When Peony Blooms #AMBW

Chapter 18: "Echoes of Forbidden Passion"

Ayodele couldn't help but smile back as she shook her head in mock disapproval. She shifted slightly so she was no longer sitting on his lap and slowly rose gracefully to her feet. She extended a hand towards him, offering him help with a gentle smile.

"Was this all an elaborate ruse for an embrace, Your Highness?" Ayodele teased, her voice laced with warmth, the playful glint in her eyes illuminating the soft contours of her face in the dim light. Her words, like delicate silk threads suspended in a morning's dew, her laughter chiming through the silence of the room. It was a moment of candid intimacy, an ephemeral bubble of time where titles and formalities were momentarily forgotten.

The Crown Prince, usually so composed, stood in a state of splendid disarray. His normally neat robes were ruffled and skewed. His usually perfectly styled hair was now a tousled mess, the dark strands brushing against his forehead. The mirth in his eyes and the soft flush that colored his cheeks betrayed his shared enjoyment in their playful escapade.

" I think I should put these back," she said as she went back into the library to place back the scrolls and books, Ayodele shyly bowed and excused herself.

With the fragile stillness of dawn teasing the skies of the palace, the Crown Prince found himself wandering in the gardens. His steps were as cautious as the thoughts flitting through his mind, his gaze lingering on the path leading towards the private chambers of the Crown Princess. In his heart, a slow-burning flame of affection for Ayodele was kindling, reshaping the way he saw her and those around her.

Meanwhile, Seo-Jin too found his heart throbbed in his chest with an unfamiliar intensity whenever he was around Ayodele. The sensation was intoxicating and terrifying in equal measure. He couldn't deny his feelings, nor could he ignore the Crown Prince's growing affection for her.

Each interaction, each chance meeting, was laced with a tension that hummed beneath the surface. The quiet was punctuated with exchanges and lingering glances, each steeped in unspoken sentiments.

Ayodele continued her days wrapped in the palace, her abilities to escape limited now, as she knew the king had eyes on her. Her heart was guarded, and her thoughts were occupied with fulfilling her duties as the Crown Princess. Her interactions with both men were candid, reflecting her innocent obliviousness to the turmoil brewing in their hearts. At least the obliviousness she tried to portray.

Days turned into weeks, and the silent competition continued. The Crown Prince found himself captivated by Ayodele's resilience and grace, her laughter ringing like music to his ears. And in the same breath, Seo-Jin fell deeper for her strength and compassion, her sincerity striking a chord within his own heart. As she was continuing to navigate her path in the unfamiliar world of the palace.

As the palace prepared for the annual Lantern Festival, a night when the sky would be ablaze with a million floating lights, both the Crown Prince and Seo-Jin saw an opportunity to spend time with Ayodele outside of the palace walls, amidst the crowd of citizens.

First came the Crown Prince, casually mentioning the festival as they took a stroll in the palace gardens. "It's a wonderful sight," he mused, gazing into the distance, "when the night sky turns into a canvas of shimmering colors. Would you accompany me, Ayodele?" There was no pretense in his request.

Ayodele, caught by surprise, was about to respond when a voice interrupted their exchange. It was Seo-Jin, who had been trailing them, his scholarly duties as an excuse to be in their vicinity. "A splendid idea, Jeonha," he chimed in, a knowing glint in his eyes. "I was about to suggest the same. Ayodele, would you join me at the festival? I promise the sight is even more beautiful from the riverside, where the lanterns reflect upon the water."