Love under the Full Moon (Scarlet Heart: Ryeo fanfic)

Chapter 2: Meeting the 4th Prince

"That's the tree you planted with the 8th Prince over there! You always liked drawing under it, and you really liked carving little drawings into your flute there too." Chae Ryung said with a fond look on her face. Even in this life, I liked music...I could get used to this. I had slowly adapted to my persona here as the Princess, but I was still trying to gauge what kind of person she was. If I was to survive and live, I had to learn quickly.

I was wandering with Chae Ryung, Hae Soo's personal servant. Hae Soo was from the future, like me, and after a long talk, we decided to live together as people here and help each other. Hopefully, no one would realize we were not who we seemed we were. Prince Wook was a big help to Hae Soo and I, and it seemed Hae Soo had taken a liking to the Prince. He was handsome and kind-hearted, I had to admit. Who wouldn't fall for him?

I was looking at the pond when a sudden harsh cry of a horse resounded out. I looked up sharply, and on instinct, ran to the sound. I gasped and froze in shock as I approached the scene, covering my mouth with my hand. The beautiful mare had his throat slit, and was bleeding out on the ground. The man who killed him was covered in its blood, a likewise bloody sword in its hand. His eye that was visible glared coldly at the guards, heaving for a breath. My eyes welled with tears at the sight of the horse in pain, and without thinking, I ran towards the horse. "Princess!" Chae Ryung hissed, but I ignored her and fell to my knees next to the horse.

I laid its head gently on my lap, shushing it and I stroked its neck. The blood wouldn't stop. "It's alright, sweetheart. You'll feel better in a little while. Everything will be okay. You'll be at peace." I soothed it softly. Its warm brown eyes filled with pain seemed to relax at my words, and it nuzzled into my abdomen with a soft neigh. "Its alright. It'll be okay." My voice shook with sadness as I watched its breath turn short, and not long after, it stopped breathing. My heart broke as the warmth went away, and I closed my eyes as tears fell from my eyes. "I wish for you to be in a better place." I whispered, laying its head on the ground.

My body filled with rage and I shot up from the ground, facing off with the stranger. He stared at me with a shocked and somewhat confused look, his eyebrow raised. His long black hair cascaded down his back, and a mask covered his left eye. He looked like...a Prince? "How could you slay such a gorgeous animal? It did nothing to you! Even then, it will only do things to defend itself, like any human would do!" I exclaimed.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked in a deep, almost husky voice.

"Princess!" Chae Ryung exclaimed, skidding next to me. She giggled nervously, trying to pull me away.

"I'm sorry, your highness, she has recently suffered from an injury and cannot remember many things-"

"Even if I couldn't remember anything, I know what is cruel and what is not!" I shouted. Chae Ryung jumped as the handsome stranger frowned at my tone.

"Princess, he is the 4th Prince.." Chae Ryung hissed. My eyes narrowed as I raised my chin towards him.

"No matter who he is, a human shouldn't act like this, a prince no less." I pointed a dead stare in his direction. He raised the bloody sword up to my neck, giving me a smirk.

"What kind of person do you think you are to talk to me this way?" he asked. I kept my face stoic, though on the inside I was panicking. Swords are a real thing here..! But I just couldn't let him get away with that abuse. The poor animal...that's it. I exposed my neck, drawing the sword closer to it with my hand. His eyes widened in panic, and he tried to pull away, but I kept my grip on the blade, drawing blood.

"Would it make you feel good to slay me just like you did that poor animal?" I said with a dangerously low voice, and his visible eye widened. "Go ahead. Show me how much of a monster you are if you are willing to kill whoever speaks out against you. You rely on fear alone. But you want to know something, Prince?" I glared at him coldly and leaned forward, the tip of the sword touching my neck. "I don't fear you. I simply hate people like you." I said icily.