"Good evening, madam, want a champagne? May I sit here?" Holding two glasses of champagne, Choi Yena – or, to be precise, The Honorable Choi Yena, HMV (Honorary Mage of Versatility), is trying to squeeze into the seat next to Jo Yuri, Honorary Artistic Director of the Tokkiz Palace court.

Yuri raises her head and stares at Yena. The woman has caught everyone's attention this morning during the Investiture Ceremony when she unmounted from the back of a giant bumblebee in a tight-fitting black dress and amber yellow cloak – and then reduced the bee back to its normal size and put it into her pocket.

For some reason, Yuri feels offended. "Don't you think the space here is a bit narrow, Ms. bumblebee?"

Yena is a bit taken aback, but she nonetheless stays composed and hands Yuri the glass. "I just want to show my appreciation of your musical talent. I have never seen anyone so versatile that she can sing, play the piano and conduct an orchestra at the same time, not to mention doing it in excellence – to your talent and your beauty!" Yena raises her glass and consumes the champagne in one gulp, she then bows to the musician and prepares to leave.

Yuri flusters upon Yena's flatters. She quickly grabs the glass and stands up, "to health and peace," she raises her glass in a toast and takes a sip. Yena instantly grins brightly and holds out her hand, "I'm Choi Yena, Principal Creative Officer of the Polymathic Lab. Nice to meet you."

Yuri shakes Yena's hand, "Jo Yuri. Nice meeting you."

The room which is noisy suddenly turns quiet.

"The Princess Regent of Tokkiz." A bright voice announces.

A few seconds later, Princess Eunbi walks cheerfully into the Red Hall, followed by her fiancé, Lord Lee Jaeyeon, Lady Kim Chaewon, Head of the Royal Household, the newly invested Saku Royal Knight of the Blaze, and Nako, the Princess's Lady in Waiting. Everyone in the Red Hall stands and applauds. Tonight is a dinner party that Eunbi hosts that parallel with the King's birthday formal dinner. Normally, birthday dinners are only a gathering among the royal family and chief officials, but Eunbi believes that this is a good opportunity for her to build up her own network of talents. So, she skillfully framed it as a side gathering for the new merit recipients.

Eunbi heads straight onto the podium, "thank you everyone and please receive my warmest welcome. Here tonight we are not only celebrating His Majesty's birthday, but we are also celebrating the achievements of the brightest and bravest persons in Tokkiz, regardless of their class, ethnicity, and background. I am confident that you will make Tokkiz a country ahead of time in regard to not only wisdom, creativity, and competency but also virtue and compassion. As you have all heard this morning, His Majesty the King has announced the extension of my regency, here I promise you I shall devote to the service of our kingdom but I shall not have the strength alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do."*

The guests reply in unison, "I do!"

Eunbi grins, "thank you very much, may Heaven bless all of you!"

"Long live the King!" "Heaven be with Tokkiz!" "May Heaven bless the Regent!" "Viva Princess!" The guests chant their blessing in counterparts.

Eunbi raises her glass for a toast.

Time flies. Three and a half months passed like a gust of wind. The King was satisfied with Eunbi's performance as Regent and the reform plans she came up with various ministers, and the idea of taking a step backward and letting Eunbi takes the lead came to his mind. Although the law forbids him to abdicate, there is still a grey area that doesn't say he cannot designate some of his responsibilities to a regent. It may sound unusual for him to trust Eunbi unconditionally, but here is Tokkiz where a member of the ruling class is straightly monitored by Heaven under the Karmic Law. If anyone has any ill intent or abuses his or her power, he or she will, mercilessly, lose the magic and merit they must equip to rule. The only advice the King gave to his heir was, "slowly, subtly, step by step."

Eunbi thanks everybody before she steps down and takes a seat at the head table. Since the Princess has expressed that she enjoyed watching people eat and chat in a carefree manner (as they did in the moving picnic), Chaewon arranged a buffet dinner and designed it in a way that guests don't have to observe the straight palace protocol and can easily access the Princess Regent. Chaewon's setting works. Eunbi was able to hear conversations between real people as well as their stories that she could never have heard or imagined.

In between those conversations, Eunbi notices something intriguing. Not very far away, Yuri Seonsaengnim is having an intense conversation with Choi Yena. In Eunbi's impression, Yuri is elegant, kind, and polite but not without a subtle aloofness. As far as Eunbi knows, Yuri has experienced something very terrible in Arukas and there are rumors that she is still associated with the Arukas rebels, so it's only natural that she avoids getting too close to people. However, the way Yurilooks at Yena in deep concern now is something Eunbi has never known.

Sitting across Yuri, Yena is talking non-stop while laughing and crying at the same time. Yena is really an interesting figure, Eunbi thinks. Although she appears to be neurotic, Yena is indeed very thoughtful. After she flew back from Jigumina, she went straight to Sakura and double confirmed if Eunbi knew about her bodily condition before she shared all Yeri's letters with the Princess.

"You don't have to share with me if that involved Yeri's privacy," Eunbi said, even though her heart was itching with curiosity.

"I trust you, Your Highness." And that was how Yena's replied.

Eunbi was touched and she made a copy of the letters that involved Sakura. Both agreed when Sakura reaches 15, they will play Yeri's role to reveal the "truth" of her past as her rite of passage.

When the music comes to an end, Yuri suddenly stands up and signals the musicians to take a rest, Yena follows Yuri and walks directly to the piano and sits down. She then starts to play a tune with simple chords and sings along in a gentle voice. That's a song that Eunbi has never heard but it sounds nice. After listening for a while, Yuri sits down beside Yena and starts to improvise on the piano and sing the counterpart. The song becomes richer and richer when both women are totally immersed in the music they created.

Eunbi thinks she senses something but she is not sure.

Eunbi's attention is interrupted when Saku and Kang Hodong, Principal Chef of the Royal Household enter the Red Hall, followed by an army of servants holding trays of glasses filled with a pink-brownish icy drink. While Saku looks shy and hesitates to move on, Murashige Anna grabs a tray and brings the icy drink to Eunbi.

"Your Highness, this is a drink Sir Saku has specially made for you and the guests," Anna speaks up.

"What is it?" Eunbi looks at Saku.

Saku steps up with red cheeks and says, "Kura Tea, Your Highness."

Eunbi's right brow quirks upward in query.

Hodong immediately comes to the rescue, "it's Scoby Tea, Your Highness. I told Saku that you don't like Scoby Tea, but he said his mother has a different recipe, and you may like it. He did many experiments using the tea leaves and other ingredients you like, and finally made one that we think you may like."

Eunbi looks suspiciously between Hodong, Saku, and the drink; finally, with Jaeyeon's encouragement, she takes the glass under her nose, sniffs it, and takes a sip. Then her eyes widen with a delightful smile.

"It's delicious!" Eunbi exclaims, "I like the fragrance, the texture is smooth, and it tastes so delicate. Good job, Saku! Why don't you go to the piano and ask your Aunt Yena to come over and have a try too?"

Everyone exhales in relief and Saku immediately bows and runs to the music stage.

"We can bring them..." Hodong suggests politely.

"It's fine. I'd like to talk to them too." Eunbi says.

So Hodong signals his staff to deliver the drink to all the guests.

"Hodong, it is very kind of you to take care of Saku, I appreciate that." Eunbi compliments, "I heard he always gets extra food, and you nicknamed him Toy Soldier. Make sure he has a balanced and nutritious diet."

Hodong laughs heartedly, "yes, Your Highness. I always make sure the Toy Soldier will have healthy food. He actually eats a lot more after the expedition and he keeps on growing day by day. This little fella is a genius, just by running around the kitchen with Anna and he learned some common recipes in a short time."

Eunbi nods, smiling proudly, and continues to sip the Kura Tea as if it is liquid gold.

***

It takes Sakura a while before the women at the piano notice her existence.

"Auntie, Her Highness wants you," Sakura says and it attracts Yuri's attention.

"Auntie? Saku-chan, why do you suddenly call me auntie?"

"Oh sorry, he is calling me. Excuse me, unnie." Yena quickly stands up from the piano and runs towards the head table.

"What?" Yuri startles, "Saku-chan, I never heard that you have an aunt. And I thought Yena is only your horse."

Sakura shakes her head and shrugs, "it is complicated."

Yuri snorts, "and how come she calls me unnie!"

Sakura looks puzzled.

"Let's go," Yuri says and pushes Saku gently, following Yena.

Eunbi feels funny as Saku has mis-conveyed her message but is glad that Yuri has come along.

Jaeyeon who is sitting by Eunbi's side laughs, "Saku-chan babo (silly), Her Highness wanted you to introduce your drink to Aunt Yena, not just wanting her to come."

Eunbi chuckles. It is like Jaeyeon can read her mind. The issue of still not starting to prepare for her wedding suddenly flashes across her mind, but she quickly snaps back to reality and greets Yuri.

"Seonsaengnim, please have a seat, and Saku the Royal Knight too!" Eunbi teases Saku by raising her tone a bit at the end.

"So what this drink is about?" Yena says and takes the glass handed down by the servant. "It smells good!"

"This is the Scoby Tea made with mama's recipe and Her Highness's favorite ingredients."

Yena takes a sip and her eyes immediately redden. She can picture Yeri making her favorite Scoby Tea together with her beloved daughter in the Prairie, as slaves. Although the tea tastes different from her memory, she can feel Yeri's love inside.

"Hey, don't cry, unnie!" Yuri's voice breaks Yena out of her train of thought.

"Wh...what did you call me, Yuri-ssi?" Yena deliberately exaggerates her surprise.

Eunbi and Jaeyeon exchange a quick look.

Yuri smirks, "I said, don't cry, unnie."

"Unnie?" Yena's jaw hangs open. She stops for a moment and continues, "how can it be?"

Yuri's expression darkens, "you call me unnie because I have grey hair, do you? But I am indeed two years younger than you."

"Ho...how do you know my age?" Yena feels embarrassed but manages to retort.

Yuri shakes her head. "You said it yourself. You left home when you were 16 and you didn't go back for 14 years."

"Yes, Yuri just turned 28 last summer," Chaewon, who has been silent through the night, suddenly stands up and speaks in a very cool manner. "And I am the only and biggest unnie here."

Eunbi and Jaeyeon immediately break into a laugh, they both know what does it mean by "the biggest". Yuri cannot pretend she is angry anymore, and even Nako who sits at the next table, join in to tease Yena.

Yena covers her face with both hands and whines like a child. Saku pets her aunt and laughs along with everybody.

After waiting for everyone to calm down, Yena apologizes to Yuri, "madam, I am sorry. But I want to say, you look really cool in grey hair."

Yuri scoffs, "that's not something to be proud of."

"Oh but I am interested to know the reason?" Yena's tone is sincere.

Yuri looks away and falls silent. Everybody turns to "the biggest unnie" for help. Chaewon chews her lips but nevertheless opens , "Yena-ssi, we all have our stories. Even a person as young as Saku..."

"It's fine, unnie," Yuri cuts in, "Yena has told me her story, it is fair to tell her mine too – just not tonight. It is a night for celebration, we should get ourselves drunk with this wonderful drink made by our wonderful little friend."

"To life!" Yuri then picks up her drink for a toast.

"To peace!" Eunbi is the first to respond.

"To love!" Jaeyeon toasts with his eyes stuck on Eunbi.

"To health!" Nako stands up and walks to the head table.

"To creativity!" Yena quickly adds.

Chaewon raises her glass but has to think for while before she says, "to responsibilities."

Everyone holds her breath at Chaewon's seriousness but soon remembers there is one person who has not spoken.

"Saku-chan?" Yuri raises her voice.

Sakura immediately turns into a tomato, even her big ears become bright red. She raises her glass, "to...to...eh...to unnie – oops...to noonas and hyeong!"

Saku's "slip of the tongue" makes everyone laughs again, even though not all of them understand the reason behind it.

Finally, Eunbi throws a query look at Nako. Nako nods and Eunbi raises her glass again in a big grin, "to Nako, and the health of the baby in her womb."

Everyone holds her breath again and finally breaks into the loudest cheers and showers Nako with congratulations.

***

The dinner party finally ended when the Princess Regent needed to take a rest.

Yena volunteered to walk Yuri home, and Yuri accepted the offer.

"My house is not very far away from the palace," Yuri says.

"The Blue Moon is so bright tonight," Yena responds with a rhyme, "with the silver moon blushing at her right."

Both women fall into silence after that and then suddenly say together, "I'm sorry."

Yena chuckles, "for what? It is my fault to take things for granted, never thought I am that shallow."

Yuri shakes her head, "you mentioned your brother has joined the Tokkiz rescue force, I also have a brother who led the Arukas resistance force. We were twins and we were only 17 when Arukas was occupied by the Cistumons. Since we were nobles, and my whole family belongs to the Warrior Class, we have the duty to protect the country and fight until we die. We led the militia to resist against the invasion after the regular Arukasian Army was disbanded."

"You are Arukasian? And you are a Warrior!" Yena exclaims.

"Yes," Yuri continues, "it was a war we could never win, but we have destroyed as many infrastructures and facilities as we could to make sure the Cistumons cannot use them. Tetsuo was captured and executed, and I was also captured one year later."

Yuri stops. Under the bright street lamp, Yena can clearly see her biting down on the inside of her cheeks.

"You don't have to continue," Yena rubs Yuri's back gently.

"No. I want to. I have not told anybody about what happened – I mean, I still cannot talk about that. I just want to say, I managed to escape two years later, and when I looked at the mirror again, I thought it was not me. How come I look like I am 50 years old? I was totally broken."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Yena looks intensively at Yuri with a sad expression.

"You don't have to." Yuri fakes a smile and changes the subject, "oh, by the way, is Saku your nephew?"

"That's complicated," Yena answers, "I mean yes, but has no blood tied. He is an orphan. His family was robbed and slaughtered, my sister-in-law saved and adopted him. She gave him the last name of my brother – half-brother. Since the three of us grew up together under one master, I was actually closer to my sister-in-law than my brother so Saku has always thought that I'm his aunt from the mother's side. But that doesn't really matter, right?"

Yuri nods, and Yena continues, "Yeri sold Saku and herself to a horse-breeding family after my brother died. She died a few months ago and Saku was re-sold. He ended up bought by the Princess."

"What's the name of your sister-in-law again?"

Yena suddenly thinks of something funny, "Yeri – the combination of YEna and YuRI."

Yuri rolls her eyes, "it doesn't work that way. YURI is one word, meaning crystal glass in Arukasian."

Yena laughs, "Yes, of course, I know. But don't you think it is some kind of serendipity?"

"Well, I know Saku has a tsundere horse that has the same name as you. I think that's serendipity too?" Yuri retorts.

"Well, yes...yes, I know...I've met her..." Yena's voice suddenly drops. She sighs and lowers her head, "he deliberately named that horse after me, he must have known that I am tsundere too, haha...maybe. My sister has missed me very much, so Saku named his first foal Yena to make his mother happy. I am so useless. I should have saved Yeri and Saku from more suffering if I have just read those letters."

Yena sounds so defeated that Yuri doesn't think she fakes it. She inhales deeply and says, "you know what, Yena?"

"Yes?"

"I envy you."

"Me? Why?" Yena is puzzled.

Yuri leads out a long sigh. "We have both lost our brothers, you and I, but one day you suddenly found that he has a child that bears his name, and I am sure Saku will remind you of your sister-in-law, or sister if you prefer. Sometimes I wish I was the one who died so that he can produce an heir to our family – I mean, the next generation, hope."

Yena shakes her head, "but that was not mutually exclusive, and you can always get married and produce an heir to your family. You are still young."

"Yena, it is not like what you think," Yuri squeezes a smile that makes Yena feel pain behind it. But Yuri quickly adds, "I will tell you the day when I feel ready. Although we've just met tonight, although you are...a bit crazy, I trust you."

Yena instantly feels her cheeks burn with Yuri's words, "ye...yes...thank you...I...yes..."

Yuri chuckles, "we have arrived. This is my house. Let's have tea next time when Saku is coming for his less..."

"Yes, sure!" Yena replies even before Yuri finished. A soft breeze suddenly passes through the street and embraces Yena with the scent of Spring.

* Adaptation from the speech by Queen Elizabeth on her 21st Birthday in 1947

Author's Notes:

I think this chapter is probably the "most fanfic" chapter in the whole story. Spring has come and the Yulyen ship starts to sail. Being adults who have experienced tremendous pain and loss, Yuri and Yena finally found each other. I hope you have enjoyed it. The next chapter will be about the wedding of Eunbi and Jaeyeon.