Jong Kook's POV

I first saw her Highness when I was about eight years old while she was visiting the Palace. I was a small, scrawny child who was too shy to do anything like make friends. So I spent most of my time by myself, away from the house that contained only a mother and brother. I just so happened to be outside the Palace gates at the time of her visit, just innocently playing with a craved out wooden horse before being told to get out of the way by the Palace guards. As I was chased off from the stone pathway I wondered what all the commotion was about. I struggled to see what was happening through the crowd that had gathered on both sides of the pathway as the adults towered over me. A sudden cheer made my curiosity grow so I squeezed my way through the bodies, thankful for once about my size, before coming to the front. 

There an extravagant carriage, carried by four men, rode by me. I wondered who the person was and what sort of importance they had to the royal family, to own such a wonderful piece of wooden ingenuity and to draw in such a crowd. I stared in amazement at the patterns painted on the wood, the swirls and delicate flowers of nearly every colour. My eyes followed the carriage as it continued on its journey to the gate of the Palace. Soon the crowd began to shrink as the guards were ordering people to leave. But I stayed. I wanted to see who the person was, the person who rode the somewhat otherworldly carriage. 

The four men carrying the carriage carefully placed it on the ground so that the person inside wouldn't get jostled. As soon as it was placed down one of the men opened the doors to the carriage and out crawled a little girl. The girl looked at least four or five years old smaller and younger then me. The robes or Wonsam she wore seemed to make her younger for they looked too big on her for the skirt was too long as it nearly touched the floor. The robes were a mixture of blue, pink, red and purple designed with swirls and flowers like the carriage. Her hands were engloved in her large, sprawled sleeves while her wavy dark hair flowed down her back and reached about her thighs. On her dainty little feet she wore matching rubber slippers. The way she looked in her robes made her seem delicate, breakable like a flower being blown on by a strong gust of wind. 

But it was her face that caught my attention. Her face was rounded by child fat that all children her age had and it made her seem even younger. A creamy white complexion that had a faint pure glow to it, gave her an atmosphere of innocence and youth. A small button nose that reminded my of a rabbit's was place above a pair of small but full pink lips. But what really made my heart skip a beat was her eyes. Her eyes were big and round, different from my tiny eyes that I was made fun of. I was near enough to be able to see that they were a deep light brown, twinkling with something akin to nervousness and excitement. She glanced around her surroundings while her guards shouted orders before her eyes came to rest on me. 

I knew what she would see for I had seen myself a lot when bathing in the river nearby, in the water's reflection. She would have seen a skinny boy a few inches taller then herself wearing a Jeogori and a pair of Baji that was a bit too small for him. His hair would be a little ruffled from not being brushed properly. The face of the boy would be a little extraordinary with slits for eyes and a small jutting chin.She stared back at me for a moment before a smile placed itself on her face. I knew then that I was captivated by her. She seemed too magnificent, too exquisite to be human. She looked more like a Goddess sent down from the heavens. As she smiled at me I felt my cheeks grow hot and my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I didn't know what to do so I just stood there, gaping at her in a dumb way. 

I suddenly wanted to know the name of the girl who had made me feel like this but I was too cowardly to do anything that brave. Besides her guards might chase me away I thought to myself reasoning the irrational side of my brain who was desperate to know more about the girl. I was still standing when, as if by some miracle, a guard shouted out her name as the gates were opening. "Come on Princess Cheon Seong Im" said the guard, grabbing a hold of her arm. "My name is not Cheon Seong Im. It's Song Ji Hyo"  said the girl in a voice that sounded like a bird chirping. "Ok Princess Song Ji Hyo. Now hurry up their excepting us". The girl, Princess Song Ji Hyo, threw one last glance at me, followed by a smile before she was dragged into the Palace, the gates closing behind her. 

I was rooted into my spot, though I wanted to run to the gates and catch another glimpse at her. But it was shock that kept me in my place. She was a Princess. And not just any Princess. She belonged to a family that was well known for its army and authority, the Song's were considered the most influence in the country. And what was I? Just a boy who only had a mother to look after him, his father having left them when he was seduced by another woman. My chances of claiming her heart were slim, not that I would have pursed her if given the chance for my own cowardice would have gotten in the way. 

As I slowly trugged back home I thought about her again. I laid my hand over my heart and felt it increase its speed. I knew that I had been captured by Princess Song Ji Hyo and I wondered when I would see her again...

The Palace stood proudly in the center of Seoul, a sign of authority and supremacy bestowed upon the royal family from the hands of both God and the people. The cravings in the walls of the Palace told the proud history of the royal family, the myths that their society was based on while also showing the wealth of the royalty. Guards guarded the entrances, making sure that no one entered without permission from the Old King. Behind the gates the courts were patrolled by more guards. In one area in front of the Throne Room were a few guards practicing their martial arts and their fencing with their twin long swords or Ssangdo. 

One man overlooked all of the guards, satisfaction and pride written clearly on his face. He was Kim Jong Kook, the Head Guard for the Old King as well as his Military Commander. He has changed so much from since he was eight. He has grown from a puny height of ninety centimeters to one meter and seventy six centimeters and instead of being skinny he had developed muscles,  straining underneath his uniform that any athelet would be green with envy for. He still had the small eyes and jutting chin but his hair seemed neat now and his cheekbones were more prominent which made his cheeks look sunken in his face. This helped to make his face more oval then the rounded face he had when he was eight. Kim Jong Kook was considered a perfectionist, always seeking the best in life. He was known for being a brilliant strategist, often the one anyone seeked to give advise on. 

As well as being a perfectionist, a strategist, Kim Jong Kook was known for being merciless towards anyone who made him furious. His underlings would know as they had experienced first hand his fire like rage. Jong Kook stopped a guard who stumbled a little when dodging the attack of another guard. He walked up towards them while shouting out his name "Ha Dong Hoon, you need to balance yourself better. When dodging get your footing right" ordered Jong Kook. "Understood Commander Jong Kook-ssi" the guard called Ha Dong Hoon bowed down at Jong Kook before returning back to his sparring match.

Jong Kook glanced around his training guards looking out for any mistakes before something else came into his vision. A woman, surrounded by her maids and ladies in waiting, was strolling in the court for it was a hot day. Jong Kook couldn't help but stare at her, like he usually does whenever he catches a glimpse of her. Over the years Princess Song Ji Hyo had grown up into a Princess that would make the country proud. Her beauty had made her one of the most desired women in the country. She still had the creamy white complexion and the round little button nose. What changed about her was her lips. They had become more fuller and plumb, making them look irresistible. There were many times when Jong Kook would look at her lips in longing but would snap out of it when he realised it was pointless to keep on hoping for the impossible. She was about the same height as himself, only an inch or two shorter then Jong Kook. 

While he continued staring at her her hair, that was still the same length, swayed a little in the wind trailing behind her in a memorizing way. Jong Kook felt his heart swell with a longing to run his hands through her dark locks. His body twitched, ready to run to her and just hold her. But he had to resist and just satisfy himself with just looking at her. She carried on walking, not noticing him and his stares. Thinking it was enough Jong Kook turned his head back towards his training guards, shouting out orders. Hearing that Princess Song Ji Hyo glanced to where he stood, his hands on his hips with an angry expression on his face, smiling and giggling to herself before carrying on walking, leaving her maids and ladies in waiting confused. 

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Hello sorry for the late update. I know I promised I would update yesterday but I didn't get the chance with chores and the chapter took too long to write. Writing about East Asian culture is hard, especially when you know very little. Had to research about the clothes and the palace and just go along with whatever I had seen in the movies. Might update sometime next week when exams are over. Enjoy and read for now!

P.S: I hope this chapter is okay.