In lieu of the usually loud trumpets that signal the arrival of guests to the kingdom, a line of your finest guards borders the edge of the long cobble road that leads to your palace. They all salute the incoming carriage and bow as it passes, creating a rippling effect in the process.
"Cheer up, Y/N," your childhood nanny, Taehee, says as she nudges your chin up with her finger. She practically raised you, seeing as how she stepped in to fill your mother's shoes when she passed away. Your father grew distant when it happened, so you've relied on Taehee from a young age; she's always been your closest confidant.
"Yah," you softly groan, pushing her hand away like a child. "I never agreed to be happy about this, you know."
"I know," she affirms, watching as the horses slowly trot their way towards you. "But I think you'll like the princess, if you give her a chance." She glances at you with a kind look in her eye before adding, "She's only a girl, Y/N. Just like you aren't the same as some of your family members, neither is she; not all of them are bad."
You purse your lips in thought as you take in her words. She's the only person you really care enough about to listen to, and she hasn't led you astray yet. "Alright, Taehee. But only because you seem to be all-knowing, somehow," you grin, attempting to lighten the mood.
"It's just because I'm so old," she grimaces, pretending to hunch over in pain. For someone of her age, she's still incredibly agile and healthy. For that, you're thankful; you wish she could live forever.
"Yeah yeah," you dismiss her with a scoff, rolling your eyes. "You don't look a day over 60." Her smile softens when she sees the kind look in your gaze, and you pull her in for a quick hug. "I love you, kid."
"Love you too, Tae."
You clasp your hands behind your back as the carriage comes to a stop ahead of you, rubbing your wrist in small circles to soothe yourself. Your mother always used to do that, and it's been a habit that you picked up ever since. It's times like these that her presence is so sorely missed; she was always the greatest at introductions, and she made every guest feel welcome.
A few of the guards break away from their previous position to approach the vehicle and announce the royals' entrance. They place their hands on the intricately detailed latches, only opening the doors once the shuffling from inside stops and they get the all clear.
"From our southern border, we welcome Princess Roseanne Park, of the Park Kingdom. She is accompanied by her aunt, Duchess Chun-hwa." The highest lieutenant informs while holding his hand out for assistance. The first one out is Roseanne, and you nearly lose your breath when she comes into view.
Surprisingly, despite being the daughters of two of the most powerful kings in the world, you've never actually met until now. On some of your past excursions and diplomatic trips, you've seen pictures or paintings of her, but it was always in passing. You never had the chance (nor the desire) to regard them for very long or get to know more about her -- you were far too busy with more important matters than that. Besides, they did little in capturing her true beauty anyways -- standing before her now, you question why the universe has to curse the most gorgeous people into being part of the most heinous families.
Once she's out of the carriage and safely on the ground, she adjusts her hair and looks around, eventually locking eyes with you. She lightly smiles, though you get the feeling that she's just as averse to this arrangement as you are. Nevertheless, she patiently waits for her aunt to step out, and the pair make their way over to you.
"My Lady, this is Princess Y/N Seok, of the Seok Kingdom." Your introduction is performed for you, by one of your most trusted advisors. You bow to her as she simultaneously curtsies, both of you keeping your eyes on each other. Curiosity flashes in her dark eyes, appearing amber in the radiant sunlight that shines down upon you.
"It's lovely to meet you, Y/N," she smiles deeper now, the action more sincere as she watches your lips slowly tug up at the corners. She can tell you're trying to fight it, but nothing is capable of stopping the giddy feeling she gives you.
"Ditto, Princess." You reciprocate, taking the hand that she outstretches. You press a kiss to her knuckles before running the pad of your thumb across the spot, having no idea how many butterflies are taking flight in her stomach at the simple gesture.
Apparently the two of you were looking at each other too long, because a prompting from Taehee comes in the form of a pinch to your side, signaling for you to greet her aunt. "Welcome, Duchess Chun-hwa," you bow to her as well, and she smiles down at you after curtseying.
"Your palace is beautiful, Your Majesty," she sighs, her eyes lighting up as she takes in the sight of it. It is quite gorgeous, if you do say so yourself.
"Isn't it?" You smirk, moving to stand beside her and turn around to admire it, too. "My staff and I will show you around once we get inside, Duchess. We have many of the same amenities as you do back home, so hopefully your stay here is enjoyable."
"Ah, of course it will be! You've already proven yourself a fitting host and we've only known each other a couple minutes." You nod proudly at that, relieved to know that your plan is coming together nicely. Chun-hwa is buying it, playing right into your hands, and you couldn't be happier.
"Let's go inside now," Taehee speaks up, wanting to keep everyone safe, as always. The longer you're out here, the longer you're in direct danger of an attack.
"Right," you look at her, "good idea. Follow me, please." You tell the women, sneaking a glance at Roseanne. She was already looking at you, and her eyes subtly widen when she realizes she's been caught.
--
After knocking on the pristine door designed with your family's crest, you enter the throne room, where your father is already waiting. Upon your arrival, he places the report that he was previously reading down, and moves to meet you in the middle of the room.
"Ladies, this is my father, King Kwan." You introduce, taking a step back to allow them plenty of room to greet one another.
"Charmed, Your Graces. We hope to strengthen our relations during your time here." He humbly bows, lowering his head fully to show his sincerity. To you, that's a sign of submission; you never take your eyes off of anyone you bow to -- especially your rivals.
"As do we, Your Highness. Thank you for extending the invitation to our family." Chun-hwa speaks for the both of them, giving Roseanne the opportunity to glance around the room. As the conversation between them continues on, she finds her eyes drifting up to a large portrait displayed above the thrones. A woman -- the queen, she recognizes -- is standing beside your father, behind you, and both of them are resting a hand on your shoulder. The happiness you were feeling that day is so evident on your features: your eyes shine with joy, and your lips are pulled back in a smile that makes Rosé's heart ache.
When you met earlier, your smile was only a fraction of that. She knows it's likely because of the whole bitter-enemies, destined-rivals thing between the two of you, but another part of her senses that you've never again been as happy as you were that day.
The entire world found out about your mother's death and mourned, no matter the class, status, or position they were in. She was a gentle and kind ruler, so poised and refined that everyone had a soft spot for her. Sadly, it seems to be those types of people that get the short end of the stick.
She died years ago, following a brief illness that stole her away quickly. You were only a child when it happened -- 8 years old, to be exact -- but the pain affected you just the same as it would've if you were older. You took it hard and shut out the world; it was the first time you'd ever experienced such a visceral pain, and your previously unscarred heart had no idea how to cope with such a terrible thing. With no siblings to mourn with or rely on, you attempted to turn to your father; he was just as distraught as you, though, and he selfishly denied you.
That's when Taehee came into the picture.
A tender, devoted maid for all her life, she'd helped care for your mother and even looked after you on occasion. Before your mother's untimely demise, though, Taehee tended to stay in the background while other, younger maids played with you and offered some semblance of a normal childhood, where you had people close to your age to entertain you.
But her role changed dramatically with the passing of the matriarch.
She spent hours with you everyday, slowly working you out of your shell, little by little. She encouraged you to discover things you were passionate about again and not let such a tragedy hold you down; her reassurance and unconditional love sparked your interest in helping people, and fueled your giving spirit. She helped turn you into the woman you are today, and for that you'll forever be indebted to her.
"...my daughter will show you to your rooms now, and then wherever else you'd like to go in the palace. Our library is definitely a hit," Your father smiles, laughing lightly at his last remark. The sound pulls you and Roseanne from your seemingly linked zoned-out state, drawing you back into the conversation.
Taehee and Chun-hwa politely chuckle, too, (being the only ones who had been paying attention), but you don't bother with upholding the niceties. You often wonder if you're even cut out to be a royal; after all, these formalities seem rather pointless to you.
Taehee nudges you, successfully getting your attention, and you plaster on another smile before addressing the Parks.
"Ladies, right this way."
--- Skip To: Towards The End Of The Tour
After getting the particulars sorted and showing them to their rooms, they asked to see the jewel of the palace that everyone's been talking about.
"And this," you step to the side, allowing them to fully take in the large room ahead, "is our library. We share these texts with our citizens, and we highly encourage them to come in and educate themselves as they please." Rosé smiles at the idea of that, genuinely taken aback by the fact that you're so close with your people. Her family has always stressed the importance of class and rank, and keeping each separated for safety reasons.
She wishes her family was a bit more like yours in that regard.
"We also host a yearly fair to expand our library and give some of our books to the other, smaller ones throughout our villages. That way, those who can't make the trek to our palace can still have access to them."
"That's so kind of you all. Your mother would be very proud." Chun-hwa says, keeping her eyes on the impressive rows of shelves, not noticing how your smile falters or how you lower your head at the mention of her.
Taehee places a comforting hand on your shoulder when she notices you bite the inside of your cheek -- it's something you do before you cry.
"Ah, thank you, Duchess. I could only hope for that," you eventually say, failing to mask the quiet sniffle that precedes your words as you raise your head again. Rosé frowns at your sadness, wishing there were a way to console you.
"Let's go check it out, shall we?" You pep up after a few seconds, not wanting to come off as vulnerable any longer.
"I'd love nothing more," the princess smiles, squeezing your shoulder in a fleeting moment of honest connection. For that one, pure instant, she wasn't a Park and you weren't a Seok. You were just you, a young girl missing her late mother, and she was her, someone offering comfort.
To anyone else, the simple action might seem insignificant; but to you, it meant more than you were prepared for. So far, Rosé has failed to be anything like what you were expecting. You know you still have plenty more to find out about her, but her actions are throwing you off your game and pushing your revenge plans to the back of your brain.
It appears that these next few months will keep you on your toes, and you can't decide if you're intrigued or worried. Perhaps both?