The next morning Jong Kook woke up in a good mood. After he had secretly given her the sachet, as soon as he was underneath the covers of his futon and his head had hit his pillow Jong Kook was thrown into a wonderful dream, exhaustion making him sleep instantly. He had dreamed that Princess Song Ji Hyo had been with him, encased in his arms. Jong Kook had leaned forward and sniffed her hair, as if it were the most natural and right thing to do. She had smelled of summer incense and of all things pure and beautiful that was distinctly her scent.  Jong Kook couldn’t help but take another sniff.

She had sighed in contentment before twisting around in his arms, facing him. In her left hand, over her heart, was the sachet. “Oppa thank you for this delightful gift. You don’t know how it has become my prized possession” she had said, a smile that showed how blissful she was on her face. Jong Kook’s chest swelled with warmth and he was star-struck with surprise at how she had used familiar terms with him. He was glad that she liked it and regarded it as her prize.

Princess Song Ji Hyo, with a mysterious glint in her eyes, started to lean forward with her lips pursed. She was going to kiss him, her aim clearly his lips. Jong Kook had felt his heart stop dead as those eyes of hers; those florescent orbs making him go wild with want and love for her slowly started to flutter closed.  Just as their lips were milli-meters apart from meeting in a passionate kiss, Jong Kook had to wake up from the dream.

He had cursed his tendency to wake up early, that his body wouldn’t allow him to sleep longer for fear of breaking his years-induced habit.  Part of him was tempted to go back to sleep, to finish the dream, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to catch another minute of sleep. Sighing deeply to himself in disappointment at having such a good dream cut short, he dressed himself in his uniform before heading out of his quarters.

Jong Kook froze as soon as his eyes laid on her. Princess Song Ji Hyo was exiting her quarters, followed by her maids and ladies in waiting. There was that air of mystical beauty about her that had Jong Kook feel as if he was looking at a unique specimen of female perfection and his eyes drank in her appearance. Today there seemed to be a sort of excited and cheerful energy about her, could tell from the way she held her body and from the way she glanced around her surroundings.

Jong Kook then observed as Princess Song Ji Hyo stopped and glanced down at was hanging around her neck. On closer inspection he realised it was the sachet that she was looking down at. As he stared, dumb-founded to see her wearing his gift, Princess Song Ji Hyo brought the sachet up to her nose and took a deep breath, inhaling the perfume. Her eyes closed as a pleased smiled transformed her face.

 His heart swelled with a sort of sincere happiness that made him want to jump for joy. He felt as if he could do anything with that happiness, blow away a cloud of sadness or slap depression in the face. He could have climbed the highest mountain or swam in the deepest ocean if she had wanted him to, no questions asked.

He watched as she carefully let the sachet fall from her fingers, as if she was afraid of breaking it, before continuing on her walk out of her quarters. Jong Kook stared at her disappearing back in a wistful way before snapping out of it. “No matter how much you want her, you will never have her” he said to himself and the truth behind his words replaced the happiness he had been feeling.

With a shake of his head, he walked out of his quarters and started to perform his morning duties.  

A few hours later and Jong Kook was in a sour mood. After having that little wake-up call about his yearning for Princess Song Ji Hyo, he had spent the past hour or so taking his frustrations out on his guards. He wondered why they never told him to relax or to take his anger elsewhere. He felt a sense of guilt wash through him as he thought of all the times he had unnecessarily taken his irritation out on his guards.

He blamed it on her. He didn’t really mean to act the way he did but his want over Princess Song Ji Hyo was driving him crazy with both fantasy and reality. He tried to calm himself down, trying to count to ten, but images of her popped up in his head. Images of her smiling while the sunlight splashed life across her skin dashed around in his mind. Of her laughter that he was lucky enough to hear from time to time, sounding like a nightingale singing to the white moon. It was hard, to be tempted by your desire yet know that you could never have it.

Jong Kook smacked his head in the hopes of beating her image out of his thoughts and maybe to bring reality back into his delusional mind. Now is not the time to be thinking about something you can’t have Jong Kook. Get a grip of yourself. There is no way that the Princess will ever have a happy ever after with the General who came from a poor background. Besides do you want to break your heart a second time? Just focus on your duty. With those last words Jong Kook brutality pushed thoughts of Princess Song Ji Hyo to the back of his mind and focused on patrolling the Palace grounds.

After a few more minutes of walking about, the burn in his calves and lungs was a welcoming feeling in the prevention of thinking about her anymore; so he decided to take a break. While sitting on the steps leading into the Great Library, feeling the comforting breeze on his skin and the warmth of the sun on his face, images of her slowly crept into his mind. No matter how hard he tried to not think about the Princess, her face ended up being in his mind’s eye. Her smile made him smile, her laugh made him laugh. He wanted to hold her small curvy figure, to keep her encased in his arms forever.

Everything about her fascinated him in a way that he worshipped the very ground she walked on. But there was no point in pinning after someone who was impossible to obtain. With another shake of his head at how silly he was being, he got up from the steps to carry on with his duties.

Just as he was finishing his rounds he happened to see someone run in his direction from the corner of his eye. As the figure got closer he recognised that it was one of Princess Ji Hyo’s ladies in waiting, her face twisted in an expression of worry and anxiety. She reached him and in between pants said “Prin…cess… Ji… Hyo. Hurt. Need… help. Sent… you.”

Horror went through Jong Kook, his love so great that he wished no suffering upon her. Images of her smiling face twisted by pain flashed through his mind, breaking down the weak barrier he had attempted to create in order to try and forget about his feelings for her. It was impossible. He would always love her, even if knowing that anything between them was unachievable.

He tore away from the stuttering maid after she had told him where the Princess was. He dashed to where she was, not minding the scorching sun on his back or the lack of air in his lungs. His main focus was on finding Princess Ji Hyo.  

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So sorry that I have not updated this fanfic for a while but was busy with other fanfics. Anyway I have no idea when I will put up the next chapter. Probably when I get into the spirit of writing this one again since I seem to have no will to continue it.