"They say the young Prince has found himself a wife," Jeongguk nudged Taehyung as they sat in the kitchen, helping themselves to raw cookies as you continued to make them, hair pulled back and wearing your dirty trousers.
Jin glanced over at you and smiled to himself at the duality of your looks, from looking like a princess in that gorgeous pink dress and now, looking like you didn't have a roof to live under. Maybe that was why no one had recognised you to be the mystery girl from last night.
In your mind that was a welcome nickname, as you had no intention of being the centre of everyone's conversations. Also you're back really hurt and you didn't want to get into lots of chats, especially ones that included the topic of Hoseok, the very Prince you had been avoidinging since you'd accidentally confessed to him, mid-orgasm.
"I heard the Prince has the shoe of his mystery girl already, it's a glass slipper and it sits atop a pillow in the middle of the ballroom ahead of the celebration and engagement ceremony. It was a weird tradition and although no one was sure where it came from, if a Prince were to wed someone from his Kingdom, he would have to sleep with her to check their compatibility and then steal her shoe when the sun rose.
Then during a large ball, he would allow every maiden to try on the shoe claiming that if it fit anyone else but his love, she was not special enough to be a princess. It was weird and now you thought about it, although your plain cloth shoes had both been present in the morning, you had not bothered to check on your single glass slipper resting on your table.
It was already late in the day, the ball was meant to start soon and yet you felt frozen in fear. How where you to attend the ball when you no longer had a dress to wear, Jin noticed you cracking egg after egg into an empty bowl and placed a hand on your shoulder.
"Y/N, why don't you get ready for the ball? I heard there was a young man, by the name of Namjoon looking for you?" Jin smiled in relief when you finally broke out of your trance, dropping the egg into the bowl as you turned and searched his face for any clue the elder was lying to you. Jin merely laughed and pushed you away, calling, "Hurry up before he leaves!"
You sprinted outside, coming to a halt when you saw people already beginning to enter the palace and ducking behind a crate, you peaked out to see if you could find Namjoon. Next to you, someone cleared their throat and you fell in surprise, turning to find Namjoon shaking his head at you, "I saw you lost your last dress."
Before he could finish you wrapped your arms around Namjoon and squeezed, "thank you Namjoon. That dress was magical and I had the best night, I really did!" The boy smirked and raised an eyebrow causing you to groan and lightly push him away.
"Stand up tall tonight," he smiled, and when you looked down you were once again clothed in a beautiful blue dress. Your eyes welled with tears as you balled your hands into fists, trying to stop yourself from hugging Namjoon again and instead you looked at him and gave a watery smile.
Before you could say anything the boy pointed at your feet, "not enough magic to help with your shoe problem." He laughed as you shrugged and ran your hands over the skirt of the dress in amazement.
"Thank you Namjoon, again." You wiped at the tears and turned to gaze at the castle, wondering if it was too much to wish tonight would go well for you and Hoseok. Instead of your dress turning to rags because you got confused. Having reminded yourself of the previous conditions you turned to Namjoon who was already walking away, "If I doubt myself will the dress disappear?"
The fae shook his head, "no conditions for a girl who is finally honest to herself."