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chapter one: our past

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Taehyung pov

He stood amongst the crowd and watched the girl beneath the tent of his hood. She kept fumbling with the ring on her right hand—a plump emerald blossoming from a gold band, superfluous and cold as a monarch's throne. Its value was enough to feed the entire village. Everyone here knew it, and everyone within the boundaries of the kingdom was hungry.

Except the King. And his court. And his guards.

And that girl.

His Majesty and company gathered on the castle's terrace to announce her engagement to the king, Seokjin. The mass of peasants who'd been corralled into the courtyard to hear the news pretended to react with joy, though they were too tired and embittered and tattered and starving to listen to the king hail a wedding feast they wouldn't be invited to. Still, they did their best to cheer.

The girl's radiance and the fiery red color of her velvet gown helped with that, for it boasted everyone's mood to look upon something so fair. Lady Luna Jung came from Busan. She wasn't royalty, but she did have a titled father. That and the fit of her dress must have been enough to send the king into an eager tailspin.

Seokjin kept looking at her like a famished beast, gaze narrowed and slinking over her from head to slippered feet. It was pathetic.

The girl's expression reflected indifference toward her surroundings, a tightness of mind and heart. A vain girl. A spoiled girl. A girl that, despite all this, caused an inexplicable riot within me.

I shook off the unwelcome reaction and adjusted the quiver hidden beneath my cloak, securing it closer to me. The girl groped that ring as if she feared it would disappear. She was right, because it would. Very soon.

 I adjusted my hood and smirked.

—⚔️—

Luna pov

I hated this ring. I hated this dress. I hated this castle.

The jewel was heavy as a shackle on my finger. The gown clung to my arms and shoulders, the bodice cut far too low, the whole design created to parade me around as nothing more than a well-bred mare. The palace loomed around me like a spectacular prison. My fiancé wouldn't stop tossing me wolfish looks. My nose wrinkled from the overabundant muskiness of whatever he bathed himself in, which wafted like a mating call across the courtyard and clashed with the reek of unwashed bodies surrounding the terrace.

I never knew depression had a weight to it. I longed to be home, in the warm embrace of my bed sheets, the comfort of my father's earthy voice, the everything of my sister, Lia. But that wasn't to be my fate. Our city needed me to secure an alliance with this farce of a benevolent ruler. It was no secret how King Seokjin treated his people, yet he'd agreed to keep Busan fed and protected from invasion, upon my marriage to him. Busan had nothing to gain from our lands or my family, as my father possessed no wealth beyond his title. The only thing of value was me, my future, my vows. The king wanted me that much.

I wanted to vomit all over Seokjin's polished boots. I had to bear the weight of this hideous ring and pretend I was fine wearing such finery in front of a group of starving faces. I had to pretend this was right and just and the natural way of things.

Several times my fingers sought out the ring, comparing it to the corded bracelet around my wrist. The bracelet had no value apart from its meaning. Everyone back home wore one. To pass your Busan bracelet onto someone else was the greatest sign of respect and loyalty. Usually people traded bracelets with the person they would marry, but there was no way I was going to offer it to Seokjin. It represented my devotion in a way nothing else would, much more than my engagement ring.

Temptation got the better of me as I imagined tossing the emerald bauble into the throng. I went so far as to scan the audience, searching for a possible recipient.

That's when my gaze collided with the darkest eyes I'd ever seen. A dark hood shrouded the rest of his face, but those irises flashed in my direction, sending my pulse into an inexplicable frenzy. How I was able to see them from this distance baffled me.

He was tall, but from the drape of his cloak hinted at a solid frame and confident posture that I envied. I looked away, instantly regretting the loss of him.

I glanced back. He was gone.

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(a/n)
Hey everyone, i missed you!
So a new series begin.
Im sorry its short but i promise i will update regularly.
As you all noticed, this book is not y/n, i chose a name for the main character which is Luna Jung.
Also, there's another book in the making which will be revealed soon.
Hope you support this book and like it. xx