Morning had been a tranquil endeavor. Chaeyeon had had his early morning walk, he had had a small talk with some monks, who, for the first time, weren’t THAT curt, and had returned to his room for breakfast.

It had been while he was having breakfast, though, that his teacher had hurriedly let himself in. Chaeyeon exclaimed an indignant, “Hey!”, before the man spoke, huffing.

“His Grace is requesting you and your friend, at his room.” Chaeyeon’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Really? Now?”

“Yes, right now.” Chaeyeon jumped to his feet, running to the door, but stopping for a moment.

“Should I go tell Yena?”

Probably sensing Chaeyeon’s unease, the teacher answered, “No, I shall tell him.” And with a curt nod, he ran towards the Prince’s room.

Would it finally be the time to act? Would he finally have the next clue to be able to return home? He had been sitting ducks for so long, he was actually starting to lose hope, and his mind was starting to formulate plans to escape with the delivery.

He passed by other people hurriedly, apologizing half-assedly when he managed to barrel into someone. Arriving at the Prince’s room, he saw one monk pacing in front of the room. When the man saw him, he quickly gestured for Chaeyeon to enter, his face betraying something that Chaeyeon wasn’t privy to, but made him wary.

“Your Grace,” he said as he stepped into the room. The man, who was actually quite older than his sisters, nodded at him, as if to welcome Chaeyeon’s intrusion into his personal space. Bowing before sitting down in front of the small table that separated both men, he looked behind him for a moment.

“Where’s your friend?” the Prince asked inquisitively, raising an eyebrow.

“He will be here shortly,” Chaeyeon answered politely.

“You weren’t together?” the Prince asked again.

“No, Your Grace, I was having breakfast at my room,” Chaeyeon explained, not wanting the Prince to know that he and Yena weren’t on good terms.

Yena arrived shortly after, still using a crutch to help himself walk. Bowing at the Prince, he sat in front of the table, distancing himself from Chaeyeon as much as he could. It stung a little.

“Now that you’re both here, I have some questions for you,” the Prince started, his face now serious. “First, do you understand everything I am saying?”

“Yes, Your Grace, we understand you,” Chaeyeon answered for both men, surprisingly, not refuted by Yena.

“Excellent. Now, my first question to you would be, who sent you with this papers?”

“Master Shinyu, a merchant in the Kingdom of Silla,” Chaeyeon answered.

“Did you work for him directly or were you hired for this one job?”

“We worked for him, Your Grace.”

“Do you know how to read?”

“No, Your Grace. We’re both illiterate.”

“I see. And were you aware of the purpose of this delivery?”

“No, Your Grace, we were just under our captain. He told us just the things he felt we needed to know.” The Prince raised his eyebrow.

“And you, young man. Why are you not answering?” he asked, directing his question at Yena.

“I don’t have much to say, sir,” Yena answered calmly. It made Chaeyeon sigh inwardly in relief.

“I’d like for you to answer my questions, then. I’ve heard enough from him.”

“Yes, sir,” Yena answered.

“Did you know the purpose of the delivery?”

“No, sir. Honestly, I came because he came, too.” Chaeyeon flinched internally.

“So you don’t have any idea about the whole operation?”

“No, sir.”

“And how did the both of you arrive here?”

“There was a storm,” Yena recounted. “So me and Chaeyeon, we grabbed the delivery and jumped to the sea with it.” The Prince looked surprised at his words.

“Just like that?”

“Yes, sir. We don’t know much about it, but we had to take it with us.”

“And how did you get here?”

“We reached a beach. We both walked into the island, because we had no food or water. Some time into our trek, we passed out and we woke up here.” The Prince rubbed his chin at Yena’s words.

“And you both truly have no idea about what the writings contain.”

“No, sir.” “No, Your Grace.”

“I see.”

“Uhm, can I ask a question, Your Grace?” Chaeyeon asked carefully. At the Prince’s consent, he asked.

“What is going to happen to us?”

“What is going to happen to you?”

“Yes, Your Grace. Will we return to Silla? Or...” The Prince smiled.

“We don’t know what we will do with you two, yet.” Chaeyeon wringed his hands nervously, and, at the corner of his eyes noticed Yena was squirming uneasily.

“Well, that is all I need from you, for now. You are dismissed.” Both men bowed in their seats before standing up, Yena having more trouble than Chaeyeon to do so. The younger man wanted to help, but found himself fearing Yena’s reaction if he tried to. Instead, he waited for the older man to be on his feet to start walking towards the door.

When both had finally exited the room, they stood awkwardly in front of the door, neither willing to talk to each other, nor to leave to their own endeavors.

“Uhm,” Chaeyeon said first, reminded by Rino’s counsel. “I know you probably don’t want to speak to me... But I think I ought to thank you for everything you have done for me. You risked your life and don’t think I don’t appreciate that... I know I told you that I... I don’t think of you as a fool, never have... You are actually a very brave man, and a good friend.” Chaeyeon scuffed his foot, waiting for an answer, but deflated when he received none.

“I guess, that is all I wanted to say.” He bowed slightly, walking towards his own room.

“Wait.” Chaeyeon froze on the spot. He heard steps (and sounds of the crutch hitting the ground) getting closer to him. “Can we speak? In private?”

“Y-yes!” the younger man answered immediately.

“Let’s go to my room.” And there was no objection. The walk to Yena’s room was silent, only the sound of the rest of the world waking up with a new day. Chaeyeon had a passing thought about the princesses, but shook it quickly from his head.

When they had finally gotten to Yena’s room, and both men were sitting comfortably, Yena sighed before speaking.

“I can’t let you be like this,” he started, giving a sound of dissent when Chaeyeon opened his mouth to speak. “I can’t let you think that this is your fault. You’re right. It isn’t. I was the one who followed you here. You did try to come here alone. The thing is...” Yena rubbed the floor with his fingers. “I was angry at you. At first, my anger was because of your lies. I have shown nothing but complete trust towards you, and I have always considered you a friend. So, when I thought that you were lying to me, that it was because you didn’t trust me enough, it hurt. What have I ever done to make you distrust me?” Chaeyeon opened his mouth to interject, but Yena interrupted him. “Wait, I’m not finished. However, as the days went by, you never apologized. You apologized for putting me in this situation, which, again, is not your fault, but you never apologized about the things that you said. I realized that you are completely serious about what you told me, and that, for you, your words were the truth. And then, I was hurt because if your outlandish story was real, then that meant that you would leave me behind, that you are going to wherever you have to, and I was going to be alone, again.”

“I’m sorry,” Chaeyeon expressed.

“No, I don’t want another apology!” Yena raised his voice, surprising himself and Chaeyeon. He cleared his throat and continued more calmly. “I just wanted you to know that. I don’t hold anything that has happened until now against you.”

“Thank you, really,” Chaeyeon said. “I know I can’t really do much for you now, but, if you want, I can try to get you back to Silla, so that you can go back to your family.”

Yena sighed. “I have no family.”

“What? But you told me...”

“I know, and I wasn’t lying to you, at least, not entirely. My parents were peasants and my brothers were just starting to work on the fields, too. But...” Yena grabbed onto his own clothes, squeezing them until his knuckles were white. “There was a revolt. I had been far from them at the time, but when I returned, there was nothing left of them but ashes.”

“I am so sorry,” Chaeyeon expressed sorrowfully, wishing to console Yena but not knowing how to.

“It’s not your fault, either... So you see,” Yena voiced, his voice more withdrawn. “I couldn’t even be rightfully angry at you for lying because I lied to you, too.”

Chaeyeon, not knowing what else to do, put his hand on top of Yena’s, who moved to squeeze his hand in a painful manner, but the younger man didn’t complain, bearing the brunt of Yena’s strength. They didn’t say anything for a moment, until Yena released his hold on Chaeyeon’s hand.

“Thank you for trusting me with this,” Chaeyeon said, standing up, taking Yena’s body language as a sign that he wanted to be alone. “And, if there’s anything you want me to do for you before we part ways, name it. I’ll do what I can to grant it.” He knew he wanted to return home as soon as possible, but he didn’t want to leave without thanking Yena for his help. He owed him as much.

He took Yena’s small smile as an affirmation and he left, his heart lighter.

--

--

Chaeyeon was woken by small knocks on his door. Jumping to stand up, he hurried to open the door, as he had never been sought out like that in the morning. He usually had time for leisure before he even had to see another person.

Opening the door, he found a girl waiting with a letter. The girl, most likely one of the Princesses’ maids, bowed, giving him the letter. He gave her a greeting before he took the letter, opening it carefully.

‘By the early evening

A dancer found his way

Through the joyous

Sound of music.’

Chaeyeon thanked the girl, who nodded at him and left at once.

“An invitation?” he murmured, saving the letter among his clothes. Now that he was wide awake, he decided to take his walk early, knowing that breakfast would take a few hours to arrive.

An invitation... to what? Would Rino send to look for him again? Or was this a public affair? Moreover, did the Princess expect him to dance? The last thought filled him with panic and expectation at the same time. There were few times she danced back in her time. Nowadays, she only danced when her sisters asked her to, mostly probably trying to cheer her up or see the Chaeyeon that had lived inside her body before hit the fan. Even then, she had already gotten rusty.

He had the mind to practice, but to what would he practice? There was no music and no place for him to peacefully do what he wanted. He would usually wander into the forest, but it was still too early for him to leave, fearing getting lost among the dense foliage. He would just walk to the lake to try and have a peaceful morning, hoping that his usual pessimistic thoughts wouldn’t be there. Bathing was also an option, but, despite his own sense of hygiene, disliked having to bathe, as it represented a challenge in which he had to take double the care to not be seen. Well, it was very early and most monks who were already awake would often be at the temple, performing morning rituals, so it was improbable that someone would find him. Moreover, he usually had to change his bandages for new ones, so why not bathe now?

Battling with himself internally, he finally decided to bathe.

After the bath, which had no incidents, thankfully, he returned to his room, wanting to dry and put up his hair in his customary (unfashionable to most monks) bun.

Closer to the time of breakfast, there was a knock at his door. Chaeyeon was surprised to see Yena coming in through the door.

“Would you like to have breakfast with me?” Yena asked, his voice subdued.

“Sure. In your room or mine?”

“Your room,” Yena answered, walking towards Chaeyeon, sitting in front of him.

“Looks like you bathed,” Yena stated.

“Yeah, already felt the need to,” Chaeyeon answered, hoping Yena would feel better. It was very apparent to the younger man how quiet Yena seemed to be.

“Do you bathe constantly? In the future?” The question made Chaeyeon freeze, as he still expected Yena not to believe him at all.

“Yes, it’s expected of you.”

“Why? Isn’t it difficult to get water to bathe every day?”

“Well, no. In the future, obtaining water is quite easy for most people.”

“Hah, must be nice,” Yena answered, scratching his nose. “What else is there in the future?”

“Are- are you serious?” Chaeyeon asked, half-believing that Yena was playing with him.

“Well, I did tell you that I thought you were saying the truth, didn’t I?”

“I just, I just know that my story is hard to believe.”

“And yet you trusted me enough to tell me.” Yena smiled wryly. “So, what else is there? Where do you even come from?”

“Well...” Chaeyeon hesitated. Although Yena was the one who had started the conversation, he was afraid that the older man would disbelieve him again if he even tried to describe the future to him.

“I come from Silla,” Chaeyeon started. “But, at the time I live in, it is not called Silla anymore.”

“Then, how is it called?”

“The Republic of Korea.”

“The what, now?” Yena looked confused. Chaeyeon repeated himself.

“And,” he continued. “I live way far into the future.”

“How far?” Yena asked, his face now betraying some disbelief.

“Very, very far. Far enough to be completely different from the country that you know.”

“You can’t tell me anything else?” Yena looked disappointed, whether in Chaeyeon or in the conversation, the younger man didn’t know.

“I’m sorry,” Chaeyeon apologized. “It’s just that I fear that if I tell you more, you won’t believe me, and you’ll distrust me again.” They stayed silent for a moment, and Chaeyeon feared the worst.

“Well, if that’s the case,” Yena said after a while. “I won’t ask.”

“You’re serious? But do you still believe me?” Chaeyeon asked, gaping at the older man.

“I’m going to be honest. I have trouble believing you, not because I think you are lying, but because it’s rather incredible to think that you, someway, somehow, come from the future. However, I do still consider you a friend, a sibling, even, and I’d rather we be alright again than have us be fighting the whole time.”

“Thank you,” Chaeyeon said, thankful for Yena’s honesty, but hurt at the obvious disbelief, even when Chaeyeon understood the situation completely.

“Anyways, changing the topic,” Yena started, his voice lighter than a few moments ago. “Have you seen one of the Princesses’ maids.”

“There are many Princesses’ maids,” Chaeyeon answered, his voice also lighter, grateful at Yena’s attempt at crossing the bridge.

“But, but,” Yena countered. “None as beautiful as this one.”

“Well, what’s her name?” Chaeyeon asked, knowing that even if Yena knew her name, he wouldn’t even know who he was talking about, as he had only interacted with the Princesses and their entourage when the situation called for it (read: when they interacted with him).

“Her name is Juri, and she is beautiful,” the older man answered, clutching his chest dramatically. Chaeyeon chuckled, feeling happy to see his friend less burdened.

“Have you spoken to her?”

“That’s the thing!” Yena jumped in his seat. “I tried catching her when she was alone, but she’s always with the Princess!”

“Then how do you even know her name?” Chaeyeon asked, confused.

“A man has his sources,” he winked.

“You asked around?” The younger man was amused.

“I asked around! I also asked if anyone knew their schedule, but everyone looked at me as if I had grown a second head!” Yena pouted at the memory.

“Well,” Chaeyeon started. “You do know you can’t exactly interact with them if they don’t talk to you first, right?”

“That is a thing?” Yena gaped at Chaeyeon.

“Yes, remember the Princesses ARE royalty, even their maids have a higher social standing than us.”

“Why is that even a thing?” Yena grumbled. “She is a pretty woman. I am a pretty handsome guy, if I do say so myself.” Chaeyeon snorted. “Why can’t we be?”

“That is life,” Chaeyeon answered simplistically.

“How about you? You haven’t- oh,” Yena trailed off, realizing late what he was about to say. “I’m sorry. I really have forgotten who you are.”

“It’s alright,” Chaeyeon dismissed, feeling weird at the thought of having his most intimate friend also see him entirely as a man. I mean, he kind of knew he was perceived like that by everyone, but this type of interactions really drove the point home. “You did tell me you were going to forget.”

“It’s just that... Although you are not that manly looking,” Yena explained. “Your voice, your behavior, your, well, everything, makes me forget that you are a woman.”

“I know. It is strange,” Chaeyeon acquiesced. She did also have to admit that it was weird to refer to herself as a woman. Since the day the old woman had dressed her in man’s clothes and had told her those directives, Chaeyeon had truly referred herself as a man ever since. It reached the point where even when she bathed and looked at her body, it was difficult to refer to herself as a woman. If she thought about it, it made her feel  a little anxious, and quite saddened at the loss of her femininity.

To be honest, it made her even doubt who she was as a person.

“Anyways, no, I haven’t looked at any person like that, at all,” Chaeyeon said, trying to get his mind off of those thoughts.

“Are you sure?” Yena asked, elongating the last word teasingly.

“Yes, I am sure,” Chaeyeon assured. “Who would even want to be with pompous idiots like them?”

“Oh, I am sorry, Mister Elitist. Who would then please our Chaeyeon?”

“I am not even sure,” Chaeyeon confessed. “I never had the time to look at someone like that.”

“How could you not have the time to look at someone like that? There is always time to appreciate attractive people!”

“I just never could.” Chaeyeon had spent most of her middle-school days dancing her body away, so for her liking boys had never been an important thing. It made her disgusted even, when her friends spoke about it. In high-school, she had spent most of her time taking care of his father and sisters to even care about romance. With the loss of her friends, the topic of boys was never touched upon again, and she didn’t even care.

“You are a weird person, Lee Chaeyeon.”

“As if you are anything better, Choi Yena,” the younger man retorted.

“Hah, maybe you are right,” Yena drawled. “But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to talk to that woman.”

“You are wasting your time,” Chaeyeon advised, although with a very lighthearted tone.

“Well, if I am to waste my time while my leg heals, why not waste it on a pretty girl.”

“You really are something else,” Chaeyeon laughed, shaking his head.

One monk brought food for Chaeyeon, and, noticing Yena was there, brought another serving for him a few moments later.

“So,” Yena spoke as he shoved another spoonful of rice in his mouth. “What do you think is the Prince’s deal? With us.”

“I don’t know,” Chaeyeon responded, pinching his nose anxiously. “I mean, I don’t think he wants to hurt us, but that isn’t much, is it?”

“Well, it’s a start,” Yena said. “The important thing is... how are getting home?”

“Uh, well...” Chaeyeon started awkwardly. “I’m not sure if I’m going back to Silla.”

“So you have other plans,” Yena stated.

“Well, maybe,” Chaeyeon declared hesitantly. “I need to see that delivery through.”

“But it’s already here, where it needed to be delivered. What’s there to do?” Yena narrowed his eyes. “There is something else, isn’t it?”

“There is,” Chaeyeon admitted easily, not wanting to lie to Yena. “But I’m not sure if you’ll hear me out.”

“Do tell.”

“It’s just... This delivery is connected to my way back home.”

“Your way back...” Yena thought about it for a moment, before something seemed to click in his head.

“Do you mean those writings? Are they your ticket back to your time?”

“Not the writings, per se. But it’s something connected to them.”

“How do you know that?”

“I don’t know. As I said first, there is something pulling me to this.” Although Chaeyeon definitely didn’t want to lie, he’d have to hide that weird creature that put him here. As it was, Yena barely believed him, he didn’t want to alienate him even more. “A feeling, if you will.”

“But they are already in the hands of their rightful owner.”

“We don’t know that,” Chaeyeon countered. “I gave it to them because I though it would help our case, but we have no idea if they were the recipients of the writings. For all I know, I gave the writings to the wrong kind of people.”

“They are monks. What kind of wrong people could they be?”

“You never know.”

“Then what? Are you going to steal the writings back? Where are you even going to go?”

“That, I don’t know,” Chaeyeon answered, lolling his head to the side. “It depends on what the Prince wants to do with us. There are many possibilities.”

Yena nodded pensively.

“Well, whatever it is, you better hurry up thinking of a plan. You don’t have much time.”

--

It wasn’t long before their teacher announced to them the festivities that were going to take place in lieu of a welcome for both princesses. Chaeyeon had to fake his surprise at the event, and Yena had looked a bit too excited. Boredom did that to a man, Chaeyeon guessed.

However, it still took several hours until they were called to the party by another monk. At that moment, Yena scrambled from his seat, not even finishing his own speech. Chaeyeon arched his eyebrow, but said nothing, instead, grabbing Yena’s crutch and handing it to the older man.

“Nah, leave that old thing here.”

“And how are you planning to walk?” Chaeyeon asked, eyeing Yena’s leg skeptically.

“I am doing far better than you think. If I need help, just lend me your shoulder for a bit.”

“If you’re doing better, why are you still using that thing?”

“Hey! Don’t look at me like that! I still need it somewhat, but I won’t die if I don’t use it. It just hurts a bit.”

“You should be more careful if you want to heal.”

“I know. I know,” Yena nodded haphazardly. “It’s just that... Well, I don’t want Juri to see me with that thing.”

It was a thing of pride, Chaeyeon could recognize, and nodded, knowing Yena wouldn’t budge. The younger man left the crutch on the floor, amused at the sight of a shyer Yena. He had really fallen for that girl, hadn’t he?

“I still think you’re wasting your time,” Chaeyeon said as he opened the door to his room, stepping outside.

“And I still think I have a chance,” Yena shot back, walking slowly. “Be gentle with me. I’ll go a bit slow.”

And with Chaeyeon’s nod, they walked towards the hall meant for such festivities.

It was a foreign feeling, making Chaeyeon feel out of place. He wondered if it was because he wasn’t of this time period, but when he turned to look at his friend, he looked dizzy as well, which made him feel better.

Having never entered to this particular room, Chaeyeon hadn’t the slightest idea of how big the hall would be, but was awed at the size. Most monks invited to the event were already sitting in front of a sizable spread of food (weren’t monks supposed to practice self-sacrifice), which made Chaeyeon’s mouth water. He had never seen some of the food in there, but it had been a long time since Chaeyeon had been able to eat anything other than gruel, rice, and kimbap. Everything looked like a delicacy.

The Prince, along with his sisters, were sitting at the far end of the table, far from the entrance to the hall. It was definitely designed so that he was the first thing you saw when you entered.

“Let’s sit,” Chaeyeon said, guiding Yena towards one of the last occupied seats.

“Wait,” one of the monks said. “These are not your seats.”

“Then, where...” Chaeyeon was interrupted by the monk.

“There, next to His Grace.” Both men gaped at the news, knowing the implication of sitting at that end of the table. Walking towards it, Yena elbowed Chaeyeon in the ribs, making the latter hiss.

“You think he wants us close to see when we die by poison?” Yena asked, half-jokingly, half-anxiously.

“He’s not going to kill us... here,” Chaeyeon ended his sentence with uncertainty. “If anything, he’ll kill us when all this is over.”

Letting himself believe that his own words were meant to be a joke, he bowed at the royalty now in front of him. The Prince held a neutral expression, unchanged at both men’s acknowledgement, while the princesses held distinct, far from indifferent, expressions.

“Thank you for having us here,” Chaeyeon commented as he settled in his seat.

“On the contrary,” Rino answered. “We are honored to have you on this celebration.” The woman smiled, but, different from her usual smiles, this one looked almost smug, which made Chaeyeon’s anxiety skyrocket.

“So, I hadn’t met your friend before,” the Princess stated, looking at Yena, who jumped in his seat at the attention. Chaeyeon fought hard not to facepalm.

“Y-yes. My n-name is Choi Yena,” the older man said, bowing as deep as he could in his sitting position.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Rino said, her expression barely hiding the laughter she was trying to hold. “My name is Rino, and my sister...” The Princess glanced at Sakura, who, reluctantly, also acknowledged Yena.

“I am Princess Sakura,” she clarified, not looking at Yena, but at Chaeyeon instead, which the latter found strange.

“Yes. I-I’m very honored to meet you.”

“So, Lee Chaeyeon,” Rino said, taking no more notice of the man who, still flustered, bowed his head in embarrassment. “Have you been well in the past days?”

Chaeyeon blinked. “Yes, I’ve been well.”

“Have you practiced? You know, since you told me you didn’t remember much?” Rino’s words, like before, seemed calculated, and although Chaeyeon couldn’t fully understand the meaning behind them, he blushed.

“No, I’m sorry to say. I’ve been absorbed in learning to speak better.”

“Well, that’s admirable. Making use of empty time.”

“I guess so.” Chaeyeon shrugged. The Prince cleared his throat, marking their conversation as over.

“So, Lee Chaeyeon-san,” the Prince started, his countenance more rigid that when they had seen each other last time. “I have some doubts of my own.”

“Ask away, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon answered, straightening his back.

“Have you ever encountered foes on your travels?”

“Thieves, once.” Chaeyeon omits the fact that it was the only time he had ever made a delivery.

“And how did you handle it?”

“Well, it was nighttime when they came. Me and my partner, we had just started sleeping when I heard strange sounds. I woke him up, and, since we saw no one, decided to run away.”

“If you couldn’t see them, wasn’t that dangerous?” the Prince asked, his mouth contorted in a grimace.

“It was,” Chaeyeon admitted. “But we had no idea of how many people were out there, and if we stayed on our places, they could much more easily attack us.”

The Prince nodded. “If they were thieves, and they believed you to be asleep, they would, most likely, have stolen your belongings, sparing your life.”

“It might be so, but it was important to get the delivery to its destination. We could not let them take it.”

“And I assume you got away.”

“Not quite. We knew it would be difficult to outsmart them. They were three, and they weren’t exactly young lads, like us, so we had to find a way to take them out.”

“Did you fight them?” the Prince looked uncomfortable at the prospect.

“Not really. We hid close to a ditch, and when time was appropriate, we pushed two of them into the ditch. We had to fend off the third man, though.”

“Did you know how to fight?”

“No, we are not fighters, so we had to improvise, find a way to not let him hurt us.” The Prince hummed.

“And that partner of yours, was it this young man?”

“No, it was someone else, but rest assured Yena is also a smart person,” Chaeyeon answered, hurrying to praise his friend.

“So you have never killed anyone?” the Prince asked critically.

“No,” Chaeyeon answered, appalled at the idea itself. Stabbing that thief’s ankle made him guilty as is, he could never imagine taking someone else’s life.

“I believe that is an unpleasant question to ask our guest now, of all moments,” Rino asserted firmly. “Let’s enjoy the celebrations.”

“Yes, you are right,” the Prince answered, which marveled Chaeyeon. How was the Prince listening to Princess Rino?

There was a small silence.

“I heard Jun has traveled to the Minamoto clan to hold the wedding preparations,” Sakura said, trying to ease the atmosphere between her older siblings.

“That is right,” Rino said, smiling slightly. “His wedding will be next moon. Are you planning on going, brother?”

“If there are no impediments, yes,” the Prince answered, his voice more serene, his stance more relaxed. “His wife, she’s from the Tachibana, is she not?”

“She is,” Sakura answered. “Tachibana no Reina.”

“Reina-san,” the Prince reaffirmed. “I haven’t seen her in quite a while.”

“Sadly, she doesn’t come to the palace as often as she used to,” Rino answered. “She only came once after I returned.”

“That happens when you leave for a long time,” Sakura expressed dryly, although Chaeyeon could notice a tint of melancholy in her words.

“Chaeyeon,” Yena whispered in his ear. “Do you think we can leave this place? It’s getting too stuffy.”

“I don’t think we can. It might look rude to them,” Chaeyeon whispered back.

“Is there something of interest you are talking about?” the Prince asked, his eyebrow raised.

“Oh, ah,” Chaeyeon stalled. “I’m not sure I should say.”

“Were you saying something not sound?”

“No, not at all. He, ah, was asking me if I knew were the bathroom was.”

“Ask one of the monks,” Sakura interjected, her gaze conveying the disbelief she had at Chaeyeon’s explanation.

“Ah, yes,” Chaeyeon said, standing up. “Let’s go, Yena.”

“I’m pretty sure he can find out for himself,” the Prince said, giving no room for objections.

“Yes,” Chaeyeon answered, bowing slightly and sitting down again. Yena looked at him in a slight panic, but Chaeyeon sent him a look, mentally telling him to go. The older man nodded, leaving for a while.

“Is there anything of interest you have spoken with Choi Yena?”

“Not at all,” Chaeyeon denied. “There’s not much for us to talk to, except about what to do.”

“What to do?”

“What to do if you are letting us go.” The Prince nodded, drinking from a cup a monk had brought him a few moments ago.

“And? What is your plan?”

“I’m not sure. I think Yena wants to go back to Silla.”

“And you?”

“As for me...” Chaeyeon drank from a cup a monk handed him. “Thank you. As for me, I’m not sure where to go next.”

“Weren’t you working in Silla?”

“I was. But I don’t think our master will welcome us after this. So, I’m not sure of whether to stay in Silla or go somewhere else.”

“You don’t have family in Silla?”

“No, Your Grace.”

“Is there anything for you to do in foreign lands?”

“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t hurt to try.” Chaeyeon eyed the Princesses, who were speaking with each other, hoping the Prince didn’t know and didn’t ask about his parents or siblings. There was another lull in the conversation.

“Are you and Choi Yena close?” Rino turned to ask him, Sakura eyeing him as well.

“He is my friend, yes.”

“Is that why you call him with a nickname?”

“Pardon?” Chaeyeon asked, confused.

“Yena, is that your nickname to him?”

“No, that is his given name,” Chaeyeon answered, even more confused when he saw the bewildered looks of the two Princesses.

“His given name is not Choi Yena?”

“No, Choi is his surname.”

“He has a surname?” Rino asked, her expression one of utmost surprise.

“We both have a surname,” Chaeyeon answered, internally freaking out.

“You have a surname as well?”

“Yes, I’m Lee Chaeyeon. My surname is Lee and my given name is Chaeyeon.” Both princesses looked at each other, the younger princess more surprised than the other.

“Are you not commoners?”

“We are,” Chaeyeon affirmed.

“And you both have a surname...”

“Yes,” Chaeyeon nodded.

“Well, isn’t this interesting,” Rino answered, quirked in a strange smile, while Sakura still looked bewildered.

Chaeyeon cleared his throat. “If I may ask, what is your surname?”

“The monks haven’t told you?” Rino asked.

“They don’t tell me much about the customs in Japan.”

“We have no surname. Only the nobles or the Emperor’s chosen descendants have a surname.”

“Is that a good or a bad thing?” Rino smiled, amused at Chaeyeon’s ignorance.

“Having no surname in the royal family is a good thing.”

“Ah,” Chaeyeon exclaimed, not knowing what else to answer.

“Do all commoners have surnames? In Silla?”

“I... am not sure,” Chaeyeon answered, feeling confused. He knew that at some point in history peasants had no surname, but Yena had told him his, didn’t he?

Conveniently for him, Yena arrived at the moment, making him inwardly sigh in relief.

“I am sorry for being tardy,” Yena said, bowing slightly before sitting down. Rino acknowledged him in passing before turning to look at Chaeyeon.

“You are not sure?”

“I... think so. Yena, commoners usually have surnames, right?”

“No, not really,” Yena answered, confused at the question.

“But you have a surname.”

“I don’t,” Yena scratched his head in embarrassment.

“You don’t? What do you mean you don’t?”

“Well, when we presented ourselves to each other, I told you my family’s old master’s surname... I though it would sound more refined to present myself with a surname...” Chaeyeon felt a huge need to facepalm, but decided not to.

“I do have a surname, though,” Chaeyeon affirmed, turning to look at Rino. She raised an eyebrow, as if wordlessly questioning his unsure behavior, but let it go.

“Where were you born?”

“In a city called Yongin,” Chaeyeon answered.

“In what province?”

“Ah, Gyeonggi,” Chaeyeon said, slapping Yena’s thigh so as to warn him against showing a reaction to his response. He was very sure Gyeonggi wasn’t the name of any province in Silla, but he didn’t remember the names of the existing provinces in this time.

“And you are a commoner?” Rino asked, emphasizing each of her words, as if daring Chaeyeon to lie.

“Yes,” Chaeyeon answered, looking at Rino in the eye. She held his gaze for a few moments, before someone cleared their voice.

“Dear sister, Ryosuke told me the musicians are ready.” Her smile was dangerous, betraying the light tone the younger princess talked to her sister with.

“Is that so?” Rino smiled at Sakura innocently. “What do you think, brother?”

Tomiyasu, who had been listening to the conversation silently, nodded, giving another gulp at his cup.

“It’s time to start.” He raised his hand, and a monk appeared at his side in an instant. “Tell the musicians to start.” The monk nodded, rushing to relay the message.

The music was what Chaeyeon more or less expected of the time. What surprised her a little was some of the instruments, which reminded her of the traditional korean instruments, but the sound they’d made was different. It intrigued her a little.

Most people were now quiet, listening to the performance. Chaeyeon turned to look at his friend, who seemed entranced, and Chaeyeon would’ve been inclined to believe it was because of the performance if it wasn’t blatant that Yena was staring to a performer in particular.

‘That must be Juri,’ he thought, laughing under his breath.

The performance was over, but there was no applause, like Chaeyeon expected. Instead, everyone just talked under their breath, making Chaeyeon think it was probably not a good performance. What was a good performance for them then?

“The music was a balm to our souls, I am sure,” Rino spoke out, and everyone turned to look at her, including the musicians. “Performances like this are not able to be found all to often. If you would also open your heart for this beautiful art, I’d like to have you enjoy a visual performance, like one you have never seen, performed by one of out guests, Lee Chaeyeon.”

‘Wait, what?’

Everyone turned to look at him and Yena, probably unknowing of who of the two men was the so called Lee Chaeyeon. With a burning face, and a beating heart filled with anxiety, Chaeyeon stood up. He wished he could tell Rino that she was making a huge mistake, but he knew he couldn’t rebuke the Princess in public.

It didn’t stop him from turning to look at the Princess, pleading for help. What he found was Princess Sakura, who laughed, covering with her hand. Even then, Chaeyeon could hear what she said next.

“He’s going to make a fool of himself.”

It made his blood boil. He didn’t know much about Princess Sakura, but what little he knew, he was sure she was a huge pain in the . Arrogant, stuffy, snobbish. Having been looked down on through a good chunk of his later life, he wouldn’t let it happen now, not if he had the chance.

Storming towards the musicians, he had the passing thought that he was overreacting. Sakura hadn’t interacted with him much, and hadn’t been as nasty as a person could be (and he knew at what extent could people go). There was something about her that irked him, though. Maybe it was the fact that he was inherently being looked down, when the Princess didn’t even know where he came from or what was his story. At some point, he understood why people looked down on her when she was back in her time, as she knew people wouldn’t look kindly at a drunkard, a gambler and her daughters. She knew the loan sharks wouldn’t look kindly at the daughter of someone who owed them a fortune. She knew that drug addicts tried to pretend they still had a moral compass and looked down on her for providing what they desperately craved for.

But Sakura looking down on her without knowing anything about her was unacceptable.

He stood in the middle of the hall, where he looked at everyone head on.

“This dance,” he spoke out. “This dance might be different from anything you have seen, but I hope you enjoy it.”

The music started, and he let himself go, giving his all to the performance.

She had never done this type of dance, as she had always been more inclined towards hip hop and break-dancing. She had done some contemporary dance lessons a while back, and she hoped that was enough.

Suddenly, she had no concept of time, moving as her body dictated, not having to consciously think her next move. It was, like many of the things she had done or felt in this time period, an opening, a pandora box of emotions that had been trapped inside hopelessness and sadness.

It felt like seconds, so when the music stopped and she opened her eyes, her heart was still yearning, yearning for dancing, for the expression of her soul that she’d had abandoned as life got harder.

Searching for the Princess, not having forgotten the thing that had made her so pumped up in the first place, she gave her a a smug smile, reveling in her gaping mouth and wide eyes. Everyone else seemed pretty surprised as well. No one spoke a word, as they had done when the previous performance had ended.

Not knowing the protocol done after finishing a performance, she bowed, walking towards her seat, where Yena waited for her.

“Wow, Lee Chaeyeon. Wow!” the older man said as Chaeyeon sat down on his seat. He grabbed the younger man’s shoulder, shaking him. “Where did you learn that?”

“Why?” Chaeyeon asked, his heart empty of the bravado he had felt earlier. “Was it good?”

“It was great! Like nothing I’ve ever seen! You were like a... like a... like a feather!”

“That was...” Rino spoke out, her face betraying surprise. “An interesting performance.”

“Is that a compliment?” Chaeyeon asked, truly curious of the answer.

“It is,” Rino answered. “You definitely were right when you said it wouldn’t be something we have seen. But it was... powerful.” The Princess turned to look at her sister, who was still shocked, her eyes filled with surprise and... awe? “What do you think, Sakura?”

The younger princess seemed to come out of whatever stupor she was in, and answered. “It was... it was... it was a good dance,” she said, ducking her head when Chaeyeon turned to look at her questioningly.

“And you, brother?”

“You definitely have talent,” the Prince answered. “And I am also curious about the place you have learned to dance.”

“I learned in Yongin, but then I moved to another place called Seoul.”

“Is that so? And is this the traditional dance in Silla?”

“No, not at all. My teacher was,” Chaeyeon wet his lips with his tongue. “Experimental.”

“He really was experimental,” the Prince answered.

And the festivities went on, the ambience settling down a few moments after Chaeyeon’s performance. The conversation both men had with the royals was more subdued, with the Prince choosing to speak with other monks whose names Chaeyeon didn’t know, and Rino being the main interlocutor.

It reached a point in which Chaeyeon was exhausted, so he decided to walk towards his room, hoping that the Prince wouldn’t rebuke him for his absence.

Already in front of his quarters, a man slammed into him, throwing both of them to the ground.

“What...?” Chaeyeon coughed. “Teacher?”

“Oh, Lee Chaeyeon,” the teacher slurred, smiling stupidly at his pupil.

“Are you alright?” Chaeyeon asked, standing up to help the teacher.

“Better than ever,” the man replied cheerfully. “Oh, here, here... Could you come with me for a moment?”

“Eh...” Chaeyeon looked around for someone to help him carry the drunk man, but finding no one, he sighed. “Alright.”

Taking his teacher was far more difficult than he already expected it to be, as the man was heavy and he had terrible balance while drunk. Chaeyeon released a sigh of relief when they finally arrived at the teacher’s quarters.

“Lee... Chaeyeon, don’t leave... Don’t leave,” the teacher whined as Chaeyeon deposited him on the floor.

“Rest for a little,” Chaeyeon advised, trying to get up. A hand stopped him.

“There’s is something I want to show you,” he said, smiling as he pointed at a particular bureau. “It’s there, take it for me.”

While Chaeyeon didn’t trust the man’s senses in the moment (and he was dead tired), he decided to obey the teacher. Opening the top drawer, her eyes widened at what she found.

“This?” Chaeyeon asked, showing the teacher the writings she hadn’t seen in several months. The writings she had willingly jumped into the sea for.

“Right! Those!” the teacher said enthusiastically, clumsily beckoning Chaeyeon with his hand. “This... These are papers that the Prince gave me as a gift... The writing is pheno...phen... phenomenal...”

“Do you mind me asking what do they say?” Chaeyeon asked carefully, not willing to let this opportunity pass.

“I haven’t taught you these characters yet, right?” the man asked, lolling his head backwards for a moment.

“Why don’t you take them with you?”

“Eh?” Chaeyeon asked, bewildered.

“Take them with you,” the teacher said, straightening his head again, but this time around, his voice and his expression were of a completely sober person. “You might need them for later.”

“W-why would I need them?” Chaeyeon asked, taken aback (and frankly, scared) at the teacher’s sudden change.

“I cannot tell you yet, as I’m afraid there is too many risks of someone overhearing... Just know that this you will need... Look for Shinfu, the rocks...” the teacher’s expression changed without warning again. “I’m too tired... I’m sleeping now, thank you, friend.” The teacher slouched, closing his eyes.

“Ah, uh.” Feeling whiplash at the teacher’s words, Chaeyeon nodded, bowing before running towards his room.

When she reached her room, Chaeyeon looked at the writings anxiously, the questions already forming in her head. Did he know something about her? Did he know that monster? Could this be a trap? Saving the writings in her clothing, she laid down.

Despite everything, she wasn’t able to think about it for long, as she collapsed into dreamland almost immediately.