Heart of Ice

Heathen

The Chinese princess was beautiful. When Yewon saw her for the first time, she hoped dearly that this girl wasn't the one that Seungcheol was meant to "meet."

Princess Jieqiong was her name, and she looked like a piece of art. Her features were almost perfect, and to make it worse, she was so sweet. Yewon wanted to resent her, but the girl was so nice that Yewon couldn't even do that.

Yewon wondered if Jieqiong was even aware that she was being set up with Seungcheol. The girl seemed clueless about that, and instead she seemed fascinated about being in another country. She often asked Yewon questions about Solen- questions like why women wear such tight dresses, why people were so touchy, why there were so many baths, what kind of food was on her plate, why was there a maid in her room to dress her etc.

Yewon didn't really realize she had become to accustomed to Solenese culture until then. What had once been new to her when she first came to this country suddenly became a part of her everyday life, and she didn't even think about it.

Yewon found it quite cruel and unusual that she was the one who was expected to entertain Princess Jieqiong on her visit to Solen. It felt like it was being rubbed in her face: behold the beautiful princess with features you could only dream of, with long hair you could never grow, a sweet personality that you lacked, and about to marry a man you were about to lose. It was so frustrating, and Yewon couldn't even express that frustration to anyone.

Yewon watched Seungcheol when he first laid eyes on her during the welcome banquet. He didn't really show much of an expression, but it was much softer compared to the look he had given Yewon when he saw her for the first time over a year ago now.

She remembered his icy glare when she was first presented to him; it gave her chills that her body still vividly remembered, and it sent fear down her spine as she worried about how he was going to treat her. That icy glare was most definitely not on his face when Jieqiong was presented to him.

After she bowed to him, he bowed his head back formally.

She then went back to sit in her table without looking back at him at all. From that, Yewon drew that the princess was absolutely clueless about the plans to be set up with Seungcheol.

Yewon thought that Seungcheol looking at her would be all that she had to bead, but that was not the case. After the banquet introduction, Princess Jieqiong was called onto the stage to perform something. She had a large instrument that she gracefully placed on her lap and began to strum with such supple skill, filling the hall with beautiful music.

The instrument appeared increasingly difficult to play, which made it all the more impressive how Jieqiong played it so easily. She looked so beautiful. So perfect. Like a princess straight from the novels: beautiful, talented, sweet, belonging to a powerful country– she had it all, and Yewon was raging with envy. Seungcheol would certainly choose to marry her. She turned to him to see his reaction to Jieqiong's performance. He maintained his poker face all throughout, which didn't really make her feel better, because he was still watching her.

Yewon couldn't handle it anymore. She excused herself in the middle of the performance and left the hall. She waited outside for a moment until the performance was over so she could gather herself and walk back in.

Soonyoung shortly followed her out. He had a curious expression on his face, and asked: "that princess... she's not being set up with Seungcheol, is she?"

Yewon nodded, eyes deject and face lowered.

"Seriously?" Soonyoung groaned, seeming upset about that.