6 Days Later
Thursday, One Day Before the Wedding, 8:30 am, Baekhyun's POV:
- You were still outraged with Hyukkie, but you were managing to hide it well enough.
- Jaehwan hadn't left the private wing of the castle for three days after what happened. Hyukkie said he was busy preparing for the wedding, but you knew that was a lie. His fiancé was in seclusion until his bruises faded enough to be covered by makeup. You had kept an eye on Jaehwan, periodically checking up on him through cracks in the doors to your secret passages, and he had done basically nothing but read and sleep the whole time.
- If he wasn't reading, your soon-to-be prince followed your king around like a lovesick puppy. He didn't seem angry about what happened. On the contrary, he was more under Hyukkie's spell than ever! Before, they had a playful, evil-dynamic-duo vibe which even you had to admit was the tiniest bit cute. But now, Jaehwan did every single thing Hyukkie said without comment or complaint. The depth of his obedience made you sick.
- The people had been overjoyed when Jaehwan returned from seclusion, and the first morning Hyukkie brought him out on the balcony, they had screamed and cheered for half an hour after they came back inside. You were starting to get the impression that Hyukkie had chosen to marry a commoner deliberately. You guessed it was a good political move since everyone loved them now.
- You were sitting at the table in the dining room, waiting for your king to arrive before you started eating. The room felt so empty without Hunnie, it was like someone had torn your heart to shreds every time you came in here. You buried that feeling as deeply as you could.
- The double doors opened, and Hyukkie walked in, holding a thoroughly diminished looking Jaehwan's hand. Thankfully, his fiancé's terrifying bodyguard stayed outside. He always watched you extra closely whenever you were around Jaehwan, and you thought that Hyukkie must teach his guards how to stare the way he did. He wasn't even really a body guard; his actual job was to report on what Jaehwan did while Hyukkie was gone.
- "Good morning, Bacon," Hyukkie said, sitting down across from you and running a hand along the hem on his fiancés white and black button-down. Your king had on a similar looking red one, but his fit perfectly where Jaehwan's looked distinctly oversized.
- "Good morning, Satan. Sleep well?" you asked, hoping his answer would be no.
- "Very," Hyukkie replied, glancing at Jaehwan who was smiling adoringly at him. For the thousandth time, you wondered how Hyukkie had managed to break him.
- Before asking for his help, you had tried every trick you knew. Cruelty, kindness, even seduction! But the ex-guard captain hadn't responded to any of it. He was one of the most stubborn and angry people you had ever met. It was actually admirable! But even you wouldn't do what Hyukkie had done to him. Seeing someone that strong be completely broken and treated this way was a heart breaking, if you were honest. It was a waste.
- "How about you, Jaehwan? Did the People's Prince get lots of rest?" you asked, only managing to make your tone the slightest bit nasty.
- Jaehwan was still smiling at your king, but he replied, "We didn't do very much resting."
- How Jaehwan could stand to touch Hyukkie after what you witnessed boggled your mind, let alone sleep with him! "Well, you do what you've got to do," you said evenly, before taking a bite of cereal.
- Neither said anything, so you glanced up to see Hyukkie staring coldly at you. "What?" you snapped, not having any patience to be watched like prey.
- "Nothing," Hyukkie replied, but he didn't stop staring so you said sharply, "Eat your stupid breakfast. Your guests will start arriving soon."
- The chefs didn't even bother cooking for Jaehwan anymore. He would only eat what his fiancé fed him, and never touched his plate if one was brought to him. This was the case now, and he took the tiniest possible bite of pancake off his kings fork before smiling and scooting off his chair onto Hyukkie's lap.
Time skip: Your Carriage, 10am, Namjoon's POV:
- You were sitting in your carriage with Jinnie, Tae, and Jungkook, trying to figure out how your life had gotten to this point. You were about to attend your ex-guard captains wedding to the new king of your husbands' previous fiancés kingdom. Had you accidentally fallen through a wormhole to an alternate dimension?!
- "Are you excited to see Nini?" you asked, not really sure what else to say. You knew your husband was very anxious, even though he was trying hard to hide it. Why he would ever voluntarily come back to this palace, you didn't know.
- Kai had told Jinnie that Yugyeom vehemently denied having any part in Jinyoung's murder, saying that Sanghyuk had most likely just been trying to piss Kai off. It was exactly what you thought, so you weren't surprised. The fact that you still had no word from either Yoongi or Jimin was surprising, though. You hoped that one or both of them would already be at the wedding, Yoongi's name had also been on the invitation after all.
- Not thinking it prudent to bring your son into a situation that could turn violent at the drop of a hat, you had brought Chanyeol back from Jin's old capital and left him and Jackson in charge of Yoonsun's protection. Your son's two other guards from Jaehwan's list would also be there, and they were very capable, so you weren't worried.
- The carriage turned, and you looked interestedly out the window. You had never been to this palace before, and Jinnie had told you it was enormous, but that was an understatement. You didn't know buildings this large existed anywhere!
- "Yes, I hope he's a bit calmer than the last time we saw him," Jin replied, answering your question about Kai and also peering out the window.
- Jungkook and Taehyung were both asleep, but Jinnie put his hands on their knees and said softly, "Wake up, boys. We're here."
- They both opened their eyes, and Jungkook stretched before draping an arm over Tae's shoulder. Tae had started intensive combat training two days after Suho's deception was discovered, and he had taken it so seriously that he no longer needed a bodyguard. That was good, one less person for you to worry about.
- Jaebum and Ravi had come along, as well as one of Jin's new guard, so you were both worried and not worried about your husband's safety. Jaehwan's warning about them was still firmly stuck in your mind, but at the same time you believed that Jaebum was trustworthy. You went back and forth on Ravi, but you had no doubts about Jaebum.
- The carriage came to a stop, and Ravi opened the door. The princes got out first, and you followed before holding a hand out for Jinnie when he stepped down.
- You scanned the high turrets of the palace, and then focused on the front steps. Sanghyuk was standing there, looking intimidatingly kingly, but when your eyes flicked to the person next to him and you actually did a double take.
- Jaehwan was in a remarkably normal looking shirt and pants, when compared to how he dressed while staying at your castle, but he looked paler and thinner than before and a bit dazed. He took a step forward, smiling at Jinnie, but Sanghyuk and a very scary looking person grabbed either one of his arms and pulled him back.
- Your eyes narrowed, watching closely as Jaehwan looked quickly at Sanghyuk before wrapping his now free arms around his fiancé's waist and snuggling against him. You and Jin had both agreed that if you found him alone you would ask him about the message, but that didn't look like it was going to be possible.
- Baekhyun was also there, and you noticed him give Sanghyuk a very cold glare before he smiled at Tae. "Welcome to our humble palace," Sanghyuk said, sarcasm plane in his tone, before he continued, "Come on in, Yugyeom just got here and Nini should be here soon."
- The king turned and pulled Jaehwan through the door, and they were closely followed by the other scary guy. Was he a bodyguard? Neither of them needed a guard as far as you were aware.
- Jaebum was on Jinnie's left, his other guard Hongbin was behind you, and Ravi walked with the princes as you rather hesitantly followed them inside.
Time skip: Hyuk's Bedroom, 2pm, Jaehwan's POV:
- You couldn't believe that Jinnie had actually come! That was both very good and very bad news. On the one hand, you were extremely happy to see him, even if you weren't allowed to go near him. On the other hand, you were incredibly anxious about the threat Baekhyun posed.
- But Hyoggi wouldn't have Jin killed. You had decided that. He wouldn't do it, he was just bluffing to keep Baekhyun happy. Your fiancé talked everyone else in circles, why shouldn't he do the same to Baekhyun.
- You didn't enjoy having to see Baekhyun ever day now, but at least he wasn't allowed to talk to you if Hyoggi wasn't there. You had heard Hyoggi tell your guard that yourself. Their friendship, while still close, now seemed tinged with suspicion on both sides, and you wondered what could have brought about this change.
- You had asked Hyoggi to let you have a break from entertaining your guests, feeling almost unmanageably tired, and you were now in his, or your, bedroom preparing to take a nap.
- You didn't have very long, the stylist was coming to do your hair for the wedding in about an hour, but you guard would tell you when she arrived.
- A soft knock on the door made you open your eyes. You had already gotten in bed, but you called "Come in." Your guard wouldn't let whoever it was get close enough to knock if they were a threat.
- "Jaehwanie, I came to check on you. How are you feeling?" Hyoggi asked as he walked inside. A smile replaced his previously serious expression when he saw your eyes peeking out from under the covers, and he came over and sat on the edge of the bed.
- "I feel fine, just tired," you replied, closing your eyes again when your fiancé began petting your hair.
- "Good. All of our guests are in their rooms now, so just rest until the stylist comes," Hyoggi said, and you nodded, falling asleep almost the instant his lips brushed your forehead.
- *Five Hours Later*
- You had decided several weeks ago that you wanted to make your hair blonde for the wedding, and the stylist had done an excellent job carrying out your request. This is how you looked when Hyoggi met you, and there was a pleasing circularity to the whole thing.
- Now sitting in the dining room with Hyoggi and all of your guests, you were staring at your reflection in the back of a teaspoon and listening to the chatter all around you. It was surprisingly easy for you to ignore the questions Kai and Yugyeom were asking you. At least it seemed like neither of them would dare try and flirt while Hyoggi was there.
- "By the way, have you seen my cousin?" Jin had just asked, using a slightly disinterested but conversational tone that you knew meant he was trying to hide his curiosity.
- You glanced over at him as he took a bite of steak. Jinnie had been carrying on a conversation with Hyoggi almost the entire meal, and Hyoggi replied, "I'm assuming you mean Lord Yoongi? If that's the case, then no I haven't. We thought he would be coming with you since we invited him."
- The fact that Lord Yoongi wasn't here did make you sad. He was your friend, kind of, and you had genuinely hoped he would come. "Interesting," was all Jin said before he took another bite of steak and changed the subject.
- You were studiously ignoring Jaebum who was behind his chair, Ravi and your old favorite Hongbin who were standing by the wall, as well as Namjoon who wouldn't stop looking from you to Hyoggi. You didn't actually want him to be here, but you knew he wouldn't let Jinnie come alone.
Namjoon's POV:
- This dinner was very, very weird. First of all, the servants hadn't given Jaehwan a plate, but it didn't seem to surprise him, his fiancé, or Baekhyun. Second, Yugyeom had been introduced to Jin earlier, but he barely glanced at your husband before going to hug Jungkook. He was sitting next to your brother-in-law now and was switching between talking to him and asking Jaehwan random questions, none of which Jaehwan answered.
- Kai was the same story. He was having a rather lively discussion with Tae, Kyungsoo looking on in mild silence, but Kai kept asking Jaehwan things out of the blue. Jaehwan didn't seem to be able to hear either him or Yugyeom. Maybe he had selective deafness. Assorted other nobles were here, but you didn't know any of them.
- You weren't doing much talking, choosing instead to do Yoongi's normal job and watch everyone else. Sanghyuk's answer to Jinnie's question a minute ago had been a little too nonchalant for your taste. He probably did know where Yoongi was and just wouldn't tell you. He 'knew everything' after all.
- You had your fork-free hand on Jinnie's knee, listening intently to his and Sanghyuk's conversation. They were talking about lots of people you didn't know but seeing the spymaster-king gossip was actually pretty entertaining.
- "Hyoggi-ah, I'm tired," Jaehwan said, resting his head on his fiancés shoulder and shutting his eyes. It was the first thing he said since the meal started, and his voice cracked a little, but Sanghyuk didn't seem to notice.
- "You took a nap, Jaehwanie, you shouldn't be tired," Sanghyuk replied, and gently nudged Jaehwan off his shoulder. "I can take the Peoples Prince to his room," Baekhyun said from down the table, and the kings unconcerned expression instantly switched to cold distrust.
- "He's fine, its only 8:30 and he's gotten plenty of rest," Sanghyuk said evenly, but you saw Baekhyun grin meanly as he replied, "Not according to him."
- "Don't start with me right," Sanghyuk started to say, but Jaehwan slid out of his chair out of sight. His eyes were still closed, and it looked like he passed out!
- You, Jungkook, Baekhyun, Kai, and Yugyeom all stood up, Jaebum took several quick steps forwards but was stopped by the scary guy who turned out to be Jaehwan's bodyguard, and Sanghyuk and Jinnie both ducked under the table. Tae had frozen in his chair. What the hell was happening?!
- "Taekwoon, take him to our room. He'll be fine in a few minutes. And force him to eat something, I don't care what it is," Sanghyuk said firmly, reappearing with a clearly unconscious Jaehwan in his arms. He handed his fiancé to the scary bodyguard, and you watched in alarm as the king sat back down at the table.
- "Kenjumma!" Jin exclaimed, also reappearing from under the table and looking outraged. "What's wrong with him?!" Kai snapped as all of you watched Jaehwan's guard carry him out of the dining room.
- "Nothing," Sanghyuk said sharply, but his angry glare snapped back to Baekhyun as the lord added, "He gets like that if he doesn't eat."
- "Well you didn't give him a plate! How was he supposed to eat?!" Jin exclaimed, putting his hand on his hips. "Giving him a plate wouldn't help, I think it actually makes him have less of an appetite," Baekhyun replied, dropping back onto his chair and glaring at his king.
- Your mind was racing. Jaehwan had told you he couldn't eat three and a half months ago right before he punched you. But you hadn't gotten here until today, and by Baekhyun's tone, this wasn't a new phenomenon for him. This wasn't because of you. His lord must have done something!
Friday, The Day of the Wedding
The Beach, 5pm, Jin's POV:
- "You may kiss the groom," Baekhyun said, and you watched from your seat in the second row as your best friend wrapped his arms around his kings neck and seemed to melt into thier kiss.
- You weren't sure why Baek was officiating the ceremony, maybe because neither Jaehwan nor Sanghyuk had any other living relatives. Although that wasn't strictly true, all of Sehun's cousins would also be Sanghyuk's if they were brothers.
- Cheers erupted from the huge crowd just outside the security boundary, and you jumped a little at the noise. The people really did love their king and new prince.
- You stood up along with the rest of the guests and let go of Monies hand, clapping and making sure you looked cheerful. A gust of sea air ruffled your hair little, and you glanced as the waves. Beach weddings really were lovely, circumstances aside.
- There hadn't been an opportunity for you to try and convince Jaehwan not to go through with this. You hadn't seen him after he passed out at dinner last night until he walked down the aisle. But he looked almost effervescent, joy seemed to be bubbling out of him.
- A minute later, they finally stopped kissing, and Jaehwan kneeled down, and his new husband placed a ruby circlet on his head as he said in a clear voice, "I now pronounce you Jaehwan, Prince Consort of Lucha."
- The cheering grew louder, and Jaehwan smiled brilliantly as he and Sanghyukkie turned to walk back down the aisle together.
- *Four Hours Later*
- This party was nothing like your and Monies wedding reception. It was more like how Kai's parties were, crazy and loud. You had peaked out the window earlier and saw that Sanghyukkie's subjects were celebrating on the beach beside the castle.
- You really needed to get some fresh air, so you held Monies hand tighter and pulled him out the glass doors that led to the wide balcony. The night sky was clear, and the stars shined brightly as you took deep breaths of the salty sea air.
- "This party is nuts," Monie said, wrapping his arms tightly around you and kissing you deeply. You could taste the alcohol on his lips but knew yours were probably just the same.
- You had your first grasshopper tonight, and Monie had reminded you about how you asked if people drank bugs when you read the menu on your first date. The memory was one of your happiest, and you smiled against your husbands lips just thinking about it.
- "Jinnie! Are you having fun?" Jaehwan's voice called, as he nearly jogged through the glass doors with Sanghyuk in toe.
- You broke the kiss and turned, grinning broadly at your best friend. "Tons!" you replied, as the smiling newlyweds walked up to you.
- "Can I give my best friend a hug? It is his wedding day," you asked, grinning at Sanghyuk. The king looked so pleased that he didn't seem to mind, because he just nodded and smiled happily at Jaehwan.
- You were in your best friends arms a second later, and you pressed your cheek against his hair as you hugged him tightly, looking out at the ocean over the balcony railing.
- You closed your eyes, inhaling the mix of his rosemary and lotus cologne and the ocean. Your Kenjumma really did give the best hugs, right after Monie.
- "Baekhyun! Stop!" Jaehwan's voice said, sounding very loud next to your ear.
- Your best friend spun in place, pulling you around so his back was to the balcony door. You only caught a glimpse of Baek's startled face before Jaehwan tensed up, and then crumpled.
- "Kenjumma?! Jaehwan!" you exclaimed, panic spreading through you like ice, but your best friend wouldn't answer!
Baekhyun's POV:
- No, no, no! God fucking damn it! No!
- Jaehwan was so weak now! How did he possibly move that quickly!?
- Your prince's eyes had opened two seconds before you threw the knife. If he hadn't turned, it would have hit Jin like you meant it too! But now Jin was holding him up, and you stared at the red stain spreading across Jaehwan's back. The hilt of your knife was protruding from the center of his jacket.
- You hadn't meant to hit Jaehwan! You had been trying to keep him safe from Hyukkie, in your own way! He wasn't supposed to die! Not on his wedding night!
- Everyone on the balcony was looking around in shock, and then someone screamed.
Namjoon's POV:
- You stared uncomprehendingly at the knife in Jaehwan's back. This couldn't be happening!
- You had heard him shout something, and then watched him whirl Jinnie around, but you just didn't understand!
- Someone, it sounded like a woman, screamed very loudly, and you looked toward the glass doors just as Sanghyuk snarled something and pulled out a needle thin dagger, throwing it straight at Baekhyun.
- His aim was incredible even from thirty feet away, and the knife hit Tae's brother right where his heart would be if he had one.
- Jinnie was crying, brokenly shouting Jaehwan's name as he lowered your ex-guard captain to the balcony floor, still holding him tightly and brushing his hair off his forehead.
- The king knelt behind Jaehwan, supporting his back without touching the knife hilt, but you were completely frozen.
- Jaehwan had saved Jin's life! If he hadn't spun around, Jinnie would be the one bleeding right now! The newly-crowned prince was gasping, his eyes full of fear as he stared at Jinnie's face.
- "My love?" Jaehwan whispered, and his eyes flicked back as Sanghyuk replied, "I'm here, my lovely prince. Stay with me."
- "I told you... I would die... to keep you safe... be strong... I'm sorry," Jaehwan said quietly between breaths as his eyes refocused on Jin. He brushed his thumb across your husband's cheek, and then his eyes closed, and his shallow breaths stopped.
- Jinnie screamed. Full volume, eyes shut. The heartbreak in that scream was clear, and when Sanghyuk tried to pull Jaehwan out of your husband's arms, he just clung to his best friend tighter.
- You didn't know what to do. You had seen plenty of people die, but this was different. You had never been this weirdly attached to someone and seen them die. Your uncle didn't count, he had deserved what he got. You hated Jaehwan but you also liked him, he was your friend.
- It couldn't be possible; your mind wouldn't accept this. In a minute, Jaehwan would open his eyes and start swearing as he pulled the knife out of his back. He would be ok. He had to be ok.
Jaebum's POV:
- You were standing completely still in the doorway to the balcony, staring unblinkingly at the back of your Jaehwanie's blonde head as Jin screamed.
- Your sugar couldn't die. He was too fucking stubborn to die!
- You, Hongbin, and Ravi had just reached the glass doors when Baekhyun threw his knife, but you weren't thinking about him. He had hurt your Jaehwanie! And he had been trying to kill Jinnie!
- As you watched, Sanghyuk succeeded in pulling your love out of Jin's arms, and he lifted him up and ran right passed you back inside.
- Lots of people were yelling now, but your mind was consumed with the glimpse of Jaehwan's face you had seen. His eyes were closed, and his lips were slightly parted, he looked like he was sleeping! He couldn't be dead! He was just sleeping!