The sound of the kettle whistling pulled her from her thoughts. Quietly leaving the room she'd found such peace in, she stepped back into her slippers and walked to the table, sitting on the bench, so she could still look out over the pond. Jeongguk's quiet shuffling, the only sound as he filled the pot with water and let the herbs steep. Turning to look at the room around them, his relaxed posture was slowly growing tense once more.
"So, Little One, tell me. What is your favorite season? I prefer winter, there's just something so magical to the hush that falls over nature that time of year. Your father loved summer, he always found an excuse to explore the forest with your Jageunappa and he would get into a lot of trouble when ever summer came." She said, keeping her voice light and expression open, never letting her eyes linger on the younger for long. He reminded her of a skittish rabbit, ready to take off at the slightest misstep.
He let out a shy smile. "I like spring, there's always a new dear in the lawn when I wake up. Harabeoji left apples out at night for them to munch on while we slept and he would wake me every morning to watch them walk around." He eyes flitting outside as if expecting one now. "Do you like Passionflower tea? The scent is always calming, and it was all I had left." He looked down, his hair falling like a curtain around his face. The sound of scuffling happening out of her vision, her guess was he had begun playing with his slippers to avoid looking at her. Giving a gentle smile, she hummed her answer and watched unabashedly as he smiled wider, turning to get the tea set ready and brought to the table. "Harabeoji, taught me a lot of his methods when it came to making teas and casting magic. He didn't let me try his blood magic though, he said it was too dark and didn't want it to taint my soul." The young man turned to smile at her, his wide eyes scrunched tightly as even his nose joined the smile. She was impossibly endeared. "I mastered tea though and he always told me I made it better than him."
"Ah, what else did your Harabeoji teach you?" She asked, as the tea was brought to her in a different pot, the knotted wood serving board not as polished, nor as light as the colors in this half of the room. It was such a beautiful contrast she couldn't help but feel it was done with this moment in mind. The hope she wasn't aware of stirring in her chest as the boy came closer.
Jeongguk grew sad, his eyes distant as he looked to the seating area she had just vacated. "He was a very patient man. We had lessons once or twice a week. He would tell me all about my Abeoji and Jaegunappa. About the silly things halmeoni would teach the new comers of the kingdom. He even told me about this Appa and Abeoji, and how they fell in love with the same woman. He told me about his time outside of the palace and how big the world really was. There was once that we talked about why I couldn't leave this palace and that I shouldn't be sad. He walked me to the trees he made and showed me how he'd created the illusion, he told me he knew you would come back and that I would need to be understanding of you. You're entire world was shattered when-"
She cut him off with a sad smile, lightly grabbing his hand and pulling his attention back to her. "He was a great man. Is he out gathering herbs or has he simply left you here now that your older?" Needing to be assured that the man who had raised her was near, that she and Jeongguk were not the last, after all. Her heart having been fixed a little by the revelation of his existence and the hope growing. His magic was singing all around them, just as strong as ever and it would crush her to know she was once more, too late.
"Gomo," He said, his eyes just that sadder as he watched the hope flee from her. "I-"
She cut him off with a small smile. "Ah, I see." She said, squeezing the hand she was still holding and then pulled back. "This is a lovely home, and I can feel him all around us, he's not gone." She looked around again, seeing the small touches left behind by the man.
That simple sentence seemed to perk the younger up. His smile growing and his eyes glowing with pride. He finally joined her at the table, setting out side dishes she hadn't seen him prepare. The comfortable silence from before was back as they thought of the day's events. She'd been here less than a day and was already confronted with too many ghosts. She could simply stay here and join Jeongguk in his solitude, but what of her guards? What of the many Immortals she'd ran away with who were waiting for word from her? Taking a sip of her still hot tea, quieted her mind immediately. Closing her eyes and breathing in the grassy scent, memories long since forgotten playing out in her mind's eye as she lost her self for a second.
"Can I ask you a question?" Jeongguk whispered, his clear voice breaking her from her thoughts pleasantly. She hummed her answer, looking at him kindly. "That man, he's in all of my dreams and I don't know why. Who is he?"
Teileo smiled widely, "That, my dear, is Kim Taehyung. He lived with us all in the palace a long time ago. I found him hiding from his Abeoji in the woods while he was still very young. He had been stuck out there for a good month, maybe more before I found him. He was horribly sick and had cuts along his feet and arms. I never found out what happened or how he came to be in the woods, I simply brought him home. He became a member of the family instantly, I was sick when I had been his age, and I guess I found something of myself in him. He was curious and young, with an intelligent mind and quick mouth. I loved reading to him and when you were born, you clung to him. The two of you were inseparable and it was clear that you were made for each other. TaeTae brought out a wild side of you, and you seemed to bring him down. We joked with your father that you and he were SoulMatchs' and I guess we were right." She gave a smile, taking another sip of her tea.
The younger's eyes were blown wide, his mouth parted slightly in awe. "He's my Match?" He whispered. She gave a small giggle at his expression, unable to help herself. His doe eyes looking outside as if seeing it all for the first time. "Do...Do you think he remembers me?" He asked, his voice so small, and so unsure. It broke her heart to hear it.
"Of course he does. He misses you greatly!" She admitted thinking of the sadness and longing in his eyes when he looked at the painting hung with care. "When you feel up to it, why don't you meet him? I know it's scary right now, but I'll be there to help every step of the way." She promised, holding her hand out for him to take. Ever since Kim Taehyung had huggged her, she'd realized just how starved for affection she was, and if Jeongguk clinging to her hand was any clue. She wasn't alone.
