《When The Bud Blooms Part II》


 That Early Bloom

    Changdeokgung Palace (Eastern Palace)


    The wild beauty of the woody backdrop of Eastern Palace, at the foothills of Ungbong Peak of Mount Baegaksan, with its lush slopes undulating the periphery of the Palace walls, was a glorious sight to behold. Towering pines and dense oaks formed a natural fortress where the sparkling golden rays created a mystery of light and shadow, making Min Jay Yi want to uncover its secrets and lock them away like a treasure.


    She stood on the bridge on the north side of the small pond she had frequented as a eunuch. The wild colours of the young spring day were painted perfectly in the water, the artist in her following the contours with a keen eye. Jay Yi''s starved gaze drank in the beauty, her hands clasping each other under her long pale pink jacket over a coral green skirt.


    Jay Yi made most of her one-hour break daily by combing the Palace grounds, and today was no exception. There was no restriction on where she could go as long as she did not go outside the Eastern Palace gates or near the Seonjeongjeon Hall, where the Court sat for sessions. Hwan had moved his chambers near the main hall of the Eastern Palace, and from what she heard, the Queen''s chambers were located within that premises.


    She closed her eyes, inhaling the joy of being alive in the Palace. The air was crispier than paper, filling her lungs with the sweet freshness of dew-kissed flowers and young spring leaves. It seemed surreal that she was seeing the same sights again and breathing the same air as Hwan, who was only a few buildings away. The thought curled her toes.


    He wanted the entire world to know he was bringing his Queen home.


    The thought should have made her as happy as a lark. She was not unhappy, quite the contrary; she was deliriously delighted to return to the Palace, but thoughts of inadequacy plagued her. What if she couldn''t live up to the high standards expected of her? Would Hwan come to resent her for the very qualities he loved her now? What if - she lost herself?


    While her insecurities tormented her, others went out of their way to meet her with kindness and open arms.


    Hwan was leaving no stone unturned for this marriage, ensuring every ritual was meticulously followed.


    Jay Yi had been overwhelmed by the welcome from her Uncle, Aunt, and cousins, who had genuinely been overjoyed to see her. A tearful reunion had led to many recriminations, scoldings and grateful, warm embraces. They had always loved her, and she believed them when they said they would have helped her had she come to them.


    The Napchae ceremony had been beautiful. The Ministry of Rites presented the formal proposal letter and Hwan''s four pillars to the Min family. She had broken down as she had offered her respects to her father and ancestors. With the official acceptance letter, Jay Yi''s palanquin had followed her older cousin on horseback, who acted as her juin or her representative, escorting her to the Palace gate.


    Hwan had departed right after she had sat in the palanquin at her villa so he would be ready on time to receive the official reply and complete the ritual of Sunapchaeui.


    Like he had for his previous crown princess, Hwan had designated her detached Palace within the Eastern Palace gates. Previously unoccupied, Hwan had spent the last year preparing the stately building with several apricot trees swaying gently in neat lines around it. It was further down from the now-empty Crown Prince building but closer to Hwan''s library.


    Princess Hayeon was the first royal to greet her upon her arrival. Both acted as if it were their first meeting, with Jay Yi performing a curtsy and Hayeon responding with an enthusiastic nod. An unintentional remark had slipped from Hayeon''s lips, "I always knew you were pretty -" and she had managed to catch herself just in the nick of time, "I mean, heard you were pretty, but you are truly beautiful," she concluded somewhat awkwardly, much to her own chagrin and Jay Yi''s amusement.


    They had pretended to sit formally until the court ladies had left them alone at Hayeon''s instructions.


    The young woman had immediately risen and thrown her hands around Jay Yi. "Thank you, Bin-assi," leaving Jay Yi stunned at her formal address as a would-be Queen, "You have no idea how happy you have made all of us by agreeing to marry Oraboni. You saved him and saved us from a terrible fate."


    Jay Yi had looked down, humbled. "I did not do it alone; it was mostly His Majesty''s bravery and smart thinking; otherwise, I would have been dead already," Jay Yi laughed sheepishly.


    "Psst. He would never have let you come to any harm. It must have been so hard for you to hear those nasty rumours. We said so many cruel things to you..."


    "You did not know, Your Highness.''


    "But Oraboni should have stopped us when he knew you were listening and hurting. I am so sorry. I have felt so awful about that!"


    "Your Highness, His Majesty believed in me, and that was enough for me. I can never forget that as long as I live."


    "You taught him how to trust again and be happy. You had to come to him, Bin-ssi! I believe in fate." Princess smiled. "Though I hear he has been not all that gallant lately..?"


    Jay Yi''s eyes widened as she turned pink. How much had Hwan been sharing with Princess?


    "Do you remember, Your Highness, you were the one who welcomed me to the Eastern Palace the first time around, too?" Jay Yi quickly changed the subject, and Princess Hayeon launched into fun old memories.


    "How did you get hold of that name?"


    "His Majesty thougt of it right then and there."


    They giggled, remembering the first Polo match.


    "Now I know why Oraboni suddenly decided to play," Hayeon''s laughter tinkled. "He found out you bet on the army, and Oraboni had to show off to you! I felt so bad when he won, but now I do not feel bad at all! He had to win his lady love," Hayeon teased.


    "Ah! So why did you feel bad at his win?" It was Jay Yi''s turn to tease, and Hayeon''s face flamed up prettily. Hayeon''s love for Sung On was so transparent. She vowed to do something about it soon.


    Her retinue of seven Court maids were faces all unknown to her. As an Eunuch of the lowest rank, she had not been allowed to mingle with women or visit the ladies'' quarters. Only the inner circle of Crown Prince and Princess Hayeon''s Court ladies knew her true history, and they had been sworn to silence. These seven Court ladies hastened to help her whenever she faltered, quietly guiding her around as she took baby steps in her daunting journey.


    Not everyone was falling over their feet to welcome her, though.


    "What is so special about you?" When Jay Yi had visited Hwan''s Great Aunt Dowager as her first duty call, the woman had scrutinised her.


    Closely.


    "Good skin. Good hair. All your teeth are in place." She peered some more. Jay Yi felt like one of those specimens Master Myung Jin often dragged into his lab at Manyeodang to take apart.


    "Bin-ssi is, err, really beautiful, Your Highness." The older Court lady with grey skin and pudgy marks all over her face had remarked from beside the dowager, but oddly, it sounded less like a compliment and more like a slight.


    "Is she? Hmnn. I can see why he is so fixated on her, enough to disregard rules." Both the women looked at each other and gave a conspiratorial smile. "It makes it more believable, right?" The court lady gave a small giggle behind her hand at the dowager''s smirk.


    It was an insult. Jay Yi was not yet sure what they meant.


    Court Lady Kim, the woman in charge of training Jay Yi, was another matter altogether. Cold as an ice block, the woman was a terrifying taskmaster. She was one of the top-ranked Court ladies, in charge of the highest number of junior court ladies. She was also someone Jay Yi had the misfortune to meet once and go into a full-blown altercation that had needed Hwan''s intervention and a swift dressing down. Jay Yi was half afraid the woman would recognise her. However, Court Lady Kim had shown no sign of remembering her or connecting her to Go Sun Dol.


    From what she had come to understand from Hwan, Late Princess Han''s demise had left an indelible impression on her as she had been charged with her welfare. As a result, she hovered over Jay Yi like a hawk and never left her alone, which was becoming a problem on its own.


    From the moment Jay Yi had stepped into the Palace, her work had been cut out. Her itinerary for the day was worse than what it was as a Crown Prince''s eunuch. Then, she at least had the joy of seeing Hwan every day, and sometimes for long hours.


    In the ten days she had been here, there was no sign of Hwan. Court Lady Kim had made it clear that before the Chaekbin, or the coronation ceremony of the Queen, she would not be allowed to meet any men, including Hwan and the Court Eunuchs. Jay Yi''s insides had rebelled like an inferno waiting to burst out of a volcano.


    However, she had little time to dwell on the absence of the man her soul craved for. Her morning started with washing, rituals, and prayers, then hours of reading Elementary Learning or Sohak by Zhu Xi, followed by training in royal etiquette. The timetable of her upcoming days was filled with discourses on the intricacies of royal ceremonies, rituals, and the proper decorum expected within the Palace. She had to master the traditions associated with state affairs, ancestral worship, and other important occasions. In between, there were several small and large marriage ceremony rituals that were equally gruelling. Two days ago, the bridal gift ceremony had been so exhausting that she had literally sunk into oblivion at night.


    Her language tutor was impressed by her in-depth knowledge of Classical Chinese, literature and politics, governance and diplomacy. "You are exceptionally well-read" or "You have a keen mind" were compliments she had grown accustomed to hearing from her tutors since childhood; this instance was no exception. Her artistic accomplishments were equally well-lauded.


    However, it was an entirely different affair when it came to her mannerisms.


    "How do you not know how to walk?" Jay Yi''s first fear had come true. Her neck creaked from the books she had to balance on her head to learn how to ''float''. A silent litany of curses had escaped her mouth as she slogged through the task she had hated since childhood.


    "Softer, softer! You need to stop putting force on your vocal cords!" By the time they were finished with her, Jay Yi would probably sound like a hollow wheezing flute.


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    Then, all of a sudden, her thoughts scurried back to the infamous Lady Kang at the Inn, and Jay Yi threw herself into the training with vigour.


    In a way, she was thankful to have court lady Kim as her mentor. Jay Yi knew her only hope of success lay with someone who was almost pernickety about protocols, and knowing herself, Jay Yi appreciated the approach.


    She had never shied away from hard labour, but this was different. It squeezed every ounce of patience and left her bone-weary by the end of the day. By the time evening came, she was ready to crash.


    While she had not seen Hwan or heard from him, Princess Hayeon had visited her for the first couple of days until the dowager apparently had put a halt on it.


    "You are not allowed to meet other royals until your etiquette training is complete, Bin-ssi," Court lady Kim had informed her of the arbitrary order matter of fact.


    However, Jay Yi was allowed to visit the dowager. So, she did.


    The dowager fanned herself. Jay Yi heaped a spoonful of tea leaves into the pot and added hot water. She poured the liquid into a cup, and the court lady passed it to Great Aunt Dowager Princess Lady Hyegyeong.


    The woman took an appreciative sip of the tea. Jay Yi sent a silent thanks to her Aunt Min, who had packed the exotic Japanese tea leaves known for relieving joint aches in the marriage chest that she and her husband, her Uncle Min, had sent with her to the Palace. Her beloved Uncle had left no corners unturned in giving her a fitting farewell as a daughter of the Min House.


    The dowager and the court lady carried themselves with a certain amount of disdain towards the royals, and Jay Yi''s sensitive nostrils were already sniffing the air for intrigue. Jay Yi restrained herself from wiping her restless hands on the silk of her skirt, praying that the primitive life form who passed for Great Aunty Dowager Princess Lady Hanyeong would not see past her serene, almost expressionless face, barring a slightly curved line masquerading as a smile.


    "I''ve heard you''ve been experiencing some difficulty controlling your walking pace, Bin-ssi," remarked the dowager.


    Startled, Jay Yi realised the woman had a network of informants reporting to her.


    "I must admit, Your Highness, I have many imperfections. I seek your wise guidance to help me improve in all aspects. After all, you are a true princess, Your Highness," Jay Yi fawned.


    The dowager sat up, visibly pleased. "You express yourself quite eloquently".


    "I''ve also come to realise that my knowledge about His Majesty''s history is quite lacking. I thought perhaps Princess Hayeon could offer me some lessons to help me better understand your family," Jay Yi suggested.


    The dowager''s expression darkened. "That Princess is nothing but trouble. She''s a bad influence."


    "Perhaps, as I continue my training and education, I could, in turn, help guide her towards improvement to better meet your high standards, Your Highness," Jay Yi pandered some more.


    That was all it took. Now, Princess Hayeon was permitted to visit Jay Yi two times a week for ''lessons''.


    Five days later, first hour after the rituals this morning to be exact, Princess Hayeon had turned up at her chambers and earnestly took her through the chronological map of the family, telling Jay Yi about Hwan and her mother, her uncles and her aunts, who did not have much to do with the royal life once Hwan''s mother had passed away. While Jay Yi loved the details, she did not have the heart to tell the Princess that she knew everything she ''taught'' Jay Yi and then some, as Hwan had always loved speaking about his family. She just wanted to spend time with Hayeon. However, eagle eyes were keeping a close watch on what the women did, and no doubt, things would get reported back to the dowager''s quarters.


    Apparently, the permission had come with an order to not leave the women alone. Jay Yi was unsure if the dowager wanted to make her life difficult or, simply for some unfathomable reason, disliked Hayeon, or both.


    Life was getting a little more suffocating than Jay Yi had imagined. She felt sorry for Princess Hayeon.


    Patiently, Jay Yi went through all the notes Hayeon had painstakingly prepared for her.


    A small, neatly folded one caught her eyes.


    "Meet me in the library when the clock strikes seven."


    Jay Yi''s heart lurched; she could feel it beating in her throat. This was the very first communication she had from Hwan in ten days.


    Library - her little place, Jay Yi thought to herself. A place she had yet to visit.


    Court lady Kim had made it clear no one but people closest to His Majesty were allowed to go to his library. It was off-limits for everyone else. There was no way for Jay Yi to tell Court Lady Kim she was not everyone else.


    She had hoped she would at least see Hwan or, better still, meet him accidentally, but soon realised that aside from the morning hours being busy with rituals, prayers and court duties, he might not know her itinerary as it changed daily.


    Jay Yi had always marvelled at the harmony of nature with the seemingly chaotic lay of the Eastern Palace buildings. Within the palace walls, clusters of greens with their newly sprouted leaves recreated the broad strokes of the wild. But today, everything seemed a little more greener, a little more colourful. The water was more reflective, the breeze gentler, and the air was little sweeter.


    She waited.


    Would he get her message? She looked up at the sun that was rapidly ascending the sky. Would you still keep being elusive, Your Majesty?


    Her skin prickled with a familiar sensation.


    She turned and saw him, magnificent in his Chosang Cheonha red robes threaded proudly with the blazing dragons, blocking her exit with his entire entourage of thirty-odd people.


    "How can she when you do not allow anyone to go to the library without your permission, Oraboni?" Princess Hayeon munched on a piece of hangwa, exasperation swamped over her face at his oversight.


    Hwan had not seen Jay Yi for ten days. There were detailed updates on her whereabouts, especially from Eunuch Kim and Eunuch Cha, reporting what they learned from the Court ladies or her frequent though very brief sightings around the Palace. Hwan had desperately circled her building in the Eastern Palace numerous times, but there was no sign of her. He had chosen a residence for her that faced the east, surrounded by rows of apricot trees and furnished it with things she loved without raising too much suspicion. He had hoped it would be easy enough to visit her too when he wanted, within reason of course. Yet, as things stood now, unless he dropped everything until late afternoon and chased the entire Palace, there was no chance of his sighting her.


    His cursed great aunt dowager had set extreme limitations on Jay Yi''s movements around the Palace, with the most infuriating being their inability to have a private meeting before the Coronation. He couldn''t fathom how he had failed to anticipate this. The cantankerous woman was clearly enjoying every minute of his dissatisfaction.


    The dowager did not like the feeling of being left out. In honesty, she should have been included in the process, but Hwan had not been able to risk it. The ''recommendation'' for Min Jay Yi as a candidate had come from his father, the old King emeritus himself, so she could not do much about it. Since everyone was ecstatic at lifting the marriage ban and did not care who was selected as long as the Royal Marriage Directory was satisfied, the old woman did not have any place to vent.


    Jay Yi''s presence at the Palace, so tantalisingly near yet unattainable, left him utterly powerless. She intruded on his thoughts in the middle of work. Hwan would wonder what she was doing, whether she noticed any changes in Palace life from before. The longing for her was intense. He missed her so. He would stop amid discussions, often forget his line of thought, leave sentences incomplete, and his mind would take flight while his Ministers spoke of urgent matters.


    Even though he had pulled all strings he could to divert some of the most trustworthy court ladies to Jay Yi, his great aunt had managed to cleanly circumvent his wishes and line up an army of informants led by the formidable, rigidly upright Court lady Kim, known for her no-nonsense, prudish attitude whose joy in life stemmed from ensuring strict adherence to Confucian codes within the Palace and punishing any and all who dared to flout them. He was also concerned she would recognise Jay Yi as she had once gone into a serious disagreement when she found Cout lady Kim unfairly harsh on a younger court lady. He had extracted Jay Yi with great effort and had ordered her to stay away from all such future skirmishes.


    Fortunately, no one outside of his most trusted entourage had made the connection between Min Jay Yi and Eunuch Go, including the formidable Court lady Kim. Despite the rumours, the idea had been so outlandish that it was easy for people to disbelieve it, especially when people saw Jay Yi as she appeared when entering the Palace.


    One look at her back at the villa that morning made him realise with a start why Ga-ram had objected to Jay Yi coming with him dressed as she was. It had taken a good part of an hour for Ga-ram to be satisfied with her handiwork. Jay Yi had been an exquisite vision in pale mint and orange hanbok with butter-yellow borders, exquisitely embroidered on shoulders, sleeves, and back by painstaking, loving hands. A blue sapphire flower as big as his palm was secured at the top of her head, with a cluster of pearl and blue sapphires adorning the side of her hair. Freshly scrubbed, her face gleamed, her lips full and inviting, her doe-like eyes delineated like a work of art, her lashes creating alluring shadows on her butter-smooth cheeks. He had felt the air leave his lungs.


    Even Tae Kang had gaped and looked at Hwan with a mischievous smirk before lowering his eyes. The insolent brat!


    Hwan opened the two-line note Jay Yi had managed to smuggle to Hayeon.


    "I am not allowed to visit the library. The morning sun is beautiful by the bridge on the north side of the small pond."


    He scanned the two sheets of paper Hayeon had handed him along with the note.


    "Please take a quick look, Oraboni. I must return the schedule to Bin-ssi before anyone starts looking for them."


    The sheets contained detailed information on Jay Yi''s schedule for the upcoming days.


    Handing back the sheets to Hayeon, Hwan called Eunuch So, "Please cancel everything until the afternoon."


    He had precisely fifteen minutes to get to where she was.


    Hwan was sure the frantic drumming of his heart echoed audibly as he stared at Jay Yi standing still in the middle of the bridge. The pale pink of her long jeogori reflected on her face, giving her a glow of health and radiance of vitality.


    Jay Yi met his eyes briefly, a momentary sparkle flashing in her expressive eyes before she arranged her face into a pleasant, almost placid, expression of supplication.


    "Your Majesty!" Feigning a surprise that could rival even the most accomplished actors, she swept her head down in a graceful curtsy.


    Hwan walked up to her. "You must be Lady Min from the illustrious Min family, my revered Master''s daughter." He could pull off some acting of his own.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Jay Yi was a vision of a demure Queen-to-be.


    "Your Majesty, we humbly beg your forgiveness. We had no knowledge of your intended visit to the pavilion this morning," Court Lady Kim intervened. Hwan would have wagered his life that she was anxious, but one could not tell by the frozen demeanour of the woman. Hwan ignored her.


    "My Lady, do you find everything in the Palace to your taste and comfort?"


    Jay Yi nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty, you have been most kind and gracious. I could not have asked for more."


    "Your Majesty, if you allow, we will take your leave so your walk is not interrupted." Court Lady Kim tried again.


    Hwan didn''t hear her. His gaze drank in Jay Yi''s ethereal-looking form, draped in the opulent, voluminous coral green and pink silk. She took his breath away.


    There was a very long silence. It was a little while before Hwan realised he had been staring at Jay Yi without blinking.


    Embarrassed, he looked away, but not before he spied faint smiles on the faces of three court ladies standing behind Jay Yi and rank displeasure on court lady Kim''s face. He probably had his heart dancing in his eyes for all to see, he thought to himself with disgust. He cleared his throat. "Er, no need. You may enjoy the pavilion. How do you like the Palace so far, Lady Min?"


    "Since I came, I have only been in the Eastern Palace, which has the most beautiful gardens I have seen, Your Majesty," Jay Yi said truthfully.


    "Perhaps you could accompany me to the Gyeongbokgung Palace someday. It''s bigger and has even more beautiful gardens. However, I like Eastern Palace better. Someone once told me it''s unique that I live in a Palace where the sun rises," Hwan said softly.


    To his satisfaction, Jay Yi looked up at him involuntarily, her eyes shining.


    "Your Majesty, I have heard your library is the most impressive in all of Joseon. Would it be all right if I visited it sometime?"


    Hwan paused. He could not be seen too eager to grant her a favour he withheld from almost everyone.


    "It holds some of the rarest books in the world, so I do not allow people there."


    "I understand," Jay Yi said in a small voice.


    Hwan thought he heard one of his eunuchs stifle a sniffle behind his back.


    "However," Hwan hastened, "you may visit the library on the condition that only you will go inside. There is a lock on the door that you can use for safety, so one else goes in while you are there."


    He turned to her head maid. "Court Lady Kim, please see to it that My Lady gets to visit the library whenever she needs and that no one else is allowed inside."


    "Yes, Your Majesty and we will ensure Bin-assi leaves immediately if you need to use the library while she is there. However, Your Majesty, may we be allowed to scan the interiors of the library to ensure no one is inside when she enters?" An apprehensive Court lady Kim asked.


    "Yes, you may."


    With that, he did his royal about-turn and left, attempting to feign indifference to his encounter with the woman he was set to marry and fooling none of the thirty-odd members of his entourage who had tagged along with him, refusing to miss out on the first official meeeting between their lovesick monarch and the cure in the form of his beautiful lady love they had once known as his eunuch.

 Their Secrets

    Jay Yi waited patiently as court lady Kim swept through the interiors of the library to ensure no unwanted cretins were lurking inside.


    Her mouth was dry, her hands were clammy with apprehension, and her knees knocked nervously at each other. Adrenaline was appearing in the form of prickles in her spine. She felt like the mischievous child she had once been out to loot a neighbour''s orchid.


    Jay Yi had taken great care of her appearance tonight, realising she was dressing up to meet Hwan in private for the very first time in her life, not for work, not in disguise as a eunuch or a man, but finally, as a woman.


    As she stood in the courtyard, taking in the simple, aesthetic structure of the library''s aged beams and pillars, the upturned eaves on the roof, she recalled Hwan teasing her.


    "I did say sorry to you, but in my mind....you should never know... "


    Had Hwan already known the depth of his feelings for her by then?


    Smiling, she gave a conscious once over to her lavender skirt topped with a long yellow jeogori with intricate threadwork adorning it. She knew she looked fine, a far cry from the shapeless ivy green of the eunuch dress he seemed to abhor.


    "You can go in, Bin-ssi. Please be mindful of the time. The library has an angbuilgu you can track time with. We have to get back for the pre-dinner ritual in an hour."


    Jay Yi swiftly stepped in, closed the door, interlocked the circular iron handles, and leaned against it. Large, decorative lanterns sat at various points. There was no sign of anyone. Squinting, she adjusted her eyes to the familiar, shadowy interior, her gaze lovingly glossing over the shelves she had helped organise throughout her stay in the Eastern Palace as Hwan''s eunuch.


    Running her fingers lightly over the books, she moved from aisle to aisle, taking in the neat catalogues stacked on the shelves, suspended fabric swings containing new and old scrolls, and inhaling the faint aroma of aged parchment and wood. She noticed some newly added furniture in one corner, notably a particularly inviting reclining plush platform. Hwan actively disliked sprawling when reading anything. Did he add that for her? A soft giggle escaped her. She had fallen asleep so often while reading that it didn''t surprise her that Hwan would get her a bed in the library. Warmth saturated her at his thoughtfulness.


    She came to the spot where Hwan had first shown his gesture of appreciation for her intellect - an apple as large as her face. A smile played on her lips as she reminisced about that fond memory.


    She smelled him before she heard him, his irresistible masculine odour springing open all her nerve endings. Excitement poured through her like a cloud burst.


    "What are you smiling at?"


    Hwan''s arms came around her, wrapping themselves around her shoulders in a possessive grip from behind as he drew her back to him, his face buried in the crook of her neck.


    Jay Yi''s hands automatically gripped his sinewed forearms under his light blue hanbok. "Where were you hiding? I didn''t hear the door open to the room downstairs."


    She caressed the side of his mesh-encased head with her cheek. He dropped a light kiss on her head.


    "I have my secrets."


    "You were up here all this time? How did you escape those dragon eyes of court lady Kim?"


    "What do I get if I tell you?"


    Oh oh!


    "What do you want, Your Majesty?" She asked, her voice taking on a deeper texture she could not help.


    He gave a muffled laugh that sent her senses crashing like wild waves against a jagged seashore. She could feel his hard body pulse with vitality against the length of her back. He turned her around. "I want to eat you -" His eyes were dark, very dark. "But it won''t do, will it?"


    He stepped back and grasped a hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."


    Picking up a lantern on the way, he handed it to her. Hwan loved dragging her around by the hand, Jay Yi thought distractedly.


    The panels of the secret door separated at the press of a lever, revealing the flight of steps that would take them to their underground lair that had been her safe haven and her eventual nemesis.


    The achingly familiar musty odour hit her - a strange aromatic amalgamation of aged wood, a paraphernalia of some functional, some old and some valuable stored items and reminiscences of his masculine and her feminine fragrance.


    A sense of well-being flooded her. She pressed her free hand to her chest, wanting to hold the intangible feeling a little longer.


    Everything appeared the same as she had left it. The bed lay at the far end of the room, covered with the Crown Prince''s regal blue and grey colours. The work table that had helped Hwan recover his arm and had been her mystery-solving hub for months still sat by the foot of the bed. The punctured archery board - evidence of Hwan''s iron-clad fortitude - decorated the wall in the enclave.


    Yet, something was different. Her eyes widened as her glance fell on the side of the wall. Picking up the lantern that she had deposited at the foot of the stairs upon entering, she held it up to throw more light. The left wall behind the stairs now had rows of books, two display boards with detailed charts of human anatomy, and two elongated tables sitting across from each other. There were two intricately carved boxes sitting on one of the tables.


    Her astonished eyes met with Hwan''s eager ones. He inclined his head, wordlessly inviting her to inspect the boxes.


    The containers opened to display an assortment of tools, bottles and jars that could be used in an investigation. A copy of Muwonrok, an annotation of the forensic medicine book, lay on one side of the table.


    Feeling the push of tears behind her eyes, Jay Yi clenched them shut. Two days ago, gifts to the bride had arrived from the Royal treasury at the detached Palace, marking the completion of the second step of Napjing in their wedding. Jay Yi could tell Hwan had personally handpicked many items from the overwhelming number of riches delivered during the ceremony - bolts of blue and red silk, gold, pearls, exquisite jade ornaments, precious stones, stunning vases, tiny pots of gold coins, mouthwatering food items, ritualistic items like rice, beans and seeds and innumerable other things to count.


    None came close to the gift he had bestowed upon her today.


    "Do you like it?" She could hear the need for validation in his voice at her quietness.


    With no words forthcoming, she did the only thing that came to her mind. Whirling around, she encircled his slim, muscled waist with her arms, burrowing her face in his chest as tears of happiness and gratitude threatened to spill over.


    The force of her embrace rocked Hwan back on his heels a little. He laughed.


    "Had I known this would be the reward I would get for gifting this to you, I would have done this long ago."


    With a muffled laugh, Jay Yi quipped, "Says he who was determined to marry me off to other people and took forever to fetch me, and then did not show up for ten long days."


    "Did you miss me?" He locked her in, his sleeves draped over her.


    She snuggled deeper into him. "Yes, the sun came up every day." She tipped her head up. "And you?"


    "Nah!" He pulled her closer, "I didn''t see any skinny, disrespectful eunuch to remind me of you."


    "I am not that skinny!" she pouted.


    One hand slid up her back, and the other went down, pressing her roughly against him, flush. "No, you are not," he whispered, swollen with a raw craving for her.


    Jay Yi swallowed and wet her lips, varying degrees of alarm and desire coursing through her inflamed blood as she felt his transparent need indenting her flesh.


    Hwan inhaled her woman''s fragrance, which always sent his senses into a dizzy whirlpool. "I love how you smell," Hwan ran the tip of his nose up her sideburn close to her ear.


    They were treading on dangerous ground. Jay Yi extracted herself from his embrace, and Hwan let her go.


    "What''s this?"


    Jay Yi flipped through the book that was under the copy of Muwonrok.


    It was a case file.


    "Court Lady Nam alerted me to this case. She thinks you might be able to help solve it."


    Taken aback, Jay Yi felt a surge of pleasure.


    "How much do they know about me?"


    "More than I would have liked," Hwan chuckled.


    It was an interesting case. A thirteen-year-old court lady stole from the Royal kitchens for three weeks. Imprisoned two days ago, she refused to divulge the reason for stealing despite threats of dire torture. The investigation revealed she was well-fed and had never stolen earlier. They never found traces of the stolen goods in her living quarters that she shared with other court ladies.


    "Once your coronation happens, you can take up the case officially. However, everyone, including me, is worried the dowager might hasten with some punishment that does not fit the crime. She has been known to have done that in the past. While I can potentially intervene, it might lead to more discord than I am willing to tolerate."


    "She does not like you or the Princess. I wonder why."


    Hwan shrugged. "She is harmless."


    "I am scheduled to start my Kitchen duties tomorrow, so that might be a good time to ask some questions."


    Hwan wandered over to a small table by the foot of the bed. Jay Yi noticed it was covered with a cloth. Food! Hwan adored feeding her. Love swelled through her body for this magnificent, generous man.


    With a swift tug, Hwan removed the cloth. There were trays of snacks, along with a very special-looking sweet that looked familiar.


    "That is the sweet from King''s kitchen eunuchs are rewarded with when they pass the loyalty test!" Jay Yi exclaimed.


    "You are right. I did a great disservice to a particularly beloved eunuch of mine, so it''s high time I made up for it."


    Picking up a piece, he offered it to her. Jay Yi bowed, unhesitatingly accepting it. "Khamzahamnida, Your Majesty, for remembering."


    Delighted, she bit into the treat, savouring the melting sensations as it dissolved into her mouth. She closed her eyes in bliss.


    He could not help but smile at her childlike glee. Then her throat moved as she swallowed. There was nothing childlike about it.


    Hwan tore his eyes away.


    Wistfully, Jay Yi recalled that afternoon. "You were so upset that day."


    "What did you expect? I was being auctioned off as a breeding horse while the woman I wanted by my side had lied to me about her wounds and, while dressed in those awful clothes, said she loved a man, which made me see murder!"


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Wanted? I thought she made you uncomfortable, and she was not beautiful to look at," Jay Yi corrected him sagely, her luminous eyes dancing with mischief.


    "I will never live that down, will I?"


    Jay Yi shook her head cheerfully.


    She picked up another piece and offered it to him. "Oh, I always wanted to ask. What happened to that bracelet that you bought?"


    A strange expression settled on his face. "It''s at the bottom of the pond by the East Pavilion. I had thrown it away right before I met you that afternoon."


    Taken aback, Jay Yi''s hand froze mid-air.


    "Why!" It was more of a disgruntled cry than a question as she thought of the beautiful trinket lying forlorn at the bottom of the pond.


    "I thought I would never be able to give it to the woman I loved, that it was over. Little did I know it would never be over. Not in this lifetime...or ever.." Hwan''s voice was barely above a whisper. He took the sweet from her hand and held it to her mouth. "I will buy you hundreds, thousands of bracelets. I love you, Jay Yi."


    A finger grazed her lip as her mouth closed on the sweet. Instead of biting it, she held it between her lips, a soft invitation in her eyes.


    Hwan felt his pulse quicken. He drew his mouth closer and bit the other half of the sweet, his lips feathering hers. It melted in his mouth, but he didn''t taste anything, his mind fixated on her lips.


    Jay Yi knew the look too well and placed a finger on his mouth. "I have to leave," her voice was husky. "So please behave, Your Majesty," she teased.


    "What do you think I was going to do? Were you expecting something?" He asked innocently as he caught her wrist.


    Squinting her eyes at him in mock aggravation, Jay Yi eased herself out of his grip before popping another delectable piece in her mouth.


    "Are you not starting your physical training tomorrow as well?" Hwan changed the subject.


    "You memorised my schedule," Jay Yi laughed, shaking her head. "Yes, I start tomorrow. It will be challenging as I have to pretend I don''t know how to wield a sword."


    Hwan chuckled at that. Her teacher would be Eunuch Shin, one of the few eunuchs allowed to interact with the unmarried royal women in the Palace.


    "Eunuch Shin is quite good. I doubt you will be able to deceive him. I suggest you tell him your brother taught you a few moves."


    Jay Yi stuck her lower lip out, compressing the upper one, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You are right. Perhaps I will do that. I always wanted to learn archery, so I am very excited, especially as I do not have to pretend about my lack of knowledge."


    "You never learned archery?" His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Hwan always assumed she was well-versed in most weapon forms.


    "I tried a few times, but there was only so much I could learn in secrecy. So, I focused all my time mastering swords, knives and taekkyon."


    "It was a smart thing to do. But then why did you not tell me? I could have taught you."


    "You forget, we were busy trying not to get killed," Jay Yi grinned.


    "I suppose that is true," he grinned back. "I can still teach you. In fact, I will teach you."


    "You will?"


    "Show me what you know."


    "Now? I need to leave. My hour is almost over." She expected the hourly bell to go off any time now.


    "Oh!" Hwan looked crestfallen. "Come back tomorrow then."


    "Again?"


    "Every evening, same time, except for the five days you have evening ritual ceremony. We will decide for them closer to the date."


    "Will that not look suspicious?"


    "My people already know, so they will cover up if needed, but no one will dare try to find out where I am. There are some advantages of being a King," Hwan chuckled. "You have a day off, the tenth day from today, so plan to be here all day. We can practice then. You will learn in no time."


    "How will I manage to be here all day?"


    "You are too smart for me to tell you how," Hwan laughed.


    "And how will you get away from your Court duties?"


    "I will be on a visit to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, or so everyone will know."


    Jay Yi could only shake her head as the lure of the forbidden and thrill of danger stemming from their clandestine meetings charted a new kind of excitement she had never felt before.


    The Royal kitchen, located close to the royal chambers of the King and the Queen, was a sprawling area comprising many different compounds. Each building was responsible for a part of the elaborate meal structure that yielded hundreds of dishes every day, from the one that served the King and his Queen their five meals daily to the one that prepared the royal banquets. Lately, the latter had been bustling with activity as it prepared for the grandest of all Palace ceremonies ¨C the King''s wedding.


    In the absence of a Crown Prince, the responsibility of conducting these inspections would soon rest upon her shoulders.


    It took Jay Yi almost half a day to inspect all the kitchens. She lingered the longest in the dessert preparation area. This is where the child had been stealing the most.


    She had chosen to visit the eastern pavilion today as it was the closest to the royal kitchen. Unsurprisingly, Hwan was already there. As soon as he heard them coming, he turned to leave. Hwan caught court lady Kim''s loud, anxious, prudish gasp when he and his retinue sauntered past them. Jay Yi''s eyes met his laughing, mischievous ones. He was enjoying himself thoroughly. She kept a firm grip on her urge to erupt into a cackling giggle, though she was unsure she could hold on to it if he tried to speak to her, and perish the thought if her eyes met any of his eunuchs. She bowed deeply and kept her head bowed. Thankfully, he did not stop, simply acknowledging them as he went on his way.


    A few more of these accidental meetings and court lady Kim would either collapse from stress or lock Jay Yi up somewhere and throw away the key.


    "Court lady Kim will change my schedule if you keep showing up every time I am out." Jay Yi complained as she sat across him in their little hideout that evening.


    Hwan''s brows furrowed in mild irritation. "Let her try. She is not dictating where I can walk in my own Palace." Hwan tilted his head. "Tell me about your day."


    "It felt good returning to the Kitchen," she reflected. She had previously frequented it as part of Hwan''s retinue when he was the Crown Prince fulfilling his duty of royal kitchen inspection. "I''m certain that a few of them might recognise me. The rumours, combined with my resemblance..."


    "Abbamama has issued a decree forbidding discussion of your criminal history. Even if they did recognise you, no one would dare to make a comment. Most are not allowed to look you in the face anyway."


    Jay Yi disagreed but let it slide. The small table between them was covered with a cloth. She wondered what he had ordered from the kitchen this evening.


    "Do you want to eat first or practice some archery?"


    Jay Yi had a long day and still had rituals to attend to after returning to her chambers. Spending time on more physical work did not sound appealing. Still, she did not want Hwan to know she was tired.


    "Archery!" Jay Yi said with forced enthusiasm.


    Slews of arrows flew to the board and fell off without hitting it even once. Keen eyes observed Jay Yi as she tried to hit the target and failed every time.


    "Angle your body away a bit, open it up," Hwan suggested, his voice encouraging, his unwavering eyes making quick notes of why Jay Yi could not seem to string a bow.


    He then modelled it for her, his arrows hitting the bull''s eye without sweat.


    Hwan adjusted her shoulder and stance, repositioning her hand and fingers on the weapons for the next quarter of the hour.


    "Enough for today. Let''s eat." Hwan said.


    Jay Yi heaved a silent sigh of relief. She quickly deposited the bow into its barrel and returned the arrows to the quiver. Retracing her steps to the small table, she eagerly uncovered it.


    Two bowls of beans and meat soup looked back at her.


    Her hand flew to her chest as she gasped in delight. Turning her head to speak over her shoulder to Hwan standing behind her, she exclaimed, "How did you get these here?"


    Hwan''s lips quirked in reply. "I went to Manyeodang today."


    Jay Yi repressed a sigh. It had been less than two weeks, but she missed Ga-ram as if she had not seen her for years.


    "She misses you too," Hwan read her mind. "We will visit them as soon as we are done with everything here," he promised.


    Jay Yi nodded her acceptance. They quietly savoured the cold soup for the next few minutes, savouring each spoonful with unrestrained delight.


    "What did you find about the girl?" Hwan asked after a while.


    "The investigation is bare bones. There is little to go by. They did not even mention the items the girl was stealing and did not interrogate any other court maids who are often partnered with her."


    Hwan frowned. "That is highly irregular."


    "I managed to get some information. The child mostly stole milk and cream from the confectionary building and fish and eggs from other places. I plan to speak to Tai Ri and Dai Ri tomorrow to see what they know."


    The girls were too young to be a part of her retinue, so they had been sent for training. Jay Yi planned to bring them back once the coronation was over.


    "Well done," Hwan said softly. Jay Yi''s face transformed as she gave him her beautiful, wide smile.


    "Tell me about your day, Your Majesty," It was Jay Yi''s turn.


    "Today was a much lighter day. Fortunately, my study hours in the morning are not long, so I can squeeze in a lot of correspondence during that time. I also did not have too many appeals to answer. So, I skipped lunch and went to Manyeodang. Wanted to catch up with Master Myung Jin''s progress with the water wheel." And assure them that you were doing well.


    " How do you shake off your scribes? Are they not supposed to be recording your every move?"


    Hwan chuckled. "Yes, and they try. I guess I am too smart for them. It''s been quite easy to lose them off my back."


    The beans sat heavily on her stomach. Despite her attempts to quell it, a yawn escaped her.


    She was tired, Hwan thought to himself. She had been trying to stifle her yawns for quite some time and had an unfamiliar slouch on her shoulders. Hwan tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully. He had never seen Jay Yi tired. Bored, yes, but never tired. She could run all day and still manage to take on assassins twice her size in the middle of the night, uproot vines out of the ground with bare hands and not drop a sweat, look after his needs all day, and still have the energy to study her cases deep into the night and yet look as fresh as a dew drop. He looked at her closely. She looked exhausted. A sudden pang of guilt overwhelmed him.


    "Why are you looking at me like that, Your Majesty?" Jay Yi asked as she half-heartedly toyed with the soup in her bowl.


    In reply, Hwan took the spoon from her hand and kept it back in the bowl. He moved the table from between them, keeping it aside. Swiftly getting up, he grasped her hand. "Come here."


    Jay Yi followed him, too tired to argue.


    Pressing down on her shoulders, he motioned her to sit on the bed sideways. Hwan then sat behind her. He took some time adjusting her position until he was satisfied.


    "What are you doing, Your Majesty?"


    "Shh."


    Using his fingers and thumb, Hwan kneaded the length of her shoulders and the sides of her neck, finding sweet spots that Jay Yi did not know existed.


    "Your Majesty!" Jay Yi protested, half in surprise, half in mortification. She tried to wriggle away, but Hwan caught her and forced her back into place. "You should not be doing this!"


    "I sure can. I am your husband. I can do anything I want," Hwan said, his voice full of mischief and another emotion Jay Yi could not identify.


    "Our marriage date has not even been fixed yet," Jay Yi corrected him dryly as she tried again to wriggle away.


    "Stop moving and relax. It''s an order." That quietened her fast. "As far as I am concerned, we are married. Once you stepped into this Palace, you were more or less married to me."


    Jay Yi scoffed in reply.


    Ironically, Hwan was not joking. As the final selected candidate, Jay Yi''s life was now bound to him irrevocably. Perhaps even before that, as his eunuch, she had already been his woman in the eyes of those who knew. Marriage was but a formality that would guarantee their children were legitimate and their son, if they had one, could inherit the throne.


    Yet he understood the compromise she had made with her life to be with him. He would forever be aware that if she chose to, she could, in a heartbeat, abandon everything and walk away without a second thought. Hwan could never take her for granted.


    Unaware of his insecure thoughts, Jay Yi gave in to his gentle ministrations, feeling the pressure slowly seeping away. Without realising it, she leaned back to him.


    "Why did you not tell me you were fatigued, Jay Yi?"


    Jay Yi did not reply.


    "You are still worried, are you not?"


    He felt her stiffen for a moment before she relaxed again as he kept smoothing away her numerous knots that he could feel through the thick silk of her deep pink jeogori.


    "I think you should stop, Your Majesty, else I will fall asleep right here," she laughed without rancour.


    Hwan gently turned her to him. "I want to make something very clear. I want you to speak with me, tell me when you hurt and need me. Because of you, I gained the strength to fight against my fate. You are my strength. And I want to be your strength, too. I want you to lean on me, Jay Yi."


    He looked into her eyes, holding her close by her shoulders. "Did we not promise that you will protect me, and in turn, I will protect you?"


    Jay Yi felt a lump in her throat as she tried to subdue the threatening tears.


    He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tipped it up, his chest tightening at the vulnerability reflected in her soulful gaze. His eyes beseeched her silently: Talk to me.


    "I am afraid, Your Majesty, I feel -" Jay Yi paused, looking for the right word, "inadequate-"


    Several expressions came to his mind, all being some form of either instant denial or effusive words of encouragement, but he knew Jay Yi wanted none.


    "I wish I knew how to help you, Jay Yi." He looked over at the punctured board. He slowly got up and walked towards it. "When I first locked myself in this room, I thought I would die. There was no light, no one to tell me how to move forward, nothing to look forward to. But I knew one thing for certain: I wanted to survive. And I thought that would be enough."


    Studying the aged, intricately interlocked wood of the floor under his feet with unseeing eyes, he took a deep breath and let it out, "It wasn''t enough. I died a little every day."


    He turned to her, and his eyes dipped to her face. "When you came to me, I started living. You were the ondol to my cold, barren heart." He locked his hands behind him. "I don''t want you to survive. I want you to live. I don''t want to force you. It''s still not too late. If the Palace is going to become a place that makes you want to just survive -" Hwan could not form the words and swallowed hard, blinking back sudden moisture that fogged his vision.


    Rising to her feet, Jay Yi walked to him until she was close enough to touch him. "Do you know why I never went to Gaeseong?"


    "Because you did not want to live in that house?"


    Jay Yi shook her head. "Because, even though at that time it seemed impossible, a part of me hoped to have a life with you. Once, I had wanted to see the world. Then, you became my world. Not leaving Hanyang was a choice I made a long time ago. And it never changed, not even when Master Mun offered to take me around in his ship," Jay Yi smiled sadly at the memory. "The reality of it coming true has been challenging, but you have it the other way around. It''s not that I don''t want to be your Queen, Your Majesty. On the contrary, I want it so much that I am afraid to fail."


    I am afraid of the fake skin I am learning to wear, her heart screamed silently.


    The Palace bell rang somewhere, telling them the time was up.


    Jay Yi went on her tiptoe and placed her lips on Hwan''s, her hands resting on his vast, capable shoulders. His hands immediately unlocked themselves from behind and banded her to him, desperate, passionate, hopelessly needy. His mouth covered her, volatile in his desire.


    "Love me, Jay Yi," he pleaded against her mouth.


    "I do, so much that it hurts," She whispered.


    He plundered, then gave her everything he had. She took and returned it manifold.


    As Hwan watched her leave, Scholar Cho''s words floated back to him - a woman who is born noble but has the spirit of a scholarly kisaeng.......


    Hwan understood what she could not put into words. To be happy, Jay Yi needed to be herself.


    Hwan vowed to find ways to make that happen, hold her close, and not let her fail.

 Rumour Has It

    " How is it possible ?" Court lady Kim was hissing at the five younger court ladies. Three of them had their chins stuck to their chest, but two, Court Ladies Yoo Eun Ji and Eam Ji Man, looked at Jay Yi, stricken.


    Court Lady Kim was still rifling through Jay Yi''s desk.


    "Are you looking for something, Court Lady Kim?" Jay Yi stifled an annoyed exclamation, knowing exactly what she sought.


    Court lady Kim had not expected Jay Yi to be back already, whose language lesson had concluded earlier than scheduled.


    Turning purple with mortification, the senior maid stuttered, "I - I was organising your desk, Bin-ssi."


    With an expression of serenity Jay Yi was not feeling, she approached the disconcerted woman.


    " I do not remember asking you to, nor do not I recall you taking my permission for it."


    "Forgive me, Bin-ssi, I must have misunderstood," the court lady recovered much of her calm demeanour; however, compared to her usual frosty countenance, it could safely be deduced that she was still mightily agitated. Jay Yi''s schedule lay unrolled, face up on the floor where the older woman dropped it in her nervousness of being caught.


    Though Jay Yi had grown up surrounded by housemaids in one of Joseon''s most prestigious and powerful families, blessed with access to the best help in the country, she had never met anyone quite like Court Lady Kim. She refused to engage in gossip and reprimanded the young women around her harshly should they slip in their duties to care for Jay Yi. Her attention to detail was unparalleled, bordering on obsession, and she took great pride in executing every task flawlessly. Perhaps it was because it could reflect poorly on her competency if she failed to keep Jay Yi''s care flawless and her character spotless until the marriage was solemnised, but Jay Yi doubted it was the only reason. She was a hard, cold and unsmiling woman. Yet, she had an underlying kindness that had surprised Jay Yi. She had astutely sensed Jay Yi''s nerves despite Jay Yi''s best efforts to appear composed. She had concocted something that could help Jay Yi relax and sleep.


    "His Majesty''s mother used to have this whenever she had difficulty resting. It should help you, too."


    The fact that she slipped up in her duty spoke volumes about her worry for Jay Yi''s reputation and perception in the eyes of others and her dutybound compulsion to protect her. She was taking Hwan''s unexpected appearances every day as a personal affront and a failure to uphold propriety fitting for a future Queen under her care. Hwan was messing up with her Confucian principles, and the woman felt burdened by it.


    Jay Yi wondered what would happen to the piously virtuous woman if she learned Hwan and Jay Yi met privately, unchaperoned, hidden from everyone''s eyes daily. She would probably meet her demise in shock. Jay Yi''s heart went out to the woman.


    Feigning ignorance, Jay Yi picked the schedule up. "Is there a problem with this?"


    "N-No, Bin-ssi."


    "Please do not touch my desk or papers again."


    "I apologise, Bin-ssi. It will not happen again."


    "I will let it slide this time. Do we not have to prepare for the ceremony this afternoon?"


    "Yes, Bin-ssi. I will see to your dress. The Ministry of Rites has already arranged the rest. We begin when the clock strikes three."


    Jay Yi nodded. "You can leave now. Court ladies Yoo and Eam, please stay back."


    Court Lady Kim left with remarkable composure to her credit, departing with the utmost humility suitable for a senior Palace servant, showing no sign of her inner turmoil. The other three women high-tailed out of there, as did the two who had accompanied Jay Yi to the session with her language tutor.


    Hiding an exasperated smile, Jay Yi looked at the two remaining terrified court ladies standing before her.


    "Bin-ssi, we did not do anything. Court lady Kim thinks one of us has passed your schedule information to His Majesty''s people." Both of them were trying their best not to wring their hands.


    Placing the schedule back in her drawer, Jay Yi gently shut it. Sitting down, she gracefully folded her hands in her lap and studied the nervous women for a few minutes. Silence could be more intimidating than the loudest uproar in the world. The women went still, bowing their heads more and more as minutes ticked by.


    "Have you?"


    "How can we dare to do that, Bin-assi!" Came back the petrified reply as they dropped to their knees.


    "Why does she think so then?"


    They squirmed a little, trying to decide whether to reply. A blush spread over their faces. Their youthful exuberance won.


    "Your Majesty seems quite taken with you, Bin-ssi," Court lady Yoo said shyly.


    Nodding vigorously in agreement, Court lady Eam said, "He seems to know where you are in the Palace and finds his way there. Is that not amazing?"


    Amazing indeed! The entire charade was getting out of hand. Hwan, though, seemed to be loving every moment of it. Jay Yi was beginning to suspect Hwan was enjoying embarrassing Jay Yi.


    All her requests to stop these ''accidental'' meetings were being routinely disregarded. If anything, the length of Hwan''s interactions increased in the past week.


    "My lady, new books on Confucian discourses have arrived. Please feel free to borrow them," in his most polite tone, or "Have you visited the Chery blossom trees by the Geumcheongyo Bridge?" - looking to lengthen their meeting time.


    Her reproachful answering glares were wasted. It was going to happen sooner or later. Jay Yi would burst out laughing one day or say something inappropriate out of aggravation and give away the game, she thought direly.


    Her neck creaked from keeping it bowed. She had studiously avoided looking at any of her former co-workers. Once, Jay Yi''s eyes met with Eunuch Cha, who looked like he was totally enjoying himself. The man promptly erupted into a coughing fit while Jay Yi''s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. It was unbearably awkward.


    "It is indeed mysterious how he finds you every day, no matter when and where you choose to go. It''s the talk of the Palace! That is why she thinks one of us has given her the information or that the schedule was stolen."


    Jay Yi looked at the women sitting with their bodies shrinking and heads all but tunnelled on the floor. "It is nothing like that. Our meetings have been co-incidental."


    "That is what we told Court lady Kim too." It was pretty apparent their tone belied their belief.


    "Also, His Majesty has been most respectful and cordial. He is just being polite," Jay Yi asserted emphatically.


    Court Lady Eam was braver of the two. "But we have seen it with our own eyes, Bin-ssi! His Majesty cannot take his eyes off you!"


    Despite herself, Jay Yi felt puddles of blood rush to her face, her heart skipping a treacherous beat, while the women tried to suppress knowing smiles.


    "Have you been looking at His Majesty''s face?" Jay Yi asked sternly, hiding a smile.


    Their faces fell.


    Your Majesty, why must you be so handsome and create so much distraction?


    "I am not surprised Court Lady Kim thinks someone stole the schedule or passed information. Because," Jay Yi paused for a long moment and summoned her most commanding voice, "someone passes information to Great Aunt Dowager. If you tell me who that is, I will shield you in future from Court Lady Kim''s wrath. I value loyalty."


    A look of uncertainty crossed over their faces. The power shift was happening, and the court ladies had started to weigh which side lay the larger honey jar.


    Jay Yi had them by the scruff of their neck.


    Subsequently, her conversation for the next fifteen minutes was the most enlightening of all since she moved back to the Palace.


    Then, she gave the women some critical tasks to complete.


    "Do not worry, Bin-ssi, we will get onto it immediately."


    Jay Yi would ensure the dowager only received the updates Jay Yi wanted her to have, she thought resolutely.


    None of the Court ladies bothered her when Princess Hayeon appeared for one of her weekly sessions with Jay Yi a little later, much to Hayeon''s delight and Jay Yi''s relief. The women laughed, drank tea, and gossiped about the dowager.


    "She spreads the most disgusting rumours in the Palace."


    "What rumours? Tell me more. Is it about me being the eunuch? It''s true, though," Jay Yi whispered, laughing.


    Hayeon bit her lip, appeared to consider something and then changed her mind, "Too many to count. How did you convince the court ladies to leave us alone?"


    Jay Yi simply smiled at Hayeon.


    "The dowager is a horrid woman; please be careful of her, Bin-ssi. She has eyes and ears everywhere." Hayeon said unhappily.


    Filling another cup with the aromatic tea, she carried it to the young woman."Do not worry, Your Highness. I will try to ensure the network is broken soon."


    Hayeon seemed to brighten up that. The topic of Sargent, now Governor Sung On, brought a fresh blush to Hayeon''s cheeks.


    "I am so happy I did not marry Sargent Han. It would have been such a great loss for me."


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    "Why?" Hayeon was instantly on the defensive, ready to battle for the virtues of the man who had stolen her heart.


    "If I had, I would have lost out on having the most wonderful sister-in-law in the world!"


    Jay Yi reached out and squeezed Hayeon''s hands. The two women shared a rare, quiet moment, their shared love for Hwan, grief at losing people precious to them and a kinship born from the innate gentleness of their souls connecting them at a deeper level.


    "Governor Han does not want me to visit him," Hayeon complained, pouting.


    "Ah! We shall have to do something about that, do we not?" Jay Yi teased.


    "But are you sure the bigger loss would not be of losing out on Oraboni?" Hayeon teased in return.


    Jay Yi, in turn, complained about Hwan''s attempts to embarrass her.


    "It''s not true, Bin-ssi. Oraboni meets you because he truly misses you. Did you know that he was sick all through the year?" Jay Yi heard the tale of his ''lovesickness'' in disbelief, her heart going out to the man who had all but given her his soul and taken hers in return.


    Jay Yi promised herself she would make it up to him.


    Jay Yi found herself before the Great Aunt Dowager later that day.


    The dowager peered at her again like she was the specimen needing more scrutiny.


    "I gather His Majesty has been chasing you around the Palace?"


    Jay Yi''s mouth tightened at the tasteless comment. The dowager was of the opinion that one should retch whatever garbage appeared in their mind once they were over a certain age, the rules of etiquette for them diverging from those of younger age.


    "I have been fortunate to meet His Majesty a few times in the last few days," Jay Yi replies in her politest voice.


    The woman gave her a calculated look and sighed. "At least now those awful rumours can rest. At least, I hope they are rumours."


    Jay Yi kept her composure. She was aware the speculation of her being Go Sun Dol was still prevalent in a few quarters, though she was also starting to realise most people cared less and less. To some, it was rather becoming a romantic, amusing notion to entertain and nothing more. Irrespective, it was prudent to keep her equanimity before someone as viperish as the dowager. She might be politically unambitious, but someone like her could cause terrible harm to Hwan.


    The dowager''s next words confirmed Jay Yi''s worst fears, but not in the way she expected.


    The woman reclined. "I was beginning to worry he liked men."


    Jay Yi almost upended some of the scalding liquid in her cup on her turquoise skirt, managing to tame the shock just in time. From the corner of her eye, she caught a slight, almost imperceptible, movement from court lady Kim, a sign that the blatantly dishonourable remark had equally shocked the upright court lady.


    Carefully placing the cup in the saucer, Jay Yi looked up, meeting the older woman''s eyes once before choosing a spot at her desk to address.


    "I could never dare to think His Majesty would be anything but a perfect upholder of morality who sets the standards for all his subjects, Aunt Dowager."


    "You speak well. For your sake, I hope it''s true."


    Jay Yi knew the woman had said this to unsettle her.


    So this is what Princess Hayeon had meant when she had hinted at how the dowager fanned some of the most terrible rumours around the Palace earlier.


    Joseon was cruel to people who dared to love anyone, let alone people of their own sex. In the wrong ears, that kind of rumour could mean an end for someone like Hwan.


    Even for Jay Yi, who had flouted every Confucian rule she could think of, this was too much, and she wondered how this horrid woman had been allowed to get away with it. Anyone else pushing such a baseless, harmful rumour could be deposed at best and executed at worst.


    To keep herself from hurling herself at the old woman in rage, Jay Yi focused on the celedon green of the teapot, the morning light giving its glaze a crisp sheen.


    The dowager dared to speak of the Joseon''s ruler with impunity. And if Jay Yi had any say in it, she would ensure the horrid woman ceased her shenanigans as soon as possible.


    So far, Jay Yi had deduced three things: First, despite her dislike for the royal children, the woman truly wanted Hwan to produce heirs so her father''s legacy carried on; Second, she had an inflamed ego that was all air that could be easily be deflated by fear. Third, even though she did her best to needle them all the time, she was quite terrified of Hwan and his father.


    Jay Yi let her eyes widen a bit, bringing her hands together in her lap and adding a slouch to her shoulders for a better effect. "Now that you say it, His Majesty seeks me out quite frequently. Is that not improper? I am now wondering if there is a reason behind it."


    The dowager reclined back, fanning herself with a self-satisfied smirk.


    "I am so fortunate to have a well-wisher in you, Great Aunt Dowager. I do not know what I would have done without you in this lonely Palace. Seeing how you have worried about this, I pray I can dispel your worries soon." Jay Yi piled on. "However, considering it is -" Jay Yi threw a look from the corner of her eye to the drab, old court lady standing next to the dowager and lowered her voice, " you who is saying this, I would be foolish to ignore it. Do you think it might be worth considering bringing this to the attention of His Royal Highness, the king emeritus, His Majesty''s father?"


    The woman did not miss Jay Yi''s emphasis on You. Like a lone twig swinging back up from its bent position, the old dowager snapped her spine straight. "His Royal Highness? Why?"


    Jay Yi demurely looked up, her face scrunched up in distress. "If you suspect it and it is well known in the Palace, it must be true." She let her voice break a little. "It means - it means my family has been deceived. My brothers will be so heartbroken."


    The dowager paled.


    Jay turned to court lady Kim. "Can you please move this table?"


    Court lady Kim had a shocked expression frozen on her normally unflappable face. The morning so far had been a nightmare for the stoic woman. She quickly hastened to comply, moving the table aside, careful not to upset the fine china on top of it.


    Jay Yi moved closer to the dowager. "Please help me get thrown out, Your Highness."


    A wave of gasps echoed around the large room.


    "Th-thrown out?" the dowager sounded like a cat scratching the wall. If Jay Yi were to bite the dowager right at this moment, she was quite certain no blood would come out. The dowager withered, a flash of undiluted fear forming a visible film over the whites of her short-sighted eyes.


    "Thrown out? Of course not! What preposterous thoughts invade your mind, Lady Min! It is a malicious rumour with no truth behind it. Am I right, Court Lady Sung?"


    "Your Highness is right, Bin-ssi," the pudgy court lady hastened to agree with her not-so-well-meaning mistress.


    "But-but I feel so stressed with these rumours, Your Highness. What if they are true? There must be a way for me to leave the Palace!"


    "No! No, of course not, child! You are what my great-nephew needs. I hear he is very taken by you!" The dowager was now falling over herself to assure Jay Yi.


    "Yes, Bin-ssi, Your Highness is correct," the dowager''s court lady croaked, latching on to the dowager''s fearful plea, sounding like a discordant note from a malfunctioning instrument leaving a grating buzz behind.


    Court lady Kim''s clear, icy voice rang out. "Our revered King Yi Hwan is the epitome of a Confucian scholar, his character unblemished! This is the standard all men should uphold prior to marriage. Anyone alluding otherwise should be dealt with severe punishment, Bin-ssi."


    The faces of both the dowager and her pudgy-faced court lady bleached. Any part of this conversation reaching the King emiritus''s ears would mean immediate deposal, ruin for the dowager''s entire family and death for the court lady. The fact that Jay Yi did not fear her own ouster made it worse, effectively disarming the dowager and rendering her bony hands powerless.


    Jay Yi went for the kill. "Then, who do you think is spreading such despicable rumours in the Palace? Your Highness must find out and punish them. Perhaps take it to His Majesty himself. If this continues, what if there is a blemish on your father''s legacy? His heritage?"


    Jay Yi could almost read the thoughts of alarm in the old woman''s eyes and the list of people she would speak to as soon as Jay Yi left. Not only did the dowager now fear a fate worse than death, but she had not considered her father''s legacy at all.


    The dowager harangued, "All palaces have terrible rumours with no truth to them, Lady Min. My great-nephew would have made my father proud. I assure you that people spread such rumours because he has no flaws. "


    Jay Yi squinted at the woman, a new wave of distaste filling her at the dowager''s duplicity.


    "I am relieved to hear you say this, Your Highness. I believe you and place my earnest trust in your wisdom."


    The bones on the dowager''s rickety chest ratttled with the sigh of relief she expelled.


    Jay Yi let the woman chew on it for some time before moving on to the more pressing thing. Something did not sit right with Jay Yi about the young, imprisoned girl, Yang Seo Bin. Even though Jay Yi was already at the final leg of the investigation, she still needed official permission from the dowager to interrogate the prisoner and the witnesses.


    "I also had one more request to make, Your Highness," Jay Yi said.


    Anything you ask, said the dowager''s expression as she sucked on her lower teeth in worry.


    "If Your Highness permits, I would like to look into the case of the Court lady Yang Seo Bin and oversee it. It will provide a valuable opportunity for training."


    The dowager blinked. She was not expecting a change of topic. "Ah! You should ask for something more valuable. That is a minor case. What is there to oversee. She stole from the royal kitchen, and that is a crime. I have decided to punish her with thirty lashes to teach everyone a lesson."


    Thirty lashes? Ten could kill the child. The woman was foolish and vindictive.


    "Your sense of justice is unparalleled, Your Highness," Jay Yi stroked her ego shamelessly. "I wish to learn from it. As you know, my time for training is getting shorter by the day."


    Which was not untrue. The date for Jay Yi''s marriage to Hwan was going to be decided by the Office of Astronomy in an elaborate ceremony soon.


    The old woman seemed to give it a thought.


    "Very well, you may handle the case. It''s a minor matter, perfect for your initial learning of the investigative nature of such cases," the Great Aunt Dowager said patronisingly.


    Jay Yi could have died laughing at the irony of it. As she left, she noticed something remarkable - a slight, almost imperceptible trace of a smile on court lady Kim''s face.


    It had taken Jay Yi less than an hour to reach the bottom of the issue. On her arrest, Yang Seo Bin had confessed to her three-week-long theft, but she had grown silent afterwards. Tai Ri and Dai Ri had ferreted out her best friend''s name, a timid young girl named Lim Ha Bi, who appeared to be around fourteen and was clearly hiding something.


    An inventory of the pilfered items yielded a surprising result. Yang Seo Bin''s theft consisted of roughly a cup of milk, a portion of butter, a small bowl of fish scraps, and some remnants of raw vegetables every day of the three weeks of the stealing spree.


    The girl had to be feeding an animal.


    By the time her evening ceremony started, Jay Yi had already ordered the girl free, crossed Hwan as usual over the Eastern Palace bridge, and to his question - "Do you find the food in the Palace adequate, my lady?" - had answered succinctly, "Yes, Your Majesty. I especially love the small soy sauce plates, just the right amount of condiment to accompany the food. Oh, and also the yat. They are delicious."


    They were standing at the exact spot from that day almost two years ago. The amused expression at her underhand insult on Hwan''s face was priceless. She missed a chair she could kick.


    That evening, when she met Hwan in the library, Jay Yi could not control her outburst.


    "The dowager is a bloodthirsty harridan!" Jay Yi exclaimed darkly. "She wanted to punish the girl with thirty lashes."


    "Thirty?" Hwan burst out in horror, the tip of his quill suspended mid-way to the paper. "That would kill the child!"


    "I know. Oh, and did you know of the horrid rumours she has been pushing about - about you -"Jay Yi bit her lip in anger and consternation.


    "Liking men?" Hwan completed her faltering thoughts.


    "Why would you not refute such horrible rumours and let her continue?" She asked him hotly.


    Instead of getting offended, Hwan started laughing. Candles flickered cheerfully inside the patterned lanterns, illuminating his patrician profile.


    Jay Yi compressed her lips in irritation, not finding anything funny about the entire sordid situation.


    Hwan took his time and placed the quill in its holder. "It does not matter what she says. Those who matter know the truth."


    "If you claim false things enough times, people believe it."


    Hwan contemplated her thoughtfully. No one believed in him like this woman did, infallible in her trust. She had come to him during his darkest hours when he had been twisted with rage, hatred, loneliness, and fear. Despite losing everything herself, on the run for her life, fighting prejudices and slanders, including his own, she had opened a world for him that was alive, fresh, and unspoiled, reinvigorating his jest for living and loving. He had learned to let go, to forgive, to prioritise.


    Yet he understood that even a shadow of harm on him turned her world upside down, bringing out the indefatigable warrior in her.


    Hwan wanted nothing more than to sweep her in his arms and permanently stamp his claim on her. He had carefully kept his desires under check, doing everything in his power to maintain a manageable distance between them so that the fire burning passionately in him did not burn her down. He did not always succeed, but with eveything that was precious to him, he tried.


    Gently placing his hands on her tiny waist, he drew her closer to the chair he was sitting on, "I guess that is what you get for falling in love with your eunuch," he chuckled. "I should consider myself lucky he turned out to be a woman," he teased a whisp of hair around her ear, "because I might have fallen in love with him no matter what his gender was...."


    He pulled her down and gave a soft peck on her lips. "Do not worry. Everyone will know how far they were from the false rumours in another few weeks."


    Jay Yi blushed prettily, her pulse quickening.


    "Do you have a lot of work to complete?" She asked shyly.


    Hwan nodded apologetically as he released her and picked up his quill. "Tell me about the girl, Yang Seo Bin."

 Change

    Drawing a small stool to sit by Hwan''s side, Jay Yi watched him draw his quill across the parchment, his letters artistic but bold. The poet and the warrior. Jay Yi sighed with contentment. A slight smile played on her lips as her thoughts wandered over the last five days.


    Hwan and Jay Yi had settled into a certain routine in the evenings the past week. While Hwan had gone out of his way to keep their physical contact at a minimum, the time they spent together in their secret lair was so delightful that she often lost track of time. After her long, punishing days that comprised training routines, ceremonies, and keeping up a demeanour of a composed, poised, put-together woman who could only be seen floating slowly around the Palace, if at all, these short escapes to Hwan''s side had come as a succour to her starving spirit.


    More so because Hwan understood her in ways she deliberately chose not to acknowledge to herself. Hwan had given her a shoulder rub! She had squealed all through that night, smiling like a fool. The entirety of the following day, she had felt lighter, happier. Jay Yi had almost hopped, skipped and jumped to the library on the third evening, her heart thudding in anticipation, her feeling of weariness a thing of the past.


    "Can we practice some archery today?"


    Three-quarters of an hour later, she regretted suggesting that. Jay Yi''s digits went raw that evening, stringing the bow with arrows. Hwan had been serious about teaching her archery.


    Hwan spent the remaining time feeding her delicious tea and snacks.


    He was a gentle, patient, but exacting teacher. After spending most of the following evening practicing shooting arrows, she had pirouetted in happiness when an arrow finally pierced the board and stuck to it, but he had not reacted. Sighing, she went back to her practice. And to more tea and more delicious snacks.


    After three days in a row of relentless archery practice, Hwan had finally taken pity on her. He handed her a bundle of fabric. Wrapped in folds rectangularly, it came with a small pouch on the side containing four sticks.


    "Ga-ram sent it separately with the note to give it to you." It was a game of Yutnori.


    Jay Yi clutched it to her chest in happiness as if it were the world''s greatest treasure.


    "Do you know how to play, Your Majesty?"


    Hwan''s lips curved humorously. "I am sure you will teach this naive King who does not know much about the world....."


    Placing her hands on her hips, she squinted her irritation at him. "The one who loses gets flicked on the forehead."


    Fifteen minutes into the game, she was already lagging behind him. Her coin had hardly moved six paces in the twenty-nine constellation stations, while Hwan''s sat at fourteen.


    All she could muster were pig combinations, advancing her mal just a single pace each time. She barely managed to draw a dog combination once that moved her two paces forward. Meanwhile, in stark contrast, Hwan effortlessly pitched all favourable high combinations - a sheep worth three paces, a cow worth four paces, and to her utter disgust, he drew a horse in his last combination, worth the highest, his mal moving five paces forward on the board.


    Hwan got distracted momentarily while taking a drink of water, and she sneakily pushed his mal back one slot.


    Hwan eyed his mal and launched into a perfect recollection of each of the four stick combinations they had thrown so far, triumphantly moving his coin to its original spot, laughing openly at her. "If you must cheat, don''t get caught."


    Jay Yi huffed. Playing with someone who had such a perfect memory was aggravating.


    The following few sets of turns proved fortunate for her as her coin hopped over his and went two paces ahead. Hwan''s competitive streak reared its head.


    "You cheated! I saw you flip the stick. You changed my horse to a dog!!" Jay Yi yelled.


    "I did no such thing," Hwan lied without blinking.


    They went head to head, each missing no opportunity to turn, roll and change combinations of the sticks or move their coin out of turn, but Hwan''s cheating skills were way better than hers. He won by crook, beating her by five paces.


    "You are not flicking my forehead. You cheated."


    "Look who is talking! You dare - " Hwan started, but Jay Yi was having none of it.


    "I am leaving!" Jay Yi was a sore loser.


    Hwan had grabbed hold of her hand and pushed her down. "Come on! Let''s play another round."


    So they did, and he won again. Jay Yi could not tell if he had cheated to win this time. She chose to believe he did. Cheated, that is. So, Jay Yi gave him a deep, most respectful bow, flicked him on his forehead, and ran for her life with a very indignant His Majesty hot in pursuit. She almost lost an ankle and elbow trying to hurry up the stairs and was caught by Hwan before she took in an inelegant tumble. He grabbed her from behind by the waist and lifted her cleanly off the floor.


    "I only did it because you cheated -" Jay Yi tried to wriggle out of his hold.


    "You don''t get away after flicking me wrongfully, you little minx," Hwan said in mock anger. He laughed as she increased her struggle. "You owe me two flicks."


    Jay Yi shook her head, trying to hold on to his hands at her waist, her legs hanging in the air as he twirled her around. "That will give me a bump on the forehead and a million questions from Court lady Kim."


    "It was your idea."


    "I thought you didn''t like playing flicks."


    "That was before I knew how much fun they are!"


    "Let me down! You are making me dizzy!"


    "Not until you apologise and promise to get those two flicks in repentance."


    "No."


    "Four flicks."


    "You serve lousy justice, Your Majesty."


    "You have seen nothing of my justice yet, Min Jay Yi!"


    Still laughing, he loosened his grip. Jay Yi slid down the length of his body, her stockinged feet touching the wood of the floor beneath them. Her ears became warm as she realised he was way more affected than he let on. His hands stayed around her waist.


    He then turned her around in the circle of his arms. Jay Yi wondered if he could hear her heart beating in her throat.


    His eyes crinkled with laughter. "Are you afraid?"


    "I am not!" She said, a shade too quickly.


    Bringing his middle finger and thumb together, he positioned it over the centre of her forehead.


    Jay Yi clenched her eyes shut, trying not to flinch, expecting the sting anytime now.


    It never came. His breath fanned her before he dropped a kiss on her forehead.


    She opened her eyes to look at him. His mahogany eyes locked with her, warm, laughing, indulgent.


    Impulsively, Jay Yi raised herself on her tiptoe and placed her mouth over his, her hands encircling his neck. He went still as she moved her lips over his, her movements shy but certain. He didn''t respond, but his fingers dug deeper into her waist. Emboldened, she traced his lips with a hot, exploring tongue.


    With a groan, his palms grabbed the sides of her face as he let her in, letting her go on a discovery that singed her senses, meeting her more than halfway.


    There were no flicks, only a vague sense of passing time as passion overtook them.


    Hwan had kissed her deeply, but then, using the iron-clad control that he seldom let slip, he had gently thrust her away, albeit reluctantly, holding her by her shoulders, trying to shut out the silent questioning of her passion-filled eyes while visibly struggling to put a lid on the all-consuming clamour of his body. "Go!" He had ordered her roughly as the bell rang.


    This evening, however, Hwan had met her with a preoccupied expression that she had not seen on him for a long time.


    "Is something the matter, Your Majesty?"


    "It is all right, nothing that I cannot attend to later tonight," Hwan had assured her.


    A quick look at the table at the foot of the bed, groaning under a mountain of scrolls, told her the story.


    "Your Majesty, please attend to those first; do not worry about me."


    "I am not worrying about you, you idiot. I want to spend time with you. Let''s read today. The hour goes by too quickly anyway. I don''t want to waste a minute of it," He said huskily.


    Jay Yi stepped closer, reaching to caress his jaw.


    "I am here to stay longer today, Your Majesty."


    "What do you mean? You don''t need to leave in an hour?"


    Jay Yi shook her head, much to his delight and surprise.


    "Today, I had a ceremony in the afternoon and decided to take the rest of the evening off. I told them I would be in the library longer and they should not wait for me outside."


    "And that maid of yours agreed?"


    Jay Yi gave a mysterious smile. "She is not that bad, you know, Your Majesty."


    A derisive snort disagreed with her, but Hwan did not say anything. He was too happy to have her for a bit longer to care about anything else. It had been a long day. He wanted to read with her but had been slacking on his work lately and needed to catch up urgently.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    As he settled back to resume his work, he gave her an apologetic look, which had turned into a look akin to pride as she narrated her success with the young, imprisoned Yang Seo Bin.


    "The dowager told you herself she will administer thirty lashes to the child?"


    "Among other things. I am not sure if Her Highness the Dowager is just foolish or simply does not care for someone''s life. Who punishes a child with thirty lashes for stealing some milk?"


    "I am not surprised. The dowager had ordered something similar for another court lady a few months ago for overstaying her allotted time out of the Palace."


    "Did you intervene?"


    "Her Highness is cunning that way. She keeps it low enough not to reach an appeal stage."


    "But thirty lashes cannot be under the threshold for a child!"


    "Technically, Yang Seo Bin is over twelve, so not considered a child."


    Jay Yi''s hand flew to her mouth. "The child could have died!"


    "The court ladies fear her. Those who flatter her and become her eyes and ears, she rewards them generously. She tried to break some of my court ladies until she realised I would not allow her to touch them. She tried to sneak some of her own into my retinue to keep a tab on me, but I guess she forgot loyalty is still a thing." Hwan''s mouth curved in a humourless smile. He looked at her.


    "You have no idea how much I have needed you here by my side, Jay Yi," his eyes were soft.


    Jay Yi realised he had been telling her the truth when he told her he needed her as his Queen. He had enough on his plate with running the country to waste his time worrying about the internal squabbles of his Palace.


    "So why did Seo Bin need to steal?" Hwan asked as he dipped his quill into some fresh ink.


    "She was saving the family of a cat injured by some guards. The cat has three surviving kittens. Two had already died of starvation when Yang Seo Bin found them. She was scared we would order to kill the animal and its kittens if she disclosed their existence."


    It had taken Jay Yi a lot of patience, reassurances and promises to coax Lim Ha Bi to admit the reason behind Yang Seo Bin''s crime.


    The appreciative gleam in Hwan''s eyes was Jay Yi''s reward.


    "Was the Dowager agreeable to your investigation? Especially now that you have changed her decision of lashing her?"


    "She gave me permission to oversee as well as decide the punishment. She might not be happy, but I do not think she will interfere." At least, Jay Yi hoped so. "That child is precious, just the kind of people we need around us. Brave, loyal and ethical, not afraid to do the right thing. I plan to take her under my wings."


    Hwan looked at her thoughtfully. He had not seen this young child, but he suspected Yang Seo Bin reminded Jay Yi of Ga-ram.


    "What punishment did you decide?"


    "She pays back for all the goods she stole, and I docked her pay for three months," Jay Yi replied, drawing the stool to sit across Hwan at the table.


    Hwan nodded approvingly, his hand paused on the paper he was writing on.


    "I also directed the kitchen to give her the extra milk and fish until we relocate the animal. I know of an old man who rescues strays outside of Hanyang. Master Mun can help with it."


    "I will send Kanga tomorrow."


    Jay Yi sighed, leaning back.


    "Your Majesty, you must stop meeting me on my walks. Court Lady Kim tried to find out if someone passed on the schedule information to you," Jay Yi informed him, a trace of laughter in her voice. "I did tell you she will take it personally. I am trying hard to conform to the rules, and you are not helping!" She pouted.


    Hwan''s hands stilled at her playful complaint. Hwan saw little humour in it. The old, rule-breaking Jay Yi would have loved the charade. Carefully removing the weights that held the parchment down on the ends, Hwan rolled it and placed it on top of the pile to the right of the table.


    "Follow me, I have something for you." Hwan stood up, pushing the chair back gently.


    Piqued, Jay Yi followed him. He hunted a small cabinet beside where the bows and arrows were stored, producing a white ceramic pot and two cups.


    "You stored wine in here, Your Majesty?"


    Hwan inclined his head, the corner of his mouth slanting up in a slight, heart-stopping half smile.


    "I gathered we could have an occasion soon when you might have just enough time to have a cup without the danger of being sniffed out by the canine-nosed court lady Kim."


    Jay giggled, her eyes lighting up, the songbird trill of her voice warming the cudgels of Hwan''s heart.


    Smoothing her skirt, Jay Yi lowered herself across from Hwan.


    The kitchen had been busy. The dishes that Hwan had ordered were a savoury feast. But his mind was not on the food, his thoughts straying to the woman before him. He took in Jay Yi''s petite form, dressed in cream and peach that made her resemble a delicious confection from the royal kitchen. Food was not what he wanted to have with her. He dropped his eyes to close his thoughts out.


    "You feed me so much that I keep skipping dinner, and court lady Kim has this peculiar look on her face that is supposed to be blank, but I swear her displeasure shines like a lighthouse on a foggy night!" Jay Yi let out a disgruntled laugh.


    "Her expressions - rather the lack of them - can be quite terrifying," Hwan agreed.


    Jay Yi picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for each of them, her movements measured and elegant. She extended her cup for a toast, and Hwan clinked it with a smile.


    And then stared disconcertedly as Jay Yi took one dainty sip, returning the cup to the table. His eyes followed her hand as she took another delicate sip in between tasting the juicy-looking beef tartare.


    Where did his alcohol-guzzling girl who threw drinks down her throat go?


    Hwan looked into his cup, taking a pause. She was trying to be everything that would fit the mould of the traditional ideals of womanhood that everyone expected of her. Worse, she was trying to let go of what he had always found enchanting - her unconventional attitude towards life. She was still noisy and chatty with him, but he could progressively see her clamping down as days passed.


    Hwan swallowed a worried lump.


    "Jay-Yiya, don''t try so hard."


    "What do you mean, Your Majesty?" Surprised eyes looked at him.


    "Since when did you start drinking like that?"


    "Like wh -" Comprehension lit the beautiful eyes. She placed the cup back on the table and gave a small smile, then brushed a lint off her skirt. "Your Majesty, that is how it is supposed to be done. There is an etiquette-"


    "It''s supposed to be poured in a cup and gulped in a go." Hwan looked at her with unblinking eyes.


    "I am not sure I understand what you mean."


    "The training is supposed to help you find your way around the Palace. There will be certain times when you will need to follow protocols. Moreover, there is nothing that you have not learned growing up, and I know that! So why are you trying to change who you are?"


    Her face fell. "I am not changing. I am trying to be what you entrusted me with, Your Majesty. Did you forget you offered me employment?" Jay Yi shot him an irate look.


    Hwan blinked. "What does it have to do with forcing yourself to be someone you are not?"


    "I''m no different than before. You never knew me as the woman I was. I have always tried my best to follow norms and never actively fought against societal expectations just for the sake of it. You forget I had agreed to marry Sargent Sung On."


    "That is because you felt you had no choice then," Hwan corrected her.


    "Living by myself did not give me a lot of choices either, Your Majesty. It is hard either way. Rather than fighting it, it makes more sense to embrace it."


    "You don''t need to sacrifice your true self to attain something you can achieve simply by being who you are," Hwan was not backing down.


    "It is easier said than done. And, is change not inevitable, Your Majesty?"


    "I would rather you evolved into it than force yourself to change overnight!" Hwan would prefer to be six feet under than let her become imprisoned by the shackles he knew would douse the flame within her.


    "Your Majesty, please do not be angry."


    Exasperated, Hwan shook his head. "I am not angry!" Hwan extended his hand. "Come here," his voice was soft, inviting.


    Jay Yi rose and slowly circled the table, and went to him, placing her hand in his. Hwan pulled her down by his side. Leaning forward, he refilled her cup and handed it to her.


    Holding the cup in her hands, she looked at his askance. He gave a nod, asking her to drink it.


    Smiling, she turned her head aside and gulped at the tiny cup in one go, her glee evident as she shook the empty inverted cup a few times on her head and then dissolved into giggles.


    "I never knew you liked me drinking like a slob!" Then, with a pensive expression that created small furrows in her otherwise flawless face, she asked, "Are you - will you like me less if I change?"


    "Don''t be an idiot," Hwan chided. "I just do not want you to be unhappy." He paused, looking at her with that deep intensity she always found mesmerising, "If there is a lesson to be learned from our tribulations from the Byakcheon fiasco, it is that some rules are meant to be broken. Min Jay Yi, I want you to be yourself, and I want you to include me in your life. Don''t change who you are."


    "How can I promise something like that? However, I can be myself here, in this little room with you by my side, just as Min Jay Yi, can I not?"


    Hwan smiled, his face lightening up, his eyes dark, pouring into her. "I would not have it otherwise."


    Jay Yi''s heart did that somersault that always made her feel her rib cage was not big enough to hold it.


    He drew her closer as he sipped his drink. "I love you, Jay Yi," he whispered.


    She looked up at him, an anticipation building in the pit of her stomach. Hwan looked back at her, drawn to her like a magnet, but then he pulled her head to his chest. They sat there for a few precious moments. Her ears picked up the increase in his pulse.


    Tipping her head up, she traced his lips with a lazy finger. His eyes widened at her bold move. Laughing, he caught her wrist. "I know what you are thinking!"


    "And what would that be?" She feigned innocence.


    "Jay Yi, I am not a monk."


    "I would not be here if you were," she said, the words falling from her mouth were velvety soft to his ears. The fire she was stoking would devour them both. He had to distract himself and her.


    To her disappointment, Hwan extracted himself and placed a light peck on her forehead.


    "Would you mind if I quickly finished some of those documents?"


    Jay Yi expelled a loud, pouty, noisy sigh, then spoiled the effect by shaking her head and smiling. Jay Yi knew his mind was preoccupied with them tonight.


    "I will try to be quick. There are a few urgent ones I must work on quickly." Hwan returned to the scrolls as Jay Yi helped herself to a couple more cups of wine before returning to him at the table.


    He leaned forward, taking a rolled parchment from the unread pile on the left, a tad higher than the one on the right.


    "Are these Appeals, your Majesty?"


    With a slight flick of his eye and a gentle nod, Hwan answered in affirmative. A frown creased his stately forehead, a sure sign he was thinking of something urgently.


    "You look worried."


    "There has been a report of a rebellion by the northeast border. There is a powerful Jurchen clan, and if they manage to take advantage of this, it could cause some trouble."


    No wonder Hwan looked worried. This was more serious than Jay Yi had expected.


    "Are you thinking of recalling Governor Han Sung On?" Jay Yi knew how much he relied on his old friend.


    Hwan shook his head. "I have a few people in mind who would be a good fit to send to the borders. The Japanese envoy is due next month. It''s just that - I do not have a good feeling about this situation."


    Byakcheon was fresh in their minds.


    "You suspect the Japanese of helping the tribes?"


    "The Japanese have been looking outwards for a while," Hwan said thoughtfully.


    "From what I learned from Master Mun, they hold us in high regard."


    "They do not trust either the Ming or the Mongols; by extension, they might look at us differently than they let on. They could be harbouring thoughts of increasing their influence outside their island."


    Jay Yi nodded in understanding.


    It felt so good to have her by his side.


    Soon, they fell back on their old habits. Jay Yi started unrolling the scrolls, sifting through them quickly and laying them in order of significance. Sending her a grateful look, Hwan resumed his work, going through them faster.


    Jay Yi quietly removed some of the scrolls from the table he had already attended to, carrying them to neatly stack them on a table to her left by the wall.


    "Why do you not read something while I finish a few more of these? It will not take long," Hwan asked her with a smile.


    Jay Yi wanted to smooth the furrows that etched Hwan''s smooth, large forehead. Instead, she fetched a copy of Sangdae py?lgok by Kw?n K?n, flopped down on the warm, wooded floor by the bed and started flipping the pages. Jay Yi had always been fascinated by the graceful flow of words in Sangdae py?lgok. Kw?n K?n''s lyrical use of rich imagery sparked her imagination. Today, however, her mind drifted. Her gaze wandered to the man submerged in work. Being a King was hard. Her heart filled with pride at his proud profile. His rare beauty was only superseded by his rare brilliance, but nothing compared to the sweat and blood he poured in to take care of his people. Ruminating over the people in his Court, Jay Yi wondered who his allies were and who had ill intent, biding their time for an opportunity to take him down.


    Perhaps, once he finished the work, she could give him a shoulder rub, much like the one he had given her on the evening a few days ago.


    His ink slab must be low on ink, Jay Yi thought to herself. She rose and went to the table, quietly picking up the ink stick to grind it.


    Without lifting his head, Hwan said, "Leave it be. It will be hard to explain if you get ink on your dress."


    Jay Yi bit her lip. She looked over her cream and peach dress and realised Hwan was right. Even a fine, negligible spray would appear large on the pristine silk.


    Restless, she returned to her spot, trying to enjoy the beautiful words in the book. Her eyes travelled to the table with the boxes at the far end of the room.


    She spent the next few minutes arranging and rearranging the items on a tray. She alphabetised the books on the shelves. On her way back to her spot, she noticed a few cobwebs. The place needs some cleaning, Jay Yi thought distractedly.


    Back to the book, her eyes wandered again.


    Her eyes fell on a shelf to her right, still holding items from her previous life.


    An idea struck her. She looked back at Hwan''s back thoughtfully, a smile playing on her lips. He did not want her to change - perhaps she could assure him she was not changing. For that, another kind of change might do the trick. A quirky gleam lit her eyes - maybe she could mess with him a bit, just a tiny-tiny bit?

 Fire And Ice

    Mischief was not too far from her mind as Jay Yi gently closed the book and quietly padded to the side of the room where her dresses from the life of Go Sun Dol sat, still folded neatly.


    Rifling through the shelf, she quickly found what she was looking for. As a eunuch, she had been given three sets of tunics. She had lost the belt and the hat to the prison changing room, but two tunic sets still perched on the shelf, waiting patiently.


    Taking a quick peek at Hwan, who seemed oblivious to everything but the parchment he was writing on, she grabbed a tunic set and headed for the washroom.


    Hwan did not stir as she moved across the room''s width. A little disappointing but not unexpected. Hwan had always been unwavering once his mind was fixed on something. She had never encountered anyone with such an unparalleled, needle-sharp focus.


    She compressed her lips, suppressing a smile, imagining his facial expressions when he would realise she was wearing the eunuch uniform he hated with a vengeance. Truth be told, she was not doing this to vex him, at least not entirely. She had a mind to clean the room. The cobwebs and the dust were bothering her, a task she could hardly accomplish clad in yards of pure silk.


    A few minutes later, she emerged from the small, enclosed enclave that served as the washroom, dressed in the eunuch tunic and pants.


    Hwan was still engrossed in reading one of the scrolls. She walked over, drew the stool closer to his desk, and picked up the ink stick again.


    "Tch, I told you to leave-" Hwan froze midsentence. "What are you doing?"


    Jay Yi had to summon all her willpower to stop her facial muscles from breaking into helpless giggles at his dumbfounded expression.


    "Grinding the ink stick, Your Majesty. The slab is almost running dry. And ink sprays won''t matter now."


    "Why-"


    "Your Majesty, the faster you finish, the higher chance I will have to practice a bit of archery today. I want to impress Master Shin tomorrow." An exaggerated sigh later, "As it is, he is convinced I will never learn how to wield a sword. Min Jay Yi defeating ten soldiers is now a tale of lazy soldiers who made up stories to hide their incompetence."


    He would have laughed at the irony of what she said if her sight didn''t bother him so much. That tunic! She had done it on purpose, Hwan thought churlishly. He took in her compressed lips that were trying to suppress a very definite smile, a sure sign of devilishness running her mind amok.


    Hwan returned his attention to the paper with a pained exasperation. He had been very aware of her every movement without seeing her, her presence soothing as always, which brought a certain peace where he could calmly focus on his work.


    He had not expected her to don that awful tunic, though. It aggravated him to see her sweet, confectionary look turn into this ungendered vision where the uniform seemed to swallow her whole.


    The algae-green tunic looked different on her tonight, though.  Hwan squinted at the document. He was not sure why. He could not put his finger on it.


    Deciding to ignore her determined grinding of the inkstone with single-minded devotion, he tried to focus.


    His eyes had other ideas. They strayed, piqued.


    Efficient fingers made small to and fro motions with the ink stick, sometimes pausing to add water from the spouted pot on the side, the face those elegant limbs belonged to a picture of concentration as she worked to get the desired consistency.


    Hwan''s eyes travelled from her fingers up her arm, and he suddenly felt his mouth go dry. The tunic looked different on her because she did not look ungendered any more. The slight but very definite feminine curves delineated the bodice of her tunic, the coarse fabric undulating with each movement, tracing and moulding, clinging in places and creating pockets in others.


    Hwan went still as blood rushed to every wrong nook of his body he could think of. Unaware of the turn his mind had taken, Jay Yi continued to grind the stick, filling his nostrils with the smell of freshly ground ink, each scrapping noise accompanied by a measured force of her arms, creating tiny ripples of vibrations travelling all the way back to where he should not be looking.


    Forcing his errant mind back to the task at hand, he tried to shut her troubling visage out.


    He picked up a fresh quill and put it on the paper, only to realise not a single word had registered from the scroll he had just finished reading. For the first time in his life, Hwan could not recollect anything of what he had seen. Expelling a silent curse, he picked the scroll back up, only to disturb the neatly stacked pile below it, causing some of them to roll off the table.


    He gave Jay Yi a half-apologetic smile, trying to make up for his most impolite thoughts, berating himself for acting like a lad in the throes of his teen years.


    She immediately jumped up to pick up the wayward scrolls off the floor. Hwan went motionless, unable to breathe. In the absence of the eunuch belt, she had procured a random strip of rope to cinch the tunic to keep the cumbersome fabric in place. It accentuated her impossibly tiny waist that flared into wide, inviting hips and drew attention to the delectable curves of her chest. Hwan sucked in a faltering breath at the sheer beauty of the woman before him.


    Clutching the scrolls to her body, Jay Yi left the table to lay them neatly on the one by the wall, adding them to the existing lot there. Hwan expelled a sigh of relief that did little to calm down the throbbing that seemed to have overtaken large portions of his body.


    He reminded himself that he had grown up amongst women. Focus and complete control of his senses had never been an issue for him, no matter how inviting the temptation. That is because those temptations did not have your heart clutched in their palm, his perfidious mind mocked him.


    He quickly scanned the blasted document in his hands and browbeat his mind to write a reply before he lost his train of thought again. He almost succeeded in settling down when Jay Yi returned, picking the ink stick back again.


    No!


    Appalled at how his body reacted, Hwan tried to soothe the burning with conversation.


    "I think I have enough ink. Why do you not finish reading the book you fetched?"


    Large, molasses eyes looked back at him. Her berry-like lips were full, so very inviting. His pulse raced madly.


    "It''s not enough ink. It will not last you even half of those replies. If there is extra left, you can use it later. I will wash the ink slab when I come tomorrow and keep it ready for next time."


    Oblivious to his misery, Jay Yi went back to the work she had done hundreds of times before. The movements continued. Everywhere. Hwan felt beads of sweat on his forehead.


    He wanted her too much and had done so for much too long. Hwan closed his eyes, trying to stem his thoughts that had nothing to do with ink, paper or letters and everything to do with his fingers itching to caress those butter-smooth cheeks, weave them through her hair and do every unchaste thing that he was not supposed to be even thinking of doing. At least not for a few weeks.


    It did not matter what he told himself. His senses were spiraling out of control, in a freefall, like a boulder shaken loose and rolling down the hill, crushing every sprig of reasoning and sanity on its way.


    He had to get Jay Yi out of here.


    Clearing his throat, Hwan tried another track. "Jay Yi, these will take me way longer than I thought. Why don''t you go and rest tonight and meet tomorrow?"


    Her hands paused. Jay Yi peered at him. Was he angry? She could not tell. His next words belied her thoughts.


    "I promise we will practice archery and do whatever you want," Hwan said without meeting her eyes.


    Jay Yi got up and went to the angbuilgu, sitting on the table by the wall behind her.


    "Your Majesty, please continue your work, and do not mind me. I do not need to leave for another two hours," she informed him cheerfully.


    Two hours? Was it possible to die from the rocks that seemed to have replaced the flesh in certain parts of his body?


    He gave up.


    "Jay Yi, can you change out of that - that dress?" Hwan asked her in a constricted voice.


    Jay Yi giggled and caught hold of the sides of the tunic, stretching it sideways, doing a half pirouette. "Why do you dislike these so much? You know, they are quite comfortable and easy to work with."


    The incongruity of her neatly tied hair adorned with pale yellow accessories with the eunuch tunic emphasising every feminine curve curdled his mind. His restraint, clinging precariously to a thin thread of sanity Hwan held onto desperately, was about to fly the chamber.


    He cleared his throat. "Change it, please."


    "I will, Your Majesty, as soon as I clean some of these surfaces while you complete your work. With me in this tunic, pretend I am your eunuch."


    That sounded obscenely erotic to his ears.


    The legs of the chair scraped the floor noisily as he thrust it back with raw power and reached her in a flash.


    "The cobwebs -" Startled, Jay Yi''s words died in her throat.


    Hwan caught her shoulders and pushed her until her back rested against the smooth, flat surface of one of the sturdy octagonal pillars of the room. "If I could have thought of you as anything but a woman, even for one second in my life, we would not be here today." He grated, hoarse and breathless.


    A furious tremor of excitement streaked through Jay Yi at Hwan''s out-of-character, barely suppressed brute force. Alarm and elation jostled for space in her mind. "I know," she said breathlessly. "I didn''t mean to disturb you or anger you. I-I just meant to clean the room a little. I know how much you despise these tunics. I should not have worn it."


    "I do not despise them. I just hate them on you."


    She blinked. "Why - do they look that bad on me?"


    "No, because they make me want to know the mysteries they are hiding beneath them-"


    Jay Yi swallowed audibly.


    "Especially today _"


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    A confused look flashed in her eyes.


    The woman had so little idea about the allure of her body or its effect on him that it was nothing short of criminal.


    "You truly have no idea how beautiful you are, how crazy you drive me, do you?" Hwan laughed, half in amazement and half in ire.


    Following his smoking gaze, Jay Yi looked down at herself and belatedly realised the fabric had moulded every curve of her body to perfection. Embarrassment transformed her face from a healthy pink to a heated red.


    "I-I just meant to clean the cobwebs, I swear -"


    Hwan shook his head, his thumb and finger reaching out to clasp a soft earlobe, playing with it. "The cobwebs are in my mind. How will you clean those? What do I do with you, Jay Yi?" Hwan asked, his other hand sliding behind her back, fingers spanning, drawing her closer, their tips digging into her flesh under the tunic.


    The unbridled passion in Hwan''s eyes turned Jay Yi''s legs limp. She became acutely aware of their intimate setting and the bed, with their imprints on it, waiting patiently for them to come together. She suddenly wanted him close, very close, though the words belied her thoughts. "I-I will change," she dropped her eyes but not before Hwan glimpsed the unmistakable hunger that the curtain of her eyelashes tried to veil, and she unconsciously swayed towards him.


    The ferocious pounding of his heart drowned every sense but that of the woman he loved so desperately.


    "Too late," Hwan whispered. "I can''t resist you any more."


    The husky timbre of his voice sent anticipation shooting through her veins. "I can''t resist you anymore either, Your Majesty," Jay Yi said, her heart in her eyes.


    Her honest words pulverised all thoughts of caution and restraint. He had been tiptoeing on the volcano of desire for so long that this slightest crack was enough to burst open the molten lava rushing through his body. Delirious with a craving that obliterated his mind, Hwan dragged her to him, capturing her lips in demanding hunger. Her lips were plush, velvety soft under his hard ones, opening up like a sunflower facing east first thing in the morning. He folded her into his body with one arm while the other cupped her bottom to lift her bring her to his level, balancing her against the pillar, fitting her to him like a piece of a missing puzzle.


    There was no hesitation, no resistance as Jay Yi held on to him, her hands locking themselves behind his neck. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his hips to stabilise herself against the pillar as his hand moved beneath her thigh to pin her between him and the smooth surface of the wooden beam, holding her in place.


    A shuddering moan escaped him. His hand moved to her side and slid in front, wedging between them to mould her around his palm, his kneading fingers seeking the tip that had teased him through the fabric, setting his senses ablaze. He leaned into her, his weight between her legs pushing her back further against the pillar.


    She, in turn, pressed herself to him to get more of him, slithering against her turgid man in an age-old rhythm she unknowingly possessed. In return, he shoved against her hard, arching helplessly, the timeless mating ritual a sensuous dance they could not escape. The intimate contact shot inexplicable arrows of pleasure radiating from her core to her head and toes. Unable to bear it, Jay Yi jerked her mouth free. She shook her head to deny it and threw her head back to accept it as throes of passion claimed her. Hwan nipped her throat, his tongue making rings of fire everywhere it went.


    She writhed uncontrollably, her hands bunching the fabric of his shoulders, twisting them, trying to find purchase, her legs gripping him even tighter as she tried to get an ungraspable relief as he continued to rock against her. The more she moved, the more intense Hwan''s need to own her became. He needed all of her. Hwan suddenly stopped, breathing heavily, and released her. She slid down against the length of him, and he stepped slightly away. Her body protested the sudden gap between them in ways Jay Yi could barely understand. She shivered, a reactive mass of throbbing and mush. "Jay Yi?" Hwan asked her as his fingers reached for the ties of her tunic, his gaze a mixture of pleading and demand. Her eyes widened as she grasped what he wanted to do. Closing them, she nodded in affirmative.


    Trusting him with everything she had, Jay Yi stood still as Hwan released the knots of her tunic one by one, opening her up to his hungry, adoring gaze. Bathed in various shades of pink and red, she unconsciously arched towards him, giving him what he desired, clutching onto him as if her life depended on it. He eased the tunic off her shoulders and down her arms, letting it pool around her ankles. Cold air sizzled her heated flesh. Her eyes flew open as he sucked in a shuddering breath.


    Suddenly shy under his smouldering gaze, she drew her chest in and pushed the rounds of her shoulders out, an arm crossing protectively, lowering her head, her legs buckling weakly.


    "Don''t be shy....you are so beautiful..." He told her, his voice heartbreakingly tender.


    Hwan bent and put an arm beneath her knees, swinging her up effortlessly. His eyes held hers captive as his long legs made short work of the distance between the pillar and the bed. He laid her gently on it, dropping to his knees by its side. The bed was low, and he towered over her as he leaned in, running his thumb on her forehead in soothing strokes. She shivered, feeling vulnerable and not a little intimidated by his sheer build as she lay prone at the edge of the bed.


    She was so petite and delicate, her skin gossamer soft. A fierce protectiveness overflew Hwan''s heart. He cupped her face gently. "Are you afraid? Should I stop?" Though her eyes were large with apprehension, she shook her head, clutching his hand, "No, please don''t stop."


    "Don''t be afraid," he breathed, taking in her pale, glossy skin against the bed''s soft blue and white satin-encased quilt. His arm beneath her pulled her closer, cradling her, while his other hand traced her from shoulders to her waist lovingly, hungrily, almost worshipping her, both gentle and rough. His mouth followed his hands, and Jay Yi reared up, ecstasy and panic at the unfamiliar sensations tearing a cry from her. His mouth closed on a turgid, overly sensitive aureole, and she squirmed. Unable to discern what she wanted, she pushed at his powerful shoulders, then pressed down on his head, her mind wrecked from the white-hot pleasure exploding within her. She thrashed, and the neatly folded quilt at the foot of the bed tumbled to the floor. Hwan held her down and hushed her, coaxing her to relax, telling her how much he loved her, as every nerve of her body reacted to the mayhem his hands and mouth were creating.


    She reached out to him blindly, urging him to rise from his kneeling position by the bed, needing him closer to her. He did not need further persuasion as he pulled himself up to lie supine by her side, pulling her into him. She felt his pressure against her hip, indenting her flesh deliciously, and the rising desperation of his scorching kisses as the core of her body throbbed in response.


    She cupped his face, smoothing his jaw with her thumbs, adjusting her body to accommodate him. Her softness under him filled Hwan with an incredible thrill that almost sent him over the edge. His mind clattered with pangs of pleasure bursting each time her skin touched him, penetrating clearly through the silk spun of his handbok.


    "Jay Yi - I - I don''t think I can stop today," Hwan said thickly as he slid more on top of her, his rigid body urgent, insistent.


    "I don''t want you to stop," Jay Yi whispered. She did not know how this worked, but Jay Yi knew she would give Hwan all she had.


    "It is still a month to our marriage," Hwan said, more to remind himself than her, though nothing seemed to matter.


    "You said we were already married," Jay Yi argued, trying to make light of it, but her body craved something from him as urgently as he did; she just did not know what or how, though she had a fair idea. Her feminine instinct made her fuse herself with him, her bare skin revelling in the silken abrasion of the fabric of his hanbok.


    Summoning the tatters of his self-control, Hwan shook his head, "I must let you leave; I should not do this -" Even as he said it, his fingers pulled at the waistband of her pants, untying the knot holding it while his mouth closed in on one rosy bud, driving her senseless.


    She was past the point of caring, her wild-at-heart soul accepting her desire for him without inhibition, her liquid body more than ready to flow with him over the threshold into the horizon. "Would you-" she gasped, trying to form the words through the tormented haze that had enveloped her, "would you have stopped if I were a concubine?"


    Hwan stilled as he looked at her. She returned his gaze, candid, pure and passionate.


    The spirit of a scholarly kiesang.....


    Hwan knew he was too far gone. He propped himself up on his elbow, guiding her fingers to the ties of his purple hanbok. Jay Yi untied them almost out of habit while Hwan eased the pants down from her hips. Jay Yi looked at him, mesmerised as his inflamed gaze travelled from the head to her stockinged feet.


    "I love everything about you - you are so perfect -" Hwan''s voice was thick with emotion.


    Divesting himself of his tunic, Hwan splayed his fingers on her back, lifting her towards him. Their hands explored, tongues duelled, their inexperienced but drenched in love young bodies trying to grasp more and more of something that seemed tantalisingly elusive. A long, possessive leg covered her silky legs, his knee separating them. She felt empowered and vulnerable as she ran her hands down the spasming muscles of his arms and back. She had never seen Hwan unclothed and could only marvel at the silky perfection that vibrated with life under her curious hands. Her fingers found the scar where the venom-filled arrow had almost killed him. She gently traced it with her finger, causing him to gasp harshly at the pleasure points she was igniting.


    He gathered her close, the meeting of their bare skin creating a tipping point Hwan could hardly bear. He needed her, and he needed her now.


    "It will cause you pain, Jay Yi," He rasped, kissing the satin of her shoulders.


    Jay Yi swallowed. She had some idea, and a fissure of fear coursed through her. Human anatomy was no mystery to her, but feeling the life-giving force alive and pulsating against her receptive flesh was beyond her knowledge and experience. The fear turned into a streak of pure excitement as she felt him surging on her, the silk of his skin and the wool of his trousers abrasing her sensitive skin in foreign but exhilarating ways. In that instant, she understood the cataclysmic needs of her own body, and that she wanted him to break every barrier separating them. "I don''t want you to stop, please, Your Majesty -" she pleaded.


    His hands had become more urgent, his kisses deeper, the pressure of his body almost agonising. A streak of fear again reared its head in Jay Yi''s mind. Would it be too painful? What did she need to do?


    Feeling too shy to ask Hwan, she tried to follow his lead by copying what he was doing. She put her tongue on his thumping heart. Hwan reared in reflex, a fierce tide of rush almost undoing him. Pinning her hands, he held her down in place. "Don''t! Please don''t!" He looked in pain, and Jay Yi got worried. "Are you all right, Your Majesty? Did I do something wrong?"


    Hwan shook his head., releasing her hands. Relieved, her hand reached for the waistband of his pants, just as Hwan had done for her, but Hwan caught it, his fingers encircling her wrist. "No, not yet," he whispered hoarsely.


    He took a quivering breath, burying his head in the crook of her neck. Jay Yi was surrendering herself to him with an abandonment that cut his heart out of him. His free-spirited woman, who loved to spread her wings wide, had willingly chosen the golden cage to be with him, giving him all she had.


    He could feel her fear that she was trampling down, trusting him to protect her. Tonight, and beyond.


    He looped her ear, grazing it with his teeth, before moving to her throat and down, frantically exploring her as his hand gripped her bare hips, his fingers digging into her flesh, trying to arrest the uncontrollable, primitive urge to plunge into her. It was inevitable Hwan would hurt her, he was too big not to, and he desperately wanted to pace himself to make it as gentle as possible. He just wanted to make sure she walked out of here unhurt -


    Walk out of here unhurt.  Hwan grew still. Dismay shot an unwanted arc of lightning in the fog of raw craving clouding his mind.


    How would she walk out of this chamber without a rock hitting her squarely in between her eyes once she reached the detached palace?


    No one knew she was with him!


    Her maids would know right away that JaY Yi had laid with a man, and it would cause a storm so intense that even Hwan would struggle to contain it. His one reckless act would slash her wings forever, throwing her into ruin and lifelong whispers of promiscuity.


    What was he thinking!


    Horrified, he tried to wrestle back his fortitude from the brink of a disastrous precipice. He gritted his teeth, shaking his head clear.


    As Jay Yi sensed his shift, her questioning gaze sought his, swimming with an unfiltered longing. Unaware of the magnitude of guilt and fear weighing on Hwan, she felt his withdrawal and wrapped a hand around his prone, rigidly aroused body that lay over her, cupping his jaw tenderly, pleading with him unconsciously not to leave her.


    Perspiration trickled down his temple. He had to protect her. Too experienced not to understand he had to remove Jay Yi from his proximity right away but too inexperienced to do it the right way, Hwan hastened to do something he would agonisingly repent in leisure. He roughly grasped her wrists to pull her hands away to break the embrace and raised himself up, tearing his eyes away from her, the vein in his jaw standing out.


    "Your Majesty?" Confused, Jay Yi reached out again reflexively, and Hwan thrust her away by pressing a hand down her shoulder, pinning her to the bed.


    "No!" He said aloud, his voice harsh, his eyes clenched shut, helplessly clinging onto the last bit of sanity and control. Then, turning his back on her, he swung his feet to the floor and barked the first desperate thought that came to his mind.


    "Jay Yi, leave. Now! It''s an order."


    Shock convulsed Jay Yi into a stupor, the jolt of his cold words ripping her. Bewilderment and then, as comprehension set in, tears of disillusionment and anger filled her glittering eyes.


    Hwan was too consumed battling his body and mind, one ruthlessly craving release, the other cruelly flogging reason, to pay attention. As Jay Yi stared at the rippling muscles of his back, her body paralysed in disbelief at his callousness, he grabbed his hanbok and stumbled across the room, shutting the washroom door behind him with a finality that reverberated across the chamber.


    With her body and soul lying bare, the anger of rejection balled into pain that clogged Jay Yi''s heart. Jay Yi dragged the far end of the blue and grey silk of the quilt they laid on moments ago lengthwise and rolled it over herself, gripping the edges of the quilt tightly under her chin. Turning on her side, she pulled her knees to her chest as she curled into a foetal position.


    He had ordered her to leave.  Just like that.


    Burrowing her face in the quilt fisted in her hands, she hid her face as hot tears of shame slipped down the corner of her eyes.


    When Hwan came out, looking calm and unruffled in his beautiful purple hanbok, she wanted to die of mortification.


    "Jay Yi, I - "


    He might well not have existed. Without even sparing him a look, Jay Yi rushed past him to the washroom, dragging the blanket that all but swamped her and slammed the door shut.

 The Maverick And The Prudent

    She was in there for a long time.


    A lone light flickered at the corner by the porcelain chamber pot. Jay Yi stood by the wash basin she had filled with fresh water from the massive water storage drum standing next to the door when she walked in to keep her hands busy and stop her mind from going crazy. She absent-mindedly toed the quilt on the floor that puddled around her ankles. Her dress, which she had folded neatly when she had worn the blasted eunuch tunic, lay in a peach and cream tousle on the long, rectangular oak table behind her that sat low on the ground.


    She could picture Hwan bunching the hem of her dress in his hands and burrowing his face in it. Jay Yi knew he would be crushed at what had happened between them even more than she was. The thought did nothing to cool her fury. The chamber was chilly, but it felt good as goosebumps spread over her nude body, the cold helping to numb the raw sting from the harsh, heartless denial of release her body craved. The small alcove with shelves by the far corner opened to a tiny nook with a secret door that led outside the library, which could only be opened from the inside. Jay Yi was so tempted to step out from there and not return to face Hwan.


    Jay Yi rested her hands on the table that cradled the blue and white washbowl, putting her weight on it as she leaned in. A pale, wet, pinched face stared back from the gilded mirror atop it. The warm glow from the lanterns hanging above the washbasin sparkled back from the water she had dipped her hands in moments ago. She tilted her head back, trying to release the pressure from her aching neck, the engraved wood of the ceiling a blur of light and shadow.


    She splashed the cold water some more, the sprays pricking her face, sorely wishing for a tub of water she could sink in to wash away the unwanted feeling of humiliation that refused to leave her. Thunder clapped outside, mimicking the tumultuous churning of emotions ravaging her senselessly. It was going to rain - a detached part of her that seemed to watch everything from a vantage point observed.


    Deep inside, Jay Yi''s heart told her Hwan was trying to do what was honourable.


    She didn''t want honourable.  She had wanted him, all of him, for once, unrestrained from all the trappings that waited for them outside of this little place.


    The maverick Jay Yi, who had jumped walls and ventured into the hostile world, braved wild animals and frigid waters and had once brazenly declared her love for her man, wanted to throw caution and convention in the wind, submerge herself in that man she loved brokenly, and have him accept that. The prudent Jay Yi, who had once given up her independence to tie herself to an unknown man just to keep her family''s prestige, would follow every convention the patriarchal rule book threw at her and strive to become a good mother and wife to the man she loved brokenly, even at the cost of sacrificing herself.


    Her free, inhibited spirit had no place in Hwan''s world. No matter how much Hwan wanted the maverick to stay alive within her, the carefree Jay Yi was always someone on the fringe of the real world, always looking in, never a part of it, and always would be, unless the prudent, worldly-wise Jay Yi allowed her in disguised as someone else.


    Hwan wanted the impossible and played with fire, only to burn himself and turn her to cinders.


    She should have stepped back. She should have left when Hwan had asked her to.  Furious with herself, she angrily brushed away the tear that rolled off the corner of her eye, a sudden sense of suffocation pressing down on her chest.


    Had she not known that someday, the maverick Jay Yi would have to leave forever? It was now time to let her go for good. Jay Yi took a deep breath as she forced herself to calm down. She would not deviate from her path again. She would make herself the best Queen Joseon had ever seen.


    Trembling hands, borne out of frustration, resentment, and anger, hindered the fastenings of her dress. Jay Yi tried to draw the strips of silk to fasten her skirt at the back, but the loops kept slippping, the angles of her twisted arms trying to reach behind her, making the task almost impossible. A slew of curses poured from her. Giving up, she twisted them into two simple double knots, one over the other. With her skirt secure, she donned her jeogori and stepped out of the washroom.


    Hwan was waiting for her right outside the door.


    Without meeting his eyes, she bowed her curtsy. "I apologise, Your Majesty, I could not leave earlier than this as you ordered." She kept her voice as neutral as possible.


    She skirted him, making her way to the steps to leave, her footsteps fast and hurried.


    Hwan intercepted Jay Yi, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.


    "It was reprehensible of me. I am sorry, I did not mean it, Jay Yi. Please - Don''t go."


    She tried to shake her arm free from his vice grip, refusing to look at him.


    "Let me at least tie your skirt -" He drew her back. Wordlessly, he lifted the back of her jacket, released the double knots and looped the fabric strips into flowery knots before pulling and straightening her jeogori back into position.


    Grasping her upper arms, he turned her to face him. Jay Yi looked so achingly beautiful, with her face flushed, eyes red, lips full and swollen, and hair slightly tousled, some of it a little wet from the water she had splashed on her face. To the discerning eye, a woman thoroughly loved by her man. To the undiscerning, she could have woken up from an unexpected slumber. To him, a reminder of his heartbreaking blunder. To her, a tainted memory of her trust gone awry.


    He straightened her ornament that hung by a string from beneath her jacket and fixed the yellow Jebiburi daenggi adorning the top of her head.


    She bowed and gave him her ''thank you,'' trying to leave one more time, but he did not release her from the circle of his arms. She held him off with her hands on the defined muscles of his chest, her chin almost touching her collarbones.


    "You know I did not mean it. Don''t go, please. I am sorry," the catch in Hwan''s voice was unmistakable.


    He caught her chin in a gentle grip. Jay Yi shook it free, turning her head away. A vein in her temple throbbed under her luminous skin.


    "Jay Yi...." Hwan pleaded.


    "Please leave me alone, Your Majesty," Jay Yi snapped.


    "Jay Yi, I am sorry, I am an idiot. What happened should not -"


    "It''s not important." She pushed him away, turning.


    "It was my fault - I should have had better control, I am sorry -"


    Jay Yi rounded on him, her eyes dilated, furious. "Don''t you dare say sorry!"


    Hwan looked at her flushed face, still raw with tears he made her shed, her bleak look carving out a painful crevice in his mind. He reached out to cup her face, and she stepped back, flinching.


    "You do not know what it cost me, Jay Yi, but you understand I had to cease," he reasoned.


    "Of course. Everything for you is tied to duty. You must do what is right and morally correct." She tried to blink away her tears.


    "It''s not that simple. Think about it. No one is aware you are here with me."


    "So what? You repeatedly claim that you don''t want me to change who I am," she remarked, her laughter devoid of humour. "I tried it there," Jay Yi pointed at the bed with her chin, "It didn''t work out too well, did it?"


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    Hwan looked at her, trying to make sense of what she was saying.


    Jay Yi was too angry to process his confused look.


    "What are you saying? What has that got anything to do with... I just wanted to spare you the hurt and -"


    She spoke over him, scoffing. "But it didn''t work, did it? You are clueless about what truly hurts."


    Hwan blinked. Did she really not understand....?


    "Jay Yi, do you even understand or know what would have happened if we continued?" Hwan tried to reason.


    "Your Majesty would have been blemished for losing his iron-clad control?"


    "No, that is not true!" Hwan retorted. The lines on his face shifted and became softer as he gentled. Taking her hand, Hwan said tenderly, "Come with me. We need to talk."


    She jerked it free. "What is there to talk about? We tumble into bed when you want to, and then your Confucian principles barge in, so you shun me."


    "I did not shun you, far from it - I could barely stop myself, Jay Yi. Even now..." He left it unfinished, looking away.


    A sarcastic gurgle emitted from Jay Yi''s throat. She looked at Hwan with a strange, cold scepticism. "Today, you asked me to leave this chamber. What''s next? Asking me to leave your life?"


    A terrible fear arched through his body. Dragging her closer, his hands biting into her upper arms, Hwan roared into her face, "Please do not do this. Why are you saying something so vile?"


    Jay Yi tipped her head to look at him, enraged. "Because I do not know if you will accept me as I am two years from now, ten years from now - I have always been like this, shameless, untamed, rough, and doing what my heart feels like....a wanton..."


    Red-hot anger clouded Hwan''s vision for a moment at her harsh words. He released her, the force rocking her on her heels. "You are none of that, and you know it! Watch what you are saying. I will not have you use foul language to score a point."


    "Score a point?" She sputtered in disbelief.


    He cupped her face in desperation. "I know I hurt you. I acted poorly, but please understand that you could not have gone to detached Palace without them discovering that -"


    "-that I slept with a man? Your Majesty, I am hardly the prim and proper Joseon maiden or ignorant of a man-woman relationship. And I am an investigator. Do you think it did not cross my mind? Yes, they might have found out and eventually know it was you. So what?" She slapped his hands away.


    Stunned at her naivety, Hwan bristled. "So what! Do you want to self-destruct?"


    "I would rather do that than ever be humiliated again!"


    Their eyes locked, one desperate, the other furious. Their ears pounded.


    He pointed to the accursed bed that stood between them like an abyss, " I am not sorry for loving you as I did or for stopping when I did. However, I loathe myself for causing you shame, and I do not know how to make up for it. You have to know I never meant to hurt you. Why do you not believe me?"


    She raised a finger and poked his chest, past caring, her rage obscuring her rational senses. "Oh! I believe you! But do you understand that I consciously chose to bed you? That I walked into it with eyes wide open?" She curled her hand into a fist, tapping her chest, "Do you realise this is the Jay Yi you have insisted I keep being? This Jay Yi does not care what others think!"


    "If you do not care, Jay Yi, why do you object to me meeting you during your morning walks?"


    Jay Yi blinked, her hands falling to her side, his change of topic winding her. "That is different."


    "How is it different?"


    Jay Yi sucked in an angry drag of air, her overwrought senses lacerating her ability to see past Hwan''s heavy-handedness.


    "Because this was my choice! Being Min Jay Yi!" She gestured widely around the room where candles and lanterns created intricate shadows around the numerous hanging rope pulls and lattice dividers, "I-I pleaded with you not to stop¡­¡­You had no right - no right - how could you ask me to leave like that - !" Jay Yi said, her voice heavy with unshed tears, bitterly rejecting his callous dismissal even though it cloaked a benevolent gesture.


    "What can I do to make it better, Jay Yi?" Hwan tried to keep his voice from breaking.


    "By accepting that the carefree Jay Yi cannot exist anymore." Her voice was curt, almost cold.


    "It''s true I don''t want you to change, but I don''t want you to ruin yourself, either. Must it be one or the other?" -" Hwan''s voice cracked.


    "You promised me three perks when I agreed to be your Queen. I''d like to ask my first one."


    The muscle ticked in Hwan''s jaw. "This is not the time to ask for something like that. You are too angry."


    "You still do not understand, do you, Your Majesty? In future, please do not make my decisions for me. I understand that it is not always possible when I am your subject. But as your wife, give me the right to accept or deny, and that is what I ask of you."


    The pounding got louder.


    It took them a while to realise the pounding in their ears was amplified by the jarring intrusion of knocks coming from outside. Someone was insistently banging on the outside door, the interlocked circular handles jangling violently.


    "I will not meet you again until our marriage, Your Majesty." She threw over her shoulders as Jay Yi ran up the stairs two at a time, with Hwan following her, exiting the room without looking at or acknowledging him as he reluctantly drew the panels close behind her.


    Give me the right to accept or deny.  Hwan exhaled raggedly into the empty air. She had given herself selflessly, uninhibited, and instead of telling her how much he cherished it, he had ruined it in his haste to get away from her. He had reinforced her fear that he would turn away from her if she did not fit into his world. He leaned against the door, clenching his eyes shut with self-loathing.


    In trying to protect her, he had effectively suffocated her in his golden cage.


    "Bin-ssi!" Hwan could hear a young woman''s tearful voice through the door. "You must come with us right away. The Dowager had Seo-Bin taken to her chambers and has ordered thirty lashes for her."


    Remorse took a backseat as wrath replaced it with a vengeance.


    Jay Yi walked into a sight at her detached Palace. Three of her court ladies were kneeling, grovelling, while court lady Kim had a tirade going.


    It was evident the cause of the commotion differed from the case of Seon Bin getting thirty lashes.


    The already thin lips stretched into a thinner line as court lady Kim took in Jay Yi''s not-quite-perfect appearance, her perfectly respectful greeting as stiff as a scarecrow. The hem of Jay Yi''s dress had caught the splash of rain as they had hurried from the library, and the bottom of her skirt sloshed, making it heavy with swaths of it sticking uncomfortably to her calves and ankles as she walked. The windy rain had drenched a part of her hair, thankfully making up for all the splashes of cold water Jay Yi had subjected her face to in the washroom. Jay Yi prayed no one would notice the loops of the skirt on her back that Hwan had tied because she had no way of knowing if they looked any different from how the court ladies tied them. A barely imperceptible twitch all but announced to Jay Yi how displeased Court Lady Kim was at the spectacle she made. Court Lady Kim turned on the young kneeling ladies. "How dare you leave Bin-ssi unattended!" she admonished them sharply.


    "How are you here, Court Lady Kim? Where is Court Lady Bin?" She was supposed to have left after her shift, with Court Lady Bin filling in as always.


    "I let her go from your service, Bin-ssi," Kim bowed, disapproval rolling off her rigid body in spades.


    "What? Why?" Court Lady Bin was a gentle and malleable soul, often giving Jay Yi the much-needed reprieve from court-lady Kim''s harsh though well-meaning treatment. And from what it seemed, poor court-lady Bin was now in a lot of trouble.


    Court lady Kim walked over and took a circle around Jay Yi.


    "Prepare the tub."


    Startled, Jay Yi looked at her. "Why do you need to fill the tub?"


    "You have been outside unchaperoned for a while, and your appearance looks dishevelled. You cannot be seen like this by anyone."


    "Oh! That is because I fell asleep in the library," Jay Yi gave a forced laugh.


    The loud gasps that greeted her announcement were the harbinger of impending trouble, of that Jay Yi had no doubt.


    "You fell asleep?" The court lady who had fetched her from the library exclaimed in shock.


    Jay Yi looked at them in confusion. Everyone had paled.


    What was going on?


    "My lady, forgive us. We missed our duties," the kneeling court ladies wailed.


    "I will see to your punishment later -"


    "They do not need to be punished, Court Lady Kim. I asked them to leave as it would rain. As I mentioned before you left for the day that I planned to stay longer, and waiting outside for an indefinite period does not make sense." Having once been a part of such a retinue, Jay Yi had an acute dislike of waiting outside in the elements.


    "Bin-ssi, It is their duty, which is why they exist. You must not go against the rules. They are never to leave you alone, even if you order them to. That order can only come from Your Highness the Princess Dowager or His Majesty himself. You do not know all the etiquette of the Palace yet, Bin-ssi. You are never to take a wink anywhere but your sleeping chamber, My Lady. I cannot forgive myself for letting you make this mistake. The court ladies must get their punishment." Turning to the hapless younger court ladies, she barked, "Move!"


    The women bowed to Jay Yi and fled from the room.


    Jay Yi, who had never been scared of anything or anyone in her life, not even the royals, hated to admit Court Lady Kim frightened her.


    A whirlwind of a quick bath, vigorous combing, punishing fingers braiding her hair and a robust application of an aromatic cream to her entire body later, Jay Yi was stuffed and strung up in a midnight blue and deep pink hanbok, ready to meet the Dowager.


    The thoroughness of the routine in such a short period unsettled Jay Yi. Appalled, Jay Yi belatedly realised they had even discreetly checked for injury.


    She didn''t have time to think anymore, her mind going out to the little girl. Seon Bin would not survive the lashes, and even if she did, it would cause her grievous injury she might never recover from. She had a plan and prayed it would work.


    Though still furious with Hwan, she wished he was there by her side. If she failed, she would need him to help save Seon Bin.


    Resolute, she stepped out. This was her first challenge in the Royal Palace, and she would win it, no matter what.

 Dare

    Seething, Hwan made his way to the Dowager''s chambers.


    The night was late, and it was highly improper for a Royal head of the Palace to hasten punishments in this fashion without following proper protocols. The Dowager''s oppressive measures to control the Queen''s quarters were getting out of hand. Had he misjudged her political ambitions?


    "Your Majesty, the Dowager had the poor girl dragged to her chambers. We learned that she is angry with Bin-ssi''s judgement." Court Lady Nam had been distraught.


    The Dowager''s minions were standing outside. "Your Majesty, Bin-ssi is inside with the Dowager -"


    Ignoring their shocked murmurs, Hwan almost ran up the steps, turning into the hall where the servants of the dowager quarters stood in subservience. His impressive entourage of thirty odd eunuchs and court ladies followed his long, purposeful strides, led by the stoic but kindly Eunuch So.


    As the Dowager''s Eunuch announced his presence, he could imagine the disquiet emanating from beyond the double-leaved green latticed door.


    A flurry of colours greeted him as he entered. Encased in purple and gold, the great aunt Dowager peered at him from her seat, the downward curve of her mouth clearly displaying her displeasure at his unannounced presence, her shrivelled body straight as an arrow as she stood to say her greetings.


    He almost missed Jay Yi, who stood at the side of the room, blending into the wall in deep pink and blue, a far cry from the woman who had melted in his arms in the eunuch tunic and then walked out in fury. Court lady Kim stood behind her, as still as the wooden beams supporting the roof.


    As everyone bent down in deep curtsies, Jay Yi lifted her head early, and his eyes met her for one long moment. He expected to see anger lingering in those evocative eyes. Instead - did he see relief? Comforted somewhat, Hwan strode to his seat behind a mesh curtain Eunuch So pulled down, separating him from everyone else in the room.


    "What brings you here, Your Majesty?" His great aunt Dowager croaked.


    From the corner of his eyes, he saw Jay Yi gracefully fold herself into a seating position, her long jeogori hiding her hands, her posture a regal model of subordination.


    A small bundle clad in the pink and blue of a junior court lady''s attire shivered in a corner, bent over pitifully on her knees, her head buried between her flattened hands on the ground.


    Hwan knew Seon Bin''s well-being had become essential to Jay Yi. If the Dowager hurt Jay Yi in any way, he would personally remove her from the Palace, one bony limb at a time.


    "My court lady Nam informed me there has been a dispute in judgement regarding a young court lady. From what I understand, there was haste in sentencing. What is it about?"


    "You are right about the haste in judgment, Your Majesty, but you must not trouble yourself on such insignificant matters. It is an internal matter of the women''s royal court," the older woman was disgruntled.


    "With all due respect, it is not for you to decide where I intervene, Great Aunt Dowager. In the absence of a Queen, all my subjects are my matter, especially if it involves an alleged criminal act," Hwan said curtly.


    "I assure you, it has been resolved already, Your Majesty!" The Dowager was getting shrill.


    "I hear Lady Min was the one who adjudicated the case. I would like to know more," Hwan was nothing if not persistent.


    "Oh, she is but a child, a novice! You must forgive her impudence. She made a hasty judgement, not a sign of intelligence expected of a future Queen, but she now clearly sees the error of her ways. Humility is a good virtue to have." The perpetually pinched face of the Dowager curved into a noxious half smile of satisfaction.


    Hwan wondered if there ever would be a time when he would not feel like wringing the leathery neck, even though it went against every Confucian principle he had been drilled with for his elders.


    The Gamchal sanggung, the Court Lady officer overseeing the case, was standing by the shivering little girl.


    "Sanggung, please enlighten me exactly what happened," Hwan ordered.


    The officer, Senior Court Lady Chai, complied.


    "I would like to know what was in Lady Min''s judgement you found so offensive," Hwan asked the Dowager coldly.


    Two barely visible brows rose to the Dowager''s hairline, telling off Hwan more than her words would. Ostensibly, his words were more offensive than whatever Jay Yi had done.


    "Your Majesty, are you questioning my wisdom over a woman who is not even a part of the royal household yet?" The Dowager asked acerbically. "You forget, I am a Princess, of most royal bloodline from both sides!" The Dowager took a nasty dig at Hwan, a shadowy reference to his grandmother who was a Palace watermaid.


    Biting a retort, Hwan took a deep breath. The old woman was goading him. He paused for a good long moment as if weighing his words. He still needed to carefully tread. Just by the virtue of being the head of the royal women''s quarters, the Dowager would be entirely in her right to reject Jay Yi as a Queen candidate or make her life more difficult.


    Jay Yi interrupted, the calmness in her voice betraying none of the apprehension she must feel. "Your Majesty, may I be allowed to express my thoughts with your permission?"


    Hwan nodded in acquiescence.


    "Her Highness'' sense of justice is remarkable. I have changed my opinion. The young court lady will receive the thirty lashes as rightfully decided by Her Highness."


    What?


    Hwan almost choked on his tongue as he tried to swallow his gobsmacked cry. What was she playing at now?


    The little girl at the corner whimpered in fear.


    "What made you change your mind?" He asked her, curious to know the secrets of that brilliant little mind of hers.


    "I was wrong to pass hasty judgement. I should have indeed asked for her advice first. And -" she paused.


    Even though he was itching to counter her, knowing Jay Yi, she had to have something up her sleeve.


    "Go on," was all he said.


    The Dowager spoke before Jay Yi could finish her thought, "You see, Your Majesty? Your future Queen has a long way to go. It was most inappropriate for her to go against my wishes. You still have a few weeks to learn, Lady Min."


    Her self-aggrandising smugness grated on Hwan. He had no regrets about bringing her down from her perch. "You speak out of turn, Great Aunt Dowager. I wished to hear from my future Queen."


    "I apologise, Your Majesty," the Dowager muttered, not sounding sorry at all.


    "I thank you for your infinite grace, Your Majesty." Turning to the Dowager, Jay Yi continued, "Yes, Your Highness, I truly apologise. I acted in haste, troubled by the rumours that I sought to put to rest. It will not happen again."


    The Dowager sat up. "Rumours?"


    A ghost of a smile flitted across Hwan''s lips as he watched Jay Yi''s face dip at a particular angle, her upper lip slightly compressed, her eyes blinking rapidly a few times. She had that typical look when dissembling something in her mind that had nothing to do with what she truthfully thought. He could almost see the tiny clogs of her brain running full speed. He was still determining what she was up to, but it suddenly became much more engrossing.


    "Yes, Your Highness, a few of the most aggravating rumours I am sure are not true, but I still aimed to put them to rest. I hoped they would see you in the same exalted light that I see you, Your Highness." Jay Yi was almost vacuous in her fawning, her doe-shaped eyes open in admiration, her slim neck craned forward.


    The Dowager was fanning herself vigorously. No one spoke.


    Jay Yi was letting the woman stew.


    Curiosity got the better of the old woman. "What rumours, Lady Min?"


    "Ah! There is this terrible rumour that - " she paused, " you do not care about the lives of the court ladies. I know it is not true. You are not cruel, as they want everyone to believe. I think they just resent you -"


    "Cruel! How dare they! Sangguin, is that true?"


    The Court Lady officer visibly paled, caught in a crossfire between the powers at play.


    "I assure you it is true, Your Highness," Jay Yi said. "I wanted to show how benevolent you are to forgive such a terrible crime! Saving an animal with the food that is meant for our King? How impertinent! But I knew once you knew the crime, you would be forgiving. So I felt it was important I dispel the rumours." Throwing a dramatic look at Hwan as if uncertain she should speak before bowing even more dramatically into the ground, "As you know, Your Highness, how I get distressed with rumours as we were discussing just this morning -"


    Hwan watched in astonishment as the Dowager wilted. Her shoulders slouched as alarm filled her eyes. Restless, she snapped the fan shut. She threw an uneasy sideways glance at Hwan, and her court lady behind her fidgeted.


    Reading Jay Yi''s game, Hwan asked the Dowager innocently, "What rumours?"


    "Nothing that might require the concerns of your gracious time, Your Majesty. The women''s quarters are always abuzz with them," Jay Yi answered in her most reassuring tone.


    "You speak out of turn, Lady Min. Let me be the judge whether they are baseless."


    Her head snapping up, Jay Yi met his eyes briefly before looking down quickly. He gave a slight, imperceptive nod so she could see it through the mesh. Hwan was not playing her game her way, but he hoped she could read his moves.


    The room had gone deathly quiet save the wheezing sounds of alarmed breathing from the Dowager.


    "Your Majesty, the rumours are distressing," Jay Yi''s voice picked up a delicate, shrill tone of faux anxiety. "On the one hand, I have heard baseless whispers bemoaning the Dowagers'' cruel treatment of the servants," Jay Yi paused, her voice dropping in its tenor, her expressions contorting into one that of fear, "on the other, there are also rumours - forgive me for uttering the unspeakable and please punish me for giving them ears - Your Majesty, of your foul temperament," she finished in a pitiable voice of the fearful, bowing some more.


    "That is preposterous! Please do not distress yourself, Lady Min. I treat my people with utmost kindness, do I not, Eunuch So?" Hwan retorted in mock offence.


    Poor Eunuch So had little clue of what was going on, except that he could read something unreadable passing between his Master and the incredible young woman who had broken all conventions when she had hidden with them under disguise and was right now clearly trying to save the life of the young girl before them, that his mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish out of water before he said in a resounding voice of a head eunuch, "Yes, Your Majesty, it is indeed preposterous. You are the kindest."


    "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I sinned. I will give my utmost best not to lay ears to worthless gossip," Jay Yi continued pitifully, sounding strangely deficient in grey cells despite having a surplus enough to distribute some to each person in the room and still be left with more than all combined.


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    Hwan pursed his lips to prevent himself from breaking into an ill-timed bout of hilarity.


    Taking a long, deliberate pause, Hwan said, "Great Aunt Dowager, I am aware the Palace can birth many rumours. However, please ensure rumours that are not fit for a young woman''s ears do not make their way to them, else I shall personally hold you responsible," Hwan knew he was at his intimidating best, and no one dared challenge him when he had that tone.


    The Dowager, her face utterly bereft of already scarce colour, finally found her lost tongue. Snapping open her fan, she looked around the room and announced, "Yes, yes! The baseless rumours! Of course, you did well, My Lady. Now that I think of it, you made the right decision."


    Turning to her court lady, the Dowager ordered, "Remove the girl and see that the punishment that Lady Min gave her is followed closely."


    "You remain the most gracious, Your Highness," Jay Yi intoned piously.


    The Dowager could be many things, but she was no fool and knew when she had been had.


    Her eyes beaded into slits as she looked at Jay Yi, ice floating in the words falling from her dried lips. "Ah! She is quite clever, do you not think so, Your Majesty?"


    Hwan''s eyes met with Jay Yi through the mesh curtain as she sent him a quick look, a silent message passing between them that acknowledged an unpleasant truth - Jay Yi might have just made an enemy.


    The Dowager''s next action confirmed his fears.


    "Court lady Kim, did you not have something to confess?"


    A very slight, almost indiscernible tremor visibly went through the impassive court lady Kim.


    "Your Highness, if I could be allowed to speak about it in private -"


    "No need. It is a good thing Your Majesty is here, too. Anything regarding his future Queen, he should be privy to it."


    Jay Yi''s posture changed, alarm written in bold letters in the stiffening of her shoulders.


    Hwan''s blood ran cold, though he knew better than to say anything.


    The Dowager looked like someone who had just polished off a bowl of royal dessert. She leaned back a little, fanning herself, her posture vaguely menacing.


    Court Lady Kim bowed.


    "We missed Bin-ssi care today. She got stuck in the rain outside, unchaperoned, and as a result, took a small nap -"


    "What? A Queen candidate sleeping outside her chambers unchaperoned?" The Dowager made it sound dirty. "That is unacceptable!" The Dowager turned to Jay Yi, a malicious look in her eyes, "Bring the court ladies! They must be punished. They will be punished with five lashes each, and court lady Kim will get ten as it is her responsibility-''


    "No!" Jay Yi blurted in horror. "Your Highness, please have mercy on them. It''s my fault, it''s no fault of theirs, I will take their punishment -"


    "How dare you break protocol in such a shameless fashion, Lady Min Jay Yi? You shall be punished too!-"


    Hwan interrupted her tirade. "What do you mean slept outside?"


    "It does not matter how it happened; this is strictly the matter of women''s quarters, and you cannot intervene, Your Majesty! This can be enough to disqualify Lady Min as a Queen candidate!"


    A crescent shape half-moon almost drew blood with the pressure with which Hwan dug his nails into the flesh of his palm. He did not claw his way to get Jay Yi into the Palace to see her humiliated in this fashion.


    "You are running ahead of yourself, Great Aunt Dowager. These are not your concubines, and you are not a Queen Dowager," Hwan was ruthless.


    The Dowager went grey.


    "So tell me, what happened, Lady Min?"


    Jay Yi did not lift her head. "I-I was at the library, Your Majesty, and as it was going to rain, I sent the three court ladies back as I planned to spend a little more time. But while reading, I fell asleep -"


    "You fell asleep in the library? Do you do that often?" Hwan deadpanned.


    Jay Yi simply nodded, too worked up to verbalise.


    "It must be very uncomfortable in there! Eunuch So, can you please ensure the setee had enough cushions so if My Lady wants to rest, she is comfortable?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty," Eunuch So replied in earnest.


    "Your Majesty, please do not trouble yourself. What happened in the library today will never happen again," Jay Yi''s posture was the epitome of grace, but Hwan had no trouble picking up the tone of belligerence in her voice. They both knew what she was speaking about. Hwan sighed. This girl!


    "I insist, Lady Min. Also, Court Lady Kim, the library is the safest place in the Palace. Unless I give explicit permission, no one can enter it. So, no harm done. It is unreasonable to subject our entourage to inclement weather while waiting outside. I do not permit it either. It¡¯s my personal library and I give full permission to Lady Kim to spend as much time there as she likes, and she does not need her maids to wait outside. They can always come back to fetch her at a pre-determined time. I grant her the full freedom to be there by herself."


    "I do not want to trouble anyone, Your Majesty, so I have decided not to-,"


    "Lady Min, that will be all," Hwan cut Jay Yi off. Effectively dismissing the meeting, he stood up. "Great Aunt Dowager, I do not want any further conversation of punishment on this ridiculous pretext."


    He marched to the door, stopped, and turned. Everyone was still bowing in deference. Hwan felt short on patience and suddenly found himself not caring much for the hackneyed sense of propriety that was threatening to tear Jay Yi apart.


    "Lady Min, I will walk you to your Palace," Hwan said to a shocked gasp of breath around the room at the unconventional demand.


    A flush stained Jay Yi''s neck. The Dowager''s mouth thinned.


    But no one dared to say a word.


    Knowing better than to argue, Jay Yi bowed to a very displeased Dowager and made her way after Hwan.


    And walked straight into Eunuch Kim and Cha, their faces reddened and frozen in a strange expression of respect and acute discomfort. They deeply bowed to her, turned and promptly walked into each other, colliding. Embarrassed, they then turned and walked away from each other while Jay Yi tried hard to stop an exasperated sigh. Observing the eunuchs play out their usual antics, Hwan said mildly, "If you both manage to locate your proper positions in the line, perhaps we can proceed?"


    Flabbergasted, the eunuchs fell into their positions and parted, allowing Jay Yi to join Hwan, who had appeared at the Dowager¡¯s chambers in his full red regalia, the purveyor of all he surveyed. She had been so relieved to see him that, try as she might, she could not fully recall the punch in the gut anger she had felt only a couple of hours ago as she fell by his side.


    "Are you all right?" Hwan had moved farther from their retinue, so their voices would carry to only a select few at the front of their entourage.


    "Khamzahamnida, Your Majesty. You do not know how relieved I was to see you here."


    A small bubble of pleasure made its way through his blood, a faint smile curving his face.


    They made their way quietly through the damp pathways, the young leaves of the trees around them still shedding drops of rainwater every now and then.


    "Are you still angry?"


    The sudden spring rain had left behind the lingering fragrance of moist earth wafting from the ground beneath their gently synched strides, his subconscious mind picking up the fragrant surroundings negligently, his mind wholly absorbed with wondering what was happening inside the head of the woman beside him. He did not have to wait for long.


    "You were correct, Your Majesty. I would have been caught," Jay Yi grasped her hands tighter under her jeogori.


    Hwan swivelled his head to regard Jay Yi, caught off guard. He knew it cost her to admit that. And that, the conclusion she would reach with it, wasn''t what he was looking forward to.


    "As you mentioned earlier, I am sure you had already given it a thought," Hwan wanted to spare her the agony.


    She shook her head. "My maids almost paid for my folly. I would have never forgiven myself for that. It is even more imperative I stay in my quarters until our marriage. This will resolve all problems."


    Except that she would come into this marriage set to change how she viewed the Palace, lived and then wilt.


    "Nothing happened, so rest your mind, Min Jay Yi. You do not need to change anything. I would still like to meet you," He paused, his hands clenched behind his back, his gaze earnest on her, "I need you, Jay Yi."


    They were at a courtyard, with a small flight of steps down to a lower stone-lined pathway leading away from it. Just beyond the dark foliage, she could spy the outline of her detached Palace.


    She stuck her chin out and looked him in the eye.


    "In a few weeks, I will be neatly packaged and presented to you, Your Majesty, securely sealed and legally yours, allowing you to do your duty without compromising your principles or endangering my reputation. I will be happy, make you a good wife, and try my best to be the Queen you want me to be." Her voice was raw but resolute.


    The bleak look in her eyes pierced him like a dagger, leaving behind the kind of pain that forces one to think not of the object but its effect. His one careless act threatened to change their relationship forever. As Hwan watched her disappear into her chambers, he realised it did not matter what he said or thought, how much he struggled to change her mind, or how many reassurances he gave. It was barely over two weeks, and he was already losing her bit by bit to this Palace, organically, unstoppably, like fresh water disappearing in a drain after a torrential downpour.


    As he expected, Jay Yi skipped her walk the next morning, and his wait at their little room seemed longer and lonelier than usual that evening. She stayed away the following day as well.


    He missed her laughter, her sparkling eyes, her mood shifts, her devotion to whatever she was doing.


    He realised he was quite pathetic when it came to Jay Yi.


    Hwan swung his wooden sword more forcefully than intended, breaking his opponent''s sword into two. Two more soldiers came charging, and their heaves did not yield much reprieve as Hwan easily out-manoeuvred them.


    "As it is, he is convinced I will never learn how to wield a sword. Min Jay Yi defeating ten soldiers is now a tale of lazy soldiers who made up stories to hide their incompetence...."


    Hwan laughed to himself as Jay Yi''s words floated in his mind.


    He skidded to a halt, one wooden sword catching his side flank in a painful blow that he barely registered, his attention fixated on something else entirely.


    An idea.


    Using none of the nimble footwork she was deft at, Jay Yi clutched the wooden rod that replaced a real sword, sparring one of Master Shin''s students, a mere lad barely crossing Jay Yi''s head in height. She walked back, wielding the wooden shaft awkwardly, deliberately.


    "What is Bin-ssi doing, Your Majesty?" remarked Kim Joo Hun, recently promoted to Royal Guardian, personal guard to Hwan when Tae Kang was not around- the man Jay Yi had wounded months ago - his eyes wide as he watched her laden footed efforts to ward off the blows from the child until a quick downward flick dislodged the stick from her hand.


    Hwan narrowed his eyes. Why was she so intent on hiding her true self from everyone? She had never cared about being judged before.


    People took notice of him, and a wave of murmurs travelled around the enclosed arena explicitly designated for the women and very young children of the royal court.


    The bout stopped, and Eunuch So announced his presence just as Jay Yi whipped her head around and noticed him, her eyes sparkling for a moment before she remembered he was not supposed to be here, and her mouth tightened.


    Customary bowings later, Hwan sauntered over to her.


    "How is our future queen faring, Master Shin?"


    "Bin-ssi is an exceptional student, Your Majesty. She had picked up quite a few moves in a very short period," Master Shin rattled off what he thought Hwan wanted to hear and would be fitting praise for the future Queen.


    Hwan gave a sarcastic smile. "I see. How about having a bout with me, Lady Min?"


    Master Shin''s eyes bulged. Jay Yi stared back at him, annoyance flaring in the honeyed depth. "I can hardly dream of sparring with you, Your Majesty. As you can see, I am only beginning to learn a few moves."


    "Your Majesty," interrupted Master Shin''s horrified voice, "Bin-ssi cannot yet spar with anyone, especially someone like you. You might want to try her at shooting arrows; she is much better at it."


    If he could, he would have guffawed. Instead, Hwan straightened to his full height with his hands behind his back. "Bring us swords, Master Shin."


    The man bowed miserably, throwing a worried glance at Jay Yi before complying reluctantly.


    Clad in his royal sparring dress, tall and massive, juxtaposed against Jay Yi''s petite, flowy and embroidered silk-draped figure, Hwan was aware they looked ridiculous facing each other in the arena, their wooden swords pointed like beacons.


    Jay Yi squinted at him, her swan-like neck straight. The pre-dusk glow glinted like a halo around her hair. Her legs were grounded about a foot apart, her body deliberately open for him to hit.


    A swift lunge at her sword, and she instinctively parried. Hwan smiled. He lunged again, and she barely moved, bending back under the weight of his wooden pole. He flicked and slashed again while she just blocked. Though she worked hard to lose, Hwan knew her pride would not let him win outright, and he would not let her lose easily. She moved backwards on laden feet but managed to bring her sword up to deflect. He did not take advantage of any of the openings she gave him by her open-body stance. But there was only so long he could stretch the ridiculous charade she had set her mind to lose. Jay Yi moved her sword up, and he clanged it, only for her to move it out of the way, the arc of his sword missing her neck by inches as he pulled back at the last moment.


    "Are you crazy? That could have hurt you!" Hwan hissed furiously.


    Jay Yi lowered her sword and said loudly for all to hear, "You win, Your Majesty. I thank you for humouring a novice like me."


    Master Shin almost ran to them. "You did very well, Bin-ssi!" He beamed with pride like a new father watching his toddler take the first sure-footed toddle across a room.


    "Master Shin, please leave us alone for a moment," Hwan ordered without looking at him, his stare intense on Jay Yi''s bowed head.


    Jay Yi gave him a wary look.


    Hwan dropped his voice so only Jay Yi could hear him. "This was only the first of a three-round bout. But I want to change some rules."


    Her face arranged in obstinate lines, Jay Yi glared back at him. "I don''t want to."


    "You don''t have a choice; it''s an order."


    "Please take it back. It does not become you, Your Majesty."


    "Jay Yi, why are you so different inside that library and outside here in the Palace? Why does it have to be one or the other?"


    "Because I don''t know any other way, and I do not want to become your weakness, ever! Why do you not understand that? You forget how closely I have seen everything, and you cannot convince me otherwise."


    "And all I ask from you is to trust me."


    "I do," She whispered.


    "Then play these two bouts with me. If you win, I will leave you alone and agree to all your conditions without another word. But if I win, you will agree to all my conditions without complaints."


    "What conditions?"


    "Any and all conditions, Jay Yi. But the winner will be the best of three, and you have already lost one."


    "That is not fair! You did not keep these conditions earlier!"


    "You should not have lost on purpose," he countered, giving her a lazy look.


    A mutinous look filled her eyes. "Any condition?"


    "Yes. And the rule of the fight is freestyle, with one exception - we cannot use our legs to hit."


    Her eyes flared up. He was taking away her ace move. "I do not agree."


    Hwan laughed. "Do you want your groom with a broken jaw on your wedding day? I definitely do not want a bride with a cracked rib."


    "Do you not think we are too skilled to let that happen?"


    "All right, you can use it. I will refrain. I already have an advantage of height and strength over you, plus I am already ahead in the challenge, so it''s only fair."


    Jay Yi pursed her lips, giving it a thought. "All right, I agree."


    Summoning his iron-clad will, Hwan suppressed his smile. Jay Yi had already forgotten her pretence of being a novice.


    To lure her into his bait, Hwan had put everything precious to bet on one fact - Jay Yi hated to lose.

 Shadow Dance

    They were back in the arena, in a face-off strikingly different from their previous one. Debonair in his red sparring dress, his deep dark double-lashed eyes a vast sea of the inscrutable, Hwan was almost poetic in his aggressive stance, one leg elegantly bent at the knee while the other extended as an unending stretch of muscle, the wooden sword an extension of his long, long hand, pointing at Jay Yi. In contrast, her skirt billowing around her, Jay Yi extended the long wooden sword with both hands, her wide stance resembling the industrious energy of a jungle cat defending its territory.


    For a moment, she had considered giving in and forfeiting the match.


    "These are the most trusted, handpicked and carefully selected people around us, Jay Yi. And you have already weeded out the spies from your retinue. Even if you did not, you do not need to fear them. Nothing breaches any code of conduct because you are sparring with your King on his order," Hwan''s logic was hard to refute.


    Seeing Hwan in the arena in his warrior dress that clung to his sculpted physique like a second skin, his intense eyes under the royal red bandana throwing her the gauntlet, she had felt an unholy thrill, and she knew she could not pass this opportunity to spar with him, something Jay Yi had wanted since the time she had watched him from the sidelines as his eunuch.


    Her martial arts expertise could always be explained away later, she supposed.


    "Bin-ssi, a longer sword?" Master Shin had stuttered.


    "Yes, the longest one you have," Jay Yi had smiled. "I am no match for His Majesty; he is too tall for me, so if I use a sword for my height, I will never reach him."


    "But why did you agree? That, too, two more! Bin-ssi, you can hardly wield the shorter one," Master Shin had grumbled but complied.


    "How can I defy His Majesty? Do not worry, Teacher Shin. I am sure His Majesty will be gentle with me. And I know it''s hard to believe, but I can do better than I did -"


    Master Shin had bowed, his disbelieving grunt saying it all. "Please do not get hurt, Bin-ssi. I do not know what has overcome His Majesty."


    Gripping her heavy and long sword tight, Jay Yi scanned the arena for places she could use as leverage. She would never win just by sparring alone. Master Shin had looked positively unhappy, not realising what Jay Yi told him about her ability to do better was the understatement of the year. She was here to win.


    Neither her defensive stance nor her petite feminine appearance deceived Hwan. With her cat-like eyes focused, full lips a thin line of determination, and her chin stuck out, Hwan knew she was as agile as a snake-hunting mongoose.


    "Your Majesty, why did you choose freestyle? She will not use a knife in this bout, will she?" Kim Joo Hun had asked worriedly. At Hwan''s dead cold stare in reply, the poor man had stuttered, "J-Just making sure, I am sure she will never hurt you," the man declared without conviction.


    Dumbfounded, Hwan had stared at the man. "You really think I will lose to her?"


    "She has never defeated Royal Guardian Tae Kang," He reflected in what he thought was a reassuring tone.


    Hwan looked at him with more disbelief. "She never fought him."


    "True."


    Hwan advanced on Joo Hun, using the advantage of his height, "I have no intention of losing this fight."


    "She does not do well when she is emotional about you," Kim Joo Hun had informed Hwan helpfully.


    Turning on his heel in exasperation, Hwan grabbed his wooden sword and faced his future wife.


    He wasn''t sure he would win either.


    It was no wonder when she made the first plunge, a loud audible gasp following them in the arena at her bold move. Hwan''s reach was easy, his strength no match for her as their wooden swords clashed.


    However, what she lacked in reach, height and strength, she made up with lightning-fast foot movement, easily dodging him when he brought it too low, sidestepping his direct thrusts, her body a licking flame of fire, jumping up, parrying back, thrusting, deflecting, losing no opportunity to find openings to slide in, while she gave him no opening to strike her. To his amazement, she used her skirt as a weapon, swirling it to create a buzz of colour while her sword sliced in close to his hip that he barely deflected.


    His heart thumped as he made a calculated thrust, and she responded with a deft sidestep and a precise twist of her shaft, redirecting the attack while sailing past him. She came back immediately, and he deflected with a smooth circular motion, almost succeeding in dislodging her blade.


    Beads of perspiration glistened on her forehead, resembling tiny diamonds in the reflecting orange sunlight. They had sprung apart, and he had managed to drive her near the spectator stalls, the silence from the people standing there so loud that it rang like a bell.


    Feeling cornered, Jay Yi measured their distance. Hwan was too big for her to match in strength. Her lashes hooded her eyes as she pulled a trick Shim Young had taught her long ago.


    She turned and ran from him, opening up the space and the distance. Hwan chuckled as he followed. She circled him while he turned around with her, looking for an opening. She gave him one. Stepping closer to his left, shifting her sword to her left hand and breaking eye contact, Jay Yi feinted. Hwan fell for it and lunged. Jay Yi dropped the sword.


    Taking advantage of the momentary lapse of concentration as Hwan''s surprised gaze followed the sword to the ground, Jay Yi leapt and fell to the ground behind him and latched her hands around his hips. Hwan staggered, and she let go, immediately locking her ankles around his knees like a scissor and sending him off balance towards her. Hwan reeled backwards, trying to break his fall and landed awkwardly, trying to prevent his upper body from almost crushing Jay Yi. She disengaged and rolled, and he rolled with her, a twine of flurry fabrics and long legs. Hwan tried to grab her while making a desperate attempt to hold on to his sword, but Jay Yi was already rolling from under him, coming up on top, her knee in his chest as she brought her hand down in a chop to his wrist, the sword loosening from his hand.


    They fought over it for fleeting seconds, his hands gripping her waist to hold her back, but she wrestled it and pressed it down lengthwise on his throat, the wooden blade sitting snug on his impressive collarbones. "You lose!" She declared triumphantly.


    They stared at each other, breathless and heated.


    To her horror, Jay Yi realised having Hwan at her mercy was incredibly arousing. A forbidden frenzy coursed her veins, making Jay Yi shake.


    Inflamed and embarrassed, she immediately removed her knee.


    "Please forgive me that I inappropriately hit you, Your Majesty. I apologise." She stood up and bowed, his sword in her hand still pointed in his general direction.


    Hwan folded one knee and raised himself on the opposite elbow, his posture a reclining sprawl of coiled muscles looking deceptively at ease, and looked at her, pride, amazement and mirth glistening in his eyes.


    "Should I be glad you did not whip out your knife? Our wedding night would have been very uncomfortable," Hwan said lazily as he got up, his curvacious lips lifting in a half smile.


    Jay Yi flushed beet red as she stood with her head bowed, quickly dropping the sword, her hands almost reaching out to dust his tunic out of habit before she caught herself and retreated them behind the flaps of her cream jeogori, adrenaline and desire still rushing her blood channels like swollen rivers of monsoon.


    The first thing that popped into her mind came out of her mouth, which seemed to have lost its sense of reasoning. "We are now equal in scores. The winner has not been decided yet," She warned him.


    Hwan was openly laughing at her. "Do I need to stipulate a ''no knife'' clause for the next bout?"


    Pursing her lips, she shook her head before her fuddled mind processed he was joking. She returned his smile sheepishly.


    He looked around and noticed the frozen faces of their audience in the arena.


    Master Shin was rooted to the spot, his round face so white it could replace the moon in a few hours. "Looks like Master Shin has seen a ghost," Hwan informed Jay Yi.


    Jay Yi did not dare look at him. "Can we finish the third one quickly?"


    "No, first we exchange the notes. Remember, we both get the notes if you win the second bout, but only the loser will open it once the battle is decided?"


    Neither Master Shin nor Lady Kim looked at either of them as they brought over the notes, their head bowed and eyes completely averted.


    Hwan pocketed Jay Yi''s sealed envelope, and Jay Yi followed suit with Hwan''s.


    "Do not worry about hitting me because I assure you, Min Jay Yi, I do not intend to be the one opening the envelope. So you better give it all you have," Hwan addressed Jay Yi''s bowed head.


    Master Shin gasped and cleared his throat before quickly retreating. Court Lady Kim brushed Jay Yi''s dress, straightened her jeogori, and said calmly, "Please ensure your skin does not show, Bin-ssi."


    Eunuch So, who was straightening Hwan''s dress, chuckled. Hwan stared at the retreating back of the court lady, "She is unbelievable!"


    Jay Yi laughed. "She sounds like my mother."


    Eunuch So suddenly beamed at her and bowed with a flourish. Jay Yi blushed, nodding her acceptance of his greeting.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    This time, none of them wasted any time. Hwan lunged first. Jay Yi sidestepped and brought her blade up, which he struck down. She pivoted, and Hwan almost caught her between the shoulder blades, but she was too fast, and he arched back as her sword almost sliced his neck. Jay Yi dropped to the ground, pirouetting on her heel, one leg extended to take his legs off the ground, and he jumped cleanly over her, turning to shove his sword down into her, but Jay Yi leapt away nimbly, standing up in one fluid movement. How does she manage all that in those skirts? Hwan thought in wonder.


    He used his long reach to thrust and strike, and her weapon flew from her hand as she staggered back.


    He had her. Extending his sword, Hwan closed the distance, and she - cartwheeled! His mouth fell open. Her legs cut a perfect arc in the air, toes pointed up, the hem of her skirt stretched taut between her stockinged ankles, the fabric forming a fine, deep lavender fan as she landed lithely on her deep pink daintily embroidered shoes quite a distance away, successfully reclaiming her sword.


    He had seldom seen a move so breathtaking. His pulse kicked up a storm.


    They circled each other, a hunter, and his huntress matching wit for wit, sometimes in tandem, sometimes in disarray. He was stealthy as a panther; she was willy as a fox. He moved, she slithered. He leapt, she slid. They became the assailant and the victim, the predator and the prey, the tormentor and the tormented, their roles interchanging as they played the game without rules.


    Hwan had always been extraordinarily competitive, but this was much more than that. All his predatory senses had sprung to life, his male instinct ferociously overtaking every sensory feel. Hwan was powerfully aroused, a primitive urge to dominate and possess her flooding his body.


    Breathing hard, Jay Yi''s body reacted viscerally as she recognised his predation.


    He had become the poacher. She had become the game.


    Jay Yi was a fiery lava in motion, flowing in and out of his orbit like fire and ice. They clashed, they chased, they teased, they thrust. Hwan used his strength and classical techniques to his advantage as he consistently parried Jay Yi, her weakest point. He again cornered her near a stall, this time ready for her tricks.


    Unsurprisingly, she changed tactics. She feinted, distracting Hwan and then sprung on her back heels and arched her leg at his torso. In reflex, Hwan bent back, dodging to avoid her blow. She quickly placed her hand on the ornate balustrade and swung her legs over the wooden fence separating the spectator platforms from the arena, landing on the wooden planks with an elegant flair as the eunuchs and the court ladies gasped and backed away. Jay Yi paid no heed, her mind focussing obsessively on Hwan as he chased her, heady with excitement, her senses alive and heightened.


    She ran past their shell-shocked retinues, weaving in and out, with Hwan trailing her along the outer edge of the spectator''s platforms. Jay Yi hid behind a post as he scanned the wooden grandstands. He moved, and she jumped up the parapet and flew off it, her sword coming down on Hwan with her full might.


    He saw a swirl of lavender on his side. His sword caught hers in a fierce clash. Jay Yi''s jump had thrown her off-kilter, and his brute strength easily destroyed her strike, two swift circular motions dislodging her sword. Lightning fast, Hwan grabbed her wrist. She bent down, meaning to use her head on the soft spot under his chest, but he read her too well. He easily blocked her move, dragged and turned her around, his hand clamping around her waist and slamming her back against his body, her wrist captive in his large hand at her upper waist under her breasts, his other hand holding the wooden sword across her throat, her other hand squished between his arm and her body, hanging limply.


    He owned her. A powerful, satisfying rush gushed through his body.


    "Min Jay Yi, you lost. The battle."


    Jay Yi panted, his husky tenor sending goosebumps chasing the delicate pores of her skin all over, and realised three things: One, his chest felt solid, reassuring and safe against her back, and she did not want to move away. Second, she had just lost the bet, and she did not mind it because being overpowered by Hwan made her blood sing.


    And third, she did not want Hwan to know about any of the above two.


    "I know!" She stiffened her shoulders.


    A deep laughter rumbled from his chest as Hwan almost immediately loosened his hold, releasing her, mindful of their audience, his sword still pointed at her throat in mock warning.


    The adrenaline and her madly racing pulse threatened to explode her heart into smithereens.


    Bowing, she dropped the wooded sword and entwined her hands behind her jeogori. "Well played, Your Majesty, I am no match for you."


    "I do not remember having ever worked harder to win," Hwan said, earnest and sincere, his voice laced with pleasure, pride and happiness.


    A soft blush stained her cheeks at his praise.


    "Now, open your note."


    "First, can I have mine back?"


    "No."


    She blinked at him.


    "There was no stipulation we needed to return the notes."


    The muscles of her eyes squeezed as she scowled at him. He simply gave a maddening smile in return.


    Slitting open the envelope, she stared at the note inside and then bunched it in her hand, her heart thundering, not daring to look at him. She quickly folded it and shoved it inside her sleeve.


    "Will you, Jay Yi?" Hwan asked, a strange anxiety lining his voice.


    "Yes," she answered without looking up.


    A puff of relief emitted from him. He turned and walked to the middle of the arena.


    Jay Yi followed him, her mind finally registering the forever-frozen-into-shock expressions of all the people - her court ladies, Hwan''s eunuchs and his court ladies, Master Shin, his students - and realised they had probably given the most entertaining spectacle of swordplay duel they had ever seen.


    "Now that I have won the bout, Lady Min has agreed to honour my request. She will help me translate one of my favourite books to Hangul - Yi Hy?n-Bo''s ?bu sa." Hwan declared for all to hear.


    She spied her Court ladies hurrying toward her, led by Court Lady Kim, who, Jay Yi observed with sheer amazement, had an expression close to - pride?


    "I don''t think they have ever seen anyone quite like you, Min Jay Yi," Hwan remarked casually and watched Master Shin shuffle towards them, his facial muscles fixed with deep lines of bafflement.


    Neither Hwan nor Jay Yi realised that every man, woman, and child standing there understood that their King and the enigmatic woman who would be their Queen soon shared no ordinary relationship.


    That she had been his eunuch might not just be a rumour after all!


    "W-Why did you not let me know earlier, Bin-ssi?" Master Shin was finding it hard to voice his disquiet. He sounded upset. Jay Yi suddenly felt guilty for her teacher.


    "I did not mean to mislead you, Master Shin," Jay Yi bowed.


    "It is my fault. I never thought to put you through an exam to determine your skills. I put you against young boys," Master Shin sounded genuinely remorseful.


    Several pairs of enraptured young eyes were following their every movement. While Jay Yi had not wanted to let on how well she could fight, when he had put her up against the young boys, she did not have the heart to break their confidence.


    "The first one I fought cried all night because he lost his sword to a woman, and his friends made fun of him," Jay Yi said.


    "Your Majesty, I apologise. I made a grave mistake in misjudging Bin-ssi''s talent. I am afraid her skills are way past my expertise."


    "I disagree, Master Shin. As you must have noticed, I severely lack parrying skills," Jay Yi tried to reassure the poor man.


    "I do not doubt Master Shin''s skill, Lady Min, but I agree, you need someone like Master Moon Sung Yoon," Hwan interrupted.


    "Master Moon, Your Majesty? I do not know if he will accept a female student," Master Shin pondered.


    "We shall see," was all Hwan said. "How come you do not have any court ladies practising here?" Hwan looked around, perplexed.


    "The previous Queen - the deposed Queen -" Master Shin corrected quickly, reddening, "- did not like court ladies engaging in weapon training, so it was disallowed a decade ago, Your Majesty."


    "There must be court ladies who still might remember the skills. I recall Omoni-mama''s practice sessions when I was very young. Why do you not find them?"


    "I will take the request to the Dowager tomorrow, Your Majesty."


    Jay Yi bit her tongue while Hwan sucked in an annoyed breath.


    "No need," Hwan said curtly. He closed his eyes, trying to recall the faces from long ago who might have been a sparring partner to his mother.


    A faint face floated in. Young, stern, familiar.


    Stunned, he turned to court lady Kim. "You used to be one of the court ladies, Her Royal Highness, my mother practised with."


    Jay Yi gaped.


    "Yes, Your Majesty, I was indeed." To their amazement, a softness transformed court lady Kim''s face. "Her Royal Highness, the late Queen Sunwon, had exceptional sword fighting skills. I feel honoured to see we will have a Wangbi who will bring the tradition back." She turned to Jay Yi and stunned her audience with, "You are one of the finest warriors I have seen, Bin-ssi. To do what you did here....this is what Queen Wongyeong must have been like..." Hwan blinked, Jay Yi''s mouth fell open, and everyone was momentarily robbed of speech.


    There could be no greater acceptance of Jay Yi''s skills than validation from Court Lady Kim.


    Jay Yi blushed in pleasure at her praise, but her following words brought Jay Yi down to earth with a quick thud. "However, forgive me for saying this, Bin-ssi, but your sword skills are indeed quite lacking, and His Majesty let you break all the rules."


    Hwan could have happily wrung Court Lady Kim''s neck.


    Later that night, lying on her stomach in her modest but tastefully decorated room in the detached Palace, Jay Yi smoothed the note.


    In fear, I shy from burning you like the sun


    My heart is worried


    Can you see?


    Shadow cannot depart the body


    Yet lengthen, shorten, or disappear


    Let me light your soul instead


    Will you meet me in the morrow ahead?


    She blinked back an unexpected rush of moisture. Hwan was still giving her a choice. The sleeves of her pure white night dress blended with the paper, her pale hands breaking the linear pattern thus formed. Jay Yi finally understood what Hwan tried to do today.


    He was breaking down the wall she was trying to hide behind.


    She had been selfish, failing to see and hear the anguish Hwan had been trying to stem. Because she did not trust herself. The question was - could she throw off the chains she had tied around her own feet?


    Shadow cannot depart the body - Is that what she was trying to do?


    She worked hard to mould into what she thought people expected of her. Yet no one even blinked when she threw off the binds and did what should have been an unconscionable thing for a Queen to do - she ran!


    A breath of frustration blew out from her. She turned on her back, squeezing the note to her chest.


    Long, artistic fingers tapped impatiently on the back of the book. Leaning his tall frame against a shelf, Hwan waited. Would she come?


    Thinking of the previous day gave him a thrill that still had him in its grip.


    Jay Yi didn''t realise he had just not won it, but he had won it big. Her free spirit had overtaken her as she had risen to the challenge. She was beautiful, brilliant, and indomitable. And yet he knew when he had finally overpowered her, she had acceded happily and submitted to him wholeheartedly.


    Faint voices drifted at him.


    Eunuch So. Eunuch Cha. Court Lady Kim. Jay Yi.


    A vision in white and the green of the spring entered the spacious chamber of his library, luminous skin folding into an enrapturing smile as Jay Yi spotted him.


    "How come -" Jay Yi started before remembering she had not greeted him.


    "Would you have really followed through and not seen me till we got married, Lady Min Jay Yi?"


    Jay Yi coloured and bowed her head. She heard a snort.


    Hwan handed her a copy of ?bu sa.


    Jay Yi blinked and blinked again, raising her eyes to him in confusion.


    "You really want me to translate this?" Caught off guard, her eyes widened in astonishment.


    "Any and all conditions," Hwan laughed and patted her head. And left.


    Jay Yi gaped after him, holding the book in her hand, utterly dumbfounded.


    What just happened?


    It was her day off. She looked at the book and sighed. And went to work.


    It was noon before she stirred as Hwan''s court ladies ushered in an elaborate lunch tray for her. The book was engrossing, and translating it would take time, but it would be gratifying.


    "Send word to my chambers. Have them fetch me when the clock strikes six."


    She locked the door and settled in to the small settee. Back to the book again, she turned the pages, but a combination of food, the familiar musty, earthy smell, and the comfort of the room lulled her to sleep.


    She dreamt of flowers, birds, of Gaeseong.....of Hwan....of feathers, soft, swaying, bursting in a rainbow of colours around her.


    A feather wafted down towards her, grazing her skin softly, a whisper. Her skin prickled, her toes curled.


    Her eyes flew open. A long finger traced her lips. Another motioned her to be quiet as Hwan placed it on his own lips.


    Astonished, she tried to adjust her eyes in the darkened room, trying to pull off the cobwebs of sleep still lurking in her vision. Was she dreaming?


    Hwan was no dream, his potent masculine fragrance making a mush of her senses.


    "How-"


    "Shhh. Your canine-nosed court lady has posted sentinels outside," He whispered. "She does not trust us," Hwan chuckled softly, "And rightfully so."


    And gently covered her mouth with his.

 The Queens Dilemna

    The Procession outside the Palace


    Ga ram, Myung Jin and Master Mun Jeon eagerly followed the procession as the carriages filed past them, one after the other, each carried by men dressed in splendid royal uniforms. They followed a route that extended for half a day, departing from the Palace, bearing with them the royal edict gyomyeong, (??, ”œÃü), the royal investiture book chaekmun (??, ƒÔÎÄ), the royal seal boin (??, ŒšÓ¡), and the formal robe myeongbok (??, Ãü·þ), before they would go back to the Palace to Jay Yi, where she would be receiving them herself.


    It was the Cheokbi ceremony of Min Jay Yi, proclaiming her the Queen of Josean.


    "I have not seen her for so long!" Ga ram said forlornly.


    "Eesh! It has been less than a month!"


    "Twenty-nine days," Ga ram corrected Myung Jin. "And it is still fifteen more days before the Chinyeong. I hope Aasshi is doing all right."


    "I hope so, too," Master Mun Jeon quipped beside them.


    "Why will she not be all right? She is in the Palace, eating the best food, having the best tools for investigation at her disposal, and most importantly, she is with His Majesty!" Someone jostled Myung Jin from behind, and he turned to glare at them.


    "If you think that would be enough for Min Jay Yi, you are in for a rude shock," Mun Jeon said dryly.


    "You cannot call her by name anymore!" Ga ram chided Mun Jeon and immediately lowered her eyes, "Forgive me, I didn''t mean to be rude, Master Mun." Mun Jeon rolled his eyes. Ga ram had become famous for her reprimands. "It''s Her Royal Highness the Queen from now on," She continued happily, almost shouting over the din of noise the excitement around them was generating as people went on their tiptoes to get a better glimpse of the grand procession. "His Majesty will keep her happy, I am sure." Ga ram sighed wistfully, a feeling of nostalgia filling her, "I had always thought I would go with Aashi whenever she married. Now, I don''t even know if I will see her."


    "Did His Majesty not promise he will get Lady Min - I mean Her Royal Highness - for our wedding?" Myung Jin said, giving Ga-ram a shy side glance and nudging her with a shoulder, giving her his wide grin.


    Ga-ram covered her face with her hands, "You must stop this!" She admonished Myung Jin coyly.


    Mun Jeon ignored them. He had gotten used to the sugary overdose of their mooning over each other.


    Their eyes followed the procession until it disappeared, a feeling of something beautiful washing over them.


    Joy.


    The Eastern Palace (Changdeokgung)


    Hwan was trying to think of a word that would describe the overwhelming feeling he was experiencing. He felt complete, a King who would finally have his Queen, and Hwan would have his Jay Yi beside him. He looked out his chamber window, the swaying pines sparkling golden and green. The carriages must have reached the detached Palace by now.


    The last eight days with Jay Yi had been a mixed bag of emotions.


    His mind went back to the day nine days ago when he had found her sleeping in the library. Unable to resist, he kissed her. Jay Yi gripped Hwan''s shoulders for a brief moment as she helplessly responded to him but then stiffened her hands, her palm forcing his shoulders away from her, as she turned her face down, breaking contact.


    Hwan ran a thumb down her cheek gently and briskly stood up.


    Clasping her hand, he pulled her behind him.


    Moments later, they crossed the wooden beams of the room downstairs that she had fled in anger three days ago and into the washroom. The quilt was still there on the table, neatly folded. Hwan expertly put in the combination blocks that opened the little door leading outside.


    "Where are we going, Your Majesty?"


    "I have to show you something."


    "How did you get into the library?"


    A mysterious smile was his only reply as he asked her to lead the way.


    Curious, she had stepped into what she expected would be steps leading up to a narrow stone pathway covered by tall bushes that led them to a secret, unused gate they used to climb over to scale the Palace.


    Instead, her surprised eyes met a tunnel. Double the Hwan''s height and wide enough to comfortably fit four to five people horizontally, it was at the end of half a dozen stairs, and lighted by scones at uniform intervals, the passageway disappeared into a corner.


    "When did you get this constructed?" Jay Yi had asked excitedly.


    "I started the work almost immediately after coming back from Gaeseong."


    A child-like glee bubbled out of her mouth. "I have never been inside a secret passage!" She gushed excitedly as she ran her fingers along the wall, tracing the stones that formed the outer wall. Hwan walked behind her, an indulgent expression softening his eyes. He could feel his heart flood with love for this extraordinary woman whose zest for life was limitless.


    "Is this underground?"


    Hwan nodded his affirmation.


    About ten minutes later, they walked into what looked like a barn, a facade for another passageway that finally led to a dilapidated structure. Jay Yi was so excited that she was half running, half jumping as she happily jaunted alongside Hwan, eager to discover where this would lead them.


    When they came upon the open courtyard inside the large, neglected building, her mouth fell open.


    Hwan''s bodyguards were amid various types of exercises and training. No sooner they spied them the men formed a quick line and greeted both of them.


    "I would like you to come and train here after the ceremonies are over. Choose about ten women who you can trust to train with you. I want you to form your unit, just like mine."


    Jay Yi looked at him, her eyes filled with happiness and gratefulness, making it impossible for her vocal cords to form a sound.


    As they made their way back, Jay Yi was quieter.


    He had been so excited to show Jay Yi all of it that he didn''t notice her thoughtful expression.


    "You had orchestrated the entire thing yesterday, did you not, Your Majesty?"


    "Are you mad?"


    She shook her head. "I am not, though it gave you undue advantage over me," she said cheekily.


    "It was fairly earned," Hwan countered playfully.


    They turned into the final stretch leading to the library. Hwan pressed a scone to his right and drew two slats apart to reveal a narrow doorway. "The passageway is a maze of mystery!" Jay Yi exclaimed.


    Hwan chuckled. "If you press the scone opposite to this one, it slides open a section of the wall that leads outside. It opens into a small structure that resembles part of the library building. If you want to step out and not want to have the entire retinue trail you, you can come out this way. Just remember to go back up through this door."


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "It would be nice to take walk breaks! You have thought of everything, Your Majesty!" Her exuberance spilled over.


    "It also leads to a secret passage leading to the outside of the Palace. It''s always guarded by one of our elite troopers."


    To his delight, Jay Yi looked suitably impressed.


    Hwan moved some block pieces on the door, and it clicked open. "The combination is the month and the day we first met."


    "The hunting ground?" Her mouth made a surprised O.


    "Yes," Hwan smoothed a wayward whorl of hair from her forehead as she smiled at him radiantly.


    The door led to a flight of stairs going up, widening into a landing. Hwan pried open a rectangular slab on the roof, pulling it down. Slats of wood were attached to the grooves of the roof door, creating a series of steps that disappeared into a cavern beyond the opening. They climbed up, and Jay Yi pulled the rope attached to the edge of the roof door, closing it. They ended up in a small alcove filled with scrolls and books. It looked like an annexure of the library, with floor cushions and a desk on one side.


    Hwan beckoned her. He slid aside a circular plate. Jay Yi went closer. Placing an eye on the small hole she peeked in. She could see the entire library.


    "This is the way you come in?"


    Hwan laughed. "Do you think we could have walked in from the front door now? The door downstairs is one way, but this goes both in and out. I can hardly walk through the front entrance anymore to make myself scarce. Half the Palace is watching my every move all the time."


    "Ah!"


    He had closed in on her, wanting to take her in his arms, and she had backed away. "I must leave now, Your Majesty."


    She had met his conditions of meeting him without fail every day. In her walks, in the library. She had visibly opened up after their sparring session in the arena and was a lot less pensive outside. She laughed, spoke, and even teased him sometimes. But she had grown reticent inside when alone with him, especially resistant to any physical intimacy.


    He quelled the feeling of unease. Hwan had wronged her greatly, and she needed time, and he respected that.


    Even if that meant not meeting her alone for a while. He had all the time in the world to give her.


    The word Hwan sought to describe the overwhelming feeling he was experiencing suddenly came to him.


    Elation.


    The Detached Palace


    Intricately woven with golden threads, the red, blue and black jeokui pressed heavily on her shoulders. Her hair had been tied up, elaborately swept into small coiffures spread over her head, with each elegant coif decorated with a gold accessory, and the rest was rolled up at the nape of her neck, anchored by a mammoth phoenix-shaped binyeo, finally doing away with the braid that had been the signature of her youth she was leaving behind and, into the womanhood she was now entering.


    Her back and knees ached with the endless bowings that accompanied the numerous ceremonies since morning, and the main ceremony had not even started yet.


    Jay Yi longed for Hwan''s presence, wishing he could be by her side, holding her hand just as he had in the Shaman''s temple, providing reassurance that everything would be alright.


    She missed Ga ram too, longing to have her faithful, lifelong friend chattering beside her. She wondered if Ga ram and Myung Jin had followed the procession.


    Her mind felt numb. She followed all directions serenely, obediently, not showing any of the turmoil that had her in its grip, as if she were a puppet being pulled by invisible strings. Jay Yi watched the carriages enter, the grandeur of the procession blindingly beautiful. As the ritual of proclaiming her the Wang-bi of the Kingdom of Joseon started, Jay felt a disquieting sensation take hold of her.


    Trepidation.


    The library:


    The sun had followed her inside, lighting up the room in all its papery splendour. Resting the quill on its stand, Jay Yi stood up and stretched. She had spent three straight hours translating the ?bu sa and barely made a dent.


    She had instructed all her maids to stay away today, planning to spend the rest of the day in the library.


    Ever since her coronation the day before, there had been a slight shift in how everyone treated her. Earlier, Court Lady Kim would either have objected or placed a sentinel outside the door. Today, Jay Yi checked twice, and there was no one. Even her request to furnish her meals and snacks ahead of time had been adhered to.


    Being a Queen had its perks, she supposed.


    It was her last free day, without any ceremonial or routine demands on her time, before the marriage fourteen days later. She wondered what Hwan was doing.


    Curiously, while he had met her every day on her walks, sometimes he would fall by her side, and they would take a round of a garden or the lake; however, he had stopped his evening visits for the last few days. Five days ago, she had found two case files on her table downstairs with a note:


    Urgent work keeps me away, but I hope these two interesting cases will help you occupy your time.


    Even though she missed him, not meeting him did not seem such a bad idea. A weight from her shoulder had evaporated, making her feel contrite the next second in guilt. She knew she had been skittish around him, trying to avoid being alone with him without being obvious, and even if they were, going out of her way to avoid any sort of physical intimacy, and it was taking a toll on her.


    Oh, Your Majesty, why do you have to be so irresistible!  Jay Yi had thought wryly.


    They were cases that had already been solved but contained some interesting new facts that helped her solidify some existing investigating techniques.


    She had waited for him the following days, but he had stayed away. She wondered if he was doing it on purpose. She brought it up during their walks, and he had playfully denied it.


    "If I have the opportunity, even elephants would not hold me back," He teased.


    She half expected to see him today. Instead, she had found another note:


    I wish I could see your smile, My Queen. Are you all right? You must be tired after the long day yesterday. Rest up. I will see you tomorrow and visit a garden you have never seen.


    The rush of acute disappointment at his absence, to her dismay, was followed by a strange relief.


    What was happening to her?


    A strange restlessness stirred within her heart.


    Needing to clear her mind of the jumbled thoughts, Jay Yi planked open the door to their room downstairs. She was alone, away from all disturbances. It was an excellent day to do the cleaning she had wanted to do ever since that fateful day she had walked out on Hwan in fury and despair.


    A despair that clung to her like a shadow no matter how much she tried to shake it off.


    Unfortunately, her burned gold and deep red hanbok would not receive the dust and the grime kindly. She searched for her Eunuch dress again. This time, she double layered it with a white tunic beneath it that was typically reserved for winter wear.


    Satisfied, she went to work.


    The large, dragon-shaped bineyo with jade stone for eyes blew fire at him as Hwan turned it around in his palm. He had been yearning to give it to Jay Yi for so long.


    Closing the box it nestled in, Hwan stepped out of the small, darker annexure of the library, expecting Jay Yi at her settee. A quick look told Hwan the chamber was empty.


    The room downstairs shone like a polished gem. Jay Yi had obviously been putting her magic into it. But there was no sign of her in their secret lair.


    Perplexed, he looked around. It was her day off, and he knew she had come in early. The ink on her quill on the table upstairs had barely dried. The copy of ?bu sa still lay open on the table she had been working on.


    Was she in the washroom? There was a small bowl of water and a rubbing cloth still lying on the floor.


    He knocked on the washroom door. "Jay Yi?"


    Did she go out for a walk? The main door was locked from inside, so did she use the passageway? Hwan could not quell a thought of worry etching his mind.


    "Jay Yi? Are you inside? I am coming in," Hwan knocked again, gingerly opening the door, wanting to ensure he did not intrude upon her privacy. The small crack revealed nothing. He pulled it further, his eyes moving across to the far end of the room.


    It was empty.


    Jay Yi had just finished cleaning a small section of the floor when she heard the sound. An extremely faint one, barely making any impression, but her sensitive ears picked it up as if it were a drumroll.


    Looking down at her eunuch uniform, she panicked. She did not want Hwan to see her like this. She didn''t want to meet Hwan today. There was too much chaos in her mind, the events from that day not long ago still too raw.


    She leapt and darted into the washroom, barely making it before she heard Hwan slide open the door at the top of the stairs leading down to the chamber.


    She quickly picked up her silk hanbok and jeogori and shoved them under the table, pushing the fabrics as far inside as possible. Frantic, she looked around and dove behind the massive water drum, gathering the fabric of her tunic and bunching them close around her, squeezing herself into as tiny a ball as she could, almost plastering herself in the angled nook the drum created where it met the wall.


    "Jay Yi?" She could hear the concern in his voice.


    "Jay Yi? Are you inside? I am coming in," Hwan knocked again. She could hear the door slowly slide open, a part of it retreating into the wall. Jay Yi clenched her eyes tightly shut, not breathing, her fist in her mouth to prevent any noise from leaking.


    After a brief moment, the door rolled closed, the smooth abrasion of wood against wood barely making any sound. Jay Yi still did not dare breathe. She heard his footsteps go up the stairs and the soft noise of another door open and close.


    She sucked in all the air she could in one big gulp. Slowly, she stood up and leaned against the washbasin table. Absent-mindedly, straightening the bun at the nape of her neck, she threw a look at the mirror. For a moment, her hand paused on the hairpin. Yesterday, she had crossed over from her old, predictable world into a new, unpredictable one. Hwan had not yet seen her with her hair rolled up.


    Stupid!  Jay Yi could not believe she hid, of all people, from Hwan.


    She covered her face with her hands, a small tear squeezing from the corner of her eye. She wanted to run after him and get him back, ask for forgiveness for doing something this juvenile.


    But her feet would not move.


    At this rate, she would lose her mind. She did not know what she wanted anymore. She felt unmoored, and every day, it felt like she laboured to find solid ground under her feet.


    Hwan was the cause. He was also the cure.


    This could not go on. Jay Yi had to go to him. Hopefully, he had not left the upper chamber of the library yet. Springing around, she grabbed her clothes from underneath the table. She almost tore off the eunuch tunic, cramming herself in the hanbok. She laid the hastily folded eunuch tunic on the low table, making a mental note to return it to the shelf at a later time.


    She slid open the door, and all the air left her body in a painful woosh.


    Hwan was lounging against a pillar across the washroom, deadly still, eyes black as charcoal as he looked straight at her, his facial muscles carved out of the same stone of the beam his shoulder was resting on.

 Binyeo

    With eyes resembling glacial blocks of ice, Hwan raked over her gold and red figure, lingering briefly on the gold hairpin at the nape of her neck.


    He uncoiled himself, straightening his spine, his movements slow, calculated.


    Furious.


    A hand flew to her chest, debris of dread jamming her throat, her brain emptying itself of all thoughts as Jay Yi absorbed the barely suppressed manic rage emanating from Hwan.


    With his hands clasped behind his back, Hwan looked handsome in a terrifying way. His coral-green hanbok sat snugly on his shoulders, the smooth silk of his silver dapho juxtaposing against the harsh, unforgiving lines on his face. The gold sangtugwan crowned his bun, its brilliance mimicking the hard glitter of his eyes, his footsteps soft and sure as he advanced towards her.


    "Why did you hide from me, Jay Yi?" His conversational tone belied the stretch of his taut muscles that threatened to unleash the strike of a coiled snake.


    Jay Yi backed away from the door, her feet hastening to create a distance. She came to an abrupt halt as the cold, hard edge of the basin table blocked her retreat.


    He entered the washroom. It was too small a space for two of them. Jay Yi felt as if there was not enough room to breathe.


    "Y-Your Majesty, it - I - It isn''t what you think. I was coming to you," She tried, her voice hollow, unconvincing. Afraid.


    "Were you?" His eyes glinted at her. "After hiding away this pathetically, you planned to come to me." His observant tone was deceptively casual.


    "Y-Yes. Please, I can explain."


    "Hiding from me as if I was an assassin - I am sure there must be a reasonable explanation." Hwan drawled.


    Hwan''s anger was not something she could toy with, thought Jay Yi, her mind racing with fear and worry.


    As if sensing her panic, Hwan crowded in on her. Ruthless, long hands reached out and rested on each side of her on the table, imprisoning her. He was now bending towards her, his face dangerously close, his eyes glassy with wrath, his knuckles white on the table.


    "P-Please, Your Majesty, you are frightening me," Jay Yi closed her eyes.


    "I would never hurt you, Jay Yi," Hwan''s voice dropped another notch. "But you need to tell me - what made you hole up like that?"


    "I w-wasn''t holing up; I-I didn''t hear you -" She tried lying.


    "You are losing your touch, Investigator Min Jay Yi. I cannot believe you overlooked the angle of the mirror," Hwan said silkily, his mocking laugh leaving angry bruises on her tortured heart.


    She turned her face away to avoid looking at his beautifully deep, dark, and betrayed eyes. Guilt flooded her.


    "I-I''m sorry, I was not thinking," Jay Yi said dully, hoping her stupid truth might calm him.


    If anything, it made him angrier. "So your first instinct when you heard me was not to fly to me in excitement but to hide from me?"


    She shook her head, miserable, anguish clouding her vision with a moist film she hated. "I am sorry."


    "Sorry. Hmnnn. So that is your defence. What are you hiding from me, Jay Yi?"


    Curling her hands, she brought them to her chest and helplessly shook her head.


    His hand reached out of their own volition, the knuckles of his fingers tracing her jaw gently. Jay Yi flinched, and regret immediately hit her like a rock. Alarmed, she glanced at Hwan. His eyes hardened into flint.


    "Do you still want to marry me, Jay Yi?" His tone was deadly casual, as if he were asking about something mundane like what colour flowers she liked while walking in a garden.


    Her pupils dilated in shock. "Your Majesty! Please - it was just a momentary stupidity!"


    "Was it, Jay Yi? Was it?" Hwan dropped all pretence of casualness, rage bubbling over. He was so close that the labyrinth of veins meshing his jaw was all there for her to see in their angry splendour.


    Jy Yi leaned back, her hands grabbing the table to keep her balance.


    "I didn''t mean to hurt you. You must believe me. I would have come to you."


    "No, your intention was not to be found out because you don''t want me anywhere near you," he grated.


    "You are twisting it all wrong! Why would I come here then?" Jay Yi asked despairingly.


    Hwan''s laugh was rancid.


    "You would not have met me in the last few days if I had not forced you. When alone with me, you avoid me like a disease."


    "No! I was angry initially, but how can you think I would avoid you?"


    Jay Yi reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, but she could not meet his eyes. Hwan was not a fool. She had been avoiding him. How could she have been so foolish?


    "Please do not lie, Jay Yi, please don''t. Just tell me why -"


    "There is nothing to tell. Please do not think like this, Your Majesty," she pleaded.


    "I do not know what to think anymore, Jay Yi. All I know is the woman I have loved more than my life has been avoiding me to a point where she now prefers hiding in dark, shadowed corners to escape me," his voice was hoarse with bitterness and hurt.


    "I was a fool. It-it was an impulse I regret. I do! I know I hurt you. I am sorry. Please do not misunderstand me. Please forgive me," her fingers gripped his shoulders hard.


    Inches from her, Hwan''s eyes dropped to her lips. His thumb moved on its own accord, tracing the full and supple texture. And he immediately felt Jay Yi''s resistance. However, she stood still, her efforts to not anger him further apparent from every rigid muscle in her body.


    She loved him, of that, he never had a doubt. And she hated it here with him, of that, he now had no doubt either. She was so beautiful, so unique, almost exotic, like a migratory bird who flew the skies to find her roost.


    Hwan had become her cage.


    His hand dropped.


    "I do not think I misunderstand, Jay Yi. You don''t want me, this Palace, this life."


    His gaze fixed on her, Hwan willed her to deny it vehemently. Prayed. Waited.


    Overwrought from everything, Jay Yi could only move her head from side to side, sickened, at a loss to find reassuring words to assuage him, tears of helplessness spilling over.


    "It''s not w-what you are thinking. I want nothing more than to be with you, but -" Stressed and afraid to say the wrong thing, Jay Yi faltered.


    "But-?"


    "I-I don''t know, I don''t know what else to say anymore!" The gut-wrenching words rent through her flesh, splitting open wounds she did not know existed.


    Immobile, Hwan searched her face in a prolonged, torturous pause that threatened to deafen her.


    Her but said more than he could bear. It had been staring in his face. He had not wanted to accept it.


    Hwan looked past her into the mirror. The gold of her binyeo glowed back at him mockingly, the one sitting in his pocket laughing out loud at the irony. He wanted to smash something, anything. Perhaps the noise of something breaking could shut the cacophony of pain thrashing his ears and drown the din of his heart shattering.


    Hwan had always heard too much pain could numb, and the curtain of blackness falling upon his heart could be a sign that it was true after all.


    Hwan straightened suddenly, shrugging her hand off and stepping back.


    "I was wrong to bring you to the Palace." The angry resignation in his voice sliced a knife of pure, cold terror through Jay Yi''s heart.


    Before she could gather her scared, scattered thoughts, Hwan exited the washroom. Without thinking, Jay Yi ran after him. She clutched onto his sleeve. "Your Majesty, you were not wrong to bring me here. I want you and a life with you more than my own life. I should not have hidden from you. I do not know why I did, but you must believe me, I was coming to you. I will do anything to make up for what I did today. I did not mean it. It will never happen again." She clamped down a terrified sob.


    Hwan turned to face her, his large hand swallowing her pale, smaller ones, his eyes an aching sea of sorrow. "You do not need to pretend anymore, Jay Yi, or be someone you are not. You have hated it here since the first day you came. And I know you tried. But now you are coming to detest everything that comes with it, including me." He gently removed her hands from his arm.


    "No, no, that''s not true. I cannot even think of detesting you, Your Majesty. I live for you. I love you," Jay Yi tried to move her voice past the lump of panic in her throat, her fingers curling around his sleeve again, refusing to let go.


    Hwan gave a mirthless chuckle. "But then, here we are. Fourteen days to our marriage, my beloved bride, who says she loves and trusts me, hides from me as if her life was in danger." Though he made no effort to remove her hand from his sleeves again, every rigid muscle in his body screamed his agony at her betrayal. "I will not keep you like a caged bird."


    Her blood vessels contracted, leaving her bloodless. "What do you mean?"


    He did not even spare her a glance. "You do not need to worry or ever hide from me again. I will buy you the biggest house in Gaeseong, with everything you need to live without worry."


    "G-Gaeseong?"  She repeated after him, sick with fear.


    "Yes. Gaeseong. You will not lack anything." Only a faint, almost imperceptible tremor betrayed the effort it took Hwan to utter the words. Jay Yi was oblivious to it, the implications of his words unfolding like a macabre tapestry in her mind.


    He was sending her away.


    Jay Yi broke out in a cold sweat. "No! No." She bunched his sleeve in a painful clutch. "You cannot punish me like this. I understand you are angry, and I will accept any punishment you want, but not this. Please, please, you cannot send me away."


    "I am not punishing you, Jay Yi. I am setting you free." He pried away his sleeves from her grip, his hands unfolding her fingers one by one, gently, firmly, stepping out of her reach as her hands fell limply to her sides.


    "You gave me the right to accept or deny, Your Majesty. I will not accept this!" Her voice shook.


    Hwan said flatly, almost cruelly, "It does not apply anymore. I forced you into it, and I will set it right. I will not hold you to anything, so please do not feel you owe me anything. I will announce the cancellation of the marriage edict today. Your maiden status will be restored, and you will be released from further royal obligations. You can leave at the first light tomorrow. Stay at the villa while I make arrangements in Gaeseong."


    Her world tilted.


    "I will not leave. You gave me your word, Your Majesty. You can''t go back on it. What kind of King does that make you?" Panic raked her into shreds. She clutched her hands to her heart as if she could stem the tide of pain that threatened to blow it apart.


    He turned to her. "You see, Min Jay Yi, where you are concerned, I sometimes question whether I even possess a brain. I thought I could change things to make it work, but I failed. So, for you, I am a failed King." Hwan reached out and, in a fluid motion, pulled out the gold binyeo from the bun at the nape of her neck. Her unanchored braid cascaded down her back. He grasped a lifeless hand and placed the gold pin in her palm, his long fingers folding her numb ones close over the metal. "Today, I free you from all commitments, Min Jay Yi." He turned around, his tone cold, hard, devoid of emotion. "Go back to Gaeseong. This chapter in our life is closed. I will not bother you any more."


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    Hwan walked away.


    In a haze of red, Jay Yi watched her whole life crumble like a sand castle. This could not be happening. He could not do this.


    "How dare you, you bastard!" Jay Yi hurled the gold pin with all her might across the room.


    Clang!


    The metal clattered on the middle of the staircase, ricocheting off it, and then bounced down with its own momentum and slid for a few moments, spinning on its base like a pinwheel before coming to a rest a short distance from the foot of the wide, wooden steps.


    Hwan froze, turning around, his expressions contorting into rage and pain of a ravaged soul, someone who was at his breaking point.


    "Watch out," He warned.


    "Setting me free? No, you are throwing me out because you can, you lying autocratic bastard."


    Hwan closed the distance in a flash. "You are speaking to your King. Watch your mouth, you wench!"


    "Or what? Will you kill me? Do it because I will be as good as dead without you!"


    He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. "Your actions do not match your words anymore, Min Jay Yi. It''s you who is lying. I will not have a woman tied to me whose gut instincts reject me so savagely."


    "You arrogant jerk, I never rejected you! Am I a toy to you? You bring me when you like, throw me when you don''t -"


    "Shut up! Shut up!" Hwan pushed her back against a pillar, his grip on her shoulders bruising, his face so close she could see the gold flecks of her reflection in his furious eyes.


    Panic of losing Hwan had destroyed all sense of self-preservation in Jay Yi. Words tumbled, unwelcome, hurtful, anguished.


    "Is this all you have to show for your tall promises, you short-sighted moron? Yes, you failed. You are throwing me out as your ego hurts because you failed. You are afraid, so you think shutting me off is the ans-"


    Her words were cut off as his mouth crushed hers in a punishing onslaught, his weight pounding her against the pillar. Furious tears pushed past his burning eyelids as Hwan shook with rage of loss and pent-up emotions. He was so consumed that it took him a while to notice Jay Yi had gone still. That only enraged him further. He bunched her hair, tugging her head back, his tongue invading her relentlessly, thirstily. He pressed his hand at the small of her back, crushing her to his swollen body, frantic to make her want him.


    His mind was a cavern of blackness, empty of sanity; his senses could only recognise his physical need to capture her essence. He wanted to punish her, to protect her, to hate her, to love her. Jay Yi twisted, trying to curb the instantaneous response of her body to his onslaught. The pillar blocked her exit. His arms hooked her to him, her back flushed to his side. The angle of her body only exposed more of her to him as his hands roamed freely. His hands slid under her silken jeogory, pulling down the cinch of her skirt to her waist, his fingers finding the sweet spots of pleasure that dissolved her resistance.


    Jay Yi gave up fighting the flames inside her. She turned her face to his, seeking him, desire fogging her eyes. He captured her lips, her hands looped around his neck. Lust tore through Hwan like a bonfire, eating every bit of restraint, her abandoned response acting like quicksilver on his incensed senses. Passion rendered her helpless as he plundered, his hands knowing no bar as they pulled up her skirt. His fingers probed and prodded in and around her long underpants, restless, explosive, trying to explore parts of her that rebelled with shock at the unexpected invasion and then sighed in ecstasy as pleasure, the sort she had never known before, wracked her body.


    The fastenings of her jeogori had come undone, and her skirt bunched at her midriff, exposing her delicate flesh to his ravenous eyes. Hwan was exactingly brutal in his need, and he did not let on, his fingertips and mouth leaving welts as he ravaged her. She revelled in the power she unleashed on Hwan, responding in kind as her starving hands roamed over him, trying to find ways to get closer to him, opening up for him. Jay Yi moaned and gasped in turns, a wet ball of aching hunger, the line between pleasure and pain blurring rapidly. She wanted to sink to her knees. He held her up by sheer strength, wrapping her around his hips, using his body to hold her captive against the hard surface of the pillar behind them, which acted as a porous surface that absorbed the volcanic energy their bodies generated.


    This was not the Hwan she knew, her gentle, kind, considerate, beautiful man. This Hwan exhilarated her, excited her, made her senseless with pleasure and crave the forbidden.


    This Hwan - terrified her.


    At that moment, Jay Yi understood she had driven Hwan to madness.


    Her heart ached.


    She cupped his face, trying to control their fevered passion and stem the flow of inevitability. Her palm filled with moist dampness his face was covered with.


    His fingers worked on the fastenings of her underpants, his incoherent moans mingling with hers as they hurtled towards a place from where there would be no return.


    She knew him too well. Even though her body rebelled, she could not let him. When his senses returned, it would destroy him.


    "Your Majesty - don''t do this -" Jay Yi pleaded and then gasped, her face contorting in pain as his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her thigh while tightening his hold on her legs around him, opening her up further.


    Hwan''s eyes fell on her, bereft of clarity.


    Her words sank in. Her pain registered.


    Something cracked. The black of his mind gave away to a crater of ashes as he suddenly felt removed from himself, like a curious onlooker. That onlooker judged him. Jeered him. Lassoed him with condemn for acting like a common thug, for daring to snatch what was not his and hit his conscience with a flesh ripping cane, dripping with repugnance.


    Who had he become? What was he doing!


    Stunned at what he saw as his own depravity, Hwan closed his eyes, breathing so hard that the bones of his chest shifted in pain.


    He was no better than an animal.


    Revulsion filled his mouth with a bitter metallic taste.


    Jay Yi slid out of his lifeless hands. Shaking, he staggered back. "Jay Yi - I -"


    Hwan turned around to face away from her dishevelled sight. He walked to a pillar further from her. Placing a hand, he leaned on it, shaking, his scattered, painful, humiliating thoughts coalescing into a demon that ate him from inside.


    His life was pulverising before him.  He had not only caged her, but he had tried to destroy her tonight. "I dishonoured you."


    "Your Majesty -" Her voice shook.


    The room started to tilt out of focus. "Looks like you have every reason to not want to be here with me," His voice was so full of self-loathing that Jay Yi wanted to run to him to soothe him.


    A bitter laugh escaped her. "You could not be dishonourable even if it killed you, Your Majesty. You did not dishonour me. If anything -"


    "I am becoming a monster around you."


    "Please stop! Why do you not listen to me? You are the kindest man I know. You didn''t do it alone. I let it happen because I -"


    "How many times will you forgive me, Jay Yi? You were right. I failed. I failed you in every way. I have even lost the right to apologise."


    "You are deliberately trying to ignore that I wanted it as much. You chose to walk away last time. I stopped you today because you would have hated yourself. I could not have lived with that -" Jay Yi whispered.


    "Is it possible to hate myself more than I already do, Jay Yi? I am sorry for everything." His voice cracked. "I have loved you to the point I am broken, and look what I have become, what I have done to you......I will not let this happen ever again. Our paths must diverge here."


    "If you truly love me, you cannot throw me out like this, Your Majesty," Jay Yi said achingly, her face wet with tears.


    "I am not throwing you out. I cannot bear that I have reduced someone so brave as you to a woman who is losing her mind because of my whims and my selfish desires. I kept coming to you, crowded you, tried to convince you that your place was with me here, in the Palace. You deserve better than this," the nasty truth bludgeoned him where it hurt the most. "You loved me, and my repayment was to damage you. You kept saying all the right things to make me happy -"


    "I have never lied to you. How often do I need to tell you I want to be here for you to believe me? Please, please don''t send me away." She walked to him and wound her hands around his waist. She felt like a broken piece of glass and did not know how else to reach him. "Please give me another chance. Please give us another chance."


    Hwan stiffened, moving away from her, unwrapping his hands from around him, not trusting himself.


    "You wanted to know why I avoided you, hid from you. I-"


    "I do not need to know anymore, Jay Yi, because it will not change the reality that you did, and I was the cause. You do not want to be here. This is - over." Hwan barely spoke over a whisper, but the echoes around the chamber amplified it to a point where it felt her eardrum would burst.


    Fresh tears spilt over from eyes that Jay Yi thought had become devoid of moisture. "No! It''s not. I will not accept it. You cannot do this. I at least deserve a chance. I am sorry for tonight, for that every night I have been difficult. But I can prove that I want to be here."


    The binyeo was lying at the foot of the steps, incandescent in the soft light of the lanterns around it, gleaming in a morbid shine that taunted the darkness in his heart. Hwan found himself drawn to it. Cold digits that seemed to belong to someone else picked the large, pointed metal pin from the floor. It was a phoenix.


    "All right. I shall give you a chance to prove you want to be here. Answer my question with the first thing that comes to your mind."


    Jay Yi''s heart lifted. Perhaps she still had a chance to show him she was telling him the truth.


    Hwan walked to her, footsteps slow, heavy, his gaze fixed on the binyeo in his hands.


    "Yesterday, you had the coronation ceremony. The Kingdom of Joseon declared you its Queen. When they placed the crown on your head -" Looking up from the binyeo, Hwan locked his eyes with her, "Tell me in one word, how did you feel?"


    Blood drained from Jay Yi''s face before she could manage to assemble any thoughts or command the composure to hide her feelings.


    She closed her eyes in the misery of her truth.


    Hwan saw it all. It was all he needed to know.


    Anything she could say in her defence would sound like a lie to him.


    Hwan''s lips curved in a mirthless half smile. "I thought so. I will ask Eunuch So to arrange your departure from the Palace. You can take everything that you have been gifted with you. Pack whatever you need from here." He looked over the corner he had lovingly set up for her with everything she might have needed for her crime-solving brain. "I will call back Tae Kang from Byeokcheon tomorrow. He will go with you to set you up in Gaeseong. For now, live with Ga ram in the villa for a few days."


    "Will- will you be able to live without me, Your Majesty?"


    His knuckles were white in his fist that held the long, pointed shaft of the golden hairpin, the rigid line of his shoulder telling her what he refused to voice.


    "Why Gaeseong?"


    Hwan walked over to the table by the side of the bed.


    "It''s the least I can do for my Master''s daughter. I know you will miss Ga ram but after her marriage to Myung Jin, she will be able to see you more often than she could if you were in the Palace."


    Liar. She knew he was ensuring his footsteps never found her again.


    "Is this your final decision, Your Majesty?" Jay Yi asked calmly.


    Surprised at her sudden, serene demeanour, Hwan glanced at her. She looked resigned, almost peaceful, despite her tear-ravaged face. Had she already come to terms with it? The pit of his stomach emptied. He looked away.


    "Yes." He swallowed painfully. He had finally managed to tear their hearts asunder.


    "Can I ask for one last favour from you?"


    "I do not know if I can grant it, but ask if you must."


    "Can you hold calling off the royal marriage edict till morning? I have a court lady''s case I was to hear tomorrow, but I will hear it tonight. If I give my ruling as a Queen, the Dowager will not be able to overrule it without your permission."


    Hwan rolled the pin in his hands. He had thought she would ask for something personal. Why was he surprised? Was this not who Jay Yi truly was?


    "Ensure you finish it tonight and be ready for departure tomorrow morning," Hwan said expressionlessly. He spurned the knife that twisted his gut. "I will call it off at the start of my duties at the Court."


    Jay Yi nodded and bowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Hwan gently deposited the binyeo on the table and, without looking at her, made his legs cover the distance across the room. He climbed up the steps, eased the door closed, walked into the small, private annexure, and pulled the door shut.


    And sank to the floor in grief.


    Jay Yi picked up the binyeo from the table. She took herself to the washroom and washed her face gently, careful not to wet her hair. She separated the pleats of her braid, running her fingers through it to separate the stands, pulling at them with a force that threatened to tear them from the roots. Sectioning her hair into three parts, Jay Yi rolled each portion over the other, alternating, weaving them expertly until the braid hung nice and smooth down her back. Jay Yi then straightened and smoothed her clothes. Rolling the braid at the nape of her neck, she inserted the binyeo, securing the bun.


    She straightened. She knew she looked regal, every inch the Queen Hwan had hoped she would become.


    Hwan had overlooked something. Jay Yi had never given up on hope, not even when the world had turned its back on her and left her to die.


    She was not about to start now.


    She also made her own decisions. Hwan would not decide where and how she spent the rest of her life.


    She looked at herself in the mirror. "Your Majesty, I still have the night."


    A few hours later, when her retinue came to fetch her, Jay Yi was calmly working on her translation of ?bu sa.


    Back at the detached Palace, she quietly took an early bath and changed into a set of orange and green hanbok.


    Jay Yi then serenely listened to the court lady''s case and thoughtfully gave her judgment. Unexpectedly, she caught a gleam of approval in Court Lady Kim''s eyes.


    "Court Lady Kim, may I ask you a question?"


    "You do not ever need my permission, Your Royal Highness." Court Lady Kim''s expert eyes examined Jay Yi''s royal meal tray as the other court ladies exited, leaving the chamber to two of them.


    "You have lived through the lives of three queens in this Palace. What kind of Queen do you think I would make from what you have seen?"


    "It is not my place to comment on something so above my station, Your Royal Highness."


    "I insist."


    "You still have a lot to learn, Your Royal Highness. You can act hastily, sometimes not befitting a Queen, and you must always measure what you say to others, a skill that seems to elude you at times. You are terrible at playing instruments, a drawback I regard as the worst kind, but then His Majesty does not spend much time listening to music, so it is not a deterrent, I suppose. Instead, you are gifted in Arts, which His Majesty is a patron of. And sometimes, you are too kind for your own good. But then, even if you were the worst, which you are not, you still would be an improvement on what the Palace has seen since His Majesty''s mother passed away."


    Jay Yi swallowed the information, almost smiling. This was Court Lady Kim''s way of complimenting her. She pushed a spoonful of rice into her mouth. Would this be her last meal in the Palace? Jay Yi almost choked, then trained her mind not to think about it.


    She did not expect what came out of the senior servant''s mouth next.


    "However, you have qualities this Palace might have never seen. You are exceptional in martial arts, have a brilliant mind, and, most importantly, a keen sense of justice. Your presence has already saved lives, and you have brought a sense of joy to the Palace servants. You have made some of us reevaluate how we do our duties, and we are also thankful for that."


    Jay Yi sat, her food forgotten, as she whispered, almost to herself, "Then, why do I feel so afraid?"


    "You must give yourself time to grow, too, Your Royal Highness. What you have accomplished in a month has taken others years. Please keep that in mind. "


    Court Lady paused, her face still devoid of expressions, but Jay Yi could tell she was contemplating whether to speak. "I owe you an apology from two years ago. You were right. I was too harsh on the young woman. I was amiss for not mentioning this earlier. You never shy away from fighting for what is right; that is the most critical asset a subject looks for in their ruler."


    Shock dilated Jay Yi''s eyes. "Since when -"


    Standing upright in her attendant''s position, Court Lady did not even bat an eyelid. "From the beginning, Your Royal Highness. I do not forget faces, especially of someone who was so fearless and had the favour of the Crown Prince. Some of us did not forget he gave up the throne for you. If he had failed his mission and lived, I believe he would not have returned and chosen to live with you outside this Palace. However, you have been pushed into a role you were not ready for. Fear is normal."


    Jay Yi stared at the older woman whose expression did not change despite her monumental confession. It also explained her paranoia at Jay Yi being left unchaperoned anywhere. The wise woman had not been wrong, Jay Yi thought with sadness. Jay Yi felt the pressure of tears behind her eyes. She wanted to embrace Court Lady Kim but knew the woman would die of disgust.


    Jay Yi fixed her eyes on the older woman. "Can I trust you to be my person?"


    "With my life, Your Royal Highness."


    Jay Yi traced the binyeo in her bun with her fingers. "I need you to do something."