Jinki’s life slowly adapted to this new routine, taking care of the horses, fulfilling his expected duties and now becoming the personal stable hand of this stubborn noble woman.  For the most part, it wasn’t too big of an inconvenience to appease her. It was frustrating that he had to drop everything just to go do such a mundane task as tacking a horse, something any free stable boy could do for her, but he was accommodating to her whims.  As a result, her sour attitude dripped away little by little with each passing day, however, she was still far from friendly. She, like most nobles, kept an air of superiority about her, refusing to sink so low as to converse with a servant. Jinki was used to such treatment, knowing better than to expect anything different.

     It was midmorning and Jinki had just sent Miss Gwiboon off on her way before going back to the horse he was preparing to take out for a bit of exercise himself.  The autumn breeze was crisp and fresh and the mare beneath him pranced in excitement, pawing at the ground in impatience when he pulled her up to a stop. She was young and energetic and it made her a bit temperamental if he asked her to mind but a willing partner if he indulged her desire to run.  He grinned mischievously to himself, leading her around the practice pasture and instead pointed her towards a simple dirt path that was overgrown from disuse. He let out the reins, giving her full motion of her head and a quick “Yah” and that was all it took to get the mare jumping forward, working herself up to a full gallop without additional encouragement.  Jinki sunk his heels deep in the stirrups and crouched over the pommel. His grin spread wider, enjoying the wind in his hair and the powerful beast beneath him as she showed off her full potential. This was the feeling that Jinki loved, the thrill as the world blurred around him and his mind stilled.  Every worry and care fell away leaving Jinki feeling so... present, so alive.  it was the best feeling in the world. 

     All too soon he started to ease her into a more manageable pace, shifting his weight back in the saddle as she slipped into an easy canter.  He was nearing the end of the path, the beaten dirt tapering off into invisibility as the entrance to the forest loomed closer; the trees grew dense and the grass, tall and unruly.  Jinki slowed the mare down to a walk, not wanting to chance the horse getting an injury due to the questionable terrain. The path was uneven because of the thick tree roots and the chance of snakes or pheasants in such high grass could spook even the most well-trained of horses.

     However, it was not a snake or pheasant that brought Jinki to a started halt, it was the sight of stark white linen flung over a tree branch and blowing in the breeze.  The contrast of clean white in the forest of earthy green and brown was enough to pull him up short. Was that…? No. It couldn’t be… women’s bloomers? His confusion was short lived however for he heard the faintest sound of a horse nickering and his eyes instinctively followed it.

     They both became aware of the others’ presence at the same time, an ear piercing shriek invading his brain which was still trying to process what he was seeing.

     Jinki’s jaw dropped, fear making his blood run cold. “M’lady I--”

     “How dare you!” She shrieked, anger in her voice and fire in her eyes.  

     “My apologizes, m’lady.  I--”

     “Turn away you swine! How dare you disgrace a lady so,” She hissed, plucking at her skirt in discomfort.

     Jinki obediently turned his horse away, “I assure you; I saw nothing, m’lady. I didn’t know there was anyone out this far from the palace,” Jinki tried to explain, stumbling over his words in haste, his voice uneven and his heart racing.  More than the shock or the confusion of the situation, Jinki felt terrified. He was alone in the forest with a half-dressed noble woman. There were few ways such a situation could be construed and all ending with his neck in a noose. 

     She continued to mutter curses and vulgar language unfit for a lady of her station to even hear, let alone speak.  “Hand me my bloomers,” She commanded.

     “M’lady?” Jinki’s voice shot up an octave from surprise, startled by such an inappropriate request.

     “I can’t very well reach them myself now can I?” She responded sarcasm dripping from her tongue.  The offending garment hung from a branch much higher than she could reach from the ground.

     Jinki sighed, leading his horse to the branch that held the dreaded undergarments.  He picked them up using only the tips of his fingers, as if the innocent fabric would sear his flesh off if touched.  His face burned with embarrassment, his free hand covering his eyes as he inched towards her. He could only see the ground enough to have an idea where he was going as he guided the horse with his knees. Jinki sighed in relief when the white linens were ripped from his grasp; the sound of clothes rusting assaulted his senses before a deafening silence settled over them.  It was as if the whole forest was waiting with bated breath to see what would happen. 

     “You can--” She trailed off.

     Jinki lowered his hand, eyes meeting hers for the first time. He was surprised to see a vivid flush on her cheeks, embarrassment and shame evident despite how hard she tried to mask it with anger.

     Jinki dismounted, his movements slow and deliberate as if she were a startled animal that would attack at any sudden movements.  His whole body sank onto the soft dirt, bowing before her, “My apologies. I had no knowledge of anyone being here. I had no intentions of shaming m’lady,” Jinki tried again.

     “A likely story.  I should have you flogged for such an offense!  For shame!”

     “I--” Jinki started to respond but she cut him off. 

     “Did you follow me here?”

     “Of course not--” He tried again, his voice high and tight with terror but a ripple of anger coursing through him as well.  He was innocent of any transgressions and yet here he was, face in the dirt, begging for mercy. Wasn’t she the one at fault, and not he?  She was the one undressing herself in the woods! He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

     “How long were you standing there?  What kind of dirty scoundrel follows a maiden into the woods?” Miss Gwiboon hissed at him.

     “M’lady, I didn’t know you were here!  Or exposing yourself to the trees!” Jinki cried, the words slipping past his lips before he could catch them behind his teeth. He froze on the spot, how could he have said that? He had worked at the palace for half his life and not once had he made such a gaffe as right now. His mouth agape as he met her eyes for a brief moment before hanging his head further in his own shame.  He waited for her cutting words or inevitable threat to have him strung up on the town square for his transgressions. He was as good as dead now anyway, what is one more offense? 

     However, instead of anger or accusations, he heard her let out a soft snort of laughter.  “How dare you?” She asked again but her tone was far from threatening, rather she seemed amused that he would be brave enough to utter such a thing in her presence.

     “M’lady, I apol--”

     “Stop. I am under no obligation to explain myself or my actions to a stable boy.  Get off the ground and stop groveling,” she commanded, folding her arms across her chest.

     Jinki glanced up in surprise.  Was that all she would say? No threats? No dragging him before the court? “M’lady?”

     “Oh quit looking so terrified, boy.  It would cause me more shame to explain your transgression enough to get you punished. I trust this incident will never be spoken of?” The slight quiver in her voice was the only flaw in her feigned calm.

     “Of course, m’lady,” Jinki swore.

     “Well then, I think it’s about time you got back to the stables. I expect you to be waiting when I return.  You are the only stable hand allowed to handle my mount after all and I hate to be kept waiting by a mere servant,” She told him, trying to regain her composure, taking control of the situation and guiding them back to more familiar territory. 

     Jinki smiled, tentative, in awe of his luck.  “Yes, m’lady,” he responded, meeting her eyes, for the first time taking the opportunity to look at her, really look at her. She looked different out here away from the frills and pomp of palace life. Her hair was a bit messy from changing, a stubborn leaf stuck in her curls, and a healthy blush lingered on her cheeks from her embarrassment and the early autumn chill. 

     What struck him the most however, was the warmth of her eyes.  Vulnerability had temporarily replaced the icy demeanor he had grown accustomed to seeing. 

     “Would you like me to saddle your mount before I go, m’lady?”

     “Of course.  It is your job, is it not?”  Jinki’s lips quirked into a small smile, her words were harsh but he could pick out a playful note he'd never heard before that cut any bite they would have otherwise held.  

     Jinki went to work putting the tack back onto her horse.  He ignored the burning question of ‘why’ that plagued his mind, knowing better than to voice his thoughts and imbalance whatever precarious truce they’d fallen into.  However, there was something else nagging in his mind, a more pressing issue now that his initial fear was starting to abate.

     “M’lady, it’s not my place to say but I fear my conscience won’t allow me to leave without voicing my concerns.” He squared his shoulders, preparing himself to say his piece. “Riding out here alone isn’t proper for a woman of your station. I would offer to accompany you back to the palace myself but I fear that is unwise as well. Please, stay close to the palace walls from now on, for your own safety.  Anyone could discover you out here and, in such a condition, I’m afraid few would be gentlemanly.”

     The smile he received in return was warm and so unsettling. Jinki had never in his life been looked at by a noble and felt so… seen. It was as if for this brief moment in time, they were the only two people in existence and equals in every way. 

     “Thank you for your concern, Jinki,” She responded, saying nothing further.

     Jinki nodded, he mounted his horse once again and followed the narrow path back to the meadow.  He let the horse run free once they reached the open pasture while his thoughts likewise, ran wild with questions. His brain fogged with confusion and the memory of her brown locks falling in a tangled frame around her beautiful face.  He couldn't stop thinking about her pale skin aglow in the thin rays of sunlight that streamed through the canopy of trees. For a brief moment in time, they were hidden away from the world’s watchful eye. For that brief moment, he felt like he saw her, the real her, for the first time.  Not the snobbish noble but the woman beneath the mask.

     Above all else, he couldn’t forget the sound of his name as it rolled off of her lips.  The memory of her musical voice pounded in his ears, loud enough to drown out the horse’s hooves against the beaten path.

     Jinki didn’t remember much about the rest of his ride, hurrying back to the palace to put the mare away.  He waited around for Gwiboon to return from her ride so he could tend to her horse as well. When she returned she looked just as pristine and put together as she did when she left.  There was no trace of her excursion in the woods. Her face was once again hidden behind her usual mask and her words were cold and distant. True to his word, Jinki made no attempt to bring up their encounter, keeping silent in order to protect her pride (and his own skin). Despite the two of them slipping back into their designated roles, he couldn’t help but notice how her lips upturned into a small but genuine smile as she turned to leave the stables, making his heart flutter in a strange way.

~~~

     After his encounter with Miss Gwiboon, Jinki couldn’t seem to focus.  His mind kept turning over the memory, picking it apart. He had so many questions.  There was so much he couldn’t make sense of. He rushed through his chores, his fingers itching and his brain focused on the pictures in his head rather than the horse in front of him.  

     “Taemin-ah!  Are you finished?” He called, trying to keep the impatience he felt out of his tone.

     “Coming!” came the faint reply.

     Jinki put his equipment away, latching the stall door behind himself.  His foot tapped as he waited for the boy to finish up with his work.

     “Hyung, is everything okay?”

     “Fine, Taemin-ah.” He assured with a smile.  “I’m going to take a bit of a break during lunch though so you will have to go back to the stables without me,” Jinki said as he set a brisk pace up the hill towards the palance.

     Taemin looked at him in surprise but didn’t question him further.  

     They entered the kitchens and Jinki grabbed a few slices of warm bread and begged a healthy scrap of dried meat off of one of the kitchen maids before he was running out the door with a wave.

     He stopped by the servant quarters, pulling his supplies out of the hidden corner he kept them before hurrying on to his destination.  He wound through the various halls and stairways, avoiding the busier sections of the palace as he made his way up, up, up, until he exited onto the roof, the chilly breeze biting at his skin.

     He hastily set out his supplies, laying his few paints out along the floor and mixing them with practiced ease to get the shade he wanted.  His paintings were his one guilty pleasure. He found the time only due to stolen moments during the day, time he should have spent on his work.  He kept an eye out on his rides for roots, berries and plants that could be used to make his paints or for some material to paint on - tree bark or flat strips of shale and dried clay from the riverbed were good materials to practice and experiment on.  However, when he was able to get his hands on some parchment, an old letter that had been discarded or a gift from a maid in charge of cleaning noble’s rooms (he didn’t ask where they came across such a treasure), he made sure to save it only for his best efforts.

     He favored painting nature scenes, the fallen leaves of autumn or trying to capture the strong tendons of a horse’s leg pulled taunt as it stretched into a full gallop.  It was a difficult thing to capture with his limited abilities and sub-par supplies. Despite this, his simple paintings lined his small cottage and his better pieces were sent to his family back in the countryside.  

     He was able to maintain communication with his family through a palace courier, Joon, with whom he had found a trusted friend.  Neither he nor his family could read so they had to rely on verbal messages though Joon, so sending his paintings was the only way to give his family a slight picture of what his life was like at the palace.  

     He sat down against the cold stone wall, helping to block most of the wind.  He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting his thoughts drift away until all that was left was the picture in his head.  He picked up his paintbrush, he’d made it himself with squirrel hair tied to a whittled bit of oak, and let his heart run free with the colors.  A content smile pulled at his lips as little by little the picture began to take form before his eyes.  

     He knew he had already been gone too long, his responsibilities at the stable demanding his attention once again.  But he couldn’t seem to stop, not until the picture was complete. However, he ended up being bewildered more than anything at the image his head decided to conjure up.  It was no nature scene, rather a portrait of a maiden; leaves woven in a fragile wreath and framed by dark curls. Her eyes were downcast and a delicate blush gracing her pale cheeks.  While his style of painting was wispy and vague, he couldn’t lie to himself. There was no denying the obvious similarities of his painting and the beautiful noblewoman who had begun to invade his world in recent days.