The cobblestone floor was cold beneath her feet as she made her way down the hallway. Moss and vines grew along the walls of the adandoned castle that made all it's inhabitants feel at home within it's walls. Her path was guided by the evening sunset that managed to pour it's way through the small cracks that lined the castle's walls. 

Jungeun finally came to the entrace of the grand hall where many spirits stood around a large round wooden table filled with maps and scrolls. 

Her eye caught those of Viian's, the older girl winking cheekily with a slight head tilt. The small bells that hung from her antlers emitted a soft ringing noise. Jungeun never understood how the older princess could stand having her every move amplified by the sound but she suspected the bells were Heejin's doing and knew the older girl had a soft spot for all of their friends strange antics. 

If it was up to Jungeun's father she'd be betrothed to the faun princess within seconds and ruling over the Forest Kingdom together. Much to both the girls luck, her father's say hardly had too much of an impact on her lifes decisions. 

(Besides, Jungeun sees the way their dove winged chancellor Haseul looks at the deer-snout princess.) 

Viian came from a neighbouring castle full of land forest spirits. Her family was recently discussing plans for the future with Jungeun's families castle full of sky forest spirits. 

Alliance's were becoming more and more dire to the survival and protection of the Spirit Kingdom's the past recent years. Home's were being destroyed everyday and burnt down to ash by humans. 

The day her father had agreed to an alliance between the Forest Kingdom and the Water Kingdom had been one of the most exciting days of Jungeun's life. Despite the two Kingdom's traumatic pasts with small clashes here and there throughout history, Jungeun's family had always wished to make peace between all Kingdom's and to grow their culture. 

The Water Kingdom was known for it's highly skilled guardians. They excelled in their weaponry usage in protecting their own kingdom aswell as their own people and Jungeun's father knew that was something the Forest Kingdom was lacking. Once the alliance had been formed, it was agreed that a selected handful of residents would take part in an exchange program.

A month later Jinsol, Yeojin and Jiwoo had arrived within the mossy castle's walls with excitement (and some hesitation) on their faces. 

Luckily for Jungeun, the highly intelligent and skilled combatant Jinsol was selected as her guardian. (Their friends liked to tease Jinsol about her families tie to the fish spirit, stating how fish were supposed to have very small memory whilst the blonde's brain seemed to be larger than anyone elses.)

And that very same guardian was given the task in accompanying the princess on her afternoon patrol of the forest's boundaries. 

---

Her toes curl into the soft dirt beneath her feet. The trees curve in the breeze, almost as if reaching down for a chance to touch the princess. The ash-haired girl eyes stare forwards, unmoving as her fingers tighten their hold arond the small bunch of daisies in her hands. 

She spots Jinsol making her way through the long grass, her sheer blue dress trailing behind her and gold trident at hand. She's stunning, as per usual, and Jungeun's trying her hardest to not let her stoic facial expression break. 

Once Jinsol stands infront of the younger, she bends at the knee to kneel before the princess, her head bowed.

"Princess." She greets, voice level as her blue eyes settle upon a small ladybug that sat upon a blade of grass at her feet. She doesn't look up for a few seconds, a little too engrossed on how the bug walks and by the time she does tear her eyes away, Jungeun's running off into the trees. 

Jinsol groans, already pushing herself up from the ground and hastily running after the winged female. "Princess!" 

Jungeun's speckled wings stretch out behind her as she jumps, easily gliding through the air as a laugh slips from her lips. The large expanse of her wings beat against the air in silence, a perk of being a spirit of an owl. If one was to take her eyes off Jungeun as she flew, they'd never find her again. 

Jinsol's left running behind the flying princess, jumping over fallen branches to the best of her ability and much to her distaste. 

By the time Jinsol caught up to the princess she was sitting in a small meadow of daisies, flowers in her hands as she threaded them together into small chains. A smile graced Jinsol's lips as she took a seat beside the other, her shoulders raising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. 

Jungeun spared a glance at the guardian, eyes resting upon the gills that flared slightly on the blondes neck. She only felt slightly bad about making the aquatic female run, her cheekiness getting the best of her as she held back a smile. 

"I hate you." Jinsol manages to breath out after a few moments of still silence. Jungeun laughs, placing a daisy chain atop her head of platinum hair. 

"No you don't." The princess smiles smugly, fingertips tracing the soft curve of the females jaw before resting at the base of her neck. "I apologise, I just really needed to fly. Especially after being cooped up inside for days." 

Jinsol hums, "Maybe I should just retire young so I can stop babysitting you." 

"You wouldn't see me as much, then. With all my princess duties."

"The obvious fix for that would be for you to marry me." Jinsol says nonchalantly as she rests her trident across her lap and fiddles with its sharp points.

Jungeun blinks before leaning over to press a soft kiss to the females neck just above her gills, almost as a silent apology.  "You know I'm not getting married till Viian does. Besides, we're much too young."

Jinsol takes a deep breath at the sensation of the princesses lips against her skin. "And it'll be decades till Haseul gathers the courage to do that." 

They fall into a comfortable silence, Jungeun continuing to thread daisies together.

She's just begun to decorate Jinsol's trident with flowers when a snapping branch made the guardian jump to her feet in alert. 

The blonde's eyes scan the nearby trees, spotting movement not too far off as she outstretches a hand to the princess. Jungeun takes her hand without a moment of hesitation and stands, her own feathered wings shifting nervously. 

A few seconds of silence pass before a raven haired girl tumbles out of a nearby bush, a blonde girl following after her with a pair of stunning blue butterfly wings. The couple are giggling and throwing handfulls of grass at each other, clearly enjoying the golden evening. 

Jinsol visibly relaxes. 

"It's just Chaewon and Hyejoo." She states, flashing an easy smile to the winged girl beside her. 

Jungeun let's out an audible sigh, "They scared me!"  

Hyejoo must've heard them because she freezes for a moment before her gaze settles upon the pair. She let's out a squeak and shifts into her small wolf form, scuttering away back into the forest. 

Chaewon however simply smiles shyly, waving a hand at Jungeun before her wings flutter and she flies after the wolf. 

"We're lucky they didn't start making out infront of us." The blonde states. 

"That's my cousin you're speaking of." Jungeun deadpans in regards to the butterfly winged girl. 

"Hyejoo tells me everything."

"Ew, stop." 

---

"Did you just bring me here because you wanted to watch me undress?"

"Mm, maybe."

Jinsol rolls her eyes, her heart thumping just from hearing the roaring stream of water besides her. The pair had ended up wandering across a stream where Jungeun had suggested the guardian take a break and swim. 

Jungeun sits atop a nearby rock, eyes unwavering from the gilled female as she waits for her next move. The guardian's trident rests against the same rock, glittering in the golden sunlight of the evening.

Jinsol tugs the straps of her dress down her shoulders and lets the rest of the material easily slip down her body. She peeks a look at the princess whose eyes have yet to leave hers. 

As soon as the blonde's feet were submerged in the cool water the scales on her legs begin to shimmer.

Once she was waist deep, Jinsol disappears under water before breaking the surface a few feet away. Her platinum hair flowing behind her like golden seaweed.

As Jungeun watches the other female swim through the light currents of the stream, Jinsol's legs slowly merge together creating a silvery scaled fishtail. The tail splashes against the waters surface before she dives deep below. 

Jungeun loves accompanying Jinsol to rivers and streams to watch her swim, fascinated by the way her body transforms within the blueish hue of water. It's as if she becomes alive in the watery depths. 

She was even more fascinated by spirits that had the ability to transform into their animal counterpart. Many spirits had the simple gift of webbed hands or owl wings such as Jungeun, but others were able to completely morph parts of their body like Jinsol's tail. 

Jinsol swims over to the rock that Jungeun is perched upon, only her eyes visible above the water. The sight alone is enough to make the princess laugh into the palm of her hand as Jinsol begins to blow a stream a bubbles that breaks the surface infront of her and splashes water into her eyes.

Once the blonde reaches the rock, she places her elbows upon it and rests her chin atop her forearms.

The afternoon light shines behind the princess, casting a faint golden glow across her speckled brown wings and turning her hair into a halo of summer. Jinsol looks up at Jungeun with large, doe-like eyes filled with affection and she soaks in the apperance of what seems like an angel that has graced the earth.

She bites her lip in an attempt to hide her love-sick smile. 

Jungeun catches the look the mermaid-like girl gives her nonetheless, grey eyes meeting blue. 

"What?" She an eyebrow. 

"You look like an angel." Jinsol replies, eyes flickering down to the light pink hue across the youngers cheeks. 

Jungeun scoffs, "You of all people should know that owls are a hundred times better than angels." 

She leans down to press her lips to Jinsol's, the other female craning her neck to meet her halfway for the chaste kiss.

Jinsol's lips taste of salt and everytime Jungeun kisses her she feels as though the sea inside of her roars to life. 

Jungeun would happily lose her wings and drown for the girl with gills before her. 

---

fin.

Come yell at me about loona and red velvet on twitter @gondryblue. This fic has been cross posted to ao3. 
Comment if you want a continuation with the other ships and a deeper look into this universe!