Chapter Text
Nostalgia captivates my heart the moment we pass through the gate: the gentle sound of the wooden wind chimes ringing in the breeze, the mouthwatering smell of freshly baked hotteok sold on the streets, the fragrant scent of plum blossoms wafting through the carriage’s window cover…
Though it has been eight years since we last visited the Flower Kingdom, my mind remembers it like it was yesterday. I wonder if the hotteok is as good as in my memories.
“Wooyoung?” I whisper, just loud enough to be heard over the clattering noise of the carriage wheels on the cobblestoned road. I push the linen curtain a little to the side, and my eyes meet his.
“Yes, princess?” Wooyoung whispers back, and I drop the curtain again, hoping not to attract attention from the other guards. They will not like what I’m about to say, so let’s keep it between me and my personal one.
“Describe what you see. I want to determine where I should go once I get out of the palace.”
“I didn’t know you were getting out of the palace, princess.”
“Liar.”
He chuckles a tad too loud, and I bite my lip hoping that it went unnoticed. But it is swallowed by the sounds from the street, as the closer we get to the palace, the more they increase in volume: merchants proudly praising their ware, children giggling as they chase each other, bystanders wondering out loud who the people in this unfamiliar convoy are…
“We’ve just passed the market square, and I have already lost count on the amount of food stalls I saw, so I think we’ll be spending a lot of time there.”
“What are you insinuating, Wooyoung?” I chide him.
“We are what we eat, princess, therefore you are the sweetest,” he retorts smoothly. I shake my head but can’t hide a smile. I have reputation amongst the servants for having a terrible sweet tooth, so it’s no surprise that Wooyoung is looking out for the delicacies I like.
“What else is there?” I ask him while I shift uncomfortably in my seat, making the carriage wobble slightly. My muscles ache because I’ve been sitting for hours; I can’t wait to get out and stretch my painful legs… I must really learn how to ride a horse, even though I don’t think father would let me. Secretly, then.
“I see lots of pretty maidens returning from one particular store called ‘Maewha’s boutique’. Their servants are almost buckling under the weight of the bundles they’re carrying, so I think you’ll enjoy shopping there. I’m certain I will enjoy going there as well.”
I shake my head again. Next to being really good-looking and incredibly charismatic, Wooyoung is also a terrible flirt; I already feel sorry for the court ladies that will be bombarded by his charms. They don’t stand a chance.
“Don’t go breaking those pretty maidens’ hearts,” I lecture him.
“I’m a perfect gentleman and you know it.”
“In your dreams you are.”
Then the carriage comes to a sudden stop, and I fly forward, almost bumping my head against the lavishly decorated wooden panel opposite to me.
“Princess! Are you all right?” The window curtain flies open and Wooyoung’s face appears, his brown eyes full of worry.
“I’m fine,” I brush off his concern. “What happened?” I curiously move closer to the window, glancing outside but not seeing anything unusual. The people on the street, wearing different kinds of colourful hanbok, all look in the same direction, some pointing and others whispering excited.
“The palace guards just rushed by, chasing someone,” Wooyoung explains, craning his neck to see. “I’m not sure what that was about… We could ask the princes, maybe their guards will know.”
The princes… My mind travels back to eight years ago, when I last saw prince Yunho and prince Jongho. Yunho was fourteen then, and Jongho ten; I wonder how much they’ve changed, but I’m certain some things will not have changed at all. The eldest with his kind and warm heart, always looking out for others, the perfect attitude for a future king, versus the cheeky younger brother, always fooling around, making ‘trouble’ his second name. I’m sure Jongho still drives the servants crazy with his shenanigans, while his soft-hearted brother ensures those same servants keep forgiving him nevertheless.
The carriage starts moving again, but I haven’t dropped the window curtain yet – a beautiful scenery has captured my gaze: the stream that meanders through the capital is glistening in the midday sun, and the pedestrians crossing one of the many bridges beam in delight as the plum blossoms delicately twirl around them before the little flowers are caught in the current and gently float away.
“Look at that!” I exclaim excitedly, pointlessly pointing my finger as Wooyoung has already followed my gaze. “We have to go there!”
The curtain on my other side suddenly opens, and my brother’s scrutinising eyes appear. “You are not going anywhere, you’ll be staying at the palace.”
“Oh, come on, Seonghwa!” I pout. “I’ll take with Wooyoung with me and then it’s perfectly safe!”
“Hmpf,” he huffs sceptically. “I highly doubt that.”
“Hey!” Wooyoung’s face appears on my other side, glaring at Seonghwa through the windows, even though he should be respectful towards his kingdom’s prince. “I take my job very seriously!”
“It’s not you whom I’m concerned about.”
“I won’t get into trouble! I’m twenty, not twelve,” I snarl. “Don’t you trust me?”
“This is not about trust. Trouble follows you wherever you go.”
“Ugh! I never get to have any fun!” I exclaim exasperated, angrily shutting the curtain in front my brother’s face. He is always so overly concerned, as if I’m some precious porcelain doll that will break at the slightest bump in the road. So annoying.
My hand holds the curtain on the other side, ready to close it again, but I linger for a moment, captivated by the beautiful stream a second time. What was its name again? I seemed to have forgotten; I must ask the princes.
And just as the princes pop up in my thoughts, the palace suddenly comes into view. I gasp softly – the place is so much bigger than in my memory. An unexpected pang of anxiety clenches my stomach as I think of our visit. Father explained it as finally meeting old friends after years of having to postpone for various – sometimes sad – reasons; but Seonghwa thinks there is more behind it which father isn’t telling us. I haven’t been oblivious to the rising tensions between the different kingdoms of Joseon, so I think this is one of the rare occasions where I have to agree with my brother. There is more to this visit than life-long pals catching up on lost time…
I wonder how long it will take us to find out the true purpose of this trip.
“Welcome back, my dear friends!”
While my eyes are still adjusting from the bright sunlight to the relative darkness in the main hall of the palace, the Flower King’s warm words greet us before we have even completely stepped inside. I blink a few times as we walk towards the throne, and then I can clearly distinguish king Joon in his deep red and golden robes, granting us a smile so bright it rivals the sun outside. My gaze doesn’t need to travel very far to distinguish his sons, sitting to his left and his right, but I do have a hard time making the connection to the boys I remember from the past.
They’ve changed – a lot.
I catch myself thinking that they have both become really handsome, and my cheeks lightly blush.
The young man on the king’s right should be Yunho, as he wears the dark blue and silver colours of the crown prince, though I would not have recognised him if I had met him on the streets. The boyish roundness from my memories has left his face, and instead his jawline is sharp, making his cheeks pop out in stark contrast as he smiles at us. His long, black hair is half tied up in a bun, adorned with an intricate silver hairpiece, and the other half falls graciously over his broad shoulders. His dark brown eyes catch mine for a second, but then quickly, almost shyly, look elsewhere while he nervously bites his bow-shaped lips, a habit I recall from our previous visits. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
The young man on the left of the king must be Jongho, and somehow it’s easier to recognise him when I look a little longer. He has the same jawline and the same popping cheeks as his brother, but there’s something that immediately makes me think back to the little troublemaker I knew. Perhaps it is the cheeky sparkle in his big eyes, or the mischievous smirk on his full lips, or the way he secretly waves at me when he catches me staring at him. I can’t help but wave back.
We proceed to bow to them as a formal greeting, and they also get up to bow deeply in the same manner. But it doesn’t take very long before the formalities are dropped: my father swiftly walks up the few steps towards the throne, while king Joon approaches him from the opposite direction, and they share an amiable hug right in the middle of the stairs.
“I am glad to see you again, my friend,” my father chimes.
“I share the same feeling,” the Flower King replies. He then turns to Seonghwa and me, apprehending us with a slightly wistful expression on his friendly face. “Look at how much you’ve grown! Remind me, how old were you two the last time we met?”
“I was fifteen years old, Your Majesty,” Seonghwa replies politely. “And my sister was twelve.”
“Well, you’ve grown into a fine young man, prince Seonghwa,” the king compliments him. Then he turns to me and does the same: “And you’ve become a beautiful young lady, princess.”
I blush again, heavier this time, but my father saves me by shifting the attention to the princes: “The same can be said of your boys. They’ve turned into handsome young men.”
Now it’s their turn to blush, but only Yunho’s high cheeks colour red; Jongho grins cheekily, as if he was expecting it, and is obviously pleased with the compliment.
“They must have gotten that from their mother,” king Joon says a little rueful, and then a tensed silence falls over the room. Part of the reason that we haven’t seen each other for such a long time has been two consecutive periods of mourning, as first the Flower Kingdom, and then our kingdom lost its queen. But that was three years ago for us, and while the wound of loss hasn’t completely closed yet, we have made our peace and resumed our lives, enabling us to travel again.
“Well, let us fill in the gaps of years lost,” my father breaks the silence. “I’m sure we both have lots of stories to tell.”
“Indeed! We will proceed to the tearoom,” the king gestures my father to follow him. “I’ve had some excellent tea and refreshments prepared, so you can relax while we catch up.”
While the kings amicably chat with each other, we princes and princess follow in an awkward stillness. It has been so long that I am not quite sure what to say…
We shortly arrive in the tea room, a hexagonal space with beautifully decorated walls, where a long table with a plethora of treats awaits us: glazed pastries, steaming pies, puffy cakes, honeyed cookies, candied sweets, and of course, this kingdom’s specialty: hotteok with all kinds of delicious fillings. To my dismay, my stomach responds to the delicious food by rumbling loudly. It seems the kings haven’t noticed, as they sit down without halting their babbling, but the three princes in the room all turn their heads to me.
“Have they been starving you, noona?” Jongho teases me.
“N-no,” I quickly stammer in denial, as yet another blush heats my cheeks. I'm caught off guard by the familiarity of his words; he used to call me 'noona' when we were younger, too.
“It’s probably your sweet tooth acting up, right?” Yunho comes to my aid. I look at him, surprised that he remembered that. He gives me a hesitant smile.
“Undoubtedly,” Seonghwa mutters disapprovingly as we follow the kings’ example and sit down as well. “You could wake her up in the middle of the night simply by putting a sugary snack next to her.”
I shoot my brother an icy glare, but the two princes giggle amused. And just like that, the ice of awkwardness has broken.
First we reminisce on some old memories: that time when Jongho fell from a tree which he had climbed while chasing a stray cat that had stolen our lunch; that time when Yunho and Seonghwa both tumbled into the pond because they were so busy flying their kites they didn’t notice they were getting too close to the edge; that time when I woke up half the palace and had the guards rushing to my room with my shrieking because I got scared of a spider – which, in my defence, was completely justified, as I remember it being a huge and hairy one, dangling precariously close to my face…
Then we naturally move on to the time in which we have not seen each other, and before we know it, an hour has passed and the pile of refreshments has been reduced to crumbs.
“Let’s retire for the afternoon,” king Joon announces. “I’m sure that you would appreciate a little break after your long travel. We’ll be having a banquet just after sundown, so we shall reconvene in the dining hall by then.”
We all get up and pay our respects before leaving to rest and recover. Though I don’t plan to rest.
I plan to escape.
“What do you think?”
“Hm, I’m not sure, princess. Isn’t it a bit too high?”
Wooyoung and I stand next to each other, arms crossed, heads tilted, our estimating eyes glued to the stone wall in front of us.
We have spent the afternoon snooping around the palace, exploring the grounds in hopes of finding an easy way for me to sneak out and enjoy the city. So far we have tried the stables, the kitchen, and the government officials’ entrance, but we had no luck with any of those. Quite literally, as we got almost trampled by a startled horse when we jumped into its box to hide from the equerry who came to check on the animals. Next to me having to literally drag Wooyoung away from the kitchen maids because he kept distracting them from their work with his flirtations, and us having to help pick up about two dozen scrolls that a poor courier had dropped when we bumped into him, our hunt for a way out wasn’t going very smoothly so far.
But then, in some quiet corner near the wash house, hidden behind the lines with bed sheets drying in the wind, we found what looks like an outer wall of the palace, without any guards in the near proximity.
“It’s like twice my height, that should be doable for a climb. And it’s nothing compared to the ones closer to the gates, those are much higher. Also, it has lots of notches and ledges I could put my feet in or grab onto,” I say, pointing to some spots that I could use for support when climbing. “Looks pretty sturdy to me.”
“What if your skirt gets caught on a protrusion? You don’t want to be falling from that height.”
“I can always pull up my skirt when I climb.”
“Oh, princess! That’s outrageous!” Wooyoung mockingly puts his hand over his mouth in feigned shock.
I slap him on the shoulder, making him drop the act with a giggle. “Like anyone is going to see me.”
“You’re right. Out here, I doubt anyone would.” He nods shortly, seemingly convinced. “Right, I think this is the only spot where you have a chance.”
“A chance for what?”
We both freeze when we suddenly hear a familiar voice behind us. Slowly turning around, we indeed find San, my brother’s personal guard, eyeing us suspiciously with a frown on his pretty face.
“What are you two up to?” he asks.
“Nothing,” Wooyoung says at the same time I declare: “None of your business.”
San’s eyes narrow distrustfully, travelling from me to Wooyoung and back. “Then why are you out here, all the way in the back of the palace grounds, examining this wall as if you’re about to test its structural integrity?”
“Uh…” I glance at Wooyoung, and he glances back, for once not able to come up with a witty response at the moment I really need him to.
“Hold on…” San’s face changes from wariness to worry, and I’m afraid it is starting to dawn on him. “You’re not looking for a way out of the palace, are you?”
“No!” Wooyoung and I shout in unison, which San correctly interprets as ‘Yes!’
“I can’t believe you two! You’ve just arrived, and you’re already planning to leave?” he scolds us, disregarding the respect he should be giving me as his princess.
“It will only be for a few hours,” I counter quickly, letting his impudence slide. “I just want to visit the city for a short while! Enjoy the foods, watch the people, maybe buy something nice…”
“You mean get poisoned, get attacked, and get swindled,” San quips just as fast.
“You sound exactly like father and Seonghwa,” I grumble. “Acting as if the world outside the palace walls is one big pool of danger in which I’ll drown as soon as I dip my toe in it.”
“Come on, San, you know that’s a bit much,” Wooyoung argues. “There are plenty of young women living outside the palace walls just fine.”
“Protected by their brothers, fathers, or husbands!” he retorts, making Wooyoung and me collectively roll our eyes. San has always been a bit old-fashioned.
“I’ll be taking Wooyoung with me, of course,” I try to convince San, even though I’ll definitely be leaving Wooyoung behind to cover for me if anyone asks where I am. “It will be perfectly safe. I’m fed up with being stuck in the palace, never getting to see the real world, never getting to experience real life.”
It sounds a bit dramatic, but if I’m truly honest, this is how I actually feel. I’m always cooped up in the palace, never allowed to go out, especially not on my own. Wooyoung has realised this soon after he became my personal guard four years ago, and ever since he has been trying to help me achieve my wish as best as he can; which is why I not only see him as my guard, but also consider him a close friend.
San’s face softens a bit, and I can see the inner struggle reflected in it. He has a kind heart, and emotional outbursts like this one are likely to affect him. He’s almost there…
“You know me, San,” Wooyoung gives him the final push. “I would never let anyone hurt her.”
I realise we’ve won when San sighs deeply, defeated by our pleading. “Fine, I won’t stop you.”
“Thank you!” I rush forward to give him an appreciative hug, but he halts me a moment before I put my arms around him by putting up his hand.
“But,” he continues, now pointing at me sternly, “Only when it’s happening out of my sight. If I see you climb that wall, princess, I’ll be sure to pluck you right off.”
“Of course, of course,” I nod. “And… you won’t tell Seonghwa that you saw us here today?”
He shoots me an annoyed look.
“Don’t make me give you an order, San.”
“Fine… I won’t tell His Highness that I saw you here today.”
“Thanks!” I chime, this time wrapping my arms around him tightly.
He sighs again. “You’re welcome… I guess.”
“Your Highness, your medication arrived.”
Wooyoung’s voice shakes me out of my reverie, putting an abrupt end to my daydreaming of how the world outside the Flower Palace must look like. My stomach clenches in excitement, and I can’t hide my happy smile. If all goes well today, I will not have to daydream any longer.
Last evening, at the truly divine banquet held in our honour, king Joon explained the schedule that was devised for our stay, and I soon realised there will not be many opportunities for me to explore the capital. Additionally, this kingdom is known for having notoriously changeable weather, especially now, in spring, so I figured I might as well try as soon as possible while the sun is still out.
And the sun has definitely been out so far: its golden rays, accompanied by the gentle song of the birds, woke me up from a lovely sleep, and both haven’t stopped shining and singing since I opened my eyes, which I take as a good sign. When breakfast arrived, Wooyoung told the servant that I was not feeling well, exhausted from travel and so on and so forth, while I was secretly changing into a more modest outfit as to blend in with the crowd; if I wear my regular dress, everyone will see that I’m supposed to be on the other side of the palace wall. Now, Wooyoung has arrived with the medicine for my so-called tiredness, and the mischievous grin on his face when the door is opened tells me all is going according to plan.
“I brought some of the leftover breakfast with me from the kitchen,” he whispers as he puts the tray down. “I told you getting to know the kitchen maids would be useful.”
“More useful to you then to them, I figure,” I chide, but I thank him anyway when I take the carefully wrapped bundle. A quick bite before I leave might not be such a bad idea; otherwise I might spend all my money on food, when there’s so much other lovely stuff to get, like books, or jewellery, or binyeo…
“You must get back no later than an hour after midday, because that is when lunch will be served. Holding up your excuse any longer might raise suspicions.”
“The kitchen maids told when lunch is served too?” I ask, folding the bundle of food again after having taken a few bites, and putting the remainder in my cross-body bag to save for later.
“It’s remarkable what you can find out with a few minutes of friendly chatting.”
“Make sure it doesn’t get too friendly, Wooyoung. I don’t want you poisoned because you broke a poor girl’s heart.”
“Is that an order?”
“Obviously.”
I check my bag one last time, and when I’m sure everything I need is in there, I signal Wooyoung to leave the room again. He does so, after making sure to discard the medicine in a vase filled with fragrant flowers, and then loudly tells all the servants present that they must absolutely leave me to rest.
I open the window, peeking outside, but the coast is clear, so I climb out, and softly close it again. Now comes the tricky part: I must walk around the palace unnoticed. I carefully climb over the balustrade and lower myself to the ground, then quietly – though my heart pounds loudly – make my way to the back of the grounds, going from the cover of one building to the next, listening closely for hasty footsteps or careless chatter, and swiftly hiding if I hear anyone coming near. My progress is terribly slow, but I have to be cautious. One wrong move, and I’m back in my room, likely to be locked in there for the remainder of our visit.
After what feels like forever, I finally spot the clean sheets flapping in the wind, and excited butterflies flutter in my stomach. I’m so close, I can already taste my freedom… I must get some hotteok once I’m out…
I carefully inspect my direct surroundings, but there is no one in sight. All right, time to scale the last hurdle. I put my foot in a crevice, grab onto a protruding stone, and start making my way up the wall. It’s going surprisingly well, and I make sure that neither my dress nor my bag gets stuck, for once taking Wooyoung’s advice to heart. Before I know it, I have reached the top, and with a rush of adrenaline I manage to pull myself up and put one foot down on the wall.
Then, out of nowhere, a deep, velvety voice resonates behind me: “What do you think you’re doing?”
Despite the warmth of the sun, I completely freeze, locked in this awkward position, unwilling to face the reality which I won’t be able to deny once I move.
Damn. I was so close…
“Don’t make me ask you again,” the voice rumbles menacingly.
Disappointment washes over me, and I bite my lip out of frustration, but knowing I am defeated, I turn around…
… Which was a big mistake.
The moment our eyes meet, my arms suddenly get a little weak, and I almost lose my grip on the stones.
Dear heavens… He is stunningly gorgeous.
His hard-edged jawline emphasizes the softness of his plump lips, his straight nose complements the arc of his perfect eyebrows, and his glossy black hair reaches to his wide shoulders, with some lost strands curving around the flawless skin of his cheeks. But nothing in his handsome face compares to his deep, dark brown eyes, which have me completely mesmerised, captivating me with their unnervingly piercing gaze.
I know I’m in huge trouble when I notice he is wearing the unmistakable dark blue uniform of the royal guard, which cinches around his slim waist, and I see his grip tighten on the decorated sword in his hand.
But for some reason, I have completely forgotten how to speak.