Taeyong had asked to meet with her.

Her initial response was to say no. In all honesty, Taeyong never popped inside her head ever since she moved to the palace—ever since the situation became depressing for Jaehyun. She was so focused on being present and giving her support for Jaehyun that she didn’t have anything else on her mind.

But now that he suddenly came back, she began to have mixed feelings inside. He said that he wanted to see her and see to a closure. Whatever that meant, it sounded final. And fgrankly, she too, needed closure with him.

She pondered on whether or not she was supposed to see him. Could she really leave the Palace? What should she say to Jaehyun? Or perhaps, she should not say anything?

But then she realized that if she didn’t do this, things with Taeyong would never resolve. And she wanted to be done with it.

Ahri couldn’t believe that she had forgotten about him. And to be honest, she felt a little bit of apprehension about seeing him again. Mainly, because she didn’t know how Jaehyun would react, and he wasn’t sure if he would be okay with it. Also, she wasn’t sure if she should tell him about the call.

**

She was nervous. And it felt like she was about to commit a crime.

She had called for a chauffer to take her to the coffee shop. But she still had to get past the security and staffs before she could exhale in relief. She had told Sooyoung that she needed to see an old friend. And she was informed that she couldn’t go without security details.

“Milady,”

Ahri almost jumped at the voice of Yuta behind her. “Oh, Yuta,” she said, silently composing herself.

“My staff informed me that you were going somewhere?” he inquired. Yuta was clad in a black suit with an earpiece on his left side. He was tall and had an intimidating aura on his face that screamed authority from him. And he didn’t fail to intimidate Ahri.

Ahri swallowed as she stood before him. “Yes, I uh… I’m going to meet with a friend…” she trailed.

She was nervous because she knew that this man would inform Jaehyun everything, even to her whereabouts. And she most certainly didn’t want Jaehyun to know.

“And I was informed that you requested for no security… Milady, you know I can’t do that. Not two days before the royal wedding.”

Yuta was right, and there was no way Ahri could dodge this. Different kinds of scenarios might happen out there, and she couldn’t be selfish and risk things. “I know…” she sighed and looked down. “But… can you keep this one from the Prince?”

“Milady?” Yuta’s face was scrunched in confusion.

“I’m…” she exhaled for a brief second. “I’m meeting an old friend, Yuta, and I don’t think the Prince would appreciate it. But I really need to see him before I’m married,” she looked up at Yuta, giving him a message and pleading for him to understand.

Yuta seemed to understand, as Ahri watched realization dawned on his face. He cleared his throat before speaking, “In that case, I think I need to go with you myself, Milady, if you want me to keep this from His Highness. That’s the only way things won’t go out.”

He was making sense, Ahri thought. And there was no other security personnel in this kingdom that Ahri trusted more than Nakamoto Yuta.

So, she agreed for Yuta to come along. He and one other guard was going to drive her themselves to the meeting place. Yuta even suggested a more secluded place. It was a nice coffee shop by the smaller area of the city, and there was not that much customer. Yuta had called the place and ordered for a private room for the Lady, and informed them who was coming.

Taeyong had also been informed of the new place they were meeting.

Ahri waited a few minutes inside the private room. It was quite secluded but has a giant glass window that overlooked the outside road. Yuta was apprehensive at first when he figured this little detail, but Ahri informed him that it was all fine because they wouldn’t be too long. And the area by the coffee shop was relatively empty.

The other guard was posted outside the café, while Yuta was standing by inside the café. Ahri had told Yuta to order some coffee for him and the other guard, and for them to loosen up the stance because she didn’t really want to attract massive attention. Of course, Yuta refused at first, but Ahri had insisted on it.

A few minutes later, the door to the private room opened, and Lee Taeyong appeared from behind it.

Ahri almost stopped breathing for a moment because of the nerves. He looked exactly the same as the last time she remembered him. His hair was a bit longer, but his eyes were still the same. And he was looking at her with the same amount of adoration.

Taeyong entered the room with slow pace, looking at her the entire time. She didn’t realize how much she missed him until she saw him in real flesh. “Hi,” Taeyong breathed as Ahri stood from her seat.

“Hey,” Ahri couldn’t help the wide smile that appeared on her face.

Taeyong walked closer and went for a hug. The warm and tight embrace almost made Ahri reminisce the old times where they used to spend time together. After a few moments, they pulled apart and Ahri gestured for the chair next to her, instead of across from her.

“I didn’t think you’d agree to see me…” Taeyong said, still smiling to himself as he slightly turned to face Ahri.

Ahri smiled at this. He was ironically right—Ahri was hesitant initially. But she couldn’t say that she regretted seeing him now. “I didn’t realize how much I missed you until now…”

“So… how have you been?” Taeyong asked, putting both hands on top of the table.

“I’m good, it’s been great,” she smiled at him.

Taeyong smiled back, but with a hint of somber on his face. It almost looked like a sad smile. “Is he treating you right?”

“He treats me no less than a woman…” she answered. In fact, Jaehyun had been wonderful—if the Yerim debacle was not in the picture. “How about you? Where do you live now?”

“I…” he hesitated a bit, “I’m actually going to move out of the country in a few days…”

“Oh?” Ahri was taken aback, and she felt a little bit disappointed. “Where?”

“To Europe,” he answered.

“That’s… so far away…” Ahri couldn’t help the despair in her voice. Taeyong was going to go, and it seemed to be for a long time. She didn’t know how to react to this. She’d expected herself to feel sad and remorse, but there was nothing heavy in her chest.

“Yes. My cousin landed me a job there, and the company wanted me to start right away. Besides…” he fiddled with his fingers. “I think it would be best for me to be far away from you…”

“Yong—”

“It still pains me to see you to this day, darling,” he looked up at Ahri’s mesmerizing eyes. “Half of me wished that Prince Jaehyun was a douche bag so that I can fight for you again, but half of me wanted you to be in good hands. I don’t even know which one is the lesser of the evils.”

Taeyong was looking at her closely, almost as if he was memorizing her face for a very long time. And it saddened her to know that this was probably the last time they would see each other—the end of their relationship.

He had been her close friend since childhood, had been her rock, had been unknowingly her first love. The both of them had a silly promise that they wouldn’t marry or even date other people. And even though both their fathers were against this, they still continued this secret love affair.

Until it was time for them to break apart.

“I never thought that things would end like this…” Taeyong whispered, scooting closer and reaching for Ahri’s hand.

“Me too...” she whispered back.

Taeyong brought Ahri’s hand up and placed his lips on the back of it, giving her a gentle kiss. And then, he brought it back and caressed the skin.

After a moment of staring into each other’s eyes, Taeyong let out a big exhale and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he spoke with resolution, “I’m a selfish man, my love, and I really want to whisk you away from the Prince and take you with me to Europe. Just say the word, and we’ll leave right away,” he rasped.

Ahri’s eyes widened upon his offer. In another life time, she would probably take this offer with no hesitation and ran away with the man that she knew she loved. But now, she wasn’t sure anymore. The thought of leaving Jaehyun did not sit well with her mind and heart. She didn’t want to leave his side, she didn’t want to be apart from him—even if it meant being with Taeyong.

Realization that hit her quite hard.

She loved Jaehyun. But did she not love Taeyong anymore?

“Taeyong… I…” she couldn’t say it. How could she tell him that she had fallen in love with another man? Now that she think about it, how could she fell in love with two men at the same time.

And then it dawned on her. The kind of feeling she felt towards Taeyong was not the same as the one she felt for Jaehyun.

With Taeyong, she knew safety, she knew that he would protect her from anything—he was home to her. But it was different with Jaehyun. With him, she was the one who wanted to protect him, she was the one who wanted to give everything to him, she wanted to love him. She wanted to make him happy.

She did want Taeyong to be happy, but the urge was much stronger when it comes to Jaehyun.

She was sure that it was love with Jaehyun.

With Taeyong it almost felt like—a brotherly love.

“I… I’m in love with Jaehyun…” she whispered the words softly, as if afraid of the reaction she might get.

Taeyong froze, his hands still holding Ahri’s. His face was crumbled, but then a revelation appeared on it.

“Huh,” he chuckled.

And Ahri was surprised by this kind of reaction.

“I’m actually… relieved…” And it seemed like he was confused with his own reaction. “It feels so much better knowing that you’re at least not as forced anymore.”

And she didn’t realize she might feel this, but Ahri was relieved too because of how accepting Taeyong was being.

Taeyong reached forward to grab her cheek, his eyes penetrating hers with the softest gaze. “Can I…” he trailed, swallowing slightly, “Can I have one last kiss with you before I let you go from my life?” he asked with a low voice.

Ahri was a bit taken aback, but the look on his face made her couldn’t deny his request. So she nodded, reaching up to hold his hand. Taeyong leaned forward and placed his lips gently on hers, just a light kiss. It was so quick that Ahri didn’t notice him pulling away.

This wasn’t the first kiss that they shared, so it surprised Ahri when she didn’t feel the tingling in her stomach the way she used to get whenever they kissed. And the kiss was definitely different than the one she shared with Jaehyun. With Jaehyun, she couldn’t breathe, but with Taeyong this time, all she felt was—serene.

It somehow felt that this was the closure that they were finally getting. And she couldn’t feel anything less than settled.

“I think I should go now,” Taeyong whispered.

Ahri frowned, “What? Can’t you stay a little longer? We haven’t talked in a long time…” she whined uncharacteristically.

“I’d love to, but I don’t think that’s going to be wise… You’re going to be a man’s wife in a few days—the Prince’s wife, no less…”

She hated that fact, but she couldn’t deny the truthfulness of it. So she nodded. And when Taeyong got up, she smiled and gave him a warm last hug. “Don’t be a stranger, Yongie,” she whispered, closing her almost teary eyes.

Taeyong didn’t answer her, instead, he pulled back and chuckled at her. He didn’t need to say it, but she got the message. It would almost be impossible for them to keep in contact, and it would probably be difficult on Taeyong’s part to do so. But she really wished they could stay connected.

“Take care, my love,” he whispered, caressing her hair. “Good bye, Your Highness…” he said, giving a slight curtsy as he backed away. And then he was out of the room.

Ahri looked at the still opened door, as if Taeyong was still there. She still couldn’t believe that Taeyong was leaving her probably forever. She had known him since forever—the person who always looked out for her. She was sad, because she might had just lost a dear friend. But at the same time, she was relieved. She really wished that Taeyong would find a person who would truly love him romantically.

♦♦♦♦♦

Ahri could tell that Chaeyoung was nervous in front of the Queen’s presence. This was not the first time her best friend saw the Queen, but it was probably the closest she had been. But the Queen had been nothing but kind towards Chaeyoung, and the later was relieved because the Queen spent more time talking to Ahri’s mother.

Kwon & Co. was a renowned clothing line and had been the royal family’s personal designer for decades. And the Kwon Bridal was a subsidiary line specialized in bridal clothing. It was late morning of the next day when Ahri was hauled inside the changing room by the designer’s boutique.

Inside the expansive boutique was a large changing room. Chaeyoung was inside with her, along with Miss Jisoo, the boutique’s manager, and Kwon Yuri herself—the owner of Kwon Bridal. One of the staffs had prepared a flute of champagne for her and Chaeyoung, but she couldn’t even bring herself to enjoy it because of how nervous she felt.

Now she knew why the changing room was as big as her bedroom in her old house—because of the sheer magnificence of the dress. Ahri was shocked to see it clad on a headless mannequin. It was a ball gown dress. The bodice was full of beads and laces, and it was beyond beautiful. The laces on the bottom of the skirt were also covered in beads, and they were also beautiful. And the back of the dress had a very long train—probably the longest Ahri had ever seen. In one word, it was a majestic dress. And Ahri was feeling a bit overwhelmed by it.

“Whoa, this must weigh like two tons…” Chaeyoung whispered as she admired the dress.

“The Queen picked this personally,” Kwon Yuri announced, turning around to the two young women with a proud smile.

“Well, one thing for sure though, you’re going to look amazing in this dress, and Jaehyun is going to faint from it,” Chaeyoung smirked, and Ahri couldn’t help but blush at the thought.

“Shall we, Milady?” the manager asked.

It took exactly fifteen minutes for them to dress Ahri, up to the veil. And it was borderline exhausting because there was so much to figure out first. She was glad that she did this before tomorrow’s wedding.

The veil was shoulder length at the front and they made it that way so that it was easier for the Prince to lift it up—again, making Ahri blush at the thought of the moment that will come. But the back of it was as long as the dress’ train. It was heavy, like Chaeyoung said. But Ahri definitely felt like a princess.

When they stepped out to show the Queen and Ahri’s mother, the two women were in awe. Especially Lady Taeyeon, who was close to tears seeing her daughter in the most beautiful dress ever.

The dress fitting continued on for another hour, because the dress needed a little adjustment. Apparently, Ahri was a little bit skinnier. As for Chaeyoung, she was going to wear a broken white satin straight dress that hugged her body loosely. And she looked just as amazing in that dress.

Ahri began to feel butterflies in her stomach. The wedding was tomorrow, and as of tomorrow, she was going to be married to Jaehyun. She was also beginning to think what Jaehyun would look like. She’d seen him in suits and ties, but she’d never seen him in his royal outfit.

And the nervousness didn’t go away even during the rehearsal. She had to practice walking down the aisle with her father, with Jaehyun waiting at the end of it. There were flowers and decorations already installed here and there, but it was relatively silent inside the church without the choirs and organs. Nevertheless, she felt like she was going to faint from nervousness because all eyes were on her.

Especially Jaehyun’s.

She couldn’t even bring her eyes up to see him for fear she might falter in her steps. So she just focused her eyes down. Only when she arrived at the altar and her father gave her away to Jaehyun did she dare to look up at him.

Jaehyun gave her a soft smile, both dimples appearing on his cheeks. And his smile was contagious, bringing up a smile on her own face.

The next rehearsal was Jaesi.

Ahri watched as the toddler walked down the aisle, bringing the empty cushion which would be filled with the ring tomorrow. She waddled down the red carpet, her eyes twinkling as everyone cooed. And by the end of the aisle, she threw the cushion away and ran towards where Jaehyun was standing.

Everybody was laughing as the Prince squat down to catch his niece.

That was when Ahri felt her nerves eased