08/11/14

Estimated Time Period: Song Dynasty (960AD - 1270AD)

            “The first time we meet in a different life will be smooth-sailing. The minute we laid eyes on each other, we knew we were in love.”

                                                            :::::

            “Taecyeon. Taecyeon!”

            Taecyeon snapped out of his trance. He looked over at Nichkhun. “Sorry about that. Is there anything you need?”

            “Oh, don’t need anything much,” Nichkhun started nonchalantly. “Just wanted to know if you want to hold my newborn baby, that’s all.”

            “Oh,” Taecyeon paused and took in the situation at hand. He was in the royal nursery with the king. The queen had recently birthed a newborn boy named Jiyong. Taecyeon had a huge sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of a situation that happened centuries ago. But there was one main difference.

            As he held little Jiyong in his arms, Taecyeon said to Nichkhun, “You know, the last time this happened, Y—“

            “Yoona was here with you,” Nichkhun finished. “Yeah, yeah, Taecyeon. You’ve been telling me this ever since the beginning of Victoria’s pregnancy. I know it already.”

            Taecyeon pouted as he played with the baby’s small fingers. “Take pity on me, Nichkhun. A man in love is helpless.”

            “Well, a man can’t be helpless forever,” Nichkhun smiled. “Good news, Taecyeon. The guards found a young woman that fit your description. She’s the daughter of a merchant in the city close to the sea. ”

                                                            :::::

            Yoona was practicing her guzheng when her father called her out of her room.

            “Yoona, there’s someone who would like to see you.”

            She frowned. “Who, Papa? I didn’t make any plans with my friends today.”

            Her father extended his hand and smiled. “It’s a special guest.”

            Taking her father’s hand, Yoona followed him to the front of their store. There, she saw a man in his mid-twenties. He was tall and muscular, but his stance and attire showed intelligence and scholarship.

            The man walked up to her and bowed. His eyes were dancing with excitement. “Nice to meet you in this life, Yoona. My name is Taecyeon, and I am the royal historian for King Nichkhun and Queen Victoria.”

            “Nice to meet you, mister,” Yoona bowed back to the royal historian. She tried to be as graceful as possible. “How may I assist you today?”

            “The king and queen are looking for more skilled musicians for their orchestra,” Taecyeon looked around the room. “And we have heard that you are the best performer at your village.”

            “Ahh,” Yoona’s eyes grew wide. She rushes over to her guzheng, gesturing Taecyeon to follow. “My father is a skilled musician, and he taught me how to play the guzheng when I was a little girl.”

            Taecyeon nodded to Yoona’s father. “I am sure you have taught your daughter well. May I listen to her play?”

            “By all means,” her father gestured toward Yoona. “Play him your mother’s favorite, darling.”

            “Yes, father,” Yoona nodded. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to play.

            Taecyeon watched Yoona intently as she played on her string instrument. Like the first time he met her in his last life, he was awestruck by her gentle beauty. She was so delicate and fragile, but underneath that soft exterior was a strong-willed and honest woman.

            He knew that her mother in this life had passed away three years ago, and that their relationship was strong and loving. When first finding out, Taecyeon was relieved to know that Yoona’s family situation in this incarnation was much better than her last incarnation.

            Yoona must have loved her mother very much, for she was playing her mother’s favorite song with so much emotion that Taecyeon saw tears forming in her eyes. He immediately wanted to walk up next to her and wipe her tears away, but instead, he held back and reached for his handkerchief.

            When she was done playing, he slowly walked up to her and handed her his handkerchief. He smiled as she accepted his offer and dabbed at her eyes. “You played beautifully.”

            “Thank you, Taecyeon,” Yoona replied softly. For some reason, she had wanted him to walk up next to her and wipe the tears from her eyes with his fingers. She was surprised at the feeling of intimacy with this person that she had just met. “Mama passed away three years ago, and I still miss her so much.”

            “She will always be watching over you,” Taecyeon comforted.

            “Do you think the king and queen will enjoy my daughter’s playing, Taecyeon?” Yoona’s father asked.

            Taecyeon turned to him and smiled. “I’m sure they will. May I ask your permission to invite Yoona to be a part of the king and queen’s royal orchestra?”

            Her father grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, you may. I knew my precious daughter was destined to be someone great.”

            The royal historian turned to Yoona and walked a little closer. She noticed how clear and optimistic his eyes were, and her heart skipped a beat. “Yoona, would you like to come with me to the royal palace?”

            “Yes, I would love to.”

                                                            :::::

In three month’s time, I told you about our past history together, and in six month’s time, you ran out of reasons not to marry me. We lived happily ever after.

Next up, the Ming Dynasty era. I will be going all the way to the modern times!

If you guys have any ideas on other stories for Taecyeon and Yoona's different incarnations, feel free to comment down below~