As time went by, Wonwoo healed and was no longer bedridden. It was then that he truly embraced his position as Seungcheol’s advisor.

Seungcheol practically yielded all his power to him, and Yewon began to see with so much clarity that Seungcheol was an indecisive politician. He did need an advisor, because without an advisor, he was lost. Through Wonwoo, Yewon realized how much Seungcheol had relied on Jeonghan in the past.

Seungcheol didn’t interfere at all in Wonwoo’s judgements, approving everything that Wonwoo advised without a second thought. It didn’t help Seungcheol’s reputation that he was so passive, and Yewon later learned that Wonwoo’s appointment was very controversial because of Wonwoo’s political affiliations to the resistance against the war. He was a pacifist, she had heard, and many of the nobles were not so fond of pacifism.

But Wonwoo was not a pacifist. He didn’t want to surrender without fighting. He made many war decisions throughout the course of his appointment, fortifying many fronts and attempting to push the Galacians out of the land simply to defend the villages there. The fighting was minimal, but the benefit was apparently enormous.

With the little resources that they had, Wonwoo’s leadership had pushed the enemy out a little bit and had furthered them along the war. Although Wonwoo had been unpopular for his political affiliations and his bastard status, he quickly earned the trust and the respect of many nobles when they saw that Wonwoo had made the right decisions to push the country forward and actually start gaining the upper hand in this war.

Wonwoo was a natural-born politician. Yewon saw him at work once, and she saw that he was a leader that made firm decisions and was relentless in carrying them all out to perfection. He had an aura that demanded respect, but somehow still remained kind and amenable in his dealings with others.

“You were right,” Seungcheol told Yewon one night. “Appointing Wonwoo was the best decision that I ever made as prince.”

“He is a great leader.”

“True. A much better leader than I ever was,” Seungcheol added.

“I don’t agree with that,” Yewon said shaking her heard. “I think one quality of a good leader is that he would give up his power if he didn’t know how to use it, and that’s exactly what you did.”

Seungcheol grabbed her arm to help her stand up and walked behind her to help untie her dress. “You always say these things, but I know you don’t really mean them.”

“But I do,” Yewon replied, turning to him before he could finish untying her dress. “Really, I do,” she insisted.

Seungcheol didn't respond, he only turned her around again so that he could finish untying the knot. Yewon knew that he did to stop her from stop talking so that they could carry on with the .

The pressure on the both of them to bear a child was now greater than ever before. Even Wonwoo was strongly hinting at it, knowing that a child would do leagues in helping mend the broken relations between the two countries. But the child was not coming.

The pressure was so intense that seeing menstrual blood became a fear of hers. And the first time she saw it since the nights with Seungcheol had begun, she cried.

When she told Seungcheol the news that she was not pregnant, he also looked dejected, but told her that they would keep trying. And they did.

Ever since Yewon had learned about what Jihoon had done to him and how painful was to him, the nature of their relationship changed a lot. There was more communication, and in turn, their changed a lot as well. It wasn’t pleasurable, but it became bearable and routine for Yewon. She became less passive and more controlling as well, which actually helped him. Because there was more communication, she learned how to position herself so that it was less painful for him, she learned how to loosen herself up more, and how to make sure he finished quicker so that the pain didn’t last.

And once she learned it all after many trials, became almost like routine for the both of them in which they knew exactly what to do. They never changed their positions or tried anything else for fear of causing Seungcheol more pain than necessary.

But although it was a routine that was not pleasurable to her for the most part, at least it wasn’t dreadful like before. When the communication barrier between them was lifted, it all felt generally better, and she finally felt like they were not as disconnected as before.

-

Today was a very special a day, a day so special that Seungcheol had requested a banquet to be thrown despite the financial instability that the palace was undergoing due to the war.

The hostages finally arrived from Galacia, and all of them and their families were invited to this banquet and awarded money and honor.

Seungcheol was a hostage with some of them, and he felt a lot of sympathy for them. He knew about the trauma that they had gone through, and he wanted to reward them for it. Yewon understood that very clearly from how adamant he was about the banquet and about the rewards he wanted for each of the hostages that had made it out alive.

Of course, Yewon was also to attend. Her father had made it clear to everyone that she was the only reason that the hostages were being released, and that if they were to thank anyone for it, she was the one to thank.

For that reason, Yewon was truly and sincerely loved by the people of Solen. Despite her origins from the enemy country, the people loved her. To them, she was on their side, fighting for them. Yewon learned that she was lauded among all the young girls who dreamed of being princesses. Everyone saw her as a heroine, a perfect, brave, strong and loyal princess. An idol, almost.

“It makes me uncomfortable,” Yewon told Haein one day when Haien was relaying a story about a little girl she met on the streets. “I am not what they think I am.”

“I think you are,” Haein said as she helped Yewon into the lavish dress she would don for the banquet.

“It’s ridiculous. If only they all found out about the novels I read. Or how I had an affair with Prince Soonyoung or how I loved the bastard advisor while I was married to Seungcheol…”

“Loved? Past tense?” Haein asked curiously.

“Yes,” Yewon answered with confidence.

“That makes me sad,” Haein replied. “He still loves you, you know?”

“Did he tell you that?”

Haein nodded. “He did. He also said that he was stepping back, because he sensed that your feelings for him have faded. I think it’s unfortunate, because the two of you are very, very compatible in my eyes.”

“It’s better that way,” Yewon disagreed.

“I guess,” Haein said with a shrug.

-

There were about a hundred hostages left. When Yewon entered the ballroom, they were already there, and all of them bowed to her. Some of them were in tears. Some even ran to her and kissed her hands and feet, thanking her for freeing them.

It made her emotional to see them. Some of them were disfigured and disabled, some of them looked traumatized, but all of them seemed to be very aware that she was the reason they were freed, and so she felt more love and gratitude in that night than ever before in her life. She felt happy.

She interpreted it as all part of her father’s gift to her. It was a wonderful gift, and she had never been more thankful to her father. She got love, respect, praise, happiness and comfort from the release of the hostages. Suddenly, she was held in such high stature, as if she were actually carrying the heir of Solen.

She had consolidated her presence in the Solenese palace even though she was not pregnant. Her father had somehow found a way to protect her although he was miles and miles away.

She was seated watching people happily dance before her. Young men who had probably been peasants before were approaching noble ladies, who were giggling as the new national hero took her hand and asked her to dance. She saw Wonwoo twirling little Yulhee, and she even saw Haein dancing with a man she didn’t recognize. Everyone was having fun and enjoying their time. In that night, she saw no class, no division, no sadness or stress. It was just happiness and celebration of life and liberty.

She was the only one who felt isolated. She was seated on a raised platform with the King, the Queen and Seungcheol. As much as she wanted to join the merriment on the floor, she was separated from them. The only people who could get on the steps to reach the platform were the butlers who were serving them food and drinks.

She wanted to dance too, but she knew that Seungcheol would not ask her, and no one else would dare to ask her but him. Seungcheol never danced unless he had to, and the last time he had to was during their wedding. In every other banquet or celebration after that, Seungcheol would only remain seated and watch.

As her eyes were fixated on the people dancing before her, she felt a shadow and looked up to see that Wonwoo had ascended the steps and stood on the platform. He bowed to them and then stood up straight to face Seungcheol and Yewon.

“I don’t know which one of you to ask about this, so I’ll ask you both. May I have the honor of dancing with our heroine?” Wonwoo asked hopefully, eyes moving from Seungcheol to Yewon.

Yewon wanted to dance, and so she didn’t have to say anything. She just turned to see Seungcheol’s reaction and hope he would grant her permission.

Seungcheol’s eyes met with hers. After a moment of pause, Seungcheol only nodded his head once, making both Wonwoo and Yewon smile. Wonwoo held out his hand to her, and she took it happily, finally descending down the platform to join the dancing.

“Aren’t I the luckiest person in the room right now?” Wonwoo asked softly as he placed her hand on her waist. “I’m dancing with the heroine. How many men in this room do you think would kill to be in my place?”

Yewon blushed, but answered honestly, “not very many actually. There are hundreds of women a lot more beautiful than I am in this room. Look at their long pretty hair. I’m jealous.”

“Women more beautiful than you? I don’t see any,” Wonwoo wooed.

“You’re too much,” she said to him, still smiling with flushed cheeks.

They drifted together through the ballroom, and for a moment everything felt perfect. Wonwoo was perfect, the dance was perfect, the way he was looking at her was perfect. It was a scene straight from a romance novel, she thought.

It was many minutes later that something caught Yewon’s eye.

Yewon had seen Seungcheol smile exactly three times before, and now it was the fourth time. Seungcheol was smiling while seated on the platform.

He was smiling while conversing with someone else, some young woman who had climbed up onto the platform. Yewon had to stop dancing to take a closer look, which led Wonwoo to stop and turn to see what it was that had captured Yewon’s attention.

It seemed like the sight had surprised Wonwoo a lot more than it did Yewon though, because as soon as Wonwoo saw the girl, he stiffened. He let Yewon go and made his way to the platform.

Yewon followed closely behind him.

Seungcheol pointed towards Wonwoo, and it was then that the woman turned around and Yewon got a proper glimpse of her. She was stunning; that was the first thought that came to Yewon’s head. She was the kind of girl that was so strikingly beautiful, you would have to look at her longer than you would most people.

“What are you doing here?” Wonwoo asked her. He seemed very unsettled by her presence.

She didn’t reply to him. She just walked forward, clumsily missing the steps and nearly falling off the platform in the process. Getting herself together, she drew closer to him and reached out her hand and asked him to dance with her. Her voice wavering as she did so; she seemed sad, and Yewon felt like the girl was about to cry.

Wownoo seemed cautious, but he eventually took the girl’s hand and soon they were dancing together. Yewon ascended back onto the platform, taking a seat beside Seungcheol, still confused about who that was.

Seungcheol satisfied her curiosity soon enough. “That’s Jinye,” he told her, “Wonwoo’s past lover and the one he was engaged to.”

A/N: sorry I took long to get this chapter out! Next chapter won’t take as long!!

anyways did you guys see my princes in this picture TT ?? oh look Seventeen's there too... (JUST KIDDING!!!! XD)

anyways the prince concept really suits seventeen they should do it more often!!!