"We may not have birthed you but you will be our daughter, one way or another. Start with a scholarship and end as the Queen, any path you take is your choice to make."
In a modern-day monarchy, Ari is every bit a struggling student as any other. T...
"Is this what you meant when you said this was all my fault?" Ari asked relaxing into the soft pillows of the bed. She opened her mouth only to be fed a slice of fruit. Munching on dessert, covered in comfortable bedding was the last thing Ari had expected to be doing when she had kissed her boyfriend.
She briefly peeked at him. He was gorgeous even in a simple white t-shirt, sitting on the bed with his feet on the ground and a plate of fruit on his lap. Rich, handsome, caring-Seungcheol fit a lot of categories so why did he have to be so pure of heart too? Biting on the fruit Seungcheol handed out, Ari wondered out loud, "Do you not want to do it? You seemed so eager at the vacation house back then though?"
Seungcheol nearly jumped in surprise, his ears turning red at her explicit words. Cute, Ari noticed. He boyfriend was cute too.
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"What?" She shrugged slightly, "Am I wrong?"
Seungcheol who had been observing his girlfriend cozied up in his bed, pulled the blanket tighter around her. Even if he were in state of desperation, he wouldn't act like an animal pouncing on his prey, "I don't know what you think of me but I'm no horangi. You haven't had a wink of sleep in over 48 hours, Ari. I suspect this is your first meal too." He pointed to the plate on his lap, taking a cherry and placing it over her lips, "What you need more than anything is rest. So take what I'm giving you and stop straining you body more than you require."
Ari didn't seem to agree but she let the fruit past her lips, nibbling on the cherries with a pout. It was satisfying to some degree, Seungcheol told himself as he watched her follow his instructions despite her rebellious spirit. What was she trying to pull by withdrawing anyway? Was she trying to incur the King's wrath just as he was? Seungcheol couldn't put his finger to it but suspected that the cause and effect were simply synonymous to Ari's whims at the end of the day.
"What'll you do now that the King has granted you a vacation?" Seungcheol asked, curious of the rumours in the vines.
Ari looked up at the ceiling, snuggling closer to Seungcheol's sitting posture, "I'm not sure. So much has happened so fast that I haven't had time to let anything settle in." She murmured against his shoulders, "I might look into my father's life in these walls, I suppose. The King said my father was a candidate to the throne just as I am now. Do you think he gave it all up just like I did?"
Ari's eyes were clear as they looked up at him in curiosity. Seungcheol thought about it, "But you're not going to give up your candidacy." He pointed out, "My father won't be able to let you go now that the public has sensed his intentions. He'll make every excuse to curry favour and bring you back, just so that this competition seems fair. While I don't know history, I'm certain it will not repeat itself."
"How can you be so sure?"
There was something in Seungcheol that drew Ari in. "Because you are not your father and I am not mine. What we have is going to be better than anything our parents could've imagined."
