First Meeting - Jumin Week 2024
Prompt Clivias: happiness, passion, kindness
"Jumin, I needn't remind you how important this is for us."
Jumin shifted his gaze from the window to the apprehensive man sitting across from him. "Of course not, Father."
His father always looked so stern. People often compared him to the older man, and it pained him to think one day he would look like that.
You two are practically identical.
You're a gifted swordsman, just like your father.
One day you'll be a great king, just like him.
The last comment always gave him pause. Jumin gave his father credit for starting to heal the war-torn kingdom he inherited. He had worked tirelessly to rebuild relationships with surrounding nations and visit cities to show support for the people. However, he had become negligent in his later years, spending more time in the company of wine and women than in council meetings. The king was once an imposing figure so his advisors were reluctant to challenge his recent behavior. Jumin couldn't watch his father's past work go to waste.
He spent the past five years negotiating trade deals and gathering all the support he could from nations near and far. Because of his work, Alveria enjoyed growth again, not that his father would admit that publicly.
Jumin knew Alveria needed more. An idea came to him: an alliance. A marriage that would establish his reputation and give Alveria the influence it needed to flourish.
The Kingdom of Raevarin was the strongest option. They had access to trade routes and influence that would finally propel Alveria into abundance. The royal family had one unbetrothed daughter. A more perfect option could not have presented itself. King Ho-sung was all too excited to hear his son had been thinking about marriage.
So no, his father needn't remind him of the importance of meeting his future wife and her family.
He turned his head toward the window again. The rolling hills of Raevarin reminded him of the fairytales his mother used to tell him. As a child, he wondered if Alveria could look as beautiful as the places that lived in the storybooks, or in his imagination.
Jumin's grandfather told him what Alveria was like when he was a boy. Lush and evergreen for miles. Elaborate stonework adorned every building in the cities. The earth grew peaches and strawberries that tasted sweeter than candy. He often dreamed what it would be like to walk through a city so well crafted, to feast on fruit so well cultivated. That version of Alveria felt so far away. Crops only just started to surplus, finally giving them more to trade. Cities stood again, but showed nothing of artistry or luxury.
Yes, King Ho-sung was a fine ruler. But Jumin would be better.
Under his rule, Alveria would thrive and be the paradise it once was.
Knots tied and untied themselves in Anneliese's stomach. She had dreaded this day her whole life. From a young age, she and her sisters knew they were all pawns in a very large game.
She strived to prove herself capable. To her family. To her kingdom. To the world. She spent late nights pouring over council meeting minutes, trade agreements, and legal texts of various nations. On top of that, she devoted countless hours devouring history books to learn strategies of diplomacy from rulers past and present.
She spent weeks begging her father to take her along on trade negotiations, she was sure every diplomat they welcomed into her home knew her name. Anneliese wasted no opportunity.
To her parents, today was the payoff of her overseas trips and her hours of self-study. For Anne, all her effort had been a quiet rebellion. If she proved herself capable enough, she could somehow avoid the inevitable. It was a naive hope she knew, but she hoped still.
Today heralded the end of her rebellion The end of the freedom she had. Leaving the home she knew and the family she loved. She couldn't control what would happen next, no matter how much she had tried in the past. Anneliese swallowed the lump in her throat and tightly gripped the fabric of her dress. The elaborately draped currant red and ebony black fabric of her dress stared back at her in the mirror. The colors of home. One of the last occasions she would be allowed to wear them.
The door creaked open. "Anne, are you ready?"
She turned to see Krista poking her head through the door.
Anneliese nodded. "Yes." Her voice cracked and she hung her head in defeat. She couldn’t even pretend to be okay.
Her sister glided into the room and took hold of her hands. When she didn't look up, Krista tilted her head upward with a gentle touch. "You look lovely." Krista's gentle smile tore open the floodgates of emotion she was holding back. Anneliese threw her arms around her and held her tightly.
"Krista, I don't want to do this. I thought I could handle everything. But I can't."
Krista rubbed her back. "I know, I know. Shh shh. We all must. It is our duty to the throne."
"I know." Anne pulled away.
"You'll always have us, no matter where you are." Krista placed a thin silver ring in her palm. At the center sat an oval shaped deep pink jewel. A promise between the sisters: no matter how far apart, they always had each other. It matched the ring on her sister's hand and only made her want to cry more. Tears began to well.
"No more of that today." Krista smiled. "We must be brave."
Anne nodded and pressed her lips together.
"Breathe deep." She did as told. "Ready?"
"None of us were either." Krista squeezed her hand.
They sat side by side on a stone bench next to the burbling fountain in the palace garden. Prince Jumin was tall and slender, his ebony black hair perfectly parted. Not a strand out of place. His silver eyes were piercing and intense. She lacked the courage to meet his gaze for more than a second.
"Raevarin is beautiful. The mountains are magnificent."
"I’m happy to hear that,” Anneilese replied with a genial tone. “No matter where I go, I find there's really nowhere else like it."
"I have no doubt of that," Jumin replied.
"I've never been to Alveria, but I've read that the wilds’ beauty thrives with an untamed glory. It is said that the fruits that grow there can be compared to prepared candies. Is that what your home is like?"
"Her natural beauty is returning. There is a lake where I spent summers with my family. The water is clear and crystal blue. It overlooks a valley full of marigolds of every hue. As a boy, I had never seen color so vibrant. My grandfather often told me what our home used to be like. That is the first time I saw a glimpse of her former glory."
"That sounds beautiful.” Quiet awe permeated her voice.
“It was. I haven’t been in years, but I hope it has only become more like it once was.” His voice sounded wistful, like a daydream.
“Marigolds are my favorite flower." She scolded her own mind. Was that the best she could think of?
"Really?" He tilted his head with a smile. "Mine as well."
He responded well, so she returned with another simple truth. "I would very much like to visit one day."
A wide smile spread across his face. "Then we will."
"I shall look forward to it." Anneliese smiled.
For a moment they watched the water rise and fall in the fountain. "This can't be easy for you." Jumin's voice was soft and gentle, careful even.
"Nor for you." Anneliese offered.
A small smile pulled at his lips. "Alveria hasn't been the lush paradise you've read about for three generations. But I will change that." He turned to her. "Princess Anneliese, I cannot promise you love, nor do I expect it from you. But I do promise you loyalty and security. If you'll have me, I will make you a queen of legend. All I ask for is your trust."
"If I'll have you?" Anneliese tilted her head. "Surely, it's what's expected of me." Her tone was tinged with disbelief.
Jumin shook his head. "Not from me. The choice is yours. I will hold nothing against you should you refuse."
Anneliese was taken aback. She had a choice. For perhaps the first time in her life, she held power over someone. She studied him for a moment. His eyes were sincere and his voice earnest. "You love your home."
"I do, dearly." His eyes held an emotion she couldn't quite place, but it was strong.
She looked down at the space between them. Maybe she wouldn't lose her freedom. Maybe this was an opportunity that could give her what she dreamed of. Anneliese inhaled to steady her increasing heartbeat before giving him an answer that would change her life forever. "I accept your proposal, Prince Jumin."
He quickly kneeled before her. For the second time that day, Anneliese was taken aback. He lifted her hand to his forehead before kissing it with reverence. "I am forever in your debt, Princess Anneliese."
No one had ever kneeled to her before. She looked into his eyes and again saw only sincerity. She smiled graciously at him.
Perhaps their marriage would be without love, but it would not be without respect. Or even, her mind ventured, kindness.
major shoutout to @geothewriter for his awesome editing and encouragement!! < 3 < 3
