She watched the young man across from her, shifting on the cushioned seat below him with a face of shock and discomfort, a smile unconsciously creeping up on her own face. 

She had to admit. The young man, Seonghwa, she believed, was attractive. The way his perfectly sculpted lips curled so high when he saw her that his almond-shaped eyes turned into crescents had caused her stomach to do flips upon itself. However, he was definitely not attractive enough to marry at first glance. 

But, she had felt a connection: one of friendship and understanding, that is. She could sense his heart was just as empty as hers. She knew he hid the same pain she felt behind his smile. 

And, there was so much pressure for her to marry. Everyone wanted her dead, hating her father;  that was the reason for their bloodlust. Even without knowing the secret she hid beneath her gloves and veil. 

"Why me?" Seonghwa's whisper of a voice made her turn. 

"Pardon?" her own lips formed a squeak of words. 

His warm, confused eyes lifted to her face, or where her face was to be for she was still sealed from eyesight, "Why did you choose me...Your Majesty?"

Your Majesty? I like that., she thought.

"Mr. Park, don't you want to be king?"

His eyes scanned the floor and the purple carpet on it, "I don't know. With all due respect, Princess, I have a whole life back home. And, I want to get married out of love."

She stared at him in awe even with the knowledge that he could not see here. Clearing her throat, she leaned against her thighs, "I did too, once. When I was a naive child."

Seonghwa shook his head and his lips trembled as if he wanted to say something before simply leaning back into his seat. 

She could feel a sense of guiltiness, in the deepest intervals of her heart, take over her as his eyes sparkled with tears as they scanned the outside of the carriage. 

Silence, only broken when the wheels of the carriage ht the occasional rock, filled the atmosphere. 

Until she decided to keep talking, "I chose you because I know your heart is pure. Even after all you've been through."

Seonghwa pulled himself up, his broad shoulders growing tense, "Pardon?"

"My family passed away too, Mr. Park. I also lost everything when I was but an ignorant child. Ignorant in the sense that I didn't know what was valuable in my life until I lost it. I was left all the riches in the world, but I lost my mother and father.", her voice, as quiet as the subtle rustling of the dying trees passing by around them, cracked as she spoke. 

"Princess Annabella, how do you know that my family is dead?"

Her shoulders rose, "I guess victims of the tragedy of this world are attracted to one another, morbidly enough. Don't you think? After all, flames took both our kin."

Those tears that had once been in his eyes spilled out onto his rosy cheeks. "We will never be the same.", he mumbled as he wiped the tears from his porcelain-like face. 

She leaned back into her seat and before she knew it, she answered with the same tone, "You're going to be my husband. Whether you like it or not."

Now, in the cold grasp of uncomfortable silence, she noticed the carriage bumping and toiling around. She dug her heels into the ground, gulps of fear building up in her throat. Her heart was thumping now that such a foolish argument, which she had unfortunately followed through on, was over. 

But, they arrived safe and relatively sound. 

Princess Annabella let out a small giggle, mostly out of relief, at the astonished expression that only grew when Seonghwa saw the enormous porcelain-white palace, with collections of windows, towers, and two, large doors. 

The golden carriage door opened and the announcer from before held out his hand. "Thank you, San.", she smiled as she grabbed her friend's hand. 

The man, who had known Princess Anabella since both were in diapers and his father began working as the palace's stableboy, helped her out. 

San was one of the few people who knew what she held behind sealed lips. 

Seonghwa hopped out behind her, his eyes glued to the beautiful purple flower bushes in front of the palace. 

"Come on.", Princess Anabella gestured for Seonghwa and San to follow her into her home. 

Shorter chapter, sorry, but I hope you still enjoyed. 

More on San and Annabella's friendship later. 

Thanks for reading!

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