Soo dipped her brush into the color she had mixed on a plate, before turning back towards Woo Hee to brush it against her lips. She leaned back to look at the color before leaning closer to continue the application.

 

“Is that color too dark on me?”

 

Their eyes met and Soo shook her head, smiling as she did.

 

“No, I just checked to make sure. Your eyes are dark, so we have to balance it out with something like this.”

 

She finished applying the lip color before wiping the brush dry.

 

“There you are. All done,” she said before holding up a mirror for the sword dancer to see.

 

Woo Hee smiled at Soo before looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her smile grew wider upon seeing herself and she looked back up at Soo gratefully.

 

“Of course, I should have never doubted you, Soo ya. You are a miracle worker!”

 

Soo smiled and shook her head before turning back to her supplies to clean up.

 

“It was not hard when I already had such a beautiful canvas. I simply enhanced your features.”

“Regardless, thank you. Thank you for everything, Soo ya. For your friendship, for your advice, and for your make up skills. I do not know what I would have done without you this past year.”

 

She stopped packing away her box and turned around, putting her hands on her hips, mouth in a slight frown.

 

“Woo Hee, why are you saying all of that? It makes it seem like you are going away somewhere. I simply helped you prepare for your performance tonight. You worry too much!”

 

Woo Hee’s expression seemed to waver a bit before she smiled again, just as normal. Soo decided that it must have been her nerves talking, so she went over to give Woo Hee a hug.

 

“You will be fantastic tonight.”

 

Woo Hee returned her embrace and Soo could feel her nod before pulling away.

 

“I should go get ready with the other girls. We have a final practice before the performance in a little bit.”

“All right, have fun!”

 

With a last smile, Woo Hee gathered her swords and left the room. Soo tidied up the rest of the supplies before stowing away her box. It became routine for her to do Woo Hee’s make up ever since she came to the Gyobang, and she was thankful for the opportunity to keep practicing her skills. Though tonight was a bit strange. She could see Woo Hee had something on her mind, but she didn’t know what it was. When she had asked her to do her make up for tonight, it seemed as if it was a last request.

 

“I want them to see me once, and never be able to forget me again.”

 

No, she was probably overthinking it. Woo Hee always did conduct herself with a sense of maturity and seriousness, as if she held the world upon her dainty shoulders. Though Soo had wanted to ask about her troubles many times, she held back. She knew what it was like to have memories she didn’t want to share, and Woo Hee was the same. Soo just hoped that Woo Hee would be okay from now on, especially because she had Baek Ah now. As she walked out of the Woo Hee’s room, she had a smile on her face. Baek Ah was clearly in love with Woo Hee, and she was simply waiting for the moment when the two would be honest with their feelings towards each other.

 

Arriving at the stairs, she grimaced. Her knee was bothering her again tonight, but she would make do. As she limped down the stairs, Soo suddenly heard someone call out her name.

 

“Soo ya!”

 

It was Wang So. She made it down the stairs and tried veer around him as he came towards her. However, he would not have that and blocked her way. She kept her head down, hoping that he would take that as a hint to leave her alone. He didn’t say anything before holding out his hand, revealing the pin she had given back to him a year ago.

 

“Let’s get married.”

 

Soo looked up at So in surprise.

 

“What?”

 

Married? To the 4^th prince? It was only days ago that he was telling her he would get her out of the Gyobang. Was this the method he was referring to when he said he would think of something?

 

“If we get married, you can leave the Gyobang and the palace. Let’s do that.”

 

He must have thought of this when she told him she was scared of the palace life. A part of her was happy he remembered and took that into consideration. The thought was tempting, leaving the palace anyway. She tried to quiet the small voice telling her that being married to the 4^th prince wouldn’t be all that bad either.

 

“I cannot do that,” she said. She then heard him sigh before he replied.

“If you really do not like me, we can divorce once we leave the palace. I will do that for you, so let us leave.”

 

She looked at So, searching his face. She knew right away that he was serious about that. He truly would divorce her if she asked him to. So was just that type of person, especially when it came to her. She still didn’t understand what made her so special to him, to the point where he would sacrifice his own heart to just be with her, even if she didn’t return his feelings.

 

“You still have a lot of work to do, your highness. You do not need to leave because of me. Furthermore…the King worries and thinks a great deal about you.”

 

His face hardened when she brought up the king.

 

“The King worries about me? Why would he do that? He is constantly testing his children. He is king before he is a father.”

 

He turned his head and she saw his teeth clench.

 

“I do not want to be by his side because of that.”

 

Soo knew the King cared for So, more so than he let on. Of course, she only found that out after her meeting with the King, but it seemed like So was unaware of his father’s affections for him, and his expectations. If the 4^th prince was to become king, he had to remain at the palace. She could not take him away.

 

“What if…you were to become king, your highness? Would you still leave?”

 

So looked back at her, his eyes searching her own.

 

“If I were to be King, would you leave with me? Would you leave because you knew that one day you would sit by my side as a Queen?”

“Of course not! I do not have such ambitions,” she exclaimed.

 

Her? Be queen? That was preposterous. How could she ever dare to dream of such a position? Furthermore, she had no desire to hold such power. So chuckled as he took in her expression.

 

“I know you are not like that. I was simply jesting, about being King anyway. I am serious about leaving though. While it was hard to travel, I often felt very free. I thought of you every day; I wanted you to feel freedom like that.”

 

How did he know, even back then before she became a musuri, that she wanted to be free? He only found out about her demotion after returning to Songak.

 

“Soo ya, you were forced into a marriage with my father, and then harmed yourself to escape that. The right punishment was slavery, but you became a Damiwon court lady instead. Any person would feel trapped, especially if they entered the palace the way you did.”

 

“But, I never told anyone. I was happy as a court lady…especially under Court Lady Oh.”

“You were content, but were you really happy?”

 

There he went again, making her question herself. He always had a way of making her confess her most inner thoughts. It wasn’t a bad thing. On the contrary, whenever she was able to talk about how she felt with So, she immediately felt better. Like the time when he confronted her about her scar, or when she had accidentally splashed water on him in the palace gardens, and he gave her advice on how to survive in the palace.

 

He stepped closer to her during her musings, and gently took her hand in his. He placed the hair pin in her palm before curling her fingers over it with his other hand.

 

“I want to be with you in peace, without anything in the way. I want you to be happy, even if it is not with me. Being king means nothing to me if I cannot make you happy.”

“Why would you do that for me? Especially after I have told you I had feelings for another?”

“Even if you had feelings for someone else, I do not care. You are my person after all.”

 

Soo scoffed, shaking her head.

 

“Did I not tell you before not to call me that? It is such a burdensome title.”

 

So grinned at her retort, and her heart couldn’t help but flutter at the sight.

 

“Did you not remember? I told you on the day of the rain ritual, before you covered my scar: I am in your hands. I am yours.”

 

He let go of her hand and rapped her forehead with his knuckles once, albeit gently. Just as he did a year ago in the palace gardens.

 

“If I am yours, then naturally it makes sense that you are mine.”

 

Soo was surprised at his actions and rubbed her forehead, pretending to be in pain.

 

“Ya, is that how you go about proposing marriage to me? Saying that it makes sense?”

 

So chuckled before opening his mouth to reply. However, before he could do so, someone else spoke up.

 

“A prince marrying a water maid?”

 

She turned to look at Wook in surprise. When had he gotten here? So quietly and gently pushed her behind him and took a protective stance. Wook saw this, and she saw him glance at her before directing a glare at So.

 

“Do not manipulate Soo with such lies.”

“If I say it is marriage, then it is marriage. I would not lie to her.”

“That child was put in danger because of you. She ended up here because she got mixed up in a fight between you and Queen Yoo.”

 

Queen Yoo? She looked at So questioningly and he glanced back at her.

 

“I will explain lat—”

“There is nothing to explain,” Wook interrupted again. “It started with you, and now you want to marry her?”

 

The 8^th prince let out a chuckle, and it sent chills down Soo’s spine.

 

“I cannot forgive you for what you put her through.”

The 4^th prince let out a chuckle of his own.

 

“I feel the same way. I gave you everything you needed to prove Hae Soo’s innocence. In the end you could not do it.”

 

He what? She looked back at Wook again, and she could see that he was now looking at her. His expression was no longer as confident as it was before. So knew who orchestrated the poisoning incident? But why couldn’t he help her? Why did he have to tell Wook? And furthermore, why was Wook not able to prove her innocence?

 

“Soo ya, do not listen to him. The 4^th prince is lying.”

 

No, the 4^th prince was telling her the truth. She had always wondered why So drank three cups of poison. She heard the poison they used was very potent, and you could instantly feel the effects after the first drop. Yet, So drank two more cups of tea after the first one. It seemed like he knew he was drinking poison, as if he was doing it so he could hide something.

 

He had to have had something to hide. Why else would he have to rely on Wook to help him? She looked back at Wook, her gaze hardening. And he was right: Wook was never able to help him, or her for that matter. That was why he did not show up during her supposed day of execution. That was why he turned away from her in the rain as she kneeled protesting.

 

But So was there both times. He was even there when he had barely recovered from the poisoning, visiting her cell with a pale face and breathing in pain. She knew there must have been a reason why he couldn’t save her, and she would wait to hear that from him, and no one else. Not even from Wook.

 

“No, he is not lying. He is telling the truth.”

“Soo ya, how could you trust him over me? After everything we have been through?”

 

She could see So’s shoulders shaking, and she put a hand on his arm, trying to comfort him.

 

“Your uselessness makes me shake in anger…”

 

Upon hearing that, Wook grabbed onto So’s robe collar, anger expressed all over his face.

 

“You..!”          

 

So took a fistful of Wook’s robes as well, pulling him closer, eyes spitting fire. Soo could see that this would not end well if she let the two men be, so she stepped in between them and tried to push them apart.

 

“Princes, please! Tonight is the peace gathering. We do not want to draw attention!”

 

So was the one who let go first, and after a few moments, so did Wook. After another glare at So, Wook turned towards her.

 

“Soo, you should head on inside. We will take care of things out here.”

“Why do I need to leave?”

 

It was almost satisfying to see the look of confusion and surprise on Wook’s face. She stepped next to So and took his hand. When she did, she could see both men look down at their clasped hands before looking up at her face.

 

“Soo ya, what are you doing with So?”

“Stop pretending like you care about me.”

“But…!”

“Keep turning your back on me like you have been doing,” she said before forming a grim smile.

“You have been doing it for the past year. It should not be hard to do it again.”

“Soo ya, I can explain!”

“We are no longer in-laws. I have nothing to do with you anymore, so you do not have to explain anything to me.”

 

The gongs sounded in the distance, signaling the beginning of the peace gathering ceremony. Soo turned towards the 4^th prince, looking at his face and seeing his look of surprise. She held in a grin.

 

“Your highness, my friend Woo Hee is going to perform. Do you think we can go see her?”

“O..oh, is she?”

 

He cleared his throat before speaking again, and she had to fight even harder to hold back a grin despite the atmosphere that was created with Wook’s presence.

 

“All right, let us go. I am sure she would want you to be there to see her.”

 

With a last glare at Wook, So turned back to smile at her before leading her towards the palace ceremonial grounds, away from the Gyobang and away from the 8^th prince.

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No copyright infringement was intended. This is simply a fan work based on the drama "Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo".