The Flute

Prologue

A long, long time ago, somewhere in present day Korea.....

Eunji ran her hand through her jet black hair, that cascaded down her bare shoulders.

She had cut the upper part of half of her hanbok, which was considered very unwomanly in her country. But she chose comfort. She wanted to feel the air on her shoulders, just like men were privileged too.

It felt so good to let her hair down. Mother had never let her leave her hair down. She had always forced it into an elegant hairdo, which was very uncomfortable, because that's what princesses are supposed to look like.

She tugged the bow that was hung on her shoulder, before sneaking out of the castle to the forest, to play her favorite sport.

As she entered the forest, she heard a whistle. No, it wasn't a whistle. It was a pleasant sound. It was music. She used her sensitive ears and followed the melody.

Eunji came to the area where she liked to practice archery. Under the shade of the canopy of the tall pine trees, sat a man, maneuvering a flute.

The man looked like he was around her age. He was wearing a black tunic, that flew way behind him, and covered the rock he was sitting on. The wind made it look like he was going to fly away at any moment. His short hair also blew with the strong wind. His eyebrows were scrunched, as he used his lips to play the flute. 

Eunji witnessed the whole song. She had never come across this young man. What was he doing in the forest? 

She approached him and stood next to him, listening to the symphony that left his lips.

After the song was over, she said, "Who are you?"

He looked up. His mesmerising eyes bore into her brown ones.

"Kim Wonshik." He quoth, quickly, almost as if he were affrightened.

Eunji tried her best to recount seeing this man, but her mind just didn't remember.

"You must be the princess." He continued, stepping down from the rock, his tunic covering the earth around him.

"How do you know?" Eunji questioned, warily.

"The scar on your shoulder. They say it's caused by a phoenix." The tall man told her.

"Where have you come from?" She asked him.

"From a land, very close to yours, but far from your heart." The man replied.