Eclipse *Minsung*

Eclipse

The oldest Moon Princess stepped forward, clasping her wobbly hands together, but keeping her head high. "As far as we've deemed, I am not fit to marry Prince Minho. Nor do I wish to."

"Ida!" the Moon King hissed out in warning.

"This is not a one-sided decision," Ida pushed, voice taking on a slight tremor. 

"The alliance shall remain intact," the Sun Queen said over the Moon King's protest, "as long as you agree with our terms."

"And what would those terms be?" he snapped. "Is this not considered traitorous among a delicate balance between two powers?"

The Sun King slammed his staff down. "If you do not wish for an alliance, you only need to speak up."

Ida turned to her father. "Do we not represent the Moon just the same as you? Nothing traitorous has happened here, as we only have the well being of our kingdom guiding our actions."

"It is traitorous if you turn against me."

Minho stepped in front of Ida, holding his arm out in front of her. "Will you hear our terms or not? Kings are expected to be level-headed, are they not?"

The Moon King's gaze promised death, but it shifted away almost instantly as he turned to face the dais again. "Speak."

Minho motioned to Ida to step back and then glanced over at Jisung, who was now holding Changbin's arm tightly.

"As we see it, the proper heir to the throne of the Moon shall ascend with the Sun in our joined empire." The Sun King looked at Minho. "Prince Jisung shall wed my son."

A deadly silence fell over the room, and the ice hanging in the air before began to descend, cracking over the floor and snaking into Minho's bones. And he didn't care anymore, reaching over to take Jisung's hand in a tight grip.

"How utterly preposterous," the Moon King spat. "I will not accept such a thing to happen."

"And why not?"

"Marriage against the laws of nature cannot and will never be accepted. Least of all within my own kingdom, my own blood." Jisung flinched beside Minho. "Ida can come to love Prince M-"

"I love him, Father," Jisung's voice suddenly ran out. He stepped forward, hands shaking, but eyes full of heated conviction. "If it was so wrong, so against nature, as you say, this love would be impossible."

The Moon King stepped forward. "You dare speak up against me?"

Jisung raised his chin. "I will down what it takes to repair everything that is wrong on this continent, and that includes speaking up to you, Father."

At another step from the king, Minho placed himself in front of Jisung, hand on his sword, ready to be drawn, and he knew that somewhere above, Seungmin was watching and waiting as well. "You wouldn't dare move against Prince Jisung, a descendant of the Moon, would you, Your Majesty?"

The Moon King's eyes were brimming with molten hatred. "I refuse to accept such a vile union."

"Be wary of your words within my court," the Sun Queen warned, the threatening words echoing through the room. "Your son is of age, and he has a special bond with my son. Everything may move forward as we have wanted from the beginning, so you are running out of reasons to object to something you should be rejoicing."

"I will not believe such nonsense! I will not accept his marriage unless it is proven to be the correct action!"

"The gods themselves are joined as one, are you suggesting they are vile?" the queen demanded.