ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘
─◌✰್ 𝗈𝖿
❝𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗽, 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿.❞

Who knew stuffy rich people had a smell? What that smell was, you weren't entirely sure, but this fucking dinner hall reeked of it. Kind of a mix of mothballs, expensive cheese, and money. It made your stomach turn. And you prided yourself on having a strong digestive system.

The dress you were wearing could also be a contributing factor to the nausea that had trailed after you since you entered this dreaded building.

It wasn't the most hideous thing you'd ever put on your body, let alone the ugliest thing your mother had chosen for you. A champagne-toned number with a knee-length skirt that flared out at the waist, you didn't immediately want to rip it off when you looked in the mirror before you left. The embroidered butterflies at the bottom left you wishing they were at least frogs or something less... delicate, but if that was your biggest complaint, it might be a win.

Or at least a draw, seeing as this should make your mother happy. She couldn't complain about you disregarding her orders (yet again), because you'd taken the high road, so to speak, and actually listened to her.

She could, of course, get pissed for an entirely different reason. You'd arrived at this dinner, full of exclusively first-rate royals, completely plastered. You hadn't exactly planned for that to happen, but your mother wouldn't give a flying shit. She'd take any excuse to make a fool of you.

You could see her, standing across the dining hall next to your dad, talking with the king of the Obsidian Kingdom. Thankfully, it didn't look like she was paying much attention to anything or anyone else but King Lee and his wife. The tendons in your mother's neck kept straining against the slightly wrinkled skin, her telltale sign of stress.

There was a lot of tension - to say the least - between the Moonstone and Obsidian kingdoms. You had learned about the source of the conflict, which started centuries ago, in one of your history courses when you were young. Now, you couldn't really remember much of what you were taught. You knew that it stemmed from disagreements about arranged marriage. Obsidian was very pro arranged marriage, and Moonstone wasn't. This has actually caused a war, and multiple battles in the past. Now, it was still the source of much bad will and skirmishes among the two kingdoms. About a century ago, the kings and queens of both kingdoms had made cross-kingdom marriages illegal. For the most part, people were fine with that. Not many people had friends from the opposing kingdom. Your parents and Minho's parents didn't get along either, and that was putting it lightly.

Minho's parents.

Your heart caught in your chest as the words fully sunk into your alcohol-addled brain. Everything was working a bit slower than usual, and while you had known that Minho was going to be here, you hadn't fully comprehended that you were standing in the same room as him, at this very moment, until now.

Not that your feelings for him mattered. You sighed to yourself. You'd long ago given up the possibility of either of your parents overturning the law against cross-kingdom marriage, because it would take both kings to agree. And seeing as they never agreed on anything, it would stay like this forever. You'd never stood a chance with Minho. Even if he liked you back, you'd be banished from your kingdom for breaking the law. You wished you could just turn off your feelings. It would make everything so much easier.

On that note, you thought to yourself, eyes flickering back and forth like some kind of spooked rabbit, it's time to forget this entire night altogether.

Snatching a glass of alcohol the same color as your dress, you downed the entire thing, saying a silent prayer to whatever gods existed that you wouldn't remember shit about this stupid dinner. And as an afterthought, you hoped your mother would somehow forget you existed. Ideally forever.

Everything about the room was extravagant. From the three chandeliers with at least ten thousand individual diamonds dangling off each one, to the dozen peacock statues lining the walls, it felt like a tacky estate sale. Did anyone even like peacock decor? It felt so ten years ago, if that.

Two long tables were lined with white and gray table clothes, the Moonstone kingdom's signature colors. China plates with matching cups and silk napkins were set at each spot, with one at the head and foot of each. Those were for your parents, and Minho's parents. There were only about fifty place settings total, a very intimate event.

Speaking of the devil, the handsome, handsome devil, you found the future king of the Obsidian kingdom loitering by the champagne tower in the middle of the room. Between the  two tables was the over-the-top pyramid of glasses, where your dad would fill each one starting from the top right before dinner started. You'd always thought these kinds of gestures were done at crazy rich person parties, not ceremonial dinners. Not that you minded, because it kept the alcohol flowing.

Minho was poking around at the glasses, seeing if he could snatch one from the middle without sending the entire structure crashing to the ground. If it was anyone else, you'd probably approach them and join in. But this was Minho you were talking about. You'd probably get sick before you made it over there.

He was looking exceptionally good tonight. Of course, he always looked infuriatingly hot, but tonight, with his caramel hair just touching his forehead, and the ends, which had grown out a little since the last time you'd seen him, sweeping across the nape of his neck, you couldn't help but stare. He was so regal, so outwardly intimidating and smooth.

Especially when he wore a suit, which was the only way you'd seen him since middle school. You weren't sure if it was the tux effect or not, but the suit didn't wear him, he wore the suit. He looked at home in formal wear, like he was a commanding presence, knew how to take control. He exuded a mysterious darkness that drew you to him. He would make the perfect king of the Obsidian kingdom.

"Canapé, Your Highness?"

A server, dressed in a gray silk vest with a white button up underneath and black slacks, offered you a plate of beetroot blinis topped with raw salmon shaped into perfect rosettes. He grinned charmingly at you, bowing his head as best he could with his hands full.

"Thank you, Min-Jun, I'll take one," you reached onto the plate and grabbed the closest one, popping it into your mouth. While you weren't obsessed with the beetroot flavor that your mother was in love with, the salmon was buttery and smooth, practically melting in your mouth.

The man grinned, a dimple appearing on his right cheek. "I didn't know you knew my name, Your Highness," he said sheepishly.

"You make me food, of course I know your name," you joked, smiling back at the man. Only two years older than you, Min-Jun was quite handsome, if a little shy, and exceptionally talented. You found yourself craving his signature pan-fried noodles on the daily, but your mother never allowed him to make them, ever since you ate the entire bowl in one sitting. He rarely got to cook in the kitchen anymore, and was forced to act as server for all Moonstone events. But you knew what a good cook he was.

When I'm queen, I'll hire him. You thought to yourself bitterly.

"Well... thank you, Your Highness. I should probably keep mingling," Min-Jun's eyes shined at you before he turned around and made his way through the crowd, offering more canapés as he went.

You smiled after him. He really was an attractive, smart, under appreciated man. He, along with all of the cooks and servers, were so kind, they didn't deserve the abuse your mother subjected them to.

You looked back at the huge stack of champagne glasses, debating stealing one for yourself. That measly glass you'd had earlier wasn't doing the trick, because you were still having semi-coherent thoughts.

One of those coherent thoughts being that Minho was no longer at the champagne table. You frowned. Where could he have gotten off to? The room was grand and expansive, but not so large you could lose track of an entire person in such a short time.

You turned around slowly, trying to act casual, like you weren't searching for the guy you'd been gawking at moments prior. You totally didn't want to continue staring at him until your dad called the ceremony to begin. Totally not.

Then you saw him. Or rather, he saw you. He stood directly behind you, those intense eyes the color of oversteeped coffee boring into the back of your head. Now, he met your eyes, his face an expressionless mask. You could never tell what he was thinking. He rarely spoke to you, let alone laughed or smiled in your presence. He was an intimidating guy.

But why was he watching you? And for how long? Damn Min-Jun for distracting you with that delicious food, because now you had no idea if Minho had just been camped out behind you for the past five minutes, watching you like a crazy person.

That crazy person made your heart jump into your lungs, your breath coming in short gasps, and you choked on your own saliva.

Coughing and wheezing, you covered your mouth in a lame attempt to look semi-normal and save face around all of these important guests, who stood all around you.

Really smooth, Tessa. You groaned inwardly.

Maybe he didn't notice? You hoped desperately. But glancing up again, you knew your hope was in vain. Those frustratingly dark eyes were still capturing your every move, choking fit and all.

Damn him and his judgy face.

You dabbed at your mouth with the back of your hand, yet another thing your mother would have yelled at you about. Then, nodding stiffly at Minho - because what the hell else were you supposed to do with him watching you like a cat stalking a mouse - you whipped your head back around, about to walk over to your dad. He had moved on from Minho's parents, and was now talking to one of the dukes in the nearby town.

But you didn't get the chance to head over there and hear what boring topic they were discussing, probably something about Moonstone's oil production, because there was a disturbance at the dining hall entrance.

A figure, covered entirely in a gauzy black cloak, stood at the door like the Grim Reaper. You couldn't see their head, or any part of their body, besides one sickly pale hand sticking out of a long, near-translucent sleeve. Somehow, the cloak's material was both see-through and opaque, gauzy and solid, all at the same time.

Everyone in the hall fell deathly silent at the sound of the door opening, and the sight of this... person? Creature? You'd never seen anyone like it, except in movies. You wanted to open your mouth, ask someone what the hell was going on, but your tongue was stuck to the roof of your mouth like you'd eaten glue, or one of your mother's pancakes. What the hell was going on?

You forced your head to turn and look at your dad, whose eyes, usually calm and full of wisdom, were wide in confusion. Minho's father looked stricken, like someone had been shot.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Your father's voice boomed over the crowd, strong and assertive, as always. But there was a slight waver to his tone that only someone very close to him would notice. No matter how brave your dad was, there was something about this stranger that made him nervous. That put you on edge too.

The stranger entered the ballroom without direct invitation. Without removing their cloak or hood, they stood at the door. They didn't even need to stand at the front of the room. Everyone was staring at them, expressions ranging from shock to confusion to fear.

"I have an announcement to make," the stranger said. Their voice was rough and gravelly, as if they had a sore throat and didn't do anything about it. "An announcement that will change the lives of everyone in this room. The lives of every person in the Moonstone and Obsidian kingdoms."

laska's note —
ahh things are really heating up! who is this hooded creature, and what do they want with the kingdoms?? will tessa and minho finally talk? what do you think of their dynamic so far? and what do you think about the two kingdoms and their weird history?? gimme all your thoughts! i can't wait for the next couple of chapters they're gonna be really good.

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝟬𝟰 - 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
┊ ⇄ ◁◁ II ▷▷ ↻ ┊