In the Kings private courtyard there were long tables with piles of food on the table surrounded with beautiful flowers and coins that surely would be able to pay off a few debts in the village they had passed through that morning. Jinhee was blown away by the wealth they threw around but she figured that she had to be used to it now since she was one of them. The King sat at the head table with Prince Suho and his wife on his right then Jongin and Jinhee on his left side. Usually it would be Kyungsoo in that spot but since it was their wedding day, the King blessed them to sit that closed to him.

 

For most of the evening Jinhee kept he eyes on the sword dancers in front of them; ten beautiful women all gracefully spinning around with swords in their hands as if it were an extension of their own limbs, Jinhee was jealous of their talents. Jongin on the other hand joked with his handmaiden and the two of them talked endlessly all night but every once in a while he would try to bring Jinhee into the conversation but could see the way the young woman scowled at her so she would through in a few words then focus back on the entertainment. Jinhee felt a tap on her shoulder and saw princess Heiryung and greeted her cheerfully and she was reciprocated with a beautiful smile.

 

"Welcome to the family, we need more women to calm my brother down." She joked and the two looked over to Jongin who was eyeing them carefully, not having heard the comment from his sister. "If you don't mind I would like to steal your wife for a moment." She asked Jongin and he thought about it for a moment. He didn't know why but the thought of her wandering around bothered him. The idea of her being out of his sight made him uneasy now that she was his property. But, since it was his sister, he agreed only on the premise that she be returned quickly. Jinhee rolled her eyes and went on a walk with the princess around the courtyard where people were eating and laughing.

 

"It's so nice to finally meet you, my father speaks highly of you." Up close the princess was even more beautiful than the poems had described, Jinhee had become lost in her eyes and had to snap herself out of the trance to reply.

 

"The King is too kind, I am nothing but a simple noblemens daughter." Jinhee said and Heiryung hummed in response.

 

"I wonder how you won my brother over, Jongin is a very stubborn man."

 

"Won over? I think you are mistaken, he does not care for me." Jinhee grew ill at the thought of Jongin caring for her. This was his form of personal torture for Jinhee and he was just enjoying a job well done.

 

"If that is what you think." Heiryung nudged Jinhee in a joking manner, which surprised the younger woman. "Your my sister now so I feel like I should be honest with you." The two woman stopped walking when they were off to the side where no one could hear them. "I have never seen Jongin smile so much in one day. But, he only smiles while looking at you." Jinhee knew it was because he was enjoying her pain but she couldn't tell the princess about how cruelly he treated her and how he threw her pin into the pond.

 

"I haven't noticed." Jinhee admitted and Heiryung loved watching the two newly weds be awkward with mentioning each other.

 

"Why don't the two of you come spend time at my home down south. We have a large property and the two of you could spend time together, you can come down with us tomorrow when we head back. I won't take no for an answer." Heiryung pouted her lips and Jinhee reluctantly agreed because she knew it was the right thing to do. "Wonderful, I will tell my husband and we will get everything ready." Heiryung looked over to Jongin who was scanning the crowds for the two of them and she chuckled. "Your husband is searching for you, time to bring you back." The princess guided her back. "She's back in one piece." Heiryung joked before heading back to her husband who was chatting with some important men who had been drinking too much.

 

"What did she want?" Jongin mumbled as he shoved more food into his mouth.

 

"She invited us back to her home, we leave tomorrow." Jinhee reached out and wiped some sauce from the corner of his mouth as she grew disgusted starting at the sloppy mess that was her husband. Jongin froze for a second then cleared his throat.

 

"Yes...of course." Jongin carefully swallowed then took a bite to make sure of no more messes. Hours passed and everyone was growing sleepy, especially Jinhee who kept pinching her thigh to stay awake. Finally the King stood up and declared that the night was over and he went off to bed. "Let's go." Jongin stood up and Jinhee followed suit. She knew what was going to happen now and it was the thing she was dreading the most. The wedding night. Jongin and Jinhee walked into a wing of the palace that only housed his room and the servants slid open the double doors and Jongin stepped inside. Jinhee looked to the elderly female servants who refused to raise their gaze to her. Only a few months ago these women would have scolded her for running around the palace grounds but now they would never raise their eyes to her.

 

Jinhee stepped into the room and the doors slid closed behind her. The room was broken up into three separate parts, the middle was set up with a large table with a tea set placed out with fresh tea waiting for them. On the left was a sitting area where Jongin had his armor and weapons meticulously set up. On the right was his bed which was draped in red and gold blankets, she could hear the rustling of clothes and she stood frozen by the door, wondering if she could run out and go back to her mothers home but when she looked, she saw the outlines of the two women kneeling by the door with their heads lowered. It hadn't dawned on her until then, the women were there to make sure they consummated their marriage. Jinhee broke out in a cold sweat when she heard foot steps and looked over to see Jongin changed from his wedding clothes into silk pajamas. His hair messily flopped down over his ears and covered his eyes which made him look much more like a child than a fierce warrior prince.

 

"Um..." Jongin ruffled his hair out of his eyes and motioned towards the table. "Tea?" He awkwardly rushed over and knelt down and Jinhee did the same and knelt across from him. She reached out at the same time as Jongin and their hands brushed against each others but Jongin quickly pulled his hands away and Jinhee grabbed the tea pot and poured a cup for the both of them.