“You'll remember me again, Minyoung. And when you do, you won't be afraid of me.”

Joonmyeon’s heart ached to see the girl he loved and waited for almost ten years barely even recognizing him but partly he was happy in finally having you in his arms. He breathed in the smell of your hair and fell asleep, his dreams filled with memories of you.

-

“Ah! This would be a good hiding spot!”

Joonmyeon saw a plum tree, not too high and not too low and began to climb it as fast as he could. He wanted to hide from his attendants, lose them even. He wanted to just stay outside and play without having them near him or trying to bring him back inside his room, especially when the weather is this good.

“They’ll never find me here.”

He took a big breath as he reached the nearest branch he can find.

“Hey! This is my spot! Get your own!”

He saw a you, a little girl younger than him by almost half a decade. He was not sure but judging by your silken hanbok, you must have come from a wealthy family.

“I don’t want to!”

He stuck out his tongue at you. He needed to hide. He didn’t want to go back to his room as he would only read books inside his room and he was really bored with it. He used to play with his older brother before but the latter didn’t visit him anymore. Come to think of it, he doesn’t see him at the palace grounds anymore. He had no idea why.

“Get down!”

“I won’t! Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re heavy!”

“What?”

While the two of you we’re preoccupied with your fight, the branch where the two of you are was beginning to break.

Joonmyeon heared the little snap of the branch and began to climb down. He told you to follow him but you didn’t move a single inch.

“Hey! Get off that branch now!”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t? Of course you can!”

“I didn’t know how to go down.”

Tears were starting to form in eyes and your voice began to tremble. You are afraid, very afraid to fall down.

“Jump on to me! I’ll catch you.”

He began to extend his arms. He didn’t know if he can catch you but seeing you starting to tear up made him want to protect you.

“Okay.”

You said in a small voice and jumped out of the tree, closing your eyes. You felt his body breaking the could have been deadly impact. He lost his balance sent the two of you tumbling on the ground.

“Are you alright?”

He asked you and sadly, there was no reply. You were crying in his arms, helpless and traumatized by the fall.

“It’s all right. You are safe now. You’re a strong girl, understand? You shouldn’t cry. You’ll look like a fish if you continue that and your eyes will pop out soon!”

You stopped crying after hearing him say that. You don’t want your eyes to pop out, of course. Soon after, you began to cry again.

“I want my daddy.”

You were a sobbing mess in his arms. ‘She was very different from her commanding and offending attitude earlier at the tree branch.’, Joonmyeon thought.

“We’ll find him, don’t worry.”

He promised you as he smiled gently, comforting you.

“Prince Joonmyeon! Prince Joonmyeon!”

He heard his attendants call, perfect timing.

“I’m here!”

“Prince Joonmyeon, where have you been?”

Asked Yoonshik. He is his head attendant and has been acting like his nanny ever since he was born. He is a little over the age of thirty, dressed in his green robe and carries a paper fan in a bright shade of yellow.

“I’m hiding, as always. I’m a little disappointed, Yoonshik. It took you over five minutes to find me today.”

Joonmyeon chuckled as he teased his attendant. It was a fun sight for him when Yoonshik gets flustered and turns into a bright shade of red.

“You found a good hiding spot today, Your Highness”

Yoonshik chuckled, still fanning himself and trying to calm his nervousness. He then spotted you, a tiny frame, still crying in the prince’s arms.

“Your highness, who is this?”

“I don’t know either. I only saw her at the tree where I was hiding.”

Yoonshik looked at you to observe the hanbok that you were wearing. It was pure silk, a cloth that was only worn by nobles because of its high price in the market; even traders exchange if for gold. There was no way this girl could have been in a poor family.

“She doesn’t look like a servant girl or a kisaeng, she must be a minister’s daughter.”

Yoonshik then looked at you and smiled

“Don’t worry, child. We’ll find your father, what does he look like?”

-

“Ajussi, I just need those books.”

You asked for yet another time. You asked him for books that contain riddles and some that were written by Mencius and Lao Tzu and promised to pay a hefty sum of money for the them but he kept saying that those books were only meant for men.

“Agassi, let us leave now. He won’t sell those books to you.”

Your attendants pleaded as they tried to pull you away from the book shop. You grew up to be a stubborn lady at the age of twelve. You also grew up beautifully like a rosebud ready to bloom in the early spring. But of course, like any rose, you have your fair share of thorns. You are very stubborn of occasionally sneak out of the house.

“Agassi, for the fifth time in the row, I can’t sell these to a woman.”

“Is that so?”

You pretended to look sad and disheartened. This had always worked with your father. ‘Why won’t this work on him?’ you thought.

“But my brother would be sad if he didn’t get these as his gifts. Today is his birthday.”

“I’m sorry, Agassi.”

The merchant looked like he actually took pity on you.

“But I really can’t sell these to you. If you like, I can give you romantic novels for free instead.”

You bowed your head as you began to prepare your leave but you saw a man smile at you. He was handsome like you’ve never seen before. His eyes were gentle and kind.

“Ah! Sister, you’re getting my books for me? How touching!”

You didn’t know that this man was Joonmyeon, the boy on the plum tree seven years ago. He had grown into a fine young man too and little did you know that he asked for your name to Yoonshik years ago and had been following you whenever he sneaks out of the palace to visit his brother, Yifan. He had witnessed your growing beauty and had developed feelings for you.

“Not yet, oppa. This man said he can’t sell those books to me. I even said that they are for you.”

You acted with him. You didn’t know this man or his name but your gladly accepted his help.

“Ajussi, why can’t you sell anything to my beautiful sister? Shouldn’t you be honoured to have a pretty lady come here just to buy books for her brother?”

“I can’t sell these to her. You know well that these books were forbidden to women but now that you are here, I can sell these to her. I apologize, sir.”

The store owner handed you the books and received the money that your attendants were holding.

You walked out the store and Joonmyeon followed you, happy that he was able to help you and talk to you again. However, that was not enough for him.

“Aren’t you going to thank me?”

He asked you placing his hands in either sides of his waist.

“Thank you for helping me with these books. It meant so much to me and I would gladly return the favor  if I can.”

“Then I guess you have to talk to me for these.”

Joonmyeon said snatched the books from your hands and then began to walk away with you when he gave a circular piece of wood bearing his name. Being illiterate, of course, the servants couldn’t read the name on it.

“This is my identification, give this to her parents and they wouldn’t worry. I’ll take her home before sunset.”

-

“Who are you?”

You asked him. He took you to a secluded place near the river. You didn’t know what he wanted with you but you trusted him because of the kind gaze he gives you whenever he looks at you. It seemed like he adored you.

“You can call me Suho.”

He said while plucking a flower from the ground and then looking at you, bearing a boyish smile in his face.

“Guardian? Is that your name?”

You asked him, confused with his strange name.

“No, but I would like you to remember me as your guardian.”

He opened a book and placed a flower between its pages.

You caught him closing the book with the flower still in it. Horrified, you asked him.

“Are you trying to ruin my book?! What are you doing?”

“This does not ruin the book but only dries out the flower.”

He opened another page and did the same thing he did to the other flower.

“Really?”

You sighed in relief; your precious new books were safe.

“Yes.”

He smiled again, assuring you.

-

“Your highness! The prince is an adult now, please choose a bride for him!”

One of the ministers pleaded.

“Please choose a bride for him!”

The other ministers followed, all of them hoping that the king would choose their daughter as the prince’s bride.

“Very well, I’m not getting any younger too.”

The king looked at Joonmyeon; being a prince, he was in the court too. He was watching every discussion with great care as he was eager to learn and lead the people of Joseon well  in the future.

“Child, what kind of girl would you like as your bride?”

“I want a beautiful and intelligent bride, Your Highness.”

“Very well, I’ll look over the possible candidates. I will personally visit the home of the one who I see as the most appropriate for my grandson.”

“Before you do that, your highness. I already have a girl in mind.”

Joonmyeon interrupted, shocking the whole council. This crushed their hopes in being the next relatives of the royal family and having the possibility of having a higher power over the others.