#we expected nothing else

at the crack of dawn, the palace is already buzzing with preparations for the upcoming celebration. countess dubois is beloved by the court, so it’s no surprise her birthday is marked by a luxurious ball, with many neighboring kingdoms invited. there’s halls to be decorated with extravagant ornaments, and mountains of delicious food to prepare for the guests.

while hyejin is not particularly close with the birthday girl, she’s looking forward to the party     or was, until she saw through her father’s plans for that night. out of all the visiting nobles, he had singled out the prince of almia, still unwed and looking for a wife. it didn’t take much to put two and two together, especially after her father instructed her to make a good impression. hyejin knew this day would come, that she could only put off marriage for so long... with their kingdom’s economy failing, it was only a matter of time.

knowing her sister will soon come through the door, hyejin makes a quick stop by her vanity to make sure her exhaustion does not show. she hasn’t been able to rest much since speaking with the king     something which yerin would be able to tell immediately. she was always incredibly attuned to hyejin’s emotions, empathetic to a fault. it’s something hyejin loves about her... if only it didn’t cause her to worry so much.

the bags under her eyes are barely noticeable, but she applies some quick face powder just to be sure. today is supposed to be fun for the two of them, with no other duties than to prepare for the party. hyejin would hate to bring down her sister’s mood, especially over something that seems to already be set in stone.

she rises from her seat upon hearing familiar footsteps outside, promptly walking to the door. hyejin opens it before yerin even has to knock, greeting her sister with a warm smile. “ good morning. ” she gently pulls her inside, taking a moment to peek out of her room and greet the guards as well. they’re used to yerin coming over by now, despite it being frowned upon by their parents; hyejin made sure to cover their bases and ask for them not to tell     it helps that both sisters, the youngest in particular, are so well-liked around the palace, staff included.

closing the door behind them, hyejin guides her to her bed so they can both sit down. there’s not much for them to catch up on, having seen each other just before heading to sleep the night before, but hyejin always enjoys these little moments between them.