RINEI

Jimin.

I move towards the door, almost hypnotized as I see him lying there. His usually pale face is even paler, his golden hair covering his closed eyes.

The Healer is bent over his shoulder, brows furrowed together.

I swallow thickly.

And I'm about to enter when Taehyung pulls me back. His watchful eyes are fixed on me with a steady gaze.

"I'll be out here."

"Y-You're not coming in?"

Then I realize why. My eyes widen when I see a group of guard elves coming down the Palace hallway, headed straight for us. Their bows are drawn.

I grip his sleeve.

"I thought— didn't you say that no one would try and kill us if we came back to the City?"

"They're not here for that."

His gaze flattens as he watches them come closer. "Go in first. I'll join you once I'm done with them, Rinei."

"I'll make sure you aren't interrupted."

I nod uncertainly. But my eyes linger on his back as he walks a few steps forward, stopping them in their tracks. He and the captain guard starts talking in a low voice.

What were they talking about?

I grip the doorknob.

I'd ask him later.

The Healer looks up when I come in. And I see that Jungkook's asleep in one of the farthest beds, his head rested on Arlen's lap. Arlen gives me a slight smile.

"Hello, Rinei."

"I am glad you are alive."

"Thank you so much for helping him." I murmur, looking back at Jimin. "Really. He would've died without you."

Her eyes widen slightly.

"You can speak?"

I smile and nod.

"How?"

"Things...happened. A lot of things, actually. While Taehyung was fighting his brother." I whisper, clasping my hands together. "I don't know how exactly—"

"Who are you?"

The Healer.

I turn to him in surprise.

He's an old elf— the oldest I've seen. His hair is long and snow white, almost reaching his waist. His intelligent blue eyes are alarmed, but I can instantly tell he's kind.

"She is the lover of the Second Prince." Arlen answers, her voice quiet in the back. A light flush reddens my cheeks.

The Healer's eyes widen.

"Prince Taehyung? His lover is a human?"

He turns to me with an almost urgent look in his eyes. "Is the Prince alive? I must know. Is he the one who brought you here?"

I nod.

"My goodness." He says. "Then that must mean the Crown Prince is dead. He was out to kill him the last time I'd seen it, after Lord Elven's death."

"He'll be in here soon." I say, pointing to the door. "He's outside talking with some guards right now. I'm not exactly sure why, but—"

"They are there to tell him that he is the only one left to ascend the throne."

I stop.

Taehyung? Ruling over Elven?

Suddenly I can't think straight. It was so obvious, now that I thought about it. I'd killed Lord Elven, and the Crown Prince was dead. Naturally the duty would fall on Taehyung.

But I...

I'd imagined a quiet, peaceful life with him. Just the two of us, in the Forest. In the cottage.

Or maybe it was too selfish of me, to keep him only to myself like that.

"How—Is he okay?" I ask, my voice faltering a little as I look back down at Jimin.

"He'll be up and awake by tomorrow morning." The gentle Healer tells me. I can tell he's looking at me with a lot more interest, now that he'd known who I was. "The poison is fading away. And his regeneration is very fast, with how young he is."

Relief hits me.

"Thank you."

"Thank you so much, really. I—"

Then I pause when I hear the sound of raised voices. It sounds as if someone is arguing, outside in the hallway. I could hear it through the door.

And the moment I catch Taehyung's expression through the glass, stormed over as if he was barely keeping himself from killing all of them, I dash back outside the infirmary.

The air is full of tension.

It's Taehyung, and the Captain Guard. They're both staring at each other coldly, voices chilled to ice.

"What do you mean, Your Highness?"

"When you say that you refuse the ascension of the throne?"

...what?

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

"Find someone else." Taehyung growls, voice low. "I mean exactly what I said, Captain Guard. I won't be taking my Father's place."

The guard elf's expression twists.

"You're abandoning your people and your duty as royalty, just like that? You're aware that if you don't take the throne, the nobles will fight. And in the process the entire City will fall into chaos."

My lips purse.

And I stay silent as Taehyung's lip curls, his eyes cold and soulless.

"My people?"

"They were never my people, Captain Guard."

The guard sputters in shock. He looks like he can't even find the words to say, until I twist around to grip Taehyung's arm.

"Tae."

"Take the throne."

His gaze ices over like the chill of wind.

"Rinei."

"One second." I tell the waiting guards. Then I pull Taehyung into one of the empty rooms, my head whirling with what I was going to tell him.

I can't even think straight.

But all I know is that it wouldn't be right to leave all these people. Before I hadn't really thought about all this— but now it's so obvious in my head, how the nobility would pull this City apart to try and claim the throne.

He sees the conflicted expression on my face.

"Rinei."

He lowers his face closer to mine. My hands are wrapped around his shoulders.

"I know what you're thinking."

I look up at him.

"You worry for the people." He murmurs, gazing down at my wide eyes with an unreadable expression. He takes a strand of my hair unconsciously between his fingertips.

His fingers tighten.

"But these people."

"Do you know why my Father was so set on training my brother and I every single day? Every year since I've turned thirteen he has forced us to battle in an Arena in front of the entire people. To give them a show."

"They would not stop cheering until either one of us were too hurt to go on."

His eyes burn.

"These are my father's people. Now that he's dead, I don't care whatever happens to them."

I breathe out slowly. My hands loosen from around his shoulders, gaze lowering to the ground.

I couldn't make him change his mind.

How could I? I'd be too selfish to keep trying.

There's a soft sigh.

And I feel him lift me off the floor and into his arms. When I feel my back press against the surface of a bed, I scramble upwards in surprise.

"Tae, I really don't think now is the ti—"

"One second."

He repeats what I told the guards outside. And I flush as he silences me with a kiss, his hands wrapping around my waist. His voice is a little dazed.

"I'm thinking about how I might just change my mind, because of you."

...what?

"One year."

"That time should be enough for the death of my father and brother to settle among the people." Taehyung whispers, his tipped ears gleaming in the low light.

"W-Wait." I say, my brows scrunching as he traces his fingertip down my jaw. "What are you talking about? One year?"

"I'll play the part of a King for one year. And you will be my Queen."

He smiles, like it's the perfect plan.

"Once that year ends, I will give up the throne. By then there should be someone competent enough to rule the City."

He grips my chin softly.

"And you and I,"

"Will return to our cottage in the Forest."