The Bride of the Water God (FANFIC)

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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"..., this is Nakbin. Nakbin, this is ... She is the goddess of nature and a close friend of mine." Habaek said, his arm wrapped around a delicate looking woman with long, wavy hair.

Habaek had been telling me about a beautiful human he had met in the human world, and he had been wanting to introduce her to me. I told him that it would probably be best that we didn't meet since Habaek and I were good friends, and I was a female at that. She might feel insecure.

"So what?" Habaek said, seeming to not understand human nature. "What's so wrong with that?."

At that time I sighed and just went along with his plans.

As I looked closer at her, I realized that she was much more beautiful than a normal human being. Her features were like blooming petals.

"She's lovely," I said sincerely, smiling at her. "Just like the flowers in my garden."

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I slowly opened my heavy eyelids and surveyed my surroundings. Realizing that I returned to my room, I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

That dream? A memory?

Suddenly, an icy chill ran down my spine, causing me to unconsciously shiver.

When I finally looked up, I met the dark, cold eyes of a beautiful woman looking at me.

I froze when I saw her and held my breath. As my mind went blank, she studied me closely as if I was a strange specimen. Her eyes suddenly widened in surprise, but then her gaze softened. She extended her hand and began stroking the long locks of my hair.

"So you have appeared in this form, hmm?" She mused. "Even becoming Habaek's bride."

I was still as a stone and didn't utter a word.

This must be Habaek's mother. But what is she talking about?

Her hand receded backwards, and her form began to shimmer to transparency.

"Let's bother with the details when daylight comes."

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The procession for Wangmo was long and formal. I stared at the ground and kept my head low when she approached.

"You're Soah, right?" She asked, her gaze at my lowered head.

"Yes, Wangmo-nim." I said formally without looking up.

She stretched out her hand and lifted my chin, forcing me to look right into her cold eyes.

"Don't be so tense. I'm not a scary person." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "In your opinion, how old do you think I look?"

I hesitated for a moment to collect my thoughts.

Is this a trick question? She's obviously thousands of years old. But in this situation, I need to be on her good side.

"Thirty?" I asked, though I wasn't curious for her answer.

She chuckled softly and held both of my hands, her fingers ice cold.

"You have really good eyesight," she complimented me. "Please be comfortable around me, and call me mother." Her eyes suddenly lost a bit of its coldness, and a look of sadness replaced it.

"But Habaek needs to contact his mother more, no matter how big or small he is."

I saw years of a sad and distant past in her eyes, as if she wasn't even looking at me anymore. She was gazing at something that wasn't there.

"So, what brings you to the Water Kingdom?"

Habaek suddenly appeared and had a cautious expression on his face.

"Is that really how you greet your mother you haven't seen in so long?" She sighed.

He ignored her comment and turned his gaze to me.

"Soah, please go back with Yohee," he said.

Wangmo's hand wrapped around my shoulders and gripped me tightly.

"What are you worried about? Do you actually think I would do something?"

Not knowing what to do, I simply stood frozen.

"Now!" Habaek ordered.

Wangmo loosened her grasp entirely and allowed me to leave to Yohee.

"It's been so long since I've seen you, so I was happy. But I guess you don't feel the same way about me," she said.

"If you're so happy to see me, then why did you cut our communication for several hundred years?" Habaek asked.

She didn't say anything, and a dead silence appeared between them. Then she simply turned and walked away.

Yohee tugged at my sleeve and stared at me with a worried expression.

"Were you afraid, Soah?" Yohee asked.

I didn't answer and stared into the empty air.

Not so long ago, I saw that sad look. When I was at the village, my "mother" gazed at me with that same expression filled with sorrow.

"Soah?" Yohee asked curiously, bringing me back to reality.

"Ah, sorry. I just thought of my 'mother', that's all." I said.

"Do you miss your family?" A voice asked.

My eyes layed upon Habaek openly staring at me.

Realizing that voice was his, I shook my head absently.

"That's not it..." I mused.

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There was a light knocking at my door as I sat in my room. I was simply lying down and staring at the ceiling. I sat up and walked to the door, carefully sliding it open and meeting the dark eyes of Mui.

"Do you need someth-"

He closed the distance between us as fast as lightning and grabbed my wrist. I was surprised by this and tried to pull away but his grip was like iron.

"Mui, let go!"

Then his lips came close to my ear, so close that I could feel his breath as he whispered something to me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

He removed his hand and turned to walk away.

"What did you just say?" I asked, staring at the back of his head.

He turned to look at me out of the corner of his eye and responded.

"Go back... Go back home."

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