Taehyung awoke the next morning with a full heart and a calm mind.

The sun seeped through the indigo sky and a handful of ivory butterflies fluttered about the small square of grass Taehyung and Chaeyoung had occupied for the night. In the distance, the faint sound of gently flowing water accompanied the chirping of several birds to produce a harmonious morning melody. It was their own secret garden; a blissful escape from the chaos that was their world. A place close to their hearts and far from reality.

Little did he know this was only the calm before the storm.

He peered down at the breathtaking woman in his arms and smiled. Her skin against his was as warm as a morning cup of tea and smoother than the finest silk he had ever touched. Gently, he her long, ruffled hair, marvelling at how sleep had softened her features and given her beauty an ethereal glow. And when his eyes fell on his jade pendant resting in the hollow dip between her collarbones, an overwhelming sense of pride flooded through him.

Last night had felt like the most magical, perfect dream but waking up with her like this was enough to convince him that reality could be even better. A reality in which they could be life partners – whether that was in a palace or in the countryside no longer mattered. Wherever she was, wherever they could be together, would forever be his home.

She curled up closer to his chest, sharing warmth and bringing him more comfort than she would ever know. Her chest rose and fell in sync with his with every relaxed breath they shared, making him feel more whole than ever before. With a small sigh, he pulled up the single fur blanket that covered their bare bodies, protecting her from the shoulder down from the clutches of the cool morning breeze.

He was unsure of how long they remained like that, but eventually, when the sun had completed its ascension, she rolled away to rest on her back. It was slightly alarming how much his body missed hers as soon as her touch was gone. And it was then that he decided it was time for the princess to awaken.

Carefully, he rolled on top of her, placing a hand beside her pool of chestnut hair to brace himself up as he began showering her with butterfly kisses. He started with her left cheekbone and worked his way down to her jaw, smiling against her warm skin when she began to stir under him.

“Tae,” she half-groaned, half-laughed as he began kissing her neck, right above the delicate chain of her jade necklace, “didn’t you get enough of me last night?”

He paused only momentarily to chuckle against her shoulder, “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.”

“I think I only got about an hour of sleep,” she tried to stretch, arching her back and only bringing herself closer to him.

“I know,” Taehyung lifted his head to gaze down into her deep brown eyes, “what a waste of an hour. Why sleep when we could be doing this?”

She laughed against his lips but immediately returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him as close as possible. Taehyung’s heart skipped a beat as it always did when they kissed. The warm fluttering in his chest was a sensation he was beginning to grow dangerously accustomed to – hoping it would never disappear.

“Your lips are swollen,” he stated almost proudly as he pulled away just enough to brush his thumb across her full, ruby-red bottom lip.

She raised a brow at him, “and whose fault is that?”

“Yours,” he murmured against her lips immediately before capturing them in another long kiss, “for being so damn irresistible.”

She smiled for the hundredth time that day and he realized he had never seen her appear so carefree, so … happy. It made him want to preserve this moment forever – to elongate their alone time for as long their unpredictable lives would allow.

After a few more moments, he finally pulled back to gaze into her deep, sparkling eyes again, “how are you feeling?”

“Exhausted, sore,” she groaned, squirming underneath him as he wached with an unapologetic grin. He was aware that what had begun as gentle touches and soft kisses had progressed into much, much more throughout the night. Together, they had explored levels of pleasure beyond imagination. And they enjoyed every single second of it.

Then, she placed her small hands on either side of his face and smiled, “but mostly, I feel elated. I feel complete – like all is right in the world.”

He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to one of her palms before finally releasing her from his arms, “as much as I wish that were true, we both know the world is far from reaching a state of righteousness.”

“True,” she sighed, sitting up slowly and pulling the blanket up with her to modestly cover her chest while her long hair hid the majority of her back, “how is this going to work, Taehyung? We are engaged, but how will we ever get married?”

Taehyung combed a hand through her wavy hair, playing with the silky ends a