I left very soon after breakfast. The conversation was all about Sarah and how being with her would be a great first decision as the heir to throne. I couldn't bare the thought of it and couldn't even breathe. I ran out to the courtyard to get air. After a moment, I was finally able to catch my breath, but my heart felt like it was on fire. 

Taemin approached and asked, "Mel? You ok?"

All I could do was hug him and cry, but then I remembered something happened with him last night too. "Tae, what happened with Catherine?" I asked through my sobs.

We went over and sat down on a bench. "Oh please don't cry over us. It'll be okay. I know she's your best friend." He thinks that's why I'm crying? Because of them? Isn't he going to be in for a shock later... He continued anyways. "Basically, Sehun is the whole reason that Catherine and I broke up. He told her mom and her mom... Well she did the unthinkable and Catherine just found out that Sehun was behind it all."

"What's the unthinkable?" I asked.

"She's the reason we put down Kimlee." Taemin said with a sigh.

"You mean she's the one who Kimlee kicked?" I replied.

"Kimlee wouldn't harm a soul. But no one questions Queen Victoria. Catherine didn't even come see me after we had her put down." Taemin said.

I gave him a hug and said, "She was probably upset. Catherine knew it was a lie I'm sure."

Taemin just shook his head and got up. "I have to get back to work. Bye." 

He left without saying anything else and I could tell he was ready to cry. He loved that horse and he loved her, but somehow he lost both in one summer. Maybe this summer, I'll lose what I love too.

I sat there for a few more moments before someone else approached. "Hey." Said Kai. I looked away from him and didn't speak. "Mel, I tried back there. You know that right?" I still said nothing. "I told them about us. They may want me to be with Sarah but it's not going to happen. I promise."

"You can't promise anything." I said quietly.

"Melody." Kai said extending a hand towards me. I turned away not letting him touch me. "What more do you want from me? Do you want me to actually propose right here? I don't have the ring but I can do it!"

"No! That's the last thing I want. I just..." I couldn't even find the words to say.

"Melody. I have pledged my love to you. I'm going to stay faithful to you. I don't care who comes along. I love you more than I could ever love myself. Baby, I love you more than my kingdom. I'd give it up the very minute you asked if it means we are together." He took a step closer to me and I let him. Eventually he got close enough to hug me and he did. "I love you. I don't know how I can prove it, but I promise you I'm going to try." He said with a whisper.

"You promise?" I asked quietly. My head was against his chest and I could hear his heart pounding.

"On my life." He said holding me tighter. 

We pulled apart and I only had one question left to ask. "When does she come?" I asked.

He sighed and looked off in the distance and then back to me. "Tomorrow." I looked down and was ready to cry. "But let's make tonight, the best we can. We can go on a date and everything."

"A date? To where? People can't know about us, remember?" I said knowing I was right.

"Hey, you let me handle that. You just show up." He said with a smile. I nodded and decided to go check on Catherine. I had yet to see her after last nights shenanigans. I looked around and kissed Kai goodbye, which shocked him a little. I was about to leave when he pulled me back in and kissed me once more. "Tonight. 7 o clock. I'd say wear something pretty but you look gorgeous in anything you wear." I giggled and blushed and nodded. We parted and I went into the castle first.

I went up to her room and found her laying on her bed, still in her pajamas. "Hey Catherine. Are you ok?" I asked.

"I'm fine." She said simply. I couldn't tell how she was feeling honestly.

"So did you and Sehun work things out?"
I asked hoping for answers.

"Eh. How are you and Kai?" She asked propping her head up. "I saw you two last night."

I blushed. "Kai and I aren't what's important right now."

"Actually, you are. You were all anyone talked about last night." She said.

"I... I.." I stuttered

"You? Tell me!" She said with a smile.

"We danced. We kissed. We spent the night in each other's arms under the stars. We went back to the castle." I started naming off things we did last night.

"You did what??? Spent the night in each other's arms?! Melody! Details!" She said squealing. 

"It was nothing really. He kind of just fell asleep while I held him and I fell asleep too. He wants to tell everyone about us." I said going quieter with each word.

"Yes! He should! That way you can date officially! It would be perfect!" She said smiling. 

"We can't date officially." I said sadly.

"Why not?" She said frowning.

I told her about Princess Sarah and how she was coming. She started getting mad and got off of her bed. "She can't have him. I won't let her. You can't let her. He's yours. You two are meant to be together." She said pacing around the room. "It's only a week. After the week is over, if he doesn't do it, I'm telling." She said.

"You can't! They want him to marry her." I said quietly.

"What does he want?" She asked.

I bit my lip. "He wants to marry me, but I'm no comparison." I said.

"No! She is no comparison." She said. "And I'm gonna make sure she sees that. He already does. You have nothing to worry about."

"You don't think he might fall in love with her?" I asked.

"Melody. Kai doesn't just fall in love with anyone." She said, giving me a hug.

"He just fell in love with me, though." I said.

"That was fate." She said with a knowing smile. “So! What are your plans now?”

“Well Sarah is coming tomorrow, but Kai wants to go on a date tonight.” I said slowly.

“Ooo! Where? Is it fancy? Casual?” She started going to her closet to look through her outfits. 

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me anything. Just that we are going at 7.” I really had no clue what to wear. 

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll go find out what kind of date it is and I’ll be right back.” Before I could protest, she was gone. 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. I could hear a distressed Sehun on the other side. "Catherine? Please answer. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I miss you." His voice was so sincere that I really wished I were Catherine. I opened the door and Sehun stood back shockingly.

"You're not Catherine." He said. 

"Nope. She's off talking to Kai." I said inviting him in.

"Oh Melody. It's been awful. How is she? Is she ok? What does she have to talk to him about?" He asked.

"Um. She won't tell me how she is. But she's off talking to Kai because we are going on a date tonight and I don't know what to wear. I think she might be helping him plan." I said sitting on the bed.

Sehun's eyes brightened. "Maybe they need my help! Thanks Melody!" Then he left.

At least 20 minutes passed and I fell asleep on her bed. I woke up to a pair of soft lips kissing my forehead. I opened my eyes and saw Kai. I couldn't help but smile, and sat up. "I'll see you tonight." He said kissing me once more and leaving.

I looked over at Catherine and Sehun who were at the door giggling at my goofy expression. Sehun took one last look at Catherine before leaving but she would not return his glance. She got me up and took me to my room where we started getting ready for what I hoped would be a special evening.

Evening came, and I was in a simple cute black dress that came down to my knees. My hair was up and little curls were falling everywhere. Catherine did my make up and let me borrow a pair of her shoes. I took one last look in the mirror before putting on the necklace he gave me. "You look gorgeous. He's not gonna know what hit him." Catherine said making sure each detail was perfect. 

There was a knock on the door and Catherine answered. It was Sehun and he looked really nice in a button up shirt and dark jeans. I heard Catherine take in a sharp breath but she stayed composed. "Take her to him." Catherine said smiling.

Sehun nodded and took me outside. He put me on a horse and walked with me for awhile. I saw lights off in the distance as we walked and we eventually reached a clearing decorated with lights all over the trees. There was a table for two and a horse tied up near by. My heart stopped at what I saw next. 

Standing in an all black suit holding a bouquet of roses was Kai. Sehun helped me off the horse and I walked over.

"Kai... They're beautiful." I exclaimed. He smiled and gave them to me. Sehun then took them from me and promised me he'd put them in my room. "Did you do all this just for me?" I asked staring up at the decorations. 

"If I had more time I could have done more." He said holding me from behind. 

I turned around and looked into his eyes. "No. This. This is perfect. All of it." I said smiling.

"I'd do anything for you. I told you." Kai said sweetly.

"You actually love me, don't you?" I asked.

"Yes. I do." He said staring back at me. He inched his lips closer to mine and it was like a magnet pulled us together. "Do you love me?" He asked quietly.

"Yes. I love you, Kaikai." I said before kissing him once more. 

He walked me over to the table and pulled out the chair for me. I giggled at his gesture and sat down. We enjoyed my favorite meal from the palace: chicken cordon bleu and mashed potatoes.

 "So Kai, how did you get the chef to make us dinner and not tell anyone?" I asked after he cleared our plates away.

"Onew owed me a favor. So he was happy to do it." Kai said smiling at me while bringing his chair closer to mine. He reached over and grabbed my hand. He began studying it and traced his thumb along my skin. "Even your hands are beautiful." Kai said absentmindedly. 

"I didn't know hands could be attractive." I said with a giggle.

"Oh they can be." Kai said as he lifted my hand up to his mouth. Instead of kissing the back of my hand like he usually does, he kissed the end of each finger softly. I blushed without him noticing and he brought my hand up to his cheek and left it there cradling his head. He leaned his lips towards my hand and kissed the palm. He said nothing while doing this but I knew exactly what he wanted to. 

He got up from the table and left my hand hanging there like it was in a trance. Suddenly the sound of soft slow music filled the air and brought me back to reality. Kai walked over to me and extended his hand shyly. I took it and he lead me over to a more open spot. I looked into his eyes and although my feet were moving, I felt frozen. My heart stopped beating and I'm not sure if I was breathing or not. I couldn't take my eyes off of his and I got lost in the sea of brown before me. His eyes never left mine for the entire song and even though we were silent, so much was being said.

As the next song started, he brought his lips close to my ear and whispered, "I've waited my whole life to feel like this."

"To feel like what?" I asked breathing in his scent that wafted towards my nose.

He brought his lips within an inch of mine before he spoke. "To feel complete," he said before planting his lips on mine softly.