Three months later, Taeyeon and Seungwan had returned to the palace. They were given separate quarters with Taeyeon living closer to the Empress and Prince Baekhyun while Seungwan lived a stone’s throw away from Princess Joohyun’s quarters.

This was reasonable since Taeyeon was expected to learn the ropes of becoming the future wife of a ruler whilst Seungwan was supposed to be the companion of Princess Joohyun. Seungwan had learnt that during the past three months, the princess condition had deteriorated and was nearly bedridden every day. It made Seungwan furious, she was furious because she knew that the princess had thrown her medicine away every single time and allowed her sickness to become prolonged. It made Seungwan furious because she did not understand why the princess was doing so. Finally, it made Seungwan furious because she had yet to apologise for her own rudeness the last time the princess had helped her.

Seungwan was determined to ensure that Princess Joohyun had consumed every single dosage of her medicine. The little princess later realised that it was much harder to do so.

The first few times Seungwan had paid a visit to Princess Joohyun’s quarters, she was turned away by the princess. It was not until a month later, when Seungwan had threatened to relay information to the Emperor that Princess Joohyun had allowed her entry.

Seungwan was really appalled when she saw the princess again. Princess Joohyun was really pale, had dark circles below her eyes and was bone-skinny.

“What do you want?” Princess Joohyun asked irritably, whilst suppressing a cough.

Seungwan eyed the palace maid which was with them and Princess Joohyun took her signal to dismiss the maid for them to have a private conversation. Once the maid was gone, Seungwan then held no reservations and spoke her mind.

“I want you to take your medicine and stop throwing them away.”

There was a surprised gasp from the princess and she broke out into a coughing fit. Seungwan’s brows furrow as she felt an unexplainable pinch of her heart as she witnessed Princess Joohyun’s frailties.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Princess Joohyun retorted stubbornly.

A wry smile formed on Seungwan’s lips as she said, “I remember the vase of dandelions smell of medicine.”

Then before Princess Joohyun could say anything, Seungwan had taken swift and sure strides towards the said vase and snatched them from the shelf. Taking another whiff from the vase, Seungwan’s brows narrowed again and she saw Princess Joohyun’s face colour for a short moment before it faded back to her sickly shade.

“Why do you care if I take my medicine or not?” Princess Joohun said angrily and coughed again.

“That is because I need you alive to be your playmate and companion,” Seungwan said crudely.  

“Don’t worry about it. Father Emperor will give you another playmate if I die. It is none of your business what I do or not do,” Princess Joohyun replied just as snidely.

It is none of your business… Those words reminded Seungwan of a long overdue apology she owed Princess Joohyun.      

“I am sorry,” Seungwan apologised suddenly and this time round it was Princess Joohyun’s turn to furrow her brows.

“What?” Prince Joohyun asked in a small surprised voice.

“I said I am sorry okay? I was rude to you the last time during my visit. I remembered clearly what you asked me. You asked me why I had bruises all over myself. It was because I am angry so I was unleashing all my anger while training and that is why I got myself hurt,” Seungwan admitted and felt embarrassed.

Silence hung between them for a long while. Then, Princess Joohyun finally opened to speak again.

“I will take today’s medicine, later.”

Seungwan then blinked as she smelled the vase of dandelions again, the bitter stench clearly emanating from it.

“That was from yesterday. I had not changed the water from the vase,” Princess Joohyun supplied.

Seungwan nodded. “How often do you change your flowers recently?”

A wry smile entered Princess Joohyun’s face. “Every two or three days.”

Seungwan nodded again. “And that is because you are too weak to get up and change them everyday now isn’t it?”

Princess Joohyun guffawed and stared into Seungwan’s eyes. “Do you want me to give you praise for your perceptiveness, smart wildling princess?”

Seungwan wore an equally wry smile as she replied, “I don’t need praises, I know that for a fact myself, equally-smart courtly princess.”

Smiles broke on both their faces and they gazed upon each other for a much longer time than necessary. Seungwan stayed to witness Princess Joohyun take her medicine as promised. When she saw the princess grimace and choke on the medicine’s bitterness as she swallowed, Seungwan thought she might have felt true pity for the princess. It made Seungwan wonder whether the princess had thrown her medicine away simply because she could not tolerate its bitterness or was there other reasons for doing so. Whatever it was, she had imposed Princess Joohyun enough for the day and decided to take her leave but not before spotting the feathered hat that she had gifted to Princess Joohyun months ago on one of the princess’s shelves. A sense of pride washed over Seungwan and she repressed a smile as she left the premises.

Hours after Princess Seungwan had left her room, Joohyun felt an odd lingering sense of something, something which she could not put a finger to. Whether or not it was a positive or negative thing, Joohyun could not tell either. All she knew was that there was something in this world that had occupied her senses, something she had to pay attention to. Princess Seungwan was that something.

Joohyun could not believe that this princess, who was two years younger than she was had goaded her into taking her medicine for the first time in the past one year. Sighing, Joohyun recalled their conversation from earlier.

Princess Seungwan had apologised and even remembered the details of their interactions from months ago. Joohyun would be lying if she said she was not touched. Seungwan had said that she was angry and that made Joohyun curious. What could make a ten-year old wildling princess so angry that she would hurt herself so badly. Joohyun felt her heart ache slightly as she pondered upon Princess Seungwan’s words. Then again, was she herself not the same? Joohyun was angry too, and hurt herself, yet, she felt no sadness for herself.

Deeming that it was all too much for her mind to handle for the day, Joohyun decided to shut off her thoughts and sleep.

**

After finding out the timing which the medicine would be sent to Princess Joohyun’s quarters, Seungwan visited the princess on a daily basis, at that specific timing. It was all to ensure that the princess had taken her medicine. It worked. Princess Joohyun’s health improved slowly but surely.

One day, Princess Joohyun finally said, “you don’t have to come here every day just to watch me drink my medicine.”

Seungwan gave a nonchalant shrug. “It’s not difficult for me to do so anyway. Besides, there is not much I can do here in this palace. All I do is train with the princes, try and seek an audience with my tightly-guarded elder sister, catch some crickets…”

Princess Joohyun held up a hand. “Yes, I know this palace is too boring for your wild heart but I feel so uneasy when you are here watching me drink my medicine with those hawkish eyes.”

“Then what do you suggest I do? Take the vase away?” Seungwan joked and for the first time, she heard the princess laugh.

It sounded quite beautiful but slightly weak and scattered, like a dandelion’s seed that was blown by the harsh winds. The laugh ended shortly when a cough plagued the princess. Seungwan moved an inch forward, wanting to soothe the princess’s back like how her elder sister had usually done for her but pause