⊰ chapter twenty five ⊱

"Sixty silvers for the win of the red head! Hundred silvers for the win of the Western spirit! Come place your bets! Place your bets! Seats are limited!" the little boys ran up the stairs of the stadium, there was no place to sit. It was a house-full. Men, women, children, people from the insides of West and even labors had occupied the wide stadium of West. The stadium was closed for years, and none of the Western committee thought the battle would create this big of an audience. Nonetheless, they were successfully earning a huge amount from these citizens attending the show.

While it was a show for others and most, it was a matter of death and life for the Jeon family. A letter of instructions had come to Jungkook from Jung Hoseok from the prison, Taehyung managed to slip it in. Adona was guarded by Skovier and Taehyung at the royal front of the stadium, the glass house was specially built for the royal family. The stadium growled when Jeon Jungkook walked out of the doors to the open, open headed stadium, the people waved their flags at the King with big smiles to their faces.

Jungkook tried to smile at his people but all he had in his heart was fear for the woman who was inside. The advisors and the government itself bowed their heads towards the heir, Jungkook gave them a knowing, blunt and dry look before taking his seat beside Adona. He smiled at Theodore to calm himself down, the child staring at him with big round eyes. Adona sighed, "Will she be alright?"

"I don't know," Jungkook looked towards the big wide doors, sealed with steal. The spirit's doors. Then he looked at the human size door at the left, Dara should be walking out of it any moment. Wineri and the children took the seats behind the two royals. Wineri looked pale from crying, Jungkook could tell she had visited Dara more than twice and wept unconditionally and begged her to back out from it. Of course, Dara wouldn't listen.

A man in the government uniform walked to the middle of the stadium, and the stadium silenced. His voice loud, he yelled the words for all to hear, "To free Jeon Sam from her crime of carrying the illegitimate child of residence magician Jung Hoseok and the impure relationship they shared, to save them from public shame and the deserved punishment and us from the war of the Curve that is approaching soon, Dara Koveski Arver, the daughter of the traitor and deceased Arver have challenged to fight the sacred Western spirit and take it's spirit for her advantage in fighting the war!"

There was a surprising and shocking applaud from the audience.

Jungkook sighed.

"From right!" the man screamed, "DARA KOVESKI OF NORTHERN EAST!"

The doors opened and the short red hair, was clipped into a bun, walked in Dara. Wineri held her heart as she saw the unusual sun of West glittering against Dara's deep blue outfit that wrapped her body till her neck from possible and major wounds. Dara's green eyes looked up at the sun, it was mid-day only, her fear made it seem like it was midnight when she was inside the taverns. The audience clapped loudly, but the Jeon family screamed; the children jumping on their seats as Wineri panicked to calm them down.

Dara looked at Jungkook. His face was worried. His body was anxious.

The guards who followed her to center of the stadium left her as they ran back to the stadium rails. Dara heard the doors shut, the audience settled back. She watched them lock the glass house, and all the guards left at the center at once. The man announced once more, but this time, he was no more in front of Dara. He had left the center too, "THE SACRED WESTERN SPIRIT!"

And for this spirit, the citizens growled and applauded.

Dara took a step back upon seeing the doors open slowly, the graceful feet thump on the marble ice. Below the ice, was the freezing water. The blue eyes. Deeper than any western's yet so bright to the core. Dara shivered upon matching all the details she had been hearing about this spirit; a wild reindeer. Eight feet tall. It was blind.

And it ran towards Dara. The audience screamed. Jungkook stood up from his seat to see the reindeer run for it's opponent without any provocation. The reindeer ran into Dara with it's tangled horns directed towards stomach only to run into nothing. When it's blind eyes turned to smell the opponent, Dara had already slipped underneath it and landed herself meters away from it. The compass flicked into a sword. The audience cheered immediately as they for the first time witnessed the candidate of the Curve switch out the rumored compass into a sword of illuminating light against the sun. Dara sprang up on her feet as she watched the reindeer find her once more, turning on it's left. Hot vapor released from it's nostrils and the whole of West sensed the anger of failure in the spirit.

So it was sensible.

Dara swallowed hard as she thought of ways to save herself before attacking. She turned away and started running around the court in maximum speed. The audience groaned to see the opponent run away from the spirit, the spirit following Dara with heavy galloping against the hard ice.

It's antlers are poisonous.

Dara remembered Jungkook's reference. She couldn't touch them. She shouldn't. Dara felt something hard hit her back before she stumbled over and it threw her against the ice floor, her mouth smashed against it as she appeared to see blood drooling from her nose. Before she got up, she faced the large antlers about to plunge into Dara's stomach. Dara kicked the center of the Reindeer's head, making it madder before defending it's once again emerging attack with her legs on it's head.

Jungkook stood up from his seat once more, horrified to see the poisonous antlers trying to get through Dara's skin.

"Why are we in a glass house anyway?" Adona whispered, tensed.

"So we, family members cannot help her," Wineri answered, "The glass house cannot emmit magic."

Jungkook stared at the battle outside, unable to sit down and breath calmly.

"Agh," Dara greeted her teeth before finally swinging her sword against the reindeer's legs, rolling away from it's attack as it tripped over to hit it's antlers against the ice on the ground. Dara whipped off the blood on her face with her arm. She had no time to defend herself when the reindeer launched into her once again and Dara realized what she had done; she grabbed it by it's antlers.

Jungkook punched the glass house, the children and Wineri shrieking with fear as they saw the King murmur, "Fuck."

But to Dara, she was holding it just right. When she felt her body not react to it, Dara's eyes immediately turned gold as her arms pumped up to drag it backwards. The reindeer put it's force into Dara, trying to push it's spikey antlers into her throat. Dara grinned as she forced it back, making it's toes slip against the ice before redirecting it's momentum away from her.

The poison had no affect on her.

Dara quickly defended herself with a golden shield around her as the reindeer did not give her time to breath or think and dragged itself against the shield. Dara's toes were slipping, her boots unable to stay mobile as the reindeer kept on banging it's head against the shield.

Before Dara knew, the reindeer pushed Dara to the ground once again, exerting it's antlers into her before stepping on her stomach. Dara screamed from pain but it did not last long. The beneath Dara finally broke from pressure and swallowed both Dara and the reindeer inside the freezing waters.

Jungkook had lost it there. He screamed at the guards, "Open this door."

A man from the front seats yelled out, announcing, "TEN SECONDS. WHOEVER COMES OUT FIRST WILL BE ANNOUNCED THE WINNER!"

"What rule is that?" Jungkook punched the glass box again, "Fuck."

Adona cried out, "Dara does not...know how to swim."

"What?" Jungkook yelled, "WHAT?"

"She is terrible at it," Adona cried, "Her breath cuts short under water."

Wineri was a crying mess already, her head stuffed into her palms as she cried loudly.

The people outside had stopped cheering. Sitting with nerve wrecking hearts. The count started for the two beneath the water, "Ten!"

Jungkook couldn't think.

"Nine!"

"Soldier, keep on marching on," Jungkook closed his eyes, murmuring, "Head down till the work is done. Waiting on that morning sun, soldier keep on marching on."

Wineri looked at his son, eyes watery and fearful.

"Quiet now, you are gonna wake the beast," Adona sang along, her voice shivering as she stared at the hole, the broken hole in the ice, "Hide your soul out of it's reach,"

A northern song. A song to boost the training of soldiers, usually sung by themselves to encourage one another at tough times of the country or before war. None would have an idea how it made one's bones stronger if not for Jungkook himself and his northern peers.

"Eight!"

"Hide your soul out of it's reach," Seokjin tagged along as he stood outside the ring, only for Taehyung to recognize the song, a hopefulness appeared in the soldiers, "Shiver to the broken beat,"

As the song reached the outside and to the audience, Jungkook opened his eyes once he heard the audience sing the new song, "SOLDIER KEEP ON MARCHING ON! HEAD DOWN TILL THE WORK IS DONE!"

Hands clasped once before singing the rest of the anthem, "WAITING FOR THE MORNING SUN! SOLDIER KEEP ON MARCHING ON!"

"FIVE" the angry government yelled out.

"SOLDIER KEEP ON MARCHING ON! HEAD DOWN TILL THE WORK IS DONE! WAITING FOR THE MORNING SUN! SOLDIER KEEP ON MARCHING ON!"

When the song stopped, Jungkook looked back at the stadium only to hear the hollering screams of the audience, the joyous ones. Illuminating light flashed out of the waters, a drenched red haired woman, a large golden bow and a gleaming arrow in her arms jumped out of the water at least ten feet above the grounds and before the reindeer too could reach up to grab her downwards, Dara let go off the arrow .

"Ten points," she whispered to herself with a grin as the arrow hit the glazing blue head of the reindeer. The blue glowing spirit sprinted out of the reindeer and gushed into Dara's compass, the compass feeling heavier as it did.

"Open the door before I slaughter you," Jungkook slapped the glass box one last time and seeing the game to it's end, the western soldier guarding the door finally opened it for Jungkook.

As the audience screamed at Dara's victory, Dara realized it was time for her to fall right back against the antlers of the fallen reindeer that was right beneath her exactly from teen feet above the ground.

And she started free falling. The audience dismissed their joyous chanting before shrieking with fear.

Jungkook swung his hand across and appeared a eight feet tall ice glider as he walked towards Dara. His eyes dimmed back to brown from the glinting blue of West as Dara slid down the ice. She rolled over and the ice touched her face, the blood on her nose frozen.

"DARA KOVESKI WINS THE BATTLE!"

Before Jungkook could go to Dara and embrace her, he was blocked by the citizens rushing inside the battle ring and gathering themselves around Dara.

Dara smiled at each one of them, with what looked like a smile of victory with a bleeding face but still smiling. She would never stop smiling at acceptance. And this was pure acceptance. Men, women, children of all age gathered around Dara. All Dara did, was nothing but impressive.

Dara bent her head in their direction. They followed suit and lowered their heads. Although Dara hated this realm, she had less animosity towards its inhabitants. She looked up and saw that everyone was still bowed. She only caught a distant smile from Jungkook when he addressed her. She returned the smile. And it seemed so bizarre.

She had done the undone once again. With the spirits in her hand, Dara felt nothing but unbeatable. Untouchable. But to Jungkook, she was grateful. And she would never take any of him for granted. All that trust.

Jungkook looked at Seokjin beside him, "Guard her back to the residence. Be at her service till the weeding."

"Wedding?" Seokjin looked at Jungkook with a shocking smile, the same friend from Northern soldier's quarter, "Jungkook? What wedding, pal?"

Jungkook stared at Dara with a grin on his lips, "She is the next Queen of Zisk."

Dara had won West just like Jungkook had dreamed of it the night before.

****

Sam and Hoseok were unable to attend as they needed dire medication ever since they walked out of their prison cell. And nothing upsetted Dara more than that. But time was short, and no one conflicted with Jungkook's orders. Dara's throat went dry everytime she thought of walking down the isle, she panicked at Adona's face, "Adona! What if he doesn't like the dress?"

"Are you nuts?" Adona scoffed, fixing the red hair that fell on Dara's shoulders, "He will love the dress. What can a man complain about a wedding dress anyway? It's white for Lord's sake, and look at how elegant it looks on you!"

Dara looked at herself on the mirror; it was a plain white gown that Wineri had dragged from the closet, the only piece that looked elegant among the ones they had gathered in short notice. Dara looked down at the edges of the gown, they were somewhat fine. But Dara couldn't ask for more, this was enough. She realized how picky she would have been if she was in North. The previous wedding gown was designed by North's most prestigious knitting shops. She smiled, "Bring me the veil."

Seokjin fixed Jungkook's bow tie, "Shouldn't you be wearing black? What's with the white and gold? Ah, King things? Gold looks bold on you. You remind me of Her Highness."

"Gold is her colour," Taehyung reminded and Seokjin nodded quickly. Skovier brought the white rose brouche. Taehyung grabbed it and pinned it to Jungkook's left pocket, "Woa, I thought I would never see you getting married to her since I was at East. Things fate has for us is surprising."

"He too thought he had to see you get married off to Dara, who knew you both were planning a spy scheme on East and tricking us," Seokjin said.

"My brother, that was so Jungkook doesn't stop Her Highness from sending me away," Taehyung pinched Jungkook's cheeks, "We all know he cannot bare me dead. Did you cry when she announced I was dead?"

Jungkook smiled at the two soldiers, "I lied a lot to you both. About my identity—,"

"Oh come on!" Seokjin interrupted, "Since you lied, do let me excuse myself with rum inside the royal chambers at North since it will be tiring to be your soldier in hand. I absolutely despise Dara for choosing me at your service."

"She takes friendship among us seriously. She knows I will be joking with Taehyung more than actually working if he was assigned as my soldier in hand," Jungkook patted Taehyung who rolled his eyes.

"Her Highness said I would be serving little Prince Theodore, that will be enough justice for me," Taehyung said.

Jungkook sighed, Jimin's absence feels unreal.

He smiled on his own, hope you are resting well, soldier.

"Ah, the soldier who is the blacksheep," Seokjin noticed Skovier decently standing at a distance, "You are one lucky bastard. Jungkook actually chose you to assist Dara to the isle?"

"It's a tradition," Jungkook grinned at Skovier before walking towards him. He slid out a little brouche and pinned it to Skovier's suit. A diamond curved into a red rose, "Soldier in hands are the most prized for a ruler. You served Dara well; from bringing her back from the Eastern gates when I was holding her lifeless body to travelling to South with her and protecting her. You must be seen around when the war ends."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Skovier bowed his head and kissed Jungkook's hand before giving him space to walk out of the dressing chamber, lining up with the rest of the soldiers.

White roses everywhere. Jungkook smiled at the arrangement. He could hear the crowd outside, the realm was celebrating. And he wondered how it took just a battle for Dara to win his realm. And she gave her all. Somehow, Jungkook believed Dara would spring out of the water. He had dreamed of it, and he didn't let that go for one second when the realm became hopeless.

Jungkook bowed at the guests, the family lining up at the front seats. The soldiers stood behind him as he waited at the podium. The bishops presented themselves and the orchestral tunes started playing from above. Jungkook's heart beat wildly today. The doors of the wedding hall opened and all he saw was the woman in the white dress, white roses in her hands and an arm wrapped around Skovier. Skovier lead the way for Dara. The room stood up.

And so, Jungkook studied every detail of her tonight; how it was curled at the edges, the glitter on her eyelids, the rose tint on her lips that would be washed off by the end of the night, the crescent glow on her bare shoulders, how the dress wrapped her slim body, her bossoms covered with white embroidered chiffon that looked like flower. The veil light, but he noticed the gleam of her eyes, the forest green eyes he adored.

But Dara deserved more.

So Jungkook turned on his heel and looked straight into the bride's direction.

The hall of people gasped to see blue crystal stones fly towards Dara but turn golden the moment they wrapped around her waist, the rose patterned chiffon on her breast turned into golden flakes, her sleeves shimmering in pure white satin. Dara smiled, knowingly, her lover would never not make a single day feel unspecial for her. Skovier grinned lightly, "I see why you are in love, Your Highness."

"When was I not," Dara whispered and smiled back at Skovier, "Thank you for your service, Skov. I hope to see you at my service if I make it out alive."

"You will," Skovier kissed Dara's hand before reaching the very end of the isle. He took her hand and simply handed it over the Jungkook's before sharing a head-low-ovation between the men. And as Dara took one single step up the stairs, Jungkook made sure Dara's look was finished by one single garment, her favorite; a Zekh.

A golden Zekh embroidered with white roses fell behind Dara, her shoulders feeling warm. She turned back to see the Zekh so long it felt like a cat's tail bend as she tried to look at the end of it. But the audience applauded, whistled and woo-ed at the couple until the two were smiling at each other. Dara smiled at her lover, "A surprise, aren't you?"

"I will receive the gratitude," Jungkook remembered exactly what he said at the docks seven months ago.

And so did Dara, "You put on a good show."

Jungkook tilted his dead, nodding, "I am popular for it."

Red cheeks and lashes lowered, Dara couldn't believe it; she was marrying Jeon Jungkook. Once again. She wondered the possibilities if she never met Jungkook at the docks, if Arver never let him in the kingdom and choose him for her.