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[peachysooxo]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 9

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, smut, fluff word count: 6,019 description: shortly after Kyungsoo and Alina get married, war breaks out and causes the couple to be completely devoted on military strategy and relief efforts respective. Alina tries to break free from her mental captivity, Kyungsoo finds himself in a difficult position when it comes to protecting Alina and possible peace talks with King Daniel. warnings: mentions of abuse, mentions of war and violence, smut

author’s note: hello dear reader (: Chapter 9 is here! I AM SO SORRY that I got into a bad writer’s block slump. I’ll do my best to keep this story updated. This story has definitely been a challenge but I’m happy to share it with you. It means so much that you’re still reading! Photos are not mine. Dividers by @saradika-graphics . Enjoy!

KYUNGSOO

The day of our wedding was one I’ll never forget. That moment in the garden is so special to me, because that night was the night I truly fell in love with my wife. I wasn’t certain until that moment that it was actually love and not pure infatuation. Having her in my arms every single night made me realize I didn’t want anything else. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to spend together after our wedding. Father started to step back from his royal duties once the threat of war became real and the bombs started to drop. It didn’t make much of a difference, most of my adulthood I’ve been a shadow king, doing everything an active king does anyway while being chief of military. Most of my time was spent meeting with the military and counsel for strategy because Father allowed cowardice to hold him back.

Smaller towns were bombed at our borders and that took most of my attention. Before we knew it, three months had gone by and our lives were consumed with the war. Of course, Alina was the first to volunteer with medical aid and coordinating relief efforts with our allies.

What bothered me is some Seoul critics were upset she was even at the front lines helping others, and not pregnant with my heir yet. The last thing I wanted to do was bring a child into a war zone, it was senseless. They seemed to think a child would bring hope to our people, when in reality all they want is to survive, not to glorify a royal child. It also bothered me greatly that many looked at Alina and didn’t see her strength or giving heart, they only saw her as The Crown Prince’s Beauty or only a means for the Doh Dynasty to continue. Opinions change rather quickly when things don’t go exactly to plan.

Unnecessary pressure started to build up for Alina, with most of it coming from Mother and male politicians that shouldn’t have even looked in my love’s direction. Alina was so much more than what they wanted her to be, and I refused to allow these people to pressure either of us into the next phase of our love story. An heir is the least of my worries at the moment, my priority is keeping Alina alive and with me.

Azteco kept inching closer and closer to the capital and the attacks were met with greater defense. King Daniel had a goal, and he wasn’t going to see it get recognized. It baffles me that a King with a wife would start a war over a Crown Princess and building an empire. He can’t have my Princess, I’ll die before he gets his filthy hands on her.

The most I saw of Alina was at night. We’d hold each other and forget a war was going on all around us. She gave me a peace I’ve never known, a love I’ve never felt. Her nightmares were getting worse night after night. I ordered more security for her if I couldn’t be with her, including assassins. I don’t want her to worry that something will happen if I’m not around, I wanted her to feel secure. I have still seen to it that she gets training in swords, from what I hear from Commander Jongin, she’s catching on fairly quickly and is more confident. What I really want is to have our lessons start again.

I placed General Junmyeon in charge so I can step back and spend some time with Alina. Now that I finally have free time, I decided to do all of the things we missed out on during the earlier months of our marriage. The entire day was spent in the garden, stealing kisses as we walked around the palace, and sharing a meal together. The sun set on a beautiful day, Alina and I were side by side at the entrance of our chambers.

“Let me carry you inside.” I mutter lowly, hoisting Alina into my arms and cradle her close to my chest. With a small shriek, Alina wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her past the threshold. I shut the door with my foot and carry my wife to the comfy couch in the spacious living room. I trip and land on top of her, laughing with her at my own clumsiness. “I promise that I’m usually more coordinated than this.”

“Why did you carry me inside, amorcito?” Alina giggles.

I playfully pout and gaze down, my eyes slowly meeting hers in a soft and silent plea. I sit back on the couch and wrap an arm around Alina’s shoulders. “It’s what the husband does in the movies after he marries his wife… Something I failed to do.”

Alina laughs and yawns. “There’s a war going on, and you’re acting as King of our Kingdom. You did great, it was like a movie moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. What is… Why do our chambers look different?”

“Look around and tell me, Darling.” I smile, and Alina jumps up to her feet. I’ve planned this moment for weeks, adding the personal touches of Valencia to our chambers will hopefully make her feel more comfortable. It was hell getting the things from Mariposa to Seoul, Lisette had to help me with most of it. I follow her and try not to laugh at her soft gasps and how she keeps covering her mouth with her hand. The wonder in her eyes was adorable, she wasn’t expecting all of the personal touches.

“Is everything to your liking?” I smile down at her, she nods and excitedly smiles back at me.

“It’s beautiful. Are these bedsheets from…”

“Mariposa? Yes.” I smile, kissing her temple. Alina yawns again and separates from me.

“You are a secret romantic, aren’t you, Crown Prince?” Alina giggles under red cheeks.

“Perhaps I’m just madly in love with my beautiful wife,” I leave kisses on her cheeks and hold her close to my chest. I hold on to this moment, I know these moments won’t last much longer and I need anything to get through the trenches of war without Alina. She yawns one more time and I chuckle softly. “Princess, am I boring you?”

“No! No, not at all. I’m just so exhausted from the hospital and working with Ally Relief.  I would love nothing more than to just be in your arms and sleep. I’ve missed you.” She says while slowly walking over to the dresser to get clothes to sleep in. She holds a silk nightgown in her hands and my eyes widen. My mind starts to race with thoughts of her, but I know I have to hold myself back. As soon as she shuts the door to the bathroom, I quickly change my clothes and get into bed. Sheets from Mariposa were much more comfortable than ones from Seoul, and all I could think about was my wife and I tangled up in them. Alina enters the room and all I want is to take that nightgown off of her and-

“Kyungsoo? Are you okay?” Alina waves her hand in front of my face. My ears warm and I nod with an embarrassed smile. If only she knew the thoughts I’ve had of her since the intimacy we shared in my library… Alina settles on the bed and gets under the sheets.

“Comfy?” I ask while turning off the lights. A soft glow filters through the windows, the moon always favors my princess. Alina nods and cuddles closer to me in between the thick blankets and soft sheets. “Good. Now rest. We’re picking up our sword training again tomorrow morning.”

“I want to sleep in tomorrow, why are you making me do it? We haven’t seen much of each other in months, and this is how you want to spend our time?” Alina whines with a pout.

“Alina, you have to learn.” I kiss her forehead. “It’s important. Perhaps if you do well, a surprise will await you.”

“Hmm… You’re just enticing me. Fine, okay.” Alina rests in my arms and drifts to sleep. I lie awake with my princess in my arms, occasionally holding her tighter when her body tenses from the nightmares.

Halfway through the night, Alina wakes up with a whimper and shaking hands. I sit up and keep her wrapped in my arms, trying to calm her anxiety.

“Kyung…”

“Shhh… It’s okay, Darling. I’m right here.” I whisper. She gazes down at her arms and touches certain spots. Curiously, she looks at me with a look of shock dilating her pupils.

“They’re gone.” She whispers.

“What’s gone?”

“The… Marks… He left…” my blood gets hotter as I sit in front of Alina, my eyes focused as my determination grows to fix this for her. “Kyungsoo… I want him erased from my memory and my body. I want to be free… I want to… I want…”

“Alina… What happened in the dream?” I ask, rubbing her arms slowly.

“He… He…,” Alina squeezes her eyes shut as a blush blooms across her beautiful face, “You and I were in this room… You were… making love to me. Then after… He came and killed you and took me… Doing horrible things to me. I had marks and cuts everywhere like before…”

“Tell me where he hurt you, Princess.” I say softly. Alina reaches for my hand and places it on her forearm. “Here?”

“Yes.” She shakes nervously. I bring her arm to my lips and press them warmly onto her skin. My lips linger and then press in on her other forearm while my eyes stay focused on her.

“Where else?”

Alina sighs and I watch the fear escape her pleading eyes. She gathers her hair behind her neck and shows me her right shoulder. She lowers her nightgown strap and reveals a faint scar. My fingertips trace the scar, and I can feel her skin warm up at my touch. A million different things run through my head as I touch her. I need to cure her of these nightmares, these worries.

“I screamed for help and got this.”

Flames of anger burst all over my body, and I shake my head and pull her close to my mouth. I nervously lean down and leave kisses along the scar. My breath escapes my lungs as my lips hover above her collarbone.

“Anywhere here, Princess?” I breathe into her neck. Alina nods slowly and brushes her hand over her neck. “Your neck?”

“Yes…” Alina’s eyes eyes fill with tears. I didn’t even want an explanation of what happened. I can’t bear it. I begin to wipe her tears slowly with my thumbs. I bury my face in her neck as I obsessively kiss her skin in small, gentle pecks. My arms tighten around Alina’s waist and my mouth stops at her ear. Her breath catches and her voice shakes as she whispers to me. “What are you… What are you doing?”

“Erasing him from you,” I whisper back. I nestle my head in the crook of her neck again and my lips graze the length of her neck. “I won’t stop until every inch of you is free of him.”

I settle Alina in my lap without breaking eye contact. Loving her in the dark is a whole new thrill, because no matter how dark the room is, I can feel her eyes on me. The only light in this room is from the moon, giving Alina her usual glow that I obsess over. I kiss my way back up to her cheek and turn her face slowly, my mouth desperately meeting hers. She presses her chest against mine but her embrace is uncertain, her hands shaking as they hold my face.

“Tell me what’s on your mind, Princess.” I say softly, breaking our connection and resort to caressing her shoulder blade.

“The feeling of… Wanting more. How it feels so wrong to want more yet I am so afraid of this. The fact that I must give you a child,” She whispers, “I don’t want to disappoint you, Kyungsoo.”

“You don’t need to be afraid of me, or this. It’s not wrong to give in to your desires, Darling. We’ll worry about a child once this war is over. I don’t want our child to be born during a time of war. They deserve a peaceful world, and you deserve a beautiful pregnancy whenever you are ready to have our child. You tell me when you’re ready, not politicians or anyone else. Is that understood?” I explain slowly and gently, caressing her face as I speak to her.

“I am relieved you are on my side,” Alina sighs. I kiss her lips and hold her closer to me, my hands find their way through her hair.

“Darling, there’s no other place I’d want to be. Do you want me to keep going? Do I have your permission to keep kissing you?” I ask. Alina nods but I shake my head. “No, Alina. I want you to tell me yes or no. Use your words.”

“Yes, Kyungsoo. Kiss me.”

I nod and press my lips on hers, sweeping her hair away to fall down her back again to expose her shoulders. I want her to enjoy this, I want her to feel like she has a say in what she wants… That I will do everything she asks of me, I’m in her hands and at her every command. I press my thumb into her shoulder and part from her mouth. “May I kiss you here?”

“Yes.”

Once her skin touches my lips, her soft moan causes euphoria to burst in my brain. I press kisses across her chest. Small groans keep escaping her mouth, she’s giving in to her wants and that’s exactly what I need her to do. Her nightgown was an obstacle in my way, I wanted so badly to rip it off of her, but I knew that would make her panic. “Alina.”

“Yeah?” She rasps.

“May I take this off?” I ask hopefully. Her hands grip my arms and she nods.

“If I can take your shirt off.” She bargains nervously.

“Yes, you can, darling.” I smirk. I slowly expose her body to my eyes. I thought it was impossible for a woman to be perfect, but here I am with perfection in my hands. She carefully pushes my shirt off of my shoulders and I turn her slowly, laying her on our bed. I hover on top of her, leaving a trail of kisses from her lips to her jaw and keep kissing my way down until I get to the base of her neck. Alina groans and slides her fingers in my hair as I lower myself to kiss her chest, slowly inching toward her stomach.

“May I take these off of you?” I whisper while caressing her thigh, my mouth lingering on her hip.

“Please, baby.” That’s all I needed. I hook my fingers inside of her underwear and pull them down and off of her hips, delighted at the sight of her dripping wet for me. It’s a feeling of pride that I can do this to her body, that it’s me that she wants.

Alina reaches up and brings my eyes to meet hers. Her thumbs softly caress my lips. I grind against that perfect spot between her legs and hips, her knees rise and enclose me into her. We entangle ourselves in each other, our kisses getting needier. I reach my hand back and graze her leg, inching closer to the top of her thigh. I squeeze her flesh and become desperate to feel her around me. Alina moans in my mouth at the friction I repeatedly create. My fingers spread past her hips and before I could feel in between her legs, I feel Alina tense in my arms. I stop, pull my hand away and look down at my princess.

"Kyungsoo… Wait..." Alina whispers nervously, her hand resting on my chest. “I didn’t like that…”

"I’ll never do it again, darling. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do.” I assure Alina and drop to her side. I nuzzle my face into the crook of her neck.

“I don’t know what I want…” her voice trails off and I know I’m losing her to memories. I have to get her back to earth before she has an anxiety attack.

“Then we’ll find out what you like. Just look in my eyes when you get scared. I’ll take care of you with every touch, every kiss, it’ll all be for you. You’re with your husband who adores you. We’re far away from the rest of the world in this moment. We’ll only keep going if you’re ready.” I whisper softly onto her skin. Alina’s breath becomes even, and her muscles relax with each word that comes out of my mouth. It pains me that Alina was traumatized over something that was supposed to be so beautiful between the two of us. I slowly stroke Alina’s hair and hold her close to my chest. I turn her head and kiss her quivering lips. I needed to calm her, make her feel safe. Alina relaxes in my hold. She turns to me and softly smiles with her hand on my cheek.

"I’m ready."

“Are you sure, darling?”

“Yes.” Alina nods calmly. I nod and quickly grab a condom from the bedside table. Alina watches me as I rip the foil and slide it down my length, almost clumsily returning to her. I line myself up at her entrance but Alina scoots back, becoming aware of what’s about to happen.

"Kyungsoo..."

"Look in my eyes, darling. It's me. It’s only me.” I soften my gaze. “I’ll go slow, baby. May I keep going?”

Alina nods and I capture her in a slow burning kiss. I whisper lowly, “Mmmm, Alina. Use your words. I want to hear your gorgeous voice.”

“Y-Y-Yes, Kyungsoo. Keep going.” Alina stutters back.

I slowly enter her, cradling her close enough to brush my nose against hers. My hands stay planted on either side of her head and her fingers grip my shoulders tightly. I hang my head, mesmerized by how she feels around me. I watch as her body reacts to me being inside of her. For a moment I admire her heavenly, beautiful face. “You feel heavenly, princess.”

I slowly bury myself deeper into her, taking my time to drown in her walls, wanting to satisfy her every craving. Show her that this is meant to feel good, that her wants matter. My mouth wanders her neck and chest, leaving deep purple marks that bloom on her skin like flowers. Her melodic moans bounce off of the walls and they’re such a pleasant gift to my ears. Every move I make causes shivers through Alina’s body. I watch her eyes roll then focus again. "Kyungsoo... Kyung… Kyung..."

“Good girl, you’re doing so well.” I praise. I can see the switch go off in Alina’s head as the words leave my mouth and she tightens around my length. I’ve always said this to her, but now it felt different. It was less innocent and more sensual. We’re lost in a kiss and Alina surprises me by wrapping her legs around me. She steadies herself and grips the headboard, I sit back and gaze up at her. Her gaze is blown with need, with desire.

“I want to… Keep feeling this…” she shivers as I keep guiding her back and forth.

“That’s it, princess. Do what makes you feel good. Take control of me.” I huff as she rolls her hips and grips onto my shoulders. I rest my hands on her waist, she doesn’t need any guidance anymore, just reassurance.

I’m entranced by Alina and how she grinds her hips on top of me. Her hands are pressed at the junction of my chest and shoulders, her fingernails indenting my skin. The look of pure ecstasy on her face engrains itself into my memory, she’s so beautiful when she’s feeling every single ounce of pleasure. I shutter at my building climax but want Alina to feel hers first.

I pull Alina down to kiss me and feel her walls tighten around me. I moan in her mouth, causing her to move faster and grip me tighter. Alina shakes with satisfaction as she grabs my arms, groaning louder and louder in my mouth. I chase this high; it gets closer and closer until we freeze, I hold Alina in my arms as we climax together. I open my eyes and watch her orgasm, relief and satisfaction overtake me knowing I didn’t hurt her. We catch our breath, and she reaches down toward me. Our lips entangle together and I willingly lose myself in her.  

"I made love to you, amorcito." Alina whispers. I slide out of her and kiss her cheek. 

"Yes, you did,” I nod, "You did so well, darling. How do you feel? Were you comfortable?"

“I feel good… I… I didn’t know I could… Do that,” She shyly admits, “I… loved that.”

I smirk and pulls her in for another kiss, I can’t get enough of her kisses. “My darling, you simply are my perfection. My reverie. I could indulge in you all night. I’ve said it before, you possess an intoxicating beauty… You’re perfect. You deserve every single ounce of pleasure that you felt tonight… And I’ll gladly give it to you whenever you crave it.”

“That… Sounds perfect.” Alina’s body shivers in my embrace. I’ve never been so willing to only focus on a woman’s pleasure before this. Of course, I had no complaints, but all I wanted was to make my wife feel good, to feel desired, that she had the control and not me. Not once have I enslaved myself to a woman and whatever she wanted, Alina really did wield a power of changing me and keeping me in the palm of her hands.

I get her up from bed, guiding her to the bathroom. I quickly slide the condom off, toss it in the garbage and turn my focus back to Alina. I start the shower for Alina to clean up and I prepare new clothes for her. She had the bedsheet wrapped around her still, sleepily smiling at me. I check the temperature of the water and nod to myself, bringing Alina closer to the opening. I gaze at her and she slowly removes the sheet from her body. Alina takes my arm and pulls me in the shower with her, resting me against the wall.

“Stay with me,” she pleads, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. I push her under the water and it hits her body, my hands cascade her outline. I take her body wash from the shelf and grab a soft cloth.

“I’m right here, princess.” I whisper. I wet the cloth and clean up the mess we made between her legs. She groans under the water and goosebumps arise on her skin at my touch. After I finish, I take another cloth and lather her body wash on it, rubbing her skin with the soap bubbles sliding down her back. I place her under the water and wash the bubbles away, Alina smiles at me and wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Thank you for being so patient with me.”

I nod and hold my wife, sighing. “Anything for you, my princess.”

The next morning was like a fog. Alina woke me with kisses, the sweetest way to wake up. It didn’t take long to get tangled up in each other, which in turn made us late for her sword drills. I didn’t mind, she wanted to make love, so we did. Twice. Seeing Alina let down her guard with me was a victory. I wanted to stay in bed with her all day, but we had to make sure she was ready for anything. Once we got out of bed in the afternoon and got dressed, we went to the training grounds together. I watched Alina confidently take the sword into her hand and smile sweetly at me.

“I think you need a challenge, darling.” I smirk.

“Give me all you got, Crown Prince.” Alina smirks back.

“Let's see what Commander Jongin taught you.” I quickly step forward, but Alina pushes me back with her hand, so I turn and our swords clash. We spar back and forth and her skill impresses me. I shouldn’t be surprised but watching her has me in awe. I have more confidence that she could hold her own if she ever needed to. We keep training and she starts to tire me out.

“Yes, that’s it!” I shout over the clashing of our swords. Alina was getting quite good at her swordsmanship. She was now able to defend and attack much quicker and is light on her feet. She holds the sword over her head and stops me from swinging my blade downward at her. I relieve the pressure and we return to a neutral stance. “Now, don’t lower your guard. Because I can easily…”

I knock her sword out of her hand. Alina scrambles and attempts to retrieve it, but I kick it out of the way. I reach for Alina and pull her in front of me. She gazes back at me, the look in her eye tells me she’s concluding that she’s done for. “Kyungsoo, this is impossible. If this ever happens, I will certainly die!”

“No, you won’t. Remember, study me. Where are my weaknesses?” I order, seriously overtaking my voice. “Look beyond your fear, you are in control of this situation even if your opponent tries to make you believe otherwise.”

Alina nods and the wheels start turning more as she studies me. Suddenly, she reaches down and grips onto my wrist. She turns and pulls me to the ground, my sword clanking onto the ground next to me. My Princess straddles me and holds my hands above my head with an accomplished yet devious smile. With wide eyes I look up at her, clearly entranced at how fast she’s picked up her skills. I also couldn’t help but desire her, loving how she felt on top of me.

“You catch on quick,” I huff, smiling. “We’ll end it here for today. Let’s get dinner.”

“Sounds perfect for such a victory.” Alina grins, sliding off of me and helping me to stand.

I still can’t believe she’s mine.

Alina appeared in the doorway of the kitchen with a curious look on her face. I turn to fully view her and almost drop my knife. Her sun kissed skin was glowing in a light blue dress, the short sleeves hugging off of her shoulders with a lace up chest. The dress fell down to her calves, the bodice showed off her curves in all of the right places. Alina’s hair was loose and flowing down her back in its natural curls… My God. I did my best to hide my physical reaction to her with hot cheeks, looking down and focusing on chopping vegetables while monitoring what’s frying on the stove.

“What are you up to, my dear husband?” She asks sweetly, leaning onto the door frame. I try to focus on anything else other than her right now. Her body. Her voice. I quickly finish the vegetables and plop them into a bowl next to the stove.

“Making us dinner, darling.” I manage to croak out. I look up and Alina is laughing to herself.

“I didn’t think a Crown Prince would like to cook,” She comments, “So it’s true, you’re secretly a chef.”

“It’s no secret.” I laugh. Alina sits across from me at the counter, her chin in the palm of her hands.

“Tell me what got you into cooking. I had heard the rumors, but what is the truth? Did you really sneak into the kitchen as a child and beg the cooking staff to teach you?”

I laugh at this rumor, shaking my head. “That is definitely not how it happened. I was about ten years old. My grandfather was in his garden, picking vegetables. He lived so simply once he handed my father the throne, I enjoyed spending my time with him. He’d said to me, Kyungsoo my boy, come with me to the kitchen. I’m going to teach you another art that the Doh men have passed down for generations. I was curious and wondered what he meant by that. He then spent every weekend showing me how to prepare traditional foods, and most foods from other kingdoms. We did this until he passed away. My fondest memories are with him, and I have him to thank for my cooking passion.”

Alina tilted her head with a smile. “Our grandparents had such an impact on us, didn’t they?”

“They did, yeah.” I agree. Alina gazes at me, her eyes softening when she fixates onto me.

“I only met your grandfather once, when I was five. He was so nice to me. I remember that he gave me candies when my parents weren’t looking.” Alina giggles. “You have his smile.”

“He would have loved you now, princess.” I nod. I lean over the counter and leave a kiss on her forehead, then leave another on her plump lips. I turn back to the stove and finish cooking our meal and turn the stove off, mindlessly making my way to Alina. I hold her close from behind and caress her arms. Alina cuddles close to me and I’m enjoying the closeness we share. I shiver at my darkening thoughts, attempting to regain my composure. Alina turned in my embrace and pecked my lips. “Now go, get settled. Let’s enjoy our time together, darling.”

I watch Alina walk away and focus back on the task at hand. I plate our meal and walk carefully to our living room. I enter into the room with a plate full of carefully crafted Valencian foods that I made by hand. I can tell that the aroma welcomed Alina with nostalgic arms. I carefully put the plate down on the table and sat next to Alina, watching her face light up at the familiar foods in front of her. Beef empanada with freshly chopped lettuce and tomato with lime waft into Alina’s senses, her smile is so big that I know I got my plan just right.

"How did you know this was my favorite, Kyungsoo?" Alina asks with wide eyes. "You made all of this for me?"

"I know a few things. I know Queen Mother made them for you when you were a child." I reply while picking up an empanada. I feed it to my wife, and she sighs with happiness. “How is it, close to Queen Mother’s?”

“Mmm,” Alina nods, swallowing. “She’d kill you if she heard you call her that. She was Beatriz unless she said otherwise.”

“I met her once, and only once. She cared a lot about you, Alina. She was also very terrifying.”

“Abuelita? No way.” Alina giggles. “I need to hear about this. What did you do?”

“Ah, so I had to have done something?” I chuckle, feeding Alina the last half of the empanada. I lean back and start to tell my somewhat terrifying story. “I was nineteen. Queen- Excuse me, Beatriz, came to visit Seoul and to visit with my parents. She didn’t care about anything else but me the entire time she was here. She spent all of her time with me, asking me questions, interrogating me almost. I’ll never forget what she told me to this day. She said although she thought the betrothal was absurd, out of all of her granddaughters, you were the best option for me. That if I didn’t cherish you, protect your heart and love you, she’d kill me or find a way to get me killed.”

“Huh, such good advice and you didn’t follow it until three weeks before our wedding.” Alina giggles, feeding me an empanada. “You obviously weren’t that scared of her.”

“In my defense I was nineteen and stupid. I hadn’t met you yet. I found myself thinking of Beatriz’s words, and she was right. I can’t be cold to you. All I want is to give you the most beautiful memories. I want you to enjoy this life. Enjoy it with me."

“I can do that.” Alina agrees, smiling.

As we eat, I listen to Alina’s stories of Beatriz and her childhood in the Valencia palace. I noticed when Alina was telling a story, she’d use her hands to help her describe something in it. She giggled as she talked, her eyes looked as though she was reliving the memories in her mind. I could get lost in this moment and stay in it forever if it meant that her eyes would be this bright all of the time. She’s adorable when she’s so animated and comfortable like this. 

"... And I learned that day that deer weren't pets but woodland creatures that belonged in the forest." Alina chuckles. “When this war is over, I want you to see the Mariposa castle, I have so many fond memories there.”

“I’d love to see it.” I smile, leaning against the couch to gaze at Alina. Suddenly, my phone rings. Annoyed, I take it out of my pocket and read the caller ID. General Junmeyon? He only calls if it’s an emergency. “My apologies, darling. I have to take this.”

“It’s alright, I understand. I’ll be reading in the library if you’d like to join me.” Alina smiles, giving me a quick kiss and heads out of the door. A dread fills fills me. Something was wrong, but I couldn’t quite place it. I walk into my study and shut the door behind me.

“General, this better be good or…”

“Your Highness, we have a major threat to security to the Crown Princess. King Daniel and the Azteco Military Generals are en route to Seoul for peace talks with King Bonhwa. He did not inform us until this evening. At your word, we’ll get extra military security.” General Junmyeon instructs, my heart drops. Alina can’t even have a happy moment in her life without this asshole trying to ruin it for her. I’ll be damned if I let that happen.

“What the hell is my father doing? Now he wants to involve himself in this war? I accept your advisory. Please detail extra security. Have all maids and personnel out of the wing.  No one goes in or out unless approved by me. I want guards and coast guard patrolling 24/7. Send me Lieutenants Jongdae and Sehun. I need my best trained assassins to protect the Crown Princess. Is that understood?” I growl into the phone.

“Yes, Your Highness, right away.” I hang up the phone and pace the room. I have to be calm for her and explain everything so she won’t have a breakdown when she sees Daniel again. What is his motive? Why is he wanting to come here to settle peace talks so quickly? Something isn’t adding up. Is this all a plan to get Alina? Should I hide her? Frustrated, I shove all of the piles of paperwork off of my desk and onto the floor. Why can’t Alina just have a peaceful life? She doesn’t deserve any of this. I groan and leave the study and head to the library. As soon as I walk in, I find Alina asleep on the couch, a book resting on her chest. She must be exhausted from the day, and part of me is relieved she’s asleep. I don’t want to ruin her brief moment of happiness. She doesn’t deserve it. I’ll just have to figure out what to do about this tomorrow.

All I can hope for is that Alina won’t feel like I blindsided her with this.

[peachysooxo]

Kingdom of Us Update

Hello!

Chapter 9 of kingdom of us is scheduled for update Friday, April 26th.

My master list and post schedule will be posted soon

Thank you again for being so patient with me 🤍

- Aria

[peachysooxo]

The Last Time - Chapter 1

pairing: kyungsoo x mila (OFC) genre: angst, romance, drama theme: lovers to enemies to lovers again? (Possibly), marriage in trouble word count: 3,086 warnings: cursing, mentions of self harm, implied smut, sad kyungsoo, depressed kyungsoo description: Kyungsoo has been separated from Mila for a year. He’s had enough of faking their happy marriage for the public. He finds comfort in old home movies and memories of their past as he tries to figure out what to do with the divorce papers he was served.

author’s note: hello! welcome to the romantic universe! I have worked on this particular story for over a year and FINALLY, it’s going to be yours! I am so excited for you to meet the characters and follow their journey. The graphic at the top of the chapter will serve as time markers between “now” (present day) and “then” (the past) before each chapter. A huge, HUGE thank you to @loeyyuniverse for being my beta reader and giving me so many ideas. I couldn’t have done this without you 🩵 if you like the story, please leave a like and feel free to reblog. Also, I found these amazing dividers by @saradika-graphics that I will be using in all of my stories from now on! Now… I give to you… The Last Time (:

- Aria

Malibu, California KYUNGSOO

I stare out into the vast open sky from my living room floor, the sunset paints beautiful colors that canvas the atmosphere above the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean. I can get lost in moments like this, when everything is calm and makes a little more sense than it did before. I get surrounded by everything around me: the sunset that changes the color of the sky, the slow, breathy wind, the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore, the slow appearance of red clouds and the moon getting brighter and brighter in the distance.

Slowly, effortlessly, the yellows become the golden flecks in her gorgeous eyes. The wind is her touch, soft and sends chills down my spine. The reds are her lips when she gets ready for date nights, putting on lipstick just for me. Even though she didn’t need it, she looked so spectacular in that shade of red. The waves are the promises we made, consistently rolling back to me to remind me that I failed to keep so many of them. Being here in this kind of scene just isn’t the same without her. 

I watched my wife, Mila, walk out of the door and never turn back due to my own stupidity and careless mistakes. I haven’t slept well since she left. I haven’t been able to eat on some days. Nothing in my life feels right anymore. What makes this separation even worse is that we’re not going public with it. We maintain appearances for the sake of our careers, but it’s hard to tell now if we’re just pretending or if there’s real feelings behind our actions. 

Our vacation home in Malibu looks out onto the shore, for the times we needed to get away from it all and spend time together. Tonight is my last night here before I have to fly back home to New York and I wish I could stay here longer. It’s the closest thing that I have to being with her. Everywhere I turn, there’s pieces of Mila in every single thing and I don’t know if I can handle it anymore. The last year has been hell without her.  

Watching old home videos of us together has to be a form of self harm, but this is the only way I can see her smile. My eyes are glued to the screen as memories play out from different points in our relationship. From moving in to our first apartment together after we got married. From traveling to Korea to see my family. Waking up in Spain on our European tour together to staying up late in the studio. I’ve replayed the honeymoon videos over and over, mesmerized as the events play out on screen. We were so young, Mila was 20 and I was 22. I need to be honest with myself, it wasn’t a honeymoon… It was our elopement at Mila’s grandparent’s ranch in Mexico. We stayed in the guest house on the ranch, and it was the happiest we’d ever been. 

"Come here." My voice whines from the TV. 

"No! Why are you recording us? It’s so weird!" Mila giggles. I grab the phone and the focus is Mila sitting with her leg tucked under her with cheeks tinted pink. 

"Look at you, Angel." I breathe, calling her by her nickname. “You’re so gorgeous and you just woke up.”

“Soo!” Mila blushes. She tries to cover her face but I won’t let her. 

“Don’t hide your gorgeous face from me.”

Her grandmother’s engagement ring and wedding band on her left hand glimmers on screen. The rays of morning light filter into the room and it can’t even compare to her smile. She didn’t need to try at all, she just naturally glowed.  I love it when she’s this way, no makeup, hair down and only wearing my t shirt. 

I pull Mila by her waist into the frame and kiss her, my arm protectively still around her. I tease her by tracing her lips with mine and smile between kisses, placing her into my lap. I lean and prop the phone on the bedside table and we're in full view on the bed. Mila’s fingers run through my hair, something she did when we’d be intimate like this. Her smile fades as she wraps her arms around my neck. 

“Soo… I’m worried. I’m scared that us running off and getting married is going to make things worse with my father and brother.” Mila expresses. I press my forehead against hers, holding her tight in my arms. 

"Listen to me. No matter what happens, my heart is yours. Angel, we’re married. Nothing can separate us. Not Sungho, not Chanyeol, no one. I know that we both took a risk when we didn’t tell Chanyeol that we were just dating. He’s your brother and my best friend. I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to keep that from him. You’re everything to me, my best friend, my life. All I care about is that you’re happy with this decision. They’ll come around, we just have to give it time.” I say lowly. 

Mila nods her head, her hands glide down my shoulder to my forearms. 

“I hope Chanyeol will come around, him and I are close and I never expected he’d react in the way he did. With my father… He may take longer but it’ll be okay. I’m beyond happy. This feels so right, Soo.” Mila smiles again, and it’s a personal victory that she’s glowing again. “I just… Don’t know how I feel about you filming us in bed. It’s kind of…”

“Angel, stop. This is for our memories. This is our honeymoon. I had to document just how gorgeous you are when you wake up in the morning. You take my breath away.” I whisper, caressing her face. She tilts her head to fit her cheek in the palm of my hand.

 "This is like a dream. I don’t want to go back to reality.” Our eye contact is strong, it never deviates from one another. I run my fingers through her hair and cup her face in my hands. 

We fall into a deep kiss, molding ourselves to each other. We break slowly and a fire is ablaze in her eyes, full of want. She pushes me down onto the bed, I roll over until I’m on top of her. 

“Look at me.” I straighten her gaze back to me by guiding her jaw back to face me. I lean down and kiss her velvety soft lips, my hand slides down to her throat. My fingers gently massage the sides of her throat, her back arches off of the bed. My hand slides down to her side and I squeeze her closer to me. Her soft whimpers fill the room as my lips roam her jaw and down her neck. I stop at her shoulder and smirk into the camera. 

“Mila, you’ll never forget this.” I say into the camera and nip her collarbone. She shrieks and holds onto me tighter. Before we go further, Mila grabs the phone and laughs. 

“Nice try, Mr. Doh.”

We laugh and she cuddles into me, stopping the recording. 

I turn the TV off. Seeing my wife smile like that is something I haven’t seen in a long time. Tears threaten my eyes as the moon glows brighter. Now there’s nothing left but reminders that she’s not mine anymore. I shouldn’t have been working so much, prioritizing everything else over her, or even worse… I shouldn’t have been such a jealous monster. Being young and stupid, I’d bubble over with jealousy if a man just as much as gazed at her. 

To be fair, Mila is a beautiful woman inside and out. She’s so selfless, humble and never afraid to be herself. Mila is known around the world for her music, to say she’s talented is an understatement. Watching her onstage is like a dream, she bursts to life when she performs. The entire world gets to see a glimpse of the woman that I am so proud to call my wife.   

Her physical beauty is just a bonus. Her sun kissed skin has to be infused with gold, her plump lips can render me speechless with just one kiss, I could lose myself in her gorgeous eyes forever. Her smile brightens the entire world around her. Her body is a gift from God, effortless curves that would hypnotize me the moment she’d walk into a room. She’s everything I ever wanted in a woman, everything about her is perfect. 

It was never a secret that men pined over her and how gorgeous she is, even though they knew she was married to me. I never got my jealousy in check, something she never deserved. I was certain every man she came across wanted her the way I wanted her and would take her from me. I was certain that it made me crazy. It was so bad that we started to fight all of the time about it, those fights turned into fights about our relationship, our future together, and how we failed at connecting due to our busy schedules. 

One day, she finally had enough and she left. 

I open the sliding glass door to listen to the waves. I wait for Mila’s arms to hug me into her embrace and when it doesn’t come, my heart splinters. I handled winter and spring without her, but summer reminded me how much worse it is that we’re separated. I want to see her more than just on red carpets and public appearances. At night, it gets worse. The loneliness settles in much more when I can feel and see her side of the bed is empty. Everything she is takes shape in the view in front of me. 

“Mila… I miss you…” I whisper into the night air. The stars and moon start to sway and my vision clouds over. I rub my temples and turn my back to the ocean, glancing over at the divorce papers on the counter. I wrecked my brain relentlessly over what made Mila want a divorce. Why didn’t she want to work this out like we have before? I didn’t cheat on her, I didn’t ever lay a hand on her and I didn’t lie to her or kept anything from her. 

We could work on our problems easily, if she’d just allow it. Our last fight was the worst one, I can’t even remember what words were exchanged but that didn’t matter. What haunted me was that I made her cry. Something I swore I’d never do. I wanted to fix it and Mila wanted nothing to do with me. 

Divorce.

This is not how I expected our relationship to end. I didn’t want it to end at all. I have to prove it to her that I’m going to change, I just don’t know how to start. 

I collapse onto the couch, closing my eyes to continue the memory the week we spent together on the ranch when we got married. Mila and I were in bed, cuddled up during one of our late nights talking and watching movies. Mila’s fingers dance across my chest, her eyes heavy with fatigue. 

“Promise me something, Soo.” She whispered, gazing up at me. 

“Yes, Angel?”

“Promise me that no matter what happens, we’ll never give up. We’ll never separate. Even if times get difficult, I don’t want to give up.” Mila pleads with her eyes. 

“I promise you, Mila. I’ll never give up on you or us. If we somehow get lost or strained… We’ll fix it. I’ll fight for you until the very end, that’s my promise to you.” I reply, kissing her forehead. 

“I’ll fight for you too. I’ll fight for us. Marriage is so different from just dating. You and I are in this together for life. I know I’m stubborn. I know I’m difficult to deal with, I’ll do better.” Mila smirks. I laugh and pin her under me, my forearms are on either side of her head. 

“Your attitude is very easy to deal with. You’re a brat sometimes but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” I laugh, kissing her slowly. “But you’re mine, whether you like it or not.”

“I love it. I love you.” Mila smiles.

I kiss her mouth and cheeks, nodding. “And I love you, Angel.”

The memory fades as quick as it came. Everything she said that night resounds in my head. I can’t sit here and feel sorry for myself. Mila made me promise her that I’d fight for her, and that we’d never separate. It’s my fault she pushed away, it’s my fault she doesn’t want to be near me. I have to fight for her, I have to keep my promise.

The first thing I decided to do is not sign the papers. If Mila wants a fight, that’s what she’s going to get. I can’t take her just being a memory that I can see in the world around me. There’s no use in pitying myself anymore, either. I force myself up, shuffling around the house to find a notepad and a pen of paper. Once I find it in the dresser of the bedroom we used to share, I sit down on the bed and start writing. This is going to be a long fight, a long road but it’s one I have to take to get my wife back. I’m probably never going to get the courage to say everything that I need to, so I resort to writing a letter to Mila that she’ll never read. 

Dear Mila,

Hi. 

I’m writing you from Malibu, our beach house. I came here just to get away from everything in New York. The Grammy’s are coming up, are you excited about it? I am so proud of you for being nominated and performing. You’ve been dreaming of this your whole life and it’s finally coming true. I’ll be attending… I hope I can see you at some point in the night. 

To be honest, I woke up this morning and felt lost again. I had the same nightmare of you leaving and fell down a rabbit hole of memories and home movies. I made coffee this morning and I saw two mugs: red and lavender. 

Seeing it broke me. 

Lavender is your favorite color, how stupid is it that I get emotional over a coffee mug? Believe it or not, everything reminds me of you. I see reminders of you in everything. The sunset that’s painting the sky right now. The bed still smells like your shampoo, strawberries and vanilla.  Our memories live in the walls… I feel and see you everywhere and it’s killing me.

It’s still hard for me to accept that you really want to end this. I can’t delusion myself into believing that if I were to call you, you’d pick up and take me back, let alone talk to me. 

So, I have to tell you everything I feel in this letter that you’ll never read.

I never stopped loving you, despite what I may have said, shown or done. It’s you who holds my heart. I’m sorry that I made you feel like I didn’t care. I never knew how to express all of these emotions. Since the day I met you, you made my heart flutter. The sound of your voice was the most beautiful music that I never knew existed. No song on this planet can compare to how your voice sounds to me. 

Your lips and your body hypnotize me and made me surrender to your love. Your kisses are my life support, your arms are my security, my home. Making love to you gives me a high that no drug could even come close to. You gave me so much support and comfort, Mila. Anytime I had doubts, anxiety or felt unsure, you were at my side, telling me it was all going to be okay and work out. I know for certain that no one or nothing else could compare to you. You’re the piece of me that I didn’t know was missing. 

I can never see marrying you in the way that we did as a mistake or wrong. You made me feel things that I’ve never felt before and it was exciting, it felt right that you were mine and I was yours. I just wasn’t the best version of myself, the husband that you deserved. You didn’t deserve the way I treated you, I wasn’t myself at all. If I did things the right way, if I listened, we could have been together today, I wouldn’t be writing this letter. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I admit I messed it all up. 

Now… There’s something else that you need to know, my sweet Angel. I’m not signing the papers. There is no way I am allowing us to throw away so many years that we were happy. I’m sorry I didn’t express the love I had in my heart for you the way you deserved it. I promised I’d fight for you, and this is the beginning of that fight. I won’t give up on us, Angel. Soon, we won’t pretend for the sake of the cameras anymore. Your smile won’t be fake. I’ll make you happy again. 

I love you, Mila.

I’m sorry. 

Sincerely,

Soo

I fold the letter and stuff it into an envelope. I stuff it in the bottom of my backpack and groan softly, my bags are packed and ready to go for the trip back home. With every second that goes by, I realize more and more exactly how much that I messed up such a beautiful thing. 

I look up and see the photos on the wall, my eyes fix on the picture of Mila and I at our debut showcase on Jeju Island in 2012. We were so young, stars in our eyes and the world at our feet. That night changed so many things for us, and I like to think that’s exactly where we began. I get up and allow myself to lay on the bed, allowing the memory to take me into its arms and walk me through the night I knew I was in love with my wife all those years ago.

[peachysooxo]

Coming Soon

The Last Time: A Kyungsoo AU Love Story

pairing: Doh Kyungsoo x Mila Rose Doh (OFC)

genre: romance, drama

theme: angst, solo!kyungsoo, EXO!AU

tropes: marriage in trouble, right person wrong time, elopement, jealous male lead, high school sweethearts

DESCRIPTION EDITED AS OF 04/21/2024

description: Mila Rose Park always believed in love and that there was someone out there just for her. Kyungsoo Doh never imagined he would fall in love so deep with a girl that was forbidden to him: his best friend Chanyeol’s little sister.

With the two young lovers decided to risk it all and elope when they were barely old enough to drink, they thought they knew much better than every voice telling them no in their lives. Even worse, they weren’t ready to handle the attention around their marriage because of who they were: international pop stars that both just so happened to be signed to Mila’s father’s record label, SPG Entertainment.

Mila couldn’t have possibly planned her marriage falling apart, especially because of the risk it took to get married in the first place. Being 25 and on the brink of divorce changed the trajectory of Mila’s life and her belief in love. To the public, Kyungsoo and Mila were music’s it couple. Behind the scenes, they began to avoid each other as much as possible. Kyungsoo was a workaholic, closed off, and had a jealousy issue that Mila overlooked for the sake of love.

Kyungsoo can’t imagine his life without Mila, he knew his possessive and apathetic ways were a problem but never fixed the issue. Any time the divorce petitions come in, Kyungsoo would outright deny them. Mila is a bright, bubbly and gorgeous woman but so stubborn and frustrating when it came to getting what she wanted. Kyungsoo lost sight of what he loved about her in the first place. Will Kyungsoo and Mila find their way back to where they started? How did they drift so far apart in the first place? Will they ever find themselves back in love, and not fake it for the cameras?

__

Welcome to the Romantic Universe - A series of 4 intertwined standalone stories featuring Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Jongin. Set in both New York and Los Angeles, this is an EXO alternate universe where EXO doesn’t exist as a group, but the members are all still close friends. Everything is a work of fiction and non canon. The only characters that I own are my original characters. In no way am I suggesting that the attitudes, characteristics and personalities depicted are how I see the EXO members. It is purely a work of fiction.

THIS IS IN NO WAY SUGGESTING THAT I WANT EXO TO DISBAND OR HAVE A PARTICULAR MEMBER TO LEAVE THE GROUP! This story is a work of fiction and is meant to be in an alternate universe. I hope you enjoy!

[peachysooxo]

Kingdom of Us Update

hello, friend (:

First of all. Thank you so much for all of your love and reads for Kingdom of us. I really appreciate it with my whole heart!

Currently, I am working on chapters 9-13 and I am planning on releasing them all at once. Thank you for being so patient with me, it warms my heart that y’all read my stories. I don’t care how many reads or likes I get, all I care about is that you enjoy (:

I’m also working on building pages for my stories and master lists. The community here is awesome. I adore you all 🩷

So look out for updates soon!

Thank you so much 🩵

- Aria

[peachysooxo]

Hi there! I really love your work! Thank you for working so hard to create an amazing fanfic for us 🫶🏻. I have a request for you. Since I'm a typical person who finds comfort in angst stories, could you please write an angst story about Kyungsoo based on his song 'The View'? Thank you very much!

Answer: when I got this request I literally SCREAMED. Thank you @sooadorable for the request! I have been writing a series and wondered how I could introduce it, and this is the best way because it lines up with the story perfectly! The series is entitled “Romantic Universe”, which contains 4 standalone intertwined stories featuring Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, Jongin and Baekhyun. I have been writing Kyungsoo’s for over a year and this is the product. I hope you enjoy this, thank you so much for the request and all of your support! Dividers by @saradika-graphics

The View

genre: angst, drama, Kyungsoo!AU, EXO!AU, romance

word count: 2,011

theme: marriage in trouble, lovers to enemies, separation, impending divorce, broken heart

warnings: use of alcohol, cursing, mentions of self harm, implied smut, sad kyungsoo, depressed kyungsoo

summary: Kyungsoo is separated from his wife and finds comfort in a bottle of Tennessee Whiskey and old home movies as he tries to figure out what to do with the divorce papers he was served. Based off of his song, “The View”.

I stare out into the vast open sky from my living room floor, the sunset paints beautiful colors that canvas the atmosphere above the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean. I can get lost in moments like this, the times where my head is completely clear and I take in everything around me.

Slowly, effortlessly, the yellows become the golden flecks in her gorgeous eyes. The wind is her touch, soft and sends chills down my spine. The reds are her lips when she gets ready for date nights, putting on lipstick just for me. Even though she didn’t need it, she looked so spectacular in that shade of red. The waves are the promises we made, consistently rolling back to me to remind me that I failed to keep so many. Being here in this kind of scene just isn’t the same without her.

I watched my wife, Mila, walk out of the door and never turn back due to my own stupidity. I haven’t slept well since she left. I haven’t been able to eat on some days. Nothing in my life feels right anymore.

Our vacation home in Malibu looks out onto the shore, for the times we needed to get away from it all and spend time together. Tonight is my last night here before I have to fly back to New York to finish my album and I wish I could stay here longer. It’s the closest thing that I have to being with her.

Everywhere I turn, there’s pieces of Mila in every single thing. She’s in the clouds, the wind, the moon that grows brighter and brighter by the second. The last six months have been hell without her.

Watching old videos of us together has to be a form of self harm, but this is the only way I can see her smile. My eyes are glued to the screen as memories play out from different points in our relationship. From moving in to our first apartment together after we got married. From traveling to Korea to see my family. Waking up in Spain on our European tour together to staying up late in the studio to our honeymoon. I’ve replayed the honeymoon videos over and over, mesmerized as the events play out on screen. We were so young, Mila was 20 and I was 22. I need to be honest with myself, it wasn’t a honeymoon… It was our elopement at Mila’s grandparent’s ranch in Mexico. We stayed in the guest house on the ranch, and it was the happiest we’d ever been.

"Come here." My voice whines from the TV.

"No! Why are you recording us? It’s so weird!" Mila giggles. I grab the phone and the focus is Mila sitting with her leg tucked under her with cheeks tinted pink.

"Look at you, Angel." I breathe, calling her by her nickname. “You’re so gorgeous and you just woke up.”

“Soo!” Mila blushes. She tries to cover her face but I won’t let her.

“Don’t hide your gorgeous face from me.”

The engagement ring and wedding band on her left hand glimmers on screen. The rays of morning light filter into the room and it can’t even compare to her smile. She didn’t need to try at all, she just naturally glowed. I love it when she’s this way, no makeup, hair down and only wearing my t shirt.

I pull Mila by her waist into the frame and kiss her, my arm protectively still around her. I tease her by tracing her lips with mine and smile between kisses, placing her into my lap. I lean and prop the phone on the bedside table and we're in full view on the bed. Mila’s hands run through my hair, something she did when we’d be intimate like this. Her smile fades as she wraps her arms around my neck.

“Soo… I’m worried. I’m scared that us running off and getting married is going to make things worse with my father and brother.” Mila expresses. I press my forehead against hers, holding her tight in my arms.

"Listen to me. No matter what happens, my heart is yours. Angel, we’re married. Nothing can separate us. Not Sungho, not Chanyeol, no one. I know that we both took a risk when we didn’t tell Chanyeol that we were just dating. He’s your brother and my best friend. I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to keep that from your brother. You’re everything to me, my best friend, my life. All I care about is that you’re happy with this decision. They’ll come around, we just have to give it time.” I say lowly.

Mila nods her head, her hands glide down my shoulder to my forearms.

“I hope Chanyeol will come around, him and I are close and I never expected he’d react in the way he did. With my father… He may take longer but it’ll be okay. I’m beyond happy. This feels so right, yeobo.” Mila smiles again, and it’s a personal victory that she’s glowing again. “I just… Don’t know how I feel about you filming us in bed. It’s kind of…”

“Jagiya, stop. This is for our memories. This is our honeymoon. I had to document just how gorgeous you are when you wake up in the morning. You make the world around you envious.” I whisper, caressing her face.

"This is like a dream. I don’t want to go back to reality.” Our eye contact is strong, it never deviates from one another. I run my fingers through her hair and cup her face in my hands.

We fall into a deep kiss, molding ourselves to each other. We break slowly and a fire is ablaze in her eyes, full of want. She pushes me down onto the bed, I roll over until I’m on top of her.

“Look at me, Angel.” I straighten her gaze back to me by guiding her jaw back to face me. I lean down and kiss her velvety soft lips, my hand slides down to her throat. Her soft whimpers fill the room as my lips roam her jaw and down her neck. I stop at her shoulder and smirk into the camera.

“Mila, you’ll never forget this.” I say into the camera and nip her collarbone. She shrieks and holds onto me tighter. Before we go further, Mila grabs the phone and laughs.

“Nice try, Mr. Doh.”

We laugh and she cuddles into me, stopping the recording. I turn the TV off. Seeing my wife smile like that is something I haven’t seen in a long time. Tears threaten my eyes as the moon glows brighter. I can’t even remember when I started drinking or how I got halfway done with my bottle of Tennessee Whiskey. Now there’s nothing left but reminders that she’s not mine anymore. I shouldn’t have been working so much, prioritizing everything else over her, or even worse… I shouldn’t have been such a jealous monster. Being young and stupid, I’d bubble over with jealousy if a man just as much as gazed at her.

To be fair, Mila is a beautiful woman inside and out. She’s so selfless, humble and never afraid to be herself. Mila is known around the world for her music, to say she’s talented is an understatement. Watching her onstage is like a dream, she bursts to life when she performs. The entire world gets to see the woman that I am so proud to call her my wife.

Her physical beauty is just a bonus. Her sun kissed skin seems to glow, her plump lips framed her adorable smile perfectly, I could lose myself in her gorgeous eyes if I could. Her body is a gift from God, effortless curves that would hypnotize me the moment she’d walk into a room. She came right out of my dreams, everything about her is perfect.

It was never a secret that men pined over her and how gorgeous she is. I never checked my jealousy, something she never deserved.

I was certain every man she came across fantasized about her and wanted her the way I wanted her. I was so certain that it made me crazy. It was so bad that we started to fight all of the time and she finally had enough.

I open the sliding glass door to listen to the waves. The warmth from the whiskey offsets the cold night air, I wait for Mila’s arms to hug me into her embrace and when it doesn’t come, my heart splinters. I handled winter and spring without her, but summer reminded me how much worse it is that we’re separated. How she takes shape in the view.

“Mila… I miss you…” I whisper into the night air. The stars and moon start to sway and my vision clouds over. I rub my temples and turn my back to the ocean, glancing over at the divorce papers on the counter. I wrecked my brain relentlessly over what made Mila want a divorce. I didn’t cheat on her, I didn’t ever lay a hand on her and I didn’t lie to her or kept anything from her.

We could work on our problems easily, if she’d just allow it. Our last fight was the worst one, I can’t even remember what words were exchanged but that didn’t matter. What haunted me was that I made her cry. Something I swore I’d never do. I wanted to fix it and Mila wanted nothing to do with me.

Divorce papers.

This is not how I expected our relationship to end. I didn’t want it to end at all. I have to prove it to her that I’m going to change… Once the room stops spinning…

I stumble back and collapse onto the couch, closing my eyes to continue the memory the week we spent together on the ranch when we got married. Mila and I were in bed, cuddled up during one of our late nights. Mila’s fingers dance across my chest, her eyes heavy with fatigue.

“Promise me something, Soo.” She whispers.

“Yes, Angel?”

“Promise me that no matter what happens, we’ll never give up. We’ll never separate. Even if times get difficult, I don’t want to give up.” Mila pleads with her eyes.

“I promise you, Mila. I’ll never give up on you or us. If we somehow get lost or strained… We’ll fix it. I’ll fight for you until the very end, that’s my promise to you.” I reply, kissing her forehead.

“I’ll fight for you too. I’ll fight for us. This is different… Marriage is so different from just dating. You and I are in this together for life. I know I’m stubborn. I know I’m difficult to deal with, I’ll do better.” Mila smirks. I laugh and pin her under me, my forearms are on either side of her head.

“Your attitude is very easy to deal with. You’re a brat sometimes but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” I laugh, kissing her slowly. “But you’re mine, whether you like it or not.”

“I love it. I love you.” Mila smiles. “Our promise is sealed with a kiss, isn’t it?”

I kiss her mouth and cheeks, nodding. “Of course it is, Angel.”

The memory fades from my head. Everything she said that night resounds in my head. I can’t sit her and feel sorry for myself and drink myself to death anymore. She made me promise her that I’d fight for her, and that we’d never separate. It’s my fault she pushed away, it’s my fault she doesn’t want to be near me. I have to fight for her, I have to keep my promise.

The first thing I decided to do is not sign the papers. If Mila wants a fight, that’s what she’s going to get. I can’t take her just being a memory that I can see in the world around me. She has to see that she is my world. She’s my view.

[peachysooxo]

Fic Requests Open!!!

Hi everyone!

I have decided to open my requests for all of you. I will write for all members (:

Send your requests for one shots, alternative scenes, drabbles ETC !

So excited to hear from you!

[peachysooxo]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 8

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal fluff word count: 4,527 description: on the day of Kyungsoo and Alina’s wedding, Kyungsoo realizes just how deep he fell for Alina. Chanyeol takes a big step. Alina misses the presence of her brothers and sister on her special day. warnings: none this time (:

author’s note: hello dear reader (: We made it to Kyungsoo and Alina’s wedding! I felt like I planned this wedding like it was my own lol, I had to make sure everything was perfect and how I envisioned it in my head. Two songs are mentioned that I highly recommend, All of My Life by Park Won (their first dance song) and Por Amarte Asi by Cristian Castro (ending scene). I really do appreciate all of your love and support. Just the fact that all of you are reading this work means so much to me, my heart is warm at your likes and reads. Thank you so much! Photos are not mine. Dividers by @saradika-graphics . Enjoy!

ALINA

The day has finally come that I had prepared for quite literally my entire life. 

By the end of the day, I will be Crown Princess Alina I of the Seoul Kingdom. 

Kyungsoo’s wife. 

From the moment I woke up to the moment the makeup artist, Ofelia, finished with my look for the day was a complete blur. Ofelia moves on to Mami and the hair stylist starts working with me. Mami got here late last night with Papa just for the wedding ceremony, then they have to go back to Valencia. There’s too much happening at the borders with Azteco that they can’t be away for too long. 

Though I understand the reasoning, it still makes me sad that they have to leave so soon. Not even my brothers or Ana could come. Ana is too pregnant to travel, and my brothers are fighting a senseless war. As for Maria, she just isn’t invited for obvious reasons. I try to not think about it too much, because this is going to be a beautiful day. I take a second to realize that this isn’t a dream or a nightmare anymore. It’s a reality I’m happily living. 

I open my eyes and watch my hairstylist, Belen, braid my hair and collect it in a low bun at the nape of my neck. Loose, curled pieces were pulled out of the braid to create a soft look, I opted to mix tradition with modern style. 

“Oh, Mija, you look so beautiful.” Mami glances over at me with tearful eyes, Ofelia laughs and dabs Mami’s eyes.

“When my daughter got married, Your Highness, my eyes were constantly watering. We will wipe your eyes as much as we need to, and I was sure to bring waterproof makeup just for this occasion!” Ofelia wipes Mami’s eyes and the women laugh together.

“Princess Alina is a gorgeous girl, a lucky one too. Crown Prince Kyungsoo is very easy on the eyes.” Belen adds as she finished my hair. 

“He has to be the most handsome Crown Prince, wouldn’t you agree?” Lisette giggles and takes my dress out of the garment bag it sat in. The glittering and glowing of the jewels and the accents of lace and tulle remind me that this is really happening. Colors dance in the mirrors surrounding us as everyone else giggles and talks amongst themselves about how handsome my fiancé is. 

Nerves intertwine with the curiosity of how Kyungsoo and I getting married is going to change not only us, but the world. Kyungsoo’s words linger in the air around me, softly working me through my anxiety. The thought of what he did to me in the library makes my cheeks warm. The memory of his lips touching other places on my body is etched in my mind forever. He made me want more, to feel that good again. Lisette’s fingers snapping in my face jolts me back to reality.

“Are you with us, Princess?” She asks in a concerned tone. I nod mindlessly and the room choruses with laughter.

“Sorry, everyone.” I lower my head.

“Not to worry, hija. It’s your wedding day, you’re nervous. I have something for you from your brothers.” Mami takes her phone from the makeup counter and places it softly in my hands. 

“Lina! Congratulations on your wedding and coronation! We are so proud of you and miss you. We’re sorry we couldn’t be there, Papa assigned us here and of course, no leave for the Princes.” Ignacio grins, pettiness dripping in his tone.

“Regardless, we will see you soon, we promise! We’re having Lisette send us pictures. And you better tell that Crown Prince that if he for one second thinks of not treating you well, he’s dead.” Santiago leans into the camera, then his eyes soften. “Baby sister, do good things. Please, be happy. We hope to see you soon, a war must be fought to protect our kingdom. Well, your former kingdom. Traitor!”

“What we’re trying to say is that we love you and we are so proud of you. Be the strong, wise, fearless leader we know you’re going to be. We’ll see you on the other side of this war.” Ignacio announces, and they wave goodbye as the video ends. 

“Wow, of course I would still get teased on my wedding day.” I laugh softly, wiping my eyes. “Ugh, I can’t mess up my makeup!”

“Princess, we have arrived to help you dress for the ceremony.” Maids come and help me into my dress.

“Thank you, please forgive me. It’s a very emotional day today!” I shake off my tears. I step onto the platform next to the makeup counters and allow the maids to dress me. 

“It’s quite alright, Your Highness.” Once the buttons are fastened along my spine, I look at myself in the mirror, not even surprised with how lovely everything came together. The lace dress sleeves fit just right and complimented the dress perfectly. The neckline dropping down to my chest and fit my torso and waist like a glove. The skirt fanned out and cascaded down to the floor in a perfect A-Line. Lisette once again didn’t disappoint. I turned around and the room fell silent… Except for Mami’s soft sobs. 

“What do you all think?” I ask hopefully. 

“You look lovely, Princess.” Ofelia smiles. Choruses of compliments fill the room and I blush at the attention. Mami approaches me with my Valencian crown and I kneel before her, allowing her shaking hands to place the crown on my head. I stand up and Lisette appears at Mami’s side.

“This is a gift from your sister, Ana.” Lisette approaches me and opens a velvet box in front of me. A gold bracelet with an “A” and “K” charm sits in the box. I smile up at the ladies surrounding me, Mami reaches for the bracelet and fastens it around my wrist. 

“It’s perfect, Mija. Are you ready for your wedding?”

“More than you can imagine.”

KYUNGSOO

“Today is the day!” Baekhyun grins. 

“How are you feeling?” Yixing asks. 

“Ready, nervous.” I exhale, tying my tie and buttoning up my military uniform coat.

“I heard she’s looking gorgeous, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun nudges me. I stare him down and without a word, he gives me the answer I was looking for. “I heard from the maids!”

“You’re such a gossip.” Yixing rolls his eyes. I slick my hair back and listen to Baekhyun and Yixing bicker behind me as usual. Chanyeol enters the room with a serious look on his face. I stiffen and straighten my posture at the sight of him. His lip is healed, I hope I won’t have to reopen the wound. 

“Crown Prince, may I have a word with you?” Chanyeol asks with a lowered head. I groan and adjust my cufflinks. 

“Fine.” I get up and walk outside of the chambers with Chanyeol, a nervous look in his eye. “What did you need to talk to me about? On my wedding day?”

“I wanted to apologize for how I treated Alina. It was selfish and wrong of me to think I had any right to be near her like that. I disrespected you and her. I don’t have any secret feelings. I don’t want to be punched again, please don’t ever do that again. I… I found someone I’m actually interested in, and I won’t be coming after your bride ever again.” Chanyeol nervously explains. 

“Thank you, because I’ll kill you if you ever try again.” I nod, lips pressed into a thin line. 

Silence sits in between us, then we burst into laughter. This is how we always were, in the few times we disagreed. Chanyeol brings me into a hug and pats my back. I’m honestly glad this is over. It was unnecessary and stressful. “She’s going to make you a happy man. I’m glad you’re seeing that now.”

“Crown Prince, it’s time.” A Royal Guard bows to me. 

“We’ll be there straight away.” I reply. 

This is it. 

I’m marrying Alina. 

Standing at the altar waiting for Alina was the worst form of torture. The urge to pace tingled my legs and I had to grip my wrist to stay still. For 60 seconds, the entire world fell silent, and my heart stopped. 

Yixing and Baekhyun opened the doors to the Ceremony Hall, a soft piano melody playing through the air. Alina is standing at the doorway in her beautiful white dress, her bouquet clutched tightly in her hands. The light pouring through the windows was envious of her, she baffled and amazed me with her beauty. I had to blink and remind myself that she was even real in the first place, not a dream. My jaw drops as King Ignacio walks her down the aisle, I adjust my posture which earned a small laugh from the guests. 

Thoughts race through my mind as Alina reaches me, handing her bouquet to Lisette sitting in the front row. King Ignacio patted her hand and wiped his eyes, it was the first time he cried at one of his children’s weddings from what I’ve ever seen or heard. I often surmised that Alina was their favorite daughter, neither of them looked this emotional at Maria or Ana’s wedding from the press photos and videos I saw. Out of their entire family, I’m happiest that they’re here for Alina.

“You’re a beautiful bride, Mija.” King Ignacio whispers as he embraces his daughter in front of me. I bow to King Ignacio, taking Alina’s hand from the emotional king. He looked at me with fire in his eyes. “You need to take care of her, she’s our precious daughter, our Kingdom’s most prized possession.”

“Papa…” Alina blushes. The statement is true, I just wish she’d believe it. 

“I will do nothing but take care of her, Your Highness. I promise she is safe with me.” I lower my head and offer a handshake. King Ignacio receives it and steps down to stand beside Queen Evelina. The Queen dabs her eyes and smiles at me, assuring me kindly. My focus turns to Alina, she takes my breath away. I’m moved to kneel before her with her hands in mine, pressing my lips on her knuckles. 

“You’re so irrevocably gorgeous, darling.” I shiver. Nothing and no one can make me shake this way, and of course she is the one who managed to do this to me. A man is never to bow before a woman at the altar, it is the woman who must be at the feet of the man, as they say. I don’t care, any man would be a fool to not bow before Alina. She giggles and caresses my cheek, that earns more camera shutters than before. I rise to my feet and kiss her hands one more time, holding them tightly in mine. 

“On behalf of the Valencian Crown, the King and Queen offer their daughter to the Crown Prince Kyungsoo I of Seoul. Is your betrothed one of whom you accept?” The Ceremony Master looks at us. 

“Yes. On behalf of the Seoul Crown, I accept my betrothed.” I nod slowly, not taking my eyes away from my princess. 

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to join two nations in unity, bound by the marriage of Crown Prince Kyungsoo I of Seoul and Princess Alina II of Mariposa, Kingdom of Valencia. The world shall rejoice at the union of these fair nations, especially in these times of war. King Ignacio III of Valencia and King Bonhwa VII of Seoul, do you accept the union of your nations by means of the Crown Prince and Princess?” 

“We accept,” our fathers call in unity. 

“Your Highnesses, please be seated with your lovely Queens.” 

My heart pounds as Alina smiles at me, she somehow did it. She managed to have me fall in love with her. I want to give her the best life I could give and treat her better than anyone else in this world has. She deserves it, she deserves every single good thing that this world had to offer. She didn’t have to do much, her existence was enough for me to be captivated. Neither of us were paying attention during the Ceremony Master’s speech, but our attention turned as Alina was set to kneel before my parents. 

“Today, marking the welcoming of our new Princess, we coronate Princess Alina II of Mariposa, Kingdom of Valencia, as Crown Princess Alina I of Seoul. Queen Hyunae, please replace the Valencian Crown bestowed on the head of the Crown Princess with her Crown of Seoul.” 

Alina folds her hands and lowers her head. Mother replaces her Valencian Crown with the one Alina chose before the wedding. She looks gorgeous in my Kingdom’s Crown. Alina looks up to Mother, her eyes quickly downcast at the stoic, disappointed look on Mother’s face. Now the Crown Princess, Alina bows to the King and Queen, then bows to me, her Crown Prince and future King. I take her hands and nod happily, wanting to kiss her right then and there. 

“Now, for the vows. Please, repeat these vows after me, Crown Prince.” I listen carefully to the vows and nod. I didn’t like the vows, I never liked how any of it was phrased because I would have to demand that Alina obey me. It felt wrong to ask any of this from a woman. I didn’t want to hear Alina say that she would “serve” me, “bow before me with honor”, “be obedient to the Crown Prince.” It’s ancient, it’s wrong, and it’s not something I’d ever expect her to do. The wedding vows needed updating and it was up to me to change them, starting with my vows to Alina.

“I, Crown Prince Kyungsoo I of Seoul, take thee, Crown Princess Alina I of Seoul, to be my lawful wife and princess to my Kingdom. I will serve your every need, bow before you with honor, and listen intently to your input in all decisions moving forward. I promise to protect you with my life and keep you safe from any harm. I will love you with all of my heart and never make you feel inferior to me. You are to be my compliment, we will be dedicated to each other and to the Crown, for as long as we are alive and into eternity.” I disobediently vow, Alina’s eyes widen. She bows her head in respect, also in an attempt to hide her laugh.

“That is certainly new…Very well. Crown Princess, please repeat after me.” Alina’s eyes were calm, but nerves riddled her face. She always did what she was told, but this time I hoped she’d think for herself. I rubbed her palm softly, a silent encouragement to say what she wanted to say to me.

“I, Crown Princess Alina I of Seoul, take thee, Crown Prince of Kyungsoo of Seoul, to be my lawful husband and my honored crown prince. I will stand by your side and support you in every decision. I promise to take care of you and respect you as you respect me. Today, I give you my heart and will never betray this promise. I will be your compliment, your trusted confidant, and closest friend. I will love you with all of my heart and never demean you. We will be dedicated to each other and to the Crown, for as long as we are alive and into eternity.” Alina smiles at me and basks in my silent praise. Murmurs ensue around us and Father gives me his disapproving look, but I could care less. If I’m not going to follow his path, I have to forge my own and it starts today. The Ceremony Master offers rings to us, and we slide them onto each other’s fingers.

“These rings symbolize the union of The Crown Prince and Crown Princess. They also symbolize the unity of the Seoul Kingdom and the Kingdom of Valencia. It is with great honor that I pronounce the Crown Prince and Crown Princess as husband and wife. Crown Prince Kyungsoo, you may kiss your bride.”

I gladly bring Alina closer until our lips gently melt together. The world fell away from us, we couldn’t hear the applause, we couldn’t feel the people around us, it was just Alina and me. We break apart and I proudly present my bride to everyone in the room. Taking the lead, I bring her down the aisle and across the front lawn to the front of the palace where hundreds of people are waiting to greet the new Crown Princess of Seoul. Though it was freezing cold, we greeted our subjects. I held Alina’s waist tightly as our subjects take pictures of us, mainly her. I didn’t mind, she is so beautiful that she deserves to be preserved in photographs for centuries to know how gorgeous she is. 

“Kiss! Kiss!” They chant, Alina shyly turns to me, holding my hand and silently asks me to take the lead. I grin down at her and dip her down, kissing her lips softly. The press captures the moment in the cold autumn air, the Crown’s photographers whisk us away to take official photos for the archives. We take a few photos with our parents, then the entire Seoul family. I noticed that Alina looked uncomfortable between pictures, her hands were shaking in her lap. She shivers and my attention immediately goes to her. I rub my hands up and down her arms as the family clears out for our couple photos. I lean down and wrap my arms around my wife, attempting to soothe her chill.

“Are you cold? Should I have them bring you a coat? A blanket?” I say lowly in her ear. She looks up at me and quickly shakes her head no. I know she doesn’t want to feel like an inconvenience. That should be easy, because she isn’t. 

“Your Highnesses, please face the front. Is Her Highness cold? We can bring the heater closer.” The photographer suggests. 

“No, thank you, I’m…”

“Yes, bring it closer to her. She’s freezing.” I firmly insist. Alina squeezes my hand and I laugh to myself. “Sorry to speak for you, but I will not allow you to stay cold, my beautiful bride.”

Alina relaxes and we started to take our photos. She followed the direction of the photographer and took my lead, thawing out under my touch. I held her in my arms and pressed my forehead against hers, our crowns clashing against each other. I smile and rub my nose on hers. The camera flashes in front of us, we laugh at a silent joke and kiss once more. I pull back and caress her cheek. 

“You’re beautiful.” I whisper.

“You’re handsome.” Alina whispers back.

“Perfect, Your Highnesses. Please, enjoy your reception.” 

As soon as we walked into the room, applause bounced off of the walls. Immediately, our ceremony song starts to play. It’s tradition for us to dance first, before the celebration can commence. The singer we chose begins vocalizing softly and Alina smiles at the lyrics. 

“If I translated it correctly in my head, is he talking about a man that falls in love with a woman and she becomes his reason for living?” Alina questions with a smirk on her face. I turn her and bring her back to my chest. 

“Yes, darling. That’s exactly why I picked this song. It’s all of the words I’ve tried to say to you. Every single day, I’m so grateful you were promised to me. I don’t think I could be this happy with anyone else.” I sweep my lips over hers, causing a sharp reaction from our guests. 

“I feel the same, amorcito.” 

“Amorcito?” I ask. 

“You gave me a nickname, it’s only right I give you one.” Alina’s cheeks redden. I laugh and we dance across the floor. 

“I love it, especially how gorgeous the name sounds coming out of your mouth.” I can’t stop smiling. Murmurs start up again of how I’ve never been this happy, and everyone in this room is right. Alina starts to look around, and my heart breaks instantly. 

“I’m so sorry your brothers couldn’t be here today.” I say, trying to console my wife. Ah, my wife. It’s heavenly to know Alina is now my wife. 

“I know it’s stupid that I believe they’re going to walk through that door any minute. They’re halfway across the world. It’s not fair Papa made them go fight in Azteco. None of my siblings are here. The only one I could accept not being here is Ana, she’s going to give birth any day. It’s a beautiful day, a perfect day, I just wish they were here to celebrate with us.” She sighs, the immediate need to fix her sadness overcame me. I offer another slow kiss as we danced. 

“I’ll be sure to extend an invitation to them to our home once their tour is over.” I nod, Alina’s eyes brighten. 

“Our home?”

“Yes, darling, our home.” I smile. 

 “I like the sound of that, amorcito. Nothing would make me happier than having everyone I love under the same roof. Mmm, to think just a couple months ago we hated each other. Who would’ve thought we’d be this happy and falling in love?” 

“Being in love with you feels right. My princess, I will stop at nothing to make you smile, make you happier than you’ve ever been. And for the record, darling, I never hated you.”

The song ends and we bow in thanks to everyone in attendance. Alina bows to me and I bow in return. I watch her smile at me, the jewels in her dress glowing under the lights. I never imagined that the love of my life would be my betrothed, but Alina has proven to be full of surprises. Time passes and we made small talk as we watched our families dance together from the vantage point of the banquet table. No one seemed to be paying attention to us anymore, which is perfect timing for what I have planned for Alina. 

“I need some air, care to join me, Princess?” I offer, and Alina excitedly nods. “Let’s go.”

I get her up and guide her out of the reception, Lisette and Daeun await her at the exit. 

“Crown Princess,” Daeun bows her head. “Crown Prince Kyungsoo has asked us to take you to change your dress.”

“Change my dress?” Alina asks curiously whilst tilting her head. Lisette laughs and takes Alina’s hands. 

“Yes, Crown Princess, it’s a must for this part of the wedding.” Lisette smirks, offering a wink to me. The two women rush Alina away and I loosen my tie, wondering what Alina will look like in the dress I had made for her. My mind wanders as I make my way to the outer door, taking off my uniform jacket and push my white dress shirt sleeves up to my elbows. I unbutton the first few buttons and slick my hair back from my face, a few strands of hair brush against my brow. 

“Your Highness?” I hear Alina’s voice behind me. I turn and drink in her gorgeous figure in the light blue gown I’d chosen for her. Alina’s long, luscious hair cascades around her body, falling softly on her back. All of the words I was going to say escape me at her presence. I smirk and wrap my jacket around my wife and extend my hands out to her, softly brushing her back with my fingertips underneath the coat. 

“Come on, darling.” I manage to say, leading the way into Alina’s favorite place: the garden. For the wedding, the castle had lights strung about in the bushes of flowers. Small lamps in the shape of flowers light the way to a small section that is lit up more than the others and lined with heaters to keep it warm. I stop Alina and take my phone out of my pocket, tapping it a few times. 

“What are we doing here?” Alina asks. Then, the song starts. Alina looks around and wonders where the music is coming from, but her demeanor changes from confusion to happiness when she hears the lyrics. 

Siempre serás la niña que me llena el alma…

I holds out my hand and shyly motion for Alina to come to me. I take a shaky breath and offer a smile. “Ven a bailar conmigo, mi amor.”

Alina’s eyes widen at my attempt to speak Valencian, grinning with approval. With watery eyes, Alina takes my hand and we dance, swaying to the lyrics. Dancing together is slowly becoming our thing. If I could, I’d dance with her forever. I twirl Alina and pull her closer, humming softly. This song is completely in Valencian and is one of her favorites. Once I learned the lyrics, I understood why.

“This is magical,” Alina grins. 

“You are magical.” I breathe, pressing my forehead against Alina’s. I turn her again and dip her down slowly, kissing her as I bring her up. I drown in the taste of her kiss, falling deeper into her. We part and I gaze nervously in Alina’s eyes, worry filling me. This fluttery feeling is settling in me, and I’m not accustomed to it. Only this woman in my arms has made me feel this and that alone has taken ahold of me and grips tightly around my neck. “Darling…”

“Yes?” Alina curiously asks.

“I know without a doubt that I love you. I know it’s fast to say that, but this entire situation has been anything but traditional. You made me fall so fast, darling. I didn’t think it could be so.” I admit. “It’s a new sensation, loving you.”

Alina serenely smiles and kisses me again. “I love you too, Kyungsoo. Without any doubt in my mind. I know this is all new, but we’ll figure it all out together.”

“Together?”

“Yes. From now on, every single step we take will be together.” Alina nods. 

“I want that, I really want that.” I turn Alina and holds her in my arms. “You look so beautiful in blue. I love it when you wear this exact shade of blue.”

“I’ll wear more of it. Ah, this is a perfect night.” 

“It is a perfect night, darling. We have forever together. I’ll spend every single day learning how to love you.” I sigh through a smile.

“Every single day will be a gift. And you… You made this whole day absolutely perfect. I love this moment. I want it to last forever.” Alina’s dreamy tone stops my heart. She could make me do anything if she asks me in that tone. 

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make it last forever, my darling,” I assure her, “whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

Alina presses her hands onto my cheeks and just smiles at me. “Let’s get through this war and live happily together.”

I wish I could’ve done so much more to keep this promise.

[peachysooxo]

Hello! … And I’m Sorry!

Hi again!

I’m so sorry I haven’t updated. I am working on The Kingdom of Us and the series. I have been making changes that I hope you will enjoy.

Please be patient, I am working on giving you the best stories. I appreciate all of your support. I promise updates are coming soon!

- Aria

[peachysooxo]

Thank You ❤️

Hello (:

I just wanted to stop in and say thank you SO MUCH for all of your love, support and likes for my writing. It’s hard to put my writing out there but all of you are so lovely. I’m working hard on the Kingdom of Us, I hope you’re enjoying it! Chapter 8 will be out VERY soon.

I am also very excited to announce I will be premiering a new series called “Romantic Universe”, featuring 4 stories that are stand alone intertwined stories starring Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, Jongin/Kai and Baekhyun. Kyungsoo’s story, “The Last Time”, will be out in the spring (:

Again, thank you so much for all of your love, support and reads. It really means so much to me!

[peachysooxo]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 7

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, smut (we’ve finally gotten to that point lol), fluff word count: 5,555 description: as the royal wedding approaches, Alina questions her feelings for Kyungsoo. Alina’s crown selection ceremony goes wrong, Kyungsoo starts training Alina in swordsmanship and they cross a line they never thought they would warnings: mentions of death, mentions of miscarriage, infidelity, oral sex (f. receiving)

author’s note: hello dear reader (: We’re 7 chapters in! Wow! Thank you so much for reading. Kyungsoo and Alina’s romance is rapidly developing, it’s been interesting writing such a fast pace love. I hope you enjoy this one… It’s a little bit spicy! Photos are not mine. Dividers by @saradika-graphics . Enjoy!

ALINA

“Someone is all smiles today.” Lisette smirks at me through the mirror. Today we had to do the final fitting of my wedding dress, and last-minute details had to be finished before the end of the day. The wedding was coming faster than I’d anticipated, but I’m ready for it. My cheeks warm at the thought of the events that occurred last night. My lips tingle at the thought of Kyungsoo’s kisses. His words danced across my mind as I relived each moment. 

Your existence consumes me, darling. I need you. I crave you. 

“It was a lovely night.” I sheepishly smile.

“Did something happen last night with you and the Crown Prince?”

“Lisette! No! We just… He just… He… He confessed his feelings to me, and we kissed. We kissed before that but this was different.” My blush deepens as I remember every second of last night.

“Different? How so?” Lisette pins the dress at the waist, muttering adjustments under her breath. 

“He kissed me like he meant it. Our first kiss was curious, this was different. He was being… Romantic. He was whispering sweet things to me between each kiss. Lisette, it made me feel so… I can’t even put it into words.” Kyungsoo has changed. He’s been showing more affection lately, and I don’t mind it. Being woken up to kisses and gentle touches is a dream come true. I found myself getting more curious of what it would be like to fully give myself to him. I tried not to think about it too long, because if I do, I’ll get lost in a cluster of what ifs and anxiety. It doesn’t stop me from thinking these things, but I stop myself wondering if it’s too soon in our betrothal (soon to be marriage). I’m afraid that I’ll ruin the moment by having a breakdown right in the middle of Kyungsoo and I… I can’t even bring myself to acknowledge that I want to get physical with him. It feels wrong, like I shouldn’t want these kinds of things considering what happened to me.

“Amiga, you look like you’re so in love!” Lisette looks up with pins in her mouth. I look at her through the reflection in the mirror, shrugging my shoulders. “Ya, no te muevas!”

“Sorry, I won’t move. It’s only been a month. Is it love or just infatuation?” I ponder aloud. 

“Well, these are my thoughts on all of that. Betrothals take out the weird, awkward parts of dating. Trust me, Amiga, you’re not missing out. It’s arranged, sure, but if it’s done right you can have a marriage that feels like a love match. Time isn’t necessarily on your side. Since you’re marrying a Crown Prince and you’re becoming the Crown Princess, you’ll be spending a lot of time together. You have no choice but to learn things about each other as you go. From what I saw at the Ball, the Crown Prince adores you. I don’t think I’ve seen your parents look at each other the way you two look at each other. In your world, alliances are first, love is last. But… I do believe that what you’re feeling for Crown Prince Kyungsoo is normal. Seems like he’s falling in love with you, too.” Lisette explains as she finishes up the pinning of my dress. 

“You really think so?” I reach for any confirmation, because I’m never sure of myself. Lisette rolls her eyes and stands behind me with her hands gripping my shoulders. 

“For once, stop questioning yourself and this love that’s blossoming. It’s far from traditional and believe me, I think arranged marriages are very outdated but the two of you seem happy. Nothing like Maria and Daniel.” The sound of his name makes me sick, but I shake it off and laugh. 

“Maria is definitely the one who loves more in that marriage.” I laugh. “Thanks, Lisette. I needed the boost. Wow, the dress looks spectacular! You’re going to add lace sleeves?” 

“I sure am, the finished product will be gorgeous. Now, get out of this dress. I have work to do and a deadline to make!” Lisette pushes me toward my closet. 

“Hey! Wait! Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Duke Chanyeol? I saw the two of you talking in the garden!” I push myself to a halt. Lisette giggles and unzips the back of my dress for me. 

“I will, just not right now. Go! You’re going to be late for your Crown Selection Ceremony!” 

“It’s a pleasure to have you here for the Crown Selection ceremony, Princess.” Queen Hyunae says through gritted teeth. She said that I was forced? I sigh and bow my head. The Crown Selection Ceremony is one of the more exciting parts of getting married as a royal. The excitement and wonder of seeing the beautiful crowns from the queens of the empires we’re marrying into. The women of the family sit on the floor as I kneel in front of the Queen and the Seoul crowns that are being offered to me for my coronation. My eyes dart back and forth at the rows of crowns in front of me, some more eccentric than others. I make eye contact with Queen Hyunae and force myself to accept that this is going to be anything but exciting and wonderful.

“It is an honor, Your Highness.” I reply softly. Boram giggles in the corner and Hyunae holds her hand out toward her.

“Enough, Duchess.” Hyunae warns. Her attention turns to me. “Princess, you are marrying my son quite fast. Are you hiding something? Did you manipulate him?”

“No, Your Highness. I have no reason to manipulate him and I have absolutely nothing to hide.” I eye the crowns again, unfazed by the pressure radiating from the woman in front of me. 

“Then why the rush?” She sneers. I smile, not missing a beat.

“The Crown Prince and I have fallen in love and do not wish to wait another moment to be husband and wife, Your Highness.” The women around us swoon, whispering about the dance at the Ball, and rumors of us sneaking away and kissing in the hallways of the palace. Part of those rumors are true, we may have been caught by a few maids once or twice. Boram rolls her eyes and the Queen huffs. Lady Daeun rests her hand on Hyunae’s lap, patting her knee but the gesture is waved off. 

“You expect me to believe the words that come out of your mouth, Princess? I have been made aware of the truth, and you’re nothing but a fraud.” Hyunae smiles as if she’s won the battle, but it’s just begun. Micha whispers to one of the Doh Viscountess’s I don’t move a muscle. I won’t let her push me around, or see me stumble. I refuse to break eye contact with my future mother in law, a soft smile turning up my lips.

“With all due respect your Highness, I am uncertain of how I can be a fraud when I am a member of one of the most noble families in the world. When it was you who chose me to marry your son. Anyone can tell a lie and assure you it’s the truth, which I am confident is the case with your source.”

“Are you challenging me, Princess?”

“I would never dream of it, Your Highness.” I reply coolly. I spot a silver crown with cherry blossoms dusted on top in rose gold, it’s covered with beautiful rubies and gold etchings. Everyone in this room wants this to be over just as much as I do, so to add insult to injury, I chose my Kingdom gifted Seoul so I can keep part of my people with me. I look up at the Royal Guard waiting for me to make my decision. I motion for the Crown and he nods.

“A lovely choice, Your Highness.” Lady Daeun says from the side of the Queen. She gives me a small smile and I lower my head as the crown is placed on my head.

“Thank you, Lady Daeun.” I smile back at her. Queen Hyunae scoffs and I bow to her. When I come back up, the crown is removed from my head. Queen Hyunae rises and pulls me to stand.

“We have things to discuss.” We go to an adjacent room and the Queen shuts the door. “I would like to make something very clear, Princess. I’m onto you. I know all of your secrets. Your sister didn’t leave out any details of how you tried to take her husband away from her. If I would’ve known, I would have called off this entire betrothal years ago.”

“Queen Maria is vastly mistaken. I never tried to take her husband away from her nor did I want him. I was a child, Your Highness. Those are all lies. I would never betray your son or this dynasty. Never. Is it not treason for you to maintain a relationship with your enemy?” I insist. Kyungsoo said she owed me an apology, and I want what I’m owed. “In fact, The Crown Prince informed me that you had an apology for leaving me vulnerable in my chambers without any guards.”

Queen Hyunae laughs. “I have no recollection of ever promising to apologize to you. I owe nothing to you. The thing is, Princess, you are nothing but a pedigree for my son. You will obey him and give this Kingdom an heir. That is your only job, if my son chooses to be faithful to you then let it be so. It’s not a requirement of an arranged marriage to foster any type of love. I know that the things you say about my son loving you are untrue, my son is not the kind of man who loves someone like you. He knows that a King in love is a foolish one. Understand your place, Princess. I’m watching you very carefully, if you as much as speak out of turn, I will have you removed from this palace and charged for your crime of breaking the betrothal and lying about it. The only reason I haven’t already is a kindness toward you, and I refuse to let this dynasty have an abomination such as a temptress ruin its reputation. Understand?”

“Queen Hyunae, I am very much aware of my place. I will be the best compliment for the Crown Prince, just as he desires me to be. I refuse to be treated the way I have been by you since I arrived here. I have done nothing but love your son and have been completely faithful to this betrothal. It’s funny how so many people who know not one thing about me have written my story for me. And it’s a pity a woman as great and intelligent as you falls for such stupidity. I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing for you to be concerned about. I know I am being honest, so there’s nothing to worry about. I am looking forward to being part of such a strong dynasty. Thank you for your kindness.” I smile and walk away from the Queen, there was nothing left to discuss. As much as I feel proud of myself, the thoughts enter my mind of how I just messed everything up by going against Kyungsoo’s mother. 

Will I be deemed not worthy?  Will she make my life a living hell? I’m an idiot.

KYUNGSOO

The sun is setting on a stressful day. I have been hearing the whispers of how the Crown Selection Ceremony went and disappointed doesn’t even cover what I feel. The last thing I wanted was for Alina to feel like she was just a pawn in this game of dynasty and legacy. If she was, I wouldn’t be willingly training her like this. I saw Alina nervously pacing across the Training Grounds, her hair tied back with a pair of black leggings and a sweatshirt I knew I left in her room a few nights ago. Watching her pace is amusing, but also very distracting due to her figure catching my attention. Hell, Alina could be wearing a potato sack and I’d still find her attractive. I have to focus on the task at hand: teaching Alina the basics of swordsmanship. 

Training Alina how to defend herself is more vital than ever. Alina turns and spots me removing my suit jacket. I offer a smile as I roll my button up shirt sleeves to my elbows, my dress shoes picking up dust as I make my way to my princess. 

“Princess.” I lower my head and meet her gaze. She’s so cute when she’s casually dressed, it’s almost cruel to make her fight and train with me when she’s bubbly like this.

“Crown Prince.” Alina bows to me with a cheeky grin. I take off my tie and unbutton the first couple of buttons on my shirt, throwing my tie atop of my suit jacket. “Your Highness, you’re going to train me while dressed in a suit?” 

“Do you think you’ll be always wearing a cute pair of leggings and a sweatshirt when the enemy attacks? Likely, you won’t be, Princess.” I wave over the Royal guard to hand Alina and I swords. I can see Alina struggle with the weight of pure steel and iron in her hands. 

“Don’t you think this is a bit… Heavy?” Alina asks innocently. She watches me grip the sword and settle it in my hand. I ignore her question and take a breath. 

“Alright, come here.” I beckon to Alina, her sneakers shuffling in the dirt. She adjusts to the weight of the sword and grips it with both hands. “Follow me. I’ll go slow. If I swing toward you, block me. You want to study your opponent. Where are their weak spots? Where is their guard down? They may catch you off guard…”

I swing my sword and Alina’s clashes with mine. She pushes forward with both arms, eyes focused on me. She pivots and shoves the blade away from her and shuffles backward. For a moment she stops, scans me with her eyes and takes a low blow toward my leg. We exchange blows and I watch in amazement at her graceful movements. Sure, she may not be an expert but she can hold her own. 

“Princess, why didn’t you tell me you’re well versed in swordsmanship?” I laugh nervously.

“I told you. My brothers trained me, didn’t mean I was horrible at it, Your Grace. I don’t like fighting.” Alina huffs. She takes her stance and drops her shoulders.

“You have some talent, Princess. Show me what else you got.” I shake my head and swing my sword at Alina’s side, she turns and pushes me back. With war slowly becoming a reality, it was highly possible that I would have to go straight to the battlefield on a moment’s notice. She only trusts the guards so much and I didn’t want her to rely on other people to keep her safe. With a loud cry, Alina kept pushing until my sword flew out of my hand. Heaving for breath, she rubs her arm with her hand with a slow nod. I reach out for Alina and rub her muscles gently. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, thanks.” Alina mumbles, “I just have to get stronger. I’m not a fan of weapons. I have no idea how you do this all of the time.”

I kiss her head and continue to rub her arms in small circles. “I do it out of necessity. Let’s hope you never have to, but to be safe darling, we’ll practice three times a week. It will take time to build your strength. We’ll get there, Princess. How do you feel?”

“Brave,” Alina laughs. “I… I like feeling brave. Like I could be strong.”

“My darling, you are strong. More than you realize that you are.” I nod, putting the sword back into Alina’s hand. “Now, let’s get back to training.”

“Why? I’ve done enough!” Alina whines through a pout. 

“Five minutes of training isn’t going to make you a good swordswoman. I’m sorry, but we have to continue.” I take a step back. I notice Alina is still pouting and I walk back to her, shaking my head. “Come on, don’t be like that. This is for the best, darling. Here, let me give you motivation.”

I move and clash our swords together, our eyes glaring at one another through the blades. I lean in and steal a kiss, my hand holding Alina steady. I pull away and turn, wielding my sword back around. Alina blocks every single attack that I launch, and every time she blocks me, she’s rewarded with a kiss. 

“This is nice motivation,” Alina says while mimicking my movements. I watch in awe of her skills as I direct her and motivate her to keep going. “I’m starting to like this.”

I swat the sword out of her hand and throw it to the ground. Alina looks up wide eyed and my glare intensifies. “What do you do now? Think. Where am I open?” 

Alina studies me carefully. She puckers her lips and grabs my wrist. I drop the sword and she loses her balance. I grab her waist and let her fall on top of me with her hands on my chest. Her lips are parted as we heave for breath, strands of Alina’s hair fall out of her ponytail and around my face. My hand slides up her back and I kiss my fiancée, holding her close. “You did good today.”

“Thank you…” Alina’s cheeks are on fire, she shifts and slides off of me, standing on her feet. I get up and dust myself off. Alina’s face erupts into a shy smile, she tries to lift her arm but winces at the soreness. I massage her arms and smile back. 

“Let’s go, darling.” I manage to say. I take our things and Royal guards hand me a bag full of towels and water. I keep Alina at my side and guide her across the Training Grounds and onto the path toward the palace. She’s quiet as we walk together, her arms hugging her chest. I can tell she’s losing herself in her own head. We reach the library and I shut the door behind us, locking it for privacy. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Alina replies as she sits on the leather sofa in the back of the room. She’s a terrible liar. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Scratch that, she’s a horrible liar. I saunter over and kneel in front of her.  

“Tell me the truth, Princess.” I encourage her. She blushes and looks away, the words falling out of her mouth softly but I hear her loud and clear. 

“Would it… Be wrong if I wanted to take this relationship a step further?” 

“In what way, Alina?” I’m careful with my words. I know this conversation is a delicate one, considering her past. This conversation was bound to happen at some point, so I decided to do some reading on trauma survivors and intimacy. The last thing I wanted to do was make Alina uncomfortable or reactivate her trauma. It was disgusting how much shame comes to a survivor and their needs. Alina’s comfort is my number one priority. Anything I want will always be second. 

“I want to know what real love feels like. What physical affection feels like when it’s my choice. I want to know if it’s way too soon or if it doesn’t matter.” 

“What made you think about this?”

“It’s been on my mind for awhile, and that fall we took. Also, everything you told me the night of the Ball… It made me want… More. I liked how close we were. I don’t know if that’s okay because it felt wrong to want you like that. I’m conflicted because at the same time, I’m so scared to act on it. I have these feelings for you but I’m scared I’ll panic.” Alina laments. 

“It’s not wrong. You want to experience something on your terms. It’s not wrong for you to want me, Alina. Don’t let someone else’s ideas make you believe that. I want you to feel comfortable and in control. Whenever you feel like you’re ready, I can show you there’s more than one way to receive pleasure. Call me selfish, Princess, but I want your first experience to be all about you and what you want.” I rest my hands on Alina’s thighs, waiting for her answer. Her hands meet mine and she chews at her bottom lip with flushed cheeks. 

“Why does it have to be about me? What about you?” Alina asks, sliding her hands back and forth. My confidence boosts to new highs as I slide my hands to Alina’s face. 

“Intimacy is supposed to be pleasurable for both people. Not just one. And this isn’t just sex. It’s us coming together. It’s the moment that counts. And if you’re not ready for traditional sex… I could bring you to a climax with just my mouth if I wanted to.” I say lowly, the warmth of her cheeks settles into my palms.

“Oh…” Alina stutters.

“Tell me what you want, princess.” 

“I… I want… You said you could satisfy to perfection. Show me what that means." Alina shyly requests. 

“Your wish is my command, darling.” I give Alina a knowing smirk while busying one hand with the drawstring of her pants. I bring her lips to mine, kissing her while whimpers filter out of her mouth. I squeeze her thigh and slide my tongue across her lip, giving her a preview of what’s going to happen next. I break from her and stop before I can push her pants down. “Is it okay if I take these off of you?”

“Yes, take them off.” Alina nods quickly. I slide her pants off and groan at the sight of her in my sweatshirt and panties that hug her hips perfectly. I push her legs onto the sofa and leave a kiss on her stomach, keeping eye contact. Alina’s eyes widen and she presses her hand on my shoulder to stop my next move. “K-Kyungsoo… We’re doing it here?”  

“No better place to learn things than a library, Princess.” I mutter lowly. I nestle myself between her legs on the sofa, kissing her knee as I hook my fingers in her panties. I pull them down and she tries to hide herself from me. Lazily, I drag my lips up her thigh and stopping at her hip to plant a kiss on her flesh. It’s then I’m reminded she doesn’t know what to do, I look up at her and am taken by the sight of her drenched in the moonlight. She takes her hair down and her beautiful dark curls fall around her, shining in the light filtering through the window. I rest my palms on her knees, slowly working her legs apart. “I want to see all of you, darling. Open up to me…” 

 Alina’s body is hypnotizing, she’s so gorgeous. I groan at the strain in my boxers, to say I’m attracted to Alina is an understatement… I’m fully enamored with her. I have to take this one thing at a time. I quickly take my shirt off and gaze up at the beautiful sight before me. I inch closer to her entrance as she intoxicates me more and more. I barely touch her and Alina jumps back, her eyes squeeze shut. 

“Kyungsoo, stop.” 

“It’s okay, darling. We can stop.” I push myself up and rest my forehead against hers. I need to keep her focused on what’s happening in front of her, I can’t let her mind wander for a second. Alina’s eyes open and she grips onto my forearms tightly and desperately kisses my lips. 

“Kyungsoo… I want you to keep going… I just don’t know how to relax.” Alina whispers nervously.

"Darling, I want you to look at me. Don't stop looking at me. I’ll do whatever you tell me to, just don’t close your eyes." I softly instruct, resting her head back on the arm of the sofa.

"Okay… Okay." She stutters. 

“May I touch you, Princess?” I softly ask, the lull of a beg in my voice. 

“Yes.” Alina breathes. She supports herself on her elbows and watches me settle in between her legs. Our eyes lock as I press my fingers on her soaked clit. Her body jolts at my touch, then her head rolls to the side with small groans escaping her. 

“Don’t be quiet. I want to hear your beautiful voice. Tell me what feels good, if you don’t want to keep going, tell me to stop.”

“Okay… I can do that.” Alina says with a rapid nod. I go back to kissing her thighs and rubbing her clit in slow circles. I press my mouth along her soaking core, licking a stripe in her folds and stop to press my lips to her clit.

Fuck, she’s delicious. 

Alina’s melodic moans fill my ears and my God is it heavenly. 

I helplessly groan into her, drawing languid circles with my tongue around the most sensitive part of her body. I spread her open with my fingers and close my lips around her clit and alternate between quick licks and slow suckles, playing with pressure until I get it just right. 

Anything and anyone I ever knew before her disappears. Nothing can ever compare to her. I’m drunk off of her, my only purpose is to satisfy my princess and stay in this high that she brings me to. I slide a finger inside of her and pump gently, Alina wriggles and I lift her hips to keep her closer, allowing her perfect legs to fall over my shoulders. 

“Kyungsoo! There! Right there!” She screams as she grabs my hair. Her moans entice me to quickly lower my pants with my hand that’s soaked with her slick to wrap around my length and pump to the rhythm of her moans. It doesn’t take long to find myself at the edge, thrusting into my hand at each and every sound that comes out of her mouth. 

Alina clenches around my fingers and my release builds to a fever pitch. She’s going to drive me absolutely mad.

My body jolts to a stop as I release into my hand, her orgasm coats my lips and tongue seconds later. I heave and catch my breath and fall into the sofa. I take in a deep breath and tuck my bottom lip in my mouth. I fumble with the bag next to me, grab towels and a bottle of water to clean us up. I quickly wash my hands and return back to my beautifully dazed princess, gently cleaning her up. “That was…”

“Perfection?” I smile, leaving a kiss on her forehead. “How do you feel?”

Alina exhales and groans, searching for her clothes. I reach down and grab them from the floor, handing them to her. “I feel… Like I never had before.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“More than good.” She quickly replies as she dresses herself. I hold my princess in my arms and find myself in a place I’ve never been before with a woman: vulnerable and open. Within such a short period of time we went from being enemies to post-sex cuddles in my library. My hand slides under her sweatshirt and rests on the warmth of her skin. Feeling her is all I want right now. “You’re… Amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so.” I chuckle. "I have to know, darling. Do you... Really feel safe with me?" 

"I do. I suffered from nightmares for so long and you brought me solace. It felt like no one could get to me. You opened me up and made me see that I have more control than I thought."

I sigh and kiss her knuckles, resting them on my chest. "You'll always be safe with me, Alina. I will protect you from every single thing that has harmed you or threatens to. I must be honest, it’s terrifying to feel this for you."

"All of this scares me too, but let's find comfort in each other. We'll take it day by day." 

"I can do that, but please give me time." I whisper in her hair. Alina moves to get up but before she can get away, I sit up and pull her back, she gently land in my arms. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Of course, what is it?” 

“No matter what happens, we’re in this together. No secrets, no lies. Promise me you’ll be at my side and won’t betray me.” I wearily ask. 

“I promise you, Kyungsoo. Are you alright? What’s going on?” 

“I… There’s a reason why I never let you in before. Now that we’ve crossed a line, you have to know why I was so afraid of this and didn’t want it.” I start. 

“What happened?” 

“Have you ever wondered why Daeun is always with my mother?” As soon as I say this, Alina sits up and scoots closer to me. Her attention is laser focused onto me. I take a deep breath and continue. “First, I want to apologize for how my mother has been toward you. I heard about the Crown Selection Ceremony and it embarrasses me that she is treating you so poorly. She’s projecting onto you because of her mistakes.”

“Mistakes?” Alina tilts her head. I nod and take a deep breath. 

“My mother… Is a dishonest woman. Like us, my parents were betrothed. However, my father was a tyrant in his younger years. He wasn’t a good husband. My mother broke off a secret relationship with a Royal Guard, and a year later I was born. 

Things got worse because my mother started the relationship again and she got pregnant by the guard. 

I was a kid. I didn’t know what was going on when she came into my room and told me she was leaving. She told me I had to understand that there were more important things in life than our circumstances. Then she was gone. She didn’t get too far because my father found out what happened and brought them back to the palace. My father had every right to execute the both of them, but he decided that death was too easy for my mother. So, he made her watch her lover get executed. The stress was so intense that she lost the baby. 

Ever since my father has had my mother under lock and key. She isn’t allowed anywhere without Daeun. She’s not allowed to be alone with any guards. Then 2 years later, the betrothal happened. So, I was scared of ending up like that… Like my parents.” I hold my breath in wait and Alina tilts her head and cradles my face in her hands. Her eyes are watery. She plants herself in my lap and wraps her legs around my waist. 

“I am so sorry that happened, Kyungsoo. That must have been terrible to go through. I understand your fears, but I want to make it clear that you have nothing to worry about with me. I’m committed to you, betrothal or not. I won’t hurt you the way others have hurt you before. I promise you.” Alina wipes the tears that I wasn’t even aware were falling down my face. I lean and kiss her, holding the side of her neck. She slowly parts from me and I bring her right back to me. I don’t know how to say I love you, but this will be the closest I can get to that. I push her back on the sofa leave soft kisses on her cheeks and face, expressing silently how much I need her. Part of me warns not to let her in, because she can ruin me faster than anyone else. 

“Alina,” I mutter into her neck, leaving kisses while whispering in her hair. “Please, don’t hurt me.”

“I won’t hurt you, Kyungsoo.” She whispers gently. “And I ask you to do the same. We will be married by this time tomorrow, and my vow to you is to never betray you. The world can have their kingdoms, but all I want is you.”

“All that matters, darling, is the kingdom of us.” I kiss Alina’s face and rest my lips on her. “No matter what happens in this next chapter. No matter what this war brings us… I promise I’ll find my way back to you.”

“And I promise I’ll be waiting.” Alina’s smile is brighter than the moonlight spilling into the windows. I silently pray that she doesn’t break me, that she will be the one to hold me together. Alina keeps kissing me with her perfect lips and wander onto my jawline, something she’s never done before. 

“Mmm,” I groan, smiling. I gently brush her cheek with my fingertips. The moment felt right, I could trust her.

I can’t wait for her to be my wife. Only 12 more hours to go. 

[peachysooxo]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 6

pairing: Kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, eventual smut word count: 5,277 description: the Engagement Ball has finally arrived, so has Alina’s best friend Lisette. Drama unfolds as soon as the Royal Wedding date is announced, and Kyungsoo warms up to the idea of loving Alina. warnings: none (:

author’s note: hello, dear reader! We’re already at chapter 6! I loved this chapter, it’s so cute. We start to see Kyungsoo and Alina get out of their awkward stage. No warnings for this chapter, photos are not mine, dividers by @saradika-graphics . Happy reading!

KYUNGSOO

I watch Alina as she sleeps on my chest. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I was too busy making sure Alina stayed asleep. She didn’t wake up screaming for safety, if I noticed her hands gripping me, I’d soothe her by stroking her hair and whispering sweet nothings until her muscles relax and her head rests back on my chest. With the hours that passed, my mind was set on how I could make that piece of trash Daniel pay for every single second of pain he made Alina endure. 

The moment that Alina broke down and told me what that coward did to her, rage flared through me. Everything started to make sense. How she was apprehensive to be alone with me, the nightmares, the distance she created between us and how she’d tense up every time I touched her. My feelings for her shifted, I needed to make her feel safe. She never felt safe before, not even in her own palace. 

My heart flutters as Alina stirs. She cuddles into me with her lips pouted. I trace circles on her bare shoulder, admiring how her glowing golden skin was as smooth as porcelain and warmed my fingertips. I barely know the surface of Alina and now she makes me want to learn so much more about her so I can be so much better for her. Alina’s eyes slowly flutter open and I feel my heart stop when her gaze falls onto me. 

“Good morning. How did you sleep, darling?” I smile down at her. A look of apprehension crosses her face. I can’t pretend that this is a comfortable situation, but in times like these, faking it until you make it is the only option. 

“I don’t remember falling asleep,” Alina yawns. She rests her head on my shoulder. “I guess that means I slept well. What time is it?”

“Eight in the morning.” I reply, stifling a yawn myself. Alina frantically sits up, her hand reaching for my face and lands softly on my cheek. 

“Kyungsoo, you look exhausted! Did you sleep at all? Please tell me you slept.” Alina asks anxiously.

“I did… At some points in the night,” I shrug, “I meant it when I said I’d keep you safe. But that isn’t something you should worry about. I requested your favorite foods be prepared for you to enjoy in bed. Don’t look at me like that, darling. I’ll be fine.”

“Breakfast in bed? Kyungsoo, you should’ve been more worried about sleeping.”

“I’ll sleep tonight, I promise. Breakfast in bed is mandatory for special days like this. It’s our Ball tonight. This is just a glimpse of what your life will be like. All you have to do is show up next week at the altar.” I laugh. There’s a knock at the door and Alina rushes to get it, grabbing a robe that’s hanging on a rack near her bed. Her curves take my attention until she’s out of sight, her sleepy voice greeting a servant. She returns pushing a food cart, I jump out of bed and take over. 

“Sit down, darling. I’ll serve you today.” I kiss her hand and guide her back to the bed, she sits with her back against the headboard and I serve her breakfast, a traditional meal from Valencia. Plantains, cream, eggs and beans. In my crash courses of Alina, I learned that this is her favorite. I take my portion and sit across from her, leaving the fresh brewed coffee next to her. 

“Kyungsoo,” she beams, “this… I’ve missed this. How did you know this is my favorite?”

“I did my research.” I smirk. We eat and share small conversation about the meal itself, and her eyes glitter with excitement. She’s coming to life right before my eyes, Baekhyun was absolutely right. Treating Alina kindly is much better than what I have been doing. In all my hours of carefully watching over her, I came up with a plan to hopefully make her feel stronger and protect herself if and when I’m sent to the battlefield. “I’ve been thinking of something Princess.”

“Oh? What have you been thinking about?” She replies, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin. 

“I’m going to train you how to handle a sword. I may not always be here to protect you, and you deserve to feel powerful.” I tell her. 

“Sword lessons? Kyungsoo…” Alina groans. “Believe me, my brothers tried to teach me but it always ended badly. I’ve seen you during your drills, there’s absolutely no way I can learn the things that you can do.”

“Well, that was your brothers. I’ll be the one teaching you this time. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want you to be prepared for anything.” I add. She nods her head slowly in agreement. She finishes her meal and kisses my cheek, my skin ignites under the pressure of her lips. She really is changing me if I’m blushing like a little kid.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, I’m horrible with weapons. Now, if you don’t mind, Kyungsoo, my best friend and seamstress is arriving today. I need to get ready.” Alina replies. I smirk and lean back, crossing my leg. “Kyungsoo!”

“What? I can’t sit here and finish my breakfast?” 

“You already did!” 

“Fair, but I still have to make sure you’re safe and I can’t do that from another room.” I jokingly barter. Alina shakes her head with an accompanying eye roll and journeys to her walk-in closet, picking out clothes to wear for the day. Without a word, she just looks me, smiles and shuts the door to her bathroom. 

At least she’s this comfortable with me now. 

ALINA

“Announcing Miss Lisette Villanueva, Royal Seamstress and Designer of the Kingdom of Valencia.” A Royal Guard announces Lisette’s entrance. We try to keep our composure, but we yelp when we see each other. 

“Amiga!”  

“Finally, we meet again!” Lisette beams. “I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you, too, Lissy.” I grab her hands. 

Lisette and I have known each other for years. Her mother, Eva, is the owner of a dress shop called Luna Rosa Designs that became my favorite place to get all of my dresses and gowns for events. The designer labels from around the world are beautifully made, I admire the couture houses in Europe as much as the next person. There was a certain quality of Eva’s designs and dresses that captivated me. 

I’ve been wearing her dresses ever since I was a little girl. I only wanted Eva to design my formal wear as I got older. Unfortunately, as time went on Eva became ill and couldn’t work as she did before. Lisette took over the business and created not only my formal gowns for nights like this, but my wedding gown. 

I of course had friends, but Lisette was the closest one I had. We grew up together, played together and I got to live vicariously through her because she got to go to regular school and have a regular life. We had our differences but that’s what made our friendship so special. When she had her first heartbreak, we watched romantic comedies and ate junk food until we were laughing at the sappy storylines. When my brothers were sent off to war, she cried with me. When she sold her first couture gown, we celebrated by traveling to the beach for a weekend and exploring the coast of Valencia. I want her to be my lady in waiting, the highest position she could have, because I can’t imagine anyone else being in the position but my best friend.

“Come, come, let me show you to your room.”

We try to update each other as quickly as we can as we turn into the first-floor suite that’s the largest on the floor. Lisette giddily sets her bag down on the bed and peered out of the window at Kyungsoo and the Dukes having a drink in the garden. Everyone started arriving little by little since this morning, the Castle was being prepped for the Ball slowly but surely. Kyungsoo glances over at us and gives us a small smile, Lisette eagerly turns to me with glee in her eyes while maids bring in the rest of her luggage. “Oh… My… God… He’s even more beautiful in person… Well, through a window.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes lock with mine and my heart breaks at the sight of the dark circles under his eyes. I can’t believe he didn’t sleep at all last night. “He is a beautiful man, there’s no denying that.”

“I’m so jealous, he looks at you like you’re his world… Alina, aren’t you so excited to marry a man that’s so perfect?” If only she knew the half of it. 

“He’s not perfect, but he definitely makes me feel special.” I blush, waving softly at my betrothed. She smiles and Duke Yixing captures his attention back to their conversation. 

“Whoa… Who is that?” Lisette’s gaze is set on someone but I can’t see who until a familiar tall figure walks across the edge of the lawn. He’s been acting strangely and avoiding Kyungsoo. I hope I didn’t cause this from the whole garden fiasco. 

“Him? That’s Duke Chanyeol.” I nod, crossing my arms. I peer over at my best friend and the look in her eyes is like she fell in love. 

“Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?” Lisette clasps her hands in front of her chest. 

“Ya, Amiga!” I push her arm playfully. “He’s a playboy! Don’t get too close to him.”

“Princess, it’s time for the final dress rehearsal for the dance tonight.” A maid appears in the doorway with a giddy smile. “Please come with me.”

“I’m sorry, Lissy. I’ll be back to see you soon, this shouldn’t take long.”

“Take all the time you need, Amiga! I’m sorry, I mean, Princess.” Lisette giggles, bowing to me. “Make sure to kiss those scrumptious lips your fiancé has as much as you can… Amiga, he is gorgeous.”

“Who’s gorgeous?” Duke Chanyeol says from behind us. His lip is slightly bruised, I don’t even want to know what happened to him. 

“Duke Chanyeol… Are you alright?” I ask in a hushed tone.

“Oh, this?” He smiles, pointing to his wound. “Your dear fiancé and I had a little boxing match. He has a mean right hook.”

“When did that…”

“Hi, I believe we haven’t met yet. I’m Duke Chanyeol.” He turns his attention to Lisette, kissing her hand. There’s something about the men in the Doh Dynasty and kissing the hands of women. They know exactly how effective it is. Lisette is frozen in the moment and I cover my mouth to stifle my giggles. Chanyeol looks at her differently than he’s looked at his paramours, or even at me. He has stars in his already bright eyes, and Lisette’s gaze matches his.  

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Chanyeol. I’m Lisette Villanueva, Princess Alina’s seamstress.” Lisette politely bows and Chanyeol nods, not taking his eyes off of her. I smile to myself as Chanyeol and Lisette start a conversation, if anyone is qualified to handle someone like Chanyeol it’s Lisette. They’re completely enamored with how their eyes locked on each other. 

“Well, I’ll leave you two to talk. I’ll see you later!” I know they can’t hear me, I chuckle to myself and make my way to the makeshift practice area so Kyungsoo and I can do one final dance before the real thing. I open the door and Kyungsoo is waiting with his hands in his pocket. “Crown Prince.”

“Princess.” He smirks. He holds his hand out and spins me toward him. “Ready, darling?”

“Of course, Crown Prince.” Once we start gliding across the floor, my guard slips down. I wish it didn’t, because I could’ve used it for what was going to happen tonight.

“My goodness, Princess, you are a vision.” Lisette gushes. Maids gather and gawk at me, their attention makes me uncomfortable. 

“Thank you, Amiga.” I reply. The Engagement Ball commenced an hour ago. All of Seoul’s high society and influencers were in attendance, awaiting to see what I would be wearing. It’s superficial at best, but a job hazard nonetheless. I do love getting dressed up for Balls and special events, but I had never been as nervous as I am tonight. Rumors circulated on everything from the color of my gown to the designer, and if I would live up to Seoul’s biggest standards of the future wife of the Beloved Crown Prince. 

My appreciation for Lisette’s designs increased as I looked in the mirror, admiring the ball gown that fit like a glove. Butterflies and flowers make up the bodice of the dress and off the shoulder sleeves, embellished butterflies circle the waist and skim down to the bottom of the skirt. I chose to wear my hair half and half down in loose curls with my Valencian tiara sitting atop my head.

“Is it almost…”

“Excuse me, may I have a word with the Princess?” I turn my head to see Samira at the door. Great. My maids and Lisette turn toward me and I nod, careful not to show the irritation on my face. They file out of the room and Samira closes the door. “Alina! I’m so glad that you invited me. You look so stunning, the Crown Prince isn’t gonna want to wait to rip this gown off of you later!”

I narrow my brow, confusion filling my mind. “… Thank you?”

“That’s not the reason I’m here. I am here to give a word of advice to you, Alina.” Samira explains, crossing her arms.

“What advice must you give to me right now, Samira?” I ask carefully, knowing ears and eyes are all around waiting for me to slip up in the slightest. 

“Princess, don’t get too close to Kyungsoo. I hate to tell you this on our big day but Kyungsoo and I... We’ve been secretly dating. Him and I are much closer than you might have thought. He asked me to meet him tonight after the Ball, and he is a very needy man. I’m surprised he’s still asking me for favors when he finally has you. Then again, you don’t seem like the rule breaking type. You’re nothing but the formality on his way to the Crown.”

“I see.” Fury blazes underneath my skin. It angered me that I couldn’t show it or tell Samira exactly how I felt about her and the fact that she slept with my fiancé.

“Oh, sweetie, you had to have seen this coming. It wasn’t obvious we were together when I was constantly talking about the guy I was seeing? I’m just saving you the heartache of finding out that I’ll be the one in his bed, giving him what he really wants.”

“Samira, I don’t have time or energy for this. I have to go dance with my fiancé. The same fiancé that called you a one-off thing. It’s amazing how you backstab me and have the guts to attend our engagement ball. Now if you’ll excuse me, Crown Prince Kyungsoo is waiting for me.” I snap with hot cheeks. I’m not one to be so bold but I have to be now. 

I silently bow to the fuming Princess and walk past her, internally crumbling with each step I took to the large double doors to the ballroom entrance. What is it that Samira thinks she knows? I wondered if there was any truth to what she said, because it’s unheard of for another Princess to be a concubine. I think of how oddly kind he’s been to me lately, there has to be a reason behind it. Was it to introduce Samira as his real love? Nausea choked my body until I heard my name from the other side of the walls. 

The doors to the ballroom open and all eyes are on me, gasps and murmurs could be heard bouncing from all over the room. Slowly, my eyes meet my Kyungsoo. He looks beyond handsome in his formal military uniform, a regal design with tassels on his shoulders and a sash with Seoul’s royal colors and insignia sewn across it. His badges and medals of honor adorn the space above his heart, chains swoop from his right shoulder to his lapel on the other. His hair is slicked back and out of his face with his crown sitting neatly on his head, his mouth slightly ajar. Kyungsoo’s gaze causes my cheeks to flush, he bows before me and kisses my hand. I bow to my fiancé, a new type of smile appearing on his face. 

“You look so beautiful, Princess,” Kyungsoo whispers in my hair as he holds me for the waltz. The orchestra plays the soft, romantic melody we’ve rehearsed to and I nervously stiffen in his embrace. “Don’t be nervous. Remember, darling, follow me. On three, step back. One, two, three…”

We start to glide across the floor, our eyes set on each other. Uncertainty began to creep into my chest as Kyungsoo’s eyes beg me to trust him. I notice his demeanor is much different, it’s less guarded. It’s in his gaze, there’s a warmth that has been kindling over the last few days. Once my guard starts to drop, I make eye contact with Samira from across the ballroom. Of course, she’s standing right next to Boram. She smirks as she holds her phone in front of her, recording this moment. They whisper to each other and instantly my confidence fades as quickly as it came. 

Is something going to happen now? What if he is in on this? What do I do? 

My thoughts cause me to lose focus and stumble, the stress of ruining a beautiful, historical moment forcing adrenaline through my veins. Right on time to the music, Kyungsoo lifts me in his arms and smiles up at me. He gradually slides me down and my feet touch the ground, his arms securely around my waist until his hand grabs mine again. He twirls me and the entire ballroom erupts in applause. 

“You need to put some trust in me. I told you that I would never let you fall, Princess.” He whispers in my ear.  

I smile at Kyungsoo with gratitude and relief. I can feel his heart racing against my chest, dumbfounded at the thought that the Crown Prince is just as nervous as I am. The worst thing about this is that I am undoubtedly wonderstruck by him. 

“I’m starting to believe you.” I reply lowly. Kyungsoo’s smile gets bigger, and he holds me closer, his words falling onto me like a refreshing rain.

“You belong in my arms, Princess.” Kyungsoo dreamily breathes. He twirls me at the tail end of the dance, bringing me back to his embrace. He leans forward and dips me down like he did in rehearsal, cradling me closely toward his chest. I close my eyes to ward off the dizzy feeling in my head, the same feeling he gives me every time he’s close like this. His lips linger centimeters above mine, any closer and they’d brush together. They land on my cheek; leaving a feathery, chaste kiss. 

“This will have to do now, I fear if I kiss your lips now, I’ll never be able to stop.” Kyungsoo’s breath fans across my neck. I relax and can’t help but smile up at my fiancé.  Kyungsoo bows politely to me, touching my face with his free hand as he stands up straight. I catch the eyes of Samira burning into me again. Kyungsoo and I bow to our guests and he requests for everyone to quiet down.

“Welcome, esteemed guests.” Kyungsoo bows and I follow suit. “We are so happy you came to our special day. We also would like to announce that the Royal Wedding will be taking place October 12th, next week. The Princess and I are in love and simply couldn’t wait any longer. Please forgive us if this causes any time constraints or hinderance in your schedules.” 

That is the biggest lie I’ve ever heard come from Kyungsoo’s mouth, and it’s the first lie that I’m grateful for. Our guests cheer and applaud us on our “love”. The chatter begins along with the camera shutters. We smile and play it up for the cameras, and every person in this room believes it. Boram and Samira scowl in corners and whisper at each other to just get under my skin but I pay them no mind. The rest of the night is a blur of conversations, dancing and photo ops. Kyungsoo’s arm stays locked around me and he holds me close when we dance throughout the night. His eyes are soft and gentle when he looks down at me, his words are like silk as he whispers sweet nothings when we get chances to capture moments on our own. This feels so natural. So good. 

Too good. 

Midnight comes and the guests start to stumble out of the ballroom, bellies full of the finest wine and the best food imported from other kingdoms. Kyungsoo disappeared at some point and I figured I would see him later. On my way back to my chambers, I spot Lisette and Chanyeol in the garden. They’re casually talking and it looks like they’re getting along well, I make a mental note to ask her about this when we get back to the palace. I pass through the castle and see a sight that I partially expected. 

“Kyungsoo! Stooop!” Her giggly voice is like nails on a chalkboard with her stupid giggles and whines. I stop behind a pillar and watch the scene play out in front of me. 

Kyungsoo and Samira. 

She giggles and slaps his shoulder, a small smile erupting on his face. Fire burned under my skin at the mere sight of a smile on his face because of her. 

“Spend the night with me, babe. Just like we used to, remember? Come on, we can leave now!” This bitch. 

“No, Samira. What we had is over. I’m with Alina now.” Kyungsoo sighs in monotone. It’s so rehearsed, but I don’t expect anything less from him. If I could shoot lasers out of my eyes, I’d aim at the both of them.

“Babe, come on. You and I both know you don’t want this. You would tell me over and over how much you hated that girl and didn’t want her! Why are you forcing this relationship so much?” Samira leans into Kyungsoo and he steps away. 

“You’re a tease.” He laughs. My eyes fill with tears and I run, not caring if my footsteps echo. I don’t even care that Kyungsoo is calling out for me. I slam my door to my chambers. I made a mistake with letting this man in. I made a bigger mistake with telling him what happened to me. I curse myself for being so stupid in thinking that Kyungsoo meant his words. I refuse to cry over him, wipe my eyes and sit on my bed with my head in my hands. In my fit of anger, I didn’t check if the door was locked. As it swings open, I shuffle back, Kyungsoo standing there still in his uniform. 

“We need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” I snap. Kyungsoo closes the door to my room and steps closer to the bed, taking my hand in his. 

“Yes. We. Do.”

“What do you want to talk about, Kyungsoo? The fact that you were with your friend with benefits?” I scoff. 

“It’s not what you think it was, Alina.” Kyungsoo pleads. How pathetic. 

“She was all over you!” I exclaim. 

“Samira was not all over me.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. 

“Yes she was! I saw it! And you weren’t even mad about it.” 

“You know, you’re cute when you’re jealous.” Kyungsoo smirks. 

“Don’t do that. Don’t chastise me.” I warn. 

Kyungsoo combs his hand through my hair and rests his hand on the nape of my neck. He doesn’t break eye contact and all I want is to be out from under his stupid spell. He smiles and caresses my face with his thumb. “I’m not chastising you. I told you before, Samira and I broke it off before you came here. She means nothing to me, darling. I just want you, is that so hard to believe?”

“Don’t give me that.” I hiss, forcing myself to break the invisible lock that his gaze has on me. Kyungsoo stands beside me and sighs lowly. “I saw you flirting with her! Laughing with her. You really have some nerve.” 

“Some nerve? Alina… I don’t want Samira. I want you.”

“No, Kyungsoo. Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think…”

“Damn it, Alina! Listen to me! Do you think that I wanted all of this to happen? I never thought you and I would be in this position!” Kyungsoo raises his voice. “It just happened. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re on my mind all of the time. I barely know you, all you did was walk into the Throne Room and have driven me mad ever since. I dream of kissing you. Now the best part of my day is holding you through the night. I need you. I crave you. I want to learn every little bit of you until there’s nothing left to learn. I want to love you for the rest of my life and that alone is scaring the hell out of me. You’re the first woman I’ve felt all of this for… All of these things all at once. I need you.”

“You really must think I’m stupid to believe I’m the first and only woman you felt all this before when obviously you felt things for Samira. She came to me before the ball saying she was going to be the one in your bed. That you had a plan, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo’s deep, thunderous laugh leaves his mouth. He wasn’t amused, he was irritated. Our gazes lock and the intensity of his eyes knocks me down a few pegs. “A plan? What plan? Darling… My only plan was to announce our wedding. We’re getting married. You and I. She was never part of my plans, and she will neverbe the woman in my bed. The only woman that will ever have the spot next to me is you. Haven’t I been proving that the last 48 hours?”

“You know that doesn’t mean anything. 48 hours? Are you serious?” I gaze back up at the moon and of course, Kyungsoo demands my attention again. “I don’t believe you.”

“Let’s settle something right now, Alina. Princess Samira will not be on my mind if you’re the one lying beside me. You must not understand the depths of my want for you if you think Samira can distract me from you. My mind is constantly on your lips that are so pouty when you don’t get what you want yet control me when they’re on mine. Your beautifully crafted body lying in my arms every single night is enough for me to forget about that woman and any other woman before you. Your face is the last thing I see before I sleep and my first thought in the morning. Your existence consumes me, darling.” Kyungsoo’s shaky, throaty tone catches me off guard just as much as his sentiments do. His charming grin blooms on his face as if he knows the thoughts that appeared in my head, and the sensations flooding and confusing my body.

I swallow my words under curious eyes and crimson cheeks. Kyungsoo so effortlessly bathes in the moonlight, his words hang in the air with each step he takes to close the gap between us. Once his arms enclose me in his orbit, I know I’m done for. “My God, Alina. How do you so effortlessly give the moon its glow? The stars in the sky are envious of the ones that flicker in your eyes… No woman could ever compare to you in my eyes. You’re breathtaking.”

Kyungsoo’s hands guide themselves to the back of my neck, thumbs on my cheeks. He brings his thick, plump lips to mine. This kiss was different than the one we shared before. There was no more curiosity, it was passionate. It was fiery. It was everything I needed. 

“You’re stunning.” I start falling deeper into him.

“You’re gorgeous.” I’m drowning in him.

“You’re divine.” There’s no going back. 

Kyungsoo indulges in my lips over and over, calling me sweet names in between each breath-stealing kiss. He kissed me so much that I lost count of each time he whispered how beautiful I was under his breath. He picks me up in his arms and sets me on the dresser, standing in between my legs. He leans into me and rest his hands on my thighs. I fall for the desire to fulfill every single need Kyungsoo has. My arms wrap around his neck, our breath heavy as his hands travel up my legs and settle on my waist. We part, I press my forehead against his with shallow breaths. 

“Darling, any woman could try to get my attention, but I’m completely and utterly focused on you. My mind has been made up. No one can change that, Alina.” He lowly assures me. 

“Kyungsoo…”

The strap of my nightgown falls off my shoulder. Kyungsoo eyes it and slides his finger underneath the thin strap, kissing my exposed skin before returning the strap back where it was. “Alina… Let me in, please.”

“One condition.” I say lowly. He squeezes me tighter in his arms. “Show me who you really are underneath the façade you’ve given. If I let you in, you have to let me in, too. We’re going to be married really soon and to give this a fair shot, we have to trust each other.” 

“I’ll do whatever you ask of me.” He says on my lips with pleading eyes. I chase his lips, needing to fill a piece of me that I didn’t know was empty until he came along. 

“Please don’t ever see Samira ever again.” I plead in his mouth. 

“I don’t need to see her. I have you, darling.” Kyungsoo replies between mouthy kisses. “I only need you.”

The coolness of the wall startles my skin as Kyungsoo pushes me on it, slowly kissing along my collarbone. I crumble with how he looks up at me with begging, desperate eyes. I put my hands on either side of his face and bring him back to my lips. I’m taking control of what I want, and my desire is filled with him. His kisses soothe open wounds in me. His touch mends the broken parts that others left behind. He’s slowly healing me and my heart is allowing it. We’re lost together in a whirlwind of feelings we didn’t expect to have for each other and it’s a thrill I’ll gladly chase. We break apart and Kyungsoo holds my chin with his fingers. 

“Is this what falling in love feels like?” I gasp. 

“I hope so, because I’ve been waiting to catch you, Princess.” 

“I thought we were leaving titles out of our private conversations.” I smirk, wrapping my arms around his strong shoulders. 

“We are, but you’re my princess. My darling. Mine.” Kyungsoo breathes, leaving soft kisses on my cheeks. 

“And you…” I reply between kisses, “are mine.”

[peachysooxo]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 5

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, eventual smut word count: 4,920 description: Alina finally opens up to Kyungsoo, while Kyungsoo takes a chance and shows another side of himself to Alina. warnings: mature themes, mentions of sex, mentions of SA, non consensual sex, abuse, minors DNI

author’s note: hello dear friend! Thank you so much for being so patient and so lovely. I am very proud of the next few chapters, I worked really hard to give you the absolute best. Also, dear reader, this chapter does contain mentions of SA. I will NEVER include any details, however if what this chapter contains is upsetting to you, please look for the red asterisk (*) that signifies the beginning and end of the description so it can be skipped over. I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable when reading my stories. Please take care of yourselves, your mental health matters more to me than a read. Photos are not mine, dividers by @saradika-graphics . please enjoy this chapter.

ALINA

“Aren’t you so pretty? Who’s my pretty girl?”

“No… No! Please, don’t do this!” I beg and frantically claw at my faceless attacker. I can sense who he is, I know the scent of his expensive cologne and the pressure of his hands holding me down. He’s everywhere and nowhere all at once. I try everything to get out from under him. Any time my hands met the fog that was the face, it would take shape again of the monster that tortured me every single night. A slap stings my cheek, and a hand crushes my windpipe. Pain spirals all over my body and I regret fighting in the first place, it only meant it would get worse from here. 

“Stay there, Pretty. It’s our little secret. Princess, you’re so pretty…”

I scream in bed and desperately take in my surroundings to make sure that I’m not in my bedroom in Valencia. The scent of vanilla and bergamot accompanied with the minimalist, muted decor assures me that I’m in Seoul. The pressure squeezes my chest and my trembling hands clutch the sheets close to my body, my lungs desperate for oxygen. The vice in my chest tightens as I frantically attempted to gain control of my breathing. Tears sting my eyes as the walls cave in around me. The door bursts open and my eyes slowly adjust to the light filtering in from my common room, a halo forms around the silhouette of a man.

Kyungsoo. 

“Princess, what happened? Why are you screaming?!” He rushes toward me and I jump back, trying all that I can to comfort my trembling on my own. I can’t feel him gather me in his arms. If there was a way to cure this dizziness, I’d take it in an instant because the whole room spinning is messing with my head. I grip Kyungsoo’s elbows tight, trying to come back to earth. The separation began between my mind and body to the point that I watched myself from another point of view. Colors blur and blend together, sounds muffle and any touch can’t be felt until my entire world was abstract and distorted. I was vulnerable, something I never wanted to be in front of him. 

“Hey, hey… Shhh…” Kyungsoo’s velvety rich voice slowly brings the balance back to my body. In my weakened state, I curl into his arms and sob. My maids rush into the room and stop short at the sight of Kyungsoo. They bow their heads out of obedience and I bury my head in Kyungsoo’s chest. “Where are Princess Alina’s guards?”

Guards? I’m supposed to have guards?

“Your Highness… There were no guards assigned to this wing of the palace.” A maid nervously responds with her head down. Kyungsoo’s muscles tense and he grips me tighter. 

“What in the hell do you mean there’s no guards?”

“It was at Her Royal Highness Queen Hyunae’s command that her chambers have additional guards, Your Grace.” The other maid squeaked. I’ve had no guards this entire time?

 “Princess Alina needs guards just as much as anyone else in this palace does! Please, leave us. If there are no guards, I will guard her myself.” He growls. His hand strokes my hair and settles on the back of my head. 

“But Your…”

“Go, now. That is an order.” Kyungsoo bellows, his voice reverberating against my cheek. As soon as the door closes, Kyungsoo settles on the bed in front of me and fastens his hands on my arms. I float back down into my body, the head rush of consciousness coming back to me. Every time I woke from the nightmares, I floated above myself until I felt nothing. I chased that feeling, it’s what kept me safe from the panic attacks. Being suspended in nothing felt better than feeling every ache of the past. Then Kyungsoo came along and invaded my senses. He was real. His presence forces me to feel. The things he makes me feel are foreign, confusing and at the same time so welcomed. I don’t know what to do with that.

“Princess, what happened? Did you see something outside? Are you hurt?” Kyungsoo asks while gently touching my face. I look into his eyes and search for the motive. Why is he here? Why is he touching me like he cares about me? I can’t do anything else but stare at him and do my best to control my breathing. I rapidly shake my head and put my head down. “Was it a nightmare?”

“Yes.” I utter under uneasy breaths. Kyungsoo peers at me as if he’s losing himself in his own thoughts. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Princess. I’m glad I was nearby,” Kyungsoo assures in a low tone. “You have these a lot, don’t you?”

“Every night, if I can sleep.” I wearily reply. Kyungsoo doesn’t say a word, he just holds me. His touch soothes the ache within me and brings a sense of security. I am so dumbfounded at the calming affect this man has on me. Even in my anxiety-filled haze, the confusion pulls me in so many directions. It’s the same song and dance, the same questions over and over. I take a breath and look down at our hands, his thumbs rub soft lines across my white knuckles. With each caress, I loosen my grip on the sheets. I’m sure that the exhaustion starts talking with what comes out of my mouth. 

“I don’t want to be alone.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Kyungsoo assures me with soothing words as he sits behind me. He kicks off his shoes, takes off his suit jacket and guides my head to rest on his chest. I don’t know what is going on with him, but it’s a very vast and sudden change from just this week alone. His fingers stroke my hair and his heartbeat creates a lullaby that starts lulling me to a calm state. My heavy eyes close while my mind focuses on each slow breath Kyungsoo takes. He inhales sharply and his lips imprint a kiss on my head. He must think I can’t hear him, but the truth seeps out of his mouth like honey.

“You don’t know what you’re doing to me, Princess. I’m a jerk for being so horrible to you. We have not been made more acquainted due to my own stubbornness. Darling, you awakened something in me the moment we kissed. Baekhyun says I should accept these feelings. I’m doing my best, Princess. Please be patient with me… Because I want to know what it’s like to love you.” 

Kyungsoo wants to fall in love with me. He, of all people, wants to fall in love with me. He won’t want to for much longer, especially not after he learns the truth.  I have to tell him before he finds out the situation on his own. 

When I woke up the next morning, two royal guards were outside of my door and Kyungsoo was nowhere in sight. Did I hallucinate the entire thing? It’s possible. I changed from my pajamas to an A line cream-colored dress as maids prepared my things for the trip to the Capital Castle. Kyungsoo and I were making our official public appearance today for our Engagement Celebration ahead of the Ball. My thoughts are dilapidated like the aftermath of a hurricane, I don’t know what’s gotten into Kyungsoo and it’s useless to try and figure it out at this point. I barely finished my makeup when a maid enters my room. 

“The car is here, Your Highness. The Crown Prince is waiting for you.” 

“Thank you, I’ll be there shortly.” I smile graciously. I check my hair and dress one more time and leave the comfort of my room. The thought of Kyungsoo staying with me all night kept flashing in my mind. His gentle words tingle my skin and the memory of his arms holding me close to his chest are stuck in my head. What was odd to me was that he was on the top floor of the palace. He has never been up there, at least for as long as I’ve been here. I see Kyungsoo waiting for me in front of the car, and there’s no denying that he looks devilishly handsome. One of my weaknesses has now become his tailored suits, this navy-colored one in particular. His hair is slicked back and a soft smile greets me. 

“Good morning, Princess. You look lovely today.” What in the hell is going on?

“Good morning. As do you, your Grace.” I say coolly. Kyungsoo opens the door for me and we sit across from each other in silence. His eyes drift up from his phone to me a few times and then a sigh escapes his lips after a few minutes.

“Were you comfortable with last night?” Kyungsoo asks.

“It was awkward at first, but I appreciated it. The… Attention is new for me. I also didn’t know I was supposed to have guards. I haven’t had them from the beginning.”

“As of this morning, that changed. I had a very long discussion with my mother about her poor decision making and she will be formally apologizing to you. From now on, you will not only have the standard protocol for guards, but you’ll also have double.” Kyungsoo assures me. 

“Crown Prince, you don’t have to do all of this.” I mutter nervously.

“Why do you keep saying that, Princess?” Kyungsoo inquires, suspicion in his voice.

“It’s because…”

“We have arrived, Your Highnesses.” The driver announces, I’m grateful because our greetings to the subjects just bought me more time. 

“We’ll talk later, Your Grace.” I reply shakily. Kyungsoo takes my hand and laces our fingers together. He holds it tighter than before but I don’t mind it. He takes the first step out of the car and leads me to stand at his side. His arm wraps around my waist, taking liberties I’d only prayed about before but now don’t know what to make of them.

“Ready to meet our subjects, Princess?”

I nod silently and take in the sights around me, and the loud shouts of the people celebrating our engagement in the streets. The Engagement Celebration was in full swing, Seoul gave their people the day off to observe such an important event. A Royal Wedding can boost morale during a time full of tension and uncertainty. People were gathered for miles to see our arrival downtown. The Capital Castle stood so regally amongst the high-rise buildings in the Downtown District of Seoul. I marvel at the reds and greens of the paint, the massive curving in the roof’s high towers and the gold etchings and statues greeting us at the fortress gate. Despite being in the center of the chaotic city, it was tranquil. 

We wave to the sea of people cheering and shouting our names. Kyungsoo gripped my waist tighter as we greeted some of the subjects, the women coo at how “protective” he is. These royal greetings are exciting, and the warm welcome soothed any uncertainty that I’ve had about the people not approving of me.  

“You’re doing great.” Kyungsoo encourages me, in a tone that’s low enough for only me to hear. We make our way inside the castle and go straight to the balcony. There was an undeniably enigmatic feeling around the castle. It’s fascinating to see Seoul citizens waving my Kingdom’s flag with theirs. Will they continue to support me? I don’t want to let all of these people down. The pressure feeds my anxiety, I shake it off and focus on the moment with Kyungsoo by my side.

The kiss changed everything. It was liberating. Kyungsoo meant it, I know he did. The imprint of his lips still remained on mine. It was so hard to fully surrender my heart to him, he never gave me a reason to trust him. Kissing him was fun and elating but I didn’t understand where this sudden change came from, or why he wants to fall in love with me. His late-night confession left me even more confused than what I was before. 

There was no telling how much I desired to feel his lips on mine again. To hear his voice as he whispers softly to me. I craved him more than I ever had before because of the taste he’d given me. 

We step out and the crowds cheer for us. We wave and greet our subjects, Kyungsoo secures his hand on my back. His fingers trace small circles, a soothing touch for the overwhelming screaming and cheering of the people below us. He leans close to my ear, whispering sweetly with a smile. “They love you, Princess.”

I smile and hope that our subjects will still have a liking toward me as time goes on. We spend a few more minutes greeting the massive crowds and return back inside.  An awkward beat passes, and I know I’m putting off the inevitable. Kyungsoo steps in front of me and my thoughts come to a halt. “What do you have to tell me, Princess? We were interrupted when we arrived.” 

I don’t know if I’m ready to tell you. “I…”

“Come on, let’s go to my chambers. We can speak there.”

“I don’t know how to say it, I just know I have to before our betrothal goes any further. First, I want to apologize for how you found me last night. I wasn’t expecting your kindness, Crown Prince. Though, there is something that has been following me around that unfortunately caught up with me. I prefer that you heard the truth from me, and you can… Deal with it however you see fit.” I mumble nervously as we walk to Kyungsoo’s chambers. Hesitation tries to weigh down my steps but Kyungsoo takes me by the hand. We walk from the common room to his bedroom and he shuts the door.

“What are you talking about?” Kyungsoo crosses his arms. My eyes start to water and I try to turn away but Kyungsoo stops me. I shamefully turn to face him, shrinking smaller and smaller the more he looks at me. He sits on the bed and I stay standing without letting go of his hands. “Tell me what’s on your mind, Princess.”

“Last night was the first time I’ve had a decent night’s sleep in I don’t know how long. There was something there between us that I can’t describe, Crown Prince. But… I can’t fully give myself to this betrothal. I can’t let you or anyone else in. I’m… Scared all of the time.”

"Of what? Is it Prince Gustavo? If it is I’ll…”

I chew at my lip and won't meet Kyungsoo's gaze. Tears streak my cheeks and the numbness starts to begin. "No, not Prince Gustavo. It’s… King Daniel."

"King Daniel? Why?" I hear the words fall out of Kyungsoo’s mouth like gravel, his jaw tensely. His tone makes my chest ache. I instantly regret saying anything at all. 

"It’s… The King is the reason why I can’t sleep. I'm unclean, Your Highness." I mutter, letting go of Kyungsoo’s hands.

"Unclean? That's not possible." Kyungsoo crosses his arms, his voice adopting a softer cadence. I can’t get a read on this entire situation. It makes the numbness sink deeper to accompany the vice of anxious adrenaline in my chest. He takes my hand and brings me closer to him. "Look at me, darling. There won’t be a consequence for what you tell me. What happened?”

Just breathe, Alina. There’s no going back now. I take a deep breath, my posture weakening at the weight of the burden I carry. I nervously meet his gaze and prepare myself for the unknown.

“He… He took something that was supposed to be yours. The media believed the Azteco Crown’s rumor mill and the things they spread about me wanting him and all of the lies. I’m sure you’ve seen the embarrassingly false headlines. I never wanted him. I never wanted any of this to happen.” My voice gets unsteady and Kyungsoo sighs. 

“You’re safe, Princess. Please. Only tell me what you’re comfortable with me knowing.” Kyungsoo’s encouraging words lure me into safety. 

*"King Daniel… He… Assaulted and abused me since I was 15. Any chance he got, he’d hurt me. He would make inappropriate comments to me when my parents and brothers weren’t around. He’d force himself on me and tell me that I made him do it. That I wanted it. I promise you that I never did. I didn’t know what I was doing, all I knew was that I didn’t want any of it.

Daniel threatened to have my family killed if I said anything against him, he threatened my Abuelita and my mother the most. Then… He said you’d know. That every time you’d look at me, you’ll know I’m unclean because of what he’d do to me. You’ll have me sent away or have me killed. That I’ll be the reason the Doh Dynasty falls apart. I don’t want to ruin your family. I don’t want to bring embarrassment to your name and reputation. Crown Prince… I am so sorry.” Anger, fear and dread hold my breath hostage. No matter how hard I try, the breath won’t enter my lungs. Kyungsoo looks away from me, my mind coming undone at the possibilities of what may come next. He brings me down to his level and pulls me into his arms. Once he secures me in his hold, sobs burst from my chest.*

“Breathe.” His whispers in my ear.

"I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry..." I shakily repeat. 

“Look at me. What I want is for you take a breath. Slowly… Good. Breathe...” Kyungsoo soothes, fire raging in his eyes. “You’re not an object. You can’t be sent away. That’s not true and never was. I don’t want you to go anywhere, darling. I’ll say it again. You’re not ruined for me. You are pure. What that disgusting animal did to you was not your fault. You didn’t ask for it. I could never hold the actions of a man who should know better against you.”

I allow Kyungsoo’s words to settle in my bones and instinctively grab on to him, burying my head in his chest and allow myself to cry. His hand rubs my back slowly, his lips brush against my temple. No words were exchanged, there was no need for them. His touch spoke for him, his heavy breaths allowing me to feel emotions I buried deep inside of me. He just lets me fall apart in his arms. Waves of warmth encircle me in a soft embrace, a feeling that I’ve never known until Kyungsoo held me for the first time. He scoots back and studies my face. Pain riddles his expression, guilt entrapping me for burdening him with something that wasn’t even his problem.

“Thank you for believing me, Crown Prince.” I rasp. 

“Of course I believe you. Don’t thank me for that. I want you to feel comfortable with me. You don’t need to call me by my title in private. May I call you Alina when we’re alone?” I nod slowly. We hold each other in a gaze for a moment, I’m the first to look away. He leaves a kiss on my cheek and makes sure my attention is brought back to him.

“Alina, I’m going to take care of you. No one will hurt you again. Not that bastard of a king or anyone else. I’ll have guards at every entry point and each inch of the perimeter of this castle if I have to. You’re safe with me.” Kyungsoo’s hand caresses mine in an attempt to soothe me. The silence around us is tranquil like ocean waves rolling onto the shore, the first feeling of solace that I could hold on to. The feeling of being in this man’s embrace gave me something I’d been searching for: comfort. Like a morning glory blooming in the face of the sun, something is shifting in between Kyungsoo and I. It’s blooming slowly basking in the warmth of these feelings that are encircling us. 

“Thank you.” I offer a smile and Kyungsoo nods slowly.

“Is this too much?” He asks, scooting back from me. I take Kyungsoo’s hand and pull him back.

“No. We have to start somewhere, Kyungsoo. I’m happy you believe me, and I’m relieved that we’re entering a new agreement instead of the one we had before. Situations like ours don’t come with time to get to know one another fully, but we have a chance to start over now that our cards are on the table.” I explain. I stick out my hand between us and exhale. “Hi, I’m Alina. It’s nice to meet you.”

Kyungsoo smiles and takes my hand, kissing my knuckles the same way he did when we first met. “Hello, Alina. Nice to meet you. I’m Kyungsoo.”

“This is nice,” I laugh awkwardly, unsure of how to transition to a new subject. I don’t want to talk about the past anymore. “But honestly, thank you for everything. It means a lot that you’re doing all of this for me and being kind. You’re showing another side that I never knew existed.”

“This is just the beginning, Princess.”

The rest of the day went by in a blur of last-minute waltz rehearsals, dinner and some wedding planners wanted to meet with me to start finalizing details. It felt odd that we’d be discussing something that’s so far away, but I have to remember there’s 2 months left to go. Sure, we could get married sooner, but most of the time that happens with betrothals that end in love matches. What Kyungsoo and I have definitely isn’t a love match. Overall, today has been a very odd day, and it’s going to shape up to be an even more odd night.

“May I come in?” Kyungsoo’s voice pierced through the door. Groaning, I get up from the couch and pace toward the door. I open it and see Kyungsoo in a most unnatural form: casual in a black baggy t shirt and plaid pajama pants. Kyungsoo’s eyes drift up and down at the nightgown I chose to wear for bed with a cheeky smile. “Is your favorite color blue?”

“Why?” I tilt my head. 

“You wear it a lot. I like how it looks on you.” He replies with a reddish tint on his cheeks, letting himself in. 

“Thank you, Your Grace… I mean Kyungsoo.” I lower my head to hide my own red cheeks. “Not that I don’t appreciate your visit, but what are you doing here?”

“I’m staying in here tonight.” 

“What? Why?” I gasp. Kyungsoo walks over to the fireplace and warms his hands by it. I follow him and he reaches his hands out to me. 

“I don’t want to leave you alone.” Kyungsoo shrugs as if it’s the most obvious solution in the world. 

“Where is this coming from?” I ask carefully. 

“Alina, we were getting nowhere before. We would just bicker and say hurtful things to each other. This isn’t going to work unless we both give an honest effort before resorting to a platonic relationship. You need to realize that I’ve grown very fond of you. You are also becoming the Crown Princess of this Kingdom. You have a value that you don’t even realize that you possess not only to me, but to our Kingdom. I want you to be 100% certain of something: what happened to you will never change how I see you. It wasn't your fault. You must know that there is a stipulation for all of the protections you need, a price to pay.”

I look up at Kyungsoo, reading his eyes. My heart pounds in my chest as I try to remember what Seoul Law says about something like this, if there is anything for such a situation. “What do I have to do?”

“We have to get married as soon as possible. You need to be Crown Princess in order to be properly taken care of and safe.” Kyungsoo sighs. 

“As soon as possible? When is that?” 

“October 12th.”

“But that’s next week! That is beyond sudden!” I shout. 

“I know. That’s why I arranged for the wedding planners to come today, and they’re working to complete everything in time. Good thing your seamstress is arriving tomorrow just in case you need any adjustments.” Kyungsoo coolly replies. 

“This is impossible.” I start pacing, and Kyungsoo catches my wrist in his hand. 

“This is the meaning of mutually beneficial. Trust me. At the Ball we’ll announce we’re getting married a lot sooner than originally planned. We… We have to make it seem as though it’s for love.” Kyungsoo explains.

“You don’t have to do this.” I insist. Kyungsoo reaches out and brushes his fingers along my cheek and I don’t fight it. 

“I have to. You have every right to feel safe and secure. Leave it to me. Just because we’re getting married quick doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have what you want, I have you scheduled to meet with the wedding planners after the ball.”

“I just… I thought we’d have more time to figure our… Relationship out.” I scoff. Kyungsoo grips my hand tighter and stops walking, his gaze fixed on me. He studies my face and leans closer. 

“Darling, you said it yourself the day we met. You’re nothing but another nation’s princess until we’re wed. Whether you like it or not, you’re mine. I can admit that I am possessive of what’s mine, it’s a flaw that works in your favor. I’ll protect you. Even if that means marrying you a hell of a lot sooner than we wanted. We also have a lifetime to figure this relationship out.” Kyungsoo’s voice drops to a low rumble. 

“So, we’re going to be in our elderly age still getting to know each other? Sounds like a fun life.” I lean back and Kyungsoo chuckles softly. 

“You’re right. I’ll make a much better effort in spending quality time with you, darling. Not just so people can see us together. You look tired, come on. Let’s get you to bed.” With a kiss on my cheek, Kyungsoo turns the sheets down. I climb in bed with a dizzy head. 

My wedding is next week. 

I lay down and turn off the lights, cuddling into the sheets. 

I’m marrying Kyungsoo next week. 

He’s willingly marrying me to get me protections I don’t have as a foreign princess. I have no idea what’s going on with him but it’s making me soften my sentiments toward him. I watch him recline on the couch with his phone in his hand. The focus in his eyes tells me that it must be something serious so I turn away to give him his space.

My body is so exhausted that when I close my eyes I fall asleep a lot quicker than that I normally would. 

“Let me go!” I scream, eyes shooting open from my ongoing nightmare.

“Alina!” Kyungsoo rushes to my side and I’m snapped from dream to reality. “You’re shaking, darling. Was it a nightmare?”

I nod and crave his eye contact. Once he gives me what I want, I try my best to focus on him. I’m frozen, but Kyungsoo sits behind me on the bed and secures me in his arms. “You don’t…”

“You need to sleep, darling. You’ve lacked sleep for so long.” Kyungsoo lowly comforts me. “I’ll shelter you from everything that can harm you as you sleep. Trust in me, Alina.”

Trust me.  You need to learn to trust me.  Trust in me, Alina. 

I can’t help that my heart rate slows down when I’m in Kyungsoo’s arms. Contentment builds between us in the awkward state of being in bed together. I refuse to admit that I need him. I don’t want to acknowledge that this feels safe. It baffles me that someone who despises me wants me to trust them so badly. The numbness fades in the presence of him. No one else has been able to do that. 

“Alina, are you comfortable?” 

“Is it bad that I am?” I ask. 

“No, it’s not. You being comfortable in my arms isn’t bad. Darling, do you want me to stay here in bed with you?” Kyungsoo asks, his tone soft and gentle. I sigh and turn in his arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you last night, I’ll be better at that.”

“Is it bad that I want you this close to me?” I ask again. Kyungsoo shakes his head and sits beside me, pulling the sheets over his body. 

“We’ll be in the same bed this time next week, what difference does it make? Come here, Princess.” He holds his arms out and I nervously slide into them. Resting my head on his chest, draping my arm over his stomach, our legs intertwining and his embrace tighter than it was before completed the calming efforts Kyungsoo has on me. He strokes my hair and absolutely all of the anxiety in my body left me. “Rest, let me worry about your fears and anxieties. You’re not handling this alone anymore.”

“Thank you, Kyungsoo.” I hum. My eyes grow heavy. I fall asleep in Kyungsoo’s arms, a place that is slowly starting to feel like home.

[peachysooxo]

Good morning, friends (:

I am currently working on chapters 5 and 6 (: I will be publishing them at the same time so please be patient.

I don’t have a posting schedule yet… I should make one! Thank you so much for your love and support. I appreciate it more than you know!

- Aria

[peachysooxo]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 4

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, eventual smut word count: 5,607 description: Kyungsoo comes to terms with his true feelings while Alina finally accepts what her life has become. warnings: mature themes, mentions of sex, mentions of possible assault, mild violence, minors DNI

author’s note: Hello dear friend! I’m feeling so much better now. I’ve worked really hard on editing this chapter and I hope that you enjoy it. Getting into Kyungsoo’s mind will definitely be interesting. Photos are not mine. Happy reading!

KYUNGSOO

I watched Alina shiver as I called her mine. The way her pupils dilated as I said those words to her told me everything that I needed to know. She was all I could think about for the rest of the night. Even through drills this morning, I wanted to see her react that way to me again. I loved pushing her buttons to see what would get her the most flustered, it seems calling her mine does wonders. Alina challenged me, no woman has done that to me before. She also irritated the hell out of me with her walls being so high that I can’t break through them. No one is going to buy this act if she’s so tense around me all the damn time.

Before the betrothal, I couldn’t be bothered with the thought of love or the notion of it. I didn’t want it. I had dated before and had one serious relationship but that was it. I never had to worry about my needs being met or not. I saw what “love” can do to people. Mother came to mind with her selfish actions that almost caused a scandal if it wasn’t kept under wraps. An affair with a royal guard can do that, and it changed Father’s outlook on the betrothal completely. Lady Daeun used to by my caregiver, but Father instead assigned her as Mother’s “assistant”, a fancy word for chaperone. Every single day, Mother is miserable that she’s figuratively chained to Father forever. It didn’t help that their marriage was also arranged. I didn’t want Alina to be that miserable with me. I didn’t want to end up like my parents.

Once drills ended, I left the Training Grounds and made my way to the gardens. The entire walk there I gaslight myself into believing I’m not doing this for any other reason except to see what will make her break. And what kind of dress she was wearing. Alina’s body was like a sculpted work of art, and the dresses she wore enticed my attention. I had dreams of taking those pretty dresses off of her and drown myself in between her hips. The thoughts get darker when she wears the dresses that lace up on her chest… Kyungsoo, focus!

Grandfather always said that there would be one woman that would change my point of view on love, and he hoped it would be Alina. His hope was fulfilled. My heart started beating the moment I saw Alina. I hated how she made me feel, this whole light feeling in my head and the heart palpitations… If love is so great, why do I always feel like I’m going to die when I think about her? The worst part about it is that it’s not like Alina had to do anything in particular, she just was… I can’t even explain it.

I stop when I hear her soft voice whimpering at the same corner she always sits in. I peer over the hedges to see her on the phone, her face wet with tears.

“Ana… I… I thought he would be different. When I first saw him, I swear I fell in love. He has made it so clear that he’s rejected me. This family rejected me. How… No, Ana. I can’t keep being patient. He’s not gonna come around. He won’t. Is there something wrong with me for being in love with him? Mmm… This is different than Seth and your marriage. You’re happy and having a baby!”

Hearing Alina sobbing about me on the phone with her sister made me nervous. Now I’m going to look like a complete asshole to her family. I don’t need that. I also didn’t need to hear what I heard next.

“And that’s the other thing. Duke Chanyeol won’t take a hint. He visited me again today and was so flirty. I don’t understand, we haven’t spent more than a few hours together. Ana, you know his reputation. I don’t want him. I want… this is so stupid… Please… Tell me if I’m being stupid about this… About Crown Prince Kyungsoo…” Chanyeol did what?

That’s it. No more games.

I turn away and head straight for Chanyeol’s cottage, my sights were set on him and only him. Fury burns in me that I can’t control anymore and he needs to know I’m serious about this. I barge through the door and see him getting cozy with a girl he’d been talking to, which enrages me even more.

“You. Get up. Now.” I growl.

“Oh my GAWD. Crown Prince Kyungsoo!” The girl’s eyes widen. I pay her no mind and focus on Chanyeol.

“Baby, just go to my bedroom and wait for me there.” Chanyeol coos and guides the girl up and away from the couch. Once she’s out of sight, I pull him by his shirt and slam him onto the wall. “What was that for?”

“I want you to listen, I’m only going to tell you once.” I pick him up off the ground and hold him by his arm. “I don’t care what it is you think you’re doing, but don’t mess with Princess Alina. You don’t go near her. You don’t persuade her to leave me and make a fool of me for your selfish desires. You can do whatever the hell it is you do with other women but not her. I don’t give a damn if we’re blood or not. If you as much as look in Princess Alina’s direction, you’ll regret it. Understood?”

“What are you talking about?” Chanyeol asks with a devious grin. I grip his shirt tighter and shove him against the wall.

“You know damn well what I’m talking about. Princess Alina isn’t at your disposal. She’s not yours to toy with. I don’t know where you got the idea that you could be so bold with my princess.” I grit through my teeth.

“Your princess? Could’ve had my fooled. You barely even speak to her, let alone show any ounce of affection toward her. She may not be a sure thing but she can keep a secret. You said so yourself, I could have her, did you not? So, I’m trying to get her.” At that moment, all I can see is red. By the time I can blink, Chanyeol’s on the ground with a bloody mouth.

“This is the only warning you’re getting. Stay the hell away from her!” I yell and storm off. Something is definitely wrong with me if I was willing to punch my own cousin for this woman. I hope I’m not making an idiot of myself. I stop walking and shake out my hand, then the thought dawns on me. There’s only one way to know what Alina really wants, and it’s in the pages of her diary. I’ve seen her writing in it, it only makes sense the truth will be in there. I take my phone from my pocket and call the only person I know that can get the diary without an issue.

“Baekhyun? I need a favor.”

That night, I tossed and turned in bed. My head is a disaster of the consequences of Chanyeol not listening to me. Thoughts of him trying to seduce Alina heightened my anger and made her words keep repeating over and over as if on a loop in my memory. Is there something wrong with me for being in love with him? Tell me I’m being stupid about this… About Crown Prince Kyungsoo…

She’s in love with me. I don’t understand how but she is. Was it the waltz in the garden? How I told her she was mine? Or how she took all of this way too seriously? I pushed it down and did my best to ignore it, but it kept coming back up and settling in my chest. It could all be bullshit, but I’ll find out once I get my hands on her diary. The sun started to rise through the window and I needed air.

I got out of bed and got myself ready to go on a walk around the Palace property before drills. The crisp autumn air greeted me with a welcomed chill. As I neared the opening of the trail, I saw Alina casually pacing with her head down focused on her phone. I’ve never seen her in sweatpants before, this is new. Who is she talking to? I stop myself and take a breath. This is my chance to once and for all prove to myself that I don’t really have feelings for her and we can move on.

“Good morning, Princess.” I greet Alina.

“Crown Prince… Good morning.” Alina mumbles with hesitation. She shoves her phone in her sweatpants pocket and places her hands in her hoodie. She looks exhausted as if she hadn’t slept well. Concern riddled me and I cross my arms in front of my chest, trying my best to not reach for her. “I was texting Ana, my sister. You look like you want to to ask so let’s get that out of the way.”

“Are you alright?” I ask, ignoring her statement.

“Yeah, just couldn’t sleep is all.” She replies quickly. Guilt starts to pick at me. I probably wasn’t helping the situation.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” I watch Alina fidget with the engagement ring on her finger. Warmth floods my veins at the sight of my ring resting so nicely on her hand.

“Oh… No reason.” She mutters.

“Would you care to go on a walk with me?”

“I would rather…”

“There are things we need to discuss, Princess. I sped up the engagement and we have decisions to make.” I know it’s not the best practice to lie, but how else would Alina spend time with me? Reluctantly, she walks toward me with defeated eyes.

“Lead the way.”

I try my best to hide my smirk and start walking the trail that leads into the forest, knowing how much she loves it. “I know I was supposed to formally give you the engagement ring at the Ball, I jumped the gun. I’m uncertain if a long engagement is a good idea.”

“We were given 90 days. We’re practically 30 days in, so we’re on track. I am surprised you gave me the ring so soon.” Alina comments, looking down at the glimmering diamond.

“You seem to like it. The ring.” I was hoping she would. I spent hours on the phone with her sister, Ana, to get everything right. She’ll never know that, of course. It also scored me some points with Ana, to her I’m the most ideal man for her baby sister… or I was, depending on how the conversations have been going between the two.

“I do.” Alina agrees. “Every detail was thought out. Something I wouldn’t expect from you.”

“Oh, you hurt me!” I clutch my chest. We walk further into the forest and Alina takes a deep breath. I watch her chest rise and fall, the circles under her eyes more apparent as she struggles to open them. She yawns softly with her hand covering her mouth and turns to me.

“I appreciate the thought, Your Grace. Though… I think our fathers waited too long for an alliance. They could have forged one years ago without marrying us off.” Alina muses. “Politically speaking, our kingdoms becoming true allies will help during this time of uncertainty. Really, there couldn’t have been a better time for this alliance to be officially formed. We’ve been shadow allies for as long as I could remember. However, now that we’re getting married, we have more of an advantage when it come to helping the subjects of both of our kingdoms. We can give aid to the hospitals and facilities for the people that need mental health care from previous wars, both veterans and civilians. We can do a lot for the poor and volunteer our time to helping where we can. It’s my mission once I am Crown Princess.”

Her reasoning brought me to a halt. She knew a lot more than she led on… Or that I paid attention to. I’m curious what else lies underneath the surface, I’m intrigued… I want to know more. “You really do care about your people, don’t you?”

“Of course. My life is meant to be in service to them. Even if I’m not Valencia’s Princess anymore, our alliance still gives me a chance to help my people.” She nods.

The last couple of minutes were the most we’ve gotten along since we met. Perhaps our conversations should be led by politics and not our personal relationship… Or lack thereof. I listen to her ideas of donating money to various operations and volunteering our time to them. Seoul Royals hardly go to the front lines to help, but Alina wanted to change that. Valencia is known for their charity, I didn’t know how to implement changes like that, but it looks like I’ll have to try. I nod in agreement and look over at her.

“I believe we can have a decent plan of action once you’re Crown Princess. We must discuss the formalities.” I muse, holding back my real sentiments.

“We can come to a formal agreement after the wedding… Which will be when?” The warmth started to appear in her eyes again. Ana told me how Alina wants a beautiful, simple wedding. I wonder if it matters that she’s marrying me, or does she just want a beautiful moment for herself?

“That’s up to you. Whenever you’d like.”

“I was asked for my preferences of colors and flowers this week. It should be soon I guess. I don’t have any date in mind to be honest… Other obstacles appeared in my path, Crown Prince.”

With a sigh, I decide to start this next part of the conversation by apologizing to get her to open up a little bit. “Princess. I want to apologize.”

“Please, stop Your Grace. I’m getting tired of the mind games. And how you never cared about the betrothal law. I could keep going.” Oh, she’s stubborn. She pouts when she’s irritated, it’s cute, it makes up for her stubbornness.

“There won’t be any more mind games. My relationship with that Princess from the Emirates was a one-off thing, and I know I was being selfish. I…”

“That bitch.” Alina mutters under her breath. Her cheeks turn red at the realization she said it out loud. “Forgive me, Crown Prince.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“No one, I… well… Your ex-girlfriend is my good friend, Samira. Former friend I presume now. She told me all about your secret relationship… Everything about it. Knowing you were betrothed to me. I knew every detail except your name. She has some nerve RSVPing to the Ball.” Alina rants.

Princess Samira and I met by chance. Our relationship quickly turned physical, I wouldn’t really call her a girlfriend. I did all the boyfriend things she wanted just to shut her up. She’s a beautiful girl but was too clingy for my liking. The moment she started talking about running away together to get married and nagging me about it, I broke things off. It was a year of fun, but obviously not worth it. Regret quickly forged its way through me, but seeing Alina jealous was quite entertaining. It’s amusing how the tables have turned. I stop walking and laugh. Alina slowly turns and crosses her arms.

“Isn’t it ironic how you were upset at me for being irritated about you and Chanyeol being alone, and here you are being jealous?”

“I’m not jealous! I’m angry that my own friend would betray me with the Prince I was set to marry! All of the bouquets of roses. The gifts. The… Explicit rendezvouses…” Alina trails off. What exactly did Samira tell her? Alina eyes me and walks ahead of me. I call to her and jog to catch up with her steps, reaching for her hand. She snatches it away but I take it again while turning her to face me. “You’re… Adventurous, Crown Prince.”

“Princess, don’t sit here and pretend you’re a saint. You had to have at least kissed someone else before. None of us are perfect.” I say cautiously, and the moment a small smirk appears on her face, I knew she wasn’t as innocent as she claimed to be. “Who did you kiss, Princess?”

“I… Well… Prince Gustavo of Bogota. It was just a summer thing when I was a teenager. His family came to visit Mariposa in their summer home and it just happened. He was my first kiss… But we just kissed. A lot.” Alina blushes. The thought of Alina kissing that bastard infuriated me. I had to be fair, I had a sexual relationship with her friend. I didn’t know Samira was her friend but even if Alina had some sort of relationship with Gustavo, would it be right for me to be jealous? It’s an even playing field now. I didn’t like it, but we just proved to ourselves that we aren’t puritans who follow each rule to the letter.

“Fair, I guess.” I muttered.

Alina giggles and continues walking. “Is this what it’s like to be in a relationship? Learning these things about each other? I’m uncertain I like the idea of knowing my friend’s sex trips were with… You. And knowing all of the things you did to her.”

“Like what?” I ask coyly, curious of what exactly Samira told her. “What bothers you the most?”

“Like I would divulge that to you!” She snaps with bright red cheeks. “I’ll do my best to forget it and move on, Crown Prince.”

“Just as I’ll forget that stupid, pompous jackass Gustavo made out with you whenever he could.” I say under my breath. Alina rolls her eyes and laces her fingers behind her back. We walk in silence and all I could think about was Gustavo kissing Alina. Is that why Alina doesn’t want me to kiss her? Because it meant something with Gustavo and means nothing with me? The thought comes to mind and I immediately regret it leaving my mouth. “Is that why you won’t kiss me? Because it doesn’t mean anything to you if I kiss you?”

Alina’s eyes widen and she shakes her head. “No. That’s not why, Your Grace.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s because I know it means nothing to you.” She reasons. I bring our hands together, patting myself on the back for giving myself this opportunity.

“It does mean something to me.” I slowly reply, bringing Alina in front of me. I look into her tired eyes and brush my fingers on her cheek. “I want your permission to prove it, Princess.”

“Prove it, then.” Alina nervously grants my request. She doesn’t look too certain that I really do mean what I say.

I bring my hands to the sides of her face, my thumbs resting on her cheeks. Her breath hitches and for a moment, our lips barely brush. It’s not enough, I bring her closer and press my mouth on hers. I kiss her gently, slowly. Cradling her head in my hands, I can feel our hearts beating fast against each other as I part her lips with mine. Alina slowly takes me over second by second. I’m captured in her embrace, latched on to her like she gives me the air that I need to breathe.

God, I need her. I need her so desperately.

Her tongue slides across my bottom lip, and I fall deeper. I take the control back and explore her mouth, her soft whimpers fueling my awakened desires for her. My arms enclose her, our bodies melting together in a warm, gentle connection. I retract, pecking her lips to punctuate my words.

“I don’t want…” kiss, “to stop…” kiss, “this…”

“We have to.” Alina relents in between breaths. I’m frozen in the moment, dazed from our connection. She takes a few steps back with her arms stiff at her side. She’s fighting her intuition, her wants. Why? “This can be dangerous.”

“Princess.” I pathetically call to Alina, she gracefully comes back to me. Her lips are quivering and all I want is to soothe them with mine.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, Crown Prince.” Alina says nervously.

“Come here.” I bring our lips back together like a fiend getting his fix. I hold her in my arms and allow her in again. She presses me onto a tree trunk and grips my jacket, allowing herself to dissolve in me. Feeling her soft flesh pressed against mine is a new thrill I want to possess as much as I possibly can. As soon as I grip her hips, our connection stops short. Alina sighs, her face unreadable.

“Now I understand what mutually beneficial means.”

“What?” I allow her to pull away from me, as much as I don’t want it.

“Isn’t this what you wanted, Crown Prince? Now, I don’t think I mind it. It’s nice that there’s no strings attached.” Her words sink into me like knives as she walks away. I’m creating a monster. That kiss was other worldly, but she passed it off as being part of our agreement.

I did it. I proved to myself I don’t just have feelings for her.

I’m in love with Princess Alina of Mariposa and I have to stop this from spiraling out of control.

I watched the clock and yawned at the sight of the hands striking midnight. This meeting had been dragging on and on and the last thing I wanted to worry about was Azteco and their temper tantrums. The latest were propaganda filled newscasts about Seoul that spread like wildfire on the internet about me and how I’m power hungry. I could care less about that.

“…What will we do about the threat to the Princess, Your Highness?”

“What threat?” I sit up, my attention shoots to Commander Jongin, Head of Security and Strategy advisor. We became good friends when I first enlisted in the military, his intelligence and knack for finding weak spots in our plans made me recruit him for my military personnel. Father couldn’t be bothered with these things, so he put me in charge of the Military. If we’re being honest, I do everything the King is supposed to do, just without the title. The only thing standing in my way of the Crown is tradition. If there’s a threat to Alina, it needs to be addressed. I can’t have a wedding if my fiancée is dead.

“Crown Prince, we have been made aware of a direct threat from His Royal Highness King Daniel toward Her Royal Highness Princess Alina. Attached is the transcript from our spies, Your Highness.” Commander Minseok, the Head of Intelligence, adds. Commander Jongin holds his hand up to me, signaling for me to stay calm and wait. Minseok hands me the transcript, as soon as I read what’s on the page I want to be sick.

Report to the Crown of Seoul in reference to King Daniel is as follows: King Daniel has sent spies to watch Princess Alina of Mariposa as she prepares to wed Crown Prince Kyungsoo in Seoul. These said spies have been captured and are being questioned by Seoul Military Police. His Royal Highness is requesting photos and updates of Princess Alina. He is desiring to remove Her Royal Highness Queen Maria from the Throne and have Princess Alina replace her, give him his “true heir” and be his wife. We have no evidence of a previous relationship between the two, only an agenda to cause the Doh Dynasty to fall. King Daniel uses vulgar terms to describe Her Royal Highness, please review the following conversation with caution.

- Lieutenant Jongdae

Conversation Transcript:

King Daniel: Have we heard anything about the Princess?

General 1: Which one?

King Daniel: The one that cries when I finish with her. Alina.

General 2: She’s pretty, Your Highness

King Daniel: Would I want an ugly bride? How are the plans for bringing her here to Azteco? Those hips of hers cannot only hypnotize men but give me the heir I so desire.

General 1: Plans are in motion, Your Highness. We must get her before she is set to marry the Crown Prince, correct?

King Daniel: I can have her whenever I so please! I miss her and how she feels. Her sister simply cannot compare. Kill anyone who gets in your way. Make sure her guard is down, understood?

Generals: Yes, your Highness!

“Your Highness, we are adding extra security…”

“That won’t be enough, General Junmyeon.” I growl, my blood boiling. I throw the transcript and jump to my feet. A line has been crossed that should’ve never been crossed. “I know what I have to do, General. Gentleman, we’re adjourning this meeting for the night. I will reconvene our gathering once I have a solid plan. Thank you.”

“Crown Prince!” Commander Jongin calls. “What is it that you’re going to do?”

“Following protocol for once, Commander. Seoul Law declares more protection for a Crown Princess of its Kingdom, not a foreign Princess. I must marry Princess Alina as soon as possible.” I explain. “Right after the ball, I must marry her.”

“Crown Prince! Don’t act in haste!” General Junmyeon calls. I turn and narrow my gaze on my trusted general.

“I have no choice, General. What use is this entire alliance if the woman I’m supposed to marry is kidnapped or dead? If you’ll excuse me, I have calls to make.” I exit the War Room and send a mass email to the Wedding Planning committee, demanding we speed things up. Once I get the approvals, a question still remains: what date will this wedding take place? Groaning, I just pick a date.

Next week. The 12th.

I finish the emails, receive more confirmations and set up wedding planning for the Princess, she must want to have some role in all of this. My thoughts get interrupted by a text from Baekhyun.

Meet me in my house. I have something for you.

“I got what you asked for.” Baekhyun grumbles, throwing himself on the couch. “Why you wanted Absolut Vodka and Alina’s diary? I don’t know. I mean… I’d be a mess if I found out my enemy was obsessed with my betrothed, too. But the diary?”

“Enough. I don’t wanna hear it.” I grip the bottle of vodka, then change my mind. I need to have a clear head because anything can happen at the drop of a hat. Also, I need to be sure I understand exactly what’s going on in Alina’s head. “It’s just for confirmation.”

“Confirmation of what? Isn’t it so cute how you deny your feelings for Princess Alina when it’s so obvious?” Baekhyun grins.

“Baekhyun…” I grumble.

“Well, go on. I didn’t pay a maid to swipe this for you to sulk and not read it.” Baekhyun takes a sip of vodka and nods. “Go ahead, get your confirmation.”

I feel sick reading Alina’s diary like this. I tap the wood of the table, contemplating opening it. I pick it up and it feels heavy, I open the hardcover and see Alina’s neat handwriting on the pages. I brush the words with my fingers, a new entry from today staring me in the face. With guilt-filled eyes, I begin to read.

I feel so lost, dear friend.

I feel worried for my health. I’m not sure when I got a good night’s sleep last. Sleep just isn’t something my body wants to do, especially being away from home for a month. It’s already been a month, can you believe that, dear friend?

I never leave the palace, I don’t want to. Queen Hyunae makes sure to leave me out of schedules now that we’ve gone on one together. Forgive me for speaking out of turn toward the Queen, but she can be so terrible to me. I don’t understand it! Duchess Boram isn’t any better. There’s two types of people in my life: those who love me, and those who want something from me. Majority of the people in the palace fall into the second category. Including the Crown Prince.

Dear friend, why must he be so handsome? I know it sounds vain, but it’s not fair someone so handsome can be so… Terrible.

Yet I want him.

There must be something wrong with me for being in love with a man who doesn’t even give a damn about me. Am I living on hope he’ll change?

I spent years daydreaming about escaping my life and building a new one with him, but he treats me just as all of the men around me do, save for Papa and my brothers Santi and Iggy.

My foolish heart felt safe in Kyungsoo’s arms. We kissed today. And it was perfect. I had to keep my guard up. So I played it off as it wasn’t a big deal… but it was, dear friend. That singular moment when it was just us, how his lips felt on mine. I wanted that moment to be stretched out for the rest of my life. All I want is to feel like I am loved, cared for, cherished.

I hope he doesn’t believe the rumors about the Monster and I. I thought I’d escaped him, but the maids were chattering about how he has been watching me. How he wants me on his throne, to be the mother of his children. I’ve never wanted anything less. I want to hide. I feel the Monster everywhere and I can’t escape it. I must tell Crown Prince Kyungsoo the truth. As much as I fear it, I have to. He won’t even want to look at me when he finds out the truth.

Dear friend, I’m leaving this entry here. I leave this entry as a fool. I want to go home… I wish this betrothal wasn’t mine to endure.

I put the diary down and feel more guilty for hurting Alina. I am everything she wished she'd never get in a husband. I never learned how to let my guard down. I don’t want to hurt Alina anymore. She’s been hurt enough by my own family and King Daniel, but in what way? I look out of the window and imagine Alina sitting in the garden alone with a cup of tea and her favorite poetry book. My heart flutters at the thought of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She deserves a husband who will love her, I don’t know how to be that but I’m willing to try. I close her diary and put it on the table.

“Find anything juicy? Was I right?” Baekhyun asks.

“Yeah. I saw enough.” I mumble. “Baekhyun, my expectations of her weren’t that bad, were they?”

Baekhyun rests his elbows on the arm of the couch. “I want you to think about it this way. The Princess is loyal. She’s intelligent. She doesn’t just sit back and agree with every word you say, she has her own mind. All you’ve been is an asshole to her. You have a good thing and you need to hold onto it. A loyal spouse in an arranged marriage isn’t common. Now, do you feel that pushing her away is a good way for her to stay loyal to you? It’s counterproductive and stupid.”

“Tell me how you really feel.” I nudge Baekhyun’s arm. “I don’t get it. I don’t know what happened.”

“You fell in love, you idiot.” Baekhyun laughs. “Let go of your pride and let it happen. What’s the worst that can happen? You’ll be happy? If you give a woman the world, she’ll give you the universe in return. Since you’re being a very rude host and not drinking the alcohol I bought for you, I’m just gonna go to bed. We have guests coming tomorrow, and I’m interested in seeing Princess Alina’s seamstress. All the way from Valencia, I heard she’s hot for a commoner.”

“You’re disgusting. Thanks for the… Whatever this was.” I roll my eyes.

“A romance strategy meeting!” Baekhyun cheers.

“Right. That. I’ll see you at the ball.” I take my leave and begin walking to my chambers. On the way there, the events of the day replay in my head. The words that Baekhyun said to me interrupted my train of thought. They had points, I can give this whole being nice to Alina thing a shot. I figured if I kept this up, I could find out the secret that she’s hiding. Unless what she was hiding was that summer fling with Prince Gustavo. Son of a bitch.

The kiss. Alina.

My pining for her grew so much that I had to make sure she was sleeping, that she was okay.

I had to find her, I had to prove to her that I was serious. While climbing the stairs, my body starts getting hot. I bite my lip to control the fury in my chest and the conflicting feelings that war back and forth. My concern and care turned to jealousy faster than I could keep up with. Could Chanyeol be in her bed? Could Alina be in Chanyeol’s bed? Is she thinking about Gustavo? I stop and scold myself for not trusting her, for getting so jealous. It was stupid, nonsensical. I turn around and plan to forget I even thought of checking on her.

That is, until I heard her screaming.

[peachysooxo]

Hi there again (:

I’m so sorry but I’ve been sick. I’ve been editing and writing Kingdom of Us but please wait a little more 🤍 thank you so much for your support and love! It means so much to me 🩷

Fingers crossed new chapter by tonight or tomorrow. Thank you everyone (:

- Aria

[peachysooxo]

Hello!!

Thank you so much for all of your support for The Kingdom of Us. I have been diligently working on the next few chapters.

Please be patient (: I will post them when they are ready, and I’ll be posting a schedule.

I’m so happy you all are enjoying it. It means so much to me. I hope that you will enjoy these coming chapters!

- Aria