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#I could not have asked for a more beautiful pomegranate for them

plomegranate · 6 months

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i love palestinian and arab culture so much.

my grandma wearing thobes around the house and making us tamriyeh. my cousins wedding when we all wore thobes and keffiyehs and took photos downtown and we danced with someone playing the guitar on the street and this lady stopping us to tell us we all looked so beautiful. walking the graduation stage in a thobe. the girl who liked to guess arab peoples ethnicities telling me "you're wearing tatreez... do you want me to write 'palestinian' on your forehead?" the keffiyeh my brother keeps on the drivers seat of his car.

my dad sending me off to my last semester of college with 2 pomegranates and a jar of palestinian olive oil. my cousins wife coming up with new ways to make zaatar and cheese pastries. me and my grandma sitting on the floor and making waraq 3neb- my job was to separate the leaves so she could roll them easier. my mom sending me and my brother to school with eid cookies for my teachers and tasking us with delivering some to the neighbors. my aunt glaring at me and piling more food on my plate and then asking if i was still hungry (i wasnt). my mom always telling me to invite my friends and cousins over for dinner and asking me what they like to eat. my family getting my dad knafeh instead of cake for his birthday. the man who told me i made the "best fetteh in the western hemisphere".

the man in the shawarma shop who gave me my fries for free and baklava i didnt order because we spoke about being palestinian while he took my order. the person on tumblr who i bonded with because we are from the same palestinian city. the girl i met on campus who exclaimed "youre palestinian? me too!" because i was wearing my keffiyeh. the girl in my class that showed me the artwork about palestine her dad made and donated for fundraising. the couple in the grocery store who noticed my palestinian shirt and talked with me for 20 minutes and ended up being a family friend. the silly palestinian kids i tutored sighing in disappointment when i told them i was born in america because they were hoping that id have been born "somewhere cooler". my friends family who bought me dinner despite me being there by chance and having met me for the first time the day before.

the boys starting uncoordinated dabke lines in my high school's hallways. the songs about the longing and love for our land. the festivals and parties and gatherings where everything smells like shisha and oud. memories of waiting in the car for an hour as my parents talked at the doorway of their friends homes. my cousins and i showing up at each others homes with cake or fruit or games as if it was the first time we ever visited even though we always say "you dont have to".

kids stubbornly helping to clean and make tea after a meal while being told to go sit down because they are guests. the necklaces in the shape of our home countries. people hugging and laughing and acting as if theyve known each other for years because they come from the same city or know people with the same last name. the day i finally got to bully my friends into letting me pay the bill because i had a job and they were still students. my moms friend who calls us every time she's at the grocery store to see if we need something

palestinian people are so resilient and hardworking and charitable. they love their culture and their community and are so quick to share and welcome anyone in. everyday i am so thankful and proud to be part of such a warm and lovely culture

#my love letter to palestine and its culture #free palestine #for those who dont know:#thobe: traditional embroidered dress. theres a lot of meaning behind the designs and different styles are indicative of the region #tatreez: the embroidery style #waraq 3neb: stuffed grapeleaves #dabke: traditional dance. look up videos theyre quite fun #shisha: the stuff smoked in hookah #oud: popular perfume/cologne scent #tamriyeh: fried dough dessert #keffiyeh: traditional scarf #zaatar: spice mix of mostly thyme #fetteh: dish made with bread yogurt chickpeas and nuts #knafeh: dessert made of cheese and shredded filo dough #there is so much more i can add. i really could go on forever #mine #plomegrantalk

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somewhere-on-venus · 1 month

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So you want to worship Aphrodite?

Aphrodite goddess of love, beauty, sexuality and so on.

Born of seafoam, goddess of the peoples hearts.

Aphrodite has been a big part of my life for awhile... Shes blessed me in many ways! And if you want to work with her I hope to help you.

I won't be going into her history in this post, this is more of a guide on how to get started on worshipping her.

The first thing alot of people ask about is how to build that connection, how to reach out. With any deity I work with I started out leaving an offering, lighting a candle and/or incense and offering my devotion through prayer. I then usually follow up with divination of some form to build on the relationship and get to know them. As for offerings I find it can be flexible to what you have. But I'll list off some traditional and other kinds of offerings here first!

Offerings~

• frankincense incense

• apple

• eggs

• strawberries

• chocolate

• honey

• roses

• olives

• wine/mulled wine

• raisins/grapes

• perfume

• cosmetics

• shells

These are just a few but there are plenty more.

I personally when I'm short on any of these I offer her some of my own food. Theres been times where she has gotten a pizza pocket but a big thing is to remember is to not stress about this! The gods are understanding, they won't be mad and Aphrodite certainly wont be! The biggest thing that matters is that it comes from the heart...

Ill also listen some plants and food associated with her as it might also be helpful for offerings.

• rosemary

• hibiscus

• Jasmine

• myrtle

• mint

• cinnamon

• basil

• cannabis

• lettuce

• strawberries

• pomegranate

• iris

• myyrh

• vanilla

• ginger

• peach

• frankincense

Associated animals

• doves

• sparrows

• waterfowl

• dolphins

Crystals

• rose quartz

• pearl

• aquamarine

• jade

• moonstone

• rhodolite

• carnelian

Setting up an altar

Personally I set up a small altar space first... I see it as welcoming them into my home, healing them settle/get comfortable. It would be like maybe getting your home presentable and such for a new friend coming over. And I believe that when approaching the gods you should do it like that, great them as a new friend. Be respectful, don't rush into it and be welcoming.

When I first set up my altar to Aphrodite I looked around my room for what I could use first. I wouldn't rush into buying stuff until you've established that connection.

I searched for shells, pink items, fake flowers etc. I even put toys and jewelry that reminded me of her on there. I also used a tea light and pink spell candles.

This was my first altar:

If you have any questions let me know.. I will do posts like these on other deities I worship soon 🩷

(also this is from my personal experience.. I hope it is helpful though)

#hellenic pagan #hellenism #witch community #witchblr #witchcraft #hellenic polytheism #aphrodite #venus #altar

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milfsloverblog · 9 months

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Respite in Heaven (NSFW)

Pre-fall!Lucifer x angel!reader

A/N: This fic was inspired by another one of my favourite Ghost song which you can listen to here (the very last part is a work of art). I love Lucifer. I love to think that they had an Angel lover back in Heaven. And I love to think that the only reason they still dream of Heaven is for that lost love. Anyway, enjoy! <3 ps: it’s more like pre-fall, mid-fall and post-fall Lucifer.

AO3 link in title

“We shouldn’t be here!” You half-whispered half-giggled as Lucifer dragged you through the tall grass.

“Says who?” The Lightbringer answered without ever turning around, their hand tightly holding onto yours.

“You know who!” You said as you reached your favourite spot under the pomegranate tree.

“I do not care what God thinks, not when I have the sweetest of all angels in my arms.” Lucifer smiled as they helped you sit down by the tree and placed a soft kiss on your knuckles.

“You should not be saying these things,” You whispered, knowing He had ears everywhere. “Nothing escapes Him, you ought to be more careful.”

“I would say it to His face if it meant you and I wouldn’t have to hide anymore.”

“I know, Lucifer, I know.” You pushed a soft smile, brushing your fingers through their messy white curls.

Lucifer closed their eyes, revelling in the softness of your touch for a moment before eventually pulling you on their lap. One of their hands snaked under your white linen dress, slender fingers running up the expanse of your thigh.

The way your brows furrowed didn’t go unnoticed by the Lightbringer and they tutted lightly.

“Something is worrying you,” They said, their fingertips reaching the apex of your thigh and grazing against your bare core. “Talk to me, my Angel.”

You knew you weren’t their Angel, and you would never be. You belonged to God, and so did they. But you wanted to, you wished to be theirs so badly. And that’s exactly what you were worried about.

“We could break away together.” Lucifer whispered in your ear, two of their fingers slipping between your folds.

You couldn’t help the moan that tore itself from your throat, your hips bucking as you searched for more friction.

“I would be the shadow,” They went on, dipping their first knuckles into your wetness before lazily drawing circles on your clit. “And you will be the light.”

And it was oh-so tempting, to give up on everything you had and everything you knew, only to run away with Lucifer. But you could never, no matter how good they made you feel and how strongly your heart beat for them.

“W-we can’t-“ You closed your eyes, your head growing dizzy as the Angel continued their ministrations between your legs. You moaned again, quickly hiding your face in Lucifer’s neck to keep yourself quiet.

Lucifer wrapped their pristine white wings around you, shielding you from the outside world.

It was no secret that the Lightbringer was God’s favourite Angel. And it couldn’t have been made more obvious, you simply had to look at how beautiful God had made them. They were the tallest Angel in all of Heaven, had the whitest and largest wings, and the softest features in the whole realm. And somehow, you had been lucky enough to catch their eye.

“Are you not happy here?” You asked, carefully pulling away from them. “Don’t we have all we need? All we want?”

“I don’t know, do we?” Lucifer cocked their head, pushing their fingers inside you up to the hilt.

You let out a pitiful strangled cry that had your lover’s lips pull in a proud smile.

“Nothing ever lasts forever, my Angel.” The Lightbringer whispered before attaching their lips to your neck and sucking on your pulse point, their fingers dragging in and out of your heat in loud, wet, and you dared to think, sinful sounds.

“We-I-can’t, I can’t-“ You were too far gone to even think of anything else but the pleasure building behind the navel that you didn’t possess. “God will be furious.”

“Don’t you see, sweet Angel?” You swore Lucifer’s voice was now tainted with bitterness. “That the God we hail is nothing but the Wizard of Oz?!”

You didn’t know what that meant, or who the Wizard of Oz was, but that was the last of your concerns at the time.

“Please, Luci-“ You whined, your hips moving on their own accord to meet the Angel’s thrusts.

“We will break away together,” Lucifer repeated, curling their fingers inside you and quickly finding your sweet spot to rub. “Say yes to me.”

“Y-Yes!” You cried out when the coil finally snapped inside your belly, making you see stars as you mindlessly swore allegiance to the Morningstar.

“Good,” Lucifer whispered barely audibly as they helped you ride your orgasm. “We will go softly into the night.”

Your head fell forward, forehead pressed against the other angel’s alabaster skin. You weren’t sure, but you swore you could hear distant thunder then. Whether it came from the outside world or from within Lucifer’s chest still remains a mystery.

Only you were right when you said Lucifer ought to be careful with their words, for God had ears everywhere. There they stood a day later, God and Lucifer, facing the entirety of the realm on top of the holy mountain.

“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.” Your creator’s voice echoed through heaven. “Through your widespread trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. And so you shall be driven in disgrace from Heaven. I expel you, guardian cherub, from the Holy mountain. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”

You could feel your heart thumping loudly against your ribcage as you realised what was about to happen. Lucifer, however, never wavered. They kept their chin high and looked right into their creator’s eyes as they spoke.

“You shall be thrown to the earth, a spectacle of you will be made before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade, you have desecrated your sanctuaries. May a fire come out from you, may it consume you and reduce you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who are watching.” God added, slightly turning to address the crowd of angels. “Shall any of you be sharing Lucifer’s deviancy, speak now.”

You didn’t even think twice before moving to take a step forward when Lucifer’s head suddenly snapped towards you.

“No.” They answered, and you knew it was said to you more than to God. You exchanged a look with the Morningstar, your head shaking from side to side as if to convince them to come clean and beg for forgiveness. But Lucifer only smiled and turned back to face their creator. “No, it is just me.”

“So be it.” God nodded and with a single wave of His hand, Lucifer was sent tumbling from the edge of the Holy mountain.

“No!” You whispered in horror and made to run towards the edge only to be held back by small cherubim hands.

The silence was deafening as the angels mourned the loss of one of their own, each wondering who would be next to suffer this fate.

You didn’t know how long you had stayed there, kneeling by the edge of the mountain and waiting, hoping that Lucifer would find a way to climb their way back up. But they never did. And you had eventually stopped hoping.

—

"What power would Hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream…of Heaven?" Lucifer’s eyes filled with tears, their lips slightly quivering before their mask fell back into place. Morpheus had struck a nerve and he knew it all too well.

“One day, Morpheus, we shall destroy you.” The Lightbringer promised. But not today. No, not today for Lucifer wasn’t ready to part with their dreams.

And so, as always since centuries, that night somewhere in Hell, the Devil dreams of an Angel. And as always, somewhere in Heaven, an Angel dreams of the Devil.

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tag list: @weemssapphic @larissaoftarthweems @principal-weems09 @pro-weems-places @readingtheentrails @catechristiesstuff @kimiinou

#lucifer morningstar #lucifer the sandman #lucifer Morningstar x reader #Gwendoline Christie #the sandman #lucifer sandman #lucifer sandman x reader #no beta we die like larissa #no I won’t ever stop writing song fics #I kinda feel for lucifer #kinda relate too #larissa weems x reader

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m-writes-stories · 7 months

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The KC Couple Pt 7

Week 1 - 9/7 vs Detroit Lions

Word Count: 2197

Warnings: language, talk about pregnancy, talk about weight and feeling overweight

WEDNESDAY NIGHT (NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME)

You could hear Travis groaning as he made his way to the couch. “Are you ok baby?” you asked him. “It just fucking hurts. How the fuck did I get this hurt from a non-contact injury?” he responded. “I don’t know baby, come sit down.” Travis sat down next to you. You laid your head down on his lap. “How are you feeling mama?” he asked you as he brushed your hair with his fingers. “My back hurts a bit, I had heartburn earlier, I feel like I could sleep for days. But other than that I’m good.” “How big is our baby this week?” “The size of a pomegranate.” “When can we find out the gender?” “My mom will be here next Wednesday for our appointment to find out so we can’t know.” “And why can’t we know?” “So it is a surprise for the Gender Reveal Party. It is just a thing. We aren’t supposed to know so we are gonna let my mom find out at the appointment instead of us.” You slowly started to fall asleep. “I’m gonna watch some film. Is that ok?” Travis asks you. “Yeah, I’m probably gonna fall asleep.” “Ok, sleep well baby.”

Travis watched film for about an hour, before deciding to get up and get ready for the game the following day. He lifted your head slightly and moved a pillow under it. You knew he would be needing to get ready. You slept for about another hour and a half before deciding to get up. You could hear Travis moving around upstairs. You slowly headed upstairs, you stood in the doorway watching him go around the room, frantically looking for things. “Hey, handsome, you need some help?” “Yeah, do you know where my AirPods are? And my red long sleeve practice shirt? And–” “Slow down, handsome. Your AirPods are downstairs charging, I plugged them in this morning. Your long sleeve practice shirt is in your locker. I remember seeing it yesterday when I came by.” “I’m sorry. I’m stressed for tomorrow.” “Why are you stressed?” “Because I’m not playing and I feel bad because I have a non-contact practice injury. I should be playing tomorrow.” But you are not. So take a second to chill and breathe. It’s almost 11pm. Let’s get ready for bed, I’m getting sleepy.” “Ok mama, let’s get you to sleep.”

THURSDAY MORNING (DAY OF THE GAME)

You woke up the next morning, with Travis not in bed. You checked your phone and the time said 8:39. Yout got out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. You saw Travis making pancakes. “Hi, baby. Did you sleep good?” “No, your child sat on my bladder all night. I think I got up like 5 times to pee last night,” you said, walking over to him wrapping your arms around his bare torso. You had one of Travis’s old practice shirts on and a pair of underwear. Travis’s shirt going down to mid-thigh. Travis had a pair of shorts on, as he got pretty hot at night.

“Do you want chocolate chips in your pancakes today?” Travis asked you as he kissed the top of your head. “Yes please.” You kissed his chest. You were 5’5’ so Travis was taller than you by a foot. “Ok, pretty girl. As much as I love you hugging me, and I do love it. I need you to move so I can finish breakfast. Do you wanna sit on the counter?” Travis asked you. “I can’t get up there like I used to.” “Pretty girl, I can pick you up and put you in the counter.” “No, you can’t.” “Pretty girl, are you calling yourself too heavy or me not strong enough?” “I weigh too much, your strength isn’t gonna do anything.” “Y/N I don’t want to hear you ever say you are too heavy or fat. Do you hear me? You are perfect. Do you understand?” “But I don’t feel pretty?” “But you are honey. I love you. You are the most beautiful girl ever.” He walked towards you, spreading your legs so he could stand in between them. He grabbed your face with both hands. He leaned in towards you, and kissed you passionately. “I Love you more than anything. More than I like playing football.” “Liar.” “I’m serious. I love you more than I love playing under the prime time lights. You are perfect for me. I love you. And you are pregnant you are supposed to gain weight.” You giggled and looked up at him. “You promise?” “Have I ever lied to you?” He asked, smirking. “No.” “So why would I now?”

Travis and you finished breakfast and headed upstairs to your bedroom. “Trav, what time do you need to head to the stadium?” “I need to be there by 12:45,” he yelled from the bathroom. It was currently 10. You laid back down in your bed. Travis came out of the bathroom and laid next to you, pulling you into his chest. “You should probably get ready to go. Is your bag ready?” You asked him. “Yeah, it's ready. Which is why I am lying here with my wife.” “I should look through it.” “No, you can look through it after a bit. It’s only a 20 minute drive, we have time.

Time Skip

You watched Travis finish getting his shoes on. When finished he walked over to you on the couch. He leaned down and kissed your forehead. “I love you. I’ll see you in a bit ok?” “Ok, I’ll see you later. I'll probably leave here at 5:30,” you responded. He kissed your lips before grabbing his bag, keys and phone and heading to the door. He has been having a harder time leaving you to go to games. In the past he could leave like 8 hours before the game and be ok. Now, he wants to leave later and later. You haven’t asked him about it cause you wanted to see if it would resolve itself. You were nervous for how he would be the further along you got.

You finished getting ready and headed downstairs to grab the rest of your stuff. You headed out to your car, hoping you wouldn’t catch much traffic. You were leaving almost 30 minutes later than you thought you would. You decided to take a nap shortly after Travis left and woke up later than you had intended. You got to Arrowhead at 6:20. You headed straight into the family area hoping to see Travis before heading up to the suite to get dinner. You texted him that you were there. He came out of the locker room shortly after you texted him. He practically ran towards you. “Travis Michael, you are not supposed to run.” “I know I just had to see you, I missed you.”

“Travis, we should talk.” “What are you divorcing me, what is happening?” “What has been up with you recently?” “What are you talking about?” “You have been leaving later for practice and for games. You used to be able to leave just fine and now you don’t want to leave at all. I’m nervous when I get further along you aren’t gonna want to leave at all.” “I just don’t like leaving you because I feel obligated to be home with you. You are growing my child and I just want to be home with you. But I can't cause I have to go play football.” “Travy it’s ok. I am ok with you going to play football. It’s your job, your passion. We have talked about you playing in the NFL since we were like 5. Yes, I wish you could stay home with me, but you have to go play. And that is ok. You will be home after the game. It’s not like you are going off to war, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” “I know but I just wish I could stay with you.” “Hey it’s ok. We will have 9 days without you needing to play a game. That gives us 9 days to spend together. I mean you have practice and the podcast but that is still time we get to spend together.” “Yeah,” he said while looking down. You wrapped your arms around his torso. “Hey go be the most supportive person to all your teammates ok. I’ll see you soon on the sideline ok?” “Ok, I love you.” “I love you too.”

Travis walked back into the locker room. You turned around and headed up to your suite. You immediately saw Donna with your favorite food. “Awe thanks Donna. You didn’t have to get me anything. I could've got it.” “It’s ok sweetheart. I wasn’t doing anything so I thought I’d get your favorite before the game started,” Donna said. It was almost time for kickoff, so you headed back down to the field. You waited for the Chiefs to run out of the tunnel. As soon as the players made it to the sideline, Travis walked out of the tunnel with Coach Reid. Coach Reid walked over to you, hugged you and said hi. Then Travis walked over saying hi and giving you a kiss on the lips. “Please be careful, stay calm on the sidelines. Don’t make your injury worse. Please,” you said looking up at him. “I’ll try my hardest. But I haven’t sat out in a while. So I can’t make any promises.” “Travis I need you to heal, and you can’t heal if you get worked up, are jumping up and down running back and forth.” “Ok!” Travis kisses you once more, before heading off to go with the team. You headed back up to the suite.

ACTUAL GAME

Travis would tell you that there had been bullshit calls throughout the game, but he really started to get frustrated towards the end of the game. Kadarius Toney dropped several passes and Travis was starting to get pissed off. The game was tied and the Chiefs were having to kick a field goal. (I can’t fully remember what happened and can’t go back and watch so we are just gonna pretend. Unless I’m correct.) Travis was pissed that the Chiefs were needing to kick a field gal. If Toney hadn’t dropped the ball they could’ve scored a touchdown and been up by 7.

It was the beginning of the fourth quarter. Detroit was winning by one and the Chiefs needed to score. Toney dropped the ball. Y/N looked towards the Kansas City bench, more specifically to where Travis was standing. You saw him wrap a towel around his head. You could tell he was getting frustrated. There was 1 minute and a half left before the end of the game. Detroit had the ball. They ran the ball again. There was now 1 minute and 2 seconds left. The Lions took a timeout. Then another timeout. There were now 2 seconds left. They snapped the ball and stood there. The Chiefs had lost. Travis turned towards your suite, making eye contact with you, and shaking his head. You saw him cuss.

The two teams shook hands and mingled for a little while before they headed towards their locker rooms. You hugged Donna goodbye and collected your things. You headed down to the family room and waited on Travis. After an hour and 45 minutes most of the players left the locker room and headed home. Patrick Mahomes (Pat) was the last to leave the locker room leaving Travis to be left in the locker room. Pat walked past his wife and kids straight to you. “YN, he needs you. Like really bad. He is in there pissed off at himself, he came in threw things around. He needs you,” Pat said. You nodded your head. “Good try tonight by the way. I’ll go get him.” You walked into the locker room.

You saw Travis sitting by his locker, his head hung low. You could hear the sniffling. You walked over to him and put your hand on his shoulder as you sat down. He turned his head towards you. “I should’ve been able to fucking play. This stupid fucking goddamn knee injury.’ He said moving his shoulder so your hand fell. “Travis, you cannot blame yourself for how today’s game went. Yes, we all wish you could’ve played but you didn’t. You couldn’t have controlled Toney dropping passes–” “Yeah but if I was playing we wouldn’t have had to rely on him to catch the ball. When he repeatedly dropped the ball.” “That’s on him. Pat’s job is to throw the ball, no one can control if the ball gets caught except the intended receiver. So please don’t be hard on yourself for things you can't control. You’ll be back next week. You are doing everything you need to, so you can play next week.” Travis grabbed your waist and pulled you towards him. You wrapped your arms around his neck. “Let’s go home, ok?” you asked him. He nodded his head against your torso.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L: 21-20 (0-1)

#m-writes-stories #travis kelce #travis kelce x reader

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foolstower · 1 year

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Pomegranates & Brunch

Elliot x reader (Stardew valley)

A/n: obsessed with the dew rn

Pomegranates.

A peculiar little fruit that you didn't much care for until you moved to Stardew valley. Cracking one open you could see it's ruby red seeds gleam under the sunlight. Maybe he'll come by today. He'll ask, how are you? With a smile. His voice carries with the wind and draws your attention each time. You try to say something different each day. Hoping one of the topics will keep him around longer than usual. But it's always ends the same.

You give him a pomegranate. Like you have everyday this fall.

Picking two more pomegranates from the tree, you gingerly place them in the woven basket you were using to harvest all of your produce today.

It's been two seasons since you moved to the valley and you never would have guessed that the tree growing on your property would bear such beautiful fruit. When you first got here you noticed this tree was one of the few well kept things on the property. You soon found out that one of the valleys locals had been making trips out to the farm since he'd moved here. He said it was the only place close that he could get pomegranates anymore, so he'd come out and make sure the tree was doing ok. He came by when you moved in to ask if he could buy the fruits from you since you'd be living there from now on. You'd told him not to worry about it, he was more than welcome to stop by in the fall and take as many as he wanted, it could be a way of thanking him for keeping it healthy for so long.

but it was only half the truth. You were mesmerized from the moment you met him. He can take whatever he wants.

Continuing on to the barns, you promptly gave you're cows some amaranth you had stored away and a pat on the head. Then you made your way over to the coops to gathered eggs. Maybe you'll make breakfast this morning? Fresh eggs didn't sound so bad with a side of toast and some bacon. Your stomach started growling just thinking about it. That's what happens when you skip breakfast in favor of brunch to get things done early. You tried to ignore the slightly queezy feeling in your gut and continued on. The plan was to make a trip to Pierre's for some more pumpkin seeds before you notice a ginger head at the entrance of your farm.

You started your slow trek towards him, basket heavier now that it contained more items and the heat was sweltering. He looked more casual today, in a beige knitted sweater and jeans. His demeanor seemed more lax too. Did something good happen?

The breeze felt amazing once you made it to the steps of your home. Elliot met you there and you both took a seat together. You placed the basket down next to you and couldn't stop the yawn that released now that you'd finally relaxed.

"You look absolutely exhausted. Are you alright?" He asked, concern laced in every word. You turned to face him, and smiled. He was right, you were in fact extremely tired. The only thing keeping you going was a coffee break you had an hour ago.

"I'll be ok. I skipped breakfast this morning, but I was actually about to go inside soon and cook up something." You said. You looked at the eggs and milk in your basket and briefly fantasized about what kind of omelette you could make. When you looked back at Elliot he was staring at the basket too seemingly deep in thought. You quirked a brow. What's he thinking about?

"If its ok.. will you allow me to cook for you today?" The offer floated around in the air for a minute while you triple checked if you heard that right. "Listen, I know I mostly use these hands for writing but I'd like to think I'm a pretty good cook too." He said confidently. "Plus you've been a pleasure to be around since you got here. Let me thank you." He added, voice borderlining a teaseing tone. You blushed at that but more at the fact that he would be coming into your house. You can't remember if it was clean. Did you wash the dishes? How could he cook if the dishes are dirty... Oh well if anything you can just clean as he cooks. Plus how could you pass up a home cooked meal from the man of your dreams?

"Ok! I think I would like that actually." You say finally convinced. Standing up from your spot on the steps, you make your way toward the door. You leave the watering can next to the porch and pick up the basket. "Sorry if my place is a mess." You half mumbled as you grabbed the door knob and opened it up.

"Algae literally grows on my floorboards y/n."

"Touche."

Upon entering your home you noticed that the dishes were in fact dirty but it wasn't a mountain by any means. There were still clean pans and other utensils to be able to cook effectively.

"You have a very welcoming home, it's definitely yours." He admired, observing the various pieces of art on the wall and potted plants scattered around every possible area. It was cute.

"Thank you. I've always loved these things and didn't know I would find so many gems in the Valley." You fondly think of the traveling merchant. She's introduced you to so many things since being here.

"I wish I would've known, there's so many things I've seen that would fit perfectly in here." He thought back to all the things hes seen that's reminded him of you since meeting. You're so nice and he's been wanting to return the favor for all the gift you've given him. "Sorry I got sidetracked, two fridges? Which one should I use?" He questioned.

"I keep most things in the big fridge but if you need something else check the mini fridge." You told him as you picked up the sponge near the sink and lathered it up with soap. Turning on the faucet you started washing the spoons and forks. Elliot came up to the right of you and after a few clicks from the gas stove, it lit up. He placed a pan on top of the burner and then started to gather his ingredients from the fridge. He already looked handsome without trying but seeing him in the coziness of your home, cooking for you, made him undeniably more attractive.

You looked back at the dishes in your hands and started washing the plates. Thoughts of what it'd be like to have him in your life doing this everyday danced through your head. A soft grin sat comfortably on your face. You could hear the soft clinks of a metal fork hitting the bottom of a glass bowl as he stired eggs, milk and other seasoning into the mix. You didn't notice that he had tied his hair back into a loose ponytail and rolled his sleeves up to his elbow.

You put away the last dish and dried your hands. The kitchen was starting to smell delicious as he chopped up some spinach to put in the omelette that he had cooking in one of the skillets. Bacon was now sizzling on a second pan and a loaf of bread sitting to the side to get toasted later. You put on some coffee and grabbed two red cups from your pantry. After waiting about a ten minutes, poured two cups and placed them at the kitchen table and took a seat. A book sat on the table that Elliot had given you a few weeks ago. When you had first gotten 'Camellia Station' you were non-stop reading but as summer ended and fall began you had gotten too busy to wrap it up. Taking a sip of the coffee, you grabbed it and opened it up to where you had left off. There were only a few more chapters until the end.

It wasn't long before a plate was gracefully placed in front of you. An omelette that took up half of the dish, a few pieces of bacon, and two pieces of toast with butter spread on top. Green leaves were mixed into a soft fluffy yellow, freshly shredded cheese oozed from the center. You closed the book and sat it back in its place.

"Wow Elliot... This looks amazing!" You cheered. Your stomach started growling on cue as Elliot sat down in the seat opposite of you. A soft pink coated his cheeks at the compliment making you gush on the inside.

"It's not a problem at all, I hope it tastes as good as it looks." He nervously chuckled. He'd never really cooked for others since moving here. With no kitchen in his cabin and no one to really cook for there was never a need to go out of his way to do something like that. But after all you've helped him with he hoped that it came out at least ok.

You cut into the omelette a took the first bite. His hopes came true. The omelette was perfectly cooked, seasoned, and the cheese melted perfectly. You would dare say this is the best damned omelette you've ever had.

Elliot was pleased with what he saw. The look of pure satisfaction on your face was all the thanks he needed to be able to dig into his own omelette. His wasn't as perfect as yours was, considering his was the practice trial before making the the other one. It was still just as good however.

Though Elliot wasn't lying when he said he was making this breakfast to thank you for hanging out with him, he was also here to thank you for something else. Within the time span of knowing you he'd never experienced such a rush of creativity. Before he knew it he'd written a whole book by the end of summer. That very same book was now being recognized worldwide and he thought he should come clean about how exactly he got the idea for this novel.

"That was so goooood." You sighed looking at the empty plate Infront of you. Your stomach that used to be churning was now full and you felt like you had enough energy to power you into tomorrow.

Elliot chuckled softly and took a sip of his coffee before sitting it back down on the table. "Thank you, I'm glad it was to your liking." He glanced at his also empty plate as you picked them both up and took them to the sink. He debated how he should even bring the topic up. So many ways he could say this but none of them sounded right for you.

"Elliot, you ok? You seem deep in thought." You prodded. He had an elbow on the table with his cheek resting on the back of his fingers. His brows were knitted together but relaxed once his gaze landed on you.

"Im fine but if I'm being honest I did come here with other intentions." He said his olive green eyes stared at you for a second before continuing. "I need to confess something to you." He admitted.

Taking your place back in your seat, you gave him a questioning look. A confession?

"Oh? What about?" You said trying to hide the nervousness in your throat.

"Well, you've been a great inspiration to me, and I did come over today to thank you but not just for hanging out with me." He said gesturing to the book sitting on the center of the table. "Camellia station. It's a book I always had a general idea about. I knew how I wanted it to go but I never knew how to take it there." He said picking it up from the center of the table. "it actually wasn't until the beginning of this year that I was able to find the motivation to write it..... It was when I met you." He stated, Absolutely loving the scarlet that coated your cheeks at that last bit.

"When you met me?" The only thing on your mind.

"Yes, I met you and your presence brought a wave of complex feelings that helped me write this novel." He confirmed. He flipped to a page in the book and read one of the paragraphs aloud.

"Gozman had never met someone quite like Clara before. She had a certain allure that had her on his mind night and day. She was a hard worker with a kind soul and took time out of her busy life to always chat with him when he travelled. He doubt she knew considering she was a busy woman. But whenever he'd book his flights he'd always try and book her's. She brightened up his life a little and he found himself wanting to be around her more and more each passing moment." He read to you. His voice was soothing and deep. You stared on in wonder. Confused on where this was going but liking it none the less. This is the longest he's stayed around before and you don't mind one bit.

He closed the book and held it in his hands, reminiscing all the other lines he wrote with you in the back of his mind. His muse, you were a drop of fresh water that allowed his creative soul to blossom again. In his mind he would never be able to really make up for just how much you've truly helped him.

"You were the one on my mind when I wrote that paragraph. When I think of you, I get unusually creative. You've really helped me open up more as a writer and describe things in a way I never have before." He said. "I'm sorry if this is coming on too strong but I think you know what I'm trying to say. Don't you y/n?" He said taking your hand in his, he gently rubbed the top of your knuckles. This definitely wasn't his plan when he came over but here was no backing out now.

"Do I know what you're trying to say?" You asked. Half a tease and also genuine. Now was not the time to make any wrong assumptions. But how wrong could the assumption be when he's rubbing comforting circles into your acheing hand? He smiled.

"It means I like you. I haven't known you for even a year, yet you've inspired one of my greatest works. You're charming and I can't help but feel invigorated when you're around." He gave you're hand a comforting squeeze as you stared at him in disbelief. "I didn't come here with a bouquet but I would be honored if you'd be mine." He finishes looking up at you.

You're a mess. You don't know what to say, not that you don't accept his confession but how do you react to that? You're heart was racing so fast that the adrenaline was making you shake a bit. This made Elliot look at you with a bit of worry. Maybe he did come on too strong?

"I-im sorry I didn't mean to-"

"I love you!!" You blurted out. Immediately you covered your mouth you can't believe you just did that but you saw how worried he looked and that was the quickest way you could think to dissolve those fears. He looked at you shocked, not even he expected such a bold proclamation from you. You quickly gathered yourself and continued. "I think I knew I liked you too when I started obsessively harvesting pomegranates to give to you. I didn't know how else to convey my feelings for you, but knew you loved these fruits so I took extra care of the tree and harvested it's fruit everyday." You said finally confessing your feelings to him as well. You both relaxed. You stood up and headed to the woven basket where the pomegranates you picked this morning still rested and picked out the biggest one of the two. You made your way back and stood in front on Elliot, offering him the fruit.

"I don't have a bouquet either. But you can take this pomegranate from me again today, as a sign of my affection for you. Like it always has been." You softly stated to him. He took it from your hand and softly set it on the table next to the book before standing up and holding your hands, his right hand trailed up your arm to cradle your face.

"I love you too, my skills with words are unmatched but I can't think of any ways to properly tell you thank you enough." His hand gently slid down your cheek slightly and his thumb traced over your lips. "Allow me to show you?" He whispered. You answered by closing the gap. Your lips melted together like they belonged to each other. Your hands made it up to his chest and his made their way to your hips. He gave them a firm squeeze and backed you up against the table. A soft sound escaped the back of your throat and he lifted you onto the table. your arms were wrapped around his neck and he had a hand still on your hip and the other on your thigh when you finally broke the kiss. You both sighed trying to catch your breathes. Red dusted both of your faces, he definitely wasn't going home anytime soon.

"You're gonna stay and cook dinner too right? I can make it worth your while." You said hand coming down to trail suggestive circles on his chest. He blushed but softly laughed.

"Anything for you my dear, anything you want."

#stardew valley #stardew fanfic #stardew elliott #x reader #elliot x reader #stardew farmer #stardew x reader #stardew valley x reader #elliot stardew valley

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idyllic-ghost · 2 years

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title: Pomegranates pairing: prince!Wonwoo x princess!reader genre: angst, star-crossed lovers au, royal au, suggestive warnings: nudity, implied smut, cheating, puking, eating, mentions of not eating, slut shaming (if you find any more, please let me know!!) synopsis: You, a princess from a doomed kingdom, have been arranged to be married to an heir of a much more prosperous kingdom. However, when you first visit them, you realize that you would much rather be with the heir's younger brother. wordcount: 13.8k taglist: @enhacolor, @shuabby1994, @junhui-recs, @dkakapizzaboy, @just-here-to-read-01, @loviehan, @userjunhuii, @novalpha, @bubblymoon, @aaniag, @d0nghyuck, @fantasy2wonderland, @seunghancore, @woozixo, @niktwazny303, @lllucere, @uniq-tastic, @wonwoospartyhat, @stariightjoyy, @hyneyedfiz, @cali-snow, @pearlygraysky, @crazywittysassy, @yeosayang rating: 18+

request: Really craving to read angsty. No ideas in mind but I want to see betrayal and kill my insides (and cry inside) Can you surprise me? My favorite member is Wonwoo :)

a/n: the ending was @strawberryya's idea, so you have to blame her for that pain... the rest is my fault

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The castle halls were empty, and the furniture that was left were covered with white sheets. Your heeled shoes echoed through the tall corridors as you walked across the marble floors. A kingdom once beautiful, once prosperous, now turned into dust in front of your very eyes. While growing up, your father always spoke of how his kingdom will one time be yours. But you no longer wanted this.

"Your Majesty, your carriage is here." Your chambermaid came up beside you.

"Do I have to go?" you said, only half sarcastically.

"I'm afraid so, my Lady." She nodded. "But I will be with you every step of the way."

Most of the servants in the castle had left because you simply did not have the means to keep them around. Nevertheless, you had insisted on keeping Eunji around. She was the closest thing you had to a best friend, after all.

"I wish my father could be here..." You sighed as you followed after Eunji.

"We all wish he could be here." She nodded solemnly. "I think he would be very proud of your decision."

The Prince of the neighboring kingdom had offered his hand in marriage, despite your empire being in ruins after your father's sudden death. Everyone was joyous over the occasion, except you. There had never been enough time for you to think of marriage or love in any capacity, but you knew that you didn't just want to do it for an advantage. However, Eunji was right - your father would have been proud. He had repeatedly told you that he trusted you to be a good ruler and to do what is right for the people. This was right for the people, so at least you had one reason you could justify the situation with.

The ride there was long and treacherous, nothing like you had ever experienced before. You frequently used to ride horseback with your father, much to your mother's dismay. To see you sitting pretty in one of your finest gowns in a carriage brought her the utmost delight. It wasn't like you hadn't ever dreamed of doing these things, but you never found yourself doing so.

"You really do look lovely, darling," she said.

She was a kind soul, your mother, but she never understood you much. It wasn't her fault, of course, and after your father's passing, she had tried to accommodate more to your needs, as had you to her.

"You've said that already, mother," you said whilst giving her a small smile.

"Oh, I know..." She sighed. "I'm just restless..."

Of course, she was restless. If she weren't restless it would provoke you even further. However, you knew she wasn't solely restless. She was excited. She was excited because you had picked your clothes yourself without her having to ask you to wear something nice. That only happened on extraordinarily special occasions, although you must admit it felt nice to look pretty.

"... thank you.", you looked out the window to avoid her sympathetic smile.

The moment you told her of your plans to marry, she cried tears of joy. Partly because she was so happy for you. Furthermore, because she knew the kingdom would be saved. Outside the window, autumn had begun to take its toll on the poor trees. No longer green, they had taken on an orange color. Although it was beautiful, you knew that in a few weeks the orange would turn brown and that the trees' destinies were to turn into lifeless husks of the beautiful bloom that spring had brought them. Nobody questions the cruel cycle of the seasons because we have grown attached to them, it is the natural way of things.

However, the seasons are purely a transaction. If it is true, as the ancients say, that every spring Persephone leaves Hades' side in the Underworld, then it is a trade between the King of the Underworld and the human race. We get to live with Persephone's beauty for half a year, and then we experience the same cold that Hades feels once his Queen leaves his side. The tale is tragic and has been adapted into many forms of storytelling. But, nobody ever asks how Persephone feels. Her body is used by both the people and the man she loves as pristine goods. She is torn: should she stay with the man she loves or should she help her people? This compromise between Hades and the people may seem like an acceptable prospect, however, every winter people are still hurting, and every spring Hades cries tears of sorrow and loneliness. The agreement brings equal pleasure for both parties, but it also brings equal pain. And let's not forget the Queen, who hurts no matter what she does.

"We're almost here, darling," your mother interrupts your thoughts, and you are forced to drag your attention away from the trees.

"Indeed we are," you hummed as you saw the castle, your new home, in the distance.

The castle had a homely look with many rounded corners. It gave you the impression that it wanted to look less intimidating than it was. Yet the towers still stood tall, and the large windows seemed to glare back at you - like the soul speaks through the eyes of a person. Your new family was inside, waiting for you in the King's throne room.

"Are you ready, my darling?" Your mother came up beside you.

"Certainly." You nodded, keeping your gaze fixated on the mesmerizing marble structure.

The large wooden doors opened for you as you walked up the steps, and, even inside, it seemed lovely. If you could, you would've taken a moment to appreciate the amount of art on the walls, not to mention the mural on the roof. There was no time. You could only walk past it. You came to a second large wooden door. You heard your name being presented on the other side. When the doors opened, you were almost blinded. Not only did the room have big ceiling windows decorated with golden arches, but the room was also almost entirely filled with mirrors on the walls. Instinctively, you straightened your back as soon as you saw your reflection. In front of you sat King Jeon, lonely on his golden throne. You thought of Hades again and that maybe this is just what he looked like. The man was huge, much bigger than you had ever imagined, and had a large grey beard. His crown sat perfectly on his head. From it, his grey hair was cascading down his shoulders. Once you were just a few feet away from him, you courtesied and bowed in respect. The King stood up from his throne and walked toward you. Never had you imagined that he would reach his hand out for you to try to shake it. Yet, he did, and you took his hand in yours. His hand was calloused and felt as if it was as large as your entire forearm.

"My condolences for your father´s passing, Princess," he said with a sincerity and kindness that you would never have expected from his appearance.

His voice was deep and burly, and it reminded you of thunder. As you peered up at him, you couldn't believe his size. You had never seen a person this tall before.

"Thank you, your Majesty," you said, trying to keep your voice strong.

"I am glad that such a strong woman such as yourself could take over his place," he said. "Your father spoke very highly of you whenever we met."

"He spoke highly of you as well, your Majesty." You smiled at him, politely yet genuinely.

"That's very kind of you to say." His smile was also surprisingly kind. "Now, I'm sure that you're hungry, I'll show you to the dining hall and then I'll have the servants show you to your rooms. We can talk of business tomorrow."

The King gave you another warm smile and nodded to your mother as a greeting. You had never gotten to experience what it was like to live as a ruler. Instead, you had always found yourself in the position your mother was in now - ignored until the last seconds of the meeting. Still, your mother's smile shined brightly at you when you turned to follow the King out of his throne room. As you left you caught a glimpse of yourself in one of the mirrors that surrounded you. Deep dark circles framed your eyes, you could hardly recognize yourself. Now you understood why the King wanted to take the business part of your first meeting in the morning.

You and your mother ate by yourselves. The rest of the Jeon family was already fast asleep, the King told you. As soon as you finished eating you were led to your room. When you tried asking for Eunji, they told you that she had taken her place in the servants' quarters already. They asked if they should wake her for you, but you declined and let another servant undress you for the night.

Your room was round, much like the architecture outside. It must be in one of the many towers, you took a mental note to ask for a guide of the castle's many rooms as soon as possible. The bed was in the middle of the room, and there was a small vanity table prepared for you, as well as a wardrobe and a partition wall for you to get dressed behind. The room's wallpaper gave the illusion of looking like velvet, and the dark red color accommodates nicely with the golden details. Most importantly, at one end of the room, there was a door leading to a balcony that overlooked the garden. Outside the glass doors, you saw the most peculiar thing: flowers in bloom during autumn. The servant took off your outer layers for you and was about to leave you to take care of the rest yourself, leaving your nightgown on the bed.

"Excuse me..." you said before they could leave. "How can there be flowers in bloom in the garden? It's late autumn already."

"These flowers last until the frost starts to come in. The Queen likes to keep as much color in her garden for as long as she can," one of the servant explained.

"Oh... thank you," you said. "You may leave now."

The servant bowed and left you alone. You approached the glass doors, more of the flowers appearing in front of you. They had a vibrant purple and magenta color. It was late, but you just had to take a closer look. You opened the doors to the balcony and stepped out. It was cold, and the wind flew right through the thin material of your dress. Without the extra layers, the cold was much more prominent. But you didn't mind, instead, you leaned a bit further over the edge of the balcony to look closer at the flowers.

"Maybe Persephone left a piece of herself in this garden..." You sighed.

"You should go back inside," you heard a voice say from below you.

You quickly backed away from the balcony with a small shriek. It had merely surprised you to hear a voice in the dark, you weren't necessarily scared. In fact, you were intrigued - so you approached the edge again. In the garden stood a tall man with dark black hair. He was wearing all black: black pants, a black nightshirt, and black shoes. Of course you hadn't seen him.

"Who are you?" you asked, "Why are you outside my window?"

"I didn't mean to be outside your window," he said, ignoring your first question. "I like to visit the garden when the moon is out."

You looked up, seeing a slither of a moon there. A new moon. It didn't bring much light, but it was enough to look over the garden - especially combined with the light coming from the candles in your room. Looking back at the man, you smiled.

"So you visit the garden every night?" you asked.

"Only when there is a moon," he answered.

"Then I will see you again soon," you said.

"You might." He spoke wearily. "Is that something you would like?"

"I would. You seem mysterious. I like mysteries."

He let out a laugh, and you thought that you could hear the bells ringing. Like a silver spoon softly striking a crystal glass, that's what his laugh made you feel. Elegant and light. You wanted oh so desperately to hear it again.

"I heard you speak of Persephone before. Are you interested in Greek mythology?" he asked.

"Only a little," you said truthfully. "I had a few books about it as a child. The story of Persephone stuck out to me."

"It's a bit romantic, I suppose."

"It's tragic," you corrected him.

"How is it tragic?" he asked with an amused smile. "Because of the kidnapping?"

"Well, even if we look past the kidnapping it is still tragic," you said. "She doesn't get to choose. Ever. The most she got to choose was when she ate the pomegranate. Other than that, it is decided for her that she has to travel between worlds. It is tragic because every autumn and spring she has to leave something important to her."

"Isn't it the best option? For both Hades and the people?"

"No." You shake your head. "I would've wanted to choose one of the two. Either having to give up my dearest, or to give up my people. Otherwise, I would have to go through the same pain every time I have to leave. While also, may I add, knowing that they are in pain as well."

"You would damn the world to an eternal winter to be with someone you love? Or break someone's heart to give the people eternal spring?" His eyebrows furrowed. "Isn't it selfish?"

"What isn't selfish?" You laughed, not because it was particularly funny but because it felt like such an obvious answer. "Every action we take is selfish, whether we realize it or not."

"How depressing of a thought," he said. "You don't think people can do selfless good?"

"I think people can try," you said. "Trying is wonderful, in fact, but I don't think anyone can ever succeed."

"You have a peculiar mind," the man muttered with a small smile playing on his lips.

"So I have been told," you said. "... do you know the name of these flowers?"

"It's Phlox." He leaned down and picked a flower from the bushes, "It's a Greek word, actually. It means flame."

You watched as he looked around, and then took a sprung up your balcony. It wasn't high up from the ground, so he easily climbed up just enough to hand you the flower he had picked. You leaned over the edge of the marble railing, looking down at him. Now that you could see him better, you took time to appreciate his sculpted features and piercing eyes.

"Thank you," you mumbled and accepted the flower.

"My Lady." He bowed his head slightly before jumping down. "I wish you a good night's sleep."

"Goodnight," you said and watched as the stranger walked away, back into the castle.

When you woke up the morning after it was because someone was pulling your blinds aside, allowing the sun to rudely startle you awake.

"Good morning, Princess," Eunji greeted as cheerily as ever.

"Good morning..." You sighed. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept very well, my Lady." She smiled brightly at you. "They are all so nice here. We had a wonderful time at breakfast. Oh, and speaking of breakfast. The King has called you to come eat breakfast with them. The entire family will be there this time."

"Right..." You groaned and sat up. "Did I bring any good gowns for this occasion?"

"You certainly did, my Lady." Eunji happily walked over to your dresser and pulled out a light blue dress with poofy sleeves. "This is quite romantic, is it not? Perfect for your first time meeting the Prince."

The Prince. Prince Jeon Sungho. Your future husband. A sigh escaped your lips at the thought... and your mind couldn't help but drift to the man from the other night. What if it was Sungho? He never said his name, and with his beauty, he could definitely be a prince. You straightened your back and turned to Eunji with a polite expression on your face.

"I'll use that one then," you said and got out of bed.

Seeing the castle in the daylight further gave you the impression that it was built to look welcoming. The windows were big, now with the daylight they no longer looked hollow, and the walls were light in color. It was such a drastic difference from the man you had seen last night. If it truly was the Prince, then he was a walking contradiction.

Eunji only left your side once you made it to the door of the dining room. When the doors open your nose was flooded with an amazing smell. Fresh bread, vanilla, and all kinds of fruity smells - anything that would make your mouth water. You were starving.

"Ah, Princess Y/N, you made it," the King said from his place at the end of the table.

"I'm sorry for my late arrival," you said and made your way to an empty seat.

Before you could sit down, a man in front of you stood up. For a moment you thought it was the man from last night, but his eyes were different - they weren't as piercing - and he had a wider jaw. And unlike the man from last night, his hair was perfectly slicked back.

"I am Prince Sungho, my Princess," he said softly. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"It is very good to meet you, Prince Sungho," you said and tried your best not to seem disappointed.

The two of you bowed your heads as you sat down. His eyes were constantly on you, you could feel them practically burning into your skin. You didn't return his gaze. It wasn't because he wasn't handsome enough, he was very handsome, but he wasn't the man from last night. It made you question who the stranger truly was.

"Sungho has suggested that we go out for a ride after breakfast," the Queen piped up. "Hopefully, my other son will be able to join us then."

"You have another son?" your mother, who was seated next to you, asked.

"Oh yes, we do," the King said with a proud smile. "He's a bit more bashful than his brother, so he didn't join us for breakfast. Although, if you ask him - he will say that he was feeling sick."

"Do you think that a ride would be agreeable, Lady Y/N?" Sungho asked you.

His eyes were still burning into you, and it was almost difficult to return his gaze. Yet you forced yourself to do so with a pleasant smile. Now wasn't the time to make enemies with sly remarks.

"Oh, yes. I think that sounds lovely." You nodded.

The second son of the Jeon family was nowhere to be seen when you got to the stables. You had changed into more appropriate clothing for riding, which Sungho took note of.

"So it's not just the clothes that make my Lady so beautiful," he said with a charming smile.

"I guess not." You looked down at your clothes and then back up at him. "Thank you, Prince Sungho."

The Prince was handsome, kind, and loved to hear your opinion on many different topics. You found yourself drawn to him because of this. During the ride he showed great gentlemanship, helping you on and off your horse, and he matched his riding pace to fit yours. He was all a woman could ever dream of... yet you found yourself thinking of the mystery man from last night. The way his piercing gaze seemed to look into your soul, or the way his fingertips touched your hand when he gave you that flower that was still on your bedside table. You had thoroughly enjoyed the banter the two of you made, and not in the same way you could appreciate the way the Prince spoke.

Once the evening came you were excited to see him again. However, during the day dark clouds had started coming in over the horizon. It was raining heavily and the moon was nowhere in sight. You remembered his words: "I like to visit the garden when the moon is out". A sigh escaped your lips as you sat down on your bed.

"Is everything alright, my Lady?" Eunji asked.

"Oh, I'm just fine..." You turned to her with a sudden need to tell someone about the handsome stranger. "Could you... perhaps keep a secret for me, Eunji?"

"Of course, my Lady."

She sat down on the bed beside you, as she had many nights before this. Eunji was as close as you had to a friend, and you always told her everything. You trusted her, and you had to tell someone of the man.

"Yesterday evening I was out on the balcony...", you paused and looked at her, "I saw this man there... dark hair, tall... handsome."

The rain started pouring outside as you told Eunji of the man. A constant smile was on Eunji's lips, clearly happy about you speaking of a potential love interest. It wasn't something you had done in the past, as you never bothered with it before. You thought you had your whole life ahead of you to deal with romance.

"I thought it might be the Prince," you said which only made Eunji's smile grow wider. "... but it wasn't. While they were similar, he just... it wasn't the same."

"Oh..." Her smile quickly faded. "I shouldn't advise you to have affections toward anyone but the Prince... but you seem very intrigued by this mysterious gentleman."

"I am, but it won't get in the way of my marriage. I promise." You let out a breath that you hadn't realized you had been holding in, "I have gone too far to screw this up for a man I met once."

Your eyes wandered to the window, where the rain was still falling heavily. Eunji put her hand on top of yours, showing her support silently.

"I just needed to tell someone of what had happened." You look back at her with a warm smile. "I cannot tell you how happy I am that you would listen."

"Of course, my Lady," she said.

"I probably just got excited to talk to someone," you reassured yourself. "There's not much else to it."

Eunji left your side to blow out all the candles in your room. You thanked her and bid her goodnight before she left. Laying in your bed, listening to the rainfall, and praying that you would never see the man again.

The doors to the dining room opened and you stepped inside. Unlike the day before, you were fairly early. Only the King, the Queen, and your mother were in the room.

"Good morning," you said as you walked insid. "If I may, I would like to start presenting ideas of what we could do for the kingdom's-"

The door opened yet again. You turned around expecting your arranged fiancé but were met with another familiar face. The stranger from the garden. He looked at you, and you could tell he recognized you, but he kept quiet.

"Ah, finally!" the Queen stood up and motioned for the man in front of you. "This is my second son, Prince Wonwoo. Wonwoo, darling, this is Princess Y/N - your brother's fiancé."

Your mouth fell into a small "o" shape as you looked between the two. Without hesitation, Wonwoo's face fell into a polite smile as he reached to shake your hand. Unlike just a second ago, there was no recognition for you in his eyes.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, my Lady," he said and kissed the back of your hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you before, I wasn't feeling well. Although, I am in much better condition now."

You could hear the King chuckle behind you, supposedly at the fact that Wonwoo claimed that he was ill. His hand was warm in yours, and you wish he hadn't let go just yet.

"The pleasure's all mine, your Majesty," you said and hoped that you didn't look all too flustered, "You missed a very nice ride yesterday."

"So I have heard," he said. "My brother told me all about it."

As if on cue, the door opened again and Prince Sungho stepped in. Everyone greeted him a good morning, and you sadly had to watch Wonwoo walk away. He sat on the other side of the table, diagonally from you.

"So you wanted to speak of plans, Y/N," the King said suddenly. "Please, do enlighten me."

During breakfast you told the King of the plans you had to make your kingdom blossom once again, which would in turn help their kingdom after your marriage was set in stone. Wonwoo's eyes were on you at all times, and whenever you would glance over at him you would stumble over your words. You didn't mean to, there was just something about him that made your heart race.

As soon as breakfast ended, Wonwoo was out the door. You didn't even have time to say goodbye. Sungho was quick to step in front of you, hindering you from following the younger prince.

"I heard nobody's given you a tour of the castle yet." He held out his arm to you. "May I have the honor of doing so myself?"

You looked back at your mother, who was giving you a supportive smile, then back at Sungho. His eyes were much warmer than his brother's. At the thought of Wonwoo, you glanced over to the door he left through. Maybe you would see him again if you took this tour.

"You may." You nodded and met his eyes once again.

"You've seen the throne room," he said as you walked through the mirror-filled room.

"Why the mirrors, if I may ask?" you said.

"It makes the room look bigger." He looked around. "I suppose one could also always know who's behind one's back with these mirrors."

A hum echoed from your mouth as you looked around. Sungho had been showing you around the castle. A quick visit to the servant's quarters, a look into the kitchen, the garden, the King's study, the drawing room, and many many staircases. Now you were back where you had started your story in this castle.

"Would you like to see the ballroom?" he asked and placed his hand over yours, which was still hanging on his arm.

"I would love to." You gave him a polite smile.

The two of you walked across the King's throne room and through a grand door. In there was a big round room, the biggest room in the castle you were sure. The roof was tall and painted with beautiful images of angels and knights and other such things that one would paint on a ceiling. Surrounding the area were big pillars, on which leaned a smaller balcony of sorts. There was a small staircase to go up there.

"It's gorgeous," you said. "I can only imagine the festivities you could hold in here."

"Does my Lady like dancing?" Sungho asked.

"I do." You nodded. "Although I won't say I'm very good at it."

"Nonsense." Sungho chuckled. "I'm sure you're as good as you are beautiful."

You only smiled at him, for you had nothing to say back.

"This is the room furthest from the garden and your room in the West wing," he commented. "So if there is a ball you can be sure that you will get the least amount of disturbance."

"What else is in the West wing?" you asked.

"Well, there's the library." He pondered for a bit. "There's not much else in the West wing. We call it the quiet wing for a reason. That's why it's the best bedroom in the castle."

"You have a library in the West wing?" You almost gaped at him.

"Yes of course." He nodded. "Would you like me to show you?"

"I would like that very much, your Majesty."

As you walked through the corridors together you tried mapping all the rooms out in your head. On one end there was your room, and this supposed library you had only just heard about, and on the other end was the ballroom. Outside the ballroom seemed to be another garden, or a labyrinth of sorts, which you were told could lead you to the West wing's garden. How, you couldn't understand quite yet. The servants' hall was under the dining room area, which was accessed through a well-hidden door. The King's throne room was quite central to the castle, and in the North wing were most of the bedrooms.

When you reached the library, Sungho opened the door for you. You basically flew into the room. Books were filling all of the bookshelves, which were as tall as the entire walls.

"I take it that you like this room," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, more than any other room," you said silently and walked up to one of the bookshelves to look at the books.

Rustling was heard from beside you, and you snapped your head in the direction of the noise. Wonwoo walked out from behind one of the bookshelves. He bowed his head at you.

"It's my favorite room too," he said quietly with a peculiar smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I was just looking for a book."

He held up a purple book. The young prince looked as handsome as ever. His hair was messy, but pushed away from his eyes, and his clothes weren't exactly smooth down either. Nevertheless, Prince Wonwoo looked like a dream - like a man from one of the fairytales you used to read as a child, or at least he looked like you had always imagined them to look. You could only stare at him with wide eyes, at a loss for all words. Surely he must find you absolutely idiotic.

"It's alright, brother," Sungho answered for you. "We are just looking around the castle."

"Ah... then you've been in the ballroom, I suppose." He looked back at you. "It's really beautiful."

"It certainly is," you managed to get out.

Wonwoo was smiling at you, but his eyes were still so piercing. You couldn't read him whatsoever. He excused himself and left the room. You had to force yourself to not look after him as he stepped away. Once you heard the door close, you turned to Sungho with a bright, plastered on smile and asked him to keep showing you around.

Later that evening, you got ready for bed. When Eunji had left, you practically leaped out on the balcony in nothing but your silky, pale pink nightgown. The moon was out, and you could hear someone whistling. You opened the glass doors, hearing it much clearer now. Your heart started racing as you stepped out onto the cold stone.

"The Lady returns," he said as you walked out. "I thought I had frightened you the other night."

"The moon wasn't out yesterday," you replied. "I thought you wouldn't be here."

"I left once the rain started pouring down," he said casually. "So you're the Princess, huh?"

"I would have told you, but you wouldn't tell me who you were," you said as you leaned against the marble. "Prince Wonwoo."

He finally looked at you, only to quickly look away again. There was a small smile playing on his lips, and his ears had turned an adorable shade of pink.

"You should put something else on." He took a deep breath. "It's not proper... and you're going to catch a cold."

"I'm not staying out here for long." You shrugged with a teasing smile.

"You're not?" He glanced at you, a slightly worried tone in his voice.

Oh. This isn't good. Your heart was pounding in your chest now. The little power of the conversation you felt like you had was now completely gone.

"I mean..." You sighed, "I shouldn't be out here so late at night. You should go inside too."

He looked at you and everything around you just seemed to disappear. Only he was still there, and as he started approaching the balcony, much like the other night, you didn't utter a word to stop him. As he neared you hoped that he could finally close the gap filled with meaningless air between you. His hands gripped the edge of the balcony, right in between where your hands were resting. When he pulled himself up you stood face to face. You had never been this close to him before. He smelled of lavender and something dark and woody. His eyes were still strictly looking into yours, piercing through your soul. He opened his mouth to speak, and you looked down at his lips.

"I do not wish to cause you mental turmoil, but I must tell you that the moment I laid eyes on you that night I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen." He spoke quietly and sincerely, as if he was afraid to say it any louder. "And if the situation had been different I wouldn't hesitate to try to win your affection. I waited for you in the rain last night, wishing that I could get another glimpse of you, to hear your voice again."

You sucked in a sharp breath and looked back into his eyes. His beautiful brown eyes. There was something so thrilling about having him so near, about him confessing his undying attraction to you. Your head was completely fogged up, you didn't know what you were doing, but your hands cupped his face and kissed him. He tasted sweet and reinvigorated, it reminded you of a lemon pie - the tart energizing flavor that never seemed to leave your mouth. His lips were soft and moved against yours with a slow, burning passion. Your hands traveled down to his collar, just to try to bring him a bit closer. But Wonwoo pulled away, his face one of horror as if he had just found something so very wrong.

"We shouldn't be doing this..." he murmured. "I am so terribly sorry."

You tried to stop him, to grab him, and tell him that no one had to know; anything to get him close to you again. He didn't listen. With fleeting footsteps, he left the garden. You looked over at the flowers. The weather had started growing colder, and with it came the frost. Much like you, the purple flowers in the garden had started withering away.

The next morning you asked Eunji to get you breakfast in bed and to tell the household that you weren't feeling well. You couldn't bare to come across Wonwoo again. Even if you looked past your embarrassment, you didn't want to see him again knowing that you could never hold him as you had last night.

After breakfast, you put on a robe over your nightgown and made your way to the library. The weather was beautiful today, and you heard from Eunji that the family was going out for a walk in the nearby forest. That meant the castle was yours to wander in theory, but you only wanted to visit the library. As you walked in there, your eyes immediately landed on a singular book laying on a table. There was a couch near the table, and you took a seat and started reading. It wasn't anything interesting, only a book about some old war, but it was enough to distract you.

The door to the library opened and you locked eyes with Wonwoo. Your eyes widened as you quickly pulled your robe tighter around your chest. One of his hands was still on the door handle, the other one hanging by his side. You watched his hand grip around nothing before letting his fingers fall. Neither of you spoke, you only watched each other. Footsteps echoed outside the door, and you heard your name being called by someone. Wonwoo ran to you, pulling you aside and in between two bookshelves. You were shielded from the view from the door. Wonwoo's arms were tightly wrapped around your waist, your chest pressed against his. Still, neither of you spoke. You looked up at him with big, worried eyes. He swallowed and looked away from you. The library door opened.

"My Lady? Are you in there?" It was Sungho. "... strange. Brother? Are you in here?"

Wonwoo shut his eyes tightly in annoyance. Of course, his brother had seen him walk in here. He motioned for you to stay quiet, and left you alone to greet his brother.

"I'm right here." He cleared his throat. "But I haven't seen the Princess."

"Her chambermaid said she would be here..." Sungho trailed off. "Maybe she was mistaken. If you see her, please tell her that I'm looking for her."

"Of course."

The library door shut. You were left feeling breathless. For a moment, you didn't dare move - the thought of meeting Sungho's eyes after his brother had just lied for you was enough to make you shiver. After a deep breath, you stepped out from in between the bookcases. When you turned around Wonwoo was right in front of you again.

"Do you always parade yourself around in such indecent clothing?" he hissed at you.

"Excuse me? You forget yourself," you answered quickly.

"What? Did you think I would walk in here and take you on the couch? Is that what you wanted?" Wonwoo's eyes were fiery, but you couldn't tell if it was out of anger or lust. "Is that why you're in nothing but your nightgown yet again?"

"I was informed that everyone had left the castle," you said sternly. "I wouldn't go out of my room otherwise, especially not like this."

Wonwoo quieted down, clearly flustered by his earlier assumption. You were left feeling like your heart would beat out of your chest. Truly, you didn't know what had happened to you. Any logic left in you had flown out the window, now replaced with attraction for the man in front of you.

"... about last night-" you started but you were quickly cut off by Wonwoo.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." He grabbed your hand, and his touch sent magic running through your veins. "As I said if the situation was different..."

His eyes trailed down your face to your lips, then down your neck, to your collar bones, until they ended at your exposed chest when he reminded himself to look you back in the eye.

"My Lord-"

"I am not a Lord," he murmured and cradled your cheek in his palm.

"My Prince..." You leaned into his touch.

"Just call me Wonwoo," he said. "Let's stop with the formalities. I don't want to be a prince with you."

His hand was so warm and soft. You pressed your hand to the back of his, just to bring it even closer to your cheek. As you peered up at him through your lashes you saw how his breathing hitched. Sadly, you had to let go of him. Your hands removed the one that he held to your cheek, and you dropped your arms back to your sides.

"Prince Wonwoo..." you said despite his request. "I think you're right. This can't be. Besides, isn't it foolish to act on feelings toward a person you've only just met?"

"I suppose..." Wonwoo looked away from you to hide his disappointment. "But I do not feel like I have only just met you, Princess."

"It does not make it any less wrong," you murmured.

His gaze returned to meet yours. Fireworks set off in your stomach, and you wanted to touch him again. You wished you had never made him let go. This couldn't possibly be wrong if it felt so good.

"Let's be good friends," you managed to say.

"I think I can manage." He smiled.

Oh, his smile was so wonderful. It made you feel like you were taking in a fresh breath of air during a chilly summer morning. You wanted to reach up and touch his face, cup his cheek, and gently swipe your thumb over his cheekbone. Every fiber of your being told you to lean in and kiss him, everything except your principles.

"To good friends." You held out your hand for him to shake.

"Good friends." He took it.

Autumn passed, and in came winter. Most nights you would sit by a big fireplace in the drawing room. The only big problem with the Quiet wing was its lack of places to put fires. Whenever you would go to sleep, you would put on at least two layers of clothing and have extra blankets. The balcony was always closed now, though you had many times thought of visiting Wonwoo out there. He was acting normally around you, although you could feel him watching you when he thought you couldn't notice. Your method was working out just fine.

Snowy days pass and you grow closer to Prince Sungho. One evening you're sitting in the drawing room, in front of the fireplace, when he walks in. You watch as he approaches you. It's only the two of you in the room. He seems nervous.

"I really am embarrassed that your room doesn't have proper heating," he said for what must have been the hundredth time. "The offer of changing rooms still stands, whenever you want to."

"You're too kind, Prince Sungho." You smile at him before turning back to the fire. "But I quite like my room, and it's not all that horrible... I also have a reason to come in here every evening, where I may see you."

The Prince was surprised by your flirtatious advances, as he always was. You patted on the couch right next to you, asking him to sit down. At this point, you know just what to say and do to make him weak in the knees. Which you had been using to your advantage. With the attention of a man such as Prince Sungho, you cannot possibly begin to think about Wonwoo. Even if it didn't feel real, even if it all felt like you were playing pretend with your fiancé.

"I have loved to have you here," the Prince said as he sat down. "Truly, it has been a gift."

"I have loved to be here," you responded.

"... but I have yet to do the thing that I promised." He pulled out a small box from his pocket. "I know that I've offered my hand in marriage to you already, but I want it to be official. I want everyone to know."

He opens the box and reveals a diamond ring. With his slim fingers, he picks it up. You smile widely and put your hand in his. His eyes ask you for your permission, and you nod. Slowly, he pushes the ring onto your left ring finger.

"It's beautiful," you hum and watch the diamond sparkle in the light of the fire.

"It's one of a kind," he muses. "Just like you."

You can't help but think of Wonwoo. How his eyes sparkled just like this diamond the night he had kissed you. But when you look up at the man in front of you, it's not Wonwoo, and you have to face reality.

"We should start planning for the wedding," you muttered.

"Soon, my love." He holds your face in his hands. "I want to celebrate you first. We shall throw a ball in your honor."

"My honor?"

"In honor of our official engagement, then." He gave you a toothy smile, the kind of boyish smile that would make any girl swoon. "After that, I will give you all the resources to plan a wedding... I'll find the best people in the land."

You wondered what Sungho truly knew about you. How could he be so infatuated with a person whom he's only spoken to in person for a few months? How can he promise you everything when you still see a stranger when you look at him? You thanked him and stood up from your place by the fireplace. He looked up at you with admiration, something that you cannot give back to him.

"I think I will go to my chambers, it's late," you said.

"Sleep well, my Lady." Sungho watched you as you left the room.

After a few weeks, an entire ball had been planned and executed. It was the day of the big night. The evening would start with the King announcing your official engagement, and let the guests celebrate with a night full of wine and dancing. A group of maids had brought you a dress, a present from the Queen. The corset top sat tightly on your torso. The sweetheart neckline accentuated your collarbone area and the puffy, short sleeves gave it a romantic look. Flower prints in lace covered the top elegantly and subtly, which contrasted the many chiffon layers of the skirt. At first glance, the dress looked white, but it was in fact a light lilac color. As the maids helped you put it on, one of them gave you a note from the Queen herself.

I heard you liked the purple flowers in my garden, so this will suit you well.

Your body froze. Only two people knew of your fondness of the garden: Eunji and Wonwoo. If Eunji had told her, she would've asked you first. Maybe the Queen had asked her not to tell, to make it a surprise... but if Wonwoo had said something it would be suspicious. Either way, you couldn't be worrying about this now.

"Everything is done, Princess," one of the maids said in a soft-spoken tone.

"Thank you." You did your best to smile at her.

When you looked at yourself in the mirror, you felt like crying. You should be jumping with glee at this moment in your life, but you couldn't bring yourself to do it. A night which was supposed to be about your engagement to the Prince, and so far you had spent most of it worrying about another man. You knew he would be there, and your mind had immediately wandered to what he would think of you - if he would find you beautiful. This was all so wrong.

They announced your name before you entered the ballroom. Whispers and gasps echoed through the large room as you walked towards the King and his oldest son. The King offered you his hand, which you took, and let him guide you to hold Sungho's hand. You looked out over the crowd, meeting star-struck and emotional faces. More importantly, you met Wonwoo's piercing gaze. As the King held a short speech in the engagement's honor, you never looked away from Wonwoo. Unlike his brother, he was wearing all black. His suit was lined with golden details, and a few golden rings adorned his fingers. He had a cape hanging over one shoulder, and he wore a pair of well-polished boots. In a crowd full of white-clad people, he stood out like a sore thumb. You wanted to tease him about dressing wrong for the occasion, but that would be too close to flirting.

"That is why I am happy to announce the engagement of my oldest son, Prince Sungho, and the lovely Princess Y/N. You have my blessing, and I know that this union will be a wonderful one." The King brought you back to your senses as he mentioned your name. "To the happy couple! Let's celebrate!"

"Would you like to dance, my Lady?" Sungho whispered in your ear as the two of you walked out on the dancefloor.

You're already leading me there, it would just be awkward to say no now...

"I would love to." You put on your best smile and got into position.

The crowd watched as you danced. After a minute, others joined in but you saw Wonwoo still leaning against one of the pillars. You locked eyes, and you couldn't look away.

"You seem distracted, my Lady," Sungho said.

"Oh, I'm just... as I've told you, I'm not very good at dancing. I guess I'm just nervous." You looked back at him.

"Don't worry, when you're in my hands you're safe."

"I'm sure." You nodded and looked past him again, but now Wonwoo was gone.

The song ended, and Sungho eventually left your side to talk to some of his friends. You were left standing alone in a corner. Now that the announcement had been made and people had paraded you around, nobody seemed to care where you went. A sigh escaped your lips as you relaxed against the cold wall.

"Tired already?" Someone appeared beside you.

When you saw him your eyes widened, and you felt your cheeks grow warm. Wonwoo had looked good from afar, but this close he was truly a sight to behold.

"It's alright, I also usually keep to myself at these kinds of things," he added.

"My fiancé just left me to talk to other people, and there's no one for me to speak with," you explained.

"You can talk to me." He gave you a delicate smile.

"... it's not weird for you?" you murmured.

"Of course it is. But not a day goes by where my life is normal or goes my way. You get used to it." He held out his hand to you. "Am I worthy enough to dance with you, Princess?"

"People will see." you looked out over the ballroom, nobody had seen you just yet.

"Then they will see two people dancing, two friends, nothing more." He took your hand and put it on his shoulder. "You just think they will talk because you want there to be more to it."

Wonwoo's put his hand on your waist, and with his other hand, he grabbed yours. The two of you swayed in the shadows, out of view from anyone else. Being in his arms made you feel safe, like you could truly rest. When the song ended he let go of you but kept holding your hand. He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the back of your hand.

"Thank you, Princess," he said and took a step away from you.

"You're a wonderful dancer." You let out a giggle, a genuine laugh bubbling up from your stomach for the first time in a while. "You must be a favorite amongst the ladies."

"Oh, definitely..." he said sarcastically. "Especially the married ones."

If it weren't for the fact that your fiancé was approaching, you would've landed a soft smack on his arm. Wonwoo took another step back and greeted his brother.

"I'm glad you two get along so well." Sungho placed an arm around your waist.

"Oh, he's a swell conversationalist," you said and internally cringed at your words of choice.

"Really?" Sungho's eyebrows shot up. "I've never thought of you as the chatty type, brother."

"I have my moments," Wonwoo replied, keeping his eyes on you. "But I should go. I hope you have a good rest of your night."

The rest of the night went rather smoothly. You were introduced to many people and danced with even more. From time to time you would catch a glimpse of Wonwoo, but not nearly enough for your liking. When the clock struck midnight, you realized that people weren't leaving yet. You asked Sungho when it was time to end, and he responded that it usually goes on until dawn. When you heard that you excused yourself and said that you would be leaving for your chambers early. Sungho bid you goodnight, and reassured you that leaving early was no issue at all. If it weren't for the many distractions you faced, you might have actually been able to fall in love with him.

You took the shortcut through the King's throne room, knowing that everyone else would be trying to leave through the ballroom's main entrance. In the mirror-filled room, you caught your reflection. Your hair was in complete disarray, and your face had taken on a flustered color. Slowly, you approached one of the many mirrors. The dress was still beautiful, and you reminded yourself to thank the Queen for the gift as soon as you could. The door behind you opened, startling you, and when you looked through the mirror's reflection you saw Wonwoo.

"It's only me," he said, as if that made it any better, and closed the door.

His footsteps were slow, almost cautious. It was as if he was giving you time to tell him to stop. You didn't say a word, you couldn't as your throat had dried up within a matter of seconds as you laid eyes on him. Wonwoo approached you. He had the same flustered look on his face as you did. It must have been the wine. It must have also been the wine that made you want him so. And, yes, it must have been the wine that made Wonwoo wrap his arms around your waist from behind. His large figure easily engulfed you, and you leaned into his embrace. Wonwoo put his head on your shoulder and looked into your eyes through the mirror.

"I have been watching you all night, my love," he whispered, his speech slightly slurred.

One of his hands pushed away the hair from the shoulder his chin was leaning on. His fingertips grazed your neck, making you shudder. It was difficult to keep your eyes open when everything Wonwoo did felt so wonderful.

"I have seen you watching," you mumbled. "I was looking for you as well."

In a moment of pure bliss, his lips met your neck. A peck, that turned into two and then three. They were leading up from the crook of your neck to your jaw.

"You must be the most intoxicating goddess I have ever had the honor of being in the presence of," he mumbled against your skin, "Have you seduced me, my Princess?"

His Princess.

"What if I have?" You smile at him through the mirror.

He looked back at you with a smile, and a gaze that you couldn't read. Wonwoo's words lingered in the air as he pressed a final kiss right behind your ear.

"I would have to tell your husband." He took his lips away from your skin, much to your dismay.

"He's not my husband yet." You sighed. "Let me take part in my freedom for a while longer."

He guided your face, with his pointer finger and thumb on your chin, to look at him. Wonwoo held the galaxy in his eyes, and the only reason you could ever look away was to glance at his lips - and it was only for a short moment, as seeing his eyes on you, and only you, was the most euphoric feeling you had ever felt.

"I wish to have a taste of you, my love," he murmured, his eyes filled with lust. "Will you allow me the delight of feeling your lips against mine again?"

You didn't respond, instead, you pressed your lips to his greedily. Your body turned around to fully face him, and you pressed your chest against his. He pulled away to look around the room, and a paranoid feeling entered your chest.

"Someone could see us," he said.

"My chambers are far away from the ballroom." You took his face in your hands and place another kiss on his lips.

"I have heard that your chambers are freezing during this time of year," he muttered against your lips.

"Don't worry, I will warm you up." You smiled and grabbed his hand.

The two of you ran as fast as you could through the castle halls. His hand never left yours. You were lucky that nobody seemed to be around because you had a hard time keeping quiet. Laughs spilled out of your lips every other second. From time to time, you would stop and slip into a dark corner to embrace him and feel his lips on yours again.

When you reached your chambers, you locked the door behind you. Wonwoo's hands stayed on you every second and you adored the attention. With every step toward your bed, he placed another kiss on your skin. You were utterly drunk off of his contact with your body. Which is why a whine escaped your lips when he let you go. You sat down on the bed, both sleeves of your dress having had slipped down.

"Tell me to leave now if you truly do not want me, my love." He was panting, his hands trembling ever so slightly. "I will not hold myself back if we go any further."

"Please..." You grabbed his hand. "Have your way with me."

The very next morning you woke up to a sharp knock on your door. You stirred in your sleep, your hand touching a naked body beside you. Wonwoo was fast asleep beside you. A gasp escaped your lips as you pulled the covers up to cover your bare chest.

"Your Majesty!" Another sharp knock echoed through the wooden door as Eunji's shrill voice shocked you awake. "I have to get you ready for breakfast!"

"Just give me a second, Eunji!" you shouted back.

Your voice woke up Wonwoo, who grabbed your waist to hold you closer. He was completely unaware of the situation you were in. If it hadn't been for the situation you found yourself in, you would've loved to stay tangled in Wonwoo's web for the entire morning. However, now was sadly not the time. In a hushed voice, you whispered to him that he had to get out of bed. With a grumpy look, he got up and gathered his clothes off the floor. Another knock scared you, and you ended up pushing him behind the partition wall. You put on your nightgown and walked over to the door, hoping that you didn't look like a flustered mess.

"My apologies, Eunji." You smiled at her when you opened the door. "I was very tired from the ball last night..."

"I understand that my Lady, but you shouldn't lock your door when you know I don't have a key," she explained with a worried look.

"I know, I know... I just wanted to be safe, you know with so many people around," you lied right through your teeth.

"Well, we don't have time to chat. Let's get you ready!" Eunji pushed inside your room and walked over to the wardrobe.

You could see Wonwoo's feet under the small gap in the partition wall. Panic set in as you realized what a catastrophe this could end in. Eunji handed you your slip dress and told you to put it on. In a state of panic, you went behind the partition wall and stood in front of Wonwoo so that his feet wouldn't be visible anymore. A sleepy smile was painted on his lips, and it was hard to surpress your own smile at the sight. He had only managed to put on his pants, his shirt still hanging from his hands. With an annoyed sigh, you took it from him and started pushing it over his head.

"Are you okay back there, my Lady?" Eunji asked as Wonwoo put his arms through the sleeves.

"Oh, I'm just... feeling a bit sick from the wine," you stammered out.

Wonwoo's arms wrapped around you as soon as he had put on his shirt, and your heart almost leapt out of your throat as you heard him lovingly sigh in your ear.

"Well, if you need help I can-"

"No!" you yelled. "No, thank you. I don't need help."

The young Prince let out a soft chuckle, only loud enough for you to hear. You only grew more flustered at his teasing.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just feeling... self-conscious." You shut your eyes tight. "Could you please put the dress on the bed for me? I'll do the rest by myself."

"Oh, my Lady, you have nothing to be embarrassed about," Eunji assured you. "But if you wish for me to leave, then I shall. I'll be outside the door in case you do end up needing my services."

"Thank you, Eunji." Your breath hitched as you felt Wonwoo's hands grab at your hips.

The door opened and closed, and as soon as it was shut Wonwoo pressed his lips to yours. You put your hands on his chest and smiled against the kiss, pulling away slightly to look at him.

"You're impossible," you murmured softly.

He leaned his forehead against yours and looked deep into your eyes. A chill sent down your spine as Wonwoo started caressing your back. The warm glow of the morning sun filled the room and you found yourself feeling so unbelievably lucky.

"Last night..." he whispered, "Do you regret it?"

"I wish I would have done it sooner," you admitted. "But now I must force you to leave, I'm sure people are looking for you."

"They can keep searching forever..." he muttered and kissed you again.

"People will grow suspicious." You pulled away with a chuckle. "And as much as I'd love to keep kissing you forever, I have enough common sense to know it won't last."

"Let me at least help you get dressed." His hands went to the hem of your short nightgown. "We don't want to keep your maid waiting."

"I'll let you help with the dress she picked out for me," you said and pushed him out of the partition wall.

Your hands worked quickly to take off the nightgown and put on the slip dress. When you walked out you caught Wonwoo feeling the blue velvet material of your dress between his fingers, as if he was studying it carefully. When he noticed you, he handed you the dress. The buttons in the back had already been undone, so all you had to do was step into it and pull the long sleeves over your arms. He motioned for you to turn around. Once your back faced him, Wonwoo slowly worked on buttoning the back of your dress. His lips pressed to the still bare skin where your neck met your back. The dress' collar was high, hiding whatever blemishes that were left from last night's activities.

"Leave the last few unbuttoned..." you whispered, "It'll be more believable that I couldn't reach."

Wonwoo hummed and took his hands away from you. Turning around, you stood face to face with the most lovestruck man you have ever seen. His smile was warm and inviting, creating small lines by his nose, and despite how wonderful this smile was you wanted to kiss it off his lips so badly. And in the beautiful morning glow, his eyes resembled portals of light that you would gladly dive into without questioning what could be on the other side.

"I'll miss you every second you aren't by my side," he said.

"Can we see each other tonight again?" you asked.

"Of course."

Another harsh knock on the door, followed by a kind yet alarming voice that told you to please hurry up.

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts," you responded to Eunji, but didn't look away from Wonwoo.

He walked over to the balcony door and opened it. You followed closer, leaning over the railing of the balcony as he climbed down. Before he could leave, he pulled himself up just enough to kiss you again.

"Goodbye, my love," he whispered.

"I'll see you soon," you said and watched him disappear behind the castle walls.

Yet another knock on your door. It made you laugh this time. You hurried inside and closed the door to the balcony. As you straightened out your dress, the door was impatiently pushed open.

"I'm terribly sorry, Eunji," you said. "I couldn't get the last few buttons done."

"You should've called for my help." She sighed. "The Queen has asked for your presence at breakfast to discuss wedding plans."

The wedding. You felt your heart sink. How could you have forgotten about the wedding? One of your hands steadied you against your bed frame, while you held the other one to your stomach.

"Are you alright, my Lady?" Eunji asked as she finished buttoning you up.

"Just nervous..." You took a deep breath.

The wedding had a date. A month after the first day of spring, just to give enough time for preparations. You wished for winter to never end. Persephone could gladly stay by Hades' side, you didn't care. Even though the wedding was all anyone talked about, you hadn't accepted fate just yet. That's why, every night, you would drown your sorrows with the kisses of your lover. Every morning you woke up at dawn to spend more time with him before he had to leave. And when he eventually did have to leave, you could feel your heart getting ripped apart inside your chest.

The constant ache only worsened when you were around Prince Sungho, as guilt had started plaguing you whenever you saw him. The Prince would take you out on rides in the forest, on promenades in the gardens, and he even took you on a boat ride once or twice. All of these exceptional experiences, and yet your favorite moments in the castle were those in your bed laying next to Wonwoo.

As spring approached, you grew more reckless. The constant need of being near Wonwoo only grew stronger, and you did everything you could to keep him by your side.

One evening, when you knew that Wonwoo would be going out for a ride, you walked all alone to the stables to meet him. The snow had started melting away, but you tried not to think about it. Nevertheless, it was still very cold outside and not warm enough for anything to have grown. The warmth of the stables welcomed you quickly, as you walked across the floors to where Wonwoo's favorite horse stood. Just as you were about to turn the corner, Wonwoo peeked out from the small room. A smile spread across his lips as soon as he laid his eyes on you.

"Is anyone else here?" you whispered and looked around.

"Only me," he said and put his arms around your waist. "You must be freezing. Why would you walk outside without a coat?"

"I didn't think to get it." Your arms wrapped around his neck. "And I was in a hurry to see you before you left."

"I was going to go see you tonight, after my ride," he explained with a grin.

"It would be too long of a wait."

"You're so impatient."

One of his hands cupped your cheek and brought you in for a loving kiss. He was so warm, it spread through you as if you were drinking a hot cup of tea. You wanted to melt into him and nest in his chest, to always keep his warmth around you.

"We could run away, you know," he murmured against your lips. "Spring is approaching, there's not much time left..."

"I don't want to think about it..." You put your hands on his chest to create some distance between him and you.

"Y/N, this is the first time we've ever been alone outside of your chambers." He sighed. "When you share your chambers with... someone else, we won't be able to see each other like that."

"We can find a way," you argued.

"We could run away, my love," he said. "We would only bring what was necessary, and we could take two horses. Then we wouldn't have to worry about hiding anymore."

You took a deep breath, leaning your forehead against Wonwoo's chest. While part of you wanted to run away, there was still a big part of you that knew that you had a duty to your people. And that part needed to stay.

"No." You shook your head. "I can't just abandon my kingdom."

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes. You grabbed at his shirt, partly because you were trying to make him stay close to you, but you also didn't want him to see you cry. As your first sob rocked through your body he didn't try to pull you away, he only held you closer. One of his hands soothingly caressed your back, while the other held onto the back of your head.

"I hate it," you sobbed. "I hate it so much."

Wonwoo kept quiet but held you even closer. The stables were so unbelievably quiet, that you had forgotten you were even there. But the door opened, making the two of you quickly separate. Tears were still streaming down your face, and there was nothing Wonwoo could do to comfort you. You whispered goodbye and quickly made your way out of the stables.

After that encounter, you didn't stop meeting in public. Whenever no one else was around, you would take the chance to embrace each other. On this particular day, it was the library. This wretched, cursed day.

"Your chambers are just around the corner," Wonwoo mumbled against your lips. "We could go there."

The two of you were laying on the couch, you on top of him. Your heart felt so full, that you didn't want to move. So, you shook your head at his suggestion and kissed him again. His strong arms held you tightly against his body. Your hands were in his hair, trying to pull him closer to you. It was dark outside, so a few candles were lit around you.

"I love you," you murmured. "I truly do."

"I love you too." He smiled at your confession.

"I wish spring never comes..." You sighed and put your head on his chest.

Wonwoo put his hand along your jawline and brought you back up to face him. His eyes were serious, almost stern - instead of intimidating you, it only made you melt further into him.

"Don't mention spring," he said. "Just forget about it for a moment. For me, my love."

"For you? I'll do anything." You grinned and pressed your lips to his again.

The door swung open and your heart sank to the floor at the sound. When you looked up, you met the eyes of your fiancé. His first worried look turned into sadness, which transformed into anger. Eunji came up behind him with a horrified look on her face, somehow it was both disappointed and apologetic. You got off Wonwoo and fell off the couch in the process, Wonwoo sat up and helped you to your feet.

"What is this?" Sungho asked angrily. "Your chambermaid was worried sick about you, and here you are whoring yourself out for my brother!"

"It's not what it looks like, please-" you tried to plea but he interrupted you.

"I invite you into my home, I promise you all the riches in the land, and this is what you do to me?" He gasped.

"Brother, it's not her fault-"

"Oh, so this is your doing?" Sungho scoffed. "You can't have the throne so you decide to steal my future wife?"

"Please, forgive me, my Prince." You got down on your knees in front of him, "I promise you, this will never happen again. I will marry you when spring comes, we can just forget about all of this."

Sungho only looked down at you, with so much hatred in his eyes. He looked between you and Wonwoo, studying the situation. Suddenly, you felt him grab your hair and pull you up to your feet. You could hear Wonwoo's protests behind you, but you tried not to think of it.

"Don't beg for me," he hissed. "I want you to beg him to never come near you again. Show me that you're only loyal to me."

He turned you around to face Wonwoo. His eyes were full of tears and he seemed to be completely speechless. Your bottom lip quivered. What if you had just run away with him? Everything would've been okay now. You could've lived your life out with him in a small cottage in the middle of nowhere, where no one knew who you were.

"Please, never come near me again," you sobbed out, "I don't ever want to see you again."

"Do you hear that brother?" Sungho taunted. "She doesn't want to see you again. So I suggest you pack up and go on a little trip. If you don't want this... mistake to go public, you will leave the castle until the wedding. You will not see her again until we are wed."

Wonwoo didn't break eye contact with you. It felt like his eyes were telling you that it was all okay. That, despite having said a most horrible thing to him, he still loved you and that he understood your situation. He stood up and walked out of the room, bumping into his older brother's shoulder as he did so. Sungho let go of the grip on your hair and you fell to your knees once again.

"Get her to her chambers, maid," he said to Eunji. "I have other business to attend to."

Eunji rushed to your side and held your trembling body in your arms the best she could. She kept on whispering apologies between her cursing about how you could have been so reckless.

"Princess Y/N," Sungho said from the doorway. "I am doing you a favor. Do not forget this, as I will not forget what you have done."

He walked out of the library and slammed the door behind him. As his footsteps faded, you felt your body lose its strength. You could no longer sit, let alone stand. Eunji had to bring in more maids to help carry you to your bed.

Heartbreak comes in many forms, sometimes physical. You were sick in bed for days, not daring to eating a thing. People grew worried, asking how the wedding would take place if the Princess wasn't well. They only thought you had an illness, not that your heart had been broken into a million pieces. So they treated it like any other illness. Only Eunji was allowed to visit you, that is what you had requested. Although you heard voices outside of your room many times. Most of the time it was your mother, and she was usually crying. Eunji tried to reassure everyone that you just needed to rest and that the sickness would leave your body eventually. One night, she was sitting by your bedside and washing your body with a cloth. You hadn't been able to move, which meant you couldn't bathe.

"I'm hungry," you breathed out between chapped lips.

Eunji went into a frenzy as soon as she heard the words. You had pushed away any food that she had brought you, so your hunger was very welcomed. She put you back down against the pillows and put away her rag and bucket.

"What would you like to eat, my Lady?" she asked with happy tears prickling in her eyes.

"Pomegranates," you whispered and looked over to the balcony. "I want pomegranates."

"Oh... then I shall get you pomegranates, my Lady." She hurried out the room and shouted down the corridor about the news.

The people were static, and people from all over brought you pomegranates. It was hard to get ahold of at this time of year, but people managed. If anyone knew what you had done, you wondered if they would be so keen on trying to please you. It didn't matter now. Soon enough, Eunji brought you a platter of pomegranates. They were displayed nicely, why you didn't know. There were a few sliced pomegranates, as well as a few whole ones, but most importantly there was a bowl of only pomegranate seeds.

"Here you go, my Lady." Eunji sat the platter down in front of you.

"Leave," you whispered.

Eunji nodded and quickly gathered herself and left. You stared at the red fruit in front of you. Persephone ate six of the twelve pomegranate seeds she was given and it gave her six months in the Underworld. With a trembling hand, you took the wooden spoon in the bowl and pushed many pomegranate seeds past your lips. It wasn't enough. You put the spoon away and grabbed a handful of pomegranate seeds from the bowl and shoved them into your mouth. The fruit's juices poured down from the corners of your lips, but you did nothing to stop it. You took more of the seeds and kept shoving them down your throat. The noises that came out of you were disgusting. Gasps and gulps and gargles, but it was drowned out by your thoughts. If you ate enough it would give you an eternity with Wonwoo.

The bowl was empty and, with desperate hands, you clawed at the sliced pomegranates. You ate the white meat around it if you couldn't get the seeds out, and when you finished those you tried to open the whole fruits. You were too weak to even try. He had to be by the balcony now, he had to. You pushed the platter away from you and ripped off the bed sheets. Delirious and quivering, you walked over to the balcony and pulled aside the blinds that were covering the glass door. It was day, but he had to be there already. You opened the door and felt the cold wind against your sweaty body. After finally getting out, you leaned over the railing. He was nowhere to be seen. You desperately looked around, feeling warm tears stream down your face. Eventually, your eyes fell on the tree beside the balcony. Small little green buds had started growing on the otherwise brows twigs. Spring is here.

"No..." Your voice was hoarse "No, no, no..."

You walked over to the tree, it's branches hanging over the balcony, and tried to pull all of the buds off, getting your hand cut open on the sharp branches in the process. A sob came out of your throat as you kept repeating that one word. No. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be spring already. You stumbled back and looked down at your scathing hand. Blood poured out of all the cuts and you felt sick. You hurled forward, blood-red vomit spewing out of you. All of the pomegranates escaped your stomach. They were rejecting you. There was no savior who could help you now. Everything around you went dark as you fell to the stone floors.

When you woke up you were in bed again, and your body felt much lighter. A man you had never seen before was sitting beside you. Eunji, who was sitting on your other side, explained that he was a physician and was treating you for your illness. He had been feeding you liquids to get your strength back, which was why you felt so much better.

"You are allergic to pomegranates," he explained in an emotionless tone. "I'm guessing you've had one before, but because of the large intake you had a much bigger reaction. If you eat just a little it wouldn't be very noticeable, maybe a slight itch."

"How..." You cleared your throat. "How long was I out?"

"A few days." Eunji said. "Since you've been rapidly getting better, preparations for the wedding have started. They want your opinion on a lot of things... but if you would rather not see anyone, you can tell me and I'll deliver the message."

All hope was out. You had given up.

"No... I'll meet them..."

In a matter of weeks, the wedding was upon you. It was the night before, and you were in your bed. Preparing for your wedding had kept you so preoccupied that you hadn't thought of anything else. Therefore, the knock on your balcony door surprised you. When you looked over you met the eyes of Wonwoo, and your heart broke all over again. You pushed aside your blanket and walked over to the door. Wonwoo embraced you as soon as he could, but you didn't reciprocate.

"I've missed you," he whispered.

"When did you get back?" you asked.

"About an hour ago," he replied. "Listen, I know that last time I asked this of you, you declined... but this time I have a plan."

"Are you asking me to run away with you?" you murmured as he pulled away from you.

"Tomorrow night," he said. "There's a boat by the docks, I'm supposed to go alone. We'll be on a different continent."

"You're leaving? Why now?" you cupped his face in his hands.

"My brother convinced my father that I should try being on my own for a while." He sighed. "He gave me a chance to visit another kingdom we have a treaty with. Once we're there, we can go wherever we want - and nobody will know until it's too late."

"... I don't know if I can choose," you admit softly.

You blamed everyone in the story of Persephone and Hades for giving her such a horrible fate, but maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Oh, how you wished for a compromise now.

"The boat leaves tomorrow night." Wonwoo cupped your cheek in his palm. "I won't force you to do anything, and I'm not trying to convince you to go with me... I'm just giving you another chance."

With that, he leaned down and kissed you. It was soft and sweet. You had longed to kiss him again, but still you felt so heartbroken. He whispered goodbye before disappearing into the night, you knew you wouldn't get another chance to see him before the ceremony.

On the day of the wedding, you could help but cry. Out of anger, sadness, and out of uncertainty. Anger because your father left you to take care of his mess all by yourself. Sadness because you didn't love the man you were about to marry. And uncertainty because you had no idea what choices you would make tonight.

People around you comforted you by saying that it was normal to feel nervous on the big day. You asked to be left alone with Eunji, and for her to do the rest of the preparations for you. She was silent as she was dressing you, and she only spoke up when she had started taking care of your hair.

"I feel guilty, my Lady," she said.

"About what?" you said between sniffles.

"About that day in the library." She frowned at you in the mirror. "I truly just thought you had gone missing."

"It's my fault as well," you assured her. "I guess I should have told you."

She laughed and put a comforting hand on your shoulder, you put your hand on top of hers. The two of you looked at each other with warm smiles, like old friends do.

"I would have liked to know," she eventually said.

"And I was dying to tell someone," you admitted. "I'm sorry for not telling you."

"No, no... you did what you thought was best," she argued and after some time added, "... was he good to you, my Lady?"

You turned around in your chair and gave her a mischievous smile. Eunji raised her eyebrows and you nodded. Without speaking a single word, the two of you had told so much. Both of you busted out laughing. Despite the sorrow you felt over everything you had done, there was something so delightful in telling Eunji of your escapades.

"How did you do it?" she asked between giggles.

"He snuck in through the balcony most nights," you admitted. "Oh, and he was so nice... I've never met anyone like him. He's quiet and reserved, but when he does speak he always knows what to say."

"Not to mention, he's very handsome," Eunji added, and the two of you broke out into fits of giggles again.

This is what you wanted your wedding to be. You wanted to be able to giggle about what a handsome and charming man your future husband was. In the midst of your laughter, you broke out crying again.

"Oh, my Lady-" Eunji quickly grabbed tissues from the table. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken about it."

"He asked me to run away with him," you whispered. "Tonight. By boat. We'd go to another country, he said."

"But the wedding-"

"I know, I know!" you whaled. "I don't know what to do!"

"My Lady, I don't know much about love." Eunji crouched down in front of you. "But I can see it on your face, you truly love that man. That is something that no one can take away from you. If you decide to go or not... I won't judge you for it. I just hope you follow your heart. Do what you think is right."

You nodded and took the tissue she offered to wipe away your tears.

The ceremony went fairly quickly. You were lucky you had a veil because you couldn't help but cry once again, even if Eunji had given you a good speech beforehand. Wonwoo was in the crowd, you knew that, but you had no idea where since you didn't dare look. You had made up your mind, or so you thought.

You weren't going to leave with him, not at first at least. During the festivities held afterward, you watched as your now husband held speeches and talked to his peers. He wasn't your person. You knew that, and you were sure that the entire world could see that as well. So, when no one was looking you snuck out into the night. It was already late, and Wonwoo had left an hour earlier. But you just had to take this chance. You couldn't stay with Sungho for the rest of your life.

The white dress turned green and brown from you running through the mud. You had fallen down many times, and you were sure your legs were entirely scratched up. It didn't matter now, you would be with your love forever.

When you reached the docks there was no boat. If you squinted enough, you could see a ship in the distance - it was sailing away from you. You screamed, shouted, yelled, and ran as far as the coast would let you. But to no avail. The boat was gone. Wonwoo was gone. For how long, you didn't know. It was time to accept fate. Betrayed and tired, you made your way back to the castle. You had to ask Eunji for another dress.

Years flew by, and you got along rather well with your husband. You didn't love him, and you never learned to, but you did love the children he gave you. Three children: two boys and the youngest was a girl. They lived in ignorance, along with everyone else in the castle. Only you, Eunji, and Sungho knew of what happened in the past. You tried to forget. But when the King died one night while in his bed, you knew that you had to face your history.

He came by boat, just like he had left. The years had taken a toll on him, but he wasn't any less beautiful. You wanted to embrace him but held yourself back by holding your arms so hard that your nails dug into your flesh. Wonwoo was only there for the funeral, then he would leave again. You tried not to think about it, or to see him as a stranger, but it was much too difficult.

The children loved him. Wonwoo was great with kids, reminding you that there was so much that you hadn't had the chance to find out about him.

After dinner, you excused yourself to go to the garden. The Queen had let you have it, knowing how much you loved to spend your free time there. Even if you hadn't expected it, you were very pleased when Wonwoo had come after you. Without a word, the two of you embraced, hidden by a large tree and the many purple Phlox. It was the middle of summer, so the green leaves obscured you well.

"I've missed you, so much," he breathed out.

"Wonwoo..." You pulled away from him. "I want you to know that I tried to go with you that night. The... the boat had left before I got to it. I was prepared to leave my life here for you... but I can't do that anymore."

"I know... I know, my love." He cupped your cheek in his palm. "It's okay. I'm happy for you. You've done so well."

You put your hand on top of his and leaned into his touch. In the distance, you heard a child shouting for you. Another sigh escaped your lips, and you did your best to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out of the corner of your eye.

"I have to go," you whispered out with a sob stuck in your throat. "But you should know that a day never passes where I don't think of you."

You walked away from him, stopping mid-step when he called your name. You shut your eyes tight, as if it would help you shield yourself from him, and you didn't dare turn around.

"I never married," he admitted. "I haven't been able to move on from you."

His words broke you, and a cry escaped your lips. You didn't turn around, you couldn't turn around now. Instead, you wiped away your tears and followed the voice of your child calling your name.

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gentaro-kinniecom · 6 months

Text

❯Winter, the only season we could be together❮

Characters: Nagisa Ran/gn!reader

C/w: first person pov, mentions of death, illusions (?), fluff, bitter/happy ending, fiction (magic), Rei portrayed as the grim reaper, story based on the shuffle unit ‘La Mort’ and their song ‘Noir Neige’, ritsu is mentioned at some point

A/n: I’ve been writing long fics lately so..hope you guys enjoy <3 Nagisa is like my fav after Madara i love them 🤭 (edit; I decided to repost it again since it was private for a while due to it not having much recognition but yeah!)

Winter; The one season I longed for the most. Yet, I always ended up lost in what is the familiar pathway of my family’s cemetery. Some people would break in often at the beautiful abandoned church, far from our business center but hidden within the forest grounds. A voice from within the building made me speechless. Opening the church’s door with a small creak sound, there he was, the most beautiful man I’d ever met. His long, soft, curly white hair, bounced softly with each note he played skillfully on the piano. My presence didn’t go unnoticed, the man’s eyes red and dull, stared into my e/c ones, taking a step back I slipped due to the ice that had melted and dripped onto the hard-stone floors

“Are you okay?” Without realizing, his hands helped me up, the guy was taller than I had seen when I first arrived

“I’m alright, thank you..I’m Y/n, my family owns the cemetery but, I think they’ve never cared for this church, it’s abandoned after all..”

My words made him interested in hearing more, he grabbed my hand, allowing me to sit down on the bench he was playing in the piano a while ago. The place looked neat, for an abandoned building, it seemed..cleaned up?

“Oh, I see..I hope it’s not a bother for me to play music in here?” I smiled, his eyes wondering around before speaking again “I’m Nagisa” Moving aside and patting the seat beside me, Nagisa smiled, realizing I wanted to hear him play

“Your singing and how you play the piano is really beautiful , I want to hear you again, please?”

His sigh made me a bit uneasy but he agreed. It felt so surreal; I didn’t even notice falling asleep on Nagisa’s shoulder. His eyes showed a panicked look, suddenly being shaken up, I groaned, still tired as he spoke

“You should go back home..it’s not safe around here” Without thinking twice, Nagisa led me outside of the church, letting me go home. But I couldn’t help think why I felt so sleepy while being there..

The days are long and the nights go by so quickly, why was the ending of winter like this? Another stroll through the lifeless cemetery, a figure stuck out to me, what seemed to be two brothers glaring at each other, one of them looked..sad, apologetic even, the other handed him a pomegranate, walking away and leaving his brother alone. As I stepped close, the tombstone’s last name looked familiar..’sakuma’..suddenly, the man stood up, walking my way as I stood there, almost frozen while he spoke

“So you’re the (l/n’s) oldest child..” I nodded, looking at him as he handed me the pomegranate his brother had given him earlier

“My apologies, I’m Rei, Rei Sakuma, you must be Y/n”

“You’re right..do you know my family?” I asked, walking alongside him as we approached the old church, entering as my eyes caught a glimpse of the piano that was now..damaged? It didn’t look playable anymore, how was that even possible?

“Somewhat”- he continued-“The Sakuma’s and your family had a pact of sorts, a peace agreement. Is..everything alright? You seem upset..” My hand touched the piano keys, dust particles collecting on my fingertips as Rei watched.

“Is it..fixable?” One simple question was enough for Rei to comprehend that I have been here before. He gracefully came closer, as soon as his hand touched the piano, it regained it’s old state. Was he even real? Rei smiled, as if hearing my thoughts while opening one of the glass windows. Not noticing how cold it was, he inquired

“Oh, so you’ve been here before?” I didn’t even realize I was nodding until I sat down on the same bench I did weeks ago, when..Nagisa was around. Now that spring was arriving, I didn’t see sight of him anywhere. At least Rei was here..or was he really?

“Only once, but that was four months ago or so, another guy was present at the time, I’m surprised he’s not here”

Rei hummed, deep in thought just as he sat down beside me. He looked at me before asking

“Would you mind if I play something?”

“Not at all..be my guest” A soft melody infused the room, the same one that Nagisa had played the first time we met. I placed my hand on top of his, stopping Rei from continuing as he looked at me

“Can you teach me that song? It’s so lovely, I’d love to play it when I have the opportunity”

Every week I could, I went to keep the place tidy, hoping Nagisa would show up again. Rei on the other hand, came around every two months, helping me learn more about the melody I so loved; Autumn, comforting and sweet..leaves falling down from trees, the crisp air of the afternoon, all indicating that winter was once again arriving soon. After all, it’s been one year since I’ve last seen Nagisa, making my way to the church, now painted and given a new glow, I spotted a letter that had my name written on the front and a sweater below it.

I sat down on the steps of the building, excited to read the letter, however, nothing was written on it. No message or anything, just a blank paper with my name and the initials ‘N’ and ‘R’. Disappointed, I began doubting if Nagisa would ever come back. That was all I could think of, his smile, his red eyes that passionately stared at the sheet of paper that was on the piano..wait, what? I rushed inside, finding a book that remained on top of the piano. It appeared to be a collection of old record songs and such, I took it home with me that day and spent the remaining days of autumn reading and memorizing the musical notes. One fateful night came around when the first snow of this year arrived. I opened the doors of my balcony, holding my hand out, admiring the snowflakes as they slowly landed on my hand, melting as they did.

In the distance, a light illuminated a part of the church, my intuition telling me to follow it. I placed on the sweater I’d found along with the music book and a lantern in hand. Snow started to rapidly build up on the small path, which was weird considering it was the first snow as mentioned earlier. Upon entering the building, the door closed shut and a big gust of wind blew against it, a storm had begun, and I was now trapped inside the chapel. Walking towards the grand piano in the center, I noticed a figure approaching it.

“Nagisa? Is that you?” I called out, yet no response. It was as if I had gone crazy, eventually, I took it upon myself to play the melody I had practiced numerous times. Soon, I sensed someone’s eyes on me, as I turned around..Nagisa stood there, hair down and a new way of clothing; He was dressed in a long, dark navy dress with pants that matched

“Y/n, what are you doing here? It’s too dangerous-“ A hug from my behalf stopped him from speaking, his embrace felt comforting, a warmth like summer; his touch cold like winter.

“I thought I’d never see you again, it’s been over a year, where have you been?” Demanding an answer, Nagisa stepped back, sighing as a figure from the shadows appeared, Rei? It was already strange when I didn’t sense a heartbeat from Nagisa, but even weirder how Rei made himself appear.. it all made sense now, how he ‘magically’ fixed the piano and his mysterious whereabouts

“There’s something you’re not telling me..right?” Rei glanced at the book in my hands, not uttering another word as he came towards me. I started backing up, but fear didn’t rush through my veins, instead, curiosity filled my brain. I tried opening the front door, hutting it as it didn’t budge

“I tried warning you Y/n..I’m sorry” Tears ran down my cheeks, staring at the sweater that was possibly made by Nagisa, instead of giving me a sense of warmth, it felt cold, deathly cold.

“Nagisa, what’s going on..?”He embraced me, it felt as death itself was the one comforting me. Rei held his hand towards me as I let go of Nagisa, he guided me to the center of the church

“It’s a known cliché to wonder around a cemetery, looking at people and thinking they’re real..but you never know when that will actually happen to oneself” A sudden wave of sleepiness dawned over me, as I started to fall asleep, Nagisa prevented me from falling, moving my hair away from my face as he spoke

“I never learned how to love , yet such a kind soul, deserves kind words and actions” With that, his lips brushed against mine, Nagisa’s eyes were teary as we kissed again

“Nagisa..I love you but..nothing is real, isn’t it?” He sighed at my question, guiding me towards the piano, letting me sit beside him and rest my head on his shoulder.

“It..isn’t my beloved. I want to be with you yet..you’re still alive, I can wait years, decades even until we both find each other in the afterlife-“

“No, I want to be with you now. Even if it means dying right now, I’m sure of it” My words shocked Nagisa, meanwhile, Rei already knew exactly what to do. I got up, taking Rei’s hand as I began to drift away from reality. Eventually my body went limp again’t Rei’s, and soon, I found myself back again, now in a different room than before. A bed I’d never seen before, regal from its outdated appearance. At the end of it sat Nagisa who smiled as he saw my awakening

“Do you feel any different? I’m glad it all worked out” I smiled, watching as he got up, walking towards me. Nagisa held my hand, kissing me afterwards as the smile on my face grew

“I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary, I’m sure my parents are worried about me” Without another word in, I got up from the bed, looking through the window and at the funeral that was being held at that moment

Some moments after exploring the church, I went outside; Rei was already waiting for me as I approached the newly placed tombstone..with my name engraved on it. That same night I went missing, my body had been found at the chapel, lifeless, no bloodstains or cuts around it, from what I heard. My favorite flowers adorned the tombstone, making it look full of life, unlike me.

#ensemble stars x reader #ensemble stars #nagisa ran x reader #nagisa ran #noir neige hyperfixiation real

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johaerys-writes · 4 months

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Hello, I hope you're having a nice evening! Are u up for a wip Wednesday tmr? If u r, do you mind sharing us some tidbits? Thank you!!

Hello! And sorry for taking so long to respond to this!! I've been working on a fun little one shot with @baejax-the-great where Menelaus is heartbroken after his break up with Helen, and Patroclus and Achilles are just trying to cheer up an old friend (their intentions are very noble and very chaste fr fr):

Patroclus and Achilles' flat isn't how Menelaus had pictured it. He didn't expect it to be so cosy and inviting, with plush rugs, and cushions and fluffy throws over the couch and the armchairs, or the soft, warm light that the space is bathed in from the many vintage-looking lamps that seem to be in every corner of the house. More than anything, he didn't expect the large framed picture over the mantelpiece: a black and white photograph of Achilles in the nude, looking over his shoulder, his back and ass on display.

His gorgeous, muscular back and his plump and sculpted ass. His hair drifts in the wind, a playful wave falling attractively over his eyes.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Achilles himself asks, appearing beside Menelaus with a drink in hand. "The photoshoot was Patroclus' gift to me for our fifth anniversary."

"You should see the picture we have framed in the bedroom," Patroclus laughs, taking off his shoes.

Achilles laughs as well; low and sultry, the sound trickling down Menelaus' spine like warm honey. "Yes," he says. "You should." He doesn’t take his eyes off him as he sips on his drink.

Menelaus huffs an awkward laugh, joining them. His skin feels like it's on fire, and he knows it must show on his face. His cheeks are naturally ruddy; he must look like a pomegranate by now. Achilles has always been handsome, devastatingly so, and more than a little cocky about it, but Menelaus thinks this is what had appealed to him from the very beginning; what he’d refused to acknowledge all the while he's known him. Patroclus, on the other hand, is softer, sweeter, so much more human and approachable— and the fact that his eyes are the deepest, warmest honey brown Menelaus has possibly ever seen has never helped matters. His skin prickles when Patroclus comes to stand at the other side of him, hand on the small of his back.

It all seemed so much easier in the bar. Back there, Menelaus could pretend it was all in fun; perhaps just a casual romp between old friends. It's so much more real and solid here, now that he's in their home and standing between them, wanting both of them but not knowing how to reach. He has no idea how this sort of thing is done, and his inexperience after being with the same woman for years is only one part of it.

Achilles tosses his drink back and takes Menelaus' hand. "Why don't I show you the bedroom?"

Turns out, Menelaus doesn't have to do much thinking.

#patrochilles #achilles #patroclus #menelaus #patchillaus #the iliad #modern au #bc Menelaus also needs some tlc #and boy is he about to get it

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ariel-seagull-wings · 8 months

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POMEGRANATE SEED

@themousefromfantasyland @faintingheroine @princesssarisa @softlytowardthesun @grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales @the-blue-fairie @inevitablemoment @thealmightyemprex @tamisdava2 @natache @gstone97 @lord-antihero @professorlehnsherr-almashy

(Arab folktale from Palestine and Israel. Recorded by Yoel Perez, from the mouth of Zahia Ghurayfât (60) of the 'Arab al-Ghurayfât tribe of Bayt Zarzîr, September 11, 1982)

Oh, honored listened to the words, shall we tell a tale, or shall I sleep? Let's tell a tale.

There was a woman who was not able to become pregnant, and she could not bring forth children. Her husband was a working man.

One day a merchant came and was hawking his goods, saying:

"Pomegranate for pregnancy! Pomegranate for pregnancy!"

The woman came, took a mug full of pomegranate seeds and said:

"Oh Allah, Allah be praised and exalted! With Your might and by Your miracles and Your exalted state and Supreme Being, let me have a daughter or a son like the seeds of this pomegranate, red and good. Praised be Allah sublime, who is mighty with His ability, power and supremacy!"

Twenty years later she gave birth to a daughter whom she called Pomegranate Seed. The daughter was very pretty and and beautiful. Her beauty was incomparable. When anyone saw her, they would say:

"Pomegranate Seed is more beautiful than her mother!"

Then her mother became jealous and angry, whenever she heard that her daughter was more beautiful than she. Then her father started to like the daughter more than the mother. The mother, upon hearing this, would ask him:

"Why do you love the daughter more than me?"

He said to her:

"Because she is more beautiful and better than you."

Subsequently she started to ask the stars:

"Oh Stars, who is more beautiful, I or Pomegranate Seed?"

The Stars replied:

"Pomegranate Seed."

Then she asked the Moon:

"Oh Moon, who is better, I or Pomegranate Seed?"

The Moon replied:

"Pomegranate Seed."

She asked:

"Oh Arabs, who is better, I or Pomegranate Seed?"

They said to her:

"Pomegranate Seed."

In the end she asked all the people, and all of them prefered Pomegranate Seed. Then she said:

"I want to spill the blood of that girl and to slay her."

The mother prepared provisions for a journey and said to her daughter:

"We want to go to your uncles."

The daughter said to the mother:

"No, how can we go? I don't know my uncles."

The mother said to her:

"I want to introduce you to your uncles."

Then she took the daughter through mountains and valleys in which there was nothing except hyenas and ghouls, and other such creatures. They both stayed in an area full of rocks until night fell, the sun set, and the world became dark. There was no moon.

The mother said to her daughter:

"Let's go to sleep."

The daughter said to her mother:

"My hair is joined to yours, my flesh is tied to your flesh, and I shall sew my dress to yours, and your will be beneath my head, and my arm will be beneath your head."

The girl remained asleep until the Sun rose upon her, and she became hot. She woke up to find that nobody was beside her. She started screaming:

"Mother! Mother!"

There was nobody near her.

Then a ghoulah came and said:

"May Allah watch over you, Oh darling Pomegranate Seed! Allah be with you! May the safety of Allah be with you, and whoever forsakes you will be forsaken by Allah! From where did you come to me? From the gate of happiness to the gate of hell?"

The girl said to her:

"I was brought here by good fortune and by luck."

Thereupon the ghoulah took the girl with her.

The ghoulah was roaming freely with gazelles, and she took the girl along with the gazelles to a cave, to a natural cave, like the ones used by goats. She let the gazelles into the cave, and brought the girl in was well. She warmed her and dressed her. She said to her:

"You are my daughter, by the covenant of Allah, and whosoever betrays you will be betrayed by Allah! For I have been looking for you for a long time, Oh Pomegranate Seed!"

The ghoulah roamed with the gazelles, and every day she would take the gazelles with her as she roamed about. When she returned, she would shout:

"Oh Pomegranate Seed! Open the door for the gazelles!"

And Pomegranate Seed would clear the door for the gazelles.

The ghoulah led the girl in the cave, and all of a sudden she saw houses in the interior of the cave. The ghoulah showed her a door and a faucet, and told her that she was allowed to open them, but warned her that whatever room was closed she should beware of opening it. She gave her the keys to the entire place.

Once the ghoulah was absent, the girl went around and started to open the places which she had been warned not to open. She opened the first faucet, and dipped her finger into it. All of a sudden, her finger was all gold, and then the gold stuck to her finger. She tried to remove the gold from the finger, but could not. She opened another place, and all of a sudden there were two girls there, hanging by their hair. She did not speak to them, but closed the door, and while doing so she injured her finger, and wrapped it up.

The ghoulah came back, and said to Pomegranate Seed:

"Open the door for the gazelles! They give milk from their horns, they give milk from their teats. Oh Pomegranate Seed! Open the door for the gazelles, they give milk from their horns, they give milk from their teats!"

She opened the door and, behold, the finger of Pomegranate Seed was wrapped up. The ghoulah asked her:

"Why is your finger wrapped up, Oh my darling?"

She said to her:

"It was injured."

The ghoulah knew the truth, and she said to her:

"Let me see it!"

The girl said to her:

"No, it hurts me."

"Let me see it!"

"No, it hurts me!"

The ghoulah said to her:

"Did I not tell you not to open that door?"

However, the matter was of no importance, since the girl was dear to her.

One day, a merchant was hawking his goods, shouting:

"Buckles, combs for sale!"

It was the first time that a merchant came to this place on a donkey.

Pomegranate Seed looked at his wares, because she had much gold to spend. She asked his permission to take his merchandise. He asked her:

"Are there any human beings in this place?"

She said to him:

"I am a human being, I am Pomegranate Seed."

He said to her:

"Pomegranate Seed used to live in our neighborhood, but her mother took her and shed her blood."

She said to him:

"I am Pomegranate Seed. Is my mother still there?"

He said to her:

"Yes."

She said to him:

"I want to entrust you with a little gold to give to my mother."

He said to her:

"Good."

She gave the merchant a little gold wrapped in an envelope, to deliver to her mother.

Her mother was very upset about her daughter. She wanted to kill her, she no longer wanted to have a child. She wondered, saying:

"I abandoned her among the debris of rocks, and yet she is still alive! I want to kill her!"

She said to the merchant:

"Return to me!"

She bought a poisoned comb for her daughter and when the merchant returned, she gave it to him for her daughter. She told him:

"I entrust you with it for my daughter. Let nobody else open it, except my daughter, and when you arrive there let her wash and clean herself, and make sure that she combs her hair."

The merchant set on his rounds, carrying his gold and his property. He went to Pomegranate Seed, and told her:

"This is what your mother entrusted to me!"

Thereupon she heated up water on the fire, and washed her hair. Then she started to comb it. The first time she combed her hair the teeth of the comb broke on her head. The second time her fingers were broken.

The third time Pomegranate Seed died.

The ghoulah came back from afar, and started to shout:

"Pomegranate Seed! Open the door for the gazelles!"

Nobody answered. The ghoulah said to herself:

"If I find her asleep, she is safe, may Allah be with her, and may the trust of Allah be with her! But if I should find her alive and awake, by Allah, there is nothing else I can do but eat her, eat Pomegranate Seed!"

The ghoulah went to open the door, and there was Pomegranate Seed dead.

"Oh darling! Oh Pomegranate Seed! Oh Pomegranate Seed! Oh Pomegranate Seed!"

Pomegranate Seed did not answer. The ghoulah put rugs and carpets on the floor, dressed Pomegranate Seed in the finest clothes of the most expensive kind. The gold that the ghoulah heaped on Pomegranate Seed could not be heaped on the backs of the camels of love.

She sad:

"Oh camels of love! I beg your trust, don't descend unless you are told the phrase 'By the life of whoever is on your back!' Only then descend!"

The camels of love flew. There were some children playing ball in the field. Among them was a poor man. He was saying:

"Come down, Oh camels of love!"

But the camels did not come down.

The poor man then said:

"By the life of whoever is on your back, come down, camels of love!"

The camels of love came down. When they came down, the poor man said to them:

"Keep all the money and gold, I want to take only the girl! I shall ask my mother to wash her, and we shall bury her."

The youth, took the property and the gold, and the rugs and carpets, and he took Pomegranate Seed and brought her to his mother. He said to her:

"Oh my mother!"

She said to him:

"Oh my son!"

He said to her:

"Heat up some water, Oh my mother, and wash this young woman. I found her dead on the back of the camels of love. Let us wash her and bury her."

She said to him:

"Yes, Oh my son!"

Thereupon she started to light the fire, and she brought a pot that resembled a jar of copper, and brought water and heated it. She carried in the girl and spread mat under her, and started to wash her for burial. Who would be willing to bury her? As she was washing her, the woman shook the girl's head, and behold there was four or five teeth of a comb in her head. She plucked out the first one, whereupon Pomegranate Seed said:

"Ouch!"

She plucked out the second one, and again Pomegranate Seed:

"Ouch!"

Then she plucked out the third one, and she said:

"I witness that there is no God but Allah, and I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah!"

When she said that, the woman said:

"This girl was dead, and now she has come back to life!"

She brought clothes for her, and dressed her, and she woke up, and behold, she was Pomegranate Seed!

The woman stopped showing her to the Arabs (i.e., she hid her), fearing that somebody would her and take her to marry his son, or that the king would take her for his son.

Day after day the old woman would go to the water, and Pomegranate Seed would ask her:

"Let me go with you to the water!"

But she said to her:

"No, Oh my darling!"

One day the king's son saw her and fell in love with her. He told his father and mother:

"I want the sister of the poor boy!"

They said to him:

"He has no sisters."

He said to them:

"I shall never get better if I don't get that girl!"

They went to the old woman and told her.

She said to them:

"This is my son's wife, and her story is such and such and such. She is not my daughter."

They said to her:

"We want her even so, even if by force!"

The old woman took the girl and went to the king's son. He was told her story, from its beggining to the end. The king's son did not stop wanting to go to see the poor girl. They told him:

"Allah sent her as a gift to the poor man; it is a sin for you to take her away. You can take any girl you want."

He said:

"Yes, of course!"

He came and gave the poor man fifty sheep, fifty goats, and fifty cows, and gave him property. He then married Pomegranate Seed, and brought her to the poor man.

#fairy tales #folklore #fantasy #literature #arab folktales #snow white #the fairest of them all

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b1ueoff1ine · 1 year

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Pomegranate Lips