Jinyoung

 

The loud cheerful sounds of music filled the air and reverberated in Jinyoung’s ears, mixing with the loud cheers of the onlookers and shouts of well wishers attending the ceremony. The gentle flutter of blue fabric rustled against Jinyoung’s legs, and he looked down to see that he was wearing the traditional blue and gold hanbok that the groom usually wore at weddings. A frown creased his forehead in confusion as he examined his clothing and looked around at the people standing and clapping around him.

 

What is going on…?

 

Jinyoung felt someone loop an arm cheerfully around his shoulders, and he turned to see Jaebeom standing next to him with a bright grin on his face.

 

“Little brother, why do you look so confused?” Jaebeom asked, “Today is your wedding day!” Jinyoung stared at Jaebeom in shock.

 

“Wedding? What wedding?” He asked, “I’m already married!” Before Jaebeom could respond, he saw the servants laying out a rug on either side of the marriage table which was covered in wooden ducks, bamboos, dates, and persimmons. 

 

“The bride has arrived!” A eunuch announced, and the crowd’s chatters quickly hushed. The onlookers stepped aside, and Jinyoung saw a young woman dressed in the traditional red wedding hanbok approach the wedding table. Her face was covered by her arms, which were lifted so that the long white sleeves of her robes draped down elegantly over her face. Jaebeom gave Jinyoung a light shove towards the table, and as if his body wasn’t his own, Jinyoung felt himself going through the motions of the marriage ceremony. 

 

But who am I marrying? He thought, Surely, this is a dream!

 

When the ceremony was over, the bride finally lifted her head for Jinyoung to see, and the young prince felt his jaw drop in shock.

 

“S-Soyoung?” He gasped in surprise. In front of him, dressed in the traditional marriage hanbok, was the empress of China, a warm loving smile on her face.

 

“Husband.” She greeted him with a bow. Jinyoung stared in confusion at his wife.

 

“But what are you doing here?” He asked, “Aren’t we already married?” Jang Soyoung giggled softly, a new sound that Jinyoung had never heard before but set his heart fluttering like there was a butterfly in his chest. 

 

“You’re so silly.” She replied, “We’ve been engaged to marry for a long time already. What are you talking about?” Jinyoung stared at her, completely taken aback by her response, but before he could ask more, he heard the shouts of the onlookers begin anew.

 

“Your Highness! Give your new consort a kiss before you go!” 

 

“Yes, a kiss!” 

 

Jinyoung looked around in shock at the townspeople around him, his cheeks growing hot at the request. 

 

Kiss his bride in public? That was completely against proper decorum! Even if they were married, how could he…? 

 

Jaebeom gave Jinyoung another light shove forward, and with a start the young prince found himself face to face with Soyoung. His bride ducked her head, uncharacteristically shy. 

 

“I...I…” Jinyoung cleared his throat, realizing that he really wasn’t going anywhere before fulfilling the crowd’s wishes.

 

“Very well!” He declared. He took the fan that Soyoung was holding in her hand and held it up to cover their face, and slowly leaned closer to his bride’s face. Her cheeks were flushed shyly, surely just as embarrassed as he was. Their faces got closer, closer, and closer still, until…

 

“Ah!” With a yelp of surprise and a loud thump, Park Jinyoung rolled off the bed and onto the cold floor beneath him. For a long moment, Jinyoung lay frozen on the ground, wondering what had just happened. Above him, he saw the golden gilded bedframe that was Soyoung’s library bed, and his arms were currently wrapped around the blanket, rolled up into a circular shape at some time during the night. Then, the events from the night before rushed back into his memory; the banquet, Soyoung being poisoned, their long conversation the night before, and finally, falling asleep together for the first time. 

 

And that also meant…

 

A dream…

 

His wedding in Goryeo with Soyoung, taking Soyoung’s hand in marriage as his princess consort, and finally…

 

Jinyoung’s cheeks grew hot again as he recalled how his dream had ended and he buried his face into the blanket with a shy yelp. 

 

Park Jinyoung, why were you dreaming about that?

 

He heard the sound of running footsteps from outside, and the door was pushed open a few moments later.

 

“Your Highness, are you alright? What-” He heard a eunuch ask before cutting off in what was probably confusion at seeing his master lying on the ground with his face buried in the blanket.

 

“I’m fine!” Jinyoung called, waving a hand dismissively in the general direction the eunuch’s voice was coming from while keeping his face buried in the golden sheets, “I just fell off the bed! It’s fine!” The old eunuch sounded amused as the sound of maids’ soft giggles came from further away.

 

“Then, Your Highness, would you like to get off the floor and get dressed instead?” He asked, “I’m sure the floor is quite cold.” Jinyoung peeked out from the sheets and thought for a moment before nodding.

 

“Yes please.” He mumbled after a few seconds of thinking. The soft rustle of movement came from nearby, and the servants quickly helped Jinyoung to his feet and untangled him from his blankets. Jinyoung sat lost in thought as the servants helped him out of his sleeping clothes and into a fresh blue grey hanbok. His mind kept wandering back to his dream. It had all felt so real, so realistic. He could still hear the cheers of the well wishers surrounding them, Jaebeom’s arm around his shoulder, and Soyoung’s hand gently laid in his. He could see the traditional red circles painted on Soyoung’s cheeks, her shy little smile as he leaned closer, and closer and then…

 

Suddenly, a question flickered across Jinyoung’s mind. 

 

How does one kiss a woman?

 

In all the books he had read, not a single one talked about how a man was supposed to kiss his wife. If anything, the scholars of old had taught that a man should avoid indulging so much in things like that. But now that Jinyoung was married and thought about it…

 

I have no idea!

 

His cheeks grew hot as the thought crossed his mind. He had no intentions of kissing Soyoung any time soon of course, but what if...just what if…?

 

“Your Highness?” Jinyoung jumped at the sound of the old eunuch’s voice.

 

“Yes?” He asked. 

 

“Are you feeling unwell?” The eunuch asked, “Your cheeks are turning red.” Jinyoung looked up at the bronze mirror in front of him and with a start realized that the eunuch was right. 

 

“I’m fine.” He said with a shake of his head, drawing a yelp from the maid brushing his hair.

 

“Your Highness, please do not move!” She protested, “I do not wish to hurt you!” Jinyoung grinned sheepishly and resumed sitting still in front of the mirror.

 

“Were you thinking about the empress?” The old eunuch asked, “It seems that your relationship is progressing quite smoothly.” Jinyoung laughed awkwardly, realizing he had been caught.

 

“Do you think so?” He asked. The old eunuch chuckled softly.

 

“Indeed.” He replied, “It has been a long time since I saw Her Majesty ask the servants to look after one person in particular. She usually only does that for Grand Prince Eunseong.”

 

“What do you mean?” Jinyoung asked. The maid that was brushing his hair giggled softly.

 

“Her Majesty asked that none of us wake you up!” She chirped, “She said it’d been a long night and you’d likely be tired!” The old eunuch shushed her with a warning look, and the maid quickly ducked her head and resumed fixing Jinyoung’s hair.

 

“My apologies Your Highness.” The eunuch said, “It has been a while since Her Majesty spoke that way about someone and the maids have gotten carried away. They should know better than to gossip about their masters.” Jinyoung smiled and shook his head.

 

“It’s fine.” He said, “I am grateful for Her Majesty’s care.” 

 

“No, Your Highness.” The eunuch replied, “We are the ones who are grateful that Her Majesty has someone to care for her now.” Jinyoung raised an eyebrow.

 

“What do you mean?” He asked. The eunuch hesitated for a few long moments before responding.

 

“The empress has been lonely for a long time.” He replied, “No one will say it outright, but everyone who works in the palace knows that. It is such a rare thing for her to trust someone enough to share a bed with him all night long. Our country is blessed to have such a loving royal couple.” Jinyoung chuckled awkwardly. 

 

“Indeed, the country is blessed.” He responded, deciding it would be better not to say too much.

 

If only the servants knew the truth about what had actually happened last night.

 

The maid finished with his hair and placed a simple hairpiece on top before stepping back with a bow.

 

“If you have no other orders, we will take our leave, Your Highness.” She said. 

 

“Mm.” Jinyoung said absently with a wave of his hand. Then, his gaze flickered over to the shelves of records. 

 

“Ah, wait for one second.” He said. The maids turned back to look at him, and Jinyoung pondered for a few moments before speaking.

 

“Where is the empress?” He asked, “I haven’t seen her all morning.”

 

“Her Majesty went to hold morning court.” The old eunuch replied, “She tends to push it back to a later hour the day after a banquet has been held.” Jinyoung’s eyes widened and he bolted out of his chair in alarm.

 

“She what?” He exclaimed, “How could she go to court after last night?” She-!” He cut off as he saw the servants staring at him in a mixture of surprise and confusion at his outburst, the wheels in their minds turning as their imagination started to go out of control. Jinyoung froze for a moment, then cleared his throat and sat back down in his chair.

 

“I mean…” His mind raced for a few moments before he thought of what to say, “What I mean is, please go and tell the kitchen to prepare some nourishing soup for Her Majesty. In particular, you must put in ingredients that will nourish the blood, such as goji berries and jujube dates. Do you understand?” The maids exchanged amused looks, but bobbed in a light curtsey in response to Jinyoung’s orders.

 

“Yes, Your Highness.” They said before hurrying out the door. The old eunuch smiled and bowed.

 

“As I said before Your Highness, it is wonderful that Her Majesty has someone who cares for her so much now.” He said, before he too left the room. Jinyoung frowned.

 

“Nothing happened last night!” He yelled in protest after the servants, but they were already gone. Jinyoung sighed. He could only imagine the different rumors that would be floating around the palace by midday. 

 

“Oh well.” He muttered, “I would rather they spread the wrong rumors than know the truth of what happened last night.” He thought back to the tired but concerned look in Soyoung’s eyes the night before as she had told him about her worries and concerns, about why she couldn’t let anyone know that she had been poisoned or the steps she took to protect herself against attempts on her life. 

 

Yes, it is better that those servants know nothing about this.

 

A soft frown pursed his lips as he turned towards the door, wondering when he would hear the soft sounds of Soyoung’s footsteps. It was obvious that the young empress was in no state to be attending morning court. Jinyoung was no doctor, but even he knew that victims of poisoning usually remained bedridden for a few days to recover. How was Soyoung even standing upright at the moment? He sighed softly and headed for the bookshelves in search of something to distract himself.

 

Come back soon, Jang Soyoung.

 

_________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

Soyoung paused at the edge of the threshold between the hallway leading to the main hall and blew out her breath slowly. She could hear the soft murmurs of the court officials waiting for her, likely discussing what they wanted to report to her about and what they hoped she would do. Soyoung sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Although she had slept well in Jinyoung’s arms the night before, the arsenic was beginning to prove the effects it had on her body. Just the short walk to her room to change clothes and then the walk to the main hall had been enough to wear her down. The light delicate headdress on her head felt like it weighed a ton today, and the world still spun slightly if she walked too fast. Soyoung had had no appetite all morning, so she had skipped the morning meal as well and now her body was starting to retaliate on her for doing so. Her step stumbled slightly as her vision clouded, and a gentle hand grabbed her by the arm to steady her.

 

“Your Majesty?” Hyojun asked in concern, “Are you alright? Shall I summon a physician?” Soyoung took a deep breath and shook her head. All she wanted to do right now was turn around and return to bed for a few days, emptying her mind of everything that had to do with ruling the country just for a short while. But, just like every day after she consumed poison on purpose, Soyoung knew she had no choice but to trudge forward and carry on her duties like nothing had happened.

 

“I’m fine.” She responded, “Just a little tired.” She took another deep breath, then lifted her chin up high before striding into the main hall.

 

No one shall see any weaknesses from me.

 

“Her Majesty has arrived!” The attending eunuch announced loudly, and immediately the court officials turned and bowed.

 

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” They intoned in unison. Soyoung pressed her skirts down in a smooth flicker of motion before sitting down on her throne.

 

“Beloved officials, you may rise.” She responded. As the court officials returned to their places, Soyoung cast her gaze carefully over who was in attendance. 

 

“Royal Uncle, it seems that you are feeling better today.” She noted as her gaze fell on Jang Jaewon, “It seems that the royal physicians have done a good job with you.” The night before, she had sent a message to her uncle to attend the banquet as was customary, but the older man had responded with a message that he was feeling unwell and declined to attend. And now, thinking back on what had happened the night before, Soyoung was starting to get the feeling why he had declined to appear. Jang Jaewon bowed politely.

 

“I thank Your Majesty for your kindness.” He replied, “But Your Majesty, I have something to confess.” Soyoung raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh?” She replied, “What is that?” Jang Jaewon turned towards the doors leading into the main hall and called out in a loud voice.

 

“Bring them in!” The sound grated against Soyoung’s ears and the bright sunlight shining from outside irritated her eyes, but her discomfort turned to confusion as she saw imperial guards drag in two bedraggled figures. The sound of startled murmurs rose among the gathered court officials as the two figures were dragged past them before they were thrown to the floor in front of Soyoung. Soyoung raised an eyebrow as she finally recognized who had been brought in.

 

On one side, was the maid that had poured Jinyoung the arsenic laced water the night before.

 

And on the other side, was Lord Song, the one who had proposed a toast before the  maid had poured out the poisoned water. 

 

“Uncle.” Soyoung said, “What is the meaning of this?” Jang Jaewon stepped forward and bowed.

 

“Your Majesty, I have committed a grievous crime.” He said seriously, “As you know, Lord Song is a longtime student of mine, and yet, he…” He sighed.

 

“You see, Your Majesty.” He said, “My disobedient student attempted to use this maid to poison the Prince Consort. And instead, he almost poisoned you!” Soyoung was feeling more confused than ever, although she was careful to keep her face expressionless.

 

“Is that so?” She asked, “But that is strange, Royal Uncle. You say this girl poisoned me, but both the prince and I slept quite well last night. And as you can see, there is nothing wrong with my body. How am I supposed to believe such accusations?” Jang Jaewon motioned towards a servant, who carried forward a sheet of paper and handed it to Hyojun. Soyoung’s eyes roamed carefully over the sheet of paper that Hyojun handed to her. Without asking, she could tell what the paper was. It was an admission of guilt for attempting to poison the Prince Consort, complete with a thumbprint stamped in red ink at the end. 

 

“Your Majesty, it is Yuan’s great fortune that you, who is blessed by the gods, are safe.” Jang Jaewon replied, “But last night, Lord Song grew terrified of what he had done and came to admit his guilt to me. Upon searching the maids’ chambers, the royal guards found a bottle of arsenic poison hidden among this girl’s belongings.” Soyoung gazed carefully down at the young maid. She looked terrified and quite worse for the wear; her simple pink maid’s outfit, the symbol of a low ranked maid, was ripped and torn in multiple places with red raw skin showing beneath the tears, showing that she had been beaten many times before she had talked. Her eyes were swollen from bouts of crying, and a red bloody slash ran up her cheek.

 

“Child.” Soyoung said at last, “Neither the prince nor I have had any interactions with you. Why did you try to poison my husband?” The girl floundered silently for words, then shook her head furiously and made incoherent noises in response to Soyoung’s question. Soyoung gazed at her for a long moment as the girl looked at Lord Song next to her, then desperately back to Soyoung again and pointed at . And then, Soyoung realized what was going on.

 

They cut her tongue out.

 

Her hands tightened over the armrests on her throne. While Soyoung had many ways of making a criminal talk, even she had limits to what she would and wouldn't do, and she made sure to stick to them.

 

“Uncle.” She said coldly, “How dare you torture the suspect to such an extent before I have had the chance to interrogate her?” Lord Song interjected before Jang Jaewon could speak.

 

“Your Majesty, it has nothing to do with His Grace!” He exclaimed, “It was all my own doing! I was afraid that the Prince Consort is too weak to be by Your Majesty’s side and will eventually cause trouble for you! That is why I went to such extreme measures.” As Soyoung glared at him coldly, he swallowed hard and looked at the maid next to him.

 

“As for this girl...I was concerned she would try to twist the truth.” He continued, “I had no choice but to take such extreme measures.”  Soyoung sighed deeply and closed her eyes for a moment to think. It was obvious what was going on; her uncle, seeing that Jinyoung had become more useful to Soyoung than he had imagined, decided that it would be better to remove him before it was too late. Lord Song had been a longtime student of Jang Jaewon and was known to be fiercely loyal to the Grand Preceptor. As Soyoung had expected, the maid that had poured Jinyoung’s water was a mere pawn. It was easy to sneak a maid into the low ranked food serving maids.

 

But what they hadn’t anticipated was the maid’s slip up by warming the water, thus resulting in Soyoung drinking the poisoned water instead of Jinyoung. And now, it was clear that both Soyoung and Jinyoung had survived the encounter just fine and so Jang Jaewon was stopping at nothing to distance himself from the matter, even if that meant sacrificing his own student, before Soyoung found something that tied him to the incident.

 

And, by dragging this maid and Lord Song to court in front of all the court officials, Jang Jaewon was forcing Soyoung to accept what had been laid out perfectly in front of her. 

 

But of course, that didn’t mean Soyoung intended to back down without a fight.

 

“You.” Soyoung said, directing her gaze back at the Lord Song, who sat trembling on the ground, “If there is more to this than expected, now is the time to inform me however you can.” Before the man could speak, a soldier hurried in and bowed in front of Soyoung.

 

“Report!” He said, “Song Manor has caught on fire and is still burning up until this moment! All members of the family were inside and are considered dead!” Soyoung’s eyes widened, a rare open frown puckering her brow as she looked down at Lord Song. The older man was frozen in shock at the news, and then Soyoung saw him turn to look up at Jang Jaewon.

 

“Teacher...you…! But you…!” He stammered in shock. Jang Jaewon shut him up with one cold gaze. Soyoung sighed quietly.

 

“Lord Song-” She began, but the older man cut her off.

 

“Your Majesty!” He yelled loudly, “This criminal shall pay for his crimes with his life!” Before Soyoung could say a word, she saw him bite down on something in his mouth. Seconds later, Lord Song fell to the ground and began to convulse, a horrid choking sound coming from him as a white foam like substance came from his mouth.

 

“Get rid of what’s in his mouth!” Soyoung ordered immediately. Guards rushed to do as she ordered, but it soon became clear that Lord Song was no more. The young maid recoiled in fright, her eyes wide with silent horror. Soyoung sighed deeply. It was a classic trick; admit to your crime and then pay for it with your life, thus ending the line of investigation with a convenient suspect to take the blame. Although it seemed like Lord Song hadn’t originally intended to end his life, the loss of his entire family seemed to have sparked the sudden extreme move. At this point, there was nothing else Soyoung could do about the matter.

 

“Guards!” Soyoung pointed at the maid, “Take this girl and throw her into prison! I want her under close watch at all hours of the day. No one is allowed into her cell. She must be kept alive in case any new clues appear. Have I made myself clear?” 

 

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Guards chorused as they took the maid and dragged her out of the main hall. Soyoung sighed deeply and rested her head on her fist for a brief moment. With all the chaos that had descended as soon as court had begun, her headache was starting to return in full force, sending a pounding tremor through her temple with every breath she took.

 

“Hyojun.” She said quietly without opening her eyes, “Go and investigate that girl’s background. Find out whether she has any family members left alive. You should know what to do with them, right?” 

 

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Hyojun replied. 

 

“Good.” Soyoung replied. Then, she took another deep breath and turned back towards the waiting court officials. Before she moved on, there was one more thing that she knew she had to say.

 

“Royal Uncle, I will not hold you accountable for the crimes of your student.” She said, “Even if you had committed a crime by improperly teaching your disciple, I will consider you to have made up for those crimes by turning Lord Song in.” Jang Jaewon bowed politely. 

 

“I thank you for your grace.” He replied. Soyoung caught the edges of a satisfied smile on the older man’s face, even with his head bowed as her uncle returned to his place among the court officials below her. 

 

Don’t think that you’ve won, Jang Jaewon.

 

___________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung frowned as he stared at the book in his hands. Then, he sighed and slapped the book shut for what felt like the umpteenth time. Once again, he had been staring at the same page for minutes on end, his eyes barely skimming over the words rather than reading them in earnest like he usually did. The soft sound of slippered feet caught his attention, and Jinyoung felt a small smile turn up the corner of his lips. Slipping the book back into its place, Jinyoung hurried to the front door to wait for Soyoung to appear. A few seconds later, he saw the outline of a few figures appear outside the door, and he heard the soft murmurs of Soyoung giving orders before the people accompanying her left. Then, the door slid open to reveal the young empress, dressed in forest green robes that perfectly matched the emerald pins that had been carefully placed in her hair. 

 

What struck Jinyoung though, was the look in her eyes. It was still early in the day, but a tired gaze already colored Soyoung’s dark eyes, her cheeks pale despite the rouge that the maids had put on her face that morning. 

 

“Your Majesty.” Jinyoung bowed politely. Soyoung waved a hand silently and walked past him soundlessly before sitting down in a chair by the desk in the room. Jinyoung peeked at his wife hesitantly.

 

Should I ask?

 

At the moment, Soyoung looked like she bore the weight of the world on her shoulders, her lips pursed and turned downward the way they did when she was annoyed by something but couldn’t express it outright. Jinyoung bit his lip and then went to sit down next to his wife.

 

“Did something happen at morning court?” He asked softly. Soyoung opened her eyes slowly, and a mixture of emotions flickered across her eyes before she smiled faintly. 

 

“Are you looking to share my burdens, little poet?” She asked. Jinyoung reached out, poured a cup of hot tea, and placed it in Soyoung’s hands.

 

“If Your Majesty is willing to share them with me.” He replied. Soyoung gazed at him for a long moment, then sighed.

 

“Lord Song admitted to attempting to poison you by using that maid last night.” She said, “By the time he was brought in front of me, they had already tortured the girl to the point that her tongue had been cut and she was unable to speak. Lord Song then committed suicide as payment for his crimes. I did not want to make decisions so rashly, but with both of them unable to speak any further on the matter, there is nothing I can do now. Royal Uncle was the one who brought them in.”

 

Jinyoung’s mind raced as he thought over the information he had just received. If the girl could no longer speak and Lord Song had rushed to take the blame for the crime, everyone would surely believe that Lord Song had been the main culprit behind the attempted poisoning. But if Soyoung didn’t believe that that was the case...

 

“Then...could it be that the true culprit was-?” In a quick flash of movement, Soyoung reached out and pressed a finger to Jinyoung’s lips. His eyes widened in surprise at the sudden motion. Soyoung shook her head, a serious look on her face.

 

“Be careful of listening ears.” She said quietly. Jinyoung thought for a moment, and then nodded. Soyoung was right; given Jang Jaewon’s power in court, it would be no surprise if he had spies around the palace. Although it would likely be no surprise to him that Soyoung suspected he was behind the whole matter, some things were better kept unsaid. 

 

“Then...what do you intend to do with that maid?” He asked. Soyoung sighed deeply.

 

“Keep her alive for now.” She replied, “And then…” She reached out and took Jinyoung’s hand, tracing a few characters on his palm with a slender finger. 

 

Find her family.

 

Jinyoung thought over the words for a few moments before smiling in understanding.

 

For protection? He wrote in return. Soyoung smiled faintly for the first time since she had returned and nodded. Jinyoung smiled, remembering what the people had often said about Soyoung and her style of ruling.

 

“You truly are a merciful ruler.” He said softly. Soyoung scoffed quietly, although a small smile turned up the corner of her pale lips.

 

The crimes of a child are not the crimes of their parents, she wrote in his palm before settling back into her chair, seeming worn out again. Jinyoung reached out and pushed forward a small tray holding a bowl of steaming liquid. The warm scent of herbal medicine floated from the hot medicine, along with the slight smell of fruit.

 

“Drink this.” He said, “It should make you feel better.” Soyoung raised an eyebrow as she took the bowl and sniffed at it experimentally.

 

“Goji berry soup?” She said, “Why did you order the kitchen to make this?” Jinyoung chuckled.

 

“Goji berries are good for nourishing the blood.” He said, “After last night, that is exactly what you need.” Soyoung stared at the bowl in her hand for a long moment, a pensive settling over her face.

 

“Sometimes I wonder,” She murmured softly, “If I hadn’t taken the poison for you, would you still be doing things like this?” Jinyoung stared at her in confusion, not understanding what she was saying.

 

“What do you mean?” He asked. Soyoung laughed dryly and shook her head.

 

“Forget it.” She said, “Forget I said anything.” Before Jinyoung could ask anything else, she lifted the bowl to her lips and quickly drank the medicine, barely suppressing a light grimace at the end at the heavy herbal taste. Jinyoung handed her a pastry, and she raised an eyebrow.

 

“I am not a child.” She protested lightly, but bit into the flaky pastry nevertheless. Jinyoung chuckled.

 

“Whatever you say, Your Majesty.” He replied.

 

“Soyoung.” The young empress responded as she finished the sweet pastry. Jinyoung tilted his head in confusion.

 

“Pardon?” He asked. Jang Soyoung smirked lightly.

 

“Forget the titles.” She said, “Just call me by name. That’s what you did last night, was it not?” Jinyoung hesitated, taken aback by the sudden statement.

 

“Well that...was in the heat of the moment.” He said softly, “How could I call you by name? There is still a difference between ruler and subject.” Soyoung scoffed softly, an amused twinkle in her eye.

 

“Jinyoung.” She said as she leaned forward, “Was it not you who wanted me to stop holding you at arm’s length? We’re not going to get anywhere if we keep to titles all day long.” Jinyoung’s eyes widened.

 

Did she just...call me by my first name alone?

 

A light smirk turned up one corner of Soyoung’s lips as she watched him flail under the sudden shock of hearing her call him by  name. It wasn’t what he was used to, and she surely knew it. And yet, Jinyoung had to admit that Soyoung had a point, even though this wasn’t what he had expected when he had first requested that she allow him to be a part of her world.

 

And so, he took a deep breath, his hands clenching at the fabric around his knees as he turned the name around his tongue for what felt like an eternity before he plunged boldly forward.

 

“S-Soyoung.” He stammered, “Soyoung.” A tiny pleased smile turned up the corners of Soyoung's lips as he said her name.

 

“Good job.” She said, “Now keep using it, or else you’ll never get used to it.” Jinyoung gulped and nodded, his cheeks turning warm at the mere thought of calling the empress by name.  Before Soyoung could continue, a soft knock came on the door and a familiar voice spoke. 

 

“Your Majesty, it is Hyojun.” Soyoung turned her head.

 

“Come in.” She called. The doors opened and Jinyoung heard the soft thump of boots as Hyojun approached.

 

“Your Majesty, Your Highness.” The imperial guard greeted with a bow. Soyoung waved at him to stand.

 

“Did you find information on that maid?” She asked. Hyojun nodded.

 

“She went by the name of Byul.” He replied, “She was a tribute from Goryeo, and ended up working in Lord Song’s mansion after a few years. She had a mother and a younger brother who live in the poorer side of the city on the outskirts of the capital.” Soyoung tapped a finger against her cheek as she thought for a few moments.

 

“Excellent.” She said, “Send guards to keep an eye on Byu’s family. I will personally go to them out of the city tonight after I arrange for a carriage to take them to Karakorum.” 

 

“Wait.” Jinyoung interrupted, “Would you allow me to go instead?” Soyoung looked at him in confusion.

 

“You would like to go?” She asked, “Why?” Jinyoung hesitated for a few moments before responding.

 

“If the girl is from Goryeo, perhaps it would be better if their prince was the one who went to speak with them.” He said, “Someone from their status and background might be wary to speak with someone with power who is from Mongolia. And besides…” He offered Soyoung a tiny smile.

 

“You’re tired and need to rest. I can tell.” He said softly. Soyoung’s eyes widened slightly, seeming caught off guard by his statement. Then, she sighed softly and nodded.

 

“Very well.” She said, “But you must take Hyojun with you and keep a few soldiers in the shadows. Understand?” Jinyoung smiled and nodded.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He replied. Soyoung frowned slightly, and Jinyoung quickly caught himself.

 

“Yes, Soyoung.” He amended. Soyoung smiled softly in satisfaction.

 

“Go and prepare now.” She said, “I still have things to deal with.” Jinyoung nodded and rose to his feet.

 

“I will take my leave.” He said with a bow. Jinyoung and Hyojun stepped outside of the empress’ library, and Jinyoung paused as he turned Soyoung’s name silently over in his mouth.

 

Soyoung…

 

My wife, Soyoung.

 

Unconsciously, a tiny smile turned up the corners of Jinyoung’s lips.

 

Perhaps I could get used to this.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

Inside the room, Soyoug groaned and clasped a hand over her face.

 

“What am I doing?” She muttered with a deep sigh. First names? What was she thinking? She had intended to allow herself to draw closer to Park Jinyoung, but somehow she had stepped forward far too much without even realizing it until the whole interaction had ended. 

 

“Jang Soyoung, you are not usually such a mess.” She muttered, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. Somehow, Park Jinyoung had a way of messing with her usual rhythm, completely throwing off her usual course of action without even realizing it. And yet, her mind went back to Jinyoung’s wide eyed startled gaze when she had called him by his name alone, his cheeks flushing at the more intimate way of referring to him than she usually used. He had been caught off guard, that was for sure. Given how he liked to live, he probably had never experienced such a thing before from a woman outside of his own family members. 

 

And yet, somehow, it had been…

 

Dare Soyoung admit it?

 

Adorable.

 

In the moment that he had frozen, Jinyoung had reminded Soyoung of a little puppy recognizing its name for the first time, its ears perked up and its expression startled and yet intrigued at the same time. Soyoung laughed softly and shook her head.

 

I wonder if I’m letting down my guard too much.

 

Park Jinyoung, what am I going to do with you?

 

___________________________________________________________________________

Nighttime

 

The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully, as Soyoung returned to her work energized by the medicine Jinyoung had prepared for her, and Jinyoung prepared to meet Byul’s family members. When the agreed upon time arrived, Jinyoung left the palace in a carriage, flanked by Hyojun and a few specially chosen soldiers. The short journey took them to the outskirts of the city where the poor lived. Even so, Jinyoung was surprised by the state of the area. When he had been in Goryeo, the poor lived in the squalid edges of the capital city. Their houses, if they even could be called that, were small and dirty, its inhabitants working in the lowest paid jobs. But in Yuan, things were different. Although the houses were small and simple, they were clean and well built. Lanterns had been carefully placed at neat intervals along the street, casting the entire area in a warm glow despite the nighttime hour. Jinyoung found himself smiling as the carriage came to a stop and he looked out at the homes surrounding him.

 

This is the effect of Soyoung’s rule, isn’t it?

 

Hyojun led Jinyoung to a small home a few streets away, and knocked politely on the door. A few moments later, Jinyoung heard the sound of footsteps and the door opened by a small crack. Jinyoung spotted a young boy behind the door, his eyes wide as he gazed at Jinyoung and the guards behind him. 

 

“Who are you?” He asked, his voice tinged by a Goryeo accent. Jinyoung smiled warmly.

 

“I am Prince Jinyoung of Goryeo.” He replied in Korean, “I bring a message about your sister, Byul.” The boy’s eyes widened, and he turned and called out in a loud voice.

 

“Mother! The prince has come to see us!” An older woman appeared a few moments later, her gaze cautious as she gazed out at them.

 

“You truly are....Prince Jinyoung?” She asked, “The husband of the empress?” Jinyoung smiled and nodded. 

 

“May I come in?” He asked. The woman hesitated and looked out at Hyojun and the other guards. Catching on to what she was wary of, Jinyoung turned to Hyojun.

 

“You can all step back for now.” He ordered. Hyojun frowned.

 

“But Your Highness…” He protested, but Jinyoung shook his head.

 

“I’ll be fine.” He said, “They can pose no harm to me. Just wait a little further away, you don’t have to go all the way back to the carriage.” Hyojun hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

 

“Please call if you need anything.” He said. Jinyoung waved them off, then watched as the guards disappeared into the shadows. 

 

“Now then.” He said, looking back to mother and son, “May I come in?”

____________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

The attending eunuch hurried in and stopped near the edge of the short flight of stairs leading up to Soyoung’s desk. 

 

“Your Majesty.” He said, “The forensic examiner would like to see you. He says there is an urgent message” Soyoung nodded without looking up from the petition she was reading.

 

“Let him in.” She said. The eunuch bowed and stepped out. A few moments later, Soyoung heard the sound of rushing footsteps, and the royal forensic examiner stepped in.

 

“Your Majesty.” He greeted with a bow. Soyoung folded the petition she was holding and looked down at the older man.

 

“You said you had something urgent to report?” She asked. The man nodded and held out a sheet of paper.

 

“I examined Lord Song’s body, as you asked.” He said, “As expected, he died of poisoning. But there is something else I found on his body.” He handed the sheet of paper to Soyoung, and her eyes widened at what she saw. The image drawn carefully in black ink over the sheet of paper was all too familiar, with its dark intricate swirls that formed the image of a black rose.

 

It was the exact image that had been tattooed on the assassin that had come after her during her trip to Goryeo. 

 

“The same image is tattooed on that girl, Byul’s arm.” The forensic examiner added. Soyoung looked up in surprise.

 

“What did you say?” She demanded. 

 

“Both that maid and Lord Song had the same tattoo on their body.” The man replied, “Which could only mean one thing.” Soyoung’s hand crumpled around the sheet holding the drawing of the black rose tattoo. 

 

Byul wasn’t forced. They were both part of the same organization from the very beginning.

 

But that also means…

 

An unfamiliar feeling of alarm rose in Soyoung’s chest as she bolted from her seat and ran out of her library. 

 

Jinyoung!

 

__________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung bowed his head silently as he finished telling Byul’s mother and brother what had happened to the young maid. The air was punctuated by the sound of her mother’s soft sobs, horrified by what had befallen her daughter. 

 

“I’m sorry more couldn’t have been done for her.” He said quietly, “But as the prince of Goryeo, I swear that her life will be saved. The empress has already arranged for somewhere for you two to go. If you’d like, we can set out immediately. I’m sure she’ll find a way for you to reunite with Byul in the near future.” To his surprise, Byul’s mother shook her head.

 

“Thank you, Your Highness.” She said, “And...I’m sorry.” Jinyoung frowned in confusion.

 

“What are you apologizing for?” He asked. The woman simply shook her head and looked down at the table silently. Then, Jinyoung heard the sound of footsteps outside. Wondering if it was Hyojun returning, he turned his head towards the window but saw no one outside. Then, Jinyoung heard the sound of something flying by next to his ear, and in the next moment a sharp stinging sensation bloomed across his left ear. Stunned, Jinyoung reached up and touched his ear lightly, and feeling something wet, he pulled his hand back and saw drops of red blood lying on his fingers. His eyes widened in shock as he looked over at Byul’s mother, who sat trembling in front of him. Then, his gaze shifted downwards toward the table, and he saw a sharp silver dart embedded in the wooden surface.

 

“What is…?” Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the little house burst open, and Jinyoung stared in shock as roughly ten black clothed men stepped into the room. 

 

“I’m sorry, Your Highness!” Byul’s mother finally exclaimed, “I had no choice!” One of the black clothed men stepped forward, and Jinyoung’s breath caught in his throat as the man drew his sword and pointed it at Jinyoung’s neck.

 

“Little prince, do not blame us.” He sneered, “We are only taking orders. Our master originally wanted to let you live longer, but you provided us with a perfect opportunity that we simply could not pass up.” Jinyoung’s gaze traveled down to the man’s hand, and his eyes widened as he recognized the long thick lines tattooed there.

 

That’s the same tattoo that was on the assassin that attacked Soyoung in Goryeo!

 

Something told Jinyoung to move, get out of the way, do something to get himself out of this mess. 

 

And yet, his body wouldn’t move, frozen in place as if held there by some magical force.

 

At the same time, a question rose in his mind.

 

Where is Hyojun?

 

With all the commotion going on, surely the imperial guards would have noticed by now. It wasn’t like Jinyoung had sent them that far away. But even now, with the sharp edge of the blade mere inches from his neck, Jinyoung spotted no sign of the guards Soyoung had sent with him. 

 

He was alone. 

 

The assassin raised his sword into the air, the silver edge glinting in the moonlight streaming in through the window. Jinyoung shut his eyes, expecting the end to come. He heard the sound of the blade cutting through the air, and then…

 

The assassin let out a shout of pain, and the sword suddenly tumbled to the ground with a loud clang. Jinyoung opened his eyes in surprise, and watched as the men turned to look out the open doorway in surprise. Outside, a tall slender figure stood in the middle of the otherwise empty street. She held an elegant bow in her hand, the arrow that she had been aiming burrowed neatly into the lead assassin’s shoulder. Her eyes glittered dangerously under the bright moonlight, her dark eyed gaze narrowed in barely suppressed anger. The wind picked up slightly, blowing her long hair tied in a high ponytail behind her in its light breeze. Her face was covered with a light green mask, but Jinyoung recognized her all the same. 

 

Ryu Soojin.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's note: Happy new year to all my readers! I originally planned to write more before updating, but this was getting long, so instead I will end it here. Chapter 13 will be coming soon! Please comment/subscribe/upvote!