Heart of Ice

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A pleasant wave of warmth overcame her. She had missed him terribly, even more after how worried she had been at the prospect of her brother doing anything to harm him. But there he was, in the flesh, free from harm, with a book in his hands, exactly the way she saw him for the first time.

He looked up from his book and his eyes suddenly brightened when he made eye contact with her. He smiled and veered at her with a longing she had never seen in him before. It looked as if he wanted to embrace her then and there and was doing everything he could to restrain himself.

He quickly marked his page, put the book to the side, stood up and bowed to her.

"Your highness," he said as he bowed, "I've missed you terribly."

Just then, a woman entered the main room and also bowed to Yewon. She looked foreign, and Yewon guessed that it was Hansol's mother. She was a very bright woman with a lot to say.

From that moment, Yewon did not have much of an opportunity to speak with Wonwoo at all.

Yewon longed for just some moments alone with him. She felt like she so much to tell him, so much she wanted to ask him, and Wonwoo looked like he felt the same way. However, neither seemed to want to say anything to the other with Hansol's mother hearing.

Wonwoo then excused himself, telling Yewon that he really wanted to finish the book he was reading before the journey back to Solen, because he probably won't ever get the opportunity to read it again.

Yewon knew they would have more than enough time together the following day, when they would be smuggled into a ship back to Solen and would spend the entire journey there together.

-

The following morning, right at dawn, Hansol helped Yewon and Wonwoo creep through the village to his uncle's shop. His uncle had already known of the plan, and everything had been prepared for them.

"The crates have holes so you can breathe," Hansol's uncle explained to them. "You can open the craters from inside. When the ship moves and the storage space is closed, you can leave the craters; usually no one goes into that space until they reach the destination. There's food and water, but ration them well over the few weeks you'll be at sea. There are bandages and medicine for the wounds, and some buckets for all your sanitary needs. Just be aware that it will be uncomfortable, dark, damp, cramped and cold in that storage space, but you'll live."

"Thank you," Wonwoo told the old uncle. "Your efforts will not go unrewarded."

"Just let the damn war end, and that would be more than enough reward for me..."

The journey between Solen and Galacia had always been long and difficult, even when Yewon was treated like royalty. Now, she was nothing but contraband; she had to hide in the storage space, live off of rationed stale bread and water, and urinate in a bucket. She found, however, that although she was aware of how hard and uncomfortable the journey would be, she did not dread it.

On the contrary, she looked forward to being with Wonwoo for so long.

-

It took about hour for all the crates to be loaded and the storage deck to shut. After hearing the bell indicating that the ship had left port, Yewon and Wonwoo left their craters.

"So this will be our home for the next few weeks, Wonwoo said as he looked around the dismal space. It was dark, with very little sunlight peering through the spaces in the ceiling where the deck was. The are was nearly filled to the brim with sacks and boxes and craters to export to Solen, and the only free space was just big enough for the two of them.