ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗨𝗘

One year later...

"Are you seriously nervous, Kai?" You poked your younger brother in the side, the bouquet of flowers in his arms pushing against his chest. He grimaced, already rosy cheeks glowing even brighter.

"Of course I am!" he mumbled, affronted. "I'm about to go over to the girl I'm courting's house, and ask to become exclusive. That's a huge deal."

"It is a big deal," Minho, who stood at your side, agreed. Cutting a sheepish look at you, he added, "I would have been quaking in my boots if I had to do it."

"I was nervous as hell when I asked Robin to marry me!" Jisung piped up helpfully.

"Yeah, he was definitely shaking!" Robin chuckled, reaching up and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Yes, Robin and Jisung were married. They had been the fourth couple to get married out of you and your friends, and the holdup was mainly due to their family troubles. Robin and the Choi family were now restricted in the kinds of love potions they could make, due to the way they were being mishandled before and during the dating show. The Han family's freedom with weapons had been limited as well, after investigations found they had knowingly made weapons that were sold on the black market. And although their families still clashed often, the two of them were as in love as ever.

All of your friends had gathered at the Lin castle, both to spend some much-needed time together during the busy courting season, and to see your brother off as he tried to make prospects on Shayla, an Obsidian duchess.

What a year it had been. After your second wedding, everyone else had continued with the courting season, almost like nothing had changed. All seven other couples continued to grow their relationships, and get closer to each other. Some of them, like Robin and Jisung, had gotten married, and one had even more exciting news, if that was possible. But today was about Kai, and the newest bunch of young adults courting this year.

Stepping in front of your brother, you squinted at the bouquet he held. It was filled with roses of all colors and sizes, and they looked stunning. Only... "Kai, you can't give those to Shayla, they're covered in thorns! She's gonna prick her finger!"

"What if she thinks you did that on purpose?" Renee exclaimed, alarmed. "That could be very bad etiquette. You gave you those??"

Renee had certainly made big leaps in the past year, too. With your and Minho's help, she had finally become a countess. Even though she was not royal by blood, since you and Minho were now king and queen, you made the rules. She was a royal by responsibility, and character. Now, she worked as a high-level financial advisor for some of the other royal families, who dealt with trade and large businesses.

"Sweetheart, you can't talk like that about fellow businesses." Oh, and did you mention? Renee was now engaged to Kim Seungmin! The two still hadn't set an official wedding date. Since Seungmin's family had been caught doing black market deals with the Jang family, Seungmin had gotten caught up with legal battles and fees, which had delayed their planning. However, they knew they wanted it sometime next fall.

Renee blushed at her fiancé's words. "Sorry. As you were Kai," she mumbled.

Kai gasped, staring at the flowers, then at you. "You're so right Tessie! I should have been more careful. What should I do?? I don't have another bouquet, and I can't show up empty-handed!"

Everyone glanced back and forth at one another, lost for suggestions.

Finally, Lanhua piped up. "We could help you pick some more!" She smiled helpfully at Kai, then at Changbin, who stood next to her, a protective arm around her waist.

Changbin and Lanhua had gotten married last winter, four months after you. They were the third couple to tie the knot. They had known they were meant to be for a long time prior, and since Lanhua was a whiz at planning, the date had come together perfectly. It had been a beautiful indoor winter wonderland of a wedding, filled with snowflake chandeliers, crystal tables and floors, and white fur coats and cloaks. So classy and elegant, so Lanhua. Changbin had been thrilled (or, as thrilled as a grumpy guy like him could be) to marry the love of his life. And the humongous ring on Lanhua's finger — thanks to Changbin having been promoted to primary guardsman at the Guo estate — was just another testament to their love.

"I'm down to help!" Mya called, swinging Jeongin and her joined hands back and forth excitedly. "I love flowers!"

"Yeah, so much that thats the only thing you've planned so far for our wedding," Jeongin joked, entwining their fingers and shooting her an endearing look. She just blushed, and continued to swing their arms around erratically.

Mya and Jeongin were also still engaged, and planning to get married next spring. Since they were the youngest of the group, they were taking it slow. They were now living together at the Yang mansion. Thankfully, Jeongin was still healthy, and Mya was certainly doing her damnedest to keep it that way. From feeding him a full three meals — plus snacks — everyday, to mixing him vitamin drinks and getting him outside for walks, he was probably the healthiest he'd ever been. But she'd been laser-focused on their wellbeing as individuals and a couple, and hadn't put quite as much work into their wedding planning, no matter how excited she was.

"Okay then, lets get out there and start picking!" you declared, before all but shoving your brother out the back door towards the family garden, the rest of the group following.

You immediately spied a great patch of yellow wildflowers, and bent down to grab them. Your friends spread out, and started choosing flowers that they liked, too.

"You're very kind to help your brother court Shayla." Minho hunched down next to you, a playful grin on his face. "I didn't know that you wanted a sister-in-law so badly."

You rolled your eyes, nudging him in the side. "Oh shush. I just want to see him happy, that's all. And Shayla seems really nice, and good for Kai. Plus, he's absolutely crazy about her."

"And she doesn't care about the town difference," Minho agreed.

It was true. Even though Obsidian and Moonstone had come together an entire year ago, those decades-long tensions were holding strong. While more and more people, with the gentle leadership of you and Minho, were growing to accept that they were all part of the Light kingdom, it was hard to shake the divide. So it was hopeful to see people from opposing kingdoms putting their differences aside, and becoming business partners, friends, or even lovers.

"I think they deserve each other." You nodded, taking a peek at your brother. He was carefully plucking the best of the best red and pink flowers, making sure they had no thorns or prickly leaves. Clearly, his feelings for the duchess were strong.

"Like we deserve each other?" Minho teased, reaching over, and placing one of the yellow wildflowers behind your ear, tucking it into your hair. He had given up on picking flowers himself, and was clearly out to distract you.

And it was working. Heat crept up your cheeks at the gesture, almost making you drop your flowers on the ground. Gripping them tightly, you stood up, and pinned him with reproachful look. "What do I deserve, exactly? A pain in my ass?"

His smile widened. "You know you love me."

You finally gave up, kissing his cheek in assent. "That's a no brainer," you tsked. "no matter how badly you annoy me, I still love you. Maybe I need help."

"Baby, you stop bending down, you're gonna pop!"

"I can do anything I want, thank you very much!"

Clearly, you and Minho weren't the only ones having little arguments. Felix was trying to pick Alaska up, as she continued to pick bright purple cosmos a few feet away from you. His eyes were wide with alarm, while hers were narrowed in concentration, as she tried to keep her feet on the ground.

Felix and Alaska had, to no one's surprise, been the second, after you and Minho, to get married. They had a late fall wedding. He'd put the engagement on her finger a week after your wedding had ended, and they'd planned a chaotic, off-the-cuff wedding for the month after. They were both quite spontaneous, so the crazy energy matched them perfectly. Felix, marrying into royalty, was now moving into the Hwang mansion with his wife. But of course, he still made time to take care of the horses, which, aside from Alaska, were his true passion.

And now, Alaska was pregnant. In fact, you and the other girls had just attended her baby shower a couple of weeks ago. She was only in her second trimester, but Felix, usually sweet and fun loving, had already gone full dad-mode. He had prepped the entire nursery, forcing Alaska to rest. He'd contacted the hospital months in advance, in case the baby came criminally early. And he'd cleaned the Hwang mansion, with Hyunjin's help, until it was shining, just so Alaska would be as comfortable as possible. You'd never seen either of those men so excited and nervous before.

"Just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean I cant help out! We've got months to go!" Alaska insisted, snatching another flower, even as Felix tried to wrestle them from her hands.

"You're going to make the baby come out if you keep working yourself like this!" Felix protested. "We've had this conversation a hundred times, literally. Do you want me to burst a blood vessel? And what about your brother? We're both having heart attacks watching you exert yourself."

Alaska huffed, but acquiesced for once. "You know I don't want that, Lix." She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him in for a kiss. "And I suppose I care about Hyun, too. But you seriously need to learn more about giving birth, if you're gonna be a dad."

"Seriously, can you even have a kid if you dont know how they come out?" Riley joked, shaking her head at the now red-faced duke.

"Hey, he deals with horses all the time, he must know how giving birth works," Christopher, who was holding the flowers Riley picked, pointed out to her. "Take it easy on the man!"

"Babe, since when have I ever taken it easy on anyone?" Riley sighed, shooting him a play-disappointed look. "I mean, look at our wedding planner."

"Planners, you mean," Christopher corrected in exasperation, but he couldn't mask the affectionate look on his face.

Riley and Christopher were not married, yet. Although they were some of the oldest in the group, they'd taken a little longer to get married, even though they'd gotten engaged around the same as everyone else, during last season's courting. But now, the wedding was less than a month away! And oh, what a ride planning had been for them. Riley had exacting specifications for how her wedding was to look, but it wasn't the usual Bride-zilla complaints. In fact, she wanted the opposite of a typical royal wedding. Less whites, laces, and silks, and more blacks, plain cottons, and sneakers. One of the wedding planners had even passed out when she heard Riley's vision. But Christopher and Riley were happy, and that was all that mattered.

"Planners, plural??" JJ gaped at her friend in shock, as she handed her bunch of flowers to Kai, who was starting to gather them all together. "And I thought Hyun was high maintenance!"

"Okay now that's just rude!" Hyunjin whined. "I am the most low maintenance of low maintenance!" He nodded so hard, the flower in his front pocket almost fell out. The two of them had matching orange flowers, the second in JJ's hair. Clearly, Minho wasnt the only one who had come up with that cute idea.

Hyunjin and JJ were also engaged, but they were definitely the slowest-moving couple of them all. After the dating show, Hyunjin and former King Lee had both been tried for the attempted murder of JJ. Although it had been proven that Hyunjin was not the one willingly assassinating people, he was still given a hefty fine, and community service. JJ had fought hard for him to stay out of prison, lobbying for his personality and character, and she'd been a huge reason why his sentence was so light. However, this had led to their potential wedding being postponed, and no concrete plans had been made for the still-engaged couple. But Hyunjin had done nothing but continue to work for his and JJ's relationship, and they were incredibly in love. Their wedding was certain to come.

"Everyone else got their flowers?" you called, as you offered your flowers to Kai, whose arms were already starting to get full. "Kai needs to leave to see Shayla soon!"

Everyone walked up and handed Kai their flowers, and the new bouquet really started coming together. From the oranges that JJ and Hyunjin had picked, to the yellows that you and Minho had chosen, it looked absolutely stunning. What could have been a mess, actually worked even better than a stylish, sleek bouquet like the initial roses. Sometimes, things really were meant to be.

"Wow!" Kai exclaimed, eyes wide as he stared at the eclectic array of flowers. "This looks perfect. Thank you guys for your help, it means a lot."

All of your friends smiled at him, and you couldn't help but think about your courting season, last year. You understood just how giddy and nervous your brother must be right now. Everyone else must be thinking the same thing.

"You're gonna do amazing," JJ assured him, patting his shoulder with a smile.

"Really, you're so handsome, any girl would wanna be with you!" Alaska encouraged brightly.

"You're always flirting, I'm sure it'll go well," Robin joked, earning her a laugh from Jisung.

"You have to tell us how it goes!" Mya exclaimed. "You and Shayla are really meant to be."

The rest of the group began dispersing across the yard, ready to enjoy the lovely summer day. Most of the week had been unbearably warm, so today was a rare treat.

Soon, Jisung was pushing Robin around in a wheelbarrow, as she urged him to run faster. Lanhua and Changbin had brought out popsicles for everyone, and Changbin was feeding her one while they distributed the others. Mya and Jeongin were laying on a blanket in the grass, taking selfies. Felix had forced Alaska to sit in a chair in the shade, while they cuddled and shared their popsicle. JJ, Hyunjin, Christopher, and Riley were playing a mini game of volleyball with a beach ball, making sure to keep off of the flowers, while Seungmin was helping Renee put on sunscreen, like the skin-conscious icons they were.

That just left you, Minho, and Kai.

You turned to your brother, and wordlessly wrapped him up in a tight hug. You didn't have much time to say goodbye, as courting hours would be ending soon, but... today felt like an important one to tell him how you felt. His life, and therefore yours, would be changing soon.

"I'm really happy for you, kai," you whispered to him, and you could feel him smile against you. "And I know I don't tell you enough, but... I love you."

"Thanks, Tessie, I love you too." He gave you a tight squeeze, before letting you go. "You and Minho have really been an inspiration for me and my courting season. No matter how hard of a time you had before, you've forgiven one another, and you're like... super in love now. I want that, too."

You beamed at Minho, then at Kai. "You're going to find it, I know it. No matter who it's with, you will. Now, go get your girl!"

Kai grinned sheepishly, before waving a goodbye. "I'll try!"

After Kai left, you were finally, finally alone with your husband. If you counted your friends playing in the yard, that is. After such a busy couple of months, you hardly got to see him without your friends, their wedding planners, or other royals in close vicinity. And as much as you loved spending any modicum of time with him, it was extra special when it was just you two.

Clearly, Minho was thinking along the same lines, because his hand instantly entwined with yours, before leading you over to a pair of chairs on the porch, where you could watch your friends from afar.

"This is really nice, isn't it?" Minho murmured, rubbing his thumb against the back of your hand. "We never get free time anymore, do we?"

"It almost has me missing the mansion," you joked, stopping when he shot you a deadpan look. "Okay, okay I'm just kidding. Reality is much better."

"You know, your brother is right," Minho said, as he gazed out across the stunning expanse of lawn that your family owned.

You tilted your head, taking in your husband's stunning profile. You would never get over how good he looked. "Oh really? That would be a first."

Minho chuckled, before sobering. "He's right, that we're a great couple," he explained. "We really worked through our shit, and we barely ever fight. Why is that?"

You frowned, rolling onto your side to fully face him. "What do you mean, why?"

He leaned close, skewering you with an intense look. "I fucked up so many times, and gave you no reason to give me another chance. You could have just hated me for the rest of our lives, faked our marriage for the cameras. Why did you forgive me?"

You paused, pondering his question. You cut a glance at your friends, who were all working together to push poor Jisung into the pool. They really were the picture of chaos, weren't they?

You quickly returned to your husband's pressing question. This wasn't the first time over the past year that Minho had asked you something similar. But this time, you might actually have the proper words to answer.

After everything that had occurred, all the fights, betrayal, lies, and now love, life was... good. Great. Perfect. And despite all the stress you'd felt, a sense of gratitude washed over you, and your heart, which had been eternally squeezed in your chest since your wedding, finally loosened.

"Forgiving you was one of the hardest things I've ever done," you admitted, meeting Minho's eyes honestly.

He swallowed thickly. "I know. I made it difficult for you."

You smiled, shaking your head, before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. After a pause, he reciprocated, hesitantly at first, then with unabashed passion. When you finally let go, you lifted his chin to yours, and met his gaze, faces mere inches apart.

"But loving you is the easiest thing I've done, and will ever do, for the rest of my life."

laska's note —
oh. my. goodness. that's... a wrap on fairytale! 🥹🥹 after 58 chapters and an epilogue, this lovely, crazy story is complete. i will miss this story so much, and it will always hold such a special place in my heart. not writing it has already felt so strange! 😭 it's crazy to have worked on something so hard, and for so long, and to have it be over so quickly. i truly hope you loved tessa and minho's love story, and enjoyed seeing it unfold. they were truly always meant to be together from the start, even if they would rather die than admit it. now look at them! happily married, and leading a successful kingdom. and everyone else too! they're all either engaged or married, and felaska?? they're going to have a BABY! 😱😱 i never thought i'd write that happening, but if it's gonna be anyone, it would be them. think, a mini felix running around! oh, that kid will be a menace...

now i want to say a final goodbye to this amazing story. in the final chapter of this book, i have written a little note to you all, saying thank you, and giving you an update on what i'll be working on in the future! so if you want to see that, READ ON! i'll be letting you know what fic is coming next... 😏 i love you all so much, and thank you for joining me on this royally amazing journey! i look forward to writing more incredible stories for you in the future 🩵

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲
┊ ⇄ ◁◁ II ▷▷ ↻ ┊