Hae Soo

There was some noise. A noise that had irritated so much in her sleep that her eyes had opened. But looking around their bedchamber, there was nothing weird. Their bedchamber, which was if they were a more traditional couple would have been her husband's chamber, and he will visit her in her own chamber but that was not what happened at all. Every night, she spent in the warm embrace of her prince, just as she did right now.

Sometimes he will be just like a child demanding stories, while other times he was a man. A sensual man who drove her wild with the ways he used his lips and hands to make love to her. Not only to her body, but to her very soul and heart as well. Then falling asleep afterwards with both of them was another kind of pleasure specially for her. Not to mention she loved the fact that her prince, her So let his hair loose from his sangtu every single night, after she had told him, how much she actually missed touching his hair. And in return, she also left her hair unbound. This room and the makeup room was a witness to the way they lived, Soo and her So.

But soon, they will be travelling. The prince had told her it was not only a relief mission but also a secret mission to obtain the two special ingredients needed for her tonic. Soo knew her body. She was not even sick, but she also knew that everyone was just being overly cautious, and she had promised to take care of herself better, so she will go along with the treatment suggested.

The roof. That's where the sound was coming from. It was really faint but it felt like something moved or had landed on the roof right above their bedchamber. Soo was never a coward and usually she would have gone investigating on her own, but she had just promised herself to be careful, so she decides to do just that. Turning around in the prince's arm so now she was staring at his face, she lifts her hand to place it on his bare chest near his shoulders and shake him awake. As always, no matter how peacefully the prince was asleep, some part of his mind was always on alert so it did not take long for him to wake up. She felt his arms tighten around her as her husband pulls her even closer to his body. Sometimes it was a real struggle to make him let go of her in the morning out of his strong arms.

Maybe the sound was her imagination, and she could just go back to cuddling with her lover, but this time, the noise was definitely of something heavy falling on the roof. Her warrior prince must had heard the noise because now his eyes were open and was looking up to the ceiling, and unconsciously he had pulled her even closer to him into his body. Then the prince moves to face her and gives her a light kiss on her forehead before getting out of the bed silently. All Soo could see was the strong muscles on his back flexing as he reaches for his white underclothes and pull the pants on before wearing the white top and closing them.

As her husband reaches towards the small stand that held his masks, she also gets out of the bed and wears the first layer of her underclothes that was on the floor. Their celebration had been absolutely wild last night, with both of their passion getting the best of them, that they had simply threw their clothes all over the room.

She was not letting the prince go out on his own, leaving her in the room like a totally defenseless woman. Sure she could not fight like a sword, but she could still punch and kick just fine. As she was tying the strings, she saw a pair of red ribbons on her bedside table. Picking one of the ribbons, she quickly tied back her hair, and gave her prince who now was tightening the strings on her back, the set of ribbons. She quickly help him tie his hair back at the base of his neck and left him to tie the red ribbon around his waist to secure his clothing, while she grab his sword and also the sets of knives that Jungie-nim have gifted her. Both of them dressed, hair slightly bound enough so it will not get in a way of a possible fight, with weapons in hand, they silently open the door of their room and went out towards the courtyard, the best place to observe the roof.

Captain Jang & Grand General

When they were making the plan to capture the suspicious servants, they forgot one important fact. These servants will not simply comply with the guards after taken down no they were assassins who will escape the palace no matter what in order to report back to the masterminds and the palace at night was an open playground. At the very least most of the palace occupants will be sleeping except for the night guard. The King, Queens and concubines were under a significant security so they did not have to worry about them. But chasing after what they had thought to be four suspicious servants when there were actually seven assassins that had sneaked into the palace and was behind the arrow attack.

The captain heard the Grand General muttering something about a letter that said a week's time not being time but rather that they were seven of them, and why politicians did not speak clearly. Most likely what a hidden note found at a noble's residence said as the captain knew that General Park had been secretly investigating the noble's residences.

"General, Captain," one of the fastest royal guard Yong rushes towards the two commanding soldiers in front of him. "I think the assassins are heading towards the least guarded palace walls just beyond the palace gardens. They have to pass Byul to reach there." The two officers traded a brief look before they speak to the soldiers.

"Pick up your speed, all of you, run towards Byul." that was the Captain.

"Make sure your uniform is on you. If the 4th prince had awaken, not to mention if they did something to his wife, he will attack. That prince's temper is no laughing matter." the Grand General's words sent a bit of shiver running through the soldiers, if the mighty Grand General was careful about the temper of the 4th prince, just how had of a temper did he have?

But they did not have much time to wonder about it. They just ran towards the 4th prince's residence, hoping not to find a sight of carnage and blood like the ones left in the forest.

Wang So

Someone had invaded their home, and by the way they were dressed in various palace servant uniforms, these were the hidden assassins. Luckily they were gathered in what they thought was an abandoned part of the residence. Most likely because there was no sign of any furnitures or footsteps, not to mention the overgrown trees with thick branches. Wild life not something a royal will like.

Sadly this was one of the many spots that Soo and him love to be. Surrounded by the thick trees like they were in their own world. He felt a slight tug on his sleeve so he turns his face a little to face Soo who was hiding behind him but was also looking at where the assassins were gathered.

Soo lifts her fingers point towards the assassins, then make a slashing along her neck then crossing her arms while shaking her head. Of course, Hae Soo is a kind soul, who did not want anyone to die, even if they were the ones that had attacked them, until their guilt was proven. Also no one to be ever given a cruel punishment. Well it looks like So will only be able to knock them out and tie them up before the royal guards arrive. Gesturing with his hands for Soo to stay behind the tree they had been using as a cover, he makes his way silently to the assassins, his sword by his side but undrawn. If he could help it, he will avoid spilling blood in Byul.

General, Captain and Guards

Running across the palace grounds at full speed, all the soldiers' breathing were heavy but they just took a second to get their breath back before crossing the threshold into Byul. There was no one in front of them and the entire house was silent. There were signs of light from various rooms but nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe they had been mistaken about the direction that the assassins would have took. They were turning around to exit the residence, when they heard it.

It was faint but there was a sound of objects hitting each other, followed by several sounds of painful moans. With the General and the Captain in lead, the soldiers move towards the right courtyard from where the sound seems to be coming. But when they reach the courtyard, once again it was empty but now the faint sounds were louder, and now they could hear that one of the sounds was like someone was hit with something. It was coming from near the edge of the courtyard which eventually become a forest further back. Silently, making sure to not make any noises, the soldiers make their way towards the forest.

After walking past several overgrown trees, they could see a sort of circular clearing up ahead. And what a sight waited for them in that clearing where the seven assassins was with the 4th prince and his wife.

The clearing had many trees surrounding it, some in the middle and some at the outer edge of the circular clearing. Each assassin were tied together to a tree around the clearing. Only thing the assassins were wearing was their underclothes and all of their mouths were gagged with a ribbon going around and tied at the back of their head. All the assassins' clothing were laid on the ground in the middle of the clearing like a sheet upon the ground. The 4th prince and his wife Lady Soo were walking around to each tied up assassins in turn. It seemed like they were just observing the assassins but when the guards got closer to the clearing, they could see that it was more complex.

In the hand of Lady Soo, there was a branch which she was using to poke each assassin, then when the assassin seems to give a little sign of waking up, using that same branch, now Lady Soo will knock them out again. They could hear the voice of 4th prince instructing his wife on where to strike in order for an attacker to drop to the ground in pain. Practice dummies. The 4th prince was using those who had attacked him and the royal family in the past as a dummy to teach his wife some defensive skills.

"Well, Hwangjanim, what are you doing being out here?" The Grand General's voice had the royal couple who had been just struck near the kidney of the unconscious assassin turn their head to where all the soldiers were.

"General, Captain. I see that you have arrived. Here are your prisoners, just overlook their injuries." was what the 4th prince said, as right beside him, his wife bows slightly towards them. Now since the royal couple were in the clearing they could see their appearance. It was obvious that the assassins had woken them from their sleep, as both of them were in their white sleeping hanbok, not to mention both of their hair was unbound and was only tied back by a red ribbon.

Even the prince's hair was unbound, to the soldiers this meant that every single night he took his hair out of the sangtu. But they will have time to wonder about this fact and the practice dummy session later, as first they had to now figure out how to get the assassins to the palace jail which was across the palace grounds without being seen from this forest at the edge of the palace ground.

"Hwangjanim," that was Lady Soo, she had a very clear voice with no sign of tiredness, "since the royal guards are now here, it will be alright for us to go back. Unless you wish to accompany the General in his task?" At his wife's question, the 4th prince shook his head and move towards where his wife was and right in front of all the soldiers, he took his wife's hands, "then please work hard General, Captain and guards. Please be careful, and please make sure to do a thorough investigation before deciding on the punishment." Then the royal couple give a slight bow towards them before walking away. The royal guards could hear the voice of Lady Soo talking to her husband about the stars as she points them out in the sky.