YongShin and GeunGeun couples, suggested by leedarane 

 

****

The queen of the palace died, and everyone was in mourning. The king would not eat for days, and young Shin Hye cried night and day.

It took them years before they finally moved on.

****

When Shin Hye was twenty, her father remarried, and the new queen and her son moved in. Shin Hye now had a step brother, who was older than her by three years. Shin Hye looked at Geun Suk as her new brother, but Geun Suk looked at her as a woman who needs the love of a man.

And the queen definitely hated Shin Hye for her looks, because the young woman looked more beautiful than the queen.

And just like Snow White, Shin Hye had long black hair, fair white skin, and rosy cheeks and lips. And just like the wicked stepmother, the queen had evil plans and magic against her. Unlike the fairy tail evil queen, Shin Hye's stepmother did not have a magic mirror in her possession.

****

One day, she summoned a huntsman to do her bidding. The huntsman nodded and went away. And later, the queen summoned Shin Hye, who instructed her to go to the forest for some errands. Shin Hye did as commanded.

As she was preparing the carriage and her things, the prince came to her.

"Eodi gaseyo?" he asked.

"I am going to the forest," she replied.

Geun Suk knew that his mother hated Shin Hye to death, so he wrapped his arms around his step-sister.

"I do not know why I should be your step-brother," Geun Suk told her honestly. "But my feelings for you is not that of a sibling."

"..O..Oppa?" Shin Hye asked, confused.

She did not like what she felt, and she did not like what he said.

"Saranghae..." he said.

Shin Hye pushed him gently. "Joesonghamnida, Oppa. But we are siblings."

"We are siblings by law, not by blood," Geun Suk said. "Let's...let's get away. Let's marry."

Shin Hye shuddered at the thought. She loved her father so much that she was willing to do the right things, one of which is to be siblings to Geun Suk. But marrying him is a different story.

"Mianhamnida, Oppa, but I do not feel the same way," she said.

Geun Suk released her from his embrace, and he looked at her.

"Shin Hye-ya, please promise me you will come back," he said.

She dismissed the ominous tone of his voice.

"Gajima," he said.

"Why so worried, Oppa?" she asked him. "I will just be on an errand. I might be away for days, but I will return."

She got on her carriage, then drove the horse by herself to the forest. Geun Suk knew what his mother was up to, and much as he tried to let her stay, he could not because Shin Hye was too naive.

****

Finally, Shin Hye was at the heart of the forest when her carriage broke. She got down to check on the mechanics of the carriage when her horse got wild.

"Ahhh!!!! Min Ho-ya, please! Hajima!" she begged to the horse.

But the horse turned around and was about to stomp on her when an arrow flew by and cut the bridle. The horse was free and ran away farther, leaving Shin Hye and the carriage in a mess. She saw the arrow and stood up.

"Hello? Anybody there?" she asked, very frightened.

A man emerged from the trees, and Shin Hye looked at him in her perpetual optimism. The man had covered his face that she could not tell if he was young or old.

"Ah, ajusshi, I am so thankful for saving my life," she said. "If you would be so kind, could you please tell me where I am?"

"You are in the middle of the forest," the man said.

"I am far from the castle and..."

"You must be the Princess Shin Hye," the man said.

"Ne. I am Princess Shin Hye," she said.

The man took off his cloak so that she could see his face. She blushed when she saw him because he was divinely handsome.

"If you are far from the palace, then I will invite you to my little cottage," the man said.

"Would Sir be so kind as to tell me his name?" she begged.

"Jung Yong Hwa-imnida," the man said.

He helped her gather her things, and he brought her to his cottage. He helped her settle in the room by the attic. Then, he went away to do some work.

*****

When he got back the house by sunset, he noticed the little house to be very tidy, and he found the hearth flaming with the cheery fire. Shin Hye bustled to and fro, preparing meals for the evening. He saw the food prepared, and he could not believe it that the dainty princess could actually do household chores.

"Yong Hwa-ssi, please come in," she said cheerfully.

He sat poker-faced, and watched as the princess served him like he was her husband.

"Are you in a relationship?" he asked her all of a sudden.

She blushed demurely, totally astonished.

"Anio," she said. "I am very much happy being single, and it is my pleasure to do things a girl enjoys."

Then, she went on a discourse about having a loving husband and beautiful kids.

"I am a princess, but I do not like living the life of royalty," she said. "It would be my pleasure to engage in an agreeable occupation, like working in the loom. I am good at it, you see, and even though I am a princess, I saved money for myself."

"You could  be a merchant," he said.

"Ne. And what is Yong Hwa-ssi's occupation?" she asked.

"I am a huntsman, and I hunt wild animals to be sold to the marketplace," he said. "I am sometimes employed by the king and the queen to hunt rare animals."

"Rare animals?" Shin Hye asked, her heart aching. "Does that mean that you hunt rabbits too?"

"Ani. I hunt reptiles, vile snakes and crocodiles," he said. "See this scar on my arm?"

Shin Hye looked at his scar. He explained it was from a crocodile bite.

"You can touch it if you like," he said.

"Anio... I am a girl," she said. "It is not proper for a girl to hold a man, nor allow him to touch her hand."

Yong Hwa smirked.

"You are demure indeed,"  he said.

After dinner, she washed the dishes, while he continued chopping off the wood for tomorrow. Then, after doing their nightly rituals, Yong Hwa invited him to a secret room, where he showed him three bronze life-sized figures, one bed per figure.

"Who are they?" she asked him.

She went to each bed and inspected each figure, but she did not touch them because the figures looked like men. One has chinky eyes, one has long hair, and the other has broad shoulder muscles and prominent chest muscles.

"Those are my friends," Yong Hwa said. "They were turned into bronze objects by a witch because they did not do her bidding."

"Oh dear," she gasped.

"They are huntsmen like me, but they got punished because they did not kill a precious tiger owned by a king in another kingdom," Yong Hwa said.

"Horrible!" Shin Hye ed.

"So it is," he replied.

He introduced her to his friends: Min Hyuk as the chinky-eyed guy, Jung Shin as the long-haired guy, and Jong Hyun with the broad shoulders.

"Poor them," she said.

"I keep the room clean all the time because they are alive," he said. "Min Hyuk's body is not agreeable with dust and bad weather, that is why I maintain the room. And even if they are statues, they have feelings. I caught Jung Shin shedding tears one time."

"Oh pity," Shin Hye said. "If only I can help them..."

"What can you do?" he asked, leaving her silent.

****

The next day, during breakfast, Shin Hye called out to Yong Hwa, but he was not in the shed where he was supposed to be chopping some wood. She went out and looked for him. She found him by the well, talking with a beautiful lady in white flowing robe. The lady had a solemn look on her baby face.

"Yong Hwa-ssi..." Shin Hye called out.

Yong Hwa and the white lady looked at her.

"Who is she?" the lady asked in a jealous but solemn voice.

Yong Hwa introduced the two ladies to each other.

"It is my pleasure to know your acquaintance, Geun Young-ssi," Shin Hye curtsied.

Geun Young raised an eyebrow.

"How dare you bring in a petty mortal into your abode!" she said to Yong Hwa.

"Mianhamnida," Yong Hwa said to Geun Young, explaining to her why Shin Hye was in the cottage.

Geun Young raised her hands and brought it down. A strong gust of wind came and whirled around Shin Hye, bringing some leaves with it.

"Please stop it!" Shin Hye begged.

"Why would I accept orders from a mere mortal princess?" Geun Young asked jealously.

"Please stop it," Yong Hwa begged her.

Geun Young stopped the wind, and the wind obeyed her.

"What are you?" Shin Hye asked in fright.

"Can't you see?" Geun Young asked. "I am a nymph."

Then, she turned to Yong Hwa.

"You know very well that I love you, so do not make me jealous," she said as she toyed with his hair.

"Please do not make me choose between love and friendship," he said to her. "You are my friend, but I cannot reciprocate your feelings. Maybe the time will come, but not today."

"I am waiting for that promise," Geun Young said.

"I am not making any promises," Yong Hwa said.

"I will be waiting," she replied.

Then, she vanished in front of them.

"She is beautiful," Shin Hye said. "Why can't you love her?"

Yong Hwa turned to her.

"Nymphs and immortal beings are powerful and can do what they want, and when their objects of affection do not love them back, they get angry. They feel the hurt, but as it is, they are powerful beings. However, powerful as she is, I cannot love her because I do not have feelings for her."

"Ah...geuraeyo?" she asked softly.

Then, she remembered that she prepared breakfast, so she invited him over.

****

That afternoon, she brought an old spinning wheel to the room where the three men where, and she sat beside Min Hyuk, who was the sickly guy. As she went to weaving, she sang some lovely songs to the guys. Then, she heard some snifflings, and when she went over to one of them, Jung Shin was in tears again. She got her handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from the statue's cheeks.

****

That evening, she told Yong Hwa that she loved weaving in the attic in the afternoons and singing songs to the guys. He smiled at her and told her that if she would be someone else's wife, that man will be lucky to have her. She was a princess, but she was caring and motherly and tender.

Shin Hye blushed and told him it will not be possible as of the moment because she has many dreams in mind. All her dreams were about service to orphans in the orphanages and more merchant stuff.

"Still, your dream of serving orphans really show that you will be a caring mother and wife someday," he said.

Then, he smiled his toothy grin at her. Shin Hye blushed, but she did not understand what she was feeling. She felt it was not right to like a guy, but to be honest, she actually found him likeable.

After dinner, the two of them went to the attic, where they stayed for some time. Shin Hye began singing some lullabies, with Yong Hwa listening. She had to wipe Jung Shin's cheeks every now and then because he was such a crybaby. She did not know what made him cry, but she wanted to very much comfort him.

Yong Hwa felt his chest melting at the sound of her voice and at the tenderness of her manners. She was such the ideal girl that every man wanted, and he found herself falling for her.

****

For many days, the routine happens.

****

One hot lunch time, Yong Hwa was in the forest, chopping off some hard wood when Geun Young came and wrapped her arms around him.

"I miss you," she said.

Yong Hwa smiled at her and allowed her to embrace him while he continued chopping off the wood. And some flashback came to mind.

****

He was skipping through stones by the river when he slipped and fell. His head hit a large rock, and his head bled so much that he was rendered unconcious.

But then, as if a miracle, he was able to open his eyes, though the water made his vision blurry. And a girl looked at him from above the water. She helped him, and she nursed his wounds, healing it in an instant. She introduced herself as Moon Geun Young, nymph of the forest. As Yong Hwa was still young, he called her Noona.

But the nymph was immortal, and she saw how Yong Hwa grew from being a skinny boy to a muscular huntsman. And just two years ago, she told him not to call her 'Noona', and she asked him for his love. Yong Hwa did not reciprocate her love because he had not known what it was, but he was grateful that she saved his life.

****

Geun Suk, meanwhile, was worried that Shin Hye did not return, so he set out to a lone search with his horse. He came upon the forest and saw the cheerful cottage. He went to the cottage to knock and inquire if there had been any news about the princess. It was a shock to him that Shin Hye opened the door for him.

"Oppa?"

"Sh...Shin Hye-ya, why are you here?" he asked.

She told him what happened, and since the palace was too far, she stayed there, taking care of the huntsman's property.

"What about the errand?" Geun Suk asked.

"I cannot do the errand anymore," Shin Hye said. "The horse ran away, and when I tried getting out of the forest to look for the horse to continue with the errand, some powers block me from getting out."

Geun Suk frowned. He knew that his mother might have something to do with it.

"Come with me," he said.

"Ne... But first, please eat lunch with us, and I will properly say goodbye to Yong Hwa-ssi."

"Yong Hwa?" the prince asked.

"Ne. He is the huntsman who accommodated me here in his cottage."

Yong Hwa came in and saw the prince. He bowed politely. Shin Hye introduced them to each other. The prince had lunch with them, but the huntsman did not like the prince because he looked at Shin Hye differently, and not that of a step-sibling.

"Er, Shin Hye-ya, I will be back tomorrow," Geun Suk said. "I reckoned that you have some things with you, and my horse cannot accommodate all."

"I will be waiting, Oppa," she said.

And the prince left.

"You...are going home?" Yong Hwa asked sadly.

"Ne. I will be back to my father's house," she said. "And I will give you a handsome parting gift."

It made him sad to hear that. And that night, she gave him the scarf which she had weaved. She also placed some scarfs on each of the man's bed as parting gift. As usual, tears fell down Jung Shin's eyes. As for Yong Hwa, he brought her close to him and gave her a hug, and she blushed again.

"Gajima..." he begged. "Tteona jima (Please don't leave)."

"I need to," she whispered.

****

The next morning, Shin Hye went to the shed to gather some wood for the hearth to cook some lunch for them. She waited for her stepbrother to come, but he was still not around. When she got back to the house, she saw a carriage.

"Oppa!" she thought happily.

As she was about to approach the door, she saw her stepmother talking with Yong Hwa. They could be hearing distance, but Shin Hye could not hear anything. Finally, after the talk, Shin Hye came in and greeted her stepmother politely. The wicked queen was shocked to see her, so she stormed off the cottage in anger.

"Why... why is she angry?" she asked Yong Hwa, but he did not reply.

She just cooked lunch, waiting for Geun Suk to come.

****

That night, after dinner, Yong Hwa told her that she needed to come with him. Naive, obedient, and optimistic, she followed close behind him until they reached some tall reeds near some trees. There, he got a pocket knife and pinned her to the tree, then threatened the knife to her neck.

"Yong Hwa-ssi, what have I done wrong?" she asked in fright, tears falling down her fair eyes.

"Mianhamnida. I did not want to do this, but the queen has ordered that I should kill you," he breathed and spoke in a husky low voice.

He told her that some months ago, the queen ordered him to prepare his cottage and receive the princess and to treat her nicely before killing her after three days. She promised him that if he did so, his three friends would be human again.

"The queen? My stepmother? Waeyo?"

"The queen wanted you dead because you are more beautiful than she is, and she hated you for that."

"Mworaguyo?" she asked.

"If... If I do not do that, my friends will not be humans for life... I tried asking help from Geun Young, but she could not reverse the spell. And then, you and your horse came. I did I can so that I can kill you after three days, but many weeks had passed and I had not done my mission. That was why the queen was upset to find you alive."

"Why...why did you not kill me?" she asked.

Yong Hwa kept the knife, then came closer to her. He caressed her fair cheeks and leaned forward, tilting his head slightly so he could smell the sweet scent of her neck.

"Maybe because I have fallen in love with you," he whispered.

Shin Hye blushed again, speechless. He confessed that he had fallen for her the first time he saw her after her horse ran away, and he could not dare kill her. He loved how she was so amiable to her friends, wiping Jung Shin's cheeks and keeping the room clean for Min Hyuk, and keeping the sunlight away from Jong Hyun's face.

"You are the ideal lady, and you are my ideal," he said. "Saranghae."

He leaned back so he could see her face, and he saw the glimmer in her eyes. Both of them sat on the ground among the reeds.

"So, now you know that I have no intention of doing the queen's commands."

"But..but your friends," she said.

"I will find a way to exact my revenge," he said.

"If my stepmother is the evil witch that you say, we can ask help from Geun Suk-oppa," she said. "Perhaps, he knows how to break the spell."

"Arasseo," he said. "Let's just hope he comes back as he promised you."

Shin Hye felt herself going mushy when he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Then, he laid her down on the ground, and he planted soft kisses on her lips.

(For the rest of the romantic story in the forest, just think what you want to think after his kisses.)

****

"Ani..." Geun Young said in disbelief at what she saw.

Yong Hwa was on top of Shin Hye, kissing her lips gently, and the princess wrapping her arms around the huntsman. It was not full moon, but since she was a nymph, she could see in the dark.

"Andwae..." she wept. "Yong Hwa... you know I love you... Why are you doing this to me?"

And she fled away.

****

The next morning, Geun Suk got back to the forest and found some strange occurrence. He knew he could see the trees far ahead, but it looked like there were some transparent plasma blocking the way.

"What's this?" he asked as he touched the plasma.

He had a feeling that this was his mother's doing, the reason why Shin Hye could not get out of the forest. The film made Shin Hye lost but to everyone else, they could just get in and out of the forest. Geun Suk could see the transparent plasma because he was the offspring, of course.

"Hmmm... Shin Hye is in trouble," he thought as he rode his horse.

As he came to the heart of the forest, he heard some wailings and sniffles, but there was no one. He noticed his horse trying to retrace its path, and he knew that the horse was scared. Finally, Geun Suk saw a white lady, crying by the tree. She did not look scary at all, but was fair like a princess. He got down from his frightened horse and walked to the lady.

"Jeogiyo," he said. "Why is mylady in tears?"

When the lady looked at him, he was smitten at her innocent and child-like beauty. Her eyes were mature, but she has the face of a young girl. He knelt down and wiped the tears from her face.

"Crying does not suit you," he said gently.

He loved the feeling of giddiness everytime he looks at Shin Hye, but the feeling he had of being gentle and protective of the lady was more than he could handle, and he liked the feeling he had for her.

"My lover," she said her wrongs. "Is in the arms of another woman."

Geun Suk did not like what he had heard. No one has the right to hurt her feelings. They introduced each other, and Geun Suk was stunned that the girl he liked was an immortal being.

"To expound further, that lover, my lover--I mean, I love him, but I am waiting for him to love me back," Geun Young said. "But he was kissing a girl last night. That princess whom he calls 'Shin Hye'."

Geun Suk was stunned. Shin Hye was demure and refined, and he found it hard to believe that someone kissed her first.

"But we are the same," Geun Suk said sadly. "I am in love with Shin Hye, but she looks at me just as a stepbrother."

Geun Young liked how the prince wiped the tears from her eyes.

"If you have a wish, I will grant it," she said.

Geun Suk thought hard.

"I will tell you once I have it," he said. "And I promise you that."

****

The two of them visited the little cottage that afternoon, shocking Shin Hye and Yong Hwa with their appearance.

"Oppa!" Shin Hye called out happily.

"Geun Young?" Yong Hwa asked.

Geun Young looked at the guy that she loved and told him that if he is happy to be with Shin Hye, she would not get in the way anymore. Yong Hwa thanked her because he knew that he loved Shin Hye. Both Geun Suk and Geun Young were able to accept that fact, because they found that they both were also attracted to each other.

Later, Geun Suk reported to Shin Hye something disturbing.

"The reason why you were unable to get out of the forest was because of the transparent plasma sorrounding the forest, not allowing only you to get out."

"Mworaguyo?" Shin Hye asked, disturbed. "Nuga haesseoyo (Who did it)?"

"The queen," Geun Suk said.

Yong Hwa stood in anger.

"What can be done to stop her?" he asked. "I just cannot let her succeed and take Shin Hye away."

"The only way is the most brutal," Geun Young said. "That is to fight her."

Geun Suk looked at the nymph.

"Please do not harm my mother," he begged.

"She had never been a mother to you," Geun Young said to him, much to his astonishment.

Then Geun Young dropped a disturbing news.

"You are not her son," she said.

"Mwo?"

"You are the son of the king of the next kingdom, the owner of the tiger of which the evil queen wanted to steal," Geun Young said.

"That woman is wicked indeed!" Yong Hwa hissed. "No wonder my friends will not steal the tiger. It is precious to the next kingdom."

Geun Suk felt sad that the woman whom he had adored all his life was not his mother after all. But then, Geun Young told him not to think of his mother because she was the witch who threatened  those who do not follow her.

"She was the reason why Yong Hwa's friends became statues, and even I could not reverse the spell," she said.

"So, what do we do?" Shin Hye asked.

"I have an idea," Yong Hwa said.

****

He came to the palace and found out that the king had been imprisoned so that she, the queen, could have the palace and the wealth to herself. He came in like a thief and heard some gossips from the palace guards.

"Ah geurae!" one guard said. "The queen was said to have threatened the other kingdom of bringing them doom, but because she was not successful, she stole the child...some said it is Prince Geun Suk."

"Jinjja?"

"Ye! Also, she thought of stealing an albino tiger of the kingdom so that she can have the fur of the giant cat," the first guard said. "She had instructed some men to do it for her, but no one knew what happened to the men."

Yong Hwa frowned. He knew that the guards were talking about his friends.

"I am afraid of the queen now," the second said. "If she had managed to imprison the king, she could kill us all!"

"And poor Princess Shin Hye has not arrived to redeem the throne."

"Redeem? Who will redeem the throne?"

The two guards froze to hear the queen, who went down her chambers.

"Ungrateful creatures!" she screamed as she was flashed lightning on them.

The guards were not hit because someone threw a mysterious plant at the queen. The plant got hit at the lightning, and it exploded into the queen's arm and face.

When they looked, it was Yong Hwa who was standing there.

And he and the guards saw that the queen was actually a serpent from inside.

"Look what you have done!" the queen screamed.

She transformed into a giant dragon, and the guards started to fight with their swords. Yong Hwa started to grab his bow and arrow and shot at the dragon. The three fought together.

"She is too strong!" the guard said.

"Ah, geurae?" Yong Hwa asked as he fitted another of the mysterious plant to his arrow. The dragon breathed out fire as Yong Hwa shot at it. Too bad for the dragon because the flower exploded, thus burning it. And the arrow flew straight to its heart.

A giant and loud thud was heard, and the guards were astounded. It was the dragon, and she was dead.

"Hurray!" the guards said. Then, they thanked Yong Hwa for saving them.

"Let us look for the king," Yong Hwa said.

They found him in the dungeon, still alive. They tended the king to health, and Yong Hwa told him that Shin Hye is alive. So happy was the king that he instructed the huntsman to bring his daughter back.

****

Shin Hye was at the spinning wheel, singing songs for the guys, when their hard skin melted that into soft human skin. The three woke up from their sleep, happy indeed. As usual, Jung Shin shed his tears as he thanked Shin Hye for singing to them. He had been crying because he was missing his parents a great deal.

Min Hyuk and Jong Hyun were really happy that they promised to do all they can for her.

"You do not need to do that," she said.

****

Geun Suk and Geun Young were talking, and she told him that she felt that the dragon had perished. Geun Suk wept for his mother, but she told him to yearn for his real parents. He was curious because he wanted to know who his parents were.

"Remember the wish you asked from me?" Geun Suk asked. "I want you to be my princess."

Geun Young shed her tears. She was in love with him that she was willing to give up her immortality. She took off her nymph's necklace and threw it to the sky, where the sun melted her necklace away. Both of them hugged each other in happiness.

****

Geun Suk got to meet his real parents, and they were reunited. As Geun Young was mortal already, she was wedded to him, and they lived happily ever after.

****

The other three huntsmen left the forest to be with their families, but they still did their occupation as huntsmen.

****

Shin Hye was reunited to her father, who was very happy to have her back. As he found Yong Hwa to be an agreeable husband material for his daughter, he arranged that the two should get married as soon as possible.

"I will gladly wed your daughter, Your Majesty," Yong Hwa said. "She is so beautiful, mild-mannered, caring, and motherly, and I want her to be my wife and the mother to our children."

He spoke so eloquently that the king found no reason to say no. The king told his royal scribe to prepare the big wedding celebration.

****

And so it came to pass that Yong Hwa and Shin Hye married, with the three huntsmen as one of the witnesses to the wedding. Many people came to see the fairy tale royal wedding, and they sighed at Shin Hye's beauty and at Yong Hwa's handsome look.

"I know pronounce you man and wife," the priest said.

And there, in front of the people, Yong Hwa gave Shin Hye a sweet and gentle kiss.

 

And like all fairy tales, they lived happily ever after.

 

~~~~END~~~~

(up next: Min Hyuk and Woori)

 

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I have two important announcements:

* Accepting requests. Please send me a PM. Please read chapter 9 to see my conditions.

* I miss doing Minami Shineyo fics... Who wants a post-Minami Shineyo one-shot? Please give your answer in the comment box. Gamsahamnida.

 

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