"Daughter, wake up." Jinhee's mother shook her awake from her deep sleep and she reseaved a deep groan in response. Her mother grew annoyed and smacked her head which woke Jinhee right up. "You have no time to stall. This morning you have a meeting with the royal court?"

 

"Me? Why?" Jinhee sat straight up in her bed while her mother pulled her finest clothes from her trunk on the other side of the room.

 

"Don't ask foolish questions and get ready." Her mother threw the clothes at her and walked over to the door. "The meeting is in the grandroom, don't be late. I am tending to the crown princess all day today." Her mother closed her door and Jinhee rushed around getting ready. She had no idea what this meeting could possibly be about, no one ever talks with the royal court unless they were royal themselves, that was the rules. Her fanciest hanbok were bright colours that accented her fairly plan feautres and since her mother had said it was an important gathering, Jinhee grabbed her favourite hairpin that was a bright red hibiscus surrounded in gold with a small piece of jade in the centre. It was the last birthday gift her father had given her before he had passed away and she cherished it greatly. When she pinned it into her hair she felt as if her father was there with her, surrounding her in his warm atmosphere and comforting her in this stressful moment in her life. She scrubbed her nicest shoes so they shined brightly and as she stood inside her home, she took a deep breath and headed outside. Although she would have run to make it to the meeting in time, Jinhee knew that there were eyes all over the palace judging her every moment. Perhaps that was what they were going to talk about; how careless she had been in the pass was coming back to punish her and Jinhee blamed herself wholey.

 

Once she reached the grand doors to the meeting room there were two guards standing outside. She had never been this close to the palace and was blown away with how large it truely was and how much detail was put into very square inch of its frames. It was more like a piece of art than a building where teh strongest man in the world sat waiting for her. The doors were opened and Jinhee was expecting the whole royal court but it was two fairly large women in gaudy hanboks, one in all white and the other in deep purple and these women were trying hard to hide the fact that they were aging behind thickly applied makeup and jewlery hanging off every part of their body. Then, sitting upon a throne raised high above everyone else, was the King himself, dressed in robes of gold that shined birghter than anything Jinhee had ever seen in her life. She lowered her head and walked gracefully into room with the large doors being slammed behind her. Jinhee wondered if her mother had taught her everything she needed to know in order to make herself presentable to the King, probably not. When she felt she was a respectable distance away, she bowed deeply to the king.

 

"His royal highness, great King Seojeong." Jinhee was greatful that at the base level she knew how to properly greet the King and then she greeted the women waiting for her.

 

"Jeon Jinhee, daughter of Jeon Beomsoo personal physician of the all mighty King Seojeong." The woman in purple had a deep, raspy voice that sounded as if she had swallowed gravel before talking and Jinhee tried to ignore how odd it sounded and confirmed that was indeed her title. "We are the royal matchmakers. If there is to be a marriage amongst anyone in the palace we are the ones to arrange it." The woman rattled on as if it were a set script in front of her and Jinhee's heart stopped. Matchmaker? She had no intention of marrying anyone within the palace; she was barely of age but she knew better and didn't speak up.

 

"A member of the royal family sets forth an offer of marriage." The other matchmaker said, her voice was soft as a spring rain which made the two an even odder match and seemed like opposite sides of a coin.

 

"That is very gracious of them." Jinhee wanted to look to the King and ask him questions but she knew that wasn't an option. She also wants to know who was proposing to her; none of the princes or noblemen were there and the King never went through troubles like this when he would bring in a new concubine. The matchmakers asked her tons of questions mostly about her education and family background and they seemed happy with the fact that her father grew up in a very well off family and they were still in strong holding with the King until this day, her mothers family on the other hand was less than desierable.

 

"We also understand you have learned to play instruments while staying here." One of them said and Jinhee grew ridged. She had learned to play with haegeum as a child but hadn't played in almost a whole year and knew she would be terrible at it.

 

"Yes, I learned to play the haegeum." Jinhee knew what was going to happen next. One of the matchmakers called out to one of ther servants standing by and they brought out a very beautiful haegeum and set it in front of her. "I will play if that is acceptable to the might King." Jinhee could hear the King chuckle and accept her playing. She was pleased with herself for making the King laugh as he was known for being grumpy. Jinhee began playing and she was surprised with how easily it all came back to her. Memories of playing for her father on autumn afternoons came rushing back to her. Her father would be sitting at his work station and grow bored with his studies so he would beg Jinhee to play for him which she happily did because any time she could receive praise from her father she would do what ever he asked. The song ended and Jinhee heard a loud clapping and she looking up to see the King had a large smile on his face and was clapping with great enthusiasm. She quickly brought her head down and thanked him for listening to her.

 

"You play very well child. Be expecting a formal proposal at the end of the week." The Kings voice run out through the room. The instrument was taken away and the King announced that the meeting was over so Jinhee brought herself to her feet and backed out of the room, once again thanking the King for allowing her in his presence. Once outside with the doors to the meeting room closed, Jinhee let out a deep breath and just now could feel how hard her heart was beating in her chest. She quickly made her way back to her home with the adrenaline rushing through her veins she thought that she was going to pass out at any moment. Jinhee couldn't wait to tell her mother everything that was happening to her but she didn't know if she wanted it all to happen. A proposal from someone in the royal court would only mean she would be stuck behind these walls for the rest of her life but it also meant that she would bring great honour to her mother and father and no one would ever look down on them ever again. As Jinhee made it back to her home, she saw a tall man standing outside the door in deep blue and white robes. He turned around and a large smile came across his face.

 

"My Jinhee." The man took five large steps stood in front of her. It took her a second but this was her childhood friend.

 

"Chanyeol, you look so different." She joked and the man laughed, his cheeks turning a light pink.

 

"I look more manly now." He turned to the side to show off his new figure and Jinhee couldn't deny that he looked good. He was brought on as her fathers assistant a few years ago and her father sent him off to help communities around the country just as he had done. In his time that he was gone, Chanyeol must have hit puberty because now he must have been over six feet in height. They were close when they were children and he often followed her around, bugging her for attention and they would play off in the back gardens of the palace. When he was sent away by her father Jinhee remembered her heart breaking for the first time because Chanyeol was the only thing that brought her happiness at that time and he was taken from her.

 

"Yes, it's good to see you. What are you doing back at the palace?" Jinhee and Chanyeol decided to walk around the palace grounds which confused the boy. Most of the time he would have just gone into her home and they would have had tea together and talked about the years that now seperated them but since Jinhee had just had a royal proposal she decided that being alone with another man would look bad upon the King.

 

"I received a letter from your mother saything that your father passed away." Chanyeol awkwardly dug into his bag that hung on his hip and pulled out a piece of paper that looked like it had been read a million times over. "Your mother described how sad you were and there was no way I was going to stay away, not when my Jinhee was in need of me." Chanyeol smiled brightly and Jinhee would best describe him as a ray of sunlight in her life from start to finish. "I've also come to take over your fathers position as personal doctor to the King." He looked to Jinhee to see her reaction on the news but was surprised when she congratulated him, he figured that she would be more upset with him.

 

"You'll make an excellent doctor." Jinhee opened to say more but the stomped off in the distance signalled a royal was on their way. Both Jinhee and Chanyeol bowed at the tall man storming by them. He was wearing brilliant red robes with dragons stitched into every inch of the fabric with a sword tied tight to his hip and Jinhee looked up and caught eyes with the prince. His sharp eyes and tanned skin shook fear into her heart as Jinhee stood almost face to face with Prince Jongin. He walked right past them and Jinhee felt a cool breeze wash over them on that warm evening.

 

"Seems the princes are still the same." Chanyeol muttered when the prince was a safe distance away and Jinhee couldn't help but chuckle and Chanyeol froze. That had been the smile that he had dreamed about for so many years and the laughter he had heard in his lowest moments. All of that hard work had been worth it for that split second and Chanyeol burned that face into her mind to keep as a gift.

 

"I also came back because there is something I want to discuss with you." Chanyeol took Jinhee by the shoulders and her eyes grew wide, his hold was very bold of him and Jinhee felt her heart burst out of her chest.

 

"Daughter." A stern voice called out and Chanyeol dropped his hands so Jinhee could turn around and greet her mother. "You're back Chanyeol, welcome." Her mother said and Chanyeol bowed deeply, his bow was better for Jinhee's mother than when prince Jonging has walked by. "The crown prince wishes to speak with you in his private quaters, do you remember where they are?"

 

"Yes ma'am. Thank you." Chanyeol looked from Jinhee to her mother and then back at his friend. "I will talk to you at the end of the week, goodbye." Chanyeol then walked off towards the crown princes private home on the other side of the palace grounds and Jinhee's mother roughly grabbed her daughter by the arm and dragged her daughter back to their home with Jinhee questioning her the whole way there. Once at their home and the front door closed, Jinhee's mother roughly threw her into the room and Jinhee tripped over her skirt and tumbled to the ground.

 

"Mother?!" Jinhee yelped out as she fell. Her mom had never been this rough with her before but now looking at her Jinhee's mother had a crazed look in her eyes.

 

"You have a meeting with the King about marrying into the royal family and then you're running around the palace grounds with another man? What is wrong with you Jinhee? Do you never think before you act?" Jinhee's mother wanted to scream at her daughter but was forcing her voice to be more like a disappoted growl. Jinhee had tears in her eyes as she thought she was doing the right thing by just walking around in the open with him that way nothing could be taken out of context.

 

"You knew that he was going to offer me a proposal and you said nothing?" Jinhee jabbed back at her mother, both women on the verge of tears from the fear and nerves that were ratteling them. If only the King hadn't noticed Jinhee and none of this had happened then her reuniting with Chanyeol would be a happy memory instead of this.

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this is a haegeum if anyone is curious