The past couple of weeks, Yewon reflects, was probably the most fun she has ever had in her entire life. And she does not say this lightly, having gone through a daring escape, multiple close calls, and nearly sparked off a clash with the standing religious militia when the pursuing troops followed her across the border into Temple grounds.

That particular debacle had all begun with the usual political skulduggery which had almost led to her getting shoved into an arranged marriage with a prince. This had been excitement of the entirely wrong kind of course, and to this day Yewon was still rather proud of how she had handled that with the help of her doting older siblings.

Granted, most people generally didn’t view an exile to the temple as a good thing, but Yewon rather appreciated the peace of the sanctuary it offered. Here, she was free of the rules and etiquette binding her every word and move. Rank and custom were heavy chains to bear, and born to a prominent family only a couple steps removed from the line of succession, there had been expectations as a daughter of her house.

Yewon never liked that sort of thing, to be honest. Oh, she was well aware of the machinations behind the scenes, and it was that same awareness that had led her to seek a way to break free. Was it not enough that her older siblings had to marry strategically to further her family’s ambitions? She did not wish to be sacrificed for political gain, especially not to marry someone about ten years her junior who hadn’t even lost all his baby teeth.

Getting used to life at the temple hadn’t been completely without its problems though, certainly. Learning to take care of herself without any help from servants had been the biggest hurdle, and there was none of the luxury or comforts she had grown up with in her new life as an acolyte at the temple. 

At least they had running water though. The artisans involved in the construction of the grounds were very skilled at their work. It was an austere sort of existence, and once she had gotten used to the routine of study and reflection mandated by the temple, Yewon had grown fond of the peace it offered her.

Still, peace wasn’t the same as entertainment, and ever since SinB and Yuju first crashed into her life, that had been the beginning of yet another major shift in her life. There were many acolytes from all walks of life at the temple, but not many had been around her age, and certainly not all of them had been willing to approach her. 

Everyone knew exactly who she was, who she might have been had she not chosen sanctuary at the temple, and it was really far easier to just avoid potential problems by limiting contact with someone like her. 

Yewon really couldn’t blame them. She was sort of a political hot potato, and even though the official Temple stance was that all their acolytes were returned to a clean slate under their aegis, it was no secret that her family wanted her back. And it wasn’t impossible for acolytes to renounce their vows to return to secular life, but so long as she remained within Temple grounds, they couldn’t touch her.

She hadn’t left the boundaries for almost five years now. Even as big as the Temple and its surrounding holdings were, it was still a very elaborate prison for her, however comfortable it might be.

So it was sort of nice to have two country bumpkins stumble in with zero knowledge of her exact status and none of the subsequent expectations to live up to. SinB had been a little standoffish at first, but Yuju had been easy to talk to and the friendly squire had been the unconscious bridge between her master and a curious Yewon. 

It was quite evident from the start that they were both girls of course, despite their masculine garb, and that Yuju was subordinate to SinB, suggesting that rank was at play here. It didn’t take very long for Yewon to figure out their general origins, though both of the young women had been intentionally vague about who they really were. 

But anyone who could afford a squire, who knew her letters and had some familiarity with upper class manners, was obviously not some no-name knight with neither lands nor title to their holding. SinB and Yuju had clearly been educated side by side, virtually unheard of in the old bloodlines and noble families clustered to the centers of power long used to their classist ways, so they had to be either new blood, new money, or outsiders from another land entirely.

And in any case, had they been any more familiar with the noble circles, they probably would have been keeping their distance from her if they knew any better. Either that or they wanted something from her, but after a few days of cautious interaction, Yewon discovered with some surprise that they just didn’t know anything.

It was quite pleasant, really. They were around her age, and had been travelling on their own for a while now, which meant they had fresh new stories to share. Even though Yewon enjoyed reading on her own, it was somehow different hearing from other people the tales of places she had only visited through her books. 

SinB had been the first to notice the yearning in her eyes, oddly enough for someone who didn’t seem to like her at first, and had quite casually proposed that she go out and take a look for herself if she so wanted to experience those things. Sensitive, yet insensitive at the same time. That was exactly SinB in a nutshell, and even though Yewon had only laughed in response at the time, a part of her still hurt, just a little.

If it were safe for her to leave, she would. But there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t be snatched up and shipped right back to the capital the moment she stepped out of the areas outside Temple control. Even going on trips to the nearby small towns with SinB and Yuju escorting her had been a slightly nervous experience, but her self appointed bodyguards had been more than competent at fending off unwanted attention at the time. 

It was nice indulging in the illusion of freedom, but she couldn’t in good conscience plunge well meaning friends into danger for her own selfish desires. In the short week she had spent with the two adventurers, Yewon had grown fond of them both. If word got out that she had left the Temple in their company, it wouldn’t just be small groups of mercenaries coming after her. 

Whole companies had been in pursuit the last time, and while the parties involved were likely interested in avoiding a repeat scandal, she had no doubt that whoever dispatched after her this time would be much more competent, if not numerous. She had nearly started a war by accident once, and she was not eager to repeat the experience.

Yewon takes a sip of her tea with a tiny sigh. It was... odd not having her new friends around, and even though SinB had gotten all loopy thanks to the potion, she was still rather fond of the gruff looking girl. She hoped that SinB would be alright. There weren’t any bears in the back mountain at least. Yerin had chosen quite well in sending the girl there.

Speaking of Yerin… Yewon turns to look out of the window facing the garden, where Eunha and Sojung were currently taking a leisurely stroll after the noon meal. As devious as Yerin had turned out to be, it was rather amusing to contrast Eunha’s apparent innocence to her absent cousin. 

Only apparent, of course, because Eunha wasn’t stupid by any stretch of the word, though naive would be a closer estimate of her capabilities. Sojung was a little too cultured to be a simple messenger, and while Yewon had her suspicions about the herald’s real identity, it was not inconceivable that a herald would be at least of noble pedigree, so she would reserve her judgement for a later time.

But she had been far removed from the centers of political power for the last five years, and even though she still maintained frequent letters with her siblings, they kept things vague enough that even if the letters were screened, nothing of use could be gleaned from them. That meant she knew little of the latest developments at court, though rumours still made its way to the Temple in due time.

It was interesting that an orphaned, unlanded baroness like Eunha was even being considered as a potential marriage candidate to one of the three great Dukes of the kingdom, which meant that there was way more going on behind the scenes than was being spoken of. The delicate balance of power meant that the House of the Baekje Kims, long known for their neutrality in matters of state and supporter of the status quo, was often the swing vote when it came to arguments in council. 

A weakened Baekje Kim was not a good sign for things in general, especially if their vassals started leaning towards either of the other two major factions in the kingdom. Instability in the kingdom was one thing, but Yewon wasn’t thinking as far as that. Her more immediate concern was if her own house, the Goguryeo Kims, would take advantage of the situation.

Of course, if they did, that just meant that there would be less of a need for them to kidnap her home to use as a bargaining chip for marriage alliances. While great for her personally, it also meant that the balance of power in the kingdom would be shaken up, and not for the better.

So it was with a great deal of interest with which Yewon watched Eunha not-so-subtly flirt with a slightly baffled Sojung, who seemed torn between pleased and troubled by the sudden turn of events. If the herald was more than he seems, then things could be very interesting indeed.

Yewon wasn’t sure what was the best outcome for this situation, but in lieu of anything better to do, she certainly wasn’t going to turn down free entertainment while it lasted. Taking another sip of tea, she sets her sight on the far horizon, contemplating.

Times were changing, and she hoped that everything would turn out alright in the end...