As he stood in front of the carved doors leading into the throne room, Yunho sighed and tried to calm his nervousness and anger.  He was rightfully upset.  He and Kari had been thrown into this mess without any warning, no time to say goodbye, no choice in the matter.  And for what?  The robed man had told him that he was being rewarded for passing whatever test the Elanari had given them, that he was the best candidate for the throne of Filarin.  This was a reward?  To be trapped in this strange world, forced to marry against his will and hope that one day he might find his way back to his world, his friends, his family?  This wasn’t his idea of a reward.

His manservant (at least, that’s what Yunho thought the man was) stood next to him, impassively waiting for the doors to open and seal Yunho’s fate.  The man had been almost mute ever since Yunho woke up to find him standing over him.  Trying to start a conversation with him had been like trying to pull teeth.  The man just wouldn’t say more than three words to him.  If he hadn’t been so confused with everything that was going on, Yunho might’ve actually cared to coax a longer sentence out of him. 

Yunho needed something else to focus on.  The man’s silver hair gleamed in the bright light of the hu’um, the glowing light bulb-like orbs set in stands all along the hallway.  It had taken Yunho half an hour to find out what the orbs were called.  It had taken him even longer to find out why the man’s hair and eyes were so strangely colored.  Apparently, everyone in this world had golden eyes and silver hair.  It was the mark of their kind.  Many of them had never even heard of races of people with dark hair or eyes.  That meant Yunho and Kari would stick out like sore thumbs here, aside from being king and queen, that is. 

The doors opened slowly but silently revealing the large throne room beyond.  The throne room was impressive, Yunho had to admit.  There were great white marble columns that ran down the length of the room with sheer lavender fabric draped between them.  The ceiling was so high that the light from the hu’um only reached halfway up the columns.  Yunho expected it to be dark and shadowed, but the ceiling was brightly lit with multicolored hu’um that floated around, lighting up the areas not reached by the ones near the ground.  Yunho wondered what kept them up there.  He couldn’t see any wires and there was no place for anyone to hang them from. 

All along the wall opposite the dais were magnificent arched windows that ran from floor to ceiling, letting in the light of the sun and overlooking a vast city that stretched several miles to stop suddenly at the ocean.  Even as angry as he was about being dragged into this, Yunho thought the city was beautiful.  It was late afternoon and the myriad colors reflected off the ocean gave the city an ethereal feel.  It felt…magical. 

Enthralled by the city, Yunho almost missed seeing the people gathered for his coronation/wedding.  They stood in a massive crowd, packed in from the dais to the windows, leaving only a swath of white limestone floor tiles as a pathway to the dais.  All of them had silver hair, though it shown with a rainbow of different colors because of the lighting.  He couldn’t tell from where he was standing, but Yunho would have bet that they all had golden eyes, as well.  Hair and eyes aside, the people were dressed in many different colors of silk as well as finely spun wool.  There were as many different styles of clothing as there were colors, but all of them had a look of affluence about them.  These must be the nobles of this world, the wealthy traders and men of high position.  They were all gathered to see their new king and queen crowned.

Even as he took all of this in, Yunho noticed the doors directly across from him opening.  Kari stepped out into the throne room as he stepped across the threshold of his own doors.  She looked stunning.  Her dark brown curly hair was pulled back halfway and the rest was left to spill down her pale bare shoulders.  Her dress looked like it was made from silver that was somehow spun into cloth and draped over her.  He didn’t have words to described how beautiful she looked in the light of the sun and the multicolored hu’um. 

A gentle nudge from his manservant, now behind him, reminded him to breathe.  He walked forward until he and Kari were standing a few feet from each other, face to face.  Her blue eyes sparkled and diamonds strewn randomly in her hair tried unsuccessfully to outshine them.  Yunho no longer knew why he was standing there, no longer saw the people around them, no longer noticed the thrones waiting for them.  All he saw was Kari, and he could tell that she only saw him.  It was a moment that happened only in movies or books: the moment when two people see each other and, regardless of the fact that they hardly know each other, fall in love. 

Yunho hardly noticed the ceremony that crowned him king and Kari queen.  He hardly noticed when they were pronounced married or when they were bade to sit on the thrones that now belonged to them.  He hardly noticed when they were led to a new suite of rooms that neither of them had seen before, but both knew were their royal apartments.  The high wizard Yazin had conducted the ceremony and bade everyone celebrate the crowning of their new monarchs before sending Yunho and Kari away.  Kari’s maid and his own manservant had bowed/curtsied to them before leaving them alone in the bedroom of their new suite.  As the door closed behind them, Yunho heard the distinctive click of a door being locked.  Jolted out of his daze and panic-stricken, Yunho turned around and tried to open the door.  It was locked from the outside.  He heard the high wizard’s voice from beyond the door.

“The door will be unlocked in the morning.  Remember, we need an heir.  It’s part of the treaty.  Goodnight, your majesties.”

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap…How did I get myself into this mess?  Oh right.  It’s not my fault I got teleported to some stupid cave and forced into marrying Yunho.  Yunho.  I’m married to Yunho.  Kari had trouble believing everything that had just happened.  She knew she wasn’t dreaming (at least not normally), but she was half-convinced that she had been in some kind of accident and this was a coma-induced dream.  Or was it a nightmare?  No, there were no zombies or vampires or Big Bang members come to seduce her (the last one was definitely the worst).  No, she was just stuck in a locked room with Yunho.  And a huge, very comfortable looking, very off-limits bed.  With Yunho.  Her husband.  And a bed.  A very large bed.  She shook her head.  She was not going to think about that bed.  She looked around the room.  It was decorated better than the room she had woken up in earlier that day.  It even had a balcony overlooking the city.  She walked over and tried to open the windows leading out to the balcony.  Of course.  They were locked, too.  It was dusk, now.  And, the light from the sun was very red and getting dimmer every minute.  Soon it would be completely dark in the room. 

“Are there any of those light things in here?”  Kari looked around the room, specifically avoiding eye contact with the man she was speaking to.  Her husband.  Yunho.

“Hmm.  I don’t see any.  They’re called hu’um, by the way.”

“Oh.  Good to know.”  Awkward silence stretched between them, each of them trying to forget what the high wizard had said after they had been locked in. 

“Remember, we need an heir.  It’s part of the treaty.”

The voice haunted her.  What it insinuated sent her thoughts down a very dirty road, one that she was not ready to travel.  Not yet, anyway.

So…what were they supposed to do now?  Besides, the obvious, anyway.  That was so not going to happen. 

“Umm.  Yunho?”

There was a long pause before he answered.

“Yes?”

She really didn’t want to talk to him right then.  It was far too awkward.  But, it was more awkward not talking, and they needed set some ground rules.

“How…where…I mean…” She felt her cheeks flush.  This was so embarrassing.  Yunho sighed.

“I’ll sleep on the floor.”  He pointed to the small carpet in front of the bed.  Was he really going to sleep on that?  Even with three days of rest, Kari’s body still ached from everything they went through in the cave.  Sure, Yunho might be in better shape than her, but he still had to hurt.  She couldn’t let him sleep on the floor.  But, the only other available spot was the bed.  Her eyes found themselves drawn to the bed.  It was made of beautifully carved dark wood with white sheets and a thick, soft downy comforter.  And she was going to have to share it with Yunho. 

“Yunho.  You probably hurt as much as I do from the obstacle course.  I can’t let you sleep on the floor.  You’ll make yourself hurt worse.”

“Then just where am I supposed to sleep?”  She turned to look at him just as he realized where she meant for him to sleep.  His eyes widened and he shook his head. 

“No.  Absolutely not.  I don’t care what that Yazin said.  We are not sleeping together.”

“Yunho, we don’t have to ‘sleep together’.  Not in the way you’re thinking.  We can just sleep in the same bed.  It’s okay.  I’m not bothered by it.”  Thank the Lord, it was dark in the room so he couldn’t see her blush and know she was lying.  Yunho was silent for a moment.

“Alright.  But only for one night.”

She nodded.  Now, there was no way she would be able to sleep in this dress.  As pretty as it was, it was also slightly uncomfortable.  She couldn’t breathe too deeply in it, or maybe that was just her proximity to Yunho.  Nope, she was going to assume it was the dress. 

“Do you think there are any other clothes in here?”  She started to look through the drawers of the furniture in the room.  There was nothing.  Great.  Now, she was either stuck in this dress all night or she would have to go .  Which meant she was stuck in the dress all night.  Joy. 

“It’s going to be loads of fun sleeping in this dress.” 

“You can have my shirt, if you want.”  Kari’s blush deepened.  She hadn’t meant for him to hear that.  She had thought she mumbled it quietly.  She had to get out of the habit of talking to herself. 

“Umm.  It’s okay.  I’ll just stay in this.”

“That dress is going to be really uncomfortable.  Just take my shirt.  It should be long enough.” 

The length of the shirt wasn’t what she was worried about.  But, how could she tell Yunho that?

“Okay.  Thanks.”

He ed his coat and unlaced the white silk shirt underneath.  As he pulled it over his head, Kari found herself staring at his well-muscled chest.  He had a very nice chest.  Unbidden, thoughts of her hands on his chest rushed into her mind and she very nearly took a step towards him, suddenly dry.  Oh no, missy.  Don’t you dare think about thatright now.  Yunho handed her the shirt, seemingly unaware of the thoughts behind her eyes.  Kari took it and cleared slightly.

“Umm.  Can you turn around so I can change?”

Yunho gave a start then turned around.  She felt really uncomfortable about changing in front of him, but it had to be done.  She set the shirt aside and tried to reach around to undo the buttons running down her back.  Curse her lack of flexibility!  She couldn’t reach them!  What was she going to do now?  She stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do and panicking. 

“Yunho?”

“Are you done?”

“Umm.  No.  I can’t reach the buttons on my dress.  Can you – will you help me?”

He turned around slowly, as if he was unsure of what she had asked him to do.  Her back was to him so he could see the buttons.  Kari heard him take a step towards her, closing the distance between them.  She closed her eyes as she felt his hands swiftly working there way down the buttons on her back.  They were so close, she could feel his breath on her neck.  Suddenly, his warmth was gone.  She turned around to find him several feet away with his back to her, breathing heavily. 

Kari shook her head to clear it and slid out of her dress.  Leaving it in a pile on the floor around her, she slipped on Yunho’s shirt.  It came down to the tops of her thighs, just barely long enough to cover her. 

“Wait for me to get into bed before you turn around.”

“Okay.”

She climbed in and made sure she was fully covered with the blankets.  With the windows closed the room felt hot, and the blankets were stifling.  But, she had no choice.  She had to stay covered.

“Alright.  You can turn around, now.”

With a barely audible sigh, Yunho turned around and climbed onto the other side of the bed.  He crawled under the covers as far away from her as he could get and not be in danger of falling off the bed.  Well, this was going to be a fun night.

A/N:  I've added a quick sketch of the dress Kari is wearing throughout this chapter.  I hope you like it.