Days had passed since that happened.

Clara was in the room assigned to her still pondering over it. She didn’t pull away but when it was over, she avoided him every chance she could. Instead of going to meals, she would eat in her room. She used to eat in the kitchen but Kwon would start coming downstairs and try to talk to her.

She sat on the bed, knees to her chest, wondering what would become of the two of them. A knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. She got off the bed slowly and walked over to the door. Opening it cautiously to whoever was outside.

“It’s alright, Clara. It’s just me.” Seungri said as he stepped inside before she could invite him in. “I came to tell you something important.”

“And that would be?” She said closing the door. She sat down at the small table provided in the room and he joined her.

“Prince Jiyong. He’s worried about you. I don’t know what happened between the two of you but he is curious of why you’re avoiding him.”

“I’m not avoiding him.” She stared at the window, the wind moving the drapes slightly.

Seungri gave her a blank face. “You are. No one has really seen you in the palace either and this is a problem considering his fiancé is arriving today.”

That made her look him in the eye. “She is?”

He nodded. “And that’s precisely why I came in here. There’s going to be a banquet in a few days. Not only does Jiyong want you to attend but so do the King and Queen.”

“They….want me there?” Her eyes went to her feet. Why do they want her to meet the woman that they were forcing onto Kwon? It didn’t make any sense.

“They do. Youngbae had a word with the Queen about you. She finds potential in you as a bride for the Prince.”

Clara’s eyes went wide. Did she want to marry Kwon? There was a struggle of whether or not she even wanted to see him again after the stunt he pulled days ago.

Seungri watched her for a moment then sighed. Closing his eyes, he stood up and walked over to the door.

“You love him. We know you do. When you stop fighting your feelings, things will get easier. Trust me on that one.” He walked out the door, about to close it behind him but he stopped. “Oh and some seamstresses will be here later to get your measurements. You’re going to need more than what you’ve been wearing around here.”

With that, he closed the door and left Clara alone with her thoughts.

~~~

Seungri walked into the young Prince’s room to see him with his head in his hands.

“I told her what you wanted me to. You sure you want to lie to her like this?” He said leaning against the wardrobe.

“It’s better this way. I know she’s not talking to me right now.” Jiyong ran a hand through his hair.

“Mind telling me what happened?” Seungri said curiously.

Jiyong shook his head. “Let’s just get ready to meet this fiancé of mine.” They walked out of the room and down the corridor until they reached the throne room.

The King and Queen were already sitting in their respective seats and smiled upon view of their son. The Queen stood up and met Jiyong half way and hugged him before leading him to his seat next to the King.

“Are you ready to meet her today?” The King spoke simply to Jiyong. He nodded and sighed.

Sitting down, he gestured for Seungri to come closer to him. “Is Clara going to make it?”

“Your majesty I wish I knew. The seamstress should have given her a new attire by now so—” He was cut off when Jiyong put his hand up. The door was opening before them.

He frowned when he saw that it was not Clara who had walked in but another young woman. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun, not a strand of hair out of place. Her crown was adorned in rubies and a few diamonds. Her dress was a fiery red color that hung off her shoulders slightly, showing tanned skin.

She walked up to them, head held high and gave a small smile before bowing deeply.

A man who had been walking with her stepped up and spoke.

“King and Queen of the Dragon Kingdom of the Far East. I present to you Princess Lina of the Scorpion Kingdom.”

The King and Queen nodded curtly. Jiyong looked out of one of the many tall windows away from her. Seungri chuckled as he watched the Princess look directly at Jiyong, practically shooting flaming arrows at him.

“It is an honor to have you here. We are hoping to seal the engagement within your stay here. So please, make yourself at home.” The King said with a grin.

From the other side of the Queen, The Duke stood there with a sinister grin on his face. “Yes please do make yourself at home. Such a fine queen you will make one day. Don’t you agree nephew?”

Jiyong blinked and looked around. He looked back at Lina who had been standing there patiently. He looked at the Duke and sighed.

“Yes, maybe.” He continued to look out the window.

The Queen chuckled softly. “Please forgive our son’s behavior. He has been away from the castle for quite some time now and has only just returned.”

Lina smiled and nodded at the Queen. “It is quite alright. I would like to hear more about your travels, your majesty, if that’s alright with you.”

Jiyong didn’t answer.

“I’m sure he’d like to get to know you more as well. You must have had a long journey. Go and rest. We will have a banquet in two days’ time for your arrival.” The King said and the princess nodded as she was led out of the room.

Once she was gone, the Duke spoke up. “That wasn’t a very polite thing for you to do, nephew. Your fiancé is beautiful. How dare you ignore her?”

“Then you marry her then.” He stood up and walked out of the room. The moment he stepped into the hallway, he stopped. Clara was looking up at him in surprise.

He reached out to touch her but she turned quickly and ran down the hall.

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Hey! Your author here!

I have a proposition to ask you guys.

I'm not sure if I want to put in this story or not.

The fact that this story is so much longer than I expected it to be surprises me.

So, give me your opinion!