Hyeyoung glared at Hyojun as he stood grasping her hand tightly, his gaze never wavering from her face.

 

“If you don’t intend to betray Royal Uncle, then move aside.” She growled, “There are things that have to be done, and this is one of them.” 

 

“No, you’re wrong.” Hyojun retorted coldly, “Even if you want to win, Your Highness, you cannot use underhanded tactics like this. You will break the Prince Consort if you do this.” Hyeyoung scoffed.

 

“So what if I do?” She replied, “I don’t intend to spend eternity with him.” Hyojun sighed in frustration.

 

“Think about it, Your Highness.” He said, “Let’s pretend that you succeeded in tricking the Empress to believe that you had slept with the Prince Consort and conceived his child. Let us pretend that multiple pairs of eyes saw you in bed with the prince without being fully dressed. Let us then pretend that because of that, she chose to drive the Prince from the palace, and you along with him. Perhaps in the end, if everything else goes according to plan, Master will be able to put you on the throne anyway. But then what? Goryeo will never accept your rule compared to the current Empress.” He leaned closer to her, his gaze stern.

 

“Why?” He said, “Because you will be the one who ruined the perfect union between their precious prince and the Empress of Yuan. Even if you obtain the throne, you won’t be able to sit on it without a single worry. Instead, you will have to be concerned that Goryeo will defy your orders, or worse, revolt. Do you have the military knowledge to deal with that problem if it arises?” Hyeyoung swallowed hard.

 

“So what?” She shot back after a few moments, “Our people are known for their military capabilities. With the strength of our army, I doubt we would lose!” Hyojun sighed.

 

“Very well.” He said, “Let’s assume that that won’t be an issue. But what about the child in your womb? Even if it becomes the heir to the throne, everyone will question its lineage if it nearly becomes established fact that you slept with the Prince Consort before conceiving this child. In the end, few will support placing the child as the legitimate heir, or support him as a legitimate ruler in the future. Could you seriously risk such a move?” Hyeyoung glared back at him for a long moment, but Hyojun could see the wheels turning in her head before she gave in.

 

“I have already gone to such efforts to do all this.” She finally said, motioning to the unconscious Jinyoung, “Surely you do not expect me to just let him go now.” Hyojun shook his head.

 

“I will wait for one more hour before taking the prince back to his room. His Highness has been in your rooms for a while now, and I’m sure more than enough eyes saw him enter your chambers.” He said, “Go ahead and announce your pregnancy in due time. Rumors will start spreading soon enough afterwards. If you intend to break apart the fragile trust between the Empress and her husband, those rumors will certainly be enough.” Hyeyoung gazed at him for a long moment before nodding.

 

“That will work as well.” She replied, “But do not think that you can control what I do, Im Hyojun.” Hyojun bowed politely, but his hidden gaze was dark and cold, mixed with barely suppressed irritation.

 

“Of course not, Your Highness.” 

________________________________________________________________________

When Jinyoung awoke, he found himself sprawled over in a chair in the royal library. Rubbing one eye sleepily, he looked around and saw that night had fallen. 

 

“You’re awake?” Jinyoung jumped as a voice spoke, and he turned to see Hyojun leaning against one of the pillars holding up the library, his arms crossed over his chest. The young imperial guard looked stoic as always, but for some reason Jinyoung thought he could see just a glimmer of distaste mixed with annoyance in Hyojun’s eyes as he looked at him. 

 

“Yes.” Jinyoung said, rubbing his eye tiredly, “But when did I get here? Last I remember, I was having tea with Sister-in-law, and then…” His voice trailed off as he tried to recall what had happened. They had been talking, and then… 

 

“You were too tired from the day’s events and fell asleep.” Hyojun said coolly, “In fact, you fell asleep right after one cup of tea in the princess’ chambers.” Jinyoung blinked in confusion.

 

“I did?” He said, “Why don’t I remember?” 

 

“That, Your Highness, is not something I can answer.” Hyojun responded coolly, “I happened to be nearby and decided to take you out of the princess’ personal chambers.” Jinyoung tilted his head slightly in confusion.

 

“Why were you nearby?” He asked, “You are Soyoung’s personal guard, not the princess’ guard.” 

 

“I merely had a message I had to relay to Her Highness.” Hyojun answered smoothly, “A message from Her Majesty.” Jinyoung frowned as he stared at the young guard in deepening confusion. 

 

“What sort of message would require the Empress to send her personal guard?” He asked. Hyojun sighed.

 

“With all due respect, Your Highness, does it matter?” He asked, “It was not a message for you.” His tone was curt and cold, making it clear that Hyojun was not in the mood to be answering questions at the moment. Jinyoung sighed, and decided that Hyojun was right. There was no need for him to know every detail of what Soyoung was doing. 

 

“Then...why did you bring me here?” He asked, “Surely, you can answer that.” 

 

“There are many eyes watching Her Majesty and those around her.” Hyojun responded, “You were quite deeply asleep. What will people say if they saw you stay inside the princess’ chambers for long hours before leaving? It would make more sense to say you fell asleep while reading in the library.” Jinyoung thought for a moment then nodded in agreement.

 

“You always consider everything for Soyoung’s benefit.” He noted. A light smirk flashed across Hyojun’s face.

 

“Of course.” He said, “I am her personal guard. My duties are not merely limited to her physical safety, but to protect her emotional safety and to ensure she sits stably on the throne as well.” Hyojun seemed to hesitate for a moment before he continued.

 

“And you, as her husband, should do the same.” He added. Jinyoung’s lips parted ever so slightly as he took in what Hyojun was saying. For some reason, he had the sinking feeling that somewhere below Hyojun’s simple sentence, his words held a deeper meaning than what met the eye.

 

“I will.” He said simply before rising to his feet. 

 

“I will return to my chambers now.” He announced. Hyojun bowed politely as Jinyoung walked past him.

 

“Good night, Your Highness.” He said. Jinyoung paused by the doorway and turned to look back at Hyojun. 

 

“Hyojun, are you hiding something from me?” He asked, “I feel like there’s something else you have to say.” Hyojun gazed at him for a long moment, seeming to ponder over his choices, then shook his head.

 

“No, Your Highness.” He said, “Please have a good night.” Jinyoung sighed, then turned away and walked out the door. Pausing slightly on the path leading to his chambers, Jinyoung lifted his head and looked up at the night sky. The moon hung shining in a cloudless sky, a cool spring breeze rustling through the carefully trimmed trees lining the path. It was a peaceful and relaxing night, one that set Jinyoung’s heart at ease despite his confusion over what had happened earlier that day. For some reason though, despite the cool relaxing evening surrounding him, a phrase rose to Jinyoung’s mind as he stood there on the pathway.

 

The calm before the storm.

 

Blowing out his breath slowly, Jinyoung continued on his way back to his chambers.

 

Perhaps I am overthinking things.

 

________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

The next month passed relatively uneventfully. Soyoung’s careful efforts to speak with the merchants and business class noblemen combined with her offer to reduce their taxes were more than enough to entice them to donate supplies, which Yeojin carefully took and kept in a warehouse that Jia’er’s family owned outside of the capitol. Yeojin had been wary about working with Jia’er, who had unrelentingly kept up his attempts to pursue her affections. Despite her irritation with Jia’er’s efforts though, both Yeojin and Soyoung had to admit that keeping the supplies far outside of the palace proved to be the safest course of action, and Jia’er was the one person that wouldn’t raise the suspicion of the corrupt officials in court even if the Empress or those close to her had frequent interactions with him. Yeojin sent out the supplies under the guise of delivering food and supplies to the army stationed near the Yuan border, and soon Soyoung was receiving news that the deliveries had successfully arrived. 

 

Of course, that didn’t settle the question of who had started this problem to start with.

 

While Soyoung had told Hyojun to keep an eye on Khuu Batuhan’s mansion, he had reported repeatedly that nothing had changed from the day the supplies had been taken to the manor, besides more supplies and money being taken in. In short, items were taken in, but not taken back out again. Everything seemed to indicate that Khuu Batuhan was the one who had orchestrated the embezzlement scheme, and Soyoung knew that others would believe her if she came to that conclusion. After all, Khuu Batuhan was the head of the imperial guard and it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to say that he had ties to other military forces. At the same time, Soyoung hesitated with moving ahead. It was the easy choice out of her dilemma; someone would have to bear the blame, and Khuu Batuhan was the easy choice, and yet…

 

It was all too easy, to the point that Soyoung had a feeling it had all been laid out to make her think that Khuu Batuhan was the one at fault.

 

Nothing, though, could have prepared her for the next events that were about to throw her life into turmoil.

 

One morning after the morning court session, one of the maids serving in Hyeyoung’s chambers hurried up to Hyojun while Soyoung was leaving Mentality Hall and whispered a message to him before dashing off again. Hyojun frowned slightly, then turned to meet Soyoung’s gaze.

 

“What is it?” Soyoung asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Her Highness Princess Hyeyoung fainted this morning while taking a walk.” Hyojun said, “A royal physician has already been sent to attend to her. Would you like to go see her, Your Majesty?” Soyoung thought over it for a moment before sighing. She had little interest in what happened to Hyeyoung, as long as she kept out of trouble; if she was ill, someone would send a message to Soyoung before long. At the same time, Soyoung knew that murmurs had already begun spreading around the palace after she had punished Hyeyoung for purchasing a dog figurine for Jinyoung and she had argued with Jinyoung as a result. To prevent building ground for any other unsavory rumors, Soyoung had to at least make efforts to put on an act of being the caring older sister.

 

“I’ll go see her.” She replied, “Come with me, Hyojun.” Soyoung headed for Hyeyoung’s chambers, not bothering to stop by her own chambers to switch out of her official golden robes. Hyeyoung’s rooms were filled with the soft sound of hushed murmurs as Soyoung arrived, maids and eunuchs scrambling to bow as Soyoung arrived. Hyeyoung was lying on her bed, Physician Yu kneeling by her bedside with his hand on her wrist to take her pulse. Hyeyoung looked pale, her face as white as a sheet as she groaned dizzily. To Soyoung’s surprise, when she looked to the right, she saw Jinyoung standing near the bed.

 

“What are you doing here?” She asked. 

 

“I happened to be talking with Sister-in-law when she fainted.” Jinyoung replied. Soyoung gazed at him for a long moment, irritation rearing up in her chest at the thought that he had gone to converse with Hyeyoung yet again. Then, she sighed and decided it wasn’t worth making a scene out of the matter at the moment.

 

“Physician Yu, what is wrong with my sister?” She said, turning to the older man instead, “Is she ill?” The man’s brow was furrowed in confusion, and he was silent for a long moment before responding.

 

“I...dare not answer your question, Your Majesty.” He said. Soyoug raised an eyebrow.

 

“And why is that?” She asked, “What could possibly be wrong with my sister that you cannot say it out loud?” Physician Yu hesitated, his gaze flickering over to the servants gathered behind Soyoung. Catching on to what he was worried about, Soyoung turned to the maids and eunuchs in the room.

 

“All of you should step outside.” She ordered. The servants exchanged glances, but all of them were smart enough to refrain from questioning the Empress’ order. 

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” They intoned. Soyoung waited until the doors shut behind the servants and the sound of their footsteps faded away, and then she turned back to look at Physician Yu.

 

“Go ahead.” She said, “What illness does my sister have?” Physician Yu took a deep breath before answering.

 

“Her Highness Princess Hyeyoung is pregnant.” He announced. Soyoung took in the troubled look on the man’s face before responding. Pregnancy, for a married woman coming straight from her husband’s home, was nothing to be concerned about. In fact, it was viewed as a cause for celebration. On the other hand though, the nervous look on Physician Yu’s face told Soyoung that there was something else going on.

 

“Would you like to elaborate, Physician Yu?” She asked, “I won’t punish you for what you have to say.” 

 

“Her Highness...Her Highness is about one month pregnant.” Physician Yu finally answered, lowering his head. Soyoung didn’t respond for a long moment as she silently turned the physician’s words over in her mind. Physician Yu hadn’t made it clear, but she could see what he was getting at. From the time she had left Xanadu and traveled to the capitol up until now, it had already been nearly two months. If she had been pregnant when she had left Xanadu, then the fetus wouldn’t have been merely one month old at this point. In the end, what was really troubling Physician Yu was…

 

The child cannot possibly be her husband’s child.

 

“Physician Yu, you are dismissed.” She said, “Go and prepare medication for my sister to nourish the fetus. You know what you should and shouldn’t say about this, right?” Physician rose to his feet and bowed.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He said, “Your subject takes his leave.” Soyoung waited until the older man had left the room, then nodded for Hyojun to step outside as well. Exchanging a glance with Jinyoung, Soyoung pulled up a chair and sat down next to Hyeyoung.

 

“Sister.” She said calmly, “There are no outsiders here, so you don’t need to keep anything a secret. Tell me, who is the father of the child?” Hyeyoung bit her lip and shook her head, her gaze troubled as she looked up at Soyoung.

 

“I cannot say.” She said quietly. Soyoung sighed and crossed her arms.

 

“Is it someone I know?” She asked, “Someone inside the palace? You should know that if I wanted to investigate the matter, it wouldn’t be difficult to find an answer. On the contrary, if you told me who it was, we could at least find a way to cover up the matter.” As a married woman, conceiving a child out of wedlock with someone who wasn’t your husband could be one of the most damaging things to your reputation that you could do. Not only would the husband look down on the wife and likely kick her out of their marital home, but the general public would also look down on the child once it was born. The mother’s reputation would be ruined for the rest of her life, with few men willing to remarry a woman like that. The fact that Hyeyoung was a royal only made the matter worse. Soyoung had heard in the past of royal consorts, both favored and disfavored, who had kept lovers in the palace, only to be discovered when they became pregnant and the timing didn’t match up with the last time they had slept with the Emperor. Those consorts had either been sentenced to death or banished forever to the cold palace. At best, the consort would be demoted to commoner status and left to live in the lowest ranks of society for the rest of her life. Any royal princess that did the same would face a similar fate, and bring shame onto the royal family in the process. 

 

Hyeyoung stared at Soyoung for a long moment before bursting into tears and rolling over onto her side, away from Soyoung.

 

“I don’t know!” She wailed, “Please don’t force me, Royal Sister!” Soyoung sighed and opened to speak again when Jinyoung laid a hand on her shoulder. Soyoung looked up and her husband shook his head silently. 

 

Now, it seems, wasn’t the time to be getting answers from Hyeyoung. 

 

Seeing that Hyeyoung hadn’t budged, Soyoung blew out her breath and rose to her feet.

 

“I will be all ears whenever you want to tell me.” She said at last, “But I would like to remind you that the child will only continue to grow, and soon there will be no hiding the matter. If you’d like to cover it, you must tell me soon.” When Hyeyoung didn’t respond, Soyoung beckoned to Jinyoung, and together they left Hyeyoung’s chambers. 

 

“What do you think?” Soyoung asked as they walked along, Hyojun and the servants keeping a respectful distance away so they wouldn’t be overhead. Jinyoung tapped his fan against his chin thoughtfully. 

 

“If the child was conceived one month ago, then it would have to be someone in the capitol.” He said, “But even if she dared to risk her reputation this way, Sister-in-law has barely been outside of the palace, so how could she have known anyone well enough to become lovers? And so, the most likely option would be someone in the palace.” Soyoung sighed deeply.

 

“That’s what I thought too.” She said, “If it’s someone in the palace, then that at least narrows the scope of who we have to investigate. We’ll have to start investigating from the soldiers and imperial guards.” 

 

“Perhaps I could get her to say something?” Jinyoung offered, “Sister-in-law has always been fairly open with me.” Soyoung paused and turned to look at her husband, one eyebrow raised slightly. Jinyoung raised his hands slightly in mock surrender.

 

“In the friendship context.” He amended quickly. Soyoung chuckled lightly and poked him on the chest.

 

“I trust you.” She replied, and the royal couple continued on their way.

 

“If she is more open to you...what sort of things has she told you about that I wouldn’t know about?” Soyoung asked curiously. Jinyoung hesitated for a moment before speaking.

 

“She didn’t want to bother you with this.” He said, “But since you asked, I think you should know.” He began telling Soyoung about Hyeyoung’s poor relationship with her husband, about how he doted on her when others were watching, but in reality cared little for her and kept mistresses outside of the home. The more she listened, the more befuddled Soyoung felt. From what she had heard, it was the complete opposite. Hyeyoung’s husband was doting on her, not only outside of the house, but inside as well. He always showered her with gifts and affection, and always gave her the freedom to do as she wanted. Mistresses, on the other hand, were completely out of the question. Hyeyoung’s husband had never been known to be the womanizer type, so why would he even think of having a mistress, let alone more than one? Even if he had lied and put on an act, someone at some point would have caught on if he was as much of a womanizer as Hyeyoung had made him sound, and sent a report to Soyoung. It made complete no sense, and only made Soyoung more convinced that there was something else going on.

 

“I’ll look into it.” She said at last. 

 

“It doesn’t sound like you believe her.” Jinyoung commented, noting Soyoung’s tone. Soyoung sighed softly.

 

“There are some things, particularly for us, that cannot be believed merely based on the words of one party alone.” She said, “I won’t decide who to believe until I’ve gotten all the information I need. I’ve already arranged for messengers to be sent to Xanadu. We’ll see what they say when they return.” 

 

And now that Soyoung thought about it again, there still hadn’t been any news from Xanadu. In the midst of the chaos with the refugee supplies, she had let the matter slip from her mind. Soyoung made a mental note to speak with Hyojun about the matter as they arrived at her private library.

 

“I have some matters to address after this morning’s court, so you’ll have to go back yourself.” She said. Jinyoung pouted ever so slightly at her statement, drawing a slight smile from Soyoung.

 

“Go on.” She said, giving him a light shove, “Don’t you have to go inspect the imports that are arriving later?” Jinyoung sighed and nodded.

 

“Alright.” He said reluctantly, “Then, I will see you tonight?” Soyoung nodded and waved as he walked off. As Soyoung turned and walked up the short flight of stairs to her personal library, she paused as she suddenly felt a cramping sensation in her lower stomach. The pain tightened around her abdomen before disappearing just as quickly as it had come. Soyoung frowned slightly and put a hand on her stomach, but the pain didn’t come back. 

 

“Your Majesty?” Hyojun called as he saw Soyoung stop, “Is something wrong?” Soyoung blew out her breath slowly and shook her head.

 

“I’m alright.” She said, “You don’t have to come inside. Just stay out here and wait for my orders.” Hyojun bowed.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Soyoung stepped inside and shut the doors behind her before settling into the large chair behind her desk as always. As she picked up her ink pen though, the cramping sensation returned, and stronger this time. Soyoung in her breath, her hand falling to her stomach until the sensation eased. 

 

What’s going on?

 

Half her mind told her that it was likely just her monthly cycles, and her body was reacting the same way it always was. But on the other hand, the other half of her mind warned that her menstrual cramps, while irregular, had never felt this way before. Swallowing hard, Soyoung shook her head and returned to her work.

 

If it gets worse, I’ll ask Eunseong about it.

 

___________________________________________________________________________

As the day drew on, the sensations only returned a few more times, and by the time Eunseong arrived in the late afternoon to deliver her weekly nourishing soup, Soyoung had almost forgotten about it. 

 

“You’ve been working all day again, Royal Sister?” Eunseong said as he placed the steaming tray of medicine onto the table, “You should take a break.” Soyoung scoffed.

 

“What, are you going to take care of these issues for me if I do?” She replied, “There’s never an end to work for the ruler of a country.” Eunseong laughed.

 

“I haven’t been slacking off either, Jie.” He said, “I’ve been training all the volunteer physicians so they’re ready for the disaster area. They just set off yesterday.” Soyoung smiled.

 

“I know you’ve been working hard, little brother.” She replied, “I’m always grateful for your help.” Eunseong smiled and pushed the tray of medicine towards her. 

 

“If you’re grateful, then hurry up and drink your medicine.” He said, “I came back just in time to deliver it to you personally today.” Soyoung smiled and took the bowl obediently, blowing on its steaming contents before raising the bowl to her lips. As always, the medicine was thick with an unsavory herbal taste that coated her tongue and throat, but Soyoung had long grown used to it. Halfway through the bowl though, Soyoung gasped as pain suddenly tightened around her stomach, the feeling akin to someone taking a hand and squeezing her stomach tightly. Although Soyoung wouldn’t consider herself particularly sensitive to pain, the tight cramp was more than enough to cause her to slam the bowl onto the table and double over on her desk. It was as if someone had taken the cramps she had felt earlier that day, combined them into one and then multiplied it by a dozen before slamming it back into her stomach.

 

“Jie?” Eunseong exclaimed in alarm, his hand immediately coming to rest on her shoulder, “What’s wrong?” Soyoung fought through the haze that was settling over her mind and the sound of her heart pounding in her chest before she was able to gasp out a few words.

 

“My stomach.” She gasped, her voice coming out far weaker than she was comfortable hearing, “My stomach hurts!” Eunseong moved swiftly and pulled her trembling hand onto his knee, his cool slender fingers coming to rest on her wrist as he took her pulse. Then, Soyoung heard her brother in his breath before he dashed away and returned a few moments later with his set of acupuncture needles in hand.

 

“This will just be a moment.” He murmured, pulling out a few needles with well practised ease. Without thinking twice, Eunseong expertly inserted the needles into various parts along her arm. Slowly, the pain in Soyoung’s abdomen eased, and finally, she was able to catch her breath again. Soyoung moved her body experimentally before finally sitting straight again as the pain didn’t return. She blew out her breath in relief and looked over at Eunseong.

 

“What was that?” She asked, feeling bewildered. Eunseong’s sunny face was unusually serious.

 

“Have you felt more cramps recently?” He asked. Soyoung thought for a moment before nodding.

 

“Occasionally over the past month.” She replied, “And a few more today, although none were as painful as the one that I just felt. I thought it was just my cycle acting up again.” Eunseong was silent for a long moment, and Soyoung carefully took in her brother’s serious expression.

 

“It’s not that simple, is it?” She guessed. Eunseong’s gaze flickered over to the half filled bowl of medicine that was still on the table and picked it up carefully before sniffing at it lightly. 

 

“I’ll be right back.” He announced, “Don’t touch this bowl of medicine until I return.” Soyoung nodded, feeling all the more confused about her brother’s sudden change in demeanor. Was there something wrong with the medicine? Eunseong had personally prescribed the mixture of herbs that went into her weekly medicinal soup and the servants always tested it for poison first, so Soyoung rarely questioned what was in it before drinking it obediently. Just what was going on?

 

Eunseong returned before long, a small parcel in his hands. The Grand Prince looked unusually furious, his anger barely suppressed under a mask of calm. He laid the parcel down on Soyoung’s desk and opened it for Soyoung to see. The young empress’ brow furrowed in confusion as she saw what Eunseong had brought.

 

“These are…?” She asked, looking questioningly at Eunseong. 

 

“The herbs that went into your medicine tonight.” Eunseong replied, “I found these thrown out behind the physician’s bureau. They’re partially burnt, but I can still tell what they are.” His long fingers deftly picked through the herbs until he found the ones he wanted, and he lifted up two different cylindrical herbs for Soyoung to see.

 

“These,” He said, “Are the cause of the cramps you’ve been feeling. It was my mistake, I shouldn’t have trusted anyone else with the task of brewing your medicine. Thank heavens I was the one who brought you the medicine tonight, or else the consequences would have been unthinkable.” 

 

“Eunseong, you’re going to have to explain more than that.” Soyoung said, “If someone consumes these herbs, what is the effect?” Eunseong swallowed hard.

 

“If a woman consumes medicine with these herbs in it for long enough, it will render her infertile for the rest of her life.” He answered, a dark look on his face, “And if a woman who is pregnant consumes these herbs long enough, she will have a miscarriage and become unable to conceive ever again.” Soyoung stared at Eunseong in shock, her body freezing at the sudden announcement as she took in what her brother had said. There was no way that Eunseong would have ordered such a dangerous concoction of herbs to be placed in her medicine; in fact, no one in the Physician’s Bureau should have been careless enough to put them in there, particularly for the Empress who still bore the duty of providing an heir for the country. If the herbs’ effects really had come into fruition, it was a crime that could result in the perpetrator losing not only their own life, but also causing nine generations of their family to lose their lives as well. If Soyoung had lost the ability to bear a child, then the consequences really were unthinkable. Just the mere possibility that the chaos at the end of the previous emperor’s reign could come back was enough to make Soyoung’s hair stand on end.

 

“Who…?” At last, Soyoung found her lips moving again, her questioning gaze falling on Eunseong, who shook his head in response.

 

“I’m not sure at the moment.” He said, “But there are daily records of every servant and official who works in the Physician’s Bureau, along with what herbs they used and whose medicine they prepared. It shouldn’t be long before I can find who did this.” Eunseong’s fist clenched tightly in anger.

 

“I may have a weak body, but I will not forgive anyone who dares to lay a hand on my sister.” He said firmly, “Nor can I forgive the person who nearly killed my unborn nephew or niece.” Soyoung began nodding in agreement, then froze again as she took in the entirety of what Eunseong had said. 

 

“Hold on.” She said, “What did you just say?” Eunseong gazed at her for a long moment, taking in her perplexed expression before smiling gently as he realized what she was confused about. Carefully, he kneeled next to Soyoung, took her hand, and placed her palm over her lower abdomen.

 

“You’re pregnant, Jie.” He said, “About two months, to be exact. You haven’t noticed the symptoms?” Soyoung’s eyes widened in shock as she heard her brother’s diagnosis, her gaze slowly moving from her hand to her brother’s gentle face and back again. 

 

Pregnant? Me?

 

How…?

 

Well, I suppose I do know how, but…

 

“My cycles have always been irregular, so I never thought much about it.” She finally said, “My appetite changed, but I thought I’d just grown tired of the dishes I’d been eating so much. Jinyoung said my stomach seemed to have grown larger, but I chalked that up to eating too many sweets. I never thought…” Eunseong chuckled softly.

 

“Your maids noted to me that you’ve been nauseous and more tired lately too.” He said, “They thought you were just overworked, but I had my suspicions earlier. Then, when I took your pulse…” He smiled warmly and squeezed Soyoung’s hand.

 

“There’s no doubting it.” He said, “You are definitely pregnant.” Soyoung’s heart pounded in her chest as she finally began to realize the gravity of the situation. A child, her child, a new life, was now growing in her womb, and she hadn’t even realized it! If Eunseong hadn’t been there tonight, then she would have likely lost the child before even realizing its existence. All of a sudden, Soyoung felt tears bubbling up in her eyes as emotions swelled in her chest from nowhere. In this chaotic palace, where so many eyes were watching her and plotting against her every move, there was now a tiny delicate baby depending on her for protection. Just the thought was suddenly so overwhelming for Soyoung; she had agreed to try for a child with Jinyoung, that was true. It was her duty, after all, to provide a future heir for the country. But now that the child really was here, and to so suddenly realize that she had conceived…

 

“Eunseong.” Soyoung’s voice cracked slightly, “I’m afraid.” Eunseong smiled warmly and wiped at the tears escaping Soyoung’s eyes.

 

“It’s alright, Jie.” He said soothingly, “I’ll be here with you, and so will Brother-in-law. I’ll go tell him right away, I’m sure he will be so happy!” 

 

“No!” Soyoung grasped Eunseong’s hand as her brother rose to go, “Not yet.” Eunseong frowned in confusion.

 

“Why not?” He said, “It’s a happy event! He has the right to know, as the baby’s father.” Soyoung shook her head.

 

“I know.” She said, “But no one besides the two of us can know about this child right now. It’s too dangerous. If I want to protect this child, then no one can know about its existence, at least for now.” Eunseong thought for a moment before sitting down next to Soyoung.

 

“You are afraid...that the person who tried to render you infertile will try to harm the baby if they find out you are pregnant?” He guessed. Soyoung nodded. 

 

“It is not my first day on the throne, but there are still many who wish to see me fall.” She said, “I will not give them another matter they can use against me. Before the fetus has stabilized, and before I find out who gave the order for this medicine, I cannot take any risks.”

 

“Do you have any guesses about who it was?” Eunseong asked. Soyoung smiled dryly.

 

“Surely, you have already heard the news about our younger sister.” She said, “Think about it, Eunseong. If I become unable to bear a future heir, who will benefit the most?” Eunseong’s eyes widened as he realized what Soyoung was implying.

 

“But...didn’t she just realize she was pregnant today?” He said, “And she is only one month into her pregnancy.” Soyoung nodded.

 

“That means there are two possibilities.” She replied, “One, she is already more than one month pregnant, and has another plot behind her decision to reveal her pregnancy like this. Or two, she really did sleep with someone in the palace and conceive his child, and her attempt to render me infertile just happened to coincide. If the first possibility proves to be true, then that would mean Physician Yu is also working for her for whatever reason.”

 

“I don’t think there are that many coincidences in this world.” Eunseong scoffed. 

 

“Neither do I.” Soyoung replied, “But at the moment, the first thing we should do is locate the maid or eunuch who received the orders to put this into my medicine. Then, we can go from there.” Eunseong nodded.

 

“I will make sure to locate that person as soon as possible.” He said, “In the meantime, I will personally brew all of your medicine. I won’t allow any other attempts to be made to harm you and your child.” Soyoung nodded and squeezed Eunseong’s shoulder.

 

“Thank you, Brother.” She said. Eunseong chuckled and patted her hand.

 

“We are family.” He said, “And I will do all I can to protect the only family member I have left. But...if it really is her, what will you do? Will you remove her from the palace? Even if she gives birth to a healthy child, any child of yours will have a higher claim to the throne than hers.” Soyoung smirked lightly.

 

“Brother, if that girl really dared to lay a hand on me like this, do you really think I will  wait until she gives birth to take action? In fact, who says I have to wait?” Eunseong chuckled and gave his sister a knowing look before he packed up the herbs he had brought and headed to the door.

 

“I know you always have a good idea of what you need to do. But either way, make sure to rest, Jie.” He reminded her, “Rest is important for you and the little one, especially after tonight.” Soyoung nodded and waved him out of the door. After Eunseong had left, Soyoung walked over to one of the windows opening out into the Royal Garden and pushed it slightly open. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she tilted her head up and felt the cool night hair rush over her face. Carefully, Soyoung reached down and laid a hand against her stomach. At two months, the child was still small, the slightly rounded surface of her belly barely noticeable under her robes. Still, it was a life, a little life that was half of Soyoung and half of Jinyoung. Soyoung sighed again softly as she closed her eyes.

 

Child, why did you have to come now?

 

Still, now that you have decided to come into my world, I will do all I can to protect you.

 

___________________________________________________________________________

For the next week, life continued as normal. Soyoung’s daily schedule barely changed at all, Jinyoung continued with the work he had done with the import and export business deals, and Hyeyoung for the most part stayed inside her own chambers. Jinyoung attempted to convince Hyeyoung to reveal the identity of the child’s father, but she remained tightlipped. Everything was the same as it had always been for the past few months.

 

Except, of course, Soyoung’s newfound knowledge of the child growing within her. 

 

Soyoung found an excuse to avoid being too intimate with Jinyoung for now, limiting his contact to merely kisses and embraces. While her husband was confused about the sudden change in attitude, he didn’t press further. Eunseong was more careful than usual about everything that went into Soyoung’s mouth; whether it was medicine or food, he made a point to examine all of them before it was presented to his sister. Soyoung often scolded him for worrying too much, but he insisted that it was necessary to protect her and the child. As he had promised, Eunseong secretly looked into who was on duty during the past month while Soyoung had been unknowingly consuming the dangerous herbs in her medication, and before long, he had results for her. 

 

After morning court one day, Hyojun followed Soyoung into her private library and handed her a letter.

 

“This letter arrived from the messengers I sent to Xanadu.” He said. Soyoung raised an eyebrow and pulled the letter from the cream colored envelope, her gaze carefully scanning the words written in simple black ink.

 

“They found nothing suspicious?” She said, “Everything is as Hyeyoung stated? Her husband really does have lovers outside of the home, and the brothers are currently fighting over the future inheritance?” 

 

“It appears so, Your Majesty.” Hyojun replied. Soyoung gazed at her guard for a long moment before speaking.

 

“It sure took you a long time to receive this.” She noted, “Did the messengers say anything about why it took them that long?” Hyojun shook his head.

 

“I would assume there were many things to investigate, and they had to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.” He replied, “It is understandable, Your Majesty.” Soyoung’s fingers tightened around the letter as she looked silently at her guard. Normally, she trusted what Hyojun had to report; he had been by her side for years, and there had never been a reason to question his honesty or loyalty.

 

But yet, with everything that had been happening recently, combined with how long it had taken to get answers, Soyoung couldn’t help but hesitate about believing him this time.

 

“Very well.” She said, choosing not to voice her thoughts, “You are dismissed. I’ll be in my library for the next few hours, so you don’t need to stay with me. I’ll send for you when I leave.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Hyojun replied, “This subject will take his leave.” As Soyoung stepped into her library, Eunseong appeared with a wooden box in his hands.

 

“Sister, I’ve brought you a midday snack.” He announced cheerfully. As Soyoung turned to look at him, Eunseong winked quickly before Soyoung could remind him that she hadn’t asked for food. Understanding what her brother was getting at, Soyoung smiled and took her brother lightly by the arm.

 

“You have come just in time, Brother.” She said, “I was just getting hungry.” The siblings entered the room together and Soyoung sent the servants away before sitting down with Eunseong. 

 

“So, did you find something?” She asked before Eunseong even opened his mouth to speak. Her twin brother chuckled and opened the box he had brought with him.

 

“You should eat something before I tell you what I found.” He said as he placed a plate of sweets onto the desk. Soyoung laughed softly and picked on up obediently.

 

“You really did bring snacks for me.” She said with a little smile as she bit into the fruit flavored sweet. Eunseong chuckled.

 

“I cannot allow the ruler of this country to go hungry.” He teased, “Especially now that you are eating for two.” Soyoung hummed in agreement as the sweet delicious taste of the food coated her tongue. Eunseong waited until she had finished eating, then pulled out a sheet of paper from his sleeve.

 

“Here, this is the list of servants that were on duty in the Physician’s Bureau in the past month.” He said, “The circled name is the one who has been handling your medication.” Soyoung raised  her eyebrow as she read the circled name.

 

“Yuan’er?” She said, “Isn’t that one of your students?” Eunseong nodded gravely.

 

“She’s always been smart and a quick learner.” He said, “There’s no way she mistakenly put those infertility drugs into your medicine. But at the same time, she’s always been an honest child, so I don’t understand why she would do something like this.” Soyoung tapped her finger lightly against the table for a few moments. Although Eunseong had simply provided her with a name, she was beginning to see the greater consequences that could arise from that one maid’s actions. If the herbs’ intended effect had really played out as planned, then it wouldn’t be long before Yuan’er was captured as the culprit. Punishing a mere maid alone though, wouldn’t have been enough. She would be forced to reveal who was behind her, and as Eunseong’s student, Soyoung’s brother would be the one to take the fall. To avoid that undesirable conclusion, Soyoung would have to lead Yuan’er to reveal the person behind her on her own.

 

“Does she have family in the capitol?” She asked. Eunseong nodded.

 

“A mother who lives on the outskirts of the city.” He replied. Soyoung sighed softly.

 

“It looks like I’ll have to pay her mother a visit.” She decided. 

 

“A personal visit on your own?” Eunseong asked, “Wouldn’t that just alarm Yuan’er and whoever is behind her? Wouldn’t bringing Yuan’er in be faster?” Soyoung shook her head.

 

“And have her splutter and lie that there was no one commanding her?” She replied, “No, that is not what I need to waste my time on. And besides…” A light smirk crossed her lips.

 

“Alarming her is exactly what needs to happen.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

While Soyoung and Eunseong were talking, Jinyoung had resumed his efforts to make Hyeyoung come clean with what had happened. As usual, the princess refused to speak, her eyes bubbling with tears if Jinyoung pressed the matter too hard. Finally, she couldn’t take his questioning any longer.

 

“Brother-in-law, please do not ask anymore!” She cried, grasping Jinyoung’s hands, “That person lives in the palace and I’m afraid he will be in trouble if this gets out! That person truly cares for me, and I don’t want anything to happen to him.” A little sob broke free as she put a hand on her stomach.

 

“This child is alI I have now.” She whimpered, “If my husband knows about the baby, he will surely divorce me and kick me out of the home! Please, Brother-in-law, you must help me!” Jinyoung hesitated as Hyeyoung pleaded with him. He had told Soyoung he would do his best to help find out who the child’s father was, but he couldn’t help but feel his heart squeeze in pity as he took in the desperate look on Hyeyoung’s face. He knew she would keep her word and cover the matter as best as she could, but there was no denying that Hyeyoung’s husband would not accept the slight to his reputation that an illegitimate child would bring. And while Soyoung had ordered that each of the men in the palace besides the eunuchs to be investigated, so far there had been no results. Hyeyoung spoke again as she saw Jinyoung hesitate.

 

“How about this?” She said desperately, “After the baby is born, I will allow you and Royal Sister to adopt the child! Since you and Royal Sister have not been able to conceive a child yet, that would be perfect, right?” 

 

“Sister-in-law!” Jinyoung scolded, “You must watch your words. That is the Empress’ body you are talking about.” Hyeyoung gulped and lowered her head. 

 

“I’m sorry.” She mumbled, her voice thick with tears. Jinyoung sighed.

 

“Are you sure it has nothing to do with the  man who approached you while you were handing out food to the refugees?” He asked. Hyeyoung nodded firmly.

 

“I have had no relationships with him whatsoever.” She insisted, “I swear, Brother-in-law! If I lied, then…” She placed her hand onto her belly again.

 

“Then nothing good shall happen to my firstborn.” She swore. Jinyoung shook his head quickly.

 

“You don’t need to swear something like that.” He said, “I believe you. You are not the type to lie.” Hyeyoung smiled in relief.

 

“Thank you, Brother-in-law.” She said, “You always protect me. I wish I could have married a husband like you.” Jinyoung smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

 

“You are my sister as well as Soyoung’s sister.” He said, “It is only right that I do my part in helping you.” Jinyoung leaned in a little so he was level with Hyeyoung’s stomach.

 

“Little niece or nephew, you must treat your mother well when you are born.” He said softly, “She has done many things to keep you safe. Don’t forsake her efforts.” 

 

“The child is too tiny to hear you right now.” Hyeyoung protested. Jinyoung grinned.

 

“That’s alright.” He said, “Somewhere in there, I’m sure the baby can feel my goodwill. Isn’t that right, little niece or nephew?” For a moment, Jinyoung wondered what it would feel like when Soyoung became pregnant with their own child. Would he also talk to the unborn baby like this? Would the baby hear him? Would carrying the baby make things hard on Soyoung as well? When Jaebeom’s wife was pregnant, he remembered the Crown Princess often suffered from nausea and sickness. Would Soyoung have to deal with the same? How would he feel that day in the future, when Soyoung told him she was carrying their child?

 

Unfortunately, Jinyoung became so busy with his thoughts that he failed to notice the conflicted look crossing Hyeyoung’s face before her pretty features fell once more into a little pleased smile.

__________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung, nighttime

 

As night fell and before Jinyoung returned, Soyoung dressed in plain clothes and wrapped a hooded cloak around herself before slipping out of the imperial palace. A part of her wanted to tell Jinyoung, but she had decided against it when she considered how much Jinyoung had bought Hyeyoung’s pitiful and demure act. As for Hyojun...something told Soyoung that bringing him into the investigation this time was out of the question. As she stepped into the street, Soyoung paused for a moment and patted her stomach lightly.

 

“We’re going on a trip, little one.” She said softly. Then, catching herself, she laughed and shook her head.

 

Whoever would have imagined the warrior empress of China would one day be talking in soft tones to her unborn child? It really is as they say; pregnancy will change a woman and what she does.

 

Tightening the cloak around her face, Soyoung continued on her way and soon reached the address that Eunseong had written down for her. It was a humble little home, mixed in among the commoner lodgings in the poorer parts of the city. Something that Soyoung did notice though, was the home belonging to Yuan’er’s mother was more well built than most. The roofing had obviously been replaced with new tiles recently, and the door was coated with a new layer of paint. The chicken coop in the yard was made of sturdy material, unlike the basic wooden coops that most commoners used. Overall, the entirety of the house pointed to one thing.

 

A recent influx of money.

 

Soyoung walked up to the door and rapped on it lightly, taking note of the sturdy material it was made of. 

 

“Coming!” An older woman’s voice sounded from inside, and the door opened to reveal a middle aged woman. She froze and stared up at Soyoung for a long moment, confusion on her face.

 

“Lady, you are…?” She asked. Soyoung reached into her sleeve and took out the imperial token she had brought with her. It was a standard token given to all members of the royal palace, but its elegant design was more than enough to make the average commoner listen. The older woman stared in surprise at the token for a moment before stepping back with a light bow.

 

“Please come inside, Lady.” She said. Soyoung followed her into the little home, her gaze taking in everything that was inside. The bed in the corner was clearly old, but the table with a well polished surface was clearly new, unlike the gritty unfinished tables that commoners usually used. Although there was only one person in the home, multiple candles were lit around the house, sending a warm glow around the room. 

 

“Lady, please have some tea.” Yuan’er’s mother offered. Soyoung took the offered cup and swirled it around lightly in her hands. 

 

Tea leaves in a commoner’s home? That’s another sign of new money.

 

Whenever Soyoung wandered this area of the capitol under the guise of Ryu Soojin, she often noted that the poorest commoners usually drank water rather than tea. Tea leaves were expensive to buy and difficult to maintain, so the commoners usually drank either water or alcohol. 

 

“Lady, what did you need from this humble commoner today?” Yuan’er’s mother asked. Soyoung smiled faintly, carefully keeping her thoughts hidden inside of her.

 

“Yuan’er is your daughter, isn’t she?” She asked. The older woman nodded.

 

“Has my daughter done something wrong?” She asked in concern. Soyoung shook her head and pulled off the bag of money she had tied to her waist.

 

“On the contrary, she has done very well. The herbs she used in the medicine were very effective” She replied, “This is a reward from her new master in the palace.” The woman looked startled for a moment before laughing awkwardly as she took the money.

 

“Lady, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said, looking away. Soyoung scoffed.

 

“Madam, you’d best not try to lie to me.” She said, “We are all sitting on the same boat, after all.” Soyoung raised a finger and pointed at the new furnishings in the house.

 

“Surely, you remember where the money for these nice things came from?” She said. The woman’s face paled.

 

“Lady, if your master needs anything from my daughter, please order her as you wish!” She finally said. Soyoung smirked. 

 

“Of course.” She replied, “There is still much to be done.” She rose to her feet and dusted off her robes.

 

“Well, I have done my job.” She said, “So I won’t bother you any longer.” Then, Soyoung paused as she reached the door. 

 

“Ah yes, I almost forgot.” She noted, turning slightly around, “Please say hello to your daughter the next time you see her, and make sure she remembers who is the real hand who is feeding her.” 

 

“Y-yes, Lady.” Yuan’er’s mother stammered. Soyoung left the house and headed back to the palace. A light smirk turned up the corner of her lips as she recalled the look on Yuan’er’s mother’s face.

 

“The bait has been set.” She murmured, “Now all that is left is to wait.”

____________________________________________________________________________

One week later

 

As it turned out, Soyoung didn’t need to wait for long. Her visit to Yuan’er’s mother happened to be right before the period when the Physician Bureau maids were allowed a short term visit to their families outside the palace, and before long, Eunseong came to tell her that someone had spotted Yuan’er heading for Hyeyoung’s part of the palace in a rush. Soyoung smiled and put down the petition she had been reading.

 

“The fish has taken the bait.” She said. Soyoung and Eunseong headed off to Hyeyoung’s chambers, and they arrived just in time to see Yuan’er disappear into the main room. Soyoung waited until the attending maids had left, then walked up to the door silently to listen to the conversation going on inside.

 

“Your Highness, my mother said someone from the palace went to visit her a few days ago!” Yuan’er exclaimed, “Could someone have discovered what we are doing? Mother said that person gave her money, but you always give money directly to me!” 

 

“Don’t panic, Yuan’er.” Hyeyoung replied, “How can you be so sure that that person knows what I ordered you to do?” 

 

“I...I...I…!” Yuan’er fumbled in a panic, “I don’t know! That person’s words just seemed to imply that she knew what I was doing for you!” Soyoung heard a light thump from inside.

 

“Your Highness, please, you must help me!” Yuan’er cried, “Plotting to harm the Empress is a capital crime! If they found out that I put the herbs into the medicine, both I and my mother will lose my life! Your Highness, I don’t want to die!” 

 

“Calm down.” Hyeyoung urged, “We don’t even know who that person was. Besides, didn’t you get rid of the herbs?” 

 

“Yes, of course!” Yuan’er replied, “I put them out for burning, there should not be a single trace left by now. As for the rest that you gave me, I have them hidden in my room. No one will find it, I’m sure!” 

 

“Excellent.” Hyeyoung replied, “Just continue doing what I ordered. It’s already been a month. With just a few more doses, I’m sure my Royal Sister will soon become infertile. When that happens, my child will become the next in line to the throne, and you will be heavily rewarded.” Clenching her hands tightly, Soyoung shoved open the doors to the room. Hyeyoung let out a cry of surprise and Yuan’er fell to her knees in horror as she realized who was standing there. Soyoung’s gaze narrowed as she focused on Hyeyoung. 

 

“So it really was you, Hyeyoung.” She growled.