I woke up in the middle of the night and snuck into the room next to me.

I the lamp and shook the body under the covers, "Gyuri. Gyuri wake up."

She groaned, "What do you want?"

"We have to go get Minho back," I said, "I have a bad feeling."

She sat up and stared at me with sleepy eyes, "You're crazy, right? We could get killed!"

"We won't get killed" I assured her, "You don't have to come with me. Just cover for me okay?"

She looked at me and sighed, "There's no way of changing your mind is there?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Well then," she uncovered herself and stood up, "What kind of a friend would I be if I let you go alone?"

I jumped to her and hugged her, "IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou!"

"I know" she said.

Around an hour later, Gyuri and I were in disguise. We wore black clothes and masks to hide our faces.

We arrived and saw people dancing and playing music at the palace.

I linked my arms with hers and made a beeline towards the throne Minho was sitting on.

Suddenly, she was whisked away from my arms.

"Min!" she called out to me but I couldn't find her.

I panicked and began to walk around quickly searching for her.

At some point, I tripped on the red carpet beneath me.

People gave me dirty looks and I gave them an apologetic smile.

"Are you okay?" a dark figure hovered above me. 

I looked up and saw a familiar handsome face.

My heart fluttered and my knees became weak.

Minho looked different for some reason tonight. It wasn't his new haircut or his high class, expensive clothes.

He looked the same. But somehow I felt different when I saw him. I had butterflies inside of me.

"I-I'm fine," I stuttered. He held his hand out and lifted me up.

"I actually came with a friend," I said, "We should be leaving soon, but I can't find her."

He looked around, "She should be safe in here."

Wrong.

"Um, I really should go," I said softly.

"Dance with me" he said.

"What?" I blinked more so than usual.

He placed his hand on the small of my back and grabbed my hand with his other.

He began to move and I followed gracefully. My head turned different directions and began searching for Gyuri.

"You know," he tried to converse, "I don't recall this being a masquerade."

"Eh? Oh, um, the mask is to hide a very ugly scar" I lied. 

"I feel like I  know you," he frowned, "Honestly, it's been frustrating me all night. Have we met before?"

My heart sank a little, "Perhaps you passed by me once."

"Perhaps," he nodded in agreement, "What's your name?"

"My name?" I began to think of many names but not one of them seemed fit.

Gosh Minyoung! ANY DAMN NAME!

Suddenly I felt a hand grab my wrist and jerk me away.

I gasped, "Minho!"

My eyes looked at his and saw them widened.

"Minyoung we gotta go, gotta go!" Gyuri ran and dragged me along with her.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"They know!" she said, "Yixing recognized me and blew our cover!"

We stopped when we reached the outside of the gates of the castle.

We panted and tried to catch our breath.

"Wait!" we heard someone say.

I turn my head and find Minho running towards us.

He looks at me and walks up to me. He takes off my mask.

"What the hell do you think your doing here?!" he yelled, "You're not welcomed here?! They could kill you!"

"That's what I told her," Gyuri sneered. I pouted and narrowed my eyes at her.

"You have to go. Now." Minho opened his palm and a red portal appeared.

"Your powers..." I muttered.

"I've been training," he said coldly, "Go."

"So you're just gonna let it all happen? This war?" I looked into his eyes.

He averted them, "You don't understand. I have to do this."

I grabbed his face and made him look at me, "Then help me understand! I want to understand!"

He took my hands off of his face, "Minyoung I'm like a weapon of mass destruction. You don't want to get me angry."

His threat brought tears to my eyes, "You wouldn't do it."

"You don't know me, Minyoung," he said, "I've changed."

"No, you haven't," I said, "You're still you."

He looked at Gyuri, "Get her out of here!"

She winced and quickly began to drag me out. 

"No!" I yelled in protest. I managed to shake Gyuri off and did something I should have done ages ago.

I wrapped my arms around Minho's neck and kissed him.

His body tensed up but then he relaxed and kissed me back.

His fingers slipped into my hair and his other hand was intertwined with my fingers.

He pulled away and stared coldly into my eyes, " Go."

"Minyoung! Guards are coming!" Gyuri yelled.

I let myself be taken away by Gyuri but I never did i once, release eye contact with Minho.

"No" I said bluntly, "I won't do it."

"This isn't up to you anymore Minyoung," said Appa, "This has been planned ever since before you were born. Whether you like it or not it will happen."

"Umma! Please tell him! I can't marry somebody I don't love!" I pleaded.

My umma looked at me apologetically, "You don't even know him, sweetie. Besides, you'll have enough time to get to know him before you get married. What makes you think you won't fall in love with him?"

"I know my feelings. I won't fall in love with him!" I crossed my arms and pouted.

The evening after the festival, my parents and I traveled to the Southern Angel Kingdom. Apparently, the king and queen had a son around my age and I was supposed to marry him.

"Minyoung, this discussion is over," my Appa said sternly, "You will marry him and he will fight against the next demon king in the week long war."

"Do we have to fight? Appa, I know Minho. He's my friend, he'll never do anything to hurt me, " I gripped his hand, "Please."

"Why are you so against this marriage?!" he boomed.

"BECAUSE I DON'T LOVE THIS STRANGER!" I yelled.

"IT'S HIM ISN'T IT?" he yelled back. My mother took a nervous sip of her tea.

I frowned, "Appa you know very well Suho is history."

"No," he said, "Not Suho. Minho."

I opened my mouth slightly to protest. But nothing came out.

I bit my lip and looked at my hands.

"This discussion is over. You will marry this boy and do as I say for the sake of our people" Appa demanded, "Minyoung, I know your feelings for this boy may be sincere, but he's not the same boy. He's changed. Please, forget about him."

I sighed and sipped my tea. 

Then, the king and queen of the Southern Angel kingdom walked in. We stood up to greet them.

"Good evening, Shin," said the king as he shook my father's hand, "You remember my wife, Lena."

"Of course, pleasure to see the both of you," my father gestured towards me and my mother, "This is my wife Jaemin, and my beautiful daughter, Minyoung."

My mother smiled her captivating smile, and I did half of that.

"She's grown so much since I've last seen her! She's so beautiful!" Queen Lena pinched my cheeks.

"My son was currently in the knight training headquarters, he should be heading here soon enough," said King Yoosung.

"Finally after all these years, our kingdoms will be united as one prosperous kingdom," said Appa.

"If all goes well, we can finally have peace and be freed from the demons," said King Yoosung.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Who said all demons are bad?"

"It's been like that for years" he said, "Their rulers have all been ambitious and have always wanted to rule our people. Before the prophecy was known, the king tried to kill his illegitimate son."

My eyes widened in shock and I looked at my father, "You never told me this!"

"I didn't think it would be good for you to know," he looked at me, "I knew you'd worry."

"How do we know he's not dead right now?! We have to go find him?!" I panicked.

"Sweetie calm down and drink some tea," my mother urged.

"Do you know the prince, Minyoung?" the king asked me.

"I do" I responded, "I was his guardian not long ago."

He turned to my father, "You sent your own daughter?" he then turned to me, "You're lucky to even be alive."

I clenched my fists. He didn't know Minho. None of them knew Minho. 

A knock on the door startled me. My heart began to beat faster as the knob turned.

I was about to meet the man I  had to marry, The man who would fight Minho.

The man who could possibly destroy everything I cared for.

He walked in and his eyes locked with mine almost immediately.

I gasped at the sight of this so called stranger.

His eyes widened and he smiled, "Minyoung!"

I inhaled deeply, "Taemin."