Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

44 |2| Wilted

They rarely gather for breakfast, but as Akira and Yunho sat out yesterday's tea, they were the ones who had requested for them to assemble at the dining hall first thing in the morning. It seems like a weird request to the rest of the palace occupants but they respect the decision anyway. Yunho and Akira are the first ones to arrive at the hall, as it is their destination the moment they wake up and freshen themselves. The others arrive on time with San being the last one as he and another two maids bring in trays of their breakfast of the day.

They expect the general and lieutenant to start talking right away since it sounded urgent, but the two only keep quiet. They don't even take a bite out of the dish but they keep their heads low and mouth sealed. Even the others are affected by it and it takes a whole lot of nudging and gesturing quietly between them to prompt anyone to start talking, but it's clear that there is a pronounced awkwardness in the air as they don't know the real purpose of them being called over. No one dares to make a sound, as if speaking would unleash something unfavourable.

"Is there... something that both of you needed to tell us?" Hongjoong asks first when he sees that the two are still keeping mum. The rest shuffle nervously in their seats, except for San who is only calmly diving into his breakfast, ignoring the tension threatening to snap since the beginning. "Was this about something that happened yesterday?"

Wooyoung eyes San, who still seems like he is in his own world.

Akira grips her fork and plays around with the pan-seared potatoes on her plate before she says, "The queen of Lucida... has passed away yesterday. She fell from the balcony of her chamber."

The unexpected disclosure has everyone shocked, including San who immediately lifts his head up and loses his grip on his utensils. They don't know what would be an appropriate reaction to the news because they're in a conflict. You can't be happy over someone's death. The two soldiers' stolid expressions do little help to help them decide how they should react over the news.

"It also means that Lucida's reign is over," Yunho says simply in a monotonous voice. "Because the queen has no descendants."

San blinks. It seems surreal to think that the person he had faced yesterday, his demeanour rigid as he watched the queen stumble to pick up the letters in front of him... is now gone. A fleeting thought came to him, was I the reason for her demise?

"We're officially no longer residents of Lucida," she looks at them one by one. "Because your king had delivered a personal request to her." She studies the expression of the men in front of her, but none of them show that they are aware of the situation. Are they only pretending or are they really oblivious to it? "Your king personally requested the queen to let us go."

The young masters try hard not to look at San, who is starting to fidget in his seat. Their king? But the throne is currently empty, unless... San has decided to answer the call for his white blood.

But how is it possible that they are unaware of when he decided to put on the crown? What was the reason when before this, the throne was a hard place to conquer for San?

Hongjoong, Yeosang, Seonghwa and Jongho are completely in the dark about what's going on, but Mingi, Wooyoung and San are aware. Secretly, Mingi's eyes travel back and forth from Wooyoung to San, and he tries to discern the air between them.

"Whoever you are," Akira's voice sounds strained. "Thank... you." Words of gratefulness stumble out of her mouth, but it sounded like she barely meant it. She takes a bite of the potatoes that she crushed with her fork, thinking about how she's going to relay the next news without breaking down.