DIVINITY ♛ LEE JENO

TWENTY TWO

"It's been a while since we've done this."

The feline and the Princess were perched up at the kitchen island. Wind hummed outside as the gibbous moon dawned onto the roof of the townhome. Yangyang and Jeno were sound asleep after a long day of work in the residence. It was just the two water shifters in the midst of a retiring full moon. After a brief argument with the General earlier, Minseo decided to take her and another heartbroken girl out for the best bandage— ice cream.

"How's the flavor? Choi Minseo suggested I get you matcha- just like back at home!" Meilin's knees were to her chest on the stool, munching on a midnight snack. One thing she couldn't get enough of in the Republic was the food; Seorin suggested she picked up a package of Pororo biscuits. Meanwhile, Ten was indulging in a pint of ice cream Meilin saved for him. "It's extremely artificial, but gets the job done." he shrugged, holding out a spoonful for the girl to taste.

"Oh brother, you're right." her face scrunched up in disappointment at the overly sweet, grassy taste. "That's one thing the Jade Kingdom got right, I guess." Ten chuckled at her response. Meilin smiled, popping another cookie into her mouth. "It's been well over a month since we've been home." she spoke low. The emotion on her face was unreadable as she stared at the marble countertop. "Do you miss it?" she asked.

Ten envisioned the castle for a moment. The courtyard, the millions of staircases and hallways. "I do, but I'm used to being in and out of there. How are you holding up?" he followed up. Meilin also thought back on the plains of green. It'd only been her first few weeks in the Republic, but she felt comfortable. It almost felt like some sort of betrayal. "I do miss it. There's some things you just can't get over here. Like sitting in the garden for hours, or following the stewardesses to the cellar to grab some more wine for Mother." she reminisced. Ten paused at the sudden mention.

"Have you been thinking about her?" he asked cautiously. Meilin knew he was referring to her mother. He even refrained from speaking her name, or saying the word queen— knowing it's more commonly said with the word 'mad' before it. She gulped the dryness on her tongue, eyes glued to the same pattern in the countertop. "Every night." she said blankly. His lips pressed into a thin line, setting his silver spoon into his bowl. "You know you can always talk to me, Meilin." Ten was never one to use shortened nicknames with the Princess. Meilin was all she was to him, he said it proudly and wholly.

"I know. I just feel like there's not much to talk about. She went on another embark to threaten someone with whatever cruel fate she had in mind, then never came back." she shrugged. Ten let out a breath. "That's one way to put it." he nodded in agreement. Meilin's brown eyes trailed up to his blue ones, realizing both of them had been staring into the same marble surface.

"You've been kind to my family. I'm not sure if my mother threatened you into doing so, but I've never thanked you for sticking around. Even after her death, or when we had to flee the country." her soft smile rose onto her lips. Ten looked up at her too, exchanging the smile. "I'll admit, she definitely threatened me— multiple times. I've had many near death experiences before, but the scariest one is when Yangyang and I accidentally released all the chickens in the village." he shuddered. Meilin held back the volume of her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Oh my God, how could I forget? I remember when she called you to the throne and made you apologize to Fang-Li because she planned on making chicken noodle soup that night! You really did us a favor." she said between laughs. Ten joined in, shaking his head at the old memory. "God, her soup was bad. I would find at least four feathers every time she cooked it." he recalled. Despite his frequent business trips as he grew up, he had the fondest memories with the royal pair beforehand. Him and the Prince were a troublemaking duo, causing ruckus and mayhem all across the villages. His smile wavered at the bittersweet feeling he swallowed, tongue stained green with the taste.