Family Doesn't Require Blood (ATEEZ)

Epilogue

Five Years Later

It's been five years. Five years since Hongjoong became the King of Fantasia and a lot has changed since then. San, Mingi, Yunho and Yeonjun became the official King's guard, Yunho naturally becoming the captain of them. They've always been a big support for Hongjoong, even if they drove him crazy sometimes and couldn't ask for better people to help keep him safe. Yeonjun turned out to be just as good of an asset as Hongjoong thought he was going to be, strong with a sword, a sharp mind and a surprisingly gentle heart. Whenever they go out to visit towns, he will spend some time talking to the children and answering their questions about what Knights do. Seonghwa didn't spend very much longer as a servant, given he was in a relationship with the King who didn't want him to have to suffer in any way. Instead he just spent time with the others whenever he could, learning things he would never be able to as a servant, things he wasn't allowed to do before. Wooyoung remained as a servant for a few months as he enjoyed the work, but then Hongjoong had enough, not liking his friend doing so much for not a lot in return and he decided to employ him as a personal helper in the castle, paying him to complete the jobs he did around the castle. The night he told Wooyoung, was spent with him cuddling the emotional and crying younger boy to sleep. It was the first time he ever received his own money and he wanted to stay close to his big brother for the extra comfort. Jongho remained as Yeosang's personal guard but he sometimes joined the King's guard if Hongjoong went out and needed some extra protection. Yeosang was no longer the spare castoff that didn't matter. Hongjoong taught him what it took to rule a Kingdom, taught him how to fight, how to be a good leader and together they both made decisions for the better of their Kingdom.

Hongjoong as the King was moved into a bigger room, a room for a king, or should he say, a room for a queen. He didn't want to step foot into Kangdae's old room so he instead he moved into his mother's old room. He felt safe there and he kept it relatively the same, not wanting to ruin the layout his mother had to honour her memory and remind him of her. Seonghwa moved in with him a year later, given he spent most nights in there anyway. The hall the room was in had other rooms along it but all of them were empty. Yunho moved to the room across the hall the same time Hongjoong moved, wanting to be close to look after him but also because he just liked being near his family. Wooyoung and San immediately moved to the room two doors down from Hongjoong after Wooyoung became a paid worker. (That ended in at least twice a month visits to sleep in the parents bed because they wanted more cuddles). Mingi moved into the room next to Yunho's but 3 years later, moved into Yunho's room with him instead. Hongjoong moved Yeosang into the room next to his as soon as he moved, happy to have his brother next to him rather than a maze of hallways away. Jongho and Seonghwa both originally got rooms next to each other but like Seonghwa, Jongho was quick to move in with Yeosang, wanting to spend more time with his lover. (As if spending most of the day looking after him wasn't enough). Hongjoong announced his relationship with Seonghwa to the rest of the Kingdom 2 years after he became the King and it was met with some mixed reactions as expected. Many of the townspeople were outraged as was expected. However their opinions changed after they saw how Seonghwa and Hongjoong were together, how happy their King was with him. It wasn't only Hongjoong and Seonghwa's relationship that changed their minds, but also how Seonghwa treated everyone when he accompanied Hongjoong to towns. Word spread quickly of the gentle, angelic man who treated everyone respectfully, never rejected anyone who tried to talk to him and often tried to help people in need. Now whenever Seonghwa goes out with Hongjoong, the townsfolk give him gifts, one of their favourites being hand crafted flower crowns. Hongjoong finds it adorable and he loves seeing Seonghwa being so accepted. A year after announcing his relationship, Hongjoong took Seonghwa to his special spot and proposed to him. Two months later they got married in front of many nobles from all over the Kingdom and in front of their family. The others were ecstatic to see their parents finally get married and they all celebrated together afterwards. Seonghwa was officially named the King's Consort, becoming the first lower class person to ever stand alongside a King as an equal and Hongjoong couldn't be any happier. To no ones surprise though, Seonghwa and Hongjoong weren't the first two to get married. San and Wooyoung got married a year before the other duo. They got married by the waterfall in the clearing with the abandoned house. It was a small ceremony, just them and their close friends, including a few other Knights and servants who they had known for a long time, but it was exactly what they wanted. Jongho and Yeosang were married around four months after Seonghwa and Hongjoong and much like San and Wooyoung, they had a small ceremony with just people they were close to. Yunho and Mingi realised they liked each other 3 years after everything happened and they got two years later, not yet married.