14. SCREAM

“General.” The soldier raised to a perfect salute. With a nod, the soldier dropped his hands and stood with his back as straight as a ruler. “The troops are ready.”

General Danny Ahn nodded in a vile smirk. He flipped open his tent, watched the fire torches that sizzled against tall grass and heard the echoing roars of his men and their footsteps.

“Its time.” He uttered a malicious laugh. 

“Time to make South Korea ours.”
……

Under the glimmering moonlight, Naeun slumped on the velvet chair with a pen between her fingers, as she finished the day’s diary entry. The last week of the contest was hectic — joining garden parties, having a last meeting with the Queen… Well, at least all the ‘tests’ were done, and Naeun was stress-free. 

There wasn’t really much on her mind — she doesn’t need to prepare anything, just attend those parties with a smile and answer the ladies diligently, then it’ll be fine. 

There is one special thing on her mind, though. 

More like one special person. 

Her cheeks still flushed in pink whenever she thought of the kiss under the rain. On that night, both of them left the garden in drenched clothing, and he escorted her back to her room, with a soft glance and intertwined fingers that were unwilling to let go. 

The problem is, they haven’t seen each other since then. 

She gets it, he is the Prince and he probably has loads of things to do, but in late nights like this, she would wonder what would he be doing, and would he be thinking of her too. 

She sighed. 

It’s okay. She’ll see him a few days later, at the result announcement day. In fact, she’ll see him everyday when she becomes his Princess and his Queen later. She shouldn’t complain. 

Her heart tells her otherwise, as she found herself picturing his laugh and craving for his touch again. 

She writes all those trail of thoughts down, and when she snapped her diary shut, she felt someone’s hands covered her eyes. 

A brief sense of panic passed through her, as she tried to pull the hands away and felt for the culprit. The fingers were long and thin, hands slightly cold. 

“Who is it?” She asked. 

Not too long after she felt a feather light kiss on her head followed with a quiet whisper. “Guess who.” 

A smile spread across her face with recognition. She rose up from her seat, smiling like an idiot when his hands were removed from her face. 

“Oppa.” She whispered. He was there in the usual blouse, with slightly dishevelled hair, yet his presence alone was enough to send her heart into flutters. She stood abruptly and her knees bent to an automatic curtesy, but he pulled her into his embrace. Her heart pounded against her chest and her cheeks blushed as she was reminded of the last time they were in such proximity. 

“Don’t curtsy. Queens don’t curtsy or bow.” His soft voice echoed in her ears. 

She raised a shy smile in the crook of his neck. “They do to their Kings.”

“I’m not a King.”

“But you will be.”

“But I’m not one now.” He bickered with a curl on his lips. 

“Well then I’m not a Queen either.” She said with a chuckle.

“But you will be too.”

“The Queen hasn’t announce her results. I’m still a lady curtsying at a Prince.” She argued with a smile. 

“But I’ve already chosen you. It’s you or no one as my Princess, my future Queen.”

“And what if the Queen says no?”

“She wouldn’t. I’m the one choosing the love of my life, not her.” He tightened her arms around hers, while her cheeks bursted into flames, as she lowered her head against his shoulders.

It took her a while to cool her cheeks and take a closer look at his face. Dark shadows circled his eyes and his eyelids looked strainer than before, yet his lips still widened into a smile. 

“Are you busy, oppa?” She wondered what he was busied with, but she was in no position to ask. She didn’t want him to waste his time on her, when he should be resting right now. 

He forced a smile and shook his head. “No, it’s nothing.”

She was about to open , telling him to go to his chambers and rest, but he spoke first. 

“I want to see you. We haven’t seen each other in so long.” He tightened his arms around her as his lips formed into a pout. 

She chuckled, but she doesn’t oppose him. It’s only been a few days since they’ve last met, but she already longs for his presence. 

He stared brazenly into her brown orbs. 

“I missed you.” He said. 

She smiled shyly, flickering her eyes away from his immediately, yet he chased her gaze and asked her with a glimmer in his eyes. 

“Did you miss me too?”

The curl on her lips widened as she darted a glance away from him, before matching his eyes and nodded. “I missed you too.” Her voice trailed to a whisper. 

She saw him light up into a beam as his cheekbones flew up to the ceiling. She retreats back to the crook of his neck, unable to face him once again. 

He stayed for a bit longer, sitting side by side, with hands intertwined in each other and asking how the days have gone by for both of them. She doesn’t know if he’ll have time to come by again, but for one thing she is certain, is that he has chosen her, and she will gladly accept her role soon. 

She followed him to the frames of her door as he twisted the door knob. 

His hand was still intertwined with hers as he bid her goodnight. 

She nodded with a smile. “Go,” she said, “It’s getting late.”

She released the hold on him, yet his fingers clung onto hers. She chuckled.

He sighed in defeat.“Fine then…” He released his hands slowly from hers, until pulling her back into his arms again. 

She laughed, but he only tightened his arms around her. 

“Naeun.” His soft voice had a certain firmness in it that made her ears perked. 

“Remember what I’ve promised you.”

“I will protect you and keep you safe.” He murmured against her hair. She nodded, ignoring the loud beat against her chest, inwardly wondering why he suddenly brought this back up. 

He removed an arm from her waist to cup her cheeks. 

He locked his eyes into hers.

“Remember—”

“You’re my lady and I’m your Prince.” 

She froze, reminded of the time when he told her this in the midst of the clawed shadows and looming forest. 

His forehead leaned against hers, as she took his scent in. She curled her lips. Yes, she believed in him. She believed he will always be there for her.

“You’re my lady,” He repeated once again, as if reciting a sacred vow. 

“And you’re my Prince.” Her eyes fluttered close as she whispered back. 
……

Within the white and gold gilded mouldings, the King rose from his golden throne on the altar, as the Queen followed suit. Taemin stood adjacent to his father, but his eyes kept lingering onto the lady positioned in the middle of three final contestants. She stood below, in an ice hued tulle gown. Adorned with glittering beads, it is fashioned with a cowl neckline which extends to flutter sleeves and the draping continues around to the back.

He must admit that she looks spectacular in any colour. 

The crowds fill the room, and Taemin knew that he should stop sending looks her way. But they’ll know the answers to the contest in a matter of seconds, so he figured it’s fine to steal just another glance at her. 

He found himself imagining her look in white. Her smile when she walks down the aisle, the glint in her eyes when she wears the crown, and her slender fingers when he puts the ring onto hers. As much as he wanted this future to be true, his heart trembled in fear. 

Their future is dark. 

According to his sources, they still have only days left until the Alzamian attack.

He doesn’t even know if they could get through this new war, but all he had to do, was to protect her with all his might. 

He will protect her and the country. 

He will protect her future. 

“And the winner of the 78th Queen’s contest is…” The King’s boisterous voice sent ripples across the room. 

The Queen locked her gaze on the dusky blue lady. 

Naeun took a deep breath.

“Lady Son Naeu-”

A chandelier shattered above her, glass splattered and crystal sparked. 

The crowd screamed.

She could barely configure the situation, before she slammed into an embrace and fell towards the ground. A broken shard of the chandelier shattered the floor, right on where she was just seconds ago.

Naeun’s heart pounded against the wooden floor, the wind struck from her chest, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. She felt a hand cushioned on her head, protecting her from the impact of the fall. 

A familiar warmth around her signalled the identity of her shield, but before she could ask him what was going on, an arrow shot through the air. 

The first arrow struck the wall, clearly intended for the King’s heart. 

She heard a loud buzzing of shouts and shrieks. Before she could regain control of her body, she was lifted to her feet and cocooned in the centre of armed soldiers, each with their hands on their weapons, the King being whisked from sight beneath a canopy of shields. 

Shouts of servants echoed nearby. 

Naeun could see nothing but folded armour, white smoke and flashes of silk. 

All she could feel, was the tightened arms around her and his loud chest beating against her ears. 

In a split second, the Prince and her was transformed out of the ballroom.

A distant rumble shook the gilded doors, followed by thousands of yelling, throaty and furious voices. was frozen and sand coiled up in . 

What was going on?  She thought.

“Naeun.” He said in her ears, as they dashed between hidden passages and dark alleyways. The King and Queen were not far ahead.

“O-Oppa.” She failed to suppress the trembling in her voice.

“Keep moving,” He said, “and I’ll explain this while we get to the other side of the palace.” 

She nodded as she felt a slight nudge on her waist, as he kept her momentum nonstop in the tunnel lit up by fire torches. 

“We were attacked by Alzamia.” His hold tightened onto hers, as she widened her eyes and turned her head abruptly.

“Don’t stop.” He tightened the hold on her waist. She nodded with footsteps scurrying beneath her tulle gown. 

“Alzamia didn’t really surrender. They were planning another attack. I thought we would still have a few days to spare, but it seems that I have misjudged the situation.” There was an icy coldness in his voice that she had never heard before. 

Her blood turned cold as she realised that her country has to fight another war. 

She heard distant echoes of clashes and clangs of swords and shields, as she tugged onto his blouse as they travelled through the dark tunnels. 

He caressed her arm as he continued. “Don’t worry, we’ll relocate you to a safe place in the palace.” 

“You’ll be safe.” He vowed. 

She bit her lip. “What about you?” Her voice was drowned out by the shouts in the narrow space. 

They were reaching the point where the tunnel divides. The King and Queen travelled left, while Taemin brought her to a halt. 

He turned towards her with a fiery glow in his eyes. “Naeun, just stay in your room and you’ll be safe.” He nodded briefly to the guards that cocooned around her. “The guards will you and guard you outside.” A certain silhouette snapped within her field of vision, who ripped off her ball dress and revealed the military boots beneath it. 

“Soojung will be your closest guard.” Taemin said. “She will keep you safe in my place.” Krystal nodded firmly. 

Naeun was about to open , and Taemin cupped her cheeks and leaned so their foreheads touched each other. 

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll fight off the bad guys.” 

“Remember my promise.” He whispered. “I’ll protect you and our future.” 

She felt a surge of warmth rising between the rims of her eyes as she nodded reluctantly. 

The guards were calling and he knew it was time for his departure. 

“In the meantime, think of what you want to wear on our wedding day.” He sent her a smile so soft that she almost choked against her own tears. She forced a smile and nodded firmly. 

“I love you.” He whispered. 

She could barely return a ‘me too’ before he vanished towards the left, following the steps of the King and Queen, while the guards whisked her to the right, alongside Hayoung and Krystal. 

……

Between the smoky marbled walls, Lady Yoo snapped open the doors, allowing a flood of black masked men into the West wing. 

Hearing the rustle, a uniformed guard marched over. “Who’s there!” He said. 

Lady Yoo turned sharply, but the masked men crept behind the guard and slit his