"Jinyoung, take a seat. I want to discuss an important matter with you."

Jinyoung bowed and nodded before settling himself in front of the king. He only stared at the ground, waiting for the king to speak up. His feet fidgeting uneasily under the table.

"White Wolves is back." the king started.

"When we wiped them out years ago, some of them managed to escape." Jinyoung lifted his head, surprised to hear that his father brought up this subject willingly to him. His father always wanted to keep this matter away from him, always saying that it is too dangerous for him to handle.

"What?" he asked. Puzzled and curious at the same time.

"I think it's about time for me to step back. I believed that you're almost ready to be a leader."

He gulped down his spit. He knew that this moment is inevitable, but still, the word leader weighed down on his shoulder, heavy and suppressing like a mountain on the earth.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to take control this time and eliminate them for good." The king looked serious when he said that and Jinyoung felt something unsettling inside him.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course. But please be careful, these traitors are harmful. They have ability that unfortunately is not that easy to be defeated."

"I would need some help then. Would you mind if Mark and Jackson became my wingman?"

"Not at all.  You could even use as many men you need. They're all ready and waiting for your orders. Don't worry, all of them are well trained and skilled. The sooner you finished them off, the better."

"Please give me some time to figure out the plan."

The king nodded his head. He stood up from the chair and started to walk towards the door of the meeting room.

"Don't forget, Jinyoung, one of them tried to kill your mother once, though you might not remember it clearly as it happened when you're still a kid. But, I am sure they won't hesitate to kill whoever that get in their way. Those filthy and rebellious creature could ruin this nation someday if we don't stop them."

"I believe that you will do your best for the country's sake." was the last thing the king said. As the king stepped out of the meeting room, Jinyoung stood up from his chair and bowed.

It took him a while to digest the information. And after sitting in silence for a moment, Jinyoung called one of the guard in front of the room. "Get me Jackson and Mark" he said to him.

Jinyoung

While discussing the matter, time flew so fast that we didn't realized it was already late in the evening. A grand dinner will be held at the Serene Palace, which is the main reason the king had summoned us home.  All the royals and ministers will be gathered at the huge balcony facing the front lawn. For once, the palace is opened to the people as the event took place at the enormous open space in front of the palace. The people were already filling up the seat the moment the three of us stopped our discussion.

" You should go and dressed up. We can continue this later." Mark said after a while.

"What about you guys?"

"Don't worry about us. We're not the main star of today's dinner. I can't believe this. The king is finally introducing you to the people. They are going to see their crown prince face for the first time ever." Jackson said excitedly.

"The way you said it make it seemed very important and big. Now, I'm worried and anxious."

"It is indeed very important and big. We'll be celebrating the news of a new king soon. I bet everyone is happy and curious about this."

"I don't know. But, what if, I'm still not ready?"

"What do you mean?" Mark asked.

"You know, this is supposed to be Jaebum hyung's place. I should've focus more in finding him rather than indulging myself in this task. I don't want all of this to be happening because the people might be confused when he came back and take over the throne. I'm sure Jaebum hyung will do a better job than me anyway. "

"Jinyoung, to be honest, you're already a great leader. Just believe in youself and do your best. The country depend on you right now."

Plus, we don't even know if Jaebum will ever return at all.

"Yeah, I know....thanks Mark."

"And, don't forget one thing. You'll have to invite Nayeon at her room to the dinner too. She is here to celebrate with us together."

After I finished getting ready, I went to the guest room and knocked her door. While waiting for her to come out, I thought of what I should say to her. We haven't see each other for a long time so there weren't much thing to talk about. The last time we met was when we were fifteen years old, both of us still young and immature. She easily fit into my group of friends and we were close. Given that our mischievous selves-me,Jackson and Mark is somewhat burdensome because we play rough, that doesn't stop and deter her at all. Instead, she always joined us in our little adventure around the palace and was the one who managed to get us out of trouble each time. But right now, five years after, I'm not so sure if we're still that close.

 Then, the door opened. She came out wearing a long navy blue dress. Her hair styled into a bun.

"You look pretty." was the first thing I told her. It's true, she look so pretty. The baby fat is gone but her cheeks is still squishy. She grew up so much from a lively girl I know to a shy, beautiful and gorgeous young lady.

"Ahh thanks. You looks great too."

"Let's go." I held out my hands and she accept it willingly.

I pull out the chair for her and then took the opposite seat. We both exchange gazes and smiled at each other.

After we finished eating, the king stood up to give the speech. He announced to the people that the crown prince will soon take his place as the new king. Hearing this, all the people cheered and clapped their hands. Chattering and talking sound soon filled the atmosphere after the king finished his speech, indicating that they were all very pleased with the news. I am not really paying attention as my mind was wandering somewhere else.

But the thing that the king said next snapped me back to reality in a split of second. The words ringing inside my head like a blaring siren, making me dizzy and feverish.

"You and Nayeon will get married in the span of three full moons from today. She will stay here, in this Serene Palace until that day comes." the king said to us.

"Huh?" I managed to stuttered out. Too shocked to even speak properly. I racked my brain for a suitable reaction, not wanting to sadden Nayeon in case I blurted out things that can be offending. I look at her, but she doesn't seem to be as shocked as I am.

If I am unaware of her placid smile before this, I am now very sure that her expression is forced and she is uncomfortable. She seemed that she rather be anywhere else except here. Colour drained from her face and she hung her head low.

I should've have known it earlier. When the king, my father, was talking about how he'll let me take care of things and be a leader, I should've seen this coming. The royal marriage is a part of the prophecy. A future king had to marry a woman betrothed to him by the previous king. Oh how stupid I am not to realize this sooner.

"From now on, please treat her as your women properly. You must be glad that I chose her, no one seemed to be fitted for the title queen other than our own blood and flesh."

The rest of the night was celebrated merrily among the people outside, meanwhile, the dinner inside the palace is quiet and soundless. We resume to eat the desert in silence but I seem to choke on each bite that I took. Nayeon seemed to be avoiding eye contact and I couldn't make out her expression either. There were so much unspoken tension in the room that make me feel like combusting internally. Seeing the way Mark and Jackson reacted, I assumed that they were surprised as much as I am. But the way the king delivered the news nonchalantly make me wondered if all of this is happening for real. It was as if he dropped a bomb in the middle of nowhere and doesn't gave me any time to prepare.

When the dinner was finally over and the table was empty as everybody else left, leaving me alone with Nayeon, I braced myself to say something.

" Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Huh? Ah yes-I am okay. Don't worry."

"We should talk." I said to her. "Let's go to the garden. It's quiet and peaceful there."

I lead her to the garden. She plucked a blooming red rose before she went to sit on the swing, her hands the flower while she racked the swing back and forth. I sat beside her.

"Did you know about this?" I asked. Slowly, she nodded her head slightly. I won't notice if I wasn't staring at her intensely. She almost look reluctant to admit it.

We stayed silent for a while, too engaged in our own feelings to speak anything. At this moment, I am torn apart, between the urge of wanting to take the responsibility or returning the throne to the rightful owner. I look around my surrounding and realized something.

Garden. Jaebum hyung's favourite place. The feeling of wanting to find him no matter what gave me the strength to speak up.

"Nayeon, you knew about this beforehand. That's why you came alone isn't it?"

She doesn't answered so I continued asking. " But why? Why did you agree easily on this matter?"

"Easily? Do you really think this is easy for me?" she asked, sounding a bit exasperated.

"Then, did you tried to disagree?"

"Do I even seem like someone that have the right to decide? I can't defy the king. My parents can't stop your father."

I sighed. I took her hand and held it firmly. "Look at me, Nayeon." She lifted her head and turned to face me.

"Do you have someone you love?"

Her shoulders tensed immediately at my question but she doesn't look away. Her face is emotionless. "Why? Does it matter to you?" she asked, not sounding harsh or cold but genuinely curious.

"Of course. I don't want you to marry me when your heart is with someone else. Tell me honestly, are you in love with someone right now?"

She is silent for a moment. Seemingly trying to search for the answer herself. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before she answered.

"Yes."

"Then, that's all I need to hear."

"Wha-what?" she looked at me puzzled.

"We need to stop this wedding at all cost."

An explosion. And another explosion. The house started to crumble down.  

Her father tried to fought them but he was outnumbered. Her mother used her body as a shield but it was still not enough to keep her children alive. Her younger brother was stabbed in the stomach and he was slowly losing conscious, blood was gushing out and her mother was in a panic state. Suzy doesn't know what she should do, or what she could do- her leg already trapped under a rubble and she can't move. The smell of the blood is so strong that she felt dizzy and her sight blurry with hot tears.

Then, she saw herself, a little girl crying in a burning house in the middle of the night. Around her, bodies scattered lifelessly, battered and bloodied. Her mother, father and brother's.

Suzy tried to wake them up, she was shouting their names until her voice no longer came out, but there is no response. She cried and cried and she was afraid, very very afraid. The smoke is suffocating and she felt her chest burning with every bated breath. She wheezed and heaved and no matter how hard she tried to open her eyes, they seemed