Soyoung

Soyoung’s steely gaze glared down at the two young nobles kneeling on the floor of Mentality Hall, their heads bowed in fear. The lords of the court lined up in their respective places on either side of Han Ling’er and Young Master Zhou, their shocked whispers creating a soft hum that descended over Mentality Hall. Less than an hour ago, Hyojun had returned with Jinyoung and the rest of the royal guards Soyoung had sent out, dragging Han Ling’er and the son of the Zhou family along with them. It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened, but Soyoung knew she had to go through the motions of a public interrogation if she wanted to make an example of the two nobles who had dared to step far too much over the line of tolerable behavior. 

“Han Ling’er.” She snapped, “Zhou Liwei. What do you have to say for yourselves?”

“Your Majesty!” Zhou Liwei cried, “It is a mistake! I was framed!” Soyoung turned her head slightly to look at Prince Jinyoung, who was sitting next to her in his designated position. The Goryeo prince shook his head slightly at the questioning look on her face. Soyoung nodded slightly; even before Jinyoung had returned, she had become certain of the two young nobles’ roles in Lord Han’s death. Denying it now was simply a futile task on their part. 

“Oh?” She replied, “You say that you were framed?” She reached into her sleeve, took out the wrapped acupuncture needle, and held up the weapon for the entire court to see.

“Then, Zhou Liwei, can you explain why your acupuncture needle was found in the back of Lord Han’s neck?” She asked. Zhou Liwei’s face paled, and he turned to shoot a look at Han Ling’er, who looked like she wanted to melt into the ground in a mixture of fear and shame. 

“Your Majesty, that is not mine!” Zhou Liwei protested in a panic, “I do not know where you found it from, but it certainly is not mine!” He jumped as Soyoung slammed her hand against the table.

“Young Master Zhou.” She stated coldly, “I am a patient person but even my patience has its limits. I do not have the time to waste by sitting here and arguing with you.” She held up the needle carefully again.

“The acupuncture needles used by the royal physicians are made of the highest caliber of material.” Soyoung stated firmly, “Surely you already know that. I have already had someone investigate, and this was one is indeed from the royal infirmary. If you’d like, I can call all of the royal physicians here, and tell them to take out their acupuncture needles one by one. In the end, I am certain that none of them will be missing a single one.” Zhou Liwei shrank in fear as Soyoung’s gaze narrowed.

“The only other people who would have access to such high quality needles would be the children of the royal physicians.” She finished coldly, “And it just so happens that you, a son of a royal physician, have been in contact with Lord Han’s daughter.” Soyoung raised one eyebrow as a deadly silence fell across the lords of the court, who had undoubtedly picked up on the connection between everything Soyoung had said.

“Need I say more, Zhou Liwei?” She asked. Finally seeing that he was completely trapped, Zhou Liwei threw himself forward and prostrated himself on the ground.

“Your Majesty, I was wrong!” He cried, “Please spare my life! It was Han Ling’er who came up with this idea! She said if we killed her father, she could take her family fortune and we could be together!”

“Liwei!” Han Ling’er cried in horror, “How could you do this to me?” 

“Ling’er, there is no escape!” Zhou Liwei wailed, “You might as well admit to your crimes! Perhaps the empress will be kind and spare our lives!” Soyou turned her cold gaze onto Han Ling’er.

“Miss Han.” She said, “Would you care to explain?” 

“Your Majesty!” Han Ling’er cried, “I only wanted to take back what belonged to me! I am the true heir to the Han family! I could not just sit back and watch as everything was snatched from my hands!” Soyoung shook her head, a dry smirk turning up the corner of her lips.

“You are justifying murder by using your own selfish wishes?” She asked, “I am ashamed to see that the intelligent Lord Han has a daughter like you. If you intend to explain, then tell me why you put the blame on the prince as well.” Han Ling’er gulped.

“I was a fool.” She admitted, “The gift box from the prince was the easiest item to put the poison into.” Soyoung sighed deeply.

“Han Ling’er, do you realize you almost lead to a crisis in the relationship between the two countries?” She snapped, “The prince could have died because of your crimes!”

“Your Majesty, I thought you would at least understand my pain!” Han Ling’er wailed, tears running down her face, “I simply did not want to submit to an undesirable fate! I wanted to marry someone of my own choosing rather than who my family wanted. I wanted to take back what was rightfully mine! Why should I be punished for that?” Soyoung sighed deeply. 

“Listen carefully, Han Ling’er.” She growled, “I admire women who fight against the destinies that their families set for them, because I repeatedly had to do so myself. However, resisting what destiny has laid out and killing the father who raised and loved you for personal gain are two different things. I will never condone such behavior in the Yuan kingdom, much less among the nobility. Do not try to justify your acts with such twisted logic!” As Han Ling’er spluttered nonsensical protests, Soyoung raised her voice.

“Guards!” She called, “Take this criminal and throw her into prison! I will grant her ten yards of white cloth, to be gifted tonight!” 

“Your Majesty!” Han Ling’er screamed in terror as royal guards rushed to drag her out of Mentality Hall, “Your Majesty, please spare me! Please show mercy! Your Majesty!” Her cries gradually faded away as the guards took her away, and Soyoung turned her gaze back onto Zhou Liwei.

“Now...what should I do with you?” She wondered aloud, tapping one slender finger against the gold encrusted armrest of her throne. Before she could announce a decree, a eunuch rushed into the room.

“Your Majesty, Royal Physician Zhou has arrived.” He announced, “He requests an audience with Your Majesty!” Soyoung sighed. She had hoped to settle the matter before Royal Physician Zhou caught wind of it from the recent flooding area she had sent him to. Now she was going to have to sit through the older man’s useless begging and prostrating. She valued the Zhou family’s services, that was for certain. But when it came to crimes, Soyoung had made it clear since long ago that she would not excuse any criminal behavior, even if it was a nobleman. Once there was an ounce of flexibility, the nobility would only try to test her boundaries until there no longer were any boundaries left. 

“Let him in.” She said with a wave of her hand, “Whatever he wants to say, he can say it here.” The eunuch bowed and backed out of the room, and a moment later, Royal Physician Zhou rushed into the room and threw himself onto the floor next to his son.

“Your Majesty!” He cried, “Please spare the life of my foolish son! He was only momentarily blinded by greed and led astray by false feelings! You can blame this useless father for not guiding him properly. Please turn your wrath onto me!” Soyoung sighed deeply.

“Royal Physician Zhou, you have done nothing wrong.” She stated, “I know you have given your son only the best that the capital has to offer. He was a fool and threw away the life of fortune he could have lived. Each must pay the price for his wrongdoings.” 

“Your Majesty-!” Royal Physician Zhou cut off as Soyoung raised one hand.

“However, the one you should beg is not me,” She continued, “because the one who could grant your son mercy is Prince Jinyoung.”

Startled murmurs filled the air as the ministers stared in shock at their sovereign’s sudden announcement. To grant the authority to punish a noble to a foreign prince before marriage was almost unheard of. But then, Soyoung’s reign had been a series of firsts from the moment she had sat on the golden dragon throne; one more unprecedented move was not going to make a difference. She had only come up with the idea a moment ago, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. It was a further test of Park Jinyoung’s capabilities as well as a sure sign of his high status in the Yuan empire. 

Soyoung turned her head slightly to look at Jinyoung, who was staring at her in shock.

Little poet, how will you respond this time?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

Jinyoung stared in shock at the empress as she turned and gave him the power to decide the fate of the trembling young noble on the floor.

Empress, what are you doing?

Even as he stared at the empress, she only offered him a small smile and motioned for him to speak. The signal was clear; the decision was in his hands, and she was not going to change her mind. Jinyoung gulped as he wracked his brain for something to help him decide.

Something that would keep the lords of the court happy, while not being so light as to make a fool of myself…

Then, Jinyoung realized what was the right thing to do.

“Your Majesty, there is no need to take his life.” He answered, “Instead, I propose that Young Master Zhou be demoted from nobility status to commoner status for the rest of his life, never to serve in court or step inside the doors of the palace ever again. His children also shall be banned from serving in court or obtaining any official lordship status. For someone like him, I believe this punishment will be best.” As Jang Soyoung mulled over the proposed punishment, Jinyoung peeked down at the lords of the court to see what their reactions were. To his relief, most were nodding their heads as they talked in hushed whispers, seeming to agree with his proposed sentence. Then, Jang Soyoung smiled ever so slightly.

“Very well.” Her voice rose over the hushed whispers of the lords of the court, “I think the prince’s sentence is fitting for this crime. From this day forward, Zhou Liwei is stripped of his status as nobility, and demoted immediately to commoner status. Neither he nor his children shall ever have the right to serve in the palace ever again, regardless of what the position is.” Zhou Liwei spluttered nonsensical protests, but it was clear that there was nothing he could do. Jang Soyoung’s gaze flitted from Zhou Liwei to his father, who sat in shock at what he had just heard.

“Royal Physician Zhou, do you have any objections?” She asked. Although she was asking, anyone with a brain could tell that there was nothing they could do to change the situation, even if Royal Physician Zhou raised any objections. If they protested, they instead risked the empress making the final decision herself. If Jang Soyoung was the one making the decision, it was unlikely that Zhou Liwei could save his own life, much less his status. Falsely accusing royalty and lying to the empress were both crimes worthy of death. If he went too far, even Zhou Liwei’s wife and children would be killed. At last, both father and son trembled as they lowered their heads to the ground.

“I thank Your Majesty for your grace in sparing my life.” Zhou Liwei answered, “May Your Majesty live forever.” Zhou Liwei was dragged out, and Royal Physician Zhou took his leave. Jinyoung watched silently as the older man walked out, his shoulders slumped in defeat. The sentence was harsh, Jinyoung knew. But given the situation, there was no way the Zhou family could have escaped unscathed. One had to bear the punishment for their own wrongs. 

“Before you all leave, I have one more thing to say.” The court ministers stood carefully at attention as Soyoung spoke again. The empress’s gaze was serious as she gazed at each of the men gathered below her.

“Park Jinyoung is the husband that I have chosen.” She stated firmly, “From now on, he will be the one who will lead this country with me. He is not merely a foreign prince, but my husband. And so, from this day on, I hope all of the ministers of the court will remember not to jump to conclusions and accuse Park Jinyoung of any crimes without conducting a proper investigation. Whoever insults the prince will be placing an insult on me. Have I made myself clear?” The ministers quickly bowed in unison.

“We will follow and remember Your Majesty’s order.” They replied in unison. Jang Soyoung nodded, satisfied.

“Very well.” She said, “You are all dismissed.” 

“We bid you farewell, Your Majesty.” The court ministers chorused as Soyoung rose from her seat and headed for the back hallway leading away from the audience hall. Jinyoung rose and quickly followed her. The empress was silent for a few moments as they walked down the hallway, the servants staying a respectful distance away. Then, Soyoung turned her head slightly and looked at Jinyoung.

“Tell me, prince.” She said, “Why did you decide on that sentence for Zhou Liwei? He is the man who caused Lord Han’s death. Is there not a saying from the scholars of old that there must be an eye paid for an eye?” Jinyoung sighed softly. He had a feeling that the empress would ask him this sooner or later.

“There is indeed a saying that an eye should be repaid with an eye.” He responded, “But that was already satisfied with Han Ling’er’s death, was it not? Royal Physician Zhou is an intelligent man; he understands that one must pay the price for their crimes. At the same time, he is still a father. If he had to watch his son die under royal order, at least a little bitterness is unavoidable. Royal Physician Zhou is still going to serve Your Majesty in the future until the day of his retirement. It would do you no good to have him hold bitterness towards Your Majesty due to the death of his son. On the contrary, if I decided to let his son live, Royal Physician Zhou is more likely to hold gratitude for sparing his son’s life. In the end, the lords of the court will be satisfied that the perpetrator was heavily punished for the crime of murder, but the Zhou clan will still be loyal to the royal family.” The empress paused, and she gazed at him for a long moment. Then, she laughed softly and nodded.

“Well said.” She said, “I wasn’t wrong to leave the choice in your hands.” Jinyoung blinked in surprise, then smiled and bowed politely.

“I thank Your Majesty for your praise.” He replied, “But if I may ask, Your Majesty, why do you favor me so much?” Jang Soyoung raised one eyebrow at the question.

“What do you mean?” She asked. Jinyoung fidgeted as he thought of how to phrase the question.

“Many people do not look favorably upon me in court.” He replied, “Even if I took the blame for Lord Han’s death, no one would say anything against Your Majesty if you chose another man to be your husband. So why did you choose to help me so much?” The empress gazed at him for a long moment, long enough that Jinyoung began to wonder if he had asked too much. Then, she laughed slightly. 

“Little poet, no one knows better than I do how it feels to be a fish out of water.” She stated, “I am the one who brought you here, and I did not do so rashly on a mere whim. Since I brought you here, I must make sure you are living well. Do you understand?” Jinyoung wondered what she meant by being a fish out of water; Jang Soyoung acted like she was born ready to take the throne. What could have happened in the past that made her say that? 

But then, it wasn’t his place to ask. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He replied, bowing again.

Jang Soyoung gazed at him for another moment before speaking again.

“Now that this is over, you should prepare for our wedding.” She said, “I will have the tailor sent over to take your measurements for the wedding robes.” Jinyoung gulped, his throat going dry as he was reminded of the impending wedding.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He replied. 

Right...the wedding…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One month later, Jinyoung

The next month passed in a blur, and before Jinyoung realized it, the day of the grand royal wedding arrived. In that intervening month, Jinyoung was put through a month long intensive course on Yuan culture and palace etiquette; the prince that was to stand by the empress’s side could not take a single step out of place. He was trained in Yuan speech and dress, how to address the different classes of Yuan nobility and royalty. Jinyoung barely caught even a sight of the empress, but he didn’t mind. Just thinking of the wedding itself was overwhelming, much less consistently seeing the woman who was to be his wife. By the day of the wedding, the entire palace was decorated in a festive red color, long red and gold ribbons streaming from every corner that the eye could see. Jinyoung was awoken early in the morning by his servants, who rushed the half asleep prince through a warm bath and light breakfast before tying his hair up into a neat topknot captured by an elegant crown of thin gold. Finally, they brought over the elaborate red wedding robes that he was to wear and carefully helped him slip on the many layers to the custom made wedding robes. The red silk was soft against Jinyoung’s skin, its cool touch finally drawing Jinyoung out of the last vestiges of slumber. When the servants were finished with him, Jinyoung paused to take a look at himself in the mirror. His breath caught slightly in his throat. 

Is this really me?

The man gazing back at Jinyoung in the mirror was dressed in red wedding robes of the finest quality, decorated with golden swirling patterns that had been sewn carefully by hand into the red silk. The collar, waistband, and sleeve cuffs had been sewn with white gold cloth that contrasted perfectly with the vibrant red of the rest of the wedding robes. Patterns resembling flames traveled over Jinyoung’s left shoulder until the middle of his chest, the edges outlined with gold thread. And then, over both of the wide rimmed sleeves of his robes, Soyoung had ordered the royal tailors to sew the image of a tiger, it’s claws outstretched as if daring anyone to come closer. Jinyoung knew there had been many murmurs in the palace over the empress’s choice of design. But at the same time, he understood why the empress had chosen the animal that she did. In Goryeo culture, several animals were worshipped as sacred beasts, among them the phoenix, dragon, white tiger, and black turtle. In Chinese culture, the image of the dragon was saved for its sovereign ruler. The Phoenix was usually a representation of the emperor’s main wife, the empress. It would have been a slight to Jinyoung’s dignity to use a woman’s image on his wedding robes. And finally, to use a turtle, even the sacred black turtle, on wedding robes would be far from proper for the extravagant occasion. All that was left was the tiger. 

“You look wonderful today, Your Highness.” The eunuch by his side commented, and Jinyoung gave him a small smile. In less than one hour, he would no longer be simply a prince from Goryeo. He would be the prince consort of the most powerful ruler on the continent, the warrior empress who had held the throne since her early teens. The expectations that would come with such a high position weighed heavily on Jinyoung’s shoulders already.

And yet, he knew there was no avoiding the matter. 

This was his fate.

Jinyoung took a deep breath and turned towards the door. 

It’s time to face my fate.

___________________________________________________________________________

The path to the wedding ceremony was long and slow, as Jinyoung wasn’t free to walk as he pleased. As the person marrying into the royal family to be the sovereign ruler’s spouse, he was required to walk on the center path leading from the main doors to the royal palace all the way to Mentality Hall where the empress was waiting. Usually, the path was saved for the empress alone to use, but an exception was made when the sovereign ruler’s spouse married into the family. Jinyoung had been instructed to walk to the predetermined steady beat of the drums lining the side of the center path, his head held high, his hands folded in front of him. At last, he reached the main hall where the lords of the court and the empress was waiting.

“His Highness the Prince has arrived!” The eunuch at the door announced, and all the lords of the court turned in unison to bow to him.

“Greetings, Your Highness.” They intoned in unison. Jinyoung gulped as he paused slightly by the door before stepping inside. He could feel a thousand pair of eyes watching him, both from outside where the lower ranked officials stood and inside the hall where the highest ranked officials watched. Jinyoung took a deep breath, and suddenly he was reminded of what Ryu Soojin had said before she disappeared into the forest.

I am not merely a foreign prince. I am the empress’s husband, second only to her in authority. Lift your head high Park Jinyoung, and do not let them see that you are afraid.

 Up ahead, he could see Jang Soyoung standing at the top of the steps leading to the wide lifted area where the imperial throne sat. The two dragons flanking the pavilion, usually large and imposing, had been decorated with red ribbons, making their claws and sharp eyes look for once less menacing. Two large paintings hung behind the empress. One was the image of a serious looking man sitting on a throne, clearly the emperor prior. The one next to it was of a beautiful elegant lady, dressed in a pink and white dress with flower hairpins decorating her hair. That was likely the empress’s mother, Royal Noble Consort Hua. As Jinyoung reached the stairs leading to the throne, he looked up and carefully took in the woman that was to be his wife for the first time that day. 

As expected, the empress’s wedding gown was elegant and extravagant, but at the same time managed to give off the aura of grace and refined sophistication. Like Jinyoung’s robes, the collars and waistband of the empress’s dress had been lined with white gold cloth that shimmered under the sunlight streaming in through the windows. The golden decorations sewn from her back and over both her shoulders matched the flames that had been sewn into Jinyoung’s robes, and on both of the wide sleeves the royal tailors had embroidered a large phoenix, its wings spread elegantly towards the end of the sleeves. Two phoenixes also criss crossed over the back of the empress’s dress, leading down to a long train that had been carefully arranged by the maids to fan out behind her. The crown she usually wore for official matters had been replaced with a shining golden headdress that was made of interlocking gold flowers and sparkling rubies, followed by gold tassels that trailed down from each end to frame the empress’s heart shaped face. Jinyoung felt his heart hammer in his chest, although for a different reason this time.

She’s so beautiful.

“Prince?” Jinyoung snapped out of his daze as the empress spoke, and he realized with a start that the empress was holding out a hand to him. Her red painted lips were turned up in the smallest of amused smiles, an unreadable expression in her dark eyes. 

“My apologies.” Jinyoung mumbled, taking the empress’s hand carefully. She lead him to stand in front of the royal throne, and a man stepped forward from the ranks of court officials below. Jinyoung looked at the man for a long moment, sensing that he looked familiar. Where had he seen this man before? The man with dark narrow eyes that you couldn’t read, the austere serious look on his face. Jinyoung felt his throat go dry as he realized who it was. 

Jang Jaewon, the Grand Preceptor. 

Just like the painting he had seen while on the trip to Yuan, the Grand Preceptor was a domineering figure. His expression was completely unreadable, as if he was calculating a million plans in his mind that Jinyoung could not even begin guessing about. One thing was clear though. 

I must stay away from him.

The older man had been quiet the entire time since Jinyoung had arrived in Yuan, but who knew what would happen in the future? For generations past, no matter what empire ruled the world, the same principle applied; the strongest villains were always those who stood back and surveyed the entire situation before making their move.

“Your Majesty, I will begin the ceremony now.” the Grand Preceptor stated, and Soyoung nodded her acquiescence. Jinyoung quickly brushed away the startled emotions that had arisen as he laid eyes on the empress’s uncle for the first time. It was normal for her uncle to be presiding over the ceremony. Normally, it would be the bride’s father, but like everything that had to do with the empress, the normal procedures did not apply. 

“First bow to the heavens and the earth!” Jinyoung turned towards the open hall doors at the first call, and together, he and the empress bowed in unison towards the bright sky visible outside. 

“Second bow to the elders!” Jinyoung pivoted behind him, and he and the empress bowed towards the portraits of the prior emperor and noble consort. 

“Third bow to your spouse!” Jinyoung gulped as he heard the final call, and he turned obediently to the empress. An odd expression was on her face as her gaze met Jinyoung’s, but she offered him a tiny, polite smile. Then, the two royals folded their hands in front of them and bowed to their newlywed spouse. 

“The ceremony is finished!” As Jinyoung straightened up from his bow, the lords of the court called out their congratulations in unison.

“We congratulate Your Majesty the Empress and Your Highness the Prince Consort on your marriage!” Their voices echoed loudly through Mentality Hall. Jinyoung took a deep breath as he stood gazing out at the multitude of people watching his marriage ceremony. At this point, it still felt surreal. Just a month ago, he had merely been a bookworm prince, content with sitting all day in the enclaves of the royal library reading to his heart’s content. And now, he was husband to the ruler of Yuan, the man she had personally picked out of all the men she could have chosen. He turned as the empress approached him, and saw that she had picked up a gold lacquered tray from the desk behind her. A jade seal lay on the tray, along with a royal edict officially proclaiming him to be the Prince Consort.

“Park Jinyoung.” Jang Soyoung’s voice echoed authoritatively over Mentality Hall and the court officials gathered below, “Do you accept your position as the Prince Consort of Yuan, my husband?” As he had been taught, Jinyoung knelt on the ground and held out both hands.

“It would be my greatest honor, Your Majesty.” He replied. Jang Soyoung laid the tray in his hands, the simple tray carrying the weight of Jinyoung’s future and responsibilities with it. Then, she tapped one hand below Jinyoung’s wrists, signaling for him to rise to his feet. The lords of the court fell to their knees and bowed deeply to Jinyoung as he turned towards them. 

“Your loyal servants greet you, Your Highness the Prince Consort!” They declared, “May you live for thousands upon thousands of years!”

____________________________________________________________________________

Nighttime, Soyoung

As the festivities and wedding banquet came to an end, Soyoung and Jinyoung were ushered from the banquet hall and towards Soyoung’s chambers. Or rather, their newlywed chambers. An entire army of specially chosen maids and eunuchs watched the newlywed royals enter the chambers and exchange the marital wine. Then, the maids helped Soyoung remove her heavy wedding robes, and the eunuchs did the same for Jinyoung. Soyoung caught sight of a soft pink blush spreading across Jinyoung’s cheeks as he turned away at the sight of her dressed only in the creamy white innermost gown.

What an innocent boy.

Of course, it wasn’t like Soyoung was experienced in what was about to come next either. She had spent her childhood among boys in the military training camps, but those had been like her brothers, not a husband. Besides, the boys were always careful to give the young princess privacy whenever she wanted it. But unlike the prince, Soyoung knew better than to let her shyness and discomfort show.

“You may all leave now.” She stated as the maids stepped back from her. The servants nodded, bowed, and took their leave from the inner chambers. Soyoung waited until the door shut behind the last maid, then reached out and slung a silk cloak around her shoulders.

“Would you like to sleep on the bed or the sofa tonight, Prince?” She asked. Prince Jinyoung stared at her in surprise, startled by the sudden question.

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?” He asked. 

“Precisely what I asked.” Soyoung replied, crossing her arms. Prince Jinyoung froze for a long moment, turning over what she was implying.

“Then...tonight you don’t…?” His voice trailed off questioningly. Soyoung laughed softly as she caught onto where the prince’s thoughts were going.

“No husband,” She replied, “We will not consummate our marriage tonight.” Soyoung had thought over the matter carefully in the weeks leading up to the wedding before coming to this conclusion. It was expected that the royal couple would consummate their marriage on their wedding night, of course. That rule applied with every newlywed couple. But after giving it much thought, Soyoung had decided against it. 

“We are still young, there is no need to rush to consummate our marriage.” She continued, “And for that matter, I do not yet wish to have children. You yourself are not ready for this yet either, am I right?”  It was one of Soyoung’s many duties to bear an heir for the future of the empire; she knew that very well. But she simply couldn’t imagine herself being a mother to a young child at this point, nor could she bear the burden of teaching a child the ways of the world and how to survive in the complex halls of the royal palace.

 Even if she could, pregnancy consisted of a delicate nine months. The child would heavily limit her actions and give the court officials an excuse to keep her inside the palace. And then what if conflict broke out in the territory or a disaster occurred before the baby was born? Soyoung had spent the years after she took the throne calming the empire and settling all signs of rebellion against her reign. But every now and then, rebels appeared in large numbers, particularly among the Mongols who still lived on the grassland plains that had balked at the idea of a woman taking the throne. Even in Mongol culture where women were given far greater freedom to do as they’d like, the role of leading a country was believed to belong to a man alone.

No, now was not the time to risk conceiving a child. 

The court officials would make a fuss about it eventually, but Soyoung would deal with their complaints when the time came. 

In any event, Soyoung’s innocent husband had looked so uncomfortable sitting there, no doubt thinking about what was supposed to come next, that she couldn’t bring herself to force him. He had been trying to hide it, that was for sure, but the prince was like an open book. Naturally, the prince that had been sheltered from the trials of royal politics would be unable to hide his emotions. Soyoung sighed and pulled one set of red blankets off from the bed as the prince continued to stare at her.

“I will sleep on the sofa.” She decided, “You can sleep on the bed.” Prince Jinyoung snapped out of his daze at her sudden announcement.

“Your Majesty, how could I let you sleep on the sofa?” He protested, “I know you are the ruling empress, but as a man and a husband I cannot possibly let you sleep there.” Soyoung smiled lightly as she spread out the blankets on the sofa.

At least he knows basic courtesy.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Prince.” She replied, “But there is no need to worry. I spent many years of my childhood in the military barracks. Sleeping on the sofa is nothing for me.” The prince hesitated for a moment, then seemed to think it was better not to argue with her.

“Very well.” He said quietly, “As you wish, Your Majesty.” 

Soyoung waited until Prince Jinyoung had settled into bed, then blew out the candles lighting the room.

“Good night, little poet.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Author's note: If anyone is wondering, the couple's wedding gowns are based off of these pictures:

Full outfit: https://www.ebay.com/i/124154333014?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=424993788334_124154333014&targetid=935431406093&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9007725&campaignid=10897348723&mkgroupid=114065838144&rlsatarget=pla-935431406093&abcId=9300403&merchantid=136055791&gclid=CjwKCAjww5r8BRB6EiwArcckC3iwe4G3PN4PQq687gZ3Y3UFdrIZ2UfvADJttzDi6lJEBx1r7seDKRoCOEoQAvD_BwE

Soyoung's crown: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32971020064.html