The wind was icy cold, and I shivered despite my warm travelling cloak and the thick fur blanket that lay across my lap.  My master glanced at me,

“Are you cold?”

I smiled, but shook my head, knowing he would try to give me his blanket if I said yes.  I couldn’t let the prince be cold, if I did, I failed in my duty. 

He looked out of the carriage and watched as the fat snowflakes rushed past the window.

“We should arrive soon”

I nodded and we fell into another awkward silence.  I felt like I was suffocating in the small space, I felt the irrational desire to just jump out of the moving carriage.  It wasn’t so much that I hated my master, he was not a bad man and in other circumstances, I probably would have liked him.  It was the fact that I hated my captivity.

I grew up a peasant in a small village in the mountains.  My adolescence was spent running in the open air, swimming in clear mountain streams, and laughing in the green forests that surrounded my home.

My life changed when the war came.  The soldiers marched into town, imprisoning the men and enslaving the women.  I begged the soldiers to take me instead of my mother, and I was forced into slavery.  My only comfort was that my mother was left alone, safe in the mountains.

Master chose me more as a strike of luck than anything else.  I met him by chance as I was fetching water for the troops.  I hadn’t known he was the prince, and I rushed right past him, not wanting to be late.  If the soldiers were kept waiting, I had to pay, usually with my body…

Later that day I received a summons, I was informed that I would now serve the prince.  In a way, he had saved me.  As his personal servant I was treated kindly and the others no longer dared to harm me.  I paid my debt to him with my unfaltering support, and unquestioning obedience.   Basically, I did whatever he wanted, doted on his every whim.  I never complained and I never refused...

I sighed softly, and stared down at my hands.  Right now, I would be helping the other villagers seal their houses against the snow.  My mother would be in our house making rice porridge and gossiping with the other women.

My eyes clouded with tears and I snuck a look outside at the swirling white.  I swallowed my emotions, placing the serene and respectful mask back on my face.  My depression and frustration had to stay hidden within me, I could never indicate that I was anything but cheerful.

I was jolted out of my thoughts when the carriage came to an abrupt stop.  I hurried out the door and ran to the other side to open master’s door.   He stepped out, his head held high, and his body regal and elegant.

By this time, the royals of our sister nation had assembled in the courtyard to greet Prince Yesung.  I immediately got to my knees, pressing my face to the ground to show my respect.  Yesung simply bowed his head slightly.  The king and queen bowed in return and welcomed him warmly.

At this time, servants from the palace came to place the horses in the stables.  A kind woman helped me carry master’s belongings to his room.  She left me and I set to arranging his things in a pleasing manner.  I stifled a sigh as I carefully hung his clothes.

Soon enough, I finished my task.  I knew I should have headed down to the main servant quarters to see what I could do to help, but I found myself drifting towards the huge widow stationed on the east side of the bed chamber.

I stood on my tippy toes and saw that the room overlooked the snowy courtyard.  From where I stood, the large manicured gardens and hedges just looked like shapeless blobs.  My eyes traced the path of the falling snow as it flittered to the already white ground.

My breath fogged up the window, obscuring my view slightly.  I raised my finger and wrote a single word in the blurry patch,

“Freedom”

I smiled sadly as the word slowly faded away.  The irony wasn’t lost on me. 

I finally turned away, resigned and ready to return to my reality.  I froze when I caught sight of someone standing at the door.  My eyes locked on his, but he didn’t make a move to look away.  He studied me closely, and I found myself doing the same to him.

He was tall, taller than my master and certainly taller than me.  His clothes weren’t formal or elaborate, but they were of obvious good quality.  He was all lean muscle and I wondered if he was a servant like me, seeing as most royals were soft.

His dark curls were unruly and lay in a careless mop that just reached his eyebrows.  His jawline was defined and distinctly masculine, and his lips were full and jaunty.  His eyes were captivating.  They were a rich brown and undeniably appealing.   However, a closer look revealed hidden secrets in their mysterious depths.  His eyes were also sharp and alert, giving me the impression that little escaped his notice.

He didn’t smile, and neither did I.  We both stared at each other, no hidden meaning or threat present in either of our gazes.  We just simply observed, each making our own judgments and assumptions.  Finally, I broke the stare and made a move to pass by him to exit the room.

I was already past him when a low voice simply said,

“Kyuhyun”

I paused only slightly before continuing to walk.

“Ryeowook” I replied, not bothering to look back at the mysterious stranger.

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Second Chappie up!  Enjoy, this is the beginning of the Kyuwook! ^^

Music: "Tried to Walk- Instrumental" by B1A4 ("Les Miserables" had too much singing *cringes* no more singing tonight)