division of the border dividing the two kingdoms.

"It's about a century ago now, but they believe Wonderland messed with the division, which is why they're hell bent on taking that big chunk of land that's the closest to them."

"But that's… outrageous- Wonderland lost more than it should have, isn't it so?"

Seonghwa looked at you, "I forgot for a moment that you're from Eden. Does Eden think so?"

"Eden thinks Wonderland may have lost some land, but their strategy was that they gain the more fertile lands. What do you think?"

"Interesting. Well, I suppose everyone's history is different. We have various versions."

"What do you think?"

"Well," Seonghwa began, "Wonderland's version is that we did lose most of our land to Halaland- lands originally owned by the families residing in Wonderland. What we got was a peace treaty that is now being violated."

"No," you shook your head, smiling a little, "What do you think, Seonghwa?"

Seonghwa smiled, "I think Wonderland made it such that most of the fertile land fell here. Halaland does have the least fertile lands which has always been a problem for their agriculture. But… I think this problem isn't one we can blame simply on Wonderland. I think corruption at both ends did occur."

"That's what I aim to find out, if I'm lucky," you bit your lips, "leverage. Just what happened, and what do we have over Halaland, which, frankly the way things are going, there has to be something."

"There should be something at the castle," Seonghwa said, "Let's hope Halaland- or worse, Wonderland hasn't burned what's left."

You arrived at the old castle, wowing because it was more majestic and grand than the castle the Jeong family was currently residing in, though the paint had worn off and left abandoned, it wasn't maintained anymore. You looked at Yunho, "This looks haunted now."

Yunho laughed a little, "It used to be much better but since Halaland's been on edge, those living here abandoned the castle."

You nodded, entering the castle, finding it utterly dark and full of cobwebs that hung on your path. One of the guards lit a fire, lighting the candles one by one and you found the lobby lit, the mosaic tiles no longer the colour they used to be, paint peeling from everywhere.

"Definitely not haunted," Mingi told himself.

"Well, it's a roof over our heads," Hongjoong said, "We should rest a bit before we get to work."

You were restless, though, roaming around the room that must have once been the king's, Yunho watching you inspect everything.

"You won't find anything here," he finally said.

"I know," you opened a drawer, some old meaningless scrolls there, "this is just me satiating my curiosity."

"Well, why don't you come here instead," Yunho's voice was low and it made you raise a brow as you looked at him, "We don't have much time before we have to part."

"Aw," you were teasing him now as you slid on the bed next to him, "Are you gonna miss me?"

"Come here, you tease," Yunho tickled your neck, making you both laugh out loud and you slapped his hands away, tickling him instead. "Yes. I'm gonna miss you. You're all I'll be thinking about when I'm on the battlefield."

Your heart sank and face fell- it was really hitting you now. Yunho and you had been together for months now. You'd miss him more. You caressed his face, running your hands through his hair, "Do refrain from thinking about me when you're fighting, would you? I mean…" your smile turned painful as you cocked your head, "What if you're fighting for your life and start to think about…" you kissed his neck, "this?"

Yunho sighed, his hands going through your hair, "I don't think I meant that when I said I'll miss you, but…"

You trailed kisses up his neck until you were facing him, "But we can work with this, yeah?"

"Are you seducing me?"

"Am I?" You smirked when he flushed, "I mean… I am your wife. It's a part of my job, won't you say so?"

Yunho nearly growled as he threw you back on the bed and got on top of you, meeting your mouth in desperate kisses, "With everything that's been going on… I don't think I can go on without you."

"You won't have to," you assured him, giving him a slow, burning kiss, "I'm all yours tonight. Have your way with me, my Prince."

Yunho looked at you for the longest time as if memorising your face, planting a kiss on your forehead or cheek or lips once in a while, smiling as he caressed your face or played with your hair. You reflected whatever he did, going along with his pace. He probably had a lot of thoughts right now and you didn't want him to feel overwhelmed by anything.

"I want nothing more than to take you tonight," Yunho said after a while and it made your heart basically melt like candle wax, "but I think I'll save that for after the war, if I make it-"

"You're gonna make it," you held his face, your eyes steel, "Do not think otherwise. Don't make me cry, Yunho."

A slow smile spread on his face, "Okay, my love. I'll return for you."

"Good," you kissed him, "Well, not that I'm horny right now, but I think a makeout session won't hurt, would it? Especially where I strip your clothes in a teasing manner-"

Yunho laughed out loud, shaking his head as he granted that wish.

––––––––––––-

"It's always the basement, isn't it?" You turned to look at Hongjoong who was grinning, "Damned basements with bones of the very people who filled these books."

"Damned basement where no one comes to even wipe the dust. You'd think they respected their elders or something."

"Once they're dead, what are they gonna do with respect?" You shrugged, hearing a yelp and turned to laugh at San who thought he'd step on a bug. "What was my dear husband thinking when he decided San would make a good guard for me?"

"I can deal with people," San huffed, "Bugs don't deserve to be stepped on and die."

You scanned him- he was serious. You nodded slowly, "Sure… anyways, we're looking for letters, scrolls, journals, anything personal or communication related. Check all the books- there could be some scribbles or something else inside."

"Yes ma'am," San saluted, sharing a grin as he went to the shelf nearest him. Hongjoong joined you.

"You really think we could find something?"

"Well, it's worth a shot," you put your hands on your hips, "You never know."

With that, the three of you busied yourself with searching every object in the very, very big basement slash library, guards occasionally bringing food and asking if you needed anything. Two days passed by with nothing worth suspicion, the constant worry of Seonghwa and Yunho on the battlefield looming over your heads, no news until they themselves returned for a break.

You rushed to hug Yunho who looked the most weary you'd ever seen, scanning his face and body for any signs of injury, sighing in relief when he assured you he was okay, save for the few scratches.

"We have to return by dawn," he told you when you were in your room after dinner where they briefed you on the progress, "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," you assured him as you made him sit on the bed while you cleaned the few scratches on his face, "Who the hell scratched your pretty face?"

Yunho laughed, "A tree. Are you gonna curse at it now?"

"Damned tree," you made a face and he chuckled, "How long do you think you can hold while we try to find something, before it gets more intense?"

"No idea- they're sneaky. I might have to call the troops from the west side tomorrow, depending on how offensive they go."

"Can't you like take a day off to catch up on your sleep?" You put the cotton aside, putting your hands on his shoulders as he looked up at you, his hands still on your waist, "You look tired, Yunho."

"No time to relax," he sighed, hugging you and you caressed his hair, resting your chin on the top of his head.

"When this is over, you're off duty for a month, okay? Eat, sleep, repeat. Nothing else. You hear me?"

"Eat, sleep, annoy you, repeat," Yunho corrected and you laughed, kissing the top of his head.

"I thought annoying you was my job. Are you taking revenge?"

"Definitely," he broke the hug, "Come on, put me to sleep."

––––––––––––-

Three more days passed.

Wonderland was on the verge of losing the big chunk of town bordering Halaland.

You, Hongjoong and San had barely slept, the pressure taking you. You kept assuring them that it was okay if it took time, they couldn't afford to be quick and miss something.

You, however, were on the verge of passing out from lack of sleep when you stumbled upon a journal.

"Jeong Ji Hoon and Jeong Se Won," you read out loud, "Aren't they like the founding families of old Wonderland and Halaland?"

Hongjoong looked up at you, "They are. Jeong Ji Hoon and Se Won were brothers. That's the family feud that separated Wonderland and Halaland. Wonderland later split into Eden."

"I may have a journal in my hand," you waved the old thing in your hand and Hongjoong came to sit beside you, San peeking from behind you both, "You don't have one of these in your library, do you?"

"I didn't know a journal existed," he said, "Mind if I take a look?"

You handed him the journal and he quickly read through it, his reading speed faster than yours so you only got a few sentences before he'd flip, but he kept narrating what it said, showing you the references. By the time you finished it, the three of you were sitting in disbelief.

"That's like a crime fiction," San finally breathed, "I can't believe they split Halaland only to gain control of it once again. They've been planning this for decades."

"But it doesn't make sense," you rubbed your forehead, "Why fight to become a separate kingdom when you were gonna make a mess, bring things to a war only to gain what you gave up in the first place?"

"Ji Hoon was the elder brother. Se Won was greedy but also weak. He knew he couldn't win against Ji Hoon in his lifetime, so he decided to act like the good guy while instructing his family to get this land back as soon as they were stronger than Wonderland," Hongjoong sighed, "This is… bigger than I thought. If we use this to negotiate with the royal family of Halaland… they can't deny this proof. They would either continue on with the war but lose the trust of their people, which means their very people would revolt back one day, or… they would draw back in fear of their reputation being tainted. We would keep this a secret in that case."

"Let's hope it's the latter," you got up, "We need to get this to Yunho and Seonghwa."

–––––––––––

The sun shining on your eyes made you bury your face in Yunho's bare chest, his arms bringing you closer as he sighed, pulling the covers properly over you two.

"You're suffocating me," you laughed, tilting your head up so you could breathe, finding Yunho smiling.

It had been a month since the war ended before it could properly begin, thanks to the journals of the founding families. As suspected, Halaland drew back to save their reputation, offering their latest weapons blueprints as a peace settlement. Eden was humiliated, not quite understanding just why Halaland settled back so easily, and now were in talks to better their relation with Wonderland.

Yunho had returned from the battlefield and fallen on his knees in front of you, kissing your hands and thanking you. You assured him it wasn't just you, that he should thank Hongjoong and San too. Yunho, being as dramatic as ever, did the same to San who enjoyed it and to Hongjoong who was screaming loudly due to the cringe factor. It had been one memorable night, the great hall in the old castle cleaned and set up for a party, the men celebrating as if they weren't worn out from days outside. The fallen were mourned properly the next day before everyone returned to their homes.

As for your relationship with Yunho… it was as interesting and lovely as it could be. Each day you discovered a new side of him, and he of you. Maybe it was the honeymoon phase still but with the bond you two had, you were sure nothing could shake it.

Except maybe his habit of tickling you when you were half asleep.

"I swear to god," you rolled away from him, "One day I'm going to ask for divorce and the reason would be you attacking me when I'm defenceless."

"Okay, I'm sorry, come back," Yunho, eyes still shut, reached out his hand trying to find you. You sighed, rolling back into his arms, kicking his leg for revenge which finally made him open one eye as he glared at you.

"An eye for an eye."

"A kick for a tickle seems unfair, Princess."

You imitated what he said in a mocking way which made him burst out laughing, squeezing you against him because you were 'too cute to handle'.

"I am not cute, do not insult me."

"It's a compliment, stupid," Yunho grinned, kissing your forehead, "How are you feeling, by the way? Last night was… intense."

You pursed your lips to stifle your smile as the events of last night flashed through your mind, something you couldn't bring yourself to say out loud. You looked at him, scoffing when you saw that he was smirking.

"I'm worn out. Don't look at me like you're gonna fuck me again, last night was more than enough to last you a week."

"Ay, now we both know you'll be the one giving in before the week ends," Yunho was playing with the strap of your nightgown, "You just don't get enough, do you?"

"Is that a challenge?"

"No," Yunho laughed, "I know you're gonna make it past a week if I present it as a challenge. I'm just saying…" he leaned in to give you a slow, passionate kiss that had you both unable to open your eyes for a few seconds after, "You're so good to me babe. You take me so well."

You blushed furiously at his words, hiding your face in the crook of his neck, "It's morning, I should bleach your mouth and brain."

Yunho shook with laughter, trailing kisses down your face to your neck, "Never a boring moment with you."

"Can't say I return the sentiment," you teased, "I'm falling asleep as we speak- oh, stop it, you-" you tried pushing him away but he was nibbling at your sweet spot, waiting for you to moan which was when he finally looked at you with victory in his eyes.

"What were you saying?"

You rolled your eyes, pushing him back on the bed, "It's like barely 6 in the morning. Get your head out of the gutter and sleep."

Yunho laughed, obeying you and getting up to draw the curtains shut, coming back to hold you in his arms as you tried going back to sleep. "Put me to sleep, Princess."

"Yeah, where's my dagger, I ought to put you in eternal sleep-"

"Come on!" Yunho whined, and you finally gave in, smiling as you kissed his cheek, resting your head on his chest as you caressed his hair.

"I love you," you told him, sighing when he opened his eyes to look at you- you didn't say it much but when you did, it made him melt.

"Baby, you have to focus," Yunho's voice is low and soft in your ear, his fingers sliding out of you and resting on your thigh. He's wrapped around you, your back pressed to his chest and your skirt rucked up around your hips, your hands desperately gripping the book you're trying to read.

"How am I supposed to focus when you're doing that?" You sigh, dropping your head back against his shoulder.

He hums softly, cuddling you close and resting one of his warm wide hands across your belly, "I don't know," his hips shift slightly and you feel him hardening behind you, "but you should see how pretty you look trying not to come,"

"Yunho," your voice breathy and soft.

"If you finish the chapter," he nuzzles your ear, his fingers slipping low and dragging between your wet folds, "I'll give you a reward."

You gasp, stuttered and sharp, "Yeah?"

He massages your swollen clit with the rough pad of his middle finger, "Mhm,"

"What will you give me?" You ask, breathless.

He nudges your hand holding the book with his knee and starts to knead your breast again softly with his unoccupied hand, "If you're good for me, I'll fuck you full."

"Oh, god," your hands are shaking as you raise the book again, blinking hard to focus your eyes and find the paragraph you were on a moment ago.

As you start to read, voice shaky and strained, he works his hand steadily and hums pleasantly against your ear, "There you go,"

You continue, but falter when he presses two fingers up inside you, "Oh, fuck, Yunho,"

"I didn't know there was a character with my name in this one," he chides you, "or am I distracting you, sweetheart?"

I do drugs to numb, you drink to forget, and we get along till it turns to regret

“Come on Yeosang, you need to get home.” Wooyoung says with an uncharacteristically serious tone to him. Usually, Wooyoung wouldn’t mind Yeosang drinking and having fun but Yeosang wasn’t having fun and was drinking so much Wooyoung was scared the male would get alcohol poisoning.

After a few minutes of begging Yeosang and trying to get him to leave the club with him, he calls Hongjoong and Jongho. It takes the three of them to drag a drunk Yeosang out of the club.

Did I scare you off with all my feels?

You know for a second I thought you were real

None of these problems occurred until you both got too close, too personal. He thought that was what you wanted so he let you in. Shared everything about himself, his concerns, his late night thoughts, everything. Now as he ponders it, he can remember you distancing away from him. So slowly he didn’t realize it until you had packed your things and left.

Dear love, I should've known that you couldn't handle it when I felt alone

How stupid Yeosang truly felt now realizing this. How blinded he had become with his love for you. He never felt lonely with you.

I needed your care, just longed for affection

I wanted acceptance, you wanted perfection

Yeosang put on his best smile as you took pictures together. You had always nagged him, wanting your relationship to seem perfect and magical for your followers to see and gawk at. Putting on fake smiles isn’t something Yeosang isn’t used to. But these fake smiles hurt more than he could’ve imagined. Everything with you was supposed to be real, so why this facade?

Thought you were deeper, maybe a keeper

Thought you might be empathetic, but you acted apathetic

Oh, and now you're just a ghost

Scrolling through your Instagram it pained him to see the pictures of you both long deleted from the page. You truly didn’t care about him did you? The newest picture showing you smiling brightly with a new guy. The caption: love of my life. He thought he was the love of your life. He thought you both were meant to be together for life.