Heart of Ice

Handsome

Dear Seungcheol,

The palace is strange without you; it's empty and lifeless and not very fun. Everyone is silently worrying about the upcoming battle, too anxious to have fun or enjoy anything. I also feel nervous at the thought of you not coming back. Please finish the stupid battle quickly and come back and reinvigorate the dead palace. Even Yulhee seems to have nothing to say anymore; it's that boring back here!

All I do is go to the hospital, work, and come back to the palace, then write letters to my family. You know I learned that my sister fell in love with a guard! Can you believe it? But you can't tell anyone; it's a secret. If my father knows, he'll kill her and fire the poor guard she fell for. So don't say anything to anyone, got it?! I'm trusting you! (I do hope that no one censors these letters. My sister's reputation would be ruined if this gets out!)

She tells me that she feels lonely and says I'm lucky to be married to "handsome young man." How did she know that you were handsome, you ask? I unabashedly admit that I told her you were handsome. I told all my sisters that you were handsome but had this heart of ice. My sisters love it though; they think being cold is an attractive feature in a man. I don't think so though. When you're cold, you're very, very, very ugly (no offense). But when you smile, you suddenly become the most handsome man ever.

So my sisters think you're perfect because you're both handsome and cold. Only my brother doesn't think you're perfect; he actually hates you to be honest, but Jihoon hates mostly everybody, so you shouldn't take it personally. Now that I think about it, you and Jihoon would get along so well if you weren't princes of opponent countries. You two are so alike! Both cold, young, handsome men who need to have more fun.

You don't know very much about my family, do you? We've been married for so long, and you know very little about me. I decided to make it a goal of mine to make you learn more about me. Pay attention, because I'm going to test you when you get back!

I have four sisters named Nayoung, Kyungwon, Kyla and Eunwoo. I have one brother named Jihoon. I also have a maid in Galacia whom I loved like a mother named Tati. She raised me and taught me to read and protected me. Also, her son is a knight named Jisoo, and I lived my early life fantasizing over him! I barely remember what he looks like now though. And sadly, he disappeared months ago, and everyone believes he's dead. Besides Jisoo, there's also a messenger named Don, who also is like family to me. Thinking about them makes me want to cry. I really do miss them deeply...

Forgive me if I'm boring you with these details, but I do want my husband to know these things about me. So memorize all those names! I will test you when you get back, and if you forget, I will punish you!

Anyways, I know I told you that I would send you letters, but would it be too shameless for me to ask you to write back? Am I undermining my honor by asking this from you? It's just that I'm so bored right now, and a letter from you would color the dullness of the days just a little bit. Do tell me about your journey and how you're doing. I would love to hear from you...

Sincerely,

Yewon

-

Two days later...

Dear Princess Yewon,

No, it is not too shameless to ask me to write back to you, and no, you are not undermining your honor. There is no such thing as honor in front of me anyways: I am your husband; whatever you do, I will stay your husband. So be as shameless as you want in front of me, princess.

And do not apologize, for your letter was far from boring. I read it after having read pages and pages of political treatises, and so it was a welcome interruption from all of that. And yes, I memorized them: Nayoung, Kyungwon, Kyla and Eunwoo; your sisters. Jihoon; your brother. Tati; your maid. Don; your messenger. Jisoo; your childhood love.