Jin and Namjoon sat together on the marble benches outside in the palace gardens. Spring had finally arrived and the weather was warm once more. Jisoo was to marry Jin in two weeks time and the King and Queen would abdicate a few days after then, allowing the two to be inaugurated together. Jin wasn't nervous at all. In fact, he was rather looking forward to having his parents move into the Winter palace in another city and he was sure they were, too. He was already twenty-four years old, he felt living on his own was a little overdue.

The two cousins had returned from the baseball game and had began chatting, eventually moving on to the topic of Jisoo.

"At first, I thought she was going to be a huge rebel and protest everything." Jin began, picking at a flower he had torn off from a bush. "But now... I just feel sorry for her. She's a totally different person around me than she was when we first met."

"Her story is already sad." Namjoon agreed.

"That's why I encouraged her to love freely, because I can't guarantee her that I will love her, and she should be able to pursue her own happiness."

"Are you serious?" Namjoon scolded.

"What?"

"That is the last thing she needs to hear! She has every right to be suspicious of the palace and the people - she's already experienced being manipulated and betrayed by her own people, so there's no way she's going to trust anyone easily. Nothing in her life is certain. Right now she doesn't need freedom and uncertainty, she needs reassurance and security. She needs to feel safe. Your intentions were very decent and noble of you, but you should be aware of how they impact Jisoo."

"I never thought of it like that." Jin admitted, throwing pink petals into the lake.

"Did you ever consider that you might end up falling for Jisoo, or her for you, and either Jisoo or you might not reciprocate? Could you live with that unrequited love?"

"I wouldn't have a choice." Jin replied. "I promised her I would be a loyal and a good friend to her. That's all I can guarantee."

"You're really sure you'll be okay to let her love anyone?"

"We're getting married soon and I don't even know her that well. I don't want to give up my own lifestyle. It wouldn't be fair to want her to only have eyes for me. So, nothing will change." Jin decided with a firm nod.

Namjoon could tell his cousin was wavering. Perhaps spending the day with Jisoo had opened his eyes a little and maybe he was becoming curious about her. Jin hadn't taken a huge interest in Jisoo until then, but Namjoon always saw him being polite and courteous towards her and from what he had seen,