Being the wife of the future queen was a lot more challenging than what most people expected. Chaewon might be the one inheriting the throne, but it didn’t mean she was the only one with responsibilities – and Minjoo was just starting to understand how big her own responsibilities were.

Her parents had raised her to be perfect for this role, however, it didn’t make the task any less tiring. Every day she would have a full schedule, from charity events, to commercial meetings and reunions with the people, to formal gal events they would have to attend as a couple. If her work at her dad’s company had taught her anything it was work ethics, to be organized and work quickly, never forgetting about her priorities and the people she should helped. This meant long hours of work, making sure she would be the best duchess – her new life and work title – for that nation and not only just someone to add to Chaewon’s burden.

Minjoo had a lot of ideas, she knew their nation was small and still growing, and she wanted to make it an even better place. She had told Chaewon about it and they had similar views on many issues, albeit back then all they could do was talk about it, clueless someday Chae would be the one doing the final calls and deciding the path their country would follow. She was confident her wife was able to do wonderful things and she wanted to be there to help her – although they didn’t have much time together now.

Just like her, Chaewon had a full schedule that wouldn’t even allow them to enjoy a proper honeymoon – the closest thing to it they had was a weekend in the summer house of the royal family, and even then Chaewon still would have to make several calls and be in contact with her whole team.

Now that they were living in the palace – that was huge enough to make Minjoo unable to see her wife for the whole day, even if the two of them never left the house –, the two were bombarded with not only work, but also her parents’ interference. Minjoo’s parents, so ironically, seemed more affectionate than ever, paying her quite a few visits and going on about how proud they were of her…Minjoo couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with it. She had always tried to be a good kid, with good grades and a good behavior, still they were never as proud of her – they didn’t want a kid, they just wanted a way to get into the royal family and her whole existence revolved around it.

Min tried to not take it to the heart, but it was hard to not do it. Therefore, she would always claim to be too busy to see them, and so far, it seemed to work – her parents would probably lose interest in her now that they had gotten what they wanted, and they clearly were eager to enjoy it.

She never really wondered why her parents wanted her to become a royal so bad, after all the couple had told her since she was very young: you should always thrive for the best and, for them, the royal family was the best. Her dad, in particular, always seemed to feel as if it was some sort of right denied to him before, a right he would make sure to get back – Minjoo didn’t appreciate the greed in his eyes whenever he talked about it, with his deep voice echoing through their house as if he was calling his plans into life. Regardless, now they had achieved this dream – through her, and albeit part of her loathed it, she would gladly ignore this aspect of her union and focus on her own reasons to be married now.

Chaewon.

She smiled to herself as her steps took her to the figure seating by the edge of the indoor blue pool, illuminated by the white lights of it and surrounded by the steam coming from the hot water. It was a long, tough day, for both of them. But Chaewon, as expected, was there to keep her promises – and it made Minjoo love her a little more.

Locking the door behind her, Minjoo approached her wife with quick steps, placing her slippers aside before sitting beside Chaewon, her feet touching the warm water as she admired the intricate design of the white ceiling that was as elegant as expected from the royal palace. The room, with its white floor and cream walls was cozy and personal, big enough for dozens of people, but still felt just like their own little private paradise behind the safety of the palace’s walls. No wonder Chaewon had picked this place for today’s date.

“Good evening, your highness.” She greeted in the playful tone that was her way to show Chae affection, receiving a small, tired but fond smile in return.

Chaewon reached for her hand, taking it into hers. “Thanks for agreeing on meeting me here, your grace. I know I’m late, but I hope you can forgive me…Again.” Her smile was now apologetic and the younger brunette just shook her head in a negative – there was no need for apologies when she knew her wife did her best to keep her word always, however, her responsibilities didn’t make it an easy task.

They were married for a little over two weeks now, two weeks that brought them together more than all the years before, even if they didn’t spend as much time together as she wished.

They would sleep together every night, exchanging soft kisses and warm hugs that made her feel like she was at home, no matter how big and intimidating the palace could be. Just like at the summer house, she also had her own, richly decorated room that was located inside Chaewon’s personal apartment, yet she chose to sleep beside the redheaded woman – she would do it even in the times Chaewon didn’t manage to come to bed until the early hours of the morning after a long meeting, looking for her princess’ familiar and comforting mint and strawberry scent on the sheets, until her wife joined her and involve her in a loose embrace.

Breakfast was the only meal of the day they would share without exception, their conflicting schedules making it hard for them to meet at the appropriate times for the other meals. Nonetheless, Chaewon was creative when it comes to creating time and ways of meeting her wife, what meant that at least two times a week, they would meet like this.

“You’re not. Actually, you look like you could use some sleep.” Minjoo’s reply carried a hint of worry, her right hand coming to cup Chaewon’s cheek. The dark circles under her eyes were becoming more and prominent and Minjoo was starting to consider hijacking her wife from her duties until they were no longer there – unfortunately it wasn’t an option, so she would have to just try to make sure Chae would get at least enough rest that night; later, it was still early and she wanted to enjoy some quality time with the princess.  “You always pick the nicest places. I would come running anyway.” Giving her a gentle peck on the lips, she rested her head on Chaewon’s shoulder.

“I promised you to always find time, but I can’t even take you to a date outside the palace.” Chaewon let out a sigh, squeezing Min’s hand lightly. To make this little date with Minjoo possible she had to skip dinner to read through a new law being passed in the parliament next week, gaining some time so she could be with her wife later. She didn’t want them to end up as strangers because she dedicated all her time to work, no matter how important her work was. “So, I thought we could hang out a bit here. Being close to water seems to help you to relax, at least that’s what Taewon used to tell me.” She added, hoping to have made the right call.

Of course, as usual, she was worrying for no reason. When her gaze met Minjoo’s, the younger woman looked pretty comfortable, with a calm smile on her face as she clung to Chae’s arm, scooting even closer to her. “Your brother was right, it really gives you a sense of comfort.” Min’s sweet voice was enough to make Chaewon relax, a little more confident in her choice now – albeit, she promised herself she would find a way to give them a proper date as soon as she could. “And as maybe you’ve noticed, being close to water seems to be our thing. I really like it.”

“Is it?” She tried to recall their past dates and the important moments they had together and it was easy to picture, it was usually the ocean instead of a pool, but the effect was the same now – the soft sound of the water, the gentle feel of it against her feet and Minjoo’s presence by her side. Definitely she wanted it to be their thing. “Maybe I should ask them to build more lakes and pools around the kingdom.” She joked, resting her head on top of the brunette’s, hearing her gentle chuckle in reply. If it was to always listen to Minjoo’s laugh, she wouldn’t mind sounding like a crazy queen telling people to dig up lakes.

A comfortable silence fell over them, the kind that was needed after a busy day. Being around Minjoo always made Chaewon feel at ease, making the burden over her shoulders lighter and her mind clear, pushing aside her worries to allow her to enjoy being close to the one she loved.

Their marriage wasn’t like an average one, but it was so precious to her. Knowing Min would be a constant in her life, that she would be to hug her to sleep every night and wake up to her adorable sleepy face every day, was something she would never take for granted, always cherishing it the best way she could. She may be a princess, but even for her there were things unachievable, and being with Minjoo used to be one of them – even now, she was still trying to overcome her insecurities that always made her a little too careful, a little too apologetic towards her wife, trying to push away the fear of losing this new reality.

Chaewon just wanted to enjoy it, even if it meant skipping some meals once in a while.

“How was work today?” Min’s voice took her out of her thoughts.

“The same old.” She tried to contain another sigh. Most of the time there was so much to do that her brain was only half focused on the people, still worried about all the other things she still had to do and deciding what to do first. “The wedding really helped our economy and right now we’re doing the most out of it. I want to use this moment to try and implement all the things I can, because I know we might not have as much luck next year.” She needed to establish herself as a ruler, more than to protect her status, it was the only way to grant she would be able to do the things she wanted to do for the people. At the age of 24, she was facing even more opposition than her older brother used to deal with – albeit Taewon was never as passionate about it, he never let their people down. “But turns out it’s a lot more work than I could ever imagine. Dad is acting as if he has already stepped down, leaving it all up to me and…And to be honest I’m a little afraid to fail.” It wasn’t a light burden, it wasn’t just dealing with money, but with people – her people – and she had to keep it always in mind.

“You won’t.” Minjoo tighten her grip on the older woman’s hand, trying to comfort her. She didn’t need to lie, if there was someone who could lead their nation, she was sure it was Chaewon. It didn’t mean it would be easy, it would be naïve to even think ruling a kingdom could ever be simple, but she knew Chae had what it takes to do it – and she was by her side to help now. “You’re smart, and dedicated and really hard working. Moreover, you’re kind and thoughtful, you care about people. Aurum couldn’t have asked for a better ruler.”

“I would like to think that.” Chae gave her a small smile. It wasn’t something she could possibly predict, it was something she had to work hard for every day, something that she had no option but do her best. “Once Taewon told me I would understand when I was older, now I think I understand it all too well.” Back then she was just a little girl and her brother’s words didn’t make any sense, ever since she became an adult, and especially now when she had to fill in his shoes, she could see what he meant.

Taewon never wanted to be a prince, he never wanted to be a king, but it wasn’t his choice to make – it was depressing to think the only way for him to run away of his responsibilities was leaving this life. Chae’s chest contracted painfully at the thought, making her stir, assuming a tense posture. She couldn’t fail her task, she had to do her best for Taewon, too. “You know, he used to joke saying I had a crush on you. He was pretty on point with this one.” She tried to light up the mood and push aside the pain, doing what she had been doing for over four months now, and focusing on something else now.

Minjoo knew her wife too well to miss her reactions, acting quietly to comfort her – she let go of her hands, opting to hug her instead, leaving a light kiss on her jaw. She waited for quite some time for Chaewon to open up about her loss, but she knew the woman wouldn’t allow herself to break down, that she didn’t have this option even if only under Minjoo’s loving eyes. Therefore, she didn’t pressure her, letting Chaewon show how much she missed her brother in her own ways, expressing her mourn and healing slowly. “Did you bring me here today because you miss him?”

Reaching out to touch her face, Chaewon nodded slowly. “Yes and no. I always miss him, but today I just couldn’t stop thinking about how he always sneaky out of lessons to swim and that’s why they kept this room locked when we were young…”A small, broken chuckle left her lips. Most of the time it was okay, most of the time she was able to ignore the pain, to ignore the memories and pretend it was all good, however, once in a while she couldn’t help but remember. In times like this her chest would hurt, a weak, but persistence pain that would stick with her no matter what she did. “I just thought we could make new memories here.” The kind of good memories she didn’t have the chance of making with her brother, both of them too busy studying to play together in the pool of their own house. “I try to not think too much about him. To…To just focus on the good memories and pretend as if he is still here, just in one of his escapades instead of…” She shrugged her shoulders, sinking into Minjoo’s arms. There were no tears in her eyes, she was past that stage, now it was the silent, constant pain of knowing she could only accept what happened. “It makes me feel somewhat better.”

Minjoo just listened in silence, her dark brown eyes shining with understanding as she hugged the princess a little tighter. There was nothing she could do but being there for her, helping her to go through the moments of pain and back to their little, safe and happy reality, only bringing with her the good memories of her brother. She ran her hands through Chae’s back, leaving kisses on her face every once in a while, slowly bringing back the smile to her face.

“And how was your day?” Chaewon was the first to talk, going back to her apologetic mode as she pulled back slightly to face the younger woman. It was supposed to be a date, not a sad moment for them. She could almost hear her brother nagging her for being so clumsy at dating. “I’m sorry if they’re burdening you-”

“Stop. You always apologize when you don’t have to.” Clicking her tongue, Minjoo smiled warmly at her, making it clear it wasn’t needed. Slowly, she would also fix this habit of her wife, reminding her that they were partners in life and not just people in a business relation. “It’s a lot of work, but I knew it would be and I like the feeling of being able to make a difference.” Nodding, her smile grew wider. “I’m also glad to do it as long as it helps you.”

Relieve washed over Chaewon as she mirrored the brunette’s smile, a sense of pride rising on her chest. Minjoo was really one of a kind, the most amazing person she had ever met, and once more she promised herself to always cherish and care for her precious future queen. “Is it too soon to say I love you?” The words came easily, no need to hold back now.

Minjoo’s smile was hesitant for a moment before she let out a hearty giggle, warmth filling her body just like Chaewon’s love filled her heart. “It would have been too soon twenty years ago. Just in time five years ago, now is a little bit overdue!” Bringing her into a tight hug again, she still had a large grin on her face as she found her favorite place on Chaewon’s shoulder. “I could feel it. I can feel it now, too.” Her voice was low now, fond, as she inhaled Chae’s scent and just marveled at the feeling of being loved and love back – she already knew it, but it would never cease to amaze her. “I used to be afraid I would be never be to able to hear these words from you, or to say it back.”

She was afraid of many things back then. Of being trapped in an unhappy marriage, of loving Chaewon even when she knew it was wrong, to have to disappoint and fail her parents just to break free from a bitter life – many things that tortured her mind over the years, but that could no longer hurt her, things that would never be a problem again.

“You can do it now…If you want to.” Chae’s voice was equally small as she replied, gentle, almost hesitant – and listening to it made Minjoo’s heart even fuller.

She wouldn’t miss the chance. If once she was afraid to see Chaewon find and fall in love with someone else, now she was the only one who could shower her with all the love and she was more than willing to do so. “I love you, Chaewon.” She pulled back to face the chestnut eyes that she loved so much, seeing the same glint of adoration on them. “For the longest time now.”

Chae’s eyes that were blurred with sadness earlier, were bright and alive now, her smile reaching them as she rested her forehead on Minjoo’s. “Since a very long time ago. But it’s worth the wait.” Brushing their noses together first, making Min’s musical giggle to be heard once more, she gently brought their lips together for a kiss.

It was light, sweet and the perfect way to make their feelings known. It wasn’t about passion, but a much bigger thing: being able to say and do all they were denied for a long time; to embrace their new life together.

For a while they just exchanged those sweet, loving pecks and enjoyed the new feeling. It was surely a new memory Chaewon would like to keep forever.

“What about we use this pool?” Minjoo suggested after a couple of minutes of cuddling. It was only the two of them and albeit she didn’t bring her swimsuit, she wouldn’t mind doing like the old times and ruining some clothes in the pool in exchange for some moments of fun – it wasn’t like they couldn’t ask for a new change of clothes once they were done or simply swim in their underwear; the last option was still a little embarrassing, so she would leave it for later. “I heard swimming before sleeping is the best!”

“You say that, but I remember clearly you being the one who would make a mess whenever we went swimming when we were kids…” Shaking her head, the princess was ready to remind her wife they didn’t have proper clothing either, but Minjoo was faster to act – using her feet in the water to splash some of it on Chaewon, her loud laugh echoing through the chamber as Chaewon let out a surprised exclamation. “Nothing has changed!”

And just like when they were kids, she made sure to return the attack and in no time they were both a mess – but a pretty happy one, their laugh filling the place as they played in the water and ignored their adult problems for a little while.

By the end of the night, both Kims were tired, but very content as they finally went to bed together, in between smiles, kisses and hugs.

Two months into their marriage, Minjoo was getting the hang of it – from dealing with her lovely wife and their blossoming relationship, to handling all her workload. Yet, it didn’t mean she enjoyed everything.

She was currently at another meeting with some members of an association of farmers, one of the moments where she would have to play the old role of listening to their complaints and answer in the most appropriate way. It was very different from her old job at her dad’s company where she would mainly stay in front of a computer all day working on creating new reports and analyzing data. Here she had to use all diplomatic skills she was taught since birth, making sure to never promise anything she couldn’t really do, but also making sure all her answers would make her people happy – it wasn’t an easy task, since she didn’t plan on lying or exaggerating the truth, but sometimes it was hard having to crush hopes.

Today the association had presented her a request for new areas for farming within the limits of one of the islands located at the south of their sea, claiming that with more land they would be able to produce more and it would be good not only for the farmers but also for everyone else in the rural area as it would bring money to the region. The request was fair enough, but not as easy as they were trying to make it seem.

Their country was made out of islands, with limited farming space and natural reserves that were very strictly controlled by the government. Granting the farmers more land, would mean to bring them closer to the reserves, raising the risks of contamination, deforestation and illegal hunting. Minjoo wasn’t a fool, she knew the farmers who were there right now were probably being manipulated by bigger, cunning companies who planned on buying the areas once they were in the hands of the people instead of under the government’s surveillance.

“Your royal grace, if you allowed us only this much land, we could make the lives of our people better! Finding a job isn’t easy, but we could create new ones. People with good jobs won’t complain about the government, instead they will praise it! With new land we would be able to have enough space to raise cattle and we could produce or own cheese and…” It was the president of the association, a well-spoken man who had probably been a salesperson at some point in his life considering how good he was at manipulating his words. Unfortunately, the duchess wasn’t easily impressed.

Minjoo almost rolled her eyes at his words, the not so subtle threat that was included in it – he was just saying, in a much nicer way, that the people wouldn’t be happy with her if she didn’t give them what he was requesting. While she didn’t plan on being a bad ruler, she wouldn’t crumble under the pressure of anyone, no matter how small or big the matter was. “Cattle? Your request was for farming only, Mr. Jung.” She gently interrupted, her voice calm and eloquent. “I actually studied your case before and I couldn’t help but notice something.” Opening her file, she went over the pages, rereading the sentences she already knew by heart.

With a short nod she signalized to one of her assistants to change the projection to her own presentation, just a short paragraph beside the picture of a map. The text only summarized the concession of land, while the map showed the said area that was only a dozen of kilometers away from the current location they were pleading for.

“Do you recognize it? This land was granted to an association, less than two years ago. I checked the file and their claims were very similar to the ones you’re making now. However,” She glanced at the men, a small smile making its way to her face. It was time to show them she wouldn’t be a pawn in their game to get easy money, nor their country was a playground for greedy enterprises. “This was sold to an exploration company only six months after the title was granted. This association was very similar to yours…Actually, an association many of you were a part of.” Hitting her fingers lightly on the wooden table, she watched as her words reached the men, causing them to look nervously at each other, their president becoming pale.

“All considered, your request has been declined. Also, an investigation regarding the activities that are taking place in the land owned by your association will take place as soon as possible.” Minjoo announced closing her file, and standing up, her gaze still on the men. “This country works for the people and for our people only. Aurum is not a nation only for the rich, we are a nation for all.” Forcing a polite smile, she bowed her head in a small reverence that the group was quick to follow with much more exaggerated versions of it. “Thank you for coming. Secretary Park will show you the exit.”

With even deeper bows, the group slowly left, the president being the last one to leave – his mouth agape, as if he was trying hard to come up with anything to say, but couldn’t do so. He had his face red now, embarrassment and anger apparent. She could bet that he would have screamed at her if she wasn’t part of the royal family now. Well, he would have his proper punishment once they sized all the assets he had got himself illegally.

“Well done!” Kriesha, her assistant and old friend – one of the people she had managed to bring with her from her old job –, congratulated in a low voice so no one else could hear them. For what Minjoo could only give her a relieved smile, raising her fist in a small gesture of celebration. It was childish, but it was their own little tradition to celebrate every meeting that went well and it was one of her ways to ease her nerves after a tense moment like just now.

It had only taken her half an hour to solve things in that meeting, but she had prepared a lot for that in the morning, studying the case and making sure she would make the right decision.

Apparently Kriesha’s voice wasn’t low enough to not be heard.

“Really well done. In my first months as the royal consort I could barely understand what they said and my adviser was the one doing all the work.” The queen had said, coming closer to greet Minjoo with her usual, calm and elegant smile. Yuri was quick to bow in a greeting and leave the royals alone, leaving Minjoo to deal with Chaewon’s mother on her own – what shouldn’t be, but still was a little intimidating.

“Your high…Mom.” She corrected as she noticed the woman’s eyes narrowing in reprehension. Minjoo knew the queen and her husband ever since she was a child, making her closer to them most people, yet her parents always made sure she was nothing but perfectly polite and proper, not allowing the formalities to be dropped. Now that they would have breakfast together every morning and she would hear the couple having normal conversations, including her and Chaewon, it made her have a new view of them. The couple insisted on her being less formal and treating them like family – she was still working on it. “Thank you. I’m still getting used to it.”

“And you’re doing a great job.” Nodding, the queen just hugged her by shoulders, guiding her outside. Different from her own mother, Chaewon’s mom had certain warmth to her, something that transcended her elegant façade – Minjoo liked this side of her a lot. “But enough work for today. I have a little surprise for you!”

The young brunette was a bit confused, but she still followed the woman, the duo making their way to Chaewon’s wing of the palace – Minjoo’s apartment now too –, bringing her to the big room she never really used, but that was flawlessly organized. It was impossible to miss the long, white dress over the bed, as well as all the other accessories it came with. “Ma’am, is it…For the ball tomorrow?” She tried, her eyes still fixed in the beautiful dress adorned with tiny diamonds. Tomorrow’s event would be an important one, with dignitaries from various countries coming for a diner and a formal ball later, under the excuse of raising money for charity – the kind of boring event they used for networking, but made Minjoo’s feet hurt from all the dancing and her face hurt from smiling too much. Still, that dress was beautiful and she couldn’t deny she wanted to try it on and see Chae’s reaction once she saw her on it.

“Of course. You and Chae will rule this country someday, you should look like it. But this you already know.” The woman gave her a knowing smile, walking towards the bed to move the dress aside and show her something else underneath it. “I took the liberty of cleaning you schedule for the day, so you can rest well for tomorrow.”

Minjoo frowned, her gaze going from the older woman to the other dress she was showing now – light blue one piece, it was simple and pretty, but very informal. Days off weren’t a reality for the royalty, so she was rather confused about her mother-in-law’s decision. “I’m not going to lie, I could use some rest. But Chae is…”

“Busy. She is the future queen, she is always busy.” The older woman shook her head, giving her a warm smile. “You will get used to it…But not too much. Like today, she has things to do, so we will have some time for ourselves. I love branch like everyone else, you know?” The smile was now a bit playful, similar to Chaewon’s smile whenever Minjoo and her teased each other. It made her feel at ease. “She will be with you early today, though. My daughter also needs some rest and quality time with her family, so will have dinner together.”

With those words, it was impossible for Minjoo to hold back her own smile, giving a grateful look to her mother-in-law. With her parents it was always about business, whether or not they stated it, Minjoo was used to every conversation being only another meeting. Knowing the queen was willing to clean their schedules just to spend time with her, moreover, willing to try and bring all the family together just so they could enjoy each other’s presence like a real family, really warmed her heart and without thinking twice she gave the woman a hug. “Thank you, mom!” And this time the affectionate title didn’t sound awkward to her ears, it actually sounded just right.

Chaewon’s mom only reply was: “I guess you love branch too!” Hugging her back with a chuckle, before telling her to get ready that she would wait for her downstairs.

Skipping breakfast and her daily routine of kissing her wife wake so they could go downstairs together to eat, wasn’t Chaewon’s favorite thing and if it was anyone else, she would have refused to come. But it was Chaeyeon and she wasn’t the kind of person who would request an early meeting without a good reason.

Now with a file in hand and a deep frown in her face, Chaewon knew the reason – and she wasn’t very pleased about it.

Chaeyeon had briefed her about the whole thing, explaining why she had requested for the meeting and why she thought it was worth of the princess attention. For Chaewon, it was a pretty unpleasant surprise to hear first thing in the morning that some of the people that should be working with her to help the country, were just playing behind her back, trying to find new ways of becoming ever richer than they already were.

“So, they were planning on passing it without my approval.” She said, more to herself than to Chaeyeon, who just nodded. The file on Chaewon’s hand was a new law proposal, a proposal that didn’t seem like much with a quick glance, but that was actually quite important once every small detail is taken into consideration, especially when put together with another law they had passed just a few weeks prior. “Under the excuse of helping the farmers, but the said farmers won’t really benefit from it.”

The whole proposal revolved around the idea of making the rules less strict, to allow farmers to have more land and therefore be able to produce more, but still in small scale. There were a lot of limitations and rules that seem to be done to protect their reservations, in accord to the Aurum’s politics, however it only took Chae a more attentive look to see how easy it would be to cheat all those conditions – one in particular was concerning, the fact that there were no prohibitions regarding the renegotiation and selling of said land.

“Exactly. Since they are trying to promote it as a small change in the environmental protection laws to favor the local people, it shouldn’t cause any commotion and they would be able to pass it without your direct approval.” Chaeyeon confirmed with a nod, going through the pile of papers she had in front of her, searching for something more. Chaewon didn’t know what all that was about, but she was pretty sure it would give her an even bigger headache. “Choi is the one who is going to present the proposal, but I believe it is not his idea. Actually, I think it might be of your interest checking the ones who would benefit the most from it.”

Another file was handed to the young princess, this time containing documents with the names and a brief description of the activities of their companies and how they could benefit from it. Chaewon knew all the names by heart, old politicians she had grown up with and who still had a lot of influence in the economy and the decisions taken. Many of them could benefit from it, using the land to build new fabrics, new spaces to farm crops of higher value and use it to keep their expensive cattle, not even mentioning the chance of it getting money by invading the nearby areas to use its resources.

Chae could feel her shoulders hurting from the weight of the responsibility, she would have to make sure this law didn’t pass and keep an eye on the parliament. Her country, Aurum, was a modern kingdom, meaning she respected the wishes of her people and trust the politicians that were elected for them to help her to control the country and make it better. Nonetheless, as the ruler, her dad, and now her too, had the duty of overlooking everything and making sure to reject any harmful ideas.

Rejecting this idea in specific wouldn’t be easy.

“See which ones are the closest to Choi, check with who he has been talking and who might have tried to buy some land in the last couple of weeks.” She asked, putting the file away to face Chaeyeon again. Some of the names there could cause her a lot of trouble, and while she didn’t intend on getting into unnecessary drama that could affect her nation, she still had to take some measures regarding it. “Also make sure that any proposal involving landing or any other natural resource should be sent to me first. None of our rules are changing and I will make it clear.”

For decades, her family had worked hard to protect all the nature that was their biggest treasure, it wasn’t only a sanctuary for animals, but it also brought them a lot of income thanks to the tourism. Her country has managed to grow through the eras while protecting its natural resources and she wasn’t about to risk the lives of thousand animals and the communities that lived from it, as well as their tourism revenue, just to please some spoiled business men.

“Actually, I already did. But the results are…” Chaeyeon made a face and the crease on Chaewon’s forehead grew deeper, urging the woman to continue her sentence. Even before hearing her words, the princess had a bad feeling about it. “I checked his connections and one of them is…Group Kim.”

“Group Kim?” The older girl nodded and Chaewon sighed deeply, massaging the bridge of her nose. Group Kim was the group of companies owned by Minjoo’s family – her family now. If they were involved, it probably meant her father-in-law had been playing his cards. Minjoo’s father was a former member of the parliament, an important figure who had enough power to manipulate things in his favor. “I see. What kind of interest could they have in play?”

“My sources say they have been buying land in one of our coastal islands, this one to be more specific.” Chaeyeon indicated a point in one of the maps placed on the table, a small island inhabited only by a few citizens and within the area of preservation.

Nodding, Chaewon narrowed her eyes as she examined the map, trying to search for any useful information regarding the land but not getting anything. Perhaps Group Kim knew something she didn’t, they wouldn’t blindly invest in a bunch of rocks in the ocean. “Why would they want this place? The land is not proper for farming there.”

“I’m not sure yet.” Her friend gave her an apologetic smile, albeit the expression on Chaeyeon’s face was serious now – tense. Whatever they were hiding was probably big if Chaeyeon couldn’t get information on it with a simple search. “I have reasons to think they may be working with a western company. You know what kind of thing they are usually after.”

“Yes, I’m aware of it.” Of course, they should be eyeing something. Oil? Diamonds? Some rare metal? Anything would cause a major environmental impact…The best possibility was them using the place to build some ridiculous resort for rich tourists.

It would be naïve of Chaewon to rule out the possibility of her father-in-law to be taking advantage of his position to try to do illegal business. But she tried her best to be optimistic and not think about the worst. Especially the implications it could have for her marriage. “Chaeyeon, please continue to investigate. You may use all resources needed. Just call me whenever you have news.”

“I will do it.” The head of internal affairs agreed, offering her a comforting smile. They had grown up together, Chaeyeon the daughter of one of the king’s counselor, making them close friends and she one of the only people Chaewon could trust completely. “Don’t worry, Chaewon. I will keep you updated.”

“Thank you, Chaeyeon. I really appreciate your work.” She voiced her thoughts, receiving a comforting pat in the back from the slightly older woman.

“Not for this, Chaewon. I get paid really well to do it.” With her characteristic laugh, Chaeyeon broke the tense atmosphere. “Now I will let you go. Your royal highness has a lot of work to do.”

Chaewon could only return a tired smile, knowing her day would be pretty long now that she had this news weighting her down. Hopefully, she wouldn’t get any more bad news today.

“Mom made me leave work early so I could greet you before dinner.” The princess greeted, resting against the doorframe of Minjoo’s room, her lips curving in a small, fond smile as she watched the woman finish fixing her hair in front of the mirror. Her heart became a little heavier as she noticed how ethereal her wife looked in such simple clothes. Min was always beautiful in her eyes, but today Min looked almost out of reach, like a star afar up in the sky – it brought Chaewon a similar feeling to the one she used to experience before their marriage.

Their marriage, the turning point in her life, the one thing that turned her dark path into a light one and brought her hope again. The one opportunity she had been offered and was so eager to accept, so pleased that destiny had given her something good out of the unfortunate events that led her to the throne. It was a precious thing to her, the contract that connected her forever to the person who she loved.

Chaewon didn’t want it tainted by anything or no one. Yet, the fear was starting to creep out, climbing the walls of her heart.

Even before the wedding she knew it was a political union, something that was beyond her wishes, still she didn’t want to think about it as such. Even if it seemed like Minjoo’s family might have bigger plans than simply accepting the honor of been connected to the royal family – maybe they had plans much bigger than anything Chaewon could have thought.

Was Minjoo aware of it? No, Chae would never doubt her, no matter how counter-intuitive it may be. Trust was something that couldn’t be restored once it was broken, and Minjoo gave her no reasons to break it.

Chae’s smile grew as she greeted: “So here I am. Hello, honey.”

“Chae!” Minjoo spotted her through the mirror of her dressing table, her eyes turning into half-moons in a smile as she stood up to come and greet the older girl. Spending time with her mother-in-law had been pretty fun, but she still missed her wife’s company. It wasn’t every day they had the chance of having dinner together, therefore she was pretty excited with the idea. “Welcome back, your highness.” She gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. A kiss that Chaewon made a little longer by pulling her closer in an embrace that Min was more than willing to accept, her arms hugging her wife by the neck. Her smile was still the same as the broke apart, foreheads together.

“I’m home, my love.” Chae whispered before pecking her lips softly, allowing her mind to focus solely on Minjoo and forget about any other worries. She had a feeling that that issue wouldn’t go away easily, still she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her time with her wife to stress over her suspicions – or to think about their relationship could be affected by it sooner or later. She just hoped nothing would change between them regardless of what the future has in store.

It had been quite a day for the two of them, one that may have bigger implications that any of them would like to deal with at the moment, but an important one nonetheless. But for now, none of them wanted to think about work or complex political affairs, now it was a time only for them and they would enjoy it as much as they could.

A/N: Hello. I know some of you expect angst here, but well, I guess you all get what the point for this chapter was. The ones who know my fics well probably have everything figured out by now lol

Next update will come soon, I guess. Thanks and see you next time!