Queen Yongsun always loved the garden. It's where she would lay down to read her favorite books whenever she has free time, and whenever her sisters are not demanding her attention. Her younger sisters have always been attached to her since her parents have always been so occupied ruling their kingdom.

Their castle gardens consisted of a wide range of beautiful flowers; roses, lilies, daisies. It's surrounded by carved hedges in all shapes and sizes, and hedges that acted as walls to separate the garden from the rest of the castle. That's why the queen always loved the gardens. She doesn't feel like a royalty stuck in the castle when she's in it. There were not many rules when she's in the gardens in contrast to inside her castle.

"Is it your first time here, Your Highness?" Moonbyul asked with a smirk on her face, she's seen the queen ogle at her own garden. She finds it amusing.

Queen Yongsun snapped out of her reverie. "Pardon me." she said with an apologetic smile. "It's been months since I last visited the gardens."

"I hope you weren't stuck in your own castle." Moonbyul replied with an amused smile.

"I guess I got preoccupied being the Queen." she smugly answered. Yongsun doesn't remember the last time she genuinely smiled. But somehow the prince managed to make her do just that. It hasn't even been a day, yet she already feels comfortable in the prince's presence.

Their conversation flowed naturally as they walked around the gardens. Their guards following suit. It's almost sunset when they finished their walk. They both weren't expecting their walk to take that long.

"Your garden is gorgeous, My Queen." the prince said, stopping to face Queen Yongsun. She smiles. "But it's nothing compared to your company."

Yongsun didn't know when she'll get used to compliments from her betrothed, she was still taken aback each time, but she doesn't mind. She figures, that the prince is a sweet talker. The prince's reputation keeps coming back in her thoughts, how that person and this charming prince in front of her could possibly be the same.

She wonders if this is how the prince intends to gain her trust, or if she is genuinely like this.

She shakes the thought away. The prince has nothing to gain with this marriage, she's the heir to a much larger kingdom. And Solaria is the one who would benefit more from the alliance.

She concludes, for now, that the prince is just being herself.

Just then she feels a hand slide on hers, their fingers intertwining.

Queen Yongsun was frozen in her spot. She could hear her servants and guards gasp.

Moonbyul could clearly see the panic in her eyes. She furrows her brows in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked.  The Lunarians were at a loss on why the Solarians reacted so surprised, the prince just held the Queen's hand.

The prince saw the Queen's eyes locked on their hands, as her cheeks turn almost as red as the roses around them.

Moonbyul raised their hands, "Is this not appropriate for you?"

The queen could only shake her head. "To us, Solarians, joining hands is the highest form of intimacy." the queen informed them.

"Oh." the prince said, surprised. "Is that so?" she asks but doesn't make any attempt at letting go of Yongsun's hand. "I suppose it's a good thing that we're arranged to marry then." she concludes, tightening her hold on Yongsun's hand, unaware of the effect it has on her betrothed.

The queen couldn't even breathe regularly, let alone compose herself. She could feel the heat from her face radiating. "Perhaps." Yongsun managed to choke out; any other words seemed to be stuck in .

"If we already held hands, then that would mean that it