Prince Caspian -Jung Yoonoh NCT

59. Forever

CHRISTMAS DAY

CORNWALL, ENGLAND

YISEUL

We're in position at the head of the aisle, arm in arm, me in my beloved vintage dress, him splendid in his dark suit.

Inside the church is a riot of fragrant, tumbling white flowers, all stunningly, gorgeously beautiful.

Either side of the aisle I see faces, some whom I know and some whom I don’t. Carey, a beaming Mr. Prescott, Elena, Jaehyun's sister, her husband and two children, Jaehyun's family who have made the journey; aunts, uncles and cousins keen to get a look at me, Lisa, Jaehyun's friends and associates.

Jae stands, tall and straight next to me. Our gazes hold; he has tears in his eyes. Jae's hands move to lift my veil; they are trembling a little.

I love you, I mouth, and he smiles through his tears.

"I love you," he whispers.

His eyes flood me with love. He has eyes only for me, and those eyes are full of wonder and joy and love. I will remember this moment forever, cherish it, cradle it to my breast, for as long as I live.

In what seems like a few seconds I find myself walking back down the aisle wearing Jae's diamond and platinum band on the third finger of my left hand, the church bells ringing out. We walk hand in hand and everyone applauds. Just before we step out into the pale winter sunshine, Jae bends and kisses me.

"My wife," he whispers, cupping my face.

"My husband," I say, then turn my face and kiss his palm.

My heart is full to bursting and I feel a pure joy at the simple truth of it; he's my husband and I'm his wife.

JAE

All the wedding guests have left.

Ravenscrag seems remarkably quiet. We will be spending a week here, before journeying to Europe for our honeymoon. We will return to Korea in a month's time. Yiseul had wanted us to marry in Cornwall. It was where we met, she had said, smiling. Grandfather would have wished it so; after all, it was Grandfather and Ravenscrag that brought us together.

Mrs. Kim, the housekeeper, had greeted us with tears in her eyes. Mr. Jung knew what he was doing, Sir, Madam, she had said, beaming, wiping her tears. He is smiling up there now. Can you feel him, feel his presence? This is a wonderful day. Truly the most wonderful day. She had escorted me to my room, adjacent to the biggest guest room, which had been refurbished and repainted to prepare for the wedding. It was to be our bridal room for the duration of our stay, and henceforth.

I have one drink in the library and take another up with me to my room.

Half an hour later, clad in a monstrosity of a blue dressing gown, I tap on the door of the bridal room and open it when I hear a murmur from within.

A soft light glows from a lampshade on the dressing table. The huge king bed has been turned down for the night, the drapes pulled back from around it.

My bride is standing over by the window. My Yiseul is wearing a white nightgown that is all silk and lace and clings to her perfect curves in a most intriguing fashion. Her long, black hair lies in thick waves down her back. She looks unreal, ethereal, beautiful.

My breath catches in my throat. Oh God, I love this girl so much.

Yiseul is my wife. The girl that came into my life, and turned it upside down, the girl that broke my heart, healed it, owns it, the girl that I love to distraction, is standing before me, looking at me with love in her eyes. And, even more impossible to believe, she is mine. We exchanged vows this morning, we swore to be together for eternity. She married me, this fool of a man. She trusted me enough, she loves me enough to marry me, to give her heart, her soul to me. I am not worthy, God knows I am not worthy, but I will try, I swear I will, to never let her down, to protect her, to love her with all of my being for as long as I shall live.

I close the door behind my back.

"Yiseul," I murmur softly. Her stillness, her intoxicating presence, her essence  - her, the distance between us, the knowledge that it would take but three, four short steps to close the gap, to reach her, to hold her - make me dizzy.

"Jae."

I close the distance between us, pull her into my arms, and kiss her on her cheek, her jaw, her lips.

The reality of it all sweeps over me like a tidal wave, as though the rest of the day has been a dream.

"Yiseul, my wife," I say into her hair. "I love you."

She wraps her arms tightly about me, and inhales audibly.

"And I love you," she sighs. "My Jae, my husband."

She tips back her head and smiles slowly at me.

I kiss her softly on the lips. "I love you. I love you. Jung Yiseul, I love you."

Her eyes brighten with unshed tears, and she tightens her arms about me.

"And I love you, Cousin Mark. I will never stop loving you, until the day I die."

We kiss softly, tenderly, our breaths mingling.

"It seems so long ago that I imagined you were Tristan the Knight, come to tempt me from my staid old Cousin Mark," she laughs, her lovely silvery, amused laughter. "And when I saw you again in Switzerland, I even called you Prince Caspian in my heart." She sighs. "I was such a silly girl."

"I am Tristan and Mark and Prince Caspian in one package," I smile, my heart bursting with a strange mix of humility and pride that she chose me, that she is mine. "But, above all, I am Jae. I am the man who loves you beyond reason, beyond life, beyond death."

I draw her closer until we are pressed to each other.

"Oh, Jae," she sighs and melts against me. "You are more, you are all, you are everything to me. Oh, Jae, Jae. I love you. I love you. I love you."

"Yiseul. My sweet, my darling Yiseul." I find her mouth with his and kiss her deeply. "My love. My little nereid. I will show you, prove to you how much I love you. Now, forever, and beyond. Now, and for the rest of our lives, and our lives after that."

"Words, words, words," she says against my mouth. "When are you going to show me action, my husband?"

She laughs softly and then half shrieks as I growl and swing her up into my arms. I stride to the bed with her and toss her onto it.

"If it is action you want, it is action you will get," I say, divesting myself of the cumbersome dressing gown before joining her there.

"There is something else I have to tell you," she whispers. She takes my hand, and lays it on her belly. "You are going to be a father." I suck in a breath, unable to believe what I hear. And then I am gasping, delirious with joy.

"How sure - how sure - " I am inchoherent, fuzzy with joy, stumbling over my words.

"Very sure. I took the test. Twice." Her eyes are wet with tears. "Are you happy, Jae?" She touches my face gently.

"Very. Beyond words," I say, my voice cracking. "And you, my love? Are you happy?" I cup her face tenderly.

"So happy, Jae. I can't even put it in words. So very, very happy." She is weeping through her tears. "I wanted it to be your wedding present. An unforgettable gift."

"You are my gift," I whisper. "You are my life. Our baby is a blessing. Thank you, my darling. Thank you, Jung Yiseul. Thank you for coming into my life. Thank you for making me whole. Thank you for marrying me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me our child."

"Oh, Jae, don't be silly. Why are you thanking me for my love? I didn't give it to you. It was yours from the start. Because we were meant to be. We belong together. Don't you see?" she says softly. "I love you. Don't you know how much I love you?"

A lifetime of worshipping at the altar of strength and I am very nearly too weak to move the words past my trembling lips. "I love you." I am in tears. Me, the man who bows to no one. Until her. Jung Yiseul. My wife. The mother of my unborn child.

"Look at me," I say to her in a whisper, a breath. I kiss her belly, her face, her eyes, her lips, every inch of her. "I love you. So much. So much."

"I love you, Jae," she breathes, stroking my face, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears. "Always. Forever."

"Forever. Till the end of time."