Haseul finished tying up her long brown hair and twirled around the spacious silent kitchen gathering items as she hummed herself awake. As the occupants of the castle arose from slumber, Haseul was one of the first up to greet the day.

Like every day, she would excuse it as having much to do.

Usually, she would grow bored by the afternoon as there was a lot of help around the castle. It was unheard of for the royal family to assist in the upkeep of the castle grounds but Queen Jinsol and Queen Jungeun were unlike other monarchs.

One being, they were in love.

(But we’ll get to that later. Let’s focus on Haseul.)

Two being, they pulled their own weight around. Their laundry hampers emptied before she could even peek, their dishes spotless before she could ask, their linens folded before she was up the stairs.

Some days, Haseul didn’t even feel like she was working. But today was a special day for it was the princess’ birthday.

And she had a feast to prepare.

And she wanted to get a headstart before the other unofficiated assistant would...

“Ahem,” a meek voice cleared its throat from the archway to the kitchen.

Haseul stopped mid-spin to try to look as inconspicuous but the flour mixing bowl in her hands and the many chopping boards laid out proved her guilty. She awoke earlier than usual - much to her younger sister, Yeojin’s annoyance - so that Vivi would have less to do.

“You started without me,” Vivi said, taking a seat at the bar stool to continue Haseul’s work.

Haseul sighed lightly.

Vivi only shook her head before tying up her own brown locks. She was the castle physician yet somehow got pulled into sous chef, laundry aide, and gardener. It was a tiring tune the two danced to. One of them taking on tasks so the other had less to do, resorting to both of them finishing the tasks quickly and a back-and-forth match of asking what else there was to accomplish.

(Haseul blamed the Jungs for doing more chores than a royal should.)

(Vivi blamed Haseul being too shy to want to do something else together that weren’t assigned chores.)

“What song was that?”

“Oh, um, it was nothing -"

“No, it’s something.”

As daughters of the court musicians, Haseul and Yeojin were naturally gifted with musical capabilities. Yeojin exercised it in a strange form of combining poetic readings to a drum beat that her father greatly enjoyed. While that left Haseul as the singer of their generation like their mother.

(Though they could easily have been representatives of different generations given their age difference.)

Vivi smiled softly as Haseul picked up where she left off without needing to ask. There would be a day when Haseul would follow in her parents’ footsteps and travel with them to grace other kingdoms with her talents.

But she wouldn’t let that thought spoil today.

Luckily for both of them - or not since they’d be holed in a scorching kitchen for the rest of the day - they had enough to occupy their time.

---

As an early riser, the queen could have finished her morning rituals around twenty minutes ago but the arms of her loved one were too enticing to vacate.

Blowing her hair out of her beloved’s face, Jungeun enjoyed the quiet moments of the morning when the castle was still and the air was silent.

Even the gentle snores of Jinsol couldn’t take her peace away.

It felt like it was yesterday when her parents so loudly - it runs in the family - announced that she was to be betrothed to a royal heir from another kingdom. It was inevitable. It was tradition. She hated the inevitable. She hated tradition. What if her future spouse despised her? What if they possessed strange es? What if they never acknowledged her presence? Or worse. What if they desired her presence?

The journey to Jinsol’s heart was far from smooth - part of it being her stubborn heart and her strong-willed mindset - but at the end, Jinsol accepted her.

(And to this day, boasted that she loved Jungeun longer.)

The two were a force. Other royals envious of their bond and understanding. Jinsol’s selfless decision making was set straight with Jungeun’s level-headedness, giving their citizens peace of mind.

And when they weren’t peacemakers, they were wives.

And they were mothers.

Taking after her determination and Jinsol’s mischievousness, Jung Chaewon was a product of their growing love - Jinsol would in that she loved Jungeun longer - and their devotion. Chaewon would be turning ten years old today. Jungeun knew that before she knew it, Chaewon would find herself in her own shoes and married off to another heir.

Jungeun hoped she would be as lucky as she was.

(She also hoped the tradition would be abolished by the time Chaewon was of age but she had years before she would bring that petition to the table. Jinsol was still fresh from being rejected by her when they first met.)

With current diplomatic affairs at a lull, both queens were home more so they could raise Chaewon equally. With Jungeun’s fears, she was more than happy at that arrangement. And if Jung Jinsol the Royal was one person for Jung Jungeun - Jiwoo had already made fun of her enough for her new name - to fall for, Jung Jinsol the Mother was another.

That’s not to say they didn’t have help from the others dwelling in the castle. Haseul and Vivi, who were always looking for something to busy themselves with, were the greatest help of all.

Before Jungeun could think of another blessing, Jinsol let out a grunt in her sleep.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Jinsol grumbled in her sleepy voice.

“That doesn’t make any sense, my love.”

“It makes sense to me. I’m sleeping.”

“You’re awfully loud for someone sleeping,” Jungeun couldn’t stop the smile forming.

Neither could Jinsol.

Jinsol relented to her wakeup call and flipped the giggling queen on her back to kiss her good morning.

---

“Are we there yet?” A rambunctious nine-year-old huffed from her seat inside the carriage.

The drivers laughed from their seat outside at the kids’ never ending annoyance - since they picked up her family and her from their abode, she hadn’t stopped voicing her boredom.

“Still not yet but we are much closer now,” the kind voice of Hyorin assures before looking to her husband with a smile. The drivers had two of their own waiting for them in the castle, but this child’s energy was unmatched.

Her parents, however, were used to it.

Securing her wife’s hand from from wagging another finger at their little girl - once their kid bit the finger to stop her mom’s nagging - Jiwoo offered a sweet look towards Hyejoo instead.

Sooyoung huffed but was soothed by a warm giggle in her ear.

(Keep in mind, as lovable their daughter was, she has threatened to kill her mother - guess which one - more than once.)

But if there was one thing that kept her love intact for her little girl, it was that Hyejoo was a godsend. A miracle baby, the kingdom had called her. It was known that only royals and those of higher stature could produce a child among same gender couples. Yet somehow Sooyoung and Jiwoo, two of normal bloodline, made it happen for them. Hyejoo helped her mother at the fruit stands from dawn to dusk, carrying boxes of grapes and strawberries taller than her. She also memorized all of the positions, stances, and schedules for the Royal Guard in case her other mother missed a rotation.

Some would describe Hyejoo as naturally sweet. Others would say she wouldn’t be that way if it wasn’t for her mother.

(Guess which one.)

See, Sooyoung was the former guard of one former Kim Jungeun. Her move to the Jung castle was short lived followed by a hasty transfer. But a certain someone made her decision to move back worthwhile.

The certain someone was now her wife and mother of the child sighing too loudly for comfort.

Ha Hyejoo never ventured farther than the Kim kingdom border - Sooyoung wouldn’t allow it - until now.

But like every kid’s attention span, Hyejoo discarded her boredom for the ornate patterns on the carriage ceiling. parted which would’ve been filled with another complaint about the long journey to the Jung’s daughter’s tenth birthday celebration. Sooyoung tried to hide her reaction to her daughter’s amazement but Jiwoo picked up on it quickly.

“Stop that. You know she’s just starstruck. She’ll be bored again too soon,” Jiwoo cooed.

Sooyoung and Jiwoo came from humble beginnings and it was through pure luck - and the goodness of Jungeun and Jinsol’s hearts - that they were still invited to royal gatherings. This would be the first one they attended in years as work kept them from travelling abroad.

Thanks to years of service and her daughter’s help if things piled up too quickly, Sooyoung tenured her current knight position. She hoped one day she would be able to afford this grandeur for her wife and daughter.

So these trips weren’t just an annual occurrence.

Not missing the twinkling in Jiwoo’s eyes mirroring a certain little girl’s eyes across from them, Sooyoung would work harder until the day those expressions were permanent.

---
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS CHAEWON!”

Yerim all but screamed the castle walls down as she greeted the royal daughter.

“THANK YOU! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU WHEN IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY LATER!”

Chaewon returned the greeting in enthusiasm and volume.

The rest of the table’s occupants tried not to cover their ears not to offend the royal daughter. Jungeun and Jinsol could only smile at their side of the table.

That was another thing that differentiated the Jungs from other royals.

Rather than each of them taking an end of the table, Jungeun and Jinsol sat wherever they pleased. As long as they were seated by each other. When the other was running late, they saved the empty seat next to them.

Haseul and Vivi found it sweet.

Yerim found it adorable.

Chaewon found it vomit inducing.

Taking her seat between Yerim and Yeojin, Chaewon accepted all the birthday greetings with her arms outstretched as if she was being blessed from the heavens with compliments.

(Jungeun pointed a look at Jinsol to where she learned the gesture from. Jinsol pretended that the coffee was the best cup she’s ever had.)

“Pipe down, we are in the presence of the royal family,” Hyunjin scolded. “And while Mom and Dad are on duty, I’m in charge.”

Hyunjin smiled her apologies to Jinsol and Jungeun but they waved her off.

As daughters of the kingdoms top royal guards - who were given the important task to pick up Jungeun’s and Jinsol’s close friends from the Kim kingdom today - Hyunjin and Yerim were like their own daughters. It would be unjust to let Chaewon rip her vocal cords open and not let Yerim do the same. But they worried more about Hyunjin. Being only a couple years older than the young ones at the table, Hyunjin believed her slight age difference meant shouldering all that responsibility.

(Haseul was the same when her younger sister was born.)

Yerim’s cheerful demeanor could only be dampened for so long before her eyes locked on a small box at the table.

(Haseul and Vivi stared at it in fear.)

“A PRESENT!”

Even Hyunjin had to smile at Yerim’s glee. It wasn’t even her birthday.

“It’s f….for y...you Princess Chaewon,” Yeojin stuttered.

Yeojin offered a toothless smile, sliding the box closer so Chaewon’s eyes could fixate on it. The youngest in the castlehold had long gotten over the social hierarchy between Chaewon and her. Haseul was impressed as it took years for her to talk comfortably to Jinsol and Jungeun. (And her and Jinsol grew up together.) For Yeojin, the fear was replaced by puppy love. It’s why she was submitting her name to become a knight so she could impress the princess with her strength.

It would still be years before she was eligible for consideration.

Jungeun and Jinsol found it sweet.

Vivi found it adorable.

Haseul found it vomit inducing.

“Can I open it Mom?” Chaewon stared up at her mothers who hid their fear well in their eyes.

(Like Haseul and Vivi, they eyed the box warily.)

“Of course!” Jinsol squeaked.

Yeojin had a strange definition of what constituted proper gift giving. Her heart was in the right place; her mind was elsewhere. Jinsol couldn’t blame Jungeun wiggling her way between her spine and the back of her chair to use her as a human shield.

Yerim and Chaewon giggled in delight at the princess’ first gift.

Haseul scooted closer and closer to Vivi, unsure if she was trying to protect herself or the physician.

Hyunjin braced herself with the nearest cutlery.

Jinsol tried not to be affected by Jungeun’s arms holding her tight and her hot breath on the back of her neck.

Chaewon ripped the box apart and the dining hall was louder than ever - Jungeun being the loudest - as Yeojin’s gift hopped out of its box.

---

Hyunjin, like her knighted parents, was gifted with fast reflexes and quick thinking.

Catching Yeojin and Chaewon’s frog in its temporary dwelling and using a plate as a lid, she made her way through the kitchen to set it free, ignoring Yeojin’s pleas to keep it as it “took a long time to court it to get it inside the castle.”

It would’ve been a straight shot out the door if it wasn’t for Heejin standing up abruptly after checking the baked goods in the oven for the party.

But Hyunjin barely flinched as she kept the lid secured, keeping the amphibian away from the oblivious girl. Seeing as it looked like she was hiding a gift from Heejin - minus the mangled wrapping - she corrected herself.

“This isn’t for you.”

Gone was the poised Hyunjin that had scolded Yerim just moments ago. This Hyunjin was deadpanned and flushed.

(She would later blame the heat from the oven.)

“I know. I heard it all,” Heejin returned the shy smile.

She offered the tray of pastries to Hyunjin. As the last cook to awaken, she was ensuring the safety of the kitchen before joining the group for breakfast. But after seeing the chaos - Jinsol protecting her wife with two spoons, Yerim cheering when the frog landed in the chandelier, Chaewon aiming her bow and arrow at her new gift, and Haseul crying in Vivi’s lap - she made her way back to the kitchen to continue her work.

(Well, Vivi and Haseul’s work.)

Daughter of a stable boy and cook, Heejin should’ve been adept at animal care and culinary arts. She possessed neither. After her parents’ untimely death, she was too young to officially take after their jobs. But crying at pigeons on the ground and taking hours to finish a one pot meal, Heejin knew she needed to gain more skills before she could acquire a real job.

So she shadowed Haseul and Vivi, not sure what their real jobs were as they did everything together.

(Even then it wasn’t much work. Jungeun and Jinsol whipped up a nice meal several times a month.)

Heejin knew the queens were too kindhearted to let her go but she was still eager to learn. To earn her place in the kingdom.

With her mother’s apron on as she worked, she was improving in a few skills.

For example, bread baking.

“AHHHHH!” Hyunjin opened , not wanting to take the chance in lowering the box.

Heejin wouldn’t admit that her newfound skills might be due to the stoic knight-in-training signing for bread. Popping a pastry in Hyunjin's mouth, Heejin scuttled to the door to open it for her best friend.

---

“I have a surprise for you,” Jinsol sang as she disappeared behind one of the many entrances to the kitchen.

Chaewon offered her other mom a confused look but Jungeun didn’t know either.

But they could ensure it wouldn’t be as green or alive as Yeojin’s present.

Heejin and Hyunjin rolled a cart out, a black covering concealing something underneath. From the looks of it, it was rough with many edges, poking out at different areas. It almost looked like a diorama of some sort. Jungeun wouldn’t put it past her. Jinsol and her miniature model building was a hobby she would never surrender.

Yerim, Chaewon, and Yeojin climbed on top of each other to figure out what’s on the cart first. Jinsol offered her hand out to her confused daughter in the dogpile.

“My fair lady,” she husked.

Chaewon giggled.

So did Jungeun.

Escorting her daughter to the cart, she whipped the covering off - not without whacking Haseul in the face to whom Vivi comforted after - showing an array of spiky exotic fruits.

“PINEAPPLES!”

“Pineapples?” Jungeun questioned, making her way to her family.

When they first met, Jinsol attempted to charm her way in with expensive gifts. But after the eighth pair of earrings, Jungeun put a stop to it. (She didn’t mind the random pairs of earrings Jinsol still gave her “just because.”) Now Jinsol picked her gifts methodically based off of the recipient’s interests. Even if they mentioned in a conversation just once.

But this one stumped Jungeun.

“Well,” Jinsol kneeled to look her daughter in the eyes, not missing the look of adoration Jungeun threw her way. “You always said you wanted to visit the island kingdoms so I thought I’d give you a taste of what it’s like down there.”

Only Jinsol.

“Oh, and you can taste pineapples,” Chaewon reasoned, high-fiving her mother.

Only Chaewon.

Haseul and Vivi got up to slice the rare commodity and pass it around the table at Chaewon’s request - ignoring Yeojin putting the crown of the fruit atop her head and using her best nagging voice in a Jungeun impersonation - and willfully ignoring the deep conversation happening by the fruit cart.

“I’ve always wanted to visit the island kingdoms,” Jungeun whispered.

Jinsol’s eyes softened at Jungeun’s comment, knowing Jungeun didn’t want to spoil their daughter’s special day. Jungeun’s fear of the outside world was something Chaewon was used to - as she developed it far before she was born. They were both young when the phobia developed and having its up-and-downs through the years - Jinsol being there through every relapse and recovery - they wouldn’t let it get in the way of their daughter’s special day.

(They were both secretly counting down the days when Jungeun’s fear was no more.)

Taking her wife’s trembling hands in hers, Jinsol turned her away from the commotion at the dining table.

“It’s not that much different than here.”

Jungeun knew what Jinsol was doing but she didn’t know much about anything outside their neck of the woods to correct her. She could see Jinsol forming a convincing argument in her head.

(They both also knew Jinsol felt like she contributed to Jungeun’s fear.)

“How so?”

(And Jungeun would devote the rest of her life making sure Jinsol knew it wasn’t her fault.)

“Well, we both have castles and music and fruits even though theirs can be weapons,” Jinsol pretended to get pricked by one of fruits’ spines. “And dancing. Well actually theirs is different.”

“How so?” Jungeun repeated, playing along with Jinsol’s logic.

“It’s called hula dance. And it looks like this.”

Jinsol let go of Jungeun’s hands and circled her hips around, pursing her lips to mimic the sounds the four stringed instruments from the tropical isles. Jungeun tried to keep a straight face, her fears stowed away in the corner of her brain. But Jinsol was just too much sometimes. Everyone around the table looked over at what was causing Jungeun to let out a hearty laugh to see Jinsol obscenely gyrating her hips.

“Mom, what are you doing?” Chaewon whined, mouth full of pineapple chunks.

“She’s doing a hula dance!” Jungeun answered, trying to stop her wife’s reenactment but her hands were busy clutching her stomach in laughter.

“What?”

“HULA DANCE!”

“WHAT?”

“HUULLLLLLAAAAAA!”

---

“Queen Nayeon and Queen Jeongyeon of the Im Kingdom, and their daughter Dahyun,” Yeojin announced at the top of her lungs, the scroll she was holding longer than her height.

The royals tried not to step on the rest of the parchment as they entered the brightly decorated Jung castle ballroom. Most already used to the rather quirky ways of the Jung family.

The party was in full swing as the sun started to set. Jungeun and Jinsol were dressed in their royal colors arm-in-arm exchanging pleasantries with guests of all walks of life, class separation be damned on this day. Hyunjin was holding her head as high as possible, trying to fill her parent’s shoes as castle guard while they freshened up after their trip. Haseul, Vivi, and Heejin were speeding around ensuring no one’s hands were empty of food or drink. Chaewon and Yerim running around the guests being the reason the guests were dropping their food and drinks.

“Knight Ha Sooyoung, her wife Ha Jiwoo and their daughter Hyejoo,” Yeojin’s made sure to read this entry slowly in case Chaewon was listening to her sweet, melodic voi...

“JIWWWWWOOOOOOOO!”

“JUNGEUUUUNNNNN!”

Everyone within fifty meters winced at the ear bursting screams. A blur of red zoomed into Jiwoo’s waiting arms as she caught the giddy queen and spun her around. Being almost a decade apart could do that to a person. But Jungeun was never the most composed of royals.

Jinsol made her way up the steps to greet the guests, unsurprised she could still recognize them. But the small raven haired one huddled behind the visiting knight’s back was unfamiliar to her, not having seen her since she was no taller than her kneecaps.

“Wow, is this Hyejoo now?”

“Ypffff mipth msss,” Jiwoo answered, muffled by Jungeun’s colossal shoulders, before turning her head towards Jinsol smiling proudly. “Yes it is.”

“Sweetheart, don’t be shy. These are our old friends,” Sooyoung baited, trying to sidestep so Jinsol could re-meet her daughter.

“The nice queens that took forever to fall in love?”

Jinsol and Jungeun fought the blush in their faces but couldn’t disagree with the moniker. Without the two in front of them - and many other people convincing them their feelings were mutual - they wouldn’t have made it this far. They crouched in front of their saviors’ daughter so she could meet them halfway.

And when she peeked out behind Sooyoung’s back, their hearts melted.

“Hi,” Hyejoo greeted, the ponytail at the top of her head flopping side to side.

“Hi Hyejoo, I’m your aunt Jinsol. Not your real aunt but might as well be. This beauty here is your aunt Jungeun. We met when you were very young. You know you used to live in this castle?”

Jiwoo cuddled into her wife’s side as Hyejoo took in their every word Jinsol said, giving a short summary of how they knew each other. Hyejoo was amazing at retaining information. She wondered if the two also knew Jiwoo owed her relationship to Sooyoung to them.

(Even if it resorted to Jungeun developing a fear of leaving the sanctity of her kingdom. This reunion was long overdue for all of them.)

“I didn’t know you saved aunt Jungeun,” she addressed her taller mother.

Sooyoung fought an eye roll as Jiwoo shook her head.

(Jinsol did her best not to look hurt that she played a part in putting Jungeun in the face of danger.)

“No, no, no, I saved your aunt Jungeun. That’s how we met,” Jiwoo corrected.

“Why didn’t you save her?” Hyejoo questioned. Her knighted mother fit more of the character type to save the former princess.

That brought Jinsol’s spirits up as she remembered Jiwoo and Sooyoung’s first meeting, which tragic backstory aside was quite the kneeslapper. One would think it would be the knight that saved the princess but it was a commoner that beat her to it. Before Jinsol could retell the tale, another small body joined their group.

“Chaewon, I want you to meet your aunts Sooyoung and Jiwoo. And this is their daughter Hyejoo,” Jungeun introduced, waiting for her daughter to match the name to the face.

“The knight and farmer that didn’t know they were dating?”

It was the visitors’ turn to turn red. Jungeun chuckled into Jinsol’s shoulder, even if their daughter was crass.

“What’s that?” Chaewon eyed the girl and whatever she holding behind her back.

“Oh, this is for you,” Hyejoo stuck her arm out, a stuffed animal suffocated by her strong grip.

Jiwoo and Sooyoung should’ve warned Hyejoo in the carriage about her gift (and the memories it would trigger). They tried to stop her from choosing it but she already spent her allowance and the vendor was adamant on no returns. The town ran the vendor out the next day for selling products that represented a certain species the townspeople were uncomfortable with. There was nothing else they could offer the princess that wasn’t secondhand.

Trained to keep a good face, Jinsol and Jungeun smothered their reactions professionally. But the Has could see Jungeun step slightly behind Jinsol in fear and Jinsol’s hands ball into fists.

“Thank you!” Chaewon hugged the wolf dearly, almost taking Hyejoo with it. “What is it?”

“It’s a wer-”

“A wolf,” Jiwoo finished for her child. “Just a wolf.”

Chaewon furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at her mothers. She was too hopped up on sugar to notice the change in her parents’ appearances.

“I thought you said wolves were evi-”

“Hyejoo, why don’t you and Chaewon go off and get something to eat? You did say you were hungry on the ride here,” Jiwoo saved the conversation a second time. “Is that Heejin and Hyunjin now? They’re so big now.”

Shrugging and oblivious to what was happening above them, the two scurried off, leaving the adults suspended in time as Jiwoo saved face.

---

”Chae, who’s your friend?” Yerim asked.

Her and the other kids were playing in the bubbles Haseul was creating. A concoction of bath soap and water and she and Vivi were the sole entertainment for the kids for the rest of the evening after the main dishes were served. She would’ve joined her parents singing but Vivi looked like she needed help.

(She really didn’t.)

Chaewon pulled Hyejoo in after dragging her up to her bedroom to add her new stuffed animal to her collection on her bed. Hyejoo got a glimpse of a plethora of pink balls with a face on them taking up half the bed, contrasting her grey addition.

“This is Hyejoo. She’s from the Kim kingdom,” Chaewon beamed, showing off Hyejoo like she was the best birthday present of all.

“You’re Queen Taeyeon’s daughter?” One kid asked.

“Well no…”

“Scoundrel! That would mean Queen Jungeun and her are sisters and that doesn’t make sense.” Another kid butted in.

“Hey my sister is super old and we’re still related.”

“I heard that Yeojin.”

“Queen Taeyeon isn’t Queen Jungeun’s mom. That’s her aunt. Her parents are dead from the wer-”

“Okay!” Vivi clapped loudly, interrupting the dispute. She recognized the newcomer immediately as Sooyoung and Jiwoo’s child - everyone heard Jungeun’s warm welcome - the same triangular smile she sported as a toddler now trembling as the other children questioned her heritage. She could sense the discomfort the conversation was bringing to the child she used to watch after. “Anyone want to play a game?”

Vivi and Haseul rearranged the room for musical chairs while the kids took turns with the bubble wands - hurrying as Yeojin dared someone to drink the mixture - sparing a glance at each other.

It was still a touchy subject in the castle and they weren’t sure how much Chaewon or Hyejoo knew.

But a birthday would not be the day they would find out.

---

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty, but it’s news about the Choi kingdom,” Knight Taeyang interjected, bowing his deepest apologies to the queens.

Jungeun and Jinsol spent as much time as they could with their daughter but she couldn’t be contained within one activity so they let her run free. Instead, they danced the night away, keeping pace with their old friends so they can catch up on old times.

From a distance, it looked romantic. The two pairs were trading dance steps it seemed. But Jinsol and Sooyoung were trying to outdo the other in dipping their wives. Jungeun and Jiwoo welcomed the knight’s interruption to give a break to all the blood rushing to their heads.

“Taeyang, you just got back from a trip. A long one if I may add. Go enjoy time with your daughters. They….they are….well they are somewhere.”

Last Jinsol saw Hyunjin and Yerim, they were raiding the dessert trays with Heejin and Yeojin.

“You’re right. I apologize again,” Taeyang bowed.

Jungeun stared up at her wife, hair wild and eyes glazed - attributed to the blood pooling in her skull from being over-dipped - and offered a small smile.

“Go.”

“What?”

“I’d like to spend time with Jiwoo anyway,” Jungeun looked over at her friend who was swatting away her wife’s mischievous hands tickling her. Some things never changed. “Go debrief and come back to me.”

Jinsol pouted.

She wanted to spend more time with her wife.

Jungeun was quick to kiss the pout away.

She extracted her best friend from her former royal guard and led her into a waltz. But Jiwoo was not having it being led by Jungeun. Their waltz quickly turned into a flurry of playful punches and swats (which Vivi unfortunately found herself in the crossfire).

“Come on,” Jinsol took Sooyoung by her collar.

“Why do I have to get debriefed? I don’t work for this kingdom anymore.”

---

“A Kirby.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Oh my mothers imported many illustrated novels about the pink hero,” Chaewon ranted as her and Hyejoo shared a soda.

For the other kids, it was a treat. But Jinsol’s addiction to carbonated beverages and her wife’s affinity to sweetened milk teas meant it was a common taste for Chaewon.

(Which is why she pretended to be full so Hyejoo could finish the rest of the drink.)

The other kids were lost in their own hand games on the staircase - Hyunjin winning whatever game she was a part of with Heejin cheering behind her. Hyejoo and Chaewon found themselves at the top, effectively blocking out the music until is was a pleasant thumping on the furniture around them.

Hyejoo was surprised the royal daughter was still having a conversation with her. She excused it first as her duty but Chaewon genuinely cared about her. Turns out, Hyejoo had just turned nine and Chaewon had wanted to gift her one of those fluffy pink circles on her bed.

(Hyejoo declined, a little creeped out at how the dolls looked in the moonlight.)

For Chaewon, it was the same feeling of surprise. She showed Hyejoo around as her obligation but Hyejoo felt more like a friend. She was told they grew up together - Hyejoo taking Yerim’s old crib when she was born - until Sooyoung was transferred.

“How come you haven’t come back until now?”

Her teacher would scold her for her improper grammar.

“My moms work a lot.”

“Oh you must be bored a lot.”

“No, I help out a lot too. My mom doesn’t know this but I resharpen her knives for her because she doesn’t do it right,” Hyejoo pounded on her chest in pride. “I also know how to throw a knife on target.”

“That’s amazing Hyejoo. You know I can shoot an arrow on target. Mom said I always got to be ready for the wolves.”

“Why would you want to shoot arrows with wolves? Can they even hold a bow?”

“I don’t know. That’s just what she told me.”

Hyejoo took another swig at her fizzy drink, suppressing a burp until the princess was out of hearing range.

But they have yet to be apart since they met.

“I’ve always wanted to try archery but…”

The girls let the silence speak for itself. A new set of a bow and arrows could’ve been traded for food for a week. Chaewon knew she was one of the more fortunate people. Many of the outfits the kids were wearing - even Heejin and Hyunjin’s - were newly pressed.

Her mothers were doing their best to make sure everyone in their kingdom had access to the same opportunities she had. But scandals from greedy commoners and business people hindered them from fully meeting that goal.

Which is why her birthday was open to the public.

Yet the only kid she wanted to mingle with was Hyejoo.

“If you visit again, I can teach you.”

“I would love that Your Highness.”

“Chaewon.”

“Your...Chaewon.”

---

“Are you sure you have to leave tonight? You can take our bedroom and we’ll take the reading room. Hyejoo can share Chae’s room,” Jungeun offered.

“Yeah, they’re children. They don’t take up much room. You can stack them,” Jinsol narrowly avoiding Jungeun’s swat.

The full moon shone a pleasant path for Taeyang and his wife Hyorin to follow when they dropped the Has back home. Jinsol thought they should spend more time with their family but they were the best knights in the kingdom and they couldn’t trust their childhood friends with anybody.

(Hyunjin already marched Yerim to bed once the party was declared over so they got that part covered.)

Jiwoo and Sooyoung offered an apologetic smile. They’ve already sacrificed a lot to make it to this celebration. Jiwoo could’ve made a few more schillings if she set up shop today. Sooyoung would’ve had extra credentials for a promotion if she worked the night round.

But seeing their friends again was worth it. The age lines were deeper and their eyes more sunken but they were still the same Jungeun and Jinsol. (And in their brief reunion, the same Haseul and Vivi.)

“We really should get going Jungie,” Jiwoo apologized but her teary eyes negating the statement.

“We will try to see you again. Be sure to continue inviting us,” Sooyoung said.

“You’re always invited,” Jungeun replied.

Jinsol nodded in agreement.

Sooyoung’s need to prove herself aligned with the Kim kingdom’s fall from grace. Queen Taeyeon’s knights didn’t want to serve under a forever-single queen. Sooyoung was the first to jump at the opportunity. Hyejoo was barely three when they moved back east. But they knew they were always welcome in the Jung kingdom and if the opportunity presented itself again - hopefully without the power vacuum - Sooyoung and Jiwoo would make the Jung castle their home again.

(Jinsol was serious about stacking the kids.)

If the childhood comrades were having a hard time saying goodbye, it was surprisingly harder for the strangers that only really knew each other for a few hours.

“I’m going to miss you Chae…”

Four gasps were heard.

“HYEJOO! Address her properly.”

“JIWOO! She’s practically family. Chaewon, did you give permission for Hyejoo to call you that?”

The small girl nodded.

Before the tears formed, not liking that Chaewon was being lectured, Hyejoo scooped up the girl in her arms, glaring at the moms, royal or not. Even though she was a year older, Hyejoo trumped her in stature feeling helpless as Chaewon started to tremble. It helped that Chaewon came out with a blanket - in case it rained she reasoned - so Hyejoo could easily cradle the girl. Hyejoo looked up to her moms for the next step in a crying princess situation.

It wasn’t in her mother’s knight handbook.

Jinsol and Sooyoung kneeled before their daughters, feeling guilty of their quick judgment.

(Their wives held in a sigh.)

“We’ll see each other again soon, okay?”

“Hyejoo it’ll only be a little while.”

“But our birthdays are too close together. It’ll be a long time more.”

“If my next meeting calls for it, I’ll take Chaewon with me to the Kim kingdom.”

Jungeun ignored the pang in her chest at not being invited. But it’s not like her fear would allow her to go anyway. She felt a comforting hand on her back and thanked Jiwoo for being there.

Both girls nodded and hugged each other again, engulfed in Chaewon’s blanket.

“You smell good.”

“Thanks, it’s the pineapples. I covered my blanket in it.”

“Chaewon, why did you—”

“You can have it if you want!” The girl held her blanket out in a death grip, mirroring Hyejoo’s earlier stronghold on the plushie she bought Chaewon. “It can be my late birthday present to you.”

Now it was all four moms’ time to gush.

Chaewon knew her parents would find her another blanket anyway.

(They did.)

“You have my blanket and I have your wolf,” Chaewon explained as Hyejoo slipped the cloth from her fingers.

Jinsol didn’t bother hiding her disgust at the reminder there was a stuffed version of her mortal enemy in the castle, no matter how cute her daughter’s voice was. Sooyoung and Jiwoo had already apologized a million times during dinner. The four of them understood that the young ones had no real idea what kind of changes the wolves have brought upon them all.

Why Jiwoo had to be the one to visit Jungeun, never the other way around.

Why Jungeun had these fears despite being an outspoken and outgoing child.

Why Sooyoung needed time and time again to climb the ladder despite her heroic adventures beforehand.

Why Jinsol still felt like all of it was her fault despite her wife’s (and the kingdom’s) objections.

When they would reach a mature age, they’d tell their children about it all.

(Jinsol hoped Chaewon would accidentally lose the wolf toy by then.)

“You best be on your way,” Jungeun said.

The longer they stayed, the more anxious she was getting. It wasn’t any darker than it was an hour ago but she wanted her best friend, her wife, and their child in their beds before midnight.

Boarding the carriage, the trio waved their best friends off, cradling the girls who felt like they lost a best friend as well, counting down the days they would see each other again.

But little did they know, another attack would take place along the trail to the Kim kingdom before the Has were safe and sound.

It would be years before they were reunited once more.

And much to Jinsol’s displeasure, Chaewon kept the stuffed wolf until then.

 

 

NEXT CHAPTER UPDATE: THE NEXT FULL MOON

Q (ourtuneissohigh): Hi, I'm Q. I wrote Red Velvet fics but somehow I got pulled into stanning Loona. I blame Jinsoul and the bop that is "Stylish." We Jaden Jeong-ed the heck out of this fic so much more to come. See you on the next one. Twitter | CC

N (LazyNinja on ao3): Hey, I got Q to stan Loona and therefore make this story exist. Hope you enjoy. Twitter | CC