- The King -

“Y-Your Highness!” the servant called frantically. “The King wishes to see you! It is urgent!”

Ice crept into Soomi’s heart. Something was wrong. Something bad was happening, she was sure of it. Baekhyun’s façade slipped, briefly showing his fear, but he was quick to hide it and didn’t hesitate to act.

He took Soomi’s hand and they walked towards the tower where the King’s chambers were. On the way there, she noticed how clammy and shaky his hands were, and her trepidation rose. What if the King’s health had deteriorated further? What if something had happened to him? She was scared out of her mind and didn’t even want to know how bad Baekhyun must be feeling right now.

They hurried up the stairs and found a doctor standing in front of the room along with the Queen who was fighting her tears. Soomi had never seen her this distraught since she was a wise and composed woman, and her sudden change in behavior was a bad sign.

“What’s wrong, mother?” Baekhyun asked agitatedly.

The Queen took a deep breath before she answered, her glossy eyes coming to rest on her son. “Your father… is dying. The doctor isn’t giving him much time, and he wishes to speak to you both before he passes.”

Soomi was petrified, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She glanced at Baekhyun in worry, seeing shock written all over his face.

“W-What?” he forced out and looked at his mother in disbelief like he thought this was just a bad dream, a nightmare he would wake up from soon.

“You know that his heart has been weak since he has suffered a cardiac infarction a few years back. He has reached a state where his death can’t be delayed anymore,” the Queen spoke, clutching her handkerchief tightly, “Don’t keep him waiting now.”

Baekhyun stood frozen and did not move, his entire posture conveying shock and powerlessness. He had paled considerably and was in denial about the terrible news. Soomi took his hand and tugged at it since she knew they couldn’t afford to waste time now.

“Please, come with me,” she said urgently, and finally, he reacted. She led him to the King’s chambers, opening the door to uncover a lavishly furnished room that was shrouded in dim light since some of the curtains in front of the windows were drawn. He was resting in his bed, his complexion pale and sickly. The proud King was a shadow of his former self, barely clinging to life and it was painful to see him like this. His dull eyes settled on the couple as they came to stand in front of his bed.

“You wanted to see us, Your Majesty,” Soomi said quietly, clogging up when Baekhyun squeezed her hand. He clenched his jaw and his shoulders were rigid, revealing the tension building within him.

The King let out a cough, speaking with difficulty. “Yes. I wished to see you… one last time,” he breathed, closing his eyes briefly. “My life is reaching its end, as it has been foreseeable for a while, and soon you are going to be the new king and queen of Lux. I do not doubt that our kingdoms will continue to prosper alongside each other, but… you need to be cautious. The Alliance is still… out there, please be wary.”

He drew in a shaky breath and paused for a while as his strength was waning quickly and even the simple act of speaking exhausted him.

“Princess Soomi, please stay at my son’s side and be his guide. You have proven yourself to be a kind young woman… and I hope you can hold on to that kindness when… you are going to be queen,” he said slowly, taking a deep breath.

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she willed them away and nodded, smiling shakily at the King. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I’m going to devote myself to Lux, I promise.”

She held Baekhyun’s hand tightly, clinging to it like it was a lifeline. Her knees were shaky and weak since she knew of the heavy burden she would have to carry alongside Baekhyun as the rulers of a kingdom; one that had been scarred by a long war. Not all of its citizens would accept her as their queen since she had been part of the enemy kingdom for most of her life. She would have to prove herself as soon as she was crowned—a difficult task for the young princess. Hopefully, the people would at least give her a chance. She had no choice but to wait and see how the situation would unfold.

“I wish I could have crowned you king and queen myself, but my condition doesn’t… allow me to,” the King continued. He sounded regretful, closing his tired eyes momentarily.

Baekhyun stepped closer to the bed, his eyes betraying his fear. He wanted to help his father, but there was nothing that he could have changed. Soomi stayed close to him, glancing at him worriedly.

The King must have noticed his trepidation since he decided to address him directly this time. “Walk tall, my son. You have no reason to be afraid,” he said, sounding convicted despite the quietness of his voice. “It was you who defended this kingdom bravely during the war and you played an important part in reuniting both kingdoms. I’m confident that you will be a wise king.”

Baekhyun stood frozen like a statue. It was as if he was in some sort of trance and Soomi grew increasingly worried about him. She interlaced her fingers with his and held on tightly to his hand, but even then, he didn’t acknowledge her.

“I won’t disappoint you, father,” he replied hollowly, his expression cold and not showing an emotion. He left Soomi’s side to walk next to the bed and sat down, keeping his eyes on the King who grew increasingly paler. He was struggling to breathe.

She felt like she was intruding on them and decided to excuse herself from the room to give them privacy before the King died. Soomi went back outside to the hallway where the doctor and the Queen were waiting. She folded her hands in front of her stomach and didn’t speak a word, the silence weighing heavily on them. Eventually, the Queen joined her husband and son, wanting to stay with him in his last moments.

Soomi glanced after her sadly and walked to the window at the end of the hallway, looking outside. Clouds had appeared on the horizon, obscuring the sun and casting gloomy shadows over the land. It was a dark day for the kingdom of Lux. She watched the people in the castle yard doing their tasks in blissful obliviousness to what was happening up in the tower, and she wondered how they would react to the loss of their King.

She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that he would survive as she had seen how much his health had deteriorated. It was likely that he would pass within the next hour. The thought made her restless, increased her worry, and her fear of her uncertain future. She’d seen that Baekhyun was affected by his father’s impending death and she hoped that he would be fine in the end. However, since she was aware of his reluctance to take over the throne, she doubted that he would accept his fate easily. Sighing heavily, she curled her hands into fists, leaning her hips against the windowsill.

Only forty minutes later, the King was dead.

The sudden passing of the King plunged Baekhyun into deep despair and hopelessness. He no longer smiled at Soomi and became distant even while they slept next to each other, retreating back into his shell. It was a difficult time for him and the longer his apathy held on, the more worried Soomi became. His face was blank most of the time and his eyes empty. Since he hardly acknowledged her, answered her concerned questions with clipped answers, she was at a loss and didn’t know what to do to comfort him.

The days since the King’s death had been a blur, so stressful for them both that she wished they could lean on each other in this difficult time, but he was repellant and too lost in his sorrow to notice her fruitless tries to help him. She felt useless and alone, his state of apathy scaring her.

During the funeral that was held only two days after the King’s death, he had not shed a single tear, staring into space the entire time, even as the Queen addressed the crowd to hold a speech concerning her husband’s death. The citizens needed to know what had happened, that they would have a new king soon. The news spread quickly throughout the entire kingdom, throwing it into a state of panic. To maintain peace, Lux needed a new king. Therefore, the date of the coronation was already decided, the dreaded day adding another weight on Baekhyun’s shoulders that he had to carry.

After the funeral, Soomi had insisted that they retreat to their shared chambers for a while. She could tell that he was reaching his breaking point, and if he kept bottling everything up, he would only suffer more in the end. Thanks to her persistence, he had eventually agreed to go with her, and that was how he ended up standing at the window in their chambers, staring down at the castle yard while keeping his back to her.

It was entirely silent in the room safe for the soft pitter-patter of rain against the window. He was tense, clothed in black from head to toe just like her. His