As the 4^th prince led her away, Soo finally let herself think about her actions. She had snubbed Wook again for the second time, and judging by the look on his face tonight, she knew that there would be repercussions. Tonight only confirmed how much he had changed, and she wondered what could have caused that drastic transformation. Where was the sweet Wook who was solely devoted to his wife, even as she grew sicker and sicker? Where was the man who helped light candles in her room after she was threatened by sword point, just so she wouldn’t have nightmares? Where was the prince who snuck into Damiwon just to give her a hug, or taught her how to write his name?

As they got closer to the ceremonial grounds, the sound of the music threw her out of her reverie, and she dug her heels into the ground to stop. Seeing how she had stopped walking, the 4^th prince turned around, looking at her.

“Is something wrong, Soo ya?”

He noticed her leg and looked at her with worry on his face.

“I apologize, I was walking too fast, right? Your leg has been hurting.”

Soo shook her head, smiling.

“My leg is fine, though it does hurt a bit. But that happens weather I walk or not,” she said as she noticed their clasped hands. She slowly tried to retract her hand, but So simply tightened his hold.

“Your highness, we cannot be seen like this. People will start talking.”

He simply pulled her closer, smirking.

“Then let them talk. I am used to them speculating about me, and you should be as well.”

Soo searched his eyes before she smiled.

“Perhaps, but it would not do to have that tonight. There are too many people here at the palace for the ceremony. Maybe another day, So ya.”

His eyes widened to hear her say his name so informally and she took that opportunity to pull her hand away, grinning as she did so. So it seemed she had this effect on him. She would use that knowledge wisely in the future.

“Soo ya…”

“Your highness, I know I asked to see my friend Woo Hee, but as a musuri I am unable to enter the ceremonial grounds for the peace gathering tonight. I simply used it as a distraction so we could leave Wook.”

“You call him Wook? Do you call all the other princes by their names as well?”

“Well, I see Baek Ah a lot, since he comes to help Woo Hee.”

“Baek Ah? You’ve seen him a lot this past year?”

“Of course. He is no stranger at the Gyobang. I do miss Eunie sometimes. I wonder how he and Seon Deok are doing.”

“Eunie?!”

“Are you jealous, your highness?”

He cleared his throat and looked away, embarrassed at being caught.

“Of course not! I was simply inquiring,” he said before glancing back at her.

“You call my brothers’ names so easily like that. How come tonight was the first time you’ve called me by mine? I have always heard you call me ‘your highness’, nothing else.”

“I suppose the opportunity never came up.”

“But I call you Soo ya all the time!”

She looked at him in amusement, but a bit of sadness pulled at her heartstrings. Wook called her Soo ya too. She used to be on such good terms with the 8^th prince; however, that was no more. Although she was sad, it was more out of regret that she felt since her relationship with the 8^th prince had deteriorated to this. Where did it go wrong? She supposed it had started a year ago, perhaps even longer. Furthermore, this past year had given her time and space to truly think about her relationship with Wook.

She was never truly herself with him; she couldn’t be comfortable and say her inner thoughts. She was always afraid she would say or do something that would repulse him. And so she became docile, soft-spoken, and ladylike. It was so unlike her, but she thought she was simply improving herself. Now she knew that she was just pretending to be someone she was not. And all for who? A person who claimed he loved his wife after she died, but then started pursuing her a mere weeks after; a person who abandoned her without giving her any reason, despite proposing marriage to her. Soo wondered if Wook even knew what love was, or if he just was in love with the idea of love.

Looking at the 4^th prince now, she realized she never had to pretend with him. She had been herself since day one, when he had unceremoniously thrown her off his horse after saving her from a near-death experience. She remembered yelling at him that people came before horses, and he reared his steed on its hind legs to scare her before he rode away. Although their first meeting wasn’t on good terms, their later encounters made Soo change her opinion about So.

When she brought him lunch as he sat on the boulders outside the 8^th prince’s home, she realized that despite his infamous reputation, he was simply a lonely person. When she met him in the bathing pools at Damiwon, she realized he was insecure about himself, and that was why he hid behind a mask and such a cold personality. When he stopped Yeon Hwa from beating her, and called her his person, she realized he simply needed someone to treat him as a person. When he helped her escape her arranged marriage, she realized that despite living a life controlled by others, he did not wish that on anyone, even for someone he didn’t know well like her. When he confronted her about her self-inflicted injury to avoid marriage to the King, she realized he was a caring person, someone who got worried about others around him.

Everything changed after she helped him cover up his scar. She knew that he had developed feelings for her, but at the time she only had eyes for Wook. Now that she was standing in front of So now, she wondered how it would have been like if she didn’t have any feelings for the 8^th prince, but instead had fallen for the 4^th?

“Soo ya, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

He reached up towards his face where his scar was concealed, and Soo chuckled, shaking her head.

“No, your highness. I was simply thinking. Your face is fine.”

“See? You’re calling me ‘your highness’ again. Were you only teasing me earlier?”

“How was I supposed to know calling your name would affect you so much?”

“Ya..yah! If someone heard you calling me so informally, they would not leave you alone.”

She couldn’t help but let out a giggle at his reaction. She never realized how cute So could be when he was flustered.

“Are you laughing at me right now?”

“Of course not, your highness,” she said in between giggles.

“You are laughing at me!”

At this point, Soo had stopped hiding her laughs and simply laughed without hesitation. So looked at her in confusion before he too broke out into chuckles, joining her.

When she had finally gotten over her mirth, Soo saw in the distance the numbers of nobles and officials entering the ceremonial grounds for the peace gathering. It was getting late as well, and she knew she had to get back before anyone did see her with the 4^th prince. No matter how lucky they had been up to now with not being spotted, she didn’t want to risk any more chances.

Clearing , Soo gave a bow.

“Your highness, I must be getting back to the Gyobang. The ceremony has already started and you should be present.”

“I do not want to. I will be forced to keep pretenses in front of all the nobles who could care less about me. And I will have to sit through thinly veiled comments from my 3^rd and 9^th brothers. I would much rather spend more time with you.”

If she were to be honest, she did want to spend more time with So as well. She had so many questions swimming in her mind, especially after what was revealed earlier when Wook confronted them. However, she knew that that conversation was best saved for another day. She had waited a year without knowing when she would ever get her answers. However, So told her he would explain later, and he was a person who kept to his words. She could wait a few more days, because she trusted So would tell her when it was time.

“I understand that you do not care about what others say about you, but should people see us together, who do you think will be attacked first? You said it yourself earlier: if people heard me refer to you so informally, then I would be punished.”

She looked up at the 4^th prince to see an apologetic look his face.

“Soo ya, I did not think about that…I apologize.”

She shook her head.

“I am not blaming you, but simply stating the truth. This world is harsh to those who do not have titles like yourself, your highness.”

“I will protect you.”

“I know you will, but there will be times when you cannot be there. I must look after myself.”

Her words seemed to silence him, but she smiled.

“However, people cannot talk if they do not see anything.”

She lost the count of how many times she saw the surprised look on So’s face tonight, but she had a feeling she would be seeing more of them in the future.

“I like to sit on the banks of the river after I am done with my duties for the day. Good night, your highness.”

With a last bow, she turned around to hide a grin that made its way across her face, as she walked away from the dumbfounded 4^th prince.

When she arrived back to the Gyobang, Soo took out the hair pin that had been tucked in her robes. Looking at the peony flower and the butterfly, she traced the grooves and lines of the pin. Even after a year, So still kept it in mint condition despite all of his travels. He must have really treasured it, didn’t he? So had told her he would take it as a lucky charm, and she supposed it was. The hair pin had brought So back to Songak safe and sound.

Soo walked towards the mirror and carefully placed the hair pin in her hair. She didn’t have her braided hair from the days as a lady, and the shiny pin looked out of place in her limp hair, and with her worn out uniform. However, the sight of it made her smile. After admiring the pin some more, she took it out of her hair and brushed her fingers over its surface again.

Thinking back to the 4^th prince, she nearly kicked herself for forgetting momentarily. He had asked her to marry him, just so she could escape the palace! He even offered to divorce after they left, just so she could be happy. He didn’t ask her to wait for the right moment like the 8^th prince did. He simply cared about her freedom, and offered it with no strings attached. What kind of man did that? Especially a man who clearly had feelings for her like So did.

Soo let herself entertain the thoughts of marrying So. What would happen after they left? Would they find a place to settle somewhere? He said he wanted to live in peace. Perhaps they would find a place somewhere near a lake or a river. Somewhere they could enjoy the scenery or perhaps ride his horse. She remembered when he had taken her out of the palace to the beach just so she could relax. Granted, that was after he had forced a kiss on her, and she was still curious about what made him so distraught that it caused him to act that way. It was really wasn’t like him, especially after he held himself back on the day she covered his scar.

Shaking her head, she stopped herself from thinking too much. She knew that if she asked So, then he would give her answers. There was no use in worrying about the past. All she could do now was prepare for the future ahead.

The King had told her to prepare for what was to come. And to support the 4^th prince. Soo wondered if So knew about how the King thought of him, and of her. It almost seemed like the King was giving them both permission to be together. Of course, she couldn’t be too sure, right? She would have to find a way to ask the King again about his intentions when he told her that.

Gripping the pin tighter in her hand, Soo decided that she would let things travel their natural course. Because Wook no longer held her heart, she realized she was starting to feel something for So. Granted, she had always cared for So, worrying if he would be happy when he entered the palace, or if he was sleeping and eating well. Although she had never associated any feelings of love with So, she wondered if she had always loved him since the beginning. Perhaps at first as a friend, but now it was developing into something more. And the thought terrified her.

But as much as the thought terrified her, it made her excited; it made her look forward to what would happen. The King had told her not to be too caught up in the future, and she wondered if it would be okay if she and the 4^th prince ended up together. Would that cause his star to shift from being a star of a king to simply a star of a prince again? Didn’t the King tell her that she had changed his fate when she covered So’s scar?

If she was able to change his fate like that, then perhaps it would be okay if she stayed by So’s side. Even if in the end she could not stay with him, she would provide him support, whether that was one of a friend or something more.

That night, Soo slept with the pin hidden in her robes, right next to her heart. And for the first time in a year, she had a restful sleep free from ghosts of her past. Instead, she had dreams of butterflies floating about in a field of peony flowers, and of a certain 4^th prince riding away on his horse.

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