6.

Engagement

~*~

“Rise and shine Princess!” The gleeful voices of Lana’s newly female vampire friends rang her ears. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and slowly opened to see the Sun shining brightly into her room. She looked around to see Jieun placing different set of gowns on her bed, already neatly ironed. Sunhwa and Hana were setting up the make-up and hair accessories on her dressing table while Hyosung was right beside her, smiling cheerfully.

“Come on, Lana. It’s D-day.” She said as she gently pulled Lana up to a sitting position.

Lana stretched herself and felt surprisingly refreshed. After sleepless nights, she finally got a proper sleep last night. Now, her body felt slightly rejuvenated. She recalled what happened last night and could only remember that she was out with Yongguk. She must have fallen asleep halfway. Nonetheless, whatever the reason, she managed to get a good rest after so long.

“What time is it?” Lana’s voice croaked. She was still feeling a little sleepy but seeing the rest of them being so busy, she stood up.

“It’s 8 in the morning my dear and you have only two hours left before the engagement. Go get shower now.” Hana replied.

Lana’s eyes widened when she realised she only had two hours left. Hence, she quickly went to the bathroom and readied herself. In the bathroom, she looked at the reflection of her face and began to accept reality that today; she was going to get engaged. The feeling didn’t sink at first but after seeing herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but feel like her life would begin right in this moment.

A new life...

Meanwhile, outside the bathroom, the new found friends were busying themselves, preparing what needed to be done. The gowns were all neatly laid and the dressing table was filled with make-up and plenty of accessories.

“Hana, remember what Yongguk requested. Don’t apply too much make-up on her. She looks best natural.” Hyosung reminded.

Hana nodded. “Don’t worry, Unni. I know what to do.”

“I can’t believe today is the day; when one of the Princes finally get engaged.” Sunhwa revealed excitedly. The rest of them nodded in unison and couldn’t contain their happiness as they smiled brightly.

“We’ve been waiting for years.” Jieun joked as she rolled her eyes while the rest burst into laughter.

Just when they were laughing happily, Lana pushed open the bathroom door and stepped out with a rather sullen mood. Of course, she wasn’t entirely in the mood for all this. Hence, it was rather hard for her to stay happy. Yet, she didn’t want to spoil the fun so she managed a smile and said. “I want to try the gown first.”

Hyosung and her friends held back their laughter after realising how inconsiderate they were towards Lana’s feelings. Although it was a joyous occasion, but they still knew that it was not going to be easy for Lana.

“Okay let’s go for this one.” Sunhwa led Lana gently by the arm as she smiled and showed her the white long gown. It was perfect for the engagement ceremony.

Lana eyed the gown. It was beautiful, simple and elegant; just what she wished to wear on her wedding day. She flashed a small smile and commented. “It’s really nice. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us yet. We’re not even done.” Jieun pulled Lana carefully and brought her to sit. “We have plenty to do. So stay still and let us doll you up.”

Hyosung walked over behind and placed her hands on Lana’s shoulder. She looked at the reflection of Lana’s on the mirror and gazed at her eyes. “Lana, you’re already beautiful. Don’t think too much. Just smile and everything will be just fine”

“Thank you.” Lana smiled as her mood slowly being lifted. She was glad to have found these new friends in the palace. Without them, it would have been a lot harder to overcome. They were nice and she felt grateful to have them around.

On the other side of the palace, the guys were getting ready. Yongguk was all dressed in a white tuxedo. He looked around to see the rest of the Princes preparing themselves for the day. They were expecting guests to arrive soon. Some were already in the palace since last night while many more was expected to arrive soon. The engagement ceremony would be done in the day time with only a handful invited guests; mostly close ones and the members of the Council. The Councils were invited only to be witnesses. Yongguk wouldn’t want them around in actual fact knowing how their presence would only cause more fear for Lana. But he had no choice. They had to be there to see and confirm it all.

“Hyung, are you alright?” Jongup asked after noticing the frown on the elder brother’s.

Yongguk stared down and expressed his worry. “I’m perfectly alright but I’m not too sure about –“

“Lana?” Himchan interrupted.

“You don’t have to worry. I’ve checked the security and ensured no forbidden act is allowed within the palace ground.” Daehyun stated. He knew Yongguk must be worried with the high amount of vampires around Lana, who was still a human.

“Yes, Hyung. We’ll be around to monitor the situation.” Junhong assured.

Yongguk shook his head lightly. “That’s not it. I know the security is good thanks to you guys but I don’t know how Lana is... How she will handle everything that is going to happen today.”

Youngjae smiled and said. “You know, Lana is a lot stronger than you think she is.  She will be fine.”

After busying attending to guests who have made their way towards the grand hall, Yongguk continued to scan the faces of the council vampires. There were a handful of them, less than what he expected but even so, their presence made him cautious. After what happened that fateful night, he chose never to believe the council anymore. They were just as vicious as the King. He thought that after the King was gone, Lana’s life will never be endangered. But he was proved wrong when all along the council has always wanted to create more problems for the royal family. Their wish to abolish the whole royal hierarchy seemed to be their first concern at the moment. He saw a representative of the Council who would solemnise the engagement already standing at the front altar, patiently waiting. Yongguk glanced outside to see that the Sun was almost up above the head.

It was about time.

Meanwhile, Hana finished up her last bit of work and finally, she exclaimed joyfully. “All done!”

“Oh my... You’re so beautiful...”

“Yongguk wouldn’t even blink his eyes after seeing you.”

Lana was bombarded with compliments from the four ladies who have helped her throughout the morning. She felt rather embarrassed and awkward but looking at herself in the mirror, she did look really different. Her hair was neatly pleated to the side, her face was slightly glowing and the white gown she was wearing with a diamond necklace which Yongguk specially picked for her. She looked just like how a princess supposed to be.

“Thank you.” She muttered softly and went to embrace Hyosung, Jieun, Sunhwa and Hana tightly. She appreciated their help.

“Oh baby, don’t mention it.” Hyosung replied.

Sunhwa then hastily said. “I think we have to get moving now. The ceremony is about to start. Come on princess, let’s go.”

Lana was lightly dragged out of the room. Although the gown made her pretty, it was quite heavy. Furthermore, she was wearing heels for the first time. However, she was determined to face everything for that day with a clear and guilt-free mind.

All for Jongin’s sake...

Yongguk waited anxiously in the hall while the guests have all taken their seats. He was about to look at the time when the grand door was pushed open. The music started to play and the lights were brightly. Flowers started to fall out of nowhere. He looked around feeling rather annoyed. He felt that all these fancy lightings and decorations were unnecessary. He knew it was supposed to be a joyous occasion but he didn’t wish to make it so extravagant. It was just an engagement not the actual wedding.

However, his anger immediately vanished when he saw Lana entered the hall. Dressed in an elegant white gown with white flower accessories on her hair, she walked slowly towards him with her eyes looking down timidly. How he wished Lana would bravely held her head up because she was the most beautiful girl among all that was present. In fact, in his eyes, she was the most beautiful girl on earth.

Yongguk heard murmurs travelled across the rows of guests, mostly complimenting on Lana’s look. They were impressed seeing how she fared better than the vampires. After all, myth has it, that vampires were the most beautiful creatures, above humans. Yet, Lana totally trashed that myth when she appeared so stunningly before them.

After the long slow walk, Lana finally reached to where Yongguk was. He reached out his hand and she took it. Her eyes shakily met his and she smiled shyly.

“You’re beautiful.” Yongguk muttered softly only Lana could hear.

She managed a smile and then examined the guy in front before saying. “You’re looking good too, Prince Yongguk.”

“Ahem...” The slightly older male who was standing just in front of the couple faked a cough. Lana turned to see the council vampire who was going to solemnise the ceremony. “The engagement is about to begin. Can we have the guests to quite down for a bit?”

He turned to both Yongguk and Lana. “Greetings to Prince Yongguk, Princess Lana, the Princes and the rest of the royal family... On behalf of the council, I, hereby take this position to solemnise the sacred engagement between Prince Yongguk and Princess Lana. To the guests who are present on this magnificent day, I seek you to be the witnesses for this event. Also, I will like to take this opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the royal family and the council.”

Yongguk’s right hand rolled into a ball of fist upon hearing the last sentence. It was definitely sarcasm.

“Alright let’s begin. Prince Yongguk, I humbly ask if you could take Princess Lana as your fiancée and to lead her to become the Queen of our kind.”

Yongguk stared down and took a brief pause before replying. “Yes, I, Prince Yongguk will take Princess Lana as my fiancée and will lead her to be the Queen of our kind.” He then carefully took her hand and slid a diamond ring in her finger.

Lana gulped nervously after hearing both males speaking of her being Queen. At that moment, she could feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. Being a Queen was bad enough but being the only human Queen for the vampire kind was just too daunting for her.

Meanwhile the older vampire turned to Lana who has turned pale. “Princess Lana, let me do the honour of asking if you could take Prince Yongguk as your fiancé and in the future a dutiful wife and Queen to be of our kind.”

Lana began to shake after listening to his words. Her heart was racing and her mind was wrecked. She didn’t know what to do or expect. All she could think of at the moment was to run away. Yet, her feet were glued to the floor; a sign saying she should continue her promise to Yongguk and also Jongin.

To keep them both safe...

Yongguk lightly held her hand hoping she would calm down and thankfully it did. She managed to reply after a momentary silent. “I, Princess Lana, will take Prince Yongguk as my fiancé and in the future be a dutiful wife to him and also –“ She paused and turned to look at Yongguk with terrified eyes.

However, Yongguk assured her with a smile and softly mumbled. “It’s okay.”

Lana stared down and finally ended her sentence. “Be the Queen of our kind.” She took the ring and slid it in his finger.

After she ended, the older male vampire flashed a satisfying smile along with the other council vampires and the guests. “I hereby declare both Prince Yongguk and Princess Lana as being engaged. We will look forward to their wedding in time to come. Congratulations!”

The guests rose up on their feet and clapped heartily. Meanwhile, Lana let out a sigh. The ceremony was finally over, she thought. The whole entire process was nerve wrecking. With many pairs of eyes judging her right from the start, she was hoping to disappear. Yet, she was slightly proud of herself for not tripping her step or fumbling her words, thus far.

“Lana, good job.” Yongguk faced her and embraced her tightly.

Lana smiled a little. “Thank you. It’s all done now.” She said.

“Nope, girlfriend. We still have many to prepare for tonight’s party!” Jieun came from behind and squealed delightfully.

“What party?” Lana spun around to see the four ladies and princes before her.

“Congratulations sweetie. You did great!” Hyosung came and gave her a hug after Yongguk has released her. “But it’s not over. Come let’s change gown!”

Lana looked at Yongguk, hoping he would explain but he has left with the Princes to attend the guests. She thought it was only going to be just a ceremony but no. There would be a party tonight in the palace full of vampires from all over the world who have been invited. She dreaded party especially if she was going to be the centre of attention. Nonetheless, she assured herself it was going to be fine and off she went with the ladies to prepare.

***

Her hair was tied up in a bun with loose curls dangling by the sides; Lana sat cross-legged wearing a silky long dress and heels. Both her hands wrapped in front of her as she waited in tensed. Her heart was racing and she could no longer remember the countless times she swallowed nervously for that day. She was already so nervous during the engagement process but the engagement party was worst. It involved not just a few vampires but probably thousands gathered together just to see her.

Hyosung, Jieun, Sunhwa and Hana had left to ready themselves. Hence, she was all alone in her room. She spotted her reflection in the mirror and her eyes displayed nothing but fear and panicked. She glanced at the clock and it showed 7PM. A few more minutes till she revealed herself to the many public eyes of the vampire kind. She could already hear the noise from the grand hall located below and her anxiety heightened with every second. She closed her eyes and took short quick breaths before she heard the door to her room creaked open.

“Hey...” Yongguk entered with a sweet smile. Lana opened her eyes quickly only to be greeted by a very handsome Yongguk wearing a plain white shirt with black pants and shoes. He was holding a black blazer which he would probably be wearing over.

Lana looked up and flashed a small smile. “Hi...”

“Are you ready?” Yongguk approached her and then held her hands in his. He sensed the tenseness in her and instantly knelt on one knee in front. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Will there be a lot of them?” She asked.

“A thousand perhaps...” He revealed.

Her eyes widened in shocked and gulped frighteningly. “Thousands?!”

“Don’t worry... You’re going to be just fine just like how you did back then during the day.” He assured and gently cupped her cheeks.

“I hope so...” She replied.

Yongguk stood up and then reached for her. “Let’s go, shall we?” Lana stood up alongside and held his hand. He saw the silky long dress she was wearing and watched her admiringly. “You’re beautiful.” He whispered as he slowly walked towards the door, still holding onto her hand tightly.

Lana managed a smile and said. “You’ve said that many times today.”

“I can say that a million times more because it’s the truth. Lana, you’re beautiful.” He said.

As soon as the both of them stepped outside the room, the crowd turned their heads and watched as the newly engaged couple began strutting down the staircase. There were smiles, murmurings and chattering from the vampires, gathering to catch a glimpse of the new royal couple. Their eyes were fixed, not on Yongguk but on Lana who seemed to be the one under the limelight. Just like what Yongguk told her, the crowd was indeed huge. Lana could feel the eyes piercing right at her as her stomach contracted in fear. However, she kept her cool and displayed poise and elegance. She was definitely the envy for the female vampires who lost their chance to be with Yongguk, the most desirable Prince.

After the brief introduction, both Lana and Yongguk mingled with the crowd, thanking and shaking their hands. Lana had to go around flashing bright smiles while thanking the vampires for attending the party. In return, she received congratulatory praises. To her surprise, the vampires seemed to be a fine bunch. They treated her nicely as though she was already a part of them when in fact; she was still a human girl.

“Thank you for coming.” Lana smiled and bowed slightly.

“Princess, you’re beautiful and congratulations on your engagement. May you stay together eternally with Prince Yongguk.” The male winked with curtsy.

Lana could only a smile before attending to the rest of the guests. Meanwhile, Yongguk wasn’t a far distant away from her. She was glad he was still close to her. At least he gave her a sense of security. The party was accompanied by soft orchestra music which was almost overpowered by the noise from the crowd. The servers were holding tray of red liquid, obviously blood as they went around, providing the booze for the vampires. Lana only watched without commenting. She was in the middle of a crowd of vampires with nothing to do but watch them in amazement.

Suddenly, she felt a tug in her arm. “Lana, will you excuse me for a while? I have to go to the other side and entertain the Council members.” Yongguk whispered in her right ear.

Lana turned to the direction he was pointing and saw a group of the Council members. “You’re leaving me here?”  She asked.

“Are you alright being around the Council?” Yongguk asked her in return.

Lana understood that he was only doing her a favour. Being anywhere near the Council members was the least she wanted. She would rather be stuck in the middle of normal vampires than the Council members. “Oh alright... I’ll stay here...” She replied.

“I’ll come back.” Yongguk assured and then off he went.

Soon, Lana was left alone with no one to talk to. She smiled and responded nicely to those who congratulated her. Other than that, she stood awkwardly among the vampires who seemed to be enjoying the party more than she was. Occasionally, she glanced at the time and sighed. Hours passed since the start of the party. Her legs were aching from the heels she was wearing and she was beginning to feel restless.

She went to search for Junhong, only to find him totally immense in the party.

“Junhong, when is the party going to end?” She asked.

Junhong looked at her weirdly. “The night is still young. It will probably last for quite a while. No one is tired anyway... Come on, enjoy yourself. It’s your party.” He said and then continued chatting with the rest of the vampires.

Lana walked away from him feeling even lonelier than ever. She turned to see Yongguk still talking to the Council members. She wished he would come back to her soon. Junhong said no was tired yet. Well of course they weren’t tired. They were vampires after all but Lana, she started to feel the tiredness creeping slowly. She looked at the clock once more, it was already past midnight. It has been hours, standing and entertaining the guests. In fact, she has been up the whole day without food or even a sip of water. She guessed everyone seemed to forget the fact that she still needed to eat proper food.

A server past her while holding a tray of blood drink and immediately she felt dizzy from the smell of it. With an empty stomach, the strong smell of blood in the room was making her feel even terrible. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, hoping it would make her better. But the party was never ending and her body was becoming weak.

Lana pressed her forehead so as to erase the dizziness she was feeling. She wanted to pull herself together and stay strong but everything was spiralling down as she was beginning to see black spots in her vision. She swayed a little and bumped slightly to a vampire who instantly ignored her. No one seemed to bother about her presence anymore. The vampires were fully indulged on the party and the blood drink. Her heels were causing her to lose balance as she swayed forward but thankfully managed to keep her feet firmly before falling flat. However, it wasn’t long before she started feeling faint and extremely weak. She faced up to the ceiling and closed her eyes, as the noise level was slowly reducing. She couldn’t be bothered with entertaining the guests anymore. Her body could no longer take it. In a split second, when no one else was watching, she dropped to the floor.

Yongguk gave a few nods once in a while as he listened intently to the Council members talking and revealing to him about their new policies. He was concentrating fully on them when suddenly his attention got disrupted.

“The Princess has collapsed!”

Immediately, he stopped listening to the Council and ran straight for Lana. She was at the centre of the hall and was struggling up on her feet despite feeling weak. Her eyes were drooping and her face was pale yet she was still trying to stand up on both feet. However, he could see that she was fighting to keep herself conscious. Yongguk removed his jacket and threw it on the floor before kneeling down for her.

“Don’t stand up...” He said. Without wasting another second, he placed both arms underneath her and carried her up in his arms effortlessly. Right at the moment, Lana seemed to have given up on trying because she was too weak that she succumbed herself in his arms, lying limp with her eyes close. Once he already got her safely, he turned to the crowd and then bowed slightly. “I apologise. The Princess needs some rest. You’ll get to see her once she’s better. Once again, thank you for coming and have a nice evening.”

Murmurs went through the crowd as the vampires watched Yongguk climbing up the stairs with Lana in his arms, back to the room. “Of course she fainted... She’s a human. What can you expect from a weak human?” The crowd whispered among themselves.

In the room, Yongguk placed Lana gently on the bed. He removed the heels she was wearing and carefully untied her hair before covering her with the blanket. His palm was over her forehead as he tried to absorb the pain from her and healed whatever that was causing her ill. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything serious. Yet, he cursed at himself for neglecting her. She didn’t have food on top of the anxiety she was having, it was only time before she loses herself.

Junhong barged into the room. “Hyung, is Lana alright?” Just like Yongguk, he was disappointed at himself.

Yongguk nodded and said. “She’s fine. It’s my fault for neglecting her.” He then turned to Lana who was sleeping comfortably and gently kissed her forehead. “Rest well, darling. I love you.”

When you’re tired and suffering, I’ll hug you
If no one’s on your side, I’ll embrace you
Trust me
So we can meet in our dreams
Only look at me
I’ll love you forever
- BAP (With You)

To be continued...