3RD PERSONS VIEW。

. . . t w o y e a r s a g o . . .

miyeon held tightly onto seulhyo's arm as they watched the scene unfold right in front of their faces. the whole ballroom was a mess. tables were thrown everywhere, lifeless dead bodies laying around, blood splattered on the floor, it was total chaos.

the other villagers were being escorted outside as some were kept as hostage.

the royal family was by the stage as they all held onto their dear life. the eighteen princes had their swords out, ready to fight the great love of their lives. the great lie of their lives.

"m-mi! how could she– how could mina betray... everyone?" seulhyo sobbed as she gripped tightly onto miyeon's arm.

miyeon hushed her, "i may not know mina, but maybe she had everything all planned–"

"impossible! she was like the sweetest person ever!" seulhyo mumbled as it pained her seeing mina stand there, surrounded by two of the seven scimitars.

mina had this wicked grin plastered on her face as she cocked her gun, "a sword is nothing compared to my gun, boys."

youngho hissed, pulling out a gun from the side of his waist, "you're not the only one who has a gun, mina."

"oh baby, you think i'm scared of you?" mina scoffed and pointed her gun towards the king.

"damn, you never know how much i wanted to kill the royal family. i could've eliminated each one of you while you were sleeping, but oh well," mina laughed manically as she smirked at the princes, "you think i actually loved you?"

"how foolish."

"you don't know how much i wanted to stab your hearts out whenever you touch me."

"you're a liar—"

"oh renjun-ie, you just noticed that now?" mina pouted, mocking the young one.

"what do you even want, mina?" taeyong grunted and dropped his sword to the side, confusing his brothers.

of course, taeyong always had a soft heart.

"it's simple. i want you all to be dead. i want those hearts crushed." mina grinned and stuck her tongue out as she pointed at her heart, "but i guess i already did break your hearts."

"yay to me."

"now, let's make this quick, shall we?" mina raised a brow and pressed onto the trigger lightly, almost dismissing the bullet out the gun, causing the princes to panic.

mina laughed at their reactions when they realized she didn't even click it. a glare on their faces, they regretted every single word they told her. they regretted every single thing they did with her. they never felt so disgusted at their own self in their whole life.

"my boys, i love you all, but your love isn't enough–"

"bullshit. you're just lying to distract us." mark growled. "you're such player!"

mina was taken aback, a smile now reappearing her face, "now, that hurt lee minhyung."

mark sneered, "don't call me that."

"but you like it though? especially when it comes from me." mina smirked and rolled her eyes, "pathetic."

"we loved you with everything we had. we gave you everything you wanted."

"i wanted power, taeyong. you knew that." mina spat, "yet you declined me."

"that was a very bad decision, lee taeyong."

"i can't let someone as crazy as you rule over us." taeyong scoffed.

"too bad. i'm the fucking boss here now."

miyeon froze as she watched mina point at the queen. seulhyo's eyes widened, "not the queen!" she screeched and broke away from miyeon's grasp, running as fast as she could.

"let's start with you, your majesty."

as mina pulled the trigger, the bullet went flying across the air. plunging into her flesh as she clutched onto her heart, the pain was excruciating.

"what the—"

"idiot!" taeyong screamed and ran towards the fallen maiden on the floor.

"han seulhyo!?" mina exclaimed and glared at the girl, accidentally dropping the gun as it glided far from her.

seulhyo's lips trembled, "m-mina..."

mina snarled and backed away, hearing the loud noises from outside. "shit, the mountain clan."

"retreat!" one of mina's allies said before grabbing onto mina.

mina gritted her teeth, "i'll kill all of you! just you wait!"

lady misun breathed out as taeil and doyounf questioned if she was alright. lady misun nodded, feeling a bit uneasy, "boys, i'm alright."

lady misun's hands shook as she stepped closer to the fallen maiden. lady misun dropped onto the floor, beside taeyong and caressed the bleeding girl.

she was on the verge of life and death, but at this point, she had already lost too many blood and her body soon started shutting down.

"miyeon... i'm sorry, take care of jae for me." seulhyo mumbled as her eyes slowly fluttered.

"lady, you're an idiot!" taeyong exclaimed.

"how could you sacrifice yourself for the royal family!" he scolded, "don't you have a family waiting at home?"

"i do. but it is my job, as a soldier of hera..." seulhyo coughed out, "the line every person in heflorescence goes by with... 'as the moon shines, a fighter rises'. each and one of us were born as a soldier of hera and it is our duty to protect the royal blood—"

"enough!" taeyong shuts his eyes tightly, "we're normal people, too..."

"we're no different from villagers."

lady misun saw how everything affected taeyong and knew he had to get some rest. lady misun sighed, "i'll take care of this, taeyong dear."

taeyong froze and looked at his mother, "w-what?"

"go with your brothers," lady misun said and gestured towards the boys waiting by the door.

the king sighed and patted the boy's head, "talk with them, taeyong."

taeyong bit his bottom lip, "yes mother, yes father." he bowed before letting go of seulhyo.

he stared at his bloody hands as he approached his brothers, who all had the same pained expression plastered on their faces.

this is all my fault. that thought kept running in taeyong's mind.

—

oOh?

is it dramatic? i think it ain't dramatic enough tho—

-jibin