They had entered a private wing of the palace, far-removed from the security team's interview rooms. Tae-eul gazed around, taking in the vaulted ceilings and grand artworks. Everything was just as she remembered it. Hyeon-min's mouth was hanging open slightly as they walked.

"Are we really going to meet the King?" he sounded dazed, as though the idea was only just sinking in.

They passed a couple of servants, who shot them curious looks. She could hear Jo Yeong firing orders into his earpiece. "Clear the East Wing. Authorized personnel only. Tell Myeong Seung-ah to come to the study."

They turned a corner and came face to face with a group of guards. The man in control of the team seemed on edge as he spoke, as though reluctant to challenge Jo Yeong's authority. "Palace protocol, sir - all guests must pass through security."

"An exception will be made," Jo Yeong replied.

The man opened his mouth to argue, but Jo Yeong swiftly stopped him. "That's by order of the King."

Tae-eul felt a little dazed herself as they continued on. It was an impressive sight to see six grown men stand down at the mention of one person.

A flood of memories came back to her when they reached Lee Gon's study. She remembered the meal Gon had prepared for her, and the suspicious looks she'd received from Court Lady Noh.

She could hardly believe this was a different version of the timeline. The furniture was arranged in exactly the same layout, and even the items on Gon's desk looked familiar.

Jo Yeong was distracted by a sudden stream of updates from his earpiece. Tae-eul seized the opportunity to look around.

"What are you doing?" Hyeon-min hissed. "It's the King's private office - you can't just explore!"

Tae-eul looked up from the cover of a book she'd been studying - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She wondered if she'd find the plot more relatable now.

"Bring that over here," she beckoned to Hyeon-min.

Hyeon-min glanced over his shoulder, as though expecting Jo Yeong to draw a gun on them at any moment, and then reluctantly joined her by the desk. Tae-eul took the bear from his arms and placed it on Gon's chair. "There," she whispered, patting it on the head, "you've finally made it. Good job."

Hyeon-min gave her another "you're crazy" look, but didn't comment.

There was a buzz of activity in the hall. Tae-eul looked up and saw Court Lady Noh appear through the doorway, followed closely by Myeong Seung-ah.

Jo Yeong sighed. "I was hoping to brief Myeong Seung-ah first," he sounded resigned.

Court Lady Noh didn't waste any time.

"Where is the King, Jo Yeong? I just received a call from the Secretary of Defense - the Secretary of Defense himself! - asking if there was a national emergency or a death in the family, because His Majesty left the ball with no explanation, and everyone is in a frenzy trying to work out where he went and what it could mean. Are we under attack, Jo Yeong? Is there a foreign threat I'm not aware of?"

Jo Yeong cleared his throat. "Well," he began, but his explanation clearly wasn't fast enough for Lady Noh. She had just spotted Tae-eul behind the King's desk.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Who are you?"

Tae-eul could sense Hyeon-min backing away, as though trying to distance himself from the coming drama.

Myeong Seung-ah, who had frantically been checking messages on her phone, walked forward to give an update. "Ma'am, I've just received word that His Majesty has reached the palace. He'll be here shortly."

Tae-eul felt her heart stutter.

Court Lady Noh nodded, but continued assessing Tae-eul with suspicion. "Do you know who this woman is?" Lady Noh asked Myeong Seung-ah.

The young woman glanced at Tae-eul, but showed no signs of recognition. It was bizarre to get a second chance at first introductions. Tae-eul wasn't sure what to say. Would Lady Noh deem her a 'foreign threat' if she started to explain?

Tae-eul walked out from behind the desk and stood awkwardly by the couch, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. "Deep breaths," she thought. "This can't last forever."

There were more sounds from the hall, as though guards were following someone in a hurry. Court Lady Noh and Myeong Seung-ah, who were standing near the entrance, turned expectantly. When they saw who was approaching, Lady Noh bowed and Myeong Seung-ah dropped into a curtsy. Jo Yeong stood up straighter.

Just like in a dream, the person Tae-eul had been waiting for walked through the door.

The room fell away when she saw him.

He was wearing the most magnificent uniform imaginable. Dressed in navy and gold, with embroidered epaulettes and buttons that gleamed when they hit the light, Lee Gon looked like he'd stepped out of a fairy tale. He was so striking, Tae-eul almost felt compelled to look away. It was dangerous to stare into the sun. She had to remind herself to breathe.

Lee Gon's expression was intense. He caught sight of Jo Yeong first. "Where is she?" he asked, his tone urgent. Jo Yeong tilted his head towards Tae-eul. Gon cast around the room, and when his gaze finally fell on her, she felt time stop.

"Is it you?" There was a note of hesitation in his voice, as though he were afraid the truth would betray him. "Jeong Tae-eul? Is it really you?"

Tae-eul was frozen in place. She wanted to close the short distance between them, but couldn't get her legs to move. Instead she drank in the sight of him. She tried to memorise every detail and learn all the ways he'd changed. Had his search been hard? Had he given up hope? Did he still think they had a chance at happiness?

There were so many things she wanted to know. It seemed impossible that this moment had finally come.

"Happy Birthday Gon." Her voice sounded strange to her own ears. "Have you been well?"

She didn't register the astonished reactions of the others watching.

Every eye was fixed on her, but there were only two that mattered.

Silence blanketed the room. Lee Gon was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

Tae-eul had always tried to be brave, but something about the stillness of that moment made her soul ache.

It was the In-Between; the chaos of the universe in a single heartbeat. It was hope and terror and joy - a life spent together and a life spent apart. Every path branched out before them, and Tae-eul felt as though her heart would be crushed by the weight of that infinite second.

But she couldn't look away. She couldn't bear for it to become a moment she'd regret.

So she held his gaze.

Maybe time had really frozen. Maybe an eternity passed. But like a true fairy-tale King, Lee Gon knew how to break the spell.

He took one step towards her, and then another, and time suddenly came unstuck. It was enough to save Tae-eul.

Gon closed the last few meters at a run and gathered her into his arms. "Tae-eul," he repeated, circling his hands around her back and drawing her close. "My Tae-eul. I can't believe it."

"I missed you," she cried into his chest, trying to hug him as tightly as possible and close every inch between them. "I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry for making you wait," he murmured. "I never stopped searching."

There was a cough from the corner of the room, but Tae-eul didn't look up. She was finally home; the rest of the world could wait.

Gon didn't seem bothered by their audience. He checked his watch. "Eighteen minutes, 20 seconds. I came as soon as I heard. But how did you get here?" he asked with wonder.

"It's a long story," Tae-eul told him. "You're not an easy person to find."

Gon smiled. "Then I'm glad I fell for such an incredible detective."

Tae-eul's heart was racing again, but not from fear.

He was gazing down at her with an expression that left no doubt about his feelings.

"I love you, you know." Gon's eyes shimmered as he spoke, and Tae-eul knew she would remember that moment for the rest of her life.

"I love you too." She'd been waiting months to say it.

Gon cupped a hand to her cheek and leaned down. She knew what came next. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. She closed her eyes and felt the slightest brush of his lips against hers when a shocked voice rang out, "Pyeha!"

Gon pulled back slightly and turned his head.

"Yes, Lady Noh?"

"What do you think you're doing? There are people here!"

Gon smiled, "Good point. Please clear the room. You're all dismissed."

"What about the ball?" Lady Noh sounded distressed. "You left before your annual address! The press will have a field day!"

"Ah," Gon sighed again, "Do you think we should tell them about this?"

"We should at least release a statement, Pyeha," Myeong Seung-ah suggested tentatively. "Reporters are gathering at the palace gates, and social media is blowing up."

"I have the Prime Minister on line two," Jo Yeong added to the list.

Gon turned his attention back to Tae-eul. "I won't leave you again," he vowed. "I won't waste a single second." His hand was still pressed against her cheek. She could feel its warmth spreading through her.

"Is today all we have?" His tone was casual, but she knew what he was really asking.

Before the closing of the portal she hadn't given much thought to fate or destiny, choosing to face each day as it came. But everything had changed once she discovered the flute. She couldn't ignore the countless doors that lay out there, or the millions of small anomalies that had allowed her to find Gon again. It couldn't just be a coincidence.

She'd be an idiot to believe they only had a day.

"I'd like a tomorrow too."

Gon broke into a dazzling smile. "Then let me ask you properly this time."

Before she knew what was happening he had slipped a ring from his finger, taken her by the hand, and dropped down to one knee.

The room went very quiet again.

In years to come, Tae-eul would look back on that moment and thank herself for not bolting.

"Jeong Tae-eul, will you do me the greatest honour?" He held the ring before her finger, his gaze burning intensely. "Will you marry me?"

Lee Gon was not a man that bowed down to others, yet there he was kneeling before her in a room full of witnesses. If she had taken a moment to look around, she would have seen more than a few jaws hanging open.

"I'm beginning to think you enjoy skipping ahead," she said in a low voice so only Gon could hear. He grinned and tilted his head, waiting for her answer.

Looking down at him, Tae-eul was struck with a beautiful premonition that this would last forever. She saw every possibility reflected in his eyes, and knew there was only one answer she could live with.

"I will."

True to his word, Lee Gon didn't waste a second. He slipped the ring onto her finger and sprang up, pulling her into a deep kiss.

The objections of Court Lady Noh fell on deaf ears for a while. Tae-eul didn't think she'd be able to face Jo Yeong or Hyeon-min for a long time without blushing, but it was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

By the time the kiss ended, Tae-eul had forgotten which timeline she was in.

Gon laughed when he saw her expression. "Maybe I skipped too far?" She shook her head.

The others were still watching with looks that ranged from happy to stunned. Jo Yeong was smiling broadly, while Hyeon-min looked ready to pass out. "I need to sit down," he said quietly.

Court Lady Noh had a curious sparkle in her eyes, as though she understood the significance of the match without knowing what had brought them together.

Myeong Seung-ah was the only one brave enough to interrupt. "Pyeha, um, congratulations." She glanced from Lee Gon to Tae-eul and back again with huge eyes, as though she'd just witnessed something impossible. "I'm so happy for you both," she paused and straightened up, trying to compose herself, "but we really do need to make a statement. What can I tell the press?"

A hint of mischief flashed in Gon's eyes and he pulled Tae-eul closer to his side. He looked incredibly proud as he spoke the next words:

"Tell them their Queen has arrived."