Sowon was nervous.

No, scratch that, she was...uncertain. Yes. Of course. How could she possibly be feeling any sort of anxiety over something like this? Just because she was about to meet her betrothed? Most certainly not. 

But here she was, hovering like an uninvited guest outside the guest chambers of the temple, having dealt with the ruffians that had been a problem. Soft murmurs of conversation punctuated by bouts of laughter were dimly heard through the heavy wooden doors, and the Duke had most definitely taken advantage of her height earlier on her way in by peeking through the window.

She had not been best pleased by what she saw. Her wife-to-be was smiling too much at the lanky swordswoman who had rescued her earlier -- she finally figured out that the girl wasn’t a man when they were exiting the forest earlier -- but that didn’t make her feel appreciably better. 

On one hand, perhaps it was good that Eunha was not smitten with some man, but the fact that she seemed close to some other woman still felt like a threat somehow. Sowon’s brow furrowed, another bout of uncertainty assailing her. 

It was bad enough that she had to trick the girl into a marriage of convenience to maintain her position, and Sowon was fully prepared to treat Eunha well as recompense for the deception. The young duke had taken it upon herself to learn a few things about her bride-to-be before the wedding, which had been tentatively suggested for late spring, at least, that was before the reports of Eunha fleeing to the temple came to her table.

Her spy network was still in its infancy, but it was still competent enough to keep abreast of things, especially when Sowon had sent them to ensure that Eunha was safe and unbothered after she sent in her suit for the orphaned baroness’ hand. There remained enough rogue elements in the city who would sooner ruin any advantageous marriage she was seeking to make, if only to prevent House Kim from rebuilding itself after the coup. By proposing marriage, Sowon was afraid that she might have painted a target on Eunha, and she felt an obligation to protect the other girl in case of accidents.

All things considered, Sowon wanted the marriage sealed sooner rather than later, but it was clear via Eunha’s actions since the proposal that the young woman did not view the suit as favorably. This perplexed Sowon: didn’t people normally wish to marry up? Was her status as duke not enough for Eunha? 

That was the main reason why Sowon decided to put down her duties and come to seek Eunha herself. Putting aside the various advantages the marriage would give her, Sowon was also intrigued by Eunha’s seeming reluctance to get married to her as the Duke. Curiosity was one thing, and Sowon also didn’t want Eunha to be forced into a marriage she didn’t want. 

The young duke had enough confidence in her own looks and personal charm, and she had been completely certain before this that she could convince Eunha that it was in her best interest to accept the marriage. That is, until she accidentally overheard Eunha complaining to her cousin about how she hated that the Duke had the cheek to force her into marriage after House Kim had inadvertently caused the death of her father.

That was when Sowon belatedly remembered that Eunha’s father had been on the list of casualties present at the Midwinter Feast, thanks to the coup. Collateral damage had been inevitable, and half the hall had burnt down with most of the guests still locked inside. They had barely been able to separate the bodies for burial afterwards.

Sowon couldn’t blame Eunha for holding at least a minor grudge about it. The real enemy was still out there, but on the surface, the public story was that the fire had been an ‘accident’. A tragedy, to say the least, but she couldn’t accuse anyone without proof. Until she had the strength to strike back, this was an insult upon her house that she would have to swallow.

With things as they were, it made Sowon less confident about approaching Eunha as herself, with the underlying worry that it would prejudice the young woman against her upon learning about her identity. She definitely did not want to bring Eunha back against her will to get married; how different would that make her from the scoundrel she just locked up earlier?

No, she wanted Eunha to come to the altar willingly at the very least, and the only recourse she had at hand was to try and help her understand the difficulties the duke was facing. Surely such a kind young lady would listen to reason? 

She just needed time, Sowon concluded. Time to move Eunha and sway her opinion over accepting the marriage, and it would be best if Eunha didn’t start with any prejudices before she began her plan of persuasion. How best could she achieve that aim?

There wasn’t anyone else she could trust with this, and her aides were all back home making sure her lands wouldn’t collapse in her absence. Since she was already here, she might as well do something about it herself. Who else better suited to the task?

And thus Kim Sowon temporarily became Kim Sojung, herald and messenger to House Kim, here to bear the Duke’s best regards to the Lady Eunha, as well as to protect her in case of any further incidents which would besmirch her honour.

It was the perfect plan. What could possibly go wrong?