Author's Note:

So, just want to shed some light. Seulgi can't exactly lash out or protest in front of everyone during the TV scene because she can't simply express her anger and say stuff like, "How dare he degraded me when it's Aria who colonized and made Altair suffer in the first place?" in front of the King, Queen, Jongin and other palace officials. 

She's not a prisoner, but it doesn't mean she could say all she wants to say without having to worry of the implications, so Seulgi is rather conflicted. 

But anyway, yesterday I finished reading Circe by Madeline Miller and it was so good. It's been so long since I really enjoy reading a book to an extent where I can't and don't even want to put it down, I sacrificed sleep and shut everyone else when I read it. What an amazing, amazing book. Its like a more organic Percy Jackson but with badass female lead with amazing character development and growth. This book has definitely secured its place in my hall of fame and I think you guys should check it out too!

Love,
Nat.

VI.

dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.

it is sweet and fitting to die for your country.

Despite the mayhem they’ve just endured, there is no time to rest. The following morning, Seulgi and Jongin spend their time in the private section of the national library, reading books after books, newspapers after newspapers, articles after articles and analyzing the law to prepare for the Cabinet meeting.

Seulgi looks tense, her long hair is tied up carelessly into a simple bun, strands of black hair slipping loose and framing her forehead and nape, the coat she was wearing is thrown away on a nearby sofa and once in a while, she’d massage her temple.

“You’re holding up over there?” Jongin decides to ask when she finished her second cup of coffee.

Seulgi looks up and smiles sheepishly. “Paperworks in the morning aren’t exactly my forte,” she says, leaning back on her chair and letting out a soft sigh. “But I found a lot of things we could work on.”

Jongin let out a sardonic laugh. “There has got to be lots,” he admits, liking the way her smile grows a bit bigger. “Why do I feel like I’m a bad student during report card day and you’re the teacher who’s going to snitch about the bad things I did?”

Her eyes widen before she starts laughing. “Don’t be like that.” she shakes her head, still smiling. “Have you found anything, though?”

Glancing at the rows of papers and his notes in front of him, Jongin nods. “A hell lot.”

Seulgi sighs. “I have a question for you.” she says, eventually, her hands clasped on top of the table and her body leans closer to him.

Unconsciously, Jongin leans forward, too. “Shoot.”

“You picked Jiwon as my Sworn Knight?”

This is somehow not a question he expected, but nevertheless, Jongin nods. “Yeah. Why?”

There is a moment of hesitation as Seulgi bits her lower lip. “I don’t know, just…” she murmurs, “Is it because he’s half Altairian?” she continues in a small voice.

“How do you- did he tell you?” Jongin asks, perplexed.

She nods her head but doesn’t say anything. Instead, Seulgi continues to glance at him, as if patiently waiting for his next words.

“I mean…” Jongin shrugs. “I thought… since both of you are Altairians, it’ll help you two bond easier and… I don’t know, sort of makes you feel less lonely? I don’t know, I just thought it’d be a good idea. I hope you also think it’s a good idea, though, it’ll be awkward if it didn’t.” he explains, huffing.

The amused, yet genuine smile on her lips sort of makes his heart flutter. “That’s very sweet of you, Jongin.” she reassures him. “It’s fine. He’s been a great companion so far, it’s easy to talk with him.”

Somehow Jongin wonders if she finds it easy to talk with him, too, but he shakes away the thought. “That’s good, then.”

Sighing, Seulgi takes off the scrunchie that ties her bun and her hair falls down easily down her back, curlier than before and slightly messy, but she looks good, she looked relaxed and at ease. Jongin watches as her long fingers run through her hair, she’s tying her hair back up again, in a ponytail, now, and he finds the whole movement to be quite captivating.

“It’s very kind of you and King Seungwoo, though,” she says, unaware of his gaze as she tidies up the piles of books before her. “I wonder what stopped you from kicking him out?”

“He’s good.” Jongin answers simply. “Sehun was the best in the academy, Jiwon almost matches him. Father thought it’s such a waste to let such talent go. It’s not like there were anybody else that knew beside us.”

“How open-minded,” she muses, resting her chin on her palm. “And progressive.”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugs and grimaces, “You better keep it as a secret, though, don’t think everyone would be pleased when they knew about it.”

Seulgi’s smile is confident and brighter than before. “Don’t worry. We have a whole lifetime to change their mind.”

****

Her confidence disappears, though, right after they finished their lunch in the Palace.

“Princess, there’s something important you need to see.” her aide, Miyeon, says.

She leads Seulgi and Jongin to the living room. Inside, Seungwoo and Eunhee are staring at the television. The King gives Jongin a grim look but says nothing. Jongin knows better than to ask.

On the television is a group of people—two old men clad in suit and a youngster, while the other is a woman wearing neat blouse. It seems to be a talk show. Jongin glances at Seulgi, who stares at the television in confusion. It takes a few seconds before both of them could grasp what those people are talking about.

"I still stand by my argument that what Princess Seulgi said was thoughtless and ignorant!" an old man with a body well past his prime age and balding head clad in grey suit roars, his fist slamming against the sleek white table.

The woman looks unfazed. "And why is that, sir?"

"Do you even need to ask?" the balding man retorts spitefully. "She seemed to enjoy cornering people 'who still clings to war'. This is extremely thoughtless and I expected better of her as the soon to be Queen of our Kingdom. Her words are extremely ignorant of those who have experienced first hand what the war feels like-"

"I must say I disagree with you." A rather younger and smaller man pipes in, bravely cutting the elder's sentence. "Instead of nitpicking we should have applauded the Princess' choice of words because as 'problematic' as it sounds, her words are still neutral, not putting weight on both Arian nor Altairian-"

"We don't expect a green boy like you to understand." another elder, this time skinny with glasses hanging on his nose, snaps at the younger with a condescending look. "It's her job to speak and appear in public and she already failed! Do you know how traumatizing and horrendous war is, boy? When I was ten, I watched my mother died because a bomb was dropped by the Altairian air forces. I was seventeen when I watched my comrade died in the war, mutilated by the enemy. There are so many people who still cling to the traumatizing effects of war-"

Jongin doesn’t even think when he ripped the remote away from his mother’s hand and turned the television off. He quickly turns to look at Seulgi. She’s staring at the black screen with a blank look on her face but he doesn’t miss the way her hands tremble.

“Seulgi-”

She flinches when he calls her name and Seulgi looks at him and the King in worry. The conflicted look on her face torn him. He finds anger, but also fear, shock and disbelief.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” he says without thinking. Really, all he wants is that