“Are you sure that you would not like to invite the crown prince or any of the princesses?”

“None of them are to be allowed within the confines of Damiwon today. Seal it and bar anybody who hasn’t been invited from entering. No one needs to know what we’re doing.” So told his royal eunuch who went to relay his orders. 

So breathed in the sight of Damiwon, somewhere he hadn’t been in a long time. But he felt it apt for the site of Seol’s birthday party. This had been her mother’s home for many years and it’s where, for better or for worse, his and Soo’s roots lie. Every inch of this reminded of Soo. Her essence filled the room to this day and there wasn’t a thing that didn’t remind him of her. This place was devoid of life without her, it was but a shell, performing its duties, but empty on the inside, broken. Sometimes the days passed agonizingly slow, like the weight of the whole world was on its shoulders and sometimes the days passed in a daze where it wasn’t living but still, the world soldiered on. 

He missed her every day, in fact, he didn’t think he was capable of missing her anymore than he already did, but today he especially missed her. He wishes  she was here to see how their child had grown and the sight of her running down the hallways they once roamed together. He smiled at the sight of Seol running down the hallway towards him. For a second, he saw Soo. 

So had been gone for two weeks on a mission for the king, who had wanted him to travel to Seokyung to flesh out the situation and assess its viability as the new capital. It had been a long two weeks. He worked day and night in hopes of getting back the palace as soon as possible so he could see Soo. He had to make sure the king hadn’t tried anything. Baekah was watching over and he had been able to send word back that he was alright once. He was so worried about her that he upon his arrival in the palace he went straight to Damiwon. He had sent all of the court ladies out and had asked one to alert Soo of his arrival. 

“Hae sanggung! The fourth prince is here-“ He heard a court lady say, followed by the pounding of footsteps against the hardwood surface. He looked up and saw Soo barreling towards him, nearly catching him off guard and knocking them both over. 

“You’re okay. I was so worried about you, I didn’t hear anything from you after the first week and I was so worried that something might happen.” She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and buried her face in his chest, breathing in the scent of him. 

“I’m fine! Look at me, back in one piece, not a single scratch on me.”  

So looked down but it wasn’t Soo who had looked at him, but Seol. It was all rather bittersweet but he was happy to just see her. 

“Your majesty! Are you feeling better?” Seol said, looking up at him with a huge smile. He saw Jung, his wife, Ara, and their two twin boys trailing behind her. He smiled at them and Ara returned an encouraging smile, nodding towards Seol. 

“I’m feeling a lot better! And how are you, birthday girl. Are you excited for your birthday party?”

“So excited! Tan, Hyun, aren’t you excited too?” Seol said, turning to her little brothers who trailed their older sister like puppies. They nodded in agreement eagerly. 

It had only been a month and a half since he had last seen her but she was growing up so quickly. She had grown at least a couple of inches taller and her hair longer and before he knew it she would be a little lady soon. 

She looks so much like Soo and no matter how many times he looks at her or thinks about it, he can’t wrap his around how much she looks like Soo except she has his smile and ears and Baekah says her eyes crinkle like his do when she laughs. 

The party goes into full swing as Baekah and Jimong arrive not long after. They actively play with the kids and they beckon So to join in but he’s content just watching them. His eyes barely ever leave Seol as he watches her play with her little brothers that she showers with love and the adults, who she dazzles. So much like her mother, this one. She has the same ability to captivate the world without even trying, just by being herself, she draws people in and they instantly adore her. A couple of times, Seol’s eyes deviate from her loyal subjects and drift towards him and sends him a reassuring a smile, a smile that shines brighter than the stars. 

In her pretty blue robes, she shines brighter than the sun and So hopes that she’s exactly like Soo and that he’s not asking too much. He hopes that she’s kind and loving, even though he already knows she is.

So makes seven wishes for her, one for every year that he’s missed and one for this year, the year he finally gets to share in the events of her life. 

He hopes that she is healthy and stays healthy. 

He hopes that she is just like Soo before the world broke her. Kind and loving and bright and always fighting for the things she believes in. 

He hopes that she laughs as loud as her mother did and screams even louder for the people that she will eventually fight for. 

He hopes that she’ll be just like Soo and be a lover and not a fighter like him. He knows better than anybody in the world that no matter how well intentioned, how dire the situation, that you can never truly clean your hands of the blood you’ve spilled. 

He hopes that she will never have to suffer, never have to kneel before anybody or be held back by a leash. 

He hopes that she will never have to suffer a fate similar to her parents. He hopes that she will one day find someone she loves as much as he loved Soo and she will get to be happy with them, the happy ever after that they never got to have.