Hyejoo opened her eyes. She blinked and looked around to find herself in her room, lying on her bed. 

“Good morning, prince.” 

Lucas sat beside her bed, his lips in a warm smile. 

“Or, should I say... princess.” 

“Just don't, Lucas.” Hyejoo rolled her eyes, and then they widened, as she got up and sat on the bed. “I... What happened? I won, right? Gosh, did I get any medical treatment?! This is bad.” 

Lucas chuckled. 

“You passed out in the arena, after defeating Jaehyun. I ran to you as soon as you hit the ground. They wanted to take you to the castle medical wing, but I knew that wouldn't work out well for you. I told them I would rather take you home to care for you, and thankfully King Taeyong allowed me to.” 

Hyejoo felt her body relax as she breathed out in relief. 

“Thank you, Lucas. I owe you big time.”  

“Maybe you can do something for me, since now you’re the prince. Oh, should I start calling you Your Highness?” Lucas smirked, playfully elbowing Hyejoo’s arm. 

Hyejoo kept on opening and closing , trying to verbalize... anything at all. 

“Yes, you won, Hyungjoo. You were the only one defeating Jaehyun. No one had to defeat him to win, actually, but you did it.”  

Hyejoo frowned in confusion. 

“Let me explain. The last trial wasn’t to find out who was the first to finish the maze, or to defeat Jaehyun. It was to test the contestants' honesty, morals, and perseverance. King Taeyong always advised you to be fair, as he always planned to put the contestants in a situation that would tempt them to sabotage each other and play unfairly. Then, the fight with Jaehyun was to test your skills when you clearly had the lower hand and you'd already be exhausted by the maze. But even so, you didn’t give up. The last duel was truly inspiring, Hyungjoo.” 

Lucas rested his hand on her shoulder. “King Taeyong didn’t have any doubt about his choice. You deserve this. There was no one as smart, strong, and honest as you in the competition.” 

It took a bit for Hyejoo to react, but then she launched herself to Lucas, her arms around his neck. 

“I did it...” She muttered, feeling her eyes warm up as she squeezed him. “I can finally go back to Chaewon...”  

As she sobbed quietly, two strong arms hugged her back. 

"I’m sure I don’t know all of your story, but I’m really happy for you.” Lucas caressed her back. 

Hyejoo sniffed and pulled away. 

“Thank you, Lucas. I couldn't have done it without you. You’re my best friend and you deserve to know the real reason why I did this.” Hyejoo wiped the tears clouding her eyes. 

“You don’t need to. I fully respect you and you must have a good reason to hide some of it.” 

“No. You deserve to know. It's the least I can do. After all you did for me, I can't live with holding secrets from you.” 

Hyejoo held his gaze. 

“All right.” 

And so, Hyejoo told him the full version of her story, from becoming Chaewon’s body guard, which Lucas already knew, to becoming her lover, and being caught by her father. Lucas kept silent, listening attentively as she explained the whole story.  

“A princess falling in love with her body guard...” Lucas smirked. “Could you be any more cliché?” He teased. 

Hyejoo glared at him, feeling her cheeks getting warmer. “This is not a fairy tale.” 

“I know, I'm sorry, I couldn’t resist. I always had a feeling your relationship with Chaewon wasn’t just friendship. I could see in your eyes and voice whenever you talked about her. It must have been hard for you to leave her, especially with that kind of ruler. It’s truly amazing what you’re doing for her, and for both Xiwang and Shanliang.” 

Hyejoo’s lips grew into a modest smile.  

“I honestly didn’t know what to do when I got here. But now, I’m certain of what I want. Even though I've always wanted to come back to Xiwang to save Chaewon, Shanliang has become way too important to me. I didn’t just become Shanliang’s heir for my own interest. I truly want to continue King Taeyong’s wonderful work as a king. This kingdom is nothing like Xiwang, and it’s an honor to be part of it.”  

Lucas rested his hand on top of Hyejoo’s. “You can count on me, Your Highness.”  

“No, no Highness. That's just weird.” Hyejoo blushed, biting back a grin. 

“I guess you’re going to get used to it. King Taeyong is expecting you at the castle as soon as you recover, but take your time. I’m gonna leave you alone so you can rest and get ready.” Lucas stood up and walked towards the door, giving Hyejoo a smile before stepping out. 

♚♚♚

The coffee room was spacious, with elegant decorations, paintings on the walls, and three large, red sofas, with the coffee table in the middle. Long white curtains allowed the morning sun to shine in the room. It was fancy, but not flamboyant. 

King Taeyong sat, motioning Hyejoo to take a sit in front of him, as the maid served them a cup of coffee, excusing herself out right after with a bow. 

Hyejoo’s knees were still shaking, and she was afraid that even the cup would tremble in her hands.  

“First of all, I want to congratulate you for your performance on the competition, and for your victory.” 

“Thank you so much, Your Majesty.” Hyejoo bowed her head. 

“Remember I told you on your first day here that you resemble my son a lot?” Taeyong asked, to which Hyejoo nodded. “Now, I can see it even more. I knew when I first met you that I'd have to pay special attention to you, but you had a way of surprising me in every single stage of the competition." He took a sip on his coffee. 

Hyejoo didn't remember the last time her heart beat so hard, not even in the competition. There was nothing she could make herself say. 

"Now, I ask you." King N leaned forward, supporting his elbows on his knees. "Why did you want to win the competition so bad? What was your motivation to do so well?" 

His stare was intense, but not scary. Should Hyejoo tell him the whole story, just like she did to Lucas, earlier that day? No, it was too soon.  

"When I arrived, I was welcomed with open arms after I had lost all hope of finding a new home. I truly admire the way you make this kingdom into a place of hope, fairness, and honesty, unlike any other place I've ever been to. This is the least I can do to give back to Shanliang what it has given me. I want to learn from you, Your Majesty, so I can inherit your knowledge and values and pass it on to further generations."  

Taeyong stared into her eyes for a few seconds before leaning back into the couch. 

"I know I've made the right choice." He smiled. 

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint you." 

"I know you won't. Starting from today, you will be moving into the castle. You will also start battle training Jaehyun, and lessons with me. There's a lot to learn, so I hope you give your best at all times."  

"Of course. Count on me.” Hyejoo smiled, and then she remembered something. “Just a question, Your Majesty. What about Lucas’s workshop?” 

“Oh, yes. Lucas surely appreciated your help at the workshop, but he and Jungwoo managed just fine before you arrived and I am pretty sure they will continue to do so. Don't worry about it.” 

Hyejoo breathed out in relief.  

After coffee, Taeyong continued to introduce to her to her new princely duties, while he showed her around the castle. Her room was at least double the size of her room back in Lucas’s house, just as her new bed. It reminded Hyejoo of Chaewon’s room, making her lips stretch into a small smile.  

The training grounds were humungous, filled with young students sparring and chatting enthusiastically in the early hours of the morning. Hyejoo found Jaehyun practicing with a small group of men, and even though she had practiced a lot lately for the competition, she couldn’t wait to face the challenges he'd surely bring her way as her trainer. 

After the tour around the castle and the surroundings, Taeyong invited Hyejoo to join him for lunch. 

“Have this day for yourself. Rest, go for a walk, just enjoy the day, and be back at the castle for dinner. Tomorrow, you will start your training.” He said, after finishing lunch.  

After spending some time with Lucas and Jungwoo, and taking a walk in the kingdom, there was a place where she had to go. 

Hyejoo pushed the gate as it creaked. With slow steps, she walked pass the stone graves on the ground.  

Further into the graveyard, there was this majestic tombstone. A tall, perfectly polished stone placed in a pedestal. Hyejoo approached and read, in big engraved letters: 

Jisung, son of King Taeyong, prince of Shanliang 
May his kind soul live on to protect his people. 

Hyejoo kneeled and closed her eyes. 

She wanted to promise Jisung she would do a good job. That even though she would never replace him, as both King Taeyong’s son or the true Prince of Shanliang, she would do everything in her power to honor him, his father, and his Kingdom. 

♚♚♚

Hyejoo had been learning about all sorts of things with Taeyong. Even though she enjoyed it, training sessions with Jaehyun were the best part of the day. In the competition, Jaehyun gave her a very serious aura, but Hyejoo soon found he was as goofy as Lucas. His eyes made him look scary, but whenever he smiled or laughed, he just looked so cute it always made Hyejoo smile as well.  

As the day came to an end, the one thing Hyejoo was most nervous about was about to happen. 

After changing into her formal navy-blue suit for the event (and making sure she could properly hide her... female traits) she waited for Taeyong. He led her to the balcony where he always does his speeches. He would go ahead to explain why he summoned everyone, and then Hyejoo would step in when the king called her. 

“As all of you know, the competition to find the new heir of Shanliang is complete. Many of you watched it in the arena, but I believe this is an occasion to celebrate and properly introduce to you the winner. The one that stood out throughout the competition, the one that had all the qualities I was looking for. The new prince.” 

Hyejoo took deep breaths as she heard him talk in the balcony. She knew he would call her anytime soon- 

“Hyungjoo!” 

One last breath before stepping outside. Loud cheers welcomed her, as she looked at the sea of people standing there to see her.  

Surprisingly, she did not feel so nervous anymore. She was welcomed as Shanliang’s heir, standing before the whole kingdom as the prince. She was more at home than she'd ever been in Xiwang. She truly belonged. 

As the announcement was over and the crowd started to spread, the king and the new prince returned to the room where they'd been for morning coffee the day before. 

"Hyungjoo, may I speak to you before you go?" Taeyong showed her his usual smile, but something seemed off. "I am sorry for bringing this up on your official first day, but I just knew about this and you must be informed.” 

Hyejoo  her dry lips and nodded. 

“The King of Xiwang is looking for a prince to marry princess Chaewon.” 

Time seemed to have stopped.  

“R-Really?” It was the only thing Hyejoo managed to say. 

Taeyong chuckled, leaning back on his chair. 

“Really. As I said, I did not want to put this sort of pressure on you when you are just starting to get used to being a prince. But I believe this would be a very advantageous political alliance for Shanliang and you and I both know the King is known for his impatience. Do you find yourself suited to present yourself as a contender?” 

Hyejoo tried to contain the smile on her lips, but it was turning out impossible to manage. 

"I... prefer to trust your judgment, Your Majesty. But I have vowed to do anything that serves the kingdom's best interest." 

“I see. As I recall, Hyungjoo, you were the princess’ personal guard, weren’t you?” 

Her face became serious again. 

“Yes, I was.” 

“And you left Xiwang because you were accused of a crime you didn’t commit, isn't it? You have searched for refuge here, after all.” He asked, and Hyejoo nodded. “If I am right, you believe it is safe for you to come back even though there is probably a bounty on your head. Why is that?” 

"I am confident I would not be recognized, Your Majesty. I have severely altered my appearance in order to maintain my safety as a refugee." 

Taeyong nodded and pursed his lips. He eyed her chest, and then his eyes met hers. 

"Tell me, Hyungjoo? Does this... change of appearance somehow involve presenting yourself as a different gender than the one you used to?" 

Hyejoo didn’t know how Taeyong found out, but he knew. Every single one of her hopes and plans crumbled in front of her eyes, now that she was so close. 

---

A/N: So... how is this going to turn out now? kekeke, and don't worry, you'll know everything that happened with Chaewon soon! ^-^