The Legend of Nakrang

Beautiful

From afar, Yejin could see both the Crown Prince and Prince Hae In casually chatting with some of the archery judges on the tracks as she patiently waited.

She had already instructed Hyojin to head back to the palace as she waited for Hyun Bin. The senior members of the royal family had all taken their leave by now, so the princess went down from the spectator stands to the archery grounds.

It was then when the younger prince caught sight of her. Nudging his older brother, both turned in her direction.

There were two men, but strangely enough, she could see only one.

Their eyes met.

Slow and deliberate, magnetic and undeniable.

As if caught by an invisible pull, the Crown Prince and his princess consort started walking towards each other.

Prince Hae In followed along, and it wasn't long before the distance between them was closed.

"Greetings, Princess Yejin."

"Greetings, Prince Hae In." She greeted. "That was a magnificent display of archery skills from yourself earlier."

The young prince smiled humbly. "Thank you. I have a long way to go in terms of skills compared to my elder brother."

"No, I think you did very well for the first two targets." She politely refuted.

"The third one was the real test. My elder brother can tell you that. By then, the speed of the horses was at their highest, and the dust was making it very difficult to see where the arrow was going."

"You will certainly be better than I am in no time." Hyun Bin's tone was supportive, as he spoke to his half-brother.

"This 'no time' might just be decades." The younger prince joked, before stepping back with a respectful bow. "I will leave you and your princess consort now, Brother."

Stopping for a second by Hyun Bin's side to whisper something, Hae In left to walk in the direction of the armory after his half-brother whispered his reply.

Hyun Bin chuckled softly as he watched his brother's retreating back, before turning back to a waiting Yejin.

His eyes met hers again, and there it was.

The undeniable sensation of stirring flutters somewhere deep in the recesses of his heart.

For some strange reasons which he could not quite put a finger on, Yejin was so outstanding to him in the crowd.

She was definitely not dressed in the brightest of colors - royal princesses and princess consorts dressed in green ceremonial robes at official events.

Brighter colors like red and yellow were reserved for the Queen and the King's concubines.

Yet somehow, Hyun Bin could always pick Yejin out in the crowd.

Maybe, just maybe, it was because she was also looking out for him, though he did not dare to think that far.

Earlier, as he sat on horseback, gently rubbing the thumb ring from her, Hyun Bin was thinking about the famed eye smile of the Princess of Nakrang.

For the longest time since she entered the Goguryeo Imperial Palace as his consort, she had never shown him her eye smiles.

Now that the ice between them from last winter had gradually thawed with spring winds and the current summer heat, Hyun Bin wanted to see as many of her eye smiles as she would give.

He wanted to put pride in those mesmerizing eyes, as she watched him compete from the spectator stands.

So with a final glance at the spectator stand, at a certain slender figure clad in green, the Crown Prince gave it his all, fueled by a fiery competition streak which he never knew he possessed.