King Taejo

When he received the request for tea through Ji Mong yesterday, he realized that the child moved fast, and just what kind of talks she had in just under a day in the palace. Since he was curious, he told Jumong to deliver the message that he had accepted the tea invitation.

Now, here he sits in one of the many tea rooms at Damiwon, waiting for that peculiar child to arrive. "Pyeha, The 4th prince and his wife Lady Hae are here." The attendant announced, just as the doors opened and his 4th son and his new wife enters the tea room.

"Greetings to the King." As the couple in front of him strengthen up from their bows, he notices just from his son's face that he was happier than he had ever seen him. His eyes rather than rage, held peace. Both of them were dressed in similar colors. His son in a black and silver hanbok with a silver belt while his wife, his newest daughter-in-law, wore colors similar to a sanggung as her hanbok was silver with dark green flowers through it, her hair up in an elaborate braided bun. He gestures for them to sit across for him with his hands, and silently they did. The moment they sat down, a court lady entered with tea and desserts. He took the cup in front of him and took a sip, at the same time, his son did.

"Just like I said before, Pyeha. You and the prince are so similar, you are making the same face." Now that he actually look, he could see the same expression of subtle dislike on his son So, and his son must have noticed too, because he seemed pleased. "You know I always thought that finding out the favorites of someone can be done with a bit of effort, but it is a difficult thing with you two. I remember the first time I offered his favorite tea to Your Highness, he told me to take it away."

"I told you to not appear in front of me, so of course I was not going to accept your tea."

"Well, you are the one that jumped to conclusions and told me to disappear, then did a complete turn in your behaviour."

"I have already apologized for that. Why do you need me to apologize for it again?"

"No need for that, what I want is for you to please stop misunderstanding my looks."

"That's why I said to you to not lie to me. But you did it anyways."

"When, when did I lie to you?"

"After I saved you from the thugs, I asked you if you were hurt, but you hide that."

"Because I did not want you to worry, or get more angry with Jungie-nim."

"I would not have gotten more angry with Jung-ah. But it was your knees, you know that you have to be careful to not hurt your body, especially your knees. What if you will have trouble walking like the doctor said."

"And I told you that I am be careful. That's why yesterday I let the doctor's assistant examine me, that too right in front of you."

"You two are well matched for each other." That's when his son and daughter-in-law turned towards him, forgetting their bickering, and when they realized who was in front of them, they both blushed and bowed their heads in embarrassment.

What the child said at her last meeting with him was correct. The child did need something to win against her husband. He knew how mature both of them were, but the moment they are together it seemed like they revert back to children. It was a special thing in a palace built on lies and manipulation, that now there was a couple that only seemed to have harmony and peace with each other.

"My apologizes, Pyeha. We forgot where we were. It is an old discussion between us on how she needs to take care of her health and be a bit more careful."

"How the prince should look at his own actions, and realize that he is also reckless. Never mind that Pyeha, I have a gift for you. I collected it myself." Then the child gestures to a maid behind them who gave over a two piles of boxes to Lady Hae. The child places the box on the table, then forwards the box towards him. Curious he puts his cup down, and open the box. Inside the boxes were small compartments and in each of them were a wild plant or fruit. "Pheya's personal tea ingredients. I know that you prefer tea made from plants so I went out yesterday and got the herbs in the second box, which when combined with tea is good for your health as it cleanses your blood. All the things are something that I picked it out myself."

"You picked it out yourself?" Truly he was touched. Someone had given him a gift that had no hidden meaning or hidden intentions behind it. This was simply a gift given out of pure heart. Because he liked to drink a type of tea that as far as this child knew had not been served to him often.

"Yes, I went to the woods and picked out the fresh ones myself yesterday." The child in front of him was smiling widely, like that was something so common and ordinary. A brief glance at his son showed him that he hardly seemed surprised by this fact. He knew about it before but he had let his wife do what she wanted or even after he had learnt about it, he was not making a problem out of his wife doing a job of a servant.

"Soo-ya. Like you said, your visits are really like a daughter-in-law visiting her father-in-law." That was all he could really say. What could he say in response to such a thoughtful gift. This child had such a pure heart. In a way it was the will of the heavens that she had married his 4th son, he was the only one strong enough to protect her from all those who will seek to crush her soul.

"Of course, Pyeha, that is what I said it will be. Now I wish to ask you lots of questions about this husband of mine who stated that I am the cheeky one and he had never done any mischief in his life." The child was the same as last time. Leaning forward like excitement, while his son seemed to deflate slightly in his stance. So knew that he had been a trouble-maker sometimes, but he seemed to want to hide that from his wife. But how could he refuse a chance to embarrass his son a little. Smiling he starts to talk about the time that a young So had escaped his nurse's watch and had gone missing, and the subsequent search party that formed to find him.

Wang So

Enjoying a private tea with his father, King Taejo, was something new for him. But leave it up to Soo to get a standing invitation for private teas with the King. But he was not surprised. The kind and good nature of Soo was something that was attractive to many men. And someone as beautiful as Soo with her kind soul was attractive to so many, one of the reasons that he wants to lock her away and possess her. But that was a mistake born from his jealousy similar to how every single murder or punishment had crushed his soul. In this life, Wang So will let her be free, do her own things as long as she loves him and she returns to him. Though if he acts possessive now and then it was because he was still selfish when it comes to her, his person.

Even if spending time having tea with his father was nice, right now he will love to run away from the room. His dignity as a mature man was being dragged through the mud by his own father who seemed to remember every childhood mischief that he had done, and now he was delighting in telling Soo everything. Anything in there that goes against his wish for his Soo to always have someone nearby or to avoid running as much as she can or about the check-ups with the doctor, he knows that Soo will use this information against him.

'Clang' That sound while So will never claim to have excellent hearing, there are some sounds that he will never forget. This sound was the same as the one before the arrow with the letter appeared inside that room before he was sent back. He quickly turns his head looking for any sign of something strange.

As he was turning to look right behind the king and Soo, that's when he sees the assassins. Two assassins with arrows who had a clear shot of both his father and his lover from the top of the palace walls. He didn't have enough time to think or call out a warning, he went with his instincts, before the two arrows have been released. He grabs hold of the table in front of him, and toss it aside to clear a path before leaping ahead and grabbing a stunned looking Soo in one arm and his father in the other and he pushes them both down to the floor. The moment they all hit the floor, he heard the sound. In a second, there were arrows were stuck to the floor, where just a second ago, his wife and his father had been. So saw that Soo and the King had also noticed the arrow, thus he did not have to explain why he tossed the table aside. But then there was another clang sound and he knew that the attack was not over. He lifts his head to see from where it was coming from.

"Your Highness, behind you" turning around he could see another shooter ready, the arrow will hit all of them if they don't move away from the floor. He quickly helps his father get up, his father was a soldier he will know what to do, and he quickly help Soo to stand up, she should not be on the floor as she could hurt her knees.

"So-nim" At her scream, he knew that the arrow was almost here, smiling at his wife, his only treasure, he pulls them both to the ground. Wang So knows his own body, the arrow had struck, though it was his shoulder not on his neck. But there was another arrow this one, was on his back close to his stomach. But that did not matter right now, even if he felt blood starting to leak from his wounds. Looking at the figure of his father rushing towards the door, he could see the rage spilling out of his body to his wife, his Soo-ya in his arms unharmed, he simply smiled.

"Soo-ya," when her beautiful face turns towards him, he smiles "your body is it alright? Are you hurt?" When she shook her head letting him know that she was not hurt, he smiles even widely then looking into her eyes simply told her, "don't move till the doctor arrive."

, his body must still be weak from the poisoning because just two arrows in his body and now he was losing his conscious. The last thing he hears was the sound of rushing feet, the soldiers must have finally arrived, and the last thing he saw was the peony hairpin that was worn like a crown in his lover's hair.