Twins

Tranquility in the Storm

He forgot all about the fact that he was supposed to be hiding. His hair was caked to his forehead and his clothes were dripping as he stood and approached the porch. His tall figure looked lean in the clingy clothes, but his eyes were bright and filled with passion.

The girl on the porch looked like the beautiful child he had met as a boy. Her sweet smile hadn't changed at all. Her hands were folded sweetly in front of her and her eyes were warm and inviting. Her eyes were locked onto his and neither of them could hear the frantic worrying of his mother as she rushed out into the courtyard, calling for Baek to come and get him dried off.

"HyunWoo, what are you doing?" His mother demanded angrily. "This is the worst thing you could be doing for your health. What are we supposed to do with you?"

"I needed a break from my work." HyunWoo didn't mean to sound as short with her as he did but his mind was elsewhere as she fussed over him. He sent a sweet smile up to meet the girl he had spent so many hours with in his mind. She returned it with a smile of her own, he saw worry in her eyes and his heart swelled with joy to have her worrying over him. "I'm okay, Mother."

"We need to get you dried off now." She said, hardly bothering to listen to him. She practically dragged him back to the protection of the porch's slanting roof and continued calling for Baek to come and take care of this. Her eyes were wide with worry, but as much as HyunWoo wanted to sympathize with her worrying, and tell her that everything was okay he only had eyes for the girl in the elegant pink robes that was standing on the front porch of his home.

It was like a dream to be this close to her, but before his eyes could start drinking her in he was whisked away into his room by Baek. The door slid closed behind them and Baek shot him a scathing glare. The man was in his 40's and had served HyunWoo's mother faithfully for all of his life. He was her right her hand man and the one who was charged with the very difficult task of keeping HyunWoo doing the things he should be doing.

"Are you kidding me with this playing in the rain? Are you trying to give your mother a heart attack?"  Baek pulled roughly at the outer layers of HyunWoo's robes and threw the drenched clothing onto the floor.

"I wasn't trying to do anything but think clearly for a few minutes. Do you know what it feels like to be stuck in here day in and day out? You get to leave the palace everyday. This place is my entire world! What kind of king am I supposed to be if I am not even able to see my kingdom? How do I take care of my people?" All these thoughts and more shot across HyunWoo's mind but what he finally said out loud was. "I'm sorry. I will take better care of her in the future."

Maybe it was selfish of him to think such things when there was so much beauty that had just walked into his life. Maybe he should have just been grateful that ChaeYoung was actually standing there on his porch.

After getting dressed and getting his hair dried he went to the tea parlor where ChaeYoung and her mother were talking over steaming cups of tea. The steady thrumming of rain was serving as beautiful background music to their sweet voices. HyunWoo took his seat at the table and greeted his mother with a polite bow. He then finally allowed himself to fully look at his guest.

ChaeYoung was radiant. It was like a sunbeam had come through the rain to have tea with him. She was still of a plump countenance, a bit like his mother's build, but her face was beginning to look more mature. She smiled at him shyly and took a drink of her tea.

"I'm sorry, I've been rude." HyunWoo began. "I forgot to ask why you are here, or how long you are staying. Please, tell me."