I watched as the sights outside the car's window zipped by. It's still early in the morning, too early to be dawn yet but I'm already consumed with my own thoughts. What exactly am I going to say when I get to Prince Woobin's castle?

“Princess, why don’t you go to sleep?” Yongguk says softly from beside me. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”

“If anyone should rest, it should be you,” I say as I point out the dark bags underneath his eyes. He must not have gotten much sleep this past week and yet again, I was being selfish. “I’m sorry for making you come with me, Yongguk.”  

“I wouldn’t have allowed you to go alone,” he replies. “And I’m fine, there’s no need to worry about me.”

I didn’t expect a different answer from that. “You’re so stubborn sometimes,” I comment harmlessly and turn my eyes back out the window. This wasn’t my first time heading to the region of Yoggu since royals also held banquets there but, it is my first time going there without my father. The simple thought of it made me nervous.

“Princess, are you okay?”

It was like he could hear my thoughts. “Just a little nervous, but I’ll be fine.” Yongguk is with me, there is nothing to worry about.

Soon the nagging worries went away and instead, the view of the sun slowly lighting up the sky and the feeling of the car moving became the focus of my attention. I have been so concerned with studies and Sungrok that I haven’t had a chance to admire the world outside the castle anymore. I placed my hand on the glass, wishing I could reach out and feel the blowing wind and the warm sunshine.

“Yongguk, can I roll the window down?” I didn’t really expect the answer I wanted to hear but, it's worth a try.

“I’m sorry, Princess.”

“I’ll do it when you fall asleep,” I joked.

Yongguk sighs hearing my words, “who says I’ll be sleeping?”

***

It wasn’t long before I felt my own head nodding due to the sleep slowly overtaking me. I would blink awake from time to time but it was useless with my eyelids so heavy.

“Princess, you’ll hit your head.”

I was half-asleep when I felt my arm gently held and my body pulled backwards. I didn’t even bother to open my eyes when I felt more comfortable in my new position. I was too tired to tell him I was fine and by that point, I gave myself over entirely to sleep.

I didn’t know when it was when I came to wake up. My eyes fluttered open and a deep voice called out from beside me.

“Are you awake? We’ll be there in five minutes.”

We left in the early hours of the morning to arrive here in the late hours of the evening.

I turned my head slightly to see that I wasn't exactly in the same position I had fallen asleep in. But, rather, I was leaning up against Yongguk. I rubbed my eyes to push away the drowsiness, “I guess I was the one that fell asleep instead.”

“There were never any doubts,” Yongguk replies with amusement.

I breathe in deeply and push myself to sit upright as the view of Prince Woobin’s castle slowly coming into view. A yawn escapes my lips and I fix myself onto the seat again. “How’s my hair?” I comb my fingers through my slightly knotted strands and turn myself in Yongguk’s direction.

“Doesn’t even look like you fell asleep,” he answers and I smile in response.

Like mine and the other regions, the region of Yoggu was also surrounded by forest. But the deeper you went into the region, you will find tiny cities populated with many people, along with Lone and Independent Werewolves.

My eyes turn back onto the castle as we draw closer and closer to it. Eventually, the car is driven down underground and parked. Yongguk gets out first and I follow immediately after before he shuts the door.

“Welcome, Princess Haewon.”

It’s barely been a week since I have last seen him, so there was no way I could have forgotten that voice. “Hello again, Prince Woobin. It was rude of me to come without a personal invitation,” I turn towards him and reply.

The familiar smirk makes its way onto his face, “there’s no reason to worry. But I heard from your father, King Hyunjin, that you are here to apologize about something.”

I nearly showed how unhappy I was about that newly discovered information. I had wished my father had forgotten about my part of the deal, but I should have known better. I know it is very petty of me but apologizing isn’t one of my strong points either. Especially when it was someone like Prince Woobin on the receiving end. Composing myself, I offer a smile, “is that what my father said?”

He nodded with a smile.

How frustrating. I clenched my hands and prepared my mind for what I was about to do. “Prince Woobin, I apologize for my behavior when you came to visit me. I was out of line and I hope you didn’t take it to heart.”

I couldn’t exactly be rude when I came here for a favor from him.

Content with my obedience, he nodded. “Princess Haewon, I can never stay mad at you.” He took a step and motioned towards the elevator, “should we head up?”

In the elevator, I looked to the side at the gray-suited Knights beside the Prince, there’s no way that he has two Knights, is there? “Prince Woobin, are they both your Knights?” I asked out of pure curiosity. I haven’t seen a Prince or Princess in my age range having more than one Knight.

And, he surprises me with a nod, “Titan, whom you’ve already met and Reaper joined a few months ago.”

Reaper: 25 years old

I nodded my head. Isn’t that a first.

But, that would mean that Reaper is an Independent Wolf. Why would someone choose to be with Prince Woobin?

Once out of the elevator, we entered the main part of the castle with Prince Woobin leading us down the hallway. The theme of the castle was not as bright like how I was used to but it was still decorated luxuriously. But, like home, it felt just as empty. There wasn’t a word spoken between us as we walked up a flight of stairs until we stopped in front of a certain doorway when the Prince turned in my direction. 

“We can talk here.”

***

Now, how I’m in this prepared bedroom is beyond me. I glanced around the room, trying to take in what has happened.

It was only moments before that I was speaking to Prince Woobin in the guestroom – where he had blatantly denied me any access to see Sungrok or even the possibility of returning him to me, which must be why I was in such a foul mood at the current moment.

He insisted since the trial is set for tomorrow, I should stay overnight. And not in a hotel that I had booked, but ins