The celebrations of the night began as soon as the sun kissed the ground of the kingdom and by then the queen was already made up in the formal attire required for gatherings of the courts. She knew it was an obligatory service to hold an event to announce the commencement of the royal couple's tries for an heir, but it still left her with an uneasy knot in her stomach. It was in times like these that she resented having been born with noble blood as she wasn't able to keep parts of her life a secret from her people.
"Stop fretting, m'lady," a deep voice teased her from somewhere in the entrance of the room.
Heaving a mighty sigh, Julia twisted, her skirts dragging around her ankles with a brushing noise, and fixated her dark eyes laden with worries on her husband. She fought the urge to knock her fingers together like she did when under stress or over come with nerves and held them properly before her corseted chest.
"A queen does not fret, my lord," she responded with a feeble smile.
She fooled no one, though, especially not the man who'd known her long enough to pick out all of her specific quirks.
With half a dozen long strides that clenched the muscles in the thick thighs of the king, MinHo reached his queen's side. Reaching out he moved Julia's hands away from her torso and placed one on his arm. The other one of his hands reached up to fiddle with the locks of curls falling out of the tiara stylishly.
"It is not something we may want, but it is something that is expected of us... If you dwell on it too much you'll crease your skin," MinHo said, cracking a smile as he bent to kiss his blushing wife.
Even with the kind words of her husband, Julia could not untangle the burrs and vines strangling her. But as it was her duty to her court she floated gracefully by MinHo's side as they whisked down the halls, led by a servant maid, to the ballroom where the sound of the orchestra and people chattering could be heard through the oak doors.
"It'll all be over soon, my beautiful lady," MinHo assured. He offered a smile that Julia fed off of. She let it warm her down to her sore toes being squished by her new shoes and to her throbbing head being abused by the pins and jewels of the hair style she sported.
Silence resonated in the opposite room as their arrival was announced. Music dying down to hushed whispers and an occasional cough.
Hand looped in the crook of MinHo's elbow, Julia held her chin high and marched in proudly, beaming radiance in her smile as she greeted her people with curt nods. Slowly, the feeling of nervousness she'd been battling with subsided as she realized she not only had the support and encouragement of her husband, but of the nobles and lower class (celebrating an event of their own to commemorate the moment outside the palace grounds) in this next endeavour.
MinHo and Julia traipsed up to the thrones placed on a platform at the head of a room and stood before them to browse the faces of their subjects, waving with fluid movements before seating themselves. As soon as the room had curtsied and bowed the party restarted itself. The musicians picked up their bows and continued to strum and scratch tunes onto their instruments while boisterous laughs once again added to the raucous atmosphere and dancing pairs twirled across the vast dance floor.
Seated Julia was able to ponder over how she would go about raising her son (or daughter if be it that things happen to turn that way). He would need a name and he would require constant care... She promised herself to do her best in raising him to be a man capable of holding the throne - and happily of course.
Halfway through her musing she felt a hand wrap around hers delicately. Turning her head she found herself staring into the glittering eyes of MinHo, his plush pink lips, glazed with the balm of wax and peppermint that the kingdom had invented during the former rulers' reign, turned up into a broad smile.
"What could you possibly be thinking about in a time of festival, m'lady?" he questioned in a tender voice.
"I was simply listing the things I'd need to do for our child," Julia answered softly, hoping she'd be heard over the music.
MinHo's keen interest in his wife made it that his attention was focused solely on her voice, hearing every word and intonation of her voice. An amused look befell him and he squeezed the queen's fingers lightly in his.
"Don't fret about that just yet... We have yet to officially commence the process... We'll feast and then once we've retired to our bed chambers and after we've," here MinHo's smile grew mischievous, "completed our acts of passion, will we need to concern ourselves with such things."
Julia could only blush at the blunt words of MinHo flip out her fan. If anyone bothered to ask she would comment on the heating of the room and blame her flushed cheeks on the temperature as well.
MinHo was quite pleased with the affect of his words and he held onto Julia's hand as the people danced, choosing to bring his lady out to sway to the music after he grew tired of sitting.
The night concluded with a final dance performed by the royal couple and they stood back to see goodbye to their guests before allowing themselves to be led back to their room for the night.
By then Julia was quite exhausted but the party wasn't over for her. Not yet. That king of hers had something planned for tonight and although it was her duty she was looking forward to it, too...
"I do hope you had a pleasant evening," MinHo said as he returned from the bathing house, smelling of fresh lavender.
The queen, gartered in naught but her silken night gown and brushing out her tussles of hair set her brush down and turned to the king. She harboured a smile that outshone the lamp illuminating the room.
"I did enjoy myself most thoroughly," she answered, rising from her seat.
MinHo traversed across the room, bare feet cold and tingling against the chilly floors. He grasped his wife by the waist, smiling lovingly down at her fair complexion and confounding eyes.
"Do not tire just yet, m'lady... I plan on elongating this celebration," he whispered huskily.
A kiss sealed the sign of the moon. The pair gently fell to the bed; bodies touching the silk woven sheets with a hardly audible thump. Being caressed by more than the soft touch of the blankets, though, the night bloomed into a new garden where seeds planted themselves and began to grow flowers that would brighten the kingdom with more than their swell aromas and colours.
