For a long moment, the entire main hall was completely silent. Court officials stared at each other, as did the other princes besides Jinyoung and Jaebeom. 

Had they just heard her right?

The Empress had chosen not one the princes that were known for their swordsmanship or their archery abilities, nor had she chosen any of the princes that had already made a name for themselves in court.

Instead, she had chosen the gentle, scholarly Fifth Prince?

Jinyoung stared at the Empress, shocked to the core. He was the last person he had ever expected her to choose. Surely, she had made a mistake. Too much alcohol perhaps? And yet, here she was, standing right in front of him with a small smile on her face that made it clear there would be no questioning her choice. For once, even the king was flabbergasted.

“Your Majesty...what did you just say?” He asked. Jang Soyoung turned and looked at him, an unperturbed smile on her face.

“I said,” She replied, “I would like to marry the fifth prince, Park Jinyoung.” Her dark, steady gaze narrowed, sending a shiver down Jinyoung’s back.

“I do not wish to repeat myself a second time.” She added firmly. The king slowly composed himself and then hesitated before speaking.

“But Your Majesty…” He said carefully, “Jinyoung is...simply a scholarly boy. He is intelligent, that is true, but he is neither an experienced politician nor a brilliant fighter. Why do you want to marry him?” Jang Soyoung thought for a moment before smirking.

“That is true.” She said, “He is none of the things that someone would expect to see in a person I choose to be prince consort. However…” She reached up and tapped her head.

“I do not need a warrior as a husband.” She stated, “If that was the case, I would have married someone from Yuan and arranged for a union between our countries a different way. What I need is someone with his intelligence, who can stand by my side with unwavering loyalty. Park Jinyoung has exactly what I need.” Jinyoung shot a pleading look at Jaebeom, and then his father, but he could tell that both were at a loss. It was clear the Empress had already made up her mind. There was nothing that could be done. 

“King of Goryeo.” Jang Soyoung raised an eyebrow, “I recognize he is one of your two precious sons born of the late queen. However, you cannot coddle him within the Goryeo boundaries forever.” The king swallowed hard and slowly nodded.

“I understand.” He said, “If it is Jinyoung that Your Majesty wishes to marry, then it will happen. I am sure he will live a good life in Yuan.” Jang Soyoung smiled and bowed politely.

“Of course.” She replied, “I thank you, King of Goryeo, for allowing me to marry your precious son.” Jinyoung fell back into his chair, his legs going weak.

It was the most impossible of results, and yet, here it was. 

He was going to marry the Empress of Yuan.

____________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the banquet passed by without any issues, but Jinyoung barely noticed time going by. Although bewildered by the whole mess, the court officials came to congratulate him on the upcoming marriage. Jaebeom, thankfully, moved quickly to intercede the cups of wine offered from the court officials, allowing Jinyoung to think through the matters with a clear mind.

The more Jinyoung thought about it, the more the whole matter didn’t make sense to him. What had the Empress seen in him? What had he done that had caught her attention by the time half the banquet was over, that had made her so certain she wanted to marry him? No, it couldn’t possibly be based on the banquet alone. The way the empress looked at him, the certain smile on her face...it all made Jinyoung think back to the girl at the teahouse earlier that day. And so, as the banquet came to a close and the guests retired to their rooms, Park Jinyoung made up his mind.

Sitting here wondering isn’t going to get me any answers.

After asking around for a short while, Jinyoung made his way directly to the Empress’s guest chambers. Unfortunately, he was promptly blocked at the door by two guards, who refused to move even when he made his identity clear.

“What’s going on?” Her voice, the clear authoritative tone, rose from inside the closed doors. Glaring at the guards, Jinyoung called out loudly in response.

“The Fifth Prince Park Jinyoung requests an audience with Her Majesty!” He called out. There was a long silence, then a soft laugh came from inside.

“Let him in.” 

The guards promptly moved aside, and Jinyoung swiftly made his way inside the guest chambers. He didn’t think of himself as a rash person; growing up in the palace had taught him to think three times before he did anything. But this time, he needed answers, and he wasn’t going to stop until he got them when his future was on the line. 

He could see the Empress sitting on her bed behind a delicate paper screen as he entered, and he promptly stopped in his tracks to maintain propriety. 

“My apologies, Your Majesty.” Jinyoung said quickly, “I did not realize you were preparing for bed.” Her soft laugh, like windchimes blowing in the night breeze, fluttered from behind the screen. 

“Not to worry, Fifth Prince.” She replied, “I was simply preparing for a night walk through the palace. However, it seems like you have an urgent matter you need to discuss with me.” Jinyoung hesitated for a brief moment, then charged forward with his question.

“My apologies if I am being too frank.” He said, “But why does Your Majesty want to marry me?” There was a brief moment of silence, and then the empress laughed again. Slowly, she rose from her seat and stepped out from behind the thin paper screen. Jinyoung stared for a brief moment, a hot flush rising to his cheeks. In the short time since the banquet had ended, the empress had changed into a thinner lilac and white gown, one far simpler than the elaborate dress she had worn for the banquet. The silky fabric fell smoothly down her body, hugging her waist and showing off her well toned figure. The elaborate headdress had be replaced instead with soft purple flowers and two intricate hairpieces that matched her dress. It was far from a nightgown, and she had pulled a cloak on over the dress, but Jinyoung had never been this close with a woman dressed in anything short of full formal attire.

“Is that all this is about?” Empress Soyoung asked, drawing Jinyoung out of his daze, “You rushed all the way into an unmarried woman’s room late at night to ask something I already answered?” Jinyoung cleared his throat loudly in an attempt to clear his mind.

“That is...I need more answers than that.” He said, “Your Majesty, as my father said, I am neither a warrior nor a politician. I cannot help you in your conquests nor can I help you in court. What is it that you like about me?” The Empress tilted her head slightly and looked at him for a long moment before smiling ever so slightly.

“Indeed, you are not a warrior.” She replied, “But I am. A warrior doesn’t need a warrior by her side. To put two strong warriors together only calls for disaster. And if you want to learn, I can still teach you in the future.” 

“But I am not well versed in Yuan politics, nor do I know anything about Yuan that would be helpful as prince consort!” Jinyoung protested. The Empress laughed and stepped closer to him, and on instinct, Jinyoung took another step back.

“You will learn quickly.” She replied, “You are an intelligent man, are you not?” 

“I’m only a scholar!” Jinyoung countered, “Simply a scholar! I’d rather spend my entire day sitting and reading in the library!” Empress Soyoung chuckled and shook her head.

“Fifth Prince, do not underestimate yourself so much.” She said, “You are not simply a scholar. You are observant, careful, astute, and think quickly on your feet. Those are the qualities that I need in a husband.” Something cold bumped up against Jinyoung’s back, and with a start he realized that at some point, he had backed directly into the cold stone wall that lined the guest chambers. He spluttered for something to say as Jang Soyoung gazed intently at him.

“Is there anything else you would like to ask, Fifth Prince?” She asked coolly, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that they were merely inches apart. Jinyoung swallowed hard, his throat going dry.

“I barely said a word all night.” He said, “How did Your Majesty see all those qualities in me?” The Empress raised an eyebrow, then laughed at the question. Jinyoung gulped as she stretched out her hand next to him and pressed it against the wall behind him, bringing her even closer to the young prince’s face. 

“Whoever said this was the first time we met?” She replied, “Little poet.” Jinyoung’s eyes widened as he took in what she was saying. 

So I wasn’t imagining that deja vu!

“Your Majesty...you...you were at the teahouse?” He spluttered, “What were you doing there?” The corner of Jang Soyoung’s lips turned up in a small smirk, and suddenly Jinyoung felt once again like he was watching a little wildcat. 

And once again, the cat’s target was him.

“Did Your Highness not say that I would only choose the best to be my other half?” She responded instead, “Then trust that you are the best, and stop asking so many questions.” His heart hammering in his chest at their proximity, Jinyoung could only nod.

“Y-yes. I understand.” He spluttered, at a loss for words. On his way here, he had thought of a hundred different arguments to convince the empress not to marry him. But no matter what he said, she had an immediate counterargument to stop him in his tracks. 

The message was clear: Jang Soyoung was not taking no for an answer.

Sensing there was nothing more he could say, Jang Soyoung pulled away at last.

“If Your Highness is finished, I will be taking my walk now.” She declared, and walked out of the guest chambers as if nothing had ever happened. Jinyoung watched her go, his jaw dropping as he slowly took in all that had just happened.

Just what is this woman?

____________________________________________________________________________

“Just who is this woman?” Jinyoung’s angry voice echoed across the room as he paced across the Crown Prince’s chambers, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

“Just what sort of woman is she?” He said to no one in particular, “I couldn’t get in a single word with her! I’ve never seen a woman this stubborn, this intent on one thing before! What am I, her prey? What sort of woman just declares someone is going to be her husband and expects him to accept it!” Jaebeom chuckled and rose to his feet, his gentle hands pulling Jinyoung to a stop.

“Brother, brother, calm down.” He said, “You are going to wear a hole in the floor at this rate.” Jinyoung huffed angrily.

“Hyung-nim!” He protested, “I don’t want to marry her!”

“I know, I know.” Jaebeom said soothingly, “But if she is the girl from the tea house, didn’t you find her intriguing?” Jinyoung huffed again.

“That was then, and this is now!” He stated, “I found her straightforwardness interesting, and at that point she did pose a fun challenge to me. But this is completely different! Just because I found that one experience interesting doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind marrying her!” Jaebeom patted Jinyoung on the shoulder gently.

“I know, I know.” He said again, “You like to take things slowly when it comes to women. To have someone just walk up and declare you will marry her is completely opposite to what you wanted.”

“Exactly!” Jinyoung replied with a little angry stomp on the floor. 

“But think about it this way,” Jaebeom said, “Perhaps she is precisely the type of woman you need. She is the complete opposite of you, but sometimes that is the best pairing someone can ask for.”

“No!” Jinyoung insisted with a growl, “I know she isn’t the right match for me! And now I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life in a different country with a woman I couldn’t possibly love!” Jaebeom clapped a hand over Jinyoung’s mouth, his gentle gaze narrowing in a second.

“Quiet.” He scolded, “Don’t let anyone hear you say that. Everyone of course acknowledges you and the empress don’t love each other, but who knows what trouble will be created if you say it that loudly?” Of course Jinyoung understood what his brother was talking about. There was no way he and the empress felt anything for each other, but if he made it too obvious, it would become a weakness for others to exploit for their ulterior motives. Who knew what rumors would start spreading if he was too vocal about the matter? It was safest to keep his head down and follow the prearranged path. 

Like it or not, he would have to go to Yuan.

“Look at things this way, Brother.” Jaebeom suggested, ‘It could be much worse. At the very  least, you must admit she is beautiful.” Jinyoung thought for a moment about the comment, and had to admit the Crown Prince was right. Slowly, he found his mind wandering back to the way he had seen Jang Soyoung last, dressed in a soft lilac dress with flowers in her hair. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she was a nobleman’s daughter who had befriended one of his sisters. Somehow, his mind also wandered back to the way she had leaned close to him, her face inches from him as she spoke, the soft scent of floral perfume floating off her long flowing hair as her pink lips turned up slightly in the faintest of smiles…

“Jinyoung?” Jaebeom’s voice drew him back to the present, and he blinked in confusion as he saw his brother staring at him.

“What?” He asked, realizing he had frozen in place.

“You’re blushing.” Jaebeom replied, poking at Jinyoung’s cheeks, “Are you thinking of the empress?” Jinyoung cleared his throat and turned away in embarrassment, flapping a hand at his cheeks at a futile attempt to calm himself.

Where is my mind going?

“So what if she’s beautiful?” He replied, trying to pull the conversation back on track, “It doesn’t mean I’ll have to like her.” Jaebeom chuckled knowingly.

“So you were thinking of the empress.” He affirmed, playfully giving him a shove on the shoulder. Jinyoung huffed, feeling his cheeks grow hot again. 

“That’s enough for tonight!” He declared, “I’m tired! I’m going to bed!” With that, Jinyoung rushed out of the Crown Prince’s quarters before Jaebeom could say anything, and hurried off into the night.

____________________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere, Jang Soyoung stood in the royal garden, her hands trailing lightly over a large pink flower that glimmered in the moonlight.

“My Lady.” Hyojun said quietly from her side, but didn’t say anything else. Jang Soyoung smiled faintly.

“Go ahead and ask.” She said, “You also want to know why I chose the Fifth Prince, don’t you?” 

“Indeed, My Lady.” Hyojun replied, “He is the most unassuming prince, the one few people think of as being a powerful player in court. Don’t you need someone strong and powerful to stay by your side?” Soyoung smiled and tsked softly.

“Hyojun, I thought you, out of all people, would understand my choice.” She said. Hyojun dipped his head.

“I’m sorry, My Lady.” He said quietly. Soyoung laughed softly and shook her head.

“It is because he is unassuming, it is because he is the least likely choice that I chose him.” She replied, “All the court officials were constantly wondering who I would pick as prince consort, wondering which powerful player I would bring into the fight to hold onto my throne. You know they were all preparing to fight against the strongest possible player I could have chosen. And yet, Park Jinyoung is someone they are not prepared to face. His strengths lie not in his backing, or his physical strength, but in his intellect. And that is something nobody but himself can control. That is the type of man I need by my side.” A smile turned up the corner of her lips as she continued walking.

“And besides...he is the first person to have held my attention for so long.” Soyoung mused softly, “The way he speaks, the way he recites his poems, the way he smiles...I’ve never been so attracted to one man before.”

“My Lady holds affection for the Fifth Prince already?” Hyojun asked, sounding skeptical. Soyoung laughed and poked her guard lightly on the forehead.

“Look at you, speaking as if you have so much experience with love.” She teased, then shook her head.

“It is too soon to say if there is affection.” She said, “Rather, right now I’d say if I need someone from Goryeo to stand by my side for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t mind it being him.” Hyojun didn’t respond, and Soyoung turned to see her guard looking perplexed. Shaking her head, knowing that he hadn’t quite followed, she turned back and continued on her way through the royal garden. Her mind wandered back to the Fifth Prince’s wide eyed gaze as she leaned closer to him in her chambers, her eyes narrowed and making it clear she was not going to be accepting any of his protests. His cheeks had been flushed, giving off an impression of an innocent puppy. Holding back a soft laugh, Soyoung smiled as she continued on her walk.

How cute.

__________________________________________________________________________

The days between the Empress’s announcement and the day Jinyoung would depart for Yuan with her went by in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it, he was standing outside the palace as the servants loaded the last of their luggage into one of the caravans. Jinyoung gazed up at the palace he had spent his entire life living in. He had never imagined one day that he would be married out of the palace, much less marrying off to a country far away. All of a sudden, he understood how foreign princesses felt in the moments before they left their home to be married to princes and emperors in other countries. Swallowing hard, he turned and looked at his father and brothers, who had come to send him off along with Yugyeom and Youngjae. 

“Father, please take care of yourself.” He said, “I will write home often.” The king nodded and squeezed Jinyoung on the shoulder.

“Take care of yourself in Yuan.” He said, “Remember that you are a foreigner in their country. You must acclimate yourself to their rules and way of life as quickly as possible.” Jinyoung nodded. 

“I will do my best to maintain peace between our countries.” He assured.

“Write to me if you need anything.” Jaebeom said, “I will try my best to answer you quickly.” Jinyoung nodded.

“Please take care of yourself, hyung-nim.” He said, “I leave Father in your care.” Jinyoung took a few steps back, then dipped into a formal bow, his hands trembling slightly as they touched the warm stone ground in front of him.

“I will not disappoint you, Father, Brother.” He promised. Jinyoung rose to his feet, turned, and entered the carriage that was waiting for him. Normally, he would have chosen to ride on a horse, but the journey to the center of Yuan territory was too time consuming and arduous to complete on horseback. Empress Soyoung was already waiting for him inside the carriage, having said her goodbyes to the king before Jinyoung. Dressed in a light aqua green dress, she was the epitome of calm and poise, her slender fingers holding a book calmly in front of her. Jinyoung knew, however, that she hadn’t truly been reading while he said his goodbyes.

“Were you eavesdropping?” He asked. 

“And if I was?” She replied coolly, “Even if I tried, I couldn’t have avoided hearing things.” 

“Are you always this calm with everything?” Jinyoung asked, unable to hold back his curiosity, “You are currently sitting in a carriage with a man you’ve barely known for more than a week.” Jang Soyoung’s gaze rose lightly above the top edge of her book, her dark gaze sending a slight shiver down Jinyoung’s back. The look in her eyes made it clear she would tolerate no nonsense.

“As opposed to what?” She replied, “Gushing like a child over your goodbyes with your family? Squealing over how excited I am about the upcoming wedding? Park Jinyoung, I am not your average woman.”

“That’s not what I meant-” Jinyoug began, but cut off as he heard Im Hyojun, the empress’s personal guard that he had seen at the teahouse and the banquet, call out from his place at the front of the group of travelers.

“Set off!” He called, and the carriage jolted slightly as the horses began moving. Jinyoung quickly pulled back the curtain covering the window in the side of the carriage, and waved to his friends and family as the carriage pulled away. Jang Soyoung sighed as the carriage turned the corner and the castle disappeared into the distance.

“It’s not like you won’t see them again.” She said, “You’re acting like it’s the end of the world.” Jinyoung glanced over at her, but bit his tongue to keep himself from lashing out at the empress.

It’s easy for her to say! She’s not the one who’s marrying into a foreign nation!

“You can come back to Goryeo once a year to visit if you’d like.” The empress stated suddenly, startling Jinyoung from his thoughts. He frowned and peered suspiciously at the empress.

“Really?” He asked. Jang Soyoung scoffed softly, closing the book in her hands with a soft thwack.

“I am not a tyrant, Park Jinyoung.” She said firmly, “You are going to be my husband, not an exotic pet I have to keep locked up. I have no reason to keep you separated from your family forever.” Jinyoung hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“Thank you.” He said begrudgingly, “Truly.” 

“Mm.” Jang Soyoung replied. The engaged couple sat for a few moments in awkward silence before the empress reached for a stack of papers that had been sitting next to her and handing them to Jinyoung.

“Here. Read these on our way to the capital.” She said. Jinyoung looked at the papers skeptically.

“What are they?” He asked. 

“Some basic information about our court, the names and pictures of the highest ranking court officials and information about them, the most important members of the royal family, and things like that.” Jang Soyoung replied, “It’s all information that will be useful in the future.” Jinyoung raised an eyebrow.

“You want me to have all of this down by the time we get to Yuan?” He asked, “Do you realize that this is information you spent your life learning?” Jang Soyoung smiled, fixing her unwavering gaze on him.

“You are the most intelligent man in Goryeo.” She said, “Surely you can learn it all, right?” Jinyoung swallowed hard, then bit back the protests that were rising in his chest. In the blink of an eye, the empress had managed to put his reputation and intelligence on the line, all based on a stack of flimsy paper! If he didn’t manage to even memorize such basic information, both he and Goryeo would surely lose face. 

“Fine.” He said, “Very well.” The couple sat in silence as they traveled, the only sound in the carriage the sound of pages flipping as Jinyoung read through the materials the empress had given him. His fingers stilled as he reached the middle of the stack, his gaze pausing on the person drawn on the paper. The person was an austere looking man with cold serious eyes, his lips pressed together in a thin line that gave off the impression of being cold and ruthless. Jinyoung’s gaze traveled over to the name written on the side of the paper.

Temur Qayisan...Korean name Jang Jaewon. 

Jang Soyoung looked over as she noticed Jinyoung’s fingers still, and scoffed softly.

“I see you’ve found my Uncle, the Grand Preceptor.” She stated. Jinyoung raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

“Your Uncle?” He repeated.

“Mm.” The empress replied, “Do me a favor and try to stay away from him.” Jinyoung frowned in confusion.

“But why?” He asked, “I’ve long heard that he is a powerful player in court.” Jang Soyoung looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling mysteriously and simply shaking her head.

“Just...avoid him if you can.” She repeated. Jinyoung looked back down at the drawing in his hand, confused as ever about what the empress was talking about.

Jang Jaewon...just who are you?

____________________________________________________________________________

Khanbaliq, Yuan Territory

The sound of birds chirping could be heard in the royal garden of the Mongol palace. The soft sounds of the rushing man made stream bubbled in the air, the soft spots of color that were butterflies dancing across the carefully tended flowers. In a pavilion near the middle of the royal garden, a tall man in mahogany red robes stood watching over the scene, his hands clasped behind his back. As he stood  there, a figure dashed up to him and bowed.

“News has just arrived.” The newcomer said, “The empress is on her way back from Goryeo, and she is bringing one of the princes with her.” The man in the pavilion chuckled softly.

“So one of the Goryeo boys did catch her eye after all.” He said, “Find out which prince she is going to marry. I need complete information on the future prince consort.” 

“Yes Sir!” The soldier said, and dashed off into the distance. As the man left, Jang Jaewon smiled ever so slightly. 

Little niece...I wonder which prince managed to catch your eye.