Wind rustled the leaves of the trees and swept through the meadow. Fishes swam gracefully through a crystal clear lake, and swans danced on top of the water. It was tranquil and a lovely place to behold; one that had seen no visitors in a long time. Until now that is...
A beautiful young woman dressed in the finest of silks skipped merrily across the grass, a basket in her arms filled with the prettiest of flowers. Her skirts swept the ground, and she beamed at the sight before her. She had never seen such a place before.
For as long as she could remember she had been stuck within the palace walls and had never ventured outside - especially not alone. There was constantly someone shadowing her and protecting her. Even now there was someone hidden nearby without her knowing they were there. And she had certainly never been this far before, even though it was still within the palace grounds, it overjoyed her to be anywhere but where she was previously.
She perched herself on the ground and watched the swans' dance, basking in the peacefulness of it all.
☽
Not so far away from where the young woman sat, an elegant male could be found in his residence studying. His head was resting on one of his hands, and his brow was furrowed in irritation. This had been his life for countless years and it was becoming tiresome.
How long would this seclusion go on for? If it weren't for his younger brother blaming him for something he hadn't done, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation. He had to get out of this place and soon before he died of boredom.
A while later, his studies were interrupted by his devoted manservant entering the room. He strolled over to the desk and whispered something in the prince's ear. His eyes lit up with amusement, and then they dimmed. "You say it's the foreign princess Mee who found her way here? She must know this place is forbidden."
He got to his feet and moved over to the window, peering out at the distant figure of the girl's. "Scare her away and make sure she never wants to come back." Once his manservant had bid him goodbye, Changkyun's features relaxed, and now he looked upon the girl wistfully. "This is for her own good..."
Opening the door to the residence, he strode outside and hid behind a tree, peering out from behind it he could just make out the girl that owned his heart.
A mixture of emotions plagued him, and he wanted nothing more than to run over to her, and sweep her up in his arms, but he couldn't. There was too much at stake, and he didn't want to place her in any danger. Her life was precious, and he didn't want her to lose it because of her being associated with him.
Not being by her side was torture, but seeing her alive and happy made it all worth it. And he would do everything in his power to keep it that way.