Royal Bonds | Y.Jw

Epilogue | 2

Eight Years Later

News spread around faster than anticipated which showed clearly everywhere in the castle. Jungwon had told of how the maids down in the front hall had had to deal with pushy journalists for the past three weeks now, meanwhile Jungwon and I had to move from our bedroom to a guest room in the castle, in order to escape people who showed up and tried to look in through the windows from the front lawn, two whole stories up.

"I swear I'm going insane," Jungwon complained as he sighed and pulled his tie off, his blazer soon following and landing on the stool in the corner of the room, "I can't go anywhere outside of the castle without being asked the same question over and over again.

"You can't really be surprised, can you?" I quietly questioned from where I laid in the bed, "it's been some long three weeks."

"And you're still incredibly weak," he remarked with an arch of the eyebrows sent in my direction.

"In my defense it has technically been for two months," I remarked and he let out a small chuckle, "and I am beginning to feel better."

"I heard Lin gave birth," Jungwon remarked and I nodded at him as he walked over and sat down on the edge of my birth, "a little boy called Daeho. I visited them today. Sunoo seems awfully fond of the little one and Lin seems to be completely done with them."

"I understand her," I nodded in assurance and he frowned down at me, "oh come on. You do completely the same!"

"That's not true!" he gasped, "I have been completely and absolutely nor-"

Jungwonw as cut off by a small whine from the crib standing behind me, making him immediately coo out and rush over towards it. Once I finally managed to turn myself around and look at him, he was too engulfed in shushing and cooing at the small girl in his arms.

"You were saying?" I questioned and he just glared at me.

"Shut up, this is justified," he hissed, making me just chuckle at him in amusement, "did you find a name for her?"

"Soyeol," I murmured and shoved an arm under my head as Jungwon carefully sat down on the bed again.

"She does look like a Soyeol, doesn't she?" he murmured quietly and I hummed at him.

"It was my grandma's name... I thought it would make her a likeable heir to the public if she was... you know... if she didn't have a royal name," I quietly excused, only earning a wide grin from Jungwon.

"I love it," he assured softly, "and I might've promised Sunoo that she and Daeho will have playdates in the future... but they cannot date!"

"You sound like your dad," I reminded and he immediately widened his eyes as he froze in his spot, "I was kidding. I know you won't be hard on Daeho even if they were to."

"She'll marry whoever she wants to. Nonetheless she'll be a great Queen for teh country one day," Jungwon quietly nodded and looked down at me, "like her mom."

"Stop it before I whack you one," I warned and he let out a small laugh.

"You know... maybe we should just announce to the public that you have given birth," he hesitantly spoke up, making me glance to him for a second before looking up at the ceiling, "You've been gone for two months and people are wondering."

"How don't you think they would react when they find out I have delivered a female heir instead of the male heir that's supposed to be there?" I quietly questioned.

"If it is a problem to them, then it's something they'll have to complain to me about. You've already been through too much and worked so hard for this girl. She is your pride and you better wear it on your sleeve," he reminded as he carefully laid the girl down beside me, making her immediately begin to tug on my hair, "look, she's agreeing with me."

"Sure she is," I hummed and brough the small girl up to lay on my chest, "what do you have to do for the rest of the day?"

"Take care of you two," Jungwon shrugged and brushed my hair out of my face, "the press can wait to get their news until tomorrow. They've waited two months, they can wait another day."

"I'll take her to go visit Daeho when I feel well enough again. I wanna see him too," I excused as I carefully caressed the small head of the baby-girl, "I think I'm gonna need to get out as soon as possible."

"We can go out in Eden whenever you want. It's closed off to the public, and I've heard a small sunflower has begun blooming there," Jungwon remarked and looked down at Soyeol.

I managed to get a smile back on my face before reaching my hand out to Jungwon. He immediately grabbed it tightly in his hand and smiled softly down at me.

"We'll be fine."