I awaited his returned as I laid down on the bed and when I heard the door opened, I ran to it almost colliding with his chest since he towered over me. I guess I startled him with the way he halted.

He walked off to the fireplace where he dumped the dead animal I think he killed and as much as I wanted to maintain the silence, I was bored to hunger and my plan had to kick off. So, I decided to talk to him instead,

"Welcome home." 'home?! girl.. Is this your home? I'm crazy' but all he saw was a charming smile on my face followed by his expression of surprise.

"Why are you so surprise? Oh, I can see and speak too." he turned from me and walked to the fire place like I wasn't there. Oouch!

"What's that?" Pointing to the kill which I obviously knew was an animal, 'gosh girl, really??'

"Dinner. " he answered non challantly,

"How did you catch it?" 'hell no,' I mentally slapped my face.

"Arrows." he answered perambulating in the kitchen.

"How do you want to prepare it?" I was tired of me at this point.

"Skin it, cut it in pieces and cook" I was surprised he was still answering me though.

"Guess you'll need a knife." I looked at where he kept them, I brought the whole lot and dumped them before him startling him once again.

He looked from me to the set of knives but continued never the less.

"How do you do it? I want to help." I took a knife and held the dead animal's hind legs up waiting for him to respond, he looked at me for a while and succumbed after seeing I was determined.

"Watch." he told me before he began to show me how, which I finally got to understand, after watching him skin the whole thing. But, I joined him in cutting and cooking the meat with the rice while he made the broth.

We set up the table as the food got ready and he cleared the table after we ate together, and I left quietly to bathe after smiling a 'jal mokkgo subnida'.

I took off my gown and walked over to the big bath with only a piece of linen around my waist and sat inside.

I laid under the water holding my breath and It brought the memory with the King by the pond, his smiles, touches and... his pregnant Queen.

I missed the bunch a lot especially my cupid, I wondered how he was faring. Was he missing me like I was? I felt my eyes sting with tears as I imagined it pouring out and getting lost in the water.

Tonight I couldn't sleep, after series of turning and yawning still, nothing. If i was in the palace, the pond was where I'd go. But since I was stuck here, I remembered the lake I had seen a few walks away from the hut when I had taken a stroll into the forest to see if I could find my way out.

I love water so, that where I was going to but the real problem was, how to sneak out without waking Mr. Scar McTrouble a. k. a Buffy the black girlnapper asleep over there; the other side of the room.

I heaved a sigh when I successfully sneaked out but not without hitting my pinky toe on the table which left me wondering if he didn't hear or pretended not too because the sound was loud. But that wasn't important since I really needed that lake water caressing my butt.

I found it with the reflection of the moon and without a second thought, I stripped.

The feeling in my gut urged me to keep the pants on, I obeyed. I got into the water happy that I always found a new comfort zone no matter where I was.

While enjoying the cool water against my skin, I decided to immerse myself completely for a while before coming back up for air.

As I got to the surface and gasped for air,

"Don't go out at night here, there's a wolf pack roaming around. " I sharply turned around in fright to see Scar, yes Scar McTrouble staring at me.

"You're here, you'll protect me." I bragged with shivers running done my spine.

"Not today. " he threw me the clothes I folded at the bank and turn around as I put them on.

When I was done, I walked toward him with a devious idea. I told him 'let's go' and pretended to walk but as he turned his back on me, I tried to push him into the lake but I don't know what happened but I ended up falling, alone into the lake.

Realizing what just happened, I burst out laughing too loudly trying to ease off the awkwardness that was bound to follow earning a 180° turn and a killer gaze from him but he accidentally stepped on my forgotten linen head band, slipped and fell into the lake right on me, while I was still laughing; and It did nothing except turning me into the laughing monster of the lake.

Still in the awkward position, I laughed out loudly but he immediately covered my mouth with his hands and gestured for me to be silent and when I didn't even try to be, he pulled me into the lake.

I was confused, was he trying to kill me? I was just joking, what was I thinking? I wanted to struggle but he was too strong for me to push away especially when he's twice my build and steadily has me wrapped in his embrace from behind.

I began to run out of air with his hands still over my mouth and I could feel my lungs squeezing feeling like it was about to explode, but his hand around me were strong like a cemented walls. That was how my efforts against him felt like, a balloon bouncing off a cemented wall.

When we... well, he, swarm up while dragging me along, I had no power to struggle. I longed and inhaled deeply with my hands on my neck, coughing and struggling for air as my eyes stung and tears rolled out. I saw him stare daggers at me as he stood still in the water looking at me, angrily I splashed water on him.

“Are.... you.... nuts? What.... was.... that.. for?” I could feel saliva choking my throat as I coughed harder.

“It's not my fault, ” he said as he walked off.

“What?! ” I held my throat while I saw my ancestors dancing in front of me welcoming to sit at their table.

“You panicked thinking I was going kill you, but if those people had seen you, you'd be dragged out and maybe killed by an scared mob, that's if you're lucky, and if not, you would be taken to the palace to His Majesty who would waste no time in killing you himself. Not everybody understands being different. ” he explained with his face towards me.

“He's the first not to think I came or fell from heaven.” He stood with me as I coughed until I was calm enough and I sat in the water not wanting to go back to bed because I knew I wouldn't sleep.

I persuaded him to stay just for a while and he succumbed. he patiently waited at the bank while watching me as I fell back to the water to swim.

Noticing he hasn't moved from the spot he was, I swam to him instead and laid in the water opposite him.

Under the night sky and the bright moon light, I found his facial figure strikingly familiar but I couldn't place where I'd seen him.

I felt that I might have met this man before but I couldn't say when or where, not realizing I have been staring at him too long,

"Rude! " he said looking away into the night.

"What's rude?! " I asked checking back to reality,

"Staring. " he said looking directly at me.

"Oh. Sorry, I feel like I have seen you before... " I said resting my head on my wrist

"No. " he denied before I could finish my sentence

"Am serious, I just can't remember but I feel like I know you from somewhere. " I insisted shivering from the coldness of the water.

"Not possible. " he denied again,

"Why? " I asked

"I know I haven't seen you before. " he savagely answered as he prepared to leave; the wetness of his clothes made them transparent and saggy so I was able to spot some scars, but the one that drew me in was the large one under his shoulder blade.

I reached out and touched it softly and as my fingers lingered on it, he stayed still - probably startled, I don't know - watching me as I felt another scar connected to it that ran up to his neck behind his ears but when I was about to link it with the one close to it, he suddenly grabbed my wrist and looked at me, not warningly but meekly before withdrawing my hand from his firm hold.

"That scar, how..." Still holding his gaze with my eyes soft with curiosity.

"It's time to go. " he abruptly stood up, walked off leaving me feeling a little embarrassed but I tailed along though I wanted to stay behind.

This walk home was a silent one; that royal awkward kind of silence. I couldn't help but feel I've touched a sensitive part of his that might be triggering thanks to my no boundary curiosity.

Few hours later

"Wake up" I heard him as he shook me to consciousness and telling by the way he lifted me by my shoulder into a sit-up position, I guess this time waking up wasn't so easily before I sharply opened my eyes; I have been having this bad dreams since I regained my sight.

As I opened my eyes, the surrounding assured me that I was awake and I was thankful that he woke me when he did because if he didn't, It would have.

Just remembering the dream wreaked my mind and drain the warmth from my blood so much that, I had to pull him closer hugging him tightly and by his reaction, I'd think he wasn't expecting it.

I buried my face in the nape of his neck while trying to calm myself that it was all a dream while hoping he wouldn't push me away.

When I finally convinced myself to let go, I whispered a thank you. His face stroke a memory as I looked at it.

His eyes made me feel the striking resemblance with a vague image on the tip of my mind that has been haunting my dreams; I reached out for this face that reminded me who has been haunting my dreams,

“His cheeks looked identical, the jaws, though different, his was defined while haunter's was round and feminine but the nose was exactly the same. Wait! the lips are the same too, why was he haunting my dreams?” He abducted me or might be worked for who did or even with them and yet he was haunting my dreams.

Does this count as P. T. S. D. for suddenly going blind? These lips was the apex of my bane, if I didn't look at them in the first place I wouldn't have compared them to the image of someone who I have seen that I wasn't certain of.

Tears fell from my closed eyes as weakness mixed with tiredness and frustration hanged on my shoulders. I took my fingers from his lips as I quietly cried.

Though he couldn't understand what was going on or anything at all at this moment, his cold heart warmed up at her tears. Was she looking for someone and ended up lost and unconscious in the wild forest the day he saw her? Did he look like that person? Is it the reason for her bad dreams? Or was he thinking too much?

With the only way he's aware would make her feel better, he pulls her to himself and holds her as she sobs. When sure she's cried it all out though still in his embrace, the warmth of her tears made him see that for the first time in a very long time, he dwelt in loneliness.

Reluctantly I refrained from his embrace and wiped my face before thanking him and laying back down to sleep. I watched as he returned to his bed and laid down while watching and waiting for the night to pass.

My eyes opened sharply this time after the same dream played and replayed, I was awake feeling helpless this time. I felt cold shiver down my spine when I began seeing faces in the shadow that were nothing near the ordinary and immediately I craved for warmth and company. I saw him over there asleep and I gathered every courage possible to go over to his bed and lay down by the right side that was available.

I turned to his bare back since he was half clad, with his scars that were visible under the dim light from the fire place, looking like faded tattoos.

"Beautiful " I thought while resisting the urge to touch them, instead I tried to guess the cause of each marks and slowly, I could feel sleep crawl in and with uncertainty I let it in.

I woke up to the an empty house like always and perceived the scent of freshly made bread that filled the air. I looked over to the dining table and saw the bread and I guessed the rest would be broth.

The combination of food I ate here wasn't normal, if it was in Seoul, I would be sure to curse at who so ever gave such recommendation and a zero star to the restaurant with this kind of menu. But what could a girl do??

I got up, washed my face and rinsed my mouth before I settled down for....? I looked around to see the position the sun was, but it was nowhere to be found. I must have overslept, that's new, no wonder I felt stronger and lighter.

After eating, I cleared the table and proceeded to wash up since it was just me at home. I got to the space where my natural made bath was but from the position I walked I saw someone already near the lake calmly sitting and seemed to be enjoying the breeze and view of nature being shined upon by the Sun.

I was going to make a new friend today and it made me happy that I hurriedly got closer to this person but became disappointed when I realized this 'friend' was actually “Buffy The Black Girl Napper”.

When I noticed he sat still, looking lost and somewhat not on the planet, I tiptoed carefully to sneak up on him and when closer enough, I whispered boo! into his ear and expectedly, he turned around in a flash but unexpectedly, held me by my neck chocking me so hard that I became frightened and confused so much that I began to tear up.

Immediately he lets go when he recognized me, I mentally gave thanks as I held my neck and coughed violently falling into the water but, he stood still watching me as I struggled for life.

"Don't do that again. " he said as I visioned the heavens opened to receive me I guess.

"You... d.. don't... h... have... to... tell... me... tw.. ice.." I struggled to respond, but he walked off with his sword into the jungle and returned with a few leaves and handed them over to me,

"Eat this, it'll stop the pain." I grabbed and rinsed it before sticking them into my mouth and it tasted like mint no, it was mint. I saw him sit back down while watching me as I chewed like a camel.

"You are incredibly strong for a man who lives in the bush." knowing those scars said otherwise.

"What's your name? " I asked finally clearing my throat however, he closed his eyes so he could pay no attention to me, I don't know why my charm doesn't work on this guy.

If he just didn't try to squeeze out my life through my wind pipe, I might be executing the mischievous plan of pouring water into his face maybe, this time, he would just stare me daggers into the afterlife.

"What can I call you? "I tried again waiting for his response which could be a lie. With his eyes closed, he answered,

"Yeong Su".