Author's Note:

THIS IS A LONG CHAPTER BEFORE I CONTINUE UPLOADING TOMORROW SO BUCKLE UP AND PUT SOME EYEDROPPER ON YOUR EYES FOLKS!

Also you might want to keep your eyes peeled on the characters in this chapters because chances are, some of them are going to play an important role in the future lol

Love,
Nat

V.

alea iacta est.

the die is cast.

“They’ve arrived safely?”

Seulgi nods, smiling to herself before taking a sip of her tea. “About half an hour ago.”

Jongin hums before returning to his lunch. “I’m glad to hear that,” he mumbles, looking up at her. “Surely you’re more at ease now?”

“Yeah.” she replies, smiling wider before letting out a soft sigh. “Time to work hard, I guess.”

The somber tone of her voice makes Jongin gives Seulgi his full attention. It feels like there’s so much more underneath those words, something she doesn’t share and keeps to herself. She must’ve felt his gaze because not long after, Seulgi looks up from her lunch, red puffy eyes staring at him.

“I’m okay, Jongin.” she says softly,

No, you’re not, he wants to say but Jongin knows better. They are only husband and wife in name, but beyond that, they know nothing about each other save for their mutual understanding to respect each other’s consent and privacy. If Seulgi wants him to know her worries, she’d tell him herself.

“You know you don’t have to carry the burden alone,” he presses on, trying his luck. “I’m always all ears if there are things you want to talk about. Bottling up your worries and feelings will only stress you out even more.”

The gaze Seulgi gives him is almost overpowering, but nevertheless, she smiles. “Of course, Jongin. But do know that this works both ways, you can talk to me, too.”

“Okay,” Jongin nods again, wondering whether his luck works or if her words are just words to appease him.

She opens but closes it again before continuing to eat her food. Eventually, Seulgi speaks again. “The meeting with the cabinet will be held in two weeks, right? There are so many things to prepare.”

“You’re not alone, we’ll do it together.” Jongin reassures her, somewhat glad at the change of topic. “The palace have been receiving various urgent requests from the Altairian-Arians, we could start from there.”

Seulgi nods, she looks like she’s going to say something but a knock on their bedroom door steals her attention.

“Come in.” Jongin says.

It’s Jongin’s aide, Taemin, and he looks distressed. When his eyes fell on Seulgi, he looks even tenser.

“Taemin, what’s wrong?”

“The King has summoned both of you,” he says, almost out of breath.

“Did something happen?” Seulgi asks, quickly standing up.

Taemin looked conflicted. “I… I think it’s best if you see this for yourself, Princess.”

****

Taemin leads them to the living room where Seungwoo, Eunhee, Prime Minister Changmin, Chamberlain Sungjin, Private Secretary Wonjae and Yerim. Seungwoo casts a grim look at Seulgi when she and Jongin enter the room. Answering her questioning glance, Seungwoo points to the television before him.

“-reporting live from Verona, Edirat. At 1.15 P.M. earlier a bomb exploded on Araka Street. The bomb was placed inside a sedan that was parked in front of Blue Seal Restaurant. So far ten people were wounded and two people died because of the explosion. Authorities-”

Seulgi stares at the news in silence, too stunned to speak. Her mind went blank as the television shows her images of the exploded car, the glass windows of Blue Seal Restaurant was shattered due to the blast and the police helping people to evacuate and clear out the area.

“-The King of Altair, Kang Yunho, condemned the act and hoped that the terrorists would be caught and dealt accordingly. His Majesty also stated that the heinous act would not dampen the goal of peace and that Altair will work harder to secure tranquility between two kingdoms-”

“Seulgi, hey,” Jongin’s hands on her arms snap her back into reality. “Pull yourself together, alright? You gotta be strong for them.” he says, looking straight into her eyes.

“You grace, you need to give a statement as soon as possible,” Sungjin says, looking at Seungwoo. “A bombing in the town filled with Altairian-Arians on the day the Altairian Royal Family returned home is a major offense to the Decree of Peace.”

“Are there still no clues on the terrorists?” Jongin asks, “Someone must’ve drove the car to that location and left, police should investigate every CCTVs in the nearby area.” he voices.

Looking at the news makes her sick, but Seulgi forces herself to. Anger bubbles inside her as well as fear. So far, nobody had a clue who the perpetrator is and police are currently running investigation through all the CCTVs around the perimeter. A certain name spoken from the news anchor piqued her interest.

“The Revival of Arian Empire Movement?” she repeats, unconsciously.

“A group of people who vehemently opposed the decree as well as the marriage. It has been around ever since talks of making peace with Altair rose.” Yerim answers with such disdain in her voice. “They must’ve thought this as a sick joke, a blasphemy to the decree.”

“Your grace, we need to release a statement now.” Private Secretary Wonjae says urgently. “Reporters are packed in Verona but there are lots of them who are on their way to the Palace.”

Seungwoo lets out a heavy sigh and nods. “I trust you to see it done, Private Secretary.”

Wonjae bows before leaving the room. He stops when he walks past Seulgi. “Princess, be strong.” the man nods before walking away.

Eunhee stands up from the sofa and pulls Seulgi into a tight hug. “I’m sorry that you have to go through this, Seulgi. We’ll fix this. Things will be alright.”

“Thank you.” Seulgi stutters.

“When the situation is already under control… or at least safe enough, it’s best that Your Grace visit Verona. Prince Jongin, too.” Changmin advises, looking at the king and the prince.

“What about Seulgi?” Jongin asks. “She’s the princess. They are her people as much as ours. She needs to be there.”

Changmin grimaces. “Verona just got bombed, two Altairian-Arian died while the remaining seven are being treated in the hospital as of now. Princess Seulgi is an Altairian and the bomb was clear sign of mockery for Altairians. I think sending her to Verona will only compromise her safety.”

“So it’s not safe enough for her to go there but not me and father?” Jongin arches his eyebrows in disbelief.

“Because you’re Arian,” Chamberlain Sungjin speaks up. “I mean no offense, Princess Seulgi, but the possibility that the terrorists are after the Altairians are very high. Worse, their target might even be you.”

“So I have to back down because I’m being threatened?” Seulgi finally speaks up, feeling anger and disbelief rising inside her. “I’m sorry Chamberlain Sungjin, but the moment I agreed to marry Prince Jongin I am fully aware of what I’m walking into. No matter who their targets are, those people who got wounded and died are my people, too. I won’t hide in my room while they’re being oppressed.”

They all stare at her when she finishes talking. Seulgi feels exasperated. What do these people think? They really expect her to stay put while Jongin and the King go out and assess the situation? What was the point of her being in Aria then?

“She’s right,” Seungwoo eventually speaks up. “What were you thinking anyway, telling her to stay here?” the King throws a questioning glance to both Changmin and Sungjin.

“Imagine the outrage and how stupid we’d look like when people find out that the Princess, who’s suposed to be the beacon of hope for her people, cowered in the palace in dire situation?” the King continues, shaking his head as he pours himself a glass of wine and finishes it in one go. “Prepare the cars, I want us to leave as soon as Verona is safe enough.”

“At least double up the security when you go,” Eunhee advises, staring at her husband in worry. “Not just for you, but for Seulgi.”

“To show them that we’re scared enough to bring a large troop?” Seungwoo arches one of his eyebrows but even that wasn’t strong enough to beat Eunhee’s stern glare. He let out a defeated sigh. “Fine. Sungjin, gather five of the best men. They’re to guard Princess Seulgi only.”

Jongin turns to look at Seulgi again and gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We better get ready.”

Seulgi nods but then her phone rings and she spots Joohyun’s name in the caller ID. “It’s Joohyun. I have to take this.”

“Of course,” he answers.

Hurriedly, Seulgi heads to the corner of the room, away from the television. When she picks up the phone, Joohyun sounds worried.

“Are you safe? Nothing’s funny in the castle, right?”

“I’m alright.” she answers, a sudden wave of calmness washes over her despite the gruesome predicament. It’s so good to hear a familiar voice now. “How’s the situation over there?”

Joohyun let out a tired sigh. “Chaos. The military are pissed and they’re taking this as a blasphemy and offense to our sovereignty and also the decree. But it’s not just them, the whole Altair is angry as we speak, Twitter, Facebook, online medias… they’re all pointing their fingers on Aria.”

Just as she worries. Seulgi grimaces and pinches the bridge of her nose. “King Seungwoo is going to make a statement soon. We haven’t found the terrorist but there's a high possibility that an anarchist group called The Revival of Arian Empire Movement are the ones responsible for the bombing.”

“Seulgi, you need to be very careful now.” her sister warns. “Think! Why now? Why attack when we already took our flight home? Why not before the decree or after the marriage? The timing is strange.”

Her grip on her phone tightens as fear starts to claw on her insides. “I don’t know, Joohyun. I…” Seulgi trails off, the fear and confusion makes it hard for her to speak. “I’m going to visit Verona today, though I’m not sure exactly when, but as soon as the situation’s under control, I’ll go there with Jongin and King Seungwoo.”

“Seulgi, listen to me. Stay vigilant and open your eyes, okay? Right now, you’re probably in a bigger danger than those in Verona, or anyone in Aria. Don’t trust anyone so easily and stay close to Jongin and Jiwon.” Joohyun says again with urgency in her voice that makes Seulgi shivers. “And tell the King to give the best speech he could muster, we’re walking on thin ice right now.”

“A-alright.” she nods stiffly.

“Remember. Stay alert and keep your eyes peeled. Call me or mother and father if something happened, okay?”

“Okay.” Seulgi sighs, feels like it’s being choked. “You be safe, too. Don’t overwork yourself.”

She can picture Joohyun’s smile upon hearing her sister’s warm tone. “I know my limits, so don’t worry.” the woman says with a soft voice. “I’ll talk to you soon. Stay safe, Seulgi.”

The phone call ends with Seulgi feeling even worse than before. She’s in a bigger danger than Aria… Seulgi hopes Joohyun is just being her usual overthinking self when she said that, but that doesn’t stop her from being paranoid. Taking a deep breath, Seulgi composes herself. Now’s not the time to panic and be paranoid. She has to be brave and smart.

When she turns around, Seulgi can see the television still showing the aftermath of the bombing. Jongin seems to notice her troubled expression because he approaches her, hesitating a little before placing his hand on her shoulder. “Do you still want to watch the news or should we get ready?”

“I don’t know…” she answers. “Joohyun said the situation in Altair is very tense right now.”

“Can’t blame them. I’d be mad too if I were them.” Yerim pipes in, shrugging.

“Private Secretary Wonjae will handle it. He has his way with words, I’m sure he and father can work something out.” Jongin says, trying to comfort her.

Seulgi shakes her head. “There will always be people who won’t be satisfied by the statement. It’s just how it is.” she sighs, running her fingers through her hair. “Well, I mean, it’s only normal.”

“There will be no conflict,” Eunhee reassures her. “I trust in the King and your father, you should trust them too, Seulgi.”

“It’ll be alright,” Jongin says with so much certainty in his voice, combined with the empathizing look in his eyes, Seulgi feels a bit calmer, reassured. She can trust him. If Joohyun thinks Jongin is trustworthy, then she believes him. “I know it’s scary right now but everyone is looking up to us, so we have to trust harder than anyone in this country that everything is going to be alright.”

Seulgi let out a sigh. He’s right. This is not the time to overthink and panic. Instead of wasting her time and energy by doing useless things, she should focus on handling the situation. Nothing comes out of worrying.

“You’re right.” she murmurs. “I can’t be like this.”

The smile Jongin gives her is far from condescending. It was understanding, which comforts her even more. “Come on. We should get ready.” Jongin says, tugging on her elbow.

****

When everyone said her safety is a priority, none of them meant it as a joke. Throngs of soldiers and royal guards are securing the area. Even Jiwon seems more guarded and alert than usual, constantly keeping Seulgi close in his line of vision.

The damage of the bomb is even worse than the one aired in television. Nearby street lamps are damaged with indentations and scratch marks, the Blue Seal restaurant is fully closed, what’s left of the windows are little shards of glass, the rest have gone during the explosion. Perimeters have been set up with soldiers guarding them, where citizens are crowding outside and staring at the Royal Family in curiosity and worry.

A man clad in bulletproof vest and shotgun in his hand approaches them. Seulgi spots the Royal Arian Armed Forces badge on his left arm and the six star badge on his chest.

“Your Grace,” he greets gruffly, addressing Seungwoo with a deep bow.

“General Donghae,” Seungwoo nods, looking around the scene with concern.

From the other side, a man in police uniform rushes and bows before Seungwoo. “Good afternoon, Your Grace,”

“Chief Siwon.” Seungwoo replies, nodding at the Chief of Royal Arian Police Force. “How’s the status here?” he asks as he takes long strides to assess the scene.

Donghae and Siwon follows him. “We have sterilized the area. The bomb that was used was small but since it’s placed inside a car in a packed shopping district, the damage is still extensive. However our team, along with the army, has been gathering clues and questioned a couple of witnesses.”

The king nods before stopping at the exact location where the car and the bomb were placed. “Have you checked the CCTVs?”

“We have.” Siwon no