“Why does father wish to see me?” Kyungsoo asked as he followed his sisters out of the garden, jogging slightly to keep up with their longer strides. How they managed to move so fast and so gracefully while wearing such high, fragile looking heels was a complete and utter mystery to him. He could barely keep upright, even with both feet flat on the ground. 

His eldest sister nodded as she brushed back a carefully curled strand of hair. “Mmmhmm. I think he’s worried about you.”

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Worried about me? Why?”

His second eldest sister placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as they continued their brisk walk. “Kyungsoo,” she said quietly, her eyes soft,” You’re seventeen already, nearly eighteen, and you are still refusing to consider marriage. Of course father’s worried. He only wants to see you happy.”

Kyungsoo frowned slightly, eyebrows twisting further. “But I am happy…Besides, isn’t it a little early to be thinking about marriage?”

“I was sixteen when I was married,” his eldest sister reminded him with a gentle tap to his chin. “And many consider eighteen a ripe rage for marriage. I’m worried too, Kyungsoo. Why are you so adamant against marriage? You have so many suitors, yet you refuse to let them court you.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to get married!” Kyungsoo protested, his eyes growing wide in alarm. “It’s just… I want to marry for love, not for the sake of getting married. My suitors...they want our father’s riches and political power, the social esteem and prestige, but not me.”

The younger princess sighed as the three siblings reached the throne room. “Kyungsoo-ah, you should still give them a chance. Run along now, father’s waiting.”

And with a swish of elegant skirts, the two princesses disappeared back down the beautifully columned hallway.

Kyungsoo entered the throne room with trepidation, his footsteps soft and quiet. The room was gigantic, circular, lined with classical columns made of the same pure white marble the floor was constructed from. At the center of the room was the king, his bearded face solemn. His face was lined from age, his dark hair streaked with gray, but there were still smile crinkles around his eyes that Kyungsoo remembered from days long ago in his childhood, when his father was still young and robust. But even though time had taken its toll on the king, he was no less powerful or respected.

“You wanted to see me, father?” Kyungsoo murmured as he knelt before his father’s throne.

“Yes, Kyungsoo,” the king said as he shifted on his seat, his robes a rippling mass of gold and ruby. Beside him the queen smiled at Kyungsoo, her eyes soft at the appearance of her beloved youngest. “Your mother and I have been discussing your...wish to abstain from marriage. We understand that you do not wish to wed without love,” he said quickly as Kyungsoo opened his mouth to argue,” and we will respect it. However, we still worry. Princes and Princesses have come from far and wide to woo you, royalty of incomparable beauty and riches. And yet you love none.”

Kyungsoo nodded mutely, his small hands worrying his white robes as his father seemed to grow even wearier.

“Kyungsoo, it is not natural… The number of men and women who have offered themselves to you is uncountable, and yet your heart has never been touched. We- that is, your mother and I, we fear that we may have somehow angered the gods, and unintentionally cursed you to a life without love or marriage.

I would like to consult the Oracle of Delphi and learn the truth. Kyungsoo, will you travel with us to Delphi? I believe this is something that your ears should hear.”

~oOoOo0oOoOo~

My good king, you need not fret. Your beloved son will be married. Your son-in-law shall not be lacking in riches or power; he will have more gold than that of four kingdoms combined, and such might that even the gods of Olympus and the demons of the Underworld will fear his strike.

But, my good king, he will not be human.

The gods have spoken. In three days and three nights your son must be delivered to Apuleius’s peak at dawn, where he will be escorted from the mortal realm.

~oOoOo0oOoOo~

HIs mother’s tears were more than Kyungsoo could bear. The queen had fainted upon hearing the Oracle’s words, and had to be carried home by a procession of servants. From the minute she awoke with a startled gasp to moment Kyungsoo was to leave she never let her son out of her sight, determined not to let an instant with her beloved child slip by. Her smiles now were far and few in between, pale and tired, lacking in happiness but abundant with heartfelt agony.

His sisters wept, embracing their brother as if to never let him go. His father seemed to have aged a thousand years, and though he did not allow tears to escape, his eyes were full of pain. The palace itself seemed to die, the royals who inhabited it melancholy and lifeless, the servants silent in mourning. Words became a rarity, with only greetings and basic pleasantries being exchanged. The young prince’s suitors came to say farewell, Ladies Minah and Soojung bursting into tears while Lord Hyunsik placed a firm hand on his shoulders.

Kyungsoo himself accepted his fate with a calm resignation that broke the hearts of his family. The boy spent his last three days in their constant company. On the second to last day he went flower-picking with his sisters, gently brushing away their tears when they broke down. He wrapped them in his arms and sang to them of moments when the sun shone brighter than tears and begged them to please, please don’t cry.

And finally, the day arrived, and it was with a heavy heart that Kyungsoo roused. Pushing aside his bed-sheets, he gazed contemplatively at the beautifully ornamented chiton he was meant to wear. It was a work of art, carefully hand-crafted by the most skilled seamstresses in the kingdom, created for what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. His entourage didn’t say a word when Kyungsoo descended the stairs dressed in a simple black chiton instead of the finery that he had been meant to wear, and it was in utter silence that the journey was made.

Before he knew it Kyungsoo was standing at the top of a peak, surrounded by gray clouds, stormy skies, and the cold song of the four winds. As if in a dream he drifted closer to the edge of the cliff, peering into the abyss that gaped beneath him.

Perhaps it would be easier to just end like this.

He felt hands on his shoulders, soft whispers of love and farewell, heard his mother and sisters weep one last time. His father took his hands in his, the grip strong and stable, and Kyungsoo could barely choke back a sob. He couldn’t bring himself to look up, to meet their eyes and see the tears for fear he, too, would succumb to terror of the looming and unknown future. He was barely holding himself together as it was.

“I love you,” he whispered as he felt his loved ones finally let go. “I love you, I love you. Please don’t forget me. I love you.”

It was after their footsteps had long faded away into the silence that he finally allowed the tears to escape. 

~oOo0oOo0oOo~

A/N: I'm really sorry about the long wait! D: I was camping with friends, and there was no wifi, so... TT^TT *whispers* pls don't hate me

I hope this chapter isn't too disappointing! Thank you so, so, so much to all the subscribers and comments! I love you aaaaaaaalllll <3 

On a side note, my wonderful friend dragged me to the Metropoliton Museum of Arts yesterday, and I saw a bunch of Cupid and Psyche statues that just made me go asjdgkl! I kept thinking about Kaisoo in those positions and I swear, my face has never been redder. >/////< Because of this boost of inspiration, I think I should be writing a lot faster now! .3. Hopefully writing will come more easily XD 

Fun fact: Apuleius is the name of the guy who wrote Cupid and Psyche XD *gets shot*