The moment when Romeo sees Juliet dance across the ballroom with Paris, his heart has been captured. Knowing that moment he wants to spend the rest of his life with her.

Do you remember that one particular moment where Juliet and Romeo are locking eyes with each other? Falling deeper and deeper in love as he climbs the balcony toward her in the luminous night?

Not giving care in the world that they aren't meant to be, but in their hearts they know that they are perfect for each other.

Although, have you ever wondered what if the image Romeo sees in Juliet is another? A lost lover perhaps?

Perhaps, he sees that this fair Juliet is his first lover reborn?

"We were both young when I first saw you," he whispered to his Juliet as he closed his eyes and the flashback started. "I'm standing there, on the balcony in the summer air."

------------------

Reaching the age of 16 was like reaching the age to take full responsibility of the entire kingdom in his adolescent hands.

The celebration was a great deal, his parents have been planning for this moment ever since he could pick up a sword and learned how to defend himself.

Although the celebration was for Yeseob, he was not enjoying himself. Even with beautiful gals flirting and awing over him, he found them all distasteful and un-lady like.

Yeseob walked onto the balcony in his room just in time to catch the sunset.

The beautiful ray of orange and yellow, too exquisite to describe in his own words.

He sighed as he heard a rustle behind the trees. Coming out of the woods was a girl, short dark chestnut brown hair, small peach face, big almond brown eyes, pink rosy lips that curled into a small smile; she dressed in common white dress that was a bit tattered and smudged with dirt in places. She carried a basket and a lantern in both of her small delicate hands.

Yeseob's heart skipped a beat as he watched the woods girl picking berries off the bushes.

Yeseob gently touched his chest as it thud-thumped faster than ever.

What is this his feeling inside?

He returned to the girl and whenever he did he felt his inside melting; not to mention the butterflies in his stomach.

Yeseob blinked a few times before clearing his throat.

"You With the hair and -and..." Yeseob trailed off when the girl brought her eyes to his.

"And the hair..." Yeseob continued to trail off.

"I am so sorry!" the girl quickly kneeled on the ground.

"Huh? I-I mean yes! You should be!" Yeseob frowned. "Explain yourself peasant!"

The girl fidgeted. "Thou shall not harm thy?" the girl asked.

"Let your explanation be thou's judge," Yeseob replied with a strong commanding voice even though his inside was like a jelly.

"Her name well sir is Sojin, a daughter of a common farmer. She was picking berries for her birthday. She meant no trouble," Sojin explained. "Is she in trouble?"

Yeseob processed what she was saying. "It is your birthday today?"

Sojin nodded.

"Why are you speaking in third person?" Yeseob asked.

Sojin quickly looked away. "I...don't know what you're talking about."

Yeseob grabbed on the railing and jumped onto the ladder embedded into the wall and climbed down.

Sojin quickly stood and backed away.

"You think I will let you off the hook if you acted dumb?" Yeseob pointed.

"Why good sir, thou should not point, it is very impolite," Sojin spoke calmly. "And what if I was?"

Yeseob chuckled under his breath as he leaned foreword in a polite gesture, she was something else.

"My name is Yeseob, the son of the nobleman," he grinned.

"Ah, the son of the nobleman" Sojin's face turned stone cold.

"I beg your pardon but do I detect some bitterness?" Yeseob asked.

"Bitterness?" Sojin acted shock. "My, why would I be bitter toward the son of the men who beheaded my mother in front of the entire county?" Sojin turned away, picked up her belongings and walked toward the woods.

Yeseob quickly followed her.

"I-I'm sorry for your lost." he whispered.

"Please, save your sympathy with someone else." she told him.

"Look, I really am-"

"Your 'sorry' is not going to bring my mother back now would it? Or block away that horrible sight," Sojin glared. "I was four years old, I shall not forgive thou's father; so why don't you do both of us a favor and leave thy alone."

Yeseob watched her walk away.

That beautiful maiden despises him for what his father has done.

In his defense he thinks she is being unreasonable to show that kind of bitterness towards him when he is innocent of such an action that his father made.

Yeseob looked back at the castle, light's gleaming; laughter dancing around the edges of the woods. Than he turned to Sojin's figure walking away. The sadness and anger trailing behind her with a small gleaming light radiating from the lantern.

The butterfly in his stomach remained.

Was he actually going to let her walk away with the false image of whom he truly am? No.

Yeseob quickly followed the light from Sojin's lantern, determined to show her that he is nothing like his father or will he ever be.

"Stop!" he called after her but Sojin ignored him.

"I command you to stop!" Yeseob raised his voice.

Sojin stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him reluctantly with utter disgust on her face.

"Thou command and thy shall obey," Sojin spoke through her teeth.

"I'm sorry," Yeseob sighed. "You did not give me much of a choice."

"Just so you know, I will not be at your coronation ball in two years." Sojin told him.

"Harsh..." Yeseob mumbled. "Listen, I think you're being irrational. You cannot blame me for my father's action."

"His blood runs in your vein does it not?" Sojin lift one eyebrow.

"Yes, but I am nothing like him and I believe I can make my own decision and if I was there, I would've stopped him. Please do not vision me as my father, I am truly sorry for his action." Yeseob apologized.

Sojin's face softened, she could see that he was being sincere.

"She robbed from your father," Sojin told him as she sat on the ground. "Our family was out of supply, my mother could not feed us, not with my father's farm not being harvested. She used to work for the nobleman as one of the servant. She was caught robbing a piece of jewelry. The mistress wanted to forgive and forget but the sire showed no mercy. Most would be locked up, but not her; he had her beheaded..."

Yeseob listened, his face turning grimmer. "I am truly-"

"I know," she told him. "And I am sorry as well for misjudging you; we do have a choice of making our own decisions."

Yeseob nodded.

Sojin slowly got up and picked up the basket and lantern as they both heard a footstep.

"Sister," stepped out a male.

"Brother, what is you are doing here?" Sojin asked as Yeseob frowned.

"What is that in your hand?" Yeseob asked.

Sojin's brother turned to Yeseob. "Nothing you should concern about Sir Prince."

"Hey that is my sword!" Yeseob pointed.

Minho, Sojin's brother frowned.

"Your stealing again?" Sojin smacked him upside his head.

"Ahem," Yeseob cleared his throat, indicating that he wants the sword back. Minho threw it on the ground.

"Stay away from my sister you murderous scum!"

"Minho!" Sojin frowned.

"First you take our mother away, now you want to take my sister too?" Minho glared.

"Stop it," Sojin pulled his arm. "Let's go."

"I'm warning you, stay away."

Sojin gave him an apologetic glance as Yeseob watched them disappear into the woods.

The summer air breezed pass him as that butterfly in his stomach grew.

He did not want her to leave, no.

Touching the back of his head, Yeseob picked up his sword and walked out of the woods; heading for the dozens of lights radiating from the castle.

Yeseob stood still on the bottom of the balcony.

He smiled slowly, he was going to see her again, one way or the other.

----------------------

Few days passed by, and up that following morning Sojin grabbed her empty basket and cloak before leaving the cottage.

She walked to the town square in search of a loaf of bread, milk and fresh eggs for breakfast when she noticed a stranger in dark cloak following her.

The strangers face was hidden, for all she knew he could be an angry ax-man.

As she was picking out eggs, the stranger stood besides her.

She glanced at him as she searched for her money when the stranger stopped her and paid for her.

"Thank you," Sojin curtsied.

The stranger chuckled.

"You curtsy?" he chuckled as he showed her his face quickly.

"You," Sojin walked away and Yeseob quickly followed her. "Again."

"Ouch," Yeseob walked besides her. Yeseob has been appearing before her quiet sometime now, to be honest; Sojin actually enjoyed his company.

"What does the good sir want?" Sojin asked as she did an one take on him. "Does he find please and amusement in dressing up as a peasant?"

"No," he replied. "I am merely dressed this way to avoid detection by thou fair maiden's brother."

Sojin smiled a little. "And what affair does the good sir have with thy this time?"

"Does the maiden ever thought about love?" he asked as they walked out to a serene clearing where the waterfall silently ran.

"Love?" Sojin turned to him.

Yeseob smiled. "Love has never been one of the subject in my life. Never cared for it since it has been merely sixteen year since I was brought to this world." he sat on a stone that he claimed as his own when they came the first time. "My parents; in other hand as always, brought the subject of not love, but marriage."

"I hope you're not asking me a hand in marriage." Sojin smiled playfully.

Yeseob chuckled. "You may never know, I am indeed the next in line." he sighed. "It never ends, the endless meetings; but never the Kim's-family rival. Never met them, they have a daughter though." Yeseob spoke. "They call her Juliet, tis' not her real name though. Any other, love yes, never came across my mind until one faithful day this beautiful wood nymph like creature appeared before my balcony. Ill-tempered she was."

"I was not," Sojin protested.

"My humble apology, what I meant to say is very ill-tempered; started to sound a bit prejudice must I say." he grinned. "But not all that mattered when I looked her in the eyes. She captured my heart and off she went with it into the silent night."

Sojin smiled a little.

"I met someone like you once," Sojin spoke. "A complete opposite must I say but something about you...gives me that feeling as if you are him."

"Who?" Yeseob asked.

"My dog," she smiled.

Yeseob's face dropped. "Heyy."

"You think you're in love with me do you not?" Sojin asked.

"Not think," he spoke as he kneeled before her and took her hand in his. "Know, I know with all my heart that I do. I have not stopped thinking about you, and the weirdest thing is, I hardly know you aside from these past few days."

"This is merely the beginning," she told him. "I-"

"Did you hear that?" Yeseob asked as she slowly frowned.

It was silent as the dead aside from their breathing and the wind.

It was awhile when they both heard a twig snapping.

Slowly Minho appeared, holding a what seem to be like a crossbow.

"Y-" Sojin stopped. He was not alone.

Slowly they appeared, the ones opposed against the nobleman and his family; the rebellions.

"What is this?" Sojin asked as she and Yeseob stood up.

"I warned him to stay away from you Sojin." Minho spoke up from the crowd. "He does not belong in our village and he has sat his feet on it."

"The village belong to my family-" Yeseob spoke up.

"No," Minho cut him off with an icy tone. "It belongs to our family."

The tension among everyone was too thick, that even if you cut it with a knife it would still remain intact.
 
"He needs to go," Minho spoke.
 
"Than let him go," Sojin spoke with a frown.
 
Minho gripped his weapon tighter.
 
Sojin's eye widened. "You honestly cannot mean that!"
 
"He has to go, if his gone than the nobleman has a reason to fear us! To acknowledge out presence and stop treating us like bull!" Minho helped up his crossbow as his mans held up their weapons.
 
Yeseob tensed up, his hand reaching for his sword.
 
Minho and Yeseob locked eyes, focused.
 
"You can't," Sojin quickly stepped in front of Yeseob and spread her arms out.
 
"Have you lost your mind?!" Minho shouted. "Step away sister."
 
"Never brother." Sojin's whole body tensed up.
 
"This is foolish! Step away from that abomination!" Minho continued to shout.
 
"He's my friend!" Sojin shouted back. "If you want to hurt him, you will have to go through me first."
 
Even Yeseob was shocked as everyone.
 
His eyes slowly traveled to the side of Sojin's face.
 
He could see courage, determination, nervousness and most importantly; faith.
 
Faith in herself, in him, and her fellow towns people.
 
She had a faith in them that they would stop this ridiculous game and come to their senses, but Yeseob knew her faith in them were useless; he could see it in their eyes that they are itching to kill him.
 
"Your protecting the son of the man who murdered out mother brutally in front of our eyes? Scarring us our whole life??" Minho glared.
 
Yeseob slowly saw the hunger that is clouding Minho's eyes; hunger to kill and anger, anger toward his sister for protecting his kill.
 
Sojin swallowed. "I do not blame him. He shan't be judge by his father's action."
 
"I beg to differ!" Minho screamed. "Get her away from him!"
 
Following Minho's command, one of the rebellion grabbed Sojin by the arm and jerked her away from Yeseob.
 
"Un-hand her you filthy brute!" Yeseob drew out his sword.
 
"Do not take any more step young Prince." Minho turned back to Yeseob. "I warned thou to stay away from thy's sister."
 
"As much as I wanted, I could not." Yeseob replied.
 
"What does the nobleman's kin sees in us peasants? Simply pleasure? Did thou thought thou could use her as a mistress??"
 
"No! Never!" Yeseob shouted.
 
"What is your relationship with thy' sister?" Minho questioned him.
 
The hatred never left from Minho, Yeseob knew; whatever his answer was going to be, it would not restrain Minho from pulling the trigger.
 
Most would say they have nothing to lose, but he did.
 
If that arrow would pierce through his heart, not only would his life end; the next heir to the nobleman would no longer be. Thus giving their enemy the land.
 
Yeseob looked at Sojin who frowned at her brother in disgrace, but he could see the pure unconditional love for him.
 
"I love her," Yeseob finally spoke up.
 
Let thou's arrow pierces thy.
 
Sojin turned to Yeseob as the pure hatred flashed before Minho's eyes.
 
Pulling away from the villager who held her by the arm, Sojin raced toward Yeseob as Minho pulled the trigger to his crossbow.
 
The moment the arrow was shot, both Yeseob and Minho shouted out Sojin's name.
 
Sojin pulled herself in front of Yeseob, clinging onto his shirt tightly, waiting for the piercing impact...
 
...that never came.
 
Opening her tightly shut eyes she looked up to see Yeseob tightly holding her in an iron grip; his eyes shut tightly.
 
She could see something in his that warmed her heart. He held her very close, pressing his body against hers as if the arrow pierced her; it would pierce him too.
 
Sojin pulled away a little and saw the arrow stuck on a tree...ten feet away from them.
 
"Your a horrible shooter," one of the man murmured as he shook his head.
 
Sojin knew that Minho was careless enough to bring only one arrow.
 
Sojin and Yeseob locked eyes as they held each others hand and turned to Minho.
 
"Your hatred must stop brother," Sojin told him.
 
Minho shook his head as he felled to the ground.
 
"I could've killed you." Minho whispered in shame and guilt.
 
She was not mad at him, no. "His my friend." she told him as she turned to Yeseob and touched the side of his face. "I know you wish for me to be more than that, but I'm afraid I cannot but do not fret, you will surly find someone for you to call your own."
 
Sojin smiled and Yeseob stared back into her eyes.
 
Oh how he yarn for her.
 
Yeseob slowly smiled, but suddenly Sojin grunted as her smile tore and was replaced by a pained expression.
 
Yeseob slowly saw the blood coming out of the corner of her soft rosy lips.
 
"So-Sojin...?" Yeseob called her.
 
Yeseob than saw the arrow punctured through her.
 
Blood seeping through her white dress, staining with pure bright red.
 
Sojin collapsed onto his arm and Yeseob quickly sat on the ground holding her as the smell of salt and metallic spread.
 
"You will never be alone..." Sojin whispered.
 
Grasping for air to breath; but even the slightest movement tore her. "I am...never away...remember...love..never dies..."
 
Yeseob stared at her with a dead expression, because inside; he was.
 
And just like that, she was gone.
 
The hot tear drops escaped from he corner of his eyes.
 
Yeseob turned to Minho who stared at his sister's lifeless body with emptiness and tears.
 
It was not him.
 
Yeseob turned back to Sojin just as he heard someone running away.

He than saw Minho grabbing one of his mans weapon and hastily following after the culprit into the woods.
 
Yeseob stayed.
 
Of course he wanted to kill whoever did this, but he just could not find himself to let her go.
 
The summer air breezed by and the sky darkened as the rain begins to pour; as if it the sky was crying in sorrow with him.
 
One by one, the villagers took their hats off and kneeled on one leg, bowing their heads down.
 
Yeseob lightly pushed Sojin's hair of her face and closed her debtless eyes.
 
"I love you," he whispered as he gently kissed her forehead.
 
After that day Yeseob never returned back to the town and no one has heard from Minho ever since he chased after the culprit who murdered his beloved sister.

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Just like the original way, the story ended with a tragedy.
 
Nobody said every fairytale has a happy ending, and nobody told Romeo that his end was also a tragedy.
 
When he thought Juliet died, he felt as if his first love has left him once more. He saw that liveliness in Juliet's eyes just like his lost love.
 
When he saw her looking so peacefully he remembered her exact words; "I am never away from you, and remember, love never dies."
 
What if Romeo thought that there is no chance in hell that she would appear before him three times? 
 
Hell he did not even expect to see her appear before him again after that tragic end.
 
Of course when Juliet awoke and saw her beloved's life slowly fading, she was not about to let him leave her.
 
Looking into Juliet's eyes, Romeo saw her.
  
Inside, he smiled; she was truly never away from him and never will she be when Juliet's lifeless body fell besides him.
 
He was not about to lose her twice, no. This time he was going to makes sure that they will be together, even if it meant giving up his own life.
 
He was not going to allow his parents to separate them once again. First time was painful enough to kill him to shatter him; especially when he found out it was his own father who shot the arrow in the clearing.
 
"It was either I kill her or they kill you; you were distracted too much by that peasant girl." his father told him in a nonchalant tone.
 
Romeo was going to damn make sure he and his lover will be together  in one way or the other.
 
As soul mates, lovers and friends.
 
Sojin was right, love never dies.
 
The untold love story of Romeo. 
 
Somehow, even though his love stories ended with a tragedy on both terms; he still managed to get his Happily Ever After.
 
His with the one he loves with all his heart.
 
If that is not a Happily Ever After, than I could not possibly know what could be.

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- the end -
 
Happily Ever After, as long as you're in the arms of the one you love; it's your, because...
 
love never dies.

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