⊰ chapter four ⊱

The Western house was busy with the chimes of the children before everyone settled down for the morning prayers at the dining table. Yoongi walked through the hallway, glancing at the red hair who was seated at the table with a glum face at her platter of food. Jungkook sat across her, watching her as he chewed his food—how her dry lips and pale hands had no energy to pick up the food in front of her. She could barely keep her eyes open but she wasn't ready to sleep either. Jungkook never returned to his chamber to check on Dara after their heated conversation. Dara had only agreed to come out of the chamber when Wineri had talked to her through the morning, no wonder the family was starting the breakfast a little late. Adona had refused to attend the breakfast as she would rather attend to baby Theodore in her given chambers across the warmth of the fireplace.

Wineri gazed back at Jungkook after tearing her concerned eyes from Dara. Jungkook, suddenly, was unable to eat. His jaws tightened as he saw Dara's blurry eyes zone out at her plate. He couldn't eat. For what reasons, he did not know. This only got more depressing when Yoongi came back from the kitchen, his boots knocking against the hardwood, making the heads turn to face him. The bruise Jungkook gave him across his face a day ago was now blue—but nothing ruined his composure.

"If the woman is not your wife anymore, Jungkook, you better return her to the South to the Southern government," Yoongi said, walking towards the front door, his voice still loud and audible against the windy snow outside as he opened the door wide, "If I were you, I would sign her under the dangerous animal warrant."

Wineri sighed, dropping the loaf of warm bread on the wooden table as she looked at Dara with wounded eyes, "Dara. I am sorry you have to—,"

"Sam, you wanted to visit the market to buy your stuff for the ball?" Jungkook stood up, kicking his chair away behind him as the short haired girl with the bold features had her eyes lit up and nodded quickly, "Great. Then get ready. Koveski, you too."

Dara pretended she did not hear that.

Winery frowned, "She is not in the state to even attend the ball—,"

"The fresh air will help her ease her mind. Besides, attending the ball will improve her impression if she has to stay in the West. It's the law. She will be fine." Jungkook said with a quick glance at Dara before looking at Sam, "I will see you both at the doors."

Sam clapped her hands once Jungkook was gone and ran to Dara, grabbing her shoulders as she peeked into her green eyes, "Okay, beautiful, you are in my service. Would you like a blue hood or a green to match your eyes?"

Dara found out how she did not have a say if she wanted to go at all or not, but maybe it was all her fate and she had no right to deny. Dara pulled a forced smile at Sam, "Blue."

The snow was amusing.

Dara realized how much she loved watching snow in her little melancholy world. When her entire life came crashing down against her feet, all Dara saw was the crystal snow holding her head afloat—or at least, it was what she felt. Jungkook's chamber that was lent to Dara had a big window. The window opened to the backyard of the residence, covered in snow was a little garden with blue roses and a frozen pond. Further ahead the yard was the gathered trees, making way for a shedy forest with snow. The smooth white snow covering the roofs and the dirtier snow on the ground, which had been plowed up in deep furrows by the weight of carts and wagons, contrasted with the blackened house fronts and darker windows. The furrows crossed and recrossed hundreds of times where the great streets split off, and they created intricate channels that were difficult to trace in the thick white mud and icy water.

The West was stunning. Everyone in the West was rolling their eyes at the redhead in town, calling her the redhead, the wicked wife, or, worse, the bitch queen, which appeared to be more in demand among the adolescent females at the western bars, markets, schools, and parks. Nothing mattered for Dara, however. She was destroyed. Broken. adequately coordinated. She was unable to stop thinking until she lost her ability to do so. She let her mind wander in whichever direction it wished.

She was in anguish. both mental and physical. The ache in her skull, however, had been plaguing her ever since her return from the Western court—since such Magic Breaker had touched her flesh. She could attest to how awful it had been. Given how far it was inserted into her throat and skin and how it left several scars, it appears to have done so. But she was scared to seek help. Not from this family. Not from Jungkook. Not from anyone.

Dara wanted to die. She felt suicidal. But she believed patience was going to outtest the feeling away, and maybe time could heal everything. Little did she know, she needed human warmth more than anything at that moment but she was too afraid to ask for it. She had already been called weak and the ego she walked with—as far and wide as an ocean, was not settling for another banter. No matter how much pain she was enduring.

When dressed in the blue hood Sam had lent Dara, Sam herself in a darker blue hood had presented herself with the fallen Queen at the front porch of the residence. A carriage swayed them to the little market and soon, Dara's eyes were glancing against the Western embroidered dresses at an elegant boutique. Jungkook had his arms folded against his chest as he watched his cousin twirl in her new pink evening gown in front of the mirror as the owner of the boutique watched her dreamily. Sam seemed to love her new dress for whatever ball they were referring to. Sam grabbed Jungkook's arm, "Brother! Let me have two!"

"Two?" Jungkook frowned, "What for? Mother said you made aunt buy three dresses last month—why do you need so many?"

"So many occasions? I need to show up at Hoseok's little parties with new gowns every time, do you not understand how important that is?"

"You are still seeing him?" Jungkook made a face, "I thought you guys broke off—,"

"You speak of such auspiciously, brother!" Sam gasped, "Now, get me this dress first while I choose one for your wife."

Dara frowned at once. Sam grinned at the confused red head, "Yes, you, miss red hair."

"The marriage is called off. And I don't wish to attend any ball—," Dara was caught off as the excited sibling pulled her off her seat, taking Dara by surprise.

Sam made it clear that, "You both aren't divorced yet. The papers need to arrive from the North where your original marriage was held. Which seems pretty impossible right now but yes, the legal laws of the West don't agree with your situation of marriage. But hey, you are still my brother's wife, and since he is the most prestigious son of the West, a date or even better here, his wife shall attend the ball with him."

Dara caught Jungkook's eyes on her and the two of them looked away at the same time. Sam leaned into Dara's ears, "Besides, I don't want that wretched Era around my brother anyway—there, speaking of the goddamn devil."

The doors to the boutique opened as the glittering eyes of Era Winters entered the shop as one of the regular customers with the glamorous smile in her unique gown. Her eyes drowned into lilies when they fell on Jungkook who had a brief moment of shock seeing her there. Soon, Era's lovely eyes were turned into a roll of suspense seeing Dara and Sam who pulled the pretense as if she did not exist. Era looked back at Jungkook, "Here to buy a dress, Your Highness?"

"Guessed well, Era." Jungkook answered shortly with a stiff face before looking at Sam, "Make it quick."

"Yes, brother." replied Sam quickly before looking at the owner of the dress, "Well, what are you waiting for, miss, show us your most expensive and well done gown for the Queen of North."

"Fake Queen you mean," Era's lips pursed into a smile as she mumbled.

Sam narrowed her eyes, and then looked back at the seamstress, "And who is obviously is the blood heir's legal wife, since the marriage executed by the northern laws is all that matters for the blood heir—if you will please show us your best creation—it should be outstanding, extravagant, uncompared, please!"

Dara's jaws hung open as she looked at the red faced Sam huffing angrily at the black haired gorgeous girl at the counters. Era rolled her eyes, tilting her head at the seamstress, "Bring out the dress I ordered last week. Quick."

Era's gown was beautiful. Dara vouched she would steal attention with it. She was going to stand out at the ball. Her green eyes turned to look at Jungkook's eyes peeking at the gown brought out by the seamstress—the beautiful green, the emerald stones at the breast of the dress and the flowy edges. It looked like the forest itself. It reminded him of the North. And worse, it reminded him of Dara's eyes, her love for green, and her love for North. And his.

Jungkook looked away and at Sam who had her jaw hung open at the gorgeous dress, "Sam. Choose the dress and let's be done with it—,"

"We will take a gorgeous scarlet red for the Queen," Sam's lips twitched, "I want it embroidered within tonight the way I wish for it to be—fully customized by us, with original jewels. We will pay you the extra."

Dara's cheeks flushed red when Sam stated aggressively, staring into Era's glittering eyes, "Jeon Jungkook's wife will stand out. Like she always has."

When walking back towards the carriage, Jungkook carrying the big bag of Sam's dream dress for the ball, Dara tugged onto the bold teen's arm, "You did not have to challenge Era like that. She is too naive."

"You are right," Sam nodded, "Let her marry my brother and the Northern Kingdom will come down to its feet. And please, don't say I said a little too much to that wicked girl—did you see the audacity to order such an expensive dress? Such lavishness when you don't work half as hard as any laborer at Western worker's quarter? The girl is a total waste."

"Do you like red?" Sam asked as the three were seated in the ice carriage, Jungkook across the two women.

Dara swallowed, "No. Reminds me of...," Dara bit her lower lip, "all the blood I shed."

"Ah," Sam nodded, "Your life has been tragic. Brother sent us letters every week, of all the things you were doing to keep north floated and above—I think it's iconic though. Your compass is something brother his very well though, he never mentioned it much—,"

"Sam," Jungkook's voice suppressed Sam's frequent words as the girl rolled her eyes before smirking at Dara who couldn't return it as her thoughts seized her mind to look at the windows of the carriage. Either way, she felt his eyes on her.

"You don't have to come," Jungkook whispered. Sam frowned, silently. Jungkook looked at Dara, "You don't have to come if you don't wish to. You have nothing to prove anyways. Sam stays with you at the residence if you don't come. That will be fine for Sam to assume."

The excitement left Sam at once as her shoulders fell, not fighting her brother about it. Dara was never excited to begin with.

Jungkook mentioned Dara's compass less in his letters to West. At least he was a keeper about that one secret that sealed her life together for her.

****

Jungkook forced his biggest smile as he greeted the guests. The ball was in the biggest arena of the West. It was the celebration of Jungkook's return and his acknowledgement to come back as the heir of the blood throne. It wasn't a yearly thing. It was an occasion that was promised to be celebrated before he took his throne. It was an awaited homecoming for the people of the West. Excellently practiced and soothing, about how gloomy yet bright the major-symphony only of winter was, how lovely everything appeared under a high frost, how almost every glassblade was enhanced and metallic into individual charm by it, the dancers danced and the Western music was flooding across the State. It was a night to watch with a magnified view.

Jungkook was in a silver vest, his grown out mullet pulled into a pony-tail behind him as he held a glass of wine, conversing with the State ministers and prestigious guests present at the ball. It wasn't his first time being the center of attention ever since his wedding, but this felt empty. He did not despise it, but he didn't love it either. Everyone looked at him like he was a jewel, girls towering the hallroom beneath as they hid upstairs, mostly ignoring the guests coming as their eyes were glued to Jungkook downstairs. More glad since the wicked Queen wasn't present like everyone thought it would be. So wasn't Sam.

Wineri had noticed the change of plans. Dara decided to stay home with Adona and her soldiers, Sam watching over them as Jungkook ordered and nothing changed Jungkook's mind.

His decisions seemed to have a bad impact on him when Mrs. Winters and Mr. Winter showed up at his steps towards Wineri, interrupting him with their upside down grins. Jungkook sighed, a guard came and took his glass of wine away as he bowed his head a little, "Mr. and Mrs. Winters, good to see you. Enjoy the party—,"

"You should marry Era as promised, Jeon," Mrs. Winters's diamond necklace was shining, her fur wrapped around her pale blue dress, her lips red, "My daughter has waited her entire teen for you, wasted her tears on you and still is—she is your friend, you knew her before you knew Koveski, you should listen yourself this time, not her banters—,"

"I have always listened to myself," Jungkook said, "I am trained to listen to myself. So I wont listen to you."

"Don't regret this," Mr. Winter's voice stopped Jungkook in his tracks towards the worried looking Wineri, the music only seemed to get louder around them, "You may have decided to call off the marriage in exchange of the Eastern's stay in our realm, but one command from us might drive her out of the realm, and your life."

Jungkook grinned sarcastically, "Are you threatening me?" and then his lips twitched and his eyes shimmered coldly at the old man as he stepped forward, "I am no pawn, sir. So if you will look for a better man for your daughter because I am sure Era will not have any hold of the games we play as Kings."

Mrs. Winters stepped in, "You will dance with my daughter in front of everybody as her date tonight to save your redhead queen from her damsel in distress that we could make her face."

"Era will not last a day in the North or by my side," Jungkook finished his sentence, "Not everybody is built to be my pair. Mother made a mistake years ago when creating such an alliance that is of nothing but greed—,"

"Jeon Jungkook," Mrs. Winters glared at the heir, "You will fulfill your promises. Or your family goes down with shame."

Jungkook was about to open his mouth when Mrs. Winters mumbled, looking past his shoulders, "Shameless."

And the wind kissed him and told him who it was. He turned to see Dara in the gorgeous scarlet red gown, the curves so radiant yet the look was so simple; the dress embodied her perfectly, hugging her shoulders and hips like a slim blanket. The men stepped back with mouths hanging open, eyes bulging out at the gorgeous red hair that fell below her waist. Dara's lashes looked thicker, her lips plump. Her cheekbones vibrant as they looked more striking. Her eyes looked better—she looked a bit better than the last time Jungkook looked at her.

Sam grinned ear to ear before finding her silver haired date in between the crowd and was completely swept away. Wineri found herself wrapping an arm around Dara's, smiling at the vividly extraordinary looking woman, "You look unbelievable. I am so glad you have come."

Dara's lips stretched into a smile, "I couldn't disappoint Sam. She was excited."

Wineri shrugged, "Maybe Jungkook knew it wouldn't leave you a choice. He really knows you and wanted you to come—,"

"Everyone's looking at me." Dara whispered, "I don't wish to stay here much."

"Most eyes are of jealousy; women, I must say. But some women join the men here to admire your beauty—they have heard about your grace, your actions, the steps you took at North. If the ministers are not very fond of it, the heart-educated ones here are. Ironic." Wineri implied with a sigh, "Go walk to Jungkook. You are still his spouse according to the blood throne...and that's all that matters to us."

It didn't matter to him, Dara couldn't say it.

Before Dara could approach Jungkook, who was dumbfounded like the most of the folks in the ballroom, the sound of heels clicking diverted the men's attention to the opposite end of the room. After recovering, Jungkook followed Dara's gaze, which was now fixed in a saddening gaze in the green of her eyes. Era surprised Jungkook by appearing in a crimson red evening gown, backless, with her hair pulled back and red roses in her ears, with her lips that color and eyes that sparkle with joy. The moment Jungkook turned to face Dara, the audience let out a loud cry of surprise.

Everyone stopped. The music stopped. The amusement paused.

Era chose red. Where was the excellent green she chose for herself?

The girls and women held their breath for the outbursting drama before them. A man in between two scarlets, waiting to choose his deity for the night. And all that act that Era had pulled up with a striking smirk on her lips and a wicked look eyeing Dara's simple look was enough to make Dara feel like a lowlife in front of the people of West—she had never felt this way, specially when most people were against her entire existence here.

Wineri stood there. Helpless. Her eyes watered to see Dara's state of aggression as the girl stepped away from the scene and turned around, her heart bursting with pain. She wanted to find Sam and leave right away but the girl was swayed away and out of the scene. And when Jungkook grabbed Dara's hand and pulled her into him, her thick red hair hit his neck as her chest crashed against him.

Era's body stilled at the scene, watching distantly. Her lips twisted as she glanced at her mother who rather seemed proud of the stunt she pulled. Little did they know, it had no effect on noble men like Jungkook. What they heard and saw next was unbearable to their eyes.

"Leave me," Dara's eyes shivered as her lips trembled, "Leave me, Jungkook—,"

"Stay still," Jungkook said. His hand snaked around Dara's waist, slithering her fingers as they tickled her back. Wineir stepped away at the wonder his son was committing in front of a hundred eyes. The audience was moved the next moment.