- The Crane -

Warm sun rays fell through the windows, basking the room in golden light. Baekhyun sat on the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his thighs. His head was tilted down, gaze fixed on the beige carpet that covered the floor. He hadn’t moved an inch in the past hour, numbly sitting and staring into space. His hair was tousled from the many times he ran his hand through it, some ash-blond strands hanging over his eyes. Occasionally, the door would open, and someone would peer inside, but seeing that the situation hadn’t changed, they would soon leave him be.

Worry gnawed at him, slowly eating away at his nerves. He hadn’t turned around in a while but knew nothing had changed. Soomi was still lying motionlessly on the bed, alive but not conscious. A servant had changed her clothes earlier, dressing her in a more comfortable gown as well as treating her wounds. She had told Baekhyun that Soomi needed more rest, and that she likely would not wake up any time soon.

After returning to the estate, the prince had been angry for a long time, his fury keeping him up for the remainder of the night. Rage had consumed him and stolen his sleep. At first, it had been directed at the Alliance, but then it had focused on himself instead. When the anger had finally faded, guilt took its place, making his heart feel heavy in his chest. It had been foolish of him to let her go alone, and he knew it. This would not have happened if he had been more concerned for her well-being.

Dark shadows lay under his dull eyes when he turned to watch Soomi. The sight that greeted him was one he was all too familiar with. She was worryingly pale, and her eyes were closed. Her hair was spread around her head like a halo. She looked like an angel, but she would have been more beautiful if she had opened her eyes and smiled at him, telling him how much she loved the ocean with that wondrous spark in her gaze. She had been full of life only yesterday, and now she looked dead. It scared him. He had lost all control over both his and her life. Death was an opponent he couldn’t defeat with a sword. He was powerless and could only wait and hope for the best. This feeling of helplessness was nauseating and drove him near the brink of insanity. He took a deep breath, caressing her cheek with his hand. She didn’t stir.

When the door opened again, Sehun glanced at him with a sorrowful frown. “You should come downstairs and eat with us, Baekhyun. Dinner is ready,” he said, but when Baekhyun shook his head, his mouth formed a hard line. “I’m not leaving until you get up! You need to eat; it’s been a day since your last meal.”

“Damn it, Sehun,” he hissed and hid his tired face in his hands.

“Come on, the others are waiting for you!” Sehun said persistently, tapping his foot on the floor, the noise irking Baekhyun.

“Fine, I’ll come,” he grumbled, getting up to follow the knight to the dining room. A delicious smell hung in the air, but Baekhyun couldn't care less. He had no appetite. All he wanted was to go back to his chambers and stay there.

Eight worried pairs of eyes came to rest on him as he sat down at the table, noting that someone had filled his plate with food already. Taking his fork, he picked at it, occasionally taking a bite. The room was shrouded in heavy silence, and by the time everybody was done eating, Junmyeon had enough of the tense atmosphere.

“Don’t you think we should stop being this gloomy? I’m sure the princess would scold us if she saw,” he said, smiling a bit. He was tired as well, but nonetheless, he tried to improve their mood.

“You have a point,” Jongin added, resting his hands on the table as he sighed. “It’s strange not to have her around.”

“She’ll be back soon,” Yixing said optimistically, eyeing Baekhyun’s reaction. The prince didn’t speak a word and stared at his plate, which was still filled with food. The disapproving glances he received from Chanyeol and Kyungsoo weren’t noticed by him since he was lost in his glum thoughts.

“By the way, shouldn’t we try to find out who leaked our location to the Alliance?” Minseok said, and Baekhyun’s head snapped up abruptly, his gaze filling with rage.

“You are right; we ought to do that,” he growled, putting his fork down and pushing his plate away. “I will kill that person myself when I find them.”

“Calm down. We need to keep a cool head,” Junmyeon said strictly, his voice sharper than usual. “Let’s think about this rationally and list all the people who know about the location of the honeymoon.”

“That would be the King and Queen, the royal advisor Wang and the servants we brought here,” Kyungsoo listed, and Baekhyun’s eyes immediately narrowed.

“Wang despises Soomi. He would have a motive to do it… and he also had all the information he needed since he was the one who planned our trip,” he said, gritting his teeth.

“The royal advisor, you say…” Chanyeol mumbled, raising his eyebrows. “Would he betray the royal family only because he dislikes her? He knows how much is at stake here.”

“True, it’s strange… Besides, if he was responsible, he would have avoided drawing suspicion. Right now, all clues are pointing to him,” Minseok continued, sharing Chanyeol’s opinion.

“Do you think he could have been framed by someone?” Junmyeon asked, and Minseok nodded.

“Nonsense. It was him. Who else would do it? He mistreated her before; of course, he would want to get rid of her!” Baekhyun insisted.

A strange numbness paralyzed her entire body. It frightened her. Soomi didn’t know where she was and why she felt this way. Her hazy mind struggled to recall what had happened to her, but as soon as the memories returned, she was hit by a strong wave of fear. She had been abducted and could be anywhere at this point; she didn’t even know how much time had passed since her trip to the forest. Raw panic made her heart palpitate nervously in her chest, and her eyes shot open, fixing themselves on a familiar ceiling.

Three seconds passed until she realized where she was. Her abductors were nowhere near her—she was back in the estate as if the whole ordeal had been a nightmare. However, the ache in her body told her otherwise. The ambush had happened, but somehow, she had ended up here, where she was safe. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself, noticing a warm sensation on her hand. She turned her head, discovering a sleeping Baekhyun holding on to her hand despite not being awake.

Stunned by the sight, her eyes widened. He looked worse for wear, was paler than normal, and wore shadows under his eyes that showed his sleep deprivation. His forehead was creased even while he slept. Wondering why he seemed distraught, her gaze fell on their interlocked hands. She caressed the back of his hand with her thumb. Shouldn’t he be awake at this hour? The sun was up outside, so it had to be morning already.

Soomi noticed a familiar sweet smell in the room. When she turned her head, she spotted a bouquet of white roses on her nightstand—her favorite flowers. The smile on her lips grew as she observed the beautiful blossoms linked to many joyful memories. Who had put them here? Moreover, who had known those were her favorite? Soomi decided to ask the others about it later.

She rolled on her side and studied Baekhyun, pondering what might have happened while she was unconscious. Whatever it was, he seemed to have lost a lot of sleep over it, and she would be lying if she said it didn’t worry her. She carefully touched his soft hair with her hand, the one that wasn’t holding on to his, and brushed a few strands away from his forehead. When he stirred, she hastily moved her arm back.

Staying silent, she waited for him to wake up on his own. He blinked and opened his eyes, at first not noticing her, but when he turned his head, he froze. His brown eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. Disbelief flashed over his face, but he didn’t need much longer to overcome his surprise. Sitting up abruptly, he leaned over her.

“Soomi!” he yelled loudly, making her wince when her headache throbbed at the noise. “How are you?”

“I guess I’m fine,” she mumbled, not quite as energetic as him.

“T-That’s great,” he beamed, causing her to raise her eyebrows in confusion. He wasn’t usually this expressive. What in the world had happened while she had been unconscious? “Do you need anything? Can I get you something?” he rambled.

“No, don’t worry. It’s okay,” she said. He got up regardless and fetched a glass of water, urging her to drink it. She did since his strict gaze didn’t leave her a choice.

“Will you tell me what happened?” she asked and leaned her back against her pillow, feeling a bit lightheaded.

His gaze darkened, and his smile dimmed until it was gone. “You disappeared yesterday, so I looked for you and found a letter outside. It… it stated that you returned to Caelum and want to break the union.”

“I would never do that!” she said, looking appalled at endangering their hard-earned peace.

“Don’t worry, we came to the same conclusion. We searched the forest and found you at a castle ruin far behind the woods. You were abducted by members of the Alliance. When we reached you, you were unconscious… and d