A few days had passed and with the help of Jin's consistent treatment Jimin was feeling well enough so that he was no longer bed-ridden and could join the princess and Jungkook on their ventures into the forest to collect various plants and foods, along with wood and other supplies. Jin had grown quite fond of the princess over the passing days and had adopted her as his cooking apprentice, and she'd helped him with preparing vegetables and washing potatoes out by the side of the house, too. Jungkook was glad seeing as it relieved him of some of his more tedious duties, and gave him more time to spend painting, which the princess quickly discovered was one of his hobbies. She was stunned when she discovered the painting he'd painted one afternoon, with the surrounding mountains and lake looming majestically in the foreground, and it looked almost identical to the landscape beyond. Jin hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said the boy was naturally talented, and in the morning Jimin finally was well enough to pick his sword up again and the training with Jungkook began. Jungkook proved his innate ability once again.
The princess sat on the porch. The sun shone from above and the tepid breeze blew by as she watched on whilst Jimin and Jungkook sparred with wooden bokken. It'd only been a few hours since they'd begun, but it amazed her at just how quickly Jungkook had picked up on Jimin's instructions. Jimin was always agile in his movements, but seeing as he still wasn't completely healed, it left him much slower than usual. Which was perfect for Jungkook, who was still learning. Jin came out to watch, handing the princess a slice of Mandarin as he took a seat beside her.
"So, what's the story with you and Jimin? Are you two together, or is it a strictly 'Samurai dying by the sword for his princess' kind of deal?" Jin had asked so abruptly and casually. The princess nearly choked on her mandarin. Jin chuckled as he watched her splutter and struggle to recompose herself. "Neither, ah, it's complicated.." Miyu knew that her feelings towards Jimin weren't simple or easily chalked up as just being her bodyguard. But, as the days had passed, she'd questioned them more and more. Until recently, she'd been so fixated on Taehyung that she'd never really considered how she felt about Jimin. But the more time she spent with him, the more thoughts of Jimin had been creeping into her mind. She'd caught herself staring at his chest and arms, and the urge to be close to him had overcome her. Did she like him? Perhaps love him..?
"It doesn't seem that complicated to me.. That blush covering your face right now says it all." Jin gave her a smile, before leaning back on his hands and looking out to where Jungkook and Jimin were still swinging away at each other with determined looks on their faces. The princess gave a sigh. "Jimin and I have been friends ever since we were younger. His father was my father's most confident Samurai. But when Jimin's father died in battle, Jimin took his place and was appointed to protect me.." Jin listened with intrigue as the princess carried on. "Sometimes I wonder if our feelings for each other are a byproduct of that relationship.."
"You think he only does the things he does because that's his job?"
"I don't know if it's only because he's so used to protecting me and watching over me.. I wonder if.. He wasn't bound to those duties if he'd feel the same way towards me.."
"So you think he loves you out of some obligation for his duties?" Jin tilted his head in question and the princess bit her lip. "Princess, I may not be old, but I am wise and I can tell you this. That boy is head over heels in love with you, and it's not out of some weird Samurai oath he took." Jin raised a brow at the princess, but she couldn't stop the heat that spread across her cheeks. Jimin loved her? There was no way… they'd grown up together. He'd teased her and seen her at some of her most embarrassing times. But, then again, she'd grown up with Taehyung too.. And..
"What're you two talking about?" The sudden sound of Jimin's voice startled the princess and her hands shot up to cover her cheeks. "Nothing! Nothing at all! I- I need to prepare for dinner!" Her voice came out as a high-pitched squeak and before either Jimin or Jungkook could question further, she stood and hurried inside the house.
"What was all that about? Hyung, you better not have been asking her weird questions." Jungkook sighed as he plopped down beside Jin. Both he and Jimin were both slightly out of breath and had taken a break. But Jimin remained silent and merely watched on through the window where he could see the princess fumbling to take out a bag of onions.
The four of them had sat down for an early dinner, seeing as tonight they'd made plans to soak in the calming waters of the lake by their cabin. The previous night when Jungkook had mentioned that there was a small alcove branching off the lake where a stream containing healing minerals from the mountain ran, the princess immediately wanted to bathe there. The way he'd talked about it made it seem almost magical, and she'd never come across something so majestic. And despite Jimin's protest and concerns about it not being safe for her to be so far out by herself, she'd got him to agree under the condition that he could accompany her and keep guard from a distance close enough that if there was trouble he'd be able to protect her.
So after dinner, Jungkook led them through the forest a short distance to where the spring was, and as the princess laid eyes on the small stream and clear water, her eyes sparkled. It looked just as amazing as she had imagined. And as the moonlight reflected off the water and illuminated the surrounding rocks and bushes, it felt like she was in a dream.
"This is going to help heal your knees too, princess," Jungkook commented from where he'd been leaning up against a tree. Jimin had taken a seat on a nearby rock and was simply admiring the scenery. At first he'd been skeptical, but now that he was here, he thought it was dazzling. "It's so pretty," he murmured.
The sound of the princess clearing her throat caught the boy's attention, in which they realized she was standing there with her arms crossed. "Oh, right." Jungkook was the first to catch on and went over to tug at Jimin's shirt. "Jiminie Hyung. C'mon, we have to give the princess some privacy." And with that Jungkook dragged Jimin off with him beyond the treeline and out of sight.
Once Miyu was sure that the boys were far enough away, she turned back to the water bank and carefully slipped out of her shirt and pants that Jungkook had lent her during her stay. She carefully folded them, and as she took a few steps closer and dipped her toe into the almost shimmering waters, she was pleasantly surprised to find it warm rather than cold as she'd been expecting. The night air sent a small shiver over her bare skin so she didn't waste anymore time. She knelt down on the edge and slid into the waters. She felt her feet touch the reeds and sand at the bottom and even though she was standing, the water only came up to her waist. So, she lowered herself into the warm water and floated over to a nice spot closer by the stream that was gently rushing down the rock wall, almost like a waterfall.
As she let her body relax and melt into the welcoming warmth of the spring, her eyes automatically closed, and she lent her head back on the ledge behind her. She'd never thought she'd find a bath more luxurious than the one back at the castle, and definitely not out here in the middle of the forest. But then again, she was quickly learning that there were many things she hadn't considered possible during her shelter and plush life.
Her thoughts wandered back to the words Jimin had spoken on their first night that they'd stayed here, about never being able to forgive Taehyung, and that neither should she. It still hurt to think about the betrayal, but through it all, Jimin had been there beside her. Her mind wandered over to how it'd felt when she'd fallen asleep with his hand intertwined with her own, and her heart softened. Why hadn't she ever noticed how sweet he truly was, or how mesmerisingly strong he looked when he fought? Little by little, her thoughts were consumed with him, to where she questioned how she truly felt.
As the princess realised she was doing exactly that yet again, she shook her head in a bid to try to stop herself from thinking about him. And instead, her mind ticked over to their impending situation. She still didn't have the faintest idea what she was meant to do, if she'd ever get her kingdom back, or what fate had in store for her. Was she exiled to a life on the run, one where she'd be forgotten by the people of this kingdom? Being a peasant wouldn't be so terrible, though, for what it was worth. The last week had been some of the most eye opening in her entire life. And she'd really grown a liking to Jungkook and Jin, and she wondered if she could just stay here and live out her days with them.
As time went on, the princess noticed her skin becoming all too warm, so she decided it might be time to get out, dry off, and head back home for the night. But, as she went to stand, she felt her foot catch on a reed, and after tugging it a few times to get loose, she realised she was stuck. A slight panic ran through her, but then she remembered Jimin was within earshot. But the thought of calling him over flushed her face entirely.
Damn it, of all times, why did I become stuck like this now?
After struggling a few more times just to be sure she couldn't free herself, she swallowed her embarrassment and called out Jimin's name. It echoed in the mountains surrounding them, and after a moment, she heard him calling back. "Princess, what's wrong?"
"I got my leg stuck in a reed, can you help me.. Please.." As she called back, she felt even more silly that she'd got herself stuck in such a situation. "You what?" She heard his voice again, but this time just outside the treeline, and as he emerged she automatically wrapped her arms around her chest and sank lower into the water in an attempt to hide. "Hey! Close your eyes!" She quickly yelled back. Even though Jimin was confused at first as soon as he spotted her in the water, he quickly covered them as she'd asked.
"Jimin.. I can't get out. I'm stuck." The princess murmured, watching as he tried to make his way over with his hands over his eyes and trying not to fall over. "Huh? How'd you get stuck?" He stopped and gave a sigh. There was a moment of silence between them before Jimin spoke again. "Princess.. If I'm going to help get you out, I won't be able to do it with my eyes closed.."
"Jimin.." The princess mumbled, the realization hitting her that he was right and there was no other way. "Okay.."
Slowly Jimin's hands uncovered his eyes, and they fell to the sight of her floating in the water. He couldn't make out anything below her shoulders, which gave him a little relief. Jimin gave a sigh and to the princess's surprise he lifted off his shirt with no warning. "Wait! What are you doing!?" she exclaimed. "If I have to get in, I don't want to get my clothes wet. Just stop panicking and close your eyes." Jimin huffed, and at this the princess did as she was told.
She felt her heartbeat pick up as she heard a splash and felt movement in the water. Her imagination immediately turned to how he looked right now, only in his undergarments, and it did nothing to calm her. "Miyu, it's alright. Just stay still for me, okay?" The sound of Jimin's voice beside her was so soft, and it put her at ease, just like it always did. No matter the situation, it was always his voice that she heard when she was in trouble. Even when it was something silly like this, he was always saving her.
"It's really stuck, you might have to cut it.." Miyu mumbled, and as she felt his touch trail down from her knee to her ankle underneath the water, she slowly opened her eyes. It was just in time for her to see him knelt down beside her, and as he grabbed onto the reed she was thrown off balance and had clung to Jimin's shoulders for support. "Are you alright?" She heard him ask, gaze still fixated down at where her ankle was tangled up. "Yeah, I'm alright.. But how are you going to-" Her words were cut off as Jimin ripped the reed apart with a quick, agile force that left her stunned.
"There, can you move your foot? You didn't twist your ankle at all, did you?" As Jimin held her foot in his hands and eased it around to check, the princess' grip on his shoulders tightened. She didn't know what'd come over her but, for some reason, in this moment she felt so vulnerable. "Jimin," As his name left her lips, he slowly raised his gaze to look up at her. Yet again, she'd been careless, and yet again, Jimin had come to her aid. He was struggling, and although he seemed to keep it together on the outside, he was hanging on by a thread. There she floated, beautifully in the water, and despite her body being submerged, it did nothing to hide her. He had to take deep breaths to control himself, to resist the urge to reach out and touch her, to slip his arms around her and kiss her, just like he'd imagined doing so many nights.
And as Miyu stared back into his tender gaze Jimin held only for her, the question had almost slipped by accident. "Why are you always the one saving me..? Even now that the kingdom has fallen.."
"You're kidding, right? Princess, I-" Jimin's breath caught in his throat as the words he'd been wanting to tell her for so long lingered at the tip of his tongue. "I love you."
The night held a fragility in its silence, and the stars above them twinkled dazzlingly. And as Jimin slowly lent in and claimed her lips as his own, it left her breathless. She tasted so sweet that he had to have more of her, so he clasped her tightly in his arms and kissed her deeper. As his tongue dominated hers, all the princess could do was cling to his shoulders while their wet bodies rubbed against each other. As Jimin suddenly picked her up by the hips and pressed her tightly against him, the princess gasped into his parted lips. She felt his toned chest, his muscular thighs beneath hers, and his hardness between her legs pressing against her with desire.
Jimin could barely control himself. Even though he always was especially gentle with her, it was almost impossible to do so with her bare, and in his arms like this. She was his everything, and he wanted to show her just how much he loved her, so he kissed her again, deeper. The feeling of her curves beneath his touch as he ran his hands over her hips to her outer thighs had him groaning her name between kisses. He wanted to make her his, so badly, for so long he'd wanted this. And having her give herself to him was almost more than he could take.
Miyu felt how intense and needy Jimin's hands over her body were, and it merely left her wanting more. To think this entire time he'd ached for her this badly was picking her heart apart, and as she rolled her hips into his hardness, a light moan escaped him. "Princess, I," His gaze held an equal tenderness and hunger, one that they both shared for each other. "Will you be mine?"
The princess' body burned with desire for him at the thought of it, and she couldn't hold it together any longer. "Always, Jimin. I love you." The princess confessed, burying her face in the crevice of his shoulder as she helplessly clung to him.
Suddenly, the princess felt a prick to the side of her neck, and as the sound of loud shouting broke out in the near distance, her head became fuzzy. "Princess, shit, Miyu! Stay with me." Jimin's grip on her tightened, but her body felt numb. It all happened so fast that the princess barely processed what was going on. Jimin dragged her to the edge of the water bank. She heard Jungkook shouting nearby, but as she saw a group of blurry Samurai emerge from behind the trees, her consciousness left her and she blanked out.