One Year

Gift

Ryu's hand cupped her pink flushed cheek from her run through the flower garden maze. They quietly stared at one another, not saying another word to each other. What Siri said to him as enough for him to understand where her mind and her heart is.

"You're cold." Ryu said to her.

Siri smiled brightly at him before answering. "I'm always cold."

From beside them Steward Mo stepped forward and in his hand was Ryu's coat. Ryu took the coat and draped it around Siri's shoulders, fixing the large coat around her.

"Let us have breakfast together." Ryu said as his onyx eyes searched hers.

"Em." Siri said as her smile widen and her white teeth showed through. "I'm starving."

"You just woke up, you're still weak, you shouldn't be running around so much." Ryu lectured.

"Em." Siri said as she stood up and stood next to Ryu's wheelchair. She let Liam push the wheelchair before she walked next to him.

The whole time to the pavilion, they were quiet. The words that were said before was enough for the both of them.

The whole time during breakfast, they stayed quiet. Siri didn't know what to say to break the awkward atmosphere, so she kept quiet and ate her food. There were several times during breakfast that Ryu grabbed food from a dish to put on to her rice bowl. As if telling her to eat more. Siri tilted her head down so he wouldn't see her smile. Inside her heart felt light and happy.

With her observant eyes, she watched Ryu. He would only touch certain dishes. She memorize those dishes and when he was done chewing, she took the chance to pay him back as well. But instead of picking food from the dishes he only ate from, she took food from a dish he never touched.

With her chopsticks, she picked up the seasoned tofu and placed it on his bowl of rice. Ryu flicked his eyes to meet her shining, mischievous eyes. Siri could hardly contain her smile when she asked.

"You dare not eat?" Siri had to bite her bottom lip to stop her from smiling too much at his expense. But seeing how she is his life's savior, he wouldn't kill her. So she took a gamble and teased him instead.

Ryu stared directly at Siri as he took the tofu from his bowl and ate it. With slow chews, he kept his mask on, not letting her see how much he hated the taste and texture of tofu.

Knowing this, Siri quickly grabbed another food from a dish he hated and placed it on his bowl. This time it was lightly stir fry vegetables.

"You dare not eat?" Siri said again, but this time she couldn't hold her full blown smile from showing.

"You dare tease this Prince?" Ryu said coldly towards her.

"Em." Siri said. "I dare. Do you dare not to eat what this wife gives you?"

"Wife has a lot of courage to tease this Prince."

"Wife has a lot of courage to tease husband. Not Prince. Husband." Siri told him. "Do you dare deny this wife's simple and true intentions to feed husband some healthy food?"

Ryu stared at his wife, wanting to smile along with her. Wanting to tease along with her. Wanting to laugh along with her. Only his wife has so much courage to tease him. Good! Good!

"Since wife has such good intentions, then husband must comply."

Ryu took the vegetables from his bowl and placed them in his mouth. He chewed on the vegetables, but couldn't keep his mask on this time. This time, he made a face of regret, the moment he did, Siri couldn't hold herself back any longer, she laughed. She laughed loud and without restraint. The Prince that everyone was afraid of, hated tofu and vegetables. Who would have thought that the fearsome Prince was a picky eater.

"You dare laugh at this Prince?" Ryu said as the side of his lips twitched.

"Em. I dare. This wife dares." Siri told him. "Wife has a lot of courage, remember?"

Ryu scoffed at her and looked away. She was being too much for him. She was a vision from a painting. With her soft, silky hair blowing in the wind. Her liquid silver eyes shining so brightly with mirth. Her full pink lips, in a full blown smile that was charming to his eyes. And the pink on her cheeks that caused her to have some color to her pale face. How could he keep on staring at the beauty in front of him when she was shining so brightly?

And like a miracle, Ryu broke into a smile and laughed along with her. Siri's mirth quieted down when she stared at the handsome man before her. His usually cold onyx eyes shined. His kissable lips that could always catch her attention no matter how much it scowled or pulled tightly in a frown, were now parted and pull upward. Handsome. Charming. Alluring. Her innocent side blushed deeper with illicit thoughts from her mature side.

"What is wife thinking?" Ryu asked when he realize that she stopped laughing.

"You're not allowed to laugh in front of others." Siri said before she could stop herself.

With those words, Ryu laughed even harder. Would his wife get jealous if he did. How would she act?

"If that is what wife wants." Ryu said as his laughter died down.

"Em." Siri said not taking her words back. She already said them, whats the use of taking them back now.

"Then this present, I shall gift to you." Ryu told her with a serious face. His smile and laughter would only be for Siri. No one else.

"This wife will cherish this gift." Siri told him. "This wife will remember this forever."