Location: The Shore at Dawn
The rising sun painted the sea in strokes of gold and peach, the air crisp with salt and the promise of departure. The ship, a sturdy merchant vessel named The Endless Horizon, bobbed gently in the shallows.
And on the shore, not as a prince but as a man preparing for an adventure, was Luo Feng. His robes hitched up, personally directing the crew on the final stowage of their supplies. "No, not there! The silk must be kept dry, store it in the middle hold!" His voice was not one of command, but of collaborative urgency. This was their life, their future, and he would see to its safety with his own hands.
He turned at the sound of footsteps on the pebbled beach.
She was there.
Lusi stood, a simple travel pack slung over one shoulder. The early morning light caught the loose strands of her hair, which fell freely over her shoulders like a silken cape—a symbol of the unfettered freedom she embodied and that he had come to adore. She had shed the complicated layers of capital attire for the practical, comfortable robes of a traveler.
"I am here," she said, her voice a blend of excitement and serene certainty.
Feng turned, and the smile that spread across his face was one of pure, unadulterated joy. It reached his eyes, erasing the last traces of the wary prince and leaving only the man in love. He waded back through the shallow water, his hand outstretched not in princely greeting, but in partnership.
"Welcome aboard, my little travel buddy," he said, the new title a secret, cherished treasure between them.she gave a smile
She placed her hand in his, a perfect fit, and he guided her onto the deck of the ship with a steadying strength. Her first step onto the weathered wood was not just a boarding; it was a crossing of a threshold into the life they would build together.
From here, their trip began. Not with fanfare, but with the quiet creak of ropes and the snap of a unfurling sail. It was just them, the crew, and the endless, waiting sea.
Location: The Open Sea, Under a Canopy of Stars
Months melted into the rhythm of the waves. The world shrank to the deck of their ship and expanded to encompass the entire ocean. They became a single unit, moving in sync with each other and the sea.
Lusi's once freely flowing hair, impractical for the constant sea wind and the work of life onboard, had been tamed into a long, thick braid that swung down her back. It was a beautiful, practical evolution. Feng loved to watch it sway as she moved across the deck, a visual melody of their new life.
On a night so clear it felt they were sailing through the heart of a diamond, they lay on a pile of ropes and blankets, looking up at the infinite spray of stars. The world was silent but for the water lapping against the hull.
They were talking, their voices low, about nothing and everything—the strange birds they'd seen that day, the taste of the fish they'd caught, the name of a particular constellation. Feng's hand, gesturing vaguely toward the sky, accidentally came to rest on top of hers where it lay between them.
The talking stopped.
Both of them looked at their hands, his covering hers. The air, once easy, became charged with a silent, potent electricity. It was an accident, a threshold.
But neither moved their hand away.
The moment stretched, filled with the unspoken words that had been growing for a thousand miles. His thumb, almost of its own volition, stroked a slow, gentle arc across her knuckles. He felt her hand relax under his, a silent permission, a quiet answer.
They didn't look at each other. They just lay there, hands intertwined under the vast, watchful sky, their hearts beating a frantic, joyful rhythm that was louder than any words could ever be. The journey had truly begun.
Location: A Quiet Grove in Joseon
After eight months, they reached the shores of Joseon. The land was lush and beautiful, a world away from the familiar contours of home.
It was here, surrounded by the vibrant reds and golds of the autumn trees, that they found a quiet magistrate. There were no grand ceremonies, no political alliances to be forged. There was only them.
They were married in a simple, beautiful Korean-style ceremony. Lusi wore a borrowed hwarot, her braid styled intricately with a single jade pin—a temporary elegance for their special day. Feng wore a simple jeogori and baji. They exchanged vows not as a prince and a minister's daughter, but as Feng and Lusi, two travelers promising to journey together for the rest of their lives.
They sent letters home, announcing their joy in becoming husband and wife. They signed them with love, but cleverly, purposefully, left out the name of the spouse. Let the capital wonder. Their happiness was their own.
Location: The Deck of The Endless Horizon, Somewhere Near England
Time flowed like the water beneath their ship. Her braid became a familiar, beloved sight. They learned snippets of new languages from every port, their tongues stumbling over new words and laughing at their mistakes.
In England, they stumbled upon a local fair. A contest offered a bag of rice and a bag of peaches to anyone who could hit two arrows in the exact bullseye.
Lusi, without any visible effort, nocked an arrow and let it fly. Thwack. Dead center. She did it again. Thwack. A burly local man,impressed and perhaps a little too interested, stepped toward her.
Feng was there in an instant, stepping between them, he said "Back off. She is my wife."
The man, surprised by the authority in the foreigner's voice, retreated.
Lusi pointed at the heavy bags. "Feng'er, lift these." Feng grinned,hefting the rice bag onto his shoulder without complaint. "Sure, my fùrén."
As he went back for the peaches, Lusi stopped him. "No need." "Why?" "We depart today.These will rot in a few days. We should sell them."
And so, the prince and the minister's daughter became merchants. They sold the peaches, Lusi's sharp mind and charming haggling in broken English winning them a fair price from a delighted lady who found them "delicious!"
As they used the money to buy supplies that would last for months, Feng looked at his wife—her braid tossed over one shoulder, her eyes alight with the success of their venture—and felt a surge of awe.
"Wow, fùrén," he said, his voice full of admiration. "You have a great mind." She turned to him,that confident, brilliant smile that had first disarmed him on a riverbank lighting up her face. "I know."
They were not just tourists. They were partners. They were a team.
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