Hyora had agreed to become the king’s friend, but she hadn’t anticipated becoming his matchmaker. Among the innumerable things he had to do was finding a wife. He’d had plenty of time to mourn Chunyoung, and now it was time to move on. He didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. The kingdom needed stability, and an heir was part of it. Hoya served as a failsafe, but the direct line mattered.

At first Hyora considered the many noblewomen she knew, sifting through names and faces, but then she realized he would probably marry a princess from another kingdom and shifted her focus. She began to collect information about any royal women from outside of Ashidor.

It was difficult for her to make any judgments since she basically hadn’t met any of them. She had no idea if they would suit Woohyun. They all seemed about equally qualified. All beautiful and intelligent and talented at something, or at least according to what people said. Who knew how much the stories were embellished in the telling?

In the end, she realized who would make a perfect match for him: Yeran. Hyora had met her during her stay at the Hwasung court. She was a lesser princess of Hwasung, the daughter of the ruler’s brother, a quiet beauty with amber eyes who had been married at the age of sixteen and then lost her husband to a fatal disease at the age of eighteen. Although she had initially been reserved, Hyora had managed to get her to open up a little, and the two had become something like friends.

The two of them hadn’t had too much time to get to know each other before Hyora left, but she had found Yeran a witty girl, full of deep contemplations that she didn’t voice often. She was overlooked and forgotten by the other people at court, pitied more than anything else.

Once Hyora had the candidate, it was a matter of making arrangements for the two of them to meet. The king was surprisingly nervous about the whole affair.

“Do you think she’ll like me?” he asked. “What if she thinks I’m a poor replacement for her former husband?” To Hyora, he sounded much more like an inexperienced young man than a wise monarch, for once, and that amused her.

“Her husband was kind to her, but I don’t think she was significantly attached to him. Even if she was, she’s gotten over his death. She’s had two years. As for whether she’ll like you, I hope so. I don’t see any reason why she would dislike you. But charming her is really up to you.”

“I’m not sure I have any charm left in me, Hyora,” he sighed. “I spent months without much in terms of company, particularly women.”

“Well, you’re talking to one right now, and you’re not making a complete fool of yourself, so I think you will be fine.”

“Yes, but you’re my cousin, not a stranger.”

“Just stop worrying,” she advised. “The more anxious you are, the more likely you are to do something stupid.”

A week later, Yeran arrived, welcomed by the court, and a celebration was held in her honor. She and the king maintained a polite distance from each other. Their conversation was also very courteous. Hyora dragged Hoya over to help liven up the conversation a little, and once they felt that things were proceeding smoothly, the two of them left Woohyun and Yeran to themselves.

Eventually, it became apparent that the two were getting along more than just fine, so Hyora was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Hoya, on the other hand, seemed forlorn, and she knew why, but didn’t talk about it with him. He’d open up to her when he was ready.

***

Hyora had been so caught up in the king’s affairs that she all but forgot her own engagement. Gradually, her mother had begun to regain her health, and she would expect her to marry Myungsoo eventually.

However, Hyora had other ideas, and she worked up the courage to express them to her mother.

“I want to become a healer,” she declared one day. She had gone to her mother’s room to visit her and keep her company for a bit. The duchess was tucked into her bed with a tray balanced on her lap. A cup of tea and a plate rested on it.

“What inspired you to decide this?” her mother asked, raising a brow.

“Well, you, Mother, are one of the reasons. I couldn’t do much to help you this entire time. I felt useless. I have this gift of magic, but if I can’t do anything useful and helpful with it, what’s the point? And then, during the Restoration, I learned more about healing, and it really interested me. I want to learn more and make full use of my potential. I’ve talked to His Majesty, and he said I could train under the head healer of the palace.”

To her surprise, her mother didn’t call the notion silly or improper. Instead, she asked, “And why can’t you do this while married?”

“I want to focus on my education,” she insisted. “I can get married later. If you give me at least six months, I’ll marry whoever you want.” She had thought a lot about it, and she realized that she didn’t mind marrying Myungsoo. She doubted she would ever love him the way she had loved Dongwoo, but it was better than being stuck with a forty-year-old man or some pompous fool who thought he could keep her under his thumb.

Her mother nodded. “Very well. I give you a year to do this.”

“Thank you, Mother!” She rose from her chair to kiss her mother’s cheek, something she hadn’t done since at least a decade ago. The older woman looked bemused, but she didn’t say anything.

***

Hyora sat on her bed, reading the book on herbal remedies. As a beginner, she would have to learn more than just the magical methods of healing. Sometimes more mundane measures would be necessary to conserve magic. Her concentration was interrupted when a servant knocked at the door.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Miss, your fiancé is here to see you.”

Myungsoo? She thought he would have given her prior warning if he were going to come visit her. A bit confused but mostly just curious, Hyora shut the book and left the room to go to the guest parlor.

As she descended the stairs, she saw a familiar figure waiting for her. But it wasn’t Myungsoo.

“Sungyeol?”

He turned and grinned at her. “Hello, Hyora.”

She wasn’t sure what to say. Ever since their kiss, she hadn’t talked to him at all. Very soon after, he had left with Seulhee to go back to their village, his home. She hadn’t even known whether he was going to stay there for good or return.

“I was summoned to see the king yesterday,” Sungyeol remarked. “I’m being offered a position as one of his personal mages.”

“Really? That’s wonderful. You’ll get paid quite well, right?”

“Yes, but that’s not the best part,” he continued. “I get my own title and land. He’s ennobling me.”

“Oh.” That was even more unbelievable. The king had the power to grant any individual land and a title, but this didn’t happen very frequently. The last time a commoner had been ennobled had been nearly a hundred years ago.

“Isn’t it exciting? I thought I was stuck being the outcast for the rest of my life. I mean, people will still dislike me, but at least I have something to my name now.”

“Yes, that’s great…” But her original question returned to her. “Is my serving maid confused, or what? What is this about you being my fiancé?” She blushed as she finished the question.

“It’s true,” Sungyeol replied.

“But how?”

“Your engagement with Myungsoo was broken a while back, and your parents never officially reinstated it, so I was free to ask for your hand. I asked your father, who talked to your mother, and they both agreed.”

“They didn’t tell me,” she whispered, still in shock, just a bit.

“They wanted it to be a surprise.”

Well, surprised she was, and that was an understatement.

“Is this your attempt to make me feel better, or do you actually want to marry me?” She had to ask, just to confirm.

He looked at her, completely serious. “What do you think?”

She cleared the gap between them, stretching up and getting on her toes, and kissed him. “I’m not doubting you, but do you really think this will work?” she asked. “And why do you have to be so goddamned tall?”

“Don’t expect me to be Dongwoo, and I think we will both be happy,” he replied. Sungyeol leaned back and sat on the back of one of the parlor couches. He was now shorter, and his head was about level with hers. “Is this better?”

“Yes, it is,” she agreed, and she shifted forward for another kiss. Now that they were engaged, and she knew for sure how he felt, she didn’t feel guilty, as if it were a stolen moment, and was better able to enjoy it.

When they broke apart, Hyora remarked, “I think we should do more than just kiss.”

Sungyeol’s eyes widened. “What?”

She realized too late the implications of her statement and flushed a fiery red. “That’s not what I meant!” Her voice came out almost a squeak. “I meant we should talk…communicate.”

“Of course,” he laughed. “We’re fiancés. There’s nothing stopping us from seeing each other.”

As simple as it sounded, that statement meant more to Hyora and Sungyeol than anyone could have imagined. For years, their lives had been overshadowed, dictated, and complicated by their respective social statuses, but now, at last, they were getting what they wanted.

End of Hyora: Duty Calls

The End.