“Dad? Ansel, my son, what is happening here? Yunji?” The king was the first one who reacted, his voice croaking with shock and was somehow opposite of his calm, regal face.

“Dad—“ My father started, but it looks like he can’t form his own words.

“Wait, am I hearing things?” The queen said with an erratic behavior, placing her hands on her head overdramatically, “My dear Ansel, am I hearing things?”

“Mom—“ My father started again, and he looked frustrated for not being able to form his words, his face flustered.

“For god’s sake, Ansel, I thought you were gay all this time!” The queen shouted, and it was followed by a hearty laugh. “I-Every time I introduce you to different princesses all across the globe you won’t even show any slight interest and then here I hear that you have a daughter! My god, Ansel what have you done you sly child!”

My father blushed. “Mom, this is not the time!”

My great grandmother scoffed, trying to stifle her laughs and courtly, bowed. “Milady, please remain calm.”

“How can I stay calm Yunji?” The queen asked, slapping her armchair. “My son’s gender preference is different from what I expected!”

“Dear, that’s so rash.” The king commented, bashful.

“Mom!” My father again shouted, his face turning into a deeper shade of red.

Jiyong whispered from beside me, squeezing my hand, “The Queen’s rather, um, interesting?”

I whispered back, joking. “Flirt with my grandmother and I’ll kill you.”

“She doesn’t even have gray hair.” Jiyong said. “So kill me.”

“Ansel you’re so sly!” The queen shouted again, cupping both of her cheeks and closed her eyes, and dreamily said, “You’re really your father’s son! He got me pregnant and I didn’t know it.”

Jiyong wolf-whistled, a erted grin plastered on his face. “That’s a great idea.”

I hastily elbowed his ribs.

My father shouts, “Mom, calm down!”

The queen started to shake her head, her hands on either side of her head and she looked like a fangirl sitting in VIP in a concert. “I can’t calm down! I can’t calm down! It's the heir rush!”

My father groans and rolls his eyes. “Not this again.”

“It’s like sugar rush but better.” The queen erratically said, nodding her head rapidly. 

“Weirder.” The king corrected.

“Worse-er?” My father added.

“I want to know the all the details starting from the bottom up to the top!” The queen now stood up from her seat, almost like jumping up from her seat and started to bombard my father. I couldn’t see her as weird as the others see her, mainly because my grandmother looks so beautiful and young that being erratic sort of suits her. She isn’t any regal or calm like how Disney portrays queens. She sort of reminds me more of the right-hand of the queen or her erratic children perhaps.

The king sighed, massaging his creased forehead with his thumb and index finger and ordered, “Yunji, can you get her calming pills?”

My great grandmother bowed dutifully. “Yes, milord.” Then she went off towards the carpeted staircase.

The queen turned to Jiyong, which taking him and me aback in surprise, and said, “You have to do that to her too, okay?”

Jiyong bowed, and said with a erted smirk, “It’s my pleasure.”

I hastily elbowed his ribs, harder this time.

My father shouted, “Yunji, get the injections instead!”

It was very hard calming the queen down, even if I don’t have to do it myself and was just a spectator. The king held the queen by her hands firmly as she thrashed like a lunatic, and my father kept her right hand still so he can inject the calming medicine into her. They were like that for half an hour until my father successfully injected the medicine when the queen suddenly stopped when he whispered my mother’s name.

After the queen calmed down, the king gathered all of us in the living room, my great grandmother included, and Jiyong and I sat opposite of the royal family. Unlike me, Jiyong started to eat the cake the housemaids have laid before us, and was chatting comfortably with the queen.

“I see. Your family is the owner of almost all the top businesses in South Korea. I used to study in your school but I never got the chance to use my knowledge in Korea because my family quickly flew to Europe after my graduation.” The queen said, now in a regal tone. “I was your grandfather’s schoolmate, and he’s really popular, owning the school and whatnot.”

Then, she tilted her head to the side, a sweet smile etched on her beautiful face. “We dated for four years.”

The king suddenly choked on his drink, and said between his coughs, “Don’t tell the kid that kind of thing, Hayi.”

The queen turned to him and said with an innocent look, “But I really liked dating his grandfather. He loved me so much he even wanted to go to Europe with me but due to unfortunate events, he had to stay and manage the company.”

The king sighed. On the other hand, Jiyong whispered beside me, “So she was the girl my grandfather was telling me about. His first love, I think, that’s why he agreed for me to go with you here in France. He said he doesn’t want to make the same mistakes again.”

I whispered back. “We shouldn’t let them both meet.”

“Yeah.” He replied. “I’ll take that as a note when I’m going to manage the invitation cards and seating arrangements in our reception area and in the church in our wedding.”

The former king smiled at me with longing, his eyes fixed at my face the whole time, but there was something added in his stare—the vigilance was there. I knew after I learned that my father was the current king of France that this will happen—that my dear grandfather and father will give their vigilant stares. When we were studying a brief history of monarchism, we learned about the lives of different monarchs, starting from their tastes, their environment, their traits, their hobbies and especially, how they were brought up so that we could make an architectural product that will suit their taste. Ever since they were seven, an age considered as the proper age, future kings are already trained under the supervision of monarchical teachers and of their parents. My grandfather and my father are not exempted to this, that’s why I knew they were brought up to think for the betterment of the whole nation rather than for their selves. Every decision they make must benefit every one of the citizens of his nation, even their personal decisions. That’s why it wasn’t a shock for me when my grandfather said, “I know you’re my granddaughter. The glare you give to your other half was like what my mother used to give to my father when they were still alive, even the same habits. But my dear, it’s not because I doubt myself that I will do this but because I want to be sure—I want evidence. If I just introduce you to the whole nation as the next to the throne, the media will surely ask a concrete proof why you are next to the throne.”

“Your father was recognized as a sole ruler, ruling the country with the absence of a queen. Suddenly introducing you will cause chaos to the nation and it may cause a revolution, something we are avoiding at all cost. So if you will not forbid, or if it will not—“

My grandmother suddenly playfully slapped my grandfather’s arm and chuckled, covering with her other hand. “Oh dear, Alexander,” She said, the skin around her eyes crinkling. “You’re so formal with your granddaughter. It felt like a speech, so long and formal—boring in layman’s terms.”

Grandfather cleared his throat and rephrased. “If it’ll not offend you, I want to conduct a DNA test.”

“More informal than that, dear. You can do it.” My grandmother encouraged, smiling fondly at my grandfather.

Grandfather again cleared his throat, his face now deadpanned and said, “I want to have a DNA test.”

I didn’t think twice anymore, since I knew this was coming—it’s something cliché and is usually found in books or in movies, and they were all shocked when I answered, “Okay.”

“Really?” My father screamed, his eyes wide with astonishment.

My grandparents on the other hand, remained tight-lipped, but their astonishment was still evident in their faces.

My great grandmother Yunji smiled affectionately, nodding her head as if telling me it was a right decision.

Jiyong only chuckled beside me and commented, “Heh, typical.”

We were asked to stay in one of the guest rooms until the DNA test results come out. The monarchical doctor, who just lives inside the castle grounds also, got a blood sample both from me and my father and told us to wait for two days for the results. Armstead delivered our extra clothes after Jiyong contacted him, which was a relief because the royal family was close into ordering their personal mall to supply us two days worth of clothes after knowing that our apartment was far from the castle. It was a good thing that Armstead moves very fast. My father didn’t talk to me afterwards, even my grandfather. Only my grandmother who was kind enough to ask if the room was fine for both of us and if I’m fine with staying. Later on, she asked me about the condition of my mother after my father temporarily left us for the sake of my mother’s privacy and safety.

“She was hopeless.” I admitted while I was folding Jiyong’s clothes for storage. My grandmother eyed my actions, but it didn’t make me uneasy somehow.

“I praise her, you know, for raising three kids alone. If we just knew…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked worried.

I reassured her with my smile. “It’s fine. Mom understood that it was for our best that Dad chose to leave us, and he supported us anyway with money but it was hard sometimes when the family badly needed a Dad. Sanghyun was the only man in the family so he had to act like one.”

My grandmother was about to say something but was interrupted when the door creaked open.

“Mom,” My father said in his most affectionate voice I heard so far. “Can I talk to my daughter, please?”

“Sure, son.” My grandmother answered while looking at me, and before she stood up to get out, she squeezed both of my hands with added assurance.

When the door closed, my father began by clearing his throat and for a moment I thought he was going to say something serious but instead, I heard him say, “Excuse me, boy.”

He was staring at something over my shoulder, so I followed his gaze, and my eyes landed on Jiyong, who was casually leaning against the bed’s dashboard, reading what it seems is a book published by his own sister. He looked like an artist: his hair tied to the back, his white shirt loose and his pajamas baggy and awkwardly low. He looked up from his book, gazing at us under his moon spectacles and asked, “Yes?”

My father seemed to be calm about this attitude and answered, “I want to speak with my daughter in private.”

“I’m her fiancée, and was the one who protected her when her father was not there. I did the job of someone she needed the most. I was the family’s pillar for four years before she decided to find you. May I repeat, find you.” Jiyong replied back. “What you want to say to her, you can also say to me. Besides, she’s still not your daughter. I heard a while ago that your father needed a concrete proof. So while waiting for the concrete proof—“

“Jiyong,” I stopped him, thought not embarrassed but because I felt that my father was already mad.

Jiyong sighed. “I’ve said my point.” He said, and went back into reading the book.

“I told your mother not to get you into this stuff, Sandara.” He said, his forehead creasing. “I’ve told her many times that your freedom would be at stake by finding me.”

“It was my choice.” I calmly replied. “She stopped me, but I—“

“You shouldn’t have! Your mother was protecting you by hiding me. Being a monarch is not as easy as you read it in history books. It’s an obligation. It’s a curse!” He half-said and half-screamed.

“But I wanted to find you! I wanted to know who I am. If freedom is the price to pay then it’s not that small at all.”

“Listen to me, Sandara.” He said, his eyes full of worry. “Freedom is a big price to pay. The first born is always the next to the throne no matter what his or her gender is, and it’s not as easy as you think. You have to make a lot of sacrifices and these sacrifices come in varied forms. Not because I was tolerated with my choice of wife it doesn’t mean you’ll be tolerated too. You’ll sacrifice a lot of your privacy, and it may include Jiyong.”

I was about to say something when Jiyong beat me into it. He grabbed my wrist and said, “It’s already late, Dara. We need to sleep.”

I looked up at him. “But, Ji—“

“You haven’t slept.” He said, calmer than I expected, and next, he looked at my father. “I’m sorry Your Highness, but Dara needs to go to bed. I’m sorry to interrupt this conversation.”

My father seemed to object with it, but still said, “Fine. Please rest.”

He went out, closing the door behind him without any fervor, and Jiyong and I settled on the bed, after turning off the lights. We both stared at the ceiling, which showed glow in the dark stickers of stars and made it look like we were staring at the night sky.

I heard him sigh, and his voice followed, “I need to stop it, you know why?” I shrugged. “I don’t want you to cry and complain about how unfair the world is.”

I yawned. “How did you know that I would cry?”

“I’ve been with you long enough to know.” He answered. “And you know what?”

I didn’t answer anymore. My eyelids have turned lead and have continuously dropped from time to time.

“It’s because I love you.” He continued. “When you love someone, you tend to observe her because you want to know everything about her. You know that right? You know that I love you.”

I was already going into slumber, surrendering to sandman against my will and as I drift into dreamland, Jiyong said something that I didn’t hear because my hearing turned blurry.

He knows me better than I do.