Chapter Text
Our journey home and arrival at the palace all went past me in a blur: the landscape flashing by as we followed another trail of light, the baffled guards at the gates gaping at my peculiar company (two legendary wizards, a formerly imprisoned human, a halfling bard, and an unconscious Soobin; who wouldn’t be surprised?), the commotion that broke out amongst the staff at my unannounced arrival after I secretly sneaked out a week ago. My brain hardly processes it, I just let it happen, dazed… And then I suddenly snap back to reality when emperor Hoseok, looking even more dishevelled than the last time I saw him, comes rushing down the stairs, two steps at a time. He takes my hands in his, and his eyes, surrounded by dark circles of insomnia, desperately search mine, looking hopeful and scared at the same time. “My dear, I cannot express how delighted I am to see you safely returned. You must be exhausted, so I feel terrible for asking, but…” He hesitates, bites his lip, then resumes: “Did you succeed?” I burst out in tears, unable to contain the dreadful emotions that have been eating at me, making me physically sick. “Princess…” Yeonjun puts his arm around me and lays his head against mine. I feel Hueningkai’s hand on my shoulder, giving me a compassionate squeeze. “What is it? What is wrong?” Hoseok asks, his voice overflowing with worry. His eyes quickly look behind me, eyeing the two wizards and Soobin, floating in between them on a stretcher made of leaves and twigs that Beomgyu crafted for him. “You found the druid, did you not? Dear, talk to me, please.” I sniff loudly, and gather all my strength to speak, my voice trembling: “We f-found him, but I f-failed anyway.” I shake my head, endless tears streaming down my face. “I c-can’t save them both, but I c-can’t possibly…” Choose. I can’t get the word out. Oh, how cruel is this fate, I can still hardly grasp what is happening. I refuse to believe that we travelled for miles, escaped from multiple dangerous creatures, and battled with the bad guys, only for all to be in vain… Because I will lose. I will lose either my beloved father, my solace, my support, the one who loves me most, or my best friend, who is like a brother to me, who stayed by my side since I was little. How could I possibly choose? Yet, I will have to. This flower can only save one. I am facing the most difficult decision I’ll ever make in my life, and I wish I could just run away. “What do you mean, ‘save them both’? What…” I can see the sudden realisation in Hoseok’s warm, brown eyes, as he looks at Soobin again. “Oh… Oh my…” His hands let go of mine and fall by his side, defeated. “Soobin has been poisoned as well,” Beomgyu says when Yeonjun, Hueningkai and I fail to speak. He sounds remorseful, as if it’s his fault that the flower, which he granted to me so graciously, is uncapable of curing more than one person from a poison no other thing in the entire world is able to cure. “She will have to choose between her father and her friend.” I feel as if an icy hand is clenching my heart, hearing it said like that. This flower can only save one. How could I possibly choose? “Oh, dear,” Hoseok embraces me and holds me tight. It feels so awfully similar to a hug from my dad, that I instinctively bury my head in his chest and weep some more. “It will be all right,” Hoseok whispers, his voice strained from emotion. “It will be all right.”
“But, my darling, is the answer not clear to you?” I look up at my dad, confused by his words. I have been sitting by his side for the past few hours, feeling so happy and relieved to be able to talk to him, while at the same time feeling so guilty and sad that Soobin is lying in the infirmary, battling the poison as we speak. The tea that Namjoon had sent was able to bring my father back to consciousness and stopped the poison from progressing to his heart, to which it had gotten dangerously close, but it could not, as Namjoon said, cure him. Even though my dad is still ill and looks tired, he has been listening attentively to me as I told him every little detail about the adventure, asking questions in between and gasping at all the right moments. I wish this moment could last forever, but I feel the weight of the decision I’ll have to make on my shoulders. I don’t want to choose. The peony flower is lying on the table behind us, but I have been ignoring its presence for now. I wish I could just throw the stupid thing in the lake, I wish that all of this would never have happened. But now, a nervous knot is forming in my stomach. What does he mean, the answer is clear? My father’s eyes lock on mine, so warm, so comforting, so loving. “I know you do not want to hear this,” he continues, and he takes my hands in his. “But you will have to save Soobin.” I freeze, my breath halts and my heart feels as if it has stopped beating. How could he just bluntly say something so awful as that? How… My paralysing fear turns into anger, and my heart starts beating again wildly. How could he ask this of me?! “Father!” I burst out. “You cannot be serious!” “Oh, but I am, dear,” he replies amused. I pull my hands out of his and jump up. “You are basically asking me to let you die!” “That is correct,” he says, his voice remorseful, feeling sorry for the heavy burden he is putting on me. “But… But I can’t!” I mutter, painfully aware how weak I sound. “You can’t, or you don’t want to?” father asks softly. Ah, damn it, how does he always know my true feelings, even if I don’t? “Why…” Fresh tears fall from my eyes as I sit down again, as I let my father embrace me. “Why must you be the one to go?” “Well, it is simple, my love. You have one Druid’s Flower, ergo, you can save one person from the poison. Soobin is still young and has a whole life in front of him. I am an old man –” “You’re forty-three!” “… Well, an older man, then, but my point is, I have lived a life.” He sighs, and stares out of the window at the blue sky, at the dotted clouds passing by. “I have seen the world, I have loved and have been loved, I have been blessed with a wonderful child… I have lived a life. Soobin has not, yet, and, more importantly, he has a whole life in front of him in which he will be by your side.” He looks at me now, and his eyes soften. “All I want, is to see you save and taken care of. If I live, I cannot stay by your side for all of your life. Soobin can. And I have a feeling that a certain pink-haired Human might, too.” My wet cheeks somehow manage to become hot; for a second I wonder if the tears will evaporate. “And honestly, my dear, I have lived nearly fifteen years without your mother now. You know that I love you to the moon and back, and I am glad to see so much of her in you, but still, I miss her so much that my heart aches at the mere thought of her.” The look in my dad’s eyes reminds me of Min Yoongi, longing to be at his true love’s side, and my heart breaks a little more. He sighs, and smiles ruefully. “So, considering all this, do you not agree that the answer is quite clear?” I stay silent, not wanting to accept what I already know. My father wipes the tears off my face, and gives me kiss on my head. “Oh, but… Dad…” I whisper, my voice quivering. “I will miss you so bad.” Tears flow from my father’s eyes as well, and he hugs me tight. “I will miss you too, darling. So much.”
“Oh! He’s waking up!” Hueningkai says, flapping his hands in excitement. I turn my head to Soobin, and I see that he is waking up indeed: he squints his eyes, his nose scrunches, and after blinking a few times, he mumbles confused: “Where am I?” “You’re at the palace, Pointy. Don’t you recognise your own home?” Yeonjun says, trying to sound sarcastic, but with a relieved smile on his face. “The palace…?” It doesn’t seem to ring a bell for Soobin yet. His eyes go from one person to the next, as if he has a hard time remembering our faces. “I’ll just double check if all of the poison is gone,” Beomgyu interrupts, and he carefully examines Soobin. The blue streaks have vanished, his face is no longer flushed from the fever, and he has woken up too; I would guess it’s safe to say he’s cured, but I’m no magical healing druid, of course. “Poison…?” Soobin mutters, and then his eyes grow wide. “Princess!” he cries out, looking at me incredulously. “Why did you… But the king… How…” I can see him fighting his emotions, so I take his hand and try to calm him down. “It is what father wanted,” I assure him, but that doesn’t help one bit. “But that makes no sense!” His other hand goes through his blue hair in distress, his breathing accelerates. “He’s the king! And I’m just a servant… No, I should be the one to die! Please, you shouldn’t save me.” It hurts me to hear him say that, even though I understand his feelings too. His sense of duty is so strong, but that doesn’t mean his life is worthless. “Soobin, snap out of it!” I shout at him. “We have already used the Druid Flower’s potion on you, so there is no turning back. The king agreed to this, so… just… see it as his order.” Soobin bites his lip and looks away from me, obviously conflicted. “Why didn’t you…” I hesitate, but for some reason, I want to know. “Why didn’t you tell me you were poisoned too?” Soobin remains silent, and I can feel the tension in the room rising. I guess I’m not he only one who is curious. “It didn’t matter,” Soobin mumbles after a while. “Our goal was to find the druid to heal your father. I was just hoping that I could live long enough to help you succeed. What happened to me after that, didn’t matter.” “Oh, Soobinie,” I whisper, crying once again. I cry so much these days, you’d think I have no tears left. “You’re like a brother to me, you know that. Of course it matters. You matter.” Soobin ignores me and continues: “And… I didn’t want you to worry even more, or to be mad at yourself. You realise when I got poisoned, no? It was that time your father couldn’t join us for dinner, so instead I joined you and had your father’s meal. The poison must have been in there, because after that, I slowly got sick as well… I didn’t want you to blame yourself for what happened. So, I thought it best not to tell you.” He looks at me now, tears glistening in his eyes. “I am sorry, princess.” I hug him tight. “Don’t be, Soobin. I am just glad you are all right.” “That was so beautiful,” Hueningkai softly whispers to Yeonjun, I can hear him sniffle behind my back. “Heart-breaking, but beautiful.” “Sssh, don’t ruin their moment,” Yeonjun mutters annoyed. I let go of Soobin before he gets embarrassed, and he asks me: “How is the king doing? Is he still…?” “He is resting for now,” I say. I look at my hands, fumbling with the blanket anxiously. Yeonjun notices and wraps his arm around me for support. “But it won’t be long before he goes,” I continue with a trembling voice. Soobin suddenly gets out of bed, a little unsteady, but determined. “Then I must go and see him,” he declares. “But Soobin, you have barely recovered!” Hueningkai objects. “That doesn’t matter,” Soobin dismisses his worry. “The king saved my life. I would like to thank him when I still have the chance.”
Three months later…
“May I have this dance, Your Majesty?” Yeonjun’s voice chimes cheekily. I turn around to see him smiling at me, looking handsome in his silver-coloured robes, his pink hair flowing beside his fox-like eyes. My heart warms by the way he looks at me, and I can’t help but smile, even though I haven’t felt like smiling all day. “I still can’t get used to that title, even though I only had it for a few hours,” I say as I take his hand, and he leads me onto the dance floor. “Well, you better get used to it quickly,” he remarks as he puts his other hand on my waist so we can start dancing. “After all, you’re the queen now.” My mind flashes back to the coronation ceremony today, which should have been a happy and festive occasion, which it probably was for the rest of the kingdom; just not for me. I sigh deeply, and Yeonjun raises his eyebrow at me. “What is it?” he whispers softly, his hand giving mine a comforting squeeze. “I wish father could have seen me,” I mumble sadly. Yeonjun gives me a rueful smile. “I’m sure he is very proud of you, love. Come on now, it’s your coronation ball, at least try to look happy that you’ve become the supreme ruler of this country and can boss your subjects around to your heart’s content.” Even though I’m feeling gloomy, I still have to giggle. Yeonjun always knows how to cheer me up; that’s one of the reasons I love him so. “Mhm,” I mumble, making a face as if I’m contemplating something. “I do have a lot of subjects though, so I might need some help with all that bossing around. Do you perhaps know anyone who could be interested in being my king?” He blushes deeply, and I can help but grin. I’ve learnt how to make him flustered by now. But then he grins back and teases me: “I heard Soobin is still single.” “Ya!” I slap him playfully, and he immediately gives in. “I’m just kidding, honey.” We twirl around for a long time, and I see many familiar faces flash by: of course Soobin is here, never leaving my side, as he promised to my father the day he died; Hueningkai is standing near the hearth, telling the “Tale of the Druid’s Flower”, as he named our journey, for the hundredth time, but with the same enthusiasm as always; Beomgyu and Taehyun are standing near one of the windows, entertaining some younger guests, though this seems to have been Beomgyu’s idea, by the look on Taehyun’s face; and I spot emperor Hoseok, dancing with one of the other queens (ah, so strange to consider myself as “one of the queens” now), winking as he sees me looking, he too keeping his promise to my father, as he visits the palace frequently these days. And then… I almost trip over my feet when my eyes catch the person standing on the balcony outside. Wait… Is that…? The song has just ended, and before the next dance starts, I quickly ask Yeonjun to fetch me a drink. “Your wish is my command, my queen.” He winks at me before he turns around and walks away, but my mind is too occupied to feel annoyed by his teasing. My heart hammers in my chest and my stomach clenches nervously as I walk towards the balcony doors. Is it really him, or am I imagining things? It could be the wind playing with the curtains that makes it look like he has… My hand trembles when I take the doorknob, and I slowly open the door. I hear myself gasp as I can’t believe my eyes. But he is really there, his halo glowing in the night, his wings folded on his back, which is turned to me. “Jimin…?” I whisper softly but, apparently, still loud enough for him to hear me, as he turns around and smiles brightly, reminding me of sunshine in spring. “Ah, there you are!” he chimes happily. “I was wondering if you could still see me just like that, but, given you came here, I guess you can.” He chuckles cutely, and a warm feeling spreads in my chest. I can’t help but stare; he is even more beautiful than I remember. “Why… why are you here?” I ask, an anxious but excited feeling starting to glow in my heart. His smile grows even wider. “Someone asked me to deliver a message to you. I think you might know whom.” “Father…” I whisper, tears rolling down my eyes. He sent Jimin to me on this day, because he knew I needed him. Even when he’s not here, he still makes sure to take care of me when I am having a hard time. Oh, dad. I miss you so. “He wanted to let you know that he is proud of you, that he is sure that you will do well, and that he loves you to the moon and back.” I smile through my tears. That’s just how he would have said it. “Oh, and, I almost forgot,” Jimin says hastily. “Your mother sends her greetings too.” “So that means that they’ve found each other, over there,” I mumble. Somehow, it’s really comforting to know that they are together now. He won’t have to miss my mother anymore. “I must leave again, I am afraid. Unfortunately, I cannot stay any longer after delivering my message.” Jimin shrugs, a little remorseful, as if he’s sad to be leaving already. “If you meet my parents again, tell them I love them too,” I ask carefully, afraid I am asking for too much. But he nods, saying: “I will, if I get the chance.” “And, thank you so much,” I add, feeling immensely grateful for this moment, even though it was short. “You are very welcome, dearest,” Jimin replies warmly. Then he unfolds his wings and soars off, leaving me behind in the cold night, that doesn’t feel so cold to me now, as my heart is warm. “Thank you, dad,” I say softly. “I love you too.” I hear the balcony doors opening behind me, and I turn around to see Yeonjun walking towards me, carrying two glasses with drinks while looking concerned. “Honey? What are you doing out here in the cold?” Yeonjun says, putting his arm around me to keep me warm. “Oh, nothing really,” I mumble, wanting to keep the special moment with the angel for myself. “Just talking to my dad.” Yeonjun looks at me, then at the stars, and he smiles. “Of course, love. I am sure he heard you.” I smile as well, laying my head against Yeonjun’s shoulder, whispering: “I know he did.”