At 15-years-old.

Autumn leaves were dancing on the wide pavement, with the wind harshly pushing them from behind. The Palace was quiet, and only the guard's steps could be heard in the deafening silence. Seulgi carefully took in her surroundings, trying to memorize the amazing architecture that the constructions had. It was a lifetime chance and she had to take it. Her dress was heavy, but she didn't complain. She always liked to be elegant and being at the Palace was the best chance to put on the best clothes. She started to take small steps, trying to stay close to the place her dad had left her.

"Father! Father!", the boy was rapidly throwing punches at the King's chambers door, and Seulgi watched with curious eyes the scene that was unfolding in front of her. She took a more attentive look at the boy's clothes and gasped. The boy was, for sure, part of the Royal Family and judging from her father's tales, he was Prince Jongin, the King's second son.

With hurried steps, Seulgi approached Jongin, though keeping a proper distance. With her head bowed, the little girl said, "Your Highness, you will be of no help to your father if you keep making such a noise. For the cure to make its effect, His Highness has to be surrounded by silence."

Jongin turned around and looked at the little girl sitting on the stairs in a blurry vision. The tears were blocking his view, so he wiped them away hastily. "Who are you?", he demanded.

Seulgi looked around nervous, thinking that she might have insulted the Prince with her words. Afraid for her life, she answered slowly, "My name is Seulgi, of the Kang Household. My father is inside, treating the King.", she slowly raised her eyes, but from her bowing position she could only see Jongin's feet. Her eyes widened, noticing how the Prince was barefoot and he had cuts all over. Surprised, she raised her head and looked him in the eyes. It had been impossible for Seulgi to ever forget that face. The tears made Jongin's brown eyes to have an intense colour and his features were even more prominent bathed in the sun rays. His skin was a shade darker, but he had a distinction that took your breath away. He was probably the same age as her, but he was taller. His lips were slowly parted, a sign that he was still judging the girl's words, or maybe he discovered that she had noticed his wounds.

"Prince, you cannot be here!", the eunuch Kim yelled, running. He was breathing heavily, probably exhausted because of the run.

That was Seulgi and Jongin's first meeting, at the age of 15.

"How comes that a Lord's daughter is washing herself in the river?", the Prince asked as he jumped over a few rocks to reach Seulgi, who was close to the shore. Her arms were bare and she blushed as the Prince approached her. Trippingly, she walked out the river and searched her jeogori with frightened eyes.

"Don't worry. I will keep your secret, only if you keep mine."

Seulgi looked at him with wary eyes, halting her search for the cloth, unknowingly, their eyes met and she blushed, looking down. Jongin felt his cheeks burning so he tried to find another thing to gaze at, even if it was so hard, considering how much he wanted to look at the girl. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Somehow, Jongin got distracted when his gaze landed on the girl's left hand, "What's that?"

The girl looked at her left hand and saw that Jongin's eyes were fixed on her birthmark. She reached for her jeogori fast, starting to put it on. With a swift move, without him realizing his action, Jongin caught her left arm. With widened eyes, Seulgi said, "Prince..."

In the blink of an eye, Jongin realized what he had done and he retracted his hand and turned around flustered. "It's the first time... that I... saw a mark like that one." He swallowed hard and closed his eyes in embarassement. It was also the first time he saw a white porcelain skin like that.

Seulgi dressed herself up, feeling quite dizzy because of what happened. She didn't know what were the feelings she was experiencing, but they were overwhelming. She didn't feel warm, but neither cold. It was a combination of emotion that made her breathless.

"I'm sorry. I scared you, didn't I?", Jongin asked with his back still turned around. He wasn't too foreign of what Seulgi was feeling. It was strange for him, too, the way his heart was beating as it would burst out of his ribcage. Yet, he memorized every feature of this girl's face since his eyes landed on her for the first time. That first time when he found out that thanks to this girl's father, his own father would live. Because he believed he would. For a strange feeling, he believed in Seulgi. It was joyful that he could trust someone.

"I was just surprised, that's all.", she said trying to get dressed as quickly as possible.

"My Lady, my Lady!"

Jongin froze in place as he saw the figure of a woman coming towards them.

"What's w-wrong?", Seulgi asked flustered and slightly blushing because her maid just saw her and the Prince together.

Boni looked at the man's figure with curious eyes, as she was sure that she left the Lady alone at the lake. Was this man Seulgi's lover, perhaps? No matter what it was happening, she brushed all thoughts away as she remembered the reason she came in the first place.

"Lady, your father...", Boni couldn't hold her tears as she was fretting around in despair.

"My father? What happened to my father?"

Jongin turned around at the mention of Seulgi's father name.

"Lord Kang has been arrested!"

Seulgi felt her world crashing down. Astonished, she put her heart over her chest as it started to feel hard to breathe. Why would her father be arrested? Arrested? How could the King allow a thing like this?

"It can't be possible! ", Jongin murmured as he remembered what happened days ago.

"Jongin, bad days... will come.", the King said between coughs. Two days passed since he has fallen ill and Jongin didn't leave his side not even for a bit. No matter how much the Queen tried to scare him away by saying that it wasn't his right to stay by the King's side, he never left. Jongin believed in loyalty more than in anything else. Since the moment he was born, he was taught about how loyalty is the greatest quality that exists. He deemed to be loyal towards his father, towards his country.

"Your Highness, good days will come, I am sure of that! Have faith!", the boy said as he looked at his father, who was trying to stand up. The King motioned Jongin to stand up and sit next to him on the bed. He took his son's hand and continued:

"From now on, you have to be the country's savior, son. You have to be this country's King."

Jongin's eyes widened as he took in his Father's words, "No, Your Highness. My older brother has to..."

"Your older brother will leave soon.", the King coughed to hide the sorrow between his words, but Jongin still caught it.

"Where to?"

"Jongin, listen to me. For me to help you, I need to recover. There is only one person who can help me truly recover. That is Lord Kang."

"Yes, Father! But, I don't want to leave you side..."

"You have to."

Seulgi and Jongin both ran towards the Royal Palace. Jongin felt out of breath, but more than anything, he felt helpless. He knew that something weird was going on. Why would his father summon Lord Kang to heal him, if he intended to arrest him days later? It didn't make sense. For sure, his Father wasn't behind all of this. He watched Seulgi's worried expression, and he felt his stomach tighten. Was Seulgi blaming him? Why was he worried about her blaming him, anyway? What did this girl mean to him? Why did he care so much?

"Father!", Seulgi screamed as she entered the Royal Court, "Father!"

Jongin saw Minister Park coming their way and sighed, relieved. "Lord Park, what happened? Why has Lord Kang been arrested?"

Minister Park looked at Seulgi, a girl he knew since she had been born. He felt pity towards her since he knew what she had to endure. "He has been accused of treason. He has been...", the old man sighed, "...he has been sentenced to death."

"I want to see him, please!", she probably suffered the biggest shock of her life, but yet there she was, fixing Minister Park right in the eyes, clenching her jaw, trying so hard not to cry. Jongin was mesmerized by her courage, by how brave she was acting. But, he knew the pain that was boiling inside her. She was probably bearing a greater pain by holding in, than if she had been by voicing it out. Jongin thought that it would have been better if she cried, letting it all out.

Jongin entered like a storm inside his brother chambers.

"Prince, you cannot enter like this!", the servant t