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"Are you forgetting which kingdom has more manpower and in whose mercy you are in right now?"

I shuffled backwards with my lips caught between my teeth. A mere commoner and a murderer at that rising to power so suddenly... The power trip must had gotten to his head, but my blood was boiling that there was truth in his words. Simply threatening him with the prospect of war would be futile. I had to come up with a stronger plan to escape this place.

An usurper who killed the entire royal family would not hesitate to kill another royal.

On top of that, our manpower was scarce compared to his. If a war happened, both sides would suffer insurmountable damages but our kingdom would suffer more and had less chances of victory. Even though Wisterean would experience countless deaths, I doubted the man before me would care about a single corpse. A man who had nothing to lose was more dangerous to go against.

He smirked at me with a smug look. I bit my lips harder and tasted blood when my teeth ripped the skin.

"I'm not serious, Princess." He smiled and stepped towards me. "I actually prefer a good relationship between Leovalon and Wisterean. Your interest and my interest actually align."

"If you may, I still implore you to send us back," I urged. Although my purpose of visiting was still unfulfilled, my priority changed to the safety of my people. My knights were injured and my attendants were not safe.

He rubbed his chin as if pondering and looked at me. "For the night, why don't you rest? We'll discuss more tomorrow."

My eyebrows twitched. He was planning to drag on my stay but I could not argue. My body was aching in every inch and it was so deep into the night that the sun could rise any minute. My head was pounding and I was frowning to keep my heavy eyes open.

He bowed and smiled. "Rest well, Princess."

I held my hand behind me, taken aback for a moment. While I was speechless, he strode away to the door before briefly stopping and turning around.

"I don't know your name. What is it, Princess?"

I had a bitter taste in my mouth and it took me a long time to roll the letters off my tongue. "Bada."

He nodded. "You must like the sea, then?"

Before I could insult him, he walked away and disappeared out of the door. As soon as I was alone in the dark room that stretched far and wide, I let out a long sigh that drew out all my energy that was keeping me together. The floor pulled my knees but I dragged my feet across to drop myself in my room at least as a royalty.

The hallway was silent. Not a single breath. Not a single shuffle. The blue moonlight and the yellow torch lights illuminated the swarm of bodies laying around. Blood painted the whole hallway in ghastly red. My eyes kept slipping as I tried to see my way around them. My hands never separated from my nose as the pungent stench of death filled the air, forcing me to spill my guts.

The walk to my bed chambers was longer than any walk I had.

Once I opened the door, exhaustion and reality crashed down on me. In truth, it was fortunate that we were spared.

I could no longer hold myself up and dropped to the ground but two arms held me before I collapsed.

"Princess!" Sunghoon cried out. His thick eyebrows were knotted in distress and his face was marred with scratches and wounds now that I could see him closer.

I accepted his embrace due to my weariness and leaned on his shoulder as he pulled me closer. "Didn't you get treated?"

"I did. I came back as soon as I could." He eyed me in concern. "Did that person do anything? Are you alright, Princess? You seem tired."

I sighed, closing my heavy eyes. "I just need some sleep."

"I'm sorry. Please allow me," he whispered and my feet were suddenly in the air as he carried me to the bed. My heart suddenly started beating faster as I stared at his face and neck inches away from my face in bewilderment. Maybe because I was exhausted and any movement was giving me adrenaline rush.

"Wait! You're injured! Put me down!"

"I'm alright, Princess."

"Wait," I exclaimed again before he placed me on the bed. "I need to change. My gown is very dirty. I was in the cell."

"You what?!" He yelled in shock, mouth agape. "Princess-"

"Bada," I reminded him, sighing.

"Bada!"

I flinched.

"Please give me orders to kill them." His expression darkened.

"Sunghoon, even though I hate to admit it, we will lose if we start a fight." I slipped myself out of his grasp and patted his shoulder. "You should rest and focus on healing instead. Call a maid for me to change on your way out and sleep for tonight. If there's no one around, don't bother."

His eyes were focused on my hand on my side. "You're still shaking."

Widening my eyes, I clenched my fists. I did not notice how much I was shaking. "I'm alright. You may go now."

Sunghoon stood before me in silence, eyes focusing on nothing, before he bowed. "As you wish."

After he left, a maid came in to dress me and I spent minutes after minutes deep in worries until nightmares visited me.

The next day, the hallways were empty but the stains of blood eerily greeted me. It was not a dream. Everything that happened at night felt like a blur. My body was heavy and still aching but I forced myself to face Seokjin once again.

He was already comfortable on the throne, his posture relaxed and his expression calm before it lit up when his eyes found me. His full lips curled up in a smile as I approached him and I wondered how a commoner could have such confidence as a ruler.

"I hope you've rested well, Princess."

I bit back my anger. "Not as well as you I bet."

His expression turned colder and shivers ran up my spine. "I see my hospitality isn't appreciated."

I scoffed. Hospitality?

"Then have you forsaken Wisterean because I'm here?"

I shook my head. "Cooperation is possible but the King and Queen of Leovalon are the ones who will decide that. Therefore, from a diplomatic standpoint, I hope you send me and my people back in peace. For the sake of both kingdoms, of course."

He chuckled, amusement glinting in his dark eyes. "You have a way with words and manipulation."

I challenged his gaze. "I have no such intention."

"Then your marriage intention?" He raised an eyebrow as if taunting me. "What's your interest?"

"It will be for my kingdom," I stated, clenching my teeth. The nerve of this commoner...

He hummed, eyes sharp, and heavy gaze sliding across my face. My chest tightened, perhaps taking great offense.

Our conversations were similar to this as my stay continued on for a few days. I implored again and again to be released from captivity while the air and order inside the walls shifted to match his reign. Sunghoon and the other knights had their swords ready to be unsheathed all the time. The nights were cold and long.

Until one day, I was sent back to Leovalon.

"Suddenly?"

Seokjin chuckled at my shock. "I would rather not reshape the kingdom while a princess from another kingdom is present."

That was all he said and I never saw him again. Outside the castle walls, the kingdom of Wisterean was the same as ever. It was as if all the bloodshed did not happen at all.

"It's a relief that you're going back safely, Princess."

I nodded at Sunghoon. "Everyone else, too."

Still, there was an uneasy feeling at the pit of my stomach.

It was when my parents talked to me that I realized why I felt that way.

They accepted Seokjin's marriage proposal.

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