I don’t want to sound like an expert on time travel (though I do have some experience), but usually when you arrive in a new place, your body doesn’t feel the same. Your limbs don’t work as well as they normally do, your mouth is dry, and you feel disoriented, but I think the most prominent thing is how cold and lonely you feel. I guess that’s what traveling through time would feel like.

But when I finally came to, I didn’t feel cold or lonely; I felt warm and comforted. Although my eyes hadn’t opened yet, I could hear a deep voice calling to me. The person sounded worried and upset and I could hear their jagged, unsteady breathing.

“Soojin-ssi,” the person called. “Soojin-ssi, please wake up. Can you hear me?”

I moved my head and groaned, my eyes still shut. Although my body felt sore, I could tell someone was holding me because of the heat surrounding my body.

“Soojin-ssi.” I heard a relieved sigh followed by a bewildered laugh. “My goodness you scared me. I turned around and all of a sudden you were gone, then I looked for you behind the curtain and I heard you fall.” I felt their hand my hair. “You scared me.”

My eyes finally opened, but the harsh sunlight forced me to squint. I saw the king’s face directly above mine, a small smile dancing on his lips. It looked like a ten-pound brick had been lifted from his shoulders.

I glanced down at my clothes, but they weren’t muddy anymore. My hair was still in place, too. I was curious, but also thankful, and I knew I didn’t have time to dwell over this small detail.

The coin. I could feel it resting in my right hand. I quickly stuffed it into the white pouch that was in my other hand and hid it in my garments before the king could ask me about it.

“Are you okay? You fell pretty hard.” The king’s voice brought me back to reality.

I nodded weakly and began to sit up, but Chanyeol gently pushed me back down so that my head was in his lap. “Don’t move, you should rest. I’ll call Lady Choi—”

“No!” I shouted, louder than I intended to.

He watched me as he waited for an explanation, but I couldn’t give him one. Everything suddenly came back to me: Lady Choi with the man, the queen crying, the promise I made, and the man in black. . . It was so overwhelming that my mind felt fried.

“Why shouldn’t I call her?”

“Don’t trust your servants and don’t trust the council.” The queen’s voice rang through my head.

Remembering her devastated countenance and regretful promises made my eyes swell with tears.

Stop crying. Stop it. It’s not your problem.

But it was. It really was my problem. I saw it happen. I should’ve done something, I should’ve stopped it, I should’ve helped her, but I just sat there and then left. I was a coward that had been sent into the past to do an impossible task. I couldn’t do it.

The tears fell over and Chanyeol’s hand quickly moved toward my face. He gently wiped the tears away with his thumb. “Don’t cry,” he pleaded. “I don’t like seeing you cry.” His voice only made me cry harder. His gentleness made me feel guiltier and sadder than I was before, even though I knew his intentions were pure.

I swallowed and attempted to stop crying, but it was hard to with the king being so close, not to mention his careful thumb wiping my tears away.

“Please take me with you,” I begged.

His eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded stiffly. “Where do you want me to take you?”

I bit my lip to keep my chin from trembling. “Anywhere safe.”

He scooped me up into his arms, my feet dangling over his right arm with my hands held tightly together behind his neck. As he ordered the servants to open the doors, I buried my face in his neck to shield myself from their stares.

I heard Lady Choi ask something, but I ignored her.

The king’s slow, steady pace made me feel secure. It made me feel safe and out of harm’s way. Having his body so close to mine made me feel like I wasn’t alone, like I didn’t have such a heavy burden casted upon me. It was exactly what I needed.

“We’re out of your quarters,” he whispered. I could feel his hot breath tickle my cheek and the vibration of his voice as he spoke against my forehead. “You’re safe.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I may just drop you,” he teased.

I laughed and pulled my head away from his neck to see his expression. It was a pleasant surprise when I saw his dazzling smile that was intended just for me. His eyes roamed my face, searching for something. Perhaps he was looking for relief and comfort since that was all I had wanted ever since we left my room.

“Am I heavy?” I watched his reaction with narrowed eyes.

He his lips and tried to hide his grin. “Maybe I’m just weak,” he lied.

I laughed. “Then put me down because I don’t want you to drop me.”

The king looked at me again and we suddenly came to a halt. I was prepared for him to stop carrying me and let me walk, but he only shook his head. “I don’t want to let you go,” he admitted with a soft voice barely above a whisper.

I tried to hide my shock, but I don’t think I did, since my mouth was slightly hanging open.

He chuckled. “Let’s keep going.”

He began to walk again, but I grabbed both sides of his face and refused to look away. “Thank you.” My smile grew with each word. “Again.”

“I already know.” His eyes closed. “Don’t waste your breath, Soojin-ssi.”

Typical guy. Acting cool when deep down he was totally happy.

We didn’t say anything else until we got to his room. He set me down on the small cushion in front of his table. It reminded me of when I first got here, when I first saw him and screamed because of how shocked I was.

Now I felt like nothing could shock me.

“Where are you going to sleep?” he asked, his tone more serious.

I shrugged and stared at the floor. “I was thinking I could sleep with you,” I admitted.

“WHAT?” he shouted.

Eunuch Yeonggi opened the door and ran in, prepared to fight off any threat to the king. “Your Highness! What is it? Are you hurt? Is everything okay?”

The king cleared his throat. “I am fine. Please leave.”

Yeonggi narrowed his eyes and slowly began to back out of the room. “If you need anything—”

“Faster,” Chanyeol demanded.

The eunuch flashed an amused smile and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

The king’s attention was on me again. I wasn’t watching him, but I could practically feel his stare like the hot glare of the sun. “I don’t think you can sleep with me.” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

I pulled my lips into my mouth, trying to bite back my smile. Once I had sort of composed myself, I began to reason with him. “But we’re married, technically. And it’s not like we have to sleep on the same mat. We can have two.”

“But you’re not—”

I locked eyes with him. “Please.” I tried to convey everything I felt through that one stare. I didn’t want to have to explain why I was so afraid to be in my room alone because then I’d have to tell him everything and I couldn’t. . . He’d think I was crazy and I didn’t want him to. I was already lucky that he didn’t actually see me disappear into thin air and happened to look behind him when I vanished.

After a minute of silence, he sighed with defeat. “Fine. You can sleep here—”

“Yay!” I stood and shuffled over to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

I was so thankful that he didn’t have to make me go back to my own quarters. I knew that every time I was in there now all I would be able to think of was that night I witnessed with the real queen. Her troubled eyes and scarred soul. . .

“Soojin-ssi . . . ?” His voice was low and careful.

I suddenly became aware of how stiff his body was under my touch and I immediately jumped back. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to— I just was excited to sleep with you. I mean, not like that— I guess I just—”

I covered my mouth with my hand and stopped rambling before I embarrassed myself more than I already had.

The king’s face was turning pink and he quickly looked down at his lap to hide his blush. He cleared his throat and stood abruptly. “I have to go to some meetings with the advisors. I’ll be back before sundown.” He quickly left the room.

I would be upset at him leaving so soon if I wasn’t so embarrassed myself. My cheeks were burning and I began to fan myself with my hands.

Eunuch Yeonggi entered the room shortly after and bowed respectfully. “Your Highness, the king has suggested that you take a stroll through the garden to clear your head. As requested, the guards will not leave your side.”

A walk through the gardens didn’t seem like a bad idea. I smiled and rose from the cushion on the floor. “I’d love to. Will you accompany me?”

He raised his head and then quickly looked back at the ground. “Oh, I shouldn’t—”

I laughed and patted him on the back. “It’s okay. We’ll both get bored by ourselves.” I guided him through the doors and down the steps with me.

We headed toward the garden in silence except the sounds of the ground under our feet and the clanking of the guards’ metal uniforms.

I decided to break the peaceful quietness. “Please remind me, when did we first meet?” I asked the eunuch.

He smiled at the memory. “We met at your wedding with the king, Your Highness.”

“When did you meet King Park Chanyeol?”

“Oh, we’ve known each other since we were young. Practically grew together.”

I plucked a rose, careful not to prick my finger on its thorns. “And you’re happy serving him?”

“Very much so,” he assured me. “We are very good friends despite the difference in status.”

I lifted the rose to my nose and smelled its refreshing scent. “Has the king changed since you were young?”

He shook his head. “Not very much, no. Although I can see a different sparkle in his eyes.”

“What sparkle is that?”

The eunuch began to giggle. “Love, Your Highness.”

I stopped walking, causing the eunuch to quickly bow in apologies and the servants and guards to shuffle with uncertainty. My eyes were glued on the rose just a few inches from my face.

Love? Eunuch Yeonggi sees love in Chanyeol’s eyes? Is he just imagining it? Why would the king have such a look in his eyes if he was only speaking to me? He couldn’t possibly be in love with . . . me . . . right?

With shaky fingers I began to pluck the petals off the rose.

He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me.

I stared at the last, un-plucked petal before throwing the flower on the ground. “Stupid games,” I grumbled to myself.

Although they were stupid, that last petal irritated me.

He loves me not.

Alrighty!! Quick break from the mystery and an instert of WELL needed romance, I believe.

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The mystery will continue soon~