Where would they head? The two of them had no idea. Once the sun began to make way for the glowing moon, the Crown Prince and Princess of different landed decided to continue on with the subtle relationship they managed to encounter. They could not be together physically but through letters, they knew they could find a way to reunite with peace which was not only for them but also for all in Navillera.

Jiyeon and Jungkook flew to their land at ease with Namjoon noticing the bright expression radiating from the female. At first he was surprised since he did not recall seeing her walking out with her friend. Nonetheless, he was not the kind to question much so he let it slid off since the Princess came back in one piece.

The Haesang’s palace was not buzzing in worry once she stepped into her quarters. By the time Jiyeon walked down the hallway leading to her room, she bumped onto Hoseok who immediately imitated her happy smile. He knew there would be a story worth listening on the next day he met her. And surely it was.

“It’s unfortunate to hear that about the Seonghwa. I never really approached one but they seem no harm no matter how dangerous their element can be.” The gardener spoke as he found a seat by the Princess’ left side on a bench. She was out in the lake garden as per usual with an additional cloak wrapping around her body as the winter rolling in. “Anyway, the winter is coming so you can always come by the greenhouse. The sunflowers my father bought the other day were very beautiful.”

“I’ll be sure to do that. How is Myungsoo by the way? Did he notice I was gone yesterday?” Jiyeon questioned curiously and made her way up from her flower bed to connect her eyes with Hoseok’s. “Well, can’t say I know because I never bothered going to the training field. At least it is less noisy than usual. Maybe because the weather is getting chillier that they retreated to do something else.” He reported easily before standing up and told her he just remembered he had a work to be done before making his leave.

She had no intention of staying at the garden for so long since she was there to tell Hoseok about her adventure in Seonghwa. However, Jiyeon was not finish. Maybe leaving the fact about her and the Crown Prince was the best at the moment. She did not even tell Jungkook yet but she bet he knew judging on his mischievous glint in his eyes as they walked back home after two hours of tiredly flying. It was natural to feel happy, right? Recalling the things Jimin said to her only make her giddier of writing more and more letter to him. And surely enough, she was excited waiting for his replies as well.

Weeks already passed by over in Navillera by the time the third letter exchange reached her hand once again. The greenhouse was too stuffy for her liking to secretly enjoy the bits of message written in neat handwriting. She admired the way he told her stories of how he and the rest had been doing over in the palace. Once in a while, he would voice out his concern of the Haesang, mainly of her and Jungkook. Making her way to her favourite spot in the whole palace, she gasped at the scenery.

Winter had indeed come to their land with the snow blanketing the once green grass with its white glory. Jiyeon steadily walked on the thin sheet of snow, heading over to the fully froze lake. She felt bad that the water was not rippling like always and only then she noticed the disadvantage of having water as one’s element. It freezes on coldest weather so that explained why most of the people Myungsoo gathered for who knows what moved indoors to practice.

That did not stop her from enjoying the beautiful scene around her. There was no one around to bother her after lunch, not even Hoseok was seen walking about as it was not a season for his fellow plants. Standing by the lake with the letter taken out of the inner side of her cloak, she began to read the letter given from the Seonghwa Prince. She was smiling to one point the corner of her lips could reach her ears if it was possible but of course it was a figurative speech. She sighed shortly as her eyes made its way down the paper where Jimin apparently told her about one particular celebration she wished she could attend.

“It was Taehyung’s birthday by the way. We don’t really celebrate grandly but he really wished for you to be here because he thought having a family member by his side would be nice. Yes, he actually accepted you as his step-sister after knowing you through the things I knew about you from the letters we wrote for each other.”

 The Princess shook her head fondly and really, even Jungkook would want to celebrate his friend’s eighteen birthday. Truth to be told, Taehyung deserved more than having his fellow kitchen friends to throw a decent celebration as technically speaking, he was a royal himself. But he got used to being a servant, Jimin once said in his letters and Jiyeon knew it would genuinely take a great amount of time for him to adjust to it especially he was literally just dragged into one. Turning her gaze off the letter, she tucked it back into somewhere hidden underneath her cloak.

Her eyes and mind were wandering at once as she began to occupy her attention with the surroundings. Since she was very sure the lake froze thoroughly, Jiyeon gently stepped on the surface, making her way to the centre of the frozen water with ease. It felt fragile under her feet but looks can be deceiving nevertheless since it managed to hold her weight as she continued to move. The cold winter wind suddenly blew around her as she closed her eyes. Out of the blue, her thoughts drifted away, following the movement of the wind which brought her down a familiar memory lane.

Softly opening her eyes, she witnessed a strong sensation of déjà vu, way back to her childhood days during one fine white winter by the solid lake. She could feel her lips forming a smile as she turned to the sound of a motherly female who was apparently chasing a boy, visually older than her and she knew who it was as soon as she found a little girl behind him.

It was a vision of Jiyeon, Myungsoo and her late step-mother years ago. Years of everything wonderfully peaceful as if there was no trouble on their side. The Princess never had the chance to feel her biological mother’s love but she knew it would be as great as the one she got in those days. They were throwing snowballs on each other with eight-year-old Jiyeon hidden behind a manmade barricade. It was a perfect defence for a playful war in a child point of view.

Blinking her eyes for the fifth time, her vision reminded an important piece of memory. It was the day she gained her shifting ability as she and a couple of princesses playing tag in the garden. She tried running away, not wanting to be ‘it’ but without her realising, she felt light on her feet. There were gasps from them followed after and also a set of scream of excitement. Her heart beat faster as she let out a long sigh once her surroundings returned to the present day.

All those memories throwback suddenly made her realised on how much she had missed those moments and those people that were once played an important role in creating those beautiful recollections. It was warm compared to the newly painted life. It was cold and monotonous as everything slowly going down the drain after her late mothers’ passing. Nonetheless, it was not all dull since she had a reason to look forward to another tomorrow whereby letters from Seonghwa would lift the excitement she cherished so much.

“Princess Jiyeon, your father, the King wants to see you in the throne room.” A palace servant informed as it cut through her train of thoughts. Spun on her heels to meet him in the eyes, she simply nodded before advancing towards the exit and made her way down to the throne room which she barely been in seeing that as a dutiful and approachable Princess she was, she preferred meeting the villagers in a garden or anywhere suitable to talk over their problems and such.

Once she entered the room, Jiyeon was not surprised to see her brother already in front of their father, showing his respect with a bow before turning around to see her walking in. Copying his previous action, she instantly met eyes with the King and took note of his serious expression. Again, she was not shock to see that kind of expression coming from her father because it had been his default face after all the turn of event. She could not say she was amused to be called into the throne room neither since she had a strong feeling telling her the possible outcome of the sudden meeting.

The last time the father and daughter had a decent conversation led to an outburst of unknown and unexpected fact regarding the late Queen being a Seonghwa so what else could be spilled by the King after those news being thrown at them like scalding hot water, right? Taking their respected stand in front of the King with no hesitation, Myungsoo was the one who gestured him to deliver the reason of gathering the siblings in the room while he was in the midst of training.

The King stood up from his massive chair before walking down with his hands behind his back. After stopping about two metres away from his two children, he gave them total silence for the next few moments before he spoke thus informed alarming news with no more seconds to waste after much thought. The two Kim royal siblings, for once after weeks of not talking, they proved the synchronise movement still instilled in their system as their gazes which were once on the floor shot upwards and widened.

“Pardon me, father? Did you just say you would like to step down from your throne?” Myungsoo asked, totally taken the news a bit more seriously than Jiyeon who was too shock to even utter a word. “Yes, Myungsoo; I think it’s time for the Haesang to be rule by a new king and you should know better that this day will come.” He simply stated as he walked nearer to the son.

“In three years’ time, Myungsoo, you will have to take over the land for me. By then you’re not only have to find yourself a wife but also think through of whatever you’re planning to do. The things you do now will indeed affect the future not only the Haesang but the future of Navillera.”

Of course, the King knew of his son’s doing. However, he did nothing to stop him since he thought he was old enough and wise to think it completely. It was obvious unlike his daughter’s subtle word exchange, not that he actually bothered of getting to know what his two children had been doing. He was coping with the loss that he felt mentally drained which caused him to think about the whole ordeal.

“The plan shall go on.” The Haesang Crown Prince said in a stern voice to no one in particular once their father had left the two in the throne room after he excused himself for his alone time. Since only the two of them remained in the room, it was only logic to hear the thought aloud especially when his figure was standing right by her side. It suddenly caused an unfamiliar bubble of rage to appear in her mind.

“You’re preparing for a war, aren’t you, Kim Myungsoo?” Jiyeon spoke in her rare furious tone which did not affect her brother, not even the slightest. Even with her calling by his full name would not do damage. The Princess had to do no work to gain the information since her close friend was in the team. Jungkook told her everything. “What if I am? Even your friend is on my side.”

“Jungkook is there to spy on you for me, Myungsoo. Don’t be stupid. Our late mother doesn’t raise you to seek revenge over something like this. She wouldn’t be happy.” She tried to lower her anger level just so her image as the gentle one in the family to remain but it did nothing other than problem to her. “What did the Seonghwa ever done to you for you to create a chaos? Don’t you know they are suffering enough at the fact your doings?”

“There’s a reason why you’re not in this plan to begin with, Jiyeon.” The Crown Prince muttered with intention for the Princess to hear clearly. “You will be thankful after all of this is over.” He added before walking to the door. The girl was boiling by now when she saw him leaving her but when she yelled, he stopped.

“You’re the disruption stated in the prophecy!”

Jiyeon heard him scoffed as his shoulders shook as he laughed at the statement. Turning around to face her with a glare, he spoke, “Says the person who believed she is the chosen one. Mind you, I’m only doing this for your protection from that precious Crown Prince of yours. I only let those letters pass through Namjoon with eyes close just to know what going on with Seonghwa.”

Her brain suddenly created a random flashback upon hearing Myungsoo’s sentences. Sure, she noticed the letters she had been receiving from the gate keeper were torn slightly but she made no worry about it as she thought it might be because the sender had to check the content (other than the messages hidden) for some unknown reasons. She should have been more careful.

“Believe me; I don’t want you to repeat history with him, Kim Jiyeon.” With that said, the Crown Prince vanished into his brunette pair of wings, flying across the palace ground to wherever the training should be.

The Princess of Haesang hated how much her brother knew about her but she had no idea what was in his mind. There were secrets locked inside, preventing from being revealed to her and she had a bad feeling she would not be able to know about it anytime soon. Letting out a long worried sigh, her eyes found the opened window where the lights casted on her as she whispered.

“Dear nature, please let Jimin and his people be safe.”

Author's note:

I wrote this chapter with The Sound of My Voice + As I Live More played on the background. I could imagine Kei suddenly sang this in the midst of the getting the visions in her mind so you can say I somewhat inspired by the rendition to write this chapter... :D