✍︎ 𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲 | H.HJ

chapter V

Snow Like Beauty

Seungmin stared at me with open eyes yet I saw no familiarity with them. He looked down at the bracelet enwrapped around his wrist and then back to me.

"How come you're asking?" He wondered and I shook my head quickly.

"It's nothing, don't worry."

I took my breakfast with me as I sat down the end of the table and saw that there were already new sets of cutlery placed there awaiting for us. Just like home. Overall I felt comfortable here, light would fall onto the table through the morning as the moon would do, on an evening. It was peaceful and felt pleasant.

A low sound of the door opening caused me to slightly shift my head glancing at the figure who had just paced through. Hyunjin stood their, his hair gelled back like it was when I first met him as his cream shirt which had no buttons tucked into tight, dark trousers. Two gold earnings dangled from his left ear as he came further into focus.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" He now called across the echoed room causing the others to look our way.

"I told them you had a headache." I tried to say this in a quieter tone than his but his eyebrows stayed rigid.

"We were meant to have breakfast out together today like mother requested, you didn't even think to wake me up? I'm your husband now, you can't make them decisions for yourself-" he cut himself off before he finished everything that he wanted to say and walked further towards me, ignoring his family's stares. He sighed trying to take a deep breath.

"Well, I haven't ate much of it, you're completely overreacting." I whispered loudly into his ear once he'd made his way over to sit down by me momentarily. "Others will question why you're so mad so relax a little." I continued and his eyebrows finally relaxed and I took a deep breath in and out.

"Of course, I'm sorry Arim." He spoke out louder than his usual tone and my body flinched as his firm, heavy hand rested upon my shoulder. "I didn't mean to shout." He continued now taking my small body within his tight arms as my chest felt as if it could explode any second. Just this hug was intense enough for me believe in a lie that we'd both equally created; that we loved each other. His breath tickled the small opening on the back of my dress where my skin showed feeling it tingle. He let go quickly and stood up brushing himself down. His face was unchanged and he clearly now acted to everyone in that room, as if he truly loved me.

"Arim, the carriage is waiting for us outside, we mustn't delay."

He took my hand in his causing shivers to climb up my arm. When I didn't interlock my fingers with his, Hyunjin's head turned immediately to me as he made an indication that he wanted me to hold it properly.

"Sorry for disturbing everyones breakfast." Hyunjin called out as he bowed respectfully to the rest who were eating breakfast not letting me say a word, just dragging my fragile body after him back through the door.

From the moment we reached the outside grounds his grip loosened letting my hand fall back down by my side. Subtle electricity had shot through my fingertips and my mind could only be reminded of last nights dream agonising me.

Today the sun was strong, feeling the warmth brush against my neck. It had lit up the kingdom metaphorically as from this high point, I could see the fields shine in beauty. Out of all the days to go out on, this would make a nice trip. Two rivers joined under the bridge which had encircled the stone castle behind us which the noise felt refreshing.

Following after Hyunjin took a while but we soon stood in front of the beautiful carriage. My mind could only wonder what the village here was like. It was only a small distance through a golden forest in which I'd never encountered before. The trees there had white petals with gold flowers and branches causing the forest to have an effect of snow. Yet it was warm, pleasant to the touch.

Two guards who wore shiny silver armour with helmets making them faceless got onto the back of the carriage waiting for us to follow shortly after.

As the carriage stumbled it's way through the hanging branches, my head moved to rest outside it's window so that I could reach out feeling the magical substance fall through my fingertips. When I looked suddenly back in I caught Hyunjin staring into my eyes which he slipped out of instantly. He must have been watching me experiencing this forest for the first time. It was unlike anything I could have imagined.

The carriage rolled to a stop and I looked around; we were seemingly still in the middle of nowhere. "What's going on?" I tried to ask our driver yet Hyunjin had asked the same question as me yet louder.

"We have wolves in the road."
Hearing the news my heart had sped up but I wasn't afraid from the protection of the carriage walls. They would move on soon.

From the window I saw the two guards no longer on the safety of the carriage and were heading towards the front. Soon after this, I heard noises of snarling which I closed my ears to not hear it. Wolves were gorgeous creatures which had no problem with humans, yet they attack them causing them to fight back. But it was already done; the two guards climbed back onto the back of the carriage and we moved on forward.

For the rest of the journey both Hyunjin and I stared out of opposite windows not daring to make conversation. Not yet. We would have to save that for when we reached the village. It was agonising though, feeling the wind, being reminded of what I'd lost and what I wanted back. Then the voice from the front shouted out.

"We're here."

But when I looked out of the window, there was something unsettlingly wrong causing my skin to freeze cold.