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Masterlist | Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 8.5 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 [FINAL]

Royalty!AU

Length: 6.9k

Note: This was a really hard part for me to write since it’s the final part of this fic which iv’e been working on for almost two years now and it’s grown with me, not only in my writing style but as a person. I hope you enjoy it :) I’ve been thinking make making this au into a series with some other members... let me know if you’re interested!

Warnings: some swearing

Pairing: Sehun x Reader

Genre: Fluff/angst

Summary: When a strange string of not so great events somehow and you with a job at the palace punching the wrong people can be not so great.

The music from the orchestra floated in the background as pairs spun and twirled in elaborate patterns. The beginning of your night was flooded with people of royal status bombarding you with well wishes, invitations, and promises of gifts. It was overwhelming but you managed to handle it and it distracted you from the new couple across the dance floor; now, things had finally calmed down a bit and Minseok returned to your side with a glass of amber liquid in hand which you gratefully took.

“It won’t be long now,” he said with a smirk.

“Won’t be long till what?”

“Well now that everyone has seen how young, gorgeous, and extremely single the new lady of the most powerful territory on the continent is…. Proposals are bound to come flooding in!”

You grimaced and punched him on the shoulder, “Don’t even joke about that!” He just winked and chuckled from beside you when suddenly you were being lifted up and twirled in the air. You let out a gasp of surprise when you were finally back on the ground and standing in front of Chanyeol who enveloped you in a bear hug. Yixing, Jongdae, and Baekhyun took up places beside MInseok as you squirmed from Chanyeol’s embrace.

“It’s nice to see you too Chanyeol but please let me go,” you wheezed as you finally broke from his grasp.

“Our little Y/n is so grown up and powerful now!” he exclaimed with a pout.

Beakhyun chimed in with a smirk, “We haven’t seen you in ages and now you come back in charge of Iyle? Shouldn’t you have mentioned it to us at least once?”

“I’m sorry, so much has happened over the past while and I didn’t even know myself until a few weeks ago.”

“You have to tell us everything Y/n!” Jongdae whined, joining in with Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s fake pouts.

“Watch what you say boy,” Yixing butted in with a smile and an arm over your shoulder, “It’s Lady Y/n now.”

Rolling your eyes you brushed him off with a smile, “It’s fine…”

“In all honesty Y/n, you look like a different person and not in a bad way,” he said with a comforting smile that only Yixing could create, “You seem so much more confident and it’s good to see.”

The other princes nodded along with him and you thanked them, you did feel different than the last time you saw them but you were glad they were back with you now, even if it was only for a few days. You continued to listen to them chatter away amongst themselves, making jokes just the same as they used too when a flash of pink tackled you in a hug.

“OH Y/N I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!” Jiyoon wailed, eyes watering as she clung onto you. “JIYOON!” You exclaimed wrapping your arms back around her as you both sobbed into the other’s shoulder. It had been so long since you’d seen her and immediately you started crying crocodile tears, staining both your dress and her. After a few seconds the latched onto your wrist and stood up again.

“We need to talk,” was all she said before dragging you away and towards one of the patio doors that was open and letting the warm night air flow through the great hall. All you could do was follow as you waved to the group of princes who stood there looking stunned. You followed her as she weaved around the patio until she found a secluded bench overlooking the spring garden where she sat you down.

“Y/n,” she sobbed again, “I missed you so much! You leave with Sehun and now you come back as the Lady of Iyle and you’re avoiding each other like the plague? I wrote you letters but Sehun just sent them back unopened, I thought you were dead!”

“I’m sorry,” you said lamely.

“What happened? You need to tell me everything.”

“He asked me to marry him… and I said no.”

“Oh Y/n,” she sighed taking your hand in hers, “I thought something like that might have happened, he’s always been so spontaneous, even since we were kids. But Y/n,” she paused, “Why did you say no?”

“Because I was afraid,” you whispered with tears in your eyes. You had never been able to tell anyone before but with Jiyoon it all just seemed to spill out of you like a waterfall.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, petting your hair calmly, “No wonder he was with that bitch Haerin. I hate to tell you this but even though we didn’t know, everyone started taking sides.”

“What?”

“You notice how only a few of the princes came to greet you right? Unconsciously, we’ve already started taking sides, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Yixing, Jongdae, Minseok, and I are all on your side. Junmyeon, Jongin, and Kyungsoo are all siding with Sehun as well as most of their siblings.”

“I didn’t mean to create a rift between everyone.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured you, “Now tell me about this whole Lady of Iyle thing that happened.”

So you did, you explained everything about your father and mother, and how Lord Cha was the one that found you, and everything to do with the dead queen. She looked at you like you were insane but you knew she believed you.

“Oh Y/n…” she sighed, “I never thought…”

“It's okay,” you managed to say with a smile, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze this time.

“If it makes you feel any better, everyone on the continent knows your name, even though you’ve been ruling for such a short time your people love you!” You gave her a weak smile and the both of you sat in silence for a while.

“WIll you do me a favour and explain it to the others? I don’t think I have enough energy to explain it to everyone individually…”

“No problem! I’ll even tell Junmyeon and he’ll spread it to the rest of the boys.”

“Thank you so much,” You told her sincerely as you wiped a few stray tears from your eyes, “It feels really good to tell my best friend about all of this.”

“Anytime,” she told you with a smile, “now lets head back inside before people start to miss us, I swear when Chanyeol’s sister Princess Sejung gets bored all hell breaks loose!”

You laughed along with her as you wandered back through the wide patio doors and into the sea of people. Jiyoon was immediately swept away by the crowd leaving you alone in your search for the Princes, out of the corner of your eye you spotted Baekhyun chatting with some blushing ladies but before you could reach him you were spun around to face a smirking man with dark eyes and hair the colour of clouds.

“Nice to meet you Lady Y/n,” he purred, “I’ve heard a lot about you. My name is Taek, I’m the Governor’s son.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” You croaked out as he kissed your hand with a smirk.

“The pleasure is all mine, care for a dance?”

Before you had a chance to answer his hand was around your waist and you were one of the twirling couples on the dance floor. Though he didn’t look it, he was almost as graceful of a dancer as Jongin, he navigated through the swarm of bodies like he had been doing it all his life. And he probably had been, seeing as he was the son of the Governor.

“It’s not everyday you get to dance with the most beautiful and eligible lady at the ball,” he said with a shiny smile.

“I’m flattered,” you said skeptically. He wasn’t bad looking but his motives didn’t exactly seem chivalrous.

“When it was announced that the heir of Iyle had returned everybody thought it’d be some shrivelled old man, but when you entered, boy was everyone surprised.”

“I’m afraid I don't know if that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult,” you said with a frown as he twirled you around again.

“I meant surprised in the best way a man could, Lady Y/n. I assure you it was meant to be nothing other than a compliment,” he told you with a friendly chuckle, eyes glinting.

“I apologize, I am not quite used to the ways of court life yet.”

“I could hardly tell, you’re easily one of the most poised ladies here this evening and I see you are already close with the young royals?” He asked before lifting you up and shouting along with the others.

“You could say that…”

“As long as I’ve known them they’ve always been a tight knit group but now they’re taking over their parents rule and getting married like our King of Oclaria. Not much time for childish things when you’re the ruler of the country.”

With a small smile you nodded in agreement, “You’re quite right.”

“On the topic of marriage, I’d like to propose a deal,”

You looked at him quizzically, you had no interest in marrying this man you had just met but you were curious enough to gesture for him to continue.

“You see the girl the King is spending all his time with was my fiance but our engagement was cancelled once the King started taking interest in her,” he explained, “Now I am left without a wife and my father won’t let me take over the family business until I get married. Now seeing as we’re easily the two most powerful single people in this room aside from the King I think we should get married.”

You frowned, “I’m sorry but I fail to see how getting married to you would benefit me.”

Flashing you a smile that would make most girls swoon he swept you up again, “Well if we get married there really would be no downside. With both of our assets combined we would be filthy rich and have enough power to take over the country if we wanted. Aside from having a few sons you would have to do nothing but live a life of luxury after our marriage.”

“I’m sorry but I’ll have to turn down your proposal at this current point in time,” you told him with as straight a face as possible, “I’m really not interested in marrying right now.”

“Just think about it Lady Y/n,” he lamented, “together we could be the most powerful people on the continent!”

You huffed as the music came to a close and you stopped moving, he held you hand keeping you on the dance floor as those who wanted to leave cleared the floor and the orchestra began playing again. Just as you were about to answer him your hand was taken by somebody else, smoothly knocking his grasp from yours.

“Mind if I cut in?” Sehun asked, holding his arm tightly around you. It wasn’t exactly a question since he was the king but he still carried you off into the crowd of dancers before Lord Taek could answer.

“It’s quite a coincidence that you’ve managed to find yourself back in court isn’t it Lady Y/n?” he hissed in your ear, “When you left I thought I’d never see you again but now you return the most powerful Lady in the country. Aside from my future wife of course.”

“It is quite a coincidence isn't it,” You agreed with him keeping your voice as steady and emotionless as possible, “I’m not sure if I believe it myself yet either, it’s a lot of responsibility.”

He scoffed, “Well, we both know there were a lot of responsibilities you couldn’t handle either.”

You grimaced as he prepared to lift you over his head with a flourish. The lift and jumps were never your favourite part of dancing as you didn’t have the advantage of being much smaller than your partner like many of the other girls. It always felt awkward and this time was no different as you weren’t sure whether he would drop you or not.

“Now, it doesn’t seem like you have much choice about marriage,” he pointed out, “And it seems the governors son is already foaming at the mouth with the idea of marrying you?”

“You saw that?”

“Everyone did, he wasn’t exactly subtle with his proposal a few minutes ago.”

“Oh….” you sighed cheeks going warmer. The music slowed and people began to clap as the dance was finished. Partners were breaking apart and drifting back into the crowd but his hands only tightened around your waist as you tried to draw away from him. His rough fingertips dug into the bottom of your exposed back and you felt his breath against your neck as he leaned in to whisper in your ear.

“Lord Taek is a greedy bastard, maybe he deserves someone like you.” he spat at you before disappearing back into the crowd.

You stood there stunned for a few minutes until someone came up and grabbed your hand pulling you back into a swarm of people where you were quickly surrounded by the princes demanding for you to tell them what was going on. Quickly, you brushed them off and headed back to your room saying you felt ill and needed to rest.

-----

The clatter of people returning from the gala to their rooms had died down a long time ago but you were still wide awake. The clock on the wall chimed telling you it was three in the morning, the curtain danced in the warm summer air drifting in through the open balcony windows. Feeling restless you slipped a loose dress on over your nightgown and made your way through the silent palace corridors and into the gardens. Slowly and silently you made your way through the first five gardens, the sound of your slippers brushing against the plush grass, the hush of the wind dancing through the night, the soft trickle of the fountains, the chirping of crickets were the sounds that filled your ears in the silence. And cautiously you made your way from the garden of day into the garden of night.

It took your breath away, unlike the other gardens which glowed during the daylight hours but were otherwise dimmed by the absence of sunlight. The night garden glowed on it’s own. Purple wisteria spilled from every crack and crevice, hundreds of lights twinkling softly like stars hung from the domed glass roof giving off an otherworldly glow. You followed the twisting path in the tunnel of little purple flowers until finally it gave way to a large pond filled with little silver fish that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Continuing to follow the path around the side of the lake you came to a small structure sheltering an intricately carved marble bench. Sitting on the cool surface you took notice of the round white flowers that began to blossom in the moonlight; tentatively, you reached out a fingertip to brush against the soft petals.

“We call them moonflowers,” Sehun said, emerging from behind one of the pillars. Gone were his royal robes which he was wearing for the gala and now he was wearing something more similar to what he used to wear back in Arye. There was a certain charm that came with his messy hair and half buttoned shirt which had butterflies swarming in your stomach. It seemed so long ago that you were back in the palace of Arye, innocent and in love. Unaware of everything the world had in store for you.

“They’re beautiful,” you told him, returning your hand to rest in your lap.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, you nodded, “Too busy worrying about who to invite to your wedding with Lord Taek?”

“I declined his proposal.”

“He doesn’t take no for an answer.”

“Well it’s the only answer he’s going to get!” You exclaimed jumping up.

You both stopped and stood in silence for a moment.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me,” you told him before dipping back into a lull of silence, “This place is really beautiful.”

“It’s always been for you, this garden. When you had nightmares I meant for you to come out here and have it be like your safe haven. Nobody except for the gardener is allowed in here still, and you of course.” He explained.

Smiling, you told him softly, “Thank you.”

“Don’t spend too much time out here,” he warned you, “There’s an early start tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” you called after him as he disappeared down the path, leaving you alone with your thoughts again.

-----

With careful steps you climbed into the carriage, footmen closing the door tightly behind you. The line of carriages stretched through the whole driveway of the palace as the various guests loaded in. Jiyoon had offered to come with you so you wouldn’t be alone but you declined, the ride up the mountainside would give you time to relax from the night before. The second day of festivities would be a picnic on the mountaintop behind the palace, it was clear as the sun was shining down upon the palace that it would be a beautiful day full of fun. Peeking out the window of your carriage as you waited to set off you noticed you were dressed quite differently than many of the other ladies climbing into their own carriages. Many of them wore high necked, floor length dresses with varying sleeve lengths. They were made of lightly patterned cotton and lace in many layers to help the wearer remain cool in the warm sunlight. On the other hand you had opted for something a little more reminiscent of what people in Iyle wore in the south where it was much, much warmer. Your sleeves were short and puffed, ending about halfway down your upper arm, like your dress from last night the neckline was wide and trimmed with lace while the back was low. With only one cotton layer dyed a soft periwinkle and spotted with many small blossoms the skirt ended midway down your calves giving you an ease of movement something longer wouldn’t allow. Opting to leave the parasol behind you donned a wide brimmed straw sun hat decorated with a ribbon matching the colour of the blossoms leaving your hair loose.

After a few minutes it seemed everybody was ready in their carriages and you set off with a lurch, rolling down the pebble drive and out the gates, up the mountain road. The view of the seaside cliffs from out your window caused you to reminisce about your trip down the coast for the first time you visited Iyle with the diving gulls and crashing waves, bordered by the swaying grasses and wildflowers. Drifting through daydreams it felt like hardly a moment had passed before you were climbing out and onto the plush grass. Blankets were already strewn about the meadow, each with a wicker basket placed in the center waiting for people to join them for lunch. One step at a time you made your way towards the open meadow until a flying ball of pink attached herself to your side with a giggle.

“Isn’t this amazing Y/n?” Jiyoon exclaimed as who you were guessing the two other princesses made their way over to your side, “This is Princess Sejung of Meadazia and Princess Hyejin of Qeca, I’m sure you haven’t forgotten them.”

“How could I?” you said with a smile, offering them both a small curtsy which only Hyejin returned. Jiyoon was the same as always, full of energy as she dragged the lot of you away in order to find the best picnic spot. After a morning of playing about in the meadows the four of you settled down for lunch, weaving flowers into each other’s hats and hair. Other guests came by to chat time after time but none stayed long, moving onto the next blanket to continue their greetings.

After lunch was finished you and Jiyoon left the two sun fatigued princesses chatting with a group of young lords and ladies as you headed off to find the croquet set Sehun had mentioned to Jiyoon last night. Once the two of you found it you played round after round until finally you were released by a tap on the shoulder.

“Would you mind going for a stroll with me Lady Y/n?” Lord Taek asked with a sparkling smile.

You glanced over at Jiyoon who had quickly stopped paying attention to the game and started paying attention to the two of you. You turned back to him uncertain of what to say, “Well…”

“She’d love to go! It’s such a lovely afternoon isn’t it?” Jiyoon cut you off, grabbing the croquet mallet from your hands and shoving you towards him.

You stumbled and he caught your hand with a grin, “Thank you Princess, I’ll make sure to return her in one piece,” he told her.

“Don’t worry, you two go have fun!”

You shot her one last pleading look before you were dragged off behind Taek and down the hillside. Surprisingly he didn’t bring up the proposal again, the two of you spent most of the time talking and getting to know each other, the two of you were nowhere near close friends by the time dinner was called but you could say he would be a decent young man if he wasn’t so set on marriage.

Unlike lunch earlier dinner was a celebration meant to give thanks for the previous year’s good fortune with food, friends, family, and as you quickly found out, lots and lots of drinking. You were only a few glasses of champagne in, when like the devil she was, Jiyoon made you drop your glass and join her in dancing around the bonfire.

“Hurry up Y/n!” she squealed as she kicked off her shoes, grabbed a handful of her long skirt and began spinning in circles to the hypnotizing beat of the drums. Feeling light from the bubbling beverage you followed suit, knocking off your hat and shoes, throwing your hands into the air with a shout of delight. The drum beats matched the pounding of your heart as you leaped around the growing fire, others equally as tipsy, if not more, quickly joined in with your pounding feet. The air filled with laughter, shouts, and music as you travelled around the circle linking arms and spinning with whoever wished to dance with you. You were in a trance, the sparkling champagne infecting you, the drum beats carrying your feet for hours as the moon rose higher into the sky. Before you realized a cool breeze hit your cheeks and you felt yourself being pulled away from the large bonfire and towards a farther side of the meadow. The fresh evening breeze sobered you and you made out Lord Taek’s glinting smile from in front of you.

“I never would have expected you to be one for dancing,” he said stopping and spinning you in front of him. He leaned close and laughed, “or drinking.”

“And I never expected you to be the one waiting on the sidelines,” you hiccuped, you could feel the heat rising to your cheeks, were you really so drunk he could tell just from looking at you? You certainly didn’t feel drunk but maybe your vision was blurring at the corners just a little.

He scoffed, “Believe me, nobody loves to drink more than me. Unfortunately my mother has prohibited me from touching any and all alcohol today after what happened last year.”

“What happened last year?”

“It’s too late in the evening to get into it now,” he told you with a laugh, “Let’s just say I ended up with a few scars, but not nearly as many as you Lady Y/n,” he said grasping your arm and bringing it closer to his face so he could inspect it. You could feel the ill intention in his grasp as the silver stars twinkled in the moonlight. “Tell me dearest,” he whistled, “Where did you get these scars?”

The world snapped back into focus, suddenly it felt like and were crawling along every inch of your body, tiny pinpricks against every limb. You tore your arms from his grasp, hiding in protectively behind your back, “That’s none of your concern,” you sputtered out before stumbling back to the bonfire as fast as your jelly legs could carry you. The pounding of the drums once again drowned out your thoughts as you grabbed another glass of wine, and another, and then another before being pulled into the circle of dancing once again.

Slowly but surely the crowd trickled away, climbing into their carriages in a drunken stupor and being carted back to the palace. Eventually there were only only a few people left, Jiyoon and the other princesses have disappeared already along with the other princes whom you hadn’t seen much of during the day. Vision spinning you climbed into your carriage collapsing onto the plush seat as the driver shut the door behind you. The carriage dipped as you felt the driver climbing to his seat, you closed your eyes and rested your head against the side of the carriage but the telltale poll of the carriage didn’t come.

“Take us to the back entrance and if you tell anyone about this I’ll have you exiled!” The man outside the carriage ordered.

“Yes sir,” the driver replied as Sehun climbed into the carriage beside you and the horses began trotting away.

“Sehun…” you said breathlessly, “What are you doing here?” his face was flushed from drinking and his hair had escaped from its previous slicked back style and now was hanging in front of his dark eyes. You fingers twitched at the thought of running your hands through his hair as he loomed over you, gaze weighing heavily on your own.

“I want to be with you tonight,” was all he said before he attacked your lips. You gave in easily, mind clouded by drinks you were putty in his arms as he held you close to him. He was warm against the chill of the night and you gladly moved closer to him grabbing handfuls of his half unbuttoned shirt. You broke apart and you could feel his hot breath on your neck as he whispered in your ear.

“I'm still in love with you,” he breathed out, soul pouring through his eyes and into your own before you pulled his lips to yours. A few moments later he pulled away panting before gently moving away from your face and taking your hand in his placing a kiss on the scar closest to your wrist.

“You are beautiful,” he whispered against your skin before moving onto the next. He repeated this process kissing each and every scar on both of your arms and telling you how much he loved you before moving onto your back. The feeling of his rough lips against your back sent shivers down your spine and once he was finished your lips locked once more.

Once you reached the palace he pulled you behind him through the servants corridors stopping every few seconds to make sure you were still behind him as if he was afraid you were a dream and would disappear as soon as he looked away. The grand clock chimed for three in the morning when he pulled you into his chambers shutting the door and pressing you against it, kissing you passionately. Slowly as you moved closer to the bed his kisses grew softer and when he finally pulled himself away you met his eyes.

“Is this what you really want?” he asked between heavy breaths.

The air hung heavy as you slowly reached up to pull him into a kiss as your answer, when you broke away again you reached behind your back and slowly began undoing the buttons of your dress.

----

You woke as the clock chimed six with a start. The sun was just beginning to rise through the window and everything from the previous night came rushing back to you as your pounding headache cleared just enough to see who’s room you were in and your lack of any clothing. Thankfully Sehun was nowhere to be seen as you quickly threw your dress back on, collecting your shredded undergarments with an embarrassed blush before saying a quick prayer that you wouldn’t run into anyone in the hallway as you scurried back to your rooms. Thanking the gods that you weren’t caught you quickly ran yourself a hot bath, eager to wash last night not only from your body but your mind as well. The steam enveloped you, the scent of the bath oils filling the air as you let the heat of the water seep into your muscles. When you were finished you pulled on the soft robe and headed back into your room only to be met with Yixing sitting on an armchair next to the fireplace.

Quickly you pulled your robe even tighter and fastened the belt at the waist with multiple knots, “What are you doing here?” you exclaimed.

“Good Morning to you too Lady Y/n,” he said calmly, not moving from where he sat, “I’ll give you a few moments to get dressed then please come back here, I brought you breakfast and hangover medication. We have a lot to talk about.”

You gulped and nodded silently. Rarely was that amount of seriousness ever heard in Yixings voice so you scurried into your closet and pulled on a comfortable gown and plush sweater, quickly braiding your hair away from your face before returning back to the chair next to Yixing where breakfast awaited you. With a smile he urged you to take the medicine which quickly did a good job of clearing up most of your headache leaving only a dull throbbing.

He cleared his throat and placed his cup of tea back down on the table, folding his hand in his lap in a very royal manner, “I saw you last night,” he said.

You gaped at him, you thought that everyone would have already passed out cold by the time you and the King reached the palace, “How?” was all you asked.

“I came back earlier with Baekhyun who was far beyond drunk, I was heading to the kitchen to get a cup of tea and some things for him in the morning after I finally got him settled when I saw the two of you dashing through the servants corridors. I followed you just to make sure you were alright and I saw the two of you disappear into Sehun’s room,” he cleared his throat, “I pretty much assumed what happened after you didn’t come out for a while.”

Your cheeks were the brightest pink you had ever been before, you were so sure nobody had seen you and yet, one of your closest friends had caught the two of you in the act.

“Nobody else saw you two, just me,” he assured you, “But Y/n you know what this means for your future marriage. You must be careful from now on, I won’t tell anyone but you have to make sure nobody finds out,” he warned, “If they do, the chances of you finding a husband are slim to none.”

“I know,” you said, head hanging.

“The one way around that would be to marry Sehun,” he told you softly, “I don’t want to worry you Y/n, but what if you’re pregnant? It’s almost impossible to get the herb that will stop your pregnancy anywhere on the continent after it was outlawed and the fields were burned by our predecessors. What will you tell people then?”

“I don’t know.”

He squeezed your hand in a comforting manner, “I don’t mean to burden you but I just want you to make sure you’re being careful. I’ll help you in any way I can, I promise.”

“Thank you,” you told him with a weak smile.

“The ball is tonight,” He said standing and moving towards the door, “I don’t want to tell you something you already know but if things don’t go the way you want, my door is always open.”

He shut the door behind him as he left leaving you to finish eating alone. After spending your morning alone in your room as the clock struck twelve noon you headed down to the Library to eat lunch with Jiyoon and the other princesses. As they chattered away like the small birds outside your window in the morning you kept to yourself, focusing more on the food in front of you than the conversation around you. Yesterday you had agreed to spend the afternoon with the girls as they got ready for the Solstice ball that evening, it was the grandest party of the summer and they assured you that they would need all the time they could manage. As soon as the four of you had finished your plates were cleared and you headed up to Jiyoon’s chambers. Being the ever so attentive friend she was, Jiyoon noticed something was up and pulled you aside.

“Is something going on Y/n? You don’t seem like yourself…” she asked, taking your hand in hers.

You smiled softly and gave her hand a squeeze, “I’m sorry, I’m just so exhausted after last night. I had too much to drink and not enough sleep but I’ll be okay by this evening,” you assured her, “I left my things in my rooms, I’ll come straight here after I go and get it.”

She nodded and dropped your hand. You gave her a small wave before she disappeared into her chambers and you down the hall. When you had almost reached your rooms you paused when angry voices came drifting from one of the conference rooms.

“You must make a decision, your highness! The solstice ball is tonight!”

“Things in the Southern Continent are getting restless,” a second male voice shouted, “There will be a war soon and you must marry to secure your throne!”

“Forget Lady Haerin,” A third one said, “Marry Lady Y/n, she is the most powerful of any lord or lady in our country!”

“Things are no different in your brother’s country,” the second one said again, “His advisors are pressuring him to marry more than we are you! You are not a child anymore.”

You backed away mind spinning from the information you had gotten from only a few sentences. There would be a war with the southern continent? Lord Cha had mentioned trade had been slow but you had no idea. You quickly shook it off and moved on to your rooms before anyone could catch you listening in or Jiyoon would get worried.

----

Your mind was elsewhere as you let Jiyoon do what she would with your appearance, hours seemed to fly by so quickly until you were standing in front of the grand ballroom as the Speaker announced your arrival. You went in before Jiyoon since she was at a higher position than you were, the grand staircase seemed shorter than last time with everybody milling about and almost no eyes on you. As an attempt to avoid attention you had decided forgo the original dress you had planned to wear and wear something more plain. It was white with vines of little red flowers strewn around your shoulders, waist, and wrists. You definitely blended into the background compared to the dresses some of the other girls were wearing, Jiyoon sparkled next to you as you walked up to the dias to greet the king.The entire time you kept a blank expression, eyes trained on the floor, as you dropped into a low curtsy mumbling out a “Your Majesty,” before breaking apart from Jiyoon who joined her family sitting atop thrones and headed back into the crowd. Once everybody had been checked off the guest list one of the royal advisors climbed atop a pedestal and rang a small but piercing bell, drawing the attention to himself.

“The purpose of this evening’s ball is for His Royal Highness, The King, to have a final chance to spend time with the eligible ladies of the continent before choosing his bride. At midnight I ask you please to gather back here for the King to announce his bride and without any further, please let the festivities commence.”

The band struck up a tune and the dancefloor quickly filled with people, you wandered off to the agreed upon meeting place for you and Jiyoon once she was released from her royal duties.For most of the night you stayed huddled behind a large sculpture of flowers reading the small book about the continent’s greatest composers you had stashed in the many layers of your skirts. Jiyoon stayed to chat and keep you company for a while but left quickly to flit around the crowds dancing and chatting like the social butterfly she was. People came and went, most who saw you turned away at the first glimpse of you looming behind a book but the Princes periodically stopped to chat without you, hiding from their parents or the hordes of girls always swarming around them. Finally the all ganged up on you, Baekhyun stole your book and Minseok pulled you onto the dance floor, despite the constant panic at the back of your mind you found yourself having a good time with them as they traded off with you for dances. When they were finally done with you, your book was returned and you headed back to your spot with a dazed smile.

It was almost Midnight and Sehun hadn’t paid any attention to you all night, every now and again you would see him with Haerin hanging off his arm but nothing more. As you emerged from the edge of the crowd into the shaded wings of the ballroom you were met with the man himself.

“Follow me,” he muttered before turning and disappearing through one of the doors that led to the garden. You turned back to the crowd and quickly spotted a fuming Haerin before a hand grabbed your wrist and Sehun pulled you into the garden behind him.

“You should listen to the king when he gives you an order,” he said as you trailed behind him. You stayed silent until he finally stopped you in the middle of a patch of rose bushes.

You looked up to meet his eyes and tightened your fists around your skirts, trying not to let the small bit of hope you had left peek through if he was just going to torture you, “It’s almost midnight,” you told him, “You need to be inside to announce who you’re going to marry, why are you out here… with me?”

“I need to know,” he told you, reaching out to grab your hands softly in complete contrast to before, “I know I said I wouldn’t ask again but you have to tell me the truth now, after everything that’s happened. I love you more than anything in the world and no matter how many times I try to convince myself otherwise my heart always ends up going back to you and I think you feel the same way. This isn’t just for political power it’s because I want you and I have wanted you long before you became the Lady of Iyle. I need to know now, Y/n, if I asked you to marry me what would you say.”

You looked deep into his eyes and saw a reflection of yourself inside and whispered with all your heart, no moment of doubt, “Yes.”

He kissed you softly before heading back indoors right as the clock chimed for midnight hand intertwined with yours. Your heart pounded in your ears as he slipped his hand from yours and weaved around the crowd to stand with his advisors on the dias. Jiyoon quickly found your side as the same advisor from earlier began speaking, she squeezed your hand.

“Now, as the clock strikes midnight, his Royal Highness, King Sehun, will announce who will become his bride and the next queen of Oclaria.”

Everyone was silent as the trumpets wailed and Sehun stepped forward slowly, you felt eerily calm as your eyes moved across the crowd, seeing Haerin looking smug at the front of the crowd, and finally landing on Sehun where his gaze met yours.

“I am pleased to announce,” he said calmly, eyes never leaving yours, “That my bride and the next queen of Oclaria will be… Lady Y/n of Iyle!”

The crowd erupted around you as you took in all the shocked faces of officials throughout the room. You felt Jiyoon hug you tightly screaming into your ear before four guards surrounded you and brought you through the crowd and to the dias. Sehun outstretched his hand with a smile and without hesitation you placed your hand in his and stepped in front of the throne beside him and looked out across the crowd of cheering people with your hand still firmly wrapped in his.

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