Taehyung wasn’t sure exactly where he was going, just that he needed to put some distance between himself and the irresistible woman that was Park Chaeyoung.

He had practically just risen from the dead after recklessly leaping into a river he knew he would not be able to escape alone. He wasn’t sure why he did that either. It was becoming blatantly clear, though, that he wasn’t sure of anything when he was around her.

In any other circumstance, he may have attempted taking on all 15 of the royal guards by himself and leaving the rest up to fate, but not when the princess was by his side. A newly discovered, dare he say it, responsible, part of him would not allow him to be so careless in her presence. He needed to save her and jumping off the highest cliff imaginable was unfortunately the only perceivable method of doing just that.

Perhaps it was not a leap of death, but a leap of faith. Maybe, for some inexplicable reason, he trusted her.

As soon as his body had hit the water, he could feel it. The sense of impending doom, the fear, the acceptance of his fate. His limbs grew heavy, dragging him towards the bottom of the river. Slowly, he began to drift into a limp unconsciousness that consumed him. The world had faded into a blank, onyx canvas. A world with no light and fleeting hope.

Then, almost in an instant, he was gasping for air again. And the first thing he saw were her eyes. The emotions within those chocolate orbs took his breath away almost as intensely as the water had. He wanted to reach out to her. To brush away a strand of her damp, wavy hair. To wipe the sparkling fluid leaking from her doe eyes. To reassure her and erase the pain.

But, she had stomped away before he had the chance.

And then one thing led to another and before he knew it, he was kissing her like he was drowning, and she was his air. Faintly, he was aware that they were still being chased by the King and his men and that this may have not been the most opportune time or the place for the two of them to release their pent-up . He didn’t plan for it to happen. In fact, he had spent the better part of the past month ensuring that it didn’t happen. However, he had come to realize that the heart wants what it wants. He could only tame it for so long before it took over all else, destroying every ounce of his self-control on its path.

When their lips touched, he could taste the next 60 years of his life. The sparks that had formed between them these past couple of months had ignited into a full blazing, relentless, all-consuming fire. He was drawn to her in a way that was unavoidable and, though it was almost impossible to pull away, he had to do it. Before things progressed further and he lost himself completely in her.

Now, as he walked away towards the endless trees before him, he tried to wrap his mind around what had just occurred and why it had happened.

“Taehyung!” Chaeyoung called from behind him as soon as she had regained the ability to speak, though she was still leaning against the tree like her life depended on it, “where are you going?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied over his shoulder, “but I kind of assumed you would follow.”

“Then, why would you say goodnight to me?” she sounded rightfully baffled.

“I don’t know!” he exclaimed, still frustrated over this whole situation and the fact that he could not think clearly about anything except her, “it seemed like the appropriate thing to say at the time.”

He heard her chuckle quietly at that and couldn’t help but smile as well.

“So, are you coming or not?” he glanced over his shoulder at her and immediately regretted it because her clothes were still as soaked and transparent as ever. He could barely stand looking at her under such tempting circumstances.

“I don’t even know where we are,” she replied, not budging from her safe location by the tree.

“Well there’s only one way to find out –”

Suddenly a loud splash sounded from the river, demanding both their attention.

“What was that?” Taehyung whirled around, facing the river in full-on protective mode.

“One of them must have jumped in after us,” Chaeyoung replied, finally walking forward to stand beside him, “I didn’t think anyone else would be so reckless.”

They watched the head of the officer emerge from the water, gasping for air while flailing one hand around desperately. The blood seeping from his other arm slowly tinted the water pink as it splashed all around him.

Automatically, Taehyung stepped in front of Chaeyoung, just in case he somehow managed to emerge out of the water alive.

“That’s Taeyong, one of Mingyu’s closest companions,” she whispered, peeking over his shoulder, “it looks like he’s injured.”

“Good.”

“Taehyung, he’s drowning.”

Astonished by the concern in her voice, he peered over his shoulder at her, “are you seriously considering saving him right now?”

“I don’t know,” she shook her head, as if she was experiencing an internal dilemma, “I grew up with him. He hasn’t always been cruel, he is merely the by product of Mingyu’s negative influence. I can’t help but feel slightly sorry for him.”

“Chaeyoung,” he turned fully towards her, holding her shoulders gently to shake some sense into her, “he tried to kill you. He has been hunting you for the past month!”

She tore her eyes away from the river to look up at him sadly, “do you remember what I told you the first day we met? I had closed one of the assassin’s eyes and wished them peace,