- The Litte Lion -

Five years passed and Minhyun grew into a mischievous little boy who kept his parents and the royal guard on their toes. Soomi loved him very much. It had been amazing to see him grow from a baby to a young child. As soon as he had been able to walk, he had begun exploring the castle—and that usually ended with him wanting to visit the cats and dogs that lived near the stables. Minhyun loved animals just like Soomi did, so she took him to the stables as often as possible. Over the years, it had become apparent that Minhyun also shared a few similarities with his father, and one of them was his passion for music.

Having this in mind, Soomi already knew where she would find her husband and her son—when they disappeared together, they normally ended up in the music hall. She climbed up the stairs inside the tower and entered the large room, spotting them at the grand piano. It was the very same one where she had spent many hours together with Baekhyun as he had played his songs for her. Nothing about that habit had changed except for the fact that he had gained another listener.

Minhyun sat on his thigh and Baekhyun kept one arm wrapped around his stomach so he wouldn’t fall. The prince pressed a few keys, his little hands too small for the large piano, but he wasn’t deterred by this. His tongue stuck out in between his lips while he concentrated on what he was doing. Soomi lingered in the doorway and watched them with a smile. Minhyun touched another key, and Baekhyun chuckled, guiding his hands.

“Do you recognize this one?” Baekhyun asked.

“It’s a C,” Minhyun mumbled, furrowing his brows before he looked up at his father questioningly. “Is it a C?”

“Yes, that’s right. You’re good at memorizing it,” Baekhyun praised him. “Now, do you remember E and G?”

“This one… and… this one!” the prince answered, pointing at two other white keys near the one from before.

“Exactly,” Baekhyun smiled. “If you play them simultaneously, it’s called C major. Try it.”

Minhyun put his right hand on the keys, but his fingers were too short to touch all three keys at once, so he used two hands to play the chord. Upon hearing the sound he had created, a wide smile spread over his lips. Soomi was very proud of him for wanting to learn about music. He had been excited about it from a young age since she often held him in her lap when Baekhyun played—and because he looked up to his father, he wanted to play the piano too.

Soomi decided to make her presence known and entered the room. The sound of her shoes on the floor caught their attention and prompted them to glance up. Minhyun beamed at her, his gray eyes sparkling.

“Mommy, I can play a new chord!” he gushed.

“That’s amazing, sweetie. Do you want to show me?” she asked and came to stand behind them, peering over Baekhyun’s shoulder. He turned his head, stealing a kiss from her lips when she leaned in.

Minhyun pressed the three keys again, his fingers looking tiny compared to them. Soomi found it cute and couldn’t contain her smile. It radiated happiness and affection for their young son.

“See, I can do it!” Minhyun said.

“You’ve learned a lot in such a short time,” she replied.

“Yes, and I will become the best piano player in the world,” Minhyun proclaimed and nodded. “Mommy, can I get a kiss now?”

Her smile brightened. Minhyun was rather clingy, and whenever he saw her, he either wanted to hold her hand or hug her or get a kiss from her. The latter mostly happened when he saw her and Baekhyun share a little kiss—their son tended to get jealous when it came to his mother’s affection which Baekhyun found amusing.

“Of course, Minhyun,” she said and kissed his temple, prompting him to giggle. “I’m proud of you.”

“He has been eager to practice,” Baekhyun agreed, ruffling his son’s ash-blond hair. “But I think we should stop for today. It’s getting late and it’s time for bed, little one.”

Minhyun instantly sulked, pouting at his father. Soomi was amused by this since they looked very similar when they pouted. “What? No! I don’t want to sleep,” he complained.

“We will continue to practice on another day, okay?” Baekhyun chuckled. “It’s time to sleep for little princes like you.”

“That’s not fair,” Minhyun sulked. “When I’m a King, I will go to sleep when I want to!”

“Of course,” Baekhyun grinned. “But right now, I’m the King and when I say it’s time for sleep, then it’s time for sleep.” He picked his son up and carried him towards the door. Soomi followed them, snuffing out the candles in the music hall before she left. They climbed up the stairs inside the tower and headed to Minhyun’s room.

It was a tad smaller than that of his parents, furnished with a wooden wardrobe, a bed suited for a boy of his size, a table, and a shelf that was filled with his toys. The countless teddy bears he had received as a gift from Jongin sat on his bed, waiting to be cuddled by him. Soomi had never understood Jongin’s fascination with bears, but Minhyun had been very happy about the presents. Baekhyun put him down on the edge of the bed, and Soomi walked to the wardrobe to fetch his pajama.

Baekhyun accompanied his son into the bathroom to help him brush his teeth and change his clothes while Soomi prepared the bed, pulling back the cover and fluffing the pillow. When they returned and Minhyun jumped into his bed, she tucked him in and sat next to him.

“Do you want to hear a bedtime story tonight?” she asked.

“Yes!”

“Me too!” Baekhyun said and sat down next to her, his arm curling around her stomach. She leaned back into his chest, giggling at his display of affection.

“Of course you too! I’m always including you, am I not?”

He breathed a kiss on her cheek, smirking. “Go ahead, my Queen,” he said. “I’m listening.”

She only needed a moment to make up a story, meeting Minhyun’s gaze as she began to speak. His eyes were b with anticipation, as always when she told him a story, be it a fairytale or something she made up.

“Do you know the legend about the dragon that lives in the mountains?” she asked, and when he shook his head, she took it as her cue to begin her tale. She held his small hand since he would fall asleep quicker when she did this. “It’s a majestic being covered in glimmering scales. People who have seen the dragon say that they reflect the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars. The dragon watches over our kingdom and protects it from harm.”

Minhyun quickly became entranced by her story, listening closely as she spoke. The soft sound of her voice made him sleepy, and so he soon shut his eyes, still holding on to her hand. Soomi didn’t get to finish her story because Minhyun was asleep before she reached the ending. His eyes were closed and he breathed evenly. Satisfied, she planted a kiss on his hair.

“Sleep well, Minhyun,” she whispered and got up. Baekhyun and Soomi left the room quietly, closing the door behind them.

“Now I didn’t even hear the ending,” Baekhyun complained sulkily. “What happened to the dragon?”

She hid her grin behind her hand, shooting him an amused look. “I will tell you the rest of the story tomorrow. You have to be patient.”

“Aww, you left me with a cliffhanger. I can’t wait that long! It’s all in your head, just tell me.”

“What an impatient King you are,” she giggled as they entered their chambers.

“Is that a no?” he asked.

“It simply means that you need to wait.”

“Alright, fine. You win,” he chuckled.

“As always,” she teased.

“Don’t be so smug about it.”

He winked at her before he went into the bathroom, planning to get ready for bed. It had been an eventful day and they deserved a break. Soomi and he had attended a longwinded meeting with the representatives of the kingdom’s towns and villages. This happened once a month and it normally took a while to discuss all the issues. Thankfully, Baekhyun could count on his knights to babysit Minhyun in situations like this one—they got along great and always had a lot of fun together.

When Baekhyun left the bathroom, Soomi went to brush her teeth and put on one of her nightgowns. Then, she joined Baekhyun who’d already gotten comfortable on their bed. The candle on his nightstand cast a golden glow over his silhouette, its light hardly bright enough to illuminate the room.

Her head came to rest on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her to pull her in and hold her close. Letting out a soft sigh, her eyelids fluttered. She yawned, feeling very tired after this long day. Late evenings were her favorite part of the day since she could have him all to herself with nobody getting in between them, so she snuggled up to him.

“Cute,” he breathed, smirking at her. He put his hand on her black hair, brushing it lightly and marveling at its silkiness. “Are you falling asleep already, my Queen?”

“Mhm,” she mumbled with her eyes closed. She heard his chuckle, felt his body shift when he moved to snuff out the candle.

“Sleep well,” he murmured. “I have a surprise for you tomorrow.”

And just like that, she was wide awake. She opened her eyes and looked at him curiously, eliciting a laugh from him. “What is it?” she asked. Tomorrow was their wedding day and they celebrated it together every year. It seemed like he had planned something special this time.

“You know that I never tell you about my surprises in advance,” he teased. “You’re just as impatient as me, admit it.”

“Maybe I am,” she grumbled. “Can you at least give me a hint?”

“Yes,” he answered. “You’re going to love it.”

“H-Huh? That was the hint?”

“Yes,” he said and gave a Cheshire cat grin that was as sly as it was amused.

“You’re unbelievable, Baek.”

“Tomorrow you will find out,” he said, insisting on keeping it a secret. “Sleep well, my Queen.”

“You too,” she mumbled quietly, her eyes closing. She snuggled up to his warm body and fell asleep within minutes.

During the following morning, the royal couple was busy with their duties, and Minhyun spent the time with his teachers, learning about reading, writing, and other things. Soomi and Baekhyun had retreated into the King’s study where they went through the letters that had accumulated over the past days. Equipped with paper, quills, and ink, they worked efficiently on answering all the letters. It took almost until noon, and Soomi kept sneaking glances at the window, watching the gorgeous blue sky outside. She wanted to spend time outside instead of being cooped up in the study, and she continuously thought about Baekhyun’s surprise.

When she opened the last letter that had arrived, she noted that it bore the seal of Caelum. Intrigued, she unfolded the paper. Her eyes scanned over the handwriting, identifying it as Taehyung’s. A smile bloomed on her lips as she read and when she reached the ending, she was beaming brightly.

“Baekhyun, we’ve received an invitation!” she said, causing him to glance up from his work. He raised his eyebrows as he noticed her elation, curious as to what she was talking about. “My brother’s coronation is going to happen soon. He and his wife invited us to attend it next month.”

Soomi liked visiting her old home since it allowed her to meet her father and brother, as well as her old friends. And of course, Minhyun’s excitement whenever he got to travel to the neighboring kingdom was a delight to see. She would never forget the look of awe on his face when he had seen Caelum’s majestic white castle for the first time.

“Oh, really?” Baekhyun smiled. “Then we should begin with arrangements for our absence soon. We can’t miss his coronation, he has been excited about it for months. I’m sure Minhyun would be happy to meet his uncle and his grandfather too. It’s been a while.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said cheerfully. She folded the letter and put it in a separate drawer where it was safe. “Knowing Taehyung, it will be a huge celebration. Maybe he will hold a ball too! We haven’t had an opportunity to dance in a long time.”

Baekhyun laughed. “If you love dancing with me that much, we should do it more often. But today, I want