- The Swan -

A lot changed for Baekhyun and Soomi within the following days. They had to adapt to the new rules they had agreed on with the King and the Queen, which included staying close to the royal guard and being careful during all hours of the day.

The King himself rarely joined them during breakfast, lunch, and dinner since his health continued to deteriorate, the added stress worsening his state. Baekhyun was very worried about him since he often excused himself to visit him in order to speak to him and spend time with him. This resulted in her mostly seeing him in the dining hall and in the evenings when they went to sleep. She missed spending time with him but respected his wish to stay with his father when his life was nearing its end.

The princess was cautious when moving around in the castle, never leaving the tower without asking a knight to accompany her. After the scare during the honeymoon, she didn’t want to take risks. Their early return from the honeymoon hadn’t gone unnoticed by the nobles, and consequently, they had been gossiping behind her back, believing she had annoyed Baekhyun so much that he decided to head back home early. This couldn’t be further from the truth, but she was reluctant to correct them since it was better if they didn’t know about the ambush. It would lead to distrust and panic, and the royal family didn’t need any more problems.

Lady Yang interpreted the rumors as an invitation to return to her favorite hobby: clinging to Baekhyun wherever he went. She was shameless in her pursuit, and Soomi often boiled with anger when she witnessed it. However, Baekhyun continued to reject Lady Yang, one time even yelling at her and putting her in her place. He was sick of her behavior and the lack of respect for his wife. Soomi would never forget the shocked look on her face; it had been priceless. She had watched the entire scene from the window of her chambers and didn’t feel sorry for Lady Yang. What was she thinking, being married herself and running after a married prince? She apparently didn’t know when to give up.

Today, Soomi met with Lisa in the castle gardens, where they were safe from prying eyes. She asked Jongin to accompany her, and he had been happy to do so, telling her about the three new horses that had recently arrived at the stables. He had been tasked with training them, and judging by his bright grin, he was happy with his progress.

“Next time you come by to visit Yumi, I’ll show them to you,” he said and laughed when her eyes lit up.

“Yes, please do! I’m curious about them!” she gushed, glad he was so good at keeping the mood up. Jongin was very optimistic, smiling even when times were tough. His presence was refreshing. However, despite his optimism, he wasn’t reckless or inattentive. Soomi noticed his watchful gaze scanning their surroundings. The knight never let go of the hilt of his sword. He knew how much was at stake right now and didn’t take chances regarding her safety.

“Are you feeling better now, Your Highness?” he asked after a while, referring to her injuries.

She nodded and sent him a smile that was supposed to reassure him. “I’m all healed!” She threw her fist up in the air to emphasize her point. The weird gesture made Jongin laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Good, that’s a relief,” he hummed as they reached the castle gardens where Lisa awaited them. A smile bloomed on her face when she spotted the knight and the princess.

“Hello, Lisa!” Soomi said as they approached her. Jongin gave them privacy and lingered in the area, but not close enough to hear what they were talking about.

“It’s good to see you, Your Highness,” Lisa replied. They had spoken about the ambush already, Soomi filling her in on what had happened. The two women strolled through the flower garden, enjoying the calm atmosphere away from the hustle near the castle gate. Soomi hadn’t been able to go outside in the past days and was happy to finally breathe some fresh air. If Baekhyun had been here too, she would have been happier, but he was busy. She recalled that he had left the castle earlier with Chanyeol and Junmyeon.  

“What did I miss while I was away?” Soomi asked Lisa as they walked.

“The castle was quiet, but there were rumors about the King’s health. Some servants noticed that he received frequent visits from the doctor and asked for meals to be taken to his chambers,” she explained, more or less telling Soomi what she already knew. Lisa looked worried, the crease in her brow adding to the impression. “Advisor Wang has also visited him more often than usual. I wonder why.”

Soomi scowled when she thought of Wang. She couldn’t stand him and wished for him to be stripped of his duties as the advisor. Hundreds of other people would do a better job than him—if only the King would understand.

“He’s bad news. We can’t be sure if he was the one responsible for the ambush since he could have easily leaked our location to an outsider. I don’t trust him.”

“Let me be honest with you, Your Highness. In my opinion, he’s a cranky old man who values traditions and dismisses modern ideas. If he saw you spending time with me, he would most likely give us both a tirade about how people from different classes aren’t supposed to mingle.”

“Do you think he might have been responsible for the ambush?” Soomi whispered.

“Possibly. I wouldn’t put it past him. Then again, he’s patriotic and risking the safety of this kingdom wouldn’t make sense for him,” Lisa said.

“That’s true,” Soomi grumbled, crossing her arms as her expression darkened. “This is incredibly frustrating!”

“Don’t lose hope. There is always light at the end of the tunnel,” Lisa replied with a soft smile. “I’m sure you and the prince will find a way to deal with the situation. And speaking of the prince, did you have fun with him on your honeymoon?” Curiosity and amusement shone in the servant’s eyes, and Soomi blushed when she recalled the day he taught her how to swim, his suggestive comments still fresh in her mind.

“We… uhm… we did.” She cleared and cringed when Lisa giggled.

“Awww, you’re blushing! I wonder what happened between you,” Lisa grinned, dead set on finding out why the princess got flustered by a simple question.

“N-Nothing much. We watched the stars together, visited the beach and went swimming. It was a wonderful stay, at least until the ambush happened.”

“You went swimming?” Lisa gushed, lifting her eyebrows. “So, spill the tea! Did you see him ?”

Soomi choked and then squeaked so loudly that Jongin sent her an alarmed look, already expecting the worst. However, when he saw the women giggling and joking, he shook his head in amusement, getting a good idea what they were talking about.

“Kind of? Not really? A bit?” she sputtered, hiding her burning cheeks behind her palms.

“You must have liked the view,” Lisa teased.

“I mean, I wasn’t complaining. He’s attractive...”

“Ohhh, interesting! I wonder if he thinks the same of you.”

“Well, I caught him staring at my chest.”

Now it was Lisa’s turn to squeal, and again, Jongin shook his head at their shenanigans. He’d never understand why women made these horrendous noises sometimes.

“Are you serious right now?” Lisa gasped.

“Dead serious.”

“Oh, this is interesting. Looks like he’s falling for you.”

“Maybe?” Soomi answered, happiness overtaking her at the idea of Baekhyun liking her. She couldn’t deny she was interested in him, and not just in a platonic way. Their honeymoon had only strengthened her budding feelings for him—the question was, did he feel the same way?

“Or maybe he’s a ert who likes staring at women’s s?” Soomi added quietly, putting her hand on her chin.

Lisa snorted. “I doubt the prince is a ert. He rarely spends time with the noblewomen at court. Only yesterday, he gave Lady Yang a rather harsh rejection. All the servants are gossiping about it,” Lisa grinned. “They’re on your side when it comes to winning the prince’s heart.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes. Lady Yang mistreats them and yells at them, but you’re polite and kind. Your behavior sets you apart from most other nobles who are too arrogant for their own good.” She scrunched her nose in disgust.

“It’s nice to have support for once,” Soomi said.

“Princess, you have a visitor!” Jongin’s cheeky voice called from the other side of the flower garden, catching their attention. Baekhyun entered the garden, speaking to Jongin, who seemed amused by something.

Lisa giggled, nudging the princess. “Speaking of the devil, here he comes! Go and steal his heart. I’m rooting for you.”

Soomi hid her embarrassment behind a nervous smile and said goodbye to her friend. “We’ll see each other later.”

“Have fun with your husband,” Lisa grinned and waved when Soomi left.

The princess walked up to Jongin and Baekhyun, a rosy blush dusting her cheeks. “Baekyhun! Where have you been?” she asked.

“I went into town to buy something for you,” he explained, and Jongin took it as his cue to leave, giving them privacy. “I’ve been considering it for a while and decided you should own one of these. I want you to be safe.”

“What’s this about?” she said confusedly, eyeing the wooden box he had brought. It was about as long as her lower arm but not very wide. She had no clue what his gift could be, so Baekhyun opened the box and Soomi peered inside, discovering a gleaming silver dagger. She had never seen one like this before, the blade being very slim and sharp at the end while the hilt and the guard appeared like a cross.

“I want you to have this. It’s called stiletto, a weapon specifically designed for self-defense. It’s easy to hi