You know how when someing happens so quickly, so abruptly, so unknowingly, that time seems to slow down? Like when the underdog on the basketball team attempts to be the hero and makes a shot at the last five seconds of the game and everyone holds their breath in waiting? It was like that. The guards charging at me were very fast and their faces looked so angry, though I had no clue why. Even if I had wanted to run, I couldn’t have gotten very far considering my lack of skill when it comes to cardio. But even if I did run it’s not like I would have made it very far, they were charging at me like a bull running towards the waving red flag.

I stood up on unstable legs and swiped my hand over my unconsciously in an effort to wipe off any dirt that could’ve been there. I squinted at the heated guards who were slowing down, surprised at my demeanor.

What was most surprising, I would assume, to them, would be the fact that I wasn’t trying to escape or maybe it was because I didn’t look very scared. But during that moment, I had no clue what to be scared of. I didn’t know what they were going to do or what they were capable of. I wasn’t sure if they were just going to say “Oops, wrong person” or if they were going to arrange my beheading. Plus, my mind was still reeling from the running and the fact that I just time travelled. At that moment, nothing could really surprise me.

I sighed and squinted to shield my eyes from the harsh glares of the sun.

The man in the front looked confused and most likely for so many reasons: I looked a mess, my hair was all over my face, I was fatigued and sweaty, I was not in hanbok, and I was probably looking pissed off more than anything.

We stood in front of each other for about a minute, just inspecting one another. His narrow eyes were intimidating, even more so with the slight dark rings below them. He had a longer, narrow nose and defined lips with a prominent cupid’s bow. [Tao]

His eyes widened with something I couldn’t recognize (guilt, fear, regret?) and he immediately dropped to one knee and tilted his head down. The guards he was with followed his example and took the same position, keeping their heads down.

I looked around me, hoping to see something that might turn this situation sensible, but I had no luck. I was still confused.

“Uh . . .” I said lamely.

“Please forgive us, Your Royal Highness,” the leader requested. “We gained knowledge that there was a woman with strange clothing and we assumed it was suspicious. We are deeply sorry.”

He still wasn’t looking at me and I felt awkward. What is he talking about?

“Um. . . .”

“We have been given orders by the King to you back to the palace,” he informed me with a hard, business-like tone.

“King?” I exclaimed. “Palace?" I tried to contain my shock. "Can I decline?” I asked slowly.

His head jerked up in surprise but he instantly put it back down. “Your Royal Highness, the King has demanded that you come back to the palace.”

“I’m not . . .”

“My queen,” he said with a desperation in his voice. “Upon orders from the King, we must take you back, whether you agree or do not.”

I stared at the top of his hat and blinked. “Well . . .”

“Please forgive us,” he pleaded again before standing swiftly and walking toward me, his men following his actions. They held my arms firm and began to walk me back down the dirt road, despite my protests.

“I-I’m not the queen. My name is Soojin, I’m from 2015—“

They weren’t listening. Their eyes were set straight in front of them and they continued to march me farther and farther away from the edge of the forest.

“Please believe me, I’m not the queen!” I struggled to get my arms free from their grasp, but their holds only became tighter as they dragged me along.

As we walked farther into town, the leader stopped at a fabric shop and bought a long piece of green clothing. It had a white collar at one end and he handed it to a guard standing near me. “Put this on her. We don’t want people to know it’s the queen.”

“I’m not her!” I shouted, but my voice was ignored, again.

The guard nodded and draped the long piece of fabric on my head, covering my face and the rest of my body. It was a jangot.

“I don’t think you understand. I’m not the queen,” I said quietly, but again, no one acknowledged me.

It felt like we had walked forever, but eventually, they removed the jangot from my head and revealed where they had taken me. I was standing in front of a large white wall with three gates and two curved up rooftops, the traditional style, which was known to look like a smile. Right then, I knew it was the Gyeongbokgung Palace just from the gates, but it seemed even more magnificent considering it was the original palace and not the reconstructed one.

They led me into the left gate where we walked into a great courtyard floored with dirt and stone. We went through another set of gates and walked to the Geunjeongjeon, the King’s Imperial Throne Hall.

We stopped in front of the steps and did not go further, but the leader walked and entered the hall. I looked at the guards holding me, but they didn’t return the stare. I sighed and relaxed in their grip, since we were already there it wasn’t worth fighting against it.

The leader exited the hall and came down the steps and stood in front of me. I tilted my head so that my chin was lifted more in the air, trying to seem confident and poised despite my nervousness and dirty clothes.

He bowed in greeting and looked me in the eyes. “We have been instructed to bring you to the King’s quarters and wait for him to arrive.” He turned to the guard holding the green jangot and nodded, signaling him to lay it down over my head again.

In a matter of seconds, it was covering me and we were walking again.

We walked in silence with only the sound of feet on dirt and pebbles. There was an occasional voice off in the distance, but I assumed it was servants and other people who worked at the palace. I didn’t know much about the staff to the royals.

The leader sharply lifted the jangot off of my head and handed it back to the other guard. He bowed once more in greeting and the guards beside me let go of my arms. I rubbed them and shot the men dirty looks, even though they didn’t look at me.

“I apologize for the rough transportation, however our time is limited. I am General Lee Yeongho and a common acquaintance to the King. We have orders to place you in the King’s quarters until he comes back.” He gestured with his head bowed and his hand pointed towards the steps leading to the heavily guarded palace hall.

“Am I supposed to go alone?” I asked, looking at him.

“That is what the King required.”

I nodded slowly and made my way up the stairs where two women servants opened the doors for me. I walked through those doors and happened upon another set of doors. Two women opened them for me. I walked through that doorway and came across another set of doors.

“My goodness,” I proclaimed.

The women opened them and I was standing in front of a small room with a square, bright purple cushion in the middle of the hard wood floor set a few feet away from a small table.

A man entered the room and bowed with a gentle smile on his face. He had soft features and a longer, narrowed nose as well. His eyes were lit up with a sort of mischievous glow, like he was still laughing over an inside joke someone told an hour ago. The twinkle in his eye made his face seem warm and inviting, somehow relaxing me. [Baekhyun]

“Hello, my Queen. I am Kim Yeonggi, the head Eunuch serving the King. It is a pleasure to see you back in the palace.” He bowed again and left, the doors shutting behind him.

I looked around again and sat down on the purple cushion near the small table. There was a large red and gold cushioned seat behind the table which I assumed was for the king.

Just then the doors opened and someone walked in. I could hear the swishing of fabric with each step they took. The doors closed and they walked closer.

I was scared to turn around. I was scared to look at whatever it was standing near me. I was scared it would be the king because if I saw the king, I knew it would be real. It would confirm this terrible, never ending nightmare.

I shut my eyes tight, wishing to go home again, praying that when I opened them I’d be back at home and eating dinner with my family. My mom was making japchae tonight, too.

Then the noises stopped. There was no more swishing fabric, no more soft voices, and no more footsteps, no more anything. I could feel my pulse getting higher with excitement. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

"I knew I was dreaming. I knew it was just a dream," I whispered to myself. 

My eyes opened wide with my mouth in a wide smile, except I didn’t see my bed, or my room, or my family, or even the coin back at the museum. I was staring in the face of the king, just inches away from mine.

And I screamed.

Another update! I feel like it was longer this time and YAY the king

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