Dyon footsteps inadvertently slowed the closer his got to the main palace bedroom. He felt as though something was weighing on him, and that burden was only increasing with his every step.
The Royal bedroom was the only room on the peak floor, and as such, only had two entrances, one for either side of the palace. Somehow, Dyon was fully aware that if he wanted to see his Queen Luna sooner, he would have to use the back entrance.
Memories flooded into his mind, which caused him to understand that Queen Luna loved to look out onto the mountain view toward the back of their room. In fact, of the things she did, there was a 90% chance she was either doing this, reading, or doing a combination of both.
Dyon walked up high and winding steps, eventually reaching the end to find a single door that only two individuals had the right to open.
He steadied his breathing before reaching for the handle, slowly turning it to enter a long and dark corridor.
Bright streams of silver light flooded the hallway from one side, likely meaning that it was toward the mountain. But, Dyon was shocked. That light was definitely the moon, but he was certain he left the Imperial Harem before 5pm. How was the moon out already? Unless…
'This… It seems I've underestimated this trial…'
There was only one explanation. The thought of meeting Queen Luna had slowed somehow caused him to slow his progress toward her to the point where a trip that should have taken a saint minutes, because one that took hours.
Dyon had miscalculated. He thought that if he was aware of the effect this trial had on him, that he would be able to ignore the feelings that came with everything, but he suddenly felt like he couldn't.
The mix of his feelings for Queen Luna, coupled with the fact this was technically his first time meeting her, made him feel like a teenager about to go on his first date with the love of his life. Dyon couldn't understand, so he just stood frozen in the hallway, unable to move forward although he knew the woman who had grabbed a hold of his heart was just around the corner.
This definitely wasn't Dyon's personality. Since when had he been nervous to meet a woman? Since when had a woman forced him to be at a loss for words?
But this… It was different. When he fell for Madeleine, Clara and Ri, it had all been gradual. He had had them by his side for the most part, so by the time he decided that he truly loved them, they had already truly felt like his family.
However… This Queen Luna was like a woman he fell in love with from afar, one he had never interacted with before… His heart wouldn't stop pounding.
The worst part about all of this was that he had triggered his feelings for Queen Luna and Amphorae at the same time. All of the guilt and remorse his character had had years to temper and get over, attacked Dyon's psyche like a flood, relentlessly assaulting his conscience.
'This is too real…' Dyon grit his teeth. Who knew that this trial would be difficult not only because of the looming threat of death, but also the emotional trauma his predecessor had left behind for him.
"Husband?" Suddenly, a voice as sweet as fairy dew flowed into Dyon's ears. It held such an air of innocence and purity that Dyon's heart lodged directly into his throat.
The tinge of worry in the sound made Dyon inadvertently feel a warmth spread across his chest, as though her concern was worth the weight of nations to him.
All of a sudden, Dyon questioned if he had ever felt true love before. Didn't he love his wives? He was sure he did. He would rather die than see them hurt. But this feeling was on an entirely different level. What the hell was going on?
It was infatuation. Blind infatuation. Unconditional and unrestrained.
Suddenly, Dyon thanked himself for having the foresight to go to the Imperial Harem first, or else it would have been nearly impossible for him in a short time. He felt like if Queen Luna asked him to kill them all, he'd do so without hesitation, save for Amphorae.
'If I don't face her, I won't be able to temper this. Since you want to test my mental fortitude, test it then!'
Although Dyon didn't want to admit it, this test attacked his one mental weakness. He had always had a soft spot for women. Whether that be because of his mother and how close he was to her, or because he was just the pervert Clara and Ri called him, he didn't know. But at the moment, he would rather face the worst kind of torture for centuries than deal with these emotions. He couldn't stand the thought of letting his women down, yet those very thoughts were weighing down on him now. It felt no different then if he had truly done it himself!
"You don't have to be so hesitant. I know you went to the Imperial Harem.
"You're so stubborn. I've been telling you for decades to treat those women better. I'm happy that you finally decided to listen to me. They would never listen to me, it had to be you."
These words made Dyon's heart freeze. Was that why he was so nervous? Was it because he hadn't known how to tell her? Is this how the previous King felt every time he thought of going to the Imperial Harem? Such a weight…
Dyon stopped hesitating, finally taking a step forward toward the silver light. The sight that greeted him when he finally turned the corner, was one that took his breath away completely.
Dyon could only see her back, but butterflies fluttered in his stomach, churning through his insides and forcing the shortness of his breath.
He couldn't see her face, but just her back sent waves through Dyon's heart.
