“There is another heir to the throne.”

Gasps and whispers rippled amongst the crowd as they struggled to absorb this new information. Jaehyun’s brows furrowed in confusion, Secretary Jung’s expression was a cross between fury and denial, but Chaeyoung was the most shocked of all. She gaped at Namjoon as if he had grown a second head, her jaw slack and her broken heart beginning to beat again with renewed hope. She looked to Lisa for an explanation, but she appeared equally as startled as Chaeyoung felt.

It felt like forever when the princess finally found her voice to ask the question everyone was wondering.

“Namjoon, what are you talking about?” Chaeyoung asked in complete bewilderment, “another heir?”

Namjoon flashed her a semi-guilty, semi-victorious grin, “I apologize for the suddenness of all this. I am sure this may come as a shock, but given the importance of this news, we could not wait for a more opportune time to announce it. This document I hold explains it all better than I ever could.”

She could see the hidden glint in his eyes, like he knew just how much Chaeyoung required an escape route and was more than satisfied to be the one to provide her with just that. And for the first time since the news broke out, Chaeyoung was finally beginning to understand the meaning behind his words. They had found a way to save her.

“How is that even possible? Mingyu and I are the only offsprings of the King.”

Daesung grinned at her, “that you know of.”

Her eyebrows shot up as she simply glanced between the two of them, impatiently waiting for an explanation that would put her mind at ease.

“The prophecy stated that the first-born child of King Hyeonjeong would inherit the throne and bring peace to the kingdom, whereas the last-born would bring chaos and destruction,” Namjoon explained, slowly walking down a path the citizens had cleared in the room, towards Chaeyoung, “Mingyu, as we are all well-aware was certainly the last-born, but you, Chaeyoung, are not the first-born.”

A fresh wave of muttering and hushed whispers echoed throughout the room. Nothing made any sense. How could the king have had another heir without Chaeyoung ever knowing about it? And how did Namjoon know all of this? Why had no one told her?

Although a thousand questions flooded her mind, all she could focus on was the glimmer of hope blossoming in her chest. If Namjoon was speaking the truth, not only did it mean Chaeyoung still had a blood-related family, but it also meant there was a slight chance she would not have to become queen. If there really was another heir and if their claim to the throne was greater than Chaeyoung’s, she would automatically need to step down. And would Jaehyun still want to marry her without the guarantee of the throne attached to her?

As this realization dawned on her, she raised her gaze to Namjoon’s with wide, alert eyes and asked the next crucial question. The one that would determine both her fate and all of Goryeo’s.

“If I am not the first-born, then who is?”

For a second she thought Namjoon actually smirked at her, but it was gone in an instant when he turned towards the door. Daesung’s smile was so radiant that it was almost blinding. Irene and Seokjin exchanged an enthusiastic grin, making Chaeyoung even more curious than she already was as she peered over the excited crowd, following Namjoon’s gaze.

He raised his fingers to his mouth and released a loud, high-pitched whistle. Every single person in the crowd collectively held their breaths, a suspenseful silence sweeping the room as they listened to the heavy footsteps drawing closer behind the door.

Another second later, the large wooden doors slid open ceremoniously to reveal Jimin’s regal figure. Jisoo and Yoongi followed behind him closely like the most loyal bodyguards who were prepared to pounce on whoever questioned his legitimacy.

This time, Chaeyoung was not sure whose gasp was the loudest, her’s or Lisa’s.

In a way, it made perfect sense. All throughout this journey Jimin had proven his skills both in combat and in strategization. He had been the mastermind behind many of the plans they had used to escape dangerous situations whilst also being a peacekeeper during arguments. He dealt with conflict rationally and rarely allowed his emotions to get the better of him. His knowledge of governance and display of leadership had always been so natural, like he was born to lead.

Not to mention the immediate connection Chaeyoung had felt upon meeting him. Upon closer inspection, she could even see the resemblance of some of their facial features. Frankly, it was a wonder she did not figure this out earlier.

“How—” Chaeyoung trailed off, her mind desperately trying to piece everything together, “what… Jimin? Did you all know about this?”

She swept her gaze across all her friends with an astonished, almost accusatory, glint in her eyes.

Seokjin put his hands up in front of him immediately, his eyes widening in complete innocence, “I just found out too. And I can assure you I felt equally as betrayed as you are currently feeling. I was about to woop everyone’s for treason –”

“Only a select few knew about the possibility of another heir. Your father, the late King had only told the few people he trusted; myself, Hoseok, and Daesung. Jimin, himself, did not know until a few moments ago so I can assure you he is equally as shocked by all of this. It was not until we met and consulted with Irene that we were able to put together all the pieces of the puzzle and find the proper documents to confirm Park Jimin’s true identity.”

“My father knew about this?” Chaeyoung gasped, “was this his plan all along then? To travel the entire country in blind pursuit of the true heir to the throne?”

“Partly,” Daesung mused, “but his ultimate goal in all this was to protect both of you the best way he could.”

It was at that point that Jimin finally broke his silence, beginning to recover from his own internal shock and attempting to gain a better understanding of the situation.

“If he wanted to protect me, he could have told me this years ago. He could have taken my mother and I in, he could have reassured me that I still had a family, or at the very least he could have seen my mother one last time before she died.”

Chaeyoung’s eyes softened as she looked at Jimin in a new light. She had had her share of family tragedies, but he had also experienced a great ordeal as a result of his roots. A part of her was relieved to finally have someone to empathize with her over issues others could never relate to.

“I understand your bitterness,” Namjoon said softly, “but your father wrote you both a letter when he was devising this entire plan that may help explain all this.”

He stepped up to the stage where Chaeyoung and Jaehyun still stood above the crowd, their wedding vows completely forgotten as everyone scrambled to make sense of this news. Chaeyoung took the sealed envelop with shaky hands, stealing a glance at Jimin who was also looking at her with the same wary expression.

Releasing a deep breath, Chaeyoung carefully opened the scroll and began to read the words written on it in her father’s eloquent handwriting.

“To my dear children,

If you are reading this, it must mean that you have finally found each other. It also means I owe you both an explanation.

Before I was king, before I was a husband, before I was a father, I was merely an ordinary man pining after a woman I could never have. On one of my southern expeditions, I fell in love with a farmer’s daughter. Young and reckless, we entered a relationship that possessed no future. Eventually, we were forced apart by several confounding factors and I returned to the capital without her. What I did not know at that time was that she was pregnant. It was not until years later, when she was nearing the end of her life, when she wrote to me, telling me I had another son, and requesting that I protect him.

And that was exactly what I did. I knew that as soon as I brought another heir into the palace, his life would be in severe danger, just as Chaeyoung’s was. Instead of complicating your life and drawing attention to your ancestry, Jimin, I stayed back and watched you from afar. Ensuring you received the proper education required of a King. That you were surrounded with people who loved you like their own. And as I monitored your progress, it was clear that you were destined to lead – just as the prophecy had predicted. I have no doubt that you will govern with dignity and carry our country forward through the ensuing periods of turmoil. My only regret is that I did not have the pleasure of meeting the astounding man you have become today.

In contrast, Chaeyoung, you have always had an ambitious mind and free heart. You were made to believe you would be inheriting the throne as a decoy so that our enemies would never discover the truth. The success of our plan depended on everyone believing you were the only heir left. For using you as a pawn in the grand scheme of things, I am infinitely sorry, however I know you have never desired the throne. I knew since you were seven years old and began talking about living in the forest and building your dream garden that a restricted life of governance was not meant for you. You have never wanted to rule over anything but your own freedom. I have always told you that your emotions were your weakness but that could not be farther from the truth. Your heart and your compassion are the reasons you deserve a life far away from the palace – a life of freedom and love as you have always dreamed of.

Thus, I began developing an inheritance plan for the throne several years ago. So that if anything were to ever happen to me, both of you would be protected. That you would both lead the bright futures destined for you. Through the help of my reliable companions, I trust that the two of you underwent an exhausting, difficult, yet rewarding journey. I hope you have gained a better appreciation for your country, your people, and most importantly, each other. That you emerged from life’s challenges victorious and will continue to prevail in a similar way for the rest of your lives. The fact that you are still alive is ample proof of your perseverance.

And although I have left you first, I find comfort in the fact that my final act of goodwill on this earth was bringing my two children together. However difficult the rest of your journey is from here, just know that you will never walk alone again. For you now have each other.

With that, I will state my final decree as king, as validated by the royal seal:

I hereby declare Park Jimin, the first-born son of King Hyeonjeong, as the rightful heir to the throne. Effective immediately if you so choose to accept.”

Chaeyoung finished reading the letter with tears flooding her eyes. A glance down at Jimin revealed similar emotions reflected on his face. There was so much they wished to say to one another, but they had no idea where to begin. Both of them had led the better parts of their lives believing they had no family. That no matter how many people’s love filled their hearts, there would always be an empty space. The notion that that space would no longer be empty now was overwhelming.

“Do you wish to accept the King’s final decree?” Namjoon finally asked, causing everyone to turn towards Jimin expectantly.

He glanced up at Chaeyoung with a small smile, “as long as there are no objections from my sister, I would be pleased to accept.”

Chaeyoung nodded adamantly, her eyes filling with tears of joy this time as the crowd began to cheer passionately, urging him forward – towards the throne.

“Excuse me!” the royal secretary yelled above the commotion, waving his hands in the air like a madman as he tried to get everyone’s attention, “we have an objection! What about our deal? We were promised a throne and we will get it, no matter the costs.”

Chaeyoung turned towards him, completely forgetting he was even there. Then, she glanced at Jaehyun, realizing he had remained eerily quiet throughout this entire thing. His face appeared almost distraught as he fought some sort of internal battle.

Namjoon narrowed his eyes at the secretary, “Chaeyoung is not first-in-line for the throne, which means a marriage to her