ELEVEN
LOVE

Enya stood on the lifted podium, her arms stretched out from side to side. Her shoulders ached from the strain and the weight of the dress on her shoulders. White silk ran across the curves of her body, ending in somewhat of a heap around her feet. The seamstress had yet to hem the bottom, after finishing the bodice and sleeves of the dress.

Minah stood to the side, smiling proudly as she looked at Enya. "You look amazing. Jimin will be speechless when you walk down the aisle."

"I hope so," Enya mumbled, partly to keep up with her little game, although her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking of Chanyeol, and how to go about finding him. He had to live in the castle, didn't he? After all, he was the king's nephew and favored heir. "Minah? Why haven't I met Chanyeol?"

Minah snapped her head up at the name. "How do you know about Lord Chanyeol?"

"Everyone in Krull does," Enya mumbled. "I kind of wanted to meet him before the wedding, you know?"

"Oh, well no one ever knows where he is. He's kind of a loner. Jimin usually knows where he is. Shall I ask him?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Enya replied. Then, to hide her suspicious answer, she continued: "He's already told me that he doesn't know."

Minah hummed in thought. "Well he sometimes works at Kim's Bakery. For fun, you know? You can go after the dress fitting. Ask for Taehyung. He knows everyone."

Enya nodded in thanks. As the two of them spoke, the seamstress had reentered and began the hem.

"Oh, and Enya?"

"Yeah?" Enya steered her attention back to Minah.

"Remember that His Majesty comes back tomorrow morning. If you're going to go back to Krull, it needs to be today."

Enya clenched her eyes shut. "I completely forgot about the king. Will Jimin be okay if I leave again?"

Minah shrugged, "He's used to it, I suppose."

Enya didn't like her answers. She never liked the answers around the castle. They were far too vague. Far too mysterious. It was as if there was this huge secret no one really knew about, but everyone seemed to sense. Call it intuition, but Enya could feel it too.

There was something rather eerie about the way only a few people in the castle would speak to her. If ever Jimin told her about workers who had been around the castle for a few decades, she noticed they were always... distant.

They averted eye contact with both Enya and the prince, especially the male officials of the castle. While Jimin walked her around the garden, she would often see them walking by. Jimin would bow and Enya would follow in suit, though no one would bow back. They wouldn't look at Jimin, let alone Enya. She found it strange, but perhaps it was normal around the castle for the workers to be so distant. Jimin did say he wished for better treatment for them. Maybe they were distant because they were unfairly paid and overworked. That seemed like the only logical explanation she could think of. That was what she hoped it was, at least.

"Tell the prince I'll be out again today and don't require his company." Enya were getting pretty good at being commanding around the castle. After Jeongguk explained that the guards definitely wouldn't respect her if she didn't command respect from them, she knew she had to step up her game. So to solve this problem, she used the same voice she used when drunk people refused to get out of the inn.

Once her wedding dress was hemmed, Enya crawled out of it very delicately, leaving her in just her underwear. She walked over to her clothes, which had been thrown half-hazardously onto a nearby chaise. Minah was against the idea of her constantly wearing clothes deemed "unfit" for a future queen. Enya wanted to argue back that she wasn't the future queen so it didn't really matter, but she kept her mouth shut and instead wore the dress given to her.

It was beautiful, although impractical. The sheer bodice clung to her, showing off what figure she had. It was made of fabricated pink flowers, so detailed that they seemed to be real. They draped down her shoulders and around her torso, yet disappeared in other areas, creating a sensual yet innocent look. The skirt of the dress was fancy tulle, and although she would hate for the mud to get on it, it was the only dress Minah would let her wear. Of course, she thought Enya was only going to visit a bakery, not plan a rebellion in an abandoned shoe shop. She couldn't be blamed.

-

Kim's Bakery was a nice little shop in Eden, that looked shabby enough to be a part of Krull. In fact, it nearly was, since Krull technically started only a few yards from the bakery. It looked like a typical Krull shop: two stories high with the business on the first story.

Soft music came from the wind chimes that hung outside the windows. Enya could smell fresh bread through the open windows, and suddenly wished she had money to buy some with. As she entered, the smell only became more prominent. In her moment of bliss, she took time to look around the bakery. There were no tables and chairs, only a tall wooden counter with a glass display under it. There were two window seats, covered with fluffy cushions so that one could sit and people watch if they so pleased. Otherwise, it could be used as a seat to wait upon while the bakers took whatever fresh pastries out of the oven in the back and prepared them.

Behind the counter was a handsome man, around Jimin's age. The first thing Enya noticed about him was his smile, which was boxy but not unhandsome. "Welcome to Kim's Bakery! Would you like to sample some sourdough bread?"

Although her first instinct was to accept any free bread he offered her, she denied. "Actually, I'm looking for Kim Taehyung? My friend said he could help me find someone."

"That's me," he smiled again. "Who are you looking for? Someone high up, I assume." He eyed her outfit.

"Oh," Enya blushed. "No, I'm from the castle, but I'm not rich or anything."

"Didn't say you were."

"I know, I just want you to know that I'm not like them." What was compelling her to say those words, she didn't know. However, this was her first time in Eden's village, and it felt vital that these people know she wasn't the same as their monarchs.

Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows, "Who told you?"

"Told me what?" Enya asked.

Taehyung blanched. "Nothing. Who are you looking for."

"His name is Park Chanyeol. He's the prince's cousin," she said, pushing the doubt away from her mind.

"Ah, Chan. He might not want to meet you, Princess."

"Oh? Is he mad at me?"

"Not you," Taehyung clarified as he moved towards the back. "And not necessarily angry, just guilty."

As Enya waited, she pondered his words. What did he mean by that? Why would he feel guilty?

Suddenly, Taehyung came back, followed by a tall man. He looked at her, his bright brown eyes similar to that of a puppy's. There was something very endearing in his appearance, and Enya found herself doubting that this was the nephew who planned wars and fought against the king. He looked like a king. He looked like he should be on a throne. So, Enya bowed. "I'm Enya. I need to talk to you."

Chanyeol cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. "How did you find me?"

"Minah," she answered, and Chanyeol cursed.

"She always knows. Her and the guard." Chanyeol walked around the counter and stopped in front of her. "What do you need to talk about?"

Enya eyed Taehyung casually. "We have to talk in private. I know a place, so follow me."

Chanyeol was complacent, and followed diligently. The two of them walked the road in silence, even when they turned into the dirt roads of Krull. "You're taking me to Krull. Why?"

"I can't say until we arrive. I was told I could trust you."

Enya arrived in front of the familiar inn she had grown up in, and entered with the lord on her heels. Hoseok was behind the counter as usual, only this time Yoongi was sitting on one of the stools. He came out of his large hood every once in awhile just to sip from his pint, only to go back to silently listening to Hoseok's loud rambling.

"Oh, good. Everyone's here," Enya said. "Let's go to Hobi's room. I've brought Chanyeol."

Hoseok looked up and smiled brightly. "Ya Ya! Yoongi and I were just talking about you!"

The four of them bounded up the creaky stairs of the inn and entered the room Hobi had long since claimed as his own. There was an old table in the corner, most likely stolen from the inn itself, and she settled into one of the chairs. Surprisingly, Chanyeol was still following her loyally. He sat down next, followed by Yoongi, then Hoseok.

"I've brought Chanyeol here to explain the plan, and how he can help us change it." Enya explained before turning to the lord. "You and Jimin are friends, right? He listens to you?"

Chanyeol snorted. "Jimin hasn't talked to me in years. He's afraid to."

Enya blanched. Her entire plan had been to get Chanyeol to encourage Jimin to be brave. "What do you mean? Doesn't the King like you?"

Chanyeol shrugged. "Perhaps that's what he tells Jimin, but he's not very nice to me either. The thing about the king is that he's a coward. Anyone who stands up against him is going to win because he doesn't know how to handle that kind of situation. His entire staff is brainwashed because he has convinced them that he will take action if they disobey. He won't. The only person he's ever hurt is Jimin, and that's because his son is his scapegoat. Get it?"

Enya frowned. "The king lies to Jimin to make it seem like he has the upper hand?"

Chanyeol nodded fervently. "He's crumbling, and so is his kingdom. His entire generation has only stayed on the throne due to fear. That's why Krull will never believe us if we say Jimin is a good man. They've been told constantly that the new king will be good, but the truth is simple. The new king will be brainwashed by the old king, until he has the personality of the old king. It's a pattern, and Jimin is the only one who hasn't followed it yet."

Hoseok spoke up. "So the king is trying to beat the niceness out of Prince Jimin."

"Technically speaking, yes. He wants Jimin under his control, so that even when Jimin is king, it'll be King Park who pulls the strings."

Enya sighed. "Look, Yoongi, you have to stop the assassins then. You heard Chanyeol. You believe him, don't you?"

Yoongi shrugged, his eyes rather sleepy as he watched everyone around the table. "I suppose I'll stop them. If what Chanyeol says is true; if Jimin proves himself after the coronation to be an independent king, I'll only call for an assassination on King Park."

Chanyeol looked perplexed. "You were going to assasinate Jimin?"

"The raffle was rigged," Enya admitted. "Everything was a plan to kill the king and prince and put you on the throne. It was for Krull."

Chanyeol ran a hand through his curly hair, "You don't look like a murderer."

"I'm not," she admitted. "I'm a thief. I've been lying to Jimin more or less this whole time to try and get information out of him." Enya suddenly felt tears behind her eyes, "It wasn't until I got him drunk did I understand the truth. Since then I've been trying to prove his innocence."

Yoongi sighed. "You're paying me back for all the money I'm losing through this deal."

Hoseok turned to him. "Didn't you start this plan because of a vision? What was it about?"

"Oh. I dreamt that a king loved by everyone would reign. The only one loved by everyone is Chanyeol, so naturally assumed it was about him."

Hoseok scrunched his features and gave Yoongi a disgusted look. "You were going to kill the prince based on your own interpretations? Are you a prophet? No. You're a dark mage who has been around so much negativity that your first instinct was to kill someone. I'm ashamed."

Yoongi flushed red. "I genuinely thought Jimin was just like his father. Everyone else thinks that too, you know."

"It's a good thing we talked about it," she said. "Now we know each side of the story. All we have to do is get Jimin to stand up to his father."

"Do you think he'll do it?" Hoseok asked Chanyeol.

"If he believes in something strongly enough, I don't think he'd let anything stop him."

-

Chanyeol offered to buy Enya lunch, and while she would've rather had food from Jung's Inn, he knew of a quaint little restaurant a few blocks down from the inn. Upon entering, she could smell some kind of stew boiling over a hearth. A kind woman stood at the giant pot, stirring the stew. She turned to smile, and Enya found her features rather familiar, although she couldn't quite place them.

"Hello! I'm Mrs. Jeon! Sit down and I'll get you two some stew and mead."

Chanyeol bowed in thanks and gestured for Enya to sit on one of the overstuffed sofas by yet another fire pit. The place was warm and comforting in comparison to the frigid winter outside. Especially since she had forgotten her cloak at the castle.

Enya held her hands out in front of the fire as Chanyeol gave her the history of the place. "Mrs. Jeon lives here with her husband and her eldest son. They all work to make food for families that are out of money. It's one place in Krull that the poverty-stricken people can come and not worry about loans and having to pay back in any way. Donations are welcome, of course, but the real payment is just talking to Mrs. Jeon. Since her husband and son are out a lot finding work, she can get lonely."

"Ah," Enya answered, understanding quickly. "Well then it'll be nice to talk to her."

"Yeah," Chanyeol said. "She gets a lot of thieves and brawlers so it's nice for her to get some normal people."

Enya stared at Chanyeol, "I'm a thief."

Her new friend's ears turned a bright shade of red as he looked down at the table top. "Yeah... I forget sometimes."

"Me too," she spoke honestly. "Living at the castle has given me a look at how people live comfortably. I sometimes forget that I used to fight grown men for dinner."

Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't remember you. All my times visiting Krull, no one ever mentioned an Enya."

"They protect me," Enya countered, "If anyone in the castle found out how much I stole from Eden, I would be put to death immediately."

"Do you know Mrs. Jeon?"

"No," she said. "She's never asked me for anything. I suppose she knows about me, though. Most people in Krull know about the plot to kill the king and the prince. We're just good at hiding things."

Chanyeol picked at his fingernail. "I can't believe I've been visiting all this time and everyone just... They all wanted me to be their king but they never told me about it. They never asked if it was what I wanted, or if I thought it was a good idea."

Two bowls of steaming broth were suddenly placed in front of them both. Enya looked up to see Mrs. Jeon smiling down at Chanyeol. She reached out to ruffle his hair, "We don't converse with leaders due to previous experience with them, Darling. You should know that."

Chanyeol scowled at her and grabbed a spoon. "I'm just glad the plan is ruined so I don't have to become king. I don't know if I could ever have courage to fight against all the twisted laws our ancestors have brainwashed every royal to believe."

"Why don't you believe them?" she asked.

At the same time, Mrs. Jeon frowned and asked, "The plan is ruined?"

Chanyeol answered them both casually, "Jimin's mother was good about teaching us the trials of Krull. She was from here too. Of course, she spent more time with me since I'm older. She died when Jimin was young, so I doubt he remembers any memory with her. The plan is foiled, Mrs. Jeon. Enya believes that Jimin can really turn everything around, and as do I."

Mrs. Jeon sat down with a fretful glance at the door. Enya studied her appearance, struggling to find any reason why she looked so familiar to her. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat and grime, but her eyes were kind and focused as she observed the room. Her skin was fragile with wrinkles and laugh-lines, and her bones were hollow and small. Enya thought just one hug would crush her. Still, she didn't seem weak or unable to get around. "I wish I could believe that. Honestly, I would feel better if it was you, Chanyeol. However, I'll trust your word. I can't say my family will do the same. Nor will Krull find this change in plans very pleasant."

Enya licked her lips, "Mrs. Jeon, please trust me when I say that Jimin will help everyone."

Mrs. Jeon nodded slowly, although her eyes seemed to be somewhere else. "Speaking of my family, don't mention a word of this to them."

Enya and Chanyeol looked towards where Mrs. Jeon had gone. In the doorway, two grown men were discarding their boots, but keeping their coats around their shoulders. The winter cold was still harmful and strong. The son, much younger and healthier than his parents, looked at her, and everything suddenly made sense. That's why Mrs. Jeon had looked familiar.

Her son looked exactly like Jeongguk.

-

When she returned to the castle that night, her first thought was to get to Jeongguk and tell him where his family was. Throughout the many talks with Minah, she knew he had no idea where his family was, and whether they were alive or not. So, after dropping Chanyeol off at the bakery, where he was apparently living for the time being, Enya walked the familiar road to the castle.

King Park would return the next morning, and Enya knew whatever freedom she and Jimin had felt would soon disperse as quick as a morning fog. Still, there was some kind of hope left in her. Yoongi was on board, Chanyeol was on board, and Mrs. Jeon was on board. The very fact that more people were trusting in Jimin gave her hope that this was the right thing to do. Jimin would survive, no matter what. She would do everything in her power to make sure the throne was his.

The hallways were dark as Enya walked to her bedroom, where she was genuinely hoping Jeongguk would be guarding for the night. Instead, no one was outside. This led her to believe that Minah might have already shooed Jeongguk away, as she did every night when Enya went in to bathe.

Enya was surprised to see that it wasn't Minah in her room, but Jimin. He was still dressed in his day outfit, and Enya's eyes lingered on his torso in his white, form-fitting shirt a bit too long as she watched him. He was sitting hunched over his hands, focusing on his fingers as they tapped against each other. He hadn't heard her come in.

"Jimin?"

The prince jumped at Enya's voice, his eyes widening as he suddenly stood up and wet his lips. His dark hair was freshly trimmed, perhaps for the king, or the upcoming wedding. Either way, his eyes were no longer hidden by a curtain of hair, and Enya could see the clear emotion in them. He seemed troubled, once again, and the fact made her shuffle in discomfort. "Are you okay? You seem upset."

Jimin shook his head and advanced towards her, "I was just thinking about you. About us, really. Because we're getting married in two days and I'm afraid you don't want it. I'm afraid you'll leave when I say what I'm going to say, but I have to say it."

Jimin sighed and leaned forward, his hands curving around her waist. "I love you, y'know? It's not artificial love because of the raffle, it's an overwhelming emotion that has been building in my heart since that day in the library. I'm in love with you, Enya. I'm just afraid you don't love me back. I'm afraid you'll fake your vows to me and be part of an unhappy marriage because I'm not who you wanted. You say you won't leave me, but this is forever. This is a marriage: for the rest of our lives."

"Jimin..." Enya cupped his cheek with her hand, and he leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed. "I've already told you that if I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. That goes for love as well. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't be here right now."

It was a bit blurry as to who leaned in first, but suddenly, Enya could feel the softness of Jimin's lips against hers. Her hands fell down to clutch the fabric of his shirt, until there were wrinkled bunches of fabric in her fists. Jimin's hands crept into her hair as he kissed her harder, his breath becoming more labored. She pulled him closer as his tongue grazed her bottom lip. There were hushed confessions, though neither of them could quite remember whose mouth uttered them first. There was a hazy feeling in Enya's brain as Jimin finally let go and pulled back, his eyes heavily lidded and his lips parted slightly. He slowly wet his lips as he looked down to catch her expression.

"You... You're really going to marry me? For me? With all these horrible responsibilities and problems?"

"I'm marrying for you, Jimin. I don't care about anything else," Enya managed to whisper, since frankly her breath was still taken from the kiss. "Together we can unite Eden and Krull and make this kingdom one that people are proud to be under."

Jimin bit his lip to stop from smiling. "Have I told you just how much I love you? Because... wow."

-

Enya woke up alone the next morning, rather disappointed that Jimin couldn't stay over like all the nights before. No, he had to get up early and go greet his father as he returned from his voyage.

Her mind still felt a bit tingly when she thought of having finally kissed the prince. She felt giddy at the fact that he actually loved her. However, there was a heavy layer of guilt that came with confessing to the prince.

She was a thief, a criminal. Enya had come to the castle in an attempt to kill him and his father. He had no idea that she had been this close to killing him. He had no idea how much trouble she had gone through just to stop the entire plan. He had no idea that she had completely lied her way into his life. There was so much he had no idea about, and yet he was going to marry her.

Enya had fallen in love with him, without a doubt. It had taken a lot of time and a lot of doubt, but she was finally sure. He had fallen in love with her as well, but how strong was that love against all her lies and cover ups? How forgiving was Jimin?

The more she thought about it, the lousier she felt. Enya never meant for this to turn into the giant mess it had turned into.

One thing was for sure: she couldn't change anything. The past had been sealed, and there was nothing she could go do to change it. There was no way to go back. Besides, if she had gone back, and someone else took the offer, Jimin would be dead by now. So, there was some comfort with that. If Jimin left her in resentment, it would be okay, because he was alive. She had successfully deterred any plan to kill him. She had given him a chance.

With that disturbing, yet comforting thought in her head, she dressed herself and went to search for Jeongguk. Around this time, it was probable that he was around the kitchen, keeping Minah company as she made breakfast. Enya walked to the kitchen rather quickly in the hopes of avoiding anyone who might wish to speak to her.

No one tried to speak to her. In fact, people seemed to avoid her even more than usual. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up unwillingly at the wonder she felt when it came to their behavior.

Jeongguk was outside of the kitchen, nibbling on a slice of toast as he watched everyone walk by. "Hey, can we talk?" Enya asked as a way of greeting.

Jeongguk's eyes widened, and he hastily swallowed the food in his mouth before throwing the rest of the toast away. "Sure. What's up?"

Enya slipped a piece of paper into his palm. "It's the address to your family. You should go see them."

Jeongguk looked at her, then down at the slip of paper, tears blurring his vision. "It's really them? The king banished them so long again I can't even remember what they look like."

"They own a restaurant in Krull, a few blocks down from the inn. I've never been until Chanyeol took me yesterday."

"What were you doing with Chanyeol?" Jeongguk suddenly asked, his demeanor changing. "Did he say anything?"

Enya furrowed her eyebrows. "No? We just went to talk about Jimin's coronation. Is there something I should know, Jeongguk?"

The guard cleared his throat. "No. No. Everything will be fine."

Enya let it drop, but she couldn't quite shake the looming feeling of fear off of her shoulders.

-

a/n
sorry for any grammar mistakes

also i hope jimin becomes more comfortable with himself :(