- The Compass -

Time passed slowly as the group made their way back to the capital. Baekhyun was tense, not trusting the calm atmosphere around them. It was suspicious to him since he knew they were an easy target at the moment—the Alliance could use their vulnerability to their advantage. If one of the servants had been responsible for revealing their honeymoon location, they surely had informed the Alliance about their departure, meaning it was only a matter of time before they would attack.

However, Baekhyun didn’t know if the traitor was one of the servants or someone else entirely. He still strongly suspected Wang to be responsible, no matter what his knights told him. After all, the prince had seen how rude and condescending the royal advisor had been to Soomi. Wang despised her and treated her like dirt. Baekhyun sighed, cursing the people who wanted to destroy their hard-earned peace. It seemed they could only be stopped once they were dead, and he didn’t like shedding blood.

The day was nearing its end when they reached the safety of the castle walls. Soomi was happy to leave the carriage, relieved when her feet touched solid ground. Her knees were a bit wobbly after sitting in the carriage most of the day.

“We made it,” she sighed while Baekhyun and the knights dismounted their horses and brought them to the stables. Jongin took Baekhyun’s horse and told him to go ahead into the castle.

“Thanks, Jongin,” the prince said and nodded at him. Baekhyun was exhausted from the long journey and wanted nothing more than to take a bath and go to sleep, but there were important matters he had to attend to first—the King needed to know about the incident as soon as possible.

“Will you accompany me?” he asked Soomi.

“Of course. We will take care of this together,” she said, attempting to sound optimistic yet feeling anything but. “Maybe we can find a solution.”

His gaze conveyed gratefulness, and he took her hand as they walked into the large entrance hall of Lux’s castle. For the first time since she had left Caelum, this place made her feel calm and safe—she was home and had survived the seemingly endless journey with Baekhyun and the knights. They crossed the hall, servants and knights bowing respectfully when the couple passed them. Some were surprised at the couple’s early return, and Soomi couldn’t blame them.

When they entered the throne room, neither the King nor the Queen was present, so Baekhyun sent a servant to inform them of their arrival. Soomi and Baekhyun had to wait for another fifteen minutes until they arrived—it was easy to see why it had taken so long. The King struggled to keep himself upright as he walked, slowly making his way to the throne. Cold sweat gathered on his forehead. He stiffly sat on his throne, taking a shaky breath. The Queen didn’t leave his side and seemed concerned about her husband’s state. Her bloodshot eyes proved she hadn’t slept much in the past nights.

Baekhyun stepped closer to the throne, his shoulders tense and back rigid. “What’s wrong, father?” he asked, forgetting about his initial plan when he saw the King.

The older man coughed before he answered, giving a strained smile. “Don’t concern yourself. It’s just my illness acting up again,” he said, maintaining a steady voice.

“You should be resting! If I had known, I wouldn’t have…” Baekhyun began, but the King interrupted him.

“A King doesn’t rest,” he countered. Baekhyun clenched his jaw, the worry and anguish in his eyes speaking volumes to Soomi, who stood beside him and linked his hand with hers. It felt cold to the touch but warmed the longer she held on to it. Baekhyun didn’t move away from her, accepting her comforting touch. Soomi could only imagine how hard it was for him to see his father suffer, unable to alleviate his pain.

The Queen’s sharp gaze brushed over the couple’s interlocked hands, a barely noticeable smile blossoming on her pale lips, but it withered away when saw the frowns on their faces. “Why are you back so soon? What happened?” she asked, her voice softer than the King's.

Soomi briefly explained what had occurred and how they dealt with the situation. It was apparent that the King and Queen were angered by the incident. “It was a mistake to send you away,” the King said, his tired eyes darkening. “This could have ended badly. Are you alright, Princess Soomi?”

She inclined her head and smiled politely. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“We seem to have at least one traitor in our midst,” Baekhyun said. His hold on her hand became tighter. “It’s important to find them as soon as possible. We’re not safe in this castle as long as they aren’t caught.”

Soomi had known this, of course she had, but hearing the truth from his mouth made it so much more real. This whole time, she had told herself that she would be safe once they were back at the castle. She had been lying to herself to not lose her mind in worry, but now she had to face the harsh reality. Anyone could be a traitor or harm them at any given time. She could die within the following days, hours, minutes. Feeling nauseous at the prospect, she gritted her teeth and fought to keep her composure in front of the King and Queen.

“The royal family must stay alive no matter what,” the King growled before coughing. “We… we need to increase the security measures in the castle…” His face was worryingly pale now, and the Queen decided to interfere.

“My dear, you should go back to bed and rest,” she said strictly, shooting him a harsh glare when he opened his mouth to object.

“This matter is important and… cannot be delayed,” he retorted, his stubbornness reminding Soomi an awful lot of Baekhyun, who seemed torn seeing his father struggling like this.

“Father, please listen,” Baekhyun chimed in, worry causing his typically strong voice to waver. “We can discuss this later; your health is more important.”

“No!” the King thundered, his voice echoing through the throne room. “We have to find a solution first. You are this kingdom's future and need to remain safe at all costs. I am old already, and my time is running out—you on the other hand still have your whole life ahead of you. I know this is a lot to ask for, Baekhyun,” the King said calmly, sadness swimming in his eyes as he continued, “But you have to stay strong. You can’t waver. That’s what our enemies are waiting for.”

“But what am I supposed to do? My hands are tied as long as we don’t know who we’re dealing with,” Baekhyun yelled desperately.

“You need to be patient and wait for them to make a mistake. Sooner or later, they will,” the King replied. “For now, you have to stay alive. Assign your most trusted knights to guard the chambers of the royal family and never leave the castle without protection.”

“I… I have a suspicion regarding the traitor’s identity,” Baekhyun began. The King raised his eyebrows, gesturing for him to go on. “I’m sure that advisor Wang has something to do with it.”

“Impossible!” was the King’s instantaneous reply. “Lord Wang has served me for years, and he only has the best in mind for Lux. He would never jeopardize peace.”

“Father, he threatened my wife! It’s—”

“Do not accuse him of such things!” the King said sharply. It was easy to see that the conversation was draining his strength. Beads of sweat rolled down his temple, and his breathing was uneven. Soomi was sure that the stress was too much for him and decided to intervene before the situation escalated.

“Let’s not be rash when accusing people,” she said, forcing herself to sound calm and collected. Baekhyun’s disbelieving gaze weighed heavy on her, so she glanced at him to convince him she knew what she was doing. “We need evidence; a simple suspicion is not enough to reach a verdict when so much is at stake. While Lord Wang was responsible for planning the honeymoon, and it would have been easy for him to sabotage it, it would have been just as easy for someone else to frame him. Therefore, we ought to wait.”

The Queen nodded, and the King seemed to agree as well. Only Baekhyun wasn’t convinced. “Are you defending him?!” he hissed.

“No, I’m asking for your patience,” she replied calmly.

“How can I be patient after the Alliance has threatened your life? You’re asking for the impossible!”

The sizzling anger in his eyes couldn’t hide the worry he felt, nor could it hide the fear she read within their depths. He was deeply afraid of something. Was it losing his family? His kingdom? His life? Her?

“Baekhyun, the princess is right,” the Queen said. “There is nothing we can do but be cautious and patient. You two should stay close and place your trust in each other. Don’t lose hope; this won’t bring our family down.”

As soon as the young couple was back in their chambers and the doors were closed behind them, Baekhyun lost his composure. His calm façade crumbled to dust, and a raging storm of emotions surfaced. He cursed loudly, clenching his hands into fists.

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