Minho quickly moves to the door, a small dagger materializing in his hand. “Who is it?”

“Just a servant, my lord,” a silky, distinctly female voice answers. “I’m to prepare the lady for presentation to the prince.”

“We still have another day,” Kibum protests, moving in front of me. “Tell him we still have another day.”

“His Majesty ordered it be done today.”

“What’s happening?” I whisper, my fingers finding Kibum’s sleeve. “Kibum?”

“She’s not ready yet,” he says, reaching back to give my wrist a reassuring squeeze. “He’s going to ruin it again!”

“Hyung,” Taemin says warningly in a low tone, touching Kibum’s shoulder. “Don’t challenge Father like that. You’ll get banished again.”

“There’s nothing we can do; he’ll make her go one way or another,” Minho adds, keeping the dagger in hand. “Best not to raise a fuss and scare her more than she is.”

Kibum snorts but lowers his voice as well. “Him and his damn pride, always thinking he’s right. Maybe if he listened when someone told him he was wrong-”

“Guys, what’s happening?” I ask again quietly.

“It’ll be okay, noona,” Taemin tells me, coming to sit on the bed and hold my other hand. “You’re just going to meet our father and one of our brothers. Our father can be intimidating, but he won’t hurt you and hyung...he won’t hurt you either.”

“Is he...is he the one I’m supposed to marry?”

“Who told you that?” Kibum snaps, looking over his shoulder at me.

“Chanyeol,” I reply. “I can’t get married; I’m too young and I don’t even know this person. Please, just let me go.”

“If we do, you’ll die.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to ignore those words. “Okay, I’m going to wake up right now. Please wake up, please wake up.”

“Hyung...should I let her in?” Minho asks as I continue to chant to myself.

“Like you said, do we even have a choice?” Kibum sighs.

    I hear the door open and peek around Kibum, immediately hiding again. The woman looks human enough except for the fact that her hair is long strands of seaweed and her skin carries a blueish tint.

“If you’ll excuse us, I will dress the lady,” she says, putting down a bundle on the table we were using earlier.

I tighten my grip on Kibum and Taemin’s hands, giving them and Minho a pleading look. “Don’t leave. Please don’t leave me alone.”

“We must, but we’ll be just outside, all right? Nothing will happen to you, okay?” Kibum says, slowly taking Taemin’s hand from mine. “It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“But what about after? What then? I just want to go home.”

“I’m sorry, Lilly,” he apologizes gently, touching my cheek. “You can’t. This isn’t a dream; it’s real, as real as your life before. This has to be your home now. You’ve got to accept that. It’ll make things less hard on you.”

I shake my head as he slips his head from mine. “No.”

“It’ll be all right, Lilly. I promise.”

    My hand falls limply to my lap as he lets me go, leading the other two from the room. This is real? It can’t be. It can’t be...

“Excuse me, my lady. If you could stand, I’ll help you change into more proper clothes,” the woman says, approaching me with careful steps.

    I nod and stand, letting her slide the outer layers of clothing from me. I don’t notice what she puts on, or when she finishes. I feel nothing, hear nothing; it’s like I’ve shut down. All I can think is that it’s not true. I have family, friends, a life, plans and if all this is true...I’ve lost everything without even knowing it.

“Lilly?”

I slowly turn my head towards the voice that pushes through the daze.

“Are you all right?” Minho asks, pushing aside the filmy veil that had somehow ended up on my head.

I nod, then shake my head. In a voice that sounds dead in my own ears, I tell him, “I don’t know.”

“We’ve got to get her to the hall,” Kibum says, coming to my side and taking my arm. “Lilly, please try to remember.”

“Remember what?”

“Something. Anything.”

“What will happen if I don’t? If I don’t remember.”

“I don’t know,” he admits.

“It’ll be all right, Lilly,” Minho assures me, taking my other arm. “We’ll take care of you no matter what happens.”

“Let’s just go,” I say numbly, shifting my unseeing gaze forward to where Taemin waits by the door.

===========================

“Announcing the second son of the His Majesty and the honored High Consort, Guardian of the Eastern Skies, Warrior of the Thunder’s Hand, Crown Prince Onew.”

    Mentally rolling his eyes at the seemingly useless formality of announcing his entry, Onew nonetheless gives the herald a small smile before entering the grand hall. The members of the Dragon King’s court watch or talk amongst themselves, their opulent colored silk robes whispering as they move. The Eastern Dragon King, who has chosen the guise of an older man with a dignified pepper-and-salt beard, also watches, hidden emotion flickering underneath his golden dragon eyes. Stopping before the throne, Onew gets to his knees to perform the necessary bow.

“Rise, my son. The rest of you, leave us,” the king commands, his deep voice rumbling through the columns.

With bowed heads, the courtiers empty the room until it’s only the prince and the king.

“Join me, Prince Onew,” the king says, gesturing to a cushion on his right. “My son, there’s an important matter I wish to discuss with you.”

Onew smiles as he climbs the steps and settles himself at his father’s side. “Yes?”

With a small sigh, the king begins, “The heart is a tender thing, prone to aches and easily broken. If left alone, it can fall beyond repair. Onew, many years have passed yet you have never taken solace in a concubine or even a female companion. It makes my own heart ache to watch one of my children suffer in loneliness. This is why I think it is time for you to consider taking a wife.”

Onew’s smile, which had faded as the king spoke, disappears completely. His eyes dark with an ancient pain, he quietly but firmly says, “No. You know how I feel about this, father. Ten thousand more years may pass and my heart will remain the same.”

Standing, Onew bows and begins descending from the throne platform.

“I am sorry, Jinki.”

The unexpected apology and use of his childhood name stops Onew and makes him turn back to his father unwillingly.

“I am genuinely sorry,” the king repeats, his golden eyes looking straight into Onew’s. “I thought I was doing what was best for you, but in the end it was only for the sake of my own pride. I should not have kept the two of you apart; I did not realize the true extent of suffering my actions would inflict. My apology comes too late, as does my attempt of recompense, but they are meant honestly, my son.”

With a slow nod, Onew acknowledges his father’s words.

“Will you not even see the candidate I chose for you?” the king prods. “She has come a long way and it would be ill mannered not to at least greet her.”

Sighing, he resumes his seat. “As you wish, but promise you’ll send her away right after. There’s no need for another heart to be hurt.”

“I understand.” Clapping his hands, the king sits back on the throne, using one hand to cover his mouth and cover his secret smile.

Onew, on the other hand, fixes his face into one of polite interest.

    The tall doors at the end of the great hall creak open to reveal a small figure clothed in a sea blue, gold trimmed hanbok, a translucent veil and the distance obscuring her face. Onew is curious when he sees three of his closest brothers escorting her, but she enters the hall alone and the doors close behind her. With slow steps, she approaches the throne, stopping a few feet away before her knees fail her and she drops to the ground, but thankfully the action looks planned.

“Welcome to our court, dear one,” the king says, his voice booming through the empty room.

She gives no response.

“Go to her,” the king tells Onew quietly.

Unfolding his legs and almost stumbling over them, Onew walks down the steps of the dais and stops in front of her. Noticing that she’s trembling and the way her hands are clutching each other nervously, his heart softens a little.

Kneeling in front of her, he says, “It’s all right. My father seems scary, but he won’t hurt you. What’s your name?”

Again, she gives no response.

“I’m Prince Onew...may I see your face?”

Taking her silence as acquiescence, Onew carefully lifts the veil and puts out of the way. When she doesn’t lift her head, he puts a gentle finger under her chin to pull it up. As her eyes meet his, he feels his breath stop.

Onew’s shaky fingers hesitantly spread to cup her cheek. “H-Hae-Haeyoung?”

Her lips tremble as tears begin forming in her wide eyes.

Onew’s hand drops from her face as his arms crush her to his chest. He whispers, “Haeyoung. My Haeyoung.”

Pulling back slightly, he tilts her head again and crashes his lips against hers, years and years of pent up longing and love spilling forth. To his surprise, she goes limp, fainting.

“Haeyoung!”