- The Lizard-

Soomi cried herself to sleep and Jongin’s heart broke over and over again hearing her suffer. His anger for Sungho grew steadily and made him restless. He paced back and forth through the room, gritting his teeth so hard his jaw was hurting.

There had to be a solution, a way out of this mess. It couldn’t end like this—Lux couldn’t be defeated by Sol. The fragile peace between the three kingdoms had been shattered so easily, within a single night, and now the most important people in his life were dead. Jongin was unable to believe it. Part of him was hoping that it was all a nightmare, but he never woke up.

Throwing Soomi’s sleeping form on the bed a glance, he walked over to the window and gazed outside, surveying the situation in the castle yard down below. The advantage of being locked in the tower was that he could see what was going on outside. It was a relief that they hadn’t been taken to a prison cell yet and he hoped it would stay that way. At least here, she could rest properly and take care of herself. It was crucial for her to stay healthy.

Jongin wondered what Sungho’s aim was in keeping them both alive. He had to have an ulterior motive. A single thought of the despicable crown prince was enough to wake Jongin’s anger. He hated him more than anyone in the world and he would gladly slit his throat if given the opportunity to.

As he stared out the window, he spotted enemy soldiers patrolling the castle grounds, some of them shouting at a group of servants that was visibly intimidated by their presence. None of Lux’s remaining knights were around and he assumed that they had been brought to the castle’s prison. He didn’t know what had happened to the citizens in the capital, nor did he know whether there had been any casualties. This state of insecurity made him uneasy.

The first night that they spent locked in the tower, he barely managed to sleep, being alert constantly. He’d left the bed to Soomi and lay down on the couch that was part of a small seating area at the windows. When morning came, Jongin was exhausted and Soomi didn’t look any better. Dark shadows lay under her eyes and her pale complexion concerned him.

She vanished into the adjacent bathroom for a while where she stood in front of the mirror and splashed her face with water in an attempt to clear her hazy mind. Changing into a new dress, she combed her long black hair and let it fall freely over her shoulders. She didn’t have a crown to wear anymore, the lack of it only aggravating the strong sense of failure that weighed on her.

Frowning, she returned to the other room and was surprised to see Lisa there, speaking quietly to Jongin.

“L-Lisa?” she stuttered disbelievingly, wondering where she had come from so suddenly. She was relieved that her friend was alright and hadn’t been hurt in the chaos.

“How are you?” Lisa asked worriedly and hurried to her, not hesitating to embrace her. Lisa hugged Soomi tightly and offered the comfort that she had been desperate for. Her eyes were welling up with tears once more, and one of them ran down her cheek.

“I-I’m fine,” she whispered shakily. “Nothing has happened to us.”

Lisa smiled weakly. “That’s a relief. I was worried about you. Let’s sit down for a moment, we have a lot to talk about.”

They walked to the seating area close to the windows and sat down. Soomi noticed that Lisa had brought a tray filled with food and freshly brewed tea, and as soon as the delicious smell reached her nose, she realized how hungry she was.

“Please eat, you must be starving,” Lisa said and Soomi and Jongin didn’t need to be told twice, each of them reaching for a plate and filling it with food.

“I’ve been assigned to bring your meals from now on,” Lisa went on to explain. “We will be seeing each other often since I’m the only person who is allowed to come here. Sungho is quite paranoid. The entrance to the tower is guarded by his knights, as are the doors to your chambers.”

“I see,” Soomi said, somewhat relieved that the bastard didn’t plan on letting them starve to death. “What is happening outside? Is everyone alright?”

While Lisa began to explain, a grim expression settled on her face. She lowered her voice, shooting the door a cautious glance. “It has been chaotic since yesterday. Sungho gave the servants the choice to either work for him or to die, and they have decided to comply with him for now. However, that doesn’t mean they are loyal to him. The same is true for the nobles residing in the castle. He gave them an ultimatum, but I don’t know the details. I will keep my eyes and ears open for you.”

“Thank you, Lisa. It’s a relief to have you on our side,” Soomi said and Jongin nodded in agreement.

“Did you hear any news about our army? Any survivors maybe?” Jongin asked, leaning forward and staring at her intently.

Lisa frowned and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I haven’t heard anything regarding this, but I will inform you if I do. All I know is that the people in the capital are distraught and angry about the death of the King. I fear there might be a riot soon… the only thing that’s stopping it right now… is you.”

“What do you mean?” Soomi asked, exchanging a glance with Jongin.

“Don’t you see why Sungho is keeping you alive? He is using you as a hostage,” Lisa replied seriously, the corners of curling down in disapproval. “He’s already held a speech in front of the townspeople and he was rather proud of himself for taking away your crown. His attitude was disgusting. He made sure everyone knows what’s going to happen to you once they riot against him.”

“So that’s his plan,” Jongin snarled furiously. “Of course they wouldn’t dare to fight him under these circumstances. Losing both the Queen and the King would be devastating for Lux. I assume that Sungho has sent messengers to the other towns and villages of the kingdom as well.”

“So Sungho will keep us alive for now,” Soomi said quietly and stared at the yellow fabric of her flowing dress. She hugged her stomach, a lump forming in . “But if he finds out that I’m pregnant, he surely…” Not daring to finish the sentence, she let it hang in the air.

“We can’t let that happen,” Jongin growled lowly, sending her a heated glare. “You are going to live. Both of you. We need to keep the baby a secret until we find a safe way to get you out of this castle.”

“We can’t keep it under wraps forever, though,” Soomi mumbled worriedly, fear distorting her face. “My stomach won’t stay as flat as it is right now… in fact, a bump is already visible. I would say when one more month passes, it’s going to be next to impossible to hide.”

“Then… then we have to find a solution fast,” Jongin whispered. “I’ve already been thinking of a safe escape route. One possibility would be the secret tunnels hidden in the basement of the castle.”

Soomi’s eyes lit up with hope, but not for long.

“They lead into the forest behind the castle and are well hidden.The downside is that we would need to get past the guards outside first. I don’t stand a chance against them without a sword, and on top of that, the basement is probably guarded too. It’s too risky to try it. Too much could go wrong,” Jongin sighed.

“We need a different plan… It would be best if we had help from someone outside,” Soomi mumbled. “But who can we rely on? Not many will be ready to risk their lives for our cause and I can't blame them for that.”

“Soomi, calm down,” Jongin muttered when he noticed her distressed expression. “Calm down and leave this to Lisa and me. You need to take care of yourself now.”

She wanted to retort, but Lisa was faster. “Jongin is right. Don’t concern yourself with anything but your health. As long as you are confined to this room, there isn’t much else to do anyway. I am going to figure something out regarding your pregnancy. If I pick the right clothes for you, it’s possible to conceal it for a bit longer.”

“Thank you, Lisa,” Soomi said with a weak smile. It was hard to cling to hope when she’d lost the brightest light in her life, but she needed to endure for the sake of their child.

The first day Soomi spent locked in the tower was unbearably long. All she did was drown in her grief and mourn Baekhyun’s death while coming to terms with the fact that he was gone forever. She wouldn’t see his bright smile anymore, and he would never see their child grow up. He would never spend time with her or his friends again. They were gone. She wouldn’t even be able to say goodbye properly, couldn’t give them a burial. It was horrible to her—she cried for hours, and if it hadn’t been for Jongin’s tries to comfort her, she would have never stopped. How should she live on without Baekhyun? She felt miserable. Her heart was shattered.

Hours soon turned to days. Soomi lost track of time in her confinement. It was hard not to go insane being locked away and unable to go outside. Jongin was the only other person she came in contact with, apart from Lisa during her short visits. Thanks to them both, she didn’t lose her mind completely and at least had someone to talk to. Still, she longed to be free and to reunite with Baekhyun.

Not in this lifetime, though.

She frowned as she stared out the window at the night sky. Like so many times before, her eyes searched the sky for their star. She found it quickly because it always sparkled brightly. Soomi felt some solace seeing it, but it also made her unimaginably sad… If only she could turn back time and see him once more. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. Most of all, how much she loved him. But now, all she could do was gaze at that glimmering star and endure the ache in her heart.

Her hate for Sungho was growing each day, blazing and sizzling like an inferno. A dark desire for revenge manifested within her, and often, it was the only thing she could think of. How dare he take everything from her—she wanted to make him suffer for killing her love.

Those feelings scared her. Only a month prior, she would have never even thought of something so sinister, but now it had become a daily occurrence. It had become normal when it really shouldn’t be. What would Baekhyun say if he saw her like this? What would her brother say? She was losing part of herself in this madness.

Whenever her thoughts spiraled down a path of hate and anger, she ended up doubting herself. How could she ever be a good mother if she was this easily manipulated by her desire for r