YN POV:
The next morning, I woke up, a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was it. This was the day that I had been dreading since the wedding. Since I first found out that my husband was an unfaithful asshole, that he had a mistress on this side that was his priority. The day I really had been dreading since I realized the depths of my feelings for Jungkook. Once the coronation had taken place, I would be expected to provide an heir. The thought of being intimate with Soobin made the bile begin to rise in my throat and I sat up quickly, trying to calm the pounding in my overactive heart.
Yoongi sat up next to me, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, because no matter what I said, he refused to sleep in one of the many guest bedrooms. He had insisted from the first day that this was the perfect bed and if I minded him being here then I should find another room to sleep in. His silly behavior made me laugh and it was exactly what I needed to help get me through the days, get me through the hell that I know was coming.
"It's going to be okay gorgeous. You know that, right? I promise you that it's going to be okay." Yoongi stroked a hand over my hair and pulled me into his arms, laying back down and tugging me to lie on his chest. It was a familiar position from college, one I had woken up so many times in.
I tried to listen to his words, let the gentleness of his voice wash over me, but I couldn't help the tears that burned my eyes then slipped down my cheeks. They spilled onto his shirt, soaking the soft fabric. "I don't want this Yoongi. I don't want to be queen. I don't want to be married to him. I don't want to have a baby with him." Unable to stop the sobs that wrenched themselves from my throat, I fisted his shirt in my hands. "I don't want this life. I fucking hate it."
Yoongi hugged me tighter, running his hand up and down my back. "I know you do gorgeous. I know you do, but you have to trust me."
Sighing, I just snuggled closer to him, letting his soft humming and gentle touches work their magic on me, let him try to comfort me in the best way he knew how. After a few moments, I looked over to the clock, knowing I would eventually have to get up and face the truth, face the fact that I was going to be queen in just a few short hours.
"What's the schedule look like today?"
I sighed, twisting Yoongi's shirt in my fingers. "After breakfast, the tailor will bring my gown and make any last minute adjustments. The hair stylist will come after he is done to do my hair then the makeup artist. There will be photos in the garden before the opening ceremony. After the opening ceremony, there will be the coronation then more photos with Soobin. Then the coronation ball." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart again. It was going to be a busy day and honestly I just wished it were over. I didn't want to stand there beside Soobin and watch him play the doting husband, the perfect prince, but I knew I had no choice.
Yoongi patted my back and I sat up, turning to him. "Well gorgeous. Can't do that all on an empty stomach. Let's go get you some breakfast." Yoongi sat up then got out of the bed, pulling on the sweats he had dropped on the floor the night before.
"You have got to stop sleeping in my bed in your undergarments. At least wear your sweats." I pointed towards the pants he had just pulled on.
"Aww what's the matter gorgeous? Afraid you're going to be unable to resist me in the middle of the night?" Yoongi gave me a sly wink and wiggled his slim hips.
Crawling to the edge of the bed, I crooked a finger at him, watching as the smug smile disappeared from his face. When he was close enough, I reached out quickly and pinched a nipple, surprising both of us and making him squeal out loud. "Dream on Yoongs. You're not that irresistible."
A pout on his handsome face, Yoongi grabbed my hand and pulled me close, almost making me topple of the bed. "You're just mad since Hobi got to me first. Should have told me how much you wanted me years ago."
Shaking my head, I hugged him tightly then stood up and pulled myself from his arms. "I love you Yoongs but you and I both know it would never have worked. I don't have the right equipment." With those words, I sauntered into the bathroom, hearing nothing but silence for a moment before he barked out a laugh.
A short while later, Yoongi and I were headed down to the dining room and I could feel my nerves starting to take over again. When I was in my bed, curled up next to him, enjoying his gentle embrace, I could pretend that this wasn't real, that none of this was actually going to happen. Unfortunately, the moment I stepped from my room, reality struck and everything hit me all over again. When we arrived in the dining room, Jimin and Jungkook were already seated. They stood when I entered and I dismissed their formalities with a wave. "You know you don't have to do that, right?"
Jungkook grinned at me, his handsome face breaking into a smile, one that filled his pretty eyes with a strange light. "What's the matter with treating you like a princess, princess?"
My heart fluttered at his words. Of all the people in the palace, he was the only one that called me princess and it made me weak for him, but I wanted to hear my name fall from his lips, hear it coated in that chocolaty voice, dripping from his lips like the richest dessert. As he studied me, I realized he asked me a question and I shook my head to clear it. "Maybe I just wish to be treated like normal. Like just Y/N."
"Well just Y/N, you're a princess. Might as well get used to it." Yoongi pinched my side as he spoke and I squeaked out a protest, smiling when both Jimin and Jungkook laughed.
"How's Jaehyun doing with training?" I directed my question at Jimin, knowing he had been the guard that was overseeing the young man's progress.
Jimin nodded, a pleased smile on his face. "It is going well, your highness. Jaehyun will soon be able to take me down."
Shaking my head, I gave Jimin a disbelieving smile. "I still find that hard to believe. Hard to believe anyone could take down our Jimin." I laughed when Jimin's cheeks flushed at my words, knowing that even though he was embarrassed, he was still pleased with my words.
As I made small talk with Yoongi, Soobin entered the room, followed by Taehyung. They both had irritated looks on their faces and I wondered for a moment what had happened, but then pushed the thought from my mind. If it was something I needed to know then someone would tell me. I just hoped it had nothing to do with me.
Emira POV:
Fucking asshole! As I stomped toward the kitchen, I went over the conversation I had just overheard. I had been walking towards the dining room when I noticed Taehyung and Soobin in front of me. They had been deep in conversation and I slowed my pace so as not to interrupt. I had then taken a seat on a bench in the corridor, giving them enough time to get far enough ahead of me, but they had stopped walking and their voices carried.
"You can't be serious Soobin. You can't honestly expect to consummate your marriage tonight. Do you not realize that your wife kind of despises you?" Taehyung's voice had been filled with irritation and I had understood where it was coming from.
My mouth had dropped at Taehyung's words, but I barely had had enough time to process things before Soobin had spoke. "It has been long enough and it is time. How am I expected to provide an heir if I am not having sex with my wife?" Soobin had sighed and had run a hand through his hair. "Look brother. I love her. I need to figure out a way to make things right with her. Plus YN knows we need to produce an heir. She'll do anything for the kingdom, for the people. Maybe by bringing her to my bed and making love to her, it might show that I am serious about her. "
Taehyung had snorted at his words. "Oh you mean the same bed you fucked your slutty mistress in? Oh sure. Real romantic."
"Damn it Taehyung. I told you I fucked up. I did. I fucked up badly. Are you happy now?" Soobin had run a hand through his hair, his voice dripping with agitation. "How am I supposed to fix it?"
"I don't know if you can."
When they had continued further down the corridor, I was temporarily stunned into paralysis. So after all this time, Soobin wanted to make things right with her and was going to try to use the need to produce an heir as a reason to get YN in his bed. I sat there for a moment thinking of everything that had happened since we arrived, since the wedding, since the incident with Mina in the corridor. Nothing Soobin had ever done had been in YN's best interest and I was determined to help YN find her happy ending, the one I knew she deserved, the one I knew Jungkook could provide.
As I made my way towards the kitchen, I knew now more than ever that what we were going to do was the right thing. I needed to get her away from Soobin as quickly as possible. I stepped into the kitchen where Jin was placing the last of the crepes he had made onto a serving platter. Since he knew today was going to be a rough day for YN, he had decided to make her favorite breakfast, hoping it would at least give her a partially positive start to the day. The love I had for Jin filled me up, bubbling to the surface and threatened to burst forward like a shaken soda bottle.
Jin must have noticed the look on my face because he hurried to my side, gently cupping my cheeks in his large hands. "Are you alright my darling?" His eyes were worried as he searched my face.
I quickly explained what I had overheard in the corridor and watched the look of disgust pass over his face. "I just... I want this to go smoothly tonight. I want to see YN with Jungkook, like she should have been from the beginning. Prince Soobin may say he loves her, but he doesn't deserve her. He hasn't treated her right from the beginning and I would hate to see her latched to him forever."
Wrapping his long arms around me, Jin pulled me close to his chest. "It is going to be alright. In just a few short hours, everything will be revealed and all of this will be over for her highness. She will be with the man she loves, the man who loves her."
Knowing Jin was right, I took in a deep calming breath, trying to push down the storm that was currently raging in my heart and gave him a sweet kiss. But thinking about what was going to happen later made another pop into my mind. Once YN left, there would be no reason for me to remain in the palace. "Jin? When... when I leave, what is to become of us?"
Jin grinned then hugged me even closer. "Oh my darling! Were you not expecting me to come with you? My place is with you. Once you leave the palace, I will accompany you." His eyes grew worried for a moment. "Unless... unless you do not wish me to?"
"Of course I do. I love you. I want to always be by your side."
"Then that's where you shall be." Jin's words fell over me a like a blanket fresh from the dryer, like a gentle hug, like a warm summer rain and it helped to calm the racing in my heart.
With a last kiss, I left the kitchen and headed into the dining room. Along with YN, Yoongi, Jimin and Jungkook, Soobin and Taehyung were already seated at the table. Taehyung eyed me when I walked in, raising an eyebrow and I realized he knew I had overheard their conversation. A subtle shake of his head had me grinning at him and I trusted him to do what we had planned. I knew it was going to cause tension in the royal family, but I couldn't sit and watch my best friend, my sister go through such pain like this. If there was something I could do about it then that is exactly what was going to happen.
Breakfast passed quickly, talk of the coronation filling the air. As the meal progressed, I could see the smile on YN's face get dimmer and dimmer until there was nothing left that resembled the girl I used to know and it made my resolve to get her out of here stronger than ever.