The Hideous Princess // Ateez // Stray Kids // P.SH

- 26 -

It was cold out on the balcony, so they wouldn't stay long, they both knew that. Ivy waved enthusiastically, and even Seonghwa smiled. When had they last seen the king himself smile at an official gathering? Never?

«Should we give them... something to cheer about?» Seonghwa asked her, not looking at her.

«Let's,» she agreed and smiled as she turned to him. Did he actually blush?

The crowd erupted with cheers as the newlyweds shared a very modest kiss on the balcony. Some were probably shocked, but most enjoyed seeing the king and queen look so happy together.

Summer arrived in Choi, surprising both royals and commoners with unbearable heat. Inside the castle, it remained somewhat cool, thanks to the thick stonewalls, but outside it was scorching.

«We must go to the sea,» Seonghwa declared when the heat had lasted nearly two weeks. «There's always a little cooler of a breeze there, right?»

«You tell me,» Ivy giggled. «I'm not used to being by the sea.»

«Oh right,» he sighed, tired from the heat. «Well, let's just go and see.»

And it was true. They felt it immediately as they arrived there. The air was slightly cooler. They immediately decided to stay for a few days. The servants put up tents for everything, for sleeping, for changing, for cooking.

Ivy sat in the shadows of a large white canvas most of the day, watching the others enjoying the water and the sand. She walked up and down the beach, but it was too warm even for that. The water was probably lovely, but it wasn't for her.

«Did you ever learn to swim?»

Ivy jumped a little, she hadn't heard Seonghwa come up behind her.

«No, I didn't.»

«Such a shame. The water felt lovely.»

«I'm sure it did,» she smiled mildly.

«Does it make you sad being here?» he asked, all of a sudden worried.

«No! Absolutely not, Seonghwa. I love the beach. It's beautiful here, and I love seeing everyone enjoying themselves. And the breeze really does help.»

«Good,» he smiled. «I'm glad.»

«This was a wonderful idea, my king.»

He smiled at her. He loved when she called him her king. He wanted to call her his queen too, but somehow that felt too intimate. There was still a wall between them, a wall that would always be there, he knew that. Naming her his queen might make a dent in that wall, and he didn't want to risk anything.

Ivy couldn't sleep. No matter how comfortable Lillybet had made her bed, it was impossible to relax. Ivy still felt warm, even in a thin nightgown. She quietly opened the door of her tent and went out on the sand. She headed for the chairs closer to the water, not wanting to disturb any of the sleeping people in the tents. A few guards were awake, but in the darkness, it didn't bother her too much. They couldn't see anything, her nightgown reached the ground.

She had sat there for quite a while when she heard muffled steps in the sand. She turned and saw Seonghwa come towards her. She smiled as he came to sit in the chair next to her.

«Couldn't sleep, Ivy?»

«No,» she said, looking towards the moon that was making the pitch-black night just a little less black. «Did I wake you, my king?»