A/N: Trigger Warning for mentions of suicide

"I met her around spring, six years ago. We were both extremely young at the time" he laughs as if lost in those memories.

"She had the most captivating eyes and her smile was innocent, so pure. It was love at first sight." He scratches his neck bashfully.

"She was an aspiring writer from another village, I forget the name, but she loved poetry and proses".

"After meeting a few times, I proposed to her. We were beyond happy" he smiles as he looks upon the portrait and like a flame flickering out, his smile drops instantly. It's replaced with a solemn look.

"She was truly a mystery to me; some days would be filled with laughter while others were shrouded in anger and pain".

Pain? Ji Eun thinks to herself.

"She wasn't well" he sighs "she... was always jealous".

Mina? Jealous?? That didn't sound like her.

"Sometimes we would visit other kingdoms together and she would be regarded as nothing considering she wasn't of a royal family. I tried to reassure her time after time but she could never let it go".

"It came to the point where she would doubt me of my love for her. She would constantly accuse me of plotting to marry into other royal families. She was convinced I would abandon her" he says with tears forming in his eyes.

"It was heartbreaking seeing her delusions drive her to madness".

He wipes his fallen tears, looking up to meet Ji Eun's own eyes.

"One day, she seemed fine. It looked as if the light had finally come back to her. She and I had spent a wonderful day together. I thought things would be okay after that" his voice shakes as he continues.

"She and I had been overlooking the sunset upon the balcony. She had never looked more radiant" he eyes the portrait wearily. "But then, she began asking me all these questions about whether I loved her or not. She started accusing me all over again but there was something almost haunting in her tone, like a sense of finality".

"It all happened so sudden... I tried to grab her but she wouldn't let me. She- "he chokes back a sob.

"She what?" Ji Eun asks, a sense of dread creeping over her.

"She jumped from the Balcony".

Ji Eun's heart drops to the pit of her stomach, her throat burns as she holds back her tears.

Mina had killed herself?

It couldn't be... not the Mina she knew, no.

Jungkook cries as he drops to the floor in front of the portrait.

Ji Eun sits near him, her tears falling and dropping onto the cold cobblestone floor.

She brings her hand towards Jungkook's back and rubs it soothingly as he leans into her touch. So this was what had happened to her Mina.

She thinks back to her aunt who had waited years to hear from her beloved daughter.

Jungkook sniffs as he pulls away, wiping at his tears.

"I'm sorry, I know I should have cleared the rumors upon meeting you but it was too much for me to recall. I hope in the future, we can remain happy together". His smile is sweet and she nods hugging him tightly.

Later that evening she sits upon the balcony of their bedroom and looks up at the moon lighting the night sky. She thinks about Mina and their childhood together. A tear cascaded down her cheek. She stands and walks towards the ledge as she takes a deep breath, heart at ease now that the truth had been uncovered. She thinks back to what Jungkook had told her after they had left the east wing.

"There were never any other wives" he chuckles.

"But the rumors-"

"Are just that, after Mina, I could never really feel anything for anyone else. That is until I saw you" he smiles at her so sincerely that her cheeks burn from how shy she gets.

"But then why do the townspeople believe in those rumors?"

"It is a quiet old town after all, if someone whispers then it passes through each ear like thread slipping through a needle. Hooking it all together. They've never really bothered me, I am after all the only one who knows the truth".

So, it was all a lie, he was simply a King lost in mourning.

She shakes her head sighing before she can turn around a sudden movement below the balcony catches her eye.

Upon closer inspection she sees Jimin standing by the willow trees staring up at her. A solemn expression upon his face. She waves at him but he remains motionless, his eyes are unnerving and she shivers as she turns away heading back into her bedroom.

Jungkook sits upon the bed wearing a silk pair of trousers and a white cotton shirt.

He's lost in the book he's reading when Ji Eun climbs into bed and wraps her arms around his waist. He smiles, running a hand through her hair as she feels herself drifting off to sleep.

She hears him mumble something softly before sleep completely takes her over.

"goodnight my moon".