A/N: Rules as usual: italic for flashbacks, single lines for small time skips and double lines for big ones (days/weeks). Please enjoy^^ 

Silence. The room filled with so many people was surprisingly silent.

A solemn look on her parents faces that was mirrored by the small crowd, attentive eyes on the every move of the old man who carefully set the crown on Chaewon’s head – her new crown, the one she would carry for the next years and that came with much more than a pretty design and beautiful jewels; it came with the burden of a nation.

The man finished adjusting it, making sure it was perfectly placed on top of Chae’s soft reddish hair, before stepping back and taking a deep bow. “Your highness.”

Chaewon gave him a slightly nod, a silent thank you, before feeling the weight of her parents’ hands on both sides of her shoulders – their touch was gentle, trying to comfort her, but it felt like the burden over her shoulders only increased, making it a little hard to breathe.

“From today and for all days to come, I, Kim Chaewon, promise to protect and care for this nation as my right of birth…” She started, her words slow and careful, each sentence said with the confidence of knowing this oath for as long as she was alive – and with the dread of having to utter the words that were never meant for her to say.

Her brother never got to say those words, his right to the throne granted the moment he was born as the eldest son of the family, those words should only be needed when it was time for her father to pass down to him the right to rule as a the king of Aurum. It was his burden to carry, his right and obligation. Still, here she was, having to say every single word to be acknowledge as the new heir – someday she would have to say it all over again, and she wondered if it would be as painful as it was now.

Every sentence took a lot of her, not only because she had to do her best to keep all emotion in the back of her mind, ignoring the burning feel in her eyes, but also because she knew every word would be held against her for the rest of her life. From now on she would be a ruler first, and everything else should be secondary in her life – even her own pain.

She kept her eyes on the people, her head held up high as it was expected from her, however she wasn’t really looking at them. As her gaze traveled through the great hall, all she could see was memories.

Taewon’s soft chuckle echoed through the chamber as he ran a hand through his hair, receiving a disapproval look from Chaewon. The teenager boy had sneaked out for a swim – in the lake by their summer house instead of the indoors pool –, a mischievous look on his face as his little sister clicked her tongue, nagging him.

“You know you shouldn’t do it, you had obligations-” Chaewon started, repeating what they would listen from their tutors all day. At ten, she was still a child, but as part of royalty the siblings never really got to experience fully the carefreeness of childhood. Although Taewon would find ways of doing so, every once in a while.

“I will always have obligations, little sister. An infinite amount of them!” The fourteen-year-old boy interrupted, his voice light and playful as he reached out to ruffle her hair softly, making the little girl let out an annoyed ‘yelp’ before getting away from him. “Take it easy, Chaewonie.”

“Stop! Hmph!” She snorted, trying to put up an annoyed façade, even though there was a glint of playfulness in her eyes as she poked the side of his body with a bony finger in retaliation. They often played like this, with the boy teasing her and Chaewon tickling his sides in revenge, it was one of the times she could just laugh whole hearted and act like the child she was – but they didn’t have time for it now. “We need to get ready for dinner, your guests will arrive soon.”

Taewon shook his head, glancing at the bed where his clothes for the night were already waiting for him. “My guests? Lord Kim and his daughter? You mean your favorite playmate and the dude that keeps asking me about my plans for the future of our industry?” He pressed his lips into a thin line, before leaning in to get to his sister’s level. “Can’t you replace me only for today? That kid likes you better anyway.” He winked at her, causing the young girl to blink in confusion before shaking her head.

“No. Mom said they’re your guests, you have to receive them well.” She would be there too, of course, but she knew the older couple and their daughter was coming to see her brother. Chae wasn’t sure exactly why, but her parents really wanted Taewon to be friends with Minjoo, even if the two of them only exchanged awkward greetings – Chaewon, for her part, always found it easy to get along with the girl who was almost the same age as her, and often they would play together while the adults interacted. Frowning, she stared at him. “It’s just a dinner.”

The young prince sighed, before giving her a small smile. “It’s never just dinner. Sometimes I wish I could make my own choices, at least about it.” Taewon rested his hands on her thin shoulders, his smile almost faded as he stared at the girl for a moment. “You probably wouldn’t say it if you were in my place, would you?”

Chaewon’s frown grew deeper, and she opened to tell him to go get ready and stop acting weird, but the boy spoke before she could.

“Yep, you definitely would not. You’re just like dad…Maybe I will ask you again in the future.” He smiled fondly at her, ruffling her hair once more before starting to push her towards the exit. “Now go, I need to change!”

“Ask me what?” Chaewon tried to argue, but he was already pushing her outside the room and she could only snort in annoyance. “Wait, Taewon!”

“To be the queen, of course!” He shouted through the now closed door, but there was a laugh in his voice – or at least, Chaewon though it was one, when in fact it was a humorless chuckle she was too young to understand.

Taewon didn’t have to ask her to replace him, life had found a cruel way of making it happen.

Two weeks ago, her brother had simply slept to never wake up again – ‘sudden death syndrome’ sounded like a silly name, but it was a real, terrible reality. There were no signs, no indication of anything, one day he had simply not woken up and suddenly Chaewon’s world was falling apart.

She wasn’t even able to cry about it, everyone was so desperate to try – anything – to explain what happened. Her family was stuck in a hospital a whole day, doctors coming from everywhere and reporters screaming questions at them every chance they got. Even the military had come to the palace, searching every inch of the place for any clues that it might have been a crime and not only a sick twist of fate. It was all useless, there was no big scheme behind it, nothing like the dramas and movies, just the cold, grey reality.

After this, everything was like a blur. She could barely recall the funeral, thousands and thousands of people filling up the streets to say goodbye to a prince who would never get to be the king.

Once more, Chaewon didn’t have time to cry, having to stand straight beside her parents and accept her new obligations. She was then tested to all sort of things, the doctors looking for any symptoms that could indicate the same could happen to her. A genetic screening showed it wasn’t a possibility, she didn’t carry the genes that could result in Taewon’s particular condition and even if she did, it wasn’t active in women.

Even now, she was being monitored constantly – the risk of anything happening was too great for her to not be. Now that Taewon was gone, she was the only heir left and therefore the only one who could keep their bloodline going. She was raised to be a diplomat, to help her brother with minor issues and stay back, as a supporter, instead of a ruler…Now it was up to her to do it all.

“…For the kingdom of Aurum, and for the people of it, I vow to keep my promise.” Her final words echoed through the room, marking the final of her life as the second daughter and the beginning of it as the crown princess. Bowing her head slightly, she could hear the sound of coordinate clapping slowly filling up the room until it was all that could be heard – the officer said something more, probably announcing her official title, but she didn’t mind him.

It was done now.

Lifting her head, her eyes met the crowd once more, much more chaotic than before – people were relieved, glad that the order was restored, while Chaewon was still broken inside. However, this time someone caught her attention.

Standing only a few meters away, among the rest of the nobles, familiar chocolate brown eyes were looking back at her, sad and concerned. Minjoo tried to give her an encouraging smile, but it was weak, her pretty features covered by a mask of sorrow very different from her goofy grin. The tall man beside her, the former occupant of first chair at the parliament, had a resolute look on his face as he bowed to Chaewon, making the girl to do the same in return. Chae only nodded, pursing her lips tightly together.

Taewon had not only left behind a title, he also left a fiancée.

“It’s what is best for our country, Chaewon. We can’t afford to decline it now.” Her dad had said, his voice quiet, almost apologetic, as her mother patted her back in what was supposed to be a comforting way, but only made her feel trapped between the two of them – for the second time that week. “Minjoo is a lady like no other, she was raised to be the perfect consort for a king…Or queen.” He gave her a small nod, a tight-lipped smile on his face – of course, Minjoo was supposed to marry her brother, not her. She was just a replacement. Again. “I know you get along well with her, you will be happy together.” The reassurance sounded empty to her ears, words meant only to get her to agree – whether or not she would be happy in a wedding was never in question there.

Still, she slowly nodded in agreement. What else could she do?

Her parents had taken her to one of the small rooms used for meetings in the palace, a far more formal place than their family area where they would usually meet to chat in the morning while having breakfast together. She knew right away something was off and when they started talking about the country’s situation and how important it was to reestablish control over it…It doesn’t take a genius to know what was going to happen. Chaewon was thinking about that possibility ever since the funeral, such an odd thought to have at that time, but that turned out to be true now.

Taewon’s death had put the whole country in turmoil, the uncertain regarding the future of the throne led to all sort of problems – monarchies were always vulnerable, they were no exception, now it was clear how much. The speculation about what could happen was affecting their economy already, they needed to show they still had everything under control, that Chaewon was there to take over Taewon’s place and she would be as good as he could be, or even better. That’s why she had been crowned less than two weeks after her brother’s death, a strong market campaign was launched to make sure every corner and crane of the nation could recognize her face and acknowledge her new status – the same campaign would repeat over and over again how healthy the new ruler was, assuring that the Kim family wouldn’t step down the throne anytime soon.

It was sickening, she was there to smile and take photos, shake hands with politicians and greet her people, to show an image of strength and power…All this while going through the toughest time of her life. And now they were about to go to a new stage of this show.

Minjoo’s family was rich, more than this, they were very influential – not only in the economy but also in politics. The other Kim family didn’t share the same surname by chance, they were descendants of the same nobles that had, so many centuries ago, found that island and helped to create the prosper nation they lived now. Their bloodlines lines had separated long time ago, but the families still kept a close connection, in various levels. A wedding would make those ties official, show people that not only the royal family still had an heir, but they also had powerful allies.

It was the oldest trick in the book and Chaewon knew it would work perfectly. It would be selfish and foolish to not agree on it.

“Does she know about it?” Was all she asked, thinking about the other part involved in this.

Her mom nodded, giving her trademark calm, composed smile. “Her parents are bringing her to see you. We thought you would like to talk.” She gave Chae a gentle pat on the back – supportive, encouraging. She knew her parents loved her and it was also a tough decision for them, still it was something they couldn’t escape. “Please, think about it well, darling.”

Once more, Chaewon only nodded, excusing herself to go back to the family’s quarters where she would wait for Minjoo – she could’ve waited for her in the conference room, but it just didn’t feel right. It wasn’t right that their wedding was being treated just like any other commercial agreement.

She had met Minjoo plenty of times before, they had known each other for pretty much her whole life. Min was a good friend with who she had shared very good moments and with who she felt comfortable and happy, she was someone she really appreciated and cared about, someone she really loved – in more than one way. Chaewon was supposed to be her friend, while Taewon would be her husband, what meant she had to keep her distance and make sure her feelings would never be anything but platonic. Now, suddenly she was supposed to do the opposite and this brought her a mix of emotions.

Taking a seat by the inactive fireplace, Chae glanced at the watch clock over it – almost evening, she would be there soon. The last time they spoke, it was around the same time and in this very own place. Over two weeks ago, after the service for Taewon’s funeral.

It was late now, the navy-blue sky didn’t seem to have a single star shining, just the dull, infinite darkness. Chaewon felt her legs incredibly heavy as she sat on the couch in the small living room of her apartment inside the palace, the one place she knew she would be at peace at least for a while.

The funeral had taken all of her energy, dealing with so many people while suppressing her own emotions was taking a toll on her, making her feel like she was nothing but an empty shell. She thought she would break down as soon as she was all by herself, finally allowing the tears that suffocated her to fall. But in reality, her eyes were dry, her chest heavy with a pain she couldn’t control.

Every time she closed her eyes, in the hopes good memories could come to comfort her, all she could see was the pile of ashes inside the small urn that looked just like one of the vases in that very own room. It was hard to believe that it was all that was left from her brother – not the bright smile and mischievous eyes, not the gentle pats on her back and hands ruffling her hair, not the bear hugs and kind words…Just colored glass containing the remains of a bright person that was no longer there.

Her chest tightened, so much weight on it that she could hardly breathe, still no tears left her eyes. It was almost frustrating that she couldn’t bring herself to mourn properly, that she couldn’t cry her eyes out and ease the pain. Maybe having to suppress her emotions for the last few days, had made her unable to do it now – even this right was taken away of her.

A light, almost hesitant, knock on the door took her out of her thoughts. Chaewon sighed, wondering if she should just ignore it – she deserved, at least for a little while, to have her own space where she wasn’t princess Kim Chaewon, only Chaewon who just lost a loved one.

However, soon the door was cracked open just a little, a brunette head appearing as the person took a peek inside the room. Chaewon frowned, ready to tell off whoever dared to just walking into her private space without permission, but her protests died in as soon as the newcomer turned to look her way.

Minjoo.

“Chaewon? Hey.” Min said giving her a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes, her soft dark hair framing the face adorned with worry. “Can I come in?”

No, she would have said no to anyone else – Minjoo was always an exception for her. “Yes.” She replied quietly.

Now with the proper permission, the younger woman came into the room, taking a seat beside the princess instead of picking one of the comfortable chairs opposite her.

Chocolate eyes inspected Chaewon’s face, worried and fragile. For Minjoo, that week also felt like a nightmare, even if not for the same reasons. Taewon was supposed to be her husband one day, and she had grown up with the firm belief that it was her destiny, whether she liked it or not – she never really fought it, her parents always said it was an honor and something that would bring only good things to all of them. And if anything, Minjoo wanted to make her parents proud.

She admired the young prince, with his charisma and nice personality, he was kind and charming too, always polite and he never mistreated her – still, it was only it. Taewon was only a nice guy she knew, but nothing more than that. Nonetheless, her and Taewon were never really close, the four years gap wasn’t big enough to make their relationship impossible, but the lack of interest from both parts, was. It wasn’t love, just a comfortable agreement for their families.

The news of his passing made her sad. Who wouldn’t be? Someone as nice as the prince deserved a long, healthy and happy life. But this sorrow, wasn’t as deep as the one you would expect from a fiancée, it was the same she would have felt for any other person. Indeed, it was only when her parents started arguing about what would happen to the promise the other Kim family had made them – her marriage –, that she recalled their connection. Actually, her mind had been clouded by another thing, a worry for someone else.

While Taewon always pushed her away, always avoiding their dates and treating her like a baby cousin instead of a future wife, his little sister was the one to be there for Minjoo and naturally, they became closer – so close, to the point that Minjoo would anticipate her failed dates with the prince, just for the chance of meeting the princess who would be there when the man ditched Minjoo with some lame excuse. She didn’t mind, ever since they were kids, her and Chaewon matched just right. 

Thinking about how Chaewon must be feeling now, made her heart ache, and wish to go to her and give her a tight embrace. Her affliction must have been visible on her face because her parents had tried to calm her down, claiming ‘it would be okay’ and that they would ‘fix it’ – she really didn’t understand what they meant at the time, but she accepted the hugs and asked them when she would be able to visit the other family.

Two days later, here she was. After long hours accompanying the funeral, where she was unable to do anything other than watch Chaewon from the distance, now she finally had the chance of talking to her – sneaking into the royal family quarters wasn’t an easy task, but she was close enough of the older girl to be granted a free pass from the queen herself.

She reached out to squeeze Chae’s hand lightly. ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ didn’t seem enough, an impersonal sentence Chaewon must have heard hundreds of times today. Therefore, she just squeezed her hand again, seeing the way the older girl’s shoulder slowly came down, tension leaving her body as she accepted the silent support.

“Are you okay?” Chaewon asked as she squeezed back the soft hand on hers, keeping her eyes on it instead of facing the dark orbs that carried so much emotion in them. She didn’t get the chance of talking with Minjoo before, only seeing her face in the middle or a nearly infinite crowd of people. She wondered how the girl felt, how much it affected her.

The young princess was in no condition of comforting anyone now, still she couldn’t help but feel the need of doing so.

The brunette only shook her head slowly, a gentle tuck on Chaewon’s hand, requiring her attention. “I should be the one asking.”

Chestnut met the chocolate gaze for a quick moment, her chestnut eyes opaque with pain clouding the usual glint they had. “He was your fiancé.”

Minjoo frowned slightly, they both knew it was never like this, not really. “He was your brother. How can you be fine?” Chaewon had lost someone she loved, while Minjoo lost someone she never got the chance of loving. Taewon’s loss had a huge impact in both of their lives, changing their future and making it full of uncertainty – and maybe that was the reason why they could find comfort in each other.

“I’m not. Yet.” Forcing a smile, the princess tried to show a confidence she didn’t really feel. Minjoo was her friend, but also part of her people, she wasn’t supposed to show her weak side even to her – or else, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to control herself and breaking down wasn’t an option at the moment. “I will be okay, for everyone’s good.”

The younger sighed, seeing right through Chaewon’s façade. Being born in a high-class family, she could understand some of the pressure Chae was under, however the pressure over her was nowhere near the one the princess had to deal with now. Having to put aside your feelings for the greater good was an outdated idea, yet so real in their world – she wished she could save Chaewon from it, even if only for a bit. “But you don’t have to be just yet. Not in front of me at least.”  She added the last part in a quiet voice, only loud enough for the redhead to hear.

Outside those doors Chaewon may be an important figure, someone with her shoulders burdened with thousands of responsibilities, but here she was just a friend who needed comfort and Minjoo was willing to provide it.

Chae’s grip on her hand became a little tighter, her hands shaking slightly as she took in a deep breath – the tears weren’t there yet, but there was a hole in her chest, something Minjoo was slowly helping to heal with her words and touch. The pain wouldn’t go away, but there was a small, steady wave of warmth running through her body as well now.

Without a word, she just allowed herself to rest against Minjoo’s warm body, her head finding her shoulder while both of her hands still gripped onto Minjoo’s left one. Vanilla slowly filled her lungs, calm and sweet, familiar and comforting – Minjoo’s scent was just like her. Chaewon closed her eyes, and for the first that day, the image that came to her mind wasn’t one from the funeral, instead of it she just concentrated on the sound of Minjoo’s breath, and for a little while it was enough to calm her heart.

Min lifted her free hand, gently resting it on Chaewon’s cheek, her thumb caressing it lightly. There was nothing to say, nothing that could really bring her any comfort, so Minjoo hoped her presence would be enough.

Chaewon didn’t cry that night, but somehow her silence seemed sadder than any sob.

That night, she had fallen asleep on Minjoo’s shoulder and when she woke up two hours later, the girl was long gone. Chaewon had sent her a simple ‘thank you’ text, not knowing what else to do, nor having time to do anything else. The next morning, she was taken to another medical appointment and for the next weeks she wouldn’t have time to see the brunette.

Today it would be the first time they would have a proper talk in over two weeks and the topic was far from trivial. Several times the question about what would happen to Minjoo came to her mind, after all, if her brother was raised to be the king, Minjoo was raised to be the future queen. Even if they were never a couple, the promise had huge implications on her life – and now on Chaewon’s as well.

For her, there was no option but agree on it. She wondered if it was the same for Minjoo, if she was okay with this idea or just being pushed into another deal her parents decided making without asking her opinion – this idea saddened her. Growing up, Chaewon slowly learned the reason why her brother would avoid Minjoo, even if the girl was a pleasant company: it wasn’t about Minjoo, it was about seeing her as just another obligation in his life, another choice made for him.

Just like that night, a gentle knock was heard before Minjoo entered, this time without hesitation.

Standing up, Chaewon gave her a smile that was more apologetic than happy.

The slightly taller woman returned the gesture, the smile on her face was smaller, but it looked genuine. She inspected Chaewon’s face, trying to decode her feelings through her expression, but end up just shaking her head slowly – as usual, the princess tended to think more about others than herself, what was a great quality for a ruler, and a terrible flaw for an individual. Meeting her gaze, she made her way to her.

They would usually exchange informal greetings and the conversation would happen naturally, but this time they could only stare at each for a while, unsure of what to do.

For Minjoo, that week had been equally stressful. Her parents were restless, their big plans for her future threatened now that the prince was gone – it was never about what she wanted, never about who she liked or not, for her parents it was the golden chance of reaching the final status of power. She couldn’t recall a time where she wasn’t told about how important her future marriage was – even as a child, this idea was deeply planted in her mind, as if it was her only purpose in life.

It didn’t surprise her when they said they planned on keep the agreement, this time with the new heir. She had argued that it wasn’t the right time to think about it, but her parents just shut her up emphasizing the importance of taking the chance before someone else did – once more, they didn’t bother even asking if she was okay with it. All it earned her was disapproval looks.

She had closed herself in her room, and pondered about it for a long time. She was no longer a child, having just completed her higher education, she could challenge their decision and leave the house to live from her own work, ignoring the games of the high-class. Like that she would be able to make her own choices and maybe even find someone she loved enough to marry…Only that for this, it meant leaving Chaewon behind as well.

More than once she imagined how things would go if she was betrothed to Chaewon instead of her brother, how easy it would be to just accept it, to just fall for her…Now she had the chance of doing so, without any restrictions, she could enjoy all the feelings the older girl brought her. So, she said yes, she agreed on coming to the palace and talking to Chaewon about the wedding and promised to give a concrete answer about her decision after it.

She needed to know how Chaewon felt about it first – as of now, she was having a hard time reading her. She wanted them to be together for the right reasons, but there were just too many wrong ones.

A simple gesture made her think that maybe Chaewon’s heart was in the right place too.

The older girl opened her arms, slightly awkward, inviting her for a hug. “I don’t want this to start in the wrong way.” It was a simple, yet meaningful gesture and Minjoo didn’t hesitate in giving her the hug, involving her by the neck as Chae’s arms hugged her back.

“It won’t.” Minjoo said quietly, as she nuzzled her face on Chaewon’s shoulder, the space that seemed to be just the right fit for her. The gentle scent of mint and strawberry filled her senses, familiar and pleasant, it was a combination she knew well by now – how many times had she hugged Chaewon before? At least a dozen, yet, it never seemed enough; she tightened her grip on the redhead a little more, and Chaewon’s only reply was to bring her closer.

They stood there, just enjoying the warmth of the embrace for a long moment, both taking more from it than a simple friendly hug – it was their first contact as a couple, if they were to be one, and it had a different weight to it. Chaewon thought that if their marriage was to be filled with hugs like this, she didn’t think it would be that bad, quite the opposite.

“Let’s talk.” She requested after a while, slowly breaking the embrace, to take Minjoo by the hand and guide her to the small couch they had sat on last time. Even if their hands were still linked, she missed the embrace, realizing how much she liked having Minjoo in her arms. She couldn’t really claim her decision was selfless, when clearly her heart was taking part on it too. Giving her a smile, a genuine one this time, she began. “I would like us to be completely honest today. Whether or not you agree on it, you should know we will still be friends.”

The reassurance wasn’t needed, Min knew the other girl well enough to know she wouldn’t hold this answer against her – after all, Chaewon more than anyone else, could understand the pressures she faced. Nodding, she looked down at their joint hands, feeling a small ball of warmth bouncing inside her chest. “I think the same.” If they were supposed to start a new phase in their relation today, she wanted to do it correctly. “My parents told me about it in the beginning of the week, they have been talking to your parents ever since. I said we should wait more, but all of them seem to think this is an emergency.”

“I figured. Things have been…Tough.” Chaewon nodded, containing a grimace. Yes, it was too fast, but there was nothing she could do about it. The public needed reassurance and this was the one way they had found to provide it, to guarantee the family’s place. “I can’t blame them for thinking it would be the best decision, because honestly, it’s the easiest way. But I don’t think this should only be about what is the best for me or the kingdom.” Squeezing her hand lightly, Chaewon let a calm smile make its way to her face, making sure Min knew she meant her words. “I understand if you would rather to make your own choice this time.”

The brunette didn’t return her smile, frowning slightly. She couldn’t say it surprised her completely, Chaewon had always been caring and kind, showing her more consideration than her parents ever had. “But you won’t get the chance of choosing, will you?”

The princess didn’t reply right away, refraining from sighing. Being born a princess granted her things most people could only dream about, yet it also came with its own limitations. As the second child she had more freedom than her brother ever had, but she would still have to find a suitable partner, even if her choices weren’t as restricted. As the only heir now, it was no longer an option. “They will probably find someone else. Maybe from one of the neighbor countries...” They probably had a full list now, prepared for any situation, maybe even reached out to some people already – anything to protect the kingdom and the family, that’s what she always heard. “My parents tried to introduce me to a few people before, but it wasn’t an emergency back then, and I was only a second daughter so my options were different.”

Minjoo nodded slightly, the answer was expected, but still made her uncomfortable.  Chaewon couldn’t run away from her duties, even if it meant to be trapped in a marriage with a stranger. The idea made Minjoo nauseous, she didn’t want to imagine it, she didn’t want Chaewon trapped in an unhappy union. Holding her hands in between hers, she lifted her gaze to meet the chestnut one. “Three months, right?”

Chaewon’s jaw tensed as she nodded. Three months was too little to get to know someone, especially when she had a full schedule where their ‘dates’ would be only restricted to quick meetings in the safety of the palace grounds. This time was only for the kingdom to be able to get used to the idea and her parents to plan the wedding, it had nothing to do with really making her get to know and fall for someone. “The sooner I get married, the better. They probably expect kids within the first couple of years as well.” Her whole life planned in the span of two weeks, three months and it would all be made eternal.

She felt a heavy weight on her chest, however Minjoo’s soft hands pressing hers gently made it seem a little lighter – she knew it was selfish, but she silently prayed for Minjoo to accept it. She could live with Min, she could be happy with her…She wished she could make her happy too.

The younger Kim gave Chae a half smile, loosening the grip on her hands and watching her face grow darker as she broke the contact – a queen should be good in hiding her feelings, yet Minjoo could see all of them on Chaewon’s face in the moment; and this was just only one extra reason to why she made her decision.

“I hope they have your eyes.” Taking her hands to Chaewon’s face, she gently cupped it. Watching the grey that clouded her gaze with sadness be replaced by confusion as she blinked, waiting for an explanation. Minjoo chuckled softly. “Our kids. I always thought you have beautiful eyes.”

Chaewon hesitated for a moment, taking in her words and trying to search for a confirmation in her eyes. The onyx-like orbs only reflected care and trust, a hint of stubbornness in them as the girl stared back at her. Slowly she lifted her hand to rest on top of hers. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Chaewon.” The younger woman didn’t hesitate, her gaze only showing a glimpse of insecurity as she continued. “Unless you have your eyes on someone else…”

“It wouldn’t be possible.” She had her eyes on Minjoo even before, when she knew she wasn’t supposed to look at her, and no matter how much she tried, she was never able to look away.  “I promise to try to be the best for you, as a friend and as a wife.”

Minjoo let go of her face, involving her in another embrace instead. “I know you will.” She would do the same, she would try her best to grant them the happy ending all movies seemed to have for princesses, although real life was far from it. “Three months is not a lot of time, but I want to make the most of it. I want to see all sides of you.”

Hugging the brunette, Chaewon smiled slightly. She just wanted to sink in Minjoo’s warmth and breath her familiar scent, relaxing for the first time in days. “You already know most of them. There isn’t much to see.”

“I disagree. I’m sure there is more to you than you ever allowed me to see. I’m sure once I know you fully, I will learn to appreciate you even more than I already do.”

A/N: Hello there. How are you all doing? This project will be pretty short since it was supposed to be an OS.  Not sure when the next update will be, but I will try to make it asap.

As usual, thank you for reading and supporting. I’m sorry about any mistakes. Please let me know what you thing :)

** Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), also known as “sudden death syndrome” is an actual condition that englobes a couple of heart-related diseases and it happens mainly in young men, especially ones of south-east Asian heritage.