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Author's note:

Hey lovelies! I am back with an update. I know it's been very long but University be really testing my patience. My apologies for the delay. Hope you enjoy this chapter though, again a long update to make up for the gap.
This chapter is mainly from Viri's pov because she has to do some thinking on her part.

Happy reading my loves~

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"It's over exertion which caused her to pass out, she will be awake whenever her body gains back some strength. Till then, I advice that the queen shall not be disturbed at all, your majes-"

"She is not the queen yet, sir" Yoongi snaps in an irritated voice coming out of his eerily straight face.

The Royal doctor looks at the king of Augosuga with a mixture of fear and confusion even as Yoongi returns his gaze back towards a sleeping Viri. The terrified demon then rushes out of the room as soon as Jimin steps forward and dismisses him.

Taehyung remains silent all the while, his gaze fixed somewhere towards the bed but not quite looking at the resting princess. The emperor still remains silent when Jimin tries to initiate a calm conversation with Yoongi only to fail miserably.

"Hyung-"

"Not now Jimin. I am in no mood for any kind of conversation right now."

"Okay, fair enough. I will leave you to be but first atleast clear one thing to us, just why are you so annoyed? Is it about Viraina? She will be alright hyung, the Royal doctor just sai-"

"It's not that Jimin. I mean it is that but that's not the only reason."

"Then let us know the reason hyung, we should know what's bothering you"

And Yoongi has to pause to actually think of an answer. It's not like there is nothing that is bothering him instead there are just so many things flooding his brain at the moment that he desperately needs a minute or two to process those vast thoughts into meaningful sentences.
The king of Augosuga is indignant at being the victim of such onslaught of unwelcomed thoughts but then Jimin is also right, they deserve to know. So he takes a deep breath in and moves his gaze towards Taehyung, his eyes fixing onto the ruler's calm face and tries his best to voice out his worries.

"I don't know. This or whatever that has happened or is happening or will happen is just so sudden. I could have never been prepared for this and now that we know who the chosen queen is, I can't help but be unhappy about it. This unhappiness is not because of Taehyung or any of you for that matter, rather it's because of fate.
I am proud of the fact that this majestic crown chose my sister but I also can't help but be dejected that it had to turn out this way. I have raised her Jimin, I know she would not be happy with any of this. Not with the vast responsibilities, the new relationships, the endless expectations and the entirely new life this crown will shove in her way. She has always done what she wanted to and so she will hate these involuntary obligations which will now loom on her head. What should I do? I can't even protect her from anything, not like she has a choice." Yoongi finishes his borderline frustrated speech, flinching slightly as Taehyung finally looks back at him by the end of it, completely catching him offguard.

The two demons maintain the eye contact. Yoongi trying to decode the look in Taehyung's eyes while the younger displays his own emotions through his eyes which the older doesn't really get the time to interpret as they are interrupted by Hoseok.
"Yoongi hyung, Hyunjay is here. He just arrived and I have briefed him about what all happened. He wants to meet you first before coming to see the princess and is waiting in your room"

Hearing about Hyunjay's arrival fills the older king with a sense of deep relief and security as he gets up to leave the room. He lingers around to softly adjust the covers over Viri's body and place an equally soft kiss on her forehead before giving one last look to Taehyung and rushing out.

As the door closes behind him, the sound of his retreating steps pushes Taehyung to bolt right after him, Jimin being right behind him while calling out his name in panic and instructing Hoseok to stay with Viri while they are gone.

Taehyung tunes out what Jimin does after that, his entire focus is on Yoongi's figure walking away from them, shoulders slumped and body appearing heavy on his legs. This is all his fault. He thinks he is the reason of Yoongi's worries, he is the only reason why everyone is suffering and he is the one who should be fixing it. So he finds himself calling out the older's name, watches the older approach them with a confused expression and then he finds himself launching into a ramble even before the other can say anything.

"Hyung. I am sorry things had to turn this way. I don't know, I feel like I ruined everything but I also know none of this was in my control but what happens now can and will definitely be under my control. The crown chose who it wanted to, now whatever happens from here will be decided by the princess herself. We can wait for her to heal and wake up so she can take her own decisions.
Yoong hyung. I promise I will never force any kind of decisions onto her and will respect her choices forever. I promise. You don't need to worry about your sister anymore and I-"

"Taehyung ah, stop it. Listen to hyung now alright? You are rambling but I need you to stop and listen to what I have to say" says the older as he gently place his hand on the younger's cheek to help ground him. Once he is sure the desired affect is achieved, he continues,

"Yes I am worried. Of course I am. I am worried how will everything work out, will it even work out or not. I am worried about my sister and her fate but that's not it. I am worried about you as well.
Maybe it's difficult to accept right now but yes, from the very start I'm thinking about you both, how will you both tackle the future obstacles, how are you taking all this and everything else regarding you.
So get this thing straight my king, I am not blaming you for anything and sincerely wish for the wellbeing of both you and Viri. After all, we are all in this together right?"

By the time he stops talking both Taehyung and Jimin have tears in their eyes making him realise just how much stress his dongsaengs maybe under due to his indifference towards them earlier. He hopes he has comforted them to the best of his ability when he takes them both in an awkward three-way hug before resuming his journey back to his room.

All things apart, he really needs Hyunjay and his opinions right now or he might as well have an ugly breakdown from all this stress himself.

☆☆☆☆☆

"The plan failed your majesty. I shouldn't have trusted that witch from the very start. She was bound to make mistakes and now she has basically helped in finding the chosen one, with us having no control over this situation whatsoever"

"Hmm, mistakes are quite lethal aren't they Yeol ssi? Now this mistake committed by someone else will be lethal for us, just because the plan failed? No. It is because you failed and you don't have the guts to accept it" says a venomous voice, turning downright deafening towards the end.
One moment Yeol is standing with his head bowed in deep apology, the next moment he is dodging a heavy vass thrown straight at him.

"How are you planning to fix this deep mess you have created huh? You think we can achieve our goal with an old fool like you? Should I just take care of you first and eliminate my biggest threat later?" The voice continues with the same threatening tone as Yeol feels footsteps approaching him through the darkness surrounding them.

"Your majest-" his words are cut off with a brawny bunch of fingers wrapping themselves around his throat, pressing down immediately after, depriving him of his air flow completely.

"Enough with your good for nothing excuses old man. I have had enough of your mistakes and I am not going to entertain them any further. You make one more mistake, I will personally chop you into pieces and feed it to my hellhounds. Understand?" The other voice seethes as Yeol is sent crashing to the ground, rendering him motionless until he hears footsteps fading away into the distance.

Once there is no sound, it's then that he remembers how to breathe. Clutching his chest he takes a deep breathe and states up at the ceiling, eyes turning crazy as he let's out a chuckle.
"I did make a grave mistake, didn't I? Now I must repent for it. I will make sure to bring you immense pain and that not a single thing goes your way from hereon, my dearest, Taehyungie" He pledges to himself, a maniac like smile on his pale face and determined thoughts running through his mind.

He is not going to fail this time, he promises himself.

☆☆☆☆☆

"I don't think it's that much of a big deal you know? I mean I know it's sudden but we have known that Viri is extraordinary from her very childhood. Honestly, it isn't even that surprising to me" Says Hyunjay in a calm voice which doesn't sit well with Yoongi.

He looks at his friend with utter disbelief, not at all understanding his nonchalant attitude but ends up finding himself at a loss of words anyways. The king of Augosuga takes a moment to process everything when his friend decides to speak again.
"Take a moment to yourself and think Yoongi ah. Why are you so worked up? I know all of this is very unexpected, now Viri is unconscious and believe it or not your elder brother instincts are on high alert. Maybe that's why you feel overly protective of her at the moment because she is not in the state to defend herself.
But you also heard his majesty. He assured you he won't force any decision on Viri, leave that, you think your sister will let anyone force anything on her? I for sure know that they try and they die"

Yoongi dislikes how every words Hyunjay speaks makes sense. Why didn't this occur to him? If Viri is unconscious right now, they let her rest. When she wakes up she takes her own decisions. No need for any kind of panic. He has been worrying for nothing. He let's out a sigh, feeling his body relax on it's own accord before addressing the other.

"Thanks for talking some sense into me Hyunjay ah. I feel way better now. The royal physician said Viri might wake up by tomorrow so you want to see her now or tomo-"

"Now. I will just check on her from afar and leave her to rest. You don't need to come with me, get some rest yourself I know you didn't until I came. I am here now, I will watch over her. Go have some rest" Orders the Royal advisor of Augosuga, sternly dismissing Yoongi to make him rest.

Maybe it's the fatigue finally catching up or all his worries somewhat soothed which allows the ruler to accept the order without much of a fight and slip into a deep slumber soon after, freeing himself from worrying about the future for a moment.

☆☆☆☆☆

The next day, Viri wakes up somewhere around noon. She lets her eyes adjust to the surroundings while shifting slowly to make herself more comfortable. The soft rustle of the sheets prompts a sudden movement from the corner of the room but Viri finds herself unable to fix her gaze anywhere and so she stills to reach up to her eyes, rubbing at them as gently as she can.

She continues to rub until her name is being called out by a very much familiar voice.
"Viri ah, how are you feeling bub?" asks a genuinely concerned Hyunjay, cautiously reaching out to pat the girl's head in a soothing manner.
To his suprise, the princess doesn't shy away from the touch instead cuddles into his warm touch and sighs softly.

"Hyung, when did you come? I missed you" She says sincerely, now properly opening her eyes and moving to sit up. Hyunjay immediately helps her to sit before handing her a glass of water upon hearing her hoarse voice after more than a day of not being used.

"I came in yesterday, you were out for a day and a half. Now tell me how are you feeling so I can call them to help accordingly"

"Mhm, no need. I am feeling fine, let me have sometime to myself before you call the doct- wait-" She pauses, as her eyes falls onto something beside her bed.

The princess stares dumbfounded at the thing beside her bed, kept very much conveniently and intentionally close to her. She keeps staring at it, with her mouth parted in shock until Hyunjay breaks the silence.

"Aah, yes. The crown? It was there when I first entered the room, I asked them why was it kept here and they said it got agitated without your presence so had to be kept near you at all times. Isn't it magnificent? The crown is so attached to you that it starts turning black if it's seperated from you for long. Wah, wish I also had something so loyal to m-" Hyunjay's rant is interrupted by a loud laughter coming from Viri herself.
She is laughing like she has absolutely lost it or is going to pretty soon and Hyunjay can only crack an uneasy smile while posing the most reasonable question in the given situation,
"Uh, Viri? Are you okay sweets?"

Abruptly halting her half laughing and half trying to breathe state, the princess looks at him, her expression immediately turning dark and serious.
"Hah. Of course I am okay. Nothing is bothering me, I am very happy that I have the crown tied to me now, haha. That's so cool isn't it? The crown wants me and won't settle without it haha-"

"You are clearly not okay, oh my god. Should I call the physician? Are the medicines acting up? What should I do-"

"Yoonie"

"Yoongi? Oh do you want me to call him for you?"
The princess inhales deeply at the question, eyes screwed shut, taking a moment to herself. When she does eventually opens them to look up at Hyunjay, it takes a lot of restrain for the older to not reach out to comfort her immediately.

He refrains because he knows clearly, Viri hates physical affection from anyone. Yoongi becomes an exception in selected cases only and this might be one of them.
This might be one of them because Hyunjay can see how Viraina is breathing unevenly, how harshly she is clutching onto the blanket around her waist, how she looks minutes away from a full breakdown, how she mutters a single word and breaks Hyunjay's heart.
"Please" She says, her glassy eyes silently begging for comfort. A comfort which can only be provided by only one demon right now.

Hyunjay has never ran this fast in his life before. He has to get Min Yoongi before something goes terribly wrong with Viri.

☆☆☆☆☆

Even though his presence is very much wanted in the room at the moment, Yoongi still takes it upon himself to enter the room as gently as he can. Not wanting to startle the girl in any manner, he cautiously makes his way towards her bed but turns out none of that was needed anyway. For the girl in question has fixed her gaze on his unsuspecting face and Yoongi doesn't really have the time to process anything before she starts speaking.

"I think I am very close to having a panic attack and even if my pride absolutely hates you being here and watching me in this state, I would still allow you to be here because I can do whatever I want, because I am Min Viraina, the princess of Augosuga, always the princess of Augosuga and just that. Nothing more. I am just the princess of Augos-"

"Viri-"

"-uga and I will always be that. I don't care if something is now suddenly attached to me. I definitely don't care if I suddenly have a forced destiny to follow. I am still the princ-"

"Bun-"

"-ess. No like listen to me. Why are you looking at me like that? Nothing has changed. I just told you I am the sam-"

"Min Viraina, either you stop talking right away or I leave this room this instan-"

"No! Please no. I- I will shut up, just don't go. Don't you dare go" says the frightened girl as she stares at her hands in her lap, lips turned into a soft pout.

The sight is enough to twist Yoongi's heart in such a way that has him rushing over to gather his sister in his strong embrace, effectively hiding her away from the entire world.
The older slowly rocks them both in their same locked position while dropping feather light kisses on the silent girl's head. He rubs her back gently while adding a few sweet words here and there muttered just for her ears to hear.

"Aigoo my baby. I am right here alright? Hyung is not leaving you alone. You don't have to fight any battle on your own, hyung has always got your back, don't you remember bub?"

"Mhm"

"It's alright. You don't have to answer, you can do whatever you feel like okay? You can sleep right away and kick me out of this room or you can stay awake and talk to me. It's your decision to make bub. Remember, all of it has always been your choice to make" says the older male, tightening his hold on his sister to ground her and prevent her from floating away in her own terrifying thoughts.

Viri choses to stay silent, seemingly satisfied with just being held in her brother's arms and Yoongi understands. Yoongi has always understood how she feels and why she feels what she feels.
It's more easier to understand her current state of mind as Yoongi has experienced the same situation all those years back, when he had suddenly been dumped with the responsibility of taking charge over his kingdom, when people had suddenly started calling him king instead of prince, when the non existent expectations from him earlier had suddenly started burdening him with nowhere to escape and when he had no choice but to run away.

Although he did return when he found Viri and the purpose of his life. Now it is his duty to help the very same girl to find her own purpose in life. He has to make sure that whatever happens, he won't let her run away. If she decides to accept her fate, it is fine. But if she decides not to take up anything, she will have her home, her Augosuga, waiting for her with open arms. Yoongi will make sure she has somewhere to return to, a choice to make.

But right now his mission is to calm the younger one down, atleast enough for her to start making sense and speak to him. The duo stays in the same position for atleast an hour. Yoongi wonders how no one has even tried to enter the room, mentally thanking Hyunjay for keeping everyone out. Any presence will trigger Viri to panic again and Yoongi wont allow that.
Meanwhile, the said girl who had dosed off in his arms, starts to stir awake, adjusting herself in Yoongi's arms and reaching up to roughly rub on her eyes which isn't allowed by the older, who swats her hand away, gently massaging her eyes himself. He feels the girl relaxing yet again as he continues his soft massage and decides to carefully break the silence of the serene moment.

"How are you feeling now, bun?"

"Mhm. I am better, had a dream too"

"Oh? What was it about?"

"Home. I was back at home, in my own garden. It was peaceful"

"Viri. Hyung is going to ask you one question, please answer after thinking thoroughly.
Do you perhaps want to go back?"

"Yes. I want to- yes. Hyung, let's just go back home please"

"Yes alright. Anything you want bub"

☆☆☆☆☆

The news, undoubtedly creates a sense of unrest amongst the ministers who are a part of the current meeting. After Hyunjay had informed Jimin about Viri's decision, an unofficial meeting was held in the meeting room regarding the same.

Almost all of the ministers are now voicing out their denial of their queen's request as they keep on arguing amongst themselves to reach a conclusion. Taehyung, observes them quietly from where he is sitting at his own designated place, an unearthly expression plastered on his face, as he raises his left hand up with the palm facing the ministers.
A silent warning to shut their mouths right away.

The following silence is almost hurtful until a scoff escapes the emperor's mouth along with an obnoxiously loud laughter which instantly unsettles all those who are witnessing the scene. Jimin shifts uncomfortably on his own seat beside Taehyung, silently trying to deduce his king's acts.

Taehyung laughs heartily for several minutes until he stops abruptly and starts speaking instead.

"I was just wondering, when and in which instance did I actually ask anyone of you for your unsolicited opinions, my dear courtiers? Just when did I?" He asks, voice straight up venomous, eyes throwing daggers at every single face he sees.

The emperor glares at everyone before continuing,
"If I did not ask for your opinions then you all know better than disobeying me. This meeting was simply called to inform you all about the princess's decision and ask you about your ideas to maintain peace in the capital when we announce the same to our masses.
Not once did I ask for you to discuss about her decision itself and you still dare to talk about it in my presence?" He seethes, genuinely angry on the audacity of these arrogant demons he has to deal with, on a daily basis.

His eyes must have taken their most beloved form of a beautiful ruby red, if the look of sheer horror on all of the other demon's faces is anything to go by. All at once, a series of heartfelt apologies are uttered from their ungrateful mouths which Taehyung dismisses immediately. After a pause of a minute he continues,

"Let me clear this one thing right here. The princess has all the rights to take her own decisions and we have to respect them no matter what. She isn't the queen yet and we don't know if she even wants to take that position but until then she has absolutely no obligation to take all of your view points into consideration before coming to a conclusion. Don't give yourselves so much importance when it's not welcomed.
Now the main concern is the crown. Though, I have come up with a solution to that as well. If the crown has chosen the princess, then we shall allow it to follow her to wherever she goes. I will have a word with them and request them to take it alongwith them on their journey back to Augosuga. The crown doesn't belong to anyone of us anyways and so it shall not be deprived of it's true owner's presence.
As for the public, we will announce the princess's decision only after her departure and thus no one speaks about this outside of these four walls. Understood?"
No one has any choice but to agree with the emperor, who soon dismisses the meeting and briskly walks out of the room, leaving no space for any kind of lingering arguement.

☆☆☆☆☆

It's already been a few hours since they are on the road, the sun finally started to grow out of the endless yet forever pretty horizon, giving way to a new, happy and free day. At least that's what it should be, but Viri just can't shake off the last few minutes before their departure or more precisely, perhaps the last intense look of the emperor directed towards her.

They had planned to leave in the wee hours of the morning, just a day later to the one on which Viraina had taken her decision of going back home. The necessary arrangements had been made, Yoongi and Hyunjay already having said their goodbyes to Jimin, when Viri had emerged from the palace.

She remembers herself taking small but determined steps out of the palace, a maid with a glass box containing the crown, on her tow. She remembers not sparing a single glance over her shoulder, only stopping to bid her farewell to Jimin. She remembers how the royal advisor hadn't greeted her with his signature warm smile, only throwing a stern nod in her direction, face devoid of any emotion, silently opposing her decision but also keeping his mouth firmly shut to display his respect for her decision. He must have been torn between choosing a side but Viri had not allowed herself to feel anything more as she had started towards the carriage which she would be sharing with her brother on the way back.

She remembers how her brother had seated himself before her, how the maid had respectfully placed the crown near Viri's own seat and how Viri had climbed into the carriage, had attempted to shut the door only to be stopped by a firm hand being placed on the door, forcing her to halt her attempt to close it.

Viri had looked up to check who had stopped her until her eyes landed on the king himself, making her regret having given into her curiousity and looking up. However, nothing happened the way she feared it to happen. The emperor had not even bothered to look up and make an eye contact, he had been looking towards the bottom of the carriage and had leaned to down to come up with his hand full with Viri's stole which had been dangling out of the carriage, dangerously close to the tire.

She had been too distracted to even mutter a thank you in return and was only pulled out her reverie when the door had finally been firmly shut after the emperor was done adjusting the stole. An eye contact happened just afterwards and that's when Viri felt a pang of regret for the first time in days. For the emperor's eyes had been telling a story but none of it was said, the only words which escaped his mouth were,

"Have a safe trip back everyone"

That's it. That was the only sentence which came from the emperor before he was promptly disappearing back into the palace, not caring of the pearly blue eyes fixated on his back as he walks further into the palace with Jimin by his side. The owner of those blue eyes had followed his retreating figure voluntarily until the palace gates were firmly shut close blocking her view completely.
Strangely enough, those shut doors didn't really shut her out as they do to others. Viri knew there was a problem when she continued getting the welcoming vibe from the closed doors, even as the carriage drove away. It was only confirmed when the crown buzzed beside her, as if mocking her stupidity.
Something she was not yet ready to accept.

☆☆☆☆☆

Viraina didn't even realize that the days have been passing in a blur until one evening, almost the entire population of Augosuga gathered in the palace gardens to send in their best wishes and try to get a glimpse of the chosen queen of Hell.

It had been the day on which the king announced the revelation of the chosen one in the capital city, a month after Viri had returned to her kingdom. The word had spread like fire as it was expected and the demons of Augosuga had been elated, heads held high and proud due to their princess being the chosen one.

The princess in question had half heartedly given a brief glimpse of herself to her masses, not being able to handle the looks of pure pride and expectations all the demons were showering her with. Yoongi had taken over then, respectfully and kindly accepting all the gifts and wishes on behalf of his sister, while Viri had locked herself in her room to have some moments of silence.

That night, sitting in her room, staring at the wall numbly, Viri finally allows herself to think rationally. She realizes she has been pushing an important talk with herself to the very back of her mind, instead focusing on getting through her days with nothing productive being done. She also realizes how both Yoongi and Hyunjay have been itching to talk to her but maintained their distance to let her have her space, to let her come to a conclusion of her own, to let her think about it peacefully without anyone else's expectations sticking to her. She finally realizes how she has been wasting all the time she had for herself, the peace of no lingering expectations, the emptiness of expecting faces and the cheers of joy, with which she is harshly slapped in the face now.

It totally makes sense as to why the emperor actually waited a month before making the announcement. That was his silent sympathy for the princess, his silent message to her, his silent way of granting her some peace of her own which she so conveniently wasted and hence, now Viri just wants to disappear.

The thought itself irks her. She should not be getting such a thought. She has never been the weak one, never been the one to run away, never been the one to be afraid of something and definitely never been the one to not live up to her promises to her own self. And her only promise to herself right now is to serve her kingdom.

Only now her kingdom doesn't only include Augosuga. Her kingdom is now the entire realm of Hell. Her duties and responsibilities extend to the whole empire. That's it. That's the change. The princess takes a deep breath after the delayed realization, as she waits for the panic to seep in which never comes.

Viri waits patiently. For her emotions to overwhelm her, for her fear to creep in, for her dejectedness to have so many responsibilities to hit her, she waits and waits and waits. Nothing.

And just like that, Viraina realizes, she has been worrying over nothing after all.

☆☆☆☆☆

"So you are telling me, you don't really have any problem to be the queen of Hell after all. You knew this all along but you were just running away from actually feeling anything but now that you have realized it, you are actually very okay about it. Did I get it right?"

"Right"

"I- Viri, we would very much appreciate you to be as vocal as you can be with your thoughts right now alright? All this while you were quiet about this and now suddenly on the day you have been announced as the chosen one, you decide it's not really a big deal? It is a big deal bun. Please dont make hasty decisions" Says a validly worried Yoongi, with an equally worried Hyunjay by his side, both males eyeing Viri with nothing but pure concern in their eyes.

"I know it is a big deal hyung. I know it is. All I am saying is, sometimes you get hit in the face with a situation you least expected to happen to you and when it does, your body just shuts itself to not feel anything and so as to not have to face the situation. I experienced just that. Never in my life did I expect myself to be the chosen one and so I just stopped thinking about it in an attempt to escape the truth.
But I think, today, all those expectant and joyous faces as well as all those blessings and wishes really helped me to snap out of my daze. I let myself finally feel and take in the situation and thought about it all night. After sitting myself and letting my emotions flow freely, I realized I'm not really scared of anything, just took some time to accept the facts. That's it. You don't need to worry about it"

The best friends were quite after that for a considerable amount of time before attacking Viri with all sorts of questions regarding her decision, to which the girl replied as honestly and as calmly as she could.

It is safe to say that by the end of the night, after a long session of question and answer, both the males had a lot of their worries reduced and both had decided to show support to their sister's choice.

☆☆☆☆☆

The following week again passes by in a blur. Only this time, Viraina feels and lives every single day to the fullest. She had wanted to give herself a bit of time to adjust to her new accepted self, wanted to prepare herself as much as she could before returning to the capital city and announcing her decision, wanted to educate herself of the duties that are to be carried out by the queen of Hell and maybe just maybe, wanted to bond with the crown which she had only neglected until now.

The crown had been a constant presence in her life ever since she returned to Augosuga. Not just because it has been placed in her room, but also because it had not disturbed her in any way that she thought it would. The princess had a lot of speculations regarding the crown and it's powers. She expected it to sneak in her dreams and guilt trip her for running away, maybe make her want to run back to the capital or maybe just alter her entire reality and induce her into thinking that she was actually born as the queen. But none of that happened and she cannot be anymore grateful.

Now that she has accepted her fate and is working towards being fully capable of actually living her destined life, she has started bonding with the crown. To her, even the crown seems happier, glowing with adorable shades of blue whenever she enters the room and Viri feels her heart swell with pride. She has also started spending time talking with the crown, sometimes eating in its presence and none of it feels weird. The fact that jewel actually depicts her emotions while also illuminating the path which is right for her is enough for Viri to make a connection.

She is aware that this crown right here, belongs to her and only her. No one else has a right and hold over it the way she does and that alone is enough to make her feel worthy. By the end of the week, the princess finds herself being excited for actually getting to wear the crown but stops herself once she is reminded that it will happen only after the coronation ceremony.

Apart from bonding time with the crown, Viri dives into the plethora of books written by royals of Hell themselves in order to help their successors navigate through the vast challenges that the kings and queens of this realm would have face at all times. As she got invested in her little world of knowledge, she again forgot to keep track of the time but this time what broke her out of this zone was something she never would have foreseen.

Just like the past few days, Viri sits between piles of books and documents stacked around her, in the middle of her room, taking in as much information as she can. The crown is placed beside her as she reads out certain things out loud, only for it to glow as if to show appreciation for her efforts. The princess goes on for hours until she is interrupted by her maid, knocking her door. The woman announces that she has a letter in her name and that her brother wanted it to reach her as soon as possible.

The princess frowns at the statement but nevertheless let's the other enter and handover the letter. The moment she lays her eyes on the seal is that exact moment she forgets how to breathe. For the seal was unmistakably the emperor's personal seal, which means the emperor has personally written the letter to her and that thought alone makes the princess endlessly nervous.

What was in the letter, she asks herself. Maybe the king showing his disappointment in her silence, or maybe him telling her that he doesn't need a queen who runs away from her responsibilities. Maybe he wants her to apologize and be his slave all her life or maybe he has threatened to destroy her whole kingdom for the show of disrespect. Honestly, Viri would have expected any of that but nothing would have prepared her for what she read, when she was finally able to calm herself down enough to open the envelope.

(Greetings princess,

This is Kim Taehyung, but I guess you already know that? Um, I am sorry, I am really bad at this, never really wrote any personal letters to anyone but this had to be done. Not like I didn't want to, I am writing this letter to you because there are some things which I want you to know. I didn't want to come all the way to Augosuga, disturb your time of peace and then pour all my thoughts on you, that's just pure evil right? So a letter was my only option.
A lot has been going on right? Please do trust me when I say this, but I get it. This sudden change of events, sudden onslaught of so many expectations, it can jerk your entire world. I understand.
That's why I tried to give you as much time as I could before announcing about you being the chosen one, I am sorry that I couldn't give you more than a month because the laws have set the maximum limit for such announcements to not be more than a month. I know that's annoying, I am even considering of changing or omitting this law altogether, what do you think? Aah, you are not the queen yet, so I don't really have any rights to ask you for your views.

Don't get me wrong! I don't want to pressure you or something, I mean the entire purpose of writing this letter is to make sure you know that I understand. I understand if you want more time, I understand if you already have a decision, I understand if it's a no and I definitely understand if you don't want to do anything with the crown. I totally do.
All I can say is, I hope you consider every single thing before coming to a decision. I also hope that you know that there will be no discomfort here if you do decide to come back, I will make sure of that. But truthfully speaking, I don't think anyone will try to mess with you, I mean I saw how much of a fighter you are and I wholeheartedly respect you for that.
But I also can't keep you in the dark. It will be difficult and very different. There will be days you might curse your own self out, there will be days you might snap on your biggest supporters and there will be days where you will just want to disappear. Yes, all of that will happen.

But at the same time, there will be positives too. Your dedication to serve people will bring you utmost joy, the days when you take good decisions for your realm, those days you will pat yourself with pride and oh the neverending love of our masses, I can't even explain in words the euphoria of their united chants reaching your ears on your special days. It's just magical.
All in all, princess Min Viraina, you and I both know that nothing will be easy.
But we both also know that you are perfectly capable to take on the challenges which you will face in this journey, provided you accept your fate. I just want to let you know that if you do accept this call of your destiny, I will be there throughout. As your support system, as your rant listener (trust me, you need someone to vent the heavy frustrations out), as your guide and maybe as a friend, because we are connected now and that fact can't really be ignored.
Um, that's all I have to say, respond to this only if you want, and if not, there is no issue as I am actually very good at waiting and I don't mind waiting some more.

Yours truly,
Taehyung)

Three things happen as soon as Viri finishes reading the letter.
First. The princess has a mini breakdown right there, in the middle of her room and she can't even process why. Second. The princess, that very night, announces her decision to return to the capital, but this time with the intention of staying. Third. Yoongi sends an official letter to the main palace to let them know of their arrival in the next few days.

☆☆☆☆☆

When the official letter from Augosuga reaches the palace, it immediately lands in the hands of the royal advisor himself. Once he is done reading the message, he thinks of only one thing and that is to break into Taheyung's study and announce the news to his startled king.

"My king! They are coming! The princess has decided to come back and they will be arriving in a few days"

And Taehyung had felt himself smile wide in happiness.
Taehyung had felt himself finally feel alive.

~~~