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"The fragile the wounded body, the fierce the wounded soul."

꧁꧂

"You miss him, don't you?" The voice called from her back.

She brandished her tears as she turned around to face the person. "What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"You have a horrible habit of asking questions in response to a question. I asked you something, didn't I?" Mary sighed softly. "Do you miss him?"

"Miss who?" Y/n turned back and asked. "I am not missing anyone. I come here every day if I require to remind you again." She muttered keeping her eyes fixed near the tree where Taehyung had caught her from stumbling that day.

"Yes, You do. Since childhood. I need not be reminded that, nor the fact that you have been behaving strangely lately. You are anxious, of being unloved-"

"Enough!" Y/n whispered loud enough for Mary to hear. "For heaven's sake stop speaking of the same matter every time! Stop dragging him in every matter! Stop telling me that I cannot do without the company of a man!" She blurted out. Her lips quivered indicating immense fury.

Mary was taken aback then, seeing her this furious. She always feared her outrage but this time she preferred to confront it.

Y/n was no toddler who required someone to acquaint her to distinguish between right and wrong. But in this case, she was blinded by her unbound loath towards men. And the fact that she had been softening by a man caused her to become more furious at herself.

She required guidance this time though it was beyond her acknowledgement. Seeking assistance from someone was the last thing she could do. The girl who had been growing up pursuing her own rules- To a dignified woman like her, it was not reasonably lenient to go and seek anyone's guidance; Not when she was being urged by someone else. The knowledge that someone would thrust their verdicts in her head gave rise to a revolt in her temperament.

"I will stop bringing it up when it will stop ailing you," Mary said firmly. "Did you even listen to a word I had said?" She ridiculed lightly.

"Ail me! My dear, if anything does ail me, I shall take care of it. Nothing gives you the right to show interest in my troubles."  It was at the point when she could not help being infuriated by Mary's interference.

"It has been 1 week, Y/n, since they have left. You may have not known but I have. He is constantly in your head. Why can you not just acknowledge it! Let your guard down for only once, keep your pride aside...just for once. Why can you not see it? Did you ever not see how his eyes appreciated you? Did you ever not see how his eyes used to lit up when just got a glance from you?" Mary pleaded.

Every attempt Y/n made was going in vain. The more she strived, the more she languished miserably. And the more she failed, the more it wounded her pride. And that wound caused her to say something she never wished to say.

"It appears as though you are quite attracted to that courtier. Why do you not approach him?" She derided earning Mary's widened gaze on her.

She scoffed and turned around not watching out for the words she had spoken but if only had she owned the notion that she would be grieving the words she had said. Mary stood there, her eyes fastened on Y/n's departing figure.

"Perhaps I pushed her too far. She will come around." She mulled over with a mournful sigh.

Instead of going to her palace, Y/n headed towards the stables. Not wishing to confront anyone, She abandoned her design of retreating to her palace. She rode her mare and passed the primary entrance leaving the castle behind. Her nostrils flared as Mary's words played in her ears pestering her.

"Bigger the castle, bigger the trouble."

༺༻

"The guest list is ready, Your Majesty, so are the invitation letters that are to be sent," Chancellor Jihoon responded joyfully in an assembly held in the courtroom on a fine evening.

"Excellent. Now initiate the preparation to send them and inform me with every detail, leave nothing out. There should be no mistake, not a minor one." Arthur ran his eyes over the guest list, satisfied.

"Certainly, Your Majesty. But there is only one small trouble," Jihoon faltered rubbing his palms together.

"Well, what is it?" Arthur asked setting his gaze at him.

"It's nothing vital, I assume but still- it's about the Devon king, Your Majesty. You know, Antares does not remain on good terms with Devon for the past couple of years," He ceased.

"Well, that would not be a trouble at all if he had not been the nephew of the Cressida king," He finished timidly.

Even though both being reigns of the northern continent, Antares and Devon never shared quite a neighbourly alliance. But the dilemmas had not been more acute before one of the foe regions of Antares had sought aid from the royalty of Devon, to free some of her subjects who had unknowingly encroached the territory of Antares in search of their lost troop of horses. Since then, those two regions' interconnection had never been more perilous.

Judging by the look on Arthur's face, the subject of the Devon royalty brought no bliss to him. Yet, he plastered a greasy grin on his pale face before speaking. "Indeed. However, that was in the past, Mr Park. At present, He is the dearest brother to my soon-to-be wife. I am certain my dear wife won't be pleased to witness such conflict between her beloved brother and husband," He said running his eyes over the present faces of the courtiers in the courtroom.

Taehyung felt a strong urge to whack something every time he heard Arthur addressing his beloved as his wife. Every time he uttered the word wife- his every word blew a crevice in his heart with an ice-cold dagger. Every belonging present in the courtroom seemed to censure to him at that very moment. Even though no one was enthusiastic to spare him a glance, he could feel a loathing stare on him; He could hear the universe objurgating him, for infringing the principles of nature, for choosing to traverse his threshold, for not being what the gentlefolk wanted him to be.

Yet, he survived, he had reasons to. His mother, the woman who provided him everything by relinquishing her everything. He had those pairs of lips and green eyes in his subconscious, smiling brightly at him- they were his medication, his heart song, his light.

"But love hurts."

A provoke.

"No, it doesn't! Love never hurts. Love heals, Love makes us whole. Love is celestial. What hurts is betrayal, oblivion, uncaring attitudes and- agonizing words. What hurts is not being loved, what hurts is being unwelcomed...What hurts is selfishness, prejudice and unkindness."

A protest.

It would not be entirely inappropriate to say that he was tired of fighting, constantly battling with a part of himself, with his insecurities, with his emotions that were caged up like an untamed beast attempting to break out.

His thoughts were hindered by Arthur's voice.

"Let's call it a day, I suppose." He was on the verge of getting on his feet when Taehyung recollected the issue he had to defer.

"Your Majesty!" He hastily spoke making every face give him a look of astonishment.

"Pardon- me. But may I ask for a few moments... I'm afraid, it's unavoidable," He spoke as Arthur gave an impression of annoyance.

"What is it, Mr Kim. And why did you not speak at the very beginning of the assembly if it's so crucial?" Arthur snorted.

"I seek your pardon, Your Majesty," He muttered as everyone settled down once again. "I have spoken about it 2 months ago, Your Majesty. The villages of the Southern part of our region- they are going through a severe dilemma for the last few months; The dwellers are unable to grow crops in their respective lands. It seems as though the lands aren't suitable for cultivation anymore for some reason," He stopped for a second and glanced at the present faces.

"I did report to the senate on the hardship of the dwellers of the villages but not any major measure has been taken yet. A vast part of the villagers still are going through misery-"

"Hold on, hold on, Mr Kim. Now I remember...you have reported on this matter 2 months ago and as far I recollect I have pardoned their surcharges until they can grow crops again, haven't I?" Arthur impeded, nodding at the courtiers asking for their opinions.

The courtiers uttered stoutly something in unison that sounded like 'Yes, Your Majesty'. They veered their eyes at Taehyung as though he had been taken there as a prisoner.

"Indeed, then why are you dragging about such old a matter that was unravelled long ago, Mr Kim?" Arthur asked irritably.

"But Your Majesty-" He, then spoke again but this time with ample courage. "By only pardoning the surcharge does not help them much. One life is associated with another. A large part of those villagers primarily depends on the crops they cultivate. They might have been pardoned from taxation, however, they still are unable to bear expenditures of food and additional necessities. Furthermore, how would they get food when there are no crops?"

He did not endeavour to conceal the urgency in his voice.

A dim cessation fell upon the courtroom, like a pasture overcast with drowsiness in a lenient afternoon until Mark chose to speak something.

"Your Majesty, I- reckon that Taehyung is right. The dwellers of those remote villages are suffering for the last few months. Mainly the farmers. Because of the insignificant cultivation, they are unable of selling crops that provide them with their livelihood. Not only that- For how long the villagers will survive by rations provided from the neighbouring cities?  We must not overlook the matter, your Majesty," Said Mark, giving Taehyung an assuring look.

Arthur's forehead creased, as though pondering hard on something.

"Mr Collins," Called Jihoon."I suppose we could converse on this matter some other day. Since we require to make arrangements for the wedlock. Furthermore, persuading the Devon king is no facile task. We need to come up with a way of approaching him." He hastened, attempting to cause a hindrance between the conversation.

"What Mr Park says is valid, Mr Collins. We shall converse on this matter later someday. Assembly dismissed." Arthur got up to his feet, regaining his composure.

"But-" Taehyung did not finish his sentence or simply, he was not given the chance to complete his line.

One by one the courtiers too got up and left after Arthur leaving Taehyung and Mark in the vast deserted courtroom.

"It's alright, Taehyung. His Majesty will surely look into the matter. He said it, didn't he?" Mark made an effort to console him. But no one was to know if it was of any help.

"He did..." he murmured whimsically and walked away. He would not, if Mark's pacifying words held the ability to resolve his dilemmas...

꧁꧂

I suppose I need not remind you who is the Devon king?
-Pride