The hidden spring, where the maiden secrets of nature whispered upon the wind. The water was icy and calm, shining within the gentle light of the afternoon sun.
It was here that Princess Xinyue Mei would regularly bathe, and it was here that Su Vaen, ever the silent guide, took his position on the opposite side under a great oak tree.
Now, with Prince Xian off on his solitary hunt, the spring was theirs alone—a secluded haven where words, like ripples on water, could glide gently between them. In seclusion, fleeting moments of dialogue became theirs—each a gentle step in a budding relationship.
...….....
When the princess splashed into the chill of the spring, she glanced toward Vaen. "Good day, isn't it?" she breathed.
Vaen's response was a polite nod. "Good day, Princess. May the spring find you peaceful."
Their tones were polite, measured—a political beginning between a noble and a forest man.
...…...
Drifting on the water, the princess said, "This spring has the feel of a secret that the earth is keeping."
Vaen, his tone low and even, answered, "The forest knows its own language. In stillness, it says everything."
...…
There was a silence for a moment, and then the princess asked, "Do you ever long for anything other than this life among these woods?"
Vaen paused. "I chose loneliness, but even the wild makes a wish at times for a friend. And what of you, Princess?
Her eyes, hidden beneath the water, sparkled as she said, "I carry the weight of an empire—sometimes I dream of simpler times."
...…
With gentle lapping of water as their backdrop, the princess reminisced, "I used to play under the palace gardens as a child, chasing the wind with no care."
Vaen smiled faintly. "The wind holds all secrets. Perhaps it still remembers your laughter."
....
"To be born of the Xinyue Clan," she continued in a gentle voice, "is a blessing and a shackle."
Vaen's tone turned reflective. "All roads bear burdens. But each burden is a chance to learn strength and fortitude."
....
The princess's voice dropped to a whisper, "Sometimes I wonder if the blessings of my birth are more a curse—a reminder unbreakable and constant of one's responsibility."
Vaen whispered, "Duty always attaches itself to power. It is not the blessing but the act itself that seals one's destiny."
....
As the water rippled, the princess uttered, "I see a world where our people need not fear the storms of the strength."
Vaen's response was gentle, "A dream worth nurturing. I, too, dream of a world where I can live peacefully. However, becoming too attached to a dream is self harming."
....
The princess hesitated, then spoke, "I wish sometimes I could grow freely, untainted by the traditions of my line."
Vaen's eyes if one could call them that smiled behind his inner vision. "True growth comes from within. You have already begun, even though your path seems restricted."
....
"My brother shoulders the burden of our clan," she said, a sad sigh escaping her lips, "and I feel the weight of mine in every decision made for me."
Vaen's voice was low, "To lead is not to rule over others, but to be aware of self. And of that, you are already free. In the time of chaos, where no one is safe. The security you get comes with a price.
....
There was a silence as the soft hum of the spring filled the air. "Sometimes I wish I could talk to someone who really gets it," the princess conceded.
Vaen said, "Even in silence, understanding can bloom. I am here, if you ever want to share."
"You are a barbaric man living in the wilderness. What do you even understand?"
..................
The princess's voice turned curious. "Tell me, Vaen, how do you come to be at peace in the wild? Is it the wind, or the water, or something else entirely?"
"That is all of them," he answered. "The wind carries stories; the water reflects truth. They remind me that even when I am solitary, life is rich and plentiful."
.............
In a soft, almost bare moment, she whispered, "Some nights I feel trapped by expectations, like a bird in golden bars."
Vaen's response was soft and compassionate, "The very strongest birds fly in the open sky, though first they may shatter the cage. Your spirit will take its flight."
................
"I dream of faraway lands," she told him, "where the wind sings without the burden of obligation."
"Dreams are the murmurs of our deepest longings," Vaen told her, his voice contemplative. "Keep them close, for they are the guide to your heart. But, don't lose your heart to it."
................
The princess smiled softly. "I love these moments of peace, no matter how short they may be. They give me a chance to catch my breath."
"And they give us the freedom to be ourselves, removed from the din of obligation," Vaen supplied, his tone airy but earnest.
............
"You speak so calmly, Vaen," she said softly. "It is as though you've heard the world differently than I do."
He replied, "Perhaps I have learned how to hear the unheard. The forest has also taught me that every shadow is a story."
..............
"I wish one day our world will be kind," the princess breathed, her voice barely above the song of the water.
"Hope is a seed that grows with every kind breeze," Vaen said, his voice warm and encouraging. "However, the world itself is cruel. We can change. But, the world will not."
..............
"I am so lonely, even among a crowd in a palace," she confessed, the tremble in her voice contrasting with the quiet tumult of nature.
"In solitude, we discover our own strength," Vaen panted. "And perhaps, in sharing solitude, we shall discover a similar soul."
..............
A fleeting lapse was broken by a soft snicker from the princess. "It's curious, isn't it? Two spirits so disparate finding common purpose at a hidden spring."
"Yes, but beautiful," Vaen agreed, his voice having a hint of humor and gentleness.
.............
In those moments, time slows down," she said as the water ripples danced with the breeze.
"Presence is the very essence of living," Vaen replied. "Every second here is a treasure, a memory etched in the heart of the forest."
.................
And finally, as the sun climbed higher and the glow of the noon deepened. This was the last day for the princess to take a bath in the spring and the last time they will see each other.
The princess spoke softly but resolutely, "I want to return here, to these moments, whenever the world becomes too cruel, Vaen."
Vaen's tone was resolute but gentle. "I promise Mei, that I will always guide you back to this haven of peace. Our paths, however separated, will always intersect here in the stillness of spring. I may not remain here forever but the memories we created will guide both of us here again."
Each word, brief as it was strong, formed a cloak of shared visions, shared understanding, and nascent camaraderie.
Even though the princess reclined in the reviving touch of the spring, her voice reached across the fragile distance to Vaen—her unspoken companion, never breaking in, yet ever present.
For these two fleeting moments, divisions disappeared, and aristocracy vs. commoner gave way to something elegantly human.
And as the voice of spring interwoven with the rustle of leaves, both Vaen and the princess carried within themselves the unvoiced promise of greater companionship.
And in that isolated glen, with nature their sole witness, the seeds of a profound and unforeseen camaraderie
were planted, fertilized by common dreams and hushed words under the vigilant eyes of the old trees.