The day of Eunbi’s coronation dawns bright and sunny. It reminds her a little of her wedding day, the way she stares into her reflection like it is a stranger looking back at her. For this particular day, they have opted for the traditional garb of her Kingdom - a large headdress balances upon her brow, with some of her hair twisted around the complex adornment, and the rest left to fall over her shoulders, deathly straight. She wears the traditional red of her Kingdom, her clothes embroidered with intricate, thin gold flowers skirts that she knows from her high school history lessons represent the values of her Kingdom. The garment falls to the ground heavily, and is cinched at her waist by a thick red sash. Her lips are a bright red, and her lashes thickened so that the woman in her reflection who stares back at her looks more like an ethereal Queen from ancient times rather than her own, familiar, clumsy self. “Your mother would have been so proud to see you like this.” Master Han calls as he enters the room. He has a small leather box gripped between wizened hands. “She was so proud of our heritage.” Eunbi nods, turning back to gaze at the foreign reflection. It is a little overwhelming - it seems like only yesterday she was sitting in the reception of the hospital, awaiting the results of her blood test to see if she could be an organ donor. And now she stands in her private dressing room, awaiting her coronation. From this day forth she would take up the mantle of Queen. Decisions would now fall to her when running the Kingdom, people would look to her to be a pillar of strength and support. It was terrifying- she’s not capable of any of those things. She’s just… plain old Eunbi. Silly, bad at expressing herself, a little too nosy for her own good and nervous beyond belief. “I…” She starts. She clears awkwardly when her voice cracks. “I’m not sure I can do this.” She admits. Master Han’s gaze softens, and he places a gentle hand on her wrist. “You are capable of far more than you think you are, Princess.” He says warmly. He lifts her hand to press the box into it. “This is a gift from your wife - she’s been caught up in interviews all morning and was worried she wouldn’t be able to deliver it to you.” At the mention of Sakura, Eunbi stiffens just the slightest bit. Ever since their fight and ensuing make-up, things have been… weird. Not in a bad way. No… weird because things were good. Unnervingly enjoyable. When she sees Sakura, her heart fills with this strange, foreign emotion she is unfamiliar with, but if she had to describe it, it would be like her heart were on the verge of bursting. And since their fight, Sakura has been so gentle. Sakura keeps giving her this smile that she is sure is bad for her health because her heart reacts so viscerally to it - like it’s trying to break out of her ribs and leap into her hands. And it unnerves her because she’s just so happy. She didn’t think happiness was a luxury she could afford. For so long, she’s just been dealing with crisis after crisis, her father’s illness, their inability to pay for her treatment, the revelation of her true parentage, her marriage, her coronation. It had felt like someone were repeatedly pelting her in the face with rocks, and now things have slowed to the point where something as simple as waking up to find Sakura waiting for her at the dining table with breakfast brings her so much joy. She doesn’t know what’s changed between them, but something has. She wipes her sweaty palms on the expensive skirt of her garment before accepting the box. Inside is a necklace. It is simple, a thin, delicate gold chain with a diamond as a pendant. A little piece of cardboard protrudes from the velvet cushion, and Eunbi flips it to see Sakura’s neat cursive written across it. It says 'Diamonds Symbolize a Long and Prosperous Rule - You’re Going to Wow Them All Queen Eunbi'. Eunbi does not realize she’s smiling until Master Han chuckles at her. “It seems things have been going well between the two of you. That article of the two of you on a date was released to the public a few days ago.” He tells her. “Would you like me to put the necklace on for you?” Eunbi gazes at the necklace, before shaking her head with a smile. “No, that’s fine. I’ll get her to do it when we have a moment.” She tells her grandfather. Her royal garb does not hold any pockets, so she walks over to her back and tucks the box safely there. She takes the opportunity to check her phone and is surprised to see a text from Chaeyeon. Lee Chaeyeon [10:45 AM]: Meet me by the stairs on the fourth floor in ten minutes. It offers no other context and Eunbi is left staring at her phone in confusion. She checks the time it was sent - 5 minutes ago, meaning she has another 5 minutes to get there. She isn’t sure what Chaeyeon needs to speak to her about on a day as busy as this one, but at this stage she likes Chaeyeon enough to consider her a friend, and she knows Chaeyeon wouldn’t ask to meet for no reason. Decision made, she looks to where her grandfather is reading through a briefing in the far corner of the room. “I’m just going to duck out to the bathroom.” She tells him. Her grandfather nods, and she doesn’t wait for any further conversation before she is ducking out of the room. She’s currently on the sixth floor, and normally it wouldn’t take that much effort to get to the fourth floor of the Town Hall, where the coronation is being held, except she finds she has to duck out of sight to avoid the staff prowling the halls. When she arrives at the designated meeting spot, she is confused to find no Chaeyeon. No anyone, really, and she scans up and down the corridor. Perhaps she hasn’t arrived yet? She wonders around idly, glancing around for a glimpse of the reporter, only for a door to swing open. In the next second Eunbi bites back a scream as she finds herself being dragged into an unoccupied store room. This is it. She’s being murdered. Someone wanted to make a statement. She can see the headline now. ‘The Princess Murdered On the Day of Coronation’. She squeezes her eyes shut and screams. A hand claps over . “Shhh!” Her assailant hushes her. Of course, that only makes Eunbi struggle harder. She twists in their grasp and sees the face of her attacker. “Sakura!” She splutters. Sakura winces and holds a finger to her lips to signal for her to be quiet. “I only just managed to escape from Sashihara, you’re gonna get us caught.” She whispers. Eunbi can only glare. “You almost gave me a heart attack!” Eunbi protests. “I thought I was being kidnapped!” Sakura blinks her huge brown eyes at her as realization dawns in them. “Oh.” Sakura says, looking sheepish. “My bad.” “You goof!” Eunbi scolds, but she can’t keep the fond affection from her voice at the endearingly clueless expression on Sakura’s face. Sakura smiles, the corners of her lips upturning in a smile that has her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I couldn’t help it though - I wanted to see you.” Sakura offers in her defence. “But Sashihara has been following me around like a shadow. I had to enlist Chaeyeon’s help - I’ll have you know it cost me an exclusive interview post-coronation to plan this!” “It was a poor plan anyway.” Eunbi quips dismissively, but she knows the smile on her face contradicts her words. “What did you want to see me for?” “Hmm...” Sakura says contemplatively. “Can’t a wife want to see her wife before a big event like today just because?” Eunbi is irritated with herself at the way her heart beats faster at Sakura’s words. She clears a few times, trying to conceal how flustered she has become, but something in the teasing lilt of Sakura’s voice tells her it was exactly the reaction she had been hoping for. “Yes well, you’ve seen me, so I guess I’ll be going then.” Eunbi teases, trying to conceal the way her cheeks have flushed red. Sakura makes a grab for her hands though, holding her in place. “Wait!” Sakura says, dropping the teasing lilt. “D-Did your grandfather give it to you?” “The necklace?” Eunbi asks. Sakura flushes red, and rubs the back of her neck in a nervous gesture. It is that time when Eunbi registers Sakura’s attire - her formal, royal garb, slightly different to the one she wore on their wedding day. It suits her - her hair is styled back, exposing her forehead. It accentuates the warm brown of her eyes and reveals her prominent cheekbones. The store room is small and Sakura had pulled her close against her body when she dragged Eunbi into the room. This means at this proximity Eunbi can smell her perfume, soft but pleasant, and admire the way her long lashes fan against her cheeks as she blinks. When Eunbi realizes Sakura has been talking, she flushes, taking a step back. Eunbi is hoping the distance will help clear her head, but she still feels slightly dizzy with the scent of her perfume. “Pardon?” Eunbi comments airily, hoping the lightness of her tone will distract from the fact that she had been staring at Sakura rather than listening her talk. Sakura looks confused. “Why are you so spacey? I was just saying- Oh.” Sakura aborts her sentence with a dramatic gasp. “What?” Eunbi answers, a little defensively. A wide grin spreads across Sakura’s face, feline and overly-pleased. “You were staring.” Sakura points out, a little too smugly. Eunbi feels her eyes widen, and scrambles to defend herself. “No I wasn’t!” Eunbi splutters in outrage. “I was just- I-“ “It’s ok if you find me gorgeous.” Sakura teases, entirely too pleased with herself. “It’s only natural that a spouse finds her partner to be good loo-“ “I wasn’t staring!” Eunbi cuts her off, her face surely an unappealing shade of red at this stage. Sakura just shakes her head, smiling fondly. “You totally were.” Sakura answers. “But that’s ok - for your own benefit, I shall pretend I didn’t notice you admiring me.” Eunbi isn’t sure where this newly playful Sakura has come from, but it isn’t the first time she has made her appearance. Ever since their fight, she has been more at ease with her. Looser, more comfortable, less afraid of stepping on her toes. It’s allowed for times such as these, where they almost feel like… like a real couple. The kind that flirts and goes on dates and teases each other. It affects Eunbi more than she cares to admit. “I have somewhere to be.” Eunbi answers petulantly, a little too flustered to engage and banter back. Eunbi folds her arms across her chest and Sakura chuckles fondly, reaching forward to adjust how her hair sits against her shoulders - it had become ruffled in their earlier struggle. Eunbi glances up to meet her gaze, and finds Sakura staring down at where the ornate necklace Eunbi is wearing for the coronation sits at the base of . “What were you saying about the necklace?” Eunbi asks. “That I noticed you’re not wearing it.” Sakura tells her, almost pouting. Eunbi almost laughs at the endearing expression, but manages to hold it back. “I wanted you to put it on for me.” Eunbi admits, only slightly embarrassed. The pout vanishes and Sakura’s eyes light up. “It was supposed to be a good luck charm, but if you want me to put it on for you then I guess it can’t be helped, but it will have to wait until later.” Sakura tells her, pleased with her admission. “This can be a substitute instead.” Eunbi barely has time to process her words and question her on it before Sakura ducks down to press a quick kiss on her forehead. “Good luck, Princess…” Sakura whispers gently in her ear, and then she is gone, with the door swinging behind her. Dumbly, Eunbi stares at the place where she had stood mere moments before, touching her fingers to where Sakura had pressed her lips against her. Eunbi’s heart flutters in her chest and an odd, tingly sensation spreads throughout her body. Eunbi shakes herself and steps out, only to find herself swamped by stressed workers who had been combing the building for her - the time for her coronation has arrived. ********** It is difficult to conceal the mess of emotions Sakura is experiencing as she is ushered into her seat. As the wife of the future Queen, she is afforded the luxury of front row seating. It means she will be able to see every aspect of the coronation ceremony as it unfolds, but it also means hundreds of cameras will be trained on her for the whole event. Articles will be posted online, trying to decipher her every expression - is she happy for her wife? Jealous? Is she tired? She cannot allow the way her heart is trying to shatter her ribcage with its aggressive beating to show on her face. But it is difficult - her last few moments with Eunbi are on replay in her mind - the warmth of her skin, the way she had looked up at her with those heart achingly mesmerizing eyes, the scent of her perfume. Her lips tingle and she resists the urge to press her fingers against them, instead shifting in her seat as she scans the area around her. “Nervous?” Yena asks, from beside her. Sakura nods distractedly. “A little.” It is what she admit. “It’s probably only a fraction of how she’s feeling though.” Yena gives her an odd look, a sort of fond but relieved smile. “Things seem to be going well between the two of you lately.” The younger girl comments. Sakura bites back a smile. “I… yeah. It is… She’s great.” Sakura confesses. “She’s so sweet, and kind, and…. I’m glad it was her. That she’s my wife, I mean.” Yena beams. “That’s fantastic. If anyone deserves someone to make them as mushy as you just got, it’s you. I’m happy for you.” She tells Sakura, her eyes warm. Sakura’s response is cut off as Eunbi’s entrance music begins to play, marking the start of her coronation. Everyone in attendance rises, turning their attention to where Eunbi enters the hall. She clasps her hands together with quiet dignity and seems to glide forward with grace. Sakura had noticed it before, when she had dragged Eunbi into the closet, but it hits her anew as she sees Eunbi - her wife is beautiful. She looks every bit the stunning Queen that she is, and the one that she knows she will be. And for the first time, it hits her. This woman; this s