The news of their engagement stoked social unrest that spread like a rapid wildfire from the Upper Realm down to the Lower Realm. Worried and overwhelmed by the chaos, Munto had no idea how to stem the increasingly agitated kingdoms. For the last month, he'd been bombarded with backlash from the Realms' leaders. In the beginning, he could care less about their unhappiness, Munto was on cloud nine since Yumemi had said yes and he was determined to not let anything change that. Or so he had been.
In the last week, Munto had felt his resolve crumbling. Yumemi was being harassed so often he had moved her and her family to the Magical Kingdom. He'd had her family's quarters placed in the palace only a short walk from his own. This had seemed to calm down the human media as they could no longer access the Hidaka family and so it kept her safe, to a degree. However, human ambassadors were coming every day in waves demanding his explanation and that he dissolves his engagement with the young woman. He was getting more and more short-tempered by the day and had taken his emotions out on his tense staff.
Today had been no different, except Yumemi herself had been present during a meeting with an irate ambassador. She'd sat there calmly and quietly, the image of regal authority and poise, as the enraged man had insulted her. She just smiled and nodded, seemingly not to care and his peoples' respect for her grew. But he knew, under her calm exterior, that she was on the verge of tears. Her back was straight and stiff as the man had hammered her with his words, and while her face had looked relaxed her eyes betrayed her pain. Munto had almost started a war in that room, he was so tempted to murder the ancient fool but Yumemi's hand on his own stilled him. He would not allow her to lose face because he couldn't control his temper.
She'd been sullen since. Munto had tried everything to lift her spirits but none of it seemed to work. This time was no different. She sat quietly by herself in a far corner in the palace library looking out the window deep in thought.
"Yumemi," he called to her from across the wide space. She blinked and looked at him before giving a tired, empty smile.
"Munto." He approached slowly, not quite sure how she might respond to his presence. It felt that recently she'd been trying to avoid him. Once at her side, he smiled down at her. She looked pale and had bags under her eyes, it was obvious she was troubled by the negative responses to their engagement.
"Are you alright? Do you need anything?" She shook her head opting to continue staring ahead. Munto sighed unsure of how to proceed and so he took the chair opposite the girl, watching her silently with a small frown. He watched her face, her brows furrowed as she appeared to have an internal battle with herself. They sat there for what felt like hours.
"Munto." His head shot up, his back going ramrod straight and a smile on his face at the sound of her voice. "I don't think we should get married after all." His smile fell away instantly and a cold chill entered his body.
Yumemi's eyes were distant, almost like she was saying such words as though in a daze. Munto refused to believe she would truly want things to end between them.
"Please tell me you are kidding." He whispered at her from his seat.
She shook her head, still dazed and finally looked at him. Her eyes were distant, her mouth a tight line and her chin dipped.
"Too many are against us marrying and a lot of them have reason to. Munto, you should be marrying a princess or the daughter of a delegate. Someone important, not… me." Her shoulders sagged at the last word and Munto felt his heart shatter. "I'm not the right person for this. I'm sorry."
Slowly she rose from her chair and began to make her way from the room when she paused. Turning back to him she removed the simple gold ring from her finger and placed it on the table before him. Munto sat in shock, watching her as though in slow motion. He watched the ring be gently laid on the tabletop by the petite blonde. He watched her turn and begin walking from the room and he couldn't take it anymore. He shot up from his seat and yelled her name. She stopped shocked by his sudden outburst and saw him standing before his overturned chair, tears in the corners of his eyes.
"If anyone is to decide what is best for me, it shall be done by me. You are the one I want, you are the one I wish to spend my life with, You are the one I wish to have by my side, ruling over this country that loves you so. Why do you insist on pushing me away just because of a few flapping mouths?! I care not for their petty insistence on whom I shall have as my bride and neither should you, Yumemi." He approached her still frame and wrapped his long fingers around her shaking hands. He watched as tears formed in her eyes and she fought them from falling on her rosy cheeks. "You are everything my people and I need, there is no reason in this world why we should listen to hate and hurt ourselves for the sake of those who do not matter."
Yumemi heard his words and felt them resonate in her heart, but his love for her was not something new and it did little to still the depression brewing in her mind. She felt so unworthy and knew if she continued on their current path it could very well lead to war. Her mind was swirling with the negative thoughts that constantly plagued her day and night and slowly she pulled her hands away. "I love you and I don't want them to win, but if this is what my life is going to be like from this point on I'm not sure I'm the right person for this." She shook her head in exasperation as Munto tried to speak in opposition. "I know you think I can do this, but I'm barely hanging on to my sanity. Every day it's someone saying something horrible about me either to my back or to my face and I can't do it anymore. I'm a whore, a siren, a seductress, inept, even filthy and it may never stop."
He grimaced at her words. He hadn't realized how much of the hurtful rumors she had heard and it seemed she'd heard all of it. "It will stop as soon as you are crowned queen. I will ensure it."
She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Munto, what if we get married and they declare war? What if they are so offended they decide to fight us, killing thousands if not millions just because we got married and they didn't like that?" She felt like she was speaking to a child. The world was not so black and white as he made it out to be.
Munto leaned his head back and groaned. "To be honest, Yumemi. I really don't think it matters whom I end up marrying if that's how a few small-brained individuals would react to such a thing. They would do it no matter if my wife was you or another." He looked back at her with a small smile. "Once we wed and you are crowned, there is nothing they can do but complain. And even then, what they can say is limited unless they wish to offend us and incite a war. And I assure you, Yumemi, they do not want that."
She knew what he said was true but the nagging feeling in her heart refused to lessen. "I'm sorry, Munto. But I think we need a break. I need a break. From this, from you, everything." She paused with a hand over her heart. "I'm sorry," and with those parting words, she left the library with sagging shoulders and a broken heart.
Munto stood there quietly, taking in the silence that now surrounded him. His rushing blood drowned out the silence and it's roaring was soon all he could hear. His heart sat in his chest in tatters, his soul so deeply wounded he wasn't sure he may recover, but more than anything there was this deafening silence in his mind, a blanket of still quiet he couldn't escape. Numbly, he walked from the library and to his throne room where he sat upon the once opulent chair. It was so strange, how he felt nothing yet he felt this horrible turmoil that felt as though he were rotting from inside out. He never knew such a sensation before. It was overwhelming.
He did not know how long he sat there, but suddenly he was being shaken from his thoughts by a rough hand and saw the sky was now dark. His friend and advisor Rui stood before him, a worried expression, where he was normally so cheery, shone on his face.
"Munto, what happened? Are you okay?"
Munto shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Rui. The day has been long."
His friend smiled in understanding and nodded. "I know, I heard about Lady Yumemi leaving and ending the engagement." He paused, scratching his cheek. "What will you do?"
Munto sighed deeply and looked at his feet with a heartbroken expression. "I truly do not know," he whispered.
Rui waited for his friend to continue, but found the young man had once again begun to wallow. Sighing, the blue-haired man reached around and firmly grasped his king's shoulder. "There has to be something."
Munto shook his head, "she said she needs a break. What am I supposed to do about it? I have to give her her space."
Rui was getting irritated now. "No! That's how you end up losing her. You need to fight for her, Munto. Show her you love her no matter what."
"I did that!" Munto shouted. "I did everything I could, and it was not enough! She still left! What more do you want from me?!" He panted as his anger slowly ebbed away. His friends look of anguish sobering him. "Apologies. I should not have raised my voice, least of anyone, at you."
Rui nodded in understanding, the pain still pulsed in his heart. "As your friend and advisor, I feel I must speak now, in the boldest and plainest of words for you, if you will allow it?"
Munto nodded.
"I feel you should pursue the Lady, regardless of her words. I have heard that many women will push their partners away as a test to determine how much they truly love them. I do not believe this is a test, at least not a conscious one, and you should not fall for the trick. So, My Lord, pursue her. Give a grand show of your affections for her and do not let her slip away again." Rui took a deep breath, his monologue ringing out in the empty hall as Munto stared silently in thought.
Munto took a breath, preparing himself. "You are right, as always it would seem."
The two smiled at one another as Munto rose from his chair. Walking to the door, Rui and Munto began to hatch a plan.
A/N: Ouch! But every couple has to have their ups and downs if they're to grow together. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter too and I look forward to hearing from you. Don't forget to follow, favorite, review, and follow me on Twitter! 3
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