Seokwoo took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror. His hair was combed back, with a few unruly strands falling down into his face, and he was dressed in a solid black, plain tunic and black trousers, so he couldn't really go wrong with working in a garden. It didn't matter to him that this was the king's garden, since the man meant nothing to him, besides pain. The tall young man was mainly nervouse about this being a job that was looked down on for a man of his age. He should be in the military, as every able-bodied young man was encouraged to join as soon as they had passed their sixteenth birthday. He was the only son in his family, the favored gender in the society of Silverspier, so his family had gotten away with his absence from serving for nine years now. He knew in his heart that he would much rather spend his time in a kitchen cooking, sitting alone doing needlework or tending to a garden, so he did count himself lucky that he was now unfit to go to the military. He did feel like it was the coward's way out, in a way, but no one would ever know how he actually felt about it. He was going to do a job, not make friends. 

Stepping away from the mirror with a nervous sigh he made his way to the open portal after bidding his mother goodbye. The man he had spoken to before had left it open overnight, and even though the act made Seokwoo slightly nervous, he knew that this was important, and if he was going to make it to the palace in good timing, he would need to get his things and step through it. Picking up his bags, he gave his mother one final hug before stepping into the swirling abyss that would take him to his destination. 

Minji made he way out the the garden, still skaken up by the events of the night before and the scratches that were now covered by her long red dress made from simple cotton. She had chosen this particular one, because it wouldn't catch on the light bandage that Siyeon had helped wrap aroud her waist after putting a healing salve on the wound. The scratches still stung, but not as much as the night before. She could still remember the shadowy figure that had chased her, and the terror that had felt very real in her mind. Was this her father's way of getting back at her somehow? It would make sense, but she couldn't imagine the king being clever enough to find a way to do away with her through dreams. Surely if he was going to do that, he would have simply made the shadow kill her instead. No, she didn't think her father had anything to do with it. That wasn't his way of dealing with things. It must have been something else that had done it, but she wasn't sure what it could have been. That was what had brought her out to the garden, in the first place. She needed to write it all down in her buried journal, even though it was likely not connected to her father. In case it was, she would be covered. Reaching under the rock that was covered in poisonous moss, she was careful to only touch the bottom of it, even with her black gloves. Glancing around to make sure she was alone, she pulled out the leather-bound book hidden underneath. Taking a deep breath, she opened it quickly and began writing. 

I got attacked by the same shadowy figure, but this time it felt as if I wasn't alone. Someone out there knows about it, and when I find that person, they'll have a lot to answer for. Minji frowned, shaking her head. Something just didn't feel right in the garden, and she couldn't pinpoint it. Taking another deep breath, she let it out and finished writing. If this turns out to just be some sort of coincidence brought on by the gods, I'll be the one in the wrong. However... The brisk rustling of the gardener's tunic could be heard in the garden somewhere near, so Minji scrambled to put the books back in its hiding spot. In her haste, she accidentally brushed against the moss on the rock with her bare hand, cursing quietly under her breath. She also felt her chest itching where the necklace was hidden against her skin, so thought it must be a side effect of touching the poisonous rock.

Standing to her feet in annoyance at herself, she began to walk down the stone path in the garden as if nothing had happened. The young woman paused when she heard a deep male voice that was not the gardener's. He had a lighter voice, but when listening longer, she could hear a conversation going on between the two of them, and that was when she remembered that he was retiring, so this had to be his replacement. Now she was curious about who the other man could be. Walking in the direction of the voices, she could make out the voices more clearly, hearing the younger man laugh at a joke. He had a nice laugh, the tone slightly higher than his deep speaking voice.

Shaking her head, she berated herself for thinking that the man's voice sounded attractive. She had sworn off any kind of romantic feelings after getting rejected by her last suitor, a prince from one of the neighboring countries, Brockenden. She could still remember the pain of hearing Hui tell her that she wasn't what he was looking for, and that he couldn't marry her just to unite their countries. The worst part of it had been that he had played with her feelings, making her feel as if he had actually wanted something, up until the moment that he was supposed to return to his country. Yes, that had hurt, and that was the main reason she had found that it was much easier to simply keep a safe distance. 

Hearing the two men approaching, Minji glanced down at the dirt on her stockings and dress, brushing it off quickly. She certainly didn't need them to question her reason for being out in the garden, so would put up the pretense that she had been simply walking around admiring the flowers. The gardener, Jinhee, didn't know her very well, anyway, so it was a very believable mistruth. Noticing that the two men had come into view, she couldn't help but notice the height difference between them. She was tall for a woman, but this man was much taller than even Jinhee, who was only four inches taller than her. He was also darker skinned, with a dark bronze to his complexion. The thought of it made Minji want to spend more time outdoors and maybe get a darker complexion herself.

Pasting a smile on her face as they approached her, nodded to them as Jinhee bowed low to her. His tall companion looked startled for a moment, but hurried to do the same, bowing even lower than Jinhee had. He still appeared to be a bit confused when he stood up, glancing at Jinhee. Minji felt that she was enjoying his confusion, so stayed silent. 

"Seokwoo, this is Princess Minji, which is why I bowed to her," the older man glanced at Seokwoo in amusement at his nearly embarrassed look. Minji noticed something else in Seokwoo's demeanor, but brushed it off, chalking it up to nerves. 

"Your Majesty," Seokwoo bowed again, smiling as he straightened back up. "I hope your day is going well and that you're finding the garden pleasing," he added without meeting her eyes. There was still something strange in the way her was action towards her, but she didn't address it. Instead, she smiled back at him, trying to ease his discomfort...or whatever that was. 

"Thank you, uh, Seokwoo?" Minji kept the smile on her face, feeling as if she was speaking to a scared p