Queen of Roses

𝐸𝓅𝒾𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓊𝑒

🇬​🇴​🇷​🇾​🇪​🇴​, 🇸​🇺​🇲​🇲​🇪​🇷​ 1018 (2 🇾​🇪​🇦​🇷​🇸​ 🇱​🇦​🇹​🇪​🇷​)

Chaeyoung awoke to the faint melody of robins chirping and tree branches rustling in the cool midsummer breeze. A stream of sunlight streamed through the pure-white lace curtains of her bedroom window, warming the empty spot next to her. Preparing it for her husband's arrival later tonight.

A soft pout tugged at her full lips as she gazed at the unused pillow beside her. He had only been gone for two days, but she felt like it had been forever and a day. Taehyung, the southern commander of Goryeo's most elite and competent warriors, was currently assisting King Jimin on a northern trade expedition with the Mongolians, maintaining and strengthening the alliance between the two countries. Ensuring the peace they had worked so tirelessly to obtain would continue. So much for a life free of duty and obligations. Taehyung had done more for the government in these past two years than he had in his entire lifetime and Chaeyoung constantly teased him about it because he actually seemed to have a talent for it. The fact that his bestfriend was the King probably had something to do with it.

With that being said, she was irritated when Jimin pulled her husband away from her for two full days when they had not spent a single day apart since their marriage two years ago. It was practically torture and Chaeyoung had made sure her brother knew this with the way she grumbled and complained on the morning of their departure. Not to brag, but she had almost convinced Taehyung to stay with the needy way she clung to him in bed. Needless to say, Jimin was not impressed when the general of his army showed up hours late with ruffled hair, a luminous glow, and love marks all over his neck.

Their new neighbours, Jisoo and Yoongi, had claimed she had attachment issues everytime they came by to check on her, but she preferred to blame it on love. She also made sure to point out, multiple times, that they were the ones with attachment issues as Yoongi had declined the King's decree and skipped the expedition all together. His excuse had been the lengthy travel time, but everyone knew it was because he could not stay away from his newborn twins, and his very pregnant partner.

Jisoo and Yoongi had never gotten married, though with the way they acted, it seemed like they had been together for decades. They claimed marriage was a scheme designed by the government to control a couple's freedom whilst simultaneously infringing on their privacy rights. However, that did not stop them from having children and building their own house right in front of Chaeyoung and Taehyung's cabin in a secluded corner of Daegu's forest. It was the same place Taehyung had whisked her away to in the thunderstorm. After their marriage, he had expanded his studio into a small house. He had built her dream house complete with an outdoor garden and a flower pathway leading up to the entrance. It was perfect.

Not to be outdone by Taehyung, when Yoongi had seen the effort they had put into building the cabin, he spent all the gold pieces he earned as compensation for protecting the princess, to build his own house. And every summer, Yoongi and Taehyung would renovate certain pieces of the buildings and boast about it day and night like the rivals that they were and then train together the next morning like nothing happened.

The only thing that separated the two strangely similar cabins was a small stream of clear water. A stream that Chaeyoung and Jisoo would gather fresh water from every morning while complaining about their husbands and doting on each other's children.

Speaking of children, the sound of Chaeyoung's 9-month old daughter, Taeyeon, tossing in her crib in the corner of the room immediately caused her to rise and begin her day.

A wide smile spread across her face as she approached the pale pink crib, which had, once again, been made by Taehyung while Chaeyoung handed him tools and supplies and rewarded his hard work with hugs and kisses in between.