They arrived back in Avalon around lunchtime, sheets of rain coming down as they were ushered from the jet into the back of a waiting car, giving the circling photographers a quick wave before they were pulling away from the airstrip, making their way back towards Glaston City. It was a grey day, with the biting cold of autumn making them shiver in the back of their stuffy car, and Chaeyoung felt like it was appropriate for their homecoming. As much as she loved her lavish lifestyle at the palace, with her own bed and a whole cohort of people at her beck and call, their escapes to Ireland were few and far between, and she sorely missed the freedom it offered her. As they sped through the city with their police , it felt like a sombre march towards her gilded cage, and she knew that it would only become more suffocating once news of one or both of their pregnancies dropped.

As the gilt gates parted for them, Chaeyoung stared at the buttery sandstone blocks of Sunstone palace, leached of their colour with the drabness of the day, and couldn’t help feeling a small comfort at the sight of the elegant carved stone. No matter her feelings about leaving Ireland, it was always nice to come home. And for what it was worth, Sunstone palace was aptly named, because as she watched, the rain stopped and a few rays of bright sunlight slipped through the clouds, making the yellowness of the stone shine brightly. The thought of tea in her favourite parlour with the large windows and one of Joohyun’s favourite pieces of art made her perk up slightly, and she gave the footman a tired smile or gratitude as he opened the car door and stood to the side, taking a demure stance as he waited for her to climb out.

Hand in hand with Joohyun, they quickly crossed the courtyard of the eastern entrance to the palace, an excited dog chasing after them through the light drizzle that misted on the umbrella held over their head by the footman. Chaeyoung nodded to the guards flanking the open doors as she breezed inside, ing her coat as she strode down the plush red carpet creating a path down the hallway. Everything was gleaming after a fresh polish in her absence, and she breathed in the smell of fresh flowers, eyeing the blooming white lilies clustered in vases at intervals. The sweet smell seemed almost too strong to her sensitive stomach, and she considered asking for different cuts of flowers, thinking about which ones Joohyun might like as Joohyun complained about the long flight. On their way towards their suite, they were intercepted by Sooyoung, looking pleased to see them but composed, letting Chaeyoung know that nothing had gone amiss while they were gone.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness,” she greeted them, dipping into a curtsy as she smiled, “can I fetch you some tea before you join Lady Jennie and Lady Seungwan?”

“They’re here?” Joohyun spluttered, a look of surprise on her face.

“Oh, forgive me. I assumed they had made prior arrangements to meet you for lunch.”

Chaeyoung brushed aside their assistant’s concerns, giving her a warm smile as she reached down to ruffle the fur under Aoife’s chin. “Where are they now?”

“In the Green Room, Your Majesty,” Sooyoung quickly replied.

“We’ll have tea with them there,” Chaeyoung told her, “and would you mind having Aoife walked, please.”

With an obedient curtsy, Sooyoung stepped aside as the two royals altered their course and made for the room where the other two women were passing the time. The palace was full of staff, and Chaeyoung nodded to everyone who bowed or curtsied, promising her Comptroller that she would meet with him to discuss the reviewing of her Royal Guard in a few weeks’ time when she passed him in the hallway. Joohyun was a little standoffish as she walked alongside Chaeyoung, almost pulling ahead, despite the fact that protocol dictated that no one should come before the Queen. As they approached a pair of large white doors, carved with all manner of plants and flowers, they were pulled open by the palace guards at the beck and call of the ladies within.

Sweeping into the room with the easy comfort of authority and ownership, Chaeyoung shed her coat and tossed it over the back of a bottle green velvet armchair near the door, smiling at Jennie and Seungwan as they looked up from the game of chess they were playing. The room glowed with a greenish yellow light from the old fashioned lamps, the walls papered with heavy cloth wrought in the pattern of green palm leaves, and potted ferns were stuffed in corners or on surfaces. It smelled fresh and woody inside the room, with the smoky smell of a fire and a fresh breeze blowing in through the slightly cracked open windows.

“This is a nice surprise,” Chaeyoung brightly smiled. Jennie had told her she was thinking about going to Baltia for a week or two, and she was surprised to see her there. “Hi, Seungwan. When did you get here?”

They’d both risen to their feet at the arrival of the queen, and Chaeyoung dismissively waved to them both as she helped Joohyun out of her coat. Seungwan looked a little nervous as she settled back down onto her seat, looking at Joohyun while Jennie moved her black rook on the checkerboard.

“Two days ago. Minjeong wanted to come and see the ballet,” Seungwan said, giving them a sheepish look.

Joohyun had a brooding look on her face as she eyed the two women, and Chaeyoung sighed, rolling her eyes as she walked over to emerald green leather sofa set before the fire. Collapsing onto the embroidered pillows, she craned her head backwards, smiling at them over the back of the sofa. “Don’t mind her, she’s just annoyed that we had to come back.”

“And that Seungwan is here with me, no doubt,” Jennie snorted.

“That too,” Joohyun snarkily replied, rolling her eyes as she lingered in the doorway.

“Tea is being brought here,” Chaeyoung casually said, giving Joohyun a pointed look.

Walking over to the sofa, Joohyun sat down beside her, primly crossing her legs at the ankles as she watched the game of chess wrap up, and the other two women join them around the fire. It was a few minutes later when a tray of tea was brought into the room, set down on the cherry wood coffee table and they were left to it.

Filling fine china cups with a blackberry tea, they all helped themselves to cakes and biscuits, and Chaeyoung found herself suddenly craving chilli and ice cream. She silently kept that to herself as she ate lemon tarts, chatting about their relaxing two weeks away while Jennie filled her in on the gossip she’d heard whispered throughout the court. One piece of news she gave somewhat hesitantly, a disapproving look on her face, and Chaeyoung sighed at the general air of displeasure that came off Joohyun and Jennie in waves - Seungwan didn’t have as much of a strong opinion on the matter, although she’d surely listened to Joohyun’s rants before - as Jennie revealed to Chaeyoung that her aunt was in town.

Chaeyoung had the sneaking suspicion that Hasun was there to see her, hoping for that tea she’d been talking about over the phone, before Joohyun had hung up on her. It would be inevitable that she would seek an audience with Chaeyoung sooner or later, and she’d been hoping for a bit of time to come up with a lie as to why she wasn’t pregnant with an heir yet, but it wasn’t long before her tea was interrupted by a knock on the door. Yerim opened it with an apologetic look on her face, curtsying to Chaeyoung and explaining that Lady Hasun had arrived with the hopes of being received by her niece.

“Tell her to make an appointment,” Joohyun offhandedly replied, her teacup halfway to her lips.

“Tell her,” Chaeyoung exasperatedly replied, picking up Joohyun’s free hand and dropping a kiss onto the back of it, “that I shall receive her in the Marble Room.”

Climbing to her feet, Chaeyoung brushed the creases out of her pleated skirt and threw her shoulders back, steeling herself for her aunt’s brazen personality, With a regretful look at the rest of the lemon tarts, and a rush of love when Joohyun picked one up and offered it to her with a knowing look. Laughing, Chaeyoung took a bite and then gave her the rest, tenderly cupping her cheek as she gave her a loving smile.

“Be good.”

“Oh don’t worry,” Joohyun said with a slow smile, rising to her feet, “seeing as Seungwan is here, perhaps today’s the day she’ll beat me at fencing.”

Scoffing, Seungwan sighed and climbed to her feet, “please, I’ve beaten you before.”

“Once. And only because Chaeyoung distracted me,” Joohyun crossly replied.

“What’ll be your excuse this time then?” Seungwan asked, raising her eyebrows in amusement, “you’re pregnant?”

“Is that an excuse, or a fact?” Joohyun asked, giving her a brief smile.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Chaeyoung shook her head, “I’ll leave you to it. See you later, darling. Please be careful.”

“Yes, dear,” Joohyun exasperatedly replied, making Chaeyoung smile.

Stepping out of the overwhelming greenness of the room, Chaeyoung started walking down the hallway, a determined look on her face. She was tired from flying, her skirt was a little tight around her stomach, and she wasn’t in the mood for navigating a difficult conversation with her aunt. Still, she carried on walking towards the room she’d sent Yerim off to bring Hasun to, and by the time she reached it, walking up the few marble steps leading up to the open mah