Chapter 34: Amends & Imprisoned

Dongil slowly stayed a step or two behind the limping, wounded farmboy. Neither of them said anything to each other, but he still watched him as he as told. But then, what would he say? There wasn’t anything he could say to make the commoner feel any better - not even himself.

The two males had been walking on the road for almost over an hour.

As the sun rose this morning, Dongil was summoned by Queen Shim to accompany Hwayang home. Dongil didn’t question why Her Highness asked him to fulfil the order, but he found it a little awkward and difficult too because he and the farmboy knew each other. And they both had interest in the same girl - but she wasn’t entitled to them.

Hwayang kept one hand placed on his stomach to ease the pain as he slowly took his steps, as if one would only pull him down to the ground. He never made the move to turn around or talk to the bodyguard, but he didn’t forget that he was still there. All he could think about was what happened yesterday - last night.

“And it’s because I love you… that I have to protect you - let you go…”

Hwayang inhaled a deep breath before sighing. He could feel his eyes burning with tears, but he refused to let them fall. He promised himself that when he woke up this morning, he wouldn’t cry - not for her. Because he knew she wouldn’t like.

As they got to the village, Hwayang wanted nothing but to only go home. He didn’t think about how his parents would react to having him gone one whole night and how he got wounded badly. He didn’t think about how they would lecture him. He just wanted to go home and rest.

When he accidentally stepped on a small rock and stumbled his steps, Dongil was quick to grab his arm and hold him up steadily.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

The farmboy made a quiet, groaning noise in his closed mouth, but nodded silently.

Knowing Hwayang didn’t want to talk, Dongil dropped his arm and sighed watching him again as he began walking ahead.

“You can go back,” Dongil heard Hwayang say lowly. “You don’t have to follow me home.”

The bodyguard exhaled a breath. “I’m not following,” he said. “I’m sending.”

“Well, go back.” Hwayang halted and turned his head back to him, although his back remained in view.

Dongil also stopped walking and looked at him from a couple steps back - confused and awed.

“One of us has to at least see her go,” Hwayang whispered.

Dongil felt that familiar squeeze around his heart again - tight and painful. For a second, he shut his eyes and clenched his sword cover in his hand. That very quick moment, the only thing he thought about was Yeonhwa - her smile, her laugh, her generosity, her kindness - their friendship. Loosening his grip on his weapon, he walked forward until he was beside the farmboy. “Let’s get you home,” he only responded back, leaving behind the words of guilt and sincerity.

Yeonhwa was left alone after the maids finished prepping her for her wedding. She sat with silence in her cushion while gazing in the mirror on her table. But the more she looked at herself, the more she couldn’t figure out who the person in the reflection was.

This girl in the mirror was different. This girl had her hair in a braided updo with a floral barrette on her head, holding the veil along . Her makeup was light, but enough to show the glow in her beauty. She wore a prestigious, beautiful hanbok where her shirt was a periwinkle color, and her dress was pink. Being in her wedding attire, she looked like the most gorgeous bride in the entire Joseon state.

But it wasn’t real in Yeonhwa’s eyes. What she saw through that ridiculous, fake reflection was more intimidating - and sad. She saw the girl who committed many mistakes. She saw the girl who was so selfish to only think about herself and not the people around her. She felt sick just watching her own reflection.

“Your Majesty.”

The sound of the doors opening didn’t even catch Yeonhwa’s attention away from the mirror. She didn’t even realize her maid, Jungseol, was sitting across from her until she saw her figure by her peripheral vision.

“Princess Yeonhwa,” Jungseol quietly said as she looked at the royal girl in pity. “The carriage will be here any minute. The Queen…” She gulped. “Her Highness told me to come fetch you since they’re almost here.” She waited for Yeonhwa’s response, but she heard only silence.  “Princess.” She looked at her again until she suddenly saw a tear slip from her eyes. Jungseol’s expression fell sadly. “Yeonhwa…”

Yeonhwa was too busy looking at herself in the mirror - mentally criticizing herself - that she didn’t realize her eyes were pooled with tears until they fell. She didn’t mean to hold them in nor did she want them to fall, but they just did. She couldn’t help it.

“Yeonhwa… Please don’t cry. It’s your wedding day…”

Hearing that, Yeonhwa closed her eyes and let more drops of tears fall willingly this time. “It’s my wedding day,” she finally spoke with sadness coating her tone. “Only I am getting married to someone I don’t know - someone I don’t love… How can I not cry?”

Jungseol tilted her head at her with pitiful eyes. She quickly got up from the ground and went over to where the Princess sat before hugging her, since she couldn’t think of anything to say to make her feel better. Yeonhwa didn’t hesitate to hug her back as she cried quietly leaning in her arms.

“I don’t want to marry Prince Dosung, Jungseol,” Yeonhwa softly cried. “I don’t want to go and become his Queen. I don’t want to do anything anymore… I just want everything back to the way it was.”

Jungseol continued comforting her as she her back. There was so much she wanted to say to make Yeonhwa not worry or cry about her future and her mistakes, but she couldn’t. The thing she needed most right now was someone to talk to.

“God is cruel,” Jungseol said quietly. “That is why life is so ugly. It isn’t fair. The things we want most in the world, we can’t have. The things we don’t wish to have, it’s stuck with us. We’ve done nothing wrong, yet we are punished.”

Yeonhwa lightly chuckled. “Then, maybe I deserve to be punished,” she said.

“Your Majesty…”

“For falling in love with Hwayang… For causing him all of this pain… I must be punished for it…” Yeonhwa cried again. “And this marriage is just it.”

It hurt Jungseol to see that Yeonhwa was going through a hard time. Today was the day she was going to leave and set for her future, yet here she was regretting everything she had ever done. Jungseol didn’t like seeing her suffering like this - if only she could take her pain for her…

Then, something came in mind - an idea. It was truly risky, but it was also very smart. Jungseol stilled for a second and blinked. All her life, Yeonhwa had been so nice to her like an older sister with a younger sister. Now, it was time to repay her for all of her good deeds and intentions. Quickly, Jungseol pulled away from hugging Yeonhwa and looked down at her own clothes.

“Princess Yeonhwa,” she said. “Quick, take off your hanbok dress.” She got up and started to untie the ribbon of her own shirt.

Yeonhwa looked up at her with her teary eyes, but curiosity painted her face. “Jungseol, what are you doing?” she asked.

“There’s no time to ask, Your Majesty. Please, just take your dress off. And switch with me.”

Immediately, the tears stopped flowing down Yeonhwa’s cheeks, but they were shiny enough to show it was fresh. She instantly knew what Jungseol was trying to do, and she got up to her feet. “No,” she said while shaking her head. Seeing that Jungseol was trying to untie her ribbon, Yeonhwa pulled her hands away and held them still. “Jungseol, I know what you’re doing. Don’t be stupid. I’m not going to let you switch places with me.”

Jungseol stopped her actions for a moment and looked at Yeonhwa sternly.  For a second, she could have taken her words back. But she couldn’t. She was determined. “Princess Yeonhwa, other than my Princess, you are also my best friend,” she said. “My sister…” She looked at Her Majesty in awe. “I can’t let you do something you will regret for the rest of your life… You will be so sad…”

Yeonhwa didn’t understand why Jungseol would go to this extent to protect her, but she was truly thankful to have a maid like Jungseol as her best friend. They’ve been through thick and thin together. All Yeonhwa had done in her life was treat Jungseol more than a maid - and once again, Jungseol was willing to use herself to gain Yeonhwa’s happiness.

“You do realize you will be punished for this, you know that?” Yeonhwa said quietly, her eyes still teary. “You won’t get away with this, Jungseol…”

But the maid’s expression didn’t falter. She only gave a small smile. “We should hurry, Princess Yeonhwa…” Jungseol only replied. “The carriage will be here any minute…”

Eunpil rushed to Hwayang’s house as soon as she heard from Myungseok that the lad returned home. Of course, she still wasn’t in good terms with the farmboy - but they were best frie