The whispers heard through the grapevine said that King Jinyoung was a savage.

Three months had not passed since his coronation, but he had already invoked the displeasure of the Ministers and his Royal Council. He fears no God, they whispered. Nothing is sacred to him except violence. He will bring the entire kingdom to ruins.

King Jinyoung did not heed the advice of his political Ministers. He ignored the desperate warnings issued by the seers and religious leaders. High-ranking officials had been arrested and locked up on charges of treason, simply for attempting to protest the King’s outrageous policies. He silenced dissent swiftly and gave orders that had to be followed without question. The only other option was death.

The kingdom was filled with whispers, only because nobody dared speak louder.

“He is a ruthless tyrant,” one of the girls whispered to you one evening. She had just returned from the home of a minister where a secret meeting had taken place amongst some of the palace officials. “They say that the King has ordered for the annual rain festival to be cancelled. The priests are furious. How can the farmers grow crops if we do not even pray for the rains? The King is a man without God. He will invoke the fury of the higher powers. We shall all die!”

Is God such a malevolent being that he would kill us all for failing to offer a few prayers? You wondered although it was not your place to voice such opinions. The priests of the temple had spent years studying the supernatural forces and dedicated their lives to understanding religion. Who were you to question them? The other common folk felt the same. No one wished to risk offending any superior powers.

The traditional rain festival was held every single year, with hundreds of priests coming together from across the kingdom to conduct prayers in the sacred temple. The people then donated the remains of last year’s harvest to the temple. The rains almost never failed. Why did this King wish to risk offending God and sending the entire kingdom to starvation? Did he not care about his people? Did he not worry about the consequences that would fall from the heavens?

A King who feared nothing…

what could be more terrifying?

–

“Your Highness, the preparations for Prince Bambam’s birthday celebrations are already underway.“

“Keep them simple. Our kingdom does not have enough money to waste on frivolities,” King Jinyoung stated firmly, his eyes briefly flickering towards the enormous banquet hall where decorations were being hung in preparation for the upcoming event.

The female dancers had begun practicing for the celebration. There were a hundred of them, all moving in synchronization with the music played by the traditional instruments. King Jinyoung closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It had been far too long since he had the freedom to enjoy music for a few moments. Politics and statesmanship had occupied the first few months of his rule. King Jinyoung had seen for himself how his Father had ignored his royal duties in favor of his dancers and concubines. He would not repeat the previous King’s mistakes.

The King paused in his tracks and watched the dancers. They moved perfectly and in unison. These girls were taught to follow orders blindly and never break formation. However, a small group of about twenty women positioned to the left danced exceptionally well. Their movements were fluid and entrancing.   These women were more graceful and more skilled than the rest. Jinyoung watched them with his dark, emotionless eyes for a few moments before beckoning the advisor who was standing a few feet behind him.

“Those girls dance differently from the others,” he said, gesturing towards the left. “I wish to know why.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

King Jinyoung’s eyes moved slowly from one woman to another. These were all court dancers by title. However, the true purpose of these women was to satisfy the lustful desires of the palace officials. The women were summoned to gatherings where ministers and high-ranking men met to discuss politics. These women poured drinks, entertained and then satisfied the men at the end of the night.

King Jinyoung could not restrain his lips from turning into a disdainful frown. Their entire lives revolved around pleasuring these men. They were probably taught from childhood how to seduce them and appeal to them. Without foolish men to lust after them, the existence of these women was useless to society and to the kingdom.

It was almost pitiful.

“Your Highness,” the advisor had scurried back after speaking to some of the other dancers. “I am informed that this is a gathering of girls from many different schools, most of which are located immediately outside the palace. The girls you noticed dancing towards the left of the formation are all from one particular school…” the advisor hesitated. King Jinyoung was known for being celibate and for never showing any interest in women or dancing. Even during his time as the Crown Prince, the man had never once taken women to his chambers. “Shall I… send for any of them?”

“No. Bring me the woman who runs the school.”

The advisor bowed. “T-to your bedchambers…?”

The King turned and looked at his advisor sharply, his dark eyes making no attempt to hide his disgust. “No. To my audience chambers, you worthless fool. I wish to speak to her. Bring her today, in the afternoon.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

–

You had never set foot inside the palace.

You had been living a few streets away from the enormous structure for over a decade. You walked past the magnificent stone walls and heavily guarded gates every day of your life. Yet, there had never been occasion for you to step inside. Your dancers went inside the palace often- to perform for the Prince and during other events- but you yourself had never been invited. You merely relied on the stories they told you after they returned: stories of beautiful rose gardens and golden hallways.

When the unformed royal guards marched down the street and rattled the gate of your small school, you were paralyzed with fear. The rumors about the new King being ruthless made it difficult for you to imagine that anything good could come of being summoned to meet him. Although taxes were heavy and burdensome, you paid them regularly. Your school was registered and operated according to the laws of the King.

Why would His Highness summon you?

Was one of your girls in trouble? Had any of them offended his Majesty? You trembled in fear for them.

The guards ordered you to dress yourself well. Your fingers shook as you hurried inside to put on the most presentable dress you owned. The dancerswere the ones who wore beautiful clothes in order to perform before the noblemen. You owned very little finery for yourself. The guards were knocking at your door impatiently so you hurried out, making sure to tie your hair back and look as dignified as possible as they led you through the palace gates.

“A woman of your social status does not stand in the presence of the King. It is the greatest disrespect to remain standing before any member of royalty,” the guard standing closest to you informed you in a gruff voice. It had always been your dream to enter the palace but your head was spinning. You could barely bring yourself to look at the beautiful walls and magnificent architecture that passed you. The impending possibility of your death was too heavy on your mind.  

“Y-yes,” you whispered breathlessly, hurrying to keep up with the man’s long strides.

The guard barely glanced at you as he continued to speak. “You will kneel as soon as you enter the room and you will stay kneeling while His Highness addresses you. Be careful with your words. You would do well not to look His Highness directly in the eyes. Keep your gaze on the floor.”

You made note of the guard’s advice, silently grateful to him for repeating it although you knew the etiquette protocols. You had studied them for years. You had even taught them to the other young girls at the school so they would know how to behave if a member of the royal family should ever show them favor. It had not occurred to you that you would ever have to use them yourself. You took a deep breath and smoothed down your dress in anticipation. The guards brought you to a large set of doors which were heavily guarded and then paused.

“The King is addressing some of his Ministers,” the guard positioned at the door explained. “You will have to wait.”

You nodded and stood to the side of the corridor, grateful to have a few moments to collect yourself.  You had never seen the King. In fact, you had never seen any member of the royal family. They did not show themselves to the public and you had often wondered in your childhood why they were so hesitant for people to see them.

The fewer people who know what the King looks like, the better for the country, one of the older girls had told you when you first entered the school. You were young and innocent while she was clever, and had spent many nights sharing the bed of the Minister of Defense. She often listened in on his meetings. Imagine the plight of an assassin who does not know the King’s face. It is safer for the royal family during times of war.

She had been killed by the very same Minister during one of his drunken rages. He had thrown a stone pitcher of wine at her head.

You clenched your fists and took a deep, calming breath. Now was not the time to be remembering unpleasant occurrences of the past. Whether the King looked handsome or had a face like a troll, you could not afford to make a mistake in his presence. It could mean the end of your dance school and of your life. Blood was pumping through your entire body in anticipation. If your girls were in danger then you would die trying to protect them.

The door to the King’s audience chambers was slightly open. You could hear the sound of voices drifting out. The loudest was the voice of an old man; he sounded familiar and you recognized him as the High Priest. He often led public prayers in the temple for the common-folk, so you knew his deep, raspy voice well. He sounded agitated and was trembling.

“Your Highness, with all due respect, to not hold the annual rain festival would be disastrous. The rains have already been sparse this year and if the monsoon does not arrive on time-“

A smooth and firm voice cut him off. It was calm yet rang with authority, sending a shiver down your spine. This could only be the King. “It is not your place to tell me how much the rains are needed, High Priest. I have special advisors who inform me about the state of agriculture in the kingdom. There is no fool in this land who does not know how important the rains are. Say what you wish to say and leave quickly.”

The High Priest sounded offended. “Your Highness… if you are aware of how much the rains are needed, then how can you prevent us from offering prayers to plead the heavens?”

“The rains come when they come, High Priest. They do not come because you call for them.”

“Your Highness… the Holy Book states… we must offer prayers for the rains. It has been a tradition for hundreds of years. Not a single one of your ancestors has ever failed to offer the necessary prayers or to conduct the rain festival in the past. It has always been done this way.”

“I agree. The rain festival is conducted every year without fail. Yet sometimes the rains come and sometimes they do not. Is this not sufficient proof that the rain festival has nothing to do with the actual coming of the rains? Offer prayers in your temple if it comforts you, Priest. I have no objection. But the festival stretches over several days and involves feasting, dancing and various other luxuries. You expect the people to donate their leftover grains. All administrative work is halted during that time. These expenses are something that our kingdom cannot afford. I am trying to feed our people! Yet you continue to visit my chambers every day and insist that we spend money that can save people from starvation on a festival which has nothing to do with the coming or going of the monsoon!”

“Your Highness! You must not… the festival involves hundreds of priests coming together and making offerings to God, it is a sacred ritual! The consequences of not conducting it could be disastrous!”

There was a small, low chuckle. The King sounded amused. “I will handle the consequences. You may go and offer your prayers for the rains quietly and without expense, I will not stop you. But not a single penny will come from the royal coffers to fund this festival. This is my royal command. Do you wish to question my royal command?”

“N-no, Your Highness. I can only beg you to reconsider-“

“I will not.”

There was a long and awkward silence. You held your breath and even the guards around you fell silent. There was an echoing sound of footsteps and the High Priest, an elderly man dressed in robes of white silk, suddenly emerged from the doors. His face was red behind his white beard and he barely glanced at you before turning with a swish and storming down the long corridor. Two Ministers followed him nervously. You bowed to them, trembling, as a guard approached you.

“Come. The King has called.”

Your throat clenched and you nodded. You kept your head down and your gaze lowered as you followed the guard into the audience chambers.

Hopefully, you would come out alive.

–

The King had not expected that you would be so young or so beautiful.

His dark, piercing eyes followed you with mild curiosity as you entered his audience chambers. Your head was bowed and you meekly followed a member of the royal guard into the room. There was a small carpet placed strategically across from the throne. You walked towards it and dropped to your knees as quickly as possible. You bowed to the King as was appropriate; by placing your hands on the floor in front of you and arching your back forwards in perfect posture.

“Your Highness, this is the owner of the dance school you asked to see,” the guard announced loudly. You kept your hands and knees on the floor, staring at the small patterns on the carpet. Jinyoung noted your perfect posture. It was the posture of a skilled dancer, and a very graceful one too.

Jinyoung nodded. “Leave us.”

The guard hesitated. It was not safe to leave the King alone in the presence of a mere commoner even if you were a young woman that appeared harmless. But King Jinyoung had a sharp and dangerous look in his eyes. The guard bowed and silently exited the chamber before closing the door behind him. You listened to his fading footsteps miserably. You had not expected to be alonewith the King. The realization of your current position made your head spin.

“Sit straight,” King Jinyoung ordered firmly. His voice echoed in the large room.  

You hurried to obey. You removed your palms from the floor and straightened your back. After a moment of hesitation, you decided that it was best to stay with your legs tucked underneath you and your knees pressed together. You lifted your head but kept your gaze lowered to the ground.

“Y-your Highness. It is an honor to be in your presence-“

King Jinyoung interrupted you impatiently.  “You are much younger than I expected. I anticipated that you would have years of experience to be running your own school, yet you look no older than the dancers themselves.”

You did not know how to respond. Jinyoung took advantage of your moment of hesitation to allow his eyes to feast on you. You were beautiful; although not in the way the female dancers often were, young and pure. No, your beauty was not one of sweet smiles or innocence. Your hands trembled and your gaze was lowered so as to avoid meeting his eyes. At first glance you seemed like a gentle and obedient young woman.

But there was something about your deep, beautiful eyes that betrayed you.

Your eyes were steady as they looked at the carpet under your knees. Most people who sat before King Jinyoung for the first time did not know where to look and their eyes trembled as they tried to avoid eye contact with him. They always looked terrified and it showed because nobody could hide the emotion in their eyes.

But not yours. Your eyes did not waver, did not show fear or submission. Your eyes reminded King Jinyoung of a tigress he had once glimpsed during a hunting expedition. Silent and watchful, yet ready to pounce the moment some danger was sensed. There is something both beautiful and entrancing in the sight of a powerful tigress lurking in the shadows.

King Jinyoung leaned back and watched you.

You took a moment before speaking slowly. “I apologize, Your Highness-“

The King’s voice softened slightly. “Why? Have you committed some sin by being younger than I imagined? I do not seek your apology. I seek information. Why is such a young woman running a dance school by herself? How did you establish it?”

You took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

“I did not establish it, Your Highness. The elderly woman who cared for the dancers and ran the school passed away two years ago. There was no one to handle the school. I began taking care of the administrative duties in addition to teaching the girls. W-we pay our share of the royal taxes, Your Highness and we have always complied with the laws and regulations which govern establishments of our sort-“

King Jinyoung chuckled, amused. “Do you believe I summoned you to the royal palace merely to ask whether you have been paying your taxes?”

You clenched your fists at the sound of his laugh. Was your fear amusing to him? You felt small and foolish in front of a man who was capable of destroying your life without lifting a finger. Men with power had a tendency to make those around them feel inferior. They put others in their place, made their companions feel as though they lacked the intelligence and capabilities that they themselves possessed. King Jinyoung was no different. He had spoken to the High Priest in the same belittling manner. You would not allow yourself to be weakened by his tricks.

“It is not my place to presume Your Highness’ intentions,” you replied politely and softly. “I only wished to convey that my school has not violated any of the royal laws.”

“Your tone is soft and yet your words are filled with pride.” King Jinyoung observed. You had still not lifted your eyes to look at him but the way you stared furiously at the carpet below you betrayed your indignation. “You appear to be under the mistaken impression that I am displeased with you, and so you must be feeling wronged. You need not worry. I have not summoned you here to admonish you or your school. Rather, I wish to appreciate the quality of your dancers. I had the pleasure of watching some of them practice for the Prince’s birthday celebration.”

Your expression was neutral, but Jinyoung noticed how the stiffness in your shoulders suddenly relaxed. You bowed your head in respect.

“Thank you, Your Highness. There can be no higher compliment than to please our King.”

“Who is responsible for teaching those girls to dance? Was it you?”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

King Jinyoung leaned back and observed you carefully. He had expected that you had been the one who was responsible for those girls’ graceful moves.

“I watched a hundred girls dance this morning,” he explained. “Let us not pretend that these girls are particularly artistic or skilled. Their primary occupation is to seduce men and satisfy their lustful desires. Their desperation to incite ual hunger in powerful men reveals itself in their dancing. Art and beauty are secondary to these women. Even in dance, they aim to seduce and excite. They attempt to appeal to a man’s primal instinct and not his aesthetic sense.”

You did not know how to respond. You merely bowed your head and flushed. Undeniably, these women were es first and dancers second. Yet for the King to state it so plainly was unexpected. You were well aware that he had never called any of the women to his bedchambers. Your girls had long lamented that the Crown Prince Jinyoung (now King Jinyoung) never showed any of them favor.

King Jinyoung’s tone was soft. “Your dancers are the only ones I have seen who do not reveal this desperation to please the male eye. They dance with an entirely different level of grace. They are true artists who have evidently spent much time learning the art. You have taught them well.”

You felt numb as you nodded. “T-thank you, Your Highness.”

“You are as young and beautiful as any of these women. If you can teach them then you must be extremely skilled in the art yourself. Why do you not perform?”

You were startled by his question and almost looked up at the King before catching yourself and lowering your gaze quickly. You took a deep breath. “I joined the school when I was much younger as a dancer, Your Highness. However, I was injured during my very first… assignment. My body is now scarred. I am not worthy to perform before men of nobility. The elderly woman who ran the school took pity on me. Instead of sending me to a common whorehouse, she allowed me to stay on the condition that I taught her other girls to dance.”

The King blinked at you in surprise. “Is that what happens to girls who are scarred? They are sent to the whorehouses for commoners?”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

He stared at you for a moment, but decided that it was best not to pursue the line of questioning. Instead King Jinyoung leaned back and sighed.

“Allow me to address the purpose of this audience. I have summoned some of the kingdom’s most prominent businessmen to meet with me in a week’s time. The royal coffers are depleting and our kingdom is in debt. I must convince these men to loan a large amount of money to the royal treasury,” he explained. “This is extremely important for the efficient functioning of the kingdom. Without this money, the people will only suffer. I hope you can appreciate the importance of this meeting.”

You bowed your head. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“One of these men is a merchant. He owns a number of gold and silver mines all over the kingdom. I am told that he enjoys dancing and performances greatly but he is a eunuch. He places great importance on dance as an art form and not as a manner of seduction. I cannot bring es to him. However, I believe that he might enjoy your dancers. You will have them prepare a performance especially for this man and they will accompany me to the meeting. They will be adequately paid for their services.”

You could not hold back your smile. To have your dancers picked out especially for their talent, and asked to perform in the service of the King was surely the highest honor that a school such as yours could receive. Your cheeks flushed red in pleasure and you quickly bent forward into a low, deep bow.

“Your Highness! This is indeed a precious opportunity, and I will ensure that the dancers are in perfect form. I-I had not imagined that such an honor would be bestowed upon us by Your Highness….”

King Jinyoung smiled. He could see how the corner of your beautiful lips had turned up, how you were trying to hold back a delighted smile. The small curve of your mouth lit up your entire face and your eyes brightened. For some unexplainable reason, your flustered pleasure made the King feel warm inside. He had to hold back his own smile.

“You will be in attendance at the meeting as well,” he stated.

You blinked and nodded in surprise. “Y-yes, Your Highness. If you wish so. I will certainly be prepared.”

King Jinyoung suddenly realized that your conversation had come to an end and that it was time for him to dismiss you. He felt an unexpected desire to ask you to stay. He suddenly wished to speak to you and learn more about you. But there were more pressing matters to attend to. The kingdom was in ruins and no matter how beautiful or intriguing you were, a King could not waste his precious time indulging in idle conversation with a dance teacher.

However, he decided to ask you one last question.

“Tell me something,” King Jinyoung asked carefully. He was not sure why he chose to put this question to you, but he wanted to see what a young woman would have to say on the subject. “What are your thoughts about my decision to prohibit the rain festival from taking place this year to save expenses? You are a commoner. You must have some opinion on the matter, or at least have heard what the people are saying.”

Your eyes widened and you clenched your fists nervously. “Your Highness, it is not my place-“

“I did not ask you whether it was your place. I asked you what you thought. Speak honestly. Do you truly believe the rains will not come unless we pray and dance and feast for them? Can men truly be so irrational or is the High Priest merely attempting to manipulate me?”

You took a deep breath. Should you speak honestly because the King asked you to? He was surely expecting you to say that his decision was wise and that the commoners would understand that it was a command issued for their benefit. From King Jinyoung’s conversation with the High Priest you knew that his intentions were nothing but noble. However…

“The festival may not bring the rains,” you spoke quietly. “But if it brings peace in the minds of farmers who are worried that the crop they have worked hard all year for will fail… then perhaps it would not be an entirely wasted expense. Men who have nothing else in the world cling to their faith tightly. They have nowhere else to turn. It gives them comfort to trust in a higher power. They trust the King to bring them comfort in living and they trust God to bless them with nature.”

There was a tense silence and your heartbeat thudded as you waited for the King to respond.

“You may leave,” he said firmly, his voice cold. “I have other matters to attend to.”

You had offended him. Your heart clenched in fear. Worried, you stumbled to your feet and hurried towards the door of the room. You turned around to bow deeply to the King before exiting. When you lifted your head and straightened up you finally caught a glimpse of King Jinyoung’s face for the first time.

The man who ruled the kingdom was leaning back in his throne. His eyes were closed as he pressed his fingers to his temples. The King was younger than you’d imagined. His features were defined and perfect; from the gentle curve of his cheeks to the sharpness of his jaw. King Jinyoung’s lips were full and soft and his dark hair contrasted with his flawless skin.

King Jinyoung was undeniably beautiful.

Yet somehow, he also seemed extremely lonely.

–

“The temple has been closed!”

The music stopped and your eyes widened. You had been in the middle of conducting a dance rehearsal, having selected the best handful of your dancers to perform for the King and his guests. However, one of the younger girls had burst into the room and interrupted the practice. She was breathless and looked around at you and the other dancers with wide eyes.

“The temple has been closed? What does that mean?” you demanded.

“The Priests have decided to protest King Jinyoung’s decision to cancel the rain festival. They are saying that the temple will remain closed until he allows them to conduct it. The Priests will not offer any prayers until then. Nobody will be allowed inside the temple grounds! We cannot even go there to pray by ourselves because the entry gates have been locked!” she wailed miserably.

You turned and noticed that many of the other girls looked distressed. Most of them were deeply religious and visited the temple almost every day to offer their prayers. They would not take the news easily.

“Has it finally come to this?” one girl cried. She had fallen to her knees in shock. “To close the temple… how can the doors to such a sacred place be locked? That is the only place where we can all go to pray! How can King Jinyoung be so cruel as to allow this to happen? Does he not fear or respect the power of God? Kings have been known to take away our food and land and lives, but at least none have yet attempted to take away our faith!”

Your stomach churned. For some unknown reason, you felt the need to defend King Jinyoung. His intentions had been noble, you had heard them yourself. He had wanted to protect his people.

“It is not His Highness who has ordered for the temple to be closed. The Priests have done this themselves, remember that.”

“But they were driven to this point by the King!”

“The King merely ordered them not to waste precious money on the festival. He never forbade them from offering prayers! If the Priests had truly been faithful to God then they would have still offered prayers in the temple! They are the ones who have chosen to forsake God by closing the doors of the temple to the people. Matters of religion are their responsibility while matters of the royal finance are the King’s. The Priests are the ones who are ignoring their duties and making matters worse for all of us!”

The girls looked at you in surprise. “Teacher…”

You flushed red, suddenly embarrassed. You had never been so outspoken about matters relating to politics. The girls were rendered speechless by your unprecedented outburst. You cleared your throat and turned to frown at the girl who had burst into the room to deliver the news. “Do you not have other responsibilities to attend to? I will not allow you to interrupt my class any longer. We have to perform for the King in less than a week and the reputation of our school depends upon this performance.”

The girl bowed and stepped back. “Yes, Teacher.”

You took a deep breath and calmed yourself. Why had you gotten so flustered at the thought of people blaming the King? He was nothing to you. It was entirely normal for people to express dissatisfaction with their ruler behind closed doors. Yet, you could not shake the feeling that King Jinyoung did not deserve to be the subject of such harsh rumors. You took a deep breath and smiled at the girls.

“Back in formation, girls. We must run through the entire performance twice before we break for the evening.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

–

“Your Highness. The farmers! The farmers are beginning to abandon their fields!”

King Jinyoung had not expected to be greeted with such devastating news. The Ministers had brought in reports from the villages. As news of the Great Temple being closed in protest spread, farmers had begun to leave their fields and look for other sources of income. Since the rain festival had been cancelled and the Priests were now refusing to offer any prayers for the rain at all, they believed that the rains would not come. They did not want to waste their resources on crop that could never be harvested.

The King had never heard anything so absurd or infuriating.

“Are they fools? How can they abandon their fields? The entire kingdom will starve as a consequence of their weakness and idiotic faith!”

The Minister reporting to King Jinyoung bowed nervously. He looked terrified as he cleared his throat.

“There… there is nothing that can be done, Your Highness. These men will not be persuaded to go back to their fields. They believe that the kingdom will starve anyway since the rains will not come. They say that God has been angered and that their crop will surely be destroyed. They will not work fields which have been cursed.”

King Jinyoung pressed his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. What is this foolishness? How can these farmers be so stupid? Do they not even wish to feed their own families? He could not understand how men could believe that failing to offer a few prayers would destroy the yearly crop. He was trying hard, fighting with the Priests and the Ministers and the entire royal cabinet in order to save money so that the people could be fed and happy. Was this how they repaid him? By abandoning their fields and leaving him without an option?

He looked up sharply and glared around at his Ministers with dark, furious eyes. “Do none of you have any ideas to convince the farmers to go back to their fields?”

There was a small pause and one of the Ministers stepped forward nervously.

“Your Highness, we could we could issue a royal order for the farmers who abandon their fields to be arrested and thrashed…”

King Jinyoung gave the Minister a look of disgust. “And what would that achieve? Our prisons would be filled with innocent farmers. We cannot punish them for not wanting to do something that they believe will lead them to ruin. Our solution should be to convince them that the rains will come and that their crop will not be affected. Are the Priests still refusing to open the temple?”

Another Minister bowed. “They say that they will open the doors and conduct prayers as soon as the order to cancel the rain festival is withdrawn, Your Highness.”

That cunning High Priest. He knows as well as I do that their useless prayers will do nothing for the rains. Yet he will not relent. Now he knows that he holds power over me. They will insist on making the festival as luxurious and grand as ever.

The King took a deep breath and closed his eyes. These Ministers were useless. The only solutions they offered were to either give in to the Priests or to use violence against the farmers. King Jinyoung could not accept these solutions. How could he have failed to predict this? He had spent years studying statecraft and politics but he could not predict these farmers abandoning their fields?

King Jinyoung was suddenly reminded of you. He remembered you kneeling in front of him a few days ago, and the words that had come from your beautiful lips.

The festival may not bring the rains. But if it brings peace in the minds of farmers who are worried that the crop they have worked hard all year for will fail… then perhaps it would not be an entirely wasted expense. You had been the only person who had predicted this happening. Nobody had sensed the true power of the people’s faith except for you. He closed his eyes. King Jinyoung had been a fool to ignore your words. He had mistaken you for an innocent girl who was only meant to dance.

Perhaps there was more to you than that.

“If you have no other solution to offer then leave me,” King Jinyoung ordered, dismissing his Ministers with a wave of his hand. They were pathetic and useless. None of these men had been blessed with the slightest empathy or problem-solving ability.  “I will make my decision tomorrow. Allow me some time. Tell the Priests I will address them soon.”

The Ministers bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.”

They all exited the audience chambers quickly. King Jinyoung watched as they left while whispering amongst themselves. What were they saying? Did they speak of how the King was a fool for allowing this situation to occur? Did they criticize him for choosing to spend money on the welfare of the people instead of the rain festival? King Jinyoung only wished he knew. But the Ministers held secrets for themselves that he would never be able to find out. Once the chambers were empty, Jinyoung gestured for the guard.

“Go find me the girl from that dancing school. Bring her to me once more.”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”

–

King Jinyoung wondered why the sight of you calmed him so much.

The moment you followed the guard into the audience chamber and kneeled before him, he felt a sudden peace sweep over him. Was it your beautiful face or the graceful way in which you walked? Perhaps it was just something about your aura. King Jinyoung had never felt so entranced by a woman before. He tried to remind himself that you were a commoner and that he could not afford to allow his emotions to overwhelm him, but the warmth in his chest was too strong to ignore.

Perhaps, King Jinyoung decided, it was better to accept the truth that you strangely attracted him. He would have to make a conscious effort to resist this unwelcome attraction.  

“Leave us,” he ordered the guards. They closed the door behind them and you were both left alone in the audience chambers once more. You knelt on the floor before him and your eyes were lowered to the ground.

“Your Highness…” you greeted him politely.

“Sit straight,” King Jinyoung ordered. His voice was firm. “And do not stare at the ground while you speak. Look up and address me directly. You will not address me as a King today. You will address me as a man who seeks your advice.”

You nervously lifted your head and looked at him. King Jinyoung was leaning back in his throne while staring down at you. His dark eyes met yours but they did not reflect the confidence in his voice. Instead, his eyes revealed indecision and self-doubt. You were shocked at the worry that you saw in the cold ruler.

Was this why one was not normally allowed to look a King in the eyes? Was it because their eyes revealed their human weaknesses?

“Yes, Your Highness,” you spoke softly. “Is this in reference to the meeting for which you asked me to prepare a performance? The dancers have been practicing for the last few days-“

King Jinyoung cut you off.

“The meeting is not the concern. I have called you for a different reason. Surely you have heard the news of the Great Temple being locked and the Priests’ protest. If news has spread to the far-reaching corners of the kingdom then it cannot have escaped those who live right outside the palace. You remember… I asked you what you thought of my decision to cancel the rain festival the last time we met.”

Your throat clenched. “I did not mean to offend you, Your Highness-“

“I will not attempt to lie; I was offended by your words in that moment. I am doing so much for the people and the farmers. My decision to cancel the festival was made with the sole intention of diverting the funds towards food shortages. I assumed that everyone would sympathize and understand my motives. I expected to be praised as a wise and benevolent King. But now… the farmers are abandoning their crops in despair. The kingdom will starve because of my decision.”

You listened to him in silence. This powerful man, this wise and ruthless man who had hung the heads of traitors on his walls and who controlled the entire kingdom at his fingertips, suddenly seemed like a child. There was disappointment and frustration in his eyes. The sort of childlike desperation and anger that one feels when nobody will listen to them, or let them do what they want to do.

“Help me,” King Jinyoung asked. “I wish to understand the people. You know them better than me. Tell me what I am doing wrong.”

You stared at him in shock. Tell the King what he was doing wrong? How could you possibly do such a thing? The fear in your eyes must have shown because King Jinyoung looked frustrated. He suddenly banged his hand on the armrest of the throne and glared at you.

“Won’t you speak? I know that you have your opinions, so tell me what you think I am doing wrong! I can see the judgement in your eyes. I can see how foolish you think I am. Do I not deserve a chance to hear what my mistake was? You predicted this would happen, you told me that holding the rain festival would keep the farmers’ peace of mind. None of my Ministers saw this coming but you alone hinted at it.”

You looked down at the carpet below you and squeezed your eyes shut. Would you still be alive if you truly spoke what was on your mind? You had heard stories about how King Jinyoung had his own Ministers hanged for treason. How could you, an ordinary common woman, expect to leave this room intact after you spoke the truth to him? Would it be best to lie and say that the farmers were idiots and that they should be whipped into returning to their fields? Perhaps King Jinyoung would spare your life then.

But if you told such a lie… would you ever be able to live with yourself?

“Your mistake, Your Highness,” you began softly, your voice cracking. “Is that you think you know what is best for the people.”

There was a long silence. King Jinyoung stared down at you and you could see a brief indignation flash across his eyes. His plump, beautiful lips pressed together and the corners turned up into a displeased smirk.

“Who else will decide what is best for the people?” King Jinyoung demanded furiously. “I am the King. I am the highest authority in this land, I am the one man to whom the entire kingdom submits because I decide what is best for them. Do you mean to say that my mistake was being a King? My entire decision to cancel the rain festival was in the interests of the people and yet they have labelled me a monster for it!”

“For a man who claims to have the people’s best interests at heart, you understand them very little.”

King Jinyoung’s eyes narrowed as he stared down at you. You could hear his heavy breathing and could see the fury in his dark eyes.

“How have I failed to understand them?” he demanded. “I am trying to feedthem and these imbeciles think I am their villain. They would rather turn to the Priests who are ready to steal their harvest from them at a moment’s notice. How can I rule a kingdom full of fools?”

“They are not fools,” you hissed, clenching your fists. “These are people who have been failed by the King and his government, time and time again. They are people who toil day and night in the fields and dirt while you eat the grains they grow and sit in your high towers with your books on statecraft and politics.Farmers have no faith in a King. A King has never saved them, and they are too weak to save themselves. Do you think they could survive if not for the belief that somewhere, some higher power exists to protect them? How terrifying would it be for them to know that in this world, they are truly, truly alone? That their hard work, the way they are forced to kneel and subjugate themselves to nobility and the nights they go hungry mean nothing because the world is just a wicked place with no God?”

There was a long silence. You slowly lifted your head up to look at King Jinyoung. He made no move. His beautiful, sculpted features were emotionless and he simply stared down at you blankly. You swallowed, your throat dry and nervous.

“So their God is more important to them than being fed,” King Jinyoung repeated quietly.

You closed your eyes and shook your head. “You still do not understand them.”

“What is the use in understanding them? They are wrong! This is all a matter of fact! There is no God up there to bring the rains! How can I sit here and allow the festival to go on, knowing that it is merely a farcical method for these corrupt priests to loot from the people and the royal coffers? Is it not my responsibility, as a King, to stop my people from being looted by these Priests and to feed them?”

“But it is not a matter of fact, Your Highness,” you whispered. “It is a matter of belief. One’s beliefs are stronger than everything else. They are stronger than one’s physical body and stronger than one’s physical needs. Men are not animals that can live dull, empty lives and be satisfied with the food thrown at them. Men are intelligent creatures. Men are willing to die for their beliefs.”

King Jinyoung leaned back against his throne. His stuff shoulders had slumped forwards and you could see the look of defeat in his eyes. He stared down at you for a long, agonizing moment. How was it that a young dancer had spoken more sense than all of his Ministers combined? Could Jinyoung afford to trust you? There was no trace of a lie in your passionate gaze. For a brief moment, Jinyoung found himself fascinated. He had never once seen a woman so strong or a woman who had thoughts and convictions and desires beyond a need to please men. Yet, you had told him the harsh truth instead of what he wished to hear.

For the first time in King Jinyoung’s life, a woman had not tried to please him.

“What can I do?” he asked quietly. “I cannot let the people starve. There is no way to have the farmer’s return to the fields unless I whip them. Yet… to give in to those priests and conduct that foolish festival…”

“I believe what you need to decide, Your Highness,” you replied carefully. “Is whether you are a King who does what he thinks is best for the people and hence makes himself their enemy, or a King who gives the people what theywant and wins their hearts.”

King Jinyoung gave you a small, wry smile. “And yet, I cannot be both.”

“You cannot be both.”

—

You awoke the next morning to the news that the Great Temple had been re-opened.

The other dancers in the school were busy celebrating that the ruthless and savage King had finally given in. However, you could only remember the disappointment you had seen in King Jinyoung’s eyes. Your heart suddenly went out to the young man who bore the heavy burden of the crown. The King had wanted to do some good, to help people but he had ultimately had to give in to the system. His methods were foolish but his intentions…

King Jinyoung had pure intentions. Were you the only one who could see it?

“Teacher! We must finish the preparations for Prince Bambam’s birthday performance!” one of the girls called out to you suddenly, snapping you out of your thoughts. You had been thinking of the King all night. Your mind constantly flickered back to him. You remembered how his voice and expression were cold and firm, but his dark eyes betrayed his weakness. He cared too much, you decided. Kings were not meant to care. Kings were meant to be cruel and ruthless and enjoy their luxuries while the world rotted underneath them.

A King who cared too much would surely get hurt.

“Yes! Of course, Prince Bambam’s birthday!” you remembered suddenly. You called for all the girls to gather in the dance hall and take their formations.

The performances for the birthday celebration were of great importance. Prince Bambam, unlike his elder brother, showed plenty of interest in the female dancers and he often bestowed favor upon some of them. Only the previous year one of your girls had been appointed as one of the Prince’s royal concubines and others had been given expensive gifts in appreciation of their talent. To the girls of your school, tonight was an excellent opportunity to be noticed by royalty.

You went around the room carefully, correcting their posture and ensuring that their moves were graceful and beautiful. There was an air of excitement around the room. They were all anticipating being noticed by the Prince, hoped to be singled out by him and earn his favor.

It saddened you how these girls’ lives forever depended on the whims of a single man.

“Teacher!” one of the girls hurried up to you after the practice was over. Evening was beginning to set and the girls had all hurried away to dress themselves for the celebrations. The girl was holding a small scroll of paper in her hand and she gave it to you with a large smile. “Teacher, the King’s servants just came by with our invitations for the Prince’s birthday celebrations. Your name is written on them too!”

You blinked and took the scroll from her. “My name? But I have not submitted my name as a dancer…”

“Yet your name is on the invitations so you will be allowed entry at the palace gates!” she cried happily. She looked up and smiled at you. “Did you not say that the King has been favoring our school by asking us to perform for his meetings? Perhaps he is showing you favor as well!” she cried.

You blinked down at the scroll. Your name was written on it, in dark ink. Your dancers had performed in the palace multiple times before this, but you had never been included on the guest list along with them. Had the King truly placed your name in there with the others?

“Only imagine!” the girl chirped happily. “If the first women King Jinyoung was to ever show favor to was a girl from our school! Would that not be so exciting?”

You blinked at her, your heart skipping a beat. No. Such thoughts were dangerous. You were not one of the dancers, it did not make sense for King Jinyoung to show you any sort of favor. Perhaps this was simply his manner of acknowledging the advice you had given him. All the same, you could not fail to show up at the palace when your name was written on a royal invitation. You took a deep breath and got to your feet.

“Has anyone got a dress I might borrow?”

—

The palace gates were enormous.

For the first time, you were not closely accompanied by a guard as you entered so you could look around leisurely. The only two guards were at the entrance to the celebration banquet hall, where they scrutinized your invitations and then allowed you inside. The entire palace was decorated with lights and beautiful banners. Waiters walked around with enormous trays of food and drink. There was a large stage and two enormous chairs were placed just across from it.

“That is where His Highness and Prince Bambam will sit,” one of the girls whispered to you. She had remembered that this was your first time attending a palace celebration. “We are not allowed near the stage until it is time for our performance. Until then, we may roam around the banquet hall and the palace as we like. Prince Bambam’s celebrations are the nicest, since the dancers are given a lot of leeway. He really enjoys women.”

You smiled to yourself. You had heard many stories about how fond Prince Bambam was of women. All the dancers had only pleasant things to say about the young Prince. Instead of throwing pitchers at the girls when he became drunk like many of the Ministers, he handed out diamond jewelry. Many of them fawned over his handsome smile and charming manner. Everyone hoped to gain his favor.

King Jinyoung, on the other hand, was feared by men and women equally.

You took your seat along with the other girls and waited for the royal family to enter. The hall had been extremely loud and filled with noise and chatter until that moment, but it suddenly fell silent. You could hear your own heartbeat thudding. The enormous doors at the front of the banquet hall were thrown open and Prince Bambam entered, followed closely by King Jinyoung. The two members of the royal family were escorted by guards and every single person in the banquet hall hurried to their feet to bow to the King and the Prince.

You followed suit in a respectful bow, but you kept your gaze on King Jinyoung. You had only ever seen him seated on his throne. When King Jinyoung walked,however, he exuded a different sort of confidence. His shoulders were straight and his dark eyes scanned the room while he took slow, firm steps forward. King Jinyoung walked like a man with power. His dark hair was combed back and his lips were pressed together tightly. His sharp eyes moved slowly across the room, making eye contact with each of the guests.

Finally, his gaze landed on you.

The King seemed to pause at you for a moment. Your eyes met his and his shoulders stiffened. He gave you a small, almost imperceptible nod and then shifted his eyes away to the rest of the room. Once he had scanned the entire banquet hall, he followed Prince Bambam to the seats set out for the royal family.

“Let us begin the celebrations!” Prince Bambam called out loudly with a large smile on his face. “I welcome everyone to drink, dance and feast in my name!”

There was a loud, resounding cheer from the guests and you found yourself clapping along with everyone else. Even King Jinyoung’s lips turned up into a small smile. The first set of dancers went up on stage and the music began to play loudly. You gratefully took the wine that was offered to you by one of the waiters and drank it in a single gulp. You had never had the opportunity to attend one of these celebrations before. Wine was not something you could ordinarily afford. You might as well enjoy yourself, now that you were here.

The performances continued throughout the night and the guests, including yourself, began to get progressively drunk. You noticed some of your dancers get up and attend to the more noble guests; the Ministers and the other government officials were equally eager for female attention. Prince Bambam had gotten drunk enough that he had climbed onto the stage himself and was now dancing along with the dancers as they giggled with him. You smiled and clapped along with the music. You were beginning to feel slightly light-headed and you barely noticed when a guard tapped you on the shoulder.

“Miss,” the man said to you in a firm voice. You blinked at him, suddenly feeling more alert when you saw the sword at his belt. “His Highness wishes to speak to you. He is out in the gardens.”

You froze. “H-His Highness?”

“Yes. The King is out in the gardens. He hopes that you will come and speak to him.”

You quickly glanced towards the front of the banquet hall and saw that King Jinyoung’s chair was empty. How long had he been gone? Why did the King want to see you? Why had you had so much to drink?

You stumbled to your feet and tried to walk straight. The guard led you until the entrance to the banquet hall and then gestured for you to step out into the gardens by yourself.

Night had fallen so you had to squint to be able to see the garden path. King Jinyoung was sitting alone at a bench near an enormous tree surrounded by rose bushes. He still looked as handsome and powerful as ever; but you sensed a tinge of that loneliness that you had detected before. He looked up at you as you approached him carefully. You were shocked by the small, wistful smile that he gave you.

“So you came,” he said gently.

You were drunk and it struck you a few seconds too late that you should be getting on your knees. You hurriedly grabbed your skirts in order to kneel before the King’s bench but before you could do so, Jinyoung’s hand shot out and grasped your arm. You found yourself blushing at the softness of King Jinyoung’s touch and the firmness with which he gently guided you to the other side of the bench.

“Sit,” he told you.

You sat on the bench obediently, your hands folded in your lap. Jinyoung’s eyes twinkled in the soft moonlight. It suddenly struck you how handsome this man was. If King Jinyoung had not had a reputation for being evil and savage, he would have twice as many women fawning over him as Prince Bambam did.

“Are you drunk?” he asked, noticing the flush on your cheeks.

Your eyes widened and you lowered your head a little shamefully. “Y-Yes, Your Highness. My apologies-“

“No need to apologize. This is a celebration, after all. I had your name put on the invitation so that you could come and enjoy yourself. I felt I was too harsh on you. I should not have demanded that you tell me your opinions about the rain festival. It only occurred to me later how difficult it must be for a woman like you to be honest with a man who holds so much power over you and your life. For all you knew, I could have had you hanged for your words.”

You looked up at him boldly. “You are kinder than people say.”

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Oh? And what do people say about me?”

“They say you are a savage,” you admitted.

King Jinyoung’s smile faltered. You had thought that he would know of his reputation among the people and would rejoice in his ability to instill fear in those whom he ruled. Instead, King Jinyoung let out a small and slightly regretful sigh.

“There is no pleasing these people, I suppose,” he said softly. “Even now, after I negotiated with the Priests to open the temple gates?”

You blinked. “It must not have been easy.”

“It wasn’t. That detestable High Priest gave me a smug smile when I informed him that he could conduct his godforsaken rain festival. He probably thinks he’s much cleverer than me,” the King muttered. He leaned back slightly and turned to look up at the sky. You could see the lines of worry on King Jinyoung’s face. Such lines that should not be on a man so young. He let out a small sigh.

“What worries you?” you wondered.

“I cannot bring myself to celebrate tonight. I feel as though I suffered a defeat,” King Jinyoung admitted quietly. He looked down at you with pained eyes. “I thought that I could fight the corrupt temple that steals from the people in the name of some false God. I thought I could make the people see that their farms and their crops are more important than making donations to the Priests. I failed.”

“You are too hard on yourself,” you told him softly. “Perhaps they succeeded in making you take back your command to cancel the festival. That is still only one battle that you have lost. Even the greatest of Generals can lose a single battle. The important thing is to win the war.”

Jinyoung turned to look at you with a soft smile on his pink lips. You found yourself staring at him as your heart fluttered. King Jinyoung was a boy, you decided. One who held power and wore a crown but a boy all the same. How could people think Jinyoung was the savage King they spoke of on the streets? Simply because he walked proudly and with his head held high?

“You are not wrong,” the King said lightly. “Perhaps I can still win the war.”

“Changing the beliefs of people takes time, Your Highness,” you continued. “It is not something you can do by cancelling a single festival but it is also not an impossible task. Someday, the people will see how much you care for them and you will gain their trust.”

King Jinyoung nodded. “I will keep trying until I die. I refuse to give up on this kingdom.”

“That is an admirable thought.”

“It is more than a thought. I spent my entire childhood watching my Father’s method of ruling as King,” Jinyoung began slowly. “My Father never angered anyone but that is because he never did anything. He allowed the Ministers and the Priests to run this kingdom however they wished while he locked himself up with his concubines and his feasts and his dancers. He never cared for the people. He never cared for anyone. He did not deserve to be King.”

You stared at him. You had heard as much about the previous ruler.

“When he died and I was crowned, I told myself two things,” King Jinyoung said firmly. You could see the passion in his eyes when he suddenly turned and looked at you. “I told myself that I would not allow myself to fall for the foolish temptations that other men fall for. And I told myself that I would not allow the Ministers and the Priests to take advantage of this kingdom. I vowed to give up all pleasures and I vowed to take responsibility for my people.”

“Those are noble-“

“I broke both those vows,” he continued in a tired voice. “I failed to take responsibility for the people because I am allowing the rain festival which exploits them and the kingdom’s money to take place. And I broke the other vow because… I cannot stop thinking about you.”

Your heart skipped a beat.

“M-me?”

King Jinyoung turned and looked at you with a smile. His eyes were soft as his gaze flickered down to your lips. He lifted a hand and gently brushed your cheek with his thumb.

“Are you truly ignorant of your own beauty?” he wondered quietly. “But perhaps it is not your beauty alone that attracts me. There are many beautiful woman at this palace and I have made myself immune to them. But I desire you as I have never desired anyone else. Something about you is strong and graceful. You do not seek to please me… yet somehow you do.”

Your head was spinning. You had never heard such sweet words of confession and to hear them from a King felt like a dream. But King Jinyoung’s eyes never wavered from yours. He dropped his hand from your face and gently reached out to grasp your hand. He was waiting for you to speak and you did not know what to say.

“Y-Your Highness, I am flattered-“

Jinyoung cut you off softly.

“You need not respond to my words,” he reassured you. “I ask nothing of you since I have nothing to offer you in return. As I said, I vowed to give up all pleasures when I became King. I will focus on statecraft alone. Perhaps I will summon you now and then to seek your counsel or even the services of your skilled dancers. But I assure you that I will only ever summon you to my audience chambers.”

You could only nod. “Y-Yes, Your Highness.”

Jinyoung grasped your hand tightly and then lifted it to his lips, placing a soft, lingering kiss on the back of your hand before dropping it in your lap. You could see the same sadness in his eyes as he spoke. It made you feel hollow inside.

“If someday, in a moment of weakness, I should summon you to my bedchambers,” King Jinyoung began. “If I should do that… then for both of our sakes, please… don’t come.”

—

You could not sleep that night.

You kept seeing the King’s eyes in your dreams and kept feeling his soft lips on the back of your hand. You had never felt so inescapably attracted to a man.

When your first attempt at being a dancer had gone terribly wrong in your youth, you had vowed never to offer yourself to a man again. You were content to spend the rest of your life at the dance school. You would train younger girls and prepare them so that they did not have to face what you had faced. You had given up any hopes of marriage; what decent man would want to marry a girl who used to be a dancer? You had abandoned hopes of a family and of ever feeling love. The girls at the school had been everything to you.

Yet King Jinyoung…

King Jinyoung was inciting dangerous hopes in your heart.

Why did he make you feel this way? Was it because a powerful man who was infamous for never looking twice at a woman had admitted that he desired you? Perhaps it was your own weakness. You were so used to being overlooked amongst all the beautiful dancers that King Jinyoung’s unexpected attention had made you feel beautiful for the first time in your life.

It was vanity, you told yourself. Any woman would be flattered at such an honest expression of desire from a powerful man. She may even make herself believe she cares for him. It is not unusual.  

But you could not deny that King Jinyoung was attractive. He was handsome, indeed, but he was also a good man. Jinyoung had hopes and dreams and most importantly he wanted to do something good in this world. His words had incited something inside of you as well. You wanted to be a part of the change he created. Something made you believe that King Jinyoung would change this kingdom as you knew it. He was strong yet sensitive, powerful yet humble.

But he was a King. You were a common woman.

There could never be anything of substance between the two of you. Kings were not allowed to marry common women; they only married women of noble blood. The only position a common woman could occupy beside a King was as… a concubine.

A concubine was only summoned to fulfil the King’s desires. She was accorded an official status in the palace but would always be below the Queen. Her children would be bastards and she would be universally looked down upon for seducing another woman’s husband. Her life was dependent on the favor bestowed upon her by a man; a man who might lose interest in her at any moment.

You would not live the life of a concubine. You could not live that life. The man who left you scarred had taken away your beauty and your dancing career, but he had not taken away your dignity and pride. Perhaps King Jinyoung was not married now, but he would be soon. You could never allow yourself to be with a man who had a wife.

King Jinyoung had sensed that about you.

He was right. If he ever called you to his bedchambers…

You should not go.

–

The kingdom was torn in their opinion of King Jinyoung for the next few days.

“Have you heard that the King has forbidden the temple from collecting donations?” one of the merchants in the market asked as you attempted to buy some jewelry from him. “We are not allowed to donate the remaining harvest or our previous year’s income for the rain festival. Why would he try to stop us from making our donations to God?”

You forced a smile. “I don’t-“

The merchant’s wife slapped him. “You idiot! Why are you so eager to go give our earnings to that temple? I have heard that the entire expenses for the rain festival will be coming out of King Jinyoung’s personal fund. When has any King ever spent his personal fund for a public event? The previous King used to simply increase taxes when the royal funds were insufficient!”

The merchant scoffed. “It’s rather suspicious, I think. The man tried to have the entire festival cancelled barely a few days ago! Why does he suddenly want to hold it now?”

You smiled. “Perhaps he changed his mind.”

“Hmmm. We’ll see about that. I don’t trust this new King. He’s too young and the power’s gone to his head. Now, how many of those bracelets are you going to buy, young lady? I’ll give you a discount if you buy more than three, shall I?”

You walked away with a good number of cheap bracelets for your dancers while the merchant and his wife continued to argue over whether or not King Jinyoung deserved praise. At least now, people were openly discussing their displeasure with his decisions. You remembered back when King Jinyoung had had a number of his corrupt ministers executed and their heads hung on the walls. The market had fallen silent for days and there was not a whisper about the King. The recent announcement about the rain festival seemed to have lightened the people up a little.

You wondered if Jinyoung was aware of how the people saw him. You wondered if it would make him happy to hear that there were some who thought he was a kind ruler. You had no way of knowing.

After all, you thought to yourself silently. I can only see King Jinyoung when he summons me. It is I that behaves according to his desire, not he according to mine. That is how it will always be.

You returned to the school late in the evening after your shopping, only to find one of the older girls waiting for you near the gate. She looked extremely distressed and came running up to you as soon as she saw you.

“Teacher!” she cried. “You must come quickly. One of the Ministers has arrived and he insists that he must have a large group of the best dancers for a dinner party he is hosting tomorrow. He will not leave unless we promise that he may have the girls. I-I tried to tell him that the best dancers will all be performing for the King’s meeting tomorrow and that he cannot have them but…” she bit her lip and looked up at you with tear-filled eyes. “He was getting angry…”

You clenched your fists. It was not the first time that a nobleman had come into the dance school and misbehaved. They thought that the girls were theirs, that they could have them and take them as they pleased. These men were your customers, but that did not mean that you would allow any of the girls to be hurt. You handed your shopping bags to the girl and took a deep breath.

“Tell all the other girls to go inside. I will speak to him.”

The girl looked relieved. “Yes, thank you, Teacher!”

You took a moment to compose yourself while she led you to the room where the man was waiting. You had to handle him but you could also not afford to anger him. A furious nobleman could mean losing more than one customer and after all, you needed to keep the school running so that these girls (and you) would not be put out onto the streets. You took a deep breath and cleared your mind before opening the door.

The room stank of alcohol. He was evidently drunk. The large, bearded man sat up as soon as he saw you.

“You! Are you the one who runs this establishment?” he slurred loudly.

You nodded politely. “Yes, sir. Thank you for coming to visit us this evening.”

He scoffed and shoved angrily at the table beside him. “Thank you? I don’t want to be thanked! I want these girls to perform for my dinner party tomorrow. Do you understand me?” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fistful of gold, throwing it at you. One of the coins hit your neck. You tried not to flinch. “I’ll pay you whatever you want. Send me your best dancers. Do you hear me? Your best dancers!”

You cleared your throat. “I apologize, sir. I am afraid it is not a question of payment. Our skilled dancers are already booked for tomorrow night at the request of the King. May I suggest that you hold your party another night?”

He glared at you. “Did I say I would hold it another night? How dare you tell me when to hold my party, you filthy little ! If I say that I want dancers tomorrow then I ing want them tomorrow!” he roared. You took a shaky step back as the man shoved the table. It went flying into the wall and one of the legs cracked. Then he turned to you, his face red and his eyes flaming. Suddenly, you felt scared.

“Sir, please calm down-“

“I’ll calm down when you give me the dancers-“

“Sir, I cannot. Please understand! They have been summoned by the King. It is a royal command. I cannot send you dancers who are meant to be performing for His Highness himself. Perhaps you should come back when you are not drunk and then you will realize the consequences of your actions-“

The man laughed. You staggered back as he stormed towards you and grabbed your arm tightly. His breath stank when he moved his face closer to yours. “You’re that little , aren’t you? The one that the Minister laid down on the table a couple of years ago while he carved your back open. I was there that night, I remember you crying. Pretty little thing. A pity he scarred you so that no nobleman will take you anymore, eh?”

Your head spun. “Let go of me,” you hissed.

“But where are the scars? They’re all covered up. I can’t see them,” the man leered. You struggled to escape his grasp but he simply pulled you closer to him as he reached into his robes to pull out a small knife. “Shall I give you another one? Perhaps this time, I’ll give you one where everybody can see it. On your pretty little face. How does that sound? You won’t even be fit for the common whorehouses!”

He brought the point of the knife closer to your face and you screamed. You struggled to escape his grasp but the man had grabbed your hair and held your face up while he dragged the point of the knife down the side of your cheek. Your cheek exploded in pain. You could feel hot, warm blood dripping down your face. Writhing and wrenching yourself away from him, you finally managed to free your arm and shove the knife away from your face. It clattered to the floor and the man glared at you.

“You little -“

You lunged for the knife. The man was large and drunk so you managed to snatch it up from the ground before he could. You held it out shakily in his direction, your hands trembling.

“Don’t come near me,” you hissed. Your cheek was still exploding in pain and you felt lightheaded, but you would not let this man attack you again. “If you come near me, I’ll stab you!”

The man was furious and breathing heavily as he glared at you. He began to lunge towards you in an attempt to wrestle the knife out of your hand, but you slashed it at him quickly. It scraped his hand and you saw a dark, thin red line appear on his palm. He leapt backwards and glared at you furiously.

“You little ! You dare draw the blood of a nobleman?” he screamed while clutching his hand to his chest. You merely stood still with the knife held out in front of you, paralyzed with fear as he staggered towards the door. Your entire body went numb as you watched the man run out of the room, screaming for the guards.

You slumped to your knees in horror.

Your life was over.

–

“Your Highness, one of the Ministers wishes to see you.”

King Jinyoung looked up at the guard in surprise. It was late in the evening, beyond the time that anyone should be asking to see him. The King had been looking through the royal treasury documents and preparing himself for the meeting with the businessmen the next day. He hoped that he could convince them to part with a large amount of money, since he now had to finance the annual rain festival in addition to the ordinary expenses of the kingdom. It was a tiring task.

“At this time of night? What does he want?” King Jinyoung wondered irritably.

“He says it is an emergency, Your Highness. He was attacked by a common woman. He wants permission to have her hanged.”

“What? Let him inside.”

–

You were shoved to your knees by the guards.

You had lost a lot of blood already and were beginning to feel lightheaded. Your vision was slightly blurred. You fell to the carpet and merely stared blankly at the floor below you while the guards held you in place by your arms. The Minister had followed you into the room and had already begun to rapidly explain his story. You stayed silent.

“Your Highness! This-this disrespectful little girl had the audacity to attack me this evening when I went to her school to ask to hire her dancers! Look; she used a knife and slashed me across the hand. It is a crime for a common woman to draw the blood of a nobleman, I request you to have her-“

“Will you shut up?”

King Jinyoung’s furious roar sent a shiver down your spine. You heard the sound of hurried footsteps in your direction and then felt the King kneel down in front of you. Jinyoung’s soft, gentle hand grasped the uninjured side of your face and tilted it up towards him. You looked up into his dark, worried eyes. His eyes flickered across your face as he took in your injury. His hand trembled on your cheek.

“Did he do this to you?” Jinyoung whispered.

You nodded numbly.  

You had never seen a man look so furious. A flash of pure, unadulterated anger crossed King Jinyoung’s face and for a moment, even you were terrified of him. His beautiful pink lips drew back in an ugly snarl and he released your cheek abruptly. Before you could speak, he had stood up and was addressing the guards who were restraining you.

“Release her,” Jinyoung ordered. His voice was calm yet somehow extremely dangerous. It sent a shiver down your spine. The guards hesitated for a moment before releasing your arms. Jinyoung took another step back and then turned slightly to face the Minister. “Arrest him. Throw him in the prisons for tonight and tomorrow morning, mount his head on the palace walls.”

The Minister stared in horror. “W-what? But-but Your Highness-“

“I said arrest him!” Jinyoung roared.

“But-but Your Highness, what have I-“

“Place a noticeboard beside his decapitated head,” Jinyoung ordered, his voice trembling. “Stating that this man died because he dared to hurt a woman. He dared to hurt my woman.”

Your head spun wildly.

–

The palace doctor attended to your wounds.

You sat in silence, mind fuzzy while the doctor wiped away the blood and applied herbal salve to your cheek. The cut was long but thankfully not deep and you had barely avoided the need for stiches. The herbal salve stung but you had stopped feeling light-headed. The doctor was finally bandaging your scar when the King suddenly entered.

“Is it severe?” King Jinyoung demanded of the doctor.

The doctor shook his head. “No, Your Highness. It is not very deep. It should heal in a few days as long as it does not get infected. Whether it will leave a scar… only time can tell.”

King Jinyoung nodded. “Thank you. Please leave us.”

You watched the doctor walk out of the palace infirmary. Once he was gone, Jinyoung reached out to grasp your hands tightly. You looked up at him. The King’s dark eyes had softened and he seemed upset as he scanned the bandages on your face. There was something so warm and so caring about his expression that you wanted to cry. You felt the urge to burst into tears and wrap your arms around Jinyoung, to bury your face in his chest. He moved closer to you as well, almost as though to take you into his arms, but he stopped himself.

“Are you all right?” he asked you gently. “You must have been scared.”

You bit your lip and held back your tears. You could not show weakness in front of the King. As much as you trusted that he was a kind and caring person, you could not help but feel scared. There was another side to Jinyoung that you had seen for the first time tonight.

A furious side.

A savage side.

“Please don’t kill him,” you whispered.

Jinyoung stiffened. “Who? The Minister?”

“Y-yes. Please don’t have him killed. Please, just release him in the morning and let him go. It’s not a serious injury. I have faced worse, many girls have faced worse injuries-“

Jinyoung’s grip on your hands tightened. His lips pressed together in a cold manner. “Stop. I do not wish to hear you pleading for that pathetic man’s life. He will be hanged in the morning. He would have had you killed if I had agreed to it, do you not realize that?”

You swallowed, holding back a sob. “There are worse men than him. There are men who have killed girls like me before. Will you have all of them executed?”

Jinyoung did not hesitate. “Yes.”

“Your Highness, you cannot simply execute every man that mistreats a woman. They are evil, yes, but our lives depend on them. If you have this man killed then none of the noblemen will ever hire girls from my school again. We-we will be run out of business and these girls will face a much worse fate on the streets,” you choked out. “I cannot watch that happen. I cannot watch the girls suffer because of my hastiness. Please.”

“Hastiness? You defended yourself from a man who was trying to carve out your face!” the King hissed. He reached up and grasped your chin so that he could see your bandage. “Do you see this? If you had been unable to snatch the knife from him then he would have done much more damage. Why do you plead for his life? How can you plead for his life?”

You stared up at him. “The people already think that you are a savage, cruel King.”

Jinyoung laughed drily. “You need not worry what the people think of me. I barely worry about that myself.”

“But-“

“I would rather be a savage King than a King who sits silently while his woman gets hurt.” King Jinyoung’s words were firm. He saw the flash of indignation cross your eyes and he smiled. “Yes, I know what you are thinking. You are not my woman, you never agreed to be my woman. But you are mine. It is not only you. Every single woman in this kingdom is my woman. These are all my people and the woman are all my women. Any noble who lays a hand unjustly on my woman will meet the same fate. If you are worried that this man is only dying due to my particular affections for you… do not be mistaken. My desire for you is true but it is not the reason this man is going to die.”

You looked down at your hands, unable to hold back your tears. Jinyoung leaned closer to you. You could smell his warm, comfortable scent as he slowly wiped away your tears with his thumb. “Please don’t cry,” he whispered to you softly. Jinyoung’s soft breath tickled your cheeks. “Do not cry in front of me.”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered.

He chuckled. “Why do you apologize whenever we meet? You have done nothing wrong.”

“I-I don’t know-“

“You were brave,” he reassured you softly. “After I sent you to the doctor, a group of girls from your school came and begged me to spare your life. They thought I was going to kill you. They told me that you went in alone to face the drunken bastard and that you always put yourself on the line to save them. Why?”

You blinked at him, confused. “Why?”

Jinyoung chuckled softly. “Why do I feel more attracted to you every time I meet you? Each time I am sure that I will become accustomed to your beauty but on the contrary, it only draws me in even more.”

You did not know what to say. His proximity was making you lightheaded. Jinyoung’s warm grasp on your hands and his dark eyes piercing into yours made your heart skip a beat. You could not bring yourself to speak.

“I-I… I do not…”

Jinyoung your cheek gently. “I thought I was finally succeeding in keeping you out of my mind, but you came here tonight and made me flustered once more. When I saw you dragged in by those guards, bleeding, and realized what that man did to you… I have not felt that angry in a long time. I wanted to slice his head off myself. I wanted to take you into my arms and hold you tightly so that nobody could ever hurt you.”

You bit your lip and blinked at him tearfully. “Please. Please do not say such things to me.”

“Why not?”

“Because it… it makes me desire something that I cannot afford to desire.”

Jinyoung leaned closer to you. His grip on your hand tightened and his dark, beautiful eyes twinkled as he gave you a soft smile. The gentle emotion only made his face more handsome. It made you feel weaker.

“And what is this thing that you desire?”

You hesitated before you whispered in a barely audible voice.

“Love.”

Jinyoung’s eyes flashed for a moment before he leaned down to place his mouth over yours.

You had never imagined that a kiss could be so sweet or so beautiful. You found yourself succumbing to his soft, caring touch. Jinyoung threaded your hair with his fingers while he kissed your lips. The King was careful but he was also passionate. His mouth covered yours eagerly and you could feel the hunger and desire in his kisses. You wrapped your arms around his neck and held him close.

You had never enjoyed a man’s touch the way you enjoyed Jinyoung’s. His lips set fire to yours and his hands caressed you gently. It felt like a dream. You kissed him back almost desperately. Jinyoung’s lips were soft and every movement sent shivers through your body. You finally pulled back and gasped for breath. Jinyoung pressed his forehead against yours as he breathed heavily. His fingers gently your cheek and neck.

“Love?” he whispered against your lips. “If it exists, then this must be it.”

You felt your heart sink as you realized what you were doing. This is the King. If I allow this to happen, I will be his concubine. Is that what I want? The kingdom did not care for whether King Jinyoung loved you or lusted for you. There was no room for love in the life of a King. There was no room for love in the life of a scarred dancer. You had allowed yourself to go where you should not have.

You slowly pushed him away.

“Y-Your Highness-“ you whispered.

“Say my name. Call me Jinyoung,” he pleaded softly, his hand cupping your cheek. Jinyoung’s intense and affectionate gaze was making your feel weak. “Please.”

“I-I cannot,” you whispered. You slowly pushed him away. A look of hurt crossed the King’s eyes but he stepped back. His warmth disappeared and only his eyes remained locked to yours. “I cannot. I am sorry, Your Highness. I cannot. Please do not make me. I… I cannot sacrifice my life to a man. I will not do it. You were right about what you said in the gardens. Please do not forget.”

You watched the light disappear from Jinyoung’s eyes. He bowed his head slightly; his dark hair fell forward onto his forehead and once more, you saw the small boy inside of him. This was not the powerful King Jinyoung. This was a young man who had been fed heartbreak before he could ever truly taste love.

“Is that what you wish?” he asked you quietly.

You forced yourself to nod. “Y-yes.”

Jinyoung looked at you for a long, agonizing moment. You could see the pain in his eyes. His hand reached out towards you slowly and hesitantly but then he pulled it back. His shoulders straightened and he gave you a small nod.

“Of course,” he said curtly. “Then you should return to your home. I will send guards to you back safely. Rest and recover for tomorrow’s meeting. You must guide your dancers well.”

You bowed your head. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

He nodded and turned around before walking swiftly out of the room. You watched King Jinyoung’s impressive form walk away from you, his powerful aura and regal gait imprinted in your mind. It suddenly struck you that you were a fool for allowing yourself to care so much for a man like him.

Jinyoung was a King.

He could never belong to you.

A King belongs to his people.

—

You could not shake off the terrible and sinking feeling that threatened to engulf you.

The girls were all relieved to see you return safely. Once they heard that the King had not punished you, they laughed and praised his kindness. There was an air of excitement regarding the upcoming performance for the King and his guests but you could not bring yourself to smile with them. You could not bring yourself to smile at all. Instead, you carried a hollow, empty feeling inside of you for the rest of the day.

Was it because of the fact that the Minister’s head was now hanging over the palace gates? It was unlikely that any noblemen would visit your dancing school or ask to hire your girls anymore. They would all fear meeting the same grim fate. If you could not find some way to manage the finances then the school might have to eventually close down. Was that what worried you? Were you worried that you would all be thrown out onto the streets as a consequence of your foolishness and the King’s anger?

It was certainly a terrifying possibility in your mind, but the school had faced near-closure before and you had never felt so low and miserable about it. No. It was something else that haunted you.

It was those eyes.

It was the pained look you had seen in King Jinyoung’s eyes when you pushed him away. It was the thought that your rejection had hurt him deeply. How was it possible? You had seen how other men of nobility reacted to rejection. Powerful men always got angry. They yelled and threatened to hurt the girl, they screamed that she would never find anyone better than them. But the supposedly savage King Jinyoung had done none of those things. He had merely stepped away from you and taken the pain for himself.

He had looked heartbroken. The King had shown you nothing but kindness and yet you had pushed him away for your own selfish reasons. You couldn’t help but wish that he had gotten angry, or that he had tried to punish you or order you to sleep with him as most powerful men did. At least then, you could have hated him.

But you couldn’t hate him.

No, you were only more certain that you loved him.

“Teacher! We must hurry, it is almost time for the performance!” one of the girls called out to you. You nodded and hurriedly checked yourself in the mirror. The local doctor had removed the bandage earlier that day and there was a long, jagged scar in its place. Despite your attempt to dress in your finest clothes and make every other aspect of your appearance perfect, you could not bring yourself to feel beautiful. That ugly scar had ruined your face.

You did not want King Jinyoung to see it. You did not know what you would do if he suddenly did not find you beautiful anymore.

That thought was more terrifying than anything else.

“I am coming!” you called out to the other girls as you hurried to join them. You were tempted to go back and put a bandage over the scar or to cover it with a shawl or some other form of clothing. But you stopped yourself. Why do you need to appear beautiful to the King? you asked yourself harshly. You rejected him. You told him that you could not be his concubine. You do not deserve to be admired by him any longer, you do not have that right. Stop being foolish.

You followed the girls to the palace. The King had prepared special chambers for his meeting with the merchant. The place was well-decorated and perfectly laid out; only the King and his guest had yet to arrive. You hung back in a corner of the room in order to hide yourself but the King’s adviser hurried towards you and beckoned for you to follow him.

“The King wishes that you would join him and his guest at the table,” the adviser told you with a small bow. “He has requested that you pour their wine.”

You stared at him. “But…” but my scar. Would he allow a scarred woman to sit in the company of such an important guest?

“It is His Highness’ wish. Please be seated at the table.”

You obeyed the advisor and sat down at the table, while your dancers positioned themselves at the front of the room for their performance. In a few moments, the doors to the room opened and the King entered followed by a well-dressed man, evidently his guest. Jinyoung’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on you. His dark eyes pierced through you. The King’s eyes lingered on the scar that marred the side of your face but he only nodded at you calmly. He gestured for his guest to take a seat at the table and sat down himself.

“I have had some of my best dancers prepare a performance for you,” King Jinyoung told the man, waving a hand towards the girls that had already assumed their formation. “I hope that you will enjoy the dance as we eat and then we may speak of business matters.”

The merchant nodded obediently. “Of course, Your Highness. I am immensely grateful for your hospitality.”

You poured wine silently while the girls danced and the men ate and enjoyed the performance. You could see that the merchant was engrossed in the dancers. He evidently enjoyed it the performance very much, since he clapped enthusiastically whenever the music slowed. You were relieved that at least this part of the evening had been successful. King Jinyoung, however, barely looked at the dancers or their performance.

His eyes were constantly focused on you.

You felt uncomfortable under Jinyoung’s sharp, focused gaze and you did not have the courage to return it. What did he think of your scar? Was he considering how ugly it was, or did he not care? You could not bring yourself to look into his eyes. You were afraid of what you might find there. Would those soft, gentle eyes from the previous night be filled with disgust? Or did he still think you were beautiful?

You had no way of knowing.

The performances and the meal slowly came to an end. The King dismissed you and the other girls from the chambers so that he could speak with the merchant in private. You bowed obediently and followed the other girls outside to a larger room. You could only sit with your hands clasped tightly in your lap as you waited for the men to finish their conversation inside. Would it go well? You hoped, for King Jinyoung’s sake, that the talks were successful. You hoped that he would get the money he needed to make this kingdom a better place.

You hoped that King Jinyoung could be happy, for once.

After what seemed like an eternity, the King and the merchant concluded their meeting. The merchant stepped out of the rooms and hurried towards your dancers, emphatically praising their talent and declaring that he had never seen a more beautiful or aesthetic performance. Your eyes darting around eagerly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the King but he was nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, you turned to leave.

“Miss,” one of the guards came over to you and whispered quietly before you cold exit the room. “His Highness wishes to see you in his personal chambers. May I you there?”

Your breath caught in your throat. His personal chambers? King Jinyoung had called you to his personal chambers? You suddenly remembered a quiet, whispered conversation in the gardens on the night of Prince Bambam’s birthday celebrations.

If, in a moment of weakness, I should summon you to my bedchambers… then do not come.

“Yes,” you whispered. If the King could afford a moment of weakness, then so could you. “Yes, please me there.”

–

You were guided up to the King’s personal tower. It was beautiful and extravagant, well beyond anything you had ever seen in your life. The guards paused right outside the King’s private bedchambers and opened the doors for you. They gestured for you to step inside. You took a deep breath and nodded, entering the room as the enormous door closed behind you.

King Jinyoung was standing alone in the balcony.

His back was turned to you as he looked down upon the palace gardens. Your legs trembled while you slowly walked towards him, The scar on your cheek burned; but it was nothing compared to your desire for this man. You slowly stepped out onto the balcony and bowed your head.

“Your Highness,” you whispered.

King Jinyoung turned to look at you. “So you came,” he greeted you softly.

“I…” you cleared your throat, trying to regain your composure. You nodded and lowered your head. “I was wondering how the meeting with the merchant went. Did you manage to get the loan you had hoped for? Will the royal treasury be replenished?”

Jinyoung let out a soft, dry chuckle. “It is a bittersweet feeling, I suppose,” he admitted to you with a sigh. You slowly stepped forward and stood beside him on the balcony. “I have obtained the loan I wanted, but I will now have to spend most of the money on the rain festival. What a terrible waste. All this effort, all this time, and the people will still go hungry because of the greed of a few. What God would allow this to happen?”

You bit your lip. “Perhaps one who does not care about the welfare of the people?”

King Jinyoung suddenly turned to face you. He gently lifted a hand to your cheek and his finger traced your scar. You looked up into Jinyoung’s eyes. There was the same pain in his eyes. The same soft, caring, pained expression that you had seen before. The pads of his thumb traced your skin longingly.

“Why did you come?” he demanded.

You did not know how to answer. “I-I do not…”

“I told myself that if you refused the summons to my chambers, then I would never see you again,” he whispered. “I promised to forget you and focus on my kingdom. Yet, you came. Why do you do this to me? Why do you come to my chambers but refuse to let me take you into my arms? What is it you fear?”

Your throat clenched. “I-I do not know-“

“Tell me. Tell me what you fear. Why will you not become mine?”

“I fear that your affections for me will fade,” you admitted quietly. “I fear that… that they are only fleeting and that they will disappear along with my beauty. I am a common woman. You know better than I that we can never be together in law, we can only be together in affection. I fear that I will love you forever while you marry another woman and fall in love with another woman.”

Jinyoung let out a soft, gentle chuckle. “Is that all you fear? That you will be made second to my wife? That will never happen.”

You frowned. “But we cannot marry under the law-“

“If I cannot marry you, then I will never marry anyone at all.” King Jinyoung’s words were firm and confident. He stepped closer to you and wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. You gasped at the sincerity in his eyes. One of his hands gently cupped your chin and forced you to look up at him. “You will be the only woman in my life and in my bed. Do you understand? If I cannot take you as my wife then I will ensure I do not have a wife. You are the only woman I have ever wanted. Please. Please, take me as yours.”

You looked up at him, your eyes burning. “And if I say no?”

His grip around you loosened.

“I can fight a thousand men for you, if I must,” he whispered. “But I cannot fight your heart. If you do not love me the way I love you then I will let you go. But do not lie to me. I can see the emotion in your eyes. I can see how much you care for me. Do you love me?”

“I-I do.”

A small, relieved smile appeared upon Jinyoung’s face. His beautiful lips curved upwards and he gently grasped your face to tilt it upwards. Jinyoung’s warm breath mingled with yours and his lips brushed against yours softly.

“I promise you,” he mumbled against your lips. “That I am yours and yours alone. I will never belong to any other woman.”

You kissed him fervently. King Jinyoung held you close to him as he kissed you back, his hot hands roaming your body and slowly divesting you of your clothes. His lips and fingers traced your scars lovingly. You allowed yourself to melt against Jinyoung as he carried you back to his bed. Your hearts pounded in synchronization. The room echoed with soft gasps and moans while you allowed Jinyoung to show you his love through passionate touches and wet kisses. He traced every inch of your body with his fingers and kissed every scar on your skin.

“I love you,” Jinyoung whispered, in between kisses. “I love you.”

You had never wanted to believe those words as much as you did now.

As you both lay in bed , entangled in each other’s arms and gasping for breath, you felt a sudden warm rush of happiness. You buried your head in Jinyoung’s bare chest and smiled as he chuckled at your affectionate embrace. He had only imagined that he would hold you in his arms like this. Jinyoung had only ever dreamt of having such a beautiful, strong, wise woman melt at his touch. He gently brushed your hair out of your face and kissed your forehead.

“I will take care of you,” he promised.

You looked up at him and gave him a small smile. “And I will take care of you, Your Highness.”

King Jinyoung let out a sigh and nuzzled his face into your neck softly. Then he paused for a moment. The room had been silent earlier, only filled with your soft breathing and gasps. But now there was a different noise. It was a soft, consistent pitter-patter that seemed to be coming from outside. Jinyoung slowly lifted his head.

“What is that noise…?”

You gasped. “Jinyoung! It is raining!”

You wrapped a bedsheet around yourself and then hurried to the balcony. Jinyoung followed close behind you. It was late evening but the sky had become overcast and large, grey clouds were covering the sun. Enormous drops of rain fell from the sky and blurred the scenery before you. The soft, pattering noise of the rain hitting the palace walls fill the silence of the room.

“It’s beautiful,” you whispered.

King Jinyoung grabbed your hand. His eyes were shining. “Do you know what this means?”

You turned and beamed at him. “The rains have come early so there is no longer any purpose in holding a rain festival! The farmers will return to their fields and the Priests will no longer be able to exploit the people and the royal treasury for their own purposes! It means… that you have won this war.”

King Jinyoung let out a small laugh as his eyes flickered back and forth, from the balcony and then to you.

“It means that we have won this war,” he whispered.

“We?”

You blinked at the King as he pulled you closer and placed a soft, firm kiss on your lips.

“Yes. We have won this war. Perhaps to the world, I may only address you as my concubine. But know that in my heart, you will always be my Queen.”