y/n POV
The night before had left your mind in a whirlwind. Had you done something wrong? Had you scared him away by trying to kiss him? You had thought it all felt so natural—so right. It was confusing. You blamed your frustration slightly on the inexperience you had with romance, dimly wishing you had given the men who had showed up over the years a little more of a chance only so you could be better verse in the language of love. But alas, you were still young, and apparently oblivious to the signs of flirtation.
Yoongi told you himself. He didn't want to see you again. He wasn't going to fall in love with you. And although he told you that you weren't going to fall in love with him, could he control your heart with his words? You told yourself to stop thinking about it or else it would only lead to more tears.
But then you remembered the way he played for you. The way the music filled the ballroom and your heart simultaneously. You remembered the soft way he spoke to you on the walk back to your chambers. How he told you he had missed you. Things just weren't adding up. He was so hot and cold it made your head spin. What were his reservations?
All of these thoughts festered in your brain as your attendants dressed you for the day. That morning Noor had told you that Jungkook had invited you out for horseback riding. You accepted hoping it would take your mind off of the staggering rejection the night before. Jungkook's kind smile sounded like a dream right now, so as you walked out towards the stable, Noor trailing behind you as always, you felt excited, and did find times when your mind didn't linger on Yoongi's lips.
As you turned the corner, you found Jungkook working on two horses, concentrating on looping the various belts properly. "Jungkook." You called out with a smile, making his head turn.
His teeth showed delightfully in a grin. You felt the overwhelming urge to hug him for some reason. He was a safe place to you. But your royalty-washed brain prevented you from doing so.
"Good morning, my princess!" His words like cool water on a burn.
Your heart skipped. You were so accustomed to the title "princess" whenever you walked into a room or met a new person or talked to a subject, but never had you been addressed as "my princess". It was so lovely. So sweet. Something stirred in your heart and made you sigh happily.
The handsome boy fiddled with the leather. "I'm not the best at saddling, but I've seen enough people do it to get the jist, I think."
You laughed lightly, eliciting one from him as well. You turned back to Noor, who now leaned up against a wall, Hobi standing in front of her speaking lowly with a smile. She giggled. Your heart ached for just a moment, but then remembered you must be happy for them. Two people you considered your very close friends now felt a connection. You reminded yourself not to be selfish and vain. You couldn't love every man in your life. It just wasn't reasonable or fair.
"Noor!" You called. She and Hobi turned to you. "Sir Jungkook will be much protection enough, I'm sure. Have Sir Hoseok show you where the winter flowers bloom in the garden while we're gone! They're beautiful, I swear!"
Noor glanced to Hobi, a touch of flush nipping at her cheeks. "Are you sure princess? Will you be alright?" She responded, real concern lacing her voice and making you happy. She really did care about you. Maybe she thought you to be just as much a friend as you considered her.
"Of course! Any bad guy that gets one look at Sir Jungkook's muscles will run away in fear, I'm positive!" Your eyes flicked to a bashful Jungkook while Hobi and Noor chuckled at the flirtatious quip.
You watched as Noor nodded and Hobi took her hand. Before you could feel the pain of seeing his hand take someone else's, Jungkook put his hand around your hip, turning all of your attention to him. "Here, I'll held you get on."
He wrapped his large hands around your waist and turned you towards to horse. You were grateful he couldn't see your blushing cheeks. He counted to three, lifting you up on the last number. You swung your right leg over the side of the horse.
He smiled up at you, then mounting his horse effortlessly. He clicked his tongue, and the two of you were off. It was cold outside, but not as cold as it had been. The snow had begun to melt a little, luckily meaning there wouldn't be much ice. You rode next to Jungkook, casually talking about the winter festival that would be held the next day. It was nice, and you didn't even think about what you were trying to forget. You knew Jungkook's charm would do just the trick.
As your two horses trotted down the path that led into the woods that surrounded the castle, your conversation shifted from lighthearted banter and small talk to a heavier topic. "Our two weeks are already almost over." Jungkook said, looking off of the path into the trees that line the path on both sides.
"It's gone by a lot quicker than I expected. I thought I'd have forever to get to know everyone, but I only have a few more days."
Jungkook hummed in response. "Of course, you still have time, y/n. You shouldn't feel rushed. It's a big decision to have to make."
You sighed. "Indeed."
You both stayed silent for a few moments, the sounds of hooves on the frozen ground the only sound. Then Jungkook spoke again, his voice soft and almost hesitant. "Y/n," he started, his words drifting slightly on the wind. "I wanted to tell you something." You turned your head to him, curious. His lips turned up in a sad smile. "If... I am not the man you choose to marry, I'd still like to remain friends." His big innocent eyes met yours. "Or at least acquaintances." He added quickly.
The request made you sad, reminding you that you could only choose one of the men. You had feelings for all of them and choosing was going to be one of the hardest choices you'd ever make. You opened your mouth to speak, but he continued. "I just feel so connected with you, like an old friend. Even though we've only known each other for such a short time, it feels like I really know you. And I want you to be a part of my future, even if it's not as my wife. You make me feel..." He searched for the right words. "At home. And I just don't want that feeling to go away."
Warmth ran through your veins. You genuinely didn't know that men as kind and sweet as Jungkook existed in this cold world. "Thank you for saying that, Jungkook. I'd like it very much if we knew each other for a long, long time after this."
He gave a toothy smile back. "Good."
The next few minutes were quiet, but comfortable. You didn't need to fill the silence with meaningless talk. The two of you silently understood one another. You notice a bridge up ahead. It brought a small grin to your lips. You had been there before. When you were younger, much, much younger, you had come here before during the summers to wade in the water below. It wasn't very deep water, but deep enough to make a nine-year-old-you doggy paddle in the middle of it. You had swum here with Hobi before. Him being older than you, you were so excited when he finally agreed after you pestered him for days.
He taught you how to tread water and how to keep your feet still enough in the shallow parts to catch tadpoles. Fond memories flooded you mind as the horses trotted onto the stone bridge. You looked over the edge, the icy water below now black under the cold air, contrasting the light blue, warm water from your memories. Jungkook rode slowly behind you, admiring the view. You were about ten feet suspended over the water, so you could see the surrounding forest well from up here.
It all happened so fast. Faster than your mind could comprehend it. A horrible chain reaction that would live in the dark part of your mind forever. There was a harsh winter wind all of a sudden. It blew your hair violently to the side. The horses stirred uneasily. Then, perhaps by the force of the wind or maybe the hand of God, a large, bolstering tree from the opposite side of the bridge where you had almost arrived to, made a horrible cracking noise.
The wind seemed to push harder, and the tree began to fall towards you. You gasped, and your horse made a frightening noise. You heard Jungkook call your name. But it sounded like background white noise as the tree landed in front of you with the loudest crack and crash, you'd ever heard. Your horse panicked. You didn't blame it.
Your horse reared up in fright. You held on tightly, but your saddle came loose. You cursed and sucked air in quickly. You were falling. You expected the fall to be short, your body hitting the stone bridge hard and painfully, but your mind rose in flames when you realized you were not falling towards the floor of the bridge, but towards the cold, black water beneath it.
Your stomach twisted into a knot as you felt as if you were falling in slow motion. Fear coursing through your veins where blood should be. For just a quarter of a second, you could hear Jungkook called out the beginning of your name, but before he could finish, your body had entered the frigid water.
Every part of your body recoiled when you entered the water, all air leaving your lungs at the dramatic temperature. It felt like an electric jolt to your entire being. Like you had recalled, the water wasn't very deep, so you weren't surprised when your back hit the rocky bottom of the stream. Your mind told you to push yourself off of the bottom in attempt to reach the surface again, but it became clear that more trees had fallen this winter. A submerged tree's branch caught your leg, arresting you in place.
You were stuck beneath the icy water. You clawed down at your leg, but your limbs were just about useless as they had turned numb. Your brain felt like it was on fire. In any other situation, you would scream, but your mouth remained drawn shut. Your lungs convulsed, begging for the air that you continued to deny it. You were just so cold.
You struggled more, squirming to get lose from the force that held you, but was met with no success. Soon enough, though, you didn't feel so cold. You actually felt warmer. Your body relaxed and air didn't seem so important anymore. The dark water became darker and darker until your mind went blank. Until your thoughts no longer rang so loud. Until your limbs no longer ached and your lungs no longer tightened.
Until everything went black.