Kaleidoscope

The pain I felt for leaving Gangnam, leaving you, was equalled only by my eagerness to see my mother again. Luggage packed, I was sitting on the last step of the winding staircase that led up to the second floor. Umma Eun Jin's maids were loading my things into the car and father was busy looking for his keys in the den. He hadn't met my eye or spoken directly to me the entire morning.

When the last bag was stowed away, father came out of the den to motion me forward. His eyes were red rimmed but his jaw was set in a stern line.

"Iseul, the car is ready," he said.

I looked up at him, eyes searching for a sign of some sort. Perhaps a part of me needed him to tell me that he was going to miss me as much as I was going to miss him. I found nothing though. He looked as expressionless as a blank piece of paper.

Turning away, I couldn't help my thoughts from travelling to you. I'd said my goodbyes the last time we met but I was still so sad to be leaving at all. Squeezing my eyes shut, I wished as hard as I could that we could play one more game of dragons and warriors before I left, or shared a plate of biscuits and warm milk one more time.

Appa's exasperated sigh cut that short. "Iseul, you should go now if you don't want to miss the plane."

Slowly, I got to my feet and trudged to the front door. It was funny how something that I'd been looking forward to with such vigour was now the very thing that I couldn't bare thinking about.

Head bowed against the wind, I wrapped my coat tighter around myself and walked to the car. When I looked up and saw you standing there, it honestly felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of warm water over me. I was so thrilled.

"Joong Myun !" I yelped before running to hug you. "What are you doing here?"

You just grinned at me. Moving a hand forward, you forced something into my gloved palm. "A warrior never lets his princess leave without a gift."

I didn't even bother checking what the gift was. Flinging my arms around your neck, I hugged you again. You were so much smaller than I was back then, it almost seemed as if I could crush you. But you hugged me back anyway, and kissed me on the cheek. The impressions your lips left warmed me to the tips of my toes.

"I'm going to miss you Princess Iseul," you whispered into my hair. I was smiling through my tears. "I'm going to miss you too, great warrior Joong Myun ."

It was only until I was in the car and pulling out of the winding driveway that I looked down. In my hand lay a small ring, just big enough to fit my pinky finger into.

I still keep that ring in my jewellery box on my drawer, you know, wrapped in plush velvet and scarlet threads. It's the most valuable item I own, even after everything that's happened between us. It reminds me of the warrior Joong Myun , and the tears his princess shed when she had to leave him.