He was very peculiar. Taeyeon spent the majority of the first couple minutes just staring at his face and taking in his features. Kind eyes, full lips, cute nose. His cheeks looked as if they used to be very chubby. It made her want to see him as a baby. His family must have sketches or paintings much like her’s did above their numerous fireplaces.

He seemed incredibly educated just by the way he chose to form his sentences. She didn’t know a single thing about him other than his name and that he was very handsome. She wondered what his favorite book was or if he had one. Did he like books at all or did he love them as much as she did? Thoughts of him as a boy running away from his own lessons to escape much like she did filled her mind so much that she barely was able to notice all eyes had shifted toward her. She was frozen in the doorway. Jinki looked as if he wanted to get up and see what was wrong, but he didn’t. Taeyeon just softly said her apologies before heading over to take her seat. She took a breath before flashing a smile and offering tea. She would remember her lessons. First to his father, then her own. Jinki would come next before their mother’s being as he was a man, and then it was his mother and then her own.

Jinki’s father didn’t care for tea, but her’s did. He liked it with 2 spoonfuls of milk and a pinch of sugar, but then again she knew that from all the times serving him tea during his meetings and late at night. When she walked over to Jinki he looked up at her with warm, amused eyes, but there was something underneath Taeyeon couldn’t place. Her palm was on the bottom of the teapot when she curtsied and asked softly, “My lord would you like some tea?”

He smiled at her before pushing his cup a little closer to the edge. “4 spoonfuls of milk and a lot of sugar.”

She had never been looked at with so much scrutiny as she had then and it made her hands shake. Before she knew it she the teapot was slipping from her grasp, but then warm hands were overlapping her own and keeping the china in her hand. She peeked up embarrassed to find Jinki standing up, his hands over her’s and a smile on his face. He muttered, “Be careful miss,” before slipping back into his seat. Taeyeon couldn’t hear anything but the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Her mother looked completely horrified and her father anxious. Both believed she might have just ruined all this, and she did too, with the way his parents were looking at her. With a bowed head she apologized, “I am sorry for my shaking hands. I really want to make a good impression on you both.”

“It’s quite alright.” His father gave a slight smile, “How about we go on with this meeting hmm? I don’t think my wife needs tea do you dear?” She seemed to agree beside him, and with the way that her mother was looking at her Taeyeon set the teapot on the tray and quietly, but quickly, took her seat.

“So your father has told me you have a talent on the piano, is that true my dear?” Taeyeon wanted to melt into the floor because she could feel Jinki’s eyes on her as she answered his mother.

“I have been playing since I was four my lady. I have grown quite fond of it.”

“Would you play me something?” All eyes turned toward her intended and he coughed before smiling, “I meant us something.”

“If you will allow it.” Once given permission she headed over to the giant piano nearby. She took a deep breath as she rose her fingers over the ivory keys. She blocked out the murmurs from the group of chairs nearby and focused on playing. Once the melody was flowing from her finger’s movements she could relax a little more. When she opened her eyes again she saw Jinki moving from his chair. His tea cup was set on the table before he walked behind his parents’ chairs and over to her. He smiled before gesturing toward the little bit of bench beside her. She didn’t falter in her playing as she moved slightly, and he was quick to slide in next to her.

“May I?” He whispered for only her to hear.

She blinked at him before mumbling, “Of course,”

He played with a elegance she could only attempted, but Jinki thought she played beautifully. He flashed a smile to her and it made her tummy all warm inside when his eyes lit up the moment she smiled back.

Over at the table their parents were smiling at each other as their fathers shook hands. “We will meet again for the details.”

Taeyeon was too busy lost in the warmth of him beside her, his skilled fingers moving over the keys, and his soft smile to notice anything else. His hair was falling in his face in little curls, his eyes crinkling around the sides as his smile widened, and when he kissed her cheek to say goodbye she had to run all the way into her room to scream into her pillow the moment he was gone.

xoxoxox

Gwiboon and Minjung were bursting through her chamber doors not too long after. The younger twin bounced on the bed and turned her onto her back. “Tae! How was it? Was he hot? Did he have a weird condition or something?”

Taeyeon sighed and lifted her fingers to her cheek where his lips had been. “He’s like the Princes we read about in books.”

“Oh?” Gwiboon asked after she had pushed the door close and walked over to the bed. “I only saw him from behind as he made his way to his horse. He has a nice form.”

Minjung wiggled over closer to her and beamed, “But tell us all about it!”

Taeyeon pushed up on her elbows before biting her lip. “I thought I had ruined everything in the beginning. I froze in the doorway overthinking him and then I almost dropped the teapot while serving it. He caught it for me.” The other girl’s eyebrows rose when Taeyeon sighed, “His hands were so warm.”

“Is our little Tae all love struck?” Minjung asked with a smile.

“NO!” She sat up with wide eyes, “I just have never met anyone like him. He played the piano with me.”

“Okay I need details.” Gwiboon demanded as she brought her legs up and smiled brightly.

“Well his name is Jinki and his attire was so simply bare I would not have believed him to be a lord’s son. His scent was natural and his hair looked very soft. He seemed very sweet. He did not seem annoyed when I almost dropped the teapot to the ground, and his voice is like warm honey put into tea.”

Minjung hummed as Gwiboon asked, “Does this mean you are looking forward to a possible future with him Miss?”

Taeyeon’s happy expression fell as she looked at her hands. “ He does not seem like the type of horrible stories Jungie once told me, but how am I to know if he is the right one for me?”

Gwiboon sighed as she pushed the younger girl’s hair back. “We do not get to have the right one in this age my sweet. We are chosen and matched, and you hope for the best possible choice was the one given. I am glad he seems sweet.”

“I still do not want to get married Gwi. I am only 17.”

“You will have another meeting with him before the wedding if he is the one your parents choose. One on one without chaperons. There is not much you can do to stop a wedding from happening, so keep that pretty chin up and see if you can find yourself giving your heart and not just your body to that man.”

xoxoxox

She didn’t see him again for a few more months. The fall breeze was blowing leaves everywhere outside the big library windows. The sun had barely risen, but knowing today would be the day she would be alone with him without the pressure of so many eyes on her hadn’t allowed her to stay asleep for long. She figured that someone would be coming through the doors to look for her here shortly once the household found out she wasn’t in her bed chambers anymore. Sure enough she heard the soft heel clicks of a pair of feet quickly approaching the door. She glanced around the bookshelf after pushing the book she was looking at back into it’s place to see Minjung. The tall young woman looked rushed and panicked, and she only relaxed a little when her eyes landed on Taeyeon.

She curled her fingers around Taeyeon’s arm and tugged her from behind the bookcase. “We must get you ready. He has sent word he’ll be here before the sun is fully in the sky.”

“What?! How long have you known?” Taeyeon asked as she moved to keep pace with the slightly older girl.

“We have been looking for you for while Miss. He will be here any moment.”

Taeyeon glanced at her simple gown and her undone hair. This was in no way a way to present herself to a possible husband. She didn’t fight against Minjung and Gwiboon moving her much like a rag doll. They were pulling the strings of her corset when there was a knock at the door. Minjung rushed over to see who it was, and send them off if they weren’t important, but she paled when it was the messenger boy. “Lady Taeyeon’s intended has arrived and is waiting in the foyer Miss.”

Minjung bowed her head, “Thank you. Inform him she will be down momentarily please.” As soon as the door was shut the woman was over working on the criss cross pattern of the ribbon Gwiboon was holding taunt. Taeyeon heard the youngest of the two whisper, “We do not have time for her hair.”

“Braid it, like you used to do when we were children.”

After the corset was tied and Minjung went to lift the dress from the bed Gwiboon’s fingers were touching Taeyeon’s forehead. “You mean here and around the back?”

“Yes Gwi.” The woman smiled, knowing full well it was quick solution, but would still be very pretty.

Once the dress was pulled and tightened she was sat in front of her mirror. Gwiboon worked on her hair while Minjung worked to add a little color to her cheeks and lips. Her shoes were slipped onto her feet just as Gwiboon finished tying the end of her hair with a purple bow. A simple necklace was clasped around her neck. A quick once over was done before she was deemed ready and rushed out the door.

When she reached the top of the stairs she leaned forward to peek down below. Her intended was facing away from her and by the looks of things was smelling the freshly cut flowers on the table in the middle of the room. His hair was put up all messy, strands falling out everywhere, but he didn’t seem to mind it much. He had a brown sewn leather jacket on and his boots were up to his knee. His sword was still on his hip. She didn’t want to keep him waiting more than he had already been, so she took a deep breath and descended the stairs.

He turned quickly at the sound of her heels on the marble floors and a smile slowly formed on his face at the sight of her. She hoped that the distance hid her blush well enough, but soon enough she was stepping down the last 3 steps to stand a couple strides away from him.

She curtsied and held out her hand, and his lips were just as warm as she remembered from their first meeting. “You look absolutely radiant this fine morning my Lady.”

“Thank you, I hope I did not keep you waiting for too long.”

He almost blinded her with how big his smile was, “I would wait however long you need me to to spend time without our parents looking down at us.” When he saw how pink her cheeks were he, dipped his head. “My apologies if I was too forward.”

“No, no need for apologies. What have you in store for our time together?”

There was a glint to his eye that made her excited, yet wary. “Ever been to a winery?”