Four

The Flower Crown & The Two Swords

 

The more time Chaewon spent with Hyejoo, the more she regretted her stubbornness. She was the best company anyone could ask for – a funny, caring, sweet person, who understood her as much as Jiwoo did.  

The princess had grown to like taking care of her while she recovered. She asked Jiwoo to bring two meals instead of one to her room, so she could deliver it to Hyejoo herself and eat in her company. 

“How much more time do you need to stay here?” Chaewon asked, finishing her food. 

“Not much longer, I guess. A couple more days, maybe? If it was my decision, I would leave by tomorrow, but doctor Heejin is very headstrong.” Hyejoo pouted. 

She was so purely cute, Chaewon couldn’t help but smile whenever she made that cute expression of hers. The princess used her thumb to wipe away a rice grain from the corner of Hyejoo's lips, touching the cut that was still clearly visible. Hyejoo looked at her eyes and noticed her staring at her face. 

“Your face... still hasn't recovered,” Chaewon muttered, letting her delicate fingers run through her cut. 

“It doesn't look like it will.” She smiled, closing her eyes to her gentle touch. 

“W-What?” 

“It’s scarring. The cut was too deep for it to heal completely.”  

Silence reigned for a few seconds. 

“I’m so sorry, Hyejoo.” She let her arm fall, like she lost all strength. 

Hyejoo opened her eyes to find Chaewon's shining. 

“Don’t cry, silly. It’s fine. The blade didn’t reach my eye, so I’m grateful I didn’t go blind.”  

Chaewon stared deeply into her eyes, her chin dropping. 

“How can you be so... positive about life? You almost died, you were so badly hurt, you’re going to have a scar across your face for the rest of your life and you are... grateful that you didn’t go blind?” 

“I’m not only grateful for it. I’m also grateful I was able to save you, that you weren’t hurt, and that the cut didn’t leave a scar on that beautiful face instead.” Her hand traveled to Chaewon's cheek.  

They held each other’s gaze, and Hyejoo's gulp broke the silence, as she retracted her hand. 

“I-I mean, you would still look beautiful with a scar, I mean, you’re beautiful anyway.” She added, almost stumbling on her own words. 

Heat crept underneath Chaewon’s cheeks. She had been told that many times before, but never in such an honest, natural way as Hyejoo did. Her eyes couldn’t leave Hyejoo's face. It was amazing how the scar didn't affect her beauty one bit. In fact, it only made her more charming, more unique. Each passing day, Chaewon was more drawn to her. The guard who would give her life for hers, who never even thought of resenting her or blaming her for it. 

“I’m sorry-" 

“Hyejoo.” Chaewon interrupted, grabbing her hand, making Hyejoo turn her head and lock eyes with the princess. “Don’t leave me.” 

Hyejoo was about to open when a knock on the door interrupted the moment. Hyejoo gave her a small smile as Jiwoo stepped inside. 

“Chaewon, it’s time you go back to your room.” 

“Who do you think you are to send me to bed? My mother?” Chaewon joked. 

“Something like it. Now now, let’s go. Hyejoo needs to rest too, right?”  

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Hyejoo squeezed her hand. 

Chaewon smiled at her and stood up. 

“Have a good night,” Hyejoo muttered. 

“You too. Rest well.” 

Jiwoo walked beside Chaewon to her room, occasionally peeking at her from the corner of her eyes. There was a constant smile on the princess’ lips and a faint blush over her cheeks. 

“I told you before, didn’t I?” Jiwoo asked as they reached Chaewon's room. 

“What?” 

“That you would get along well with Hyejoo.” 

“You can stop it now,” Chaewon said, changing into her pajamas. 

“I saw. The hands.” 

“Y-Yes, and?” 

“Oh, nothing.” There was that mischievous smile on Jiwoo's lips. 

“What's with that face?” 

“What face? I was born with it. Now, bed.” 

Chaewon glared at her and laid down. Jiwoo leaned in to kiss the princess' forehead. 

“Sleep well, princess Chaewon. Dream about Hyejoo,” She whispered the last sentence. 

Chaewon turned around and sulked, hiding her red face under the blankets. 

♚♚♚

Hyejoo left the medical wing at last. Doctor Heejin said she needed to take it easy in the beginning, but she could slowly get back to her personal guard life. And Chaewon couldn’t be happier. 

She took Hyejoo outside, to the back garden she missed so much. 

“Beautiful, right?” Chaewon asked, spinning with her arms wide open, deeply breathing the fresh air. 

“I’ve been here in case you forgot.” 

Chaewon stopped abruptly and looked back at her. 

“Right, it was here that I… That you...” 

“Chaewon, forget it.” Hyejoo took a step closer to her and held her arms. “It’s time to move on.” 

“I just… can’t forgive myself." 

“I've forgiven you a long time ago. You should do the same with yourself.” 

Chaewon stared down, when a hand on her chin made her look up until she found Hyejoo's eyes. 

“There's no need to carry such an unnecessary weight on those strong shoulders when you're already carrying so many responsibilities, right?" The princess nodded with a smile. “Now, why did you bring me here?” 

“I didn’t bring you here. You’re my guard, remember? You’re supposed to go wherever I go.” Chaewon crossed her arms and lifted her chin, holding a smile. 

“You’re right. Now I’m back to being your guard. Excuse my rudeness, Your Highness.” Hyejoo bowed. “I’ll be watching Your Highness from afar while you meditate.” She took a step back. 

“No, come back here, you-" 

“Oh oh, I remember this. I didn’t let you finish last time, so go ahead.” Hyejoo smirked. 

“You little… you… little fox!” 

“Wow, is that all little princess can bring?” Hyejoo chuckled. 

“You little, you little-" 

Hyejoo launched at her, tickling her sides and making Chaewon explode in a fit of loud and high-pitched chuckles. She wasn’t going to stop even if Chaewon begged her to, so she grabbed on her arms and with a leg behind Hyejoo's, she dropped the girl to the ground. But Hyejoo had quick reflexes, holding on Chaewon arms, making the princess fall on top of her. 

“Ouch…” 

Chaewon quickly supported herself on her hands on both sides of Hyejoo's head.  

“Oh God, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt you, but you weren’t stoppi-” 

In a slip second, Chaewon was lying on the grass with Hyejoo pinning her down.  

“Never let your guard down, princess,” She whispered, maybe a bit to closer to her face. 

Chaewon could easily get out of that awkward situation, but she didn’t. She kept staring into Hyejoo's eyes, analyzing the depths of every brown shade. The princess forgot how to get a hold on her body, letting her hands move to held Hyejoo's face. Her eyes wandered down, finding her parted lips. It didn’t matter how many times she stared at them, Chaewon would always find her lips the most beautiful and unique she had ever seen. 

And in the exact same moment a thought flashed on her mind, she grabbed on Hyejoo’s shoulders and rolled over her.  

“I didn’t let my guard down, you just took advantage of the moment.” 

“Didn’t you do the same just now?” Hyejoo teased. 

“W-What?! No, o-of course not!” Chaewon tried to get up, but Hyejoo grabbed her arms and rolled, changing positions again.  

“You’re very bad at being discrete, you know?” She, once again, leaned in too close.  

“What are you talking about, Hyejoo?” Chaewon tried to sound serious and fierce over her trembling hands.  

“Did you think I wouldn't notice the way you look at me?” 

“What way?” 

“The same way I look at you.” 

The princess wanted to say something, to hit Hyejoo for reading her so easily, but her body froze under hers. 

“Not just the way you look at me. The way you touch me, the way you hold my hands, the way you react if I push a bit further, like just now. You think you can fool me and yourself, but your body talks for you. You-” 

Before she could say another word that would embarrass Chaewon even more, the princess s her hands on Hyejoo’s neck and pulled her in, silencing her with her own lips.  

Chaewon never thought much about what would be considered right or wrong. Princesses always married princes, didn't they? The right thing for Chaewon, though, was the feeling of Hyejoo's lips on hers that very moment, whether she was a prince, or a princess, or a guard, or a commoner. 

Being with Hyejoo was the right thing. It could all feel too sudden, but it had been way too long since Chaewon realized she had fallen for her guard. 

Chaewon always thought women were much more beautiful, both inside and out, so it shouldn't come as a shock to her. They weren’t greedy, brute, insensitive like men. 

“Hyejoo...” Chaewon called, slightly pushing away. “Do you love me?” 

Hyejoo stared so deep into her eyes she could reach her soul, caressing her face with the back of her hand. 

“I think ‘I love you’ is not enough to express how much I love you.” She chuckled at herself, shaking her head. “What I mean is... I love you too much. Not too much, because loving you is never going to be too much, and I think I’ll keep loving you more and more as the time goes by.” 

Chaewon remained silent, studying her face like it was the first time she was looking at her. 

“I'm sorry, I can be excellent at teasing, but I’m not very good with... this.” Hyejoo looked away. “But I'm serious.” Her tone became serious as she looked back at Chaewon. “I love you, Chaewon. More than you and maybe myself can imagine. When I said I saved you because I’m a guard and you’re the princess, even though that’s a fact, I saved you because I love you. And even if I have to fight against the whole world, even if I have to cover my whole body in scars to be with you, I will.” 

“If you have to fight the whole world to be with me, I’ll fight with you.”  

Hyejoo was the one Chaewon didn’t know she needed. Someone who didn’t treat her differently, or wanted her just because she was the princess. Hyejoo showed no fear in trespassing the line no one would dare to.  

She talked about her worst flaws in her face, but never judged her for her shortcomings. Hyejoo had turned Chaewon into a better person, showing her that no one was perfect and that everyone was allowed to be weak and need someone else. And it had nothing to do with physical strength. It was a weakness of the heart that beat so fast, and the knees that trembled if Hyejoo got too close or held her hand.  

But if loving Hyejoo made her weak, then she didn’t mind being weak. Because being with her also made her stronger than she'd ever imagined she could be. 

---

A/N: I honestly love this scene a lot, I hope you liked it just as much! 

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Bangtanboys1952 #1
Chapter 12: I absoulutley loved this story though kinda wish we could have seen them defeat Chaewon's dad but I still loved it! :)
Bangtanboys1952 #2
Chapter 1: Interesting start
salazar_slytherine
#3
Chapter 12: This chap was equal parts overwhelming, somewhat incomplete and just right.. if that made sense. I don't even know what to say next, it's just that the story is so amazing itself that it leaves the readers speechless. Just emotional explosion.

(But lemme hust gush about Shanliang here lmao. Oh to be living in Shanliang and have a person like King Taeyong as your ruler and Prince Hyunjoo/Hyejoo and Princess Chaewon as the heirs. The idea if this is already heavenly, how much more it could be if it were to happen it real life.)
salazar_slytherine
#4
Chapter 11: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/1410384/11'>Eleven</a></span>
Damn... This chal still hit so hard..... Just... Damn I'm speechless once again.
salazar_slytherine
#5
Chapter 10: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/1410384/10'>Ten</a></span>
The last scene almost gave me a heart attack fr the first time I read it, I noticed then that I too, was as desperate as Hyejoo was. Which is really awesome because you don't get to feel that everytime you read unless you're a person who held so much empathy or it's because you chose the right story to read. For this matter, I am confident it's the latter.
salazar_slytherine
#6
Chapter 9: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/1410384/9'>Nine</a></span>
The first time I read this this scene (the one on one swordfight with Jaehyun) I actually cried because of what Hyejoo said after, now there's still tears in my eyes. A really one of a kind battle I have ever witnessed just from reading.
salazar_slytherine
#7
Chapter 8: The build up is making my nerves wrack gods this story is more than just five-star nobody can convince me otherwise.
salazar_slytherine
#8
Chapter 7: Whenever I read this part I always think of how it would've been great to live in Shanliang...
salazar_slytherine
#9
Chapter 6: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/1410384/6'>Six</a></span>
*sobs even harder, hysterical as it may seem* i still want to put his father in a sack and throw into a moat :>
salazar_slytherine
#10
Chapter 5: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/1410384/5'>Five</a></span>
*sobs even harder*