Chapter eight! "Well, our fearless general, go ahead and pick out your wife." Soojung encouraged sweetly. 'I want to see you try.' She thought certain that the general would no doubt fail and would have to spend seven nights in the stables. The stables were well taken care of, but of course it still would be difficult to sleep in, it's meant for horses not human, damn it. Soojung felt delighted already at the terrified looking general, and she knew right then that doing this was the best thing to getting her niece the revenge she deserve. Her hard work didn't go to waste, for she had searched the entire palace all day and had found every available woman, from attendants to kitchen servants. Soojung was quite proud of her work. No one gets away with hurting her favorite niece. She smiled at the small back of the general. Taeyeon looked across the entire courtyard that is hosting about hundred women. If their faces were the only things covered then it would probably go a lot easier than Taeyeon thought, but as it appeared, they were covered from head to toe in the royalty coloured hanbok. However, Taeyeon has come too far to back out now and end up sleeping in the stables for seven nights for that matter, no she won't let that happen, she'd do all it takes. Taking a deep relaxing breath, the general sank into the ocean of women in search of her wife. Her feet led her through the sea of women and they parted easily for her. Walking over to a woman she stood in front of her. She was about the same height as Sooyeon but her hands were shaking in nervousness. Sooyeon would never be this nervous, especially now that she's angry with her, her princess would stand before her fearlessly. Turning away she walked nearly towards the back of the crowd, and stood yet In front of another woman. This one wasn’t shaking and seemed to be staring...no glaring through her veil with her chin raised up defiantly. This is definitely her Sooyeon. With a victory smile tugging at her lips, Taeyeon raised the woman’s veil. As she’d suspected, it was definitely Sooyeon and she was glaring dangerously at her, but Taeyeon didn't care because Sooyeon, right now appeared to be the most gorgeous woman the general had ever laid eyes on. Taeyeon couldn’t hold back her grin at the sight of her wife, though Sooyeon had changed a lot since the last time she saw her. But she had missed her with every fiber of her being, even when she had thought that the princess had betrayed her, Sooyeon never once left Taeyeon's mind. The princess's irritation seemed to be elevating higher the more the general smiled and Taeyeon's grin widened as she saw her wife's’ fury rolling off in waves. Taeyeon would like nothing more than to hold her wife and hug her or kiss her, but it is likely that she’d get her finger bitten off or worse get her bum kicked if she ever attempted to do such a thing right now and here. "Hi," she managed to breathe softly and when the princess didn't respond, the general quickly adds, "My princess, will you please forgive me?" Taeyeon tried being cute, but the way the princess glared at her got her panicking and she winced at Sooyeon's expression. The princess's jaw slacked and almost fell to the ground, but lashing out at Taeyeon is the very last thing she wants to do in front of all the people here, but isn't this woman being infuriating? 'Does she really expect to walk in here unceremoniously and for me to just smile and forgive her like it was nothing?' Sooyeon thought, not believing the nerve of the tiny general and she could very clearly feel her blood boiling but still she calmed her anger, "No, general, I will not forgive you so easily because you see, now I also don't trust you." Sooyeon replied tightly before disappearing into the throng of women. On the other hand, Aunt Soojung was honestly shocked at the turn of events. She'd never guessed that the general would be able to find Sooyeon so easily and on the first try no less. She supposed it was a testament to the bond they had forged in such a short time of them being together. Still it didn’t excuse the general's treatment of her niece. However, Soojung begrudgingly accepted defeat for now. "I’d like to officially welcome you back general. You seem to have found your wife, you won this time but you won't be so lucky next time." Soojung said through gritted teeth and the general only grinned victoriously at her. Soojung rolled her eyes as she turned to leave. ~~~ After the meeting of their mothers, where the general's mother seek forgiveness on behalf of her child, Taeyeon finally settled in nicely in her former chambers, she noticed a few changes here and there, like it has two beds now, but didn’t have time to take a good look around for more changes as she was being summoned out for dinner. She still hadn’t been able to talk to Sooyeon or seen her after their initial chilly greeting earlier, but the general was determined to do so tonight in the privacy of their chambers. Walking into the great hall, (the same place they all had that memorable feast weeks ago). Taeyeon's gaze zoomed in her wife's location. And with a satisfied smile she walked over to her and was about to take a seat next to her, when Soojung spoke up, "General, please sit at the head of the table, you are the in law after all." The Empress who was about to sit at the head of the table froze and looked up like a child getting caught stealing pastry. This hadn’t been discussed with her earlier, now what on earth is Soojung playing at... Again? In her confusion she looked over to her sister who was paying close attention to the general instead. Her eyes then met Taeyeon's equally confused ones and they both shrugged at one another simultaneously. "I wouldn’t want to intrude…" Taeyeon trailed off hesitantly, "I mean, it's not my place to take the head table, I'm just a common soldier." The head of the table is always reserved for the head of the household and in this case the head of the nation. Giving up the head chair to her is a sign of great but suspicious honor, and she honestly doesn’t want to sit anywhere other than next to her lovely wife. But if she dared to refuse, Aunt Soojung could see it as a sign of disrespect and she doesn’t want to anger her aunt-in-law or her wife any further. Taeyeon stared at the princess and then at her aunt and then at the Empress. Suddenly a realization came to her in that moment, that all the three women's names started with an S. And abstractedly, she thinks if their children’s names will also start with an S just like Sooyeon, Soojung and Sun Hi (the Empress). The princess's face though showed indifference, Soojung's face held a hint of mischief and the Empress's held just a confused, lost and uncomfortable look as she was still left hanging which Taeyeon couldn’t help but find amusing. "That's absolutely silly, of course it's your place, you are the in law, please sit at the head of the table." Soojung waved her off. Taeyeon threw an apologetic look at her mother in-law, and sulkily moved away from her wife, taking the offered seat. With a low whimper she dropped into t