Seungho’s face hardened and he stepped closer to Jinkyong. “Whose business is it anyway?”

“The business of the palace,” the minister responded calmly. “I’m going to alert the authorities that you’ve been found your highness.”

Jinkyong stepped around Seungho. “You are very kind sir, but I am in safe hands plus we have an arrange—“

“An arrangement? With this, this…?” He had his eyebrows pointed at the indignant thought of the princess being associated with a bandit. Seungho’s nostrils flared.

Jinkyong tried to soothe over the situation. “Please sir, please try to understand.”

“No, you will not be leaving with him,” as he finished Seungho drew his blade and held it at the man’s chest. The man stood there, a satisfied expression on his face. It took a minute to realise why as six soldiers from the palace all arrived and surrounded the pair. Seungho started to fight with them, sword on sword until one of them saw an opening and knocked his sword out of his hand. He was then knocked to the ground with a punch.

The man started to drag Jinkyong away with him. “No please don’t do this—NO!”

Jinkyong had seen one of the guards with his blade about to through Seungho’s back. Her loud defiant scream was all it took to stop him. Seungho lay in the dirt, the dust making his dark clothing lighter.

The minister pushed her into the hands of a soldier. “Take her to the palace,” he said and the soldier forcefully made Jinkyong crawl into a box with four poles through it to carry the passenger by foot.

“W-w-what about him?!” Jinkyong exclaimed as the soldier used a hand to shove her inside.

“He’s under arrest for kidnapping and holding a member of royalty hostage.”

Jinkyong couldn’t voice out the truth of his innocence for the litter was raised off the ground and the men started to carry her back to the palace. Sitting in the small enclosure she felt her world shattered and it wasn’t long before she was shedding bitter tears.

Seungho was made to stand up and sent to walk with the minister and the other soldiers behind the litter. Stumbling on a small stone he lifted his face to the back of the box. He imagined her sitting in the small square space. A slight twinge of regret and defeat came to his heart.

Jinkyong was going to end up back in the hands of the same man who had tried to remove her from the throne before. Much to his dismay he felt it was out of his power to rescue her this time.

Cheolyong looked at Byunghee who was examining something on a table while seated on the floor. “What is it?”

“Those two have been taking a while haven’t they?”

Byunghee looked confused. “Who are you referring to?”

“The princess and… Who is that guy?”

Byunghee sighed. “Seungho, former good man before his father was found involved in a possible conspiracy of treason. After his father’s death he became a bandit who robs people on the sides of roads but takes pity on the poor; enjoys fishing in his spare time and has strong affections for the princess.”

Cheolyong nodded and then asked, “Hold on… He and the princess t-they are…?”

Byunghee had to shake his hand side to side. “It’s still in its early stages. Why don’t we look for them instead of talking?” They got up and headed to the markets where they split the area in two and started to search for their missing companions.

During his search Byunghee had to pause at a shop where the smell of bread was coming from inside. Entering he found the wooden shelves with the flat, delightful bread ready to sell. As he greeted the shop keeper something flickered across his mind.

“You wouldn’t have happened to have seen a rough looking man and a well presented lady come by recently?”

The man paused however another voice interrupt. “I have,” the woman came over to Byunghee, “come with me, we cannot talk in here.” Byunghee noticed the other people in the shop watching them and so he agreed to follow her out.

She took him behind the shop where he yanked his arm free. “What do you know about my friends? Who are you?” He looked at her satin hanbok, polished face from the cosmetics and her large hair piece.

“I’m Minjoo,” she answered, “I met the man you’re talking about and the lady he was with. When she found out the truth of my identity she was not pleased.”

Byunghee hesitated to think and then something struck him. “Minjoo, y-you’re the one Seungho told me about. You and him used to—“

“—that’s right,” with this answer he started to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. “He and I were lovers until two years ago. The lady he was with must have strong feelings for him, she left soon after he told her.”

It was this that another realisation dawned on Byunghee except he did not express what it was out loud. “Do you know where they are?”

She paused appearing to think back. “From what I recently heard… There was a scene at the edge of the market place just before you came. Apparently the princess has been found and the man she was travelling with was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping. She was taken to the palace”

Byunghee felt his mood dimming as he saw what had happened. “Thank you,” he said to her starting to leave.

“Cheolyong,” Byunghee spotted him sipping some rice wine a merchant had allowed him to taste from the ladle. Grabbing the wooden spoon he threw it at the merchant before dragging his friend away. “We have no time for drunken excitement!”

“W-why what happened did you find them?” Cheolyong asked blankly.

“Yes but we have to hurry, Jinkyong’s travelling back to the palace and if we aren’t fast Seungho’s head could end up on a spike in the middle of the capital!”
 

After a long trip sitting in the same spot for a while the litter came to a stop where the door was opened and Jinkyong was let out. She almost didn’t recognise the palace in the dark. The wide extending roofs of the two storey main building along with the stone steps and rail at the front did not feel as comforting like it normally was.

“My lady,” a woman dressed in pink, teal and purple with red and white trim on the sleeves came and bowed to her. “I am Go Soyeon I am your servant dedicated to attending your every need.”

Jinkyong’s heart ached as she looked at the woman. She remembered her former lady in waiting who had been with her for many years. Now that position had been filled by someone who didn’t understand her as well as her former one had.

“Come with me your highness for you must be tired,” the Soyeon took Jinkyong by the arm, resting a hand on her shoulder. Too tired to resist any further the princess went with her and the other half a dozen servants to the place she knew well, her quarters.

They took her to the bath room where she soaked in a steam rising tub full of water where her hair was washed, combed and she was lathered with oils to soften and make her skin smell fresh.

After the bath she was dressed in a light purple hanbok, hair braided and pulled into a bun and a hair pin stuck through the middle. Her face was painted with light colouring to brighten her complexion and she was given jade rings to wear on her right finger.

Soyeon made her stand in front of a mirror. “There, you look even more beautiful than before.”

Jinkyong nodded solemnly. She knew the reason for her being dressed up was so she could visit the most important man in the country, her father.

Her party filed down the hall to a set of sliding doors where they stopped. A man wearing green, the king’s advisor made a smile and slid the doors open for her.
“Your highness, Princess Yi Jinkyong is here.”

“Let her in,” the king commanded and Jinkyong made a small bow to her father’s advisor before entering. As soon as she stepped in the doors slid shut, allowing the two to privacy.

The king was seated, wearing gold, his hair in a top knot. When he saw Jinkyong his face lit up, a smile causing more creases on his already ageing face. “Princess, you’re here; after so long you’ve finally returned.”

Jinkyong felt her mask starting to crack as she faced her father. She wanted to cry in his arms. But as a member of the royal family, such gestures were not considered appropriate. Blinking to clear her eyes she made a small smile and then bowed before sitting on a cushion opposite him.

“Tell me child, how are you feeling? The man who had you in his grasp... Did not hurt you did he?”

She shook his head. “Your highness, I’m afraid there’s been a terrible mistake. The man that the minister saw me with—“

“—is now behind bars where he will sleep under the watch of the guards until his interrogation tomorrow morning.”

Her heart sank. Finding a way to him would be nearly impossible. “Once he’s been found guilty of kidnapping he’ll be sentenced to a very suitable punishment, death.” Jinkyong though she would be sick. “Which reminds me, there’s someone else who wants to see you.”

“Is it the queen?” Jinkyong really wished she could see her mother. She would understand. However the king shook his head. The doors opened as his advisor came in, whispered something to him that made the ruler of the land beam.

“Excellent, he may come in.”

The doors opened as a man dressed in a long yellow coat that flowed about, hair in a top knot and groomed well came in. He was tall, taller than Seungho but maybe around the same height as Changsun and slim except for his broad shoulders. The bow of his lips had sharp curves, nose rather flat and small eyes.

Jinkyong froze as he bowed to the king respectfully. “Your highness, thank you for alerting me of her return,” he then glanced at her, his expression ambiguous as he appeared to show how pleased he was that she was back.

“Princess, you do not know how delighted I am that you have been found. It brings me great joy to see my fiancée safe and sound.”
 

Whoa look who decides to enter the picture?