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The previous season had almost evaporated into the winter and the air was already noticeably cooler. The day of welcoming the Scottish Prince had fallen on Sunday and the castle was more elaborately decorated than it usually was.
Tonight was the night. The night of the eagerly awaited celebration for the news of the Princess introducing her groom to their people. As the only person against everything else, you spend the preparation in your chambers, snapping from time to time to your servants whose job was to only make you presentable and if possible, more mature to the eyes of the public.
By the time the entrance opened up to the guests, you were standing in front of a mirror, staring at your old diadem longingly - the last sign of your freedom.
"I'm so excited!", Cirilla squaled, helping up in putting your shoes, and yet you couldn't say the same for yourself. "My wish for your first meeting was granted!"
You were still deep in thought, eyeing yourself angrily now. "I'm sure it would be really interesting to send me off in another country", you said with a groan. "Where's a dragon when you needed one?"
"Oh, for your mother's sake the dragons is only a fairytale, a myth and this one is real", she said with a lighthearted laugh. "A lovely Prince falling inlove to a mad Princess"
"I'm fine with an ogre", you replied, your stomach twisting at the thought of marrying. "Well, I never thought I would be trapped in such a white veil occasion", you went on to say, "Why don't we switched lives?"
The grandfather clock chimed behind you and Cirilla perked up, "It's time for you to meet your Prince Charming!"
"He's not as charming as you thought he'd be!"
***************
The majority of the guests were now impatiently waiting for their Princess to climb down the grand staircases along the parents of the both sides standing in the front. They were all dressed in their finest coats, gowns and dashing tuxedos, arm in arm with their partners as they filled the room with whispers of excitement.
Sunghoon was standing beside his mother, along with his two close friends, Jaeyun and Jongseong.
They were now both eyeing him in full teasing as they could sense how nervous he was from the way he kept messing up his hair. In doing so, he was always put in the corner from the servant in charge of fixing him up.
He smoothed down his hair when your parents arrived. "Where is she now?", he asked under his breath, widening the smiles from his friends's faces. "Why is she taking so long?"
"I can't believe it", Jongseong said, his eyes fixing to this particular young woman in the crowd. "You've never interacted with her that much, and yet marriage is already your answer to get her"
"It's not like your parents hadn't experienced the same thing", Jaeyun pointed out as soon as Jongseong completed his remark.
"What else can I do to get her easily if not this?", Sunghoon asked, but his question was drowned out by the hushed voices and he followed everyone's eyes up to the top of the staircase, where you were making your way towards him.
Your dark hair was braided in an elegant bun; a few pieces of curls hanging down to your exposed collar and your royal blue dress looked beautiful as the fabric swayed gently like a wave at each of your step, and you were feeling practically nervous inside for no reason.
As you eventually reached him, you noticed how he and his two friends were all staring hard at you. "I'll be welcome to accept your invitation to dance except for him", you told them while pointing a finger to Sunghoon.
Jaeyun beams at you. "As much as we want to, don't bother or we will be damned by our dear friend here"
But Sunghoon did not answer; he simply continued to stare before he received a small pinch from Jongseong in his buttocks. "Snap out of it! Your Princess is wating for you, Sunghoon"
He cleared his throat as he shifted awkwardly on his feet. "May I?", he asked rather shyly, extending out his hand for you to take it and this time, you received it willingly with a fake smile.
"Just don't step on my foot", you said to him quietly, and he hoped you couldn't hear the rapid beating of his heart. It's been this way since he first laid his eyes on you at the ball.
One of his biggest worries about being this close with you was that he would become more nervous and nervous as the night wore on. But that didn't seem to be the case. It appeared that for once, you were nice enough to let him enjoy and he was acting more and more acting like himself.
By the time the dance started for which the music was hugely played for the couples, the two of you lead it in the beginning.
He spun you under his arm, allowing your back to arch and he pulled you back with a laugh. "You're not so bad of a dancer, are you?"
"I can tell you eveything about me is not so bad", you answered haughtily, the sound trailing off slightly when his hands found their place on your waist.
He swayed to the music and you wanted, more than anything, to pluck the real courage to ask him to put a stop in the wedding.
But you had nowhere near enough courage to do that, not when he looked so happy even though he did not talk to you that much through the whole dance.
It would eventually change at the end before it comes to the real interaction, an intense one at that, one where you were left fumbling over last sense of dignity.
