Day 9.

The Prince is truly the kindest being (outside of their Royal Majesties, of course) that I have ever met. He takes after his father and mother very well.

After our fateful meeting at the 'café' yesterday, he has offered to prepare a hearty dinner for me. He brought me back to his humble abode, and treated me with the utmost kindness and hospitality even though it may seem like I am but a strange person to him. We spent what seemed like hours talking about quite interesting things- his life in this world, what his family here is like. He has also emphasized that he likes it here, though he did tell me that he had the tiniest bit of curiosity about our world, and what kind of life he could have led. After he was done relating his life story, I told him mine. I described our world, the kind of life I led, the conflict with the Evil Lord Minwoo, which led to the 10-year civil war, and how his parents saved his life by sending him to live here.

It is quite strange how we have come to understand each other so easily now. He speaks in a mix of their language here and our language, though it seems as though speaking our language just came to him naturally. It is almost as if he had lived in our world all his life. After I had finished speaking, he then told me a truth that he had not told me when we first met:

He had already known a little bit about his origins.

It explained why he was not incredibly surprised when I approached him like a madman and insisted that he's a Princess of another world, and it also explained why he was friendly towards me instead of hostile and relentlessly unforgiving, as he should have been. He told me that he had always known that he somehow didn't belong to this world, what with the first 10 years of his life that he did not remember and the fact that his family now had found him in an orphanage, who in turn said that he suddenly showed up in front of their doors one day from locations unknown. He had never quite fit in; but he never minded. He had always thought that maybe he came from another country, but when I came into his life, it further cemented his suspicions that he, indeed, did not come from this world. He at this point mentioned that he was a little bit curious about finding out about the world that he came from, though he still emphasized the fact that he did not want to be a Prince of a world he knew nothing about.

I assured him that it would not be a problem, as I would be teaching him the ways of our people and how to govern the land. I realize at this point that I had not told him that I am the Royal Advisor whose sole job is to bring him back and then instruct him on everything (I did not tell him that I was to be his future husband though; one thing at a time. The poor Prince already has mounds of information to fully digest and take in). He kindly overlooked the mistake, though he was still adamant about not wanting to take responsibility.

At this point, I am getting quite impatient. If only I could somehow convince the Prince to just get back to our land-- it would mean everything. If I succeed in bringing him back, I can keep him there and then convince him that it would be alright to assume his real life back.

I do not want to use force. Force is the very last option- I would only resort to using it if it was extremely urgent that I bring back the Prince right away. And since it is not, I cannot and will not use violence, as it will only push him further away instead of coercing him. I figure that the only way that I can get him to at least go back with me is to pique his interest, and try I did.

I told him of the most curious perks that our land holds, ones that do not seem to exist in this world. I told him of the existence of dragons and alchemy; of our royal sage who can perform magic and has oracle powers (though I did not tell him of his incompetency; he will learn of that in due time); of the kind King and Queen who do their best to mingle with the common folk instead of staying in the Palace; of the Evil Lord Minwoo and how the land was like under his rule, and how he is now under exile in a different land because of the sins he had committed; of how our land is lush and green and the blue skies stretch as far as the eyes could see, and how our land is full of rich and vibrant fields of various colors unlike in this world where the sole color seems to be centered on dull grey. He seemed awed and fascinated with all my stories, and kept telling me how he loved 'fantasy' and had only heard of such things existing in books.

And after I had related all my stories, he told me to show him 'proof'.

I thereby contacted the Royal Sage Dongwan immediately, commanding him to show the Prince our land through the use of his magical powers. The Royal Sage Dongwan obeyed, and the Prince and I were treated to a show of all the lush lands and the happy faces of the people and the dragons peacefully flying about and the kind faces of their Majesties, who left a message that they missed their 'son' very much and would love to meet 'him' very soon.

Watching everything from the crystal ball made me ache to go back, though I glanced at the Prince and his eyes were twinkling. It seems as though I am but a step away to convicting him. I turn to him and ask the question gently, though he looks at me with sad eyes and still adamantly say that he could not just leave his life here for another, as he owes a great deal to the people who raised him and he likes living a 'normal' life.

I told him I would give him time to think about it, as without thinking, I reach over for his hand to try and comfort him. Oddly enough, it did not feel awkward at all to hold the Prince's hand. He did not seem to mind either, as he squeezed my hand back gently before letting go.

I glance out the window, and realize that it has gotten to be very late. I intended to leave the Prince to think about the matter at hand as I thought he would like to be alone, when to my surprise he told me to stay and spend the night so that I would not have to travel back to my temporary home.

Then he told me he also wanted to show me the ways of this world, and then pulled me into one of the rooms with the strange contraption that I saw upon coming in earlier, a big, black box that I had no idea what was used for. He brought it to life, and suddenly, there were people in it talking! He told me that it was a 'television' used to watch 'movies', which are like plays except they're done by actors a long time ago and can be watched many times just by playing the 'DVD'. I have not the slightest notion on what any of it meant, though I assume it is a strange kind of entertainment they have here, as I watch him operate it. Truly fascinating, what people of this world have come up with.

He beckoned me to sit beside him on the fluffy chairs, that he calls a 'couch' (I am truly learning very strange words here), as he brought his attention back to the 'movie'. I watch everything, fascinated, as it all seemed that everything that was happening is real. Vastly different to the traditional plays that I always watch and once even performed in.

We end up watching this 'movie' throughout the night. By the time the screen turned black and strange words came rolling in, which I assume signified its end, I find that the Prince had fallen gently asleep on my shoulder. At the angle I am looking at him from, he looked like a peaceful angel in slumber. I dared not move in fear of waking him, though pretty soon my eyes felt heavy as well as I am lulled to sleep by his gentle breathing.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.