𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘 | soo-won

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒

IT WAS A QUARTER till noon when Soo-Won arrived at the terrace of Aster Palace. As he made his way there, he noticed that the door to the balcony was partially ajar. There was no sign of the Princess, so he decided it was worth checking outside.

Standing before him on the balcony was Princess Ru-Jia who was leaning against the fence. As she admired the view, the breeze blew her chocolate brown hair as the sun's morning rays sparkled against her skin.

She wasn't wearing her usual, heavy royal attire but instead donned a looser fitting sky-blue dress. Her hair was tied in a half-updo with a white lotus at the center.

She turned around as the male's breath hitched. Her face was already naturally beautiful, but with the light pastel blush and natural brown mascara, she only looked even more ethereal. As he continued to admire her, Ru-Jia took in his features as well.

Soo-Won was wearing a crisp white shirt and black pants, opting to not wear the traditional royal robes. His hair was in his usual low side ponytail and his shoes were the same closed-toe black boots he often wore.

It seemed the two of them had assumed a more casual approach for the meeting, and the princess couldn't help relaxing at the thought of that.

"You're early, Ru-Jia," Soo-Won smiled gently, "But you look beautiful."

The Lotus Princess took a deep breath, turning back around to face the beautiful scenery.

"All I did was wear something more pleasing to the eye," she murmured, "Nothing changed about the person from yesterday."

"I know, and I appreciate that," he nodded, joining her on the terrace, "But, I also want to say that you're much more than just a pretty face— the way you interact and care about others, not just the residents of the town yesterday, but everyone around you. It's beautiful."

He pulled out a flower from his back pocket, handing it to her. As she accepted it, she noticed it was a beautiful lavender rose. They were extremely rare and often signified a great admiration and love-at-first-sight towards their counterpart.

"These are things which make you truly extraordinary," he said calmly, "I'm a man of my word. And I stand by my belief that you, above everyone else, would make the ideal queen of Kouka."

Ru-Jia took the flower, almost at a loss for words at the gesture. After seeing him in such casual garments as well as receiving such a meaningful gift, a smile couldn't help but form over her features.

"Extraordinary? I think not, just..." she paused, "just using the riches of my kingdom for those that deserve it."

"Maybe, but a lot of other rulers do not think that way. You are truly one of a kind, Ru-Jia. And, perhaps.." he muttered, "I should be grateful that you aren't like other monarchs of this world."

The corners of her lips raised slightly as an almost unnoticeable blush spread over her cheeks. She looked down at the view of her kingdom, before closing her eyes at the breeze blowing past them.

"Soo-Won, do you ever wonder if we deserved to live under the pretense of Royalty? What exactly is the reason we get to live lavishly while others struggle to make ends meet?"

"Every. Single. Day," he replied deeply, "I often ask myself that question. Why should we, the royals, have everything that we have at our disposal? Why must we thrive under the midst of such disparity and suffering..."

The Princess noticed the flicker of sadness in his eyes. His eyes seemed to gloss over a certain memory, one that was not pleasant.

"But, at the same time, I recognize that we are in a position of power, and with it, we can have an impact on the world around us. There is no reason for us to live like this, but there is also no reason we should let others suffer."

A small smile once again made its way onto Ru-Jia's face as she went to sit at the little tea-table set up on the balcony.

"You really do have the voice of a leader," she smiled softly, "Well, I have one more question for you."

"Is this a question I want to hear?" Soo-Won chuckled, joining her and taking a seat in front of her, "But yes, ask away, Ru-Jia."

She took a deep breath, her hands fidgeting with the tea cup before her.

"This one I want Soo-Won to answer. Not the King of Kouka, not somebody who rules over a kingdom, not a general who commands his troops. No, I want the real and honest Soo-Won to answer this one."

"The real and honest me?" he repeated, "Then, go ahead Ru-Jia. I am ready for any kind of question. Don't hold back."

Her fingers trembled as she went to look straight at the male. Her eyebrows were downturned and her lips were flat.

"In this political marriage, do you really only see me as a political tool? Is everything you've done now only for show?" she asked, her voice holding deep sincerity, "Think hard about this one, I don't want a bullshitted answer. Answer honestly, Soo-Won."

There was a short pause, almost deafening in its wake. However, Soo-Won soon answered placing his hands on hers.

"My answer may surprise you," the blonde male answered, "Honestly, yes. At first, you were simply a political tool to me."

The Princess felt her shoulders droop at the declaration, but she continued to watch the emotions suddenly play on his face.

"But, my feelings then... they started to change. The sensations I felt whenever I was around you, they weren't part of the plan," he continued, "My care and concern for you, that's not part of any scheme. The way I look at you. I.. I believe that it's true and genuine.

..I cannot put these feelings into words as I've never quite felt them before, but I can only hope it's enough for you to accept them."

After a long pause, Ru-Jia let out a sigh and looked out at the scenery once more. Her eyes held a glossy shine to them as her eyebrows relaxed. She then took a sip of her tea, the tingling sensation on her hands not disappearing.

"It's genuine enough for there to be a new Queen of Kouka."