“What is it Victoria?” asked Mrs Horvejkul when hearing her statement. Everyone present remained in silence as the princess felt the heat. Even Nichkhun, who refused to lay an eye on her earlier, stared at her in fury.

   “I wanted to say that…” The choice of words would definitely decide her final fate. “…that I’m sorry for failing you.” Everyone remained astonished.

   “Victoria unni,” said Yuri with a confused tone. The princess snatched the newspaper out of Yuri’s hand and made it visible to everyone. The king and queen eyed her vigorously.

   “This… All this is true,” she affirmed directly, without any turns or fancy words. Nichkhun was surprised with her frankness. He could get a glimpse in his parents’ expression. “I was the one who threw the pot at your son,” she said with a deep breath. There was silence in the room. Suddenly, Yuri grabbed her hand and stared at her compassionately.

   “Wae? Why are you doing this to yourself? Didn’t I tell you that…” 

   “Ani, Yuri-ah. You’re highness, I made a big mistake. I guess I was afraid to lose your son so badly that I attempted to hurt someone just to have him for myself. So, I’m afraid that I’m paying for the consequences now. It pains me to see Nichkhun like this and I don’t think that I can continue to live in guilt all of my life,” stated Victoria seemingly strong. Yuri couldn’t seem to say any more. There was no use. “Although it was my fault that Nichkhun ended up like this, to be honest, both of you made a huge mistake as well.”

   “Victoria,” pleaded Nichkhun for her to stop, but she kept going.

   “The decision to make Nichkhun and I get married was one that never should have happened,” she stated as she crept up to hold Yuri’s hand. “In the end, Yuri and Nichkhun were meant to be. They should’ve been together from the start.” The king and queen were mystified. Not only did Victoria correct them, she was also giving up her role that many longed to have.

   “Victoria, do you know what giving up your role of princess means to you and your family? Do you know how long we worked in order to make things work with your parents? Is royalty a game to you?” questioned Mr. Horvejkul without missing the point.

   “In the end, I learned one good lesson through all of this. Not only have I destroyed the prince, I’ve also never understood what ‘love’ meant. To me, it’s still abstract. You’re highness; I think that you need to understand it further as well. Nichkhun…” Her head tipped to fix her eyes on her husband. He looked as if he nearly wanted to cry. “Nichkhun… wants to be loved too. That’s why you should do what’s best for him, and that means giving Yuri a chance.”

   Nobody could make up words anymore. Yuri was utterly in awe. Victoria bowed courteously and scanned the room one more time. This was her final decision. She walked past Yuri and out the door, leaving everyone behind. Yuri felt blameworthy for this unfortunate and eventual divorce. She shut her eyes and chased after the princess, still not accepting her resignation. Her body reacted over all as she followed after her. At their exit, Yuri clasped Victoria’s wrist to keep her from escaping. 

   “Why are you giving up? Is it because of the media? Is it because of Nichkhun’s parents? If so, you can always work things out! You just have to keep trying,” shrieked Yuri in despair. Victoria didn’t answer and remained completely passive. “Victoria unni, do you still love Nichkhun? Do you really want to divorce?” asked Yuri with her hands still firmly griping onto Victoria’s arm.

   “Aniyo. I don’t want to divorce,” she mumbled with a wet face full of sadness.

   “Then why are you doing it?” asked Yuri partially mad at herself at the moment. Victoria wiped a bit of her tears before staring back into Yuri’s eyes. They were filled with sorrow and pain.

   “It’s because I’m not only thinking of Nichkhun and me, I’m considering you, Yuri-ah.” She remained in shock. Never had Victoria showed the slightest and sincere care for her until now. Victoria drew the hand that Yuri clutched tightly away. Was she really letting go of her dreams? “I thought that Nichkhun was my Thai Prince. It turns out, that all this time, he was yours,” she muttered sadly while gradually stepping away.

   “Victoria unni, are you coming back?” asked Yuri in grief.

   “Only if you promise me that you’ll be with Khun."

   Taecyeon and Yoona slept on the red and while sofa near Nichkhun’s bed. Yuri observed them carefully. Yoona’s head sweetly rested on Taecyeon’s shoulder while his arm wrapped themselves around her to keep warm. They were a cute couple; one that Yuri always knew would end up happening all along.

   Somehow, she envied them. For them, everything was easy. All there was to do was to confess their feelings, and that’s it. It was as simple as pie. Yuri on the other hand, had to go the hard way. She tried to recall her first confession to Nichkhun… his departure… his return… their first night in her room… their first kiss… their first pain… the lost of hope…: In all, she reminded herself how much they did to get where they were.

   It was a long and painful journey; one that Yuri preferred never to relive. She continued to contemplate the couple stuck in a tranquil atmosphere whereas Khun and she were still in the middle of a storm ready to devour them.

  Yuri gazed to the opposite direction. The small television was open. She managed to stare at it to get her mind on other things. Not only was she frustrated in her thoughts, other people were contributing to her headache. Every now and then, Yuri would hear whispers and see harsh glares directed at her in the hospital hallways. She couldn’t understand why people were doing that.

   The daily news played as per usual. It always ran on air at this time in the evening. Most of it were the regular updates; nothing too special about that. Then, a topic that the reporter spoke of particularly made Yuri listens further.

   “We have received news that the Prince of Thailand won’t be a married man anymore. Victoria Song, his wife/former wife, had filed a divorce recently. However, it will take a few more weeks before it can be legally recognized. The reason remains undetermined. Journalists are trying to get to the bottom of this, but we believe that it might have something to do with the incident involving Kwon Yuri, the prince’s childhood friend here in Korea. Although these are only hypothesizes, they are the most probable answers to these questions,” explained the reporter in a monotone voice.

   Clips of Victoria walking past reporters in shame replayed from different angles, making Yuri shiver in disgust. She didn’t like the torture that the former princess had to go through.

   “Many people are still try to put the puzzle pieces together by linking this coming divorce and the incident. One of the most popular rumors confirm that there might be a presence of a love/hate triangle between the prince, Mrs. Song and Miss Kwon Yuri. An adulterous triangle perhaps? Would Miss Kwon Yuri be the main reason for the Prince’s separation? These questions will only be answered during a press conference scheduled this Tuesday with the royal divorced couple present. Tune in at 4 in the afternoon to catch this interview.”

   The television screen dove back to black, making Yuri come out of the virtual trauma. It was Mr. Horvejkul who had saved her by switching that TV off.

    He lifted his son’s blanket up until his neck. Meeting Yuri’s stare, he smiled kindly. It was the type of smile that cheered you up no matter what. She was surprised that Nichkhun’s dad would actually give her that sort of expression despite the circumstances. He was always kind towards poor Yuri, but when Khun married Victoria, all that kindness shattered. He was more or less cold, even a bit cruel to some extent. This change of scenery was just odd in her eyes.

   “As much as possible, royalty must avoid media if he/she can. That is, if you’re going to be royalty one day Yuri.” His voice was strong, but somewhat weak all at once. “You’ve grown up to be a pretty young lady, Yuri-ah,” he pointed out, still keeping his smirk. Yuri frowned playfully at this compliment. It was one that she didn’t receive often, but she loved it when it was mentioned.

   “Thank you, sir,” she responded in English. Her English was quite weak, but Nichkhun helped her a lot in the past. She proceeded by picking up the jug of water and bringing it to the bathroom. The king added a few more words before she could continue.

   “I’m sorry,” he blurted out with a calmer voice than usual. “I’m sorry for stopping you from being with my son.”

   “No, it’s really okay,” she declared with uncertainty.

   “No! It’s not okay. I did something horrible to you Yuri. My wife and I apologize dearly,” he said without anger and full of patience. “We know how much we hurt you Yuri-ah, but we would like to ask you a favor.” Yuri put down the jug that she wanted to fill and sat back down on her chair.

   “What is it?” He crossed his arms and began to chase away those friendly ways he put on previously.

   “We would like you to stop trying to look into Nichkhun for now. Even if Victoria filed a divorce, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end. I’m afraid that if you directly jump into a relationship with Nichkhun, both of you will end up getting hurt.” Yuri thought about it for a second. It was true. The world would probably think that she was a husband thief. Or worse… that Nichkhun was an adulteress prince.

   “Nichkhun is essential to Thailand. His country needs him. The lost of Victoria is already hard to swallow. We don’t want to loose the main attraction too,” he uttered in disappointment.

   Just then, Nichkhun began to twitch and turn on the bed. His eyes slowly opened, making out Yuri’s shadow right across from his dad. The king gave her a sharp glance, telling her to consider what he had said. She took a bow and answered:

   “I understand.” At his awake, the prince was lost. He had no idea what they had been talking about earlier. He juggled his glimpse in confusion. The king winked at Yuri and rubbed his son’s shoulder before exiting the room.

   “What was that all about?” asked Khun while rubbing his sleepy eyes. This question was one that she didn’t know the exact answer. Yuri wasn’t sure what to think, but she knew that what she was told was true. Even getting rid of the marriage wasn’t going to bring them closer. She thought of her promise with Victoria; telling her that she had to be with Nichkhun. On the other hand, another thought came up; telling her that it would be imperative for her and for Khun to ever be together.

   The question was: Which one was worth following?

   “Nothing,” she answered with simplicity. Khun lifted his shoulders and proceeded. “Oh, your wife was on TV today by the way.” There was silence. “Oops, I mean you’re ummm… never mind.”

   “You mean Victoria?” Yuri nodded. He seemed a bit disappointed when he said her name. Even with his anger towards her, there was still this bitter taste after their separation. He did spend a few years along side with her. It was normal for him to feel this way.

   “I didn’t mean to touch that subject.” His passive facial expression turned into a bright beam.

   “Well, at least I have you,” he said amiably. Despite her satisfaction in his words, Yuri tried to hide her smile as much as possible. She couldn’t show any speck of interest. 

   “Khun oppa, stop that,” she said over her real words. He remained perplexed.

   “Stop what? I didn’t say anything wrong.”

   “I just don’t want you to give me the sweet talk, that’s all,” she gave in excuse.

   “Wae?” Yuri cleared her mind and tried to think of a valid answer.

   “Because… Because I…” She didn’t want to say this, but there was nothing else to be said. For the sake of Thailand, the king, the queen, Victoria, and the Thailanders all over their country, she had to lie. “Because I’m not in love with you anymore, Khun oppa.” Those words not only hurt Nichkhun, but they also hurt Yuri. 

Here's an update. Sorry for taking longer than expected. I was just thinking about it... Lately, I've been finding all sorts of aspects of my story that are condemnable. I was nearly going to discontinue it out of discouragment, but I ended up keeping it.

So here it is. I'll give it one or two more chapters before the end. KHUNRI!!! Also, if you haven't checked out: Dying to See You... please do.

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