5 | paint me.

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[ 🎨 ]

Poised with his canvas upright and his palette in his hands, he stared at the dancing girl in front of him. She spun around, letting the sand hit her feet and the water slightly splash in her direction. No, it wasn't the forest this time—but another secluded and secret place of theirs.

Although Akari always wore her gowns, today she wore a shorter off-white dress that cut off at her knees, flowing in the wind. She wore it under her normal large gown fit for a princess—she still had to keep everything a secret.

She ran behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Darling, I can't paint you if you're not in front of me." He smiled, his eyes dazed at the girl's chin resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were occupied by the canvas that stood in front of them—a girl depicted in the romanticism style with the pink and blue hues in the sky. She was his muse.

"I think it looks beautiful."

She looked at him as she placed her lips onto the boy's lips, allowing herself to completely melt into the kiss. He leaned in deeper, subconsciously placing his palette to the ground to pull her onto his lap. She ran a hand through his hair as she continued to kiss him deeper.

"Where do you think you'll put this piece?" He quietly said, pulling away and looking up at her fondly, careful not to break eye contact.

"Sadly, I'll put it with the other ones under my bed." She sighed, placing one of his stray hairs behind his ear. "I only pull them out at dusk, whenever everybody is asleep."

She shifted her vision to the painting and rested her head onto his shoulder. "I wish we could just stay like this forever—living in our own world, not having to care about other people seeing us and having to exist in these secluded areas." She looked at him. "I have to leave in an hour anyway, I have a dress fitting."

"Let's spend this hour," he rested his hands on top of hers, pulling her closer. "together."

He stood up, carrying her in both of his arms—bridal style. He ran in the sand as the girl screamed watching the water splash all over them.

"Yeonjun!" She screamed, laughing as they both fell into the water. She cupped her hands and captured water in them, throwing it onto the boy across from her. "Watch your back!" She laughed, attempting to run in the water.

"Try me!" He smiled, running onto the sand before the girl caught up to him. Before she could do anything, he picked her body up and spun her in his arms.

"Hey, that's not fai—"

"Let me make up for it." He cut her off, their faces centimeters apart. He placed his lips onto hers once more, delicately kissing her. He leaned in deeper, pulling her in closer. "Did I?" They pulled apart as he brushed her black hair behind her ear and placed a small white flower on the top of her ear.

"Where did you find a flower on the beach?" She laughed.

"It's a miracle," He laughed. "Because you're my miracle." He reached out for her hand as they strolled along with their toes in the sand, admiring the sunset above them.

[ 🎨 ]

"You're late." Sophia sighed, taking off the coat from Akari's head that served as a disguise to sneak her back into the kingdom. "I'm not sure how long we can continue to do this."

"My apologies, Sophia." Akari slightly bowed. "I can fit the dress soon after I wash up. Yeonjun and I spent all day at the shore today." She blushed.

"Akari, we need to discuss a matter." Fiona sat the girl down as she took a seat next to her. The girl furrowed her eyebrows, unsure what would be coming next.

"Within weeks, you will have been wed to Kang Taehyun as his wife and the noble queen of Chihu." Sophia reinforced.

"Don't remind me, please." She sighed, her hands falling to her face.

"He loves you, Princess. He's charming, he's incredibly sweet and his eyes only fall to you in a crowded room."

"But, I don't love him. I love Yeonjun." Akari looked at the Fiona, shaking her head. "He loves me and I—"

"You have no choice!" Sophia scolded. "Do you expect to be with two men at the same time? Do you expect to be in love with the prince while being married to Taehyun?! Your affair is already illicit as is!" She screamed.

"It is my choice!" Akari yelled. "Father does not have the right to dictate who I love, he's the one who married outside of the kingdom first!"

"Until the guards killed your mother! She was a foreigner from this kingdom and I will not let you have the same heartbreak your father went through all this time. Who knows the fire you would unleash in the King if he found out about your relationship—let alone the anguish you would feel if something happened to your forbidden lover."

Akari stared at Sophia with anger in her eyes. She felt a sense of both betrayal and disappointment. How could people who knew everything about her side with everything she stands against?

"From now on," Fiona broke the tension. "We can no longer help you sneak around with the prince—It's just not right—"

"It's love." Akari cried. "That's what Yeonjun and I have. Love. That cannot be forced in a relationship, that cannot be taken away from the both of us. You cannot expect me to throw that all away because of the way the kingdom will look at me. I will die for Yeonjun—as long as we're together." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I will stand by him through all the turmoil."

"Princess—"

"I-I no longer need you to help me sending letters or letting me back into the kingdom. I will not marry Kang Taehyun and I will stand by Yeonjun even if it ends in my casualty."

She didn't have the strength to let everybody know about their private relationship—but she also didn't have the strength to let it all go.

"Your Highness, you have no choice. Either you end things how they are with the prince or we are obliged to tell the King everything."

The princess wiped the tear from her eye with vengeance before walking out the door and shoving it behind her.

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