Grand Preceptor’s mansion, a few days later

 

Hyojun jumped as Jang Jaewon slammed his hand down onto his desk, his gaze dark and cold as he glared up at Hyojun.

 

“Why did the Empress suddenly decide to bring the Prince Consort back?” He demanded. Hyojun gulped.

 

“A few days ago, she received a letter from Crown Prince Jaebeom of Goryeo saying he was going to come and visit the Prince Consort.” He answered, “In order to avoid angering Goryeo, the Empress decided it was best to bring the prince back, even if only temporarily.” Jang Jaewon’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Goryeo must have picked up that something happened. Hyojun, you know I had everything arranged, even down to the timing of Goryeo knowing that the prince had been exiled after his relationship with the Empress broke down.” He said, “Who notified Goryeo that something was wrong?” Hyojun shook his head.

 

“I’m not sure.” He replied, “The Crown Prince didn’t specify, and I didn’t dare probe too much or else the Empress would become suspicious of me. I don’t think she knows either.” Jang Jaewon fixated his cold steely gaze on Hyojun for a long moment, so long that the young imperial guard began to squirm underneath his searching gaze. If there was one similarity that Hyojun could see between the members of the Jang family, it was certainly the dark eyed sharp gaze that was enough to make the toughest criminal shudder.

 

“My Lord.” Hyojun said at last, “Actually, I do not think that the prince’s return may cause as many issues as it may seem like on the surface.” Jang Jaewon raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh?” He said, “Why do you say that?” 

 

“The Empress’ official announcement was the Prince Consort was being punished for illegally taking official court funds for personal use.” Hyojun replied, “Since that is the case, even if the Empress wanted to reinstate the Prince Consort’s position, it wouldn’t be that easy for her to do so. The court officials would certainly be against it, and she cannot simply ignore all of their voices. That is a fact that Her Majesty surely knows. Instead, what I believe will happen is the Empress will keep the prince around long enough for the Crown Prince of Goryeo to see that everything is fine between them, and then send him away again once the Crown Prince has departed.”

 

“Crown Prince Jaebeom isn’t a fool.” Jang Jaewon replied, “Why are you so certain he’ll believe whatever little act my niece puts up for him?”

 

“Then that would be even better.” Hyojun replied, “The Crown Prince’s main goal is certainly to check for himself whether the information he received was true. If he does see that the relationship between the Empress and the Prince Consort has soured to the point of ignoring each other, how could he possibly advocate for aiding the Empress in the near future, should something go wrong and she calls on them for help? Whether he sees this sooner or later, that same principle would hold, would it not?” Seeing that Jang Jaewon was still hesitant to believe him, Hyojun quickly continued.

 

“Even if she does manage to trick the Crown Prince, and does manage to keep the Prince Consort in the palace,” He said, “When the time comes, would Prince Jinyoung still help the Empress as much as he did in the past? Would he still so passionately aid a woman who had spurned him, nearly threw him away for a crime he knows he didn’t commit, and essentially sent him into exile? I don’t think he will.” He took a step back and bowed to Jang Jaewon.

 

“The Empress is nearing the end of her pregnancy, which also means the time when she is the most vulnerable will also be arriving soon.” Hyojun said, “Once the timing is right, this servant will certainly do his all to aid Your Lordship in reaching your ultimate goal.” 

 

“Hyojun.” Jang Jaewon said at last, “The Empress doesn’t suspect anything about you, does she?” Hyojun’s eyes widened slightly in surprise and shook his head quickly.

 

“Certainly not.” He answered. 

 

“Is that so?” Jang Jaewon said, tapping one finger against his desk contemplatively, “I’ve heard that she has not included you on many important discussions lately, choosing to send you outside on a different task instead. Are you sure she doesn’t suspect you?” Hyojun swallowed hard and shook his head again.

 

“If Her Majesty didn’t trust me, she would have thrown me out without a second thought.” He replied, “The Empress isn’t someone to hesitate when it comes to spies.” After another long moment, Jang Jaewon’s expression finally relaxed, and he nodded as he leaned back once more. 

 

“Very well.” He said, “Continue keeping an eye on Soyoung and report to me if she decides to do anything else. You are dismissed.” Hyojun bowed again.

 

“Yes, My Lord.” He replied. The young imperial guard stepped out of the Grand Preceptor’s mansion and began heading to the palace. After he was a safe distance away from Jang Jaewon’s home, he ducked into a side alley and leaned against the wall to steady himself. His heart still hammered uncharacteristically from the conversation he had just had with his master, and it had taken all the courage that he had in him to avoid letting Jang Jaewon see through the calm mask on his face.

 

Now, he only hoped that there would be no reason for Jang Soyoung to actually look at the letter in Crown Prince Jaebeom’s hand.

 

Because if she did, she would certainly recognize the handwriting on it.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

A little over two weeks later

 

Jinyoung gulped as the carriage that had picked him up from the Khanbaliq port rolled to a stop in front of the imperial palace gates as the driver went to report who had arrived. His fingers trembling slightly, Jinyoung reached out and pulled back the cloth curtain covering the window next to him before peeking out. Little had changed since he had left in a rush that fateful night a little over five months ago; the imperial palace was elegant and beautiful just as always, as imposing as the young woman who was its master. Jinyoung swallowed hard as his hand clenched tightly around the cloth curtain. It had been merely almost half a year since he had left, and yet his last normal day as a resident in the palace felt like a lifetime ago. This time, how long would he stay? Was it too much to hope for that Soyoung would let bygones be bygones?

 

As Jinyoung was taken into the palace, he began to realize that he was likely being too optimistic. The first time he had arrived in Yuan, he had entered through the main door and been welcomed by a large group of court officials and servants. This time, he entered through the smaller side door, and the entryway was notably empty, save for two eunuchs who were waiting to take Jinyoung to his room. 

 

“Your Highness.” They greeted, “Allow us to show you to your rooms.” Jinyoung hesitated for a moment before asking.

 

“Where is Soyoung?” He asked, although he dreaded hearing the answer. 

 

“Her Majesty has been very busy.” One of the eunuchs replied, “She said she will see you after she is finished with today’s work.” Jinyoung swallowed down the disappointment rising in his chest and nodded. 

 

It really was too much to hope that she’d come see me right away.

 

“I see.” He replied, “Take me to my rooms, then.” 

 

As Jinyoung followed the two servants, he quickly guessed that calling him back was not merely due to Soyoung’s forgiveness. Even as he walked around, maids and eunuchs stopped to stare at him, the hushed sounds of their whispers reaching his ears the moment he was past them. It was different from the way it had been in the past; at the beginning of his marriage, the servants had stared because he was the foreign prince from Goryeo, the intriguing newcomer that the Empress had handpicked to be her husband. This time, their gazes were wary and uncertain, not sure of what to make of the return of the Prince Consort who had offended the Empress many times over and then allegedly stolen official court funds. Jinyoung sighed quietly and avoided their watchful gazes. 

 

No, his return to the palace this time certainly was not going to be easy.

 

When they reached the large courtyard that housed the Empress’ official quarters, Jinyoung was in for more surprises. Instead of turning left to enter the chambers that Soyoung and Jinyoung had slept, the eunuchs turned right down another side pathway to where the guest rooms saved for the Empress’ personal guests were located. Jinyoung’s footsteps paused as he looked at the servants in confusion. As far as he remembered, he hadn’t stayed in those rooms ever since he had been married to Soyoung. 

 

“Wait a moment.” He said, “Why are we turning this way?” The eunuchs in front of him stopped and turned to look at him calmly.

 

“Those were the Empress’ orders.” One of them replied, “Her Majesty wishes for you to stay in the guest rooms.” Jinyoung’s heart sank as he took in the eunuch’s response. He could accept the cool reception to his return, and he could accept the stares that the servants gave him without a second thought. But this...by separating them, Soyoung was making it clear that regardless of his return, his place was different from the way things used to be. Just the mere thought was enough to make Jinyoung’s heart ache. Still, he knew better than to argue with two servants who were simply following their master’s orders. He sighed, nodded, and continued his way down the path. 

 

The room set aside for Jinyoung was sparsely decorated and clearly haphazardly arranged, the result of a last minute effort to prepare the room for its inhabitant. Soyoung wasn’t such a last minute person, and the servants clearly had a good two weeks of time to prepare. It was obvious that they had picked up on the prince’s unfavored status and took the opportunity to put off this task until the last minute. Jinyoung sighed as the eunuchs deposited his luggage in the room and promptly returned to the door.

 

“Then, we shall take our leave, Your Highness.” They said. Before Jinyoung could say another word, they were gone. Jinyoung sighed, his mouth shutting before he had even said a thing. Blowing out his breath slowly, he turned and looked at the stacks of luggage in the room. Normally, servants would have moved on their own accord to help their masters unpack their luggage. Nobility, much less royalty, weren’t expected to even move a finger. And yet, here he was, left in his guest room with a large stack of belongings without even a maid to serve him. It seemed that regardless of country, there was no difference in a servant’s pattern of behavior; their attitude varied depending on the master’s favor and status in the palace. If a person was viewed as losing favor, then the treatment they received would decrease in quality accordingly. Jinyoung let out a soft huff and placed his hands on his hips.

 

“Fine then.” He declared as he rolled up his sleeves, “I can do it myself. This is nothing compared to chopping down trees and lugging wood down to the town from the forest.” 

 

Before long, the sounds of luggage being dragged across wooden floorboards began wafting out of the guestroom, occasionally punctuated by a grunt of effort or a yelp as Jinyoung lost his footing trying to move a particularly heavy piece of luggage. The two eunuchs who had taken him to his room, having stayed outside rather than walk away, exchanged glances as they observed what was going on.

 

“Should we have helped him?” One of them asked. The other shook his head.

 

“The Empress only said to take him to his room and then leave him be.” He replied, “We shouldn’t do more than we were told. Besides, what would people think of us if we take the initiative to help a prince consort who has fallen out of favor?” The first eunuch nodded.

 

“Let’s go and report to Her Majesty then.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

Soyoung barely looked up from the map in her hands as the eunuchs reported to her about Jinyoung’s arrival and how he had proceeded to unpack everything himself because there were no servants to help him. As the eunuchs finished, they fell silent, exchanging confused glances with each other as Soyoung didn’t say anything.

 

“Is that all?” She asked at last, placing the map back onto the table. The eunuchs nodded, and Soyoung waved a hand at them.

 

“Go back to your work then.” She said casually. 

 

“Your Majesty...you don’t want to send someone to serve him?” One of the eunuchs asked nervously, “He is still the Prince Consort.” Soyoung shook her head.

“There’s no need.” She replied, “He can deal with his own matters by himself.” The eunuchs hesitated for another moment, then nodded and left Soyoung’s private library. Yeojin, who had been standing by Soyoung’s side the entire time, shifted ever so slightly to lean against Soyoung’s desk.

 

“If you have something to say, just go ahead and say it.” Soyoung said without looking up at her. 

 

“What is it that you are trying to do, Soyoung?” Yeojin asked, “For once, I can’t tell.” Soyoung reached out and tapped a finger against the map lying on her desk.

 

“I’m trying to see where we need to reinforce our defense lines.” She replied nonchalantly. Yeojin scoffed.

 

“You know very well that’s not what I mean.” She said, “Why did you bring Prince Jinyoung back if you’re going to treat him like an outsider?” Soyoung sighed and looked up at her friend.

 

“His brother, the future ruler of Goryeo, is going to be arriving in a matter of days.” She reminded her, “I do not want to hear grumbling from Goryeo if they know that I sent their precious prince away to a poor town that was flooded merely a few months ago.” 

 

“And yet, you aren’t treating him as your husband.” Yeojin noted, “You are treating him as a guest, and a barely valued one at that.” 

“Jinyoung will be leaving as soon as his brother departs.” Soyoung replied simply, “I see no need to spoil him while he is here. Besides, didn’t you hear what the eunuchs said? He is doing quite well for himself, even without servants waiting on him.”

 

“Soyoung, you missed him, didn’t you?” Yeojin insisted, “Now that he’s here again, shouldn’t you two try and talk things out?” 

 

“Yeojin, when did you become an expert on relationships?” Soyoung asked calmly. 

 

“I’m not, but-” Yeojin started, but Soyoung cut her off.

 

“Enough.” She said, pointing a finger at a spot on the map, “Go and arrange for more troops to be sent here. I’ve received reports of increased enemy patrols appearing in that area, and I don’t want Yuan to be ambushed while I’m unable to lead the army to war myself.” Yeojin sighed and bowed, sensing that the previous conversation was over.

 

“Alright.” She said, “I’ll go make arrangements immediately.” The young general rose to her feet and headed to the door, her footsteps slowing slightly as she reached the elaborate wooden panels.

 

“But Soyoung...do you not intend to tell him about…?” Yeojin gestured to Soyoung’s swollen stomach, and Soyoung sighed.

 

“No.” She answered, “He doesn’t need to know.” Yeojin cast a worried look at Soyoung, then nodded and bowed again before leaving. Soyoung waited until Yeojin had left before she folded up the military map. She sighed again as she thought back on Yeojin’s words, then shook her head.

 

I did miss him.

 

But if I treat him well now, everything that I tried to do in the past five months will have been in vain.

 

If I treat him well now, he won’t be willing to leave again.

 

And then...how do I know how much trust to give him?

 

What if...he tramples all over it again?

 

Soyoung felt a little nudge against her hand, and she smiled as she lightly rubbed her belly in response to her baby’s kick. 

 

“Still though, it looks like your father has improved, hasn’t he?” She mused. The baby shifted slightly and kicked again, as if to affirm her statement. Soyoung laughed softly and carefully rose to her feet, wincing slightly as she stretched her sore back.

 

“Alright.” She announced to no one in particular, “Let’s go visit that little poet.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung blew out his breath slowly as he looked up at the wide set of doors leading to what, up to a few months ago, had been the chambers he shared with Soyoung. He had been unpacking his things in his guestroom and pondering over how to find Soyoung when servants had arrived to tell him that the Empress had returned to her chambers and was waiting to see him. Jinyoung had rushed to make himself presentable, digging through multiple chests of clothes before settling on a new outfit. It was a Yuan style set of robes made of creamy white fabric, elaborate silver lines of decorations dancing across the fabric that had been clearly sewed in carefully by hand. A warm earth brown colored belt had been paired with the robes, the fine material making it clear that it had come from the hands of the imperial embroidery department. He wasn’t sure where these robes had come from, but it fit him perfectly, and had been placed carefully within his chests of belongings.

 

He had been excited at the prospect of seeing his wife again, but for some reason, now that he was standing there, Jinyoung could feel his heart pounding loudly in his chest. 

 

Why am I so nervous?

 

What am I going to say to her when I see her again? 

 

Apologize? No, she’d hate that. 

 

Ask her how she’s been doing? No, that makes us sound like strangers. 

 

“Your Highness?” Jinyoung blinked out of his daze as the eunuch called out to him, and he looked over at the older man to see him looking at the prince curiously.

 

“Her Majesty is ready to see you.” The eunuch said. Jinyoung coughed awkwardly and cleared his throat, embarrassed at having been caught with his mind elsewhere.

 

“Understood.” He replied. The eunuch led him into the main room, and Jinyoung realized very quickly that he had overthought everything about his first meeting with Soyoung after their temporary separation. The set of sofas placed near the front of the main room for Soyoung to sit while she was greeting guests still seemed to be there, or so he guessed. Usually, he would have been able to see the sofas as soon as he entered the main room, but this time, a large wooden screen decorated with painted flowers had been placed in the center of the room, effectively cutting the room into two parts. Jinyoung found himself wondering what the screen was supposed to be for, until he spotted a plush chair placed on his side of the room.

 

And then, a voice spoke from the other side of the screen, and Jinyoung understood what was going on.

 

“Don’t just stand there. Sit down.” Soyoung’s voice, calm and crisp, rang out coolly from the other side of the screen, both painfully familiar and enough to send nervous butterflies fluttering through Jinyoung’s stomach at the same time. Jinyoung swallowed hard as he did as he was told, his heart clenching painfully.

 

She doesn’t even want to see my face?

 

“Prince.” Soyoung spoke again, “Do you know why I called you back?” Jinyoung swallowed hard.

 

“Prince.”

 

Not “husband” or “Jinyoung,” as she had taken to calling him before Hyeyoung had arrived, but “Prince” the cold title that she had used when they had first met and during the early days of their marriage.

 

Jinyoung sighed quietly, his hands clenching tightly in his lap.

 

“No, Your Majesty.” He answered, “Please explain your reasoning to this subject.” 

 

“Your brother, Crown Prince Jaebeom, will be arriving in Yuan soon.” Soyoung announced, “He stated in his letter that he wanted to come visit his dear younger brother who had been married off to another country.” Jinyoung was silent for a moment as he thought over what Soyoung had said. Then, a bitter smile crossed his lips.

 

“Your Majesty wants me to pretend as if nothing is wrong?” He asked, “That is why you called me back?” 

 

“Correct.” Soyoung answered, “Or else, why would I have brought you back already? It shouldn’t be difficult. Your brother will only be staying for a little over a week.”

 

“And after that?” Jinyoung asked, although he dreaded hearing the Empress’ answer. Soyoung was quiet for a moment before responding.

 

“After that?” She repeated, “You will return to your place, and I will return to mine. Nothing will be different from the past five months. For the time that your brother is here, all you need to do is put on an act of being happily married in the Yuan palace, and convince him that you are doing well. That is all.” Jinyoung’s heart sank as he heard Soyoung’s answer, the little hope that he had clung to before entering the room sinking along with it like a rock thrown into a pond. 

 

“You are dismissed.” Jinyoung’s head jerked up as he heard the shuffle of movement, signaling that Soyoung had risen from her seat and was preparing to leave.

 

“Soyoung!” Her name slipped from his lips before he could stop it, the simple word tinged with desperation in an attempt to make the young woman on the other side of the screen stay longer, even if just for another few moments. The sound of Soyoung’s footsteps came to a stop on the other side of the screen, and the air was filled with heavy silence for a few long moments before Soyoung spoke.

 

“What is it?” She asked, her voice as emotionless as it had been in the beginning of their relationship. Jinyoung swallowed hard.

 

“Are you...still mad at me?” He asked hesitantly, “Are you still angry over how I didn’t trust you?” Soyoung was quiet for a few seconds before Jinyoung heard a sigh from the other side of the screen.

 

“I don’t know.” She finally replied, “All I know is, I’m tired. I was tired then, and I am still tired now.” Jinyoung bit his lip before plowing on.

 

“Do you hate me then?” He asked softly, “Do you hate me so much that you don’t even want to see my face? Is that why we have to meet like this?” 

 

“Park Jinyoung.” Soyoung’s voice, cool as ice, sliced through the room like a knife, “Let’s stop beating around the bush. I may not be sure if I am still angry at you, but there is one thing that I am sure of. If it is my forgiveness that you are seeking, for everything that has happened, I am not ready to give that to you yet. I don’t know when I will be able to give that, or if I ever will at all.” For a moment, her voice seemed to tremble when she spoke again.

 

“Stop getting hung up on matters like this and just focus on the task at hand.” She finished firmly, “Do you understand?” Jinyoung swallowed hard, a lump rising in his throat.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He answered quietly, “I understand.” Soyoung didn’t respond, but Jinyoung heard the doors to the Empress’ inner rooms open from the other side of the wooden panel for a few seconds before silence descended onto the room again. Jinyoung felt tears well up in his eyes, and he brushed at them quickly.

 

Her forgiveness really was too much to hope for.

 

I was only brought back to put on a facade...and then…

 

I will have to leave her again.

 

“Your Highness, please.” Jinyoung sighed and rose to his feet as the attending eunuch spoke. 

 

“I know.” He said in resignation, “I’m going.” Taking one last look at the wooden screen, Jinyoung brushed off his robes and left the room.

__________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

Soyoung’s footsteps paused as she closed the doors leading to her inner rooms, one hand rising into the air to shush the maid next to her as the younger girl started asking her why she had stopped. For a long moment, there was silence from the other side of the door before the attending eunuch spoke.

 

“Your Highness, please.” The eunuch said, as if reminding Jinyoung that he had to get moving. She heard Jinyoung let out a soft sigh before speaking, his voice sounding heavy.

 

“I know.” He said softly, “I’m going.” Soyoung heard the light shuffling noise of footsteps against the plush carpet in the room, signaling Jinyoung’s movement across the room before the doors opened, and silence descended over Soyoung’s chambers once more. Soyoung slowly blew out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, her body relaxing slightly now that Jinyoung was out of the room. After dismissing the maid, Soyoung wandered over to the bed and sank into its soft comfortable surface.

 

“Do you hate me so much that you don’t even want to see my face?”

 

Jinyoung’s question echoed in Soyoung’s ears, and she groaned softly as she lowered her head into her hands.

 

No, I don’t hate him. 

 

How could I hate him?

 

I just....

 

Soyoung’s soft voice, audible only to her, sounded strained as she whispered what she had been keeping in her heart.

 

“I’m just afraid that if I see your face...I won’t be able to let you go again.”

__________________________________________________________________________

In the days leading up to Jaebeom’s arrival in Yuan, Soyoung continued her habit of refusing to see Jinyoung face to face. During any of the few times that she summoned him for an audience, a wooden panel was placed between them, just like it had been the first day he had seen her again. And every time, without fail, the sight  made Jinyoung’s chest hurt.  She had said she didn’t hate him, she didn’t seem particularly angry, and yet…

 

Why won’t she see me?

 

If she had intentions to divorce him, Jinyoung would rather she say it to his face and get it over with as soon as possible. It had only been a few days, but Jinyoung was growing tired of this game of avoidance. All Jinyoung wanted was to see his wife’s face again, even if just once. It wasn’t just because Jaebeom would be arriving soon and he doubted he could put on a convincing act for his brother to believe that everything was fine with him and Soyoung. Rather, it had been over five months since he had seen her face last, and his only memory of that day was the cold expression on Soyoung’s face and her rejection that had been like an invisible slap to the face. It was a memory he wanted to wipe from his mind as soon as possible.

 

 It wasn’t like he didn’t make efforts to see her, but none of his efforts worked the way he wanted. Sometimes Jinyoung waited outside Mentality Hall for Soyoung to finish court, which for some reason, had been switched from morning court to afternoon court. Once, he even tried to sneak in along with the other court officials before he was spotted by Hyojun and calmly asked to leave. He had tried to wait in her inner rooms while Soyoung was out, but the guards were firm in keeping him out of the Empress’ chambers unless she was there. Even when Soyoung actually was inside, Jinyoung was never allowed in unless he was summoned.

 

On top of his loneliness, it was quickly becoming clear to Jinyoung that all the servants in the palace had picked up on the disfavor that he currently faced. Besides the eunuch who came to deliver his meals, Jinyoung was left to his own devices. He didn’t mind though. The food given to him wasn’t the best quality, but it was still better than what he had in the poor town. He had grown used to taking care of his own tasks in the town, so cleaning at the very least had become a norm for him. Unlike before, no servants followed him around whenever he went out, but Jinyoung appreciated the space to think about what he should do next. The servants whispered and gawked whenever Jinyoung passed, but he ignored them all even though it made him feel rather self conscious. He could easily guess what they were saying.

 

There goes the Empress’ husband.

 

There’s the unfavored prince.

 

What a fool he is, to anger the Empress when such a valuable prize fell right into his lap.

 

At this rate, she’ll likely divorce him and marry a different prince.

 

There’s no need to treat him well, he doesn’t have the power to help us anyway.

 

Then, one day, the heavens finally decided to show Jinyoung a little more favor than it had in the past nearly six months.

 

The day before Jaebeom arrived, Jinyoung was sitting by himself in the Royal Garden, feeling disappointed after yet another failed attempt to see Soyoung face to face. This time, he had tried to sneak by as a servant working in the Royal Kitchen, but the attending eunuch had seen right through him and promptly sent him away. Jinyoung pouted slightly as he poked aimlessly at the ground with a stick.

 

“I just want to see my wife.” He muttered, “Why is it so hard?” The wind blew silently past him in response, and Jinyoung sighed as he stretched his arms above him.

 

“I just want to see my own wife!” He yelled at the sky in frustration, “Why is everything being so difficult?” A moment later, Jinyoung heard the scuffing sound of boots against the ground coming from behind him, followed by a familiar voice.

 

“Your Highness?” Jinyoung turned slowly and saw Hyojun standing nearby, a slightly amused smile on the young guard’s face. Jinyoung’s face flushed in embarrassment.

 

“Sir Hyojun.” He greeted, quickly jumping to his feet and brushing the dirt from his clothes, “What a coincidence.” Hyojun chuckled.

 

“Yes.” He agreed, “Are you alright? You sound frustrated.” Jinyoung chuckled and rubbed in the back of his neck.

 

“I’ve embarrassed myself.” He mumbled. Hyojun chuckled again.

 

“Well, if you are alright, then I will take my leave.” He said with a bow. Jinyoung waved him off, but as Hyojun began walking away, a thought came to Jinyoung’s mind.

 

Wait, if Hyojun is here, then…

 

Soyoung is also likely to be nearby.

 

“Sir Hyojun!” Jinyoung called, and the young imperial guard turned back to look at him.

 

“Yes, Your Highness?” He asked. 

 

“I...is...well…” Jinyoung fumbled for words for a long moment before a small smile of amusement turned up the corner of Hyojun’s lips.

 

“Her Majesty is taking her daily walk in the garden right now.” He said before Jinyoung had finished stumbling around his sentence, “I just came to check the area before she arrived. Usually, she doesn’t keep servants around with her on her walks.” Jinyoung’s jaw dropped as he stared at Hyojun, making the other young man laugh again.

 

“It’s written all over your face, Your Highness.” He said, answering Jinyoung’s question before he had even voiced his thoughts. Jinyoung chuckled in embarrassment.

 

“No wonder Soyoung likes you so much.” He replied, “You’re a very perceptive person, Sir Hyojun.” An odd look briefly flashed through Hyojun’s eyes at Jinyoung’s statement, but Hyojun’s face settled into a polite smile before the prince could decipher what the expression had been.

 

“Thank you for your praise, Your Highness.” He replied, “Then, I will get going now.” Hyojun turned and continued on his way without another word, leaving Jinyoung standing there alone. For a moment, the young prince was confused why Hyojun was merely leaving him there.

 

Then, he understood.

 

Because Soyoung had made it clear that she had no intention to see Jinyoung face to face, no servants had dared to offer to help Jinyoung see the Empress. Even if it was Hyojun, going against the Empress’ implicit wishes would certainly mean punishment. On the other hand, if Hyojun hadn’t explicitly said anything to Jinyoung, then it would only seem like the prince had just so happened to be following Hyojun and luckily come across the Empress that way. This way, no one would be getting into trouble. His heart lightening with hope once more, Jinyoung quickly picked up his pace and followed after Im Hyojun.

 

Hyojun walked fast enough to keep a distance from Jinyoung, but paused every so often to look back and see if the prince was following him. Jinyoung followed the guard to one of the pavilions overlooking one of the man made ponds in the royal garden, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw a large group of servants standing in the pavilion, through which he could see a figure sitting at the little round table placed inside the pavilion with her back to Jinyoung. Jinyoung was still standing at a distance, but as Hyojun came to a stop next to that figure, it became obvious to Jinyoung who it was.

 

Soyoung.

 

A few moments later, the servants bowed politely and walked away, leaving Soyoung and Hyojun alone in the pavilion. Swallowing hard, Jinyoung stepped closer to where his wife was resting.

 

“Your Majesty, do you need anything?” He heard Hyojun ask.

 

“No, I’ll be fine here.” Soyoung answered, “You can go now.”

 

“But, Your Majesty…” Hyojun began to protest, but Soyoung shook her head.

 

“I’ll be fine.” She assured him, “It’s not the first time I’ve been here alone.” Hyojun hesitated for another moment before bowing in acquiescence.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He said. Hyojun looked up in Jinyoung’s direction, nodded ever so subtly, and then walked away. Jinyoung hesitated for a few moments after Hyojun left, his heart beginning to pound nervously in his chest as he wondered if he should really be approaching Soyoung like this. Then, he swallowed hard, threw back his shoulders, and slapped himself on the cheeks.

 

Stop wavering! This may be your only chance!

 

Moving carefully to avoid startling his wife, Jinyoung began walking towards the pavilion where Soyoung sat, his footsteps light as if he was currently out in the forest surrounding the flooded town hunting food for the citizens along with the other men. 

 

Careful, careful…

 

Soyoung didn’t seem to notice Jinyoung approaching. In fact, as Jinyoung got closer, he heard her speaking softly under her breath, the uncharacteristically gentle sound of her voice carried over to Jinyoung’s ears on the spring breeze blowing through the garden.

 

“Do you hear that, little one?” She said softly, “That’s the sound of the spring wind. It’s soothing, isn’t it?” Jinyoung frowned in confusion. Who was she talking to? As far as Jinyoung could see, there was no one else in the pavilion besides her. He heard Soyoung laugh softly, although he couldn’t tell why.

 

“Why are you kicking me again?” She said, “Do you like the sound of the wind?” As Jinyoung wondered who Soyoung was talking to, his focus on walking quietly slipped just as he reached the edge of the pavilion, and his foot landed with a loud snap on a broken branch lying on the ground. Soyoung reacted to the sound within seconds, her nimble hands unsheathing a small dagger lying by her side that had been hidden near her elegant skirts. Although she moved slower than she had in Jinyoung’s memory, Jinyoung found the edge of the blade pressed against his neck before he could do little more than grab her wrist to stop the blade from cutting into his skin. He found himself staring into Soyoung’s wide midnight colored eyes, confusion clouding the defensive look of alarm in her gaze as she realized who had approached her.

 

“Park Jinyoung.” She breathed, surprise flitting through her eyes, “What are you doing here?”

 

“I...well...I wanted to see you, and…” Jinyoung’s gaze flitted around nervously before he noticed that something was very, very different about his wife compared to when he saw her last. 

 

As a warrior, Soyoung had always made sure to maintain her figure through proper eating and exercise. Jinyoung knew very well that his wife always had a slender figure, one that was accented by the military uniforms she wore when she was out practicing. He himself had held her in his arms so many times, he knew his memory couldn’t be wrong. 

 

And yet, in the time that he had been gone from the palace, Soyoung’s body had changed. 

 

The young empress was wearing a long elegant purple colored dress, the soft folds of fabric falling around her round swollen stomach.

 

That was not there when I first left.

 

Jinyoung’s mind spun with confusion, and logic suggested to Jinyoung that she could have just gained weight while he was gone, but something told him that certainly was not the case. Although she had one hand holding the dagger to Jinyoung’s neck, Soyoung gently cradled her stomach in the other hand, her fingers lightly tapping across its rounded surface in what looked like a comforting rhythm. Although she had barely moved from her seat in the pavilion, her breathing was heavier than normal, as if she was winded from her reaction to Jinyoung’s unexpected approach. As Jinyoung watched, he saw Soyoung flinch slightly, her hand moving to the other side of her belly and rubbing one spot before her gaze flickered back up to Jinyoung. 

 

In this scenario, the most likely possibility would be...

 

Jinyoung swallowed hard, barely daring to finish the thought. Then, he bit his lip and silently pointed a finger at the dagger against his neck, and Soyoung sighed softly before she pulled her hand away and sheathed the weapon once more. Then, she turned around and leaned lightly against the table to catch her breath, and silence descended back over the pavilion. Jinyoung hesitated for a long moment before he spoke.

 

“Soyoung.” He said quietly, “Your stomach…” Soyoung froze for a moment before letting out a deep sigh and turning back around, a look of resignation on her face.

 

“I hadn’t originally intended to let you know about this.” She said, “But now that you’ve seen me, I suppose there is no avoiding it.” She lightly placed both hands on her belly before speaking calmly and confirming what Jinyoung hadn’t even dared to think.

 

“As you can see, I’m pregnant.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

This was not the way Soyoung had planned for things to go. 

 

The way she had imagined it, Jinyoung would arrive at the palace before Crown Prince Jaebeom, stay long enough to convince the elder prince that everything was fine, and then Jinyoung would return to his place in the restoration efforts right after the Crown Prince departed for Goryeo. There would be no need for him to ever know about the child, and it was unlikely that Soyoung would ever need to call him back again.

 

But, as often happened in Soyoung’s life, it seemed like the heavens had other plans set out for her.

 

She hadn’t expected Jinyoung to be in the garden when she arrived for her daily walk, and Hyojun hadn’t mentioned his presence either. Nor had she expected that Jinyoung would have been able to walk quietly enough that Soyoung hadn’t noticed him approaching. In any other moment, Soyoung would have been pleasantly surprised to see that Jinyoung’s skills had improved.

 

But at that moment, it clearly wasn’t the right time for pleasant compliments.

 

Jinyoung had caught onto Soyoung’s changed physical appearance of course, and Soyoung quickly realized that she could no longer hide the unborn child’s existence from her husband any longer. In that moment, Soyoung was reminded of the few times when she had made a mistake on the battlefield, when she had let down her guard too much and allowed the enemy to sneak up on her before attacking her troops without any warning. When that happened, there was only one thing she could do in order to save everyone’s lives.

 

Retreat as a means of advancing.

 

And so, she did the only thing she could do in the current situation.

 

“As you can see, I’m pregnant.” Her voice came out calmer than she had imagined, making the announcement sound as normal as if she was commenting that the sky was blue.

 

Jinyoung froze at the announcement, his eyes widening in shock. His lips opened ever so slightly, incoherent words fumbling out of his mouth before he fell silent again. His gaze shifted from Soyoung’s calm face to her swollen stomach and back to her face again.

 

“Are you...sure?” He said at last. Soyoung scoffed at the question.

 

“More positive than I’ll ever be about anything.” She replied coolly. A mix of emotions fluttered across Jinyoung’s face, and Soyoung could only imagine what else he could be thinking about at that moment.

 

“It’s...our child?” He then asked hesitantly. Soyoung sighed and thought for a moment before shaking her head.

 

“No.” She answered, “It’s my child.” Jinyoung blinked in confusion at her response.

 

“No, I mean…” He fumbled through a few hand motions as he searched for a way to express his thoughts, “Does that child...carry Goryeo blood?” Soyoung sighed. It wasn’t like she didn’t know what he wanted to ask. It was clear that he wanted to know who the child’s father was. At the same time though, she didn’t want to confirm Jinyoung’s suspicions. The more ties he had to the capital, the more unwilling he would be to leave again, and Soyoung didn’t want to give Jinyoung the chance to use the child as an excuse to stay.

 

“Does it matter who the child’s father is?” She asked. 

 

“Of course!” Jinyoung exclaimed, “If it is my child, then I should-”

 

“Take responsibility?” Soyoung cut him off before he could finish the sentence, “Stay behind and care for me and the child?” Jinyoung gazed at her a long moment before nodding. Soyoung shook her head.

 

“Save it.” She said firmly, “I am fully capable of giving birth to this child and raising it alone. The child only needs to know that I am its mother, and that is all. As for you, play your role for the next week, and then return to where you came from” Steadying her gaze, Soyoung raised a finger and pointed it at the path behind Jinyoung.

 

“You are dismissed.” She ordered coolly. Jinyoung wavered for a moment, then turned and began to walk away. Then, as Soyoung watched, he paused before turning back around. 

 

“Soyoung.” He said, “You may decide to punish me for being so straightforward, but I must ask this question nevertheless.” He took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing.

 

“Have you given your heart to another?” He asked. Soyoung’s lips parted slightly in surprise at the question. It was a question that she had never expected to come from his mouth before, and yet, here he was asking it. One answer flickered through her mind before she pushed it aside and replaced it with another. She crossed her arms over her stomach and leveled her gaze at Jinyoung again. 

 

“I have never given my heart to anyone.” She answered firmly, “That was the case in the past, and that is the case now. My heart…” She placed one hand over her chest.

 

“Has always been right here, within my own control.” She finished. Soyoung could feel her heart flutter under her hand for a few moments before tightening painfully as she watched Jinyoung’s face fall, the little hope that had been in his eyes fading away again. Her heart pounded under her fingers at the sight, and Soyoung tightened the hand lying over her chest.

 

You’re lying, her heart seemed to want to remind her, stop lying.

 

Soyoung tightened her fist and steadied herself as she pushed away the urge to run to Jinyoung and hold him in her arms, to comfort the crushed expression on his face. 

 

“You are dismissed.” She repeated firmly, then sat back down in her seat and casted her gaze over the tranquil pond. Jinyoung was frozen for another moment before the soft scuff of shoes against gravel indicated that he had turned and was walking back the way he had come. Soyoung blew out her breath slowly, then turned and watched as Jinyoung left.

 

Am I doing the right thing?

 

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

The day that Crown Prince Jaebeom arrived in Khanbaliq, Jinyoung forced himself up from the stupor he had fallen into the previous day after speaking with Soyoung and tried his best to look presentable to greet his brother. The large group of servants waiting at the front gates turned and stared as Jinyoung arrived, but he ignored their curious gazes. Soyoung wasn’t present at the front gate, as he had expected given her condition, but Jinyoung was glad that she hadn’t made the effort to come. Just thinking about her cold words and sudden revelation to him the day before made it feel like a knife was being driven into his chest. He could only imagine how awkward it would be to see her now.

 

Despite his cloudy mood though, Jinyoung felt his spirits lift ever so slightly as a familiar Goryeo carriage came into view through the palace gates. The carriage rolled to a stop in the middle of the courtyard, and a few seconds passed before a familiar figure pushed open the curtain covering the front and leapt nimbly down to the ground before turning and holding out his hand to the young woman who exited after him. After the couple had descended from the carriage, the young woman turned around and helped two young children, a boy and a girl off the carriage. A small smile turned up the corner of Jinyoung’s lips.

 

“Hyung-nim!” He called. Crown Prince Jaebeom turned at the sound of Jinyoung’s voice, and a warm smile spread across the older man’s face.

 

“Jinyoung.” He quickly hurried over to Jinyoung and pulled his brother into a hug before Jinyoung could even bow, “It’s been too long since I saw you!” Normally, Jinyoung was a stickler for the rules, particularly for the rules governing etiquette and especially with so many pairs of eyes watching them. But today, taking in all that had happened the day before, Jinyoung leaned into his brother’s warm embrace, the tightness easing in his heart ever so slightly at the familiar soothing touch. Jaebeom pulled away after a few moments and cupped Jinyoung’s face in his hands.

 

“Let me see.” He mused, “It looks like you haven’t lost any weight, so at least the Empress is keeping you well fed.” Jaebeom’s hands lightly squeezed Jinyoung’s shoulders, a half confused frown crossing his sharp features.

 

“Brother, did you build muscles recently?” He asked, poking at Jinyoung’s shoulders experimentally, “These were not here before you were married.” Jinyoung’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as his brother noted the muscles he had built while doing manual labor in the disaster area.

 

“Hyung!” He protested, “I am no longer a child for you to poke at in front of all the servants!” Jaebeom chuckled.

 

“Yes yes, I know.” He replied, “You are the high and mighty Prince Consort of Yuan, one above a million and second only to one.” 

 

“Brother!” Jinyoung protested again, slapping his brother lightly on the shoulder, “Don’t say things like that.” Jaebeom laughed, but his gaze softened as he looked at Jinyoung’s face.

 

“Jinyoung, did something happen?” He asked, “Your physical condition is fine, but your face is telling me something is wrong.” Jinyoung blinked and scrubbed at his face quickly. It was true that he had found himself crying the night before as he thought back on Soyoung’s words and considered the possibility that she had decided to conceive a child with a different man simply for the sake of giving the empire an heir. He had tried his best to cover his puffy eyes that morning, but it seemed like Jaebeom’s perceptive gaze had picked up on it just the same. Forcing a smile to his face, Jinyoung shook his head.

 

“I’m fine.” He said, “Soyoung and I are both doing fine. She’s been treating me very well.” Jaebeom gazed at him for a long moment before sighing. 

 

“Jinyoung, you know you can’t keep secrets from me.” He warned, “So there’s no need to even try.” Jinyoung nodded and turned his gaze to the visitors who had come with Jaebeom.

 

“Sister-in-law, it has been a long time.” He greeted Jaebeom’s wife, Crown Princess Hyejin. The young princess smiled and bowed politely in greeting before lightly nudging forward her two children.

 

“Soomin, Siwoo, say hello to your uncle.” She said. The two little children peeked up at Jinyoung before bobbing quickly in a bow and ducking back behind their mother’s skirts. Hyejin laughed softly.

 

“They are shy around unfamiliar people.” She said, “Please forgive them, Brother-in-law.” Jinyoung smiled and shook his head. Siwoo was only three years old, and Soomin had just turned two. Jinyoung had often kept himself cooped up in the library, and so had maintained little connection with his niece and nephew. It was only natural that the children were shy around him.

 

“It’s alright.” He replied, “There is plenty of time to get to know them better.” Jaebeom reached out and squeezed Jinyoung’s shoulder.

 

“I have to go see the Empress first.” He said, “But I will come find you afterwards. Think about what you want to say to me, and we’ll talk it over. Royal Father is also worried about you.” Jinyoung swallowed hard and nodded, bowing as Jaebeom followed the eunuchs away.

 

“See you later, Brother.” He said. As Hyejin and her children were led off to their guest rooms, Jinyoung heard little Siwoo’s voice pipe up.

 

“Mama, why doesn’t Royal Uncle smile?” He asked innocently, “I thought you said Royal Uncle has a very nice smile.” Hyejin quickly shushed him, but Jinyoung had already heard it. Was it really that obvious that he was feeling down, so obvious that even a three year old child could see it? Jinyoung sighed softly as he looked up at the clear blue sky. He knew why Jaebeom had suddenly decided to come visit, but Jinyoung wondered if his brother’s good intentions would pan out the way he wanted it to.

 

Hyung, if only you knew even half of what is happening right now.

___________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

“Crown Prince Jaebeom of Goryeo has arrived!” Soyoung’s gaze flicked towards the doors to her private library at the eunuch’s announcement, and put down the petition in her hand just as Prince Jaebeom arrived. Soyoung had noticed it before, but now she could see even more the stark contrast between the royal brothers despite their shared blood. The crown prince of Goryeo was a tall and imposing figure even by Soyoung’s standards, his sharp and perceptive gaze taking in everything in the room before he had said a word as he stepped inside Soyoung’s library. At the same time though, his expression was one of polite calm, one that didn’t let Soyoung immediately see directly into what he was thinking. Unlike the soft pure aura that Jinyoung gave off, Jaebeom gave off an aura of assured confidence, the very epitome of a well trained and well accomplished heir to the kingdom. This was a man who knew what he was doing, set a purpose in front of him, and moved forward with only that goal in mind.

 

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Crown Prince Jaebeom stopped at a polite distance and bowed in greeting to her. Soyoung waved a hand lightly.

 

“Please rise.” She said, “I trust that your journey went well?” Prince Jaebeom nodded.

 

“Everything was very smooth.” He answered. Soyoung nodded and carefully rose from her seat. 

 

Now that the pleasantries are over, it’s time to get to the point.

 

Prince Jaebeom’s eyes widened ever so slightly as he took in her pregnant figure, his gaze telling Soyoung that he could tell what was going on. Unlike Jinyoung though, the elder prince smartly kept his lips shut, opting not to point out the obvious until Soyoung brought it up herself. Soyoung motioned for him to sit down at the table set on the right side of the room with a game of chess prepared for her. 

 

“I’ve heard Your Highness is skilled in military tactics.” She said, “Would you mind playing a game of chess with me?” Prince Jaebeom smiled politely.

 

“Not at all.” He answered. The first few moves of the game went by silently, then Prince Jaebeom chuckled softly as Soyoung put down another one of her chess pieces. 

 

“Your Majesty, you have made this quite a difficult move for me.” He noted, “It is no wonder they call you the warrior empress. Your battle tactics are as good off the battlefield as they are on.” Soyoung laughed softly.

 

“You are exaggerating, Crown Prince.” She answered. Crown Prince Jaebeom’s smile faded as he looked up at Soyoung, his long fingers spinning the black circular chess piece in his fingers before putting it down on the chessboard. 

 

“If I may ask, Your Majesty.” He said, “The chess piece that is my brother. Do you think you placed that one well?” Soyoung gazed at Jaebeom for a long moment before smiling faintly.

 

“To be honest, Crown Prince, I have been wondering if I was right to choose that chess piece.” She answered as she placed her white chess piece down on another spot on the board. Jaebeom’s gaze darkened ever so slightly.

 

“Does Your Majesty regret it?” He asked, his gaze sharp as he put down another piece without looking. Soyoung’s fingers froze lightly over the little bowl of white chess pieces next to her as she heard his question. It was a difficult question to answer, one that would put her in a tough spot regardless of how she responded. At last, she smirked lightly and placed another chess piece down.

 

“I do not make decisions that I regret, Crown Prince.” She answered at last. Jaebeom’s fingers tightened over the chess piece in his hands, his expression turning cold for a brief second at her answer.

 

“I trust Your Majesty’s judgment.” He replied, “But, as Your Majesty knows, chess pieces are curious things. Each piece is carefully sculpted and fine tuned into the perfect shape before being sold to each player. And yet, each piece must still be handled with care. If any individual piece suffers from constant battering and poor treatment, in the end, it will become useless to the owner who paid a price to obtain it.” The chess piece in his hand landed with an audible clack against the polished wooden surface of the chess board as Jaebeom looked up at Soyoung.

 

“You do realize that, don’t you, Your Majesty?” He said. Soyoung gazed at Jaebeom for a long moment, her fingers growing still over the bowl of chess pieces before she smiled ever so slightly. It was obvious what, or who, rather, Crown Prince Jaebeom was referring to. There was only one chess piece in the entire Yuan empire that could make the Crown Prince of Goryeo say such things. 

 

“You need not worry about that, Crown Prince.” She replied, “I know very well what I am doing. And besides...” A slight frown marred her features for a moment before Soyoung’s face returned to her mask of calm.

 

“At the same time that the chess piece has been battered, who is to say that the player’s heart has not already been crushed as well?” She added. Jaebeom’s jaw tightened as he gazed at her boldly.

 

“Your Majesty, I am sure you know very well how important the tie between Goryeo and Yuan is.” He said, seeming to have decided to stop using metaphors, “For generations, that tie has been heavily dependent on the marital ties between the royal families. If something were to happen that caused that tie to weaken, or perhaps to even break…” Soyoung’s gaze sharpened, her eyes narrowing as her fingers hovered over the chess board. 

 

“Prince Jaebeom.” She said coolly, “Are you threatening me?” Jaebeom looked startled for a moment before his gaze calmed and he smirked lightly before shaking his head.

 

“I dare not.” He replied, “I am merely reminding Your Majesty of the importance of our countries’ good relationship.” Soyoung kept a calm mask over her face as she gazed at Prince Jaebeom for a long moment.

 

“Rest assured, Prince, I do not need a warning about that.” She answered, “No one knows better than I how important a vassal’s state support is to an empire like Yuan.” Jaebeom nodded slowly, barely suppressed irritation visible on his face.

 

“Then let me give Your Majesty a reminder about something else.” He said, “And that is this: my brother is only human. I can already tell that Jinyoung is trying to put on an act that everything is going just fine, but I will not believe it. I know my brother well enough to see through his weak attempts at putting on a show. I do not know what he has done to offend you, but even my Royal Father has made mistakes before, much less my brother who has spent more time with books than people. Between a husband and a wife, there is nothing that cannot be sorted out through polite discussion. He looks absolutely miserable right now, and I do not wish for the conflict between him and you to continue.” Soyoung kept her gaze fixated on the chessboard as Crown Prince Jaebeom spoke. As she had half expected, although it was better to have Jinyoung here than far away from the palace when Crown Prince Jaebeom arrived, the elder prince had seen through the little act they had put on right away. She understood where Jaebeom was coming from, of course. He was a protective elder brother, one who knew his younger brother well and didn’t want to see him suffer or the rest of the country as a result of his poor relationship with Soyoung. 

 

At the same time though, Soyoung wasn’t about to let a third party tell her what she was supposed to do with her own husband.

 

“Crown Prince, before you go ahead and step into my marital affairs, I would suggest that you first speak with your dear younger brother and find out what exactly happened.” She said coolly, “I understand that you treasure your brother very much, and I respect your position as the future ruler of Goryeo. But before you question my actions and suggest what I should do, go and ask your brother what has happened. After that, if you still believe that there is something else I should do, then we can talk about that then.” Soyoung fixed her gaze firmly on Jaebeom.

 

“And furthermore, I would appreciate it if you did not make it sound like I am treating him worse than the lowest ranked servants in the palace.” She said, “All things considered, the prince has been treated very well since he came here. I myself made sure of that.” Before Crown Prince Jaebeom could respond, Soyoung placed her last chess piece down with a definitive clack, the location that she had chosen effectively ending the game.

 

“Have I made myself clear, Crown Prince?” She asked. Jaebeom looked down at the chessboard, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He said, “In that case, I will take my leave now.” Soyoung waved him off, and the prince left the room after bowing politely. Soyoung sighed and leaned back in her chair as Jaebeom left the room.

 

You will be a strong ruler one day, Prince Jaebeom, but if only you knew how much happened six months ago.

 

_________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

 

Jinyoung paced nervously across the imperial library, the book in his hand still open to the page he had randomly opened it to when he had first arrived and attempted to distract himself by doing something else. What was taking so long? He felt like it had been an eternity since Jaebeom had gone off to see Soyoung. What were they talking about? Jaebeom didn’t offend Soyoung, did he? The Crown Prince could be rather frank sometimes, Jinyoung was well aware of that. And what about the child that Soyoung was carrying? Would Soyoung say anything about the baby to Jaebeom? Would his brother ask?

 

“You are about to wear a hole in the ground.” Jaebeom’s voice came from the front door, and Jinyoung turned to see his brother standing in the doorway to the room he was in.

 

“Hyung!” He exclaimed in relief, “You’re finally back! How did your conversation with Soyoung go?” Jaebeom sighed deeply as he sank into one of the plush chairs dotting the room and crossed his arms as he looked up at Jinyoung with a serious look on his face.

 

“She suggested that I should talk to you first, and I believe you have a lot of explaining to do.” He replied, “Park Jinyoung, just what have you done to make the Empress so furious?” Jinyoung gulped and fumbled with his hands nervously as he wondered what he should say. Taking in Jaebeom’s no nonsense expression, Jinyoung blew out his breath slowly.

 

“Alright.” He said at last, “But it’s a long story.” And so, for the rest of the afternoon, Jinyoung told Jaebeom all about what had happened in the months leading up to his departure from the palace almost six months ago, starting from how their relationship had been blossoming through Hyeyoung’s arrival and manipulation, Jinyoung’s choice to believe Hyeyoung over Soyoung, and finally Soyoung’s decision to essentially exile Jinyoung. 

 

“But I really didn’t take the money, Hyung!” Jinyoung finished, “I swear that I didn’t! Why would I need that much money?” He sighed miserably and lowered his head.

 

“But in the end, Soyoung didn’t believe me or even let me defend myself.” He said quietly. Jaebeom gazed at Jinyoung pensively for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh.

 

“Jinyoung, Jinyoung.” He said, “Whether or not you really took the money isn’t the point. Of all the things that you could have done, you had to go and break one of the most important rules a husband must follow.”

 

“What’s that?” Jinyoung muttered miserably, “It’s not like I had an affair with her sister.” Jaebeom sighed again and shook his head.

 

“That’s not the rule I’m talking about.” He said, “One of the most important rules for a husband to follow is this: always trust your wife. In the moments when she is being accused of wrongdoing, in the moments when everything seems to be against her, as her husband, you must stand on her side and believe her word over others. That is even more important for a woman who has to rule the country, maintain its peace and prosperity, all while defending herself against the schemes of her own court officials. She has been doing the same for you ever since the beginning, hasn’t she? Even when her feelings for you weren’t clear, she chose to stand on your side, because you are the one she chose to be her husband.” Jinyoung swallowed hard.

 

“Yes, but this time she chose not to trust me.” He said quietly, “I know I was wrong, but she chose to punish me for a crime that I didn’t commit!” Jaebeom shook his head.

 

“Trust is a two way street, Jinyoung.” He said, “Particularly between a husband and a wife. You didn’t trust her first, so it is only natural that she reacted that way. Merely sending you to work at the restoration effort is already giving great face to you and to Goryeo, given how great a crime stealing imperial funds could be.” He leaned over towards Jinyoung and held up three fingers.

 

“You have three choices right now.” Jaebeom said, “One, win back my Sister-in-law’s heart and your place at her side. Two, don’t do anything and go back to the restoration effort as soon as I leave Yuan. Or three, go back to Goryeo with me.” Jinyoung blinked in surprise.

 

“Go back to Goryeo?” He repeated. Jaebeom scoffed.

 

“Would you rather go back to the restoration effort and spend your days doing manual labor?” He asked, “I can already tell from your muscles and tanned skin that you’ve been working hard over there. Having a taste of the way the commonfolk live isn’t a bad thing, but I don’t want to watch you suffer like that. If you come back with me to Goryeo, at least Royal Father can try and think of a way to mend this relationship with Yuan.” Jinyoung bit his lip and hesitated before responding.

 

“It is hard to live over there.” He admitted, “But the people there are kind. It took some time, but they accepted me as one of their own. Their lives and their goals are very simple, and that is to make enough money and catch enough food to make it from day to day. It’s nothing like the secret plans and convoluted web of relationships that exist in the imperial palace.” Jaebeom’s gaze softened ever so slightly at Jinyoung’s statement.

 

“You’ve matured, little brother.” He noted softly, “I’m glad to see that.” Jinyoung smiled bashfully.

 

“Thank you, Hyung.” He replied. Jaebeom sighed as he looked carefully at his brother.

 

“Despite what you’ve said though, I’m going to be frank with you.” He said, “Out of the three options, your best course of action would be to earn the Empress’ forgiveness and win your way back to her side. That is the truth whether you are considering the matter from your point of view or our kingdom’s point of view.” Jinyoung balked slightly at the statement, his mouth going dry. 

 

“But she doesn’t even want to see me.” He mumbled, feeling miserable again, “Before I left, she even referred to herself using the royal ‘we’. She said she was returning my freedom to me. It’s obvious she doesn’t want me by her side anymore.” Jaebeom crossed his arms.

 

“But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, Park Jinyoung.” He replied, “She is your wife. Do you really want to give up on her so easily? Once her heart is captivated by another, and she decides to marry someone else, there will be no going back. You understand that, don’t you?” Jinyoung nodded, the mere thought of Soyoung marrying a different man making him feel even more miserable.

 

“I...don’t want to see that happen.” He replied. Of course, he understood that it was possible. Soyoung was both accomplished and beautiful. He could only imagine how many men had fallen head over heels for her back in the day. On top of that,with the position of the empress’ husband came unfathomable power and influence. The moment the position had even the potential of becoming empty, it wouldn’t be a stretch to expect the court officials to begin pushing their sons to become closer to the empress, in the hopes of winning her favor. Jaebeom nodded in satisfaction.

 

“Then go and get back my Sister-in-law.” He said, “She may be the Empress, but at the end of the day, she is still a woman, and a woman’s heart needs to be comforted and soothed every  now and then. Mere apologies will not work. It doesn’t hurt to be the first to soften your stance.” 

 

“But how will I do that?” Jinyoung asked, “Her heart has already hardened towards me.” Jaebeom chuckled softly.

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” He replied. Jinyoung frowned in confusion.

 

“Why do you say that?” He asked. Jaebeom chuckled again.

 

“I could hear it in her speech when we were speaking earlier.” He replied, “I made a reference to how you had been worn down by the cold treatment that I heard about, and she made a veiled statement about being hurt herself at the same time as you were hurting. I didn’t quite understand it then, but now I have a better idea of what she meant.” Jinyoung sighed.

 

“She probably just means that at the same time that I was crushed that she sent me away, she was also hurt by my distrust.” He said dejectedly, “I don’t think it means anything in particular.” Jaebeom shook his head. 

 

“Don’t you understand?” He asked, ‘Whether she is referring to your mistrust hurting her or how sending you away was a painful decision for her, it means that you have the ability to affect her.” When Jinyoung continued staring at his brother in confusion, the Crown Prince sighed.

 

“To put it simply, your actions have an impact on her.” He said, “This is the warrior Empress of Yuan we are talking about, the first female to have taken the throne and held it solidly in her hands. She’s built so heavy of a wall around her, her heart is more well fortified than the imperial palace itself. And yet, your actions were enough to break through her wall and pain her. What does that mean?” He held up a finger as Jinyoung stared at him, puzzled.

 

“It means you mean something to her.” Jaebeom concluded, “If you didn’t, why would she have cared what you did? Why would it have an effect on her?” Jinyoung’s jaw dropped at his brother’s declaration, his mind whirling as he tried to make sense of what Jaebeom was saying.

 

“Wait.” He said as he finally processed what his brother was implying, “You mean, Soyoung has feelings for me?” Jaebeom grinned.

 

“I do not dare to guess what the Empress herself is thinking.” He replied, “But I think that is very possible.” Jinyoung staggered slightly as Jaebeom’s conclusion sank in, his cheeks turning hot as he turned the words repeatedly over in his mind. For some reason, his heart lifted at the thought that he could mean something to Soyoung, not just the husband she had chosen for political reasons, but something more.

 

Soyoung...likes me?

 

I mean, we did grow closer, but to think that she developed feelings for me...

 

“Yah.” Jinyoung snapped out of his daze as Jaebeom hit him lightly on the forehead, “Why are you blushing?” Jinyoung frowned and slapped at his heated cheeks.

 

“I…I am not.” He mumbled, ducking his head shyly. Jaebeom chuckled softly. 

 

“Her Majesty has become someone very important to you, hasn’t she?” He asked, “She’s become a woman who holds a position in your heart that no one has held before.” Jinyoung’s cheeks flushed again at his brother’s direct statement, thoughts whirling around his mind at a mile a minute. 

 

“I...I…” He stammered, words failing to form a coherent sentence on his tongue. Jaebeom tsked lightly and poked his brother on the forehead again.

 

“Look at you.” He teased, “You are about to be a father, and yet you are blushing and fumbling like a child over the mere thought that your wife may hold feelings for you.” Jinyoung frowned and pushed his brother away lightly, his heart sinking slightly again at the thought of the child.

 

“I don’t even know if the child is mine.” He muttered, “I asked, but she didn’t answer me directly.” Jaebeom thought for a moment before shaking his head.

 

“Who could be the child’s father besides you?” Jaebeom said, and Jinyoung looked up hopefully at his response.

 

“Why do you say that?” Jinyoung asked curiously.

 

“Think about it.” Jaebeom answered, “Looking at the Empress now, she should be nearing the end of her pregnancy. As of about seven months ago, the only man she could have been intimate with was you. And besides, while the Empress puts the country first over everything else, she doesn’t act rashly. I highly doubt she would take another man into her bed, especially so soon after you left, just to produce an heir for the Yuan empire. As for why she wouldn’t answer you...that is something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.” Jinyoung nodded slowly as he thought over what Jaebeom had said, a tiny smile crossing his face once more.

 

“Then...that means I’m really going to be a father soon?” He asked, a soft laugh escaping from his lips. Jaebeom nodded and chuckled as he hit Jinyoung’s arm lightly.

 

“Look at you.” He teased, “You were so fixated on your wife’s actions that you couldn’t even think straight. Silly boy.” Jinyoung’s hands trembled slightly, a goofy smile filling his face as the news sunk in.

 

A child…

 

A child, made from Soyoung and me…

 

I’m really….going to be a father!

 

“I wish she’d just told me everything directly.” He muttered, feeling slightly petty, “If she did that, perhaps all of this wouldn’t have happened.” Jaebeom shook his head.

 

“You are very smart, little brother.” He said, “But you become very dumb when what you’re facing is the relationship between a man and a woman. A woman’s heart is as difficult to guess as the deep ocean. Don’t expect her to tell you everything up front, especially when we’re talking about the Empress and her feelings. Instead, take the initiative to pull back the layers hiding her thoughts and actual feelings, and try to consider everything from her point of view.” Jaebeom clapped his hands gently over Jinyoung’s shoulders.

 

“You may have lost the Empress’ trust this time, but that doesn’t mean you cannot earn it back. Her feelings for you are the door that she has left wide open for you.” He urged, “Go and show her your sincerity. Show her that you are worthy of receiving her trust once more. Make it so that she cannot send you away anymore.” He squeezed Jinyoung’s arms gently.

 

“If it is you, I’m sure you can do it, Jinyoung.” Jaebeom concluded. Jinyoung bit his lip, then hesitated for another moment before nodding and rushing out the door.

 

Jaebeom-hyung is right.

 

I cannot give up!

 

___________________________________________________________________________

Jaebeom watched as his younger brother rushed out of the library, tossing the book he had been blankly holding over his shoulder as he did. A soft amused smile turned up the corners of the Crown Prince’s lips, and Jaebeom chuckled as he shook his head. In the short span of his conversation with Jinyoung, Jaebeom had seen his brother express more emotions than he had ever seen before. Sadness and disappointment as he had recalled how he hadn’t trusted his own wife, hope as he had talked about his time in the restoration effort, joy and delight as Jaebeom had suggested that Soyoung held feelings for him, unconcealed happiness as he realized that the Empress was likely carrying his child, and then finally hope as Jaebeom had urged him to go and win his way back into the Empress’ heart.

 

“Silly little brother.” He murmured, “The Empress of Yuan isn’t just important to you. She has taken up your entire heart.”

___________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

 

Soyoung’s finger tapped lightly against the stone table placed in the middle of the pavilion, the breeze blowing through the garden lifting her hair up ever so slightly behind her. The cool breeze was soothing on Soyoung’s skin, but her lips were pursed in a slight frown as she gazed down at the sheets of paper spread out on the table in front of her. One of them was a map of the Yuan empire territory, and the other were two letters, one of which was from one of the Yuan military stations in what was formerly Jin empire territory. The Jin empire had fallen to military sieges laid on them by Genghis Khan and his successor near the beginning of the Yuan empire, but it was an open secret that there were small groups of people left in those territories who claimed to be descendants of the former Jin imperial family. Soyoung hadn’t bothered to root them out to destroy them though; those people only made trouble every now and then, and her troops stationed near that territory were strong enough to keep them suppressed whenever trouble did arise. And besides, Soyoung didn’t want to build a reputation for bloodshed for herself.

 

This time, however, it seemed like Soyoung could no longer turn a blind eye towards the hidden insurgents.

 

The letter that had arrived from the military station was a detailed report of increased rebel sightings, some of them near the military stations. And according to spies sent among those people, the once scattered groups of dissidents had joined together, and were likely planning for a broadscale attack to regain their independence. 

 

Soyoung let out a deep sigh as her fingers tightened around the edge of the map. 

 

If the dissidents decided to wage war, then she would have no choice but to give them the battle they desired. Soyoung’s predecessors had fought hard to take over the former Jin territory; Soyoung was not about to just hand it over for free. Soyoung’s thoughts were distracted as she felt a rolling sensation from inside of her, followed by a kick near her ribcage which made her wince. A slight amused smile crossed her lips as she lightly rubbed her hand over her swollen stomach.

 

“Are you sensing my uneasiness, little one?” Soyoung asked softly. Eunseong had warned Soyoung that she had to maintain an open mind and good moods as much as possible during her pregnancy, because her emotions would in turn affect the unborn child, but that of course was easier said than done. Soyoung scoffed lightly and lightly poked her stomach in response to another kick from her baby. It wasn’t like she wanted to worry, but things that worried her just never stopped coming. Suppressing a rebellion was no small matter, and Soyoung always made sure to lead every effort personally. But if the Jin rebels tried to attack before the baby was born…

 

I cannot possibly lead an army like this.

 

“Soyoung.” An all too familiar voice broke through Soyoung’s thoughts, and she turned to see Jinyoung standing in front of her.

 

“Why did you come again?” She asked, frowning. There was a new determined look in Jinyoung’s eyes, one that made Soyoung wonder what had happened during his conversation with Jaebeom. The prince was holding a lacquered wooden container, which he put lightly on the stone table next to Soyoung.

 

“Your midday snack.” He announced. Although Soyoung was hungry, she raised her eyebrow and turned her gaze away.

 

“Surely, you didn’t come all the way here just to give me food, Prince.” She said, crossing her arms to resist the temptation to open the box. Jinyoung hesitated for a moment, his determination seeming to waver slightly before returning in full force.

 

“Your Majesty.” He said, “I’ve come to make a deal with you.” Soyoung smirked lightly, intrigued by the sudden offer.

 

“Oh?” She said, “And what would that be?” 

 

“Give me one week of time.” Jinyoung declared, “Just until my brother has to return to Goryeo. In that week, I will do everything I can to show you that I am worthy of receiving your trust once more. If I succeed, I would like to stay by your side instead of returning to the restoration effort.” 

 

“And if you do not succeed?” Soyoung challenged, “What then?” Jinyoung swallowed hard.

 

“In that case.” He answered, “I will leave the Yuan palace, never to return again.” Soyoung scoffed softly.

 

“What gives you so much confidence that you’ll succeed?” She asked, “This is quite the large bet you are making, Prince.” To her surprise, Jinyoung laughed softly.

 

“Because-” He bit his lip before he finished speaking and shook his head.

 

“I simply do, Your Majesty.” He said with a bow, “Will you take up this offer?” Soyoung gazed at Jinyoung for a long moment, then laughed.

 

“Very well, Prince.” She said, “Let’s see what you can accomplish in seven days.” Jinyoung’s eyes lit up, and he bowed politely.

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He said, “Then I will take my leave.” Soyoung watched as Jinyoung hurried off, the rare amused smile staying on her face.

 

How very interesting.

 

Soyoung turned her attention to the box that Jinyoung had left her, her slender fingers lifting the lid curiously before a small smile crossed her lips at the sight of the dish inside.

 

Tteok.

 

Soyoung picked up a piece of rice cake and turned the sweet over lightly in her fingers before biting into it. As the sweet taste of sugar mixed with red bean filled , a smile crossed her lips once more.

 

Delicious.

___________________________________________________________________________

Author's note: Soyoung smiling three sentences in a row? Why yes, she did! But only when Jinyoung is around, of course.

Will Jinyoung succeed in winning back Soyoung's heart? Please stay tuned to find out~