"He did not revolt at my injuries, Wooyoung. That must mean something, should it not?", she adopted a foolish smile on her face as she played with the band around her finger. 

"To be fair, Anabella, he did not have any other choice. The poor fella knew what San would do if he did say something about your burns.", Wooyoung approached the woman sitting on the infirmary's only bed and slathered a rich amount of clear, fermented mint paste on her face. 

"Pardon?", Princess Anabella's shoulders fell in defeat, "What did San tell him?"

Wooyoung moved to the scar that was engraved deep into the skin under her collarbone, causing her to shiver at the cooling agent, "If he did anything to harm you, San would personally hang him."

"That idiot! Does he not know that the man he threatened is the future king?", Anabella pulled back the sleeve of her dress, now a simple, pink sundress, back up. 

Wooyoung had been only 18 years old when he had been transferred from his university to the palace, being the top student in all of the university. He, as with every other citizen in Sonar, had heard that the princess had been in the fire that had killed her parents, but he did not realize how bad the injuries were, both physical and emotional. However, he had wanted to refuse the offer, which paid more money than he had ever seen before when he realized that some of the injuries were quite intimate. But, his family needed the money and her eyes, pleading with him to end the pain, so he had taken the job. 

"You're not actually going to let him harm any of us, are you?", Wooyoung sat next to her. 

And, Anabella had forgotten about embarrassment when she had felt the relieving effect that Wooyoung's cures had on her broken body. 

"If he hurts any of you, I will hang him myself."

Wooyoung nodded, not out of reassurance but to make the princess happy. 

"I think I shall go to see my parents.", the new bride hopped off the bed and walked out of the infirmary's white door with a single circular window. 

"Wait, don't you have a meeting with Seonghwa and your father's advisors?", Wooyoung called after her. 

"Tell them I am to arrive shortly.", Princess Anabella said and walked into the hallway, sneaking out away from the maids and servants cleaning up the garden.  

She made her way to the front of the palace, where Hong Joong was scolding the guards for not stopping and checking everything every person who walked in was carrying. 

"How many times do I have to tell you two?", he looked between the two walls of men, or giants compared to him, at least, "With everything that is going on, there have to be extra precautions taken when it comes to the princess's safety, understand?"

The two, uniformed men nodded as they bowed their heads with the shame of disappointing their chief commander and boss. The blueberry's, or she liked to call him blueberry, eyes trailed to the woman who was watching the entire exchange with an amused expression on her face. 

"Get back to work.", Hong Joong shooed the men away before walking to Anabella. 

"Hello, what are you doing here, Princess?", he put his hands in his coat pockets, for she was the only one crazy enough not to need a sweater in this weather, as he smiled. 

"I told you not to call me that.", she put her hands behind her back. 

"I know what you said, but the people here would not take kindly to me calling someone of royal status by no royal title...Your Majesty.", 

The princess laughed and shook her head, "Alright, then."

"I repeat my question, Princess.", he led the way to start walking. 

"I am going to go see my parents."

"Do you not have a meeting?", Hong Joong offered his arm to which she accepted. 

"I have to go talk to them.", she responded, her grip on Hong Joong's arm only growing tighter. 

He smiled and nodded, slightly wincing at the princess's hold on him. 

Hong Joong was only a guard when he had been recruited by King Fabian. The young man had only been 16 at the time, but Anabella had watched him take out every single one of his opponents during training from her bedroom window. 

And, King Fabian had also watched the agile, lethal man, a kid at the time, in the same amusement as his daughter, who had felt a small attraction to Hong Joong. 

The guard had been demoted to be Anabella's bodyguard; that was where they had gotten close, well after Hong Joong had gotten over the princess's aggravating stubbornness. 

Anabella herself had begged her father, what she called putting in a recommendation, to let Hong Joong become part of the army, and as with everything, whether it was to stop wearing corsets or to get the best chocolate available, King Fabian had given in to his beloved and only child, for Queen Dahlia had not been able to have any other children. 

And, over the past few years, Hong Joong had pushed himself to where he was now: the commander of an entire army at only 23. 

Anabella stopped in front of her parents' tombs, located in the back of the palace. Turning to Hong Joong, she smiled, "Do you think I co-"

He nodded, "Of course, Pr-Anabella."

With an awkward bow, which earned another laugh from the princess, Hong Joong walked away. 

Anabella turned and her eyes fell on the inscriptions on the tombstones: born royal, died in honor. 

"Goodmorning, Mother and Father.", she sat on the dirt in front of both tombs, hot tears threatening her eyes. 

"I got married today.", her voice shook as she stroked the cold stone of her father's tomb. "He didn't say anything about my scars.", her eyes moved to her mother's resting place. 

And, once she started talking, she couldn't stop. 

"His name is Seonghwa. His parents have passed away as well, so I guessed that's why I felt connected to him. He shares the same pain as me. But, he's so shy and such a big mess that I don't think he will make a good king.", she leaned her elbows against her father's grave and placed her face in her hands. 

"He's quite attractive. He had the prettiest smile and there are little stars in his eyes whenever he sees something he finds beautiful."

"But-", the small smile that had appeared on her lips disappeared, "-I want to let him leave. He wants to marry out of love and even against customs, I wanted to as well. All of this is but terrible: losing the kingdom and my freedom to someone I met last night, not being able to love my husband, and having to hide my secret with another person. "

Tears were now cascading down Princess Anabella's face. 

1175 words!

What did you think? Comment your thoughts, please!