I walk at the dimmly lit halls of the Gyeongbokgung palace to complete my rounds tonight. This is where the royal family lives in this modern day Seoul, Korea.

I make sure there's no one in the halls, except for the royal household, and no suspicious activity is happening. As a senior security officer I took an oath that I will protect the royal family even when my life is at stake. Their safety is my top most priorty, especially hers.

I walk the halls of her room, it's always been the last wing that I check every night.

I always find myself walking in a slow pace everytime I make my rounds in her wing. It's not like I don't see her everyday. It's just somehow, I pray that I get to see her when I make my rounds every night, when her walls are down; when her face is bare and the image she must carry everyday is gone. She would still look stunning in every way possible, more beautiful, even.

It takes me back to the time...

I lingered a bit in front of her room hoping she would somehow come out to go drink water or something. I already thought of alibies I would tell her in line of me standing outside her room at this time of the night.

1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6.. 7..

I counted in my head. Seven seconds passed. Seven is the perfect number. I walked slowly away from her door, my spirit a bit down, the heavens didn't answer my prayer tonight.

I was near exiting her wing when I saw her; she saw me too. It seems like she came from her sister's bedroom, that was just accross her wing. We stopped at the same time, both of us not knowing what to do or how to react.

Quickly gathering my senses, I bowed at her in ninety degrees.

"Good evening, Gongju-nim." I said, as I remain in my bowing position.

"Amber." She said. I still remain bowing.

"It's fine, Amber. No need to be all too polite with me at this time of the night." She said.

"N-no, princess. You're a part of the royal family, it is only right for me to be polite." I said to her still bowing.

"Get up now, Amber." I quickly respond to her command.

As soon as I got my upper body up, I feel a warm body draping its arms around my neck.

"P-princess." I stuttered, not knowing what to do.

"It is only but polite if you put your arms around my waist in reciprocation of my arms in yours."

Hesitantly, I did what she told me. Not that I don't like it.

I smelled her hair as I tighten my arms around her and sink my face into her neck.

"I've missed you." She said.

"I've missed you too, princess." I said to her.

She let go of the hug. "Quickly, let's go to my room." She said as she drag me to her room.

"B-but.."

"No buts, it's a royal order." She said and I smiled because of that.

We went in to her room and she immediately locked the door as soon as we arrive.

She tackled me to her bed putting her on top of me.

"God, I miss you so much." She said as she tightens her hug on me.

"I've missed you too." I said as I hug her back.

Krystal positioned her head on my chest as I wrap my arms on her waist. She told me how her day went. She told me how she felt lonely when I'm not with her; she told me that her hair dryer suddenly broke and caused her a bad her day; she even told me that she'll soon run out of eyeliner..

She would tell me all about everything and nothing all at the same time and I would still happily listen to every story she tells.

Not that I care about the latest make-up trend or the latest gossip in showbiz. It's about the feeling of being with her. Though our social status are like the the heavens and the earth, but at this very moment, we're just us. I'm Amber, she's Krystal. Just two normal people.

I noticed that I have been staying in her for a while and I need to leave to avoid trouble.

"Hey, princess. I need to leave now." I said gently. She tightened her hold on me.

"Please stay." She begged.

"If I only I could. I would never leave your side." I said as I her back.

"Then don't" she replied.

"I still need to finish my duty, princess." I said.

She knew that I really needed to go so with full of hesitation she drag herself off my body and we stood facing each other.

"Goodnight." I told her.

She pouted and drape her arms around my neck.

I pinch her nose and gave her a quick peck.

"I really need to go." I said.

"Okay." She said, reluctantly removing her arms around my neck. "Kiss me again, please?"

Without any hesitations I kissed her on her lips for quite a long time.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." I said.

 

 

The next day was a very busy day in the palace. The prime minister and his son is coming to the palace. I've never liked his son. They'll be having a lunch meeting.

The royal staff prepared the dining hall and prepared the best cuisines.

As a senior officer, I was assigned to guard the hall they were to commence the meeting along with the other officers.

Lunch came so did the visitors and the royal family.

They went to their seats to begin the luncheon.

My eyes are only on hers. Ours eyes would meet and though I wanted to smile at her I need to keep a straight face.

"I wouldn't beat around the bush, your highness." The prime minister said.

"But princess Krystal's birthday is already near which also means that if ever she still hasn't picked anyone eligibly right for her, it is in the law that the prime minister's son would be her husband." He said.

I wanted to react. I wanted to scream. But I couldn't.

I looked at Krystal, her eyes were wide in shock. She was looking at me. I wanted to run to her. All I could do was look right back at her with my eyes showing the same expression she has.

My heart is breaking. Our love is unrequited.

"I know that, Mr. Kim." The king said.

Krystal wanted to protest but she knew better. Her voice wouldn't be heard, it's in the law after all.

 

The meeting finished and I quickly left the hall feeling broken.

She's getting married and it's not with me. I'll just have to let that thought sink in.

Krystal ran after me when no one was looking.

"Amber." She called out.

"Do you need anything, your highness?" I turn around and ask her politely, avoiding her eyes.

"W-why are you talking to me like that?" She asks worriedly.

"It is only right to give my full respect when speaking to a royalty, your highness." I said blankly, looking past her.

"D-don't be like this please." She said, her voice cracking.

"Be like what, your highness?" I ask, faking innocence.

"Look at me." She sobbed.

I want to but I can't seem to look her in the eye. I'm afraid I'll break down.

"Look at me, Amber. Please." I just stood my ground looking at nothing.

She's crying. My tears threatening to fall from my eyes.

"I said look at me!" She half shouted. "That's an order!"

With not much willingness, I forced my eyes to look at hers.

Her eyes were filled with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Tears fall from my eyes but my facial expression remained stoic.

I had to tell her.

"Wake up, princess. This is not a fairytale. We weren't meant to fall in love in the first place. A knight can never be a prince." I told her. I bowed and left.

This is for your own good, princess. You have no future with me. A princess should be safe and sound in a castle with her prince.

 

Night came and just like other nights, I'm doing my rounds. Tonight, I pray that I will not see her.

I walk past her bedroom. Just when I thought my prayers were answered, I was wrong. She was walking to her bedroom.

We stopped, staring at each other.

Normally, she would run to me. But for tonight, we just stared at each other.

She hates me. I can see it in her eyes.

I step aside, and bowed so that she can pass. She just walk past me and I stand up straight.

"Goodnight, my princess." I whispered to myself.

 

After my rounds, I went to the palace garden. I made my way through the garden maze made of bush hedges.

At the center of the maze was a fountain. I sat on a bench, our favorite bench. We would sometimes sneak out and meet here.

I look up to the moon, resting my head on the back of the bench. I reach out my hand as if I can grab the moon.

"I used to promise her the moon. How pathetic." I tell myself with a bitter smile.

"I'm sorry, Soojung-ah. I'm weak. I want to fight for you but I'm afraid It is the world I would be up against. I don't care if I get hurt but you will and I can't let that happen." I said to the moon.

"I will be your moon, Soojung. I'll be in the shadows. I'll just protect you from the dark."

I close my eyes as tears fall.

"I love you Krystal Jung SooJung."

"Let's run away then." I opened my eyes and saw her walking towards me. I stood up immediately.

"Y-your higness. W-what are you doing here? It's already late.."

"We could runaway, Amber." She said, ignoring my question.

"You should be sleeping now, your highness." I said.

"Runaway with me." She said, holding my hand.

The thought of running is tempting right now. But I have to the right thing.

"Y-you do 't know what you're talking about." I said to her.

"I am fully aware of what I'm saying at this very moment." She said.

"Let's say we run away. Where would be go? I'm afraid I cannot give you the kind of life you have right now." I said convincing her.

"We would figure that out. I don't an extrvagant life, Amber. Can't you see that you're all I need??"

"You're making it harder that it already is, princess." I said to her.

She looked deep into my eyes. It pierced through my soul.

"Don't you love me?" She asks. Tears forming in her eyes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ugh. Meet me here in 30 minutes. Take only the things you need." I said to her.

Her eyes sparkled. "I love you, Amber." She said and kissed me on my lips.

I went to my quarters and got a bag. I put some clothes, money, cards and my gadgets in it.

After getting I need, I stealthily made my way back to the fountain. I sat on the bench waiting for her. My body's pumped with adrenaline. I'm sweating profusely and my hands are shaking.

A few minutes after she arrived with a bag. She ran to me; she also look nervous.

"Come on, follow me." I said. I took her bag and held her hand as we try to escape the palace.

 

 

We were near the gate. The last obstacle and we would finally be free. As we're nearing, lights suddenly flashed on us. I swear I went blind for a minute. I felt Krystal move closer to me.

We're busted.

"Well well. What do we have here?" It's the prime minister's son. Jongin.

"Are you kidnapping the princess?" He said through a mega phone.

Before I could answer, I feel myself being pulled away from Krystal.

"No!!!!" I panicked. Guards were pulling me away from her. "Krystal!!!!" I shouted.

"Amber!!!!!" I heard her shout back.

She tried to run to me but she was held by the other guards.

I was trying to free myself from the guards but they were too many.

"What's the meaning of this?!" The king and queen suddenly came out of nowhere.

"Why were you kidnapping our daughter?!" The king said looking very angry.

"She wasn't tryong to kidnap me, dad! It was my plan to run away." Krystal shluted.

The king was shocked and looked at his daughter with great disbelief.

"I love her, dad." She said, crying.

"This is very unacceptable." The king said.

"You're a good kid, Amber. But you must be punished." The king commanded. "Keep her in her room, don't let her out." 

"You." She turned to Krystal. "You are grounded. Your wedding shall be held next week. You're only allowed to get out of your room on the day of the wedding." The king commanded.

"No please, dad!!!!" Krystal pleaded.

"KRYSTAL!!!" I shouted but I was taken away.

"Beat her up." I heard that jongin whispered to the guards.

The king immediately left, angry. The queen went to Krystal to comfort her.

"Mom. I love her, I don't want get married to someone I don't love." She begged her mother.

"We cannot do anything, honey. I really wish I could give you what you want but your father's words are law." She said as she hug Krystal and comforts her.

 

 

I was taken to my room. There were guards outside my door guarding my room to prevent me from escaping.

My wounds are bleeding, I think my nose is broken and I can barely move my body.

I silently cried. Sorry Krystal, I failed you.

 

Days passed and my wound were nowhere near healing. They only give me a piece of bread and water once a day. I'm sure that jongin was the one ordering the guards to treat me like this.

I was silently hoping I would die.

I heard the door being unlocked and to my surprise it was Krystal. I tried to get up to get her but failed.

She has with her a medicine box. "Sshhh." She said. Tears were welling up her eyes seeing my condition.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Mom helped me sneak in." She said as she clean my wounds. She wipes her tears often.

"Don't cry." I told her.

"I'm sorry, Amber. It was all my fault." She said while sobbing. "None of these would've happen if I listen-"

"Sshhh. Be strong Krystal. Always know that I love you. Whatever happens to me, know that I will always-"

"Don't talk like you're saying goodbye." She pleaded. I smiled at her.

"You're so beautiful, Krystal. He's lucky to have you."

She stopped cleaning my wounds. She cupped her face and cried even more.

With all my remaining strength I engulfed her in hug and she cried in my chest.

"I bet you would be a very good wife." I told her.

I can feel her shaking her head in disagreement.

"The only wife I wanna be is yours." She said.

 

I loosened my arms around her and got something at back of my pocket.

"Here." I told her, showing a ring. Her eyes widened.

"Amber.."

"I have this ever since I was a baby. The orphanage that I came from told me that it was with me when I was left in front of the orphanage. I've kept it ever since."

"Now, I'm giving it to you. Krystal, will you marry me? I know this is a very unlikely place to propose but-"

"Yes!" She said with a big hug.

I took her hand. "Do you, Krystal Jung Soojung, take this dorky llama to be with you forever?" I ask her. She laughed with tears in her eyes.

"I do." She said.

"May I now kiss my bride?" I ask her. She nodded.

I closed the gap between us.

"I love you, Amber." She said.

 

 

 

 

 

No one's POV

It was the day before the wedding. The king allowed the princess to go out of her room to meet their primary sponsors.

"Please act like you're interested." The prime minister's son or Kim Jongin whispered to her.

"I could care less." The princess answered back and the man gritted his teeth in frustration.

They were greeting the guest for tomorrow's celebration.

The next couple they were about to greet were the king and queen of the North.

The queen shaked the Kim's hand with a warm smile and did the same with Krystal.

The queen noticed something familiar in the princess' hand. She scrunched her eyebrows. Could it be?

Without second thought the queen talked to the princess. "Princess Krystal, may I please talk to you in private?" The princess was surprised but nod in agreement.

Krystal lead them to the palace garden.

"What is it, queen Liu?" She asks.

"May ask where you got your ring?" The queen asked.

"O-h this." She said looking at the ring, melancholy in her voice. "Someone really special gave it to me." She said. "Why'd you ask?"

"It just reminds me of the ring I gave to my lost daughter." She said with sadness.

"D-daughter? I-is your daughter's name happen to be Amber?" Krystal asks.

The queen looked at her in shock.

"H-how did you know?"

"Come with me." Krystal.

The two went to where Amber was.

Amber jump seeing the two come in.

"Krystal!" The two met for a hug.

"Who are you with?" Amber asks.

"She's the queen of the north. S-she might be your mother, Amber." Krystal said.

"W-what?" Amber asks in confusion.

"T-the ring. I gave you this ring." The queen said pointing at the ring Krystal was wearing.

"M-mom?" Amber said hesitantly.

The queen engulfed her in a big hug and for the forst time she felt warm in her stomach the cozy love from a mother. Slowly, her arms reciprocated the hug her mother was giving her.

Tears flow down from everyones eyes. The feeling of longing and love can be felt.

"Amber, do you know what this means?" Krystal said excitedly.

"What?" Amber asked.

"You are eligible for me!" Krystal said in full of excitement as she threw herself at Amber.

Amber on the other hand was left speechless but returned the hug nonetheless.

"Y-you two are in love with each other?" The queen asked.

The broke the hug and nodded at the queen.

"That explains why I'm kept here in the jail. We were supposed to run away but that Jongin caught us." Amber said.

"A-are you against this kind of relationship?" Amber ask her mother hesitantly.

"Let love win! It's the 21st century for goodness sake!" The queen hugged both Krystal and Amber. "I'm just happy that your back, my Amber." The queen said.

 

 

The three walked in the hall where the people are. The people present started gossiping and shock was clearly evident on the faces of the prime minister and his son.

The king of the north went to the queen. "I-is she our daughter?" He asks. Nod was the only answer the queen could give. 

The north king enveloped his daughter in a big hug.

"D-dad" Amber whispered. Her family.

 

"King and queen Liu?" The south king, Krystal's father cut-off the mini family reunion.

"Oh." Queen Liu said. "I'm sorry to have cause a commotion but I am happy to announce that our lon lost daughter has been found." Queen Liu annoumced happily. Cheers and awes were heard from the crown but not from two certain individuals.

 

"Dad." Krystal said. "I would like to call off the wedding. Here with me is someone more than eligible to spend the rest of my life with; the heir of the throne of the north." Krystal said. All eyes are now directed to the king waiting for his answer.

"It is in the rule that you should most likely to wed a royalty, who am I to interfere with that?" The king said.

Cheers became louder. Krystal run to his parents and hugged them both. "Thank you, thank yo so much!!" Krystal said.

The two lovers can't help but to show affection towards each other. They kissed and people could only cheer for them

"I would also like to request the arrest two men for tax evation." Queen Liu said.

All eyes were now on the Kims who were trying to leave the hall silently.

"You're the rat that takes the money of our country. Arrest them!" The king commanded.

 

 

The wedding was cancelled. And everyone went back to their own businesses.

 

 

The two lovers sneaked out and went to the fountain. Hand in hand, they walk through the maze they memorized by heart. They settled to their bench. The stars tonight were extra bright.

"So, this is where our happily ever after begins?" Amber said.

"Yes." Krystal replied and sealed their love with a kiss.

 

 

 

 

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Yo yo! Been away for quite some time lol. Hope this one good enough.^^

Also give me some suggestions on what kind of stories to write. I'm running out of plots. 

Peace!