The early morning sunlight filtered into the palace at all sides and I heard the low echoing of my footsteps increase in volume the closer I came to the king’s quarters, the intentional creaking of the wooden floors made so that intruders would be heard. Armed guards stood in every corridor the deeper inside the palace I went, their bodies a living warning that death waited for those who displeased our ruler. But I wasn’t afraid of these men; I had trained with them, was their leader in battle and they watched me with respect in their gazes. I returned it knowing full well that this type of behavior was why I had been awoken from my bed in the early hours of the morning to attend Jeonha’s call.

I reached the doors of his majesty’s study, his place of learning and governing that was done out of the public eye. Every morning he would stay sequestered here for several hours with his tutors and counselors, all intent on imparting knowledge both spiritual and physical in nature so that he would be able to govern the country with fairness and good judgement. I could only hope that during our meeting, those learned principles would be in effect; with trepidation I hadn’t felt even on the battlefield, I walked in as two guards opened the door for me.

Kneeling in front of a king is at times nerve-wrecking and at others undoubtedly wholly irritating. My uncle, Jeonha TaeJong was situated on a raised wooden platform, the cushion he sat on top of lushly decorated in gold and red. His stern face stared down at several documents littering his workspace, the scrolls of parchment stained with lines of ink. The man didn’t raise his head as I waited there on the floor and I knew his treatment was intentional. He looked scholarly now, but this father of the nation had been ruthless in his youth, killing off his own brother and his family members, forcing his second brother who had already become Jeonha years before to abdicate the throne in his favor.

I was well aware that he would get rid of me without hesitation in order to make way for his own sons; the old man was crafty enough to have heard of the rumors spreading in the palace, false ones that said myself and other people were gathering to support me in trying to gain the throne. I’d had no such collusions but still here I was, seeking the Wanja’s reprieve so that I wouldn’t be killed before I turned twenty-eight. My thigh throbbed the longer I knelt on the floor, the pain a stark reminder of what I had risked keeping myself in the king’s good graces. He had been pleased by my victory and at the time saddened by my injury; there were no hints of those tender feelings now. Truly people would only care about the sacrifices recently made rather than past loyalty and loyalty misplaced, however innocent it was, could be a death sentence in court.

If I was scared of my uncle’s rash decisions in regards to my life, it was safe to say that the nobles in court were even more afraid of their king and his capricious temper. Truth be told, he had been quick to eliminate any and all competition when he was a military leader himself, showing everyone just how formidable he was on the battlefield when dealing with the remnants of Mongol hordes in those times. But in his palace as well, he ruled with a stern hand and it kept the high-handed scholars and despotic noble families firmly in place. The standards he expected were seen to without question and he dealt swiftly with any dissension.

Words of a mounting rebellion had cropped up and whether I knew them to be false or not, it was up to my uncle to decide what would happen next. If he decided on my death then there would be little I could do about it. In the event that he found the rumors to be substantiated, I would be subjected to beheading and my corpse would be staked on a pike, my body put up for the common people to see around the palace walls. The sight would be declaring to all that I was a traitor to the monarchy. But there was a bigger issue here; who had brought this treasonous knowledge to the king’s ears? Someone wanted me dead. The thought chilled me to my core.

“General, Gwa-in has heard disturbing news, that this general wishes to ascend to the throne.” TaeJong questioned directly, finally signaling dismissively with a wave that I could rise from my kneel. I moved smoothly into a bow, still not daring to look up. I let out a deep breath and tried to ignore the white-hot sting of hurt that tore through my leg at the motion. The wound that had removed me from the frontlines still wasn’t fully healed but now wasn’t the time be concerned about pain. To provoke TaeJong unnecessarily invited death and I was no fool.

“Tell me if these words are the truth, or has Gwa-in heard falsely?” He continued, his eyes boring into my own. Whether they sought truth or guilt was something only he knew.

“Jeonha, these thoughts have never entered into this general’s mind. I am only the tool of your majesty.” The king scoffed at my words, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“There are those that would wish for my position, who would ignore the succession of my bloodline and create a new dynasty in their name. Such things are done by great men… men like yourself.” The king’s eyes were piercing, his hands rested together in his lap, the tips of his fingers steepled together as he regarded me.

“I am a lowly kongmuwon beneath your highness, a servant of the monarchy. I played at your feet as a child, your sons were like brothers to me. In everything that I have done for this country, I have also done for this family. In my father’s absence you raised me. I am loyal to this family, I am loyal to Jeonha.”

I bowed my head once again hoping he’d hear the truth in my words, the light sheen of sweat that had broken out across my neck the only outward sign of my tension. It mattered little in the long run that I didn’t want to die, but all that I’d said was the truth. I didn’t want to be king, I knew better than anyone the sacrifices that would have to be made of if I attempted to wrestle the throne away from this man and his progeny. Breathing deeply, the ruler of our country commanded that I raise my head.

“I say this with all respect Jeonha. In order to protect this land you hold samchon, I have been wounded in battle and would become so again if that is what you as my king required.” The long pause that followed made my heart catch in my throat and I waited still hunched over, hoping my uncle would make the right choice. He had to know, as I knew, that my support of the crown prince was necessary to have the military on his side. If I was gone, he would face a difficult battle, one I was hoping he wasn’t confident in winning.

“Gwa-in will take your speech to heart. If you claim loyalty then I will test that loyalty. See to it that you do not fail,” He warned in a neutral tone, as if he was merely disciplining a naughty pet.

“You will join me in court today, stand by my side. There will be a tribute given today by our foreign allies who have travelled along the Silk Road. They have promised a spectacle.” I finally released the breath I’d been holding and bowed once more to my uncle, his eyes already back on the scrolls that had held his earlier attention.

“Thank you for the fair ruling, Jeonha is wise.”

I hadn’t attended court in several years; mostly my lack of attendance was purposeful but all the other times were due to the fact that I spent more than half of the year putting down one skirmish after another. This left little time to socialize among the yangban, and for that I was grateful. Insipid noble ladies had begun gossiping as I entered into the courtyard, their small titters and whispers as they snuck glances at me didn’t make it difficult to guess what they were talking about. My face fell into its usual scowl hoping to scare them off, but for some reason that made them giggle even harder.
Standing behind the king and watching the courtiers as they filed in and filled the gaps that existed in the crowd, I ignored the hushed tones of the women who were trying to get my attention inconspicuously. There were seemingly endless treasures brought before the king, One man after another bowed to the Jeonha and presented their gifts with the utmost respect.  These foreign emissaries carried many large chests full of goods, silver and gold chief among them. Rich fabrics were revealed in colors that told tales of distant lands far beyond imagining, the Chinese silk they displayed held in the highest regard. The nobles behind us took in the sight with awed silence, their breaths quickening as the treasures grew in extravagance. All of them were eager for money and power but my uncle’s face never moved with either greed or pleasure at his new gains. He had always had a poker face, it was a family trait.

As the procession continued, my interest waned even further, until I could almost imagine myself somewhere else, far away in another time. I don’t know how long my stupor lasted but I was brought back by the sudden increase of voices in the open square, the area humming with chatter. The underlying noise is palpable but it’s not until I refocus on the ceremony happening in front of me that I realize the cause of the commotion. A finely dressed foreigner is speaking and gesturing behind him, pointing out the wealth he’s lain out before the king. But he has something else to offer as well.

"Your majesty, we come before you today with gifts from distant lands. Spices and jewels from the territories in the south, and this woman here, from past the great seas."

Brought to the forefront was a woman, one that could only been seen by those traveling on the Silk Road far from our own dynastic home. Her face is colored a darker brown then even that of the Mongols, the golden highlights of it reflecting the sun and making the dark streaks of dirt stand out in stark relief. Long and thick pieces of hair hung around her face, the strands twisted together in what had once been a style. But now they were matted with dirt and sweat, pieces of what was possibly straw sticking out of it in odd directions. Huge dark brown eyes look at me, her gaze not that of a beaten woman as she stares with some unknown intent. Her small nose is rounded and a soft jaw forms into a hard line as she is jerked forward. Dried blood covers her wrists, the metal chains having cut into her flesh.

Her head was raised high though and despite the simple cotton cloth she wore, curves shown through the material, the likes of which I hadn’t seen before. The woman was yanked again and made to kneel on the ground, her body hitting the stone below with force. I had unknowingly started to move forward as I watched her grimace in pain before I remembered where I was, who I was. I bit back a curse as I continued to stare, captivated by the dignity of the woman even though she was a prisoner. Her spirit was strong; I could almost feel her intensity as she took in her surroundings. Those almond eyes roamed over me too, and I felt my breath catch in my chest.

"We have no use for this foreigner among the palace's naegung. We will instead give this woman as a concubine to one most deserving... Come forward General Min."

Amid the sudden hush of the crowd, my teeth clenched in reflex, anger a cold bile that crawled up my throat. So this was what my imperial samchon had in store for me. His test of loyalty was the ultimate checkmate. On stiff legs I moved to stand in front of the king’s throne, watched as a smirk graced his lips in ridicule.

"General Min, you will take this woman as a sowon into your house and will treat her as a gift from Jeonha." His voice boomed again and I felt ice slide into my bones. There would be no way out.

"You honor this general," I said with no sign of effort on my part; the surest way fail this test would be to seem angry. I knelt once again and still kneeling I acknowledged his words with a lowering of my head. I rose from my genuflect, and a fresh bout of pain went through me, my thigh screaming as the bunched muscles unclenched. Breathing hard through my nose, I waved my hand once. Quickly, guards rushed over and the woman jerked back, her eyes showing panic. But how could she know what awaited her? As men loyal to me took the woman and parted the crowd to make way for her, I could finally process what her presence would mean for me. I suddenly had a concubine when I’d never allowed any women other than low level maids into my compound.

If people hadn’t been talking before, they’re talking now that the king has given me this sowon. And making her a royally given present means that she must be respected and given a somewhat important place in my household; I couldn’t dispose of her or else I would face the king’s wrath. Many men would see this as the end of their ambitions but I could only think that she was a necessary evil. If this was what it would take to avoid imperial suspicion, I would gladly take in several such women. Clapping his hands, my samchon announced that the tribute would recommence and all conversation came to a halt. With quick steps, I went back to Jeonha’s side.

A/N: And we're done with part 2! You guys don't know, but this is 6 pages right, the first part was 7 and if you can believe it there's still another part to this chapter! I have no clue why I do this to myself, I think I must enjoy tormenting you guys too lol. I don't know how long part three will be but hopefully it'll be coming sooner than this update did since I was planning on releasing it at the same time as this chapter. You guys can thank my friend for telling me to just post this part on it's own, you may have been waiting another week! I sincerely hope you're all enjoying the story so far, make sure to COMMENT, UPVOTE and SUBSCRIBE for more content. Much love, <3!