Please continue to tell me your thoughts on the chapters as we proceed,
I can't wait to hear your thoughts and chapter 2.

I hope you enjoy it ~
x C

Nabi's POV*

Our path to the palace was burdensome, as the humid summer's air pressed down heavily on our lungs. It soon caused everyone to feel tired and exhausted, which was probably why the guards grew uncautious underneath their heavy armour. They didn't notice the shadows, that whizzed through the forest, that our path crossed. I saw them first in the corner of my eye and second with my bare eyes as I glanced in their direction.

"Daegam!" I shouted, immediately alarmed, when I was sure I had made brief contact with a pair of eyes between the trees.

"What is it?" the eunuch replied on behalf of the prince.

"I believe we are being followed" I said, feeling more uneasy with every step we took forward. 

"Followed?" the eunuch repeated, at once cautious of his surroundings. The woods looked peaceful, but general anxiety had mixed with the humid summer's air.

"Nabi-ssi" the prince said and stuck his head out the window of the carriage. "What makes you believe that?" 

But before I could reply, three assassins, armed with bows and arrows, jumped out of their hiding and cut our path.

But before I could reply, three assassins, armed with bow and arrow, jumped out from the woods and attacked the guards in front of us. Three more appeared behind us.

"Protect the prince!!" the eunuch shouted and drew a sword at once. I jumped off the horse to escape the arrow rain that overcame our trail and hid between horse and carriage. 

"Daegam!" I energically whispered to the carriage. "Daegam!! Come hide here with me!" 

The prince followed my advice and quickly climbed out of the carriage to hide with me. Sitting closely crouched together, I could feel his breath on my cheek. He looked terrified, so I nudged his shoulder slightly, to encourage him.. 

"We will live" I said, without being certain. But then the horse that had served as part of our hide-out, neighed and ran off in panic. At once we were discovered by one of the assassins.

Reacting quickly, I built myself up in front of the prince. "Daegam, get behind me" I said.

"Don't be daft now!" the prince exclaimed.

The assassin just laughed, as he approached us. "What do we have here" he said and stepped closer.

I could see his eyes clearly now, they were surrounded by the lines of a grim smile. "Look here flower, why don't you spare your life? Come with us after we killed the prince. Our boss will treat you well, if you treat him well every once in a while, if you know what I mean"

This was the chance. He stood close enough. Without replying, I seized my sword from behind me and pushed the slate upward into the assassin's stomach. His eyes widened with pain and shock, as he let out a disgusting sound, before dropping into the floor.

With the realization of having killed the first person in my life, came an unbearable sickness, that quickly rose into my throat. It wasn't improved by the prince who whirled me around, holding me by my shoulders.

Nabi-ssi are you out of your mind?" he shouted. "I was worried he would kill you any second!!" 

I looked down on my blood-stained slate and back up into the prince's clear, worried eyes.

"You are alive, that's all that matters, Daegam" I replied, as I dropped the sword and wiped away the tears of guilt with my sleeve. I never had to kill a person before and the knowing of having done so, pressed onto my heart, no matter how evil he had been. He had been a living breathing soul.

After the remaining assassins had been warded off we were joined by five remaining guards and the eunuch who inquired after the prince's well-being. 

"Daegam!!" the eunuch cried. "You live! Buddha had mercy with you once again"

"I live thank's to our men and this girl" he said and placed his hand on my shoulder, to which I bowed my head with embarrassment. The prince turned to me again, and gave me a small smile.  

"The girl?" the eunuch wondered.

"She killed the assassin" the prince exclaimed proudly.
"If it wasn't for you I would probably be dead. So I would like to grant you a wish to show my gratitude" 

"Daegam!" the eunuch protested. "Please remember your position, daegam"

"Is saving the future emperor's life not worth a wish fulfilled?" he asked angrily, to which the eunuch decided to better remain quiet. 

"So, what is it that you want?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his back with a complacent smile. I considered for a moment, but at once I couldn't think of a single thing he could fulfill. So I just smiled, slightly embarrassed and tilted my head. 

"Daegam, your offer is very generous. But at this moment, I cannot think of anything I desire. Perhaps, can I save my wish for later?" i wondered, hoping my request wasn't too daft. The eunuch's face was at once tainted with disapprovement.

"Very well" the prince complied. "Until we arrive at the gates, ride with me in the carriage" 

"Daegam, her position doesn't allow it" the eunuch protested again, but the prince grew tired of his objections. 

Without a sole reaction, he offered me to step into the carriage. Of course I felt extremely out of place, sitting beneath velvet and gold, being carried on the shoulders of men above my rank. 

Prince Jiyong's POV*

I regarded Nabi closely as she looked around inside the carriage. Her almond eyes that were still full of innocence, her lucid skin and the peachy colour of her lips. Although she seemed ordinary, something about her enchanted me anew with every time our eyes met. It was a strange sort of affection that I had never felt for anyone before. 

"It's not far until the palace now. You won't have to feel uncomfortable for much longer" I joked, to which she nodded. 

"Thank you again" I said to which she just shook her head. As she did so, i couldn't help but notice the hairpin in the shape of a butterfly that was placed in her long ponytail. Its wings were studded with blood-red garnets and the pint itself was of ivory with golden details.

"What a marvellous hairpin" I remarked. "It must have been really expensive"

"My father gave it to my mother after she gave birth to me" Nabi explained. 

"Your parents must be proud" I said. But instead of her agreement, I earned the saddest look I had ever seen on a girl. 

"My mother died when I was little and my father I have never met" she admitted, to which my heart began to ache. How peculiar, I thought it was, to feel compassion for someone I barely knew.

"You never met your father?" I repeated.

"No" she agreed with a sigh. "I just know that he used to work and live in the palace"

I raised my brows in surprise. So that's why she was sitting with me now. Her existence as a gisaeng was not about being a pleasure to the future emperor. Her ambition had been to find her father all along.

"I hope you will find him" I encouraged her to which she smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Daegam. You are a kinder man than they say" Nabi said, when suddenly the carriage stopped.

"We are at the gates, the girl must get out this instant" the eunuch said, to which Nabi nodded and jumped out of the carriage with the help of a guard.

Nabi's POV*

Following along behindthe carriage, I watched as the giant iron gates of the palace opened with a thunder-like noise. As their feet pushed aside the gravel, they slid aside like curtains that revealed the broad and vast inside of the court. An array of servants awaited the prince. 

With them was a woman, who even from our distance emanated an air of elegance and luminious beauty. Her aura was so bright, that it excelled the vivd shade of red her hanbok's skirt was made of.

Eventually we stopped with the servants and the woman, who must have been the head gisaeng of court. As the guards lowered the carriage, the prince stepped out with  his usual cheeky smile.

"Jiwon-ssi, your beauty shines especially brightly today" the prince greeted her. 

"Daegam must be joking. I'm afraid my face is puffy today" the woman laughed off the prince's advances, by gently patting her cheeks.

"Nonsense, despite the wine you shared with my brother yesterday, your beauty has not decreased at all" the prince complimented her further.

"How was your journey? I hope you found someone who pleases your taste, daegam" she said, tilting her head. Her eyes emanating little bewitching stars, that would have every man's heart melting in her hands.

"Unfortunately we were attacked again" the prince replied with a heavy sigh. Jiwon clutched her hands to her lips.

"You have?" she wondered dismally.

"Not to worry Jiwon-ssi. The palace is well guarded and I was lucky to have picked a girl who is experienced with swords" the prince explained with a laugh.

The woman caught sight of me and curiously raised a brow. "So she is your chosen one, daegam?" Jiwon inquired with a smooth smile on her red-painted lips, before uncovering her wrist and waving me to her.

I approached her with a curteous smile on my face. Gisaeng-mode. Correctness and poise, as I was trained to portray. Being a person who likes to break the rules and get in trouble often, I developed an instant correction mode. The prince seemed slightly taken aback by it.

She seized my chin and gently moved it from side to side, scrutinizing every inch of my face with keen focus.

"She has a pleasant, soft beauty to her being, I can see why you have chosen her, Daegam" she remarked eventually.

"Oh Jiwon, you are mistaken. I didn't choose her for her looks. I chose her for her personality" the prince explained, to which Jiwon raised her brows in surprise.

„Also, she is marvellous with the swords" the prince added. "I'm sure she will do well by learning from you personally." 

"Of course, Daegam" she said sweetly and bowed, which I mimed at once.

"Work hard" he said with a smile and walked away with the eunuch and two guards. 

As soon as they had left, Jiwon dropped her sweet smile and tilted her head while regarding me. Her experssion was strict and her entire being all at once intimidating.
 

"If you think this place is fun and games you are mistaken" she began, while walking in circles around me. "On a scale of 1 to 10 you are a 7.9 which means even more work for you. If you came here in order to become a consort or even empress, you should leave right now, because it will not happen.“ 

I raised my brows at her, shocked about her sudden transformation of character.

"Fan" she commanded, to which one of the servants handed her a gorgeous white fan.

"What is your name?" she inquired, spreading it and beginning to fan her face elegantly.

"Yi Nabi" I replied, politely.

"Noh Jiwon. I am the head gisaeng of this court. As the prince assigned me to personally train you, I assume he will call upon you soon. It seems as if we have a lot of work ahead of us. So follow me" she explained swiftly.

"Where are we going?" I wondered.

"The women's pavillion, we are going to prepare you. You need to look your very best. Also, I'll tell you exactly how to behave in certain situations" she replied, by going through the list she had written in her mind

"What for?" I inquired further. Jiwon raised a brow at me and snapped her fan close.

"Do they teach you girls nothing at the academies these days?" she wondered, before sighing with exhaustion. "If you are to be trained by me you at least have to listen! The prince picked you personally, so you will most likely become his new favourite."

There was a pause between us, until she realized I still had not yet understood. Jiwon rolled her eyes and moved her face close to mine. "That means that you will probably be responsible for pleasing him the most of all, if that rings a bell"

Once I understood, my face dropped. My eyes glanced up at Jiwon, who nodded slowly to confirm.

"Welcome to the palace, baby" she said with a smirk, throwing her fan open out of her wrist and continuing to walk ahead of me. "It seems, that prince Jiyong is smitten with you. His expectations seem to be high enough for him to call upon you soon. Tonight, even. Which is why we need to prepare you accordingly, or I will be the one who gets the mung beans from him, got it?"

"Y-yes" I asked, still intimidated by the thought of having to show my 'skills' that soon.

"Prince Jiyong is kind, but a child at heart. Let's say patience is not his biggest vice. He hates not getting his will" she explained, as we arrived at the women's pavillon. It was a beautiful building, whose pillars were decorated with wooden floral ornaments. Surrounded by luscious green bamboo, it had its own small garden with a pond, that grew luscious white lotus flowers. We were surprised by a young man standing by the pond. He stood tall, with a straight posture. Dressed in black silken clothing with red ornaments, he seemed to be waiting for somebody.

Soon, his and Jiwon's eyes met, which caused her to turn to me quickly..

"Go and wait for me inside and change your clothes. Have some rest, you must be tired from this day" she said sweetly, and patted my shoulder gently.

"Who is that?" I wondered curiously.

"That is none of your concern and if you tell anybody, you will regret it" she said, squinting her eyes at me.

Taken aback, by yet another swift change of personality I just performed a short bow, before I headed to the pavillon. I couldn't resist to take a swift look over my shoulder, to watch the young man handing Jiwon-ssi a pink chrysanthemum he had hidden behind his back. Seems like Jiwon-ssi has a secret lover, I thought and with a cheeky smile, entered my new home.