Jessica POV

It had been years since my mother had passed, but it was still routine for me to visit her weekly.

I remembered that the Festival of Songs had been her favorite.

She had let it slip that she had actually once been in love before marrying my father.

But alas he was a soldier and was sent off to fight. He never made it back

She never expressed her sadness, but every night she would look longingly up at the stars. The look of love and adoration in her eyes was evident that she still thought of him.

My mother wrote a long love poem for him each year, even after becoming queen.

She did so secretly and only I knew her secret.

That was why that this year I decided to share my own secret to my mother.

It was always such a large entourage to go see my mother but I was able to talk Seohyun into only having a few guards follow us.

Seohyun, Hyoyeon, and Sunny stood several yards behind us with three more of the younger guards, so it was only Tiffany and I at her headstone.

There would be no chance of eavesdropping.

Tiffany fiddled uncertainly with her skirt and kept looking at me.

“Jessie why am I here?”

I smiled at her and hugged her close so that my breath tickled her ears.

“Because there is something I must tell my mother.”

The love of my life was red as a tomato as I knelt down.

“Hello Umma… it is the time of the Festival of Songs once again. This year is a special one for me.”

I looked to Tiffany and saw her flushed.

“Umma I want to formally introduce you to the one who stole my heart. This is Tiffany, Tiffany Hwang.”

Tiffany bowed low.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”

A gentle breeze blew through our hair and I could faintly smell the scent of my mother. It made me feel more confident.

I took Tiffany’s hand and held it close to my heart. Her face was an expression of surprise.

“Do you feel my heart Fany-ah? I know I have told you many times, but I love you. This heart… it only beats for you. Please always remember that. I know that we have many obstacles to face but I promise that I will do whatever it takes to face them together.”

“I-I… Jessica what are you saying?”

I took a deep breath and pulled her closer to me. Her face was so close to mine that I could count her eyelashes. The lovely crescent eyes I had fallen for twinkled under the light of the sun.

“I am saying I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. I don’t want to be with Yoona. I want to be with you.”

“B-But Jess- you know we can neve-

“Look at me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t feel the same way for me Tiffany. Tell me you don’t want to be with me. If you can than I will give you up.’

“I-..I d-don’t- I… I can’t Jessica. Because… Because I l-l-love you too…”

“That’s all I needed to hear. That’s all I ever need to hear from you.”

With that I leaned in and kissed her.

“Sorry mom… please look away.”

When we broke apart Tiffany looked up at me.

“I love you Jess. I always will… but we can- I mean, how will this work?”

“I’m going to tell my father Tiff. I am going to break off this engagement with Yoona once and for all. I… I can’t have him rule my life anymore. He… shouldn’t have to rule anyone’s life.”

Before Tiffany could respond however Seohyun came running into view with Sunny and Hyoyeon trailing closely behind her. The other three guards were hurriedly grabbing the horses.

“Your Highness, I pardon myself for interrupting you but we must get going. There seems to be something wrong. Please look to the skies.”

We both looked up.

The blue skies were starting to turn dark as if it was turning into night. There were creatures of the night that I had not seen before approaching all of us with great speed. They were headed towards the direction of the castle.

“Impossible,” whispers Tiffany, her eyes on another creature towards the horizon.

My heart dropped and I started to s