The ceremony done, Yoongi and Elira relaxed as they sat on their knees on the stage, facing each other as their parents sat in the middle, facing straight ahead.

Yoongi and Elira bowed to each other on their knees, Elira twice and Yoongi once as everyone watched them in quiet adoration.

Elira and Yoongi are ushered off to one side as the servants arranged the table for the Paebak ceremony.

"The pink blush on your cheeks does wonders, your majesty~" Yoongi whispered with a low chuckle, making Aera send a death glare towards him

"I actually kinda like it. Makes me feel like a princess," Elira retorted playfully

The officiant announced the beginning of the ceremony, The two of them walked next to each other, bowing in front of their parents, before pouring tea. 

"May you have a long and happy life, with nothing but prosperity," Ye Jun said with a smile as a servant came over and kept a box in front of the couple, 

"I finally have a daughter and I'm glad it's you, Elira darling. I hope you will be happy with my boy," Aera said with a teary smile, Narina rubbing her shoulder comfortingly as the former placed a box as well

"And I finally have a son!" Narina chuckled, "Yoongi, I'm glad you're by Elira's side, now and forevermore, take care of her and If she doesn't do the same for you, just let me know and she'll be in for an earful! Be happy and healthy my young ones~" 

Yoongi smiled and turned to Elira, a smile on her face too, save for the lone tear that streaked down her right cheek

"Love? You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh-" she reached up and wiped the tear, a reassuring smile on her face, "I think I heard my father for a second there,"

Yoongi's heart clenched, immediately pulling Elira in a hug, separating when he was sure she was fine. The two of them did a grand bow to their parents, followed by a half bow, before the attenders came by with an embroidered white cloth, helping them hold it between them.

"And now to find out how many grandkids we'll have!" Aera announced playfully

.....

"Ten kids seem like a lot of work-" Elira said thoughtlessly from where she laid on Yoongi's bed, her head in his lap as she stared at the ceiling.

Yoongi scoffed, his hands slowly running through her hair "I don't think we're qualified for even *one* kid! So, we'll take the other meaning for those damn dates and chestnuts, something about prosperity and"

"Man in all the talk about Avar basically being my overgrown child, I forgot about heirs."

Yoongi visibly stiffened, his hands freezing in place, Elira letting out an airy giggle as she raised her hands up and drew imaginary patterns.

It's not that he hadn't thought of kids. Hell, he knew since Elira was queen they didn't have much of a choice. As much as it disgusted him, Monarchy was about blood.
But, he couldn't raise an entire human. That's a role too important to fuck up...

"That head-dress has given me a headache, I probably stopped making sense half an hour back..." she whispered tiredly

Yoongi took her hands from where they danced mid-air, and brought them down to her stomach, "Well... children are nice enough and you'd be a great mother, but me, a father? not so much," he chuckled nervously

"Well that's where you're wrong," Elira looked away from the ceiling and up at Yoongi's face, "I think you'd be one of the greatest parents out there," she sighed and focused back at the ceiling, "But not right now. Not for a long while. There are other pressing matters to deal with, " she lifted her head from his lap, grabbing her forehead for a split second, a gasp leaving her lips, "like this damn headache!"

Yoongi swung his legs off the bed, "I bet I have some tablets in the medicine cabinet, I'll be right back," he pecked her head, before walking towards the bathroom, returning with the tablet and a glass of water in a couple of minutes, only to find Elira passed out on his side of the bed, her brows creased, a pout on her lips.

Yoongi smoothened the crease gently with a finger with a soft smile, "What a big baby..."

....

"Tomorrow," Yong Saeng said firmly, leaning forward on the chair

Elira massaged her temples, gratefully taking the cup of tea from Yoongi, him taking a seat next to her on the sofa "So soon? The ceremony got over today and-"

"I have to publicly abdicate the throne the day after," Yong Saeng stated blankly, his eyes not leaving the floor

Elira let out a string of curses, Namjoon clearing his throat, "Well, we do have everything we need now to show him he has no way out of this, so I don't see an actual problem..."

"Okay, Okay..." Yoongi nodded, "So the real question is how do we do this?"

Elira kept her empty cup on the centre table, "More than, how, the question is, who,"

"It would have to be you, Elira." Yong Saeng said quietly

"I- I mean, he's right. It was you, all along. After all, out of all of us, the stakes for you are much higher," Namjoon agreed 

Elira rolled her lip between her teeth, "I'm gonna need someone else there," She turned towards Yoongi, "To mediate things, you know? I- I don't want to lose composure and cause irreparable harm-"

Yoongi chuckled, "I'll make sure you don't behead him, love,"

The both of them chuckled, turning towards the other two, who looked terrified

"Both of you. Insane," Namjoon whispered

....

Elira tiredly sat up on the bed, her eyes unfocused as she looked at the window.

It had to be way past midnight

She cried out when she felt a sharp stab of pain in her head, grabbing it as she slightly fell back.

Sheets rustled next to her and she felt a hand grab her leg

"Are you okay?" Yoongi rasped as he slowly sat up

"This one's bad, it hurts so bad I can barely see I-," she rubbed her eyes, wincing when it didn't help

Yoongi sat up faster hearing the distress in her voice, "What do you need? Let me get some water..." He got up and walked quickly towards the sitting room as Elira closed her eyes and tried to not think about anything.

Yoongi walked into the room and his heart sank as he watched Elira try to curl herself into a ball, her knees tight against her chest

He softly sat down next to her and rubbed her back, handing her the glass of water which she took gratefully

"Is it the nerves?" He whispered once she handed it back to him

"I don't know but I don't like it one bit, this one," she closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, "this one's like hot thumping and I don't think I can sleep tonight-"

Yoongi scooted behind her and slowly pulled her on his lap, guiding her head to his chest as she whimpered.

"Why did I get worse I don't-"

"Shush..." Yoongi whispered as he gently patted her head, settling in a comfortable rhythm that was gentle and soothing

She raised her hand, stopping him

"That's not helping love.." she whispered, Yoongi settling his hands around her waist instead

"Do you want me to ask one of the soldiers on patrol to fetch someone from the infirmary?

Elira slowly shook her head, "No- I- I need a distraction,"

"A distraction?"

"Read me something... Or tell me a story... I used to do this. Pick up a book or a journal on my phone and read when I couldn't do much,"

Yoongi hummed, "do you want a cup of tea? Something soothing while I go and rummage in my bookshelf for something suitable?"

Elira smiled, "oh so it's an entire date now?"

"A 3 am book reading session for my exhausted wife. Why the fuck not?" Yoongi said as he pressed a kiss on her head before getting and turning on the low lights.

Elira looked around the room. Save for a few modifications here and there to accommodate her, it was pretty much the same. Framed signed posters of Yoongi's favourite musicians, a couple of traditional art pieces. She looked at the side table and saw a book. Scooting over, she picked it up. A simple legal pad, the kind with yellow paper and black lines, nothing fancy.
She opened it and her eyes met scrawled poetry, a few lines here and there, words written in a hurry. Occasionally she spotted musical notes, entire songs laid out.

"Ah... I haven't opened that in a while," Yoongi came in, a tray with the tea and a book under his arm

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

He shook his head as he set the tray down on the bed, "I don't usually like people going through my unfinished work," he reached out and Elira placed the book in his hand, "you need to be vulnerable to showing something that's less than perfection,"

"There's beauty not just in the result, but also, in the creative process..." Elira said as she scooted closer to him

"That there is. But there's also a lot of other things. There's frustration, anger, sadness and despair. There's hope one minute and hopelessness the next," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "There are secrets you don't want everyone to see... For what if they don't see you how they used to anymore?"

Elira knew even under the brain fog that this had gone to something beyond creative work. She took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his.

"An artist is allowed their secrets. But they're also allowed to be who they are, without having to fear about what others would think, for, at the end of the day, it couldn't change them at all. Sure you know them better at the end of it, and some things would make more sense, but they'd still be the same person..."

Yoongi searched Elira's eyes for something leaning slowly to kiss her, languidly.

"I'll keep that in mind," he whispered, their lips brushing

He quietly gestured her to come back near him and she complied, head on his chest as she slipped the warm tea.

Yoongi put on his spectacles on his nose and grabbed the book

"What are we reading?"

"The hunger games," He says with a smug smile

"Shut up it's been so long since I've read that!"

"I hope it's as glorious as we remember," Yoongi sighed, opening the first page

"Wait WAIT- the most important question, Gayle or Peeta?"

Yoongi rolled his eyes, "Gayle, of course, I mean have you seen him? Big strong man who's a good hunter too," he sighed dreamily

"I married a man with good taste," Elira said with a smile as she snuggled close to him

"Good taste? Darling, I have impeccable taste,"
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A/N:

Yoongi does have IMPECCABLE taste WBK