Introducing character

The Crown Prince

[Dara]

  I rubbed my eyes and yawned, climbing up from the sitting position that I had slept in for the last night. It took me a while of looking around and slow blinking to sleepily remember where I slept last night. The Ice Lord was nowhere in sight. Strange, isn't he injured?

  My stomach let out a LOUDDDDD GROWLLLLL.

  I got up and a blanket fell from my lap. Eh? I don't remember using one.

  The sun is well rose into the sky when I waddled out of the room, ruffling my hair and yawning. Someone gasped and I looked up, squinting with my mouth unglamorously open. The two maidens that were carry freshly dried bedsheets blinked at me, their eyes shifting from a half awoken me to the room behind, before hastily turning away.

  Aish, they can't possibly think I slept- slept slept kind of slept- with their Lord can they?

  I opened my mouth to explain but my stomach let out another rumble that sounded like it rose from hell.

  I'll explain later.

 [-] 

  Jiyong was kicking the stones by the hill alone, patrolling the area while he did. He had been cursing himself over and over again since he woke up and found a snoring girl by the side of his bed. The usual cool headed, young guardian of the city almost screamed when an almost uglily embarrassing memory of his alter-fever-infested-self asking her to stay with him whispered in his ears.
  
  Jiyong's fingers were strumming the string of his bow subconsciously as he stared away across the horizon. The kingdom of the Sun is visible here, and for many kilometres across their state, the land was bare and empty. Jiyong had many things on his plate now. Just a few days ago, that same land had tried unsuccessfully to obtain the boarder and easily accessible Fire City of Dal, and although they had been momentarily defeated, like the many times they had been, Jiyong is almost positive that they wouldn't relent. 

  Besides this, Jiyong is somehow also constantly worrying about the foreign girl. 

  What the hell, Jiyong cursed, racking his hair, I shouldn't get distracted in a time like this. 

  There was a rustle and Jiyong spun around, an arrow already swiftly slung into the bow and raised, ready to shoot, only to see a sweaty Dara Park struggling to somehow drag herself up the hill. 

  Jiyong looked on in amusement, slotting his arrow back as he suppressed a laugh at her misery, before being suddenly reminded of last night. He inhaled and turned away around sharply, feeling his palms tingling with threatening sweat. 

  WhAt is she DOing HErE???

  "Hey Kwon Jiyong!! Aren't you going to help me????" Dara cried in distress, kicking herself up in desperation. How did this guy even manage to get to the top?!

  Jiyong gulped.

  "Help me!!!"

  Jiyong swallowed. 

  "Aish!" Dara cussed.(at both Jiyong as well as her own pathetic physical abilities) She could've swore that she's going to tumble down this thing sooner or later, and it doesn't look like a nice way to die. 

  Dara grasped on a blade of grass and heaved herself up, but her hand slipped and she lets go at the sharp pain of the grass slice. 

  "KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Dara shrieked as she jerks down before her slide was broken by a wrist that enclosed upon her arm. Dara looks up and was met with an almost bored looking Jiyong.

  Dara sulked as Jiyong heaved her up like a leaf. Jiyong crossed his arms across his chest, trying to look annoyed at her intrusion. 

  "Where did you go early in the morning? Aren't you still injured? I woke up and I-" Dara started to yammer on and on once she dusted the dirt off her robe. Jiyong tuned off as she went yada yada yada until the word 'woke up' and he quickly cut her off.

  "3rd time!" Jiyong said rather loudly, efficiently startling Dara. He rubs his nose in embarrassment, turning his back to her while pretending to look out for any movements by the boarder river. 

  Dara: ????

  "Third time I saved your , ungrateful git." He said cooly, his hair dancing with the wind. 

  "Psh."Dara murmurs, settling herself down on the grass. Jiyong stared, before eventually giving up and followed suit. "How's your wound?" Dara asked, staring hard at where the bandages was, as if her eyes had lasers that can magically cure all injuries. 

  Jiyong suppressed a laugh at the look of intensity on her face.  "Stop undressing me in your mind." He said seriously.

  Dara froze with a nervous look on her face and gulped.

  Jiyong looked down and almost choked when he realised Dara is LITERALLY undressing the top buttons of his robe. There was as if a jolt of electricity that ran through his body and he quickly grabbed her fingers off his clothing.

  "I just want to see how that wound's doing." Dara said sheepishly, sticking out her tongue.

  "Its living well. Thanks." Jiyong answered quickly, blinking.

  "You bled a lot that day." Dara said, remembering the blood stains on the courtyard that the maidens had to scrub off.

  "I'm strong." 

  "Strong people are humans too."

  Jiyong's fingers stopped twisting the strand of wild barley. He didn't lift his head, his eyes fixated on the barley in his hands. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what exactly did he have to say, and there was this peculiar, almost foreign feeling coursing through him. Something warm and soothing, and slightly suffocating.

  "Seungri is your brother?" Dara asked after a while of comfortable silence.

  "Lord Seungri." Jiyong corrected her, flashing her a small glare. "He's my half brother." 

  "You share the same-"

  "Father." Jiyong answered before she finished the question.

  "Oh yeah, I forgot that you're Prince Jiyong." Dara mocked, slightly sniggering. It sounded so cringey and Disney to be calling someone a prince. Jiyong narrowed his eyes at her and she returned a mischievous grin. 

  "Princeeeeeee Jiyonnnnnngggggg~" She annoyed him in a sing song voice, swaying left and right. Jiyong groaned at his torture.

  "Prince charmingggg~" 

  "Oh shut up." Jiyong rolled his eyes.

  "Princess Jiyongggg then!" Dara sniggered, and Jiyong shoved his barley straw at her neck. Dara shrieked at the sudden attack of itch, falling back against the grass. Finding it highly entertaining and self-satisfying, it turned into a fierce barley straw battle with Jiyong in the lead.

  "No no- stop- Please! I won't laugh at you anymore! I promise I swear! Lord Kwon! Lord Kwon!!!" Dara cried in desperation (or laughed) as she tried in futile to shield herself from his relentless attacks. 

  Jiyong didn't realise he is laughing in a long while. 
 
  Dara thrashed about, aiming kicks at his legs which the young warrior agilely dodges, before one finally got him in the shins, and he fell over, (clichely) landing on top of her small frame. 

  Dara gasped and the close proximity of their bodies allowed her to catch a whiff of that particular smell of the Ice Lord. She held her breath, and other than the da dum da dum in her chest, there was this weird sensation, like snakes in her stomach trying to get out, making her nervous and jittery. 

  Jiyong tilted his head, but he did not get up, his eyes staring straight and deadpan into her shaky ones. Dara swallowed, allowing herself to look at his chocolate coloured iris and his nose that is almost touching hers. Her eyes travelled further done to his slightly pink lips, and then his sharp and steep jawline. 

  A mixture of alarm, panic, fear and amazement, as well as something that she can't really describe started to built up inside her and Dara could feel beads of sweat emerging on her forehead. 

  ...get off me now get off me now get off me now.....

  "KYA!!!!!!!" Dara screamed as she kicked Jiyong off her, covering her red face. Her knee connected almost instantly with his body, but missed her intended target, his stomach.

  It landed A LITTLE BIT lower than that.

  Jiyong rolled off her, groaning, his fist limply hammering the innocently grass in pain, his head buried in his other arm. Dara shot to her feet, blinking blanking at the wreck she caused. 

  Jiyong looked up, his eyes cringed, face twisted in agony, wanting very much to curse but he didn't think that he is in the condition to at that moment, and buried his face back in his arms.

  "OHHHH." Dara's mouth gaped in realisation. She miss her target, but she must have 'struck the jackpot'.
  
  "Are you alright?" Dara asked anxiously, patting the poor soul's back. 

  "What did I ever do to you?" Jiyong croaked, looking up at her with vengeful and teary eyes. As soon as their vision connected, something thumped hard again inside Dara's chest.

  What is wrong with me? Dara thought in alarm, pressing her palms on her face. It's burning hot.

 She didn't knew why she felt the desire to escape, but she's sure that she needs some time away from Kwon Jiyong.

  "You'll be fine! You said you're strong! I'll get going first!" Dara barely even finished her sentence and she had already scurried away from Jiyong, descending the hill so quickly, she tumbled a little at the bottom, before quickly getting back up and hurried back to the city. 

  "Stupid." Jiyong groaned.

  Dara tottered quickly into through courtyard of the residence, sweating profusely from all that escapade. 

  "Aish!" Dara groaned in frustration, throwing her arms into the air. "Why am I even running away? Dara does not like narcissists, Dara does not like narcissists, Dara does NOT like narcissists!" She chanted to herself, glaring out of the mansion the final time, self convinced by her words. 

  A shadow shifted and Dara thought she saw a familiar looking face staring into the mansion before it disappeared behind the brick walls of the back alleys outside.

  Dara frowned in confusion. She must've seen that face somewhere. 

  Someone cleared his throat and Dara spun around. A stranger stood, arms folded at the back, dressed in a black robe with golden embroidery.  He has sharp features, one that resembles the Ice Lord. Beside him stood a guard in armour with a sword tucked in the sword case by his waist. What's with these people and hiring bodyguards?

  Before Dara could even ask, a hand on her back pushed her down into a low bow. Dara stepped away at that small shock, only to see the fifth prince bowing himself. Seungri flashed her a glare.

  "That's the crown prince, you bird head." He whispered through his teeth.

  The crown prince? Dara immediately looked towards his direction. That aura of authority, why didn't she sense it before? But again ofcourse, why would she? She hasn't seen any person that's more upper ranked than her stingy boss back at home.

  The Crown Prince contemplated the girl for a moment, his chin tilted slightly. Dara silently thought of David Beckham, whose whole family shared almost celestial genes. This must be the case with this household too.

  "What brings you here, hyung?" Seungri greeted in good nature, but Dara could hear the tensity in the edge of his voice, as though he's trying to let across the fact that he doesn't want the crown prince here at all.

  "I have... issues to speak with your fourth brother, Seungri." The crown prince answered, his tone quiet but with the ability to silence an entire court. 

  "I'm afraid Jiyong hyung isn't back yet, your highness." Seungri squeezed through his grit teeth, reusing formal term, and suddenly the negative energy radiating off these two supposed brother became very apparent to Dara, who felt as if she's intruding in something private. 

  Just as he said that, the Ice Lord came through the gates, a hand pulling the leash of his stallion, who obediently followed him. He looked up and saw his guest, and Dara sees something like a shutter pulled down in his eyes, and nobody could see what he's thinking of feeling anymore.

  Jiyong took his time to hand his stallion over to a guard and the Crown Prince waited patiently before the Ice Lord finally greeted him in a bow. 

  "Let's talk. Leave us, Seungri." the Crown Prince ordered. Seungri opened his mouth but closed it again when he met Jiyong's eyes. 

  "Shall we?" The Crown Prince gestured towards the direction of Jiyong's room almost as if he's the owner of this place. Dara badly wanted to leave, but she lost the timing to. She senses the bad vibes coming from this situation and she feels like an intruder. 

  "Can't we talk here instead?" Jiyong said calmly.

  The Prince flashed his gaze towards Dara. Taking the cue, Dara turned to excuse herself but Jiyong grabbed her arm, rooting her on the spot. Dara gulped at the warmth of his palm that's enclosing her arm.

  A brief look of lazy annoyance flashed past the Crown Prince's face but he did not insist. The Crown Prince and the Ice Lord, for a moment, looked as if they were calculating each other carefully.

  "You have no intention of transferring away from the Fire City, brother?" The Crown Prince spoke.

  "No. I did not receive any orders from the king to-"

  "My father would never ask you to leave this place, you know it, Jiyong." The Crown Prince almost snaps, and Jiyong flinched in the way he called out his name. Dara looked on with confusion. What's with your father and my father? Aren't they both the son of the king?

  "This place is constantly at threat, hyung." Jiyong's last word sounds horribly forced to Dara. "The Taeyangs had been trying to attack for months now. We're talking about the lives of the hundreds of people living here." Jiyong said calmly.

  The Crown Prince ignored him and took a few steps foward.

  "You do know that guarding the frontier is part of the procedue for a Crown Prince's successful transition to access the throne, right, brother?" The Crown Prince said quietly. Jiyong did not answer him, but instead chose to stare ahead. 

  Dara didn't dared to make a sound.

  "Or do you have any issues with the my appointment?" The Crown Prince added sinisterly, raising a brow.

  "I have unfinished issues here." Jiyong said.

  The Crown Prince tilted his head. "Am I right to say that it's about our eldest hyung, Jiyong? He's gone for years  already. It's time to let it go."

  Jiyong tightened his grip on Dara's arm. In fact, he tightened it so much that it hurts, but Dara held her breath. The Ice Lord has a dead older brother?

  "Not until I found his killer, your highness." Jiyong said icily.

  The two supposed brothers stared at each other stony silence.

  "Very well then," The Crown Prince nodded, his eyes still fixated on the younger prince, and with a hand he beckoned for his guard. "I wish you luck."

  He gave Dara a long hard look and wondered who this girl might be to be kept this close to his usually isolated half brother, before mounting the royal carriage outside the residence.

  Dara felt the force on her arm loosened and she turned back to the Ice Lord, who still stood rooted to the ground. Dara always knew she isn't a particularly bright person, but she knows about power struggle, and she has enough knowledge from her years of drama watching to know that these aren't as simple as it seemed.

  Jiyong shut his eyes, as if he's trying to regain his composure before he reopened them, and he's back to his usual cold exterior. His eyes found Dara's, and the concern in hers almost tore down his composure again. Why is she looking at me like this? Does she pity me? Can she already tell how ed up my life is? Thoughts ran through Jiyong's mind and for a split second Dara saw the pain that accidentally showed.

  Too young to be this tortured.

  No wonder Jiyong always had the image of an ice. Dara slacked her shoulders at the weight of all these problems that she can't understand.

  Jiyong turned to leave for his room, and not knowing what had gotten into her, Dara ran up and slid her arms around his waist.

  Jiyong froze at the warmth that enveloped him. He can feel her cheek resting on his back and he can feel that hammering inside his chest.

  "This is what we do in the 21st century when we want to say cheer up." He heard Dara say.

  Jiyong swallowed. 

  "Cheer up." She repeated, and it felt as if a narrow wall that Jiyong had built within himself crumbled down and rebuilt itself.

  That wall has space for just one more person now. 

Wew, long update but I'm kind of satisfied that it finally

seems to be on the historical drama track now.

Anyway, do leave me lots of comments and I'll see y'all again soon!

(I hope /miserable laughing/)