“Kim Yongsun!” called out Byulyi.

Although she was taken by surprise at the unfamiliar voice calling out her name, the lady turned to face the princess.

Byulyi looked beautiful, ethereal even as the sun shone off her purple robes and the gentle breeze strands of hair on the sides of her small face. Yongsun stared wide eyed at the younger girl as she could not muster up a reply after seeing Byulyi standing there behind her.

“My lady, I am Byulyi. The princess of Chuseon! I came this way to inquire if you’re doing well in settling into your new environment!” Byulyi spoke for her, confused as to why the lady was adorably shocked after seeing her. She admitted mentally that yes the lady did indeed look adorable, yet stunning as she sat while staring directly at her. Byulyi could not say if it was nervousness or something else entirely that made her feel something unusual – a feeling she could get used to – at the pit of her stomach.

“How rude of me, I’m sorry princess. I’m doing quite well settling down, everyone is very kind and hospitable around the castle and it’s been a wonderful experience so far!” Yongsun replied, looking less flustered now, with a smile on her face. She felt incredibly grateful that it seemed like the princess wanted to have a normal conversation with her.

There it was.

That feeling again.

Byulyi smiled and began speaking once more;

“I had wanted to meet you after seeing you at dinner. If you have no tasks to attend to at this time would you accompany me in taking a walk?”

Yongsun had to say yes, this was her chance.

“I would love to accompany you!” she stood and made her way to where the younger girl was standing.

Byulyi was thrilled as she assured the maids that she would bring the lady back safely.

The two walked around the usual places where Byulyi would walk each morning. After collecting some crumbs from the kitchen, they set off to the pond to feed the fish.

The tour so far had been a silent one, Byulyi occasionally asking questions and explaining to the lady what the different buildings were used for. Yongsun listened word to word as she admired the younger girl who seemed very intelligent and passionate in the way she stated the facts.

As they sat close to the pond, Yongsun on the top step and Byulyi closer to the fish on the bottom step, she set the bag of crumbs in the middle so that each of them could reach it.

“Do you come here often?” asked Yongsun as she observed the princess delicately picking up crumbs and scattering them across the water.

“Ah yes my lady, I do. The isolation of the pond mixed with the sound of fish in a feeding frenzy brings a sense of calm to my mind and you’re the first person I’ve ever brought with me” Byulyi proudly replied.

Yongsun swore she saw two dimples forming on the princess’ cheeks as she uttered those words and her heart seemed to crumble at the innocence of the younger girl.

“Please call me Yongsun. I feel honoured to be the first person you’ve brought here! That’s so kind of you, maybe I could join you on other days as well if you permit?” replied Yongsun as she moved closer to the bag of crumbs and put her hand in just as Byul did so herself.

The brush of their hands sent shivers across each of their spines.

No, not the bad kind.

The shivers had a strange feeling to them.

They would not have minded if it happened again.

Byulyi hesitated before replying, their hands were awkwardly placed on top of each other.

She blushed a bright red, and could see that Yongsun had the same reaction too.

So, she took out her hand and let Yongsun take a handful of crumbs.

With each hoping their blushes had not been noticed by the other, Byulyi replied;

“You can call me Byulyi, no need to call me princess” she smiled and continued “I’ll bring you here whenever you’re free…I feel like bringing you to the pond made the activity more interesting and less lonely”

“Aw Byulyi, you’re such a kind girl and very different to your half-brother, in a good way” Yongsun’s face was tinged with sadness, her tone sounded tired and Byulyi noticed.

“I’m deeply sorry about that” the princess did not know what else she could possibly say. She felt bad for not having a proper response to reassure the older girl.

“That’s okay.  I have been betrothed to him anyway. I don’t have a choice anymore”

“So, you really don’t want to marry my brother?” Byulyi was now curious as to where the conversation was heading and looked around to see if anyone was in earshot.

“It was always my parent’s decision, never mine to make. Even if I didn’t want to marry, I have to, for the good of our clan” Yongsun was pained as she uttered these words and worried if Byulyi would mention this to any of the royals.

“You’re very different from anyone I’ve ever met. Any other girl would have married the king for the power and riches, but you…” Byulyi trailed off looking closely at Yongsun’s eyes which were carefully scanning her.

“I shouldn’t have said all of that, please don’t think much of it nor tell anyone about what I said. I thought that I would feel better if I opened up to someone and right now you were the only one I’ve had a normal conversation with but please don’t let anyone know. My parents would be disappointed in me.” Yongsun’s voice now sounded shaky with fear.

Byul had to make her feel safe, she took the older girl’s hand ignoring the chills she felt inside her own body as she did so.

“Yongsun, I understand how you feel. We can’t do much now but if anything comes up I’ll surely help you in any way I can. I am destined for the same fate as you; to be married off to some man whom I don’t care about. As much as I would hate to disappoint the king and my mother, I would do anything in my power to rid myself of that life. Keep that in mind, I am always here for you”

Yongsun could not believe the words flowing out of Byulyi’s mouth.

This is the most reassured and comforted Yongsun had felt in her entire life and all of it came from girl she had not known much about since a few hours ago. Her hands were held tightly together by Byulyi and the lady was at ease despite the nagging feeling in her chest. She started to speak up but their hands flew apart as footsteps were heard coming towards them.

It was her head maid, Hyejin.

“Princess Byulyi” she greeted, “Lady Yongsun, your presence has been requested by the prince” Hyejin looked at Yongsun and wondered why her eyes were darting from Byulyi to her hands.

“Very well” She looked at Byulyi, while regaining her senses, “It was a pleasure meeting you” and bowed as she flashed a smile only to the younger girl who was still sitting down on the steps.

“I look forward to meeting you again soon” Byul confirmed as she bid good bye for now.

As the princess waved Hyejin off, the maid could not help wondering what they had been doing.

Surely nothing interesting, they were outdoors by a pond for god’s sake!

But it is Byulyi unnie, who knows what she can pull off

She smiled as she lead the princess to where Jin-hee was.

Byulyi, now left alone at the pond, picked up her bag of crumbs and wondered why she felt the way she did every time Yongsun was around. Maybe that was what it felt like to make a friend after the longest time.

But she did not feel that way when she befriended Wheein or Hyejin.

Weird

She thought and gave up.

Yongsun was being lead to the prince’s building, but all that was running through her mind were what Byulyi said, what she did and what her hands felt like.

“How did the meeting with the princess go?” Hyejin inquired, curious to know details about their encounter.

“Ha? Oh, it went very well! She was kind and understanding just like all of you” she lovingly looked at Hyejin. She had begun to like the maid. Hyejin was careful in everything and took good care of Yongsun without her ever even having to ask for it.

“I’m glad it went well” Hyejin replied as they turned a corner, now getting closer to where the prince was waiting for his wife to arrive.

Yongsun’s thoughts were all over the place.

Strangely it’s as if I feel more of a connection to the princess than the man I’m supposed to marry…

And she was lead into the prince’s room.

Byul was sad to have to let Yongsun go for the day, but resolved to meet her as soon as she could.

Evening was dawning and Wheein was to visit the princess alone today as Hyejin had to assist the lady in leaving for dinner with the prince.

“How was today?” Wheein asked teasingly from the princess who seemed to be in better spirits than the day before.

“It went well, lady Yongsun is an amazing person and a beautiful one as well” Byulyi tried not to blush as she replied to Wheein.

“Oh so do you have any plans of meeting her again? I heard from Hyejin that she’s only a year older than you and it’s nice for you to have more people to talk to except the two of us” said Wheein looking for an answer in the way Byul fidgeted.

“Yes it would be great if I could meet her more before she has to take over as queen” Byulyi thought.

Wheein steered the conversation in another direction, not prying for more information regarding what the princess thought about Yongsun.

Instead they marveled at how the usually lazy Hyejin was working her days off since she had been appointed head maid of the lady.

After Wheein took her leave, Byul was left to her thoughts once again.

The calm that usually settled on her after visiting the pond had not been present that day.

But what left with her was not a negative energy either.

It was because of Yongsun she had to admit. What she could not grasp was why she felt that way towards the girl and then Byul realized, at that moment, that what she felt for Yongsun was far more than the urge to keep her safe.

She was doomed.

She did not know what to do.

Little did she know that Yongsun, now lying in her sheets around the corner from Byulyi’s building was battling with her own thoughts as well.

Thoughts that drifted back to the feeling she had when Byul carefully held her hands.

Maybe they both could escape their fate, together...

But for now, they were lost.