Two years ago

It was Princess _______’s wedding.

It was an elegant wedding, if she were to be honest. Something truly out of a fairytale, except for the fact she was not marrying someone whom she loved.

She shared a quick kiss with Kim Jongin to seal the deal and felt absolutely nothing.

During the reception, she saw one of her guests walk by and quickly grabbed his arm, “Kim Jongdae!”

He froze and scanned her over once before acknowledging her, “Princess.”

She cleared nervously, “I, uh, was wondering… You are friends with Minseok, are you not?”

“Some may say we are quite acquainted, yes,” he answered hesitantly.

“May I ask what has happened to him?” She asked sheepishly. She had been dying to know where the guy who stole her heart had vanished, wondered if he had married like he was planning.

Jongdae’s eyes flickered with something but quickly dulled. He hummed, “so he was right about you returning his feelings… This is definitely an interesting turn of events.”

The princess did not like the way Jongdae was talking, but urged him to answer her with her gaze alone.

Jongdae glanced around the lavish party and sighed, “with all due respect, Princess, you are married now. You should not worry about what other men are doing.”

He watched her flinch and drop her hand from his sleeve. Her face fell and she gulped down the bubble forming in , “you are right, Mr. Kim. What was I thinking?”

“What were you thinking, hm? Princess?” His lips curled mockingly and she clenched her jaw with irritation.

“If you happen to see him, would you please tell him that I am sorry, and that I did not want this at all? Could you do that for me, Jongdae?”

The handsome man sighed, why was he such a softy? He allowed himself to at least let the two have this small closure, so he nodded in agreement, and watched the newly wedded bride slump over to her husband, a man of which she did not love.

Jongdae never pitied anyone more.

Present

The boat slowly drifted deep into the river and the passengers were silent as they finally reached their destination—a trail that lead deep into the forest that ultimately lead to a cottage.

Once they all found the cottage, they were a bit nervous. It looked deserted, but that was the point. If anyone were to see it, the theory was that the person would assume nothing much of it and continue on.

The princess gulped and clutched onto Minseok tightly before following the others.

When they reached the door, Kibum glanced around the others before doing the secret knock. They stood for about a minute until the door finally opened and ______ noticed her aunt Sunmi at the other end.

Her aunt let out a relieved breath as she noticed who had made it and quickly wrapped her daughter, Soojung, into an embrace, the younger one bursting into tears again.

They were ushered in and the princess was relieved to see the place filled with her family and close friends.

After assuring everyone that she was all right, she pulled Minseok away, leading him up the stairs to a room that was not preoccupied.

“Sit,” she ordered, pushing him down onto the bed. She began searching the room for something and Minseok watched her with warm eyes.

“What are you looking for?” He asked, but she ignored him, heading into the bathroom and returning soon after with a first aid. “Ah…”

“Your shoulder,” she mumbled, not looking at him. She was suddenly very shy around the older man.

He grinned at her awkwardness and slowly took off his shirt, chuckling as he watched her face turn a bright red.

After clearing , she walked towards him and began cleaning the wound with shaky hands. Minseok would wince occasionally, but remained still as he allowed her to take care of him. His eyes never left her face.

Finally, she wrapped it up and patted it softly, “alright. You are fixed now.”

“Thank you, _______.”

Her heart fluttered painfully at the way he said her name, but she ignored it as she sat beside him.

They sat in peaceful silence for a few moments until Minseok finally sighed, “you can ask me, ______.”

The princess blinked up at him in surprise. How did he know she wanted to ask him how he became a soldier? He returned her gaze with a knowing look and she gulped again, fazed entirely by his beauty. She was utterly shocked at the thought that suddenly ran through her head: you should have been my husband…

“How…?” She shook her head and turned away, staring at the wall in front of her. “What happened to you after my ball all those years ago?”

Minseok sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, “do you remember Kim Jongdae?”

______ nodded, recalling the sarcastic lad who would always whisper rude things about other guests to her during dinners they would both attend.

“Do you remember that he is my best friend? That he was the reason that I was at that ball in the first place?”

The princess blinked, trying to recall the story he told her all those years ago and nodded once it all came back to her. He was born in the slums and Kim Jongdae befriended him and attempted to make him rich.

“Did… did you end up finding a wife?” She asked quietly, trying to swallow back the sudden rush of jealousy that scratched at at his possible spouse.

Minseok relieved her worry with the shake of his head, “I just couldn’t. I couldn’t lie to a woman for money. I told Jongdae that, and he then moved on to plan B—the military.

“It does not pay as much, and requires more work, but the possibility of protecting you… that is what ultimately pushed me to join.

“I had no hopes of ever seeing you again, though. I joined in as a suicide attempt. I knew I would die soon and planned on it. There was no reason for me to live, at least that was what I believed. But I had no idea how well of a fighter I was. Before I knew it, I was being promoted, and promoted again. I was becoming stronger, tougher, and I had more of a reason to live, I had more of a purpose, and I fell in love…”

“Oh…” The princess tried not to show her disappointment, but Minseok caught on.

He chuckled, gaining the response he was looking for, “I fell in love with fighting. I fell in love with combat. I fell in love with the idea of becoming a hero.”

“Oh!”

“When I found out that my country was on the verge of war I was ready, but when I had got the news that I would not be fighting on the field, I was disappointed, but that didn’t last long once I found out just what exactly I would be doing. When I heard your name, ______, my heart shuddered. I remember that night we had met all those years ago, and I knew that if I had to die for something, I could die for you.”

“Minseok…” Princess ______ turned her body so that she was facing him, and the corners of his lips curled with happiness.

His voice dropped to a deep whisper as his eyes remained locked with the princess’, “when I finally saw you I could not help but to think how much more beautiful you had become. How royal and elegant. Even as I saw you latch on to your husband’s arm, I could not help but to fall for you. And when I was officially assigned to you, and you seemed to remember me… I knew for sure that going into the military was the best decision I had ever made.”

Minseok slowly wrapped his hand around ______’s, gripping it tightly, “and I didn’t want to tell you how we knew each other, because I was afraid of how you would respond. What if you did not remember me at all? I was terrified of that kind of rejection, so I kept you blind, kept you at arms length so that I could keep my sanity. That didn’t work very well though.”

The princess remembered earlier that night, when she confessed that she knew he had liked her. It felt like that happened days ago, all the same she felt her cheeks warm at the fresh memory.

Minseok’s eyes seemed to see deep within her soul, leaving her speechless, “but I must know, Princess ______, how do you feel about me? Please tell me that that night all those years ago left a seed of feelings behind, and that I am not the only one who feels this way.”

“Minseok…” A smile grew on her face, “my heart knew who you were before my brain had. I fought against that foreign feeling deep within my chest because I was not supposed to feel it while looking at you, but it is there, it was always there, and I am also glad that you decided to become a soldier, because I had always wondered what had become of you.”

The wide smile that stretched Minseok’s face once her words were uttered made the butterflies soar with a wild frenzy, and everything froze as his lips came into contact with hers.

What started out as a gentle touch soon became needy and intense. Fingers curled into hair and fabric and the want and need in the room was nearly palpable. Minseok laid the princess back onto the mattress and hovered over her, his lips leaving hers only to trail down her jaw and neck. She sighed his name over and over, like a lullaby, like it was the most important word in her existence.

Having ______ under him like this made all the pain in Minseok’s shoulder and body vanish and the only thing he felt was need. He needed the princess. He wanted her to be his, if only for this one night. All control flew out the window with every little noise she made.

“I want you,” he whispered along her jaw, and she shuddered as his fingers grazed over her clothed . He pulled back to gaze dotingly down at her, asking for permission, asking for her acceptance.

“Then have me,” she permittedm voice filled with assurance, and the two wasted no time revealing themselves to each other—both physically and emotionally.

Although it felt as though Princess ______’s world was coming apart, Minseok was there to hold it all together.

Minseok was awoken the next morning by the tickling of his nose. His eyes squinted open only to see ______’s head resting against his chest, her hair brushing the tip of his nose. He chuckled softly to himself and began rubbing her , coaxing her to reality.

She came too with the stretch of her limbs and lips, feeling happier than she thought she had ever been. She remembered the act that occurred the night before, and a giggle bubbled up as she pressed a loving kiss to Minseok’s chest.

“Good morning,” the man greeted, his voice deep and scratchy from sleep. _______ bit her lip from how attractive he was and glanced up at him, “good morning, Minseok.”

“Did you sleep well?”

She was getting distracted from his fingers knotting through her hair, but shook her head gently, “I slept incredibly well, thank you.”

The two stared at one another, in somewhat awe at the turn of events, but there was no sign of regret in either one’s gaze.

Princess ______ could not get over how complete she felt with Minseok filling her up. She felt whole; like that nagging void she could not seem to fill had vanished. This must be what love feels like, she found herself thinking, and she sighed with content. She liked the feeling very much.

“What are you thinking about?” Her soldier asked her, his fingers skimming warmly across her exposed flesh.

“I’m thinking about the fact that I am in love with you,” she murmured, her attention given to the sheets they were laid upon.

She felt his breathing hitch and bit her lip nervously. Minseok was then rising up, leaning towards her to leave a chaste but passionate kiss on her swollen red lips.

He pulled away only to stare at her, “I love you too.”

The princess laughed, fighting the strange tears that suddenly sprang into her eyes, and pressed her lips against his, leaving quick kisses all over his face, before claiming his lips once more. She felt like she would explode from happiness.

Minseok gripped her close and spun her back onto the mattress, loving her once again.

An hour later, there was a knock at their door.

The two were bathed and properly dressed by that time, so Princess _______ wasted no time answering the door—although she made sure to open it a crack so that their visitor wouldn’t notice Minseok still pulling his shirt over his head.

Her aunt Sunmi was on the other end and blinked in surprise once the door opened, “Good afternoon, Princess. I just came up to inform you lunch is ready.”

______ quickly followed Sunmi down to the dining room, Minseok trailing lazily behind them.

“I knocked earlier for breakfast, but you seemed to still be resting,” Sunmi informed. She didn’t notice the princess’ cheeks tint red. “I thought you deserved to sleep in, so I did not waste more time disturbing you.”

“Thank you, Sunmi. Last night did wear me out a bit.”

She faintly heard Minseok snort and her eyes widened with the double implication. She threw her head back to glare at her lover, but her bitter expression soon dissolved once she saw his wide grin. It took everything in her not to push him against the wall and let him ravish her once more.

The two sat beside each other as their meal was placed in front of them. _______ noticed Soojung sitting across from her, but also noticed Tao sitting on a chair against the wall. She scanned the room and noticed only royals were seated at the table. All of the solders were seated against the walls, every soldier besides Minseok.

He realized it as well, “maybe I should—”

“No,” ______ interrupted, gripping his hand underneath the table. “I want you to sit next to me… Please?”

Minseok sighed but squeezed her hand, and she tried not to laugh too loud as she watched him struggle to hold his chopsticks with his left hand.

“So what is the plan now?” One of her cousins asked once everyone was settled.

Her older sister Hyoyeon held the answer, “I believe we send all but two of our soldiers back to the castle to see what is going on over there, and if it is safe for us to return. When they have an answer, they will send one back to tell us if we must stay or not.”

Everyone seemed to like her idea—everyone but her youngest sister, Princess _______.

“Who should stay?” Her mother asked. She felt horrible that she just now realized her mother was safe.

“Tao!” Soojung quickly volunteered. Tao glanced at her proudly, but his face turned stoic instantly.

______ opened to make Minseok stay, but he squeezed her hand painfully. She looked up at him and he shook his head once, his face remained forward.

It was settled that Tao, as well as the princess’ mother’s soldier, Jonghyun, would stay. The other soldiers would return to the castle the following dawn.

Princess _______ wasted no time dragging Minseok back into their chamber. As soon as the door was shut behind him, she spun around and roughly punched the man’s chest repeatedly, “why? Why would you want to go back there?! Why do you not wish to stay with me?!”

Minseok allowed the love of his life to beat him and let out her anger before snatching her wrists and pinning her against the wall. He pressed himself against her and wiped the tears trailing down her cheeks, “I have too. My job is to protect you, _______. I will be doing that more affectively if I were to go back to the castle.”

“But what if they find our cottage, and we get attacked? How could you help me then if you are not here?”

Minseok grinned and nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck, “you and I both know that will not happen. And if it were too, I would follow and fight them here, killing every single one before he can even touch the handle of the front door.”

The young woman sighed and buried herself within her lover, crying almost hysterically.

“I shall return, Love. There is no need to worry,” Minseok reassured.

He dragged the both of them over to the bed and held her as she slowly began to calm down. They remained laying there for the rest of the day, talking and kissing until she fell asleep.

The princess seemed to know that Minseok was gone before she was even awake.

Everything felt cold without his warm smile and strong arms wrapped securely and protectively around her.

She sighed as she got ready for the day and joined the other’s downstairs.

During breakfast, she noticed Kibum watching her, but she ignored him.

That did not work for long once she felt him following her to the living room. She sat down on a chair near the window and he stood besides her, hovering menacingly.

“You must stop whatever it is you are doing with that soldier, Princess.”

_______ sighed, not caring nor wanting his advice, “what makes you think I am doing anything with him, Uncle?”

Kibum scoffed, “as if I do not know. I heard the two of you the other night, there was little sleep going on in there.”

______’s cheeks brightened and she avoided his gaze.

“I’m telling you this to protect you, Niece. You are married, and a princess, and he is just a soldier. Nothing could ever happen between you two. Not to mention the fact that your parents would never allow it.”

Princess ______ fought back tears. She knew her uncle was right, but what she felt for Minseok was so serious and strong. She kept in mind that the thought of Jongin left nothing but guilt.

“I love him,” she whispered, allowing a tear to escape and run down her cheek. She heard Kibum sigh and his hand patting her shoulder before he walked away.

She had no clue how long she sat there, staring out the window, crying silently, but her self-pity was disturbed by oncoming footsteps.

She quickly wiped her face and turned to see Soojung.

“May I join you?” Her cousin asked and the princess nodded.

“You gave quite the shock, allowing your soldier to sit with you at the table,” Soojung began, playing with the hem of her dress. “I wish I had been so brave.”

The princess laughed once, “It was stupid of me. Now everyone must know how I feel about him.”

Soojung’s eyes sparkled, “you like your soldier? What is his name again? Xiumin?”

“It is Minseok, and yes, you can say I have grown quite fond of my protector.”

“Me too!” Soojung beamed and sighed dreamily. “No one has ever cared about me as much as Tao does. No one has ever paid me as much attention as he, and I know you are going to say that his job requires him too, but it is not like that. He genuinely cares about me, as I do him.”

______ sighed and leaned over to rest her head on her cousin’s shoulder, “what are we to do? It is not like we can marry them.”

“Well…” Soojung bit her lip. “I have already talked to my mother, and she has agreed to allow us to be together. Once all of this blows over, Tao and I will be wedded.”

The princess lifted her head to stare at Soojung with wide eyes. She was going to get her happily ever after, while the princess was going to live a life of misery.

“I’m so happy for you,” she said, although the both of them could hear the jealousy and disappointment in her voice.

Soojung smiled nervously but soon rubbed her cousin’s back, “I am sorry you cannot have the same fate. But, you must understand, you are a princess. You are also already married. Unless Prince Jongin were to die, there is no way you and Minseok could be together.”

“Unless I were to run away,” ______ said suddenly, surprising even herself.

Soojung blinked before her eyes grew wide, “you mustn’t say such things!”

 “I truly do feel happy for you, Soojung, but I must feel happy for myself as well. Minseok makes me happy. I have never felt like this in all my life, and I am not willing to let it go so quickly.”

“But what about your duties?” Her cousin asked quietly.

_____ shrugged, “what about them? I never asked to be a princess, and if I had my choice, I’d rather not be. I want to be happy. I want to be with Minseok.”

“This is not something you should rush, please think about everything before you make your final decision. Tell me, also, as soon as you do so that I can help make preparations for you.”

The two hugged and Soojung left. _______ decided it was time to talk with her mother.

Her mother was in her bedroom, brushing her hair in the vanity.

“Mother,” the princess began nervously.

“Yes, Dear?”

“There is something I must confess to you.”

“Proceed.”

“Well, I just wanted you to know that I never loved Jongin. And after the past events, I do not believe I ever could.”

Her mother locked eyes with her in the mirror, “what are you trying to say?”

“You know my soldier? Xiumin? Well, we have fallen in love, and I do not wish to be with Jongin any longer.”

Her mother stopped brushing her hair and stood up, quickly walking towards her daughter. The princess closed her eyes tightly, awaiting the sting of a slap, but her eyes widened with shock at what her mother actually did.

She hugged her.

It was the first time in all of the princess’ life where she felt actual love coming off of her mother.

When she pulled away, she had tears in her eyes, “I could tell that something was different about you yesterday. And I could not help but to notice the way you would glance at that boy, the sparkle in your eyes and the way you would smile… I also noticed the way he would look at you when he thought no one was watching. You two definitely have something going on, and I am so sorry for everything, especially for what I am about to say.”

The princess stiffened expectantly.

“You may never really love Jongin like you love this Xiumin, but feelings will grow eventually. All of your siblings were chosen spouses, same as you, and even I and your father were forced to be wedded. Do you not think we had lovers of our own? People whom we felt we could spend our lives with? Darling, you as a royal must learn the cruel reality of sacrifice. It is our duty. Our duty to our country, to our people, is way stronger than our emotions. That is true sacrifice, daughter, something you must learn the hard way.”

______ pulled away from her mother, and quickly ran out of the room.

“You cannot be with Xiumin, _______! Royals are bathed in jewels and gold, but we are poor when it comes to love!”

Once the princess was alone in her room, she jumped onto her bed and curled into the sheets, crying silently and hoping that Minseok was all right.

She had a lot of thinking to do.

The next two days were spent with her silently eating at the dining room and weeping in her bedroom. There was no word from the soldiers and she was beginning to fear the worst.

Kibum attempted to discuss her situation with her further, but she snapped at him, asking why he was not with the other male royals, shutting him up completely.

Finally, near sunset, the secret knock was audible throughout the cottage, and in came a female soldier the princess recognized as Soldier Moonbyul.

“It is all clear. There is no sign of the enemy in the entire kingdom. It is safe for your return.”

The trip back went by quickly; everyone excited and relieved to return to their home. _______ was just as thrilled, mostly because she knew Minseok was unharmed and well.

Once the boats docked, all of the royals rushed to be reacquainted with their rooms. As soon as the princess stepped through she hurried up the stairs, but a tug at her wrist held her back. She turned to see Soojung, giving her a knowing look.

“We must talk,” she said, yanking gently on the princess’ soft skin.

“But I have to—”

“There are more pressing matters. I sent Tao to look for him, he will join us shortly.”

With a sigh, _______ followed her cousin to the grand hall, which was surprisingly empty.

“Are you going to run away with him?” Soojung got straight to the point.

Princess ______ bit her lip and avoided the younger girl’s gaze, “that I have not quite decided yet.”

“It is only a matter of time. I know you chatted with your mother, what did she advice?”

Tears began to blur her vision, “she told me about royal sacrifice…”

She heard Soojung sigh, “You know your duty, ________. You always have.”

She just nodded.

Footsteps were heard and the two girls lifted their heads to see their lovers racing towards them. Minseok rushed the princess, wrapping her tightly in his arms.

“I missed you,” he breathed in her ear and she chuckled, tears falling down her face.

“I missed you too,” she cooed as Minseok pulled back to wipe the water away. “I am glad to see that you are safe.”

“As am I you.”

“Enough,” Tao gagged, pushing Minseok’s head roughly so that he stumbled away from the princess. She spun around and noticed Tao’s other arm wrapped securely around Soojung’s shoulders.

“It is late,” The princess began. “Now that it is safe, all I can think of is sleep.”

“Sure,” Tao muttered with an arched eyebrow, causing the royal to blush.

“Soldier,” Minseok chastised and the younger man stood straight and saluted before quickly ducking out of the place, Soojung pressed against his side.

Minseok shook his head at the boy and glanced back at his lover, “after you.”

The two made their way to her chamber and wasted no time falling together onto the bed, professing their love repeatedly.

“I want to run away with you,” The princess whispered as Minseok trailed wet kisses down her stomach.

He paused and then lifted himself so that he was hovering over her, “you what?”

_______ gulped at his shocked expression and harsh tone, “I want to be with you, and the only way I can is if we run away….”

Minseok groaned, “oh, _______...” he pulled away suddenly, turning away from her.

“I do not understand,” _______ confessed, her heart shattering at his rejection.

He shook his head, “we—you and me—what we have is forbidden. We have our duties, our roles that we must play out. As much as I want it… crave it, I will not allow myself to believe something that will never happen.”

“Do you not have faith in my love?” The princess scoffed. Minseok finally faced her again with a sad smile, “I do have faith in you, love, but I also know that your heart is pure and that you will choose your kingdom over me.”

She opened to deny his claim, but he quickly pressed his lips against her open mouth. Once he pulled away he whispered, “but if you are serious, I will runaway with you, without any hesitation. I will remain at your side.”

With that, he pulled her back onto the bed, and made love to her once again.

Commotion is what drew the two up the following morning.

They both blinked before realizing what was going on. After locking eyes, they jumped out of bed, rushing to put on clothes as they raced to the main entrance.

The princess froze as she saw her father and many other men entering the castle.

The royal men were home.

“It must really be over,” she heard Minseok muse, but she did not reply as her husband came into view. He was as handsome as ever, although the bags under his eyes shown just how horrible the past month had been for him. A smile never left his face as he was greeted with warm hugs and words of relief.

If the men were back, that meant that they must have come to a compromise with Florez, which meant….

She gasped loudly, grabbing Minseok and flailing up the stairs before anyone could spot them. Once they were alone around a corner, she kissed him roughly.

“What was that about?” Minseok wondered with a chuckle.

“You will be leaving soon… will you not?”

Minseok sobered up, she watched the sparkle leave his eyes and his shoulders slump.

“If the war is over, there is no need for your protection, you will be relieved from my care.”

Minseok remained silent, for there was nothing really for him to say. Instead, he ran his index finger down her cheek, committing her face to memory.

“We can always run,” he breathed. He did not want her to hear him, did not want her to hear the pleading urgency in his voice.

The look in her eyes told him enough, and she grabbed his hand, kissed every knuckle before holding it to her chest.

“I will never stop loving you, Minseok. We will meet again, and when we do, things will be different.”

“How so?” He asked, trying to swallow the bubble scratching at his throat.

Princess _______ beamed at him, “I shall miss you so much, not even Florez could keep me away.”

He returned her smile, “I do love you. Know that, and hold it close to your heart. Whenever you get lonely, remember that I will never stop thinking about you, _______.”

She nodded, “I will never be sad again.”

The two leaned in for one last kiss, but as soon as Minseok’s lips brushed against her’s they were interrupted by the call of her name.

They quickly pulled away from each other, and Princess ______ locked eyes with her husband, watching the doting smile melt off his face.

“All of the soldiers are wanted in the grand hall,” he informed, glaring blankly at Minseok.

“Ah, yes,” ______ began. “Min—Xiumin was just saying his farewells.”

Minseok gave a curt nod and walked off, but not before squeezing _______’s hand in farewell. She fought back tears, but remained as aloft as possible.

She glanced back at her husband, seeing the silent fury in his eyes—as well as hurt—and knew she had a lot of explaining to do, but she could care less.

She felt her heart crushing as Minseok left her once again, with every step he took further away from her, he took her happiness. She watched his figure fade and blend into the crowd, becoming a stranger, and she knew that this would be the last time she would ever see him, but she promised him that she would never be sad again. So instead of letting her tears fall, she squared her shoulders, smiled, and returned her gaze to her husband—her royal sacrifice.

A/N: HELLO!!! long time no see!!! it took me waaay too long to finish this, but it is now complete!!!! haha!!!! crazy right??? i havent finished a oneshot in forever~~ idek how to feel. but please comment, tell me how you felt about the ending. did you like it???? you know i love feedback!!! kk, im leaving now! kisses~~~