Epilogue - The King Eternal Monarch (TKEM)

3 Years Later

***

After they got out bed and had gotten dressed so they could check out of their hotel room by noon, Taeul plopped down on the beige couch in their room while she packed her things. "What would you like for our anniversary?" she asked Lee Gon who was seated opposite her on another similar couch.

"That's... a good question..." Gon open-endedly replied. He was looking at Tae-eul who was busy folding her clothes and putting away a small set of toiletries that she bought for the weekend inside her trusty backpack. Tae-eul on the other hand didn't really think much about what she had asked of Gon until she started to notice the silence that followed after he spoke. They looked at each other thoughtfully after she closed her bag since they both knew what the answer was.

Lee Gon has asked her this question several times, playfully and seriously, if she could marry him and be the Queen of Corea. And each time, Tae-eul tried to make a joke or deflect the question, preferring not to give a straight answer. "Let's just live for today," was what she told herself and what Gon had come to accept. They were happy and that was all that mattered. They were just getting to know each other back then when they started crossing worlds. But after almost 3 years of time-travelling and weekend hotel stays, she knew she couldn't avoid the question any longer. The more they travelled together, the deeper their love had grown. And that deep love naturally needed more room to grow.

"I love you," Tae-eul said as she offered a little smile to Lee Gon.

"I love you too," he replied.

Tae-eul looked at a blank space on the floor and bit her lip. "Have you ever thought how we could make it work? Us, I mean... how we can be together?" she asked, timidly.

"I've thought about it, and actually have a little bit of a plan in mind..." Lee Gon said calmly but who was just as surprised by her response. He has been thinking of a plan for quite some time. But he knew he needed Tae-eul's commitment first to the idea before he could move forward.

"If I said 'Yes', um... what do we do next?"

"So... are you finally saying, 'Yes'?"

Lee Gon's heart skipped a beat.

"I think so..." Tae-eul said nervously but with more certainty in her voice.

Her answer was always going to be a yes—how could it not be a yes? But it was always the consequences of that 'yes' that gave her second thoughts. She would be Queen of a country whose citizens were fiercely devoted and protective of their young King--a king who had grown up with the trauma of being a witness to his father's tragic and awful death. This was not going to be an easy "Yes" by any means. But she knew in her heart this was her answer, no matter what universe they were in and what title or lack thereof that Gon had to his name.

Lee Gon didn't want to tease her further in case she doubted herself and changed her mind. He knew he had to act quickly and not let the moment pass. He let out a relaxed smile and reached for a very small box that he had been carrying for so long, inside his coat. The box was old and covered in black velvet. He wanted to do it right. Once he had the box in his hand, he stood up and then sat down beside Tae-eul. He reached for her left hand from her side to bring it forward between them. He then opened the old velvet box to reveal a large, single 2 carat diamond on a platinum ring band. It sparkled beautifully in the light and was a relatively simple ring whose appearance did not render any hint of history to the observer that it was once owned by a Queen. But to Gon, this ring simply belonged to his mother.

Carefully, he placed and slid the ring on Tae-eul's finger and asked the question he's asked so many times before. He knew her answer would be a "Yes". It was always just a matter of when he could actually take out this small priceless box from his coat.