"Are you ready, my daughter?"

Minseon glances up at her father, gritting her teeth through a smile before staring at the golden doors of the ballroom, the only thing separating her from yet another royal ball. Her stomach churns anxiously and the tiara upon her head feels like boulders weighing her down. She in a deep breath and sighs, wishing just for this to be over soon.

"Yes, father," she replies- a lie told through her teeth.

Hooking her arm in her father's, she straightens out her shoulders and tries not to sigh as the servants fiddle with her hair and ensure her tiara is in place. They fix the wrinkles in her midnight blue dress and apply red dye to her lips and perfume to her neck, almost until the cloud of scent makes her sick, before looking to the caller standing ready by the doors.

With a final nod from her father, the caller pushes open the golden doors. The Moonlight Festival, held this year in the Kingdom of the Southern Shores, quietens at their entrance. The music becomes just a whisper, the chatter stops entirely, and all eyes turn towards the entrance. Minseon reminds herself to breathe under all the stares dressed in glittery eye pigments and lined in kohl.

The blare of the trumpets almost makes her visibly startle. "Announcing the entrance of His Highness, King of Terran of the Central Woodlands, and Her Highness Princess Minseon."

There's a round of applause as Minseon descends the golden stairs, carpeted in red, with her father. The ballroom is decorated in deep reds in honor of the Blood Moon, only visible once every century. However, all of the crystal vases, silver plates, and glasses embedded with sapphire that glisten with the lights from the opulent chandeliers hanging from the ceiling are all for show. Each year, a Moon Phase is celebrated in a new kingdom, each palace trying to show off its riches and power.

Minseon almost despises it all because though this occasion is special for all the kingdoms, royal balls are worthless. Parties are for the social elites to size each other up, compare their wealth, and ensure their social standing.

The air, saturated with perfumes of all scents and magic, is making the churning in Minseon's stomach worse. She presses the palm of her hand to her stomach in hopes to ease how sick she's starting to feel. Terran is the only non-magical kingdom, and Minseon, being human herself, is weak to an overexposure of magic. As the party resumes around them, faeries and pixies flit through the air, dancing over her head and sprinkling dust into her hair. The orchestra plays once more and everyone begins to dance and chatter again, and Minseon's father doesn't give her a moment to breathe before whisking her away into the crowd.

"Ah, Your Highness," Sungjae, Prince of the Werewolves from the Northern Mountains, stops them immediately to formally introduce himself. Minseon recognizes him from the many files her father had given her in hopes she'd seek out a suitable partner on her own.

Frankly, Minseon would rather be cursed by a witch to eternal sleep than marry a prince.

Sungjae's pointed canines glisten as he smiles, eyes flashing red briefly as he catches Minseon's gaze. "May I be the first to offer you a dance?"

Minseon hardly opens to protest when her father speaks in her place. "She'd love to," he says, jovial as he slides Minseon's arm off his and leaves her with a gentle smile as he's whisked away deeper into the crowd of royal magical beings to discuss politics and trade among other kings and lords.

Sighing, Minseon looks past Sungjae in hopes of anyone who could save her. She'd leave in a heartbeat if she knew her father wasn't watching with expectations as high as the moon.

"Shall we, then?" Sungjae says, voice sickeningly sweet as he takes Minseon by the hand and leads her to the center of the ballroom.

Minseon presses her lips together, willing herself to hold down the shiver at the base of her spine as Sungjae rests a hand on her waist. He takes her right hand, leading her in the dance so powerful that he makes her stumble on her dress.

"You look beautiful tonight, Princess," he says, fingers drumming on Minseon's waist. His tongue grazes over his canines as he meets gazes with Minseon. "I feel as though I should let you know that I just recently defeated an alpha prince to my western border back home. It's truly an astounding tale."

And so he drones on. Minseon had stopped listening the second Sungjae had opened his mouth. She looks over his shoulder to see if her father was still watching- and unfortunately he is- and swallows thickly. There's nothing she can do to escape.

Sungjae brushes her bangs from her eyes as he continues to talk about himself, and it’s truly a challenge to suppress a shiver then. She doesn't know exactly how much time passes, but she's more surprised Sungjae's body can hold up his head with how large his ego is. Honestly, it would be a shame if she were cursed to eternal sleep or had taken her own heart to spare herself in this moment- her beautiful gown, glittering like golden stars lighting up a galaxy, would be ruined if she did. Even her tiara, golden leaves wound around pink flowers, was beautiful and simple- enough to make her happy when she abhors royal parties.

So she grinds down on her teeth and lets out a tight-lipped smile as the prince laughs at his own, poor joke, grating on her ears.

Sungjae lets out another heavy laugh at some other offensive joke he's told, a snarl caught in his throat. "There was a time I protected my people from an onslaught of wild dragon attackers. Please, Princess Minseon, let me indulge you in such a wonderful tale of my actions."

Minseon may only be human, Princess of the Capital City of Terra of the Central Woodlands with no magical abilities to her name, but she is only mere seconds from putting a knife straight through this prince’s heart.

"You'll have to excuse the Princess," a voice comes beside her ear- Junhee, she realizes. The small faerie flits between their faces and smiles sickeningly sweet. She straightens out the crown of red roses upon her head and pats down the red velvet cape draped on her tiny shoulders, her translucent wings fluttering almost imperceptibly save for the sound of tinkling bells. "Princess Minseon's father has requested to see her briefly."

Sungjae looks offended, but Junhee stays firm before him, unintimidated by the fact that Sungjae could probably swallow her whole if he wanted, until he finally takes a step back.

"We will meet again soon then, Princess," he says, bowing deeply with the sickest grin Minseon's ever seen. Her stomach jolts uncomfortably at the tone of his voice, dripping with hunger, as he blends back into the crowd.

For the first time that night, she finally breathes easy.

"Thank you, Junhee," Minseon says, holding out her palm for her friend to land on. She makes her way to the edge of the room, praying no one stops her. "I owe you for this."

Junhee giggles, faerie dust glittering as it lands on Minseon's palm. "You still owe me for last time too."

Minseon smiles, straightening out Junhee's crown of roses and dusting off her red cape with the pad of her thumb from the stray pixie dust. "I'm sorry you have to come to my rescue so often."

Junhee shakes her head, plopping down cross legged in Minseon's palm and pressing out the creases of her pink dress over her thighs. "I would do anything for you, Princess," she teases, her smile so big that her wings start fluttering even faster, faerie dust building up in Minseon's palm. "Though I would not mind if you let me pluck a few flowers from your gardens. There are only so many flowers blooming in the Eastern Woods and I'd love to have a new crown."

"To impress a certain fae prince, perhaps?" Minseon hums, smirking.

Junhee blushes furiously, flitting up to her feet and jumping indignantly in Minseon's palm. It only feels like air brushing against her bare skin. "I don't have anyone to impress! Certainly not any fae prince! Especially not-"

"Junhee?"

Minseon glances up to see Taekwoon, Fae Prince of the Eastern River, hovering over the tips of her fingers. Junhee's wings flutter at odd rhythms, her face hot and ears flushed to the tip. She bunches her hands at the front of her dress and glances down shyly at the little bells at the end of her shoes.

Taekwoon looks at Minseon softly, eyes intense and silently asking to land on her palm. Minseon nods, and Taekwoon stands before Junhee, much taller than her. He coughs nervously, straightening out his black suit before holding out a hand to Junhee. "Would you like to dance with me?" he says, voice as soft as the sound of his wings beating.

Junhee nods, taking Taekwoon's hand and lifting off from Minseon's hand. She looks back at her friend for help, but Minseon just smiles as she flies off. She's sure Taekwoon genuinely likes Junhee- at least if his shy smile and the reddened tips of his ears are anything to go by as Junhee pushes her hair from her shoulders and laughs.

Minseon watches them dance from the edge of the room, smiling from how happy her friend is, but her hopes to remain alone and invisible for the rest of the night are dashed too soon. There's a gentle tap to her shoulder, records flashing through her mind as she recognizes the man as the Elven Prince of the Southern Shores, Prince Hongbin. He's charming for what it's worth- dressed in an off white suit embroidered with golden trim and buttons with the elven kingdom insignia. His ears, down to the point, are decorated in gold jewelry and a golden crown sits upon his head, three shining sapphires embedded in the center of the family crest for the ocean waves crashing against the kingdom's shores. The crown pushes his bangs over his soft, brown eyes and he smiles so that his dimples show and the shine in his eyes brightens.

"Are you enjoying yourself so far, Princess?" he asks, his voice gentle as they meet gazes. Minseon appreciates Hongbin keeping his magic aura to a minimum- her stomach has started making her feel uncomfortable again- but there's nothing about the prince that makes her eager to stay around any longer. Her father had probably cornered the poor prince into ensuring that they talked tonight.

"I am," Minseon responds, trying to hide the bitterness from her smile. "It really is a wonderful party."

Hongbin hums and just smiles his charming, dimpled smile. He leans down close to Minseon and whispers, "I'm sure no one would notice if you escaped to the gardens, if you'd like. I can only imagine how this many magical beings in a room must make you feel."

Minseon nods, swallowing thickly. She catches herself before letting her jaw drop.

"If anyone asks, I wouldn't tell a soul that you've gone down the corridor off to the left of the ballroom, taken a right at the end of the hallway, and a left at the library- especially the King of the Central Woodlands." Hongbin stands tall, quickly glancing around the room before locking gazes with Minseon. "I'm sure the King would be most interested in the recent politics of the Southern Shores. Perhaps I should go talk to him myself."

Minseon lets out a sigh of relief, nearly sagging against the wall. She looks up at Hongbin and decides he'd likely remain true to his word. "Thank you," she stutters, bowing her head in gratitude. "I don't know what to say, Prince Hongbin."

But Hongbin just shakes his head. "You look gorgeous tonight, Princess Minseon, and I'm sure many socialites would agree with me, but I'd think you'd shine with a genuine smile on your lips."

Minseon smiles, genuine this time, as she turns for the left corridor at the edge of the ballroom. "Goodbye then, Prince, and thank you," she says, holding out the edge of her dress and bowing once more. Hongbin nods, a twinkle of mirth in his eyes flashing as he turns around quickly and heads to the corner Minseon had last seen her father sitting.

in a deep breath, Minseon moves swiftly along the edge of the ballroom, staying close to the wall and where the servants stand to keep out of sight. No one notices as she leaves through the left corridor and starts making her way down the long hallway. A few servants bustle around her, whizzing by with plates of food and incredibly sweet desserts on golden trays, but none pay her any mind.

Not long after she takes a right at the end of the hall does the castle fall silent; the music from the ballroom is merely a whisper. The sound of her heels clicking against the marbled floor echoes along the corridor. While the ballroom was decorated in heavy reds and golds, the corridors are more simply decorated with white marble floors and walls and golden decorations sparse along the walls. It's just light enough for Minseon to see where the library is, the hallway lit by a few candles along the wall and accompanied by moonlight streaming through the open windows. She checks behind her quickly, ensuring that no one is following her, before taking a left at the library.

The ornate glass doors are not far off from the library, just as Hongbin had said. She takes care to open the door slowly, in case it creaks and alerts a stray servant, but it makes no sound as it swings open wide enough for her to slip through. She carefully shuts the door behind her, pressing her forehead to the glass from the relief of finally escaping.

She breathes out a sigh, breathes until her hands stop shaking, and takes in the scent of the ocean in the breeze. The air is warm for late spring, saturated with the ocean as it blows through the flowers in the garden. Minseon looks around, making out patches of tulips, roses, jasmines, and violets growing along the castle walls where vines wrap their way higher than Minseon can see. The cobbled path is lined with small blooms of daffodils and daisies, winding beneath weeping willows lit by lights encased in glass.

It feels ethereal as Minseon walks along the stone path, holding the small train of her dress in case it may drag along the flowers. Her breath catches in when she spots a gazebo at the center of the garden, lit by small lights that shine brighter under the darkness of night. Drawn to it like a magic spell, Minseon makes her way to the gazebo.

And then her heart jolts for a new reason.

Sitting along the bench inside the gazebo, surrounded by twinkling lights, is a girl Minseon's never seen before. Her white dress, nearly sheer, cascades over her long legs to the floor. The gold trim, lined along the bodice and decorated over her shoulders and collarbones like webs where the top of her dress would rest, glistens with the lights over her tan skin. Her hair is braided intricately, falling over her shoulder and down to the center of her arm. Atop her head sits a golden tiara, leaves of gold built around sapphire flowers, embedded into a small crown for a princess.

Minseon hasn't even had a chance to catch her breath before their eyes meet. Warm brown eyes gaze back at her, lined with kohl, brightened with gold on her lids, and framed with long, dark eyelashes. The girl's cheeks are dusted in light pink pigment, her lips painted with a dusty pink. And once Minseon feels her heart stutter in her chest, she notices the girl's ears- elongated at the tips and decorated with gold jewelry.

"Hello," she breathes out, swallowing thickly in hopes it stops her heart from jumping up to .

Startled, the girl smiles nervously, almost anxiously as she glances at the garden around her. "No one followed you here, right?" she whispers.

Minseon shakes her head.

"You won't tell anyone I've escaped from the festival, will you?"

Again, Minseon shakes her head. "How could I expose you for escaping when I've also done the same."

The girl laughs softly at that, biting down on her bottom lip as she glances up at Minseon. "I suppose it would be rude of me then if I didn't offer a seat to a fellow deviant princess." She shifts to her right and pats the space beside her, smiling wider as Minseon takes the seat.

"I don't believe we've met before," she starts, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "I'm Hayeon, and I would prefer if you'd just call me Hayeon. However, outside of this garden I am formally Princess Hayeon of the Elven Kingdom of the Southern Shores."

Minseon bites down on her lip, doing her best to hold down an eager smile. "Outside this garden, I'm Princess Minseon of the Terran Kingdom of the Central Woodlands. I'll warn you though, I take a pretty good shot with a bow and arrow so it is better for your own sake if you just call me Minseon."

At that, Hayeon laughs under her breath and Minseon can't help but smile. Hayeon's eyes light up even brighter with mirth when she presses a little closer into Minseon's space. Minseon catches the scent of Hayeon's perfume as the princess sits so close that hardly a hand could fit between their thighs.

"So, what brings you out to my garden?" Hayeon asks. "I'm sure the festival is just riveting from all the stories told by drunken lords and princes about just how rich and amazing they are."

Minseon snorts, quickly covering the heated flush flooding her cheeks. "Well there is that," she says, clearing in hopes of hiding her embarrassment. "And since I'm non-magical, I get overwhelmed easily from all the magic at royal festivals like this. Prince Hongbin noticed and told me how to find the garden."

"My little brother did that?" Hayeon's eyes widen in disbelief. "He's usually pretty dense, but I suppose I should thank him for leading a beautiful princess out here who has kept me company."

Minseon feels her heart stop, just for a moment, before it beats heavy in her chest. She blushes hot under Hayeon's gaze and hopes that by staring at the ground, Hayeon won't notice her reddened face.

"Thank you," she breathes out, struggling around her heart beating in her ears. "I suppose I should thank him also. I'd probably be sick to my stomach and I wouldn't have met such a wonderful princess either."

This time Hayeon flushes, ducking her head so that her bangs hide her pink cheeks, but she easily laughs off her shyness. Her eyes are twinkling when she looks back up at Minseon. "I'm sure his ego will be happy to hear so much gratitude," she laughs, and Minseon can't help but laugh alongside her.

They talk deeper into the night about anything that comes to mind. Minseon loses track of time quickly after she tells Hayeon just how close she was to ripping out Prince Sungjae's heart. (Hayeon confesses that she wishes Minseon had because she herself almost punched Sungjae in the face when he'd thought it'd be hilarious to show her up to boost his own ego.) Minseon lets out just how much she hates her father taking her to these balls and setting her to meet princes, and Hayeon agrees with every word as her father does the same. Hayeon reveals that she is currently training to be the kingdom’s official Caster, demonstrating with magic bursting from her palm. Eventually they find they have mutual friends in Junhee and Taekwoon, and they talk about the two faeries so in love with each other and blind to it until the Blood Moon is high in the sky.

And for once, when they're both smiling together under the twinkling lights of the gazebo, Minseon realizes that she feels happier than she has been in a long time.

Just before the chime of midnight, Hayeon lets out a sad sigh and nervously twiddles her thumbs in her lap. "I have to leave soon," she says, looking dazed at the lights intertwined with the wood of the gazebo. "I have to at least pretend that I was at the festival the whole time and say my goodbyes to the guests."

Minseon's smile falls. "Right," she murmurs, looking down at her hands in her lap. "I will have to head back as well."

Hayeon rests a reassuring hand over Minseon's, imparting some of her magic when she senses Minseon's heartbeat pick up with anxiety. "The partings will be long; you're free to stay in the garden until it's closer to the end of the festival. The magic is less likely to affect you once the larger magical beings leave."

Minseon nods, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Thank you, Hayeon."

"We'll meet again," Hayeon says, standing to her full height. When Minseon stands beside her, it’s only then she realizes that Hayeon is slightly over a head taller than her.

"Promise?" Minseon asks.

Hayeon smiles, brushing Minseon's bangs back from her eyes and fixing the tiara on her head. "I promise."

And with that, Hayeon leaves for the festival, the last of her Minseon sees is the train of her white dress disappearing behind the gazebo. She sags against the wood, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart with the warmth of Hayeon left in her hands. The gardens seem much more silent without Hayeon, the lights much more dull. Minseon shivers as the cold of the night finally sets in, but she doesn't leave the gazebo just yet. She waits until her teeth are nearly chattering and her fingers are as cold as ice before she leaves the gardens behind and heads back for the ballroom.

The magic in the ballroom had lessened to an almost bearable point by the time Minseon steps back quietly into the festival. She looks around the room for any glimpse of Hayeon, or even Junhee, but her father is the first person she bumps into.

"Come, my daughter, our carriage awaits outside."

Minseon holds back her sigh and leads her father outside, stopping far too often at every socialite passing by to wish them well on their travels home. She's only half paying attention, hoping that she'd catch one last glimpse of Hayeon, but is met with Hongbin as they make their way to the exit.

"I hope we may meet again, Princess Minseon," he says, bowing before lifting his gaze to meet hers. There's a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, similar to Hayeon's, that she hardly catches before her father nudges her side.

"It would be an honor," she replies stiffly, gritting out a smile. It looks realistic enough that her father is beaming by the time they make it out to the carriage, helping her in first before sitting across from her.

"It seems like you enjoyed yourself tonight," he says, looking proud and hopeful as he sinks back into the seat of the carriage.

But just as the carriage takes off for their home in the forest bordering the Southern Shores, Minseon thinks back to the comforting magic Hayeon had cast in her hands and the smile she'd left stored as a precious memory in Minseon's mind.

"I have enjoyed myself tonight."

 

 

 

Minseon flips through another page, then flicks past a few more. The library is silent save for the sound of paper between her fingers. She sighs, skimming through the text and not understanding a single word of it.

"Minseon," Kyungmi, her closest friend and personal servant, warns. "You're flipping through the pages too quickly to be studying."

Minseon sighs even louder, shutting the book and tossing it off to the side. Kyungmi's black cat ears twitch atop her head as the book lands with a soft thud on the ground. "I can't read another bit of it," Minseon whines. She huffs and sinks back into the piles of pillows she had spent far too long sitting on. "I think I'll lose my sight if I look at another word from that book."

Well, that was half the truth. The text she had been reading was about the origin of elves and Minseon was having trouble focusing with a certain princess on her mind. It feels like she's been having a lot of trouble focusing recently, considering it's been two weeks since the Moonlight Festival.

Kyungmi sits up from where she had been lying down on Minseon's thighs, her black tail flicking sharply behind her. She gives Minseon a knowing look, the same look she's been chastising Minseon with since they were kids and Minseon skipped lessons to spend more time playing in the gardens. "You're distracted," she says simply. She straightens out her simple black dress and tucks flyaway strands of hair back in her braid before staring back at Minseon intensely.

"And what lead you to that conclusion," Minseon adds sarcastically.

But Kyungmi doesn't flinch, sitting incredibly still and staring at Minseon in that way that cat hybrids do. To this day, it still bothers Minseon a little how unnaturally still Kyungmi can get when she means to get a truthful answer out of her.

"So what if I'm distracted," she murmurs, turning her attention to instead pick at a loose thread at the end of her light pink dress. "I think I'll lose my mind if I look at any book for even a second longer."

Kyungmi sighs, scooting closer to Minseon and taking the loose thread at the end of her dress and ripping it off. Then she takes down Minseon's hair from the bun Minseon had carelessly thrown it up in that morning in a hurry and instead starts to braid it neatly. "I know you've studied a lot already, but you do have an examination tomorrow," she says, working intently on Minseon's hair. There's something affectionate and motherly in her tone- something she's always had- when she speaks.

"I know," Minseon sighs. Hayeon flashes through her mind as Kyungmi finishes braiding her hair. "I know I have to focus, it's just-"

There's a sudden knock at the library door. With three swift, loud knocks, the door swings open gently. Jinyoung, one of the king's servants, steps up to the pile of pillows. "The King requests your presence, Your Highness," Jinyoung says, bowing respectfully. His brown cat ears press flat atop his head, brown tail swinging lazily behind him.

Minseon presses her lips together, glancing over at Kyungmi in hopes she knows. However, Kyungmi looks just as confused as her. "Why has my father called for me?"

"The castle has visitors, Your Highness," he says. "The King expects you to look presentable and meet him immediately in the throne room."

Minseon lets out a long groan and flops over, forgetting that Kyungmi had just fixed her hair. "It's likely a boring, dull suitor," she huffs. "I haven't spoken to anyone since the Moonlight Festival." And then she gasps, suddenly struck with a horrible, awful, terrible thought. "It's not Prince Sungjae, is it?"

Kyungmi, ears and tail standing straight on edge, frets with Minseon to sit up once more and meticulously messes with her hair until it's back in place.

But Jinyoung shakes his head, his tail swishing wildly for a moment. "The magical presence in the castle is not strong- certainly not one of a werewolf."

"Good. That's good," Minseon sighs in relief. "Who is it then?"

"The King specifically instructed me not to say." Jinyoung pauses before looking pointedly at Minseon. "He did not wish to have another repeat incidence of having to turn away families- such as when Prince Dongwoo had visited last winter."

Minseon winces. Dongwoo had been sweet but her father was practically forcing them together when he had another he loved. She had done everything to avoid marriage at all costs.

"Right," she sighs, standing to her feet and straightening out her dress. "Will you please let my father know I'll be there soon?"

Jinyoung nods and Minseon makes sure to thank him as the library door closes behind him.

Kyungmi makes a few last touches to her hair and ties up the black lace underneath Minseon's bodice to a neat bow in the center of her back. "Let me just..." she murmurs to herself, glancing briefly around the library for Minseon's tiara perched carelessly on the ancient wooden desk. She shuffles back with it and neatly styles Minseon's hair around the golden tiara. "There," she says, taking a step back to look at Minseon from head to toe. "You look about as presentable as you can be."

Minseon huffs a laugh and lightly pushes Kyungmi's shoulder, who smiles after she does. "Thank you for having confidence in my looks."

Kyungmi bows, sarcastically formal. "It is my duty, Your Highness."

Minseon groans with the formality, but Kyungmi doesn't let her waste a second longer. She ushers Minseon into her black heels and pushes her out the door. They wander down the hall together, talking in hushed whispers about who the guests are until the anticipation is almost too much. As they round a corner and pass by the cat hybrid maids carrying fresh sheets and towels for the guest bedrooms, Minseon bets that it could be Junhee bringing news of Taekwoon. Kyungmi pinches her side, silently telling her to use her head for once, and argues that it's likely dignitaries coming to ensure trade agreements between kingdoms.

They descend the grand staircase at the center of the castle. Minseon nods to the guards as she passes them by, turning down a hallway on the left behind the staircase. They pause at an ornate, gold door at the furthest end of the hallway, an entrance in line directly with the throne rather than at the front of the throne room. Minseon pauses for a moment at the door, in a deep breath with both hands wound so tight around the door's handles that her knuckles have turned white, and pushes the door open.

She steps in quickly, eyes to the ground as she walks to the side of her father's throne, not having to look behind her to know Kyungmi had shut the doors behind them. She straightens out her posture when beside the king's throne, folds her hands in front of her, and bows. When she looks up, the first person she notices is Prince Hongbin, dressed in a casual white and gold suit. He smiles back at her fondly, his cheek dimpling as he dips his head in greeting.

The second person she notices is Hayeon, standing behind Hongbin. Minseon's breath catches, and she takes in Hayeon in her short white dress as if she was merely a mirage and might disappear if she so much as breathes. Minseon hadn't expected to see her again until there was another royal celebration. Her hair is down this time, falling over her shoulder in cascading waves. Gold bands of jewelry wrap around her upper arms, bracelets flashing at her thin wrists. Gold pins are stuck in her hair, holding back loose strands from her face. She smiles gently, like they were strangers, but there's something more personal that flashes in her eyes.

"Prince Hongbin and Princess Hayeon,” Minseon says, trying her best not to stutter.

They tip their head in respect before Minseon's father speaks. "Now that we are all gathered here, what is it you wish to speak to us about?"

Hongbin first looks to his sister before he looks to the king, the subtle tremble of his hands well hidden as he shoves them into the pockets of his trousers. "Your Highness, I have come to ask your permission to court your daughter. I hope you may give us your blessings."

Minseon's heart falls and shatters like glass. She feels suddenly anxious as she looks at Hayeon, hoping that this was some joke. Whether Hongbin had misread her at the Moonlight Festival or whether he really had good intentions to date her, Minseon wasn't ready for it- at least not with any man.

She bunches her hands in the front of her dress, swallowing thickly around the anxiety building in her chest- suffocating in . She'll pull Hongbin aside and set him straight, break his heart if she has to.

When Minseon looks back to her father, the man looks as ecstatic as ever when another prince asks his permission to court her. He hums, squinting as if he'd be able to read Hongbin's true intentions. "And, Minseon, do you consent to this?"

Minseon presses her lips into a tight line, holding back the words on the tip of her tongue. "If it's okay with you, father, and everyone else here, I'd like to speak to Prince Hongbin for a moment."

The room falls silent for a brief period while Minseon's father ponders on it. "Very well," he finally decides, his broad smile falling a little at the corners. "You all may discuss the terms of your relationship briefly."

"Thank you, father," Minseon says, bowing at both her father and the entourage from the Southern Shores that had come to the palace. Minseon waits for Hongbin to step towards her before she turns and heads out the same doors she'd entered through. She doesn't wait for Hongbin to catch up to her, or Kyungmi either knowing her friend is following close behind them all, and leads them towards one of the spare rooms at the end of the hallway.

Hongbin starts as soon as they enter the hallway. "Princess, wait-"

"Please," Minseon interjects, grinding down on her teeth in hopes of caging how awful she feels. "Please wait until we are in private."

Hongbin falls silent after that, trailing slightly behind her as they make their way down the hall and turn into a spare bedroom on the left. Minseon sits down tiredly on the freshly made bed and waits until Kyungmi shuts the door behind them before she even breathes out a sigh.

Hongbin looks around the room curiously, glancing at the walls and the door before he meets gazes to Minseon. "Just one moment, please," he whispers. Kyungmi and Minseon watch in awe as he closes his eyes and folds his hands into a symbol, fingers interlocked and palms cupped, and chants an Elvish spell. A yellow aura builds around his hands, flashing a bright light that fills the whole room before it disappears.

"A silencing spell," he says, opening his eyes once more and glancing towards the door of the room. "No one will be able to make out our conversation if they choose to use magic to eavesdrop."

Minseon lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. However, her nails are still digging into her palms as she watches Hongbin take a seat. She in a deep breath, looks to Kyungmi for reassurance, and does her best to swallow down her fear.

"Hongbin, I can't accept your proposal," she murmurs, clenching her fists tight. "And it's not any fault of yours more than it is my own. It's just," she sighs, looking anywhere but at Hongbin, "I am not ready for a relationship. And I fear that my father may have pushed this on you instead of letting this be a choice of your own will. So instead, I'd like it more if we just remained friends."

She exhales, the knot of anxiety in her chest loosening. However, when she manages to gather enough courage to look at Hongbin, who had fallen oddly silent, she's surprised to see him smiling.

He chuckles, hiding his smile behind his hand. "I'm honored to be turned down so eloquently," he snickers. "I'd like to stay friends too, but that isn't why I'm here."

Minseon's jaw nearly drops.

"I'm here in place of Hayeon," he says, looking up expectantly for a reaction. Minseon's hands jerk in her lap just at the mention of Hayeon's name, and Hongbin can't help but smile wider. "I think your feelings for her are much different than yours for me."

Minseon flushes, ducking her head in hopes that her bangs cover her red cheeks. Her heart has already sped into double time.

"In truth, Hayeon is the one who wishes to court you." Hongbin laughs lightly at the dumbfounded look Minseon has taken on. "I've never seen my sister so starstruck about anyone before- though she'd never admit it- so I've decided to help her."

Minseon figures her cheeks must be dark red. There's an uncomfortable heat that crawls up her spine when she thinks about Hayeon liking her back.

Hongbin sighs, "So after thinking through this with her, we've come to the conclusion that the best way for you to spend time with Hayeon was under the pretense that you and I would be in a relationship."

Minseon pouts, pressing her palms flat to her dress. If they all played it careful, they could get away with it. And though Minseon would rather not be in a relationship with Hayeon in secret, holding hands in the darkness and kissing behind closed doors, she figures it's the best she'll be able to get to spend serious time with Hayeon at all.

"Kyungmi? What do you think?" she asks. Hongbin turns around to face Kyungmi, and for the first time, Kyungmi flusters under his gaze.

"Whatever will make you happy," she replies softly, glancing away from Hongbin and keeping her eyes to her shoes.

It doesn't take Minseon long after to come to an answer, her heart stuttering just as she makes out the words. "Okay," she exhales. "If you are serious about our relationship being for image only, I'd-" she pauses, her hands warm where she remembers Hayeon's on hers- "It would be my honor to be in a relationship with Hayeon."

"Great!" Hongbin exclaims, getting quickly onto his feet. He smoothes out his uniform before putting forth his elbow for Minseon to hook onto. "Shall we, then?"

Minseon smiles, takes a deep breath, and locks her arm around Hongbin's. Kyungmi gives her a reassuring nod as she opens the doors and follows behind them.

The walk back to the throne room seems longer than before, the click of Minseon's shoes echoing off the floors resounds loud in her head. She does her best to try and control her rapidly beating heart but it's out of control by the time they reach the gold doors. It doesn't help the anxiety bubbling up in her chest that this could all go wrong when Hongbin doesn't give her a second to gather herself.

Her father is beaming when she stands back at his side, Hongbin to her right, that she almost feels bad for lying to her father like this.

“I have accepted Prince Hongbin’s proposal, and we have discussed the terms of our relationship,” she says, doing her best to stop her voice from shaking. But she smiles, feeling ecstatic knowing that this means she'll get to love someone of her own free will. Hayeon smiles widely, ecstatic that she almost bounces in place, but she quickly gathers herself and schools her expression.

“Fantastic!” The king exclaims, clapping as he stands. He looks proudly at Minseon and Hongbin. “Would you and Princess Hayeon like to spend a few nights here? I am sure you are eager to get to know my precious daughter, but I have heard rumors of trouble brewing at our western border and I'd rather you travel when it was safer.”

Hongbin bows politely. “If you’d have us, Your Highness, we would be honored to stay.”

“Excellent!” The king stands from his throne and clasps his hands together. “Minseon, why don't you show them around the castle? We can rejoin once more at supper!”

“Yes, father,” Minseon says. She looks towards Hayeon and bites down on her lip to contain her happiness. “Princess Hayeon? Would you like to join us?”

Hayeon looks back at the entourage, and after a few of them nod, she turns back to Minseon. “I'd love to.”

"Ah, I'll be sure to get everyone from the Southern Shores settled in," the king adds. "Run along, now. Minseon, please take good care of them."

Minseon smiles. "Yes, father, I will." She waits for Hayeon to stand on her left, another servant stepping in line with Kyungmi, before making her way out of the throne room.

They stay fairly silent as they walk towards Minseon's room first. Minseon makes sure to point out a few things along the way, meaningless things just to divert attention away from them. Hongbin smiles and makes a few comments as they walk up the grand staircase. Hayeon keeps mostly silent because to everyone else, she is only tagging along.

At the end of the hallway is Minseon's room. Minseon opens the door and lets them all in first and shuts the door behind herself. In the front of her room is a small seating area that connects both to the bathroom and to her own bedroom. She lets Hongbin and Hayeon look around for a short moment before taking Hayeon's hand in hers and nodding towards both Kyungmi and white tailed cat hybrid servant from the Southern Shores.

"Hongbin," she says softly, looking at the man intently until her request finally clicks. He locks his hands together and whispers the silencing spell over them, nodding when the yellow light has finally encased the room.

Hand held firmly in hers, Minseon tugs Hayeon after her into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She releases the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in, her stomach doing somersaults just from the nerves. It's only when Hayeon squeezes her hand that she snaps out of her daze.

"I am so happy you accepted," Hayeon sighs, cupping Minseon's hand in hers. "I have to admit that I was a little afraid you wouldn't."

Minseon's breath hitches. The butterflies in her stomach aren't making it any easier to breathe. "Truthfully, you're all I've thought about in these past few weeks. I didn't think we'd get to meet again this soon."

Hayeon laughs breathlessly. From this close, Minseon can see sparkly white pigment on her eyelids and the pink dye on her lips. "And I am sure you didn't expect our next meeting to be under such conditions."

"Correct," Minseon sighs. "But I couldn't be happier, Hayeon." Even though just saying it couldn't convey exactly just how happy she is, Hayeon flushes as she seems to understand it.

Hayeon briefly glances around Minseon's bedroom, smiling to herself before she glances back at Minseon. "Come. Let's talk this out with Hongbin."

Nodding, Minseon leads them out into the common room, hand still intertwined with Hayeon's. They take a seat on a couch opposite of Hongbin and the one Kyungmi sits on. Hayeon presses close to her side, cradling their hands in her lap, before she indicates to the other hybrid by Kyungmi's side.

"Jaehwa also knows of our plan," she says. Jaehwa gives a subtle nod at the call of her name, nervously playing with the end of her brown ponytail. "She was raised alongside Hongbin and I so neither of us treat her any differently."

"Same with Kyungmi," Minseon adds. Kyungmi simply stares intently at everyone in the room, no doubt ensuring their good intentions before she leans back into the couch, batting at Jaehwa's anxious tail swinging in her face.

They make sure to discuss the details for their plan. Hayeon and Hongbin had packed enough for three days, though they truly hadn't planned to stay at all. The trouble at the Central Woodland's western border was news to them, and playing it safe was best. They would have arranged for Hayeon and Minseon to meet again at another royal festival, where the crowd would have been the best cover for them, but they wouldn't pass up the chance they were given. Three days was a lot of time to spend together, even though they had to be careful in the daytime when most servants in the castle were bustling about with their chores.

"Night is your best cover," Kyungmi says softly. "Most servants are asleep and you'll have an easier time coming up with an excuse if you two are caught together without Prince Hongbin."

Meeting privately only at night gave them less time to spend together, but Minseon promised to cherish every moment of it.

"And what about after you leave?" Minseon asks, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. She swallows thickly, glancing nervously at her hands. "What will we do then?"

Hayeon purses her lips in thought. "Hongbin and I will have to leave the Southern Shores on personal matters for three weeks. However, we plan to invite you to stay for at least a week, if not more depending on what our father agrees to."

Minseon nods solemnly. Two weeks without Hayeon had felt like an eternity. Three weeks was going to feel like a lifetime.

After discussing the terms of the relationship, Minseon leads them back out of her room and finishes the tour of the castle. She walks with Hayeon pressed close on her left and Hongbin at a distance on her right, pointing out the library at the end of the hallway and rooms Hayeon and Hongbin were likely to stay in. They make their way back down the staircase and Minseon shows them the conference room and the training room. They pass by the king upon reaching the weaponry room, and Hongbin easily covers the space between them by wrapping an arm around Minseon's shoulder and sending the king one of his charming smiles. The king seems thrilled by it, and they all manage to hold their snickers back until the make it to the library on the first floor.

They make it to the garden just as the sun is beginning to set. Hayeon looks out in awe through the windows, pointing at all the flowers that don't grow in the Southern Shores. Minseon leads them all outside for a little bit. She nearly forgets Hongbin is standing by her side with how excited Hayeon is to be out in the garden, bending at all the flowers she's never seen before and admiring them with the bright, curious eyes of a child. She asks to pick a few, then weaves them into her braided hair and smiles nearly brighter than the sunshine.

Minseon watches fondly, her heart fluttering frantically like a bird trapped in a cage. At night, Hayeon wouldn't be able to see the flowers properly and Minseon kind of wishes this moment was something just shared privately between them.

Jinyoung comes to fetch them for supper as soon as the last of the sunset's warm orange glow is cast on the garden. They follow him to the dining hall, Hayeon refusing her brother's plea to take the flowers out of her hair. The table is set with a feast far too large for just the four of them, but they bow to the king and take their seats. Hongbin sits between Minseon and the king while Hayeon sits opposite of Minseon.

Minseon's father is animated throughout dinner, actively asking Hongbin questions about the politics of the Southern Shores. Minseon can see the soft blue of magic glowing from Hongbin, keeping the king enchanted in their conversation of safety at their border with the mer kingdom in the Southern Sea. She makes sure to chime in every so often, just enough to make it seem like she is paying attention, but the king is too enamored with Hongbin to notice. Most of supper is spent sharing glances and shy smiles with Hayeon and trying her best not to fumble with her silverware.

Supper finishes fairly quickly, the king offering that Hongbin must be tired from traveling all this way. It's quite late as it is, so Minseon leads Hongbin and Hayeon off to their rooms, wishing her father goodnight before walking up the grand staircase and leading the elves to rooms at the opposite end of the hallway from her own bedroom.

She stops at Hongbin's room first, waving him goodnight and whispering a quiet thank you for everything he's done for the both of them. The room next to his is Hayeon's, but she reaches for Hayeon's wrist before she steps inside.

"Goodnight," she whispers, gaze caught in Hayeon's dark eyes. This close, even in the dimly lit corridor, she notices the sleepy, uneven droop to Hayeon's eyes. Her heart shudders for a moment as Hayeon smiles back.

"Until tomorrow," she replies, slipping soundlessly into her room. Jaehwa whispers politely after she enters the room behind Hayeon, white tail winding around Hayeon's waist as the door shuts behind them. Minseon sighs and makes her way to her own room with Kyungmi at her side.

"Are you okay?" Kyungmi asks, though cut off by a yawn. Her hand brushes through Minseon's bangs as the silence fills Minseon's bedroom to the brim.

Minseon nods, fingers wound in the front of her dress and sliding it off. She steps into her nightgown before she meets Kyungmi's intense stare. "Yes," she says, the pads of her fingertips still tingling where she'd held on to Hayeon's wrist. "I don't think I've been this happy in a long while."

Kyungmi smiles, helps Minseon ready for bed, and slips out of the room wishing her sleep well. However, Minseon spends a long time awake looking out at the stars from her bedroom window, praying that everything will be okay.

 

 

 

The days slip by like sand between her fingers, impossible to grasp in its entirety. Minseon, however, saves the grains of memories she can get, tucking them into her heart as the three days wind down and the threat from the west dies down. When she knows her father is free of meetings and official affairs, she makes it a point to be in his sight with Hongbin at her side. They take short walks around the castle and hold hands when they know her father is watching to convince him that it's more than just for show. And even though Minseon is only doing this for show, she certainly wouldn't be able to put up with it for long if Hongbin wasn't as nice as he was.

When they are together, in the small moments her father or his advisors aren't watching, Minseon asks about Hayeon. Hongbin is all too happy to tell her everything- from stories about growing up alongside her to her favorite things. With rapt interest, Minseon listens to everything and cherishes just how similar she is to Hayeon. In return, Minseon tells small stories of herself in hopes that Hongbin will relay them to Hayeon when they turn in for the night.

Minseon is with Hongbin for most of the days, and the only moments she can get away from him are when he uses all his charm and wit to capture her father's interest in politics. Then, when Hongbin and her father disappear into one of the smaller staterooms to comfortably discuss business and trade, she takes off towards the library where Hayeon spends most of her time alone. The time they can get in the daylight is often spent in the library or in Hayeon's room. Minseon craves for any moment they can get, Hayeon's smiles and laughter starving her for more.

But once the daylight hours pass and Hongbin officially announces that he's going to turn in for the night, Minseon has uninterrupted stretches of time with Hayeon. They are more free to roam around the castle, hand in hand for long stretches of empty corridors. On the first night, they walk side by side, speaking in hushed whispers as they approach the kitchen and sneak cookies out from the pantry. They eat in the garden under the moonlight, laughing until their cheeks hurt and staying long until exhaustion clings to them and they can barely stand up on their own.

On the second night, with both Kyungmi and Jaehwa tagging along, they dress in commoners robes and sneak out from the castle through a secret door in the garden's wall. The village center isn't far, and the look on Hayeon's face at the sight of the Starlight Festival was worth the trouble of sneaking out. Eyes lit bright, Hayeon pulls Minseon along to look at the wares from street vendors and food she's never seen before. Lost in the crowd of the festival, they walk hand in hand and laugh more freely without the burden of being princesses. When they stumble upon the festival's center, a wide space cleared out for couples to dance, Hayeon doesn't hesitate for a moment as she pulls Minseon to the center for a dance.

Smiling sweetly, looking only at her, Hayeon puts a hand on her waist and interlocks their fingers. "Share this dance with me," she whispers, pulling them close together so that their bodies are almost flush with each other. Minseon follows her lead, laughing when Hayeon spins her around until she’s dizzy and smiling when Hayeon praises her for what little dancing ability she has.

As the dance ended, as the music of a soft ballad wound down to its last note, they were so close they could've kissed. Minseon, looking up at Hayeon with the light of the stars twinkling behind her head, wished Hayeon had kissed her. Her heart was still thrumming from the dance- from Hayeon's sparkling eyes and red lips- when Jaehwa pulled them apart with a tap on her shoulder. It was time to head back to the castle lest they be caught.

Minseon hadn't forgotten about it, she'd had that feeling of being so close to Hayeon engraved in her heart, that she was distracted with Hongbin on the last day. Hongbin noticed, asked about it, but Minseon was still too tongue-tied to divulge in any of the details. They spent less time together that day, Minseon instead spending more time on her own to sort through the jumbled mess of feelings in her head.

Tonight was the last she'd see of Hayeon for nearly a month, and she would go crazy if she left things on the note they had last night. So just after they finish supper together and Minseon walks Hongbin to his room, she stops Hayeon at the foot of her door with a hand wrapped gently around her wrist. "When the clock strikes nine times, meet me at the gardens," she whispers. "Wear something warm as it gets a little chilly at night."

Hayeon nods, a look of understanding flashing in her eyes. She glances around the hallway, looking for anyone in sight before taking Minseon's hand between hers. "Goodnight," she says softly. "I will be waiting."

Minseon smiles until the door shuts, the silence of the hallway punctured only by Kyungmi stepping up to her side. "Would you like me to stay on watch for you?" Kyungmi asks- though cut off by a yawn.

Minseon smiles and ruffles Kyungmi's hair. "That's okay. You look like you may fall asleep on your feet."

Kyungmi smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck just as she lets out another yawn. She pushes open the door to Minseon's room and makes her way to the small door off to the side of the common room where her small bedroom is. "Goodnight, Minseon, and please be careful."

Minseon nods. "I will," she whispers, stepping into her room and shutting the door behind her.
As soon as the door clicks shut, she leans against it and sinks to the ground, her heart beating so fast in her chest she fears it may break through her ribs.

Thinking of Hayeon, she quickly undresses and slips into a silk nightgown and removes the tiara from her head. She grabs a warm coat and slips out of her room to wait for Hayeon in the garden.

 

 

 

 

It's not long after the clock chimes finish that Minseon hears the castle doors creak open. She walks back along the cobbled path from where she'd been sitting, pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders, until she sees Hayeon. She's still dressed in white, though now in loose pants and a white, sleeveless shirt that hugs her figure. Her clothes are decorated in golden accents, similar to those clothes that she wears during the day, that somehow shine brighter under the moonlight. She hugs a red cloak around her shoulders, smiling as she steps to Minseon's side. Taking Minseon's hand in hers, she interlocks their fingers and gives a comforting squeeze.

"Lead the way," she whispers.

With a silent nod, Minseon tugs Hayeon behind her, thankful of the darkness for hiding her red face. They walk silently side by side, pressing closer as a breeze sinks under their coats. There are a few lights strung through a canopy of trees, candles nestled in glass that twinkle in the darkness. Hayeon looks on in quiet awe, pausing to catch the flower petals that float in the wind and fireflies that blink in the palm of her hand.

They walk a little further along, out of the trees that canopy the cobbled path, and Hayeon stops with a quiet gasp. Sectioned off from the rest of the garden sits a small bench, each end tied to a thick tree branch above, ropes intertwined with vines and flowers blooming underneath the moonlight beaming down. Beyond the canopy of tree branches is a clear night sky, stars twinkling with a clarity Hayeon has never seen before. The branches of weeping willows sweep across the ground with the gentle breeze, surrounding the secluded area in waves of green leaves twinkling with small lights.

"This place is a little enchanted," Minseon says, glancing up at Hayeon only to catch the twinkle in her eyes. Long eyelashes flutter against her tan cheeks, as if it were a mirage that might disappear when she blinks. "Junhee visits often and casts faerie dust on the flowers and the willows. They capture the shine of the moonlight."

She hears Hayeon sigh softly behind her. "It's beautiful," she whispers breathlessly. If Minseon had stared at Hayeon even a second longer, their gazes would have met as the last of Hayeon's words were carried away by the wind.

They sit together on the bench tied up to the tree, Minseon gently starting the swing while Hayeon, mesmerized, carefully cups the flowers winding around the ropes tying the swing. They sit in comfortable silence for some time, long enough for the moonlight to shine down through the canopy of willows. No one disturbs them, not even the palace guards who patrol at night, and Minseon is incredibly thankful that there's nothing to ruin this moment. They aren't held to the responsibilities their titles bring or the expectations their positions bring. Alone and removed from the castle, Minseon doesn't have to pretend around Hayeon to be the upstanding, perfect princess she's expected to be.

Tonight, she's allowed to be herself, and the way Hayeon's eyes shine when their gazes meet tells her Hayeon is thinking the same.

They talk about nothing and everything for as long as they can stand the cold, hands still intertwined and pressed together between their thighs. Once the beginnings of exhaustion starts to creep through Minseon's bones she yawns, eyes drooping sleepily for a flicker of a moment. Hayeon chuckles at her, and she gently leads Minseon's head down to her shoulder, brushing her bangs from her face with gentle fingers. The chirp of the cicadas and the soothing pattern of Hayeon's thumb rubbing circles across the back of her palm is nearly enough to lull her to sleep.

"Through the trees of the Central Woodlands, the sky looks different," Hayeon whispers, a hand slowly carding through Minseon's hair. Minseon startles from her daze when Hayeon stops momentarily, only to reach over and pull Minseon's coat tighter around her shoulders. "But, you know, if you'll miss me when we part- even a fraction of how much I'll miss you- just know we share the same sky. I'll look up at it every night and remember this. I'll think of your eyes with every twinkling star in the night sky."

Hayeon's breath hitches audibly. Minseon sits up, feeling awestruck as their gazes meet. Hayeon's cheeks are colored pink, visible even in the dark. The raw honesty makes her heart skip, the words echoing in her head until she's sure she'd never forget them. Just like the night previous, the world suddenly feels full of just them.

"For as much as I'll miss you, I'll look up at the night sky too and think of the dark intensity of your eyes that captured me in an instant," Minseon breathes. "I'll think of you every day until we see each other again."

They're close, so close that their shoulders bump together when Hayeon cups Minseon's cheek. Minseon bites down on her bottom lip, longing for the distance between them to close. There's a pang of longing in her chest, like the night the first time they met. Her exhale feels heavy with the realization that Hayeon, enigmatic and captivating, had drawn her in like a siren's song since the first time they'd met.

After a beat of terse silence, Minseon leans in and kisses Hayeon, the softest press of lips making her breathless. Hayeon's hand on her cheek pulls her closer, keeps her pressed close as they kiss under the starlight. Hayeon is flushed and breathless when she pulls back, staring at Minseon with such intensity that Minseon almost shivers under her gaze.

Even just this much has Minseon longing for more, everything from the night at the festival culminating until she surges forward and kisses Hayeon again, more strongly. Hands interlocked around Hayeon's neck, Hayeon's free hand gripping her waist tight, they kiss until they can hardly breathe. Minseon holds on to every thread of this moment until her lungs begin to ache and her heart is threatening to burst.

Their heavy breathing is almost deafening. Hayeon leans forward, pressing a lasting, sweet kiss to the corner of Minseon's lips. "Even though I know that you are human," she starts, gazing deeply into Minseon's eyes, "you've cast such an enchanting spell over me." Fingers gentle, she brushes a few strands from Minseon's face and tucks them behind her ear.

Just before her hand falls, Minseon catches it between hers and holds it almost tightly, unwilling to let this moment escape like the rest. Her heart drums like thunder in her ears, hands almost shaking around Hayeon's. The words are on the tip of her tongue to let Hayeon know just how she feels, threatening to spill from her lips as waves crash unrelenting against the shore. But there's a spark of magic at her fingertips, zipping like fire through her hands, and she doesn't know what Hayeon had cast but the tension gripping her chest finally eases. She exhales, letting Hayeon's hand go, her heart finally calming down.

After a long while of silence, watching the stars and moon and silence curled up against each other, Hayeon speaks again. "Tomorrow, Hongbin will send you off with a book. I've enchanted it so that we may write to each other in the month we can't meet. No matter how far apart we are, I'll be able to reach you through the book."

Minseon nods silently, taking Hayeon's hand loosely in hers. "Thank you, Hayeon."

With a small hum, Hayeon nods and locks their hands together. "You're welcome."

When Minseon finally starts to drift asleep, Hayeon startles her awake and leads her off to bed.

As soon as they enter the castle, they let go of their hands. Minseon almost feels a physical ache at the loss, but she understands. A servant passes them as they walk by, but she only awards them a curious look and a bow before continuing on her way. Minseon and Hayeon walk on in silence until they reach the second floor, at the last moment where they part ways.

"Sleep well," Hayeon whispers, no formalities as she speaks. Her smile is kind, blindingly bright as she turns and heads for her room without a second glance. Minseon can't get the words out around the lump in , not even a whisper goodnight as the longing hits more painfully the further the distance between them increases.

Minseon slips into her own room, sliding off her coat, crawling into bed, and sinking under the covers. Caught in the swirling maelstrom of her thoughts, Hayeon at the center of all of it, sleep doesn't come so easily. It takes Kyungmi crawling into bed beside her, likely woken up by the emotions she feels swallowing Minseon alone in her bedroom, until she falls asleep with a hand scratching behind Kyungmi's ear and the other clutched over her chest, her heart beating rapidly with every moment she spends staring up at the ceiling and remembering the way Hayeon had kissed her.

 

 

 

True to her promise, Hayeon had gifted a thick, worn book through Hongbin. Gold decorating the white leather cover and elvish written all along the edges, Minseon looks on in awe as just before the entourage is ready to set off, Hongbin runs up to her, book in hand, and passes it on with a gentle smile.

"For you, Princess," he says, "so that we may stay in touch while I am away."

Minseon nods, smiling at Hongbin politely while her father beams beside her. But just before the carriage pulls away, she catches Hayeon's gaze and smiles. She holds the book close to her chest, holding it tight until the carriage disappears from view.

Over dinner, her father drones on about how much he enjoyed Prince Hongbin's company, about how Prince Hongbin is a very smart, charming, kind man who would be a good fit for Minseon as her husband. Minseon doesn't listen to an ounce of it because as smart, charming, and kind hearted as Prince Hongbin is, she's in love with Hayeon.

And the distance makes her realize it with each passing day.

When she has a chance in between studies and meetings with dignitaries that she's required to attend to by her father, she pulls out the book and writes to Hayeon. Every moment she can spare, she writes and draws and goes back through the pages to read all the messages Hayeon had written to her. Throughout the month, Hayeon is busy almost all the time during the day, and she often doesn't respond until nightfall. Minseon doesn't mind it much; instead, she writes a little more and draws pictures so that Hayeon has a lot to read when she has the time.

The longest period they are able to talk is nighttime. Minseon has fallen asleep over the book on more than one occasion, handwriting scrawled to form garbled letters and cheek stained with black ink when Kyungmi had woken her up the next morning. Hayeon, though, is never short of things to talk about. She writes about her days in the Northern Mountains, a place so cold beyond belief. Minseon had never traveled that far north herself and she reads with rapt attention as letters form onto worn pages, telling of all the things she's never seen before.

Some nights, when Minseon longs to be by Hayeon's side and to kiss Hayeon again- so much that her heart aches- Hayeon writes stories to ease her heart enough to lull her to sleep. When thunderstorms brewing from the east shake the windows of her room ferociously or when the threats from the west latch on to her mind with sharp claws, words of elven lore spill out onto pages. They are tales of love that Hayeon had grown up with, stories that Minseon dreams about with a smile on her face and warmth in her chest, and it gives her enough energy to get through another rough day.

Your stories have no tales of humans, do they? Minseon writes one day, book propped up on her thighs while she's avoiding her history texts. It had been a passing thought, and she had been distracted soon after as Kyungmi snuggled into her side under the sunlight filtering in through the windows.

She doesn't see a reply until she wakes up the next morning, ink stained on her cheek once more. No, they don't, Hayeon replied. Not all tales have happy endings.

By the beginning of the fourth week, the book is nearly filled with days upon days of writing to each other. Minseon worries a little, unsure as to how the magic cast upon the book works. If they reached the last page, would they be able to continue writing to each other, or would they have to sacrifice precious memories written into the pages to continue? Minseon doesn't ask, and she writes less each day to conserve what space is left.

However, Hayeon finally writes that she's leaving back to the Southern Shores and she will be home in a few days time. Minseon grips the book hard, almost spilling the jar of ink on it when she reads the message. Finally, they were so close to seeing each other again and not even an infinite amount of pages could explain how happy Minseon is. Each day after passes with bated breath as she spends it hoping that today would be the day a note calling her to the Southern Shores would be delivered.

In the six days of silence, when there is no more space left in the book, Kyungmi combs through Minseon's hair at night and stays by her side until she falls asleep much later than she ever has. And it's often with a sad smile on her face that she ends up drifting asleep beside her, wishing she could take away some of the burden of heartache.

On the seventh day, when Minseon sits down at the dinner table, her father hands her a white envelope embossed in gold and addressed to her. Doing her best to hide the tremble in her hands, Minseon opens the letter and reads it aloud- that Prince Hongbin had asked if she would be able to spend two weeks at the Southern Shores.

Her father doesn't hesitate to say yes, and tells her to begin packing in the morning. And in two days time, carriage packed to the brim and heart beating rapidly in her chest, she wishes her father goodbye and sets off for the south.

The ride takes all day, and just as the sun is high in the sky, Minseon falls asleep against Kyungmi's shoulder from the exhaustion of hardly sleeping in the last two days. Kyungmi sings her to sleep with a song written in the old tribes of feles breeds before their nations were torn apart and doesn't bother to wake her until the carriage stops at the castle of the Southern Shores that very evening.

Hongbin is the first to welcome her, smile pleasant and a glint of mirth in his eyes. He spends the afternoon introducing her to the king and queen of the Southern Shores and spends supper making up stories about all the official business they'd talked about while they had been separated.

The king and queen look extremely impressed. Minseon just barely manages to mask her discomfort with shy smiles and embarrassed laughter.

The nerves bubbling in her chest don't ease until nightfall and she finally sees Hayeon again. Unable to stop herself, she pulls Hayeon into a her arms and kisses her until her head feels dizzy- uncaring entirely that Hongbin, Kyungmi, and Jaehwa had been watching. They spend the night discussing in hushed whispers about the best ways for Hayeon and Minseon to sneak around the castle- at least for the first few days. With an eager smile, Hongbin reveals that their parents were to set off to the Northeast Hills for the entire duration of a week, and they would only truly have to be careful for the first three days.

Overcome with excitement, Minseon grips Hayeon's hand so hard that Hayeon whines for her to stop and demands she kiss it better. Minseon simply rolls her eyes and complies anyway.

For three days, they make sure to proceed carefully in front of the king and queen. Minseon spends time with Hongbin attending dull meetings and presiding over small disputes under the watchful eye of the king. They spend time sitting side by side on the lounge's couches, talking and holding hands when they know the queen is passing by. Minseon only sneaks away from Hongbin at night to slip into Hayeon's room because the king and queen are far more perceptive with their magical abilities.

But they manage. For three days Minseon puts up with spending time at Hongbin's side until she wishes the king and queen well on their voyage. The anxiety wound around her heart like the thorny stem of a rose finally releases as the carriage disappears from view and Hayeon steps to her vacant side, taking her hand with a bright smile.

For all the time that they've suffered apart, they are finally granted time together.

 

 

 

Just after they finish breakfast on the morning after the king and queen of the Southern Shores had left for business, Hayeon captures Minseon's wrist as they leave the dining hall and tugs her into a darkened corridor.

"Would you like to go on an adventure today?" she asks, mischievous smile glinting in the darkness.

Minseon glances warily around the corner, looking for any curious ears who might listen in. "Where are we going to go?"

Hayeon's smile widens, impish as she leans in closer, pressing Minseon to the cold stone walls. Her eyes twinkle with mirth and Minseon can almost see the excited sparks of magic flying off the surface of her skin. "Change into the loosest, lightest clothes you've brought and bring an extra change with you. Meet me in my room and we'll head out."

"But-" Minseon is cut off abruptly as Hayeon kisses her, a chaste press of lips that has her almost chasing after her.

"Don't worry," Hayeon says. "I'll take care of everything else and I'll tell Jaehwa to let Hongbin know so he can stall for us should anyone ask."

Minseon looks on unsurely, but she relents and heads back to her own room. Kyungmi helps her find a loose, nearly sheer pink sundress that brushes against her thighs and ties up with black ribbon in the back. She hands her a change of undergarments tucked discreetly in black cloth with a kittenish smile and an eager flick of her ears.

Minseon suspects she knows exactly where Hayeon is taking her, but she decides not to push it and ask. Kyungmi walks with her to Hayeon's room, an eager bounce to her step. She's so excited that Minseon notices her tail swinging wildly enough to keep hitting her calves as she walks.

Strange, she thinks, but Kyungmi is already leading her into Hayeon's room before she can think any more of it.

Hayeon's room is spacious, windows that reach the ceiling making it seem even larger than it is. Sunlight filters through the windows, bathing the white floors in warmth. Even from a glance, Minseon can see that the windows overlook a balcony that leads out to the ocean. Most of the furniture in the room is white and decorated with gold trim and sapphire jewels, much like the rest of the Southern Shores' castle. Hayeon's bed is dressed in similar white and gold colors but is surrounded by white, sheer veils that drape over the frame. The room feels almost dreamlike, though Minseon suspects that there is some magic cast on the room to make it feel so.

By her dresser, Hayeon packs away her own change of undergarments. She'd changed into a loose peach colored dress that brushed against her ankles when the wind caught it. Minseon catches herself staring at Hayeon's long, toned legs from where the dress slits at her thigh.

"Perfect," she says, taking the clothes from Minseon's hands and packing it away in a blue rug sack with her own clothes. Jaehwa comes in with a small bag of food, her white tail eagerly flicking behind her. Hayeon takes it as well and stuffs it in her bag before buttoning it up and sliding the straps over her shoulders. "Are you ready?"

Minseon's breath catches with Hayeon's bright eyes and she nods. Jaehwa is nearly vibrating with so much excitement that her tail swings and hits Kyungmi by accident. Kyungmi only grumbles about it for a moment before she tugs on Jaehwa's ear as a playful reprimand.

Hayeon leads them out to the gardens through familiar hallways to ornate glass doors off of the library. They make it there without too much hassle, none of the servants stopping long enough to care that Hayeon was likely doing something the king wouldn't approve of, but they do receive a few curious looks. Through the garden, they reach a wooden gate built off to the right that creaks when Hayeon pushes it open.

"Jaehwa, please let Hongbin know where we've gone and that we will be back by sunset," she says. Jaehwa bounces on her heels, nodding eagerly. Her smile stretches even wider as Hayeon takes Minseon's hand and pulls her through the door. Hayeon then looks at Kyungmi and her smile softens into something more caring and endearing. "I'll protect her should anything happen," she says simply.

Kyungmi nods, ears atop her head flickering slightly. "I trust you."

With that, Hayeon takes Minseon's hand and tugs her down the pathway past the gate, shutting the door behind them and leaving the castle behind for the day.

Past the edge of the castle's gardens is a hill that overlooks the sea, sapphire blue waters sparkling under the sunlight. Minseon stalls for a second, stunned by the scenery, before Hayeon tugs her out of her daze. They make their way down the hill together, laughing a little at each other when they stumble until they end up racing each other down the hill to the beginnings of the beach. When they hit the edges of the sand, Minseon and Hayeon take off their sandals and tuck them away in the backpack before continuing down towards the shore.

It's the first time Minseon has seen the ocean from the Southern Shores. She had often visited the kingdom to the east of summer pixies, but she had been a child then and the pixies used to pull at her hair and push her into the water when she'd worn her prettiest dress. However, the waves are calm as they crash along the shores and the entire stretch of land for as far as Minseon can see is empty.

But they don't walk directly towards the water. Instead, they walk in the sand parallel to the ocean, talking animatedly about playing in the water and stealing kisses, heading for the rockier part of the shoreline.

"Where are we going exactly?" Minseon asks, looking warily at the large rocks Hayeon had started climbing over. She's already over the largest rock when she holds out her hand and helps Minseon climb over it.

"You'll see," is all she replies, carefully navigating Minseon through the rocks so she doesn't slip. She gives no more hints either as they walk a little longer through the rockiest part of the shore until they reach an alcove at the edge of the beach.

When the alcove comes in sight, Hayeon's grip on her hand tightens with her excitement. Hayeon tells her that the alcove used to belong to the mer kingdom and she'd found it by accident while running away one day. After that, she'd sneak away to play with the mermaids she'd befriended from the first time she'd gone until the mermaids no longer came as they grew up and became busy with their own studies.

Minseon laughs, bumping into Hayeon as the waves finally brush up against their feet. Both of them had run away so often that maybe it was only a matter of time until they ran away to each other.

They climb over the last bit of sparse rocks surrounding the alcove, hopping into shallow waters at the mouth of the cave. Minseon gasps as she lands in the water, stunned at the green lights twinkling in the cave that reflect the sunlight streaming in. The walls of dark rock look as though they are embedded with lights, pale yellows and light blues mixed with the greens catching the sunlight and illuminating the dark shade. The alcove seems endless, lights reaching back almost as far as Minseon can see, shining over a long stretch of sand towards the back. The water, cool and crystal clear, twinkles with a new magical vibrance.

They're standing on a sand bar, the boundary between the alcove and the ocean, so Hayeon walks her up steps engraved in rock towards the sandy beach in the back. The further they walk into the cave, the quicker Minseon realizes that the lights are floating in the air, dancing with the breeze blowing into the alcove. She stalls for a moment, holding out her palm to catch one of the blue lights floating by before blowing it away and watching it soar up with the wind.

By then, the sun is already high in the sky so Hayeon sits down where the soft waves just barely reach the shore and pulls out the food Jaehwa had packed. Jaehwa had snuck quite a bit of food from the kitchens, but Hayeon had planned for them to stay at the alcove all day. It takes them a while to finish lunch regardless between talking and tasting sweet chocolate chip cookies in their kisses.

But once they finish, the rest of the food packed away for later, Hayeon hops up and dusts away the sand on her palms. "Let's go swimming!" she says, already pulling her hair off her shoulders, exposing the points of her ears and the gold jewelry catching the sunlight.

And now the extra change of clothes had made sense. "But won't it be hard to sneak back into the castle with wet dresses?"

At that, Hayeon laughs. "You weren't planning to swim with your dress on, were you?"

Minseon flushes, ducking her head to hide the burn on her cheeks. "No," she grumbles, nervously picking at a thread at the end of her dress.

"Good," Hayeon says, reaching into her bag to tie up her hair with gold ribbon. Her nimble fingers make quick work with the buttons on the back of her dress. The fabric pools around her feet as it falls away from her shoulders and she's left standing in a loose, off-white corset, with the neckline cut just above the start of her cleavage, and matching white .

"You're staring, Minseon."

Minseon buries her head in her hands and groans, her face heating up. Maybe if she were magical, sparks would be crackling off her skin like fire burning hot in a furnace.

With a sigh and a look from Hayeon that leaves room for no arguments, Minseon finally gets up and starts to undo the buttons of her own dress. She can feel Hayeon's gaze on her, hotter as she moves to stand behind her with extra ribbon from her bag and works Minseon's hair into a neat bun. She steps out of her dress, left only in a soft pink corset and matching , picking it up and folding it neatly back into the bag to keep it dry. Not even seconds after she's out of her dress does Hayeon take her by the hand and pull her fast into the water.

The water is warm as it brushes against her ankles, but the cool breeze in the alcove makes her shiver as she wades into the ocean. Hayeon interlocks their fingers and tugs her hard, trying to get her into the water faster, but she catches herself and ends up pressed flush to Hayeon's chest.

Hayeon swoops down quickly and pecks her cheek, stunning her a little. "Sorry, but this has to stay on for now," she smirks, taking Minseon's spare hand and leading it back to where the corset buttons at her spine.

"I wasn't-" Minseon cries indignantly, but Hayeon is already laughing and Minseon pushes her playfully. She pouts, shyly tugging on the ends of her corset. Hayeon is quick to come up from behind and hug her, pecking her just behind her ear. Minseon squeaks in response, hands flying up to to stop any more embarrassing sounds come out of .

"Someday, okay?" she says, winking. Her laughter bounces off the walls, vibrates down to Minseon's bones, and she's too stunned to notice Hayeon taking her hand and tackling her down into the water, submerging them both with a splash that rings out in their ears.

Minseon bursts through the surface of the water, still able to stand in the relatively shallow ocean floor. She's gasping for laughter as Hayeon comes up after her, hair pulled loose from the golden ribbon and plastered to her face.

Hayeon cups the water and splashes her with it, stunning her to silence with the usual dark, mischievous glint in her eyes. They play that way, splashing water in each other’s faces and grabbing each other beneath the water until their stomachs hurt from laughing and their cheeks hurt from smiling. They take turns jumping off the rocks into the water until they exhaust themselves and instead lazily paddle in the water until their stomachs start to grumble for food again.

The afternoon drifts by as they climb onto the shore and eat the last of the fruits atop the rocky ledge. They dive back into the water immediately after and swim until the sky turns pink with the beginnings of sunset.

Minseon looks on in awe as the water glows orange with the sunset, sparkling as the sun begins to fall over the horizon. She pulls her knees up to her chest, wading in water deep enough that the waves crash just above her ankles.

"It's wonderful here," she murmurs, playing with the ends of her hair that had come loose from her bun. "It's no wonder you ran away so often."

Hayeon just chuckles softly, accidentally bumping into Minseon when she pulls her knees to her chest. "It is nice," she says, resting her cheek on her knee. "Not even Hongbin knows exactly where this place is. It's nice to escape sometimes." Then she sighs, propping her chin on her knees and looking out to mouth of the alcove. She holds out her hand in front of her face, white sparks of magic flying into the air and disappearing with a sizzle. "There's a lot of pressure to become the kingdom's royal Caster, especially when the spells are taxing on your body."

Unsure what to say, how to convince Hayeon that she'd share that burden with her in any way if she could, she takes Hayeon's hand between her own and pulls it close to her body. Hayeon smiles at her softly, her gaze warm and endearing.

And overcome with feeling so much happiness and love from the day they'd spent together, Minseon leans in and kisses Hayeon, molding their lips together in a slow kiss. She holds on to Hayeon's waist to steady herself, gently leading Hayeon back until she's on the sand, waves crashing below her back. With a quiet moan, she bites down on Hayeon's lip, and Hayeon goes pliable in her hands. Minseon into , kiss turning slowly needy and desperate as the steady fire burning in her belly flickers ferociously to life. Hayeon whines her name, caught in the space between their lips, and Minseon swallows the noise down.

They kiss like that until Minseon's arms ache from holding herself above Hayeon and until their lungs burn- until they are nearly driven to lust by it all. Hayeon pulls away, panting, and cups Minseon's face in her palm.

"You're a sweet girl," she murmurs, teasing smirk back on her pink, kiss swollen lips. "I think I'm in love with you."

Flustered, Minseon ends up flopping on her to hide her embarrassment. They end up laying that way for a bit, waves brushing against their backs, until Hayeon sits up with a sad smile. She doesn't have to say anything for Minseon to understand that it's time to head back to the castle.

They pull away from the glimmering water reluctantly, shoulders bumping as they reach down into the bag and set out their separate clothes onto the shore. Minseon strips down first, quickly stepping out of her wet clothes and cupping water in her hands to wash of the sand clinging to her skin. When she turns around, Hayeon had already stepped out of her clothes, but Minseon notices for the first time that there are intricate lines of gold on her skin, inked over the curve of her hip and scrawled up to the curve of her chest.

When Hayeon steps to the water, Minseon's hand catches her hip. Her fingers delicately trace the gold on her skin, brushing over every of ink that glints with the sunlight.

"Cormlle naa tanya tel'raa ar' vanimle sila tiri," she murmurs. With shaky breath, she pushes Minseon's hair behind her ear. Their gazes meet, intense to the point that Minseon feels heat sparking in her veins, but Hayeon doesn't look away for a moment. "Your heart is that of the lion and your beauty shines bright."

Minseon shivers involuntarily, hand dropping weakly back to her side. Hayeon kisses her forehead, pulling away with a soft smile to continue dressing.

With their wet clothes packed away and finally covered in the dresses they'd worn out, they set back on their way towards the castle. The sunset glitters over the ocean as they step out of the alcove, beating down heavily on their backs as they climb over the rocks and back up the hill towards the castle. It almost feels surreal to step back into their shoes and walk back into the castle as the sun finally sets over the horizon, the black of night approaching and swallowing the last bit of light.

"You must be tired," Hayeon says as they walk through the gazebo in the garden, lights just starting to flicker to life.

Minseon is about to deny it when a yawn bubbles up. She presses her lips together shyly and in turn, they sting a little.

"Sleep well, okay?" Hayeon leans down and pecks Minseon's forehead before heading into the castle and turning to walk down a different hallway. The trail of her dress disappears around the corner and Minseon's heart stutters as the last of the warmth in her chest fades away.

Kyungmi asks her for details as she helps wash her hair in the bath. Minseon is mostly tongue-tied to respond, and ends up staring dazed at her own hands more often than actually responding. Exhaustion hits her hard as soon as she's dressed in her nightgown, more than she'd really expected.

And so with the memories of warmth on her skin, Hayeon's laughter in her ears, and bright smiles and dark eyes in sunset filling up her vision, she drifts off into a deep sleep.

 

 

 

Minseon spends the next few days with Hayeon, again disappearing after breakfast with Hongbin and returning later only for dinner. But there's a different tension in the air on the last day of the week as they sit beside each other in the library, curled up on pillows beneath the sunlight, or as they walk through the gardens after lunch. The tension feels heavy, something in the heat of Hayeon's gazes pulsing in her veins every time their gazes meet. Her heart beats hard and heavy, stuttering when Hayeon lingers a little longer when she pecks her lips or when Minseon brushes Hayeon's hair back and her fingers brush slightly over the gold jewelry decorating her ears.

She doesn't realize what it is until after supper, when the heat of Hayeon's eyes almost feels like too much and she finds herself crossing her legs beneath the table. After they are dismissed from the table, Hayeon tugs her into the familiar darkened corridor and brackets her against the wall and kisses her until her hands are trembling when she places them on Hayeon's hips.

Because now she understands as Hayeon holds her hand firmly and takes her to her bedroom. Whereas Hayeon's room had been bright during the daylight, it was nearly swallowed whole by the darkness of night save for the candles flickering at her bedside.

Tonight was the second to last night of Minseon's stay. The king and queen would be returning from their trip tomorrow and she would be expected to be around Hongbin until she left.

Hayeon pulls her close, grip tightening around Minseon's hand as her breath comes out shaky, her eyes clouded with desire. "Let me take care of you," she murmurs, the space between their lips nearly nonexistent. "Let me show you how much I love you."

Minseon nods, shaky hands latching on to Hayeon's hips and pulling her flush against her, lips locked as they kiss. The small of her back is pressed against the bed as Hayeon holds her steady, thigh wedged between Minseon's legs and fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head back to deepen their kiss. Minseon moans, feeling the friction increase from Hayeon's thigh pressing the cloth of her dress against her. Her grip tightens on Hayeon's hips, nearly dizzy, as she shifts down trying to increase the friction.

Hayeon pulls back, only for a breath, before she's kissing down Minseon's jaw, lips hot on her neck. Her fingers walk around the buttons at the back of Minseon's dress, ghosting over hot skin until Minseon shivers. She kisses gently at the juncture of Minseon's neck, a mark as she slowly undoes one button at a time. Minseon whines, cut off abruptly in a soft gasp as teeth gently graze against her skin. With each button taken out, Hayeon an even darker mark into her pale skin, just low enough to hide underneath clothing.

The dress falls away and Hayeon looks on with glazed eyes at Minseon, heat churning in her chest at the trail she's left on Minseon's alabaster skin. Lips kissed raw, eyes darker under the flickering candlelight, Minseon tugs Hayeon forward again, kissing her strongly, guiding her hands to the back of her dress to take off her lace corset.

"Please, Hayeon," she gasps, thighs quivering around Hayeon's. Her name coming off Minseon's lips, sounding wrecked already, makes her shiver. She pulls Minseon back in, nipping on her bottom lip as she pops off four buttons and the corset falls away, pooling at their feet on top of Minseon's dress.

Minseon pulls away, eyes fluttering heavy with want as she turns to sit on the bed. She sits propped up against the headboard, watching with heavy eyes as Hayeon's glittering dress falls away and the candlelight flickers warm on her tan skin. Her corset falls away after, and Minseon feels her breath hitch as she takes in the soft curves of Hayeon's body and her narrow hips, golden words twinkling in the light on her skin. The only fabric left is her white lace , and in close distance, Minseon tugs Hayeon over her by the waistband, shivering when she lets it go and the snap rings out in the night.

Hayeon captures her lips again, kissing her and mapping out the press of their mouths, as her hands roam over Minseon's body. Minseon locks her hands around Hayeon's neck, grounding herself as Hayeon splays her palm over her stomach. She tenses under her palm, feeling heat coil there and intensify as Hayeon's fingers work their way to Minseon's s. Minseon gasps, thighs trembling as Hayeon cups her s and works them in her hands, thumbs brushing over her s to keep working her up. Minseon bucks up against her, voice lost in their kiss. Her nails dig into Hayeon's shoulders as the pressure builds.

"Hold out for me," Hayeon whispers, pressing a sweet, chaste kiss to the corner of Minseon's lips. "I'll take care of you."

After a silent, eager nod, Hayeon readjusts them until Minseon is propped higher against the backboard and she's sitting between her thighs. Hayeon looks at her reverently, hands trailing with care at every scar and mark on her chest and abdomen. She presses a tender kiss to a scar just below Minseon's ribs, eyes filled with nothing but love as she takes her time worshipping every bit of Minseon.

Minseon's heart stutters as Hayeon trails her fingers along the insides of her thighs, carefully avoiding where Minseon is aching. She places kisses where her fingers had walked, ensuring she deep, purple marks into the pale skin closest to her . Minseon fidgets and moans her name brokenly, hair messy around her face as she glances at Hayeon between her legs.

"Please," she begs, voice cracking as she admires the way Hakyeon looks just as wrecked as her. "Please, Hayeon, please."

She arches off the bed suddenly, Hayeon having pressed the soaking wet fabric of her underwear against her . She rolls down for more friction, trying to get herself off this way because the pleasure building is almost unbearable. Hayeon manages to work even slower, pulling her fingers away, and Minseon almost cries out until Hayeon ducks between her legs and works her underwear off with her teeth. She purposefully presses her lips against her through the fabric, drinking in every sound as she finally slides the wet fabric off.

With a calm hand pressed to her trembling thigh, Minseon only has a moment to catch her breath until Hayeon mouths at her folds and she nearly loses it then. Her thighs clench and she has to make a conscious effort not to lock them around Hayeon's head. Hayeon is nothing but gentle still as she holds Minseon's hips and works her tongue deeper into her. Minseon's vision darkens at the edges as Hayeon hums, pushing her past the edge. Fingers wound in Hayeon's hair, she sits up and pulls her in fast for a chaste, messy kiss as she s not moments after.

With Hayeon's thumb pressed to her and fingers scissoring her, Hayeon works her through her , pushing the stimulation until Minseon's kisses are sloppy and her vision has gone blindingly white. Minseon keens against her, weakly pushing forward, and Hayeon finally pulls away. She kisses her tenderly until Minseon floats back into her head, dazed and sated.

"I love you," Hayeon murmurs, lying flat beside her and weight on her elbow by Minseon's head as she brushes Minseon's sweaty bangs from her face. Her eyes are caring and sweet as her thumb brushes carefully over Minseon's tender lips. Minseon reaches over with a shaky hand and cups Hayeon's cheek, rubbing her thumb over the heavy flush staining her cheeks.

Silently she asks to return the sentiment. Hayeon agrees with a subtle nod, but Minseon tries to sit up properly and her elbow locks under her weight and she flops on her side. Hayeon chuckles lightly and instead pulls herself closer.

Minseon murmurs praises of love with every inch of skin her fingers touch, kissing Hayeon when she runs out of breath. Her fingers dance along the waistband of Hayeon's until she whines, head dropping forward with a desperate moan. Hayeon adjusts their position, hooking her knees on either side of Minseon and hovering over her pelvis.

Working almost agonizingly slow at first, Minseon dips her fingers below her , pushing the wet fabric back just enough to slide her fingers in Hayeon's folds. Instantly, Hayeon clenches around her fingers and moans, head thrown back as she quickly sinks down on Minseon's fingers. Minseon works her fast, pumping her fingers fast and scissoring against the tight, wet heat working against her. Hayeon bounces on her lap, bowing forward as Minseon's fingers sink deeper and stretch her wider. With glassy, dazed eyes, she takes Minseon's hand on her hip and interlocks their fingers, squeezing as she s with a shuddering gasp of Minseon's name on her lips.

Minseon pulls her fingers out, keeping her hand steady and warm on Hayeon's hip as Hayeon flops on the bed, whining about how wet her are. She tiredly kicks them off and, after cleaning them both up, makes to tuck them both into bed, hands still trembling as she pulls the covers back and helps Minseon slide into bed. She climbs in afterwards, tangling their legs together and making herself small enough to tuck herself under Minseon's chin.

"I love you too," Minseon whispers, pushing Hayeon's hair back. The pads of her thumb brush against the point of Hayeon's ears. "I love you so much that not even a lifetime of talking could express just how much."

Hayeon's breath hitches audibly. She looks up at Minseon with sleepy eyes, leaning up just enough to press a kiss under her jaw. "Me too," she exhales, curling her fingers against Minseon's side. "Me too."

With the last bit of her energy, Minseon sits up enough to blow out the candle and bathe the room in darkness. She falls asleep to the even, constant pattern of Hayeon's soft breath ghosting across her skin, and the image of Hayeon smiling gently in her sleep.

 

 

 

Minseon wakes up the next morning to find herself curled against Hayeon, head pillowed on her shoulder. She groans, untangling their legs and trying to work out her stiff muscles. From above, Hayeon chuckles softly as she scrunches up her nose and stretches her legs out until she feels her muscles begin to strain.

"You're even pretty when you wake up," Hayeon says, smiling as she brushes Minseon's bangs back from her eyes. When her vision clears, Minseon drinks in the way Hayeon's tanned skin glows warm in the morning, the way her dark eyelashes flutter against her flushed cheeks when she blinks, and her plush, red, kiss swollen lips as she bites down shyly into them.

"We have to bathe," Minseon replies, voice scratchy in . "My thighs are sticking together."

Hayeon hums, but neither of them make any move to leave the bed. Hayeon continues lazily carding through Minseon's hair while Minseon drags her fingers across Hayeon's bare skin, kissing her at random intervals when memories of last night spark at her fingertips. They memorize every moment in each other's arms because mornings of waking up together like this are numbered.

Minseon does her best to swallow around her heart jumping into when there's a knock at the door. She grips at Hayeon's waist tighter, hoping to keep her here longer, but Hayeon calls out to Jaehwa that they'll bathe in a moment and dress themselves to meet Hongbin for breakfast.

"Though I think I'd much rather eat you instead," Hayeon says, looking at Minseon with a smirk. Minseon does her best to shove a pillow in her face, but she feels suddenly weak thinking about Hayeon eating her out once more.

With a sigh, Hayeon clambers out of bed first and goes in search of two robes. By the time she comes back, two dark blue silk robes in hand, Minseon had managed to roll out of bed and steady herself on legs that didn't feel like her own. She blushes red as Hayeon looks at all of her in the morning light, not being discrete in the least, but Hayeon takes her hand with a smile and walks them both towards the bathroom.

Much like the bathroom in her own room, this bathroom has a similar layout. There's a small tub carved into the floor, filled with warm water and soap that smells of lavender, surrounded by glass bottles of more soaps. The walls and ceilings are covered in light blue glass, and Minseon shivers as she steps onto the cool floor. Hayeon sets the bathrobes aside on a table laid out with towels for the both of them before she steps into the tub, leading Minseon in after her.

Minseon sighs as she sinks into the hot water. Standing fully in the tub, the water reaches her neck while the soap foaming over the water hardly covers Hayeon's s. She frowns, standing on the tips of her toes as she reaches for one of the bottles of soap along the edge of the tub.

Hayeon just laughs, hands on Minseon's waist as she pulls her close to kiss the corner of her lips teasingly. She leads Minseon over to a ledge at the edge of the tub, fingers pressing into bruises still on her hips. Hayeon sits with her back against the wall of the tub and pulls Minseon to sit between her legs. She presses a kiss to the darkest bruise at the junction of her neck and shoulder before taking soap into her hand and working it into Minseon's hair.

Like that, to only the soft sound of birds chirping in the morning, they bathe in relative silence. Occasionally Hayeon hums to herself when she scrubs herself clean, but Minseon doubts Hayeon even realizes she's doing it. Regardless, there's a lot on Minseon's mind and the silence doesn't do much to untangle the web of thoughts strung taught in her head.

Because last night had solidified what she'd felt that first night at the Moonlight Festival two months ago. She wanted to wake up beside Hayeon every morning and she wanted Hayeon to be the last thing she saw before she drifted off to sleep. She wanted to share their burdens of being royalty with each other, she wanted to sneak into street festivals and dance under the starlight with her, and she wanted to take Hayeon away to special places where they could laugh and smile together. She wanted to be by Hayeon's side, hands intertwined until they were old and their hands were wrinkled when clasped together and the laugh lines ran deep into their cheeks.

Hayeon was strong and kind, independent and gracious, and beautiful down to every bit of her, and Minseon doesn't think she could bear to watch someone else take Hayeon's hand to rule alongside her.

"Minseon," Hayeon murmurs quietly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Minseon turns around, sloshing water over the side of the bath. She sits cross legged between Hayeon's thighs, kept in place by Hayeon's legs locked around her waist.

Looking up at her, Minseon gets her breath taken away again. She runs the pad of her thumb across Hayeon's collar bones, feather light touches across the marks littered over her tan skin. She drags her fingers up Hayeon's neck, tracing the shape of her thick, pink lips. She traces over where her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks and marks the way her left eyelid slopes more than her right. She runs her fingers to the tips of her ears, taking in all of it with a trembling heart before she leans in and kisses Hayeon, slowly and passionately for as long as she can.

"What's worrying you," she asks, hand searching for Minseon's beneath the water. She squeezes it comfortingly, and Minseon feels the familiar spark of magic in her palm that calms her anxious heart.

Exhaling, Minseon bites down into her lip and meets Hayeon's worried gaze. "What are we going to do?"

Hayeon presses her lips together, looking away to a distant spot off the side of the bathroom. She squeezes Minseon's hand, almost nervously tapping her fingers in rhythm at the back of Minseon's palm. "Truthfully, I never expected we'd make it this far," she murmurs. "I've been terrified ever since we started this whole plan that we'd be caught and separated. I can't tell you-" and she pauses, swallowing back the tremble in her voice, "-how many nights I've woken up in terror thinking that maybe we would be separated if anyone told our parents."

Minseon reaches forward, cupping Hayeon's cheek in her palm. Hayeon sinks into her touch with a sad sigh, meeting her gaze with wet eyes. "We've made it this far but I wouldn't be able to stand it watching you hold someone else's hand or kiss anyone else. I want to be by your side every sunrise, every sunset, and every moonlit night sky until we are too old and blind to see the stars anymore."

Hayeon exhales shakily, reaching forward and brushing her thumb underneath Minseon's cheek. Minseon struggles to swallow around the lump in when she catches the tears on Hayeon's fingers.

"I want it too," she chokes out, holding on to Hayeon's hand tighter. "I want us to be together."

"We will have to tell our fathers, then," Hayeon says, pulling Minseon forward with each word. "It's better they hear it from us than finding out on their own."

Minseon looks down between them. She bites down into her lip hard enough for it to bleed. "When will we tell them?"

Hayeon stays silent, pursing her lips as she thinks. "After you depart, I plan on taking Hongbin with me the following week after to the Central Woodlands. Our father will likely come along as well, and together we can tell both of them."

Minseon nods. Hayeon, holding on to her wrist, pulls them together and kisses Minseon until her lungs start to burn. Hands roaming each other, grasping on like they'd slip through each other's fingers if they let go, they kiss until there's a soft knock at the bathroom door.

Hayeon pushes their foreheads together, grip tightening where her hands are placed at Minseon's sides. "Be strong, love," she murmurs. "I promise with all my heart that we will be together."

And even though it’s hard with so many doubts and worries pushing in the back of her mind, Minseon replies, "I believe you."

They finally get out from the bath water, shivering as their feet hit the cold floor once more. Hayeon grabs the towels set off to the side and passes one to Minseon before drying herself off. They work in terse silence, slipping into warm bathrobes before heading back to Hayeon's room. Jaehwa and Kyungmi are waiting there, piles of clothes in their hand and boxes of pigments set up on the dresser.

The tension in the room eases up as Kyungmi pulls pigments from the box and presses harshly into the marks around Minseon's chest. Minseon hisses in response, batting Kyungmi away with a heavy flush on her cheeks and Hayeon's gaze dark on her shoulders.

After breakfast with Hongbin, they spend most of the day together between the library, the garden, and the kitchen. By nightfall, they haven't said much to each other- not needing to say anything to just relish in the moments they have alone together. They haven't touched upon the topic from the morning either, instead kissing when the silence felt like too much or when their thoughts overwhelmed their heads.

By nightfall, they separate thinking it safer to sleep in their own rooms as it was Minseon's last night in the Southern Shores and it was more likely her entourage would find it suspicious if she weren't in her room or Hongbin's. However, reluctant to let go, they hide away in the gazebo until not even the most powerful magic could keep them awake.

She won't see Hayeon in the morning, so Minseon kisses her goodnight and goodbye beneath the twinkling lights of the gazebo. And like the first night they met, Hayeon leaves first with promises that this isn't a permanent goodbye. Though Hayeon won't be able to see her off in the morning, a week is not a long wait when they've been a month apart.

And yet, Minseon's heart feels heavy with worry as Hayeon disappears into the castle, the lean curve of her back draped in a soft dark green gown the last thing captured beneath the twinkling lights before she'd left. Both of them were worried and scared, but maybe there would be a shining strobe of moonlight in the darkness that would guide them together no matter how much the darkness of night robbed their sight of each other.

 

 

 

It's with a heavy heart that Minseon welcomes the carriage of the Southern Shores as the king, Hongbin, and Hayeon step out into the front gardens.

She can see it in Hayeon- the worry darkening her bright eyes and the nervous fidget of her hands behind her back- as if it were a mirror of herself. But Hayeon doesn't have to pretend to be happy like she does. Hayeon doesn't have to mask her fears and smile because the pressure of two kings is resting on her shoulders.

It's okay, Minseon thinks. She would rather it be her to bear the burden than Hayeon anyway.

It's harder to find time to see each other this visit around. With both kings eagerly watching their every moment, it feels like Minseon is tied to Hongbin by chains around her wrists. Her father gets this beaming, starry-eyed look every time he passes by them talking privately and sometimes he pulls her aside to tell her how proud he is of her to finally look for a partner to rule the Central Woodlands alongside her.

She feels guilty for lying to him, now more than ever, but she doesn't regret a single moment with Hayeon.

It takes three full days before they are able to seriously meet without their fathers' prying eyes, and Minseon was close to cracking under the burden. In her room, alone with only the soft twinkling of the ballerina in her jewelry box spinning to a song, she had curled up on the seating lounge with too many blankets in her lap trying to sort through the anxiety bubbling in her chest. She'd never thought she could feel so physically sick with it, but her skin was clammy and her fingertips were cold and there were no amount of blankets and pillows that could make her feel truly calm with her own thoughts.

There are three soft knocks at the door that startle her, making her heart jump into and her muscles tense. She moves swiftly across the room, the blanket that had been thrown over her lap now clutched in her fist. It's the middle of the night and her muscles are strung taut as she opens the door slowly.

It's Hayeon, and Minseon instinctively swings the door open wide enough for her to slip into her room. As soon as the door shuts behind them, Hayeon pulls her into a hug, arms tightening around her. The silence around them is comforting as they stay in each other's arms.

“I didn't think anything could be more torturous than being separated by countries, endless seas of land and people,” Minseon breathes.

Hayeon’s grip around her tightens even more. “Being so close and yet so far apart feels even worse,” she says, easily finishing the thoughts on Minseon’s mind.

They curl up together in Minseon’s bed, silent with the knowledge that Hayeon can't stay for long because Jaehwa had been told to keep an eye on her. Minseon plays with their fingers, mindlessly mapping out the way their hands fit together and the way the flickering candlelight casts shadows on their skin. Sometimes Hayeon sends out sparks of magic from her fingertips, and Minseon watches bright colors dissipate into the air.

“Let's tell them tomorrow,” Hayeon murmurs, almost as more of a thought to herself.

Minseon curls against Hayeon’s side, head pillowed on her shoulder. She looks up and exhales quietly. As much as Hayeon had tried to be reassuring, there are still nerves swimming in her dark eyes.

But Minseon eventually nods. The opportunity would be best in the afternoon when the two kings were likely to be conversing of politics in one of the grand living rooms. “Tomorrow, then.”

The anticipation scared her, more than she could've ever imagined, but Hayeon listens to all her worries when she’s worked up the courage to voice them. She says everything she's scared of until her hands are cold again and tremble where they're pressed at Hayeon’s waist. And Hayeon listens to all of it and promises she'll do whatever it takes with strong, fiery eyes that convinces Minseon enough to stop worrying.

She falls asleep somewhere in the stories Hayeon tells her of her childhood. When she wakes up, she rolls over to cold sheets and hopes with a heavy heart that she can finally stop this charade.

 

 

 

There's a crash of glass shattering against the floor, and Minseon feels something awful drop in the pit of her stomach.

Her father had pushed it aside, intent on finishing his point about commerce with vampires, but the king of the Southern Shores holds up a cautious hand to silence him for a moment. He motions at Hayeon, who is sitting beside Minseon, to cast out a foresight spell.

Minseon didn’t need to know what Hayeon saw to hear more glass shattering and the terrified yelling of servants as they ran through the halls.

“Shadow Hunters from the west,” she says, eyes clenched shut as the magical black aura around her pulses. “They’ve snuck into the castle through the kitchens.”

The Shadow Hunters had been causing trouble in the west for some time now, between hijacking trade caravans and assassinating magical beings when paid enough money. However, Minseon- much less anyone in the Central Woodlands- hadn’t expected them to break into the castle. While the Central Woodlands had far less valuables to offer for theft, there was still the prestige of the royal throne.

Minseon, less powerful and less trained than her father, would be an easier target to assassinate.

Jinyoung bursts into the room then, Kyungmi and Jaehwa behind him. He relays everything that Hayeon had seen while Jaehwa and Kyungmi provide Minseon and her father with knives to defend themselves in emergencies. Minseon takes the knife Jaehwa hands her with shaky hands, tucking it away at the hilt of her dress to hide it.

“Hongbin,” the king of the Southern Shores says, looking sternly at his son, “please protect Princess Minseon and your sister. The King and I will defend ourselves in a separate part of the castle. It’s better we keep the Ruling Family apart.”

Minseon feels like her mind is working in slow motion and it’s as though she only just now understands what this means. She looks to Hayeon, dazed. Her heart aches as Hayeon takes her hand and she looks at her father under the steadily imposing threat.

“Go,” he says, eyes curving into a gentle smile. “You will be safe with Princess Hayeon and Prince Hongbin.”

Unable to say anything around the lump in and the fear and adrenaline in her veins, Minseon nods at her father and finally allows Hayeon pull her away. Hayeon squeezes her hand without saying anything, grounding her as the ruckus in the hallways suddenly sounds like a cacophony of musical instruments blaring in her ears. Her sight blurs as guards rush by, the clattering of armor ringing in her ears.

“The safe room is in the library,” Kyungmi says, producing a blade of her own inscribed with intricate runes. “Jaehwa and I will ensure they stay off your trail.” And beside her, Jaehwa smiles big and happy, unsheathing an identical knife to Kyungmi’s and winking to send them off.

Hongbin stalls for a moment, glancing frantically between the two of them. Minseon almost gathers strength then to tell them to follow them into the safe room, but Hongbin speaks above her. “Please stay safe,” he says, trying to hide the sadness from his voice. “We’re counting on you both.”

Jaehwa’s smile softens, and she endearingly pats Hongbin’s head. “We will see you later when it is safe, Hongbinnie. Don’t do anything reckless.”

Hongbin nods, though his feet stall as if he isn’t ready to leave. However, the screams coming from the first floor jolt him into action and he starts taking off in the opposite direction towards the library.

Minseon looks at Kyungmi as she turns away, her best friend smiling softly before she turns the opposite way and runs with Jaehwa at her side.

Hongbin, Hayeon, and Minseon take off in a dead sprint for the library, pushing pasts servants and guards heading towards the front of the castle. Minseon leads them through a winding maze of hallways, past her own bedroom and even further down a darker corridor towards the library.

But luck seems to be with the Shadow Hunters as five of them crash through the window behind them, spraying glass at their feet. The Hunters growl menacingly, sending cold shivers up Minseon’s spine. Hayeon’s grip on her hand tightens as she pulls Minseon behind her and a glow starts to build in her palms.

Minseon tightens her grip on her knife, holding it steady in her palms. Not a moment later do the Shadow Hunters surge forward, moving with the fluidity of a ghostly shadow. Their bodies impermanent, looking as though they float in the air as they rush forward, but their eyes burn blood red with lust as they bare their knives.

Hongbin sends out the first attack, creating an orb of light in his palm and tossing it at the closest attacker. He quickly dodges a swipe of a second Hunter and places a well aimed kick to its solid head, sending it stuttering back. Hayeon creates two orbs of light in her palms and blasts them at two more. The last Shadow Hunter manages to use the cover of the four others and breaks through their defense, knife bared straight at Minseon.

Minseon swiftly dodges his first attack. Shadow Hunters are sloppy fighters, and Minseon uses that to her advantage. She ducks around the Hunter’s wild swings deftly, managing to lodge her foot in his chest and send him flying back into the wall. The battle around her drowns out momentarily as the Hunter surges back more ferociously, waves of darkness clouding around his body. He cackles wildly, taking large swings of his knife in every direction, and Minseon manages to dodge them all. She s her knife forward, the runes activating and morphing the color of the metal blue, but the attack misses its mark and only makes the Hunter hiss as the metal sizzles upon contact with its body.

She spares a look towards Hayeon and Hongbin, relief washing through her to see them holding their own. Each of them have taken one hunter down on their own. A particular Hunter seems to be bearing down on Hayeon, attack after attack flying towards her, but she defends each one with a yellow shield around her body.

“Minseon!”

The Shadow Hunter seizes its chance while she’s distracted. It lets out a blood curdling scream that makes her legs lock up and her blood run cold. It swings wildly, frantically, its blade screeching as it cuts through the air, leaving red magic behind. Minseon manages to dodge the first swing of the blade at her, the sword singing by her ear as she barely misses it. The Hunter swings again and Minseon knocks the attack back by defense of her own knife, glowing bright yellow in heightened defense. But a barrage of attacks follows, each more ferocious than the last, and with each attack more narrowly missed, with each attack cutting through the fabric of her dress and the stress beginning to overwhelm her, the terror in her heart grows until the fear seizes her. She stumbles back, adrenaline in a chokehold around as the Hunter swings wildly and prepares its final attack.

“Hayeon!”

Hayeon had stepped in front of her, taking the brunt of the attack. The knife swung low, cutting through her left side and leaving a deep gash behind. Minseon watches on, frozen in horror, as Hayeon grits her teeth through the pain, staunchly holding her side, while her free hand works another magic attack. And before the Shadow Hunter can attack again, Hayeon shoves her hand to its head and watches as the spell explodes, erasing the Shadow Hunter as it disappears with a screeching yell.

Minseon steadies her as she stumbles back, managing to move herself fast enough to catch her. She’s panting hard, eyes clenched shut and a faint green light pulsing at her hand on her side. But Minseon can see she’s trying to mask how painful it is, even though Minseon is carrying almost all her weight.

“Hayeon! Are you okay?!” Hongbin asks, taking care of the last Shadow Hunter before rushing over to them. Eyes wide, he glances frantically at his sister, trying to take stock of the damage.

Hayeon’s breath hitches on a groan and it terrifies Minseon. “I’m okay,” she breathes, stumbling to stand up straight. “Cast your foresight and see if there are any others.”

Hongbin hesitates for a moment but he does as he’s told. He casts out a foresight spell like Hayeon had done before, concentrating on looking through all corners of the castle for enemies.

“They’re retreating,” he says, relief obvious in his tone. “Our fathers are safe and so are Kyungmi and Jaehwa.”

Both Hayeon and Minseon breathe a sigh of relief, but the green light in Hayeon’s hand suddenly pulses weaker.

“Hold on to me, Hongbin,” she grits. “I’m going to apparate us to Minseon’s room.”

Minseon holds Hayeon against her tighter, scared as Hayeon starts to murmur a spell and her body begins to glow pink around her. Hongbin holds on as the last of the spell is recited, and by the time Minseon blinks, all three of them have been transported to her room.

Hayeon’s knees lock and she nearly tumbles if Hongbin didn’t help support her in time. Minseon and Hongbin both help her up to the bed, the faint green glow of her hands gone and instead replaced with the deep crimson of her blood.

Minseon can see the damage clearly now. While the knife hadn’t cut too deep, it had cut straight through the golden inked words on her skin. Minseon’s hands are shaking as she reaches out, wishing that the touch of her hands could erase it, but Hayeon catches her hands in the air.

“It is not serious,” she says. “Please, don’t worry about it.”

Minseon’s chest tightens. Hongbin murmurs a spell and once his hands glow green, he presses them to the gash in his sister’s side. Hayeon groans, clenching her eyes shut as the waves of magic settle in, but eventually the pain dissipates and she manages to give Minseon a weak smile.

“The wound will heal itself with magic,” she whispers, wiping her thumb across Minseon’s cheek and catching tears on her fingertips. “Everything is okay now.”

At that, Minseon finally breathes a sigh of relief. She frantically wipes the tears off her cheeks and sniffles, trying her best to steel herself. Hongbin looks on sympathetically, giving Minseon a reassuring pat on the back.

“Do you have salve and bandages on hand?” he asks. Minseon nods, silently moving towards a cupboard on the far side of her room. She pulls out a chest of medicines and holds the salve and bandages tight in her grip.

Hongbin finishes the spell, sweat dripping from his forehead as the green light fades from his hands. He pulls away, ensuring that the gash had carefully stitched closed. Minseon, with feather light touches, applies the salve and wraps the bandages around Hayeon’s waist. She carefully secures it on her hip and exhales the anxiety wound up in her chest.

After putting away the supplies, Hayeon takes her hand and intertwines their fingers. Minseon doesn’t need magic to finally feel calm again.

The doors to her room burst open suddenly and both kings run into the room, glancing at all of them with relief in their eyes. Kyungmi and Jaehwa follow behind them, not even a hair on their heads out of place nor a tear in their clothes. Minseon breathes easier seeing her father, real and safe in front of her.

But her hand is still holding Hayeon’s, and after Hayeon had taken the attack for her, Minseon figures she deserves an honest relationship.

“Hongbin, my son, you’ve done such an excellent job protecting Princess Minseon,” the king of the Southern Shores says, beaming proudly at both his children. “And Hayeon, you’re truly a wonderful daughter.”

Minseon swallows down the fear bubbling in . “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I have something I must admit- to the both of you.” Hayeon’s grip on her hand tightens, almost questioning if she really wants to say this now.

“Minseon, are you sure-” Hongbin starts, but he clamps his mouth shut at Minseon’s very serious gaze.

“Father, Your Highness,” she says, looking at both of them in turn with her head held up. From behind her, she can sense Hayeon beaming with happiness, giving Minseon the strength to continue. “I firstly would like to apologize for deceiving the both of you. Prince Hongbin and I have not been in a relationship for the last few months since he asked to court me.”

The king of the Southern Shores’ face remains impassive, lips pressed into a thin line. Minseon’s father sputters in shock, looking between the two of them incredulously.

She in a deep breath and continues. “My relationship with Prince Hongbin was merely just a cover. Instead, Princess Hayeon and I have been in a relationship in secret.” Minseon looks back at Hayeon, who urges her on with a soft smile. “Today, she protected me in the assassination attempt, and suffered because of me, and it made me realize that she means so much to me.”

The kings’ faces don’t change, and Minseon anxiously continues talking.

“Princess Hayeon has become my whole world, and I’ve fallen in love with a gentle, kind, amazing woman with a heart of gold. I love her with all my heart, to the ends of the universe and back, and I hope that you may both accept our relationship.”

Silence settles thick in the air, almost suffocating with an immense pressure settling on Minseon’s chest.

“Hayeon, is this true?” her father asks, glancing between his children.

“It is,” Hayeon replies, looking down at her intertwined hands. “Princess Minseon is my whole universe, and I’d sacrifice everything to be with her.”

Again, the silence settles suffocatingly in the atmosphere. Not even Jaehwa’s tail twitches with the heavy tension in the air. Minseon’s heart is beating wildly, stuttering with every breath she takes and the kings still haven’t uttered a sound.

Finally, her father speaks first. “Princess Hayeon, you are a brave, strong hearted woman for protecting my daughter- something a lot of the princes wouldn’t have done for her,” he says, a jovial tone picking up as he continues. “I can see that you mean a lot to my daughter, so I hope you will continue to take care of her.”

Minseon holds her breath, watching as her father bows to Hayeon. She hears Hayeon’s breath hitch behind her, and then she flusteredly tries to bow back to the king, only to hiss in pain as she upsets her wound. Minseon immediately flips around and presses a calming hand to the bandage, instinctively worried, until she realizes Hayeon’s father still hasn’t said a word.

She turns to look at him, anxiously waiting for him to speak. All three of them wait with bated breath until the silence draws thin and he looks sternly at all of them.

“What you’ve all done is very deceitful and sneaky,” he says, and Minseon’s heart falls immediately, unable to catch her breath as he continues. “You’ve lied to all of us and thought only of yourselves.”

Minseon struggles to swallow around the lump in , as if she might actually be sick.

But then the king suddenly smiles, beaming happily at Minseon and Hayeon. “However, I have gotten to know Princess Minseon quite well when she stayed with us. She is a bright, ingenious young woman who, I hope, has a wonderful future ahead with my daughter.”

He bows and immediately Minseon bows deeper, bows again and again with gratitude spilling from her lips until her words are caught between gasps and she finally remembers to stop. Kyungmi and Jaehwa are silently cheering from where they stand behind the kings, smiles wide on their faces and silently clapping with their excitement. Hongbin is laughing under his breath, dimples in his cheeks as he looks proudly between Minseon and his sister.

And Hayeon turns Minseon towards her and kisses her in front of everyone, cupping her cheeks to keep her close but pulling away once she starts to laugh from happiness. Minseon smiles and laughs alongside her, forgetting everyone in the room for just a moment as she looks into Hayeon’s twinkling eyes and relishes in the happiest she has ever felt.

“I love you,” she says, the words ringing in her ears because she says it with every ounce of herself she can. She loves Hayeon with all her heart and knows that now they can finally love each other without hiding in the shadows of the night.

Hayeon tugs her up for another kiss, smiling wide and beaming with happiness and looking down at Minseon with an infinite amount of love inscribed in her eyes. “I love you too,” she whispers, saying it like she’s promising Minseon the world.

Minseon holds her hand and smiles in return, promising her the whole world with her heart and intent on giving Hayeon everything.

 

 

 

Minseon takes in a shuddering breath, curling her jacket around her small frame tighter. The sound of waves crashing against the shore are just a whisper in the distance. The wind, saturated with the scent of the ocean, sinks warm under her jacket and clings to her skin. Overhead is a cloudless night sky, stars sparkling as they shine down over the dark night ocean. Minseon stares at each one as it twinkles and blinks out, trying to focus on anything but the anxious, heavy beat of her heart.

She's nervous, and she doesn't want to mess this up.

The glass doors behind her creak open. Hayeon is humming softly as she steps out onto the balcony, a woven midnight blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair is still wet from the bath, the smell of lavender caught on the ocean breeze. She sits down beside Minseon, opening her arms up and pulling Minseon into her chest, wrapping the blanket around the both of them.

"Not tired, yet?" she asks.

Minseon shakes her head. She can see Hayeon's misplaced worry scrawled in the dip of her brow and the slight pout in her lips. Minseon doesn't blame her though; she's had so much on her mind in the last few weeks since the assassination attempt that it's been difficult to sleep. Most nights she was okay knowing that Hayeon was still there, but some nights Hayeon had cast a sleeping spell over her to help. The need for those had become less frequent since she'd taken time to stay with Hayeon at the Southern Shores.

It was harder on nights when Hayeon would undress and Minseon would catch sight of the scar just below her ribs, tearing through the gold ink on her skin. However, Hayeon would take her hand and place it over the words and the scar, whispering that the words had even more meaning since she'd protected the person that was her whole universe.

And in the last few nights or so, she had different thoughts on her mind that were keeping her awake. They were quite silly to even think of, but Minseon would never be able to push back the small bits of doubt that cling to the back of her mind.

They sit quietly beneath the moonlight, backs pressed to the glass doors and hands intertwined as they look out into the ocean. With a sigh, Minseon rests her forehead on Hayeon's shoulder and stares out into the ocean, dazed. She nervously plays with their fingers, teeth gnawing at the torn skin of her lips until it hurt and Hayeon had leaned down to kiss her to make her stop.

Gazing into Hayeon's eyes, she gains a burst of courage. Her heart is pounding in her ears as she shifts to sit in front of Hayeon and takes both of her hands into her lap. Minseon takes in the sleepy, uneven slope of her eyes, the faint blush on her cheeks, and the soft baby pink of her lips, and feels the love for her swell in her chest until she thinks her heart could break through her rib cage.

"Min'Anor, ithil, ar' elenea," she whispers, "lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie amin uir?"

Stunned, Hayeon shoves a hand over and her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. Minseon hears her breath stutter, glancing between her hands and Minseon as if she were trying to wake up from a dream.

My sun, moon, and stars, do you promise me eternity?

Hayeon bites down into her lip, hand twisting in the fabric of her nightgown. "Are you really-" and her breath catches "-how did you know what to say?"

Minseon smiles sheepishly as heat spreads over her cheeks. "Back when we wrote to each other in that book, you told me the story of elven royal marriages and how they promise each other eternity so they may live together," she murmurs, squeezing Hayeon's free hand between hers. She had practiced saying those words in the mirror every night since she had asked Hongbin how to say them. Hongbin, suddenly overcome with a lot of emotions, helped her learn it with damp eyes until she could finally say it without stuttering.

She looks up at Hayeon, eyes twinkling with all the love she has for her. "I'm ready to trade my mortality for an eternity by your side."

At that, a few tears drip down Hayeon's cheek as she smiles as big as she can. There are a few bursts of watery laughter as Minseon wipes away each tear and kisses her with the same raw emotion in her eyes. Looking at her, blindingly bright in the darkness, Minseon has no more doubts about their future.

In her happiness, Hayeon takes their hands together and murmurs a spell. The air turns warmer, sparks of red magic bursting around Minseon as a white light glows from their hands. The light bursts into two halves, and Minseon watches in awe as the light sinks first into Hayeon's chest and then into her own. It's warm and bright, and Minseon feels the happy hum of their bond in her chest.

"Min'aare ar' min'silme, amin weera," Hayeon murmurs, pulling Minseon into a long, deep kiss as the moonlight shines down from the sky and the ocean breeze brushes against their bare shoulders. The bond in their chests pulses with their love, bound to last for eternity.

My sunlight and my starlight, I do.