My Underwater Princess

Chapter 9: The Royal Wedding

I get up and swim to the door leaning an eat against it to listen for Yoongi. I hear nothing so I open the door with a creak and check both halls for him. Nothing. I swim off to find my father heading to to throne room where he usually is at this time of day. And as I suspected he's sitting there upon the golden throne glistening in the light. His face lights up when I enter the big hall. As I approach the foot of the throne I bow momentarily before he speaks. "Y/n dear, how are you feeling?" "I'm alright father. I'm doing better." He adds "where's Yoongi? He left the castle and thought he was with you in the gardens but he never returned." I remember what happened and say "oh well.... he left father. Because of me." Father gestures towards me to sit on his lap and I oblige without question. In the most gentle voice he's ever spoken in asks what happened and I explain everything to him. From our fight, to me leaving the room and to my kidnapping up to present moment. Including me yelling at him to leave. He looks at me and says "dear, Yoongi from what I've seen is a gentleman who cares for you deeply. He stayed by your side to protect you when even your own father failed to do so. Yoongi stayed up with you for so long waiting for you to wake up, not once leaving your bedside. Yoongi was the one that saved you from Unagi's clutches when I couldn't. He was willing to accept death as punishment knowing humans weren't welcome in the Kingdom. I've seen the way he looks at you as well. When Unagi fled and I had your head in my lap he knelt next to you holding your hand he said nothing. Just stared. But that stare spoke volumes. He looked at you with so much concern, fear, and..... love. He looked at you with love."

This moment. That moment where time stopped. Where it felt like I was the only person in existence. No one else around. Left with my own thoughts. My heartbeat pounding in my head. I'm brought back to the ground when my fathers' hand waved in front of me and I looked at him before giving a reply that broke my own heart. "I don't love him." Momentary shock written on his face but goes back to its neutral state then proceeding to change the topic. "Ok... so was there something in particular that you wanted to say?" My primary question answered leaving me disappointed I realize the main reason I came here. To marry a prince. Yes Yoongi is a prince and I love him, plus a human kingdom as an ally would be a great rank and power boost and protect our Kingdom's people but he's gone. He left destroying all hope for happiness and breaking my heart on the way out so I know I'll marry a merman prince to benefit the people and... get over Yoongi. I look at my father in the eye and say "I wish to marry father." Again surprise on his face but quickly returning to a neutral state. "Alright. Any person in particular?" I bluntly reply "whoever will raise our Kingdom's status and benefit the people the most." He carefully lifts me off his lap and stands up himself and say "very well then. I'll have the most suitable princes come one by one and stay for a few days to court you. Then you can choose which ever of them appeal to you the most." He leaves to his study to send the invitations and sure enough within the next few days everyone he writes to accepts the offer. The next two weeks of multiple courtships goes by rather slowly. Sunday the first Prince arrives, I took notice rather quickly that he's not in any sense humble at all. He had an entire parade to announce his arrival, and comes into the palace in a carriage pulled by ten coral colored seahorses, each wearing and excessive amount of gold armor covered in various rare jewels and stones. Plus the entire time he courted me the fellow spoke only about himself, his kingdom, his wealth, and his power and his supposed "good looks." The next prince was  the opposite of the first. Actually he was rather sweet. Only downside was he was much MUCH older than me, I'm afraid I'll be widowed before we even have our first child.  Prince after prince none seem to appeal to me but there's no time to be super picky. Eventually I meet one Prince. Prince Nadin. He's from a powerful kingdom, he's humble and seems very caring. Only thing is, he's always missing or not in the palace because he's busy looking after multiple Kingdoms. But he was better than most of the other Princes. 

After the courtship I go to tell my father the news, I knock on his study door before entering. "Father, I've chosen who I will marry." He puts his book down and takes off his reading glasses before replying "Who have you chosen y/n? Which Prince appealed to you the most?" I answer back quickly "Prince Nadin, father." He stands up with a wide smile on his face and says "That's excellent news dear! I'll go write to the Kingdom of the Southern Sephilis. Nadin's parents will be thrilled!" News of my engagement and marriage to Prince Nadin spreads like wildfire throughout mine and Nadin's Kingdoms. The wedding is held at my palace so Nadin has been exempted from Prince duties to spend a couple weeks here to help with wedding preparations.

***Yoongi POV***

I thanked the elder woman who let me stay at her place as she placed a small bowl of food in front me. As I pick up the fork there's a knock on the door. The woman named Gladys gets up walking to the door and opens it. It must be a close friend because there's immediate chatter. I usually tune out their conversations but one line caught me attention. "Did you hear the news Gladys? The princess is getting married!" "You mean Princess Y/N? To who?" Gladys responds, a hint of shock in her soft voice. "Yeah. And she's marrying Prince Nadin from the Kingdom of the Southern Sephilis. Remember she was getting courted by Prince's all across the ocean. She chose Nadin of all the one's that were invited." "That's wonderful news! I think they'll be good rulers!" Gladys replies. I try to ignore the feeling of my heart dropping to my stomach but it's unavoidable. Soon Gladys's friend leaves and she comes back to eat her food. I fiddle with mine before setting my fork down and as if like magic she immediately knows something is wrong. "What's wrong dear? Is it the news about Y/N's marriage?" She saw right through me. No point in hiding it then so I give a nod of my head. "Ahjushi I'm saddened because I loved her. I still do love her. Each and every day I wish to go back. To tell her I love her with all my heart but I just can't. She's already moved on." The lady places her hand on my shoulder and I look up to her softly smiling before she says "Yoongi dear. She's in love with you as well. Why do you think she agreed to this marriage with Nadin? She's using Nadin as a way to forget about you and try to love him so she's no longer hurting from loving you." That's when the realization hits me. She asked me to leave because loving me was hurting her. I hurt her. All I said about her mother. Those times I treated her coldly because she tried to understand me as a person. She wanted to help me, and for her to do that, she needed to understand me. But it was my pride and my own desire for revenge that I shut her out. All because I have trust issues. Even when she saved me, risking so much to save a human, told me some of her darkest secrets. She let me into her heart and I couldn't do the same. I get up quickly and bow to Galdys and say "Thank you ahjushi. I know what I must do." Then proceed to swim out the house and toward the palace. I reach the gates and try speaking with the guards to let me in but they don't budge. I keep yelling until I spot the King and call out to him. He approaches the guards and gets them to open the gates. Out of breath I ask "your majesty. Where's y/n?" A somewhat sad and sympathetic look is written on his face before he says "Yoongi, y/n left. She's getting married in two days. She's spending it at Sephilis before the wedding. Then they'll be off for a honeymoon before returning and filling in their royal duties." I feel my heart drop but determination takes over and I say "Please. Your Majesty. I love your daughter. With all my heart and I wish to ask for her hand in marriage. I myself am a Prince. It may be frowned upon for  a Princess to marry a human and I agree that I am not fit for her, nor worthy of her but I can tell you that I will make her the happiest she's ever been. I promise to ensure that there's never a dull or sad day for her. I will be there always to dry her tears and to be there for her when she needs someone the most. As someone that deeply cares for and also loves y/n as much as I do help me stop this wedding. Or let me be the man she walks to at the other end of the aisle." With a quick wave of his hand, the gates open and I'm let through. "My daughter loves you too. So much so that she is only marrying to try and forget you. She's burying her feelings to try and bury her pain. She's neglecting her own feelings to do what she knows is best for the people, just as she's always done. For once I want my daughter to consider herself first, and then the people. Prepare my carriage, we're setting out for Sephilis now. It's about time we put my daughter's happiness first for once." I nod as we board the carriage and rush to Sephilis before the wedding.