Baekhyun fiddles with his dang-bipa whilst sitting inside the east pavilion. The sharp staccato sound of the lute strings being plucked encircles the surrounding. 

It is a rather chilly winter afternoon to be dwelling in a pavilion, but the warm clothing and the heated floor of the structure are doing excellent work at keeping everyone present quite comfortable. 

Baekhyun removes his eyes from the lute to look above at his consort, who is preoccupied with a task of her own— embroidery. 

Growing increasingly bored inside the palace, the Crown Princess, at last, gave in to Madam Choi’s constant suggestion for her to take up embroidery. Surprisingly, this newfound hobby has managed to grow on Mura and she no longer thinks of the activity as mind-numbingly boring as she had once called it. It actually does an excellent job of calming her at times when she gets quite restless. Though her skills are that of a novice, she has made great improvements since she first started.

Baekhyun looks upon his consort with fond eyes. As of late, they’ve been spending much time with each other. The Crown Princess now accompanies Baekhyun on his daily walks on most days. They practice archery together. They also keep each other company while they do mundane things. Today is one such day. 

Until recently, Baekhyun hadn't realized how utterly dim and devoid of color his routine had been before the Crown Princess skipped right into his world and breathed new life into it. With her by his side, there's not but a single dull moment. He, now, even embraces the mayhem that comes with his cheeky little consort. 

Mura looks up to meet the Crown Prince’s eyes, upon which they both share a gentle smile. 

Baekhyun wishes to live out the rest of his days experiencing and cherishing moments such as these. Even if only as friends. He is perfectly content with that arrangement. It does not matter if the Crown Princess never returns Baekhyun's affections, as long as she is by his side, it'll be a blessed life. 

A eunuch abruptly and hurriedly enters the pavilion, looking positively distressed. “Choha, the King…"

"What of him?" Baekhyun asks.

"The King has fallen ill," the eunuch regretfully announces. 

“What?” Baekhyun is swiftly on his feet. 

Mura, concerned, also stands up.

Baekhyun looks at her. “I must go and see him promptly.”

Mura simply gives a nod in silent understanding and Baekhyun is off to the King’s quarters with his retinue shuffling behind him. 

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Inside the King’s bed-chamber, Baekhyun watches with worried eyes as his mother, the Queen, carefully feeds the ailing King some medicinal tonic that has been brought in by a palace nurse only moments ago.

“How could this be, abamama? You seemed to be in perfect health merely a day ago, how could you fall ill like this so suddenly?”

The King and Queen share a nervous glance with each other before the King waves a hand dismissively. 

“It is nothing of great concern, son. The physician has assured me this is all due to stress and that a couple of days of rest should be sufficient to reinvigorate my health. So, you need not frivolously fret over my wellbeing. I insist.”

“Your face has become pallid and the skin under your eyes has turned a few shades darker. Not to mention how utterly frail you appear. How could I possibly prevent myself from agonizing over your health when it is evident you are suffering.” Baekhyun’s voice is mixed with concern and urgency. 

The King lets out a quiet chuckle. “Do you hear that, Chungjon?” He speaks to the Queen. “I believe our son just insulted my appearance. How audacious of him!” He jokes. 

The Queen chuckles. “Do not heed him, Chonha. You are as impressively handsome as ever.”

“Abamama, omamama,” Baekhyun whines at his parents. “How could you possibly be so nonchalant about such a serious matter?”

“Seja, I did not summon you here in a quest for pity. Rather, I’m about to entrust you with a task that is of much importance.”

Baekhyun knits his brows. “And, what would that be?”

“The Royal Ancestral Rite… I hope you haven’t forgotten about it.”

“Of course not, it is to take place in three days.”

The King nods. “Yes. Since I am forbidden to travel in my current health, the duty of leading this season's ritual shall land upon your shoulders. I believe I can trust you to carry out the rite properly?”

“Most certainly, abamama, you need not fret. I shan't disappoint you or the spirits of our ancestors.”

"Good. This is all I require of you. Any futile concerns regarding my health... desert them. Do you understand?"

Baekhyun gives a small bow. "Yes, abamama."

After Baekhyun leaves the King’s chamber, the Queen looks at her husband with concern. 

“Chonha, should we not disclose this to Seja? Must we keep this a secret from our own son?”

The King sighs. “All in good time, my queen, all in good time.”

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The Royal Ancestral Rite is a ritual that honors the past kings and queens of the kingdom held during each season. The King, along with the Crown Prince and certain courtiers, must travel outside the palace to the Royal Shrine, located a few hours away from the Royal Palace, and perform the rite there. 

The rite is set to take place tomorrow, but the Royal Procession must leave a day early to give themselves time to recover from the journey. The shrine is situated inside one of many detached palaces, so all attending the rite have a place to spend their nights during their time there. 

Baekhyun appears before the King in his bed-chamber to receive his blessings, donning a royal military garb— as is custom for the King and the Crown Prince to wear when traveling outside the palace on official duty— before he leaves for his journey.

After obtaining the King’s blessings, Baekhyun makes his way to where a Royal Procession awaits him. The procession consists of a few courtiers, the Crown Prince's personal servants, and military personnel for protection. 

Baekhyun halts when he sees the Crown Princess, who is seemingly waiting for his arrival, as well. A sudden sense of dread fills Baekhyun’s chest. He realizes he doesn’t wish to part with his consort even though he’ll only be gone for three days. 

“Choha, the procession is ready,” Samnom informs, sniffling. “It is rather unfortunate this useless eunuch cannot accompany you. Please accept my deepest regrets and apologies.” The eunuch bows.

“Will you stop it, already? You are ill, Samnom, and by no fault of your own. Do you regard me to be a cruel master that I should resent you for it?”

“Of course not. Your grace is immeasurable, Choha. I am truly grateful to have the fortune of having a benevolent master such as yourself.”

Baekhyun smirks. “Easy now, Bu Samnom. Flattery shall only get you so far.” He then makes eye contact with the Crown Princess. 

“It wasn’t flattery, Your High—”

“Hush now, you are dismissed.” Baekhyun wastes no more time in approaching his consort.

“I have come to bid you a safe journey,” Mura tells him.

“I trust you will not wreak havoc at the East Palace whilst I’m away.” Baekhyun teases. 

“Wreak havoc? Myself?” Mura scoffs. “I must say, I take offense that you should even entertain such baseless assumptions. How disappointing.”

Baekhyun snorts. “Baseless, you say.” He tuts. “Very well, then I shall expect no complaints regarding you upon my return.”

“You may count on it!”

The two momentarily stare at each in silence before both of them break into giggles.

“Choi Sanggung, do make sure that she behaves,” Baekhyun tells the lady-in-waiting. “But most importantly, take very very good care of her.”

Madam Choi bows to the Crown Prince. “Yes, Choha.”

Mura pouts. “These three days shall indeed be so boring in your absence.”

Now Baekhyun truly does not wish to go. “I shall miss you, as well." He says boldly.

Suddenly, Mura’s heart picks up its beat. 

Badum, badum, badum.

The way the Crown Prince is looking at her— there’s just something in his eyes that is entirely unfamiliar to Mura yet it manages to stir some kind of a strange emotion within her. 

Badum, badum, badum.

“Choha?”

The sound of Chaewoon's voice brings Baekhyun out of the daze he became lost in for a moment, and he swears, he felt as though his consort was lost, as well, right there with him. 

Baekhyun shakes off the thought. How ridiculous. 

“Choha, we mustn’t delay any further,” says Chaewoon.

Baekhyun gives his personal guard a nod before turning his attention back to his consort. “I shall see you in three days.”

Mura gives a soft smile. “I shall pray to Buddha for your safe return.”

Baekhyun nods and with great difficulty walks away from the Crown Princess. As soon as he mounts his horse, the procession begins to move. He gives the Crown Princess one final glance before he has to pry his eyes away from her and fix his sight on the path ahead of him.

 ╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝

The Royal Ancestral Rite is carried out without a hitch. Baekhyun had been nervous about leading the ritual as it was his first time doing so, but his courtiers were of great help and he was able to perform his part with grace.

Now, laying in bed, after retiring in his temporary chamber inside the detached palace, all Baekhyun can do is think about the Crown Princess and how much he misses her. The degree to which he yearns to be by his consort’s side, he admits, is utterly ludicrous. If he misses her this much after being away from her for merely two days, Baekhyun reckons that leading a life without her will prove to be absolutely impossible.  

Baekhyun can hardly wait to return to the Royal Palace tomorrow and reunite with his consort. With that thought, he closes his eyes and gradually slips into a deep slumber. 

 ╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝

The next day the Royal Procession moves along in the direction of the Royal Palace. After passing a small village, it enters a snowcovered meadow surrounded by mountains that are also shrouded in snow.

Baekhyun decides to deviate from the procession’s path and steers his horse near the edge of a downward slope of the hill they are on. The procession halts while Chaewoon joins his master near the slope.

“This place holds such wondrous beauty.” Baekhyun remarks. “Even in this weather with barely any sight of green grass, it is breathtaking all the same.”

“I personally prefer this place in the summertime,” Chaewoon says. “I miss the greenery this place has to offer during a warmer climate.”

“This scenery bears such a difference from what I am accustomed to in the palace that it appeals to me regardless of the climate,” Baekhyun explains. "It is a much-welcomed change of scenery for myself."

“That is understandable,” Chaewoon says. 

“You know, I have always cherished this path,” Baekhyun says. “Since my very first visit to the shrine, I have been mesmerized by this very place. During each ancestral visit in the past, I had always looked forward to traversing through this meadow. And then during our return to the Royal Palace, I would become crestfallen by the idea that I would have to wait another season to be able to bear witness to this wonder.” There is a momentary pause. “However, today, for the first time since I have traversed through this path, I do not feel disheartened. I am quite looking forward to my return, actually.”

“And what has brought about this change, if I may ask Your Highness?”

“I've had the fortune of bearing witness to something far more magnificent inside the Royal Palace and it is all I long to see now. It is a sight so stunning it decidedly humbles the one we see before our eyes, at present." Baekhyun looks at his personal guard. "Even this place's summertime allure, with its luxurious green grass, holds no candle to the majestic beauty of which I speak."

Chaewoon looks at the Crown Prince with a puzzling expression. 

Baekhyun chuckles at his personal guard’s reaction. “We must resume our journey if we are to make it before dusk.” He steers his horse around in order to return to the procession. 

“Are you truly going to leave it at that, Choha?” Chaewoon asks while following the prince. 

Baekhyun smirks. “I shall tell you all about it in the near future, my dearest Chaewoon-ah.”

“I shall hold you to it then.”

The procession eventually finds itself passing through a pathway carved through a wooded forest when it begins to snow lightly.

“Oho, pray the snow does not obstruct our journey,” Baekhyun remarks staring up at the sky.

Suddenly, one of the maids lets out a blood-curdling shrill, subsequently halting the procession. When Baekhyun looks ahead to inspect, he witnesses one of the soldiers drop to his knees before his entire body meets the ground; an arrow can be seen lodged into where the, now deceased, man’s heart lies.

Immediately, all the members of the military personnel reach for their weapons. Some unsheath their swords, while others ready their bows and arrows. 

“Choha, unmount the horse, at once!” Chaewoon instructs as he gets off his own horse. 

Baekhyun does as told, making sure to grab his bow, and bends down next to his horse, while Chaewoon cloaks himself over the prince like a shield.

Everyone is on high alert, however, the assailant— or assailants— is nowhere in sight. The soldiers and the guards survey their surroundings but do not catch a single presence outside of their own. The assailant must be hiding somewhere on the high grounds. 

“How dare you attack a Royal Procession, assailant? Surely, you are aware it is regarded as high treason!” The chief of the military personnel shouts.

“Do you suppose it’s a bandit?” Baekhyun asks Chaewoon.

“Bandits know better than to attack a Royal Procession.” 

Baekhyun gulps. “Then are you suggesting we are possibly in the midst of an assassination attempt where I may be the target?”

“I cannot be certain, but I'm more inclined to believe that is what's afoot here,” Chaewoon says regretfully.

A chill runs down Baekhyun’s spine. 

“Surrender yourself, assailant!” The Chief shouts again.

Within seconds a second arrow hits another of the soldiers, killing him. This is then quickly followed by a third arrow; this time it strikes one of the maids. 

This creates panic amongst the rest of the maids as a chorus of screams reverberates through the forest. Naturally, they slip into self-preservation mode and attempt to flee from the site. 

This momentarily distracts the soldiers and a group of armed men— clad in all black with the bottom part of their faces concealed behind masks— emerge from the trenches on the high grounds and charge at the procession.

“Raiders! Protect the Crown Prince!” The Chief shouts. 

And just like that, in the midst of falling flurries of snow, a battle between the royal soldiers and the raiders commences. The courtiers and the servants attempt at fleeing the conflict in a wild stampede. While some succeed, others do not, succumbing to their demise in the hands of the ruthless raiders.

When one of the raiders gets too close to the Crown Prince, Chaewoon jumps into action and slays the assailant before tackling other approaching raiders. 

Baekhyun manages to coax himself out of the initial shock of it all and picks up his bow and reaches for an arrow from his quiver that he's been carrying on his back before successfully shooting one of the men from the attacking side. He then succeeds in killing two additional men.

“Choha, behind you!” Chaewoon shouts, as he tries to fend off an enemy. 

Baekhyun turns around and sees a raider charging at him with a sword in hand. Just as the assailant’s sword is about to strike him, the Crown Prince rolls away, causing the blade to land on empty ground. But, Baekhyun’s reprieve is short-lived as the assailant readies to inflict another strike.

Baekhyun tries to back away, but he isn’t fast enough. Expecting his enemy’s blade to strike him any second now, he closes his eyes and shields himself with his own arms out of instinct, accepting his fate as a soon-to-be dead man. 

 ╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝

A/N: Heyo, a cliffhanger!