Notes: A little disclaimer that I have no knowledge whatsoever in relation to horses or riding, so any mistakes are solely mine.

The sounds of the horses galloping through the field was deafening and it took all of Hae-soo's willpower not to press her fingers to her ears, in attempt to drown out the thunderous noise.

It reminded her of the fateful encounter in the streets ⎯ though a lot had changed by then ⎯ it didn't soothe the hammering against her chest to be up close with so many of them in one go.

"Hyung-nim, should we bet on who would win?" Wang Won suggested with a smirk, glancing over at the Third Prince.

All of the princes had gathered for a trip out to the riding grounds and upon the insistence of the Tenth Prince, allowed Hae-soo to tag along with her cousin.

She didn't wish to decline his offer that was in the form of an outright plea for help, when she was told his future wife would be coming as well.

Which explained the reason why she was standing by the sidelines miserably with the bravest expression she could muster, trying not to release a loud scream when the horses came too near for her comfort.

Wang Yo touched the shimmering gold earring dangling from his earlobe, seemingly in contemplation as his gaze flitted through the wide range of choices available.

"Is that a need for such? One look and there's clearly a winner." He stated with simplicity, pointing out at the commotion occurring before their very eyes.

Everyone's attention snapped to a particularly magnificent horse strutting through the grounds, its rider reining it in as she showed off a stunt on the animal's back.

Soon-deok displayed her skills by leaning backwards on the horse, her legs extending in effortless grace which earned her excited cheers all around.

"Hyung-nim, your wife is truly amazing." Wang Jung declared, hooking an arm around his brother's neck.

The Tenth Prince huffed out a breath, crossing his arms across his chest grumpily. "If she's that great, you can have her instead."

"Eun!" The Crown Prince chided with a furrow between his eyebrows, shaking his head while both the Third and Ninth Prince snickered gleefully.

They all went back to watching her tip her head back, twirling herself around the horseback elegantly it made Hae-soo envious of her military background.

Of course, she also didn't miss the way Wang Eun's jaws fell agape when his fiancée finished with a flourish, jumping down the animal.

Everyone clapped and Hae-soo covered when a giggle escaped, seeing her friend pout petulantly at being caught by her.

"What a remarkable performance." Princess Yeonhwa praised, balling up her dress as she approached the crowd, chiming with congratulations.

Her soon-to-be sister-in-law rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, opening to speak only to be interrupted by the woman again, clearly not interested in her response.

"I heard your household has a reputation in such activities, as well. General Hae undoubtedly has raised his daughter to be well-versed in horseback riding, I'm sure."

Hae-soo didn't even realise she was being spoken to, until the mention of her father's name, to which she turned to her with dilated pupils.

The woman nodded, as if addressing her unspoken query to whether she was referring to her, herself.

She eyed the horses with trepidation, nervously inhaling through her nose.

"Don't tell me you're incompetent in horseback riding?"

The taunt in her voice was plain, with the corners of her lips twitching with immeasurable delight to have finally found her weak spot.

Hae-soo was unable to tame the trembling of her fingers by her side, unable to defend herself and at the same time, prove the princess wrong. Surely her Goryeo counterpart would be well adept in dealing with such situations, should they occur.

The princes — mainly consisting of Wang So, Wang Eun, Baek-ah and Wang Jung — started to stride forth in her defense, but were all a step slower than her cousin.

"My uncle has taught me certain tricks, himself. Allow me to perform in stead of my cousin." Lady Hae declared humbly, her head lowered before the sneering woman.

Princess Yeonhwa simply waved her off dismissively, her lips curling in a manner that sent uncomfortable chills down Hae-soo's spine. "Be my guest. Let us see for ourselves how you shall uphold the reputation of your household."

Her cousin moved forwards as a servant brought a horse towards her, Hae-soo trailing behind with worry coating her features.

"Unni, are you sure? I don't want you getting embroiled into this for me⎯"

"Silly girl." A gentle smile curved on her cousin's lips, a gesture instantaneously soothing her nerves. "I'm doing this for myself."

The proclaim was sufficient for her to back away when they finalised the preparations for the stunts, returning to the princes' side.

"Don't worry too much," Wang Wook whispered lowly beside her when her eyes remained fixated on her cousin climbing atop the horse ⎯ she always looked so fragile, so sickly ⎯ it made her chest hollow to have her risk her well-being, as a consequence of her spat with the princess. "She'll be fine."

The assurance was nothing compared to the gleam in his orbs Hae-soo caught when she averted her gaze to him, smiling confidently as he observed his wife.

It made her breathing start to regulate, with the additional nod coming from Wang So.

But that lasted all but the second she took to inhale, when Lady Hae proceeded to start.

The older woman appeared to have been switched out for an energetic, strong and resilient person who was completely at ease on top of such a fearsome creature.

With the wind blowing mercilessly against her cheeks, the gush of nature helped enhance the aura her cousin radiated when she tugged on the rein, making the horse heed her every command with a menacing stance that was a stark contrast with her usual demure demeanor.

It was Hae-soo's turn ⎯ alongside the other princes it appeared, with the sole exception of the Eighth Prince, who watched on with pride welling in his chest ⎯ to gape unabashedly at her cousin, sweeping through the grounds with the extraordinary skills she was clueless as to where she had hidden them so cleverly.

"Doesn't Princess Yeonhwa know about this?" She asked the prince, peering questioningly at the said woman, a scornful expression planted on her features.

He laughed, shaking his head ⎯ not breaking eye contact with his wife. "Strangely, she doesn't. Yeonhwa isn't interested in anyone else's business, except hers. Even her orabeoni's decision to marry such a phenomenal woman."

That was when it clicked. Why the prince wasn't the least surprised about his wife wanting to perform in lieu of her cousin, why he had no qualms about reducing her to execute such tasks, or why he was staring at her as if she was the most eternal being on earth.

Because Lady Hae was. In his eyes, anyway.

It became crystal clear now with the awestruck expression on his face ⎯ The woman who rode her horse with confidence, a delighted smile plastered on her features, was the very reason he fell in love with her.

Hae-soo felt heartened to have been a witness and her head turned absently to seek Wang So out, with an equally impressed look on his face.

But it was a different expression from his brother ⎯ there was no affection, only admiration.

His hands clasped together in a clap before he noticed her unwavering attention on him, sending her the same look mirrored the one on the Eighth Prince's features.

 The princes were chattering among themselves, sharing inside jokes and laughing wholeheartedly at whatever they had been conversing about.

Hae-soo didn't mean to act as a child, but it deprived her of the opportunity to spend some quality time with the princes, especially Wang So.

"You seem petrified by the horses." A voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to find Soon-deok's perplexed eyes scanning her. "Which is weird, considering you've grown up in a military family."

Her face flushed red, averting her gaze downwards in sheer embarrassment. "I had a concussion in Damiwon. After I woke up, a lot had changed about me."

That was always her reasoning whenever someone questioned her differences with her doppelgänger, who was contrasting as the sky and the ground being compared to her.

"No wonder." The other girl hummed, glancing over at the princes. "So you came because of the Tenth Prince?"

"Huh?" Hae-soo blurted out, eyes widening in alarm as she followed her gaze, catching the prince peeking over bashfully.

Soon-deok rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest with a huff. The stance reminded her of her fiancé, which made them look all the more compatible together.

"He likes you. Isn't it obvious?" She claimed, gesturing between the unbelievably baffled girl and the prince.

The Tenth Prince likes me? That's preposterous.

... Isn't it?

They whirled around to face Wang Eun again, this time having him wave back with a scarlet shade clouding his cheeks.

Hae-soo sputtered, holding up her hands. "I⎯ I didn't know. And I don't like him. Not romantically, anyway."

The other girl's eyes rolled again in disbelief, scoffing. "Right."

"It's true! I⎯ I like someone else."

That seemed to ease her anger, piquing her interest instead. "Really? Who is it?"

It was her turn to have her cheeks heat up, shaking her head adamantly. "I can't say."

Not at all appeased, Soon-deok leaned into her personal space, breathing down her skin in provocation. "If you can't name him, I'll have to assume you're in love with my future husband after all."

"No!" Hae-soo shouted way too loudly, garnering attention from nearby ⎯ especially in the direction of the prince who had occupied every space in her mind. "No. I⎯ Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

The girl scoffed indignantly, before giving a firm nod. "Tell me."

A harsh intake of air to compose herself and a hurried breath of whisper emitting from her lips, low enough even a good listener wouldn't pick up easily. "The Fourth Prince."

"So orabeoni?!" She cried out, earning her a quick hush as Hae-soo slapped her hand over , glancing around to ensure no one had overheard.

"Didn't you promise to be quiet?" She chastised at the same time the girl swatted her hand away in annoyance, uttering. "Why can't anyone know?"

Hae-soo exhaled heavily through her nose, shrugging. "I don't want anyone to look at him differently, more than they already do."

Soon-deok rested a hand on her shoulders, patting gently. "From the way he looks right now, ready to come charging at me for making you like this, I'm sure you wouldn't want anyone else look at you like he does."

Her eyes traveled to the said prince ⎯ who, true to the girl's words, had his eyebrows knitted in a tight furrow and his fists clenched with worry ⎯ before directing a small smile, assuring him.

Wang So relaxed visibly, nodding at the other girl when she glanced at him.

"I have never seen him like this, before. In the past, all he does is train in order to fight off whatever the Kang clan threw at him. Now, he's been smiling a lot and I finally know the reason why."

When Hae-soo didn't respond, the warrior continued to speak. "I can't say much about how he feels, but I know So orabeoni. If he truly likes you, he wouldn't care what other people think."

"And if you're someone worthy of his affections, you wouldn't care either."

She startled at the ferocity behind her words, finally locking eyes with her to find a protective glint in her irises. It mirrored exactly how Wang So had looked, whenever she attempted to broach the subject of his evasiveness.

A tiny smile tugged on the corners of her lips, closing her eyes momentarily. "I don't."

"Good." Soon-deok grinned herself, the first genuine act of warmth she had shown her so far. "Because he'll kill me if I murder you."

Hae-soo huffed out a breath, though her smile remained prominent. "You don't have to murder me, if you knew how fearful of horses I am. You can simply unleash them on me and stomp me to death, no one would ever know."

The girl barked out a laugh, her head lulling backwards temporarily from the sheer force. "Speaking of which, would you like to refresh your memories on horseback riding? I can spare some time to teach you. Looks like we'll be here for quite a while."

Both of them glanced at the princes in remembrance, yet another guffaw booming from amidst.

"Come on." She tugged on Hae-soo's hand when she made no clear indication of her decision, and she allowed herself to be dragged to the shed.

The horses neighed at the strangers' presence and she recoiled when one of them sniffed at her, nuzzling against her sleeve.

"Don't be afraid. They sense your fear." Soon-deok advised, grabbing the rein around a horse.

Hae-soo simply nodded anxiously, trailing a few steps behind the girl as she led them outside again.

"This is Byul. He's not the horse I rode earlier, which is too vicious for a first-timer like you." She chuckled, patting the horse on his muzzle before beckoning her over to try.

When she failed to oblige by the way her entire frame froze at the way the horse approached them, yet another laugh was cajoled from Soon-deok's lips as she forcibly placed her hand upon him.

His muzzle was warm and she felt every breath he took with a rise and fall of his nose, calming her with his quiet introduction.

"See? Not so bad."

Soon-deok moved around them, nudging Hae-soo to position by the horse's front legs and laid the rein in her palms, assuring her with a smile.

"Keep it tight, but don't pull on him. It's to make sure he doesn't move much when you mount him."

Clutching the material in her hands, she bobbed her head to show that she was listening.

"Put your feet there," Soon-deok gestured to the loop at the bottom of the saddle, where the base supported the rider's foot.

She complied with her guidance, utilising the stirrup to steady herself.

"Stand with one foot and swing over with the other. Hold onto the rein, in case you fall."

Hae-soo slowly placed her foot upon the loop, exerting enough force to hoist herself up and her right leg swung across, somehow managing to land herself onto the horse.

Soon-deok brushed the horse's mane, her eyes crinkling with pride. "It's not so frightening up there, right?"

She returned the smile, tightening her hold ever so slightly to control the horse's movements.

"Alright. Next, you⎯"

"I see you're having fun without me." An amused voice interrupted her guidance, which Hae-soo recognised without even turning her head.

"So orabeoni." The other girl barely stifled her giggle, making the prince arch his eyebrows questioningly.

Their eyes locked briefly, sharing the private smiles despite the third party's presence.

"Should I excuse myself? I'm sure you'll be a better teacher than I ever will be." Soon-deok punched him lightly on his shoulders, to which he chuckled.

"If I recall, I taught you how to ride." Wang So responded, narrowing his eyes playfully. "Don't go bragging what a wonderful teacher you are, when you flailed around the first time you're on a horse."

She stuck her tongue out defiantly before waving at Hae-soo, skipping off.

"Where are you going⎯"

Now that she was left alone on the horse, the trepidation started to settled within her again.

"You're on a horse." The prince pointed out, as if the fact wasn't staring right in his face.

She rolled her eyes to the best of her abilities, in spite of her growing anxiety. "I can tell. Let me down, will you?"

He seemed to have considered her words when she extended her hand towards him, urging him to assist her.

Nodding, he curled his hand around hers but instead of helping her down like he did in the streets, he used her hand as leverage to climb aboard the horse, himself.

Hae-soo and Byul protested at the same time, drawing a hearty laugh emitting from his lips.

"You're supposed to help me down, not come up the horse." She chided while he calmed the horse, his mane gently.

"Soon-deok entrusted me with the task of teaching you. I couldn't possibly ignore her request."

His strong arms encircled her, cutting her off effectively as he enveloped her hands with his warmth, grabbing the rein.

"Direct him to wherever you want to with a tug." Wang So whispered in her ear, the words tickling down her skin.

Her back was pressed against his defined torso, able to feel every curve of his body heaving with each breath he took and all her concentration was lost.

Barely applying the force necessary to dictate the horse's movements, Byul merely strolled off in the opposite direction.

The prince shook his head in apparent disapproval, focused on his task rather than the reaction he was causing her. "No, you have to⎯"

Whatever he said next, was thoroughly lost to her ears when he secured the rein, nudging forward in attempt to regain control.

They hadn't been in such close proximity ever since the night of the imperial family gathering, where their almost-kiss was interrupted by the timely arrival of Ji-mong.

"The question is, do you want it to be the same as it is now? Or do you still wish to go back?"

Hae-soo had replayed the query in her head over and over, pondering over the decision.

"I don't want to go back." She muttered, not even realising her thoughts had left her lips until the horse suddenly halted.

"Pardon?" Wang So was bewildered when she broke her silence, having been quiet to her own mind since she gave up control to him. "As much as this is lovely, I'm sure you⎯"

"No." She cut him off, turning her head slightly to meet his gaze. Their faces were inches apart, distracting her immensely to follow through with her line of thought. "I don't want to go back. I want to be here, with you."

Her words rendered both of them speechless, which in her case she was reeling from the fact she had just admitted it out loud.

"I mean⎯"

"Soo-yah." They said at the same time, biting their lips when they realised the other had spoken. When she prodded him to continue, Wang So exhaled through his nose. "There's nothing I would want better, than hearing that from you."

Hae-soo gave him a lopsided smile, to which he grinned happily in response.

"Though," The prince's lips grew into a mischievous smirk, leaning into her neck with his lips hovering just a breath away from touching her skin ⎯ sending a tingle down her spine. "I thought I was supposed to be the one proposing. Did you just snatch my promise from me?"

"What? No⎯ That wasn't a proposal. Don't you dare think for a second you can forget about coming up with a better⎯"

"Hae-soo?" Wang Eun's voice called out, the confusion clearly lathered in his tone. "And⎯ So hyung-nim?"

Three figures stepped closer towards them ⎯ consisting of the Tenth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes ⎯ trailing behind in the arrangement of their age order.

All of them finally realised what the younger princes had chanced upon at the same time ⎯ Hae-soo tightly wrapped around Wang So's unrelenting arms, an intimate gesture that surely was noticed by the three pair of prying eyes.

Baek-ah was the first to react, bursting into laughter when his other brothers turned to him, in what she assumed to be astonishment at the secrecy they had kept from them.

"What's going on now?" The Tenth Prince asked quietly, focusing his eyes on her as if she held all the answers.

Gnawing on her bottom lips nervously, Hae-soo glanced towards Wang So, who stared at his brothers.

"What does it look like to you?" He inquired, slipping his palms over hers as his fingers laced themselves with her slender digits.

Wang Eun sputtered and choked, unable to form a coherent sentence when he shot a look of utter betrayal at her. After a few attempts at conjuring a decent response, he came up naught as he stormed away angrily, Wang Jung hurriedly following behind him.

"He shouldn't have learnt it like this." Hae-soo murmured softly, rubbing his knuckles. "Soon-deok says he⎯"

"He likes you." Wang So finished for her, a humorless smile on his face to find her astounded expression. "I figured you wouldn't know."

"Then, was that on purpose?"

He contemplated for a moment, before shrugging. "Yes and no. Yes, on the fact I do want him to know he shouldn't be lusting after someone else, when he's about to get married. No, because I wanted to do it the right way. Properly, not like this."

Her free hand touched his jaws, tipping his crestfallen face up to meet hers. "I don't need an over-the-top admission. I just don't want your ties to strain further, because of me."

Leaning his forehead against hers, Wang So's breath fogged with hers in harmonious synchronisation, humming absently. "You wouldn't be at fault, anyway. They've long treated me as a beast."

"Don't say that⎯"

"Please don't start kissing in front of me." Baek-ah interrupted, dramatically closing his eyes with his hands, though he had deliberately left a gap between his fingers to peek through. "My innocence can't handle it."

Hae-soo rolled her eyes in annoyance, but his older brother cut her to the chase. "Yeah? I'm fully intent on destroying every ounce of your so-called innocence, right this second."

Her pupils dilated to find his smirk looming over her face, his lips like he did the other night, only his expression was filled with mischief.

She pushed him away hastily at the same time Baek-ah snickered, folding his arms across his chest. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you. I still have your poems memorised word for word, in my heart."

Wang So pinched the bridge of his nose, turning on Hae-soo with a deadpanned expression. "See what you did to me? I'm at complete mercy at my brother's hand."

All three of them laughed together, before the Thirteenth Prince whipped around to leave, calling out with his back turned. "Everyone's looking for you two. A quick kiss and come meet us, alright?"

Hae-soo sighed heavily when he disappeared out of sight, drawing his arms snugly around her to ease her nerves. "I should probably talk to the Tenth Prince, shouldn't I?"

"You don't have to. We owe him nothing." Wang So's voice was firm, his lips pursed and he stared ahead, refusing to acknowledge her imploring eyes.

"But⎯"

"Baek-ah's right. We should be heading back." He muttered simply, tugging on the horse to head in the direction of the other princes.

She glanced between the ground and the determination planted on his features, perplexed at his intention. "Shouldn't we dismount before we go back?"

"No. I have something to announce, anyway."