RESISTING THE URGE to bunch the layers of baby blue silk in her hands, Lucia sighs at the lonely clack of her heels as she roams the palace halls. Seokjin has once more been called away for one reason or another, leaving Lucia to entertain herself within the palace.

The hallways are, as always, cold and overbearing in the silence, something the annoyed clicking of Lucia's shoes couldn't hide. If anything, it seemed to emphasize the domineering nature of the palace.

Lucia ignores the sensations of goosebumps as she immediately pivots in place to stare down the hallway she just walked. Large oak doors stretched high out of reach and regular intervals down the long hall, large windows stretching just as tall, if not taller, across from them laying golden afternoon light on the white marble floors. Heaving a sigh from her heart and out into the cloudless sky, Lucia starts back down the hallway, counting the number of doors she passes.

Fortunately, not many came to this side of the palace so no one that would care saw the scene of mindless pacing and full-lunged sighs. Lucia paid no mind to anyone, knowing that word would spread regardless of who saw her, since it would only take one casual mention from any of the handful to spread like wildfire. Eventually she decides to enter the vast emptiness of the ball room for some time away from gossiping eyes.

The clack of her heels echoes in the empty room, an echo that the crystalline lights and towering windows and curtains could never dream to muffle.

A scream builds and sits heavy in Lucia's throat, a frustration coursing through her veins with every bone rattling heart beat with no way to disperse it. Instead, she spits profane curses that the walls parrot back with half a moment's hesitation.

With a harsh snap to shake the ground, Lucia's right leg steps forward, her arms swishing into the air to hold her imaginary partner. Poorly counting a six count beat, Lucia spins to and fro, her heels clicking unpleasantly loud as the first step despite being several counts into her waltz.

And just as the heavy oak doors cautiously open, Lucia turns in time as her abused heels smack the floor with a crack that resounds through her bones to see Seokjin enter the room. The scream previously sitting heavily in her throat with a stubborn resilience leaps up in momentary temptation, only for Lucia to swallow it down as she closes her eyes, forcing her steps to be gentler and posture composed.

Just like that, Lucia acts as if she wasn't trying to crack the marble flooring or the heels of her shoes off. Her malicious sounding steps became light, rhythmic taps and her expression, serene.

"Practicing for the ball?" Seokjin inquires and Lucia replies with a simple 'yes' in hopes that would be the end of it. It is not.

"Might I suggest you do not attempt to crack the floors then?" He chuckles airly, obviously joking around.

Lucia opens her eyes with a sigh, stopping her steps and letting her arms drop to her side. "I don't know what you speak of, Sir Kim. I would say my steps were quite graceful when you were entering."

Raising an eyebrow, Lucia awaits for him to decide if he wants to admit he was listening in prior to entering or if he wants to play dumb. Seokjin does neither, instead he just steps forward, reaching his hand out to her.

"Would you like to practice dancing with a partner instead? Perhaps then we could see the truth of your grace."

"Offer declined, I'm going to go to the library to study instead."

Seokjin's hand drops as Lucia passes by him, the train of her dress dragging with swoosh. Lucia's heart aches at the look of stupor etched on Seokjin's face but says nothing as she leaves first.

EGGSHELLS ARE VITAL sources of nutrition for some species, a fact Lucia can vaguely recall Tahani mentioning in the deep recesses of her mind. Lucia wonders if that applies to all kinds of eggshells, like the eggshells she dances on around Seokjin every day now. Playing the infinitely dangerous game of the floor is lava, with eggshells being the only thing saving her from melting and burning in a foreign heat.

Lucia has not taken a step outside of the palace walls for a week, even if Tova only said three days. The thought of walking on the egg-shaped stone path made her too nauseous with the reminder of the game she is playing. She often finds herself drifting towards the doors to the gardens, toying with the idea before being overwhelmed with guilt. At the grand wooden doors to the garden is where you'll find her if she isn't in the library or her chambers regardless of how ill she feels standing there.

"You know you can go into the gardens again, no need to stand there and stare," Seokjin finally breaks the silence, and the eggshells crack under Lucia's feet.

Silently shaking her head, she turns to return to the library, wanting to drown out the call for freedom with more useless facts about how to organize taxes and the royal treasury.

Rowan is in the library, nose deep in her historical literature, so Lucia wanders by wordlessly, sitting across from the room and delving into her own book.

"Not going to slam the library doors open to scare me?" Rowan's distant voice barely drags Lucia's nose out of her book.

"Hm? Not today, no."

On eggshells she dances, ignoring the immediate look of concern and nervousness Rowan shares with Seokjin, feeling the cracks grow.

Liv is the next to nudge her out of her trance, her growing concern unhidden as she asks if Lucia wants to join her on a walk around the market. Lucia noticeably blanches and turns her down with an apologetic smile. Liv only smiles and settles down alongside her, saying she'll stay with her in the library instead.

"Don't you have some rendezvous to be at?"

"It's okay Lulu, I notified them in advance."

Lucia just frowns and nods, not questioning the odd decision. She knows Liv is most likely meeting up with a secret love of her own, she's not blind to the emotion hidden deep in her eyes at the mention of said person. She's decided against ever pushing the question, instead deciding to wait until she starts the conversation.

So away on eggshells she walks, avoiding eye contact with Seokjin to avoid the twisting of her heart and the cracking of the eggshells keeping her afloat.

One afternoon, Lucia decides to study through lunch in her room, barely noticing the time fly by as she finishes her third book in the last two weeks since Plan Fifteen.

"You worked through lunch so I brought something for you."

The smell instantly sends her mind spinning and her heart twisting, and the sight? The sight of the pork ramen sends warmth through her veins, but she dares not to look up at his eyes. She might start sobbing if she does.

So she gives him a sweet, wobbly smile before returning and delving further into her fourth book, the endless waltz across cracking eggshells becoming increasingly dangerous as the shells break down piece by piece by piece.

Some animals require their eggshells to be broken into pieces before they can be a source of nutrition. Otherwise, eggshells are just eggshells.

Another update because I care <3 It's also just about time because it's almost the one year anniversary of when I started writing my child's arc 🥺 she's grown so much i cannot believe</3