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You stood in front of the floor length mirror, staring at the reflection it showed. The reflection that was supposed to be yours and yet it looked nothing like you. The image that was reflected was that of a perfect Princess, the daughter of one of the most powerful and influential rulers in England.
The next Queen in line of two Kingdoms.
With your arms spread wide, standing stiffly in the middle of your chamber as the servant wrapped each garment under the attention of your mother circling you around. Her eyes scanned oved you from head to toe, in an almost predatory manner - a sense of making everything perfect is suffocating you for real.
Stepping away from you, she scanned your whole body once again with a satisfied smile. She wasn't done yet, though. You briefly turned to glance over your shoulder as someone knocked on the door and they announced the arrival of the Duchess and the Queen mother barely looked up from the accessories each of her people is laying out in each cushions for you to wear.
"You may come in", she called out and you watched through the reflections as the Duchess, Lady Catherine walked into the room carrying yet another box of jewelry in her hands.
"The gift from the Prince has come in time, Your Highness", Lady Catherine says, walking straight over to your mother and handed her the box and you watched your mother opened it.
Her eyes scanned across the contents and she nodded in approval. "He only desire the best for my daughter", she leaves that as a casual comment, as if it wasn't affecting you. Though, only in irritation.
Without giving the Duchess another glance, she turned back to assesing the jewelries and her eyes were always flickering in your direction at your every loud complain whenever the seamstress unknowingly poked you in some part of your skin. You even wanted to cry at the part where they have to tightened up the corset and if you do, you would only be chastised by your mother for acting up, so unfitting for a person of your status.
"You do know that even your father signed this betrothal himself?", she asked when she'd finally decided you've suffered enough from the fitting of the corset. It hugged your waist so beautifully, creating the unnatural structure of a small waist.
In her one gesture, the chambermaids along Cirilla who was helping out to make sure you can breath easier, had all slowly and carefully set down the skirt, pinning some part of the sleeves and even with the accessories along to curling up your hair, it's all their job. It's a long tiring process, yet you have to see through it no matter how long for being a Princess.
"Of course. How could I forget that my own parents is selling me out?", you answered as all the people around were ordered to leave the two of you alone. "I didn't even know the person I was going to marry"
It was a shame really, out of all the challenges you have as a Princess, this is the one you can't throw out in just one begging at your father. If you do or even really try away with another man, you would sully the name of your parents and of the kingdom itself. What Sunghoon is thinking about the arrangement he so suggested him, you had no idea.
The Queen, who had passed her own steadfast determination on you, pretend to had not hear your words and she held her arm for you to slip into.
"But out of all the choices we have, Prince Sunghoon is the most favorable and he seemed to genuinely fancy you, my dear", she reminded as you set your arm into the crook of her arm, playing the card of a good daughter. She led you out of the room, where you saw the hallway of your childhoold, and soon you would leave it all behind.
"At least he's not as hideous as the others and weasel-looking like of Sir Nathaniel Du Burboin", you said carelessly, your voice carrying the inappropriate amount of sarcasm as you looked hatefully at your waist. The corset is killing you. "He is handsome enough for the boost of my ego"
The instant you said that you could hear your mother clearing her throat, another reminder to be proper in front of the others. The effect of her strict training nowadays was instantaneous, you looked up quickly, but you let out a disgusted noise from the way you needed to act. Much less to a person like Sunghoon who seems to like you in that behaviour, either way.
Once the two of you made it down to the carriage after a rather long detour from inside the Castle, you allowed yourself to be helped by the footman to enter and Cirilla was there again to hold up the long skirt of your gown, then bunched it up as she enters with you. While your mother is entering her own and your father was already ahead of the journey a few hours ago.
The journey to the first step of your arrangement with Park Sunghoon.
