DISCLAIMER: This is, ofc, a work of crack fiction and has absolutely nothing to do with the canon of ‘the forbidden marriage’ (or ‘into the fox eyes’ for that matter, General Kim remains as it always was). This is just my way of ‘saving’ the crown princess and giving it my own 2kim twist, therefore we have the more crack part I and the fluff part II. If you are okay with it, then go ahead and have fun reading!

Part I.

The crown prince was a stupid child and the crown princess was about to die, either out of boredom or because of a conspiracy – it was the conclusion the young captain of the royal guard had reached after a month working at the palace.

Chaewon wasn’t even sure if she should bother intervening – the pay wasn’t that great to begin with and she didn’t even have any vacation days.

Honestly, having to witness the scene in front of her eyes made her wonder if leaving this job for good wouldn’t be the best. It would be treason, but who could blame her when she had to control her expression to not frown at the prince’s lame lines.

“Say heon-ie! Come on, say: Heon, heon-ie! Can you say it once, please?” There he was, again, a grown- man trying to convince his wife to call him by his nickname – one would think they would have sorted it out before the marriage instead of subjecting all the palace’s staff to that scene; not even to mention the work they had to create the romantic ‘atmosphere’ the prince requested just for him embarrass himself again. For god’s sake, she was a captain, why did she have to go swimming just to set some damn lanterns on the lake.

And as usual, the princess’s expression remained the same – a stiff, patient smile that was more maternal than anything else – as she refused, treating the man by his title instead. Chaewon also wasn’t sure if that woman loved him too much or she just hated him to pieces – considering all the aegyo going on, she was more prone to believe the second option was the correct answer.

From her spot, a few meters away, she was still able to not only watch everything in detail, but also hear it. A blessing or a curse, her enhanced senses made her have to watch the royal ‘dates’ from the front seat, and while she would usually just tune it out to focus on their surroundings and any potential threats, there was just something about those dates that irked her for no apparent reason – Yena said she was just jealous because she was still single, but Chaewon only rolled her eyes at her, as if she would ever wish to be in the princess’s place having to deal with the future king’s aegyo.

She just felt bad for the young princess, that’s all.

How could she not? That woman was getting paler by the day, didn’t set a foot outside the palace due to her ‘royal duties’ that included things such as having to hear the prince talk her ears off, learning to sew and serve tea to her husband – and if it wasn’t awful enough, she did all that while maintaining that same robotic smile on her face and never elevating her voice, the picture perfect of a crown princess.

Too perfect.

Regardless of how unrealistically good looking she was, the princess was still only human and barely old enough to get married, moreover to be trapped inside such an unhappy union. Yet, here she was listening patiently as the prince went on with his silliness.

Chaewon knew better than trusting the appearances, therefore she moved swiftly to reach the other side of the pond and keep her eyes on the princess once the ‘date’ was finally over.

“You take care of yourself too, promise?” It was the man again, replying to something the princess had said – the line caught the captain’s interest because it didn’t receive a proper reply, the princess' calm and composed demeanor unchanged, but there was something off about the expression in her eyes.

There was something very wrong, and it was no surprise to Chaewon.

If she had learned anything in the month she spent at the palace, was that the walls had ears, the corridors eyes, and mouths were everywhere – so much gossip that it was almost impossible to discern the truth from silly rumors; but Chae also knew that there was always a hint of truth in every rumor, and she had heard a few too many about the princess.

‘She is struggling to adapt, the poor thing!’, ‘She lucked it out to marry our prince, her family is not on his level’, ‘they say she is sick, that’s why she is always so quiet’, ‘i heard they only got married because she seduced him, she looks innocent, but it’s the opposite’ – again, most were just bull, but there was one in particular that made Chaewon pay closer attention: ‘she doesn’t belong here, all the nobles are displeased with the prince’s choice of such an unfit wife’.

If the rich folks weren’t happy with the crown princess, there was a chance that the princess’s ‘struggles to adapt’ were much more complex than getting used to her boring husband.

Chaewon wasn’t pleased to be relented to patrolling the palace, when she could do so much more elsewhere, but maybe her presence there wouldn’t go wasted.

It was time to get a promotion or get fired.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Chaewon kept her sword beside her as she sat down on the cold floor by the princess’s room – not the place she was supposed to be tonight, but it wasn’t like there was anyone else doing the job, oddly considering the future queen slept alone in her quarters separated from the main building of the palace.

Vulnerable.

Turns out the prince was indeed an idiot – his lack of common sense and cheesiness were testing not only Chaewon’s patience, but also her loyalty to the crown. Even after the princess's very suspicious reaction earlier, the man had just said his goodbye and went his way, leaving the brunette to go back to her quarters alone, like always. He didn’t even have the decency to come check on her – but then again, Chaewon doubted the princess would be happy to see that silly man in her room.

The thought made Chaewon grimace, it gave her shivers. God damn it, she really needed to find a new job.

Her sharp hearing saved her from her own imagination, bringing her back to the present as she heard the sound of footsteps inside the bedroom – footsteps way too heavy to be the princess’s, yet the doors hadn’t been open, therefore it could only mean one thing.

They had unwanted guests and it was up to her dealing with them.

“Finally, something to do!” She whispered to herself, standing up.

Breaking and entering the princess’s royal bedroom would also be considered treason normally, but it was a special occasion, so Chaewon didn’t bother wasting her time knocking on the door – instead, she slid it aside slowly to not make any noise, her feline steps silent as she entered the room and inspected it with her sharp eyes.

Yeah, she was sick and tired of stupid people.

Who would hire some dude in a mask to struggle the princess out of all things? And he wasn’t even doing a good job. The overly dramatic way he was slowly approaching the princess, crouched as if he was playing hide and seek with children, hands in front of him – another damn idiot, it was getting on her nerves.

The dude was hovering over the sleepy princess when Chaewon moved – much faster and swiftly, a single long stride and then her arms were around his neck in a bear grip, so tight that he could barely tap on her hands to try to get away from her; of course, it was no use, before he could even try anything else, she snapped his neck with a quiet noise that reverberated through the chamber for a moment.

Then he was just – quite literally – dead weight that she had to carry out of the bedroom before the princess could notice them. In fact, that woman must sleep like the dead if she hadn’t woken up yet.

Chaewon dragged the body, throwing it outside of the corridor window towards the back of the building, so it the quarters wouldn’t be smelling like rotten meat by the morning, and sighed to herself – keeping the dude alive would have made it easier to figure out who was behind it all, but then again, she knew it would be obvious by the morning; also, the fact that he tried to kill her princess made her a little too angry to bother with proper soldier etiquette.

Of course, she made sure to check the room for anything else off, making sure there was no one else hidden to attack the princess. But the room seemed pretty safe now and the princess still slept soundly – by now Chae had concluded that the poor girl had probably been given something to make sure she would sleep deeply and make sure she wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the murdering –, looking as peaceful as ever.

With a relieved sigh, Chaewon just stood there for a moment. She had arrived at the castle after coming back from the war victoriously, but instead of a new rank and a good rewarded, she had been relegated to work as a royal guard who would only walk aimlessly without any real instructions about what to do most of the time – so many people, yet no one had been there for the princess, if not her, and only because she decided to be nosy and mind someone else’s business. After tonight, she should ask to be placed somewhere else, before she ended up as a royal babysitter for the rest of her days.

Watching the princess sleep so calmly, pretty features relaxed and her pale face a little livelier, she wondered if she could really leave.

No, she probably wouldn’t.

Seeing the brunette safe and sound, no longer acting like a doll with a fake smile on her face and sadness in her eyes, was what Chaewon wished for. In this long month watching over the princess from afar, she had learned how kind and innocent she was, how much she did to make sure she would be the best crown princess to the people and the prince – even if they didn’t deserve it. The princess deserved to be protected, and maybe that was Chaewon’s fate all along.

Maybe Yena wasn’t so wrong after all – she hated when Yena was right about things.

In the end, Chaewon had to sleep outside the room, still seated on the same spot, guarding the princess until the morning – she was definitely not paid enough for this.

The next morning, as expected, the culprit showed up to check on the results of his little request – of course, he was shocked to meet Chaewon’s silver eyes staring back at him as she guarded the princess’s quarters. Just another ugly old bearded man that Chaewon could barely differentiate from all the others, anger and fear on his face as he watched his plans crumble.

“You…You shouldn’t be here! Who allowed you in the princess quarters?” He tried to protest, his loud voice making the servants rush to check what was going on – Chaewon almost rolled her eyes at him, he was as much of a poor actor as he was a strategist.

“I let myself in, as a guard one of my duties is watching over the princess…specially today.” She explained, her voice quiet and neutral, just like the expression on her face. It was time for some acting. She allowed him in, making sure to dismiss the curious people and block the doors so she could lead the man inside the building and to the princess’s room. “But today I’ve found her…something terrible has happened, my lord.”

The man’s expression softened, curiosity taking over it. “What do you mean, soldier?”

“The queen…she…” Chaewon stuttered, keeping her act as she pulled something from her pocket to show him – a laced rope, something she had found in the assassin’s body and could only have been there for one reason. That noble’s plan was anything but it. “What should we do, sir? Have I failed my duties?”

A smile almost made its way to the old man’s face, he shoved her aside so he could rush in and see it for himself. Of course, that greedy bastard.

Chaewon allowed him to do so, only to see his shocked expression once he entered the room and found the princess wide awake and obviously confused by the commotion, her eyes big and hair over her shoulders as she tried to cover her nightgown with her blankets.

“W-What is happening?! Please, leave now, I’m not decent.”

Adorable – a sight that man didn’t deserve.

“My apologies, my princess. I shall take care of it now.” She said at the same time the old man tried to utter a curse, just to be cut off by Chaewon’s arm around his neck – just like she did with the other dude, she locked him inside her arms, not allowing him to breathe and dragged him out of the room; this time she made sure the man was kept alive, though tightly tied with the rope in another room. If she gave him a kick or two, it was just her way to relieve her anger.

Chaewon didn’t allow anyone else inside the quarters, keeping the doors locked and the princess hidden – she had an idea now. Of course, she couldn’t keep the Minister there forever and she was quickly running out of time.

As expected after the note she had sent him through Yena, the prince came to the princess’ quarters in his flamboyant clothes and ridiculous hat, running towards the palace alongside his favorite guard – another useless dude who spent more time with the prince than his wife did.

“What is happening here? Where is my wife and where is the Minister?” The crown prince demanded and Chaewon wanted to roll her eyes at him – so much for worrying for his wife when he had left her to die before.

Allowing him inside the quarters, but not the main room, she crossed her arms over her chest, to block the prince from moving forward and bother the princess once more. “I’m doing my job, I’m protecting my princess. The minister hired an assassin to murder her and stage it as if she was the one who did it to herself. The assassin’s body is outside, if you want to verify my words.”

Needless to say her words wreaked havoc on the palace. The prince, being the overly dramatic child he was, made a whole scene demanding to see the princess and asking Chaewon way too many dumb questions. Chaewon was starting to really hate this dramatic man. When the minister woke up and started spilling bull again, it became just like a comedy, even more once Chaewon punched him so he would shut up for once and go back to sleep.

It goes without saying that Captain Kim was full of it by now.

“You didn’t protect her properly. Your subjects are not reliable, your ministers are corrupt and cunning, they do not fear you. Your palace isn’t safe for her.” She finally told the prince once them – her, the quiet and traumatized princess, the useless guard, and the idiotic prince – were in a room alone for a ‘meeting’.

“Are you saying I didn’t look out for my wife?!” Again, he was a damn idiot.

“It’s not his fault. I was supposed to do it on my own, not bother the crown prince…” The always too nice princess intervened, making Chaewon sigh in annoyance – she was a little too loyal for her own good.

“My princess, with all due respect, are you insane? He is your husband, he should look out for you and there is no excuse for not doing so!” The captain’s patience was running dry as time went by. It was still early, but the more time passed, the more dangerous it became. If she didn’t sort things out now, the words would spread quickly and some other ugly bearded man would be there plotting another murder. Turning to the prince, she added: “And yes, I’m saying you have been useless as a husband and as a future king.”

“This…You can’t…” The prince tried, clearly flustered as he poked the male guard’s shoulder in search of support. “Do something!”

The support was pretty lame, the guard’s voice unstable as he reached for his sword. “This is treason!” By the way he could barely hold a sword properly, Chaewon just knew he had never killed a fly – no wonder the princess’s safety was in danger. “How do you dare t-”

“You are also to blame here. What kind of guard are you? This place has no security at all. I just walked in and no one bat an eye, I could’ve murder all of you if I wished to.” Chaewon hit it back, her hand on top of her sword’s guard, a single move was enough to get it and with one sharp she had disarmed the man, it would only take another one to cut that dumb guy in half – it wouldn’t be the first time she did that, but it would be a first outside the battlefield – if she wished to. It was tempting, but she tried to use her words instead. “Now, listen up, your highness, you are weak and a weak king does not live for long. Your weakness has brought danger upon the princess. Let her go.” Turning to the princess, she emphasized. “Come with me.”

“What?!” Was the collective answer, like they shared a single brain cell.

Chaewon decided to focus on the one who seemed to be holding the said brain cell right now.

“I can protect you. I will do it, if you want.” She said in a gentler tone, hoping to convince the princess regardless of any protest the prince could do. Her tone was gentle, but firm as she continued, ignoring the men’s protests. “Your highness can go ahead and say you are dead, reveal the Minister’s plan and execute him in front of the crowd. But it won’t protect you from others and he’s too naive and unprepared to offer you this protection…You know they’ve been plotting against you, you need to leave.”

“You are so bold for a Captain. It’s insane! Aren’t you afraid of what I could do to you?” Great, now the was trying to intimidate her when he couldn’t even keep his hat in place.

“You can send in all your useless men here if you like. But you better hide well, because I will find you once I am done with them.” What wouldn’t even take that long if all of them were as unskilled and dense as the prince’s friend was – no wonder they needed her and her friends to win the war while they stayed behind like cowards. “Would you like to try? Perhaps now?”

The prince gulped down, swallowing his own pride and saliva as he abstained from answering, hiding behind the guard who looked just as alarmed.

“Where would you take me? I can't abandon my duties.” The princess asked, looking conflicted and unsure, so different from her usual calm demeanor.

“Would you choose your duties over your life? My princess, you are not safe as long as you carry this title.” Chaewon explained, albeit she was pretty sure the other woman already knew it and was just being stubborn. “I will take you to somewhere you will no longer be the crown princess, but someone who can live as she pleases. This I can promise you. But it’s your choice to make, you can stay if you want, but I will no longer be here to protect you.”

The princess didn’t reply right away, taking a moment to consider the proposal – a moment too long for the prince, who was back to his childish self, resourcing to aegyo to try and convince the woman: “Would you leave me? Leave Heon-ie?”

Damn, Chaewon really wished she could cut a man in half right now.

“I will go with you.” The princess said all of sudden, probably afraid of having to deal with this dude for the rest of her, most likely short, life.

Chaewon had to thank the prince for making the choice all too easy.

Part II.

The sound of the waves breaking, the smell of salt and damp sand, the infinite blue dominating the horizon slowly turning into orange and yellow as the sun kissed the water – Chaewon loved the sea, moreover, watching the sunset on the deserted beach that bathed the back of the place she had grown up.

She was finally back home.

But not alone.

The warm breath on her neck sent a pleasant chill through her body, an equally warm body pressed against hers as the beautiful brunette slept on her shoulder soundly. The view of the princess with her cheek squished against her shoulder, long black hair falling over her back and partially covering her face as well, mouth slightly open – the woman looked peaceful and young, as she should be.

Smiling to herself, Chaewon raised a hand to gently brush aside the hair out of her face, fingers lingering for a second more to touch the soft cheek and appreciate the sun kissed skin, so different from the sickly paleness that used to make the princess look like a ghost – as if to prove she was very much alive, the brunette’s eyes fluttered open to face Chaewon with it’s dark onyx pools shining with a candid fondness that had become her natural reaction to the captain in the last year.

“Did you sleep well, Minjoo?” Chae asked in a quiet voice, allowing the girl to wake up at her own pace. She moved to use a hand to fix the princess' dark clothes over her shoulders, and then once more, she combed her fingers through her hair. Touching her also felt natural now – comfortable and nice for the both of them.

Minjoo, not the crown princess who was stuck behind the palace’s walls and had to suffer in silence as the world conspired against her – Minjoo, the name she had assumed ever since she had stepped on Chaewon’s hometown, brought it with a new chance at life; a free life.

Min nodded, blinking her eyes a few times to make the sleepiness go away. Yet, she didn’t remove herself from Chaewon side, but instead, snuggled up to her. “Sorry, did I sleep long? Today's practice was a bit tiring.” She admitted, an apologetic smile on her face – after all, she was talking to the one who led the said practice.

“You don’t have to do it, you know? It’s been long enough.” Chaewon recalled lightly, reiterating something that Minjoo already knew too well – long enough meant that she no longer needed to put so much effort in keeping a facade, that she no longer needed to worry too much and she could just be at ease.

This, however, wasn’t what the princess wished to do.

Coming to Chaewon’s hometown meant more than finding a place to hide, it meant a chance to live. The town was far away from the palace, enough to make it very unlikely that anyone would ever look for her there, and that most people wouldn’t even know what the crown princess looked like – or at least, used to.

Minjoo had changed quite a bit during the last year. No more fancy dresses and accessories, no more rigid hairstyles and overly formal speech – she had to learn how to be a different person; how to be who she really wanted to be. Now, wearing similar clothes to Chaewon’s, the more comfortable and practical dark robes of the soldiers in training, she blended well with her fellow students at the academy.

The prince had been nice enough to make sure she would have enough to afford a comfortable life whenever she decided to go, but Minjoo had opted for a simple life, her jade rings and diamond crowns forgotten. She now lived in the academy grounds, in the ever so loud and cozy house Chaewon had been raised in – sharing the same roof as her, the same bedroom that was much smaller than the one back at the palace, but safe and nice.

Chae’s family was welcoming and good to her, just like the captain – now former – herself. They made her feel like she had, finally, found a place for herself. It was her decision to help around the house like the rest of the family, to join grandma in cooking and learn from her, to play with the kids in the backyard and hear the elder’s funny stories that made her feel like she was part of the family. It was her choice to join the practices and learn how to hold a sword and use it well, how to become strong enough to fight her own battles – not that Chaewon ever left her side, her constant presence, a reminder that Minjoo would never have to worry about her safety again.

It was also her choice to stay beside Chaewon, to allow her into her life and heart, little by little – the practice sessions that were as exhausting as rewarding; the long conversations as they walked by the beach and learned more about each other, the summer mornings filled with laughter and bickering, the quiet moments during the nights where the warmth of Chaewon’s hand was all enough to make her fall asleep peacefully... All her choices, choices she didn’t regret making.

“I want to. I want to be able to protect myself.” Minjoo put her thoughts into words, her eyes going from Chaewon’s familiar face, to the beautiful ocean that greeted them with its gentle waves now. Moments like this, in the simplicity of it, made it easy to tell she had made the right decision – the crown princess no longer existed, not killed, but born again. “All the things I do here…It makes me feel like I’m my own person.”

A smile made its way to Chaewon’s lips as she heard her, relief and pride taking over her – Minjoo’s path hadn’t been easy, choosing to leave it all behind and follow her was a big step and it took her time and a lot of perseverance to succeed; but now here they were, and Chaewon couldn’t be prouder of the person Minjoo had become, or happier to have her by her side.

“Good. But let me know if you ever need a break, even the best soldiers need to rest once in a while.” Hugging her by the shoulders, Chae leaned in to leave a sweet kiss on her lips – slow and gentle, full of a gentle love built over time and confidence, one that needed no labels to make it real. “Also, I promised I would take you to see the ocean more often, but you have to be awake to enjoy the view, so let me know if you would rather go home early for a nap before our dates.”

Minjoo’s musical laugh echoed, hearty and happy – Chaewon’s favorite sound.

The princess left a quick peck on her lips as a silent apology for falling asleep and almost missing the beautiful event Chaewon tried to present her with. “I love this view, it’s my favorite place.” The small rocky beach hidden behind the academy, a place that looked like it was meant just for the two of them, their own little world. She didn’t know much about Chaewon or where she would take her that day a year ago, but she was surely glad she took the risk. “I really love it here with you.” She loved being with Chaewon anywhere, but she knew the girl already knew that – through the loving whispers into the nights, or the soft words of the mornings; very little needed to be said when they could just understand each other so well with a single look.

Just like now, as Chaewon’s light chestnut eyes glinted with that special silver spark, Minjoo just knew she felt the same. Still, Chaewon voiced her feelings, just loud enough for her ears. “And I’m glad you are here with me, my princess.”

And as Chaewon once more sealed her words with a long kiss on Minjoo’s lips, the sunset witnessing the secret that belonged only to the two of them, there was nothing but the warmth of love filling her heart in a way no one else could ever.

Oh, and about the clumsy crown prince…

Rumor has it that there is still a marriage ban ongoing, but the rumors also say that it won’t last long – be it because of a scammer’s shenanigans or a guard’s not-so-subtle adoration for the future king, a marriage was under way.

Or maybe it could have something to do with the giant squid living on the palace’s pond and its constant attempts at snacking on some royal beef – rumors were just rumors after all.

Either way, the princess would be safe and sound, somewhere far away with the help of her loyal Captain.

A/N: Minjoo please get a role where you don’t die next, it’s the second time I have to crack my way through a foreign universe to bring you back to life LOL

Anyway, merry Christmas everyone! This one was just for fun, so I hope it was a good distraction – and it may or not disappear soon. See you next time!