"Oops. Seems like our souls are better alone." Hyesoo dipped her finger in the curd and licked some of it. She was satisfied seeing Yoongi roll his eyes and exhale sharply.
Taking the vows was the hardest part of the marriage. The words 'I do' rolled off smoothly from Yoongi's tongue. On the other hand, Hyesoo's words got blocked in her throat. No matter how much she tried to act ignorant, she could not bring herself to speak aloud. Not when she knew Yoongi was just playing with this ritual, he would never mean a single vow he had taken.
"Princess, You need to reply with 'I do.'" The priest reminded. Hyesoo's eyes were locked on her dear prince, who stared back at her with adoration.
She choked back a sob after looking at his glassy eyes. "I do." A tear slid down her cheeks when Jungkook turned around and walked out of the hall.
"In the name of God, I pronounce the Great Elesian emperor, Min Yoongi and Realian princess Jung Hyesoo, husband and wife. May God bless you with eternal happiness." As soon as the priest concluded the musicians started playing traditional songs. It was followed by a dance performance, warrior tributes and lastly sumptuous dinner.
The Grand wedding soon came to an end as the night got darker. The royal guests complimented nothing but the greatness of King Hoseok and the newly wedded couple.
Hyesoo was tired. She was tired from everything. She wanted to get into a deep slumber and wake up from this nightmare to a bright morning. Her steps were slow and clumsy as she made her way to her room. Her maids were commanded to leave her alone.
A wave of dizziness hit her as she took another step. She clutched her head with one hand and the other hand rested on the pillar as support. Her breathing got ragged. She tried to take another step but almost fell down until a hand caught her waist. Hyesoo's hands automatically held the person's shoulders for support. Her eyes were locked with the sharp icicles which she loathed the most. But due to some unknowing reason, she was unable to tear away her gaze.
Yoongi got lost in her droopy eyes. They held chastity. His body reacted unusually. He was aware of sexual tension, however, this time the feeling was foreign. He had that sudden urge to preserve her, to protect her from every harm. He could spend the rest of his life just staring at her eyes and still not get bored. His heart was racing faster than his horse. His throat got drier than sand. What was she doing to him?
Quickly dismissing his eccentric thoughts, Yoongi spoke, "Already falling for me, Princess?"
Hyesoo realized her position and immediately pushed herself away from his body. She looked everywhere but him. Her cheeks were heated up. She could hear her unsteady breath but she managed to reply, "Arrogant much, His Majesty?"
Yoongi raised his eyebrows at her comeback. "W-what a-are you doing?" Hyesoo flinched back when his cold hands touched her temples.
A deep chuckle vibrated through the Emperor's throat as he retreated his hand, "Maids!" Some ladies quickly came and bowed infront of him, "Why are you not accompanying her??"
"W-we were ordered by the princess to leave her alone." They spoke in a quivering voice.
"I command you not to leave her alone. Am I clear?!" He slightly raised his voice. The maids nodded their heads.
"What-" Hyesoo got cutoff by Yoongi, "Take care of my Queen, she is having a fever." Then he walked away without letting her object. The way he addressed her 'my queen' made her gut tingle but she dismissed the feeling as Yoongi's form disappeared behind the walls.
👑~👑
The warm sun rays kissed the fair skin of Jung Hyesoo. Ignoring the urge to sleep for the whole day, Hyesoo sat up and blinked her eyes. Her fever had gone down but her head still felt heavy. Now was not the time to cry over the minor problems. She had bigger things to deal with. It was the day she was supposed to leave her birthplace, the palace where she grew up, the people whom she called home and lastly the Realian subjects who considered her as their God Mother.
"ALL HAIL TO THE EMPEROR!"
"ALL HAIL TO PRINCESS!"
"ALL HAIL TO THE EMPEROR!"
"ALL HAIL TO PRINCESS!"
The crowd cheered as Hyesoo stepped out of the Palace with Yoongi by her side. He took glances at her until he found a chance to speak, "How are you feeling?"
Hyesoo was taken aback by his sudden words of concern but replied with coldness, "Why do you care?" Yoongi simply rolled his eyes and walked over to his royal elephant with a cocky smile plastered on his lips.
"ALL HAIL TO HIS MAJESTY!"
"ALL HAIL TO QUEEN MOTHER DOWAGER!"
Hyesoo turned around to spot her bother elegantly walking out accompanied by her mother. His crown shone brightly amidst his dark hair. The princess didn't waste anytime and hugged him tightly. A sob left her lips feeling his warmth.
"I'll miss you, sister." He kissed her head.
"Me too, Oraboni. Take care of yourself and Mother. Visit me if you can." Hyesoo walked over to her crying mother and spoke some words for consolation telling her it was her choice to marry her, no one forced her to do so.
The former princess of Realia walked over to her royal palanquin and scanned the area with sad eyes. Her subjects were present some distance away from the royal families. They had a smile on their lips and teary eyes. Her sacrifice was going down in the history of the Jung Dynasty. Some of the guests stayed back and were present that included the Emperor of Darlin, Jungkook's father. However, the prince was nowhere to be seen. "Prince Jungkook had already left, your highness." Her lady-in-waiting, Areum, whispered in her ears. She had served her for more than twelve years and therefore could read her mind like an open book.
Hyesoo nodded and stepped into the palanquin. Soon the troop departed saying goodbye to Realia.
👑~👑
It was two days tiring journey from Realia to Elesia. Queen Hyesoo was informed about their arrival. She composed her dress and stepped down. Yoongi was waiting for her to join. Together they walked towards the palace door.
The people were cheering loudly at the arrival of their newly wedded King and Queen. The loud beating of drums and other various classical instruments was heard. The soldiers all raised their swords in respect. Commander Namjoon was following the Royal couple who was being followed by the remaining troop who had made out of the battle alive.
The Queen saw the Min family at the door of the castle. The eldest woman seemed to be the queen mother dowager as her eyes full of pride were fixated on the emperor. Beside her stood a woman who was physically much smaller than Hyesoo. On the right of the queen mother, another ethereal man stood. His dark eyes were staring back at her. Next to him was another young lady who rather glared at her. She could see the dissatisfaction on her face.
She followed Yoongi as he bowed before his mother and walked inside. Hyesoo copied his action but only got silent treatment from them. This is going to be tough. She mentally noted.
👑~👑
The red and blue patches in the sky together formed a bright purple colour of the dusk. The new bond was formed. The strings were knotted. The fate began its game.
Important:
There is a difference between Queen and Empress. You need to know this to understand the plot clearly.
A queen is the wife of a king/emperor. They can be as many woman as a emperor marrys.
But an empress is the most powerful queen and her child will be the crowned prince. She has the ultimate power in the absence of the Emperor. There is only one empress for a particular kingdom.
My laptop broke down so it needed maintenance for a whole week. As a result I'll not be able to upload for the next week. I need to sort out the chapters and write a new.
Thanks for the patience. I'll be back soon.