Twisted Games(Ryeji ver)

EPILOGUE

RYUJIN

Six months later

"Do you solemnly promise and swear to govern the People of Eldorra according to their respective laws and customs?"

"I solemnly promise so to do." Yeji sat in the coronation chair, her face pale but her hand steady on the King's Book as she took her official oath. Her grandfather stood beside her, his face solemn but proud, and the rest of the cathedral was so quiet I could feel the weight of the occasion pressing into my skin.

After months of planning, the big day was finally here. In a few minutes, Yeji would be crowned Queen of Eldorra, and I, as her fiancé, would officially be the Princess Consort in waiting.

It wasn't something I'd ever dreamed of or thought I wanted, but I would follow Yeji anywhere, from the smallest, shittiest town to the grandest church. As long as I was with her, I was happy.

I stood with Sakura, Chaeyeon, Hyunjin, and the other Hwangs in the front row, closest to the coronation. The ceremony took place in the sprawling Athenberg Cathedral, which was packed with thousands of high-profile guests.

Heads of state, foreign royals, celebrities, billionaires, they were all there. I clasped my hands in front of me, wishing the archbishop would speed things up. I hadn't talked to Yeji all day, and I was itching to get to the coronation ball so we could have some alone time.

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?" the archbishop asked.

"I will." Pride seeped through me at Yeji's strong, clear voice. She completed her oath, and a collective hush fell over the cathedral when the archbishop lifted the crown from Sunoo's head and placed it on hers.

"Her Majesty Queen Yeji of Eldorra," the archbishop declared. "Long may she reign!"

"Long may she reign!" I repeated the words along with the rest of the guests, my chest tight. Beside me, Sakura dipped her head, her face shining with emotion; next to Yeji, Sunoo stood ramrod straight, his eyes suspiciously bright.

The archbishop finished the ceremony with a few verses from the King's Book, and it was done. Eldorra officially had a new ruler and its first female monarch in over a century. A low, electric hum replaced the hush. It skittered through the soaring hall and over my skin as Yeji rose for the exit procession; judging by the way the other guests shifted and murmured, I wasn't the only one who felt it.

It was the feeling of watching history being made. I caught Yeji's eye during her procession, and I flashed her a quick grin and a wink. Her mouth curved into a smile before she tamped it down, and I fought back a laugh at her overly serious expression as she left the church.

"That was the longest ceremony ever." Hyunjin yawned. "I'm glad I wasn't the one who had to sit up there."

"Good thing you'll never sit up there, then." My relationship with Hyunjin had developed into something resembling genuine friendship over the months, but his personality still left a lot to be desired. He shrugged. "C'est la vie. Let Yeji shoulder the burden of a nation while I live like a prince with none of the responsibilities."

Sakura and I exchanged glances and shook our heads. While Hyunjin and I never missed an opportunity to sneak a dig at the other, I had a much easier relationship with Sakura. Another sibling, albeit by marriage rather than blood, and I didn't want to murder her half the time. After the formal exit procession, the guests filed out of the cathedral, and soon, I found myself in the palace ballroom, impatiently waiting for Yeji to arrive.

Only five hundred people received invites to the coronation ball compared to the thousands at the ceremony, but that was still too many people. All of them wanted to shake my hand and say hi, and I indulged them half- heartedly while eyeing the door. At least my lessons with Hyunjin came in handy—I remembered everyone's titles and greeted them accordingly.