- The Scorpion-

During the remainder of the night, Soomi barely slept. She found no rest, no matter how much time passed, but she forced herself to stay in bed since she couldn’t afford to be careless with her health at a time like this. Due to the given circumstances, Jongin had decided to stay in the room with her. He had locked the door as Baekhyun usually would do and slept on the sofa. Just like Soomi, he didn’t find any rest. When morning came, both of them were exhausted.

Soomi constantly wondered how Baekhyun was doing, what was happening to him, and whether he was safe. She prayed that help from Caelum would arrive fast, but it all depended on the messenger they had sent there, and on her brother’s and father’s decision. She was sure that they would provide help to Lux but feared they might be too late.

When Jongin escorted her to the dining hall, she immediately noticed how empty the castle was. The knights who usually stood guard were gone, and the few nobles and servants she came across looked either terrified or uneasy. They all remembered the last war very well, and nobody wanted to go through another one.

During breakfast, Soomi sat at the table with Baekhyun’s mother Younghee and Jongin. They didn’t speak much, each of them occupied with their thoughts. Despite her pregnancy and the bigger appetite she had, Soomi couldn’t bring herself to eat. She was nauseous in fear and her stomach churned. Younghee noticed her reluctance, covering her hand with hers. This drew Soomi’s attention who looked at the older woman.

“I know that it’s difficult for you,  but you should eat more than that,” she said. “You might not be on a battlefield, but you need to stand your ground as well. As it is right now, you have two lives to care for.” Soomi met Younghee’s understanding gaze, but she couldn’t hold it for long. The former Queen’s warm brown eye color reminded her so much of Baekhyun that it was painful.

“I’m worried,” Soomi said softly. “And a bit nauseous.”

“Have faith. Baekhyun and the knights are strong and there is a chance for them to survive.”

“Exactly,” Jongin said, lowering his voice as he shot her a meaningful look. “Try to eat some more. If not for yourself, then at least for the baby.”

“You’re right, of course,” she mumbled, picking up her fork to continue eating.

Jongin and Younghee watched her conflictedly, empathizing with her as they didn’t feel any different than her at the moment. They also couldn’t bear the thought of losing someone they cared about to Sol, but their hands were bound.

Soomi chose to remain within the safety of the castle walls and in the afternoon, she went to the library, attempting to distract herself. However, her anxiousness was impossible to shake off, and it nearly drove her insane. As she passed the endless rows of bookshelves, her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

What if he was hurt? What if he was dead? What if…?

“Are you alright?” Jongin’s soft voice asked, tearing her from her thoughts. She stopped and looked at the windows at the side of the room, glancing outside with empty eyes.

“As long as he’s alright,” she replied.

“He will be,” Jongin said, sounding sure of himself. “I don’t know a single man that is more skilled at fencing than him.”

They were interrupted when the door to the library opened and a familiar face appeared. It was Lady Yang, and she looked just as surprised to see Soomi as Soomi was to see her. The duchess wore a dark green dress with a heart-shaped neckline and short sleeves. Her brown hair was braided, falling over her back in an elaborate hairstyle.

“Your Majesty,” she said in greeting as she came closer. She moved with reluctance, the normally proud woman appearing tired.

“Lady Yang, what a surprise to see you here,” Soomi replied, not letting any emotion show on her face. Inwardly, she wondered what to think of her. She had helped her in the past, uncovering Lady Yubin’s betrayal, and Soomi was grateful for that. On the other hand, Soomi still barely knew her. They had spoken a few times, and the hostility between them had eventually disappeared. Now their relation was neutral.

“I wanted to distract myself by spending time in the library,” Lady Yang said.

“It seems like we had the same idea,” Soomi answered. Jongin remained next to her with crossed arms, not making an effort to take part in the conversation. He looked at the other woman with disinterest, soon getting lost in his thoughts.

“You must be worried about the current situation,” Soomi added, taking in the noticeable frown on her face.

“Indeed I am,” Lady Yang said, casting her eyes to the ground. “My husband and my father left last night with Lux’s army. I’m the only member of my family who had to stay back, and I’m concerned  for them.”

In a strange way, Soomi felt connected to her since she was in the same situation. There was only one difference. Since Lady Yang was a duchess and not a queen, her responsibilities were significantly smaller than Soomi’s.

“It infuriates me that I can’t do anything,” the duchess continued. She curled her delicate hands into fists. “I never learned how to use a sword. I’m useless in a war.”

Her words resonated with Soomi. She as well was useless in a war that was fought with weapons. All she could rely on was her wit and her ability to negotiate—but those wouldn’t help her at this point.

“I have never learned this kind of skill either. My father forbade it,” Soomi said. However, even if she had been able to fight with a sword, it would be ridiculously stupid to try such a thing while being pregnant. It couldn’t possibly end well for her baby. “Until yesterday I’ve hoped that we would find a peaceful solution to avoid unnecessary deaths, but Queen Lee is ruthless.”

Lady Yang scowled, her eyes blazing in anger. “I have held Sol and its Queen in high regards for many years, but what this woman did made me lose all respect I’ve had for her. How dare she attack this kingdom!” she hissed. “I hate her, and if anything happens to my family or the King, I will never forgive her.”

“Have you ever met her?” Soomi asked. She had been wondering what kind of person this Queen Lee was.

“Yes, I have. My family was invited to Sol’s court years ago before the war,” Lady Yang recounted. “My impression of the Queen was neutral at first. She appeared to be a wise and strict ruler, but now I see how cunning and manipulative she truly is. It’s impossible to know what she is thinking. She is good at hiding her intentions and she shouldn’t be underestimated.”

“I see…” Soomi said, frowning. “I never had the opportunity to meet her, let alone speak to her.”

“Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything,” Lady Yang said, smiling bitterly. “Apparently, her attitude became even worse after her husband died. She’s a witch.”

One more day passed without anyone hearing from Baekhyun nor Caelum. Soomi hated to be cut off from him. It was torturous not to know what was going on. She had spent half the afternoon in the throne room with Jongin, speaking about random topics just to distract her frantic mind for a little while. The knight looked as tired as her, not having slept much the past two nights since the army had left the castle. Nonetheless, he took his job very seriously and never strayed from her side. She was grateful to be in the company of a friend in this dire situation. Having someone nearby who she trusted was very important to her. It eased the fear in her heart a little.

Soomi sat on her throne, absentmindedly staring at one of the windows. If Lux had won the battle against Sol’s army, they would have returned by now, right? Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones. The ominous sense of foreboding she got was unsettling, and she wondered whether she should mention it to Jongin. Then again, what good would that do? She didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily. He was very good at hiding it, but she was sure that he was concerned for the lives of his eight friends as well. It had to be strange to him not to be at their side, to stay with her instead.

“Jongin?” she said after a long period of silence, earning a surprised glance from him.

“Yes?” he asked and turned his body in her direction. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword as it usually did when he was on duty. The brown of his eyes appeared darker than normal, dull and lifeless.

“I want to thank you… for what you are doing,” she said and smiled weakly. “It’s not an easy situation, and I’m incredibly grateful to not be alone right now.”

At first, he seemed astonished, his eyes widening, but he soon mirrored her smile. “It’s okay. I’m happy to be of help, whether it’s to you or Baekhyun. Admittedly, it’s a bit strange to be separated from them, but someone needs to make sure that you are safe too. I understand Baekhyun’s decision to have one of us stay with you.”

“Baekhyun was quite tense when he left,” she mumbled, fidgeting with the heavy fabric of her dress. “He told me that he despises taking lives, and I assume it’s the same for everyone else. Do you think they are okay?”

Jongin seemed to know that she wasn’t speaking about their physical but their mental state. He let out a sigh, furrowing his brows. “To be completely honest with you, it’s hard to say. These things leave scars that you can’t erase,” he muttered. “But they know why they’re doing it. They have decided to go through with it because they all have something they want to protect.”

She fell silent hearing his words and began to mull over them. However, she flinched when the door to the thron