Chapter 17 – White Swans

[눌러 적은 편지에

수많은 그리움 고이 담아

그대 내게로 올 때면

그 손에 쥐어 줄게요

On this written letter

I’ve gently placed my countless longing

When you come to me

I’ll give it to you]

(About thirty years ago…)

“Your Highness, don’t go too far! The King will be furious!”

“Relax, Baram, I’m just going to go for a hunt. Nothing will happen. You overreact sometimes.”

“Exactly, what kind of Princess goes on a hunt? Please, be safe, Your Highness.”

“I will. Catch you later, Baram.”

And off she goes.

The Princess rode her horse fast, her face full of glee as she raced to her destination.

She had an awfully blinding smile as she rode through the forest, unable to hide her happiness as she finally spotted the familiar flower garden. Her horse came to a halt and she got off easily, her legs sprinting through the flowery path with excitement evident in her steps. Her mind was filled with a certain someone and the royalty briefly recalled their very uncanny first encounter.

She was sixteen then and she was hiding in the forest, feeling very frustrated with the life of being a Princess. Being the middle child means that no one really paid much attention whenever she was gone. Eventually, she would have to go back to the palace but once in a while, she sought refuge in the forest, liking how it gave her some peace and tranquility.

The birds chirped beautifully and she found herself humming along, as she rested her back against a tall oak tree, basking in the quiet environment. That’s when she saw a very pretty blue butterfly floating into her view.

How odd, it was the first time she ever saw one in this forest. She watched as the butterfly floated around for a while at the same spot and it wasn’t long before she heard a distant voice humming along not too far away from her. She became alarmed and quickly hid behind the tree, becoming wary of the incoming stranger.

She took out her sword, ready to attack whoever it was approaching her.

The stranger soon revealed itself to be a girl, a very beautiful girl dressed in bright pink, from her hairband, outfit and right down to her shoes. The amount of pink blinded her for a bit. Thankfully, the girl’s hair was black and oh, her eyes, her eyes were beautiful. So, so beautiful. It blinded her more than the obnoxious amount of pink that she wore. The royalty was left breathless.

She watched as the girl trailed after the butterfly innocently and peeked as much as she can from behind the tree. Almost as if she was looking at a painting, she watched as the girl reached out to the butterfly as if to invite the said insect to land on her fingers.

And oddly enough, the said butterfly did.

She marveled at the sight. She couldn’t decide which was prettier, the butterfly or the girl.

To be honest, any normal person would say the butterfly was prettier but to the royalty, it was the latter.

“I found you.”

She heard the girl spoke, and she found herself in a trance, just repeating those three words in her mind unconsciously. Such a pretty voice, she thought.

“And you…how long do you intend to hide behind that tree?”

The royalty let out a loud gasp. She found the girl taking big steps towards her before standing just inches away from her. The girl looked at her from top to bottom and shook her head from left to right.

“Well, you don’t look dangerous but you sure are suspicious.”

“I’m not suspicious!”

She exclaimed, offering her hand for a handshake, making the girl looked puzzled. The girl merely let out a loud chuckle before taking her hand and shaking it with vigor.

“Now you’re just awkward.”

Her face fell.

She retracted her hand and quickly walked back to her horse. The girl followed her closely and the royalty was about to ask why when her question was answered almost immediately.

“Anyways, my name is Miyoung. What’s yours?”

“If I tell you, will you keep it a secret?”

“Why, are you some kind of royalty running away from the palace to hide in the forest?”

The royalty’s face fell again.

“Miyoung right?”

“Yes, Hwang Miyoung. And yours?”

The girl asked as she stepped closer, growing impatient by the minute. The royalty froze, the girl was way too close for her liking. She took a deep breath before reminding the girl once again.

“I am serious, Miyoung, this is a secret. If I tell you, you really can’t tell others. Only you can call my name.”

The girl nodded obediently.

And when she finally said her name, the girl smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around her right after, surprising her.

“Well, you definitely lived up to your name!”

As soon as she reached the chalet, she was immediately greeted by a familiar sight of her lover sitting sideways at the entrance, her back leaning against the mahogany door, eyes focused on the book she was reading. She paused in her steps momentarily to admire the sight before her. Just then, they locked eyes.

“Oh, Princess, you’re here!”

Her lover exclaimed loudly with a smile, her eyes forming the shape of half crescent moon as she did so. It made her heart skip a beat. She watched as her lover immediately put her book aside and rushed towards the royalty, engulfing her in a tight hug. The Princess lets out a big chuckle in response as they broke the hug.

“I can’t help it, when you smile like that.”

 “Oh, Princess, what will become of you? I wonder what would the King think of this?”

“Well, I wonder what is more scandalous? His daughter running off to some forest to go hunting or sneaking away to some chalet to be with her extremely beautiful...female…lover?”

“Why, the hunting, of course. Only men go hunting in this country, Princess. Didn’t you know that already?”

The Princess lets out a loud laugh as her lover did the same. She leaned forward and quickly embraced the younger woman again in a tight embrace.

“I’ve missed you, Miyoung-ah.”

“You’re so dramatic, it’s only been like….a month.”

“How is that being dramatic?”

“We exchanged letters, Princess. It’s not like we never talked.”

“But letters are letters! Going one whole month without seeing your pretty face feels like an eternity! I was about to go crazy!”

She exclaimed with the loudest sigh she could muster as she snuggled closer to her lover, her hands resting comfortably around her lover’s waist.

“It’s good for us anyway.”

“What’s good?”

“We should get used to this, Princess.”

She reminded the royalty as she broke the hug, walking into the chalet, ignoring the royalty’s obvious frown.

“I told you I won’t give up.”

“And I told you that won’t work.”

“Miyoung, please, we’ve been through this.”

“Exactly, you’re not just some random commoner. You’re a Princess. I’m the commoner. This relationship was never going to work out, you know that right?”

“So the problem here is that I am a Princess right? I’ll just give up my title then.”

“What? No, why would you do that? That’s insane!”

“No, do you know what’s insane? You telling me to go marry someone I don’t even know! That’s insane!”

“To be fair, you do know him.”

“Yes, but I don’t love him, I love you.”

“Princess, we are just not meant to be.”

“Stop calling me that. I hate hearing that, especially from you.”

“It is the truth, you can’t deny it.”

“You don’t understand, do you?”

Th