Despite the engagement and Sinb’s growing feelings, the two didn’t seem deterred in the slightest from going along their usual activities for the day. Yerin had insisted on staying in the town, and Sinb helped her convince their fathers to let her do what she wanted. In the end, she was allowed to do so, given that she returned when she called upon. King Gladiolus only attributed it to Yerin wanting to get to know the people of their kingdom in preparation of her being its queen.

But in reality, it was just Yerin making the most of the remaining freedom she had.

Though she has no doubt that she’ll still be able to go outside once she’s married, but being a queen entails too much responsibility. The position alone already tells her that it won’t be the same as the life she has now. Therefore, she’s more than glad that Sinb would accompany her nevertheless, seemingly having gotten over her reason as to why she had avoided Yerin in the castle the past days. Yerin never really knew the answer to it, but seeing that Sinb has gone back to how they were before, she didn’t bother thinking about it again.

Sinb, on the other hand, decided to confront whatever emotion she was experiencing, eager to explore it more rather than completely ignore it and pretend it never existed. After all, doing so only gave her sadness, and, although being with Yerin also gave her that, the happiness she experienced while being with the other princess was more dominant. It was almost obvious to her what she should do.

It has been a week since then, and there wasn’t much that changed. Sinb and Yerin would still act like free birds, doing whatever they wanted so long as they kept out of too much trouble, and the knights still reprimanding them time to time. However, it was undeniable that they’ve gotten even closer during that period. They would almost insist that they were inseparable. The budding friendship slowly blossomed into something else they have yet to discover yet was painfully obvious for their friends.

It was just another of those days when Sinb had snuck out of the castle once more to rendezvous with Yerin and was more than elated to see the princess already out the door and waiting patiently for her arrival. Hastening her steps, she almost speed walked to where Yerin stood and the princess’ grin upon her arrival made Sinb’s stomach turn in a seemingly pleasant way that she’s gotten used to for the past days.

“Any plans for today?” Yerin asked and Sinb shook her head.

“I assume you’re the one with the schedule.”

“Right you are.” Yerin suddenly raised a basket in her hands for her to see, “Same spot? But for a picnic?”

Sinb was struggling very hard to keep her smile from getting any wider, “Do I still need to answer that?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” she brought the basket back down and offered her hand for the younger princess to hold, to which she didn’t even hesitate for one moment to grasp into hers.

Having trekked up the hill one too many times, the two could already navigate the woods towards their destination with their eyes closed and so on the way there, they succumbed to idle chatter, mostly about Sinb’s lessons that, she quotes, ‘Even the most interested of all humans would find boring.’ Yerin would laugh at Sinb’s exaggerated whining meanwhile Yerin would offer stories of her own, some that Sinb has already heard but couldn’t get enough of.

Soon enough, they’ve reached their destination, the two naturally falling into their individual tasks for their sudden picnic plans and not before long, they both sat under the usual tree, looking over the view of the lands and the vast seas from afar. It was their favorite viewing spot as of late and an added bonus was that they were the only ones who knew of that place and so they considered it their own safe haven.

In that place, they were neither princess nor soon-to-be queen. They were mere humans doing what normal citizens did on their free time.

Sinb hummed in satisfaction as a gentle breeze swept past the area, “The weather’s great today.”

All the better with the company. She silently added.

Yerin spread out the blanket, “Why else would I think it’ll be the best time for a picnic?”

“I quite remember one time you said it was a good time for swimming despite the looming dark clouds from the distance.”

“That was on a whim, and you enjoyed it too!”

Sinb raised her hands, “Guilty. It doesn’t change the fact we were shivering to the bone when we got back.”

“But the good thing is we didn’t get sick.”

“I doubt it, with how hard-headed we both are, even illnesses will have a hard time having their way with us.”

The two shared a chorused laugh at that before finally settling on the comfortable blanket, Sinb taking out the food that Yerin had prepared for them. It mostly consisted of sandwiches, but Sinb understood that it would be the best choice for any outdoor setting.

The rest of the hour was spent on various topics, the two seemingly having infinite stories to tell the other, from their childhood to their most ridiculous endeavors in adulthood, but most of all a discussion on more of their strengths and weaknesses.

“That’s it, we’re not going outside tomorrow.” Yerin proclaimed as soon as she found out of the younger princesses’ inability to cook, “I’ll be teaching you the basics if you have any plans to survive alone.”

Was it her fault though? The castle cooks were there for a reason and they never even let her step a single toe into the kitchen. She vaguely even remembers where the kitchen is.

Nevertheless, despite how uninteresting their following excursion would be, it was another opportunity to spend time with Yerin and that was already more than enough to convince her to go along with her wishes.

“Fancy seeing the both of you here.”

Sinb stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice along with the clacking of a horse’s hooves against the hard soil. The both of them looked up simultaneously only to be face to face with the prince’s familiar white stallion and the said prince already making maneuvers to get down from the beautiful creature’s back. With a grunt, he descended swiftly and made his way to the two with a pleasant smile on his face, beaming particularly when his gaze landed on Yerin.

Yerin made a move to greet the prince but Sinb’s hand on hers prevented her from doing so, her expression hardening the closer he approached.

The annoyance on her face was practically difficult to mask any longer.

This was her and Yerin’s spot. Call her territorial, but for her, it was warranted. She especially did not want her brother anywhere near this place.

“Prince… Clem.” Yerin cleared after her failed attempt at greeting him, “What brings you here?”

“I was strolling through the woods and noticed a path seemingly cleared recently and opted to follow.” he answered, “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course n—“

“I mind.” Sinb cut her off, looking sharply at her brother as if she wanted to make sure her point clearly made it across, “We were supposedly enjoying this time alone.”

She didn’t look, but she could feel her brother’s gaze on her and it somewhat irked her the way he almost sounded mocking as he replied, “And I don’t suppose you realize you shouldn’t even be here in the first place, little sister? What would father say?”

Sinb silently grit her teeth before leveling her gaze to his, “What’s to you what I wish to do with my time anyway?”

“Perhaps, none.” he shrugged, “But I have to point out how you have been having your highness to yourself during this whole time, when it should be me—“

“Who Yerin wishes to be with is none of your business as well.” Sinb bit back, “It’s not my fault you’re slow.”

The prince’s eyes narrowed at the insult, looking irked despite the frozen smile plastered on his face, “Then perhaps I should arrange one now.”

He turned to Yerin before she could even put a word in and asked, “Are you free by the morrow, your highness? If you are, then I would like to request a little of your time. I’d like to know more about my soon to be wife, after all.”

The title had Sinb’s patience reaching its peak, but it annoyed her how she couldn’t do anything to disclaim it as it was the truth and the face was, he was requesting Yerin personally. For that, she didn’t have any control on what Yerin wishes to do or not to do. Sure, they have plans for tomorrow but there was no way that they would spend the whole day with just that and also, now with her secret rendezvous discovered, she figured it would only be a matter of time before her father became a bit stricter on her imprisonment in the castle.

“I-“ Yerin was unsure on what to answer, given how she was squeezed in between the two’s budding animosity for the other, “I should have a little free time in the afternoon…”

“Excellent, I will be dropping by that time then.” he grinned, “There should be no problems with this, right, sister?”

Sinb didn’t reply, opting to avoid his gaze as much as possible if only not to see the smug look he was probably giving her by this time.

“Then I will disturb you no further.” he rose to his feet and made his way back to his ride, mounting the horse easily with experience and skill, “I look forward to our meeting tomorrow your highness, and little sister, it would be best if you headed home now.”

“I’ll say it again, what I wish to do or not to do is none of your business.” she bit back, “I’m not a child anymore.”

The stallion’s neigh as it trotted about made up for the brief silence the prince fell into before he replied in a seemingly softer tone than before, it almost surprised her that it was from the same person taunting her just a moment ago.

“Indeed you are not.”

She looked up at that, only to find her brother looking over at her fondly, causing her to somewhat return the gaze with confusion.

“But heed my words little sister, you best be careful with your shenanigans and whatnot.” he advised already trotting away with mirth in his tone, “The guards may see you as their princess, but their loyalty to their king is absolute.”

“What are you going on about?” Sinb raised a brow.

“Don’t get caught!” he shouted as finally urged his ride to a sprint, his figure disappearing from their sight within seconds.

Still confused, she just waved off his words, perhaps it was just to rile her up for no reason before focusing her attention back to Yerin who was looking at her with concern.

Sinb dreaded the conversation that was to follow. If her actions were as obvious as the moon during night time then she may as well have given herself away.

“Are you…” Yerin began, “Are you not in good terms with your brother?”

Sinb swallowed a bit, trying to find the answer to the question without outright confessing the feelings going on inside her.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“You don’t have to apologize, but I’m worried I might have made things worse…”

Sinb vehemently shook her head, denying her assumptions, “You won’t have to worry about that, my brother just tends to annoy me somewhat.” she answered as vaguely as possible. How was she supposed to explain that this only happened because of her presence? Her relationship with her brother before her arrival was... normal, at most. She could almost feel the competitive spirit her brother was radiating just at their confrontation earlier and that annoyed her more. Why? Because it made Yerin look like a mere prize to be won and she is certainly more than that.

“Well I hope I didn’t injure your relationship with him any further.” Yerin replied, “I’m sorry our plans for tomorrow would have to be cut short.”

“But you didn’t cancel them.” Sinb pointed out, “And it wasn’t as if we were going to hole ourselves up in the kitchen the whole day.”

She felt accomplished when she saw the ghost of a smile adorning the older princess’s lips.

“My brother is right he…” Sinb swallowed slightly, trying to force out the next words, “He should be given the opportunity to know his future wife more… and I’ve been taking that time away from him.”

This was the harsh reality of the matter that she found herself finding harder and harder to accept, not to mention that they only have a limited time before they completely seal their fates. Sinb would be the mere sister-in-law fawning over her brother’s wife.

It already sounds the worst in her mind.

“And yet you made sense with your claim.” Yerin’s hand gently hers took her attention, “If he wished to, he would have made more effort, but he’s the one with more freedom to roam about meanwhile you’re the one sneaking out just to meet up with me. You’re right when you say it’s not your fault that he’s slow.”

Their gazes locked, a seemingly mutual understanding passing between them that almost made her think that she was conveying what she thought Yerin was trying to tell her without the actual words needed for it. However, that moment was gone as soon as it arrived, leaving Sinb in a once more confused state, making her wonder what Yerin’s look meant.

“If you were given the choice Yerin, would you still marry him?”

Yerin breathed out a laugh, “My answer remains as it is. No.”

“But you’re giving him a chance?” Sinb asked again, “Is there a chance?”

“Perhaps.” she answered honestly, “I wouldn’t put it past him if he’s able to change my mind in a day.”

Sinb visibly deflated at that. With her brother’s natural charm, she wouldn’t be surprised if even Yerin fell for him when the day came. It was almost hopeless how there was nothing she could do.

Whether Yerin ended up liking him or not, she was still getting married to him, and unless she could convince the two kingdoms otherwise, their fate was already pretty much sealed. This was the harsh reality of the situation that she was in.

---

The following day arrived too quickly for Yerin’s liking and a part of her wished to stay in bed a tad bit longer but then she remembered her plans with Sinb and that got her up from the bed and begin fixing herself up for the day.

At the moment, she was mulling over what she would teach the younger princess when the person of her thoughts literally appeared in front of her out of nowhere, taking her by surprise and almost succeeded in making her fall from the chair she was sitting on.

“Easy there.” Sinb chuckled, catching Yerin by the arm before her face met the floor, “Are you alright? I’ve been calling you for the past minute…”
 

“I’m alright.” she assured her, “I apologize for that. I was wondering on what to cook but you arrived earlier than expected.”

Yerin was almost wondering the current state the woman was in. Just yesterday, she wasn’t in the best of moods after the skirmish with her brother but now she was acting just like how she always did when Yerin expected her to not be as enthusiastic as before. Sinb was such a mystery to her sometimes.

And just like always, the two fell into easy conversation, the topic flowing easily as they got to the task at hand. The thoughts that troubled the princess from yesterday and just a few moments vanishing into thin air as she could only focus on the enjoyment she was having while Sinb struggled with cooking.

Yerin couldn’t help herself and had to remark how bad she was at it and almost melted at the sight of a pouting and whining Sinb who was retaliating to her statements more times than she could count. Soon enough, Sinb finally managed to make a decent meal under Yerin’s supervision which consisted of trial and errors and finally sat around the dinner table with the two having a late breakfast.

Yerin was more than convinced that it was the woman’s hunger that fueled her determination to finally do it right. With the sight of Sinb munching happily on her creation, she failed to mask the look of adoration plastered on her face as she watched, completely forgetting the meal before her.

Sinb seemed to have noticed, “Yerin? You’re not eating, is it bad?”

“Huh?”

“You just took one bite out of it…” she pointed out, disappointment lacing her tone which Yerin was more than determined to correct.

“No, no, I already gave my approval earlier, remember?” Yerin offered her a smile, “I was just thinking.”

Sinb seemed relieved at that however she couldn’t help but glance once in a while, only to find the woman in deep thought once again. Whatever it was, it sure was plaguing her mind lots and she has a vague idea on what it could be about. Little did she know that it was her that Yerin was thinking about if the cursory glances were enough of an indication.

A horse neighing from the outside interrupted the silent morning, and both of them looked up, a sense of dread befalling Sinb the moment she heard the familiar sound and what it meant. Her turn for that day was over and it felt too short-lived for her liking, but then again, time had always seemed to pass by too quickly whenever she spent it with her fellow princess. The only difference this time is that she will be spending the rest of the day with someone else.

“It looks like that’s it for this morning.” Sinb tells her with a forced smile, already standing up from her seat, “My brother should be looking for you and waiting by now.”

“Sinb…” Yerin looks up at her with an expression she couldn’t determine.

“I should also go.” she continues to say, “My father told me to be home by this afternoon. I guess it was lucky that we decided to spend the time together in the morning.”

The princess then made a move to leave, quickly saying her farewells and was about to head out the door but at the same moment, Yerin also stood up, her feet nearly pounding the floor as she walked briskly to Sinb’s side and grabbing her wrist before her hand opened the door.

“Do you really want to go?” Yerin asked, her grip tightening slightly as if she didn’t want her to leave.

Sinb faced her accompanied by a nervous laugh, “I just told you, my father told me to head home, perhaps it’s to prepare for your wedding? Since…” Sinb paused for a bit, looking at anywhere but Yerin, “Since I will be there too.” her tone softens, “As a guest.”

A pregnant pause followed, neither knowing what else to say but it was as if the silence was screaming at them, relaying their thoughts to the other, and both of them knew that they didn’t want to separate from the other just like that. There was something going on in between them and they could feel it, but there was also a force holding them back from acting upon it. The circumstances and the entirety of the situation just seemed to make it impossible for them to act upon their impulses.

“Thank you for the time Yerin.” Sinb says with a hint of finality in her tone, “Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me. Goodbye.”

Sinb pulls her hand from Yerin’s slackened hold and finally made her way out of the door, rushing in her footsteps as every fiber of her being tried to pull her back to Yerin’s side against. However, upon seeing the image of her brother standing right outside the door, a flower in his hand and looking as excited as ever, dashed all desperation that she felt. The pain she had experienced during the engagement party had resurfaced and propelled her to get out of that place with hastiness.

Meanwhile, Yerin could only watch Sinb’s retreating figure. Her face littered with sadness that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

Her farewell felt like it would be the last time they would see each other.

“Princess Yerin?” the prince’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts as she stares back at the concerned look the man was sporting, “…I interrupted something, didn’t I?”

Yerin takes a moment to answer, looking once more towards the direction of the woods Sinb ran off to. She then shakes her head, offers the prince an assuring smile in return.

“It’s nothing you should be worried about. Should we be on our way then?”

---

Sinb stares up blankly at the ceiling of her canopy bed, it was already way past her usual sleeping time and she could definitely feel it in her bones how tired she feels but for some reason, sleep didn’t seem to make a visit just yet. And so she lay there in her bread, her limbs sprawled out like a starfish and body completely immobile yet her thoughts running nonstop in her mind, her emotions were in turmoil and everything felt so overwhelming that she doesn’t even know what to think of anymore.

However, one thing was for sure. Everything revolved around Yerin.

The mere mention of her name was enough to send her emotions and thoughts into a frenzy, as if it hasn’t been that way since she left Sojung’s home that morning. She just couldn’t understand or put into words as to why she would be feeling this way. It was unfamiliar, but it was mostly similar to whenever she was able to go out of the castle and into the woods with Sojung to spar. The feeling of excitement, anticipation for the next day, and the wanting for that moment to happen again once it was over was exhilarating. Being holed up inside the castle walls the whole day made that wanting for that short moment of freedom all the more, and she thought she would never feel or want anything as much as she did for it. But now, with Yerin, it just became stronger, the want for the woman amplified a lot more to the point that she couldn’t even imagine herself without the woman by her side one day.

Even she knew that this was no longer something she would consider normal.

Heaving out a sigh, she closed her eyes and once more tried to fall asleep in an attempt to put her thoughts to rest when the sound of a voice calling out her name interrupted the silence of her room. Her eyes shot open, and she swiftly sat up from her bed, looking around but choosing to be silent. She waited just in case she was just hearing things, but when she heard her name being called once more for the second time, she understood that it wasn’t her ears playing with her any longer.

“Sinb!” the princess turned to the direction of the balcony and made her way towards it silently and cautiously until she was able to see who it was through the windows.

The familiar face immediately made her heart stop.

“Yerin…?” she whispers, fully stepping out onto the balcony.

Yerin’s beaming smile upon her appearance caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach, intensifying when she spoke, “You’re finally here. Stop making me wait, it’s cold out here you know.”

“I-I didn’t ask you to stay out there…” Sinb stares, “What are you doing here anyway?”

Yerin just smiled and pulled her cloak closer around her, “Put on something warm and come join me in the garden. I’ll wait for you.”

Without waiting for a response, Yerin turned her heel and left the space beneath the balcony, most likely heading towards the garden. Confused yet curious, she hastily grabbed anything she could use to cover herself up and silently made her way out of the room. She was lucky enough that the distance between her room and the garden wasn’t much as she was able to make her way there within a few minutes.

Arriving at the garden, it was like a sudden déjà vu had overcome her, remembering clearly the time they had spent in that same garden during her engagement party. What was once the day she had dreaded in that time had turned into one of the most memorable moments for her.

“Hi.” Yerin greets her, looking up from the edge of the fountain where she was currently seated. Slowly making her way to her side, Sinb watches as Yerin pats the space beside her with her usual smile.

“It’s late in the night Yerin, is something wrong?” she asks, wrapping her coat tighter around herself and taking the seat beside the other princess.

“I wanted to see you.”

Sinb’s felt herself freeze a bit at that.

“Our time together this morning felt too short.” she continues say, staring at Sinb with a fond look and she was almost sure that she was going to melt with the way she stared, “So I came to see you.”

“W-We could have just met tomorrow though…”

Yerin pouts a bit, “You don’t want to see me?”

“I didn’t say that.” Sinb quickly answers, Yerin just chuckles.

A pregnant silence then befalls the two as they just take the time to admire the scenery around them. Sinb was still curious for Yerin’s visit. She could almost tell that there was more to Yerin coming over than just to see her and felt that she should know the underlying reason. However, she also knew that she wasn’t going to get any answers that easily.

“How… how was your afternoon with my brother?” Sinb says in an attempt to initiate conversation only to slap herself in the head for choosing that of all topics to ask about.

Yerin seemed to have thought the same thing as she raised a brow, seemingly surprised, “Pleasant, perhaps that would be the right word to describe it.”

“I see…”

“But I prefer having fun instead of discussing things over tea.” she adds, “That was all we did, to be honest, it was boring. Your brother must have thought I would be the type of person who preferred to stay indoors, sipping tea and eating cakes.”

“But he saw us having a picnic in the outdoors…” Sinb mumbles in wonder.

“Right? He’s probably never met any noble who roamed about as much as we did.” Yerin then faces her with a grin that Sinb couldn’t help but reciprocate, unable to hold herself back and let a chuckle break out. The initial tenseness of the atmosphere dissolved quickly and it was once more just like how it’s always been. How it naturally should be.

“Are you okay?”

Sinb turns to her, brows raised, “Why do you ask?”

“You seemed out of it this morning, did something happen?”

She wasn’t able to answer immediately. How was she supposed to answer that? That she hated the mere sight of her brother for no good reason? That she hated how he had come to interrupt the time they were having? That she didn’t want to see them together? That she didn’t want Yerin to get married to him?

She can’t even find the reason why herself, how was she supposed to provide her a proper explanation for that?

“Sinb?”

“Hm? Oh,” noticing that she’s gone silent, Sinb just smiles, “It was nothing. I’m fine. I think I ruined my portion of the food earlier and ended up not feeling well.” she says with a laugh.

“Is that really it?”

The moon wasn’t full that night, and all Sinb could make out was the vague silhouette of the older princess’s figure, but she could clearly see the way her eyes gazed at her searchingly, venturing into the deepest parts of her soul and she could almost feel that Yerin could see through her words, as if she knew the reason for why she was feeling this way.

“Why shouldn’t it be?” Sinb could only ask back.

“You…” Yerin sighs a bit before leaning back, “You’re against this marriage aren’t you?”

“What?” she turns to her abruptly.

“Do you think I’m not suited for your brother? That an adventurous woman like me would only be a problem to your brother who’s next in line to the throne?”

Sinb turns her body slightly so that she was fully facing the woman, “That’s not it. I would never even think of you as a problem in the first place.”

“But you obviously don’t like seeing the both of us together.”

“That’s…”

“Why?”

Sinb didn’t answer, deciding to look away instead.

“Sinb, you’ll be my sister-in-law soon.” Yerin tells her, “If there’s anything that I’ve done for you to hate me then it’s better if we come clean now—“

“I don’t want that.”

Yerin stares, “What?”

“I don’t want to be your sister-in-law.” Sinb turns once more to stare at her, eyes wide and focused as if whatever was fogging her mind had finally cleared up and for once, she knew what she wanted to say, “I don’t want you to get married to him. My brother doesn’t deserve someone like you.

“I hate seeing you with him. I dislike seeing you so close to him, spending time with him, having pleasant tea times with him.” Sinb went on, finding herself unable to stop, “There’s just something in me that loathes the mere sight of you together. Even the thought of it is making me feel unpleasant. But what I hate the most is that I can’t do anything about it…”

Sinb sighs, while Yerin decides to stay silent.

“I hate that he has the rights to have you for himself while I don’t.”

Yerin’s eyes widen slightly at the implication of her words, “Sinb… you…”

“Am I being too selfish?” Sinb mumbles, “I want to have more adventures with you, discover more hidden places with you, is that… is that too much to ask? I don’t want my brother taking that away from me. Can’t we just stay this way?”

She understood she was sounding desperate but with the wedding just a few days away, she couldn’t find it in herself to stop.

Yerin sighs a bit, “What is it exactly you want Sinb?”
 

“Huh?”

“What do you want?”

“But I just said…”

“That’s not all there is.” Yerin urges, leaning closer and not daring to look away from her, “What do you really want?”

Sinb stares back, finding herself mesmerized by the woman’s eyes, and at that moment the answer came to her almost naturally.

“I want you.”

Yerin’s smile widens, “That wasn’t so hard now was it?”

Before Sinb could even comprehend what happened next, Yerin’s hands were on her cheeks, she was leaning closer and in another second, she felt lips pressing gingerly against hers. Sinb takes a moment to take in what was happening and soon enough, she closed her eyes savoring the feeling of Yerin’s lips against hers and let herself be drowned into the blissful tingly feeling she was going through. She felt dizzy, the hairs on the back of her neck bristling as electricity flowed throughout her entire system and making her entire thoughts go haywire. It just seemed that nothing else mattered except the absence of space between them, the feeling of her lips on hers and the fact that this was in fact real and happening.

It felt too short when Yerin finally pulled away but she made no move to remove her hands on her face, the same smile that Sinb always loved seeing, meeting her the moment she opened her eyes.

“Sinb.”

Said princess swallows a bit, feeling her heart flutter just by the mention of her name.

 Yerin tells her softly, “I want you too.”