The following day rose heady and overcast. The gloomy fog engulfed the royal complex in a thick foreboding cover.

Jieqiong and Chaeyeon had taken advantage of the sun’s absence to take an early ride to the winter market. To evade the stifling presence of an ’s company, they  had wrapped themselves in stark white furs to match the tightly packed snow underfoot and swiftly stolen from the palace before the exhausted night guard refreshed their shifts to day.

The clip clop of their horses’ hooves kept pace to steady hum of Jieqiong’s thoughts.

This most gloomy of days dawned on the dreaded spectacle of Somi’s official betrothal. The vitality of the Jeon line would rest on the shoulders of this

-Jieqiong wrinkled her nose in distaste at the thought.

The Jeon coven, like most of the others, had historically been exclusively comprised of women, a result of the vampiric trait burning through male converts and inexistent pureborns. As such the Queen’s consort was chosen from a select pool of elite human families in order to achieve the ultimate goal of an heir..

Wealthy and powerful families yes, but

nonetheless. Only granted this greatest of honors through the favor granted on their ancestors by the coven’s originators.

A knowing smile played on Chaeyeon’s cupid’s bow lips as she took in her companion’s puckered expression.

“You’re worried about today aren’t you honey?”

 Jieqiong started at the other’s remark, shaken from her stormy musings. She tilted her in Chaeyeon’s direction, a bit perplexed at the question,

“Well aren’t you?”

She huffed, pursing her lips before continuing,

“We’re staking thousands of years of bloodline on a weak fledgling we’ve met only once as a babe; we’re entrusting the security of our queen and the longevity of our line to the whims of a juvenile romance.”

Chaeyeon slowed her mare to a trot as the market came into sight and cooly replied,

“It’s not as if this hasn’t been successfully carried out by every queen and her regent before us going back to the first monarch,”

The pair arrived at a hitching post and Chaeyeon gracefully slid off her mount, reaching to take the reins of Jieqiong’s stallion and leading the two beast into the enclosure. Once secured she took her companion’s arm and helped her down.

“Besides,” she continued, “it’s not as if they must love each other deeply; they must only stomach the other enough so as to produce an heir once they come of age.”

Jieqiong laughed heartily at the other’s words, a wave of mirth easing her tension momentarily. Chaeyeon mirrored her jubilation, her mission having successfully carried out.
 

The pair walked arm in arm towards the clearing, each wrapping their furs tighter across their faces as they became conscious of the eyes being drawn to their palpable splendor.

Humans had always been perceptive little creatures; sensitive to the predatory yet alluring aura of their kind even with obvious physical aspects concealed.

The pair paid no mind to the hot stares on their backs and proceeded perusing the wares on display.

Jieqiong knew it should be below her to find pleasure in the peasants’ transfixtion at their icy beauty, but she nonetheless relished the thrill of watching the portly sweets vendor fluster and gasp when Chaeyeon pushed back her hood to sweetly voice her selection.

She chuckled quietly to herself before wandering further down the stall’s display, eager to satisfy a sweet tooth her bloody diet often neglected.  

There, nestled at the crown of the display, lied the most pristine caramel-glazed tart she’d ever encountered. Jieqiong stretched her arm, fully prepared to claim her prize before watching watching in astoundment as white, slender fingers snatched away the sweet before her very eyes.

Jieqiong indignantly her heel to face the offending party. A women of her position was fully accustomed to having everything she wished.

She spun with the intent to reclaim what was hers, only to be met with wet, inquisitive, brown eyes; quite clearly stunned at the circumstances they'd found themselves in.

For the first time in centuries, Zhou Jieqiong found herself  grasping for the proper words.

A/N: 2nd update came quickly as promised! Please let me know if you liked it. I'm planning on incorporating more ioi members and still havent decided on somi's,consort let me lnow if yoj have suggestions and next chapter a bunch of major events will go down. Also btw this fic's titles are essentially serving as a chance to flex my 6 years of french and 4 years of latin.