Parties at the palace were always the same. The place would be full of light, turning the modern building in an enchanted location, impressing every guest with its beauty and elegance – qualities that seem to be reflected in the inhabitants of it. For Chaewon, it was one of the days where she had to dress up like a doll, making sure to wear all the royal jewelry to emphasize who she was, and prepare a smile that she would have to show for the whole night as she greeted every single person. It was a time to make new connections, to get important information and even to close the deals – a ball was just a fancy meeting, one that happened in the huge ballroom instead of a meeting room.

However, it would be her first formal event since the wedding, her first time greeting other world leaders in person since she became the crown princess. And she would do that with her wife by her side.

She wasn’t excited about the prospect of having to deal with a bunch of people, especially with some that might be plotting against her behind her back – her father-in-law would be there for sure and it would take all her years of diplomatic education to keep her act, hiding all her discomfort. Chaeyeon still hadn’t contacted her, but after rereading all the material she gave her, it was hard to ignore the fact that the chances of Group Kim being involved in the scheme were high, and it could only mean that problems were on the way for her.

It was her chance of trying to get some information out of him and hope for the best.

“Ready to go?” Minjoo asked, taking Chaewon away from her conflicting thoughts and back to reality. A smile naturally appeared on her face, her mind going to the much more pleasant topic that it was her wife and how gorgeous she looked in her white dress, with a white-gold diadem with diamonds on top of her dark hair – she looked like a picture perfect princess and for once Chaewon was glad for all the reporters that would be there tonight, because she definitely needed this view immortalized in a couple of hundreds of pictures.

Just like on the day of their first talk about getting married, even if she was sitting by the edge of the bed, she opened her arms to invite Minjoo for a hug and the woman compiled with an easy laugh. “No compliments today, your highness?” Min asked with a playful tone, her hands coming to cup Chaewon’s face in between them, her smile only growing as their eyes met and she could just see the purest affection in them. She didn’t need any spoken words when Chaewon’s face already told her everything. “I think you look great, too.” To confirm her words, she kissed Chaewon’s lips softly and the redheaded woman hugged her a little closer.

Minjoo meant her words. Chaewon was wearing a long dress in a light shade of green that matched well with her long red hair, a beautiful necklace with green stones adorned her elegant neck, and even if she didn’t have her crown – she would only wear it for the first dance of the night as a way of kicking off the party, before having someone taking it back to the safety of her room so she could have more freedom –, it would be easy to tell she was the rightful princess. Chaewon didn’t need to say anything, her noble aura was strong enough to shine under any circumstance.

But for Minjoo it didn’t really matter, after all, Chaewon had a far more important title in her life – as her wife.

“I think you always look perfect. Like you just came out of a fairytale.” Chae voiced her thoughts, letting the girl go so she could stand up and take her by the hand instead, to guide them downstairs. “I’m ready now.”

It would be a long time, but she was determined to make the most of it.

They took their place on top of the stairs that leads to the first floor where the party was happening, waiting for one of the royal guards to formally introduce them. The couple exchanged a look, Chaewon nodding ever so slightly and Minjoo smiling at her – their fingers intertwined, showing their union for everyone to see. Together, they made their way down, under the stare of some of the most important people of the world. Yet, none of them was nervous, since they had each other to rely on.

For Minjoo’s displease, they couldn’t remain together for the whole event.

After greeting the king and the queen, they joined the older couple to greet the guests and soon after it was time for the first dance – not the kind of dance she could really enjoy, albeit her wife was always a great partner, it was a robotic moment only to show off to the reporters and guests, and it went by like a blur. After the first dance, Chaewon and the king went to one side of the room, while the queen guided Minjoo to another. After all, it was all business, therefore they couldn’t just enjoy the songs and food, instead they would have to talk to as many people as possible and show their best diplomatic side to make sure they would live a good impression in the guests.

Min lost the count of how many bows she did and how many handshakes she had to give, all with the same smile on her face as she tried her best to keep track of all faces and names – what was impossible, but the queen was helping her to fill in the gaps with gentle reminders about who the important people were and what to say, or not, to every single one of them.

It wasn’t an easy task, but one she could do fairly easily. Minjoo was always good at dealing with people and in the less tense atmosphere of the ball, it was easy to make small talk and get into people’s good side. Nonetheless, it was still mentally tiring and after four hours of it, all she wanted was to go back to her room and rest her poor feet.

The fact that Chaewon hadn’t even approached her to talk or even for a dance made her need to leave the party even bigger – where was her ever so gallant wife and her promises when she needed? Of course, it was a silly thought and she knew that if Chae hadn’t come to her meeting yet, it must be because she was tending to some important matter…She just wasn’t very pleased that said matter included a girl clinging to her arm for what seemed like hours now.

Min had spotted her wife around twenty minutes ago, after having finished talking to an old couple of diplomats and finally taking a seat by the table her parents occupied – no, it wasn’t her place of choice, but it would be impolite of her to try to chance seats and now she had to keep a fake smile on her face while listening to her parents talking about their new deal with some western company. Her mind had quickly drifted off, her eyes wandering around the place until she found the radish princess talking to a small group of women.

It was easy to recognize one of their closest allies, the queen of a neighbor country with her wife, Eunbi and Sian. Minjoo had greeted the duo earlier and it was one of the few conversations she genuinely enjoyed – she almost stood up to go to their meeting now, knowing they wouldn’t mind her intrusion. But she didn’t get the chance of doing so, the couple leaving her wife only with a stranger who seemed to demand Chaewon’s attention completely.

Naturally, Min’s eyes narrowed, a sense of annoyance invading her before she could help it – it was a childish behavior and her mother was quick to notice it. “Minjoo, what do you think you’re doing? You are the consort of the future queen of Aurum, behave like it.” The older woman had nagged, and the duchess forced herself to smile and nod. It was always like this when she was around her parents and she hated the feeling of being controlled by them, even if she knew the woman was right this time.

“You are married now. You have nothing to worry about.” Her dad had added in a small, but clear voice, his tone as sober as ever – for him everything was always about business, regardless of how it could affect anyone. “Even if she was fooling around with someone else, your place would still be safe. It would only tarnish her reputation.” He shrugged his shoulders, undermining Minjoo’s feelings like he had done many times before. Useless emotion wasn’t wanted in the path to success. “So, don’t act like a child and let the princess be. You will have her once she is done playing.”

There were some implications in his words that sent shivers down Minjoo’s body, her annoyance turning into anger as she heard him. Not only he had insinuated Chaewon could cheat on her, but also that she shouldn’t mind it, if it happened. Not that it really surprised her, for her parents her happiness was never a priority, a good marriage only depended on how much money and prestige it could bring – and the princess was the best of best, so for them as long as she remained married, it wouldn’t be a problem.

But it wasn’t like Minjoo agreed on it.

“Chaewon is not that kind of person. And if she was, I’m afraid the royal family would witness the first divorce of their history.” She replied quickly, her voice low, but full of rage. Minjoo no longer lived with or depended of her parents, she didn’t need to listen or accept their nonsense. Standing up, she decided to ignore the protocol and go back to her room a little earlier – it was it, or lashing out all her frustration on her parents. “If you excuse me, I’m not feeling well so I will be taking my leave now.” With a short, robotic bow, she her heels and left before they could say anything.

After excusing herself to her in-laws, under the excuse of a headache, she went back to her room.

Chaewon followed her wife with her eyes, her chest tight with worry as she noticed how tense Minjoo’s posture was. Min had told her a lot about her parents as they grew up, small complaints that piled up over the years – how she felt lonely at home, how rigid her parents were, how little freedom she had, how they would always push her to try to get Taewon’s attention even though she didn’t feel comfortable doing so, how they never bothered to hear her opinions on the marriage promise…Chae hoped the couple didn’t, once more, hurt Minjoo’s feelings.

That whole event was pretty tiring for her, even if she had successfully contacted many important people and it would probably help her in the long run, she didn’t have the chance of being with Minjoo or talking to her parents properly. Her father-in-law had greeted her earlier, alongside a bunch of other politicians, his smile was the same as usual and no matter how much Chaewon wanted to ask him questions, she knew it wouldn’t be possible in such environment. The redheaded woman expected to at least hear useful rumors, like it was so common in that kind of gatherings, but people were keeping their lips tight around her – unsurprisingly, now that she was the future queen, no one would want to upset her.

She spent the whole evening talking to people, listening to silly jokes and doing here best to keep a smile on her face and get some important promises out of the people that really mattered – most relationships between countries begin outside the meeting room and it requires a lot of patient and flattering, and some talent to read people. Luckily, her country was in a good position at the moment, making it much easier. Of course, it was still very boring and she would rather to not spend all of it on her feet, instead of taking a seat beside her wife and get some rest.

Earlier she was just catching up with one of her closest friends from another kingdom, Eunbi and Sian even invited her and Minjoo to spend some time at their place as a way to escape the pressure of work while still being technically working – the idea was pretty tempting. Her and Minjoo didn’t have the chance of going on a proper honeymoon trip and it could be it for them. Maybe she could clean their schedule under the excuse of a business trip to firm another political deal with Eunbi’s country, and get them some free time to go there.

Her plans, however, where interrupted even before she could properly imagine it. Her conversation with her friends cut short by the presence of a leader of another nation, one that required a lot of her attention as they had some very important business together. Therefore, she was forced to go back to her royal persona and make sure the guest was pleased with her words and all their future deals were secured.

Her brain was already tired of all that political drama and she had caught herself drifting off, her eyes looking for her wife instead of paying attention to the guest. She wasn’t close enough to see what was going on at the table, but she could feel something was off; when Minjoo stood up she knew that for sure something bad had happened.

In times like this, being a princess was hard. She couldn’t simply ditch the guest, knowing how moody the woman could be, she had to entertain her until there was an appropriate moment to politely leave without causing a ruckus. Still, all the time she spent discussing about their countries’ relations, her mind was in Minjoo and the knot on , full of worry only grew bigger.

Fortunately, the other princess had to leave after twenty more minutes of boring conversation and Chaewon almost sighed in relief, going to look for her parents right away. The party was already reaching its ending, so the couple didn’t mind when she said she would be taking her leave already – actually, they encouraged her to go, informing her that the duchess wasn’t feeling well and she should check on her.

The princess quickly made her way to the wing of the palace that serves as her home with Minjoo, she found the place surprisingly quiet. Maybe Minjoo was already sleeping, but she had a feeling that it wasn’t the case.

Carefully, she entered their room – her room that they shared, since Minjoo had never really used the other room, at least not until today.

It was an unpleasant surprise to not find her wife in the bedroom, the door to Minjoo’s room closed, indicating she was using the other space. Chaewon frowned, trying to understand what was happening to make Min to act like this all of sudden. A headache or fighting with her parents shouldn’t make her wife decide to change rooms all of sudden…

Shaking her head slightly, she decided to get changed first, before trying to talk to the brunette.

Meanwhile, the said brunette was having a hard time trying to sleep, her mind still too full of unpleasant things to allow her to rest.

Minjoo had pulled the covers over herself, taking several deep breaths in order to try to extinguish the frustration from her body – because honestly, she couldn’t deny anymore that she was, indeed, a little angry right now. And she couldn’t even say anything. Thinking about it made her extra annoyed.

She was angry at her parents for once more showing how inconsiderate and cold they were to her, but particularly frustrated at herself for allowing her parents’ words to get to her and make part of her feel small and vulnerable – unimportant, as if Chaewon could replace her easily even if she knew deep down that it wasn’t true.

Twenty minutes passed and she couldn’t sleep, deciding to try the other room for the very first time – part of her, the one that was childish and easily hurt, didn’t want to stay in their bed if Chaewon wasn’t there and she could only think about what happened back at the party.

“Minjoo? Are you feeling better now?” A soft, hesitating voice came from the other side of the door, Chaewon’s high pitched tone impossible to mistake. There was concern in her words. Minjoo sighed. “I apologize for not coming upstairs sooner. I still had to tend to the guests.”

The last thing Minjoo was, was petty. But part of her just wanted to hide under the covers and ignore Chaewon in the silliest of the revengers – again, she wasn’t a child or petty like this, and the worry in Chaewon’s voice was impossible to ignore. Pulling the covers aside, she was ready to get up to open the door, when the voice sounded again.

“Min? I will enter now, okay? Excuse me.” Chaewon, with her usual overly polite ways, slowly opened the door. Her chestnut eyes coming to meet hers, dark with worry as she approached the bed with small steps. “I’m sorry for not coming earlier. My parents told me you weren’t feeling well.”

She wanted to ask Chaewon what took her so long, but it would only make her quick-witted wife to catch up with her newly found insecurities and she didn’t want to have this talk right now. “It’s okay, I know you were busy. I was, too.” Giving her a tight-lipped smile, she watched the expression on the princess face became softer.

Chaewon nodded, leaving aside any formalities to come sit at the edge of bed, her gaze still on the woman. “Are you feeling better now? I know you get headaches sometimes and such a long event must have triggered it.” Smiling apologetically, she reached out to touch Min’s right temple with light fingers. “Did you take anything for it yet?”

Her wife’s actions were too sweet to allow Minjoo to keep her focus on anything else. Her parents didn’t know Chaewon, they didn’t know how caring and loyal the princess really was, moreover she didn’t think they could understand how much love the woman provided her – something they never worried about giving her. She felt bad for even allow their hurtful words inside her mind when Chaewon had always been there for her.

Shaking her head slowly, she gave the older Kim a tired smile. “I’m okay. It was just a long night.” It was her turn to give her an apologetic look, her hand taking ahold of Chae’s to squeeze it lightly.

“Are you sure? I saw you with your parents and you looked…Upset.” Chae insisted, her voice still hesitant. She didn’t want to bring up any bad memories, but she couldn’t simply overlook it. Whatever happened earlier, was enough to affect her girl and it was her duty as her partner to try to comfort her. “And now you’re here.” She pointed out gently, indicating the room they were at. “Of course, it’s your room to use and I understand if you need space. But I would rather if you came to me for comfort, instead of putting a wall in between us.”

Minjoo took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. She didn’t expect Chaewon to have noticed what happened, she would rather to forget about it – how could she even tell her the truth? Her wife didn’t need to know how cynical her parents were, it would only make their whole family situation even more uncomfortable. “My parents are…You know, very strict with etiquette. My mother noticed I was glaring at you and one of the guests and reprehended me. I got annoyed.” It was the truth – just not all of it. She would rather having Chae believing she was having a silly jealousy episode, than her knowing what really happened. “It was silly, I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“You were glaring at us?” The redhead repeated, a hint of surprise in her voice – but also relief. She didn’t think Minjoo would ever be the jealous type, she didn’t have any reason to be on Chaewon’s eyes, still it seemed like a much better alternative than having her wife fighting her parents. Nonetheless, Minjoo’s jealousy was, of course, unfunded, and Chae would make sure she knew it. “That princess is from one of our ally kingdoms, they help manufacturing some of our products for a fair price, what is pretty rare. So, I had to give her special attention.” She explained with an easy smile, no hesitation in her voice anymore. “She is probably getting married within the year, we should be getting invitations soon.”

Part of Minjoo hated that Chaewon saw this childish side of her and misjudged the situation as a simple jealousy fit, but she couldn’t deny that hearing her explanation was still nice, helping to refute even more her dad’s nasty words. “Really? That’s nice to hear.” She said with her best polished smile, even though she could tell Chae could see past it.

Chaewon smiled, she would have laughed if it was under any other circumstances, but she could tell there still was something more to it. Her wife wasn’t the type to act like that, being nagged by her parents wasn’t anything new and it shouldn’t have made her upset to this point – she wondered what they had really told her. “Are you sure it’s just it, Min?” She insisted one more time, her voice patient. She wouldn’t push it, just give her a chance of opening up if she wanted to.

The brunette almost sighed, her heart hurting a little under Chae’s loving gaze. She was the one who asked for honesty, yet she couldn’t give it completely now, in order to save Chaewon from being as hurt as she was and to avoid causing conflict within her family. Life was just too complicated sometimes. “My parents think our marriage is not for love, just for business. They can’t understand the way I feel about you.” Was the closest of the truth she could say, and knowing Chaewon’s intelligence, she would be able to understand what she meant – the way the chestnut eyes turned slightly darker as the woman nodded was enough to tell. “But it’s okay. Having you here always makes me feel better.” Minjoo eased her way out of the topic by giving the princess a smile that matched her sweet words, her hand coming to hold Chaewon’s face and pull her in for a gentle kiss.

The princess pulled away from the kiss, with a light peck filled with affection. There was still some sadness on Minjoo’s eyes, the rich dark chocolate a little opaque, it would be impossible to not notice. Still, Chaewon knew the limits and she could tell by her words that whatever the older couple said about them, hurt her wife. Next time she would make sure to keep Minjoo away from her parents – she couldn’t shut them out of their life, but she wouldn’t let their cynical ways affect her wife and marriage negatively. “Mind if I join you?” She gestured the bed, deciding to join her wife in camping in the other bedroom for the night.

“You may come and give me some cuddles, your highness. You can make up for not sparing me a dance earlier.” Minjoo tried to joke, but the two of them knew she really needed Chaewon right now – and Chae was more than willing to be there for her.

Not hesitating in joining the brunette, Chae slid under the covers at the opposite side of the bed, coming closer to hug her wife tightly. “I will make it up to you, my duchess.” She promised, leaving light kisses on Minjoo’s shoulders. Minjoo fit right inside her arms, Chaewon’s face finding the small space between her shoulder and neck, inhaling the soft scent of vanilla coming from her body and the slightly citric smell of her hair. That backhug should be comforting for her wife, but it was so good for her too. The feeling of having her lover so close to her wasn’t like anything else, a special gift she was lucky enough to receive.

“You know, I used to think that wearing the crown would make me feel like I was carrying this nation as well.” Chae said after a few moments of silence, her eyes serious albeit there was a small smile on her face. The crown made her feel the weight of her responsibilities even more, but it was something she was learning to deal with. With Minjoo though, it was different – she always tried her best to not imagine how it would be for them to be together, refusing to entertain useless dreams; and even if she had tried imagining it, she highly doubted she would ever be able to come close to how intense the real feelings were. “But you’re so precious to me, that whenever I hug you, I feel like I’m holding my whole world.”

A smile made its way to Minjoo’s face as she heard her princess speak. Her parents didn’t care about her happiness, but they had accidentally given her the key to it.

Being in Chaewon’s arms made her feel safe and happy, the heat of the redheaded woman’s body spreading to her, keeping away all coldness and the negative feelings from earlier, reminding her that she was now in a very different reality. Turning around to face her wife, her smile grew bigger as their eyes met and she felt her heart growing with fondness. The idea of marriage used to haunt her like a ghost, but now that she was with Chaewon, every day it was like a good dream. “You are pretty good at making me feel all the love in this world. Pretty great at making me happy.” Cupping her cheek with her left hand, she brought Chaewon closer for a kiss, tasting her lips and putting all her love in the contact, finding equal passion in return. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was enough to take her mind off of anything other than Chae and she want it to last forever. “I love you, Chae. I really do.”

Chaewon’s smile was tender as they broke apart, Minjoo’s words touching deep inside her heart, bringing all the warmth, not even the cold night could ruin. Now Min’s confession didn’t make the redhead’s heart run wild, instead it put a nice, melodic rhythm to its beats, allowing it to flutter inside her chest and up above, filled with love. “I love you too, Min.” She rested her hand on top of Minjoo’s, turning her head to leave a sweet kiss on her palm, before pulling the girl even closer.

She hugged Min tighter, resting her forehead against hers and seeing all the tiny, bright stars inside her eyes, the supernova of her feelings making it the brightest light. Minjoo’s eyes fluttered closed in a silent request that Chaewon could understand very well, her own eyes shut as she lightly brushed her nose against Min’s. Their hot breaths mixed together, spreading even more warmth through her body, prompting her to find the soft lips that almost touched hers but not quite – the said lips that tasted better than the most expensive wine of the palace, the only taste she wouldn’t ever get tired of. Chaewon pressed her lips a little harder on hers, exploring the contact, the kiss that was so gentle making her calm heart beat a little faster.

Minjoo’s smile faded away, her lips now occupied with the kiss, a light sigh leaving them and allowing her wife to deepen the contact. Her hand slid from Chae’s cheek, caressing her jawline and going down and further, exploring her neck and nape, pulling her even closer as their tongues finally found each other and the kiss was no longer a chaste one. The princess hugged her by the waist, slightly cold hands finding the exposed skin on her back where her shirt had rolled up. The touch sent a pleasant chill to her body, making her want to be even closer to the girl and without even realizing she kissed Chaewon harder, exploring like her hands now explored her hair and shoulders.

Whenever they were together in bed, their moments were always filled with short kisses and long cuddles. This change, however, didn’t feel weird or was unwelcomed – for both, it was something expected and wanted, another step to strengthen their relationship even more.

That’s why there was no awkwardness when Chaewon broke the kiss to change their position, her weight partially pressing Minjoo to the bed, her lips now on the skin of her neck with infinite kisses that were a little more insistent each time. Minjoo letting out a quiet sound, her hands on the red locks of Chaewon’s hair, pulling her back for an even deeper kiss as her hands slowly explored her torso.

It didn’t feel weird or made them shy when things naturally progressed, hands rooming everywhere, loving whispers exchanged and inhibitions forgotten, with the moonlight coming from the windows as the only witness.

The room was filled with the sunlight now, coloring everything gold, taking the couple out of their sweet dreams and back to an equally sweet reality.

The princess’ eyes fluttered open, her arms instinctively hugging Min a little closer, keeping her in the safety of their embrace. The sunlight made it hard to go back to sleep, even if all she wanted was to enjoy this moment a little more – as if Minjoo was facing the same problem, she felt the woman move, her eyes opening to reveal the pretty onyx color of its orbs. There was a small pout in her lips, her face slightly swollen from the sleep marked by the pattern of the blanket – Chaewon couldn’t think of a more adorable sight. “Good morning, love.” Chaewon greeted in a small voice, careful to not disrupt Minjoo’s calm awakening. “Did you sleep well?”

Minjoo blinked slowly, trying to get rid of the weight of sleep on her eyelids, focusing on her wife’s face. “Good morning, my princess.” Recognizing Chaewon’s bright eyes and the small smile that revealed a much innocent and vulnerable side of her, Min couldn’t help but smile back, snuggling up to her even more. “Really well, thanks to a very special human pillow.” Chuckling softly, she stole a glance at her girl. “And you? Did you have nice dreams?”

“The best ones.” Chaewon caressed her back softly, leaving a kiss on top of her wife’s head, before resting her cheek against her soft hair. She could feel her chest full, but not in the way she once did – with worry and pain, with so many emotions she wasn’t allowed to show –, now the feeling was nice and warm, as light as her fingers running through Min’s .

“Then I will presume I was there.” Minjoo said with a hint of mischief, planting a light kiss on her jaw, her smile never fading. Yesterday’s party might not have been the best moment for her, but now Chaewon was with her and no word from her parents could ever taint the special bond between the two of them.

Chae only giggled at her words, once more kissing her head, and for a while they just enjoyed this precious moment, no words needed. It was crazy to think they would have so many more mornings like this to come, that it would be their reality for good – yet, they were determined to make sure it would be always like this.

“What time is it? I didn’t hear the alarm.” Min finally broke the silence, voicing the one question in her mind. They were in a different room, but she was pretty sure she would still be able to hear the characteristic sound all the way from her nightstand. Regardless of their late honeymoon, they still had duties – even on a weekend.

“It’s probably past 10 already, but we don’t have any early schedules today.” The princess reassured. She had made sure they wouldn’t have anything this morning – she had planned it like this thinking they could use some extra sleep after a boring night of political meetings. “I promised Eunbi we would have lunch with her and Sian, though.” She added, recalling how her friend had insisted on it. Eunbi was probably excited about bombarding her with a bunch of questions and watch her melt in embarrassment in front of her wife, after all that’s what best friends do.

“Lunch with a queen…Yeah, of course.” Nodding slowly, the brunette agreed. She had met the queen of their neighbor country a couple of times and she was equal parts incredibly impressive and a huge dork – such an interesting combination for a queen; not only this, her wife seemed to be exactly the same. Eunbi was easy to talk to and she knew Chaewon was close to her. “This means we need to get up now, doesn’t it?”

“We could reschedule, but I think you would like my friends.” Chae gave her a small, apologetic smile. She didn’t want to get up as much as Minjoo, but she really wanted them to have fun with her friends, putting aside all political games even if just for a couple of hours. “Also…I may have a little surprise for you.”

Minjoo furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes curious as she asked. By now she should be used to Chaewon’s infinite plans for them, but it was always a joy to find out. “A surprise? Another royal picnic?”

“Not this time. They are staying here at the palace, but we will eat at a nice restaurant by the sea. Now the surprise…” She made a pause, delighted by the way Min’s eyes were bright with expectation. They didn’t have much time to act like a normal couple, hence why Chaewon always did her best to make sure their little dates would be worth it – hopefully this time, they would have more than just a few hours. “I was actually thinking about a little trip to Lepus, Eunbi’s kingdom, so we could have some time for us. She would help us with it.” Chaewon explained, her eyes checking Minjoo’s reactions to her words. “Of course, it wouldn’t be now, but maybe in a month or so when-”

“A honeymoon trip?” Minjoo interrupted her with the question. Living in the palace was far from unpleasant, but it also meant they would be in contact with work all the time. Visiting another country would be their chance of forgetting about the responsibilities even if only for a bit and just enjoy their time together like all newlyweds do. “I would love it! You could use some time off work and I could use some time having you all for myself.” As to emphasize her words, she kissed Chaewon’s cheeks. She would work with a new enthusiasm if it meant they would be closer to this trip. “Then we should go and meet your friends and plan for it.”

Minjoo’s excitement put Chae at ease, making her thank Eunbi mentally for the suggestion. Now they would have something to look forward and she wanted it to be perfect. She had to control her smile, tilting her head a bit to meet the brunette’s lips, pulling her in for a kiss. “We will, but we still have time.” She informed as they broke apart, sliding her lips towards Minjoo’s sharp jawline in slow kisses. Their love was making her grow confident, free to follow her wishes and to show all her affection: and so, she did it. “And I want to make the most of it.”

The unexpected sentence took the duchess by surprise, but her only reply was a small chuckle, before she pulled the redhead for another kiss, a much longer one this time.

“You know, our official story is that we met in college and just like the movies, it was love at first sight. But it’s not quite like this, the truth is…” Sian began, her usual grin on her face as she told Minjoo about her and Eunbi’s story – and as expected of the two of them, it wasn’t very conventional. “She was head over heels for me, but she is was a little small for a college student and didn’t even notice she was in my class at first.”

“As if!” Eunbi snorted, giving her wife the dirty eye – for what Sian only grinned even more. Minjoo could tell it was an ongoing joke between the two of them. Different from most noble couples, they seemed to be very genuine. “You didn’t notice me because you were always stuffing your face with hot dogs, hiding behind the building!” Minjoo chuckled softly, hugging the baby she was holding a little closer as she watched the couple bickering. “Who would fall for that?”

“You!” Sian returned easily, leaning in over the table, ignoring Eunbi’s protests. “She used to sneak out of class to drink soda and try to steal some of my food, that’s why we became close to begin with!”

Chaewon chuckled at her friends’ antics, her eyes going from the couple to her wife.

Eunbi, as usual, was a great company, just like her tall and easy-going wife. The couple also brought their toddler daughter, the little Chaeyeon who looked a lot like Sian, albeit she would inherit Eunbi’s title someday. Chaewon knew the couple for years, but it was the first time for Minjoo meeting them informally – not so surprisingly, they got along really well, and Min already had Chaeyeon in her arms now as she listened to the couple’s stories.

“And who was the first one to confess?” Minjoo asked, curious dark eyes as Chaeyeon clung to her half asleep – the duchess was pretty good with kids.

“She did!” As expected, the couple replied at the same time, making Min laugh as the older women argued about who was right.

Chaewon just watched it the with a smile, enjoying how normal it felt to be surrounded by her friends and wife. She wished they had more days like this – Maybe someday they would bring their own kid as well.

For a moment, she almost forgot she was the future ruler of a country and had so many responsibilities on her shoulders at the moment. Almost. The lunch was not even over yet, when her phone lit up with a text from Chaeyeon – the adult one, the friend who was in charge of the ongoing investigation.

The message wasn’t long, just the woman informing she had found some of the names and that they would be meeting soon.

Minjoo asked her what it was about with her eyes, but the older Kim just smiled at her with a shrug. Tomorrow, she would deal with it tomorrow, for now she just wanted to be with her wife and friends and pretend she wasn’t the princess for a little while.

A/N: Hello, prob not the angst you all expected, but you all should know me by now... 2 chapters to go now. See you soon!