Soyoung

 

The banquet began without further incident, and the servants began bringing forward the dishes that had been prepared when Soyoung waved to them with a flick of her hand. Normally, Soyoung rather enjoyed the opening festivities for the annual winter hunt. The food that was served on the grasslands was completely different from the ones made inside the palace, and the grasslands themselves allowed Soyoung to feel free and unrestrained. While many pairs of eyes were watching her every move, just like in the palace, living in the grasslands reminded her of her military training days, when she could merely focus on being the warrior that she was meant to be.

 

But even the light relaxed winter wind blowing through the Mongol camp and the cheerful music filling the air did little to cool the irritation in Soyoung’s chest.

 

The more she thought about Jinyoung speaking with those young noblewomen, the more the image of his bright smile directed towards them stuck in her mind. And the more it stuck in her mind, the more irritated her mood became. No matter how Soyoung fixed a calm mask over her face and made small talk with anyone who approached her, that irritation simply wouldn’t go away. 

 

Jinyoung, on the other hand, seemed quite oblivious of the little storm brewing next to him. 

 

He had been looking at her with a mixture of curiosity, confusion, and concern before they had sat down, but had later become distracted by the different dishes laid out in front of him. Soyoung could hear little exclamations of delight from her husband as he tried something new, sometimes followed by a soft laugh of wonder.

 

“Soyoung, what is this?” He asked her suddenly. Soyoung turned her head to look at what he was pointing at and quickly bit down a smile of amusement. 

 

“That is roasted lamb.” She replied, “One of Mongolia’s specialty dishes.” Jinyoung’s eyes sparkled the way they did when he learned something fascinating.

 

“It is delicious!” He declared, “I have never eaten something like this before!” Soyoung sighed softly and pushed her little plate over to him.

 

“You can have my share if you’d like.” She said. Jinyoung frowned.

 

“Why?” He asked, “You don’t like it?” Soyoung sighed again.

 

“I don’t have much of an appetite today.” She said, “Just eat it so it won’t go to waste.” Jinyoung hesitated for another moment, then beamed and took the offered plate.

 

“Thank you, Soyoung.” He said with a grin. Soyoung nodded in acknowledgement of his thanks silently and turned back to looking over the gathered guests. Truth be told, she was quite fond of lamb, but today she couldn’t bring herself to eat it. Most of her food had sat on her plate untouched, save for a few nibbles here and there. Soyoung had a feeling she would regret not eating anything later, but at the moment, the mess of emotions was enough to rob her stomach of any desire to eat. As the servants took away the latest round of dishes, Soyoung’s gaze fell on a particular young noblewoman sitting below. She was dressed in bright youthful colors, her dress made of rosy pink hues. She had a bright cheerful expression on her face, likely the first time she had attended such a large event. That, of course, wasn’t what caught Soyoung’s attention, however. 

 

Rather, it was the fact that Soyoung recognized her to be the young noblewoman who had been standing closest to Jinyoung when Soyoung had first approached. If Soyoung guessed right, she had likely been the one who had pulled Jinyoung over to the bonfire to dance. 

 

Soyoung’s gaze slipped over to the man sitting next to her, recognizing him to be one of the more well respected tribal military commanders, and suddenly, an idea came to mind. Something told her it was petty, something that an empress shouldn’t lower herself to doing, but the discomfort in her heart pushed her to move forward with it.

 

“General Purev.” She said, her voice cutting through the music, “I see you have brought your daughter with you tonight.” The older man looked up in surprise at her sudden statement, a pleased smile crossing his face. The girl next to him, on the other hand, turned as white as a sheet as she was singled out from the crowd. General Purev took his daughter’s hand and led her to stand in the center of the banquet area in front of Soyoung.

 

“Your Majesty, this is my daughter Altansarnai.” He said, “She has been training alongside my soldiers in the military.” Soyoung smiled politely as the girl bowed quickly.

 

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” She said, her voice trembling, “My name is Altansarnai.” Soyoung folded her hands together and rested her chin on top, her gaze carefully scrutinizing the young woman in front of her. 

 

“So you are Lady Altansarnai.” She said at last, “I have heard about you before. I am glad to hear that there is a strong young woman poised to lead our great Mongol military in the future. You must teach her well, General Purev.” 

 

“Of course, Your Majesty.” General Purev said quickly, seeming pleased by Soyoung’s attention to his family. 

 

“Your Majesty, I will do my best, but I am certain I will never be able to surpass your skills.” Altansarnai added quickly, “You are the goal that our soldiers strive to reach.” A light smirk turned up the corner of Soyoung’s lips.

 

Trying to kiss up to me now, are you?

 

“What is your weapon of choice?” Soyoung asked. Altansarnai looked startled by the sudden question, then dipped her head politely.

 

“The long whip, Your Majesty.” She replied, “That is where my strengths lie.” Soyoung tapped her fingers lightly against the table in front of her.

 

“Very well then.” She said, “Since everyone is in such a great mood tonight, I will personally see how good of a fighter you are.” Startled murmurs rose up among the attending nobles, and Soyoung saw terrified expressions cross the faces of the other noblewomen who had surrounded Jinyoung.

 

“Y-Your Majesty, how could I ever have the honor to spar with you?” Altansarnai stammered, taken aback. 

 

“You’re afraid of losing?” Soyoung asked, “Or are you telling me the long whip isn’t your forte after all?” The young noblewoman froze, her eyes as wide as a deer caught in the gaze of a hunter. No matter which answer she chose, she was in trouble. One answer meant the future leader of the Mongol army was a coward. The other answer meant she had committed the crime of lying to the empress. There was no way out of it, and that was precisely why Soyoung had framed her question that way. 

 

“Your Majesty, she is still young and-” General Purev tried to protest, but Soyoung shut him up with one look.

 

“If you are afraid, General Purev, you shouldn’t have brought her here.” She said as she rose to her feet and walked down to where father and daughter were standing. 

 

“And lest others say that the poor girl is being bullied by the much stronger empress of Yuan, I will also use a long whip.” She added, holding out her hand, “As you should know, my skills lie in swordplay and archery, not the long whip.” Soyoung raised an eyebrow as she glared over at the older man, who shrank under her gaze despite being older and taller than her.

 

“Or, do you think that I, the ruler of this nation, don’t have the right to test the skills of my future military leaders?” Soyoung continued. The statement came out as a yes or no question, but the only possible answer was clear to anyone who was listening. At last, General Purev stepped back.

 

“No, Your Majesty.” He replied finally. Soyoung’s fingers clasped around the whip that a eunuch placed in her hand.

 

“Excellent.” She said, her narrowed eyes contrasting with the friendly smile on her lips, “Let us begin then.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

Park Jinyoung was confused.

 

One moment, they had been enjoying the banquet, and the next, Soyoung was suddenly declaring she would spar with the kind young noblewoman who had invited him to dance. Or at least, he had been enjoying the banquet. He had never seen such dishes or entertainment for himself before, and he was more than eager to see more of what Mongol culture had to offer. On the other hand, Soyoung had looked distracted during dinner and had barely touched her food. For some reason, she had looked furious when she had first taken him away from the dance, but she hadn’t said anything as to why. Jinyoung had the sinking feeling that he had done something to offend her, but he simply couldn’t put his finger on what that was. 

 

Just what is going on?

 

Confused murmurs rose among the banquet attendees as Soyoung stepped a short distance back from Lady Altansarnai. A look of barely suppressed anger was apparent on the empress’ face, a complete contrast from the calm mask that usually covered her pretty features. She had called it a sparring match, but with that look on her face, anyone would have thought she was out for blood instead. Lady Altansarnai, on the other hand, looked terrified. Jinyoung shot a look over at Jia’er, but his friend looked just as bewildered as he felt.

 

“Don’t be nervous.” Soyoung said coolly, “Do not think of me as the empress. Simply think of me as your sparring partner from the military camp.” Jinyoung raised an eyebrow.

 

So she says, but how is anyone supposed to treat the warrior empress as a mere sparring partner?

 

As the impromptu sparring match began, it became increasingly clear to Jinyoung that Soyoung wasn’t merely trying to test the young woman’s skills. Although the long whip wasn’t Soyoung’s forte, she moved with speed and precision, her footsteps moving like a dance that smoothly moved her out of reach every time Altansarnai’s whip came within close proximity of her body. In Soyoung’s hands, the whip came alive, the narrow weapon lashing out like a snake aimed directly for its target. Although she never used enough strength to really injure Altansarnai, every move that landed on its target was enough to throw the young noblewoman off balance. Sometimes, Soyoung’s whip lashed around the woman’s waist and threw her to the ground, and others it knocked into her chest and threw her backwards. Slowly, Jinyoung realized what his wife was doing.

 

She’s wearing her opponent down.

 

It was becoming clear that Altansarnai was no match for Soyoung’s nimble movements. The young noblewoman was growing tired, evidenced by her heavy breathing and the beads of sweat running down her face. On the other hand, Soyoung looked barely fazed, her gaze reminding Jinyoung of a lion with its prey in sight. Swallowing hard, Jinyoung leaned over to Eunseong, who was sitting to his left.

 

“What is going on?” He asked, “Soyoung is acting out of character right now.” He had never heard of an imperial ruler personally testing the skills of a young soldier. And even if they did, he was certain they wouldn’t do it with the expression that Soyoung currently had on her face. From the start, Soyoung looked like a lion whose tail had been stepped on. Eunseong looked over at Jinyoung with an amused expression on his face.

 

“You really can’t tell?” He asked. Jinyoung frowned and shook his head.

 

“Should I be able to?” He replied. Eunseong chuckled.

 

“Let’s just say...my sister can be rather terrifying when she gets jealous.” He replied simply, “It doesn’t come out often, but when it does…” He pointed a finger down at the sparring match down below.

 

“Things like this happen.” He concluded with a light snap of his fingers. Jinyoung’s jaw dropped.

 

“Jealous? Her?” He said, feeling dumbfounded, “But why would she be…?” Eunseong smiled mysteriously.

 

“Brother-in-law, the important question isn’t why, but how you are going to fix this matter.” He replied. Jinyoung stared at the two women sparring below, thoughts spinning around in his mind in surprise from Eunseong’s sudden revelation.

 

If this is all because she’s jealous, then…

 

Oh.

 

Suddenly, it all made sense.

 

It was clear that Soyoung had the upper hand, even without a sword in her hand. That had been true from the very beginning. And yet, she hadn’t bothered to completely knock Altansarnai completely out of the little area set for their sparring match in complete defeat, even though she surely could have. Instead, she had wasted time on small moves that broke through the other young woman’s defense without completely defeating her, breaking her opponent down bit by bit until there was no energy left in her to keep going. Jinyoung gulped as he realized what Soyoung was doing.

 

She’s beating Altansarnai at her own game.

 

The long whip was Altansarnai’s weapon of choice, but it was clear that she was going to lose. By defeating the young warrior even with her strongest weapon in hand, Soyoung was making it clear to all who were watching who was the stronger player here. 

 

In short, she was asserting her dominance, all while humiliating her opponent at the same time.

 

Soyoung was taking her time, not because she was unable to completely defeat Altansarnai within minutes, but because she was emphasizing who was the dominant player here. At the same time, taking her time avoided rumors that the empress of Yuan was bullying a younger subordinate.

 

Jinyoung felt a shiver run down his back. He had never seen Soyoung like this before. Casting a glance down at Jia’er, his friend seemed to have also realized what was going on. The look on Jia’er’s face said only one thing.

 

What have you done, Park Jinyoung?

 

_________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

With one final flick of her whip, Soyoung knocked Altansarnai’s feet out from under her, sending the young noblewoman tumbling to the ground. Still, she scrambled to her feet and lashed her whip directly in Soyoung’s direction. Under different circumstances, Soyoung may have admired the younger woman. Altansarnai was a spirited young woman who had clearly been well trained in the military arts, and carried the never give up attitude that Soyoung taught to her own military soldiers. It was precisely this time of warrior that she hoped would lead the army in the future. 

 

But today, there was no way anyone was going to hear those thoughts besides Soyoung herself.

 

Soyoung’s fingers snagged her opponent’s long whip as the weapon flew through the air towards her, her palm closing tightly around its hard surface. The whip snapped painfully against her uncovered palm, and Soyoung felt a jolt of pain rush up her hand as the whip’s rough surface cut into her hand. Instead of showing her discomfort though, she kept a passive mask over her face and tightened her grip around the whip. No matter how Altansarnai tried to pull it free, Soyoung held firm. At last, after a few futile tugs from her opponent, Soyoung pulled hard on the weapon in her hand, sending Altansarnai tumbling forward. The young woman fell headlong towards the ground, her balance completely thrown off. Soyoung pulled the girl to her at the last minute, her arm wrapping around the back of the girl’s shoulders to steady her footing. A sigh of relief could be heard from the surrounding attendees.

 

“I...I thank Your Majesty for your grace.” Altansarnai said quietly, “I admit my loss.” She attempted to step back from Soyoung’s grasp, but the young empress held firm. Instead, she leaned closer so that only Altansarnai could hear what she was going to say next. 

 

“Let this be a lesson to you, little wild rose.” Soyoung said softly, just loud enough for the other girl to hear, “The proud women of Mongolia should fight for what they want, I see nothing wrong in doing that. But the next time, I would check carefully before making a move. After all, I wouldn’t want to end up touching someone else’s man again, now am I right?” Altansarnai swallowed hard as Soyoung’s hand tightened on her shoulder for emphasis. Soyoung could tell that the young woman was terrified; her body trembled under Soyoung’s grasp, and her voice shook slightly as she responded.

 

“Thank you Your Majesty for the valuable lesson.” She replied at last. Soyoung smiled in satisfaction and stepped back from the young noblewoman. Altansarnai bowed quickly and hurried away to her father’s side. Soyoung smiled politely at General Purev as the banquet attendees began applauding the sparring session that had evidently been completed.

 

“Generla Purev, you have taught your daughter well.” Soyoung said, “I believe she will become one of our best warriors in the future.” Her words contrasted with the terrified look that had been left on Altansarnai’s face, but the general of course had no other option but to take her words at face value while they were in front of everyone else.

 

‘I thank Your Majesty for your praise.” He said, bowing politely. Soyoung nodded in acknowledgement of his statement, then pivoted on her heel and returned to her seat. Jinyoung attempted to shoot her a confused look as she sat down, but Soyoung pointedly ignored him. Her irritation slightly lifted after the short fight, Soyoung smiled and motioned for the musicians to continue playing. The banquet continued as if nothing had happened, but a small part of Soyoung’s mind couldn’t help but linger on one question.

 

Why do I feel like this?

 

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

The rest of the banquet proceeded smoothly and soon came to an end. Soyoung gave a short speech wishing all the attendees a good hunt the following day, and the nobles all took their leave. Jinyoung attempted to get his wife’s attention, but she pointedly ignored him and walked off with Eunseong in tow. Jinyoung heard a soft tsk sound and turned to see Jia’er approaching him, shaking his head.

 

“What is with that look?” He asked. Jia’er chuckled.

 

“Park Jinyoung, you really don’t know what landmine you’ve stepped on, do you?” He replied. Jinyoung frowned.

 

“I mean...Eunseong said Soyoung was jealous.” He said, “But I do not understand why. What is there to be jealous about?” Jia’er sighed.

 

“For all the books you have read, you certainly do not understand women.” He chided. When Jinyoung continued giving him a confused look, Jia’er sighed again.

 

“You are the Empress of Yuan’s husband.” he said, “In short, you are her man. But you, who took the empress’ hand in marriage, allowed other young women to get close and danced with them at one of the biggest events in the Yuan empire. Any woman would get jealous, much less the ruler of an entire nation.” Jinyoung frowned.

 

“But she and I hold no feelings for each other.” He protested. Jia’er scoffed.

 

“Park Jinyoung, oh Jinyoung.” He said, “You may be intelligent, but you are so naive when it comes to ladies.” Jia’er leaned close, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. 

 

“Do not ever underestimate a woman’s capacity to be jealous.” He said, “Particularly a woman who has everything and yet very little at the same time.” The more Jia’er spoke, the more bewildered Jinyoung became. 

 

“You’ve seen for yourself how much she cares when it comes to you.” He said, “Instead of mulling over why she’s angry, you’d better think of a way to get back into her good graces.” 

 

“How am I supposed to do that?” Jinyoung protested, “You know I have no experience in these matters, Jia’er.” His friend smirked.

 

“Try and think of something yourself first.” He said, “If nothing works, then come ask me. After all, this is between you two as husband and wife.” Jinyoung sighed as Jia’er walked off, blowing a little kiss to a few young women as he walked, sending the girls into a flurry of giggles.

 

That’s easy for you to say!

 

___________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

“Jie.” Soyoung was pulled from her thoughts as an arm looped gently through hers, and she turned to see Eunseong’s smiling face. Her brother had left her waiting for a few minutes near the edge of the fading bonfire after he had wrapped her bleeding hand in a white bandage, and now he placed a steaming hot cup clay cup into her other hand. Sniffing at it carefully, a little smile turned up the corner of Soyoung’s lips.

 

“Milk tea?” She said, sipping at the frothy drink lightly, “How did you know I wanted this?” Eunseong grinned.

 

“Jie, I am your twin brother. Who knows you better than me?” He replied, “I noticed you barely touched your food all night and guessed that you would be hungry. Eating too many heavy foods at this hour of the night is not a good idea, but milk tea will keep you from being hungry through the night.” Soyoung smiled and gave her brother a light shove.

 

“You’re the best.” She said softly. Eunseong waited for a few moments as Soyoung sipped at her tea before speaking.

 

“Are you feeling better now?” He asked. Soyoung frowned.

 

“Why would I be feeling poorly?” She replied. Eunseong scoffed.

 

“Don’t think you can hide it from me.” He said, “The minute you saw Brother-in-law dancing with those girls, your expression turned darker than the bottom of a burnt cooking pot!” Soyoung frowned.

 

“I’m sure I didn’t look like that.” She protested. Eunseong chuckled.

 

“So you think, dear sister.” He said, “You’re usually good at hiding your emotions, but when it comes to Park Jinyoung, all those finely honed skills go out the window.” Soyoung blinked in surprise as Eunseong leaned close.

 

“Have you developed feelings for your husband, dear sister?” Her brother asked with a grin. Soyoung blinked again and quickly ducked her head to take another sip on her milk tea.

 

“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.” She said firmly. Eunseong stood in front of her and planted his hands on his hips.

 

“Sister.” He said sternly, “Even if you can hide everything from the world, you cannot hide your thoughts from your twin brother. There was only one word that can be used to describe the look in your eyes.”

 

“Do I wish to know what that word is?” Soyoung asked, raising her eyebrow. Eunseong grinned.

 

“Jealousy.” He replied, “Which means you are starting to have feelings for Brother-in-law.” Soyoung’s eyes widened and she turned around quickly as she felt her face grow hot. Because he was her brother, Eunseong was one of the few people who were able to see her full unmasked side, but sometimes that meant Eunseong saw right through her and realized things before she even did. Still, she couldn’t even begin imagining what her brother was suggesting.

 

Me? Having affections for Park Jinyoung? What nonsense!

 

Eunseong sighed from behind her.

 

“Even if you won’t admit it, how do you explain that little sparring session you had with Lady Altansarnai?” He asked, “Don’t give me that nonsense about testing the skills of the future of the Mongol military, because I’m not going to believe that one.” Soyoung shot her brother a look and downed the rest of her milk tea.

 

“Believe it or not, that was the only reason why I bothered to do so.” She said firmly as she shoved the cup into Eunseong’s hands, “There is no other reason behind it. If you have so much extra time on your hands to be reading romance novels from the local street vendors, then perhaps I should arrange another position in the palace for you.” Eunseong scoffed as Soyoung began walking away.

 

“Jie, you care about Park Jinyoung, don’t you?” He asked, “That is one thing that you have to admit, now am I right?” Soyoung sighed, her footsteps pausing as she thought over the question.

 

“He is my husband.” She replied, “Feelings or not, what kind of person would I be if I picked him to marry from Goryeo and showed him no care whatsoever?” 

 

“But-” Soyoung turned and shot a look of finality at her brother as Eunseong tried to protest.

 

“Enough, Jang Eunseong.” She said, “I will not hear another word from you about this again. Do you understand?” Eunseong sighed and bowed his head.

 

“Yes, Sister.” He said. Soyoung turned back around and continued on her way.

 

Someone like me falling in love? How ridiculous.

 

Certainly, Park Jinyoung is handsome, I suppose.

 

And I do suppose that he is intelligent and has shown some talent at using that intelligence in politics when I need it the most.

 

And I do suppose some of his expressions remind me of an adorable little puppy.

 

And I do suppose…

 

Soyoung sighed deeply and stopped mid stride, her thoughts cutting off just as abruptly as her steps had.

 

Jang Soyoung, where is your mind going?

 

She sighed, shook her head to clear away her thoughts, and continued on her way back to her tent.

 

In fact, she was so intent on not thinking about Park Jinyoung that she completely didn’t notice Im Hyojun standing nearby in the shadows, his ever watchful gaze fixated protectively on his master. The young imperial guard’s eyes were narrowed slightly, and in the rising moonlight, a dark, never seen before expression flickered through Im Hyojun’s eyes.

____________________________________________________________________________

Next day, Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung clapped a hand over his mouth as he stretched and yawned sleepily, lazily opening one eye to peek up at the blue sky above them. The weather had cooperated and provided a bright sunny day for the morning of the annual hunt. Although a chilly wind still blew through the air and snow still covered the ground, the sun provided a welcome warmth that added to the fur lined clothing that the maids had dressed Jinyoung in that morning. 

 

The air inside the married couple’s tent, on the other hand, had been a completely different matter.

 

Soyoung had returned late that night, looking like there were a thousand things on her mind. Jinyoung had attempted to engage her in conversation about what had happened that night and explain himself, but she had promptly ignored him and gone to bed instead. When Jinyoung had laid down next to her, he asked her quietly if she was still angry, to which he received a curt “I’m fine” in response. Although her tone clearly suggested otherwise, Soyoung refused to answer anything else he asked, and Jinyoung had had no choice but to go to sleep with his wife still ignoring him. 

 

Sleeping with Soyoung obviously angry at him had been an odd experience, to say the least. At some point, Jinyoung had gotten used to the warmth of Soyoung’s body near his, to the gentle even breaths that signaled she had fallen asleep. Sometimes, she would turn around in bed and end up in his arms unconsciously, her head tucked against his chest. Jinyoung would then feel the tense muscles in her shoulders and back, a sign of how worn out the young empress was from a full day of running the Yuan empire. The first few times, he had been afraid she’d wake up and be angry at him, but she had promptly gone back to sleep the few times she had so much as stirred from her slumber. In his arms, Soyoung’s tense muscles would relax, and Jinyoung swore that he had seen a little contented smile cross her face in her sleep. 

 

The previous night, however, had been completely different. Soyoung had kept her back turned to him for most of the night, barely moving in her sleep as if there was an invisible barrier placed between the two sides of the bed. She had been gone by the time the attending eunuchs woke Jinyoung up in the morning, the cold sheets a sign that she had likely been up since dawn. Thinking back on it now, Jinyoung couldn’t help but feel an odd aching sensation in his chest. It wasn’t the first time he had slept alone, so why did he feel this way now? Just when had he gotten so used to having Jang Soyoung in such close, unguarded proximity to him?

 

“Park Jinyoung!” Soyoung’s voice jolted the young prince out of his thoughts, and he jerked his head up to see his wife gazing at him from the front of the gathered nobles. She had dressed in red and white hunting gear for the trip, a fur lined cape lying majestically across her shoulders. Her hair had been tied in a simple tall ponytail behind her, adorned with a few red flower hairpins to match her clothing. Her chosen horse was pure white today, adding an aura of grace to the already beautiful woman that sat astride the chosen mount. Jinyoung couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat as he looked at his wife. While she had looked like an elegant Mongol noble from many years ago the night before, now she looked every inch the name that the people called her.

 

Warrior empress.

 

“Did you hear what I said just now?” Soyoung’s voice cut through Jinyoung’s thoughts once more, her dark eyes glimmering warningly in the sunlight. Jinyoung gulped. In truth, he had not. Something about the left side of the mountains, but he had missed what exactly was wrong with it.

 

But it was probably safer for Jinyoung not to tell her that.

 

“Yes.” He said with a quick nod. 

 

The great scholars of old would be ashamed of me.

 

Still, as Jinyoung was learning, sometimes it was better not to just follow the ways of the great learned sages. Soyoung gazed at him for a long moment, her dark searching gaze seeming to wonder if he had actually heard her. 

 

Just what did she say that was so important? It was likely some speech to wish everyone a great hunt, wasn’t it?

 

Finally, Soyoung pursed her lips and nodded.

 

“Let us begin the annual winter hunt!” She announced. Cheers arose from the gathered nobles, and the sound of hooves filled the air as the hunting party set off towards the forest that served as hunting grounds for the event. Jinyoung tried to catch Jia’er’s eye as they set off, but his friend was far too busy trying to catch Han Yeojin’s attention. The young general was very obviously ignoring him, her attention fixated on her conversation with Soyoung instead.

 

“Jia’er!” Jinyoung hissed under his breath as he leaned closer to his friend, “What did the empress say just now?” Jia’er shot him a look.

 

“Lying to the empress is a crime, you know.” He said. Jinyoung sighed.

 

“Well it’s not like I could say I wasn’t paying attention!” He replied, “You know how angry at  me she is right now!” Jia’er groaned.

 

“You didn’t fix things up last night at all, did you?” He noted.

 

“I tried, but she wasn’t exactly open to conversation.” Jinyoung grumbled. Jia’er opened his mouth to speak again, but Soyoung turned her head to look at them from the front of the group and he promptly shut his mouth again.

 

“Just stay close to me.” He said at last. Jinyoung stared briefly at his friend in confusion, but it was clear that Jia’er wasn’t going to say anything else while Soyoung was in earshot. It was probably all for the best, in any event. Jinyoung didn’t need to give Soyoung another reason to be angry at him at the moment. Still, he couldn’t help but sigh ever so slightly as they followed along behind Soyoung. He found his gaze fixated on Soyoung’s back, a tiny little voice in his head wishing that she would just turn back and give him that little smile she often did when she was amused at something he said.

 

But today, it seemed that her smiles wouldn’t be for him.

 

Jinyoung swallowed the lump rising in his throat, attempting to push away the dark clouds settling on his mood.

 

Jang Soyoung, what will it take for you to stop being angry?

 

___________________________________________________________________________

A little while later, Soyoung

 

A long slender arrow flew swiftly through the air and struck the deer it had been aimed at, sending the animal tumbling to the ground. Soyoung’s hunting hawk cawed loudly in the air above them before the bird came and landed on Soyoung’s outstretched arm. The young empress gently ruffled the feathers under the bird’s neck in praise for leading her to the animal. The sound of clapping filled the air as the nobles around Soyoung showered the young empress with praise.

 

“Your Majesty has such perfect aim!”

 

“Indeed, it is no wonder that Your Majesty is known for your archery skills!” The praises fell on deaf ears, however, as Soyoung simply brushed over them all. It was normal practice to shower the sovereign ruler with praise no matter what she did; she had long since grown tired of hearing it all. Brushing a few strands of loose hair over her shoulder, she turned and looked towards the back of the hunting party. Although she usually kept her gaze focused on the next prey, today she had made a habit of checking on the location of her husband, who at some point had fallen towards the back of the hunting party. He seemed to have caught a few things, but for the most part stayed silent. A slight frown pursed her lips as she saw Jia’er, but not Jinyoung.

 

“Wang Jia’er!” She called, and the young man looked up with a jolt from where he had been conversing in low whispers with a young noblewoman next to him.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty?” He asked. Soyoung pointed at the empty space next to him.

 

“Where is my husband?” She asked. Jia’er blinked and turned his head, his eyes widening slightly as if he was only noticing for the first time that the Goryeo prince was not next to him anymore.

 

“I...I’m not sure, Your Majesty.” He admitted with a shamed bow of his head, “He must have stepped aside while I was distracted. I’m sure he is nearby, however.” Soyoung sighed deeply. 

 

“Park Jinyoung is not used to this territory.” She said, “I didn’t bring you along to flirt with noblewomen!” Jia’er pouted slightly and bowed his head again.

 

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled. Soyoung sighed again and swallowed a groan. Where could her little poet have gone? She had only turned away for a few moments to shoot a deer, and the next thing she knew he had disappeared. 

 

“That idiot.” She muttered before waving her hand at one of the guards that had come with her group.

 

“Go and look nearby for the prince.” She said, “We will wait here until he returns.” The soldier bowed and hurried off. Soyoung sighed and tightened her hands slightly around her reins.

 

“I’m sure His Highness is alright.” Hyojun said softly from his place on her left, “He is a careful man.” Soyoung bit her lip and shook her head.

 

“If he was careful enough, he wouldn’t have wandered off.” She replied. There was an odd squeezing sensation in her chest, one different from what she had felt when she had seen Jinyoung dancing with other women. It was a strange, out of place feeling, and Soyoung hadn’t felt it for so long it took her a while to realize what it was she was feeling. 

 

Worry.

 

The last time Soyoung had felt something akin to worry, it had been before she had taken the throne and clamped down on her emotions. Now that she thought about it, the last time she had felt like this was probably when she, Eunseong, and Consort Hua had been on the run from the rebels shortly after the previous emperor’s death. It was a dull, aching sensation that filled her chest, causing a lump to rise in that made it hard for her to breathe. 

 

“Your Majesty!” The soldier she had sent was back, but Jinyoung was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Your Majesty, I’m afraid there is trouble!” He said.

 

“What do you mean?” Soyoung asked, her brow furrowing as she took in the soldier’s concerned expression.

 

“I wasn’t able to find the prince, but I did see hoofprints.” The soldier replied, “They were going towards the left side of the mountains.” Soyoung’s heart leapt into as she heard the soldier’s report.

 

The left side of the mountain…

 

Just that morning, she had given all participants a stark warning about the left side of the mountain range that served as hunting grounds for the annual winter hunt. In previous years, the entire mountain range was fair game for all participants. But this year, things were different. Reports had come in a few days ago, warning that the mountain wolf population was larger than usual, thus posing a greater threat to humans than normal. Usually, they would have migrated away by now, but this year’s longer winter meant the wolf pack had stayed around in the Mongol mountains for longer than usual. 

 

Soyoung had warned all participants to stay far away from the left side of the mountains precisely for that reason. Jinyoung had said he’d heard her, but now it seems like he had not. Soyoung sighed deeply.

 

“Are you certain it was the prince’s horse?” She asked. The soldier nodded and held up something in his hands.

 

“This was lying in the snow.” He said. Soyoung dismounted from her horse and carefully picked up the small object in his hand. She felt go dry as she recognized what it was. The object was a multicolored woven knot, made of a large knot decorated with a peony on top and a long tassel on the bottom. 

 

Norigae.

 

It was a traditional item usually worn with Goryeo clothing, or hanbok, as it was usually called. To mark which horse she had chosen for Jinyoung, Soyoung had ordered one made and had tied it to part of the tack on Jinyoung’s horse. Soyoung’s lips pursed tightly together as she came to the conclusion that she had wanted to avoid most.

 

That idiot went off to the forbidden part of the mountains.

 

“I’ll go find him.” She said, squeezing her fingers tightly around the little knot. 

 

“Your Majesty!” Hyojun protested, “It is far too dangerous to do that. You can send soldiers instead.” Soyoung shook her head.

 

“He is my husband and obviously is in unfamiliar territory.” She said, “I should have kept a better eye on him. It is only right that I bring him back.” Hyojun frowned.

 

“Then at least let me go with you.” He said, “I cannot possibly let you go there alone.” Soyoung hesitated for a moment, then sighed and nodded. 

 

“Very well.” She replied before turning to Yeojin.

 

“I’ll leave this hunting party in your hands, Yeojin.” She said, “Don’t let anyone wander off.” The general nodded.

 

“Come back soon, Your Majesty.” She said. Soyoung grinned.

 

“I’ll be back before tonight’s feast celebrating the successful hunt.” She promised. Leaping onto her horse with one smooth motion, Soyoung turned her horse in the direction of the marked off territory and urged the white steed into a fast gallop.

 

Please be alright, little poet.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung sighed as he looked around him. All around him and his horse, he saw nothing but trees and flickers of movement from animals moving about. 

 

“Where am I?” He muttered. He had heard the sound of a large animal moving nearby while he waited for Soyoung to catch her deer, and had decided to follow it in the hopes of catching something large. After all, Soyoung was a warrior at heart. Perhaps catching something large would be sufficient to earn his way back into her 

good graces.

 

Or so he had thought before his horse had kept moving, and before he knew it, Park Jinyoung was lost, the sounds of the hunting party no longer audible. 

 

“You!” He grumbled, poking at his horse’s neck, “Where exactly did you bring me?” Now that he was alone, the large forest felt especially cold and intimidating, the unfamiliar sounds of forest life making his hair stand on end. He had tried to go back the way he had come, but that had only made him more lost, and now Jinyoung had absolutely no idea where he was. 

 

Is it too much to hope that Soyoung will come for me?

 

Jinyoung sighed. He didn’t want to keep relying on her all the time, but in times like these he couldn’t help but wish to see her appear nearby. But then, she was probably so angry at him she hadn’t even noticed that he was gone.

 

“Well, I’m not getting back by standing here.” He said, “I might as well keep going.” He wandered about for some time and unfortunately, still found himself terribly lost. Based on the location of the sun above, Jinyoung guessed that it was already the middle of the afternoon. He groaned softly.

 

I really shouldn’t have wandered away.

 

As he turned his horse down another path, he froze as he heard the sound of something heavy pressing into the ground, causing the tree branches to crack underfoot.

 

Soyoung?

 

No, the sound was too heavy to be her, even if she was riding on a horse. Jinyoung gulped as the sound continued and steadily drew closer.

 

“Is someone there?” He called, but received no response. Then, Jinyoung heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

 

A low, deep growl. 

 

Don’t tell me....

 

Jinyoung swallowed hard, and turned his head slightly in the direction that the sound had come from. Through the thick foliage around them, he could just barely see a pair of glimmering golden eyes, which soon proved to belong to a rather large and thick furred wolf. Jinyoung gulped, his heart pounding in his chest as the animal slowly approached. It’s hackles were raised, lips pulled back to reveal sharp teeth as it let out a low growl.

 

As more wolves appeared from behind the first, Jinyoung realized what Soyoung must have been saying that morning.

 

Stay away from the left part of the mountains, because there are wolves there.

 

And it looked like Jinyoung had walked right into their territory.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

The sound of pounding hoofbeats filled the air as Soyoung urged her horse to go faster, even though she knew she was already pressing her mount to move at breakneck speed. She and Hyojun had already moved deep into the forbidden part of the mountains, but there was no sign of Park Jinyoung. The further they went, the more Soyoung felt anxiety building up in her chest.

 

Just where did he go?

 

“Your Majesty!” Hyojun’s voice broke through the haze settling over her vision, and she turned her head to see her personal guard turning back to look at something behind them.

 

“We’re being followed.” Hyojun reported.

 

“Assassins?” Soyoung asked, but Hyojun shook his head.

 

“Worse.” He said, “Wolves.” Soyoung lifted up her head to hear better, and sure enough, she could hear the sound of paws pounding against the dirt forest ground. And judging by the sounds approaching, there was certainly more than one animal following them. Stopping wasn’t an option, however; if they stayed ahead of the wolf pack, then perhaps...Soyoung stared in surprise as Hyojun pulled his horse to a stop.

 

“What are you doing?” She demanded. Hyojun looked over at her grimly.

 

“Your Majesty, we cannot possibly outrun them.” He said, “They are animals born with an instinct to hunt anything warmblooded that moves. I will stay here and hold them back. You go ahead and find the prince.” Soyoung frowned.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She scolded, “Stop talking and let’s get moving.” Hyojun shook his head.

 

“Go on, Your Majesty.” He said, “There’s little time to waste.” Soyoung gazed at Hyojun for a long moment before she had to admit that he was right.

 

“You know what my only orders for you will be in situations like this.” She said, her hands clenching tightly around the reins. Hyojun smirked lightly.

 

“I will stay alive.” He said, “I swear.” Soyoung smiled faintly.

 

“Good.” She replied. Taking a deep breath, she urged her horse into a fast gallop, and took off deeper into the forest.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung yelped in surprise as his horse reared with a panicked whinny, causing him to slip from the saddle and plummet onto the hard forest ground below. Groaning softly, he picked himself up carefully and watched as his horse fled into the distance. Upon seeing the wolf pack, Jinyoung had urged his horse into a quick gallop to get away, but the animal had become startled by something and decided to dump its rider onto the ground.

 

“Hey!” He yelled half heartedly, but the horse was long gone. Jinyoung sighed. 

 

Of course the horse would be the one to flee first.

 

Animals worked on instinct; the minute they sensed danger near, their only goal would be to run away regardless of the human with them.

 

But then, that also meant that Jinyoung was now truly alone, with only his two feet to get himself away from wolf territory. Brushing the dirt from his clothes, Jinyoung took a deep breath and continued on his way. The further he went, however, the deeper he seemed to be going into forbidden territory, and soon his ears once again picked up on the sound of heavy paws moving across packed dirt ground. His heart leaping into his throat, Jinyoung’s steps quickened as he pleaded silently for the wolves to stay away from him. He was far from a wolf’s natural prey; surely they could pick up on that, right?

 

Wrong.

 

Jinyoung’s feet skidded to a stop as something large and furry emerged from the bushes in front of him, followed by one, then two, and then three furry bodies. The wolf in front snarled at Jinyoung’s presence as the prince backed away, his eyes wide. His hands moved in a panic for something, anything, to defend himself with, and his fingers came across the bow and arrows still strapped to his back.

 

That’s right, I forgot about those!

 

Grabbing the bow and an arrow from his back, Jinyoung swallowed hard and aimed the bow at the wolf closest to him. If it attacked, he would shoot. As if sensing the danger he posed, the wolf in front snarled and leapt at Jinyoung. The young prince released the arrow in his hands, sighing in relief as the arrow buried itself in the wolf’s neck and sent it tumbling back. That relief was short lived, however, as the other wolves advanced on Jinyoung upon seeing their companion injured. Jinyoung yelled in surprise as two leapt at him at once; all he could do was throw himself to the ground and roll away from the attacking animals. He tried to reach for another arrow, but there wasn’t enough time to aim as the animals leapt at him again. Jinyoung cried out in terror as one wolf shoved him to the ground, and it was all he could do to throw his weight against the animal in a feeble attempt to keep it from snapping his neck in that instance. 

 

If only I had practiced martial arts more as a child!

 

He had had no interest in practicing martial arts during his childhood, preferring instead to bury himself in his scholarly studies instead. Books, rather than swords, were more interesting to him, even when Jaebeom had reminded him that it would be good to learn for self defensive purposes at least.

 

And now, it seemed like Jinyoung was going to pay the price for his stubbornness. 

 

Slowly, Jinyoung’s strength began to fade, and his resistance against the attacking wolf began to weaken. The wolf’s sharp teeth drew closer, then closer, and then…

 

A loud canine yelp filled Jinyoung’s ears, and he stared in surprise as the wolf toppled to the ground, an arrow buried deep in its neck. The other wolves that had been in the near vicinity lay unmoving nearby, similarly finished off. 

 

Who…?

 

Jinyoung’s gaze fell on the unique red feathers at the end of the arrows that had finished the wolves off, and his eyes widened as he realized who it was.

 

“Soyoung?” His eyes searched around the darkening forest for any sign of his wife, but she was nowhere to be found.

 

“Soyoung!” Jinyoung called again, “Where are you?” Suddenly, there was a flash of movement from nearby, and a small hand clapped over Jinyoung’s mouth. 

 

“Not so loud!” A voice whispered in his ear, “Or do you want to attract the attention of more wolves? My arrows are limited.” Jinyoung turned his head slightly at the sound of the familiar voice, and a mixture of relief and joy filled his chest as his eyes met Jang Soyoung’s dark eyed gaze. The young empress was breathing hard, as if she had run all the way here from the other side of the hunting grounds. Still, her eyes were sharp as she looked around them for any signs of danger before turning her attention to Jinyoung.

 

“Are you injured?” She asked, her careful gaze scrutinizing every inch of her husband that she could see. Jinyoung shook his head.

 

“Th-” He began, but Soyoung clapped a hand over his mouth again.

 

“Save it for when we get out of here.” She said firmly. Jinyoung nodded, and Soyoung rose to her feet. 

 

“Come on.” She said, holding out her hand to him, “My horse was too terrified to keep going so I sent it back. We’ll have to move on foot.” Jinyoung stared at her hand for a long moment, startled once again by the sudden move. It wasn’t the first time they had been in close contact, of course; they had embraced more than once during the course of their marriage. But those times had been out of necessity rather than by choice. This time, Soyoung was offering her hand to him on her own volition. Most young women her age would blush terribly even at the thought, much less do it. 

 

But then, Soyoung wasn’t a typical noblewoman, and that was increasingly becoming something that Jinyoung appreciated about her.

 

Wait, what am I thinking about at a time like this?

 

“What are you spacing out about?” Soyoung asked sharply, “If you’d like to become the wolf pack’s dinner, then be my guest.” Jinyoung shook his head and grabbed her hand. 

 

“Absolutely not.” He swore.

____________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

Soyoung’s heart pounded in her ears as she ran, her hand tightly clasped around Jinyoung’s. Around her, she could hear the sounds of animals following them, the heavy sound of their feet indicating to her that it was the wolf pack. Like many other predators, wolves liked to stalk their prey before attacking, looking for the perfect chance to attack before making their move. It was a mindset that Soyoung liked to imitate when she was in battle, but now, she wished wolves weren’t such careful hunters. She knew it wasn’t a good idea to be running around in wolf territory; the more you ran, the more a wolf’s hunting instincts kicked in, and the more likely it became that they would both become a target. As Hyojun had reminded her, outrunning them was impossible. At the same time, however, Soyoung knew there was no choice. Jinyoung was far from strong enough to defend himself against a pack of carnivorous hunters, and Soyoung could only do so much when she had half a mind focused on keeping Jinyoung safe. Unless there was no other choice, their only option was to try to run out of wolf territory before the animals caught up to them.

 

There was a rustle of movement ahead, and Soyoung skidded to a stop, nearly causing Jinyoung to crash into her.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, but Soyoung shushed him quickly as she listened carefully to the forest around them. Then, she sighed deeply and pushed Jinyoung to one side of the clearing they had just broken into. Behind him, she noticed that there was the steep edge of a tall cliff, a thick forest barely visible far below.

 

“See that small path over there?” She said, pointing to a smaller path off the side of the main one they had been traveling on, “That will take you out of this area of the mountains.” The Goryeo prince frowned in confusion.

 

“Can you at least tell me what’s going on?” He asked, his hand tightening around hers. Soyoung sighed again as she cast a glance over her shoulder.

 

“We’re rather surrounded.” She said softly. Just ahead on the path they had been hurrying across, she had heard the sounds of heavy pawsteps and low growls, a sure sign that the wolf pack had caught up to them. 

 

“I’ll fight them off, so you go ahead.” She said, “I’ll catch up with you after I’m done.” Jinyoung shook his head.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m not leaving you here alone.” He said firmly, “Running away alone while sacrificing others has long been said to be-” 

 

“Park Jinyoung!” Soyoung growled, cutting off whatever scholarly text he had been about to reference, “Do not make me repeat myself! Now is not the time to be talking about long dead scholars! Now go, before-!” Before Jinyoung could respond, Soyoung’s eyes widened as she felt something close around her leg. Before she could react, Soyoung found herself ripped away from Jinyoung, her body thrown backwards like a rag being tossed through the air. A cry broke from her lips as her back slammed against the rough surface of a nearby tree trunk, sending a wave of pain down her back. Stars exploded in her vision, and she was certain she felt a few bones crack from the force of the impact. Her ankle throbbed terribly, and as Soyoung forced her eyes open, she realized what had happened. 

 

While she had been speaking with Jinyoung, one of the wolves had sneaked up to the distracted couple and closed its teeth around her ankle, then thrown her into the air like she weighed nothing at all. Thankfully, her slender legs had provided little purchase for the wolf’s fangs, or else her ankle would have been finished. Soyoung knew very well that a wolf’s fangs were more than capable of cutting through her boot and into the soft unprotected flesh beneath. Her breath knocked out of lungs, Soyoung struggled to reach for her sword, which had been knocked a little distance away from her. A low curse escaped her lips as she struggled to breath, all the strength in her body knocked out with one blow.

 

I hate feeling this weak!

 

The animal in front of her growled, seeming to notice that its prey had been weakened. Pawing at the ground slowly, it pulled back its lips and snarled. Then, it took a few steps back and leapt into the air, aiming directly for the fallen empress a few feet away. Soyoung turned her head, fearing the worst. 

 

“Soyoung!”

 

Then, at the last minute, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. It was a warm embrace, one that Soyoung had become very, very familiar with over the course of the last few months. Then, a cry of pain echoed in her ear, and Soyoung opened her eyes in horror, her arms tightening instinctively around the man in her arms.

 

“Jinyoung!”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's note: If anyone is confused about the chapter title, it's because "being jealous" in Chinese literally translated to "eating vinegar" so when someone is jealous, they're often teasingly called a "jar of vinegar."

 

Also, fun fact, the Mongol people loved making milk tea!