𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 ‣ jjk

By whippednation

70.8K 5.4K 4.2K

"I live for the dream that my children will be born free," the princess breathes. "That they will be whoever... More

Introduction.
Prologue.
Act One.
01. Once Upon A Time
02. A Story Begins
03. Arms Of An Angel
04. The Joy Of Reunions
05. The King's Capital
07. The Start of a Journey
08. Black Sheep
09. Another Step Forward
10. Quill and Inkwell
11. Criminal's Execution
Act Two.
12. Taste of Abomination
13. Biting Down
14. Rising Colours
15. A Royal Ball
16. The Hunt Begins
17. Heart of Courage
18. Dark Horse
19. A Princess' Woes
20. The Art of Acceptance
21. Before the Storm
Act Three.
22. The Darkness' Beckoning
23. Rise of the Lion
24. The End of a Season
25. Breaking Bounds
26. A Pocket of Fire
Important Notice.

06. An Unexpected Challenge

1.9K 206 145
By whippednation










"YOUR HIGHNESS. Presenting to you the prince of the western kingdom, Prince Baekhyun of Karrstad."

Saeron rises from her position on the throne to welcome the esteemed guest in front of them, bowing politely in return when the gesture is given to her.

She takes in Prince Baekhyun's appearance for the first time; dressed to impress in his black leather-like garb complete with a velvety cape. His entourage even matches him, and Saeron will admit that his face is a lot fairer than most of whom she's been acquainted with.

"Princess, it is my greatest honour to finally meet you. News about your beauty can never compare to how enchanting you look like in person," the prince starts, his words weighted and firm with respect.

Saeron tilts her head in amusement. So the man knows how to flirt. "Likewise, your highness. I've heard tales of your adventures and successful crusades in the past. Might I say, you are quite a talent."

Prince Baekhyun flashes her a winning smile, clearly pleased with the unexpected praise he's received. Everyone knows the princess can be quite picky with her words. To receive a compliment as such can only come to those who truly stand out.

Nevertheless, the prince maintains his posture and does another bow. "Thank you, your greatness, but I am not worthy of such praise." He straightens himself up again before clapping his hands. "To show my gratitude, I come bearing gifts from our humble kingdom, Karrstad. I hope they will be akin to your tastes."

He gestures towards his entourage standing behind him, a small group of them bringing forth a large, heavy looking chest designed intricately with tiny sparkling gems.

"Humble kingdom?" Saeron repeats to herself with a chuckle. Karrstad is known to be one of the richest kingdoms among them; their lands overflowing with the fruits of their fertile soil.

Prince Baekhyun's entourage uncovers the lid of the chest to reveal a variety of different coloured spices. The prince gathers a handful of them in his hand before raising it up in display. "One of Karrstad's many prides, spices, grown by our people on rich soil. I've been told you are fond of such flavours, your royal highness."

Saeron steals a look at the king's advisor standing beside her, noting the small upturn of her Namjoon's lips. Even the advisor seems to be impressed with their latest visitor. After all, Prince Baekhyun had everything—the looks, the money, the armies and the hearts of many.

Another group of his entourage lays out the other gifts beside the chest—fabric that glows under the shine of the sun leaking through the windows in the walls of the throne room.

"We have also prepared silk curtains and blankets crafted by some of our best craftsmen. You can find them nowhere else in the five kingdoms." Prince Baekhyun does a flourish as he presents to her their final gifts.

"My most sincere of gratitude, Prince Baekhyun. But I'm afraid I'll have to offer my apologies again since I have not prepared any gifts at such a marvellous scale of yours."

The prince smiles, one that he's no doubt, practised many times before to win the hearts of many. "No need for apologies, your highness. After all, no gifts can ever come close to getting to know you and having your hand in marriage."

This time, Saeron lets out an audible chuckle. Even the advisor seems to be amused, although not at all surprised. They've had candidates from all over the lands and kingdoms come over for the same sole purpose. At this point, the princess might as well be a professional at rejecting proposals.

"You seem confident that I'll accept your proposal," the princess teases.

"I am hoping to earn your acceptance, your highness," he answers. Saeron smiles at that, catching the eyes of the royal chamberlain, Jimin from across the room who looks like he shares the same sentiments of approval.

"Need I warn you, many men have come before me to tell me the same things. What makes you any different?"

"I hear Mirador has been causing a significant amount of trouble to you, your highness," The prince says. As soon as the words leave his lips, the room falls into a certain kind of tension. Even the smile on the princess' face fades away. "Karrstad will an important key in solving the crisis between Elios and Mirador. With two of our kingdoms united in marriage, Mirador will be forced to step back."

Some of the palace officials present begin to whisper to each other in quiet discussion, but the silence of the throne room causes even the most hushed of voices to echo against the walls.

"An excellent solution."

"Union with Karrstad will strengthen our forces. We'll definitely be able to win over Mirador."

"King Han is already on his deathbed. The princess might as well get married now."

Saeron pulls in a deep breath, her lips pursed even as she maintains her eye contact with the eager prince. Even Karrstad knows of her father's condition. At this point she wouldn't be surprised if word has already spread out to all the other kingdoms.

Weak. Elios will be seen as weak. She can see it through the prince's eyes. He knows. Knows that they're in a desperate position and intends to take advantage of that. They're already losing their position as the dominating kingdom among the five, but Saeron will never allow anyone trample over them. Never.

So, with a sharp smile, she says, more of politeness than actual hopeful want, "I hope you will be able to stay for lunch today."

Prince Baekhyun's eyes visibly brighten, mostly in surprise. But he gives her a reverent bow. "It is my absolutely pleasure, your royal highness."

As soon as the prince and all of his entourage exit the room, Saeron releases a sigh and sits back down on her father's throne. She closes her eyes and rubs her forehead in a conflicted manner.

One of the officials notices her troubled expression and finally speaks aloud, "This is the first candidate you've actually invited to stay over for a meal. Are you that impressed by Prince Baekhyun, your highness?"

Rather than impressed, she'd think of it as more of desperation. But she'll never say that out loud of course. The princess raises her head before leaning back against the cushioned seat. She's not even the king, but the tiara on her head weighs her down more than it's supposed to, and she feels burns on her skin that touches against the throne. Like she's not supposed to be there, but she has to.

"If I'm being honest, I was expecting more," she breathes out, earning puzzled glances in return. She averts her eyes to the rest of the people in the room before adding, "You're dismissed for now."

She makes a move to stand up when Namjoon holds a hand in front of her. "Ah, before we leave. The guards have taken a criminal in custody from the Capital yesterday. I suggest we go over the sentencing now since we are all already here."

"A criminal?" Saeron frowns, sitting back down. Just as she thought it couldn't get any worse. Crimes in the Capital are really rare, as security there is the highest. "So, who would be bold enough to break the nation's law this time?"

Namjoon lowers his head, seemingly deep in thought with his forehead slightly creased. "It seems to be, your highness, that it's a... peasant who stole from a baker and allegedly attempted to harm him."

She quirks a brow at him, receiving the rolled up parchment that Namjoon passes to her. She reads through the report before releasing a tired sigh. What's a peasant doing in the Capital anyway?

She nods towards Namjoon. "Very well then. Bring him in."

Namjoon gestures to the guards standing by the door, who pull it open to reveal two other guards, holding a man by his arms. When they near the throne, Saeron watches as the guards push him forwards where he falls to the ground on his knees.

The man has his head lowered, dark bangs covering his eyes. His hair is matted with dirt and grime probably received after a night spent inside one of the jail cells. He doesn't even make a move to look up at the princess, merely staring down at the carpeted floors with his hands bound in chains in front of him.

"State your name," the princess says, sounding bored. Despite that, there's a certain sternness emanating from her.

More than a minute passes, and the man still refuses to answer. Saeron swipes a tongue across her lips in mild irritation. "Do you not have a name?" She says again, this time much louder and clearer.

The man in question lets out a soft cough before answering, "Jeongguk."

He receives a backhand slap to the side of his head from the guard beside him. "You are speaking to the princess you disrespectful peasant. You will address her as your highness."

Upon hearing that, the man slowly lifts his head up, and when the princess finds his eyes, her heart drops. Standing there before her, in the same clothes she's seen him wear when he sat at her bedside in that little wooden house, is the man who saved her life. The man whose tunes she still remembers by heart.

What is he doing all the way over here?

Jeongguk seems to recognise her as well, because in an instant his eyes have widened and his lips part in surprise. His hands shake upon instinct, causing the chains to rattle on the floor.

He can still see a faint bruise on the side of her face, one that he remembers treating with his own hands days prior. She's the same person, but she feels completely different.

She's no longer as vulnerable as he's seen her before.

"His entry pass was forged, and he was found with another very valuable item," Namjoon continues, reading from the parchment.

"Which is?"

"I believe it's your ring, your highness."

She sucks in a breath, confused. It's only when Namjoon hands her the same black pearl ring that she lost when she comes to the full realisation of how it ended up in Jeongguk's possession.

Glancing back at the man knelt down before her, she can only feel her heart clench inside her chest. "Were there any witnesses?" She asks, specifically to Namjoon, who nods.

"There were a few who spotted him in the area, but they all refused to come in to testify."

It's a lie. The damn baker is lying through his teeth—

Saeron scoffs. "Now how am I supposed to give out a sentence when I can't even confirm whether the accusations are true or false?"

"According to the victim, the incident happened in a remote area where it was only the two of them," Namjoon adds as he looks through the report.

The princess finds it hard to believe that the same person who saved her life and tended to her for days would do such a thing in the Capital. It just didn't add up, like something about this whole ordeal is just suspicious. A fabricated lie on the baker's part maybe—

"I did steal." Her attention is pulled back to Jeongguk when he finally speaks up. "But I never intended to hurt him. Not in any way. I would never hurt anyone!" His voice echoes throughout the room, his desperation evident.

Saeron leans back against her seat, eyes unfocused as she falls deep into thought. "So you're implying that the victim stabbed himself?" She finally says, raising an incredulous brow at the prisoner in front of her.

Jeongguk lowers his head. That's the only possible explanation for it. The only thing he's ever hurt in his life are wild animals in the forest.

"That makes little to no sense." A much louder, gruff voice sounds in the room. Saeron raises her gaze to see Taehyung standing at a side of the room. She had been so conflicted that she didn't even register the commandant coming in.

Namjoon nods in agreement. "In any case, your highness, attempt of bodily harm, forgery of important documents and stealing is a capital offence. According to our laws, it is punishable by death by hanging."

The weight of the punishment causes Jeongguk's head to snap up, the colour instantly draining from his face. Upon instinct, his hands struggle against the chains. One of the guards standing behind him kicks him back down onto the ground with a foot against his back.

Shit, that hurt—

The princess clenches her jaw, trying to refrain herself from reprimanding the guard. Why she even considered doing that is baffling. She did owe him her life, but a crime is a crime. If she releases him with all these charges on his head, what would the officials make of her?

"So be it."

It wasn't the first time she gave out a sentence like this. Whenever her father wasn't able to sit in due to his illness it was always her that had to take responsibility of carrying out such duties in his place. But for some reason, the three words that are passed out feels heavy on her lips.

Namjoon nods towards the guards, signalling them to take the prisoner away before the princess holds up a hand. "Wait."

As soon as Jeongguk catches her eyes, she feels her breath hitch. If he's going to die, the least she can do is to thank his family. "I can't simply sentence you without even knowing your name, can I?"

Jeongguk swallows the lump in his throat. The princess tilts her head forward, her voice laced with demand. "What house are you from?"

He feels his heart pumping inside his chest, the panic that he had before amplifying a hundred times. But the way everyone has their eyes glued onto him at that moment pushes it out of his lips, no matter how much he regrets it.

"J-Jeon," he answers. It's the first time in a long time he's ever admitted to being one. And hearing the syllable roll out his lips feels so foreign. Even if it's his own name.

At that moment, the court which used to be wrapped in silence erupts in hushed whispers, all eyes pointing towards the accused in an unpleasant manner. It's the same gaze he's grown all too familiar with. As if he's nothing compared to them. Like a disgusting rat instead of an actual human being.

He wonders what the princess will think of him now. The man who saved her—a Jeon of all people. His efforts will disappear like dust in the wind.

He tries. Tries to look up and see a frown or maybe a scowl of disgust on her face that he expects so much, only to see... nothing. Just a blank pair of eyes staring back at him and pursed lips.

"No wonder it's a Jeon. They're already causing enough trouble outside, now they're disrupting the Capital's peace."

"This is why we should get rid of fleas before they multiply."

"He committed treason. He should be executed at once—"

Jeongguk hears it all. No matter how quiet their voices are, he always hears it. And as much as he hates to admit it, he's already immune to such insults. But the idea of death awaiting him as soon as he leaves this room fuels a flame inside of him.

Ever since he could remember, he's been looked down merely because of his name; that one syllable that clung to him like a curse. Outside the walls of this fancy Capital, Jeon people were considered beasts. Most of them ended up as servants to the other houses while others struggled to sow on leftover lands that were less than fertile.

All while the other houses lived in luxury.

He can't even count how many times he and his father had been discriminated. His father, who gave and gave and gave but never received. Jeongguk balls his hands into fists. Not because he was angry, but because of the tremendous amount of guilt for leaving his father alone in such a cruel place.

The king's advisor looks to Saeron for any form of reaction, but the princess' eyes merely dart around the room as she listens in on some of the official's gossips. It's only after a full minute has passed that she finally parts her lips to speak up. But not before Jeongguk beats her to it.

"If you may allow it," He starts, his voice scratchy from the dryness of his throat. "I would like to send a message to my father." Maybe if he mentioned his father's name and deeds, they'd treat him as he deserved after Jeongguk was gone.

Saeron looks a little surprised at the sudden request, but leans forward with a flicker in her eyes. "And who is your father?"

"Jeon Sejin."

Jeon Sejin? The princess furrows her brows at the familiarity of the name. Now, where has she heard that before? She leans over to her side towards Namjoon, who notes her confusion immediately.

"He was famous for being a physician during a flu epidemic years ago. He cured hundreds of people single-handedly." He must be a big deal, considering that even the people in the Capital has heard about him.

The princess hums in acknowledgement. A physician, of course.

She nods towards Namjoon. "Very well then. Call the page boy in."

"There's also something I've always been curious about," Jeongguk adds, surprising her once again. She had expected him to be begging for his life or denying his accusations like all the other people she has sentenced before. But here he is, asking questions for heaven's sake. He's not supposed to be this calm. It's almost as if he's not afraid of death.

"Speak up," she answers, already intrigued. The members of the court are just as confused. As soon as Jeongguk's eyes pierce into hers again, she sees it—a rising flame burning behind those dark orbs.

"What makes us any lesser than the rest of you?"

The court relapses into a silence so deafening you can only hear your own breathing. Jeongguk notes how the faces of the palace officials have fallen significantly. But he's not asking for silence.

He looks up to the woman sitting on the throne. Sees how uneasy she appears to be compared to when he first walked in.

"You people claim to treat every house equally, and yet you crush us any chance you get. You rip away the lands of Jeon people and take away their rights. You don't need actual proof to pass a sentence as long as the accused is a Jeon. Why are we any less than you?"

He knows that by saying these things, especially in a court in front of royalty is akin to dousing himself in oil and rushing straight into fire.

For the first time ever, Saeron is rendered speechless. He's making her seem like a fool—with the way he's staring directly into her eyes and demanding for an answer she cannot give.

A laugh tears itself out of her throat. He's better than she'd expected. "You intrigue me," she says, her tone amused but with a hint of danger. "It seems like you're not quite acquainted with our kingdom's history, Jeon."

"I am," Jeongguk answers, surprised at how steady his voice has become. "But I think it's all prejudiced."

"You're accusing the royal family of prejudice?" He hears one of the court officials say.

Jeongguk shakes his head. "You judge a person not by his deeds, but by his house. That's prejudice, is it not?"

He thinks back to the poor boy he stole the bread for—how desperate and weak he looked. Jeongguk has seen people like him before. Countless, outside the Capital. He knows how it feels to live without knowing whether or not you'll have food the next day.

If he's going to die helping people like him, he'll accept the sentence without protest.

"How dare you question royal blood—"

He cuts off the official by adding, "Royal blood?" He chuckles. "There is no such thing as royal blood. I believe we are what we make ourselves, and as such, you, crown princess, are nothing."

He's done done it this time. The members of the court gasp at his remark, all of them riled up in shock and anger. He won't be surprised it they plan to torture him to death now.

He doesn't miss the smile forming on her lips thought. More than anything, she seems to be more amused than offended. Maybe she just did find a way to spare him.

"How's your swordsmanship?" She asks after a prolonged pause. She ignores all of the confused glances tossed her way in favour of revelling in the surprise sketched onto Jeongguk's face.

"You want me to judge you by your deeds, and I'm offering you another chance to prove and redeem yourself. If you win, you live. If you die, you die. Fair game?"

"Your highness, why—" Namjoon is cut off when Saeron adds, "So what's it going to be, Jeon? Will you accept?"

Jeongguk clenches his jaw. She's challenging him, he knows it. "Who will I be going up against?"

Saeron's smile broadens, and her eyes dart over to someone on the other side of the room. "The commandant, of course."












"I know everybody is allowed to be stupid every once in awhile but you've really abused that privilege."

Jimin is practically fuming, and at this point Jeongguk swears he's going to see smoke coming out from his friend's ears. He's already beginning to regret saying all of those things in court.

"You better have a reason for doing what you did back at the market place. When I heard that some peasant was brought in this afternoon, I swear I couldn't care less. But when they mentioned he was a Jeon? Hell, I almost flung myself out of the window. What were you thinking!"

"I wasn't," Jeongguk admits. Well, he was. Just not rationally enough.

Jimin sighs at him, finally catching his breath. He watches with wavering eyes as Jeongguk tests the weight of the sword in his hand. "He's undefeated in sword fights, Gguk. The commandant has been to war before. He's killed real people before."

Jeongguk tightens his grip around the sword. "It's better to die fighting than doing nothing at all."

The older still looks hesitant, and it's the most restless Jeongguk has ever seen him before. Jimin looks around the courtyard, spotting the commandant making preparations on the other side. Biting his lips, he turns back to Jeongguk and pulls him into a tight hug. The younger's eyes widen in surprise.

"You reckless brat. You better come back alive because I'm never going back to Moonrock without you, alright? You come back. In one whole piece the same way you entered."

Jeongguk nods into his shoulder. He sees the princess watching them from afar and quickly averts his eyes away. Jimin pats him on the back one last time before pulling away.

"Now go in there and show them that Jeons are worthy."











He never expected to face the commandant a second time, what more on a field with swords glimmering in their hand. Although Jimin had told him how skilled Taehyung is on the battlefield, Jeongguk can never prepare himself for the intensity of the blows that are sent his way.

Skilled indeed. The commander is strong and precise. Jeongguk almost fails to block some of his attacks, but keeps his feet steady on the ground.

He stumbles backwards every time the commander makes to strike, and it's only thanks to his quick reflexes that he manages to roll away, missing the other's sword on the ground just by a few inches.

The crowd watching them cheers; Jeongguk scrambles for his sword and only manages to get back up before the commander's sword swings at him again.

No shield or armour. It's a fair game.

Three strikes. That's all he needs to win.

But only if he can do it before he gets killed.

And the commander certainly has no intent on taking it easy on him. The man has the advantage of brute strength, but Jeongguk is faster and lighter, knows how to shift weight away from him.

Jeongguk takes a step back, keeping a distance from the commander, who lunges at him once again. This time, though, he's not fast enough. The force knocks him backwards and suddenly there's searing pain ripping across the side of his torso.

The commander takes the first blood.

Jeongguk grabs onto his side, but the motion only enhances the stinging. He doesn't know deep the wound is, but he's not going to back down yet.

As the crowd's cheering intensifies, Jeongguk forces himself to straighten up. He hears Jimin yelling something at him but he can't make out the words through the thumping of his heart in his ears.

He has to go home—

He eyes the commander, who is raising his sword and preparing to strike him again.

Alright then, if he wants my arm, he'll have it. But before that, I'll cut him first.

The commander rushes towards him and Jeongguk spots an opening. Their swords clash and he uses every ounce of his strength to knock the commander back. He ducks and swings his sword.

A slashing sound rips through the air.

The commander clutches to his arm, part of his sleeve torn from Jeongguk's attack. The younger raises his head to see Jimin hop on his feet in excitement. The princess, who looked nothing more than bored awhile ago, leans forward in her seat with her brows furrowed.

That's when he also notices that there's another man sitting next to her, watching the duel unfold. He's dressed fancy like royalty, and he wonders for a brief moment who the man is.

His attention is pulled back at the situation at hand when he hears the commander's blade scrape against the ground.

He can do this. He'll win.

The push and pull continues, until the ground is churned up under their feet, sweat sticking to Jeongguk's skin as they dance around each other. The clangs of their swords is nearly constant now, and the commander begins to get frustrated.

Usually, the fight would be over by now, but this lad is obviously a little smarter than the others. Stepping it up, Taehyung thinks, taking in what he's learned of his opponent's fighting style.

The Jeon lad isn't trained very well, he can tell. At least not by a professional. His movements are slightly messy, but he has technique. Taehyung rushes at him again, but the other is faster.

Another cut. To his other arm this time.

The crowd has significantly grown quieter. Which means that Jeongguk is having the upper hand. Just one more strike and he can go home.

The commander glances at the princess, who's watching them from the tent. There's a grin stretched out over her face, like she isn't bothered at all by the fact that there's a possibility Jeongguk will win.

Using that as fuel, the commandant turns back to his opponent. Apparently it isn't enough. Jeongguk sees an opening, ducks and twirls, breathing hard as the edge of his sword presses against the place where he could potentially kill the commander.

He laughs breathlessly, victory coursing through his veins when he sees the flabbergasted expression on the commandant's face.

There's utter silence before anything else.

The princess raises from her seat and applauds them, the sound of her clapping echoing among the silence.

"Fascinating," she comments with a hollow chuckle. The commander steps back from Jeongguk and turns to her with a bow, his wounded arms dangling by his sides.

Jeongguk pants out in exhaustion, expecting her to announce his victory just as promised.

"But that was too easy, wasn't it?"

He stares at her in disbelief when Saeron stands and approaches him. "Did you go too easy on him commander? You usually excel at simple things like this."

The commander lowers his head at her remark. Saeron chuckles, and then she pulls a sword from the sheath of a guard, swinging it in her hands. She comes closer and the commander steps aside to give her way.

She stops right in front of Jeongguk and flashes him a teasing smile. "I'd like to have a go."

"It's not really going to do any good to your image if you go back on your promise," Jeongguk challenges her.

Saeron laughs, shaking her head. "Oh, are you scared of fighting a woman, Jeon?" She's playing with him, he knows. "Come on, just one match. I won't hurt you. Too much."

Jeongguk scoffs in disbelief, but he has no time to object before the princess makes her way to the other side of the courtyard.

If she wants to play dirty.

But no one has ever told Jeongguk that the princess is undefeated at sword fights.

Perhaps he should blame himself for becoming complacent and falling into the misconception that the princess' captivating, fairy-like, almost divine looks contribute little to her mastery of warfare techniques. Yet this very mastery is all Jeongguk can think of now, as the royal circles him like a lion trapping her prey, ready to strike.

Despite Saeron clearly giving Jeongguk a fight with all she's got, his brain is addled with the horrible possibility that he may very much harm the princess.

Suddenly, Saeron crowds up against him to start a series of beat attacks—swift, practiced movements that he only barely manages to keep up with. She's definitely much faster than the commander, and her speed makes up for the strength she's lacking.

Jeongguk could've dodged, slashed at the princess' feet. But he doesn't; is scared of hurting her, and falls back into a defensive position instead.

And then without realising it, he's shuffling backwards and backwards until his back hits the concrete wall of the arena, both him and the crowd letting out a groan.

Their swords find each other's with a loud clang. With trembling hands, they each push against their crossed weapons, clearly with different intentions; Saeron to finally back him into a corner, and Jeongguk holding off just enough to keep her blade away from his own chest, although not hard enough to push her away.

In this position, he realises how close their faces are—just a few inches between them—and Jeongguk can see the embers burning in her eyes.

"If you are, by any chance, holding back from making use of your full strength," the princess hisses. "Know that I will be deeply offended—and when I am deeply offended, Jeon, I do not show mercy."

All of the playful tone she'd used on him before is clearly gone, replaced by raw malice. It actually makes Jeongguk cower just a little.

She may be a princess, but fuck, no princesses are like this.

It takes him back to the one time they wrestled each other in that garden. She still has the same fighting spirit, like the dragon on the royal family's crest.

Something snaps inside him—a moment later Jeongguk is using all the strength in his arms and back to shove the sword at his face away, only to pull the princess down by her collar.

And then she's falling forwards, losing her balance. She could have picked herself up flawlessly if only Jeongguk hadn't caught her arms in his grip and twisted them behind her back. He knocks the sword out of her hand and pins her onto the wall, his own sword poised for attack at the point between her shoulder-blades.

And then it's silent.

Too silent—

Even more silent that when he had defeated the commandant, if that's even possible.

For one second Jeongguk thinks he's really fucked up. Has he broken the princess' neck? Or perhaps... smashed her face in?

Oh God not again—

He hears a breathy laugh and quickly stumbles back, releasing the princess' hands with laboured breath. He tries not to let out a sigh of relief when Saeron turns around.

She's still in perfect condition. Except for some of the dust on her cheek. She swipes it away with her hand and turns to him.

"Kneel, Jeon," she simply instructs him.

At this point Jeongguk is just tired. So he does as he's told and falls to his kneels in front of her.

If she plans on killing him still, at least he went out with a fight.

Two gentle taps on his shoulders. First on his right, then his left. And Jeongguk thinks this can't be it. He must already be in heaven right now, perhaps spared the pain of death—

But all of a sudden everyone watching them is cheering, the arena erupting like something straight out of a dream.

"Arise, sir Jeon." He hears the princess say.













"Knight of Elios."








Author's Note:

HOW WE FEELING ABOUT THE OFFICIAL MV FOR ON? CHEERS IF YOU'VE SEEN ME RANTING ABOUT IT ON MY MB BCOS ITS LIKE WATCHING A MOVIE ALTHOUGH IT WAS ONLY LIKE 5 MINUTES?

Okay, enough with the caps. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter because it took awhile to write and I practically squeezed my brain dry <3

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"I can never see you as my wife. This marriage is merely a formality, a sham, a marriage on paper only." . . . . . . She was 10 years younger than hi...