Thousands of years ago, the world wasn’t what it was known to be. There were no countries, only boundaries, and humans lived in constant worries. In a far corner of the world was a majestic kingdom whose Princess was a fair lady of kind and compassion. The people of Dyen loved her more than they loved their King and Queen but it quickly became known that no man would ever be worthy to be her life partner.

She was untouchable and she quickly ascended as a fairy. The Princess was the light that this dark world needed but at last, the royalty proved to be only human. They would soon learn after their deaths that their beloved Princess Wendy would rather choose love than her kingdom.

And that would haunt her for many years to come.

In another corner of the world was a King, whose age brought murmurs everywhere he went. King Mark, the youngest King of Arkwan to ever ascend the throne, was a person of small words and silence. He ruled with his iron fist and his kingdom was known to be dark and gloomy.

But the people of Arkwan were happy. The King was much better at prioritising them than his father. The old King never returned from a trip and at age ten, King Mark was forced to ascend the throne for there were no better candidates. No one could blame the young King for being a straight laced man.

For even if the sun never shone on Arkwan, the dark clouds had been more than comforting.

---

It was a little while after, when the world would continue to break into different states and kingdoms, as though reminiscent of the craters separating the Earth. When war finally started knocking on the doors of Dyen, the Royal family deemed it not safe for the Princess to stay and thus Her Highness Wendy was forced to move. She left her kingdom and her family, albeit with a heavy heart and quickly rode on horseback to seek shelter.

Accompanying her were her faithful maid and butler, anxious to escape the clutches of war to keep the Princess safe. It took them about two weeks before they deemed it was safe to step foot into an unknown kingdom untouched by war. At this point in time, their faces were dark and their clothes were muddied from the extent of their travels.

The first thing Wendy noticed were the people’s hesitant smiles towards them. She considered it normal for surely they were wondering why these three newcomers had looked so unkempt. The young lady kept mum, waiting for her butler who had been asking questions patiently. She took a small glance towards her maid in waiting and the other young maiden only gave her a tired smile.

“We shall go to the castle.” Her butler had interrupted the moment between the two and nodded gravely towards the impending doom.

They rode stealthily to the front gates, trying their best to ignore the gawking stares they received. Wendy has yet to know where they seem to be at the moment, but she hoped that the Royalty in this kingdom would be nice enough to let them seek temporary shelter. She would be elated if they allowed her to stay, even if for a few days.

“Seulgi.” Wendy faced her maid right after they got off their horses. “Is it me, or are there no guards guarding the front gates?”

“This kingdom is known for their army.” Jinyoung, her butler, interrupted once again. “Apparently, the other kingdoms are afraid of attacking them for fear of their strength. This explains why they’re untouched by the war.”

Wendy nodded her head grimly. It would seem that this would be the ideal place to seek shelter. The young lady couldn’t help but also wonder if they were as kind as they were strong.

A few knocks were made and the wait was filled with nothing but silence. Footsteps were soon heard but their anticipation fell short as the voice addressed them behind its’ closed doors.

“Who is it?” A deep voice asked them in a commanding manner.

Jinyoung cleared his throat a few times before answering. “Good Morning. We apologise for the interruption. My name is Jinyoung and I work as a butler for the Royal Kingdom of Dyen.”

“And what could a butler of Dyen probably want with us?”

“The Kingdom of Dyen has been hit by the war that has been going around these areas. I, as well as another, have been decreed to keep Her Highness, Princess of the Dyen Kingdom, safe from war. We have been travelling for the past two weeks and finally came across the Kingdom of Arkwan just today. We hope to receive permission to seek shelter here, away from the ongoing war. If I may be so bold, will it be possible for us to come face to face with His Majesty?”

“His Majesty isn’t here at the moment but you may talk to me. He has left all matters in my hands.”

Jinyoung pursed his lips worryingly, a sense of urgency rushing through him.

“My good Sir, will you then allow Her Highness to seek shelter in Arkwan?”

“Accepting a request from another kingdom during war may prove to be deadly in the future, especially when it concerns a member of the Royal family. As much as we’d like to be kind-hearted here in Arkwan, I’m afraid given the circumstances that I’d have to say no.”

How did I knew he was going to say that, Jinyoung thought discerningly.

“Please Sir,” Jinyoung begged. “We’d do anything! We’re desperate for shelter and it wouldn’t do us good with the Princess out in the forests.”

Wendy unknowingly furrowed her eyebrows together, feeling the guilt passing through her. It pained her to see Jinyoung begging like that for the remarkable young man had once looked only poise in the walls of her castle. She’d thought that the forests might actually be a decent place to live in if they were sneaky enough. Wendy could live with that, but she’d rather die seeing the sorry state of her butler; for he wasn’t only her servant but her friend as well.

“Jinyoung…” Seulgi looked on worriedly, glancing from Wendy to the man. “M-Maybe we should do that…”

The young man sighed, as though he already knew what the other was going to say. It was suspicious to Wendy, to say the least, to see that knowing glance between the two. She knew that they were engaged, but were all couples this telepathic?

“I beg of you, Sir.” Jinyoung didn’t back down. “We’re willing to offer the Princess’s hand in marriage to the King as well. An alliance through marriage would surely be a reasonable reason to let us stay. Please, Sir, please consider it carefully.”

“Marriage?!” Wendy exclaimed in shock as Seulgi bowed her head in apology. “Why should I be getting married to someone I don’t know?”

“Please, Your Highness.” Her maid apologised. “This was one of the things that was passed down from both His and Her Majesty. They knew that the other kingdoms would be reluctant to take in a runaway Princess, so they left it in our hands to choose a suitable kingdom that would have benefited you greatly.”

“Mother… and Father knew about this?”

“Besides, it’s not that bad.” She tried to appease the young lady. “The Kingdom of Arkwan is a prosperous kingdom and probably the safest kingdom out here. They would be able to keep you safe from war.”

“You people seem to know a whole lot on us.” The voice behind the doors spoke up after overhearing the conversation. “It also looked like coming here was a deliberate choice instead of chance.”

“Yes, Sir.” Jinyoung signalled for the two girls to keep quiet. “We know that His Majesty is the youngest King of Arkwan to ever ascend the throne and is also at the rightful age for marriage. Coming to Arkwan had been our plan all along, though rest assured that the King and Queen of Dyen know nothing of our choosing of Arkwan to seek shelter.”

“And their whereabouts?”

“We don’t know, Sir. I assume they’re still back at Dyen to fight off the invasion. I couldn’t imagine them running away to leave the people behind.”

More silence passed by and Wendy felt annoyed with each passing second. The fact still remained that both her friends had left her in the dark about coming to Arkwan from the start. She had wondered before to why they had skipped the other kingdoms that they’ve passed by but she presumed it was because they were struck with war. This almost felt like a betrayal but even Wendy knew when to be quiet. Her marriage was the least of their concerns.

After all, a Princess’s life isn’t dictated by her own actions and unfortunately, has to involve the entire kingdom. That had always been the way of the Royals.

“You’re a very well informed man.” They could hear the reluctance in the mystery man’s voice. “The Princess is lucky to have a dependable servant such as you but I’m afraid that my answer is going to be the same. The King isn’t looking for a betrothed at the moment for he has a lot on his hands due to the war. This is an important time for all of us. I’m sorry but you must leave at once. If word gets out that the Princess is seeking refuge here, there may be kingdoms who might team up to take us down. Truly, I’m sorry.”

“Please, Sir!” Jinyoung raised his voice higher. “We’re desperate!”

“And who might you be?” A man suddenly interrupted the conversation, startling them from behind.

The trio stumbled back in surprise and soon came face to face with another young man. They first noticed his delicate features and how his voice was soft and gentle at the same time.

“H-His Majesty?” Seulgi choked up a response.

The man started laughing, leaving the three confused. He dabbed his tears away when he was done and assessed the three faces carefully.

“Please, let’s not stand on ceremony.” He bowed his head politely. “I am merely a humble servant of His Majesty. And you are?”

Jinyoung straightened his back upon the other man’s words. He appeared to be as young as him but the way he stood and the way he talked had been utterly mesmerising. Even if he was a servant, the young man exuded such elegance; one that was enough to be mistaken for Royalty.

“Good morning, good Sir. My name is Jinyoung and I work as a butler for the Kingdom of Dyen. This is Her Royal Highness, Princess Wendy of Dyen.” He nodded towards the girl. “My lady and I, as well as her accompanying maid Seulgi, are trying to seek shelter here from the ongoing war. We’ve come to the conclusion to come to Arkwan, the great Kingdom where the war might not be able to reach. We didn’t come here empty handed for we’re willing to offer the Princess’s hands in marriage in exchange for safety. Their Majesties are aware of this, of course, though they have left the choice of kingdom entirely up to us.”

Jinyoung took a inhaled deeply after condensing his words into one mouthful. He looked on expectantly, a part of him still confident that the very man before him must have been the young King. There was no way that a man who exuded such grace could only be a servant.

“That was a lot to take in.” The man looked lost in thought. “Perhaps we should discuss it inside, where it’s warmer.”

It finally dawned on him that he had yet to introduce himself.

“Ah, I’m sorry. How rude of me.” He started laughing again. “My name is Youngjae and I am the Advisor to His Majesty, King Mark of Arkwan.”

“Ad…visor?” The three trailed on at the same time.

Wait, he’s not joking. Is he really just a servant?

“I believe that the man who had been talking to you for the past few minutes wouldn’t mind us taking this conversation inside.” Youngjae placed a key into the doors lock and started turning the knob. “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty?!” The three echoed again.

The doors opened and in stood a young man who looked no older than them. His face was glum, eyebrows creasing together at the sight of the three surprised visitors. Wendy first noticed his eyes, icy cold and it seemed almost threatening. But upon closer look she noticed that it wasn’t threat that was in his eyes but defeat. Her eyes roamed over the man’s hair, soft bangs hanging over his forehead. The clothes that he was wearing was simple but also grand at the same time. Even his posture was as regal-like.

There was no mistaking it; this was the young King of Arkwan that they were talking about.

“Must you always spoil my plans, Youngjae?” The young man with the deep voice spoke. “Didn’t I send you out on an errand?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Youngjae replied while smirking. “I thank the heavens that I’m back early or I would have allowed you to make such a horrible decision.”

“The decision remains.” The King stated flatly. “Nothing you say will change my mind.”

“Y-Your Majesty!” Jinyoung suddenly started bowing in front of him. “Please, Your Majesty! We really need your help! Will you not take the Princess as your bride?”

“Like I’ve said-“

“Your Majesty.” Youngjae called out firmly. He pointed to the Princess with his open palm, a calm expression on his face. “Are you that unfeeling to allow a beautiful Princess like her all muddied up in the thick forests near this kingdom?”

Upon his words, Wendy could feel the King’s stare on her. She met his eyes meekly but it quickly turned defiant once she saw him ravishing her figure with his cold, unfeeling eyes. She saw how even with her defiance, the King remained unbothered and simply turned back to the man he had called his advisor.

“Where is this beauty you speak of?” Mark raised an eyebrow. “Even the maid next to her seem to exude a lovelier aura.”

“H-How rude!” Seulgi got offended on behalf of her mistress but when Jinyoung had shook his head in warning, the young maid apologised in annoyance.

Wendy, on the other hand, was offended to think that the King thought of normal women-folk as unlovely in the first place.

“Well, I could see why you’re not able to see it.” Youngjae chuckled. “Her Highness is all covered in dirt. Surely Your Majesty would be astonished by her beauty once you’ve allowed her to stay and have a bath.”

“In all honesty, I don’t think the bath would help.” Mark started losing interest in the conversation. “I’m getting bored of this. Do whatever you want.”

“Does that mean…” Jinyoung widened his eyes in surprise before turning to face the King who was already walking away. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“Whatever.” The man sighed. “If you’re going to stay here, ask Youngjae to show you around. Should you three make any trouble at all, I’ll have you immediately expelled from the kingdom. That’s all. Find Youngjae if you ever need anything.”

“Wait…” Seulgi was slow on the uptake. “His Majesty is letting us stay here?”

“Definitely!” Youngjae smiled knowingly. “I apologise if he came across as unfeeling but His Majesty is actually a great person. If he wasn’t, this kingdom wouldn’t have prospered. But of course, I assume Her Highness’s hand in marriage is still intact?”

“Yes, Sir.” Jinyoung nodded his head seriously. “It’d be an honour to have the Princess marry His Majesty.”

“Great!” The former clapped his hands gleefully. “Now, if you three would follow me. I’ll show you to your rooms and ensure Her Highness shines before dinner starts. His Majesty might not come across as the greatest person at the moment but I assure you that my Master would treat the three of you very well.”

Wendy gave a small nod but started walking slower than the rest. It seemed unreal then, that she was about to get married to a stranger that she barely knew and there was nothing she could do about it. If she backed out of it now, it would bring Jinyoung and Seulgi much shame and trouble. But there was also no way she was going to marry a stranger.

Perhaps she’ll try to get to know him better in the coming days.

After all, it wasn’t only his eyes that were ravishing through her figure earlier for she thought him to be quite a handsome young man.

She secretly hoped he didn’t noticed how pink her cheeks had actually been before, even if she hated his stupid guts at first impression.

Wendy sighed.

She could already feel dinner being a long and horrible blast.

---

Dinner had been a long and horrible blast.

There were no words exchanged, for the King ate in silence. Wendy realised that the young man was a man of few words, much different from the ungentlemanly personality he showed earlier. The young man called Youngjae had taken the liberty to make sure that the two Royals were undisturbed during dinner, though Wendy wasn’t sure if that had been the right thing to do.

She’d do anything to have the talkative young man here; perhaps even Jinyoung & Seulgi could have made this dreadful atmosphere a little bit brighter.

Wendy saw the King poked about his poor sirloin steak from the corner of her eyes and she was sure that his vegetables had been left untouched since dinner first started. Without thinking much about the consequences she might get herself into, the young lady opened to speak.

“I offer you my deepest apologies and thanks, Your Majesty.”

At her voice, the young King looked up and his eyes met hers.

“What for?”

“Firstly, for troubling you with our problems earlier on. And of course, the thanks is for allowing us to stay here.”

“It wasn’t like I agreed from the start.” Mark shrugged his shoulders in nonchalance. “There’s really nothing to be thankful for. After all, you are giving me something in return, are you not?”

Wendy gulped at his words. How could she forget? “Ah, yes.”

“Since we’re on that topic, I’ve decided to move the wedding earlier. Does the start of next month sounds good to you?”

“N-Next month?!” Her Highness exclaimed in a daze. “B-But… what’s the rush?”

Next month? How could I possibly ever get to know him in a month?!

“There’s no rush of course.” Mark sipped a little bit of his wine. “I just thought that the earlier the better.”

“But Your Majesty… A month is not a long time to get to know somebody.”

“That isn’t a problem. We’ll have an eternity after the wedding to get to know each other.”

“But…” Wendy pouted. “I can’t possibly… marry a stranger.”

At her words, the young man placed his cup back on the table. Wendy waited for him anxiously and a sigh was soon heard from his lips. She could tell that he had been displeased by her words but it wasn’t as if she purposely tried to make him feel that way.

“Wendy, is it?” She heard his voice softened and she admitted that a part of her trembled from him calling her by her name. “You needn’t marry me if you don’t want to.”

“R-Really?!” The excitement was hard to miss from her voice.

With a little smirk, he added. “Of course. But do feel free to leave my castle. I can’t assure your safety afterwards.”

“T-That’s… that’s not fair!” Wendy raised her voice but she too was surprised by her sudden outburst. Well, she could admit that she had been asking for it, though. “I mean, of course I’d be honoured to marry you, Your Majesty. But I would like to know what type of a person my future spouse is before I enter into this agreement for eternity.”

“What you see is what you get.” Mark looked on in boredom. It seemed like nothing ever fazed him. “Will that be enough reason to want to marry me?”

“It’s actually the opposite.” She muttered through gritted teeth. Could the King be any more annoying? What happened to all the class and poise he had before? The man before her was anything but royal. He reminded her of the stories Seulgi used to tell her about the men she had encountered outside the castle walls. “There are stages to go through before the wedding, Your Majesty. There’s the getting to know each other, the process of understanding one another and the courtship. Surely you’ve heard of such things.”

“The… courtship?”

“Yes! Like giving your betrothed flowers or going on a date outside the castle walls! There are proper procedures for everything!”

“You’re… mad.” Mark stated simply.

“I’m what?!” Honestly the nerve of him to call me crazy!

“You’re angry.”

Oh. That was what he had meant. Was she angry? It dawned on Wendy that her little outburst may or may not have cost her their shelter.

“O-Of course not!” The young lady stuttered profusely. “I… was just too excited in telling you about the processes we have to go through before our marriage.”

“You can’t fool me.” There it was, the annoying smug look again. “You’re angry that you have to go through this and you’re taking it out on me.”

“I-I wasn’t, truly!”

“Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.” He shrugged his shoulders again. “I had thought you’d get angrier.”

“You…”

“What is it?” Mark smirked, clearly enjoying the reactions he’s receiving from her. “You’re free to tell me whatever it is that is on your mind. You are my betrothed after all.”

“Is this funny to you?” Wendy looked on disbelief. “Do you even understand the delicacy of a young maiden’s heart that has been thrown about in war and forced to marry a stranger she barely knew for a day?”

“A month, actually.” He corrected her. “We still have about a month more to go.”

“I can’t believe you. All I wanted was to get to know you better but clearly I’ve already known enough. You’re such a… a…”

“A...” The young King was suddenly encouraging her. “Do tell me.”

“An insolent dimwit!”

“Ah.” Mark finally smiled. “That’s better. Now, you already know what type of person I am and I already know what type of person you are. I fear for our marriage but the wedding would probably go smoothly.”

The Princess shook her head at the disrespect that he was showing her. The man might have been a King but as royal as he was, she was too. Never in her entire life had she been treated like a mere fool. Shame coursed through her for allowing to face humiliation like this but the guilt soon kicked in. She wouldn’t want the hard work that her friends had put in to go to waste.

But there was a limit to everything.

“That’s a lot of emotions coursing through your face.” Mark muttered in awe. “You’re the most expressive Princess I’ve ever seen.”

“You…”

“But judging from the guilt that has just passed through your face, I assume that you are at least different from the others.” He took yet another sip of his wine. “I can see that you’re at least a little intelligent.”

“A little?!” Wendy took offence at his words.

“And if you’re that intelligent, you would know not to make a fuss of something so trivial. It doesn’t suit your lovely features.” He added a little softly.

“W-What did you say?”

Aware that he was caught, Mark started feigning a cough.

“I said… it doesn’t suit your measly features.”

“Measly?!” Wendy was sure she had heard something else. “That’s it. I am done talking to you. Well, thank you for dinner, Your Majesty, but I am getting awfully tired.”

“So am I.”

The young lady started rolling her eyes. “I suppose I’ll retreat to the bedchamber you have oh so kindly provided and rest for the night.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Grr… How polite. Well, goodnight. I hope I won’t see you tomorrow.”

Only when the Princess had stomped out of the room did Mark allowed himself a genuine smile. Her Royal Highness of Dyen was much more interesting that he first anticipated. A small frown soon tugged at his lips, wondering if his little teasing had went too far.

And then, a bigger frown.

Maybe Wendy was right. Maybe she won’t be seeing him tomorrow.

---

The birds chirping outside her windows were reminiscent of the times she had back home. Wendy woke up today feeling a little sorrowful, her heart heavy with the reminder that this peace was not forever. She wondered how her parents were back at their kingdom.

Were they holding up fine? Are her people all right? Did the war caused a lot of damage?

The fact that she’s able to freely focus on her thoughts in Arkwan only further reminded her of her privilege.

Was there really a need for the Princess to run away? Would she have a right to come back to Dyen when she fled without her people?

“Y-Your Highness!”

The door banged open, revealing a panting Seulgi in front of it. The maid took a few deep breaths before urgently handing her a piece of paper.

“I-It’s… It’s from the King.”

Her eyes widened with curiosity, quickly scanning through the contents. The shock on her face couldn’t be missed as she gasped at the ridiculousness of it all.

Dear Wendy, Royal Highness of Dyen.

I regret to inform you that I’d be out on an errand and will only return a few days before the wedding.

Regards, Mark.

“What is this?” Wendy passed the paper back to Seulgi. “What does this mean?”

“His Majesty and his Advisor are apparently out on an errand.” The young maiden was still catching her breath. “Jinyoung saw this by the doors earlier when we were about to head to town. He’s gone to find someone to understand the whole situation.”

“That person… Does he hate me that much after yesterday?” Wendy was in deep thoughts. Had she went too far by telling him her innermost thoughts?

“Oh, Your Highness! Surely not!”

“I don’t know. We did seem to bicker yesterday.”

“Your Highness.” Jinyoung finally arrived at the door. “Pardon my intrusion.”

“Jinyoung!” Seulgi was the one who greeted him. “Have you found out where they left to?”

“I’m afraid not.” The young man sighed. “I’ve asked the castle workers but none seem to know anything, though I did hear someone mention that the soldiers have left with them.”

“The soldiers?” Wendy tilted her head in confusion. “Where would he be going with the soldiers? Unless… do you think that he caught word of a kingdom trying to invade Arkwan?”

“That is highly possible.” Jinyoung nodded his head gravely. “But His Majesty’s army is super strong. We should have faith in him and wait for him to come back.”

“That’s a relief…” The Princess rambled on by herself. “I thought he left because he hated me. I did felt awfully sorry for last night.”

“And why would there be a need to feel sorry again?” Her butler gave her a suspicious look.

Seulgi quickly interrupted, of which Wendy was really thankful for. “He wouldn’t hate you, Your Highness. You’re a lovely maiden. Please, be more confident in yourself.”

If only Seulgi knew that he had thought of her as the opposite.

---

Another day passed and the King was still missing from his castle.

Wendy roamed about inside the castle walls, occasionally greeting a few of the maids who worked there. They were all lovely people and made sure that the Princess was properly taken care of. She also saw how nice they had been while interacting with both her butler and maid and Wendy can’t help but admire the environment that the King had helped build.

She wondered if the young man was all right and secretly hated herself for already getting too attached to the cold and unfeeling person.

Maybe he’ll be back tomorrow.

---

Tomorrow came and there was still no signs of him.

She finally got around to asking where the library was so she could do some light reading. The history of Arkwan amazed her but his history made it sadder.

Wendy wondered how he felt being left by his father at such a young age. It must have surely traumatised him in one way or the other. How did he felt, holding on to such heavy responsibilities while being so young?

The Princess shook her head at that thought and continued reading.

But all she read was a continuing sadness.

---

There had been a commotion in the castle floors the following day and Wendy had rushed out, thinking the King was back.

It only turned out to be the castle’s stocks delivery.

She had silently went back into the library, clutching her heart at the anxiousness that was forming. His Majesty was on an errand and he did said that he would be coming back before the wedding.

So why had she been so anxious for his return?

---

A few more days passed and Wendy found herself getting used to the people in Arkwan. She had taken up Jinyoung’s offer to go to town, who with Seulgi, had been worried for the Princess cooping herself all alone in the bedchambers.

Everyone seemed warm and lovely, their smiles brightening up her day. They told her that they couldn’t wait for her wedding and she told them out of courtesy that she couldn’t wait for it too. The town continued to amaze her with their love for the King and Wendy was really awed at the impact the young man had on the kingdom.

Mark was really fit as Royalty.

It wasn’t until she was all alone again that she realised she unknowingly dropped his title in her thoughts.

And it wasn’t until she went to sleep did Wendy know that it wasn’t the politeness talking earlier; it was her heart.

---

A few more days passed by with dullness.

Tonight, Wendy awoke in her sleep, her eyes hoping to adjust itself to the light but only darkness remained. She turned to her right, eyes glancing towards her window pane, seeing that the waning moon was still shining up in the sky above.

She heard light footsteps outside her door and immediately sat up straight in her bed.

The girl reluctantly made her way out of her bed, thinking that it must have been Seulgi outside; probably anxious to disturb her from her sleep. She unlocked the door quickly but there was no one in front.

The cold wind breezed through as Wendy adjusted her eyes to the darkness. Sure enough, she soon saw a figure hastily making his exit down the corridors.

But there was no mistaking it.

“Mark!” Wendy shouted and the figure froze in his tracks. She could hear his sigh as he reluctantly turned around to face her. “Mark?”

She saw the figure stride up to her and true enough, she could see the annoyance that was plastered on the young King’s face.

“You’re back.” She muttered in awe as soon as he was to her front.

“I’m back.” He answered wearily. “Why are you still awake?”

“I heard footsteps.” Wendy started wondering if this was a dream. “Where have you been?”

This time it was Mark’s turn to look confused. “You didn’t saw my letter?”

“What type of errands did you took?”

“Oh, so you did received my letter.” Mark sighed in relief. “It was just a normal errand.”

“Was it the war? Is it coming towards us?”

“Just any normal errand, Wendy.” He reiterated his previous sentence. “Don’t worry about the stupid war. It won’t ever reach Arkwan.”

“But…”

“Wendy.”

Silence began creeping its’ way into the dark and quiet corridor.

“When did you return?” Wendy admitted defeat and changed her question.

“Just now.”

“In the afternoon?”

“Nope, just now.” The young King stared straight at her. “You look tired. Have you been sleeping well?”

“Not really.” She started shrugging her shoulders. “I was actually worried on where you’ve went.”

“Oh. Well… you can go to sleep safely now, since I’m back and all.”

“I could, if you’d only tell me where you’ve went. That was a horrible letter, by the way. You could have at least written a few more sentences. And what type of person leaves his betrothed right before the wedding?”

Mark ran a hand through his hair. It was way after midnight and there was absolutely no way he was going to partake in an argument with the Princess again.

“Wendy. I’m tired. Please stop asking questions. I went out on a simple errand. That’s all. You don’t have to worry your head about any other things.”

“Are you really going to blow me off that easily?” Wendy couldn’t help but feel disappointed at his lack of answer. “Well, could you at least tell me why you were outside my bedchambers at this timing? If I recalled properly, the maids mentioned your room being on the other end of this corridor.”

“I came to check up on you.” Mark stated simply. “Until I remembered that it was too late into the night and that you might have been asleep.”

“So why did you try to escape when I finally opened my door?”

Nothing ever slips past her, does it? Mark thought sarcastically.

“Because I didn’t want to entertain your silly questions.” He groaned before making his leave. “Now, go to sleep. I wouldn’t want you to blame me for looking like a hag tomorrow.”

“I’ll have you know, Your Majesty, that you’re still talking to the Princess of the Dyen Kingdom so you should at least be polite-“

Mark turned around and gave a small smile; one that had her already fast beating heart beat faster for different reasons.

“Goodnight, Princess.”

When the King had gone, Wendy still remained at her door in shock. The girl clutched her chest in sheer wonder, wondering why she hadn’t seen that soft smile before. Unlike the other smiles he had given her, this one was different.

This one seemed to have feelings.

Did that really just happen?

---

The King was nowhere to be found the next morning, leaving Wendy to think that yesterday’s events must have just been a dream.

She inwardly squealed when she spotted Youngjae at the dining table and the Advisor was so shocked at her presence that he choked on the bread he was having.

“Your Highness!” Youngjae finally managed to talk. “What are you doing here this late?”

“Is it that late?” Wendy mused as she took a seat at the end of the table. “It must be because I was up all night. Speaking of which, are you doing okay?”

“Oh yes! Never better! I’m flattered that the Princess would be worried for a mere servant like me.”

The girl cracked a forced smile. It was easy to see that that hadn’t been what she meant but was actually a leading question to talk about the King.

“Aren’t you tired?” The girl went along with it. “I heard you just returned yesterday night.”

“Well, I would say I’m tired but the satisfaction overwhelms all other feelings.”

“What satisfaction?”

“Why,” Youngjae looked almost hurt that she asked the question. “The satisfaction of driving out the invading kingdom from Dyen of course!”

“You went to Dyen?” Wendy seemed dazed. “Wait, you drove out the invasion at Dyen?”

“Didn’t His Majesty informed you in his letter?” This time it was the young man’s turn to look dazed. “I was sure he would have told you about it since-”

“Always the snitch.” A deep voice boomed at the dining room’s door. “And no, I didn’t tell her anything.”

“Mark!” Wendy turned around in surprise. “What is this about going to Dyen to drive back the invasion forces?”

The King glared at his right hand man before taking a seat right opposite him. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes carefully assessing the emotions of the lady’s face.

“You’re to be my betrothed, remember?” He pieced his words carefully. “There was no way I was going to marry a Princess without at least introducing myself to her parents. We are Royalty, after all.”

“You could have brought me along.”

“I can’t.” Mark growled before softening his gaze. “I can’t guarantee your safety if I brought you back to where the war is. Besides, His Majesty would have killed me for simply doing the opposite of what he wanted you to do, and that was to not return to Dyen for the time being.”

“But you drove out the invasion forces, right?” Wendy bubbled in excitement. “That means that I could return-”

“There is no way you can return at the moment. We may have drove out the invading forces but war is still very real in the areas outside Dyen. It would be too dangerous.”

“Did… my father say anything else?”

“You have wonderful parents.” The young King reminisced. “They send their regards and asked me to tell you that they love you.”

She suddenly felt bad for making him say it. The young maiden had forgotten that Mark had no parents. She wished that the war wouldn’t have to exist, then perhaps he would have been able to get to know her parents as his own.

“I see. Thank you.” The girl was surprisingly well behaved and less defiant. “But why did you refuse to tell me when you left?”

“And risked you following me?” Mark scoffed. “You’re not exactly the daintiest Princess there is around.”

“You could have just stopped at the first part. I didn’t need to hear the latter.” Wendy frowned. “Anyway, thank you. Both of you. For thinking so dearly for a stranger.”

“We’re not strangers anymore, Your Highness.” Youngjae chuckled. “We’re to be family. And besides, you have His Majesty to thank, not me. I merely followed orders. You should have seen how worried he was about leaving you and the other two here alone. When we were done with fighting the enemy off, he galloped away quickly on his horse, insistent to make sure that you were all right.”

“And I was a fool for that.” Mark yawned. “When I returned yesterday, she was as gutsy as ever.”

“Again, Your Majesty.” Wendy groaned. “That was absolutely not needed.”

“Your Majesty, eh?” Youngjae smiled knowingly. “And here I thought I finally heard the Princess calling His Majesty by his name.”

“I!” Her mind rushed, trying to think of ways to defend herself. Both men looked at her expectantly, waiting for an answer. It would be a lie to say that they weren’t enjoying the look on her face at the moment. “I… I’m really thankful for all the help you’ve extended to me, Your Majesty! And of course, Mr. Youngjae too! Uh… I… I need some time to be alone. Yes, that’s it. I need time to… think of my parents! Yes! I’m awfully sorry but I will go now.”

The girl left quickly without touching her breakfast, leaving the two men to chuckle in response.

“Isn’t this great?” Youngjae grinned as he too took his leave. “You’re smiling.”

“With that show she just put on for us, how could I not be smiling?” The King raised an eyebrow at his words. “She’s ridiculous.”

“And you’re smitten.” He bowed politely. “I’ll see you after lunch.”

Mark shook his head at the absurdity of it all. Him? Smitten?

If only Youngjae knew, Mark thought to himself, that the word smitten would have been an understatement.

---

“These are… for me?”

It was a little while after on that very same day when Wendy decided to take a walk in the gardens. The sun finally decided to shine for a little while in Arkwan and the girl couldn’t have missed the opportunity to go bask in its’ warmth.

The sun rarely made its’ appearance here for the dark clouds always loomed. It was a little strange, now that she thought about it, how the dark clouds never seemed to pour rain. In fact, it even seemed comforting, unlike the dark clouds that threatened a thunderstorm back in Dyen.

She didn’t notice the man coming for she was lost in her thoughts at the bench, so when he finally took a seat next to her, Wendy had jumped out in surprise.

He said no words, his face looking elsewhere while his hands were busy trying to hand her red roses.

“You said you liked flowers.” Mark said half-heartedly. “I didn’t know what type of flowers you liked but the roses were conveniently there.”

“Why… are you giving me flowers?” She tilted her head in her confusion.

The man finally faced her, his eyes looking as confused as hers.

“You once said that a young maiden would want to receive flowers during courtship, didn’t you?”

“That-“ Wendy remembered her little outburst from when they met and the girl turned pink in her cheeks.

The King made a serious face. “Do… you not like the flowers?”

“N-No! Of course not! I really love them!” She denied it quickly. “I’m just a little surprised that you remembered our conversation from back then. And also the fact that you’re willing to give me flowers in the first place.”

“I don’t find anything surprising about it. After all, it is a husband’s duty to listen to his wife and you are to be my partner after all. It’s only natural.”

“Oh.” Wendy suddenly frowned. “So the flowers are out of obligation?”

The man made a face, as though she had hit his raw nerve. She could see how he tried to piece his words carefully, as though he was afraid to offend her.

“You could say it’s out of obligation.” Mark uttered thoughtfully. “But I wouldn’t have agreed to your proposal if I didn’t at least found you interesting.”

“You find me interesting?”

“Yes.”

“Just… interesting?”

He pursed his lips together, confused to what she was hinting at. It soon dawned on him on what she really meant to say.

“If you’re asking me to tell you that you’re attractive, then you’re in for a disappointment.”

“Oh.” Mark saw how her face fell and quickly rectified his words.

“There were a few women who had been attractive.” He saw her scowl harder. “But there were none I found breath taking at first sight.”

The young man could tell that her mood had slightly gone up and he waited for her to say something. She fiddled around with the roses’ petals before finally telling him what was on her mind.

“You said you couldn’t see any beauty around you that first time we met.” Wendy tried to accuse him of lying.

“I’m not good with my words, Princess.” Mark rolled his eyes. “I thought that would have been obvious. I’ve never courted anyone before you so excuse me if I’m not as delicate around fair maidens.”

Ouch, Wendy thought to herself, Mark was definitely referring to that one outburst I had before.

“It’s very obvious.” The Princess teased smugly. “Your incompetence shows clearly.”

“I’m glad you find this funny. By the way, that was supposed to be sarcastic. I’m just telling you in case you didn’t understand. But you are a little intelligent after all. Surely you would have.”

“Enough.” Wendy should have known he was going to bite back and instantly regretted her teasing.

The pair laughed in sync, before chuckling awkwardly when they realised how timely their laughter had been to match the other.

Wendy began to find comfort in Mark’s presence. He may have been an insolent dimwit before and he may still be a slight dimwit now but she was at least happy to see that he was trying hard to be nice to her.

In return, Mark was nothing but giddy from the Princess’s presence alone.

Breath-taking was too little to describe her. Her existence alone was ineffable.

“I, uh, have actually been thinking this over since yesterday.” Mark suddenly uttered seriously. “Will you hear me out?”

“Of course.”

“I… don’t want to force you into any arrangements that you’re uncomfortable with. After much thought, I’m willing to break off our engagement if you want to. Of course, you’re still free to live here in Arkwan and only go back once the war stops.”

“What are you saying?” She didn’t want to process his words into her brain. Was this real? “How could you say that?”

“Sorry?” His head snapped right to look at her. “I mean… I just don’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to do.”

“Please don’t say that.” Wendy begged of the young man and her fingers found his. Mark was taken aback by her sudden touch and at how soft her hands actually were. “I may have a slight disdain for you at first but you have done so much for me. I am truly touched at the extent of your kindness. I wouldn’t have agreed to marry you if I didn’t at least wanted to. Please promise me you’ll never say such a thing again.”

“Wendy…”

“I want to marry you, Your Majesty. You have been nothing but kind to me. Well, we could do without the teasing but wouldn’t that make our married life something to look forward to?”

The King laughed, shaking his head at the words that were coming out of .

“You really are interesting, Wendy.” He mused softly. “Do you really love the teasing so much?”

“Not really.” The Princess made a face. “But if it’s to see your smile…”

“Ridiculous.” Mark laughed as he finally grabbed her hands a little tighter. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re corny?”

Wendy smiled widely. “Yes, Mark. You.”

---

“Your Highness! Breathe in a little deeper! Deeper!” Seulgi practically screamed at her.

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Wendy huffed.

The long awaited wedding day has finally come and as expected of the people in Arkwan, nothing was ever that silent.

Seulgi, and two other maids, had been helping the Princess donned on her wedding dress; but not without the corset.

“This is stupid.” Wendy muttered under her breath. “There should be a world out there somewhere where us maidens no longer wear these things made by the devil, am I right?”

“I actually find it fancy.” Seulgi got offended by her remark.

“I agree with Her Highness.” One of the maids started laughing. “These things were made by the devil.”

“How about a world where a woman can choose if she’d like to wear one or not?” The other maid chipped in and they immediately started giggling together.

After a few (horrendous) tries, the Princess finally managed to wear her wedding dress.

“I can’t wait for the wedding to be over.” Wendy wanted to cry out.

---

“You look beautiful, Your Highness.”

Wendy gave a wide grin towards Jinyoung, her best man for today. The young man looked dashing in his fancy attire and his usually sleek hair took a more natural look as well.

“Thank you, Jinyoung.” Wendy took his arms. “And thank you for agreeing to be my best man.”

“Your father would be proud.” He urged the Princess closer. “And I’m very sure that His Majesty King Mark would be absolutely in awe of your beauty today.”

“Oh, you’re being really sweet Jinyoung. If this was any other day, you would have been lecturing me on my posture.”

“I don’t give out compliments easily, Your Highness.” Jinyoung winked. “So believe me when I finally give one.”

---

She could see him standing at the altar, hair sleeked back to perfection. Unlike the first time they’ve met, Mark’s eyes were no more icy cold but it was filled with nothing but warmth. She could see the tension in his eyes, how his fingers seemed to fidget with every step she took and how utterly in awe his face was.

Wendy tried to suppress her grin but found that she could not.

When she finally arrived by his side, the King had whispered in her ear. “Breath-taking.”

The priest gave a small cough, uttering his words of encouragement. When he started reading the rites, Wendy felt Mark giving her hands a soft squeeze and she gave him one in return.

“Do Your Majesty, King Mark of Arkwan, take Her Royal Highness, Princess Wendy of Dyen, as your lawful wedded wife and promise to cherish her as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Mark gave a clear and firm answer.

“Do Your Highness, Princess Wendy of Dyen, take His Imperial and Royal Majesty of Arkwan as your lawful wedded husband and promise to cherish him as long as you both shall live?”

Wendy gave a teasing smile, one that the young man did not missed. He laughed softly at her antics but he remained patient, already knowing what her answer will be.

“I-“

“Your Majesty!”

The doors of the church flung open with a few soldiers quickly making their strides towards the groom.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Youngjae who had been sitting at the front bellowed angrily. “What good reasons do you have to be interrupting His Majesty’s wedding?”

“It’s… it’s the enemy.” The soldiers trembled from fear of both Youngjae and the scene they just saw. “It seems they’ve combined their strength and are on their way to attack us.”

“But we almost wiped the whole force out while we were at Dyen.” Mark looked at Wendy worriedly. “Tell me. Where exactly are their whereabouts?!”

“The bridge, Your Majesty.” One of the soldiers answered hurriedly. “Our front troops seemed to have been annihilated.”

“That’s not too far from here.” Youngjae muttered worriedly. “Quick, follow me! We’ll try to assemble as many men as possible!”

“Wendy…” Mark turned to face to the Princess, troubled by the turn of events.

“Go.” Wendy too was worried for the people of Arkwan. She wouldn’t wish the same things to happen to them like it happened to her kingdom. “The wedding can wait. Your people need you.”

The man smiled, softly kissing her on her forehead. “Thank you. I’ll go right now.”

“Mark?”

“Yeah?”

“Come back to me, all right?” She pursed her lips together. “Promise that you’ll come back to me safely.”

“I promise, Wendy.”

“Good. Now go.”

---

A few hours passed but the fighting never seemed to reach the town of Arkwan. A lone figure paced the church aisles, anxiousness eating her up from inside. Her two close confidants had left her earlier, retreating back to the castle to prepare should the fight reaches the inner walls of the kingdom.

Wendy clasped her hands together as though in prayer.

Dear Lord, Creator of the Universe. I pray that the fighting will stop, the war ceased forever and for my beloved to return safely in my arms. Amen.

It almost felt difficult for her to breathe. The church had been eerily silent with all the priests and nuns elsewhere helping to evacuate the townsfolk. There was no one in sight except Wendy; standing alone in her white wedding dress. Unable to take the wait any longer, the Princess hurried her steps outside but only the cold wind caressed her soft skin.

There was only silence and the dark clouds seemed to be getting even darker.

Dazed and confused; Wendy clasped her hands tighter.

---

“Youngjae!” Mark screamed, pulling his sword out from the enemy before him.

Blood splattered on his cheeks and the young King kicked the fallen man away. He swiftly dodged the arrows aimed at him, quickly making his way to his Advisor’s side.

“Y-Your Majesty.” The man clearly got shaken up, unusual from his normal demeanour. “Wow. Thank you. I could have died if you hadn’t come for me.”

“Let’s not worry about that.” The former replied hastily. “Look, I have an idea to take out the archers but I’ll need you to focus and not die on me.”

Youngjae straightened his shoulders upon seeing the glint in His Majesty’s eyes.

“What is it?”

“Fire.” Mark grinned smugly before turning his head up to the sky. “And quickly. We don’t have much time until the rain falls.”

---

Wendy looked up to the dark skies, her mind racing at the possibilities her beloved might found himself in. It was as if a spell had gotten to her, forcing her to think of only the negative outcomes. She shook her head at her last thought, vowing not to come to easy conclusions.

She will wait and she will have hope.

After all, Mark promised that he’d come back to her.

Relieved at that thought, the young maiden heaved a heavy sigh. It was then that she noticed a hooded figure cloaked in dark red, staring at her from behind the walls of the bakery opposite the church.

“A… woman?”

---

“We did it.” Youngjae looked on in awe at the sight before him.

The bridge that connected the forest to Arkwan was now ablaze, its’ fire reaching the trees where the archers had hid. Enemy’s horses galloped in different directions, adding more chaos to the fighting. Soldiers who were crossing fell into the river below, swept away by the heavy currents.

“Not yet.” His master muttered through his gritted teeth. “The enemies are still fighting with our troops. Don’t lose focus until we’ve killed each and single one of these barbarians. That will send a message to their Royals never to mess with Arkwan.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

---

“Who are you?!” Wendy stood up, hands clutching the helms of her dress. “State your name and purpose!”

The hooded woman said nothing but bended her head slightly to the Princess. Wendy looked on with pursed lips, wondering if she should even be making contact with the mysterious woman. There could have been a chance that she was a part of the enemy and the young lady involuntarily took a step back.

“I mean you no harm, Your Highness.” The woman’s voice sounded high and almost melodic, unlike a sound Wendy was used to. “I’m only here to see to your destiny.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“A very sad destiny.” Her voice suddenly sounded sad. “A pity considering how pure your soul is.”

---

“Hya!”

Mark pointed his tainted sword to a man no older than him, one whose back was already flat on the ground. The enemy hugged his stomach tightly, hoping that the sheer force would stop his body from bleeding. He looked up in disgust at the man with the cold eyes, staring menacingly at him.

“Well?!” The man shouted, voice brave to the last end. “Hurry up and off my head already!”

“I will.” Mark uttered frighteningly, leaving the man to cower in fear. “But not until you tell me why you’ve set foot into Arkwan.”

The former laughed, amused. “A stupid question, lass.”

“Not really.” He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Only a fool would come here, knowing how strong my army is.”

“Your army?” His eyes widened alarmingly. “You mean… you’re King Mark?”

“Surprise.” Mark congratulated in a deadpan manner. “Slow on the uptake now, are we?”

The enemy began shaking with fear, his eyes darting to the many others looking down at him. Right beside the King was Youngjae, who could no longer wait at this atrocious scene before him.

“Answer His Majesty’s questions, you fool.” Youngjae frowned deeply. “Why have you set foot into Arkwan?!”

“T…The Princess. Princess of Dyen.”

“What about her?” The young King raised an eyebrow.

The man started coughing blood and Mark knew instantly that the man had not much time to live.

“My King wants her but she fled before we could get our hands on her. He told us to bring her alive no matter what happened. He’ll be coming for her again, even if we die here. You’re better off just giving her to us.”

“Us?” This time Mark growled as he pushed his sword near the man’s neck. “What us? You’re the only one left alive.”

The King started laughing, running his free hand through his hair as he took a good look at the last soldier.

“A pity. Oh well. You can tell your King that if he comes for my beloved, I’d off his head and the men behind him.” Mark started grinning in a condescending manner.

“Y-Your Majesty?!” Youngjae turned to him in surprise. “You’re letting him go?”

“Sure.” The former replied knowingly. “Since you’ve been so nice to divulge such information to me, why not?”

“Y-You can’t be serious!” The soldier laughed but his fear rang in the air. “How foolish! You’re better off chopping my head, you stupid King!”

“And who said I wouldn’t?” Mark’s eyes glinted viciously. “I said I’d let you go… but I didn’t say you could go as a human. Maybe a spirit?”

“W-What?”

“Oh but of course, I’ll remember your kindness.” The King continued smirking. “That’s why I’ll off your head in one go, swiftly. It’ll be painless. You don’t have much time to live, anyway.”

“Y-You’re a m-monster!” The soldier cried out, horrified that he had been tricked. “You’re worse than scum, you-”

But before he could finish his sentence, Mark had already separated his neck from his body in one brisk cut. Blood splattered on both his and Youngjae’s faces and the two wiped it off as though it was a normal thing they’ve always done. Mark looked up at the sky, hoping to see the sun but the dark clouds seemed to get heavier with each passing second.

“I guess it’s time to fulfil my promise.”

---

“Who are you?!” Wendy screeched, taking one step back a time.

The woman said nothing else but this time she moved forward towards the young Princess.

“Wendy!”

A familiar voice called out to her. Her knees buckled to the ground upon seeing the one face she had wanted to see so dearly. In that moment, the woman was forgotten and the Princess soon found herself in strong arms.

Mark kissed the top of his beloved’s hair lightly, relief coursing through his whole body. He could feel her shake in his arms and he hugged her tighter, hoping that it’ll make her stop.

“You’re back.” Wendy’s voice was muffled from her lips on his shirt.

“Of course.” Mark her head fondly. “I promised you and I’ve fulfilled it.”

‘I’m so glad…”

He smiled fondly but his eyes soon came face to face with the mysterious stranger he saw earlier.

“And what business does this woman have being here?” Mark broke the embrace and stood protectively in front of Wendy. “Who are you?”

“Just a woman, Your Majesty.” The woman bowed in respect. “Just a normal woman.”

“A normal woman wouldn’t have scared my beloved to death.” He frowned, still taking a defensive stance. “State your purpose, oh mysterious stranger.”

“Purpose?” She proceeded to walk forward, not caring that Mark was still holding a sword in his hand. The Royals tensed as her fingers made its’ way to her hood, gently removing it to reveal her face. Wrinkles plastered her skin, though her eyes were still twinkling like youth. “I come to see to your destiny.”

“An old woman?” The King softened, though his hands still gripped onto his sword firmly. “What destiny are you talking about? Are you a witch?”

“A witch I am most not. But I guess… it’s easier to show you than to explain.”

As her words finished, the earth below them began to rumble; shaking from core to core horrifically. Mark and Wendy held on to each other tightly, though it was strange that they didn’t fall from the pull of gravity. And then, a complete silence.

Nothing could be heard; not even the sounds of their heavy breathing. In front, the old woman raised her hands to the air; as though summoning something. They waited with bated breaths, wondering if this was a sorceress in the flesh. But there was nothing.

The dark clouds from before got darker but Mark noticed that something was amiss about it.

“Is it me, or are the clouds a midnight blue?” He froze, eyes never once leaving the sky.

Wendy followed his line of sight and realised that the man had been right. The clouds were no longer a dark grey but they mimicked a midnight blue in colour.

And then, there was a bright light.

The two Royals shield their eyes from the flare but as soon as it was gone, they gasped in shock. It now rained; but the scene seemed to be from a fairy tale. Lilac stars covered the sky as they poured heavily down their heads. As soon as it made contact with something, the stars disappeared into white balls of light; leaving the two to marvel at the beautiful sight.

Mark finally turned to the old woman from before. “Are you doing this?”

“This, Your Majesty, is destiny.” She mused sadly. “Your fate begins here.”

As her eyes fluttered close, Mark hugged Wendy tighter; an ominous feeling now sat in his stomach. He could hear her hum something though it was clear she was singing. Soon, the words she sung finally turned into clarity.

Two lives, two souls

Punished by heaven’s hold

Thy sins are petty

But destiny carves in your skins behold

An eternity of longing

A sad, cruel fate

But fear not

For one day you’ll meet.

Their eyes widened at the words and it soon dawned on them that the song was specifically for the two.

“What sins have we committed?” Mark demanded angrily but the sudden heavy wind blew harshly. “I asked, what sins have we committed?!”

As the old woman’s eyes opened, it reflected the same lilac stars that were still pouring on them. Her gaze seemed to be lost in thought and her tone took a mundane turn; different from how she had sound before.

As though rehearsed, she answered. “Mark of Arkwan. Your sin is Cruelty, not knowing to stop when the innocents begged for their life so. And for that, you’ll continue to see suffering for your eternity.”

“Innocents?” Mark hissed. “You mean the men from earlier? There was nothing innocent about them! The war around these parts of the Kingdom were their doings to begin with. I stopped them.”

“The universe do not care about such petty details.” Her voice sounded deeper now. “Your actions do not fit a King. And thus, you must be punished.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Wendy of Dyen.” The old woman continued. “Your sin is Impiety, not fulfilling your role as those of Royal blood, for your people.”

“B-But the war…” Wendy almost cried out, gripping onto Mark’s clothes desperately. “I couldn’t return because of the war.”

“The universe do not partake in your excuses lightly. And now, your punishment.”

The two hugged each other tightly, not knowing what would become of them. Would hell suffice for their supposed sins, even if they thought it was unjust? Would a storm come and rip them away? At long last, the old woman began to raise her hands again as before; summoning the midnight blue clouds to huddle together.

Amidst the lilac stars, lightning flashed and left them to shiver.

“Mark of Arkwan. You are henceforth sentenced to rule the Underrealm and will foresee the sufferings of wretched souls until deemed worthy. Wendy of Dyen. You are henceforth banished to live among the stars until death.”

“Death?!” Wendy choked out, eyeing Mark sorrowfully. “I… I don’t want to die.”

“Are you going to kill her, witch?” Mark seethed with anger, pointing his sword towards her.

The old woman’s eyes that had once reflected lilac stars turned back to normal, her irises turning black once more. She gave the two a sad smile, bringing her hands closer together.

“I’m sorry.” She offered them her apology, her voice now the same melodic tone it was before. “I personally think it’s unjust as well but I’ll oversee your destiny myself. And death… death will welcome you both as you embark on your new life.”

“W-What do you mean?” Mark faltered, hugging Wendy tighter. “Besides, if what you said was correct, then that would mean I would be separated from my beloved!”

“And such is the universe’s way of punishing you.” The former pursed her lips in frustration. A thought quickly passed through her and she began to smile widely. “But a loophole! Yes… there is one.”

The old woman began to babble excitedly to herself, swinging her arms as the stars followed her lead. As she did that, Mark turned to Wendy; his face grim.

“Maybe we should run.”

It took him by surprise when Wendy started shaking her head, disagreeing with his words. “We could never outrun her. She’s a sorceress.”

“Or she’s a lunatic.”

“Mark…”

“The Seventh!” The old woman screamed in delight. “The Seventh of the Seventh month! Yes… that would be good.”

“What are you…”

O, lord of the universe, Creator of everything

I now request thee to be kind and just

For these two souls in their destiny

To allow them to meet on the Seventh of the Seventh

Until their sins are free

Voveo!

She clapped her hands together, thunder roaring as soon as she did that. The once lilac stars turned to rain but the old woman continued to smile warmly at the two Royals.

“Fret not, Your Majesties.” The old woman chuckled softly. “This is God’s way of agreeing.”

“What did you do?” Mark was still wary as he took in the heavy rain.

“The Seventh of the Seventh.” Was all she said as she gave them a gentle reminder. “That’s the only day the Earth would celebrate you.”

The ground began to rumble again as lightning flashed across the sky. The winds picked up, getting harsher but this time causing the two to stumble. As though a work of the unknown, Mark felt his grip on Wendy loosen and he panicked, knowing what was going to happen next.

“I… won’t… let… go…” He muttered through gritted teeth but it proved futile. The winds continued blowing in their direction and they eventually separated with much force.

Wendy, carried by the wind, fell a few feet further from the man she loved and she tried getting back on her feet. Mark gripped tightly on the earth below him, his right hand reaching out for hers as he tried to move forward.

But nothing worked in their favour.

Just like the song the old woman sang, Mark felt the ground beneath him cracking; opening wider and wider as though to swallow him whole. A quick look below reaffirmed his thoughts that whatever it was the old woman had been humming was turning true. The wind picked up, swirling around like a cyclone.

And then there was darkness.

A still silence lay over the place that had just stemmed with chaos. The earth below was back to normal, no cracks ever present in them. The once dark clouds were a light blue and lilac stars no longer filled the sky. Instead, sunlight peeked through; shining on the spots that the Royals once stood in.

The old woman placed her hands above her eyes, as she looked up to the sky. A grief look pass through her face as she brought her hood up again.

And as suddenly as she came to be, the old woman disappeared; never to be seen again.

---

Mark awoke with a jolt, clutching his chest as he sat up.

He looked around frantically for his beloved and the old woman, but none was found. He last remembered getting into the ground and being swallowed by the darkness below him. The man took in his surroundings and realised he was in a room.

Black marbled tiles covered the room and even the wall had been the same colour. He then realised he was in a huge bed and the man slowly crawled out of it. Bookshelves surrounded the room and there was even a work table at the corner. He paced about slowly, wondering if this was the Underrealm as mentioned by the old woman.

A knock startled him out of his senses as he eyed the big door to his back. It was huge, just like the many furniture in the room. There was a huge lock adorning it and Mark wondered how he’d be able to unlock it considering its’ massive size. No sooner had he thought that did the lock unlocked itself; as though by magic.

He stepped away in awe but a knock sounded through the door again.

“Who’s that?” He called out cautiously, his eyes searching the room for a weapon he might be able to use in case it was an attacker.

“My Lord, you’re awake. I’m coming in.” A deep, raspy voice replied him.

Mark instinctively tried to take cover but found that there was no where he could hide. For a room that big, he thought sarcastically, it sure seemed to be as bare; even with different furniture littering every corner he could lay his eyes on.

The door opened and a man soon walked in. Mark gulped nervously.

It looks like a man…

He first noticed the man’s black horns on his head and Mark took a step back in fear. Everything else about the man seemed normal, he noted, to the point that he was impeccably dressed. The man gave a slight cough, as though expecting the former’s reaction.

“My Lord. I am Jackson of the East. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”

“L-Likewise.”

He raised an eyebrow at the stammer. “Ah, this. I see you’ve noticed the horns.”

Mark didn’t answer and only kept mum.

God knows what he’ll do to me if I made a passing remark about it.

“I am merely your humble servant from henceforth, so please, do not be so scared of me.” Jackson finally said what was on his mind. “In fact, I should be scared of you.”

“E-Even though you have horns on your head?” His question flew out of his mouth thoughtlessly.

To that, Jackson laughed; the one horn on the right side of his head. He pondered for a moment, before turning to the man seriously.

“I am a demon. Actually, I am a King.”

“Like I was?”

Jackson laughed again. “Yes, I’ve heard that you were a King on Earth, but no, it’s different. Allow me to explain.”

He motioned for the man to take a seat, to which Mark reluctantly do so on his bed. The demon paced about the room in a funny fashion; wondering how he should begin his explanation in the first place.

“Pardon me. I haven’t had to explain this since… about two thousand years ago.”

“W-What?”

“But that is a different story.” He stopped the man from asking further questions. “Anyway, this is the Underworld. And it is separated into four main parts.”

He continued. “There is the East, West, North and South wing. And I, Jackson, am the King to the East wing. A King here is what we call someone who oversees the operations of the Underrealm for his wing. We are what officers are to an army.” He turned to look at Mark. “Do you understand so far?”

Mark nodded his head, urging the man to continue.

“There are three other Kings; Jaebum, Bam Bam and Yugyeom, to which you will meet later once they’ve finished with their duties. For now, allow me to acquaint you with our customs. First, the Underrealm isn’t as uncontrollable as you think. This is a place to punish souls for eternity, of course. As such, there have to be orders lest the Creator will get angry.”

“Creator…”

“We’ve never seen the Creator before so don’t get your hopes up. As I was saying, there are three other Kings. But the four of us work under one man and that is you My Lord. You are our ducis.”

“Me?” Mark tilted his head in confusion, vaguely remembering the words the old woman mentioned before. “To oversee the sufferings…”

“Yes,” Jackson smiled, pleased that the man was actually intelligent enough to comprehend and put two and two together. “That is your duty as God of the Underworld.”

“G-God?!”

“As such, you have much more power than us Kings. And that is why I should be scared of you, if I may say so boldly.”

“So I’m no longer human?”

Jackson shook his head at his question. “No, you are not. And a God is much more powerful than a demon. He is also highly respected by all soldiers of the Underrealm. But that of course, only extends to you, as you are the God of the Underworld, after all. We don’t happen to like the other Gods very much.”

“Before, you’ve mentioned,” Mark ran his hands through his hair, trying to take this all in. “That you haven’t had the chance to explain since two thousand years ago?”

“Yes. A God usually changes when their sins as a human have been nullified and cleansed.” The man-demon answered. “He recently died and that’s why you’ve been chosen to take his place.”

“D-Died?!”

“Oh. Right.” Jackson smiled sheepishly. “The term dying is different here, since everyone’s mainly dead. It simply means that his soul has reincarnated.”

“Into a human?”

“Yes. Likely.”

“But when he dies as a human, will he… you know… come back here?”

The man-demon chuckled, amused at the question. “No, he won’t. I’ve lived a long life to know that the soul will eventually return to the heavens. Unless, of course, he sins horribly again in his human life.”

“But isn’t that to be expected of a human? To sin?”

“Yes, but how big of a sin it is… that would be the deciding factor.”

“So…” Mark sighed, finally giving in. “What must a God of the Underworld do?”

Jackson’s eyes seemed to sparkle at his question. He could already tell that working with the new God would prove to be an adventure and he decided almost instantaneously that he liked him.

The others would approve of him as well…

“There’s many things but I’ll explain them later. For now, let’s get you ready for your speech.”

“S-Speech?!”

“Surely you are used to giving speeches during your time as a King in the mortal world.” Jackson mused. “But yes, a speech. You are going to be working with us demons for a very long time.”

“…Exactly how many demons are there exactly?”

Jackson grinned. “As many as you could think of.”

---

Unlike Mark, Wendy awoke peacefully; her eyes fluttering open softly.

The girl rubbed her eyes as she sat up and realised that she was on the ground. White marbled tiles extended to where her eye could see and when Wendy had looked up, she realised that night had fall.

Or maybe night is permanent here.

The girl stood up and looked around worriedly; confirming that there was nothing in sight.

Nothing except a small house that resembled a cottage, only it was all white in colour. Just like the ground on the floor.

She walked briskly to where the cottage is, all the while replaying the old woman’s words in her mind.

“Banished…” She muttered the word out loud.

Does that mean I’ll be alone for eternity?

The thought almost made her cry but she steeled herself as she continued walking forward. This was no time to be crying.

There were no Jinyoungs, Seulgis, Youngjaes or Marks here to help her.

If it’s true and she really was alone, then she would have to fend for herself; crying was definitely last on the list.

Imagine her surprise, as she opened the front door of the cottage, coming face to face with three little girls; all wearing the same white dress.

The oldest looking of the girls, probably ten, had bangs all the way down to her forehead. The one standing in the middle had a ponytail and looked to be about six or seven. And the youngest girl wore pigtails; Wendy knew she looked no older than five.

“You must be the new Goddess.” The oldest one of them all spoke. Her voice seemed to ring pleasantly in Wendy’s ears. “My name is Irene.”

“And I’m Joy.” The one with the ponytail stepped forward, eyes sparkling at the new figure before her. “And this is Yeri.”

“Goddess?” Wendy squatted, maintaining an eye-level contact with them. “I don’t know about that. I was banished.”

“Like the Goddess before you.” Irene smiled as she took Wendy’s hands in her own. “You’re the new Goddess of the Stars.”

“The old woman did mentioned something about living in the stars…”

“You must have met her!” Joy held Wendy’s other hand excitedly. “The old Goddess of Fate!”

“Goddess of Fate! Goddess of Fate!” Yeri screamed happily as she circled the young woman.

Wendy gave a small smile at the children before her. She noticed that despite their young age, they did seem to exude a certain maturity to them and Wendy wondered if they were really children in the first place.

“Are you guys Goddesses too?” She asked them but the children guffawed loudly. “It would seem that I’m wrong.”

“We’re not Goddesses.” It was Yeri who first broke free from laughing. “We’re fairies!”

“Fairies… And you live here?”

“All our life!”

“For eternity!” Joy added when she finally stopped laughing.

“Doesn’t it get lonely?” Wendy asked, worried that the children were living here all alone.

But then again… they’re not humans…

“We’re never lonely.” Irene smiled, hugging Wendy from the back. “We have each other. And we have you!”

“We were sad when the previous Goddess died, though.” Yeri pouted.

The young woman froze, wondering if she heard it right. Previous Goddess? Dying? She turned to face the three frantically as she demanded answers.

“The previous Goddess… she really existed?”

“Of course!” Joy pushed Irene away as she tried to hug Wendy instead. “But she’s in the heavens now.”

“B-because she died?”

“No, silly.” It was now Yeri’s turn to push the two older girls away. “She died because she had no sins left. She was supposed to reincarnate into a human, though.”

“Ssh!” Irene crossed her arms angrily, though to Wendy, the action was more cute than scary. “We cannot talk about that!”

“Oops.” Yeri smiled sheepishly. “But it should be all right, since she’s the new Goddess!”

“I guess…” The former trailed off, though it was obvious she was still hesitant.

“When a Goddess die, they can reincarnate into a human or go straight to heaven!” Joy butted in. “But only the Goddess of Fate knows who goes where in the end.”

Yeri began to puff her cheeks, frustrated that she wasn’t able to back hug Wendy. She blamed it all on her small size before a great idea finally came to her. The youngest of the girls snuggled herself in between Wendy’s arms and she looked up at the young woman behind her.

“Don’t worry! We’ll help you! Until you finally get to go to heaven!”

“…That would be nice.” Wendy smiled, causing the girl to blush.

“O-Oh! We’ll also help you meet that God!”

“God?”

This time, Irene finally stopped hugging Wendy, allowing Joy to back hug her instead. The oldest began walking and finally stood in front of the young woman with a serious look adorning her small face.

“We heard that you fell in love with the God of the Underworld!” Irene made a face. “Even though we hate demons, we’ll help you! Since we love you!”

Her eyes widened with surprise at this new information and her hands instinctively reached out to Irene, resting on top of the girl’s head.

“Tell me, Irene. You mean to say I get to meet Mark?”

“Is Mark the name of the God?” When Wendy nodded, she began to grin widely. “Yes! You’d get to meet him! We’ll help you!”

“But only once a year.” Yeri puffed her cheeks again, not understanding why it had to be that way.

“We tried asking the Goddess of Fate for more days,” Joy pursed her lips in frustration. “But she told us that the Creator wouldn’t have allowed it.”

“And… we don’t want to anger the Creator.” Irene looked around, fear forming in her eyes.

“But we’ve never seen him before.” Yeri pointed out but was chided by the two older girls. “Psh, cowards.”

“I-It’s okay.” Wendy managed at long last. She gave a longing look, already counting the days in her mind. “As long as I get to meet him…”

---

A few months later:

“My Lord!” Jaebum bowed as he entered the God’s room. “You’re looking fine, today.”

“…”

“You looked much better than when you stammered after your gallant speech on the very first day.”

“Need you remind me of that?” Mark grimaced, though he continued to flip through the papers before him.

To think being God meant that I still have to attend to paperwork…

“Sorry.” Jaebum chuckled. “I’m sure it’s because you’re counting the days to see that Goddess.”

When the new God didn’t answer, Jaebum poked his head nearer; wondering if he even heard him at all.

“I said… I’m sure it’s because you’re counting-”

“I heard you the first time, oh annoying King of the West.”

Jaebum chuckled harder. “Ah, a man in love. A woeful reunion awaits.”

“…. Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“Yes, My Lord.” The demon saluted, though it wasn’t in a mocking manner. “Right after you give me your orders for the new souls that just arrived yesterday.”

---

“You have pretty hair.” Yeri snuggled against Wendy, lying down in her lap. In fact, that was all she ever seemed to do ever since the new Goddess arrived here.

“Yours is prettier.” Wendy tapped her nose lightly.

“Are you excited?” Joy munched on her cookie as she asked while eating. “Is he handsome?”

Irene rolled her eyes. “Those are two different questions, Joy.”

“You want to know too!”

The oldest only blushed and looked expectantly at Wendy. In fact, the once noisy cottage was now silent as they eagerly waited for her answer.

“Yes, I am.” The Goddess reminisced as she thought of his face. “And yes, he’s dashing. Very handsome.”

“Ooh….” Yeri teased. “Your heart must be going pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat!”

“I bet you can’t wait to meet him!” Joy munched harder on her cookie.

“A handsome God…” Irene grinned widely, not knowing why it was pleasant to hear Wendy say that.

---

7^th of July: (The First Year)

“Have fun!” Bam Bam waved the God off. “And don’t worry about things here. We’ll keep it together!”

“We, as in the three of us.” Yugyeom sighed. “You’re always off doing something.”

“T-Thank you.” Mark uttered nervously. The four Kings laughed upon seeing him so anxious. “So? What do I do? Close my eyes or something?”

“You’re the God… You should know.” Jaebum teased.

Jackson shook his head at the immaturity, before speaking gently. “It will happen naturally. But you can close your eyes if you want to.”

And Mark did.

When he opened his eyes, a lush, green scenery greeted him.

This is…

---

“Good luck!” Irene hugged Wendy and the young woman patted her head softly.

“You should close your eyes.” Joy advised. “If you don’t, you’re going to get dizzy.”

Yeri gave a kiss on Wendy’s cheek. “Be back by midnight!”

“…”

But before Wendy could hear the two older girls scold their youngest, she would find herself in a forest and the young woman gasped; touched at how it was not white like how she was used to when she lived on the stars.

Blinking counts as closing my eyes too I guess…

A voice then called out to her.

“Wendy?”

---

It felt as though even the trees had stopped swaying in that time.

There were no more words said, just a look of heated passion exchanged. Tears would form in her eyes and his too, though he now swears that it was due to the wind. Their eyes assessed each other carefully, still in disbelief that the day had finally arrived.

“Mark!” Wendy shouted first, as she ran and leaped into his arms.

The man hugged her tightly, already committing her scent to his memories. He gave kisses after kisses on her forehead, before finally meeting her lips softly.

“You’re really here.” He struggled to get his words out as he lose himself in her presence. “You’re really, really, here.”

“As you are.” Wendy sighed, desperately wanting to feel him more. “It’s been so long.”

He gave a deep, hearty chuckle. “It had only been a few months, if we were to go about it correctly.”

The Goddess pouted, staring up into his eyes. All she could see reflected there in that moment was herself and an uncontrollable feeling resonated within her. She gave a quick peck to his lips again, catching him by surprise. The man blinked a few times as he let it sink in before smirking right at her.

“That is not how you kiss.” He softly whispered in her ears, causing her to blush.

“Then show me.”

“Gladly.” Mark grunted in between their kisses.

He bit at her lips lightly, allowing the teasing to continue. He could feel her smile against the kisses and since it was contagious, he smiled with her as well. The God kissed her harder, though this time a more serious one than before.

When they were done, Mark rested his head against the top of her head; frowning as he took it all in.

“What’s the matter?” Wendy caressed his bangs softly. “You don’t seem happy.”

“To think this is what I could have looked forward to everyday after our wedding.” He admitted, sighing. “I don’t think I could ever be content with meeting you only once a year.”

“That’s true.” She replied as she cupped her hands against his cheeks. “But this is the reality and I’d rather meet you once a year than to be separated from you for an eternity.”

His eyes seemed to waver and he laughed awkwardly, realising the truth in her words. He shook his head as though angry with himself and hugged his beloved tighter.

“Then… I’ll look forward to this day. Every year. Every minute, every second. I’ll only think of this day to help me through eternity.”

“Just this day?” Wendy teased and Mark laughed louder. “Or are you forgetting something?”

“Someone, you mean.” He kissed her on her lips again. “For now, let me love you with all my heart and being. Let me love you, Wendy, until I’m satisfied. Would that be enough for you?”

“Your love will never be enough, Mark. Maybe my sin would turn to greed.”

The two former Royals will spend the whole day in each other’s arms, resting their bodies on the earth and soil they missed deeply. They would watch the clouds go by, catching up on what the other was doing in their own time away in eternity. Blue skies turned to yellow, then to black and soon they both feel it in their bones; it was time to head back.

Mark wouldn’t allow himself to cry but Wendy did. She kissed him repeatedly, knowing that a full year will pass before she could see or be in his embrace again. And when they closed their eyes, they would find familiar black and white tiles spread before them; a sign that they were back in their new home.

Wendy wouldn’t know but Mark would cry himself to sleep that night.

And in his mind, he would begin the countdown; to see his beloved once more.

---

7^th of July: (The Seventh Year)

“And then, he began to lecture me on the way I ate my apple.” Mark groaned, leaning his head onto her shoulders.

Wendy laughed, his hair softly as she listened to his complaints. It had become a daily occurrence in their yearly meetings to talk about the things they did as both a God and a Goddess. This time, Mark seemed to be complaining about one of his officers; the King of the East.

“I’ve never seen anyone ate an apple with a fork and knife.” The young woman mused. “I’d love to meet him if I had the chance.”

“I’d rather you not.” The former frowned, recalling that Jackson was also a smooth-talker. “He might be charmed by your beauty and I would have to keep him away from you.”

“Oh, now I’m beautiful?” Wendy recalled the first time they met. “Were you always this good with your words?”

He caught on to her sarcasm and began ruffling her hair jokingly. Tried as she might to escape his clutches, it proved futile for there was no stopping Mark once he set his eyes on something.

“I’m still very bad at choosing my words.” He kissed her lightly on her eyelids. “But I do recall the old me having bad eyesight.”

“Said the man who could shoot an arrow and hit bullseye from a distance! Preposterous.”

“Just like your love for me, Wendy.” Mark kissed her again, but this time on her nose. “Just like our love.”

---

7^th of July: (The Fifty-Seventh Year)

“Here, have this.” Wendy offered Mark a cookie, to which he took questioningly. “It’s a gift.”

“From you?”

“From the girls. Joy insisted I gave this to you, to celebrate our fifty years of once yearly meetings.”

Mark took a quick bite out of the cookie, a pleasant taste spreading through his taste buds. He nodded approvingly and soon it was gone; devoured in a matter of seconds.

“Wonderful, though I wished there were more.”

“Yeri may or may not have eaten the ones meant for you.” Wendy recalled awkwardly. “This was the last piece Irene managed to salvage, lest Joy would have cried for three nights straight. She does find you very handsome.”

“But she’s never met me.” Mark pointed out.

“Yes, but she thinks you’re handsome anyway from the stories I told them.”

“Oh?” He raised his eyebrows seductively at her statement. “What kind of stories have you been telling them? Only goods ones, I supposed?”

“They’re kids, Mark.” She giggled, wondering if he had a complex somehow. “I can’t go around telling them scary stories, now, could I?”

“Honestly, I wished the four of them would stop telling me scary stories.”

“What did they do this time?”

“Nothing in particular.” Mark scrunched his nose grumpily. “Except that one time when Bam Bam was absolutely sure he invented a crystal ball that could have me see you when I get lonely.”

“…That isn’t scary.”

“But it is. Especially when a certain Jaebum and Yugyeom told him that they could use the crystal ball too to finally see your face.”

“Oh.”

Mark then grinned widely. “Needless to say, that crystal ball is now somewhere deep down in the underworld waters, floating aimlessly with the tortured souls.”

“…Maybe I should change the topic.”

---

7^th of July: (The Two Hundred and Seventeenth Year)

Mark rested his head on Wendy’s lap, gaze lost on the clouds above. He twirled a petal thoughtlessly, reflecting on how many years have since passed. Wendy his head gently, already aware of what he was thinking of.

“It’s been a long time.” He finally spoke up. “I didn’t realised until we saw how different the villages were beginning to look.”

“There seems to be a lot of exchange on foreign items.” Wendy noted, remembering their walk in town earlier. “It makes me think that…I mean…”

“It makes me miss the people of our time.” Mark finished her sentence off for her. Wendy nodded, for those were the words she struggled to say before. “I wonder what happened to them after we disappeared. Now that a few hundred years has gone by, do you think they’re in heaven?”

‘…Have you not seen any souls of theirs in hell?”

The man grimaced at the question but shook his head anyway. “No. I’ve seen some familiar ones but… there’s nothing at all when it comes to them.”

“Then maybe they’re in heaven!” She smiled, wanting to believe that idea.

He finally sat up, taking in her cheerful face. “You’re very optimistic.”

“Call it stupid if you may,” The smile never once faltered. “But I hope one day, when we’re finished with paying for our sins, we’d be able to go to heaven and join them. And then perhaps have a good drink just like the old days.”

“You mean, you’d force your drink on me… since you’re not a heavy drinker as I recalled.”

The young Goddess remained positive, pinching his nose lightly before giving him a peck on his cheeks.

“Always the smart, sarcastic talker.”

“But I’m not very good with words, remember?”

“Oh, Mark. Whatever should I do with you?”

---

7^th of July: (The Seven Hundred and Seventy Sixth year)

The air was a solemn one, very much different from the many years before this. A heavy silence remained, with Mark and Wendy avoiding each other’s gazes. They each knew what they were going to say but the burden to speak still tugged at their heartstrings.

“This… is the last year, or so I’ve heard.” Mark managed to force the words out of his mouth. “The Goddess of Fate visited me a month before to tell me so.”

“Yes… She did the same to me.”

“We’re going to die before the next Seventh of July comes.”

“Yes.”

Mark shifted uncomfortably, still not looking at his beloved in her eyes. “Hey, have you heard? The mortals have dedicated this day to us.”

“Right.” Wendy knew he was trying to change the subject and played along. “What do they call it? Tanabata?”

“Tanabata.” He reaffirmed her words. “It’s to celebrate the reunion of star crossed lovers. I guess there must be legends told about us.”

“Sad, isn’t it? That we’re being called star crossed lovers.”

“But it’s the truth… somewhat.”

“D-Do you think,” Wendy stuttered, finally focusing her gaze intently on him. “Do you think when we die, this Tanabata festivity would disappear along with us?”

“I hope not.”

She inched in closer, intertwining his hands with hers. “I heard from the old woman, that when we die, we wouldn’t be able to go to heaven. At least not yet.”

“Reincarnation.” Mark looked at her in the eye. “It’s called reincarnation.”

“H-How long do you think…”

“How long do I think before we get to be together forever?”

“That… but my worry is…” She trailed off, sighing as she recalled her conversation with the old woman. “My worry is that we’ll never recognise each other!”

He sighed along with her, knowing where this conversation was headed. The Goddess of Fate had a word with him too and had told him that there would be a test when they die as Immortals. Heaven is guaranteed upon their death, provided that their two souls could find and recognise one another.

But Mark knew that the world had grown far too big and there were things called countries now. It wouldn’t be an easy task but the old woman did mentioned that the test would repeat itself until their souls are finally one.

The question remains; how long will it take for that to happen? And to Mark, that wasn’t the only concern. When they become mortals, their memories would be erased and only when they complete each other would their life from day one be given back to them.

Wendy had the same worries, though not verbalised. How long is too long?

“Wendy.” Mark said at long last. “This seems like an empty promise but I will find you. No matter what happens, I’ll always look for you.”

“Mark…”

“It’s just another test, another way to nullify our sins. Such things don’t hold a candle to my love for you.”

She caught on to his determination, nodding her head firmly at his resolve. “Then I too… I too, will look for you.”

“Even though you’ve always been bad with directions?”

“Oh Mark.” Wendy rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re joking about this too.”

“… I wasn’t.”

“Mark!”

The two would share a long and intimate kiss, one filled with hope for their future. They would continue with the outpour of love for one another until midnight, when they finally took their final breaths together.

It rained heavily that night; with both the Stars and the Underworld mourning the loss of their God and Goddess. The two fated souls would reincarnate, never knowing how much they meant to the demons and fairies below and above. It was their prayers that would help the two in the long run and nightfall would soon turned to day.

The world moves as it always have.

But now the test begins.

---

Year 1605, Pre-Edo Period (Tokugawa Bakufu) Japan.

Screams would lash out from the front as samurai troops entered mercilessly.

A young woman cowers in fear, hiding in the huge woven basket at the back of her room. Her shivers, uncontrollable, would seal her death a few minutes after. It was her wretched destiny to have had a family against what was now known to the world as the Shogun of Japan.

The battle of Sekigahara has finally made its’ conclusion.

Corpses littered the streets leading up to the castle. The inside had been a mess as well. Five minutes after the young woman has taken her final breath, a young man entered; somehow instinctively letting his feet lead the way.

The man, one of the many officers of the daimyo of the Tokugawa faction, would look upon the bodies emotionlessly.

His eyes would gaze upon the body of a young mistress and he would exit the room shortly after; not knowing why his feet had taken him there.

He would live a long life; get married, have a family and die of old age.

But it was then the wheel of fate would spin again, giving the souls yet another chance at heaven. Her soul, who had departed earlier, would cry out for him; happy that he finally joined her.

And again it would spin, reincarnated as humans, until one recognises the other.

---

Year 1813, London, Great England.

Footsteps hurried along the darkly lit path, urgent and frantic.

She would trudge after the Doctor, the Master she’s served since she turned sixteen. There was an emergency tonight, with someone calling for the Doctor in the wee hours of midnight. There was a rumour that the streets of London were to fall with a contagious bug; giving one a high fever that continuously increases until the body dies out.

The young woman pursed her lips worriedly as soon as they’ve reached the front door of the shared apartment they were to visit. The Doctor, sensing her worries, placed his hand on tops of hers as though telling her that she needn’t do anything she didn’t want to.

She gave him a determined nod and the pair made their way into the room where the sick was resting.

The patient was pale and unconscious, though a faint heartbeat remains when the Doctor has checked for his pulse. She noticed beads of sweat forming on his face and she felt pity. He could have been around her age and probably worked too hard for his own good.

A sad ending to a handsome, honest face.

The young woman felt her heart sank, knowing that they’ve came too late to help the poor man.

At 0150 hours, the man was pronounced dead.

The fever continued to spread among the townspeople of London, the death tolls increasing each day. It was a month after that the young woman would succumb to the same fate of many that she couldn’t save.

And the wheel of fate spins; two souls waiting for a chance at heaven again.

---

Year 2015, Seoul, Modern Korea.

There was a frantic knock on the door, sounds of angry yelling and apologies echoing throughout.

The members of Red Velvet froze, wondering at what seems to be the commotion outside. The door banged open and they were surprised to come face to face with a boy group member; his manager restraining theirs from behind.

He searched the room warily and soon recognised her eyes. As though in disbelief, he remained frozen and only his lips were able to speak.

“Wendy?”

The young woman tilted her head in confusion, wondering what he wanted with her. Sure, they’ve seen each other a few times but that was all there is to it. She considered him an acquaintance, a working colleague. But seeing his face now…

“Wendy, it’s me.” He finally edged closer but members of the girl group blocked his path.

They didn’t know what was going on but it proved funny that the young man was suddenly taking an interest in their group member. Even though they could sense that there were no malice in his actions, their stance remained the same. If something happened to Wendy, at least they could have stood proudly and said that they protected her.

“It’s me.” He spoke again, though with more calmness. “It’s me, Mark.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, seemingly thinking that he had hit his head. When he made no move to call it a joke, she nodded her head in understanding.

”Of course I know you’re Mark.” Wendy frowned. “We’ve worked multiple times together before.”

“You don’t get it...” His tone now sounded desperate. “I finally found you. It’s me, Wendy!”

“Mark…”

“I saw you all these while and I didn’t know it was you. But I remember everything now. I still hate myself for not recognising you sooner.”

“Mark,” The young woman sighed. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Do you recognise me from somewhere? Was it when I went to school in the States?”

“Wen-dy.” He reiterated her name. “That’s not it at all. Please… Please remember!”

She shook her head, not understanding at what he was trying to convey. An idea quickly flashed through his mind and he inched even closer, causing the other girls to tense up.

“M-Maybe I need to touch you or something.” He offered, thoughts turning irrational. “Or a kiss? Would a kiss work?!”

“You don’t get to go anywhere near her unless she wants to, Mister.” Irene poked him at his chest, anger clouding her face.

Beside her, Seulgi frowned; knowing that this wasn’t how Mark usually behaved.

“You have to remember.” Mark pleaded with the young woman. “We missed each other so many times! I finally found you and none of us are dying… so please! Just remember! You promised!”

“Promise…?”

“Yes, Wendy. I’m your beloved, can’t you remember that much?”

“B-Beloved?!” Joy and Yeri turned to each other, eyes wide at the ridiculous proclamation. “So she really did dated?!”

“Who still uses the word beloved…?” Seulgi’s frown turned deeper. “Maybe we need to call the hospital… I think he hit his head.”

“Wendy has no boyfriend.” Irene crossed her arms, still angry at the unwelcomed headache. “She would have told us if she had one.”

Unable to take the scrutinising glares anymore, Mark began to explain. “Wendy, you’re actually the Princess of Dyen. We were to be married before the Goddess of Fate handed us our punishment. There’s a whole freaking festival dedicated to us! The God of the Underworld and the Goddess of Stars… they’re star crossed lovers! And then we died! We reincarnated but we continuously died, and now I’ve finally found you… alive… please. Please, remember.”

“Okay, that’s it.” Irene pushed the man away. “You definitely need to go to the hospital. You’re not making sense.”

The atmosphere seemed to still, everything moving in slow motion. Wendy’s eyes widened with much shock, finally comprehending the words he was saying. There was a ringing in her ears as memories upon memories flood through her mind.

The wedding… The punishment… the festival… the reincarnations… they’re all true.

Tears began falling from her eyes, soaking her cheeks wet. A sunken feeling lay in her chest as she began taking it all in. When her eyes finally met his, she smiled.

“I… remember.”

“Wendy?!” Her groupmates turned to look at her, anxious to why she was crying while agreeing to such absurdity.

“I remember!” She stepped towards the young man who was now grinning widely. “Mark, I remember!”

Wendy leaped into his arms, nuzzling her face against his chest. She felt something warm hit the top of her head and soon realised that it had been his tears. The young woman giggled, curling her hands around his neck as she brought him in for a kiss.

They kissed repeatedly, not caring about the shouting or the weird stares in the room. It felt good to finally be back in each other’s embrace.

“I… love you.” Wendy said it first to his face. “I love you Mark. I always have.”

“I love you too Wendy.” Mark gently wiped her tears away. “I promised that I would find you and I did. And I’m so glad. Thank you, my beloved.”

“Thank you….”

“Beloved?” Joy and Yeri turned to look at each other again. “So she really, really did date?!”

The two continued to ignore their surroundings, eyes fixed onto each other to make up for all the lost time. It was then, when Mark gave her a cheeky smile to which she raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“Seems like I was right when I said you were bad with directions.”

Wendy laughed loudly, an indescribable happiness coursing through her. Tears began to form in her eyes again; content with the destiny that they managed to carve out together.

Heaven was now so near.

“Oh, Mark. Whatever shall I do with you?”