“Tell me what you know,” Baekhyun called out to his friend and advisor, Junmyeon. The male stared back at the King, eyeing him with curiosity. “Know about what?” The advisor retorted, placing his pen down. Baekhyun had pondered on the letter of Chanyeol’s resignation stating that he resigned from working for the King of Korea. He stated that he wanted to branch out and discover something new rather than sitting around the same walls for the rest of his life. Baekhyun’s eyes flared as he rested his palm against his cheek. “You knew that the Queen, my wife, went back home and no one seem to want to notify me of her leave.” Junmyeon let out a brief sigh, leaving everything that he was doing to give his friend and King a desperate look. “Honestly, Baekhyun,” he inhaled, “I’m not going to refer you as King and subject, but as your friend.” Junmyeon kept is attention of the King that fumed with anger. “Why, all of a sudden, are you angry about this? When Addy needed you the most, you turned your back on her because you chose to keep Mina around. She suffered here, and you’re suddenly angry that she’s not here now?”

Baekhyun stared at his friend – it’s like he was hearing this speech again from his mother. He knows that he messed up for choosing someone who wasn’t worth it when the one person who was so innocent and so trustworthy was driven away.

He knew that.

“Let me ask you this,” Junmyeon called out after a few moments of silence, “what exactly do you feel for the Queen? You obviously feel something for her if you’re acting like this.”

“And what do you want to hear from me, Junmyeon?”

“Just admit that you like her – love her, even!” Junmyeon exclaimed, slamming his hand against the table as he stood up. Junmyeon has never been so angry or annoyed over his friend – the King.

The words replayed in his head. Did he like the Queen? Love her even? Sure, he believed that she was smart, intelligent, beautiful, strong-willed, confident, skilled – everything that he is. When his parents said she was the perfect match for him, they weren’t lying.

“I understand if you’re upset that Chanyeol left a letter of resignation and went to work for the Queen in Astelin, but…” Junmyeon said with a sigh, eyes set on the King sitting a few inches away from him. “She wanted to get away from here – from the negative energy left by your former lover and… you. It was hard on her, Baekhyun. For all I know, she’s not emotionally stable. Mina did a number on her, and you ignored it. I know you tried to be around her as much as you could, but you really couldn’t with Mina around – filling your head with all those negatives things. She wanted Nami dead for crying out loud, Baekhyun.” It wasn’t the first-time hearing all of this, really. The guilt was settling in the pit of his stomach just listening to his friend and advisor tell him off. “You know I spend a lot of time with Irene – and me spending time with her really means that I am around Adelaine… a lot.” Baekhyun trailed his eyes to the male. “What does that have anything to do with her leaving?”

“All I’m trying to say is that Adelaine loves children. She adores them, wants them, so when her parents told her that she had to marry someone – you – to be crowned Queen, she thought maybe something good would come out of marrying you. But then Irene told me that you told Adelaine that you had a lover on the second day of getting to know her…” Junmyeon stared at Baekhyun. Eyes of disappointment. “You ruined everything she ever wanted.”

“What do you mean?”

“Baekhyun, she wants to rule her kingdoms with a family is what I mean. She wants a lively castle, not some gloomy, negative castle like this one.” Children. It always fell back on children. Baekhyun knew how much she loved them – he understood why she gave the children’s home a chance. Children loved being around her. He saw the smile on their faces and the wider smile on her face. But she never once mentioned to him that she wanted a family. Heirs, a lively castle, a lively life. An exasperated sigh leaves Baekhyun’s lips as he leaned his head back against his chair. “What do I do, Junmyeon?” He asked, realizing that he had much regret and guilt to live up to. His friend eyed the King curiously, standing up straight while he refocused his thoughts. “Do you really want her in your life?” He asked. The King stared at the ceiling, pondering his thoughts.

He really thought back on all the time he spent with her. In Astelin, in his kingdom. He remembered all their conversations, the smiles he’d give her whenever she refused to eat, and he’d have to sit there until she did. Or the time she walked down the aisle, her dress glistening under the sunlight. He even thought back to all the times he grew relentlessly jealous of Dongmin because the Jewel Prince always had her attention, and always made her smile and laugh.

“Yeah,” he breathed, “I do.”

Junmyeon stood up even straighter – if that was any possible. His feature plastered with surprise. May