Rewriting our Fate

PART 1: CONFESSION

Jungkook’s wounds had finally healed, and he returned to his royal duties, slipping back into his usual routine as Commander. The days were once again filled with military training, planning strategies for the kingdom's defense, and maintaining order within the royal guard. But amidst the chaos of his responsibilities, he had also found solace in an old passion: painting. Each evening, he devoted time to his art, allowing himself to escape into the world of colors and canvas. The act of painting had become his quiet rebellion against the brutal life of a warrior, a window into the tenderness that lay within his hardened exterior.

Every night, his fellow commanders visited his chambers, not for battle plans, but to request their portraits be painted. His reputation as an artist had spread among them, and they marveled at how his brush could capture not just their likeness but something far deeper, as if their very souls were immortalized on the canvas.

On one such night, Commander Jungkook sat before a blank canvas, the delicate fragrance of fresh flowers filling his room. His fingers moved with precision, each stroke of the brush methodically forming a face. His focused gaze flickered with emotion, the soft glow of candlelight reflecting off his intense eyes. As the painting neared completion, a gentle sigh escaped his lips. The face on the canvas stared back at him, full of life and yet tinged with sadness. It was not just any face—it was hers. Princess Yun Hee’s face, a reflection of the emotions he had long kept hidden.

He carefully rolled up the painting, placing it with the others he had recently finished. His heart felt heavy as he placed the scroll among the portraits of his comrades, the truth of his feelings lingering unspoken in the air.

Meanwhile, in her chambers, Princess Yun Hee sat by the window, her mind adrift. She had been plagued by restless thoughts, memories of the countless battles she had fought with Jungkook by her side. His presence was a constant, always there, protecting her with unwavering devotion. But why? Why had he risked his life so many times for her? The question gnawed at her soul, filling her with both gratitude and anxiety.

Her mind couldn’t let go of his face—the same face that had saved her more times than she could count. Yet despite the closeness they shared on the battlefield, there was a distance between them that she couldn’t bridge. With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she eventually drifted into a troubled sleep.

Days passed, and the question lingered. She wanted to confront him, to demand the truth behind his constant protection, but something always held her back—perhaps fear of the answer. Jungkook, too, was tormented by his own emotions. He was painfully aware that he was not of royal blood, and that fact alone made him unworthy of her in the eyes of the kingdom. His heart ached with the knowledge that he could never confess his love for her. To do so would only bring ruin upon them both.

During a sword training session, Yun Hee couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “How do you always know when I’m in danger?” she asked, her voice soft but firm. “How do you always manage to save me?”

Jungkook remained silent, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving Yun Hee standing there, her question unanswered.

But deep inside, Jungkook knew the truth: it wasn’t merely duty that had driven him to protect her all these years. It was love, pure and fierce, born from their shared childhood and the countless hours spent training together. They had grown up side by side, learning the art of war together, and over time, his feelings for her had blossomed into something far more powerful. He could sense her feelings, too, buried beneath the weight of their responsibilities. But he also knew that their love could never be—she was of sacred blood, and he, though noble, was only half-sacred by birth.

Determined to bury his feelings, Jungkook resolved to rid himself of all reminders of the love he could never pursue. One evening, he gathered the paintings he had made of Princess Yun Hee over the years. Each portrait captured a different moment in time—her fierce expression in battle, the soft smile she wore when she thought no one was watching. With a heavy heart, he decided to throw them all into the sea, to let his love be carried away by the tides and forgotten forever.

Unaware that Princess Yun Hee was nearby, Jungkook mounted his horse and rode off toward the ocean with the speed of the wind, the scrolls clutched tightly in his arms. But as fate would have it, Yun Hee, tending to her horse in the stables, saw him leave in a hurry. Sensing something amiss, she quickly mounted her own steed and followed him, her heart racing with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

When Jungkook reached the shore, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks drowned out the world around him. He dismounted, ready to cast the portraits into the sea. But just as he was about to let them go, he heard a voice calling out to him.

“Commander Jungkook, stop! I said stop!” Yun Hee’s voice cut through the wind as she galloped toward him, her eyes filled with concern. “You dropped this scroll when you took your horse.”

Startled, Jungkook turned to see her holding one of the portraits he had accidentally dropped. He quickly snatched it from her hands, his face flushed with frustration.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, unable to meet her gaze.

“Sorry for what?” she asked, her voice soft but insistent. “For painting my portrait? For loving me?”

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Jungkook’s eyes met hers, filled with a torrent of unspoken emotions. “Doesn’t the person you love have a right to know?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of the sea.

Without thinking, Jungkook pulled her into his arms, his heart pounding in his chest. The dam of emotions he had held back for so long finally broke, and in that moment, he kissed her—pouring every hidden feeling into that one, searing kiss. It was a kiss filled with longing, with all the answers she had been seeking.

Both had been running from their feelings, blind to the depth of the love that had grown between them since childhood. Now, it was impossible to ignore. Love, no matter how deeply buried, can never remain hidden forever.

As they broke apart, breathless, they knew they could no longer deny what had always been between them. Sworn to one another, they made vows of life and death, promising that nothing could tear them apart. They spent every moment together, savoring the sweetness of their newfound love, unaware of the storm that was gathering on the horizon.

In their bliss, they failed to see how quickly the seasons were changing.