It’s been days since the ball. You’ve barely spoken to Jongin, and scarcely even see him. He’s always up before you, and comes back when you’re asleep.

A part of you tells yourself it’s better like this. You shouldn’t be his responsibility, your decision is your own, and you chose to come here. You shouldn’t let yourself rely and depend on him.

And neither of you will hurt like this.

You shouldn’t forget where you stand.

You’ve gotten more used to your legs. Sometimes they still feel weird and foreign, but it’s easier to ignore now. Those blasted shoes are still a pain though.

As you finish getting dressed, you wonder what part of the castle grounds you should explore next. The castle is large, so many rooms and areas you’ve never seen before. Human architecture and inventions are fascinating, and you’ve always wanted to learn more about their cultures. If only your people and theirs weren’t on such terrible terms. You can only hope this peace treaty will last longer than all the others before it.

You don’t think you’ve been to the training grounds. Memorizing the castle’s map has proven to be very useful. So far you’ve been able to avoid prying eyes and been able to simply be yourself. You like the quiet, and time to yourself. You never had such opportunities back in your own kingdom.

You follow the hallways down to the ground floor, exiting a side door that leads to the training grounds. Surely this is no place for a Queen, but you couldn’t care less about getting your dress or shoes dirty. Being out here in the grass and mud is something you’ve never experienced before. Rocks and sand underwater just cannot compare.

You hear the clashing of steel as you get closer. Footsteps. Curious, you wonder who would be out on the training fields so early. Perhaps some of the knights? You hope they don’t mind you peeking at their training a little.

“Your Majesty?”

You jump at the foreign voice, turning around to find a solider staring at you. He wears training clothes—a loose black shirt and trousers—and flashes you a warm smile. “What brings you out here?”

“Oh, I was just exploring the castle grounds.” You answer, returning his polite smile. “I’ll excuse myself.”

He lets out a laugh, gesturing you to follow him. “There’s no need to leave. The Queen is very welcome to watch us train. I’m Jongdae, by the way.”

He leads you out the field where a group of knights had gathered. The clashing of steel becomes louder. Seeing you approach, several knights give way let you through, your eyes widening in surprise when you see who it is that’s dueling.

Jongin, clad in similar attire as Jongdae, smoothly takes a step back as he blocks a blow from his opponent with his sword. He looks very focused, face serious and calm as he fights.

You’ve never seen such an expression on him before.

His opponent sidesteps an attack, swinging his sword only to get blocked again, using all his might trying to overpower Jongin and knock his sword away.

Jongin ducks sideways, knowing his position brings him disadvantage. His opponent stumbles at the sudden removal of objecting force, only to realize too late that Jongin has already begun to attack. His sword stops only centimeters away from his opponent’s neck; a clean kill if it was real.

“Well done, Your Majesty.” His opponent bows in respect as they both sheath their swords. “You’ve improved.”

“You flatter me, Junmyeon.” Jongin smiles at him warmly. “You let me win.”

Junmyeon laughs, shaking his head. “I wish I had.”

Jongdae steps forward then, clearing his throat to gain Jongin’s attention. “Your Majesty, the Queen has come to visit our training session.”

You flush, wishing Jongdae had kept quiet. The last thing you need is attention on you. “I merely passed by.”

Jongin’s eyes light up though, so you don’t deny it further. His smile is wide and cheerful as he gestures towards you and then the knight known as Junmyeon. “Let me introduce you. This is Sir Kim Junmyeon, knight commander. The best fighter around.”

“You just won the duel, Your Majesty.” Junmyeon reminds before giving you a nod and tight smile. It doesn’t reach his eyes, and he seems incredibly stiff.

“Pleasure to meet you.” You say.

“Indeed, Your Majesty.” His tone is taut. It seems he doesn’t like you very much, though you aren’t surprised. Jongdae shifts uncomfortably beside y