The eyes watching him were starting to become something of the common. He didn’t know what they were thinking as they observed his every movement or his every word but he couldn’t be bothered by it. He came here for a reason and such irrelevant things wouldn’t deter him.

“You wouldn’t have guessed, right?” Seonjang walked up to him and motioned around the underground hideout. “That our base was hidden right underneath your noses.”

That’s right. Yongguk had to admit it was his mistake that he never noticed it.

A smile appeared on Seonjang’s lips. “You made the right decision, Yongguk– joining us was the fastest way in bringing down the current system.”

“He was a Knight, Seonjang,” one of the many Werewolves that lined the sides of the underground structure voiced aloud. “He served the humans.”

“He is also one of us,” Seonjang replies. “And not the only one.” He catches sight of Himchan out of the corner of his eye.

“How could you so easily trust them?” The Werewolf couldn’t easily do away with his suspicions regarding the Werewolves that had just recently joined them the last few days.

“We will not encourage division amongst us– that would only weaken our resolve and our goal. We need to focus on what we have set out to do and if we continue to be suspicious of one another, it will delay our efforts,” Seonjang reasons. “Right now, it is our chance to push forward while the humans have fallen victim to discord.”

The humans’ emotions will be at an all time high now that reality has hit them.

Or were they still filled with doubt?

***

“Queen.” Stealth bowed at my presence and I shifted my eyes over to the boy standing at the doorway in an attempt to leave his bedroom.

“Thank you for watching over him,” I stated. “You can return to the other Knights now.”

The older Knight bowed before taking his leave and I, in turn, move to stand before Junhong. “Junhong, please step back inside.”

“Do you have any idea–,"

“About what I’ve done?” I finished for him. “There is a reason why you are here.”

“There is no reason for me to be here,” he answered back angrily. “I had only one purpose and that was to remain in my bedroom. That was Ganghan’s order.”

“Why did you have to remain in your room?” I wondered. Why would anyone like to be confined within such a small room as if they were a criminal? “I have been trying to figure out the circumstances behind the way you have been living at King Ganghan’s castle– would you care to explain?”

He kept silent but never removed his eyes from my own. “...I want to return.”

“You cannot.” 

“I don’t wish to stay here.”

“I don’t care.” What he desired and what was important were two completely different things. “You must stay here.”

“Why?” he asked in exasperation. “What do you want with me?”

“Junhong, at the current moment there are more important things transpiring in the outside world– things that are more important than your desires and wants,” I summarized for him vaguely. Right now, the governing system is still reeling with shock with the problem with Seonjang and I needed to focus on that. “How long have you been in that room?”

“What kind of person are you?”

“Are you aware of the current state of affairs?” I ignored his rhetorical question. 

Again, my words spurred muteness from him. 

“How can you be so hateful?” His soft words were coated with disbelief. “I am telling you that I need to leave– there are things more important to me but, why won’t you listen?”

I paused for a moment and observed his expression. I tried to sympathize with him, to encourage myself to see it from his point of view but it was all so tiring. It was exhausting and I promptly gave up.

“Do you know what your father, King Ganghan, is planning–,"

Before I could complete my question, Junhong mercilessly shut the door in my face. Staring at the wooden barrier in front of me, I thought in a different manner.

As long as he wasn’t insisting on leaving. 

***

“Our intrusion at King Ganghan’s castle is public knowledge now.”

While making our way down the hallway of the building, Steel notifies me of what to expect upon our arrival at our destination.

The summit.

This time, it was being held in the region of Yoggu. 

“They also see you as a Werewolf sympathizer so, please be careful.”

I nodded my head and paused before the doorway. Once I step inside, Steel’s warnings will come true. “Anything else?” I wait for any following words of advice.

“They are also aware of Red and Solar’s desertion.”

I allowed all the problems to organize in my mind and upon deciding that there was nothing beyond this door that would be as terrible as how the past a week or so have been, I pushed open the barricade and stepped inside with him, Daehyun, and Jongup in tow. The light chatter that was occurring dropped to whispers at my appearance. Merely focusing on finding an empty spot, I took my seat. 

“Princess, we must go to our posts now,” Steel alerts me.

Sending him a nod, I settled in a chair and faced forward. The summit should begin soon and once that happens, the attention on me will die down.

“Haewon.”

I looked to the side as Youngjae and Woobin took their seats next to me.

“I don’t think you should be acting so close to me,” I say while facing front again. Right now, I’m not seen in such a positive light. “You’re going to get a bad reputation by association.”

“We’re here to send our condolences,” Youngjae softly answers. “I know it hasn’t been easy for you and now you’re forced to be here.”

“…Thank you,” I stated blankly while the royals filing in at the front of the room soon drew our attention. This time, the soft mumblings in the room come to a complete halt.

“The summit in the region of Sowon will now begin,” the King sitting at the center of the long table voiced. “We are all gathered here today to discuss the recent events that occurred at the tournaments and the losses that we, as a country, have experienced in the last week.” He inhales a soft breath. “Along with these matters, we also have to bring to attention the laws that have been broken.”

Everyone remains silent as the King moves his eyes along the attendees before landing on me. 

“Princess… I apologize, Queen Haewon–,"

That title felt so strange to hear.

“First of all, I would like to speak for everyone and say that we are sorry for the losses that you have been forced to endure.”

I stared on while making no effort to offer a response.

“King Hyunjin was a honorable man who faithfully followed his morals–,"

“We are merely pushing off the real troubles that need our attention,” a King interrupted and I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“King Mansoo,” the summit leader called out in disapproval.

“Are we going to trust a whole area of rule under her? She isn’t ready to lead the people during this time. She couldn’t even lead her Knights successfully.” Along with his words, some other attendants present voiced their agreements. 

I leaned back into my seat, unaffected by his words. Nothing he says would ever get a rise out of me. 

“And the matter with her breaking and entering King Ganghan’s castle–,"

“If we discuss that matter, then we shouldn’t forget the unlawful execution,” I speak out calmly. “King Mansoo," I turned my head slightly to look at him, “are you trying to say that my intrusion is a worst crime than the execution of a Queen?” Speaking of which, where was the culprit? All the royals are supposed to be present when a summit is called. 

The room explodes in slight disarray before the summit leader called for order. “Queen Haewon, what is the reason behind your act of trespassing?” he questioned.

“To stop the execution and to remove someone from the castle.”

“And who did you remove?”

“King Ganghan and Queen Hwa’s son.” Upon my words, the room grew s