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Chan led her out the corridor of the castle and into the falling snow.
"Here, love. This is where I wanted to take you."
Ayeong blushed at that word, maybe too hard, because Chan noticed and chuckled. He folded his hand on hers and gently pulled her around a pillar lined with vines. She almost gasped as her eyes took in everything. The garden was beautiful. It was a vast maze of green leaves and vines, all wrapped around decorative fences that lined the walls. Snow softly fell around the garden, the flakes falling ever so lightly on the floor of stone and grass. Most of the flowers had died off at the time because of the winter season, but a special flower never stopped blooming all year long. Its pinkish yellow petals sparkled against the white powder falling around it.
"Chan, this is…-"
"Amazing?"
"Yes!" Ayeong remarked with a small laugh. She couldn't take her eyes off the pretty garden, but what she didn't notice was that Chan couldn't take his eyes off of her.
Chan led her to a very small courtyard with a single arched entranceway covered in vines. "Our secret place," he said with a wink as he disappeared through the vines.
Ayeong followed him and sat down on one of the benches lining the circle. Her green dress pooled around her feet as she rested them from walking around in high heels the whole night. Her makeup began to smear because of the melted snowflakes that fell on her face, and she scowled in disapproval.
"Well that's going to look absolutely lovely back inside." she said with an eye roll.
"I think it looks just as lovely as before, princess."
Ayeong spun her head in his direction and squinted her eyes at him. "First of all, you're just saying that. Second of all, I'm not a real princess and you know this."
"No. No, I'm not, I genuinely think you're pretty. And you are one in my eyes."
She didn't want him to see this side. The side where all her insecurities came out. For once she just wanted them to go away, to stop telling her she was unworthy and ugly, but they wouldn't. They never would stop, they never-
"Hey! Yeongie, hey, hey-" Chan was at her side with an arm around her shoulder in two seconds flat. Unbeknownst to Ayeong, tears had started to stream down her face. Chan looked extremely concerned and had her wrapped tightly in a hug. She felt better instantly, Chan's warmth spreading around her entire body. He was so tall, and she was so small. She felt like she could disappear most times, but here…here was her safe place. This prince was the best thing that had ever happened to her life.
"Thank you," she said, her voice breaking. "Thank you Channie."
His eyes went wide at the mention of the nickname, but immediately became calming again out of concern for her. "Hey. Yeah. Of course. But, seriously- are you okay? You realize you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"I know. It's just…it's really painful to talk about those things." She sniffed. "I avoid it because I don't want to face the demons."
"I understand…I have some of my own. But those voices are in your head. They can't see you. And I know they don't see you like I do."
Ayeong looked into his eyes for some deception, some lying, something. Nothing. There was nothing but kindness. She couldn't take it anymore, and broke down. She sobbed into her dress and cried for minutes on end. Chan sat there with her, hugged her through the whole thing, and never left her.
After she began to stop her tears, he stood, turned to face her, and held out both hands. Seeing this as an invitation, Ayeong hesitantly reached out her hands and placed them in his. Chan gently lifted her up to her feet. Suddenly, Chan backed away from her and held his hand out in a ludicrous gesture. Ayeong laughed- she laughed with childish and playful sparkles in her eyes this time. Chan had made her laugh and smile at him. She had never felt something like this, a strange feeling that made her dizzy with happiness.
In a deep voice, mocking an elder prince, he asked, "Would you like this dance, ma'dam?"
His eyes that were once so sharp and ethereal minutes before on the ballroom floor were now lighthearted, fun, and playful. His mouth tipped up to one side slowly, slowly, before it got so high he broke character and squeezed his eyes shut, laughing. He knew how to put her in a better mood. Ayeong followed and jumped to his side of the miniature courtyard, smacking her palm into his own. He took it gently. Violin music could still be faintly heard playing from inside the ballroom.
Chan grasped Ayeong's hand and put it on his shoulder. Then, he lightly touched his hand to her waist, and quickly asked if it was okay if he touched her. Ayeong said she didn't mind, although about five thousand alarm bells were going off- somehow, they felt fine this way. Chan took his other hand and slid his fingers through her other hand. Soon enough, they were swaying back and forth to the soft piano music in the near castle, alone, in their own secret spot. Ayeong almost fell asleep because of how well he danced. As the piano picked up beat, Chan's dancing got more confident and Ayeong had no choice but to try and follow.
Suddenly, he grabbed her by the waist and swung her up and around, causing her heart to stop. He had picked her up and spun her. Like an actual boyfriend would do. She yelped in surprise and gasped when she was put back down on the floor. Chan's innocent eyes had turned…darker. He shot her a mischievous smile as he caught her and bent her backwards and twirled her round and round again. Chan grabbed their party-going masks that had been discarded on one of the benches and quickly laced his and laced hers around her head as well, out of fun. Chan's was a wolf. His bright eyes shone underneath the faux gray fur. He never looked away, continuing to playfully threaten her with his gaze. They danced for what seemed like forever, and Chan never missed a step, not even once.
He stopped abruptly. Ayeong was confused at this sudden stop. Chan had one arm around her as he slowly slid the other behind her head and loosened her masks' knot. It fell to the snowy white floor and Ayeong was left standing there in anticipation. He then asked her if she wanted his mask on or off.
"The choice is yours, love."
She blushed, reached up behind his head with the utmost embarrassment and untied his mask laces. His, too, fell in the snow, leaving a pink faced, breathless Chan facing her with the cruelest of beautiful smiles.
He took her hand up between their two faces, closed his hand around it, and kissed it gently while looking her straight into her very soul. He kept his gaze, and it pierced her so much she couldn't look away. Everything felt like it was spiraling around her and Chan as he lifted his hand and slid his thumb across Ayeong's face. Chan felt closer, and closer, and closer…until she let out a small squeak.
"Chan…?" She could feel his heart beating from how close they were.
Chan smirked, swiftly took her off her feet, and kissed her.
That was something she would never forget. She was so shocked at what happened her brain couldn't process it properly. Her eyes went wide with shock, until she fell under his spell and closed them too. Every single atom in her body lit on fire. She had never experienced something so overwhelming as a kiss, especially one from him…
He broke away, and she stood there, staring at the ground in shock and disbelief. She gently covered her hand over her mouth and froze. Chan glided one finger to the next across his lips gently.
"I told you I liked you, my queen. Do you believe me now?"