Areum had met Yoongi quite a few times for important engagements or official gatherings and boy, was it hell. Insults and sarcastic remarks were always thrown left and right once the two of them were left alone, minds clouded with prejudice from their long opposing families.

Frankly speaking, she doesn't care. She doesn't have any interest in fixing the fact that they can't stand each other's presence. She knew that this was not a good sign because she is about to marry the person who is next in line to the throne and it will only take a few blows for the monarchy to fall apart if they carry on with this relationship. But then it was never her desire to be married to Yoongi. It was theirs so she doesn't feel responsible at all if ever things go downhill. It will be always theirs and a part of her wants to prove that this will only make things worse, that this won't solve any disputes that they have.

Without much of a choice, Areum finds herself helplessly seated in front of a dresser, eyes closed as her lids are painted with a darker tone of bronze. Her cheeks are then dusted with a faint pink blush matched with a rosy pink lip. Hairdressers flutter around her as they start to set her hair up, not bothering to mind the soft knock on the door seeing that someone else in the room already attended to it. The princess is curious though so she turns her head towards the direction of the entrance and sees a royal servant of Vhrea, judging by her outfit.

She returns her gaze to the mirror in front of her, exhaling breathily as she poorly attempts to calm her nerves. It's a pity she feels numb on what's supposed to be an incredibly special and solemn day. She wishes she could feel a tiny hint of curiosity or even a spark of excitement but she feels absolutely nothing, void of any emotion except for the nagging nervousness that wraps around her entire being.

Areum's thoughts are interrupted when a handmaid walks up to her, holding a small white box. "It is from the crown prince of Vhrea, your highness."

The princess nods at this and her handmaid leaves immediately when she accepts the box. It has a leathery feel with a tiger on its crest, Vhrea's royal family seal, and when she opens it, a handwritten note catches her eyes.

I thought it would be nice to give you a gift on our wedding day. I hope you appreciate it and don't be too hard on yourself, princess.

-Yoongi

A delicate floral tiara along with a pair of earrings sit on a soft velvet cushion. The thin strands of rose gold entangle with each other forming a flower with diamonds as its petals and a blue sapphire as its bud that sparkle when striked by the rays of light. It is absolutely more dazzling when she examines it in her hands and she notices that the design resembles Meri's style, even the intricate parts of it, which is surprising. She won't deny that she is quite touched by this gift, not expecting that Yoongi has a kind spot despite his obnoxious persona.

"Is it alright if I wear this?" She asks the stylists behind her, worried that adding the jewelry might not fit the idea that they have for her hair.

"Of course, your highness." The other replies and immediately starts to unweave the flowers on her hair as it would appear over styled to which the princess utters a quick apology for the added work.

Everyone is trying to do the final touches as quick as possible since they are pressured by time. Areum stands in front of a full body mirror, staring at her own reflection. Her hair is tied into a braided low bun and pinned underneath her tiara is a veil that falls a few inches below her shoulder. The pristine white gown is embroidered with butterflies at its ends until the trail, with lace sleeves that reach up to her wrists.

She observes her own appearance and she wouldn't lie, she's satisfied with it. She seems to be glowing and looking so elegant, perfect for a fancy royal wedding.

"You look gorgeous, darling." The queen says and proceeds to hold her hands. "I can't believe that you're finally on the right age to walk down the aisle. You grew up so well, my dear. You know, we are all so thankful to you for doing this. You are our brave hero, my darling daughter." Her mother briefly squeezes her hand, eyes teary as she speaks.

"I know." The princess replies shortly, irked by how her mother reminds her of why all of this is happening. Soon enough, someone calls their attention telling them it's time to go.

The crowd cheers when they spot her entering the car. God, there's so much people, Areum thinks and it sends shivers down her spine. Each of them has cameras, trying to capture and remember this historical event so she waves and gives them a smile, a smile so fake that she prays they won't notice.

There's literally a lot of people in every road that they pass through, held in place by the barricades and the guards stationed in place. This definitely doesn't help her nerves.

Thousands of ideas come into her mind as the car approaches the church. She wants the driver to go straight ahead instead, help her out of this horrid event or maybe she could borrow his phone and call Jungkook, ask him to run away with her. There are thousands of things she wants to do but she keeps silent because there are also thousands of people looking forward to this day. There are those who are waiting in the streets, those who worked hard for this day and the thought of letting them down makes her feel guilty.

A fresh wave of anxiety hits her when the car comes into a full stop and she sees guards position themselves in front of the door. The official media personnel are lined on the sides of the church entrance so she gathers herself and musters a delighted smile when she finally gets out of the car, wanting to throw up at how fake it is.

 Her father stands next to her, looking proud and content unlike her overwhelmed feelings that makes her heart want to burst out of her chest.

The church doors finally open and the music softly plays. Blue hydrangeas are decorated at every pew with the royal blue crest of Meri hanging on the left side as the golden crest of Vhrea hangs on the right. She walks down the aisle, hands jittery as she holds her father's arm while the other hand holds a bouquet of white roses. All eyes are on her and she sees the guest smiling happily.

This is labeled as the wedding of the century, a once in a lifetime moment so she wills herself to believe at least the tiniest bit of it and keep her smile, to make herself enjoy this as much as the people do, to keep herself from thinking about stupid things like running away.

Prince and princesses fall in love, marry each other and live happily ever after. That's how things are supposed to be, just like fairy tales. Areum is a princess and she's marrying a prince today but it feels terribly wrong, undeniably far from a happy ever after maybe because she never lived in a fairy tale. She lives in a real world, dictated by society, by rules, by power. She kind of hates how detached she feels.

Areum spots Yoongi standing tall and astonishingly handsome in his suit. As she walks closer, she notices that his scar was covered and this makes him look more stunning. Beside him is his brother, Taehyung, who looks equally attractive as him with his intimidating gaze and sharp features. Yoongi seems to be so relaxed which is unfair, so unfair because she feels awful, like she's going to pass out from all this nervousness and attention.

They finally reach the end of the aisle and her father turns to hug her tightly, voice filled with gratitude as he says "I'm so proud of you, my darling."

Yoongi inwardly cringes at how awkward they are. He doesn't miss the way the princess stiffens when their hands meet, doesn't miss the uneasy look in her eyes, doesn't miss the hint of sadness in her gaze because he knows how much she resented this idea. Maybe if they met at a different circumstance, it wouldn't be like this.

"You look lovely, princess." He whispers as they stand together in front of the altar, trying to ease the tension between them.

"You're not ridiculing me aren't you? Because I barely slept last night." She teases him, smiling a bit as she speaks because of the compliment.

"Why would I ridicule you? Or maybe I should get my eyes checked. I think I'm going blind." He suddenly gives her an uncertain look and shrugs before chuckling, quite relieved that she loosened up a bit.

"You're impossible."

And as pathetic as it sounds, Yoongi is going to take what he gets even if it means that they'll fight with each other endlessly, even if it means they have to play pretend. As long as Areum is comfortable with it then it's fine with him.

From the public's eye they might look like a happy couple, able to conquer the long battle and now freely fooling around on their precious day. It is fine as long as it's believable. That's good enough to mask the crippled emotions they have deep down.

The two stop their small banter when the music ends and the priest clears his throat.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Prince Yoongi and Princess Areum, sealing their love that was able to bind nations together and lead the people towards peace."

The ceremony carries on like the usual and both of them finally finds a reasonable excuse to keep their expressions stoic. The priest blesses them, wishes them a fruitful marriage and wisdom to rule over the future generation with honesty and fairness.

The ring is presented on the altar and the couple turn to face each other. Yoongi and Areum can feel all the eyes on them, the church falling silent as the guests get eager to hear their vows.

The crown prince takes her hand and gently puts on the ring and looks at her in the eye. "I, Min Yoongi, take you as my wife and vow to love and cherish you with all my heart and with all my soul. I promise you my loyalty, my protection and to always be by your side for as long as we shall live."

The princess mimics his actions, placing the ring on his finger as she speaks. "I, Kim Areum, take you as my husband and vow to be faithful and patient as we journey through life together. To you, I promise my never changing love and obedience and I will always be beside you no matter what happens, for as long as we shall live."

In the silence of the hall, Areum hears her heart break once again. Tears prickle on the corner of her eyes as she stares at their joined hands with matching rings that would remind the both of them of this very day, of their vows, of their promises that they made before the church and the people of their countries. A promise of love, loyalty and faithfulness. For the past years of her life, she only pictured saying these words to one person-to Jungkook- but the one in front of her right now is not him. It is someone who she grew up resenting because they told her awful things about him, their kingdom, their people and ironically, she just said the precious words that she reserved for someone she's going to love dearly for the rest of her life.

"With the power vested on me by the Kingdom of Vhrea, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

She doesn't notice that she was holding her breath until Yoongi lets go of her hands to lift her veil up. She is determined to not let a single tear fall from her eyes, not give them that hint of weakness but the prince sees it all. He sees it when he moves closer, looking at her intently before leaning in.

Areum closes her eyes by instinct, feeling a soft pair of lips against hers. She kisses him back shortly and when they part, Yoongi gives her a loving smile which she returns without hesitation. The guests cheer with awe, obviously loving the show of affection between them and Yoongi absolutely shudders deep inside because of how everyone is so absorbed in the thought of them being so sweet and lovely. The awkwardness that goes unnoticed is both relieving and unnerving at the same time.

"With great pride and joy, I present to you, the royal highnesses, Crown Prince and Princess of Vhrea."

There's no more turning back. 

[A/N: This is just a short update and I swear there's a tiny bit of fluff if you squint. Sorry if this is late because my classes already started. But I'll try my best to update as frequent as possible. As always, I'd love to read your comments so feel free to tell me what you think <3]