High Tower
Cupid at Heart
The realism of her situation felt surreal. Hyunmi was trapped within a secluded chamber located in the highest tower at the farthest end of the castle. No one would set foot in it unless they knew someone had been held captive inside.
It was too beautiful for a prison cell, and Hyunmi could only wonder what its true purpose was. Its circular shape made the room look infinite. There was a window on one side, entirely exposed to the high grounds, free of any safety railings. A four poster bed laid against the wall, it’s beige colored curtains nearly blending in with the white wallpapers. The floor consisted of sturdy hardwood with the absence of any cracks of holes. The place was constantly maintained.
As Hyunmi observed the tiny room, opening wardrobes and cabinets only to find nothing inside—not even a spider web—the front door opened.
“You finally did it. The goody two shoes princess finally rebelled.”
It was Seulyi, pushing the door open with her hips as her hands carried a food tray. One might mistake her remark as an insult, but she was truly proud of the princess for standing up to her beliefs, albeit in a rather disrespectful manner.
Hyunmi quickly leaped over to take the tray in her own hands, smart enough to resist an escape. No desk or chair inhabited the room. She supposed sitting on the floor would suffice. Her sisters would’ve complained, but she was quite compliant.
“My father had Woohyun exiled, what could I do?” Hyunmi mumbled, pulling her long dress a little to collapse to the floor. She crossed her legs in a way her mother would’ve scolded her, and took a piece of bread in her hand.
“I’m proud of you. I wished you would rebel more often. Then you could take me on more trips to visit Myungsoo,” Seulyi spoke, taking the empty space in front of the princess. She grinned at the thoughts alone.
Hyunmi rolled her eyes, then motioned Seulyi to start feasting on the food. Despite her status as a prisoner, they still served her a meal meant for royalty. She always shared these with Seulyi when no one was in sight, because their economical differences never surpassed their genuine friendship.
“I suppose you and Myungsoo are the least of my worries,” the princess spoke, tearing small pieces off the bread roll before stuffing it in
“You are certainly most welcome.” Seulyi grinned widely, taking a big bite of chicken .
Hyunmi did not find it in her heart to argue back, and so she smiled. They kept eating in peace. Seulyi immediately hogged the soup for she was fond of wetting her entire cuisine.
“Cupid was quite a disappointment though. You may want to revisit your taste in men,” Seulyi said, continuing to devour the chicken .
“What are you referring to?”
“There are rumors circulating around the castle. The king offered cupid some gold under the condition he would stay away from you. They say he used you to get the kingdom’s fortune,” Seulyi relaid the gossip among the castle employees.
Hyunmi frowned and bit her lower lip. The idea itself was absurd, and it would only take a fool to believe those lies. The bond they shared was genuine. She loved him, that she was certain of.
“After that, no one had ever seen him again,” Seulyi ended her tale.
“Don’t be ridiculous. He is a god. What would he need the money for?” Hyunmi found her own voice staggering. She argued to reassure herself of Woohyun’s loyalty.
“Maybe he needed to buy a pair of bow and arrows,” Seulyi guessed as she finished up the meal. She the crumbles from the side of and planned on wiping her dirty fingers on her white apron.
Hyunmi let out a squeal, quickly handing her friend a napkin to clean herself with. Disgust and disapproval was clear on her face. How did a woman as messy as Seulyi end up being her head servant? Right. Because she had used her amazing gift with words to convince her father.
Then why couldn’t she use the same gift to have him approve of Woohyun?
Her attention was shattered when a knock appeared. Hyunmi genuinely hoped it was her father releasing her punishment, but Dongwoo appeared in sight instead.
“Ah, you have company,” Dongwoo commented. He did not expect to see such an unlady-like image from the princess and her friend, but chuckled at it instead.
“Fear not, I was finishing up,” Seulyi said. She got up on her feet, picking up the empty food tray—most of which she had ended up eating—and headed to the door. She curtsied in front of the prince, then made her way down the endless amount of stairs.
Dongwoo closed the door and placed his entire weight against it. He exhaled out loud, staring at the ceiling. “You are quite foolish, sister,” he muttered.
“I reckon that.” She got got up on her feet and sat down on the bed. The mattress was surprisingly comfortable, giving a light bounce as she sat.
“Father fell ill again. Your confession must’ve been quite a shock,” Dongwoo spoke the truth without hiding anything from his sister. He followed her to the bed, sitting on the edge beside her.
“I wonder how he became aware of it,” she mumbled, staring at the floor.
“In fact, it would be more questionable if he hadn’t known about it. Anyone looking at you could tell you were a maiden in love.” Dongwoo gave her a small playful bump against her arm. “Father cares about you.”
“I am aware of it. My emotions got the better of me and dominated my lips. I must apologize when I meet him again.” Hyunmi fidgeted with the material of her skirt, clenching it tightly between her fingers. Thinking back, she had spoken harsh words she did not mean. Words could cut deeper than a knife, and hers did. Tears of guilt cradled her eyes like a water stream about to ricochet.
Dongwoo stayed quiet, looking at the desolated expression on her face. She frowned and squinted her eyes like she was staring at tiny puzzle pieces, trying to solve the master image. He instinctively wrapped his hand around hers.
“I will marry Princess Biah, be a faithful husband and become a respectable king,” he declared, closing his grip against her. “I hope it is enough to keep father happy.”
Hyunmi mushed her lips together, feeling more guilt and sadness. The solution he spoke of would result in a different dilemma. Was love supposed to be this complicated?
Dongwoo noticed the change in her expression—one he hadn’t expected. He thought his words would kindle courage and joy in her, but it seemed to bring her more despair instead.
“What happened to Woohyun after I left?” She voiced out a small whisper, continuing to transfix her eyes to the floor.
This ignited a thought in Dongwoo’s mind as he pouted his lips and quirked his head sideways as a thinker would. “I expected him to fight back against father, or have him profess and proof his undying love for you.”
“However?” She knew there was a contradiction to this, and trailed her words off for him to continue.
“As soon as father asked him to never set foot in our kingdom again, he agreed immediately.”
Hyunmi’s tears from the night prior left a frozen trail on her cheek, but now she wasn’t all too sure it would sustain when warm tears poured over it. Seulyi’s earlier words echoed in her mind, and as much as she tried to deny it, there was suddenly a possibility of his betrayal.
“Do not worry, dear sister. Though I may not know Cupid, I know he looks at you the same way you look at him. You two are mad for each other.”
Her brother’s word elicited the lost faith she needed to regain. She had to believe in Woohyun.
That night, Hyunmi lied awake in the four post bed. She looked up to the ceiling, seeing the beige colored drapery represent a velvety sky. Falling asleep was almost taboo when every precious second could be spent in search for a solution. First of all, she had to find her way out of prison and find Woohyun.
Or perhaps, wait for Woohyun to find her.
The melodious sound of a tiple warmed the night, setting her heart ablaze like it did during their first meeting. He played the exact tune that drew her curiosity, and Hyunmi no sooner found herself out of bed.
The sound came from outside the window. How could cupid reach such an altitude without his wings? She skipped to the window sill as if the floor was made of water—every step rippled in circles of hope.
When her gaze fell outside the window, surely enough cupid was already waiting for her. No matter how many times she had seen his handsome features, or felt his gaze upon her, her heart still fluttered with delight. Everytime he mounted his pegasus, she was reminded of his identity as a god. For a moment, just for a moment, she wanted to be with him without any limitations.
“I thought my father banished you from the land,” she couldn’t help but question, her main concern being his safety.
Woohyun showcased his great agility when he jumped off the pegasus and landed on her window sill in a squatted position. His fingers clenched the frame for balance. “Surely you must know I could not stay away from you for too long. Otherwise, a part of me perishes,” he told her in a manner one would recite a dramatic poetry reading.
The princess chuckled, watching as he sat down on the sill. His feet did not touch the floor, letting it dangle in a child-like manner.
“Gods don’t perish,” Hyunmi corrected him, smiling as he pulled her closer, her body now trapped between his legs.
“Perhaps not. But there is a possibility we may fall eternally ill. The idea itself is much more terrifying than death,” Woohyun corrected her. Though he spoke of such horrors, his charming smile continued grazing his lips.
Hyunmi almost got distracted by her heart’s reaction towards his smile, but she managed to stay on track. “What kind of disease are you speaking of?”
He pinched the side of her cheek, smiled, and jumped off the sill. Coming face to face with the princess within a close distance painted an immediate blush on her cheeks like a blooming rose. “You have nothing to be worried about, love.”
“Is there a cure?”
“Certainly.” He nodded almost boastfully, his chest. “There is an answer to everything. A problem can not exist without a solution.”
Hyunmi pondered in his deep philosophical quote, impressed by his eloquent way of delivering ideas. Were all deities born to speak with elaborate wisdom? If there was a solution to every problem, surely there must be a medicine to her father’s sickness, and an answer to end all this madness.
“How long will your father keep you locked in here?” Woohyun changed the topic. He was quietly observing the place, nodding in approval at the acceptable living condition. The longer he stayed, the cozier it seemed to get.
“Until I agree to marry Prince Sunggyu,” she mumbled, taking a seat on her bed, linking her foot behind her ankle.
“Which you shall not,” he immediately replied, showing his defensive and possessive side.
The princess basked in his concern, furtively fond of the way he showed his jealousy. She would rather elope with him than marry off the prince.
“How long are you to stay away from Heart?” She asked him.
“For a lifetime,” Woohyun answered calmly. Clearly, he had no plans abiding the rules set by a mortal man, even if it was the king. “Wherever you go, I shall go as well. This exile won’t separate us.”
“Nothing could.”
The princess looked out the window, watching the stars twinkling in the night sky like candles being lit everywhere. When night chased the sun away, no one would come into her prison chamber, allowing her some quality time with Woohyun. So a mad idea erupted in her mind.
“Woohyun, I don’t want you to leave me,” she declared, fiddling her fingers a little. As soon as she uttered the plea out loud, she realized how embarrassing it made her feel.
“I would never, love.” He sat down besides her, gently caressing the side of her cheeks.
“I meant for tonight.” She kept rubbing her anxious fingers together in stark contrast to her bold request. “I want you to stay with me tonight.”
Woohyun looked momentarily puzzled, but soon enough caught on to her intention. He stared at her in surprise, but more so being impressed. “Are you aware of your request, princess? Despite being the god of love and affection, I am more commonly known as the god of desire.”
Before she knew it, cupid was staring at her with the eyes of a predator. He was next to her on the bed, and easily pushed her against the mattress. His entire body hovered over her, and he pressed himself closer to the point she could feel his warm breath against the nape of her neck. She squeezed her eyes, a little afraid of his change, but also wanting to indulge in the excitement. His actions caused her face to heat up and her heart to gallop wildly.
“So tell me, love,” he whispered, his hands rolling to intertwine their fingers, keeping her locked in place. His breathing turned a notch heavier, exhaling deeper, letting it linger over her lips with agonizing temptation. “For whatever reason do you wish for me to stay?”
Originally, she wanted him to stay because she would miss him the second he departed. Her heart would physically ache following their separation. She needed reassurance proving his love and willingness to fight for her.
But now that he had her filled with an entirely different desire, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
As if her hands had a will of their own, she broke free from his grip and circled it around his neck. The gaze in her eyes were magnetic, pulling him deeper in her pool of desire. She tilted her head, planting a light kiss unto his lips. It was like lighting the cords of a firework with a match—a small spark conversed with time to transform into a beautiful eruption of colorful flames.
Once he got a taste of her, he couldn’t help wanting more. The kisses were filled with passion that night. For once, he let go of his gentleman-like disposition and treated her in accordance to his desire, his eros. In no longer than a second, he started kissing her at other places than her lips, and she let him.
That night, they reaffirmed their love through their desires.
Hyunmi never dreamed she would open her eyes at night to find her lover sleeping soundly beside her. His arm formed a pillow beneath her as they laid under the same blanket. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the rhythmical beating of his heart. It was pounding in a similar tempo as hers, almost like they were playing a duet of shy hesitations and wild excitement. Despite her inabilities to fall asleep, she may have found a lullaby to sing her to sleep. She wasn’t the only one feeling the excitement.
She loved the way her pillows would linger with his smell even as he left. It was a tangible memoir he’d leave behind even if he was no longer by her side. It smelled like rose petals bathed in morning dew, eliciting a scent so wonderful she wished to bask in it forever. Its sweetness could make her salivate, yet there was an aroma defining romance and maturity.
He looked so peaceful as he slept, his chest rising and falling like mountains being moved. His features resembled that of a normal human being, and she wondered whether their fate would’ve been any different if they had met as two mortals. She would undoubtedly be able to fall in love with him all over again, even if he was a commoner.
With those little observations of him, the princess finally fell asleep. Though she had become a prisoner, she had never felt such ease in days. Every problem shall cease to exist—a mirage hiding beneath the truth.
She held on to her beliefs even when she awoke in the morning and found herself in bed, all alone. His rosy scent, indeed, being the only evidence to last night’s passionate act of love.
Hohohoho whatever happened that night is open to your own intepretation~ >////<
Yay! Won the bid today! I hope you will enjoy the story~ Would love to know your thoughts, so please do leave comments too~ Thank youuu <3
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