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Being a princess isn’t all it’s cut out to be.
An has been raised her entire life to serve her kingdom, to wear her family name with honour and poise. There’s been too many fancy parties to count, too many indistinguishable suitors she’s turned down. It’s not all bad, though; the food is good, and her father gives her more freedom than most fathers of royalty would. She met Touya (and by extension, Akito), Mizuki and Haruka through her family’s connections. She gets to sleep in a warm bed and has her every need met.
But still, sometimes the responsibility is too much. She wants to go out into the world as just a girl, not the next in line to rule a kingdom. She wants to play stupid games with her friends, wants to sing rather than be sung for. She wants to wear casual, comfortable clothes, and walk through the streets without having to disguise herself. But all of that is unbefitting of a princess, and all she can do is yearn.
Looking at herself now in the mirror—her hair a mess from having just woken up, her nightgown torn at the bottom from when she thought climbing out of her window would be a good idea—one wouldn’t say she’s the perfect image of princess. She spares a glance over at her tiara, the ruby glistening in the morning light filtering in through the curtains. It’s pretty, but at times it feels more like a burden than a blessing.
With a quiet sigh, she rises to her feet and takes it into her hands, flinching at the cold metal. Her father has told her many times in the past that she shouldn’t leave it lying around like that, and she knows that, it’s just so easy to get distracted and forget to hide it away.
She looks back up at herself in the mirror. Simply holding something as priceless as a tiara in her hands makes her look much more dignified, but there’s still something missing. A smile, maybe.
“May I?”
Two warm hands are suddenly placed over An’s, a messy head of blonde hair taking over her vision. An’s heart skips a beat, and she feels her cheeks grow warm.
“Kohane! You’re awake,” she says, her breath stolen as her girlfriend peers up at her, eyes as bright as ever. “I didn’t hear you get up.”
“Sorry, An-chan. You just looked so lost in thought.” Kohane smiles sheepishly, a giggle escaping past her lips when An presses a kiss to her cheek.
“Well, not anymore. I’m lost in your eyes now.” An switches the tiara over to her left hand and raises her now free right one to cup Kohane’s face, running her thumb over the smooth skin beneath her eye.
“An-chaaan,” Kohane whines, face burning red. Gah, she’s so cute. “How can you be so sappy this early in the morning?”
An grins, dropping her hand down to grab Kohane’s own and place a soft kiss on her knuckles. “I’m capable of anything if it’s for you, my darling.”
Kohane squeaks, all too reminiscent of a small animal. She’s so easy to fluster, and An absolutely adores the sight of her flushed cheeks and cute reactions. She’s just so cute. It’s what drew her to Kohane initially; the moment she laid eyes on the girl who saved her from a ditch as she fled the castle, An knew she’d be significant in her life one way or another.
“Ah! An-chan, you distracted me!” Kohane’s voice pulls An out of her thoughts once again. The blonde gestures to the tiara with a timid smile. “May I?”
An isn’t quite sure what she wants, but she’s trusted Kohane with her life in the past, so handing her An’s tiara should be fine. “Of course, go ahead.”
Kohane picks the tiara up with both hands, careful not to drop it as she lifts it up and places it on top of An’s head. It’s lighter than it once was when she was younger, but makes her heart feel heavy at the same time. It looks out of place amongst An’s tangled hair, as if she’s some child whose dream is to be a princess when they grow up.
“You look so pretty,” Kohane breathes, face only inches away from An’s. “It really suits you, An-chan.”
“Kohane…” An is unable to fight off a huge grin, wrapping her arms around Kohane and hugging her close. “You too! You’re super duper pretty. Like, woah, how did I land a girl as cute as you?!”
Kohane giggles as An nuzzles into her neck, leaving a light kiss there. “An-chaaan, stop it. I’m nowhere near as pretty as you.”
That makes An frown, reluctantly pulling away from Kohane’s warmth. “Don’t say that. Look, what if I…” Carefully, she removes the tiara from her own head and sets it on Kohane’s before she can protest. She wraps an arm around her girlfriend, turning them so they both face the mirror. “See? You’re just as pretty as me, if not prettier.”
In the mirror stand two girls, one who really shouldn’t even be here, each with a bad case of bedhead and rosy cheeks. An feels fifteen again, simultaneously thanking Kohane for saving her and apologising profusely for ruining her dress. Kohane had smiled like the sun and told An she had nothing to apologise for, and that she was welcome to go over to hers to clean up. She didn’t realise An was the princess until, well, An told her, which she found rather endearing.
They only grew closer after that, and now here they are. In a loving, committed relationship that has been dubbed both ‘adorable’ and ‘sickening’ by two separate parties (as if Akito has any room to talk).
“And, by the way, the tiara just adds to your charm. Even when you drool in your sleep you’re the most beautiful creature in the universe.”
Kohane flushes red down to her neck. “I-I drool in my sleep?!”
An laughs, and Kohane desperately tries to get her to stop, their previous conversation seemingly forgotten. An tumbles back onto the bed, grabbing Kohane’s arm and taking her with her. The tiara falls onto the pillow, but neither girl pays it any mind. Instead, An captures Kohane’s lips in a kiss, ignoring the fact that neither of them have brushed their teeth yet. Kohane melts into it immediately, and An finds herself grinning into the kiss.
“I love you,” An murmurs, huffing out a laugh when Kohane wrinkles her nose from her morning breath.
“I love you too, An-chan.” Kohane’s smile is that of an angel’s, so of course the only correct way for An to respond is by kissing her again.
All in all, it’s a pretty good morning. An has to attend a fancy ball advertised as ‘the best time of your life!’ that evening, but she could care less. Besides, she already has the best time of her life whenever she’s with Kohane. No dumb party could ever compete with that.