Fairy Tale
Part 2

“More suitors?”

Jessica glared at her best friend. It had no effect on the girl. “Don’t remind me,” she spat out bitterly. Yuri’s laughter only made Jessica feel even more aggravated. Jessica buried her face into her pillow and groaned. “What in the world is father thinking…I’m not ready to get married…”

“He wants to leave the kingdom in good hands…It’s reasonable that he wants to marry you off so quickly,” Yuri said trying to reason with the frustrated girl. She climbed onto the bed and sat down next to the motionless figure. “I heard him yelling at you earlier today. You must have angered him a lot with your little stunt this morning. Not to mention all the other suitors you’ve scared away.”

“Me anger him?” If it were anyone else with her, they would’ve been frightened of the spoiled princess. But, Yuri only smiled. “He has no right to tell me what to do. It is my own life and I shall do as I please.”

“Jessica…”

“Don’t,” she warned.

Yuri stared at the back of her head cluelessly. “Don’t what?”

Jessica lifted her head up to shoot another harmless glare at Yuri. “Don’t say whatever you’re going to say because I know you’re going to say something I won’t like.”

Yuri raised an amused eyebrow at her before she buried her face back into her pillow. “And how exactly do you know that?”

“Because of the way you said my name.”

Yuri laughed. It amazed her how well they knew each other sometimes. “You’re the eldest daughter, Jessica. Even in normal families parents wish to marry off their children as soon as possible.”

Jessica scoffed. She knew where this conversation was going. “Are you calling me abnormal, Kwon Yuri?”

Yuri sighed and let herself fall back onto the bed. “Are you calling yourself normal?” she asked. She stared up at the grand ceiling of Jessica’s bedroom and had to hold in another sigh. She felt the bed shift and she glanced to her right to see that Jessica had mimicked her position, no longer burying her face into the pillow.

“Do you think I’m normal?” she asked quietly. Jessica grew apprehensive as she awaited Yuri’s answer. She knew what the answer was, but a little part of her still hoped that Yuri would answer differently.

“No,” Yuri answered honestly. She turned to face the other girl on the bed who was staring up at her with hopeful eyes. “You’re anything but normal, Sica…” Yuri smiled and wiped away the first of many tears on Jessica’s face. “It’s not a bad thing, you know.”

“No, I don’t know,” Jessica choked out.

“Hey, I thought you liked being a princess?” Yuri said in an attempt to comfort her. Jessica wrapped her arms around Yuri’s waist and cuddled up close to her. She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted to be as close as possible to the other girl. It comforted her in some odd way whenever Yuri was around. She felt safe around her. She felt normal around her.

“I do,” she admitted, “Just not when it comes to all this marriage stuff. I can deal with being prim and proper all the time – that was just the price to pay for having all the luxuries that I have. But…I thought you had to be in love to get married. All these princes that come here…none of them feel right.”

Yuri rubbed her back comfortingly. “You’re not even giving them a chance.”

“Because, frankly, they’re all s!”

It wasn’t something she should’ve laughed at, but she did anyway. “Sica…”

“I’m being honest Yuri. They’re so vain and stuck up! Are all of them like that?” Jessica paused. “Am I like that?”

“A little.”

Jessica hit Yuri’s shoulder and glared up at her menacingly. Yuri grinned innocently at her, feigning ignorance. Yuri gently guided her head back down into the crook of her neck and Jessica relented, letting herself relax. “Why can’t they be like you?” she mumbled into Yuri's neck.

Yuri felt the familiar churning in the pit of her stomach that she always felt around Jessica. She never thought much of it. She liked it a lot, actually. The feelings that Jessica ignited in her were unlike any other. “Are you saying you want to get married to me, Sica?” she asked jokingly.

Jessica giggled and decided to play along with her joke. “I would love to marry you, Kwon Yuri.” Yuri smiled contently and closed her eyes. You're better than all the guys I've met anyway…I’m comfortable with you…why can’t I find a guy like that?”

“Why find a guy like that when you have someone like that right here?” Yuri asked with a joking grin.

Jessica laughed. “That’s funny, Yuri,” she said closing her eyes. “You’re not a guy…” she mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

Yuri sighed and grinned happily. Sleeping with Jessica in her arms was always her favorite position to fall asleep in. She closed her eyes too, in hopes of following Jessica’s actions, but sleep seemed to be the furthest thing from her mind. Her thoughts drifted off to their conversation and she played around with the idea of her and Jessica being married. It started off as a joke in her head, but the more she imagined it, the less funny it became. Suddenly a frown replaced her happy grin, and she tried to stop thinking about the idea of her and Jessica actually in that kind of relationship because, frankly, it scared her.

She furrowed her eyebrows. A girl and a girl? That wasn’t possible.

…Was it?

“I can make you the richest man in the world. There is only one condition.”

Yuri stared at the actors on stage intently, completely entranced by their dramatic and exaggerated movements, their loud, booming voices echoing throughout the amphitheater.

“You must give up one of your five senses.”

The man smiled apologetically. “That is absurd, how can I ever choose to give up any of them?”

“Why not give up your sense of smell? You will never again have to gag at the horrendous odor of manure, or suffer through the thick aroma of charcoal that is so prevalent in your village.”

The man shook his head. “Oh, but if I cannot smell, I will never be able to breath in the scent of fresh air! Or that sweet aroma from the flowers that grace the fields just outside my village, or the magnificent fragrance of my woman! How could I ever possibly give that up?”

“The sense of touch, then? You would never have to be alarmed at the sudden coldness of the tiles beneath your feet, or the feel the disgusting substance of mud get in between your toes.”

“That is even worse!” the man shouted with a grin. “If I cannot touch – if I cannot feel substance beneath my hands – what good would that be? That is the best part! It is a sign that I am alive, my friend! And more importantly, I would never be able to feel my lover’s body, or her hand entwined inside my own. That would be a horrendous thing, indeed. How could I ever possibly give that up?”

“Perhaps your sense of hearing? Those pestering birds that chirp every morning, or the loud screeches from babies, those things you wouldn’t have to deal with any longer.”

“To not be able to hear would be devastating! I could not possibly deal with not being able to listen to the music that flows through my village! The wonderful melody that fills my ears and calms my soul is too much to give up. And I do not think I could handle not being able to hear my wife’s melodious voice that greets me every day. How could I ever possibly give that up?”

“Ah, what about your sense of taste? Surely you can live without that.”

“Surely, I cannot. How could I live without having ever tasting those wonderful deserts ever again? Without ever tasting my lover’s lips ever again? Oh, and how her lips are such a wondrous taste indeed. How could I ever possibly give that up?

“There is only one left then. Your sense of sight!”

“And never see that clear blue sky? Or the stars sparkling against the black canvas? Or the yellow and orange hue that paints the world whenever the sun rises and sets? And my wife, my good man! My wife! How could I even survive without seeing her glorious face? Her wondrous body? Those eyes that look at me full of so much love? How could I ever possibly give that up?”

“You seem very attached to your five senses.”

The man smiled softly. “Of course I am. Each of them offer me such wonderful things, and, most importantly, they let me love my wife in five very different ways. So, tell me, how could I ever possibly give up a way to love who I love?”

Yuri glanced at the blonde princess sitting next to her, looking as uninterested as she could possibly be, and suddenly she could hear the beating of her heart pounding through her ears. She gulped and the play was no longer interesting to her, their movements no longer attracting her attention. Blankly, she stared at the stage, letting her mind drift to the scene that had transpired. Was that what it was like to be in love with someone? She thought about what her father had told her and what her mother had told her, and then she realized – for a brief second – that she was in love.

And then she shook her head again.

Because a girl could not fall in love with a girl.

But, instead of dismissing her thoughts like she had a couple weeks ago, she thought about it again. She looked at the now sleeping figure next to her and came to the conclusion that maybe – just maybe – it was a little bit possible.

“What do you think love is, Sica?”

Jessica shrugged, staring up at the sky. Yuri wanted to star gaze tonight for some reason. Jessica didn’t question it because Yuri always liked to do random things spontaneously with her. Plus, she enjoyed the taller girl’s company anyway. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “Why do you ask?”

“Do you think it’s possible…” Yuri took a deep breath before she continued her question, “…for two girls to be in love?”

Jessica laughter rang loudly in Yuri’s ears and she felt her heart ache. She wasn’t entirely sure why it hurt so much. Her mind played with the possibility of being in love with the girl and maybe that was why her laughter had stung so much this time. Yuri closed her eyes and gulped, feeling the tears of realization coming to her eyes. The stinging laughter finally subsided. “At least your jokes are getting funnier.”

And for the first time, Yuri’s patience wore thin. “That wasn’t a joke. I was serious.” Yuri suddenly sat up. “Why can’t two girls be in love?” She subtly wiped the tears from her eyes and took another deep breath. “What exactly is so wrong with it?”

Jessica narrowed her eyes and sat up with her. “Love only exists between a man and a woman,” she said as if it were fact. “Love between anything else just doesn’t exist. You’re getting too into your fairy tales, Yuri.”

“That doesn’t answer my question! You can’t just say it doesn’t exist!” Yuri stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of her. “How do you know it doesn’t exist? What’s so different about it, Sica? What is love? Remember that play we watched a couple weeks ago? That man, the way he described his love for his wife, if I said the same things would it make a difference?”

“It makes a huge difference! You’re a girl, and he was a man. It’s as simple as that.” Jessica stared worriedly up at her friend. She had never seen her in such a panicked state. Yuri was always such a happy-go-lucky girl. She had never once seen her panic like she was now.

“No, Sica, think about it. The context of those words would remain the same, wouldn’t it? If I said I love the way you smell, how would it be any different if one of your suitors had said the same thing?”

Jessica remained quiet, refusing to admit that she preferred it if Yuri had said that over anyone else. “You love the way I smell?” she asked softly. Yuri didn’t hear her.

“And if I said I love your voice, how different is that? If I said that when you sing you send shivers down my spine, then what? If I said that I love seeing you every day – your face, your body, your hair – what would you say? If I said that I love any form of touching with you – like holding your hand – or that when you fall asleep in my arms you make my heart beat ten times faster than it should…how different is that, Sica?”

“Y – Yuri…?” Jessica stuttered.

Yuri stopped pacing, finally realizing what she had just said. She felt herself break out into a sweat. “Loving someone in five different ways…you can do that with anyone, can’t you?”

“Do you love me in five different ways?” Jessica asked softly, still in shock.

Yuri turned to her and her demeanor softened immediately at the sight of a timid Jessica. “There’s one way I haven’t tried yet…”

Yuri kneeled down in front of her, anxiously grabbing her shoulders and leaning in. Jessica sat there, stiff from Yuri’s actions. It felt as if she were moving forward in slow motion, not once breaking the eye contact between them – scared that if she were to look away then Jessica would run off. Their noses brushed across each other’s and Yuri took a brief moment to savor the small breaths of air hitting her lips. She took the plunge and softly planted her lips on Jessica’s, closing her eyes in the process.

Yuri could only hear the loud thumping of her heart against her chest. The sweet taste of Jessica’s lips on hers was like nothing she ever imagined they would be. She savored the seconds, and, in that very moment, everything felt right.

And in the very next moment, everything felt wrong.

The loud slap against her cheek reverberated against the castle walls and Yuri could only watch as the tears flowed down Jessica’s face while she ran off.

Yuri felt her eyes tear up, but she had no regrets.

She took a deep breath and smelled the scent of the musty old castle; she felt the cold air harshly hit the small bits of her exposed skin; she let the sounds of the owls and the eerie silence of the town’s nonexistent nightlife fill her ears; she opened her eyes and took in the beautiful sight of the stars shining against the black sky; she tasted the bitterness that lingered in the air.

Then she closed her eyes and all of that was suddenly replaced. She could smell Jessica’s sweet fragrance that reminded her of fresh picked strawberries; she could feel Jessica’s petite figure against hers; she could hear Jessica’s light and airy voice engulf her ears; she could see Jessica’s blonde hair framing her gorgeous face; she could taste Jessica’s soft, plump lips.

There was another pang in her heart when she realized what she had done and she let the tears fall freely from her eyes. She mentally chastised herself for letting herself lose her patience at that very moment, of all times.

Like the man in the play, she loved Jessica in five different ways.

But, unlike the man, she would be willing to give up any of her senses.

Because at least then she would have one less way of falling in love with her.

A week after the incident, Jessica still couldn’t sleep properly. She half expected the other girl to come to her and apologize and tell her it was all a joke and she would hit her and everything would be alright again.

But that moment never came. Yuri kept her distance from her as much as possible. She hadn’t even seen Yuri running around the castle with her other friends at all. Jessica tossed and turned in bed and nothing seemed to help ease her mind, not even her favorite pastime – sleeping. She groaned and refused to admit to herself that she missed the other girl.

Yuri had always been a little weird, but that was what Jessica liked so much about her. Yuri always got her thinking about things she would never think about normally. The way Yuri’s mind worked always fascinated her – from her childlike adoration for fairy tales to her mature disposition when she had to deal with Jessica’s spoiled nature. And then there was that slightly philosophical side to her where she would voice her unheard of opinions to her – like when they first met and proposed the idea that they weren’t that different at all.

Jessica thought about it again – their first meeting and Yuri’s question. What exactly was it that made them so different other than their social standing? They both cried at the same things, they both laughed at the same joke, they both ate the same food, and they both hurt the same way. She cared for Yuri just as Yuri cared for her. If her father wasn’t the king, would she be so important? The blood that ran through her veins, was it so important in determining who was better than the other? Was it any different than the blood that ran through Yuri’s? Than the blood that ran through anyone’s?

Her mind drifted to the kiss that Yuri had stolen the other night and she felt her heart flutter at the memory of Yuri’s lips on hers. She scolded herself for the involuntary reaction and shut her eyes tightly in order to try and forget about the whole event, but it appears that luck was not on her side. She thought about the other girl and how she always loved it when Yuri would hold her and let her fall asleep in her arms. She loved it when Yuri always knew when to comfort her and would always be patient with her. She loved it when Yuri looked at her like she always did and she had grown to love the familiar scent of old rusted metal that was always stuck on Yuri because of always being around her father’s weapons and armor. She loved hearing Yuri’s voice – it always managed to calm her down.

And she was starting to love the short memory of Yuri’s lips on hers.

She felt her heart clench at the realization.

Was it indeed possible for two girls to fall in love with each other?

She refused to believe so, but her heart defied her mind and she tried to push away what she knew to be true.

All of a sudden, Yuri appeared at her window, looking apologetic and nervous – two things she had never seen on the younger girl. She hesitantly got out of bed and opened the window. Years of sneaking around at night had taught the both of them how to get around the guards.

“Hey,” Yuri said timidly when she had gotten settled into Jessica’s room.

“Hey,” Jessica replied back softly, not knowing where to look.

“What are you still doing up?” she asked softly.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Jessica answered simply.

Yuri looked up at the obviously tired girl. She was shocked that Jessica wasn’t able to sleep. The girl had a talent for sleeping anywhere at any time of the day. “Oh,” Yuri answered plainly. She was concerned. Jessica looked pale and sickly and the dark bags underneath her eyes did her no justice. Yuri wondered what had happened to her the past week, and she wondered if it was because of her she was like this.

“What are you doing here, Yuri?”

Yuri hesitated to answer. She mulled over the idea of being completely honest and just outright saying that she had missed the other girl – that she had wanted to see her even if she was greeted with another slap. “I…I just…I wanted to see if we could forget about the whole thing.”

“So the whole thing was a joke?” Jessica asked with a glare. There was a part of her that hoped it was, but there was an even bigger part of her that wished that it wasn’t and it was that strange part of her that confused her to no end.

Yuri smiled bitterly at her. She couldn’t lie, she just couldn’t. So, she shook her head slowly and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she had come here to tell her. “No, it wasn’t a joke. I wish that it was, but it’s not. I…I think I’m in love with you Jessica.” Jessica’s heart skipped a beat when she heard those words, but she suppressed her emotions out of fear and continued to glare at the other girl. “It’s weird and different and I’ve never even heard of something like this happening, but…” Yuri struggled for the right words, but none came. “Look, I don’t know, okay? I just know that I’m in love with you and I don’t know how to explain it. Don’t ask me how or why, I just am. I’m in love with you and it’s okay if you don’t love me back but please don’t leave my side…I want to stay by your side even if it’s as a friend, even if that’s all we can be.”

Yuri stared at the impassive girl in front of her and feared that she had possibly just lost her best friend because she had acted so rashly. When Jessica approached her slowly, she expected another slap to the face and prepared herself for the onslaught of guards that would rush in at the shriek of her voice, but she was instead greeted with the complete opposite. Instead, when Jessica raised both of her hands, she placed them softly on Yuri’s face and gently led her face down to hers.

And they kissed.

And it was a beautiful, heartwarming, heartbreaking kiss.

Because they both knew what this meant, they cried together, not once breaking the bittersweet kiss.

They pulled away breathlessly and stared at each other hopelessly.

“You’re so stupid.” Jessica’s voice cracked and she sniffled a little. “You’re so stupid, Kwon Yuri,” she repeated again, her voice not any better than the first time.

Yuri lightly chuckled at the sight and wiped away the tears Jessica shed with her thumb. “What for?”

“For making me fall in love with you.”

Yuri grinned, despite the tears that they both shed. Even though she knew what this meant, even though she knew what they had in store for them, she was happy. Because Jessica was there, she was happy. Jessica huffed at the sight of Yuri and repeated herself again.

“Stupid.”

And they kissed once more.

Yuri smiled at the sight of the petite figure rushing towards her. The hood of her cloak was pulled over her face and covered the bright blonde hair that would’ve surely given the two girls away. But, the past three months of sneaking out of town like they were had made them experts at sneaking around and avoiding suspicion, mostly on Jessica’s part. No one would ever say anything if they saw Yuri walking around that late at night, but they didn’t even dare think about the consequences if Jessica had gotten caught outside the castle grounds, especially with Yuri.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Jessica whispered, out of breath. “The guards were being extra cautious today so I had to take a different route.”

Yuri grinned and shook her head. “It’s alright, at least you’re here.” She stared amusedly at the still panting Jessica. “Well someone’s tired,” she said jokingly.

Jessica glared at her and lightly slapped her arm. “Shut up,” she said with a pout.

Yuri chuckled and quickly glanced around them before giving her a peck on the lips. Jessica’s pout immediately disappeared and she grinned up at the taller girl. “Come on,” Yuri said as she bent down in front of her, “I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

“Um,” Jessica stared at Yuri’s back hesitantly, “Are you sure about this? The last time you tried to carry me you almost broke your back.”

“Just trust me!” Yuri hissed, urging her to get on her back.

Jessica sighed and obliged to her request. She was pleasantly surprised when Yuri lifted her up with relative ease. “Told you I could do it!” Yuri shouted happily just when they had reached the outskirts of town. Jessica giggled at the gleeful girl under her.

“You can put me down now. I’m not tired anymore,” she said, not wanting to hurt Yuri’s pride. It was obvious she was starting to struggle under the added weight. Yuri pouted and relented without a fight, gently putting Jessica back down on the ground.

“One day I’ll be able to carry you all the way,” Yuri told her with a wide grin before grabbing Jessica’s hand and interlocking their fingers together, tightly gripping the soft hand in hers. She rubbed circles on the back of Jessica’s hand with her thumb, marveling at how soft they were. It still amazed her every time she held Jessica’s hand. There was such a contrast between the two. Hers were rough and tan, while Jessica’s were soft and pale – majestic, you could say.

“Why do you always want to carry me anyway?” Jessica asked as they walked to their usual spot. “Not that I mind or anything, but it’s not necessary, you know.”

“Because…” Yuri looked away, embarrassed. Jessica didn’t miss the tint of red on her cheeks.

Jessica grinned and quickly leaned forward to give Yuri a quick peck on her cheek, which made her turn even redder. “Because what?”

“Because that's what some of the men do for their wives, don't they? I don't...I don't want you to think you're missing out on anything.”

Yuri felt her face burn up and she quickly rushed them to their usual spot on the outskirts of town where they went every week to stargaze. When she turned around she noticed that Jessica was giving her a weird look and she found herself looking away, still embarrassed.

All of a sudden, Jessica forced her to face her, tightly gripping the sides of her face with her hands and roughly pulled her down to kiss her. Yuri smiled into the kiss, feeling her heart burst. She loved Jessica, and she knew Jessica loved her back. It was all but evident in every single kiss she gave her, in every little look she sent her way. They were in love, and it was the most amazing feeling in the world.

They pulled away from each other and shared a grin. “Yuri,” Jessica started and they both sat down on the ground, “that’s very sweet of you, but you don’t have to do that kind of stuff just for me.”

Yuri shook her head in protest. “But I want to. I want to be everything you ever wanted, Sica. I’m not some guy that can sweep you off your feet. I’m not some prince charming. I’m not some handsome guy that makes every girl swoon. I’m not a boy and that makes things hard enough already. But I can be everything else you want.”

“You already are,” Jessica said shyly. “You’re more than I could’ve ever asked for, Yuri. You need to stop focusing so much on those fairy tales. Not everything needs a prince and a princess. All that matters is you and me.”

“You’re right,” Yuri replied after some thought. “You and me…we can write our own fairy tale.” Yuri kissed her before she could reply and they both fell into the moment. She lightly pushed Jessica onto her back. Yuri broke the kiss and hovered over the other girl, her arms supporting her on each side of Jessica’s head.

“You’re my Princess. My Sooyeon. My Jessica.”

“Yuri…”

“You’re mine.”

“I’m yours.”

And so, the two girls fell deeper and deeper in love, and what a wondrous fall it was.