With the final verdict issued regarding Gunwoo and Hyosung, as well as the mandate between the Angel and Demon empires, there was little time for the former Heir to be anything but busy. He wanted to stay locked in his room – newly regained after his judgement – and mope or be depressed for as long as he was allowed. But that didn’t happen. Almost immediately, announcements were sent out and preparations were begun for him to officially be wed to Hyosung Jun.

                Of course they had to allow time for any guests who wished to attend to actually receive the message and then make the journey to the Negal Cemeste. Ordinarily, such a union would take place on the angel home world, but since other plans had been made to speak with the Demon Emperor and Empress almost immediately after, an exception had been made. Those who could not attend would be able to view the ceremony on live feeds across the current quadrant they were in, which would have to do since, though the Negal Cemeste could comfortably accommodate a large number of individuals, it was not meant for such large scale events of this importance.

                For her part, Hyosung mostly kept to herself as she coordinated with the Juns to take care of her side of the ceremony. Gunwoo would have preferred that his mother simply take over, as he half thought she would, but she had been unusually subdued of late. It probably had to do with the fact that she’d been speaking so freely in front of a Discoverer for quite some time without ever realizing it. That would be a shock to anyone, but doubly so for his mother, an angel who had genuinely thought she was above such observation. As such, it fell to Gunwoo and Yunho to coordinate matters. Having been through the process once before, his father was immeasurably helpful.

                Gunwoo truly did appreciate it, but he couldn’t help but feel awkward and self-conscious around the other man. Next to such a respected and revered angel, he felt almost like some kind of imposter. Days before the official ceremony, during one of his many fittings to confirm that everything would be perfect, he finally worked up the nerve to talk to him about it.

                “Father?” he queried, looking over his shoulder as the tailor meticulously moved a holo tape around his body, the image shrinking and expanding automatically to his figure.

                “Hmm?” the elder angel hummed in response, standing up to move closer.

                “Are you disappointed in me?” The tailor paused for the briefest of moments, the brief question of if he should be present obvious, but then continued when neither sent him away.

                Yunho made a sound in the back of his throat and then nodded reluctantly. “Of course I’m disappointed. I imagine you would be too if you were in my place,” he offered with a shrug.

                Ouch. Even if he’d expected it, that hurt. “Then why did you… never say anything or punish me?” the former Heir had to ask, feeling even worse that his suspicions had been confirmed.

                “And what would that have done?” the Emperor chuckled softly, shaking his head as he moved to stand directly behind his son. With a gentle hand on the tailor’s shoulder, he moved the angel away and then waited for the response.

                “Made me feel even worse,” Gunwoo answered, dropping his arms and shifting hesitantly on his feet.

                “Anything else?”

                It was a simple question and he didn’t think his father meant anything harsh by it, but it immediately sent Gunwoo’s mind into a spiral, searching for an answer. When nothing obvious came to him after an uncomfortable moment of thought – which Yunho gave him without complaint – he finally shook his head.

                “Exactly,” his father smiled, lips turned up in a subtle, acknowledging expression. He placed his hand on Gunwoo’s shoulder and explained, “I am disappointed in your actions. And I’m sad with how things have turned out. But you don’t need me to remind you,” he admitted, squeezing the thin shoulder once. “After all. You already carry the weight of your punishment with you everyday. And it’s not just the loss of your title or the freedom you ran so long to try and obtain,” he laughed once, a slightly confused look on his face. “It’s also the price you paid with the people you lost. Those who went looking for you. Those who befriended you in your escape. Those who defended you. And loved you,” he conceded with an accepting tilt of his head.

                Gunwoo sniffed once, throat threatening to close. “I miss him,” he admitted, clearing his throat immediately. “Them.”

                “I know,” Yunho agreed without hesitation. “You may never have the title, but you now know how it feels to be Emperor.”

                The weight of it all simply became too much and Gunwoo found himself turning to step down so he could hug Yunho tightly. “Father,” he croaked, hiding his face in the broader shoulder of the older man.

                Yunho simply wrapped his arms and wings around the younger angel and laughed softly, sadly. “I’m here,” he promised. “And your mother too,” he added wryly, a hidden laugh appearing in his tone. “The next few years won’t be easy. I assure you. But they don’t have to be bad,” he reminded him. “I did not love your mother when I wed her either.”

                That made Gunwoo sniff, hiccupping quietly over the admission. He had generally suspected as much, but to hear it from his father was a comfort. Gunwoo certainly did not love Hyosung, which made him feel a bit bad actually. “What if I never learn to love her?” he murmured, trembling with the real fear of that possibility.

                The Emperor sighed and the back of Gunwoo’s head with a slightly amused chuckle. “That is up to you to decide. Marriages of convenience don’t guarantee love, but I do know it’s easier to live with someone you like at least a little bit.”

                Gunwoo sniffed and rubbed his face against his father’s shoulder – wiping away the stray tears of course – before he looked up and managed, “I don’t not like her.”

                “See?” Yunho grinned, the expression contagious. “That’s a good start already.”

                “But what if-”

                “Ah!” the Emperor chided with a finger raised between them. “There are too many what ifs in the universe to consider wasting time on. Instead,” he drawled out, pushing Gunwoo away and turning him around so he could see himself in the mirror behind him. “Focus on what you can do. It’s far less stress inducing,” he laughed outright, clapping his son on the shoulders before gesturing for the tailor to return.

                “Which means going through with the wedding?” Gunwoo offered hesitantly.

                “Yes. And then we’ll work together to figure something out with the Demon Empire. Jiyong is not so rash and he is a good… demon to work with,” he shrugged, trying to gloss over the hesitation.

                “I’m sure,” Gunwoo nodded, raising his arms again so the tailor could continue. While his father had eased some of his concerns, namely that of marrying Hyosung when he honestly felt nothing for her, he had also raised others, like how to speak to the Demon Emperor when he himself was no longer the Heir… Regardless, that did not stop the wedding ceremony from taking place.

                He was nervous and Hyosung was absolutely magnificent. Gunwoo was certain that was how things were normally supposed to be when one got married so that was something. But really he just wanted the ceremony to be over. It was generally all he could think as he looked at her across the divide, standing on the raised platform from a second story shelf. Skeins of woven stardust lay atop her mother of pearl dress, letting the lights dance on her as if she was a crystal ball. Walnut colored hair was artfully coiled atop her head, beaded with crystalline stars and shining opals. She practically glowed and Gunwoo felt his stomach knot even further.

                His clothes matched her, darker silver fabrics flowing around him almost like water. Trimmed with woven, braided stardust in turn, he knew he looked the part, but he did not feel it. Nor could he conjure the effortless radiance she seemed to exude. But his smile was at least convincing enough for he could hear no sighs of disapproval for him. Only breathless gasps and quiet whispers, mostly referencing Hyosung.

                After giving them a moment to look and admire the other, Celestial Representative Amber waved them to the dais they would exchange their vows on. A quick glance over the crowd showed Gunwoo that both their parents were in attendance, as well as their accompanying guards and attendants. He also noticed Insoo, granted clearance from leave, and Victoria, her wings at least whole in appearance. She gave him a somewhat sad but encouraging smile as their eyes connected for a second, but then he was looking on. Surprisingly, even Taekwoon and Wonshik were present, hovering near the back and looking as if they felt out of place. For the moment, it looked as if Fei and Ailee were chaperoning them, when neither representative needed to be in a full council meeting.

                Gunwoo shoved the distracting thoughts from his mind and stepped down, letting his beautiful, rescued wings open to catch the air as he glided lower. A half-step behind him, Hyosung did the same, her dress fluttering like a bird’s wings around her as she descended. Gracefully, they both landed amidst a polite round of quiet applause – that neither had stumbled or had any difficulty was seen as a good omen. Graciously, Gunwoo extended his hand for Hyosung and she accepted, giving him a small nod of encouragement as she faced him. His responding smile finally reached his eyes, but only just.

                Amber raised her hands high, the regal azure robes cinched at the waist with a stardust sash draping her diminutive stature perfectly, and spoke, “Gunwoo Jung. Hyosung Jun. Let us begin the joining of these two great houses.”

                Later, his parents would tell him how well he handled himself and just how perfect he looked standing beside Hyosung. They would tell him that things were off to a great start already and that they believed they would do well. Gunwoo wouldn’t argue. He had been so focused on making it through the ceremony that he hadn’t bothered to even try and recall what exactly he’d said or who he’d had to talk to. He knew he’d danced at one point and that he stayed close to Hyosung most of the rest of the afternoon, but he didn’t really remember anything until that evening.

                When all had quieted down and there was nothing left of the grand pomp and circumstance, when it was just him and Hyosung in their new shared quarters, surrounded by the silence of their uncertainty since they had nothing left to hide behind, that was when he really began to pay attention again. He looked up when he heard metal clicking on glass. Hyosung was taking her accessories off, laying them on the vanity top. She was looking at him in the mirror, eyes slightly downcast and a faint flush in her cheeks.

                Gunwoo gripped the fabric of his pants between his fists and murmured, “Hyosung…”

                Silently, she held her finger to her lips in the mirror and continued what she was doing, pulling the last pin out of her hair so that it fell free to cascade around her shoulders and wings.

                He looked down then and sighed. They both knew what was supposed to come next, but there had never really been a moment to talk about it exactly. A quiet whisper of cloth made him glance up and he saw that Hyosung was standing, wearing only the shift that was under the dress. String straps, a low scoop neck, and high hem left little to the imagination. “We don’t have to tonight,” he tried again, casting his gaze down once more.

                Hyosung sighed and moved to stand directly in front of him before she knelt so she could look up into his face. “That is an excuse you can use every night,” she chided him gently, placing one hand atop his in the lightest caress.

                “I don’t love you,” he admitted in a whisper.

                Her amused if sad giggle made him look up in confusion. “I don’t love you either,” she explained with a shake of her head. Gunwoo looked away in embarrassment. He hadn’t really considered her feelings on the matter... “Is it that you don’t like women?” she ventured, genuinely curious.

                “What?” he started, eyes narrowing in confusion. “No,” he laughed, hurrying to reassure her as he clasped her hand between his. “I don’t mind women,” he promised, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. That was true enough, and he’d had dalliances with angels and humans enough to know.

                “I’m just not him,” she suggested, easily filling in the blanks.

                Gunwoo paused, debating whether he should try to deny it. “No,” he exhaled, deciding it wasn’t worth the lie.

                Hyosung was silent for a moment, fiddling with his pant leg absently. Eventually, she spoke again, “I envy you.”

                “Huh?”

                Her laugh was slightly bitter. “And I’m mad at you,” she added, swiping at her eye with the free hand. “But… I envy what you found.”

                “Hyosung…” he breathed, feeling like an even more terrible angel.

                “I don’t expect you to love me. Not right now. Maybe not ever,” she admitted, biting her lip as she looked at him with watery but brave eyes. “But I do, at least, want us to be happy,” the angel added, shrugging as if to say it was worth a shot. “And if not that, then at least content.”

                Gunwoo took a long moment to just look at Hyosung. To actually see the woman that, for whatever reasons – her own or her families or what drove her – had decided that marrying him was still worth it. Maybe they were selfish reasons and they had nothing to do with him, but she had still agreed to lower herself by choosing to maintain their contract. With no guarantee that anything good would come to her. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, brushing the backs of his fingers against her cheek as he gave her a soft smile.

                She returned the expression and reached her free hand to brush her fingertips against his face, taking a second to thread his hair behind his ears. “You have grown into quite the angel, Gunwoo,” she complimented, dropping her hand to rest it on his knee.

                “And you are more beautiful than all the stars on a cloudless night,” he murmured, part lip-service and part sincerity.

                Hyosung’s flush deepened at what she presumed was praise. Carefully, she stood up and took a step back, but maintained a gentle hold on his hand. Her other came to rest on her chest, partially covering herself as she looked down hesitantly. “I must admit to not having done something like this before.”

                For a moment, Gunwoo wasn’t sure if she was merely playing coy or if the truth was more likely. After considering her family, he realized the latter was probably truer. It was ironic really. Had things gone differently, he may well have been in a similar position. “I hope you’re not offended that I have,” he admitted hesitantly, shoulders shrugging.

                She laughed in nervousness and then looked up with surprising clarity. “It’s probably better that at least one of us has.” But she didn’t move towards him. It was clear she wanted to. Her eyes kept darting to his chest and lower and then back up, but she stayed where she was. Waiting for something apparently.

                There was just one thing that Gunwoo wanted to know for sure before he took another step. He reached out to lift her chin up and made sure she was looking at him. “Why did you agree to keep the marriage contract between us?”

                Hyosung looked between his eyes, her wings drooping slightly. “It is true that being Empress next to you was a pleasing thought. I did want it,” she assured him. “What angel wouldn’t? But…” she went on, her lips and pulling free of his hand. It’s not about me. Or you,” she added quickly, an embarrassed laugh quickly suppressed. “It’s about the future of the Angel Empire. And… our children?” The last part was hesitant and she shrugged as if the idea was something she wasn’t entirely sure about.

                Gunwoo laughed once, wiping at his face with one hand as he shook his head. “I do not deserve you,” he explained, sniffing at the realization that he really didn’t. A run-away and a coward who fled to desert his post and gave up his wings so he could have his own personal freedom and caused the death of so many angels and people. “And you do not deserve someone like me,” he added bitterly, looking away.

                “Maybe not, you stupid, selfish angel,” she laughed, her bitterness and acceptance rivaling his own. “But do you have any idea of how long I’ve looked at you from afar?”

                “Oh, Hyosung,” Gunwoo whispered, reaching out to cup her face with his hand. He had never once thought to even consider her, so afraid of his own future. In that, he had done her a great disservice. “I don’t know if I can love you,” he started, expression truly sorrowful – how did you love someone else when another was already in your heart? – “but I can try to make you happy.”

                “That’s all I can ask,” she admitted, placing her hand over his. But still she did not move to come closer. Still she waited.

                Hesitantly, Gunwoo slid his hand out from under hers and down her neck until he reached her shoulder. She dropped her hand to her side and then watched him to see what he would do. Gently, he peeled the string strap over her shoulder and down her arm, revealing part of her bare . Her eyes followed the movement and then went to his face. It was then that he cupped the back of her head and pulled her close for a tentative kiss. Hyosung hummed softly against him, her palms resting against his chest and waist. Her lips shifted against his as she watched him with her open eyes, curious and unsure.

                “Like this,” Gunwoo murmured, moving to guide her hands so she could help him undress.

                They moved slow, exploring each other bit by bit. It was obvious Hyosung was willing to learn and Gunwoo was willing to try. She was not Changmin. He knew that. And he did not feel for her what he felt for the other angel. But as he felt every soft curve of her body, and she every part of his, it no longer mattered. When they finally joined, when he delved into her body and they became one, he recognized and acknowledged it was Hyosung he felt and saw, not Changmin. It was not the same for Gunwoo, making love to someone that didn’t love him back, but it was enough.

                And that made it alright. For both of them.