FLASHBACK

It took some years for Gumihos to progress from the economic and social damage caused by reckless Shadow Wolves in one year.

After Jeong Ho and Yoon Chae saved the imprisoned tribal chiefs of other tribes, their tribes automatically became the two most powerful tribes with surprisingly young leaders. With the Min tribe being the most ferocious in defence and the Kim tribe being the most cunning with words.

If united, it was a deadly combo that the other tribes feared; if standing against each other... well, that was something nobody imagined. But it was going to happen; the Book of Time was reaching towards a specific chapter, which marked the end of a great friendship that shared the same misery.

After Jeong Ho entered adulthood, he finally decided to repay the favour of the human who once saved him and helped him in his lowest. He soon met with Lee Hae Jun and revealed himself.

He insisted on bringing his family to the mansion he was gifting him. The human and his wife were conflicted and were in disbelief at witnessing a real-life gumiho. But Jeong Ho was determined to give a life full of luxuries to his saviour. With some well-chosen words, he succeeded in convincing him, but only partially.

Lee Hae Jun didn't want to rush; he put forward the idea of connecting the village and the Gumiho kingdom and also including his companions who were in great suffering due to various reasons. Jeong Ho remained in a conflict before he left in a hurry.

He came back one day later after discussing it with Yoon Chae. Although Yoon Chae was strongly against the idea of introducing humans to their land, human social hierarchy and its working system fascinated him, and Jeong Ho finally convinced him to connect to the village nearby and share the mystic resources of the forest, which wasn't found in the area where humans wandered.

Hae Jun, along with his wife and their teenage son, became the first humans to step on Gumiho's land. Shortly after, he bought a bunch of his helpless folks suffering from slavery from human noble families of that time. The reign of the Gumiho kingdom expanded inside the dense forest lands as the number of humans entering the land kept on increasing.

It was obvious that gumihos were hesitant and unconvinced in accepting humans. The idea seemed lame and unnecessary. But humans soon succeeded in winning their hearts in various ways. From human delicacies to creative art forms like singing, dancing and performing to various tales around the world, gumihos started enjoying living with humans and even adapted more towards their human forms.

As humans' dignity peaked on the land of fox spirits a treaty of mutual benefits and protection was signed. The humanoid gumihos agreed on prohibiting human blood consumption while humans helped them build a more orderly, precise and disciplined hierarchy, which the fox spirits witnessed and admired across various human kingdoms.

After a few years, the heads of the tribes became the Kings of the clans, with fully functioning royal courts of their own.

Everything was flowing accordingly, and the newly appointed ministers started insisting that the young Kings should get married and produce an heir for the throne.

Yoon Chae's younger sister, YoonAe, who was married to the King of the Lee clan, finally found a compatible spouse for her brother in her kingdom.

A young lady named Namseon. The only daughter of minister Seo, she was known far and wide not just for her beauty, with her long, flowing braid that shimmered like the midnight sky and dragon eyes as bright as the morning sun. From household tasks like cooking and embroidery to athletic games like archery and sword fights, she was known as an ace in the Lee kingdom.

Though she was content with her simple life, deep within her heart, a dream of adventure and romance harboured.

Sitting in the modest setting of her home, joy erupted within her like a burst of sunlight breaking through the clouds when she heard about her marriage proposal. A shy smile spread across her face as she agreed to the marriage. Hearing about the Queen's elder brother and his frequent visits inside the castle of the Lee clan was not something uncommon for her.

And a few days ago, when she had to run an errand to the castle for her father. A young man, tall and lean, dressed in a splendid jeogori crafted from the finest silk in a rich shade of royal purple, caught her attention.

Over his shoulders flowed a magnificent long overcoat made from luxurious brocade fabric in the colour of twilight. The coat's wide sleeves billowed gracefully as he gestured to scholars who surrounded him. His long hair was pulled back into a neat topknot, covered by a hat made from bamboo frame woven with precision and adorned with a crown of horsehair.

Namseon's gaze finally shifted to his features. His face was sculpted with slightly high cheekbones and a chiselled jawline. His dark, unique set of almond eyes held a depth that spoke of wisdom beyond his years. A gentle smile often graced his lips as he talked, hinting at the warmth and comfort that lay beneath his royal facade.

Since then, she couldn't help but admire the young charismatic King. She could hardly contain herself as visions of royal gowns, grand balls, and a life filled with an adventure-filled her mind. The thought of being by the king's side, of sharing in his world and responsibilities made her heart swell with pride and anticipation.

The union of the two clans was yet to be announced to the civilians until the wedding approached. Namseon's parents were requested to send their daughter to the palace of the Min clan to adapt to the life that lay ahead.

Namseon was slowly getting acquainted with the royal etiquette and rules to be the future Queen. Dressed in a hanbok of soft lavender, its flowing layers accentuating her delicate frame, Namseon sat with anticipation and excitement inside her quarters.

The occasion was special, the future Queen was supposed to meet the King for the first time. She waited for the royal maids who were adorning her long, lustrous hair with intricately woven flowers and hairpins.

Yoon Chae was clad in resplendent robes embroidered with golden threads that shimmered like stars and felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He had heard tales of Lady Namseon's beauty and intellect from her sister, yet he had never met her until this very moment.

The meeting was supposed to be a 'get to know each other before the wedding' and according to the ministers it should be held in the presence of a third person.

Sitting in the main hall of her quarters, she awaited him. Through the paper-thin doors of the hall, she saw a silhouette of a man, and her mind automatically visioned the same man she once saw in the castle of the Lee clan.

Namseon's eyes sparkled with joy as soon as the door slid, and she recognized the man as the same one she once used to dream about. Jeong Ho stole a glance at Namseon before he moved to the side to give way to the King of Min clan.

Yoon Chae stepped toward the centre of the room; his heart raced inside his chest as his narrow, inclined eyes were fixed on the lady sitting with grace and poise.

Namseon's heart plummeted into an abyss of confusion when she saw an unknown man standing right in front of her. His features—narrow inclined eyes, skin as pale as a snowflake—but it was not the face she had memorized in countless moments while visualising the future.

Her mind raced, each thought colliding with the next like waves crashing against a rocky shore. 'Am I mistaken? Why is he stepping aside, isn't he supposed to be my future husband?' she wondered, panic creeping into her chest.

However, in the hope that this might be a misunderstanding, she stood up, her
fingers trembled at her sides before she slightly bowed to the man dressed in the attire of a king.

"We should introduce ourselves to you," Yoon Chae calmly spoke and got seated on one of the cushions across the low-centric table. Namseon followed the action, her eyes never leaving the table frame as she waited for the male to continue.

"I'm Min Yoon Chae; nice to meet you, future Queen," Yoon Chae announced as a small smile lined across his lips, "And he is my closest companion, the king of the Kim clan, Kim Jeong Ho. You will often see him around the palace in future," Yoon Chae's smile got wider when he introduced Jeong Ho while Namseon's gaze darted from Yoon Chae to Jeong Ho.

"Nice to meet you, Your Highness," as he spoke, a pleasant smile like a warm embrace lined Jeong Ho's lips, and Namseon recognized it as the same smile she fell for.

"It's an honour to meet the two great Kings of our kingdom at the same time," Namseon managed to form a reply while her heart raced with every breath, and she fought against the rising tide of disbelief that threatened to drown her.

Namseon then proceeded to serve the herbal tea from the kettle, and Jeong Ho abruptly stood up, gaining attention, "I'm going to the library; I'll join you after some time. We'll leave together so that ministers wouldn't suspect," Jeong Ho informed before a playful smirk lined across his lips as he winked at Yoon Chae and proceeded to sneak out of the quarters.

Namseon wasn't supposed to stop Jeong Ho yet she felt a tentative sense of loss when he exited the room. Her man was in front of her, patiently waiting for her to finally serve him the tea. His gaze was shifting from place to place as he acknowledged Namseon's beauty within his heart.

As the king of Min clan proceeded to take a sip from the porcelain cup, Namseon got a chance to steal a glance at him. Yoon Chae was indeed a handsome man with a unique set of features—his black irises were a stark contrast to his pale skin, and his lips were moderately full with some natural pink hue. Their eyes met, and Namseon turned her gaze away making Yoon Chae smile softly while taking another sip.

Since the first meeting, Yoon Chae grew a strong liking towards Namseon, and she decided to let her feelings for Jeong Ho go. Since it was just a minor infatuation, is what she thought and tried her best to focus on the man she was going to marry within three months.

"What are your hobbies, Your Majesty?" Namseon asked in anticipation.

Yoon Chae thought for a moment before he spoke with a slightly edged tone, "My work is my hobby."

The soft smile lining on Namseon's lips slowly faded away as she nodded. All she wanted was to get to know about his likes and dislikes so that she could share the same path alongside him, but Yoon Chae's blunt answers always disappointed her.

But this doesn't stop her as she was determined to love Yoon Chae as the only man in her life. Deciding to love Yoon Chae wasn't something that naturally happened to her, it was something she was forcing onto herself. It was exhausting while waiting for him to show up on the meeting days only to be informed that he left for an alliance.

Albeit Namseon's constant efforts to meet the king here and there, the series of these meetings eventually slowed down due to Yoon Chae's extremely busy schedule.

When Yoon Chae returned after a few days, she enthusiastically welcomed him in his quarters and asked him about the new experiences after the trip, but all she got in return was political debates and diplomatic topics.

Yoon Chae had a slight realisation that he had not given proper time to his future wife, but the fact that they have a whole life together after the wedding relieved him, so he purposefully delved into work. To complete his upcoming schedules and to have some time after the wedding.

But what he didn't realise was his rightful intention and lack of sharing his mind with Namseon was going to create a blunder in the near future.

One day, in the small garden that joined the back of her quarters, the air was thick with the scent of blooming plum blossoms, there sat an unfocused Namseon at the back entrance, attempting to capture the plum tree on the paper in front of her. Her fingers were stained with paint as she tried lining the tree.

"A forthcoming masterpiece."

A voice interrupted her inner turmoil making her flinch and spoiling the strokes of grass that she was painting. Her gaze met with the owner and she stood up abruptly, her fragile frame almost crashing with the low table in front of her, "Your Majesty!"

END OF THE FLASHBACK

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Inside royal court of Kim clan

"All these years, i-it was... hard. Mostly suffocating to live as the son of a king who killed himself. How timid and tamed civilians must have thought of him. In my initial days, the fact t-terrified me," Yoongi muttered as his eyes remained on the floor and a gag got stuck in his throat.

"Yoongi, it is a fact that you represent your father as the next King, but neither does he represent you nor does his actions. The past cannot represent the future, but the future can represent the past for a better change," Jeong Ho replied as he came closer, making Yoongi gaze directly into his eyes, "Understood?" Jeong Ho added in a softer tone as he gently patted Yoongi's shoulder.

Yoongi lost so much at a fragile age, both his father and his innocence. Being born with pure blood wasn't easy. Royals were supposed to be the guardians for commoners, portrayed as fierce, courageous and not easily swayed by emotions. In a hierarchy where males were to be bare of any emotions that could highlight weakness, Yoongi became consumed in his grief and confined himself from others.

However, this slightly changed when he discovered his friendship with two orphans. Jimin and Jeongguk. Both of them belonged to same orphanage that was supported by the palace of the Min clan.

Though he despised it, visiting the orphanage that was supported by the palace of Min clan was one of the responsibilities he gained at a younger age until Jeongguk, despite knowing his royal status, initiated the friendship and since then, both of them have been by his side, like a companion, like an armour.

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