Chapter Text

Chapter One: Broken Promises

“I’ll make it quick.”

He swallowed, hand shaking as he held the bloody sword- covered in the blood of her guards who she had befriended, her friends, and even– even her father.

“You won’t feel anything. I’ll make it fast- so don’t be scared.” His eyes gave the impression that he was hurt by what he had to do, his head throbbing at the thought of the duty bestowed upon him.

“Stay…Stay away from me, you bastard!” She threw a vase, and he made no attempt to dodge it. It shattered into pieces somewhere in the room.

“I love you.”

“Don’t say that, you– you! I hate you!” she pushed herself closer to the wall, becoming more hopeless by the second.

“I…love you. I’m sorry, I never wanted to do this.”

If Cheol had the choice to never be born at all, he would have done exactly that. It would've meant that none of this had to happen.

"You're doing it right now though! You damn hypocrite!" she sobbed. "You've ruined everything– you ruined my life."

She stumbled against the wood cabinet, pressing down on the deep cut he gave her side earlier. He had only missed his real target, but the bleeding showed no signs of stopping.

It was just the princess and her knight, who chased her throughout the castle until he cornered her like this. In the room they used to spar in for fun, a room full of memories.

"You're no knight," she coughed out blood. "You're a fucking monster —"

Cheol approached her carefully, his face emotionless as he avoided her eyes. He pulled her in for a hug and she weakly slapped his arms.

“No! No–“ she gasped when she felt the blade pierce through her chest. She knew it had punctured her lung when breathing became difficult. 

He carefully placed her down, cradling her head. She struggled, attempting to push him away and gritting her teeth from the pain. He held her in place and eventually she stopped fighting. His eyes watered and he rested his head against hers. He started to pull back.

He hoped her suffering was over and she felt slightly comforted by his arms like she used to- then he felt her nails sink into his arms. 

He was pulled down and he found himself staring into green eyes full of hate. Blood spilled from her mouth like a waterfall and the words came in gurgles- yet he could feel the poison dripping from her rosy lips.

“I hate you. No matter what it takes I will make sure...y-you suffer for the rest of...your miserable life and all the lives...after that. I will NEVER FORGIVE YOU!” The blood splattered on his face, and tears begun to fall from his eyes, dripping down his cheeks. The mask broke and she scoffed at his sobs.

“...Good. Cr—y. I will...die...hat–ing…you..” she trailed off, whispering the last part when her eyes lost focus and her arm dropped. The blood filled her lungs, her mind disconnecting from what was going on.

She didn’t want to talk to him anymore, even if it was what she used to love doing most. Indulge in long conversations with him. She wanted to forget about him and his stupid lips, stupid words, and his deceitful love.

Hwang Mi-ae wanted to float away in peace.

Every pause in her breathing pattern stretched out to be even longer than the previous. She could no longer move the tips of her fingers, Mi-ae almost entirely numb.

It was funny, considering the one who paralyzed her also happened to be the same boy who made her feel everything and more. So much more.

Let me go, she wanted to say.

She would rather die alone than with him.

I want you gone. 

The words never came out, she only laid there as he weeped.

How pathetic.

She was the one dying and here he was– acting like he had just found her like this. Regret seemed to course through him, decorating his features. It was also apparent in the way he smoothed her hair and caressed her cheek, as if it were to soothe her.

The familiar rough pads of his fingers tried to wipe away the blood as his crystal tears felt like soft rain droplets on her skin.

"My lady."

Why...was she thinking about this now?

"My lady," he repeated.

Her heart seemed to betray her as well.

“Miae-ya.”

She opened her eyes to a familiar sight, him.

Cheol stared down at her, his hand pressing down the hair that she let down. His purple eyes stared back at her, reflecting the pretty colors of the field they were in.

Her heart expanded.

Mi-ae smiled upon seeing him, hand reaching for his own to cuddle it.

“Why, hello." 

He gave her a small smile back, picking off the leaves from her hair from the tree they were sitting under. “Hi.”

“Although seeing your begrudgingly pretty face is a great way to wake up, I did want to sleep a bit more.” The princess' nose scrunched.

“You were cold.” Cheol frowned, and her smile grew even more. She sat up and threw her arms around him, blushing when she felt him hug her back.

“Being with you makes it worth it. I love you.” Mi-ae whispered into his shoulder. A small laugh left her lips when she saw his ears turn red.

After a few seconds, Cheol pulled back from the hug. Mi-ae blinked with surprise when he ripped a white tulip from the ground, gently placing it in her hair.

“I promise to love you until I have no more love left, my lady.”

"You better," she quipped, carefully laying herself back down on his lap. "I shall rest with this elegant flower in my hair."

"And you should rest."

"Why? Because I soon have to attend a bunch of worthless events? Give me a break."

He sighed. "Worthless or not, your sleep is important. They will drain you."

She giggled when she felt his hand protect her face from the sun, gently pressing down on her eyelids.

"Close your eyes and rest, my princess. I'll watch over you."

"...Let me see you again, I miss your face already."

As long as Cheol was there, Mi-ae knew peace. She knew love.

She knew him.

She didn't know she could be so wrong.

"Close them, okay? I'll wake you up when I have to escort you for preparations."

Doing as she was told, she couldn't help the grin that took over her face. "My…I have such a caring prince."

"Knight," he corrected.

Opening her eyes, his face was back into view– covered in crimson red this time.

“I will protect you in your next life. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Cheol gently lifted her into his arms and placed her head to lean onto his shoulder. He rubbed her back in what was supposed to be comforting patterns.

An unfamiliar coldness gripped her senses, she was finally starting to fade away.

"I swear to you, I will make it up to you in your next life. If mercy is given to me I will protect you for all the lives to come.”

Rage seemed to be enough to get her to speak.

"And–" She coughed out blood, specks of it coating the shoulder of his armor. "I…"

Cheol squeezed her closer.

"..hope…you suffer. In every...single…damn…one."

He held her for who knows how long, but to him, it felt like an eternity. It was an eternity. Her traitor waited for her last breath, cursing himself. He silently hoped that when he died, he would be sent somewhere where they would make him feel all of her pain. All of it.

The betrayal, the fear, and the slow death he had given her.

He promised to make it quick, yet it was another promise he broke.

Everytime he thought it was her last breath, then came another– every last one becoming more short and strangled.

This was torture.

Mi-ae had two wishes. One, for him to suffer for a very long time– to suffer forever if he could. Two, to be gone from that room, she couldn't stand being in his arms anymore. The arms she used to seek out every night, the arms that comforted her when she cried.

And gone she was.

Her head lolled to the side, his hand shakily cradling it. Her lover sobbed awfully in that room that became void of her life.

If only he knew…

That their suffering had just begun.