Joohyun sees her breath in the air, a reminder of winter.  But it is nothing like the north with winters so cold that breath turns into instant ice that clings to eyelashes and eyebrows.  She misses it in a strange way, aching for the wind chill that would remind her of home.

 

 

She drops her chin to her chest, her head bowed as she remains on her knees despite the pins and needles erupting along the backs of her thighs.  Joohyun doesn’t recall how long she’s been sitting in front of the throne room, waiting for her fate.  Her eyeslids flutter closed and flashes of memory barrage her- being kidnapped from her room in Pyeongyang in the dead of night and dragged out of the city as Koguryeo completely fell to the Tang kingdom.  itches as she thinks of the acrid smoke that had filled her nose and mouth as she’d been taken from her home, the sounds of screaming commoners filling her ears as Tang soldiers descended upon her city.

 

 

Joohyun looks down at the front of her long cerulean top with its golden stitching, the fabric stiff from blood stains and grime from the long journey south.  It is almost impossible to tell that she’s wearing fine silks from the royal palace of Koguryeo.  She grips her thighs underneath the pleats of her red and gold long skirt, trying to keep them from shaking.

 

 

Suddenly a shrill horn fills the courtyard and the guard stationed to her right snaps forward into a bow.  Joohyun glances over her shoulder and through the haze of early morning she sees the king of Silla’s procession begin to fill the courtyard.  She squints at the fine red and gold brocade stitched along the king’s sleeves and the hem of his royal robe.  Gold and jade ornaments hang from his belt, catching the slivers of light from the overcast sky.

 

 

“Princess.”

 

 

Joohyun faces ahead, smoothing her skirts and resisting the urge to fix her hair that has fallen from its elaborate updo.  She keeps her eyes lowered until she sees black boots just barely obscured by dark red robes come into her line of sight.  She looks up and sees the king standing proudly in front of her.  Where is the smell of blood and smoke that should cling to the man responsible for her kingdom’s doom?

 

 

“Your highness,” Joohyun murmurs, bowing forward deeply.

 

 

“I apologize for the state you’re in.  I am sure the men who brought you here wanted you to have an early audience with me before you change into suitable finery.”

 

 

Joohyun clenches her jaw but says nothing, chewing back any brash words.

 

 

“You have never been to Silla, have you?”

 

 

She thinks of the envoys from the south when she’d been younger with their wide sleeves and small ornamental hats.  Someday, you should visit the south, Seungwan had with a sweet voice as she played her geomungo. 

 

 

“No, Your Highness.”

 

 

“I see.  Well, Princess, we will try to make your accommodations as amenable as possible until we hear that Tang and Silla forces to the north have stabilized.  You have been brought here in order to ensure the process continues to be as smooth as possible.  We have every intention to return you to your home.”

 

 

Joohyun stares at the king and sees no kindness in his eyes. 

 

 

“Thank you for… inviting me to stay at your palace until the dangers in the north have subsided, Your Grace.  But I must ask after my family… is my father safe?”

 

 

“King Bojang and the princes are with the Tang.  The fate of your mother and sister are unknown.”

 

 

Joohyun exhales shakily, dropping her eyes to the dark ground. 

 

 

“The songs have spoken of your beauty.  The princess who was born in spring, carved from the icy peaks of the Baekdu mountains.  A pity you’re betrothed to the Bear.”

 

 

Joohyun thinks of her fiancé and doubts he’s even alive.  But she says nothing as she waits for the king to make his point.

 

 

“Perhaps it will be more advantageous to have a betrothal with someone of Silla blood, Princess.  Our courts would be more than happy to draft an annulment of your betrothal and have it sent to the Tang and your father.  Please think on this as we wait for news.  Only of course if you come to love the south as much as I think you can.”

 

 

Joohyun smiles tightly, glancing at the men and women looking at her curiously in their unfamiliar dress.

 

 

“I will think about it, Your Highness.”

 

 

The king nods like he’s won and Joohyun bows deeply until he files into the throne room with his entire procession.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Joohyun is given an empty room in a wing of the palace reserved for lesser concubines.  She tries not to think about the king’s earlier words as she surveys her lavish new room with silk and lacquered jewelry boxes.  There is a decadence to Silla that she hasn’t quite gotten used to with their brightly colored silks and their penchant for gaudy jade and gold jewelry.  When the servant girl closes the door behind her, Joohyun collapses to the floor.  She brings her knees to her chest and trembles, finally letting herself mull over the horrors she has endured for the past few weeks. 

 

 

“Be strong, Joohyun-ah,” she whispers out softly, clutching her legs tightly as she tries to regain her composure.  But whenever she closes her eyes, all she can hear are the screams of court ladies and eunuchs as the palace burned. 

 

 

She brushes a finger below her eye to catch even the hint of a tear before rising to her feet.  Growing up in the north left little time to waste.  Winter was always coming too soon and wave after wave of soldiers from the west and the south left little opportunity for any Koguryeo citizen to have a moment of weakness.  A princess of Koguryeo is no different.

 

 

Crossing over to one of the jewelry boxes, she examines jeweled hair pins and brooches alike.  Carefully she tilts one pin to the side, deeming it the sharpest.  She tucks it in the folds of her robe.  Later she may be able to find something she can use to sharpen it.

 

 

“Princess, you have a visitor.”

 

 

Joohyun frowns, glancing down at her new outfit.  She is unused to the Silla style of dress with a square collar that reveals bare skin all the way to just below her collar bones.  She tugs at the ivory colored shawl that drapes over her short top and long plum colored skirt.

 

 

“They may enter.”

 

 

Joohyun turns and is face to face with a maid and another woman with her long dark hair pinned up with jade and golden brooches.  Her round face momentarily makes Joohyun feel slightly at ease but there is something sharp about her eyes, flicking quickly all over the room before settling on Joohyun.

 

 

“Princess, this is the king’s daughter, Princess Kim Yongsun.”

 

 

They exchange bows and the servant girl scurries away.

 

 

“Thank you for seeing me so quickly after your arrival, Princess.  I’m sure you must be tired.”

 

 

Joohyun’s mouth flicks as the other woman’s lilting southern accent almost masks the slight sarcasm in her voice.

 

 

“I wasn’t aware such a high-ranking guest would grace me with her presence.  Unfortunately, as this is not my room, I cannot give you any tea or snacks.”  Joohyun gestures toward the small seating area that is separated from the bedroom by a series of folding panels for privacy.

 

 

The other princess sits at the small wooden table and appraises Joohyun as she takes her seat.

 

 

“I didn’t think a northerner could fit our clothes so well.”

 

 

“I would not want them to fit me too well, Princess.  Otherwise I may not be able to easily part with them when I return to the north.”

 

 

“That may not be for a while.  Robbers and Tang soldiers are making travel very treacherous.”

 

 

Joohyun grits her teeth at the honeyed words, easily hearing the meaning.  Get comfortable.  You’ll be in Silla for a long while. 

 

 

“I would never want to impose on the grace of the Silla royal family.  Your kindness, after all, transported me away from the destruction of Pyeongyang.  I cannot imagine how I would have managed without your… help.”

 

 

Joohyun thinks of Seulgi wheezing against a wall with fingers trying to stem the blood from a wound in her side.  Her sword rests limply in her hand but she no longer has the strength to fight off the soldiers closing in on her.  She helplessly twists to look at Joohyun who weeps as soldiers bind her hands behind her back.  There is a long moment when their gazes lock and Seulgi’s mouth curls gently upward, the kindness in her eyes and mouth almost as soft as a caress.  The moment ends as a soldier, clearly the leader of the kidnapping mission, hefts his spear in his hand and strides toward Seulgi’s bleeding form slumped against the wall.  Just before he raises his spear to deliver a killing blow to her dear bodyguard, a blindfold covers her eyes.   

 

 

“I must speak frankly with you, Princess, if I may?”

 

 

Joohyun’s eyebrows arch in curiosity at the earnest way Princess Yongsun looks at her.

 

 

“You may.”

 

 

“My father is interested in having you marry a Silla prince to secure Silla’s stake in Koguryeo’s fate.”

 

 

“Despite the existence of my fiancé? I was not aware that marriage betrothals were disregarded this far south.”

 

 

The other woman’s eyebrow twitches but she shrugs.

 

 

“I think you know how easily anyone can be disposed of in war games.  Your betrothed is a soldier, is he not?  How easy do you think a soldier could fall in a besieged city?”

 

 

“Did you come here to threaten me, Your Grace?”

 

 

“It may benefit you more to remarry than to be stuck in Silla without anyone who can protect you.”

 

 

“You seem to believe that I value my life more than remaining loyal to my future husband,” murmurs Joohyun.  She thinks of Seulgi’s kind older brother and remembers how similarly they smiled.

 

 

“Be that as it may,” the princess continues, “you cannot deny how vulnerable you are.  The princess of Baekdu mountain’s spring has found herself in the den of Silla tigers.”

 

 

Joohyun smiles, absently wondering if such a phrase could be used for the songs Seungwan used to write to sing at court.

 

 

“The people of Koguryeo are not so easily devoured, Princess.  I appreciate your kind concern but I must say that I have survived winters far worse than this one.  And I intend to survive even more in Pyeongyang.”

 

 

“And if my father thinks it is critical for Silla to have a hostage just as the Tang do?”

 

 

“Do you think a princess of Koguryeo is an easy hostage, Your Grace?”

 

 

Princess Yongsun laughs, covering with the wide sleeve of her light green shawl.

 

 

“We have all heard of you, princess.  There are of course the songs about you and the deep love between you and the Bear you tamed.  But did you think we in the Silla court haven’t also heard the story of how you at barely 13 years felled your first doe on horseback?”

 

 

Joohyun looks at the other princess and sees a hint of steel under her sweet exterior.

 

 

“I have no weapon here.  All I have are a few useless stories.  No sword.  No allies.  A better hostage would have been one of my brothers.”

 

 

“Isn’t it far better to have a legendary maiden of Koguryeo than some unknown prince?  Some even say you’re more popular to the common folk than your own father.”

 

 

Joohyun thinks of her father, forced to the throne as a puppet king at the hands of General Yeon.  He would forever be in the General’s shadow.  Eclipsing his popularity is an easy feat, Joohyun almost says.

 

 

“Your father bases a great deal of his strategy on talk.”

 

 

“Perhaps.”

 

 

They lapse into silence when the servant girl raps on the door.

 

 

“Princess Yongsun, Captain Moon has arrived and wishes to speak with you.”

 

 

Joohyun watches the way the other woman’s jaw clenches at the words.  Interesting.

 

 

“I am currently speaking to Princess Joohyun.  Tell her that I am-”

 

 

Suddenly the door bursts open and in walks a Silla soldier, scaled armor darkened with blood.  Joohyun appraises the woman who seems to be shaking with purpose, eyes dark with intent as they fall on Yongsun. 

 

 

“Captain Moon, although your father is a highly ranked true bone minister, your manners have always been no better than a commoner’s.”

 

 

“Was it you?”

 

 

Joohyun frowns as she studies the soldier’s stance, sharply accusing despite the heavy looking armor weighing down her chest and shoulders.  She glances at Princess Yongsun whose jaw is set so stiffly that she wonders if her teeth will shatter.

 

 

“Should I introduce you to our guest from the north or would you like to continue with your rude interruption?”

 

 

The woman turns her head and they look at each other.  There’s a rust colored smear on her cheek and she’s reminded of Seulgi and how easily the other girl would make a mess.  Her gaze drops to her sharp chin and pursed lips before pulling back up to meet the other woman’s eyes.

 

 

“So it’s true.  They’ve stolen a princess of Koguryeo for collateral in negotiations with the Tang.”

 

 

“Moon Byulyi.  Watch your mouth.”

 

 

“Do you know how many had to die to drag her to Silla?  I nearly…”

 

 

Joohyun notices the moment Moon Byulyi drops her head to stare at the ground that Princess Yongsun scans her body as if to check for any visible wounds.  When the soldier looks up however the princess’ face is neutral. 

 

 

“You seem healthy enough to interrupt this meeting.”

 

 

“Silla cannot afford another fight with the Tang and Koguryeo.  Bringing her this far south endangers not just the capital but all the people who live close to the Koguryeo border.”

 

 

“There shouldn’t be an issue then,” Joohyun interrupts coolly, causing both of them to look at her, “if I am returned to my kingdom when things are settled in the north.”

 

 

“Settled?” the captain acts with a puzzled expression.  “Are you hiding things from her, too?”

 

 

“Moon Byulyi.  I am the daughter of your king who you serve.  My husband is your superior.  How dare you treat me with such contempt?”

 

 

The words seem to cool the fire burning in the woman’s eyes as the angry expression fades to smooth neutrality.  There is something stiff in the way she straightens like a good soldier and bows to Princess Yongsun.

 

 

“I apologize, Princess.  For shaming you in front of your guest.  I only am concerned,” she casts a glance toward Joohyun, “that keeping a very popular princess of Koguryeo within our borders at this time may be dangerous.  I say this as a witness to the sacking of Pyeongyang and the negotiations with the Tang.  Because you have your father’s ear I-I hoped you could perhaps reconsider your intentions.”

 

 

“This was not my decision.  My father is intent on having leverage in the negotiations.  No one knows for certain what the Tang will do with the king and the princes at Liaodong.”

 

 

Joohyun frowns.  Did the Tang and Silla simply think that with the sacking of Pyeongyang the Koguryeo nobles would roll over and give them the land? The kingdom had been fighting off invasions from both sides of the peninsula since its founding.  A rebellion against Silla and Tang authority was inevitable.

 

 

“I see.”  Joohyun narrows her eyes as she studies the captain.  Perhaps she wouldn’t be  completely ally-less within these palace walls.

 

 

“I apologize, Princess Yongsun, but I am tired from my… trip.  I would appreciate time to rest and recuperate from my travels,” Joohyun says, getting both of their attention.

 

 

“Of course, Princess.  Thank you for seeing me.  I hope we can meet again soon.”

 

 

“Perhaps, Princess Yongsun.  And what’s your name again?”

 

 

The soldier straightens at the direct question.

 

 

“Moon Byulyi, Princess.”

 

 

“Moon Byulyi.  Perhaps we’ll see each other again before I return to the north.”

 

 

There is something almost sad in the half smile she receives in reply.  It isn’t quite pity but even the suggestion of it makes Joohyun bite her tongue.

 

 

“Maybe, Princess.”

 

 

All three of them exchange bows before Princess Yongsun and Captain Moon leave Joohyun alone at last.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Joohyun knows she’s in a dream because she’s sitting in her old room in the palace and the floors and walls aren’t covered in blood.  She exhales and scans the large chamber in front of her with furs and jewelry boxes on display.  Joohyun untucks her legs from beneath her and sprawls out as she takes everything in.  Slowly she falls backwards onto her elbows and tips her head back, feeling tears well at the corners of her eyes.

 

 

“You ask me to do an impossible thing, Princess.”

 

 

Joohyun glances to her side and sees Seulgi, wearing the outfit she’d had on the day before she’d been killed.  Her dark hair is pinned back but a few strands escape the careful updo.  Joohyun remembers reaching for her and carefully tucking the errant hairs behind Seulgi’s ears.

 

 

When Joohyun says nothing, Seulgi responds, seemingly cursed to react to the words Joohyun had cried out in anguish.

 

 

“Isn’t our love already impossible?  What is one more thing?”

 

 

Seulgi reels back, chest heaving and eyes pained.  Joohyun watches the other woman, admiring the way the sunlight from her windows hits her face and hair.  She’d been fondly nicknamed the Bear Cub after her brother and Joohyun finds as always there is something so earnestly sweet about her round face and always smiling eyes.  Her chest aches and she almost reaches for the red sleeve of Seulgi’s outfit but holds back.

 

 

“Y-you’re engaged to my brother, Princess.  And the Tang are at our doorstep.  There’s news of General Yeon’s brother defecting to the Tang in the north.  Your life is in danger and I can’t protect you the way my brother can.”

 

 

Joohyun just watches Seulgi, tracing the curve of her shoulders and the fluttering of her eyelashes.  Some part of her knows if she touches her, the dream will shatter.  Seulgi gathers her long white pleated skirt into her hands and moves away with Joohyun still prone on her back.

 

 

“I don’t love him, Seulgi-yah.  Even he knows that.”

 

 

Seulgi frowns as she looks over her shoulder and Joohyun aches at the sight.  Seulgi’s red and white robes hanging off her slight frame, light brown eyes shining with flecks of sunlight and unshed tears.

 

 

“I serve you as your lady-in-waiting and your bodyguard, Princess.  Our relationship is nothing more.”

 

 

Joohyun closes her eyes at the words and lies down completely, feeling the phantom sensation of her cheek pressed against Seulgi’s strong back when she’d desperately thrown herself forward and hugged the other woman from behind.  The princess carved from Mount Baekdu’s ice and snow only melted for the Bear Cub.

 

 

“I upset you.”

 

 

When Joohyun opens her eyes again she sees Seulgi prone against the wall, bleeding from her side.  Her face is twisted in pain and the hand tightly clamped against the wound on her side trembles.  A soldier is standing over Seulgi, spear menacingly clenched with a tight hand.  When Joohyun’s gaze slides from Seulgi’s pained face to the soldier, she realizes that Moon Byulyi is looking back at her.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Joohyun gazes out at the pond, eyeing the lush shrubbery and manicured gardens.  Her eyes linger on a flower bush and she remembers Seulgi trying to pick her flowers and failing because she didn’t want to damage the delicate petals.

 

 

She turns away when she sees Moon Byulyi standing a short distance away, eyeing her nervously.

 

 

“You asked to see me, Princess?”

 

 

Joohyun nods curtly and turns back to stare straight ahead at the garden.  She catches the other woman quietly sidling up next to her.

 

 

“Hello,” she greets quietly, glancing curiously at the other woman’s clothes.  They are undeniably masculine, trading an H-line long skirt for a dark turquoise robe with a burgundy hem and embroidered golden designs on the sleeves. 

 

 

“Is there a reason you dress like that?”

 

 

“It’s easier to move.  Normally I’d be wearing something different for a palace visit but I had to participate in training this morning.”

 

 

“Do you like it?  Wearing men’s clothes?”

 

 

“What makes them men’s?” Captain Moon asks with a patient smile, making Joohyun hum thoughtfully.

 

 

“There was someone who was very close to me… before.  She wore clothes like yours often.  I never asked her why.”

 

 

“Would her answer have been similar to mine?”

 

 

Joohyun thinks of simple Seulgi always running after her with a warning yell, weakly trying to prevent her from getting hurt as she tried to learn a new hobby or skill.  She can’t imagine her wearing her court lady outfit by choice. 

 

 

“I think so.”  Joohyun turns and meets the other woman’s eyes and they exchange a smile.

 

 

“Why have you called for me, Princess?”

 

 

Joohyun sighs and looks back at the water.

 

 

“It is not wise for me to trust anyone in this place.  But your words from a few days ago stayed with me… do you really think it is wrong that I am being held here?”

 

 

She glances to Captain Moon and her expression is unreadable. 

 

 

“You were kidnapped,” she murmurs at last and Joohyun stares at her in surprise.

 

 

“Am I wrong?”

 

 

“No… I was kidnapped.  I just didn’t expect you to admit it so easily. Everyone here seems to love to dress things up in flowers and golden words.”

 

 

The captain scoffs and clasps her hands behind her back.

 

 

“It’s just the royals here.  I was under the impression that vague approximations were a disease of all royalty.”

 

 

“It is an affliction of the south.  We do not have time to waste in the north.”

 

 

“A straightforward princess.  Who knew there was such a thing?”

 

 

Joohyun frowns at the other woman but sees she is grinning at her, nose scrunching a little in amusement.

 

 

“You’re… you’re teasing me!”

 

 

“Yes, Princess.  I am.”

 

 

Joohyun huffs and crosses her arms over her chest petulantly like a child.

 

 

“Why does it matter that I agree you were kidnapped?”

 

 

She ignores the other woman as she stares at the pond.  It’s cold in winter but the water hasn’t frozen over like it would in the north. 

 

 

“Because I want to go back to Pyeongyang.  And I can’t reason with someone who thinks that this place could ever be my home.”

 

 

Captain Moon sighs quietly at the comment, meeting Joohyun’s gaze with a patient nod.

 

 

“We both want the same thing, Princess.  My father is trying to convince a cohort of officials for the next Hwabaek meeting to return you north.”

 

 

“Hwabaek?”

 

 

“It’s the council of nobles who serve as royal counsel to the king based on our bone ranking.  My father’s family comes from a sacred bone lineage since the founding of Silla.”

 

 

Joohyun simply makes a face at the terms and the other woman laughs.

 

 

“Every person in Silla has a bone ranking.  It determines what positions we can hold in office, who we can marry, what kind of clothes we can wear.”

 

 

“We had that to an extent in Koguryeo but love marriages exist.”

 

 

“Marrying for love is possible here.  If they’re the same bone ranking as you.  You can marry lower but then your children have a lower bone ranking and it… makes things harder in the end.”

 

 

Joohyun looks at Captain Moon and suddenly feels incredibly tired.

 

 

“None of this applies to me so I suppose it doesn’t matter.  I was meant to be wed this spring but…”

 

 

“I cannot imagine having a wedding now of all times.”

 

 

A laugh unexpectedly escapes Joohyun’s mouth and she covers her face with her sleeve, peering at Captain Moon’s confused expression.

 

 

“Neither of us really were keen on it either.  I think my father was hoping that a marriage between myself and my fiancé would ease the political in-fighting after General Yeon’s death.  And then one of General Yeon’s sons defected to Silla and the other defected to the Tang.  After that nothing my father did mattered.”

 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

 

“Are you?  You said you were up north.  Were you pushing soldiers to our gates while the Tang crushed us from the other side?”

 

 

The other woman meets Joohyun’s gaze unflinchingly.

 

 

“My loyalty is to my country and the orders I was given.  There was fear that Koguryeo would retaliate and push south.”

 

 

“Our squabbles were always with Baekje.  We never were that interested in Silla.”

 

 

“Be that as it may be.  People were scared.  I was told to go north and I did so.”

 

 

“Did you know that I was to be kidnapped and held hostage as a political prisoner?”

 

 

Captain Moon’s jaw clenches hard at the comment and Joohyun catches sight of one of her hands tightly gripping her wrist behind her back.

 

 

“Of course not.  And for it to be the Hwarang of all people…”

 

 

“The flower knights?  They were the ones who kidnapped me?”

 

 

“They’re highly skilled as our elite soldiers.  I believe the king was concerned about how you may have been treated by more rough soldiers.”

 

 

Joohyun shudders and tugs her padded coat tighter around her body.

 

 

“How kind of the king to be so… considerate.”

 

 

“See?  A vague approximation.”

 

 

They both share a smile before Captain Moon reaches forward and gently grips Joohyun’s wrist.  She stares down at the hand in confusion.

 

 

“My father is trying his hardest to have you returned north, Princess.  Please trust that not all of Silla plotted to steal a princess away into the night.”

 

 

Joohyun gazes into the other woman’s eyes, trying to find a hint of deceit.  But instead all she sees is clear brown shining with infectious sincerity.

 

 

“Thank you,” she murmurs quietly, gently pulling away from the soldier’s grip.  “I hope your father’s hard work is fruitful, Captain Moon.”

 

 

They both turn to look back at the pond in front of them and Joohyun suddenly wishes it were snowing. 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Weeks feel like years to Joohyun as she practically wastes away in her room.  She is allowed monitored walks accompanied by at least two silent court ladies that trail after her like shadows.  Joohyun wishes she could ride a horse or do something to keep her from going crazy from all the waiting.

 

 

During this time, she only sees Captain Moon once in passing, the other woman harried and face dark.  But she’d still stopped and shared a quick greeting and smile.  Are the negotiations going amiss, Joohyun had wondered as she watched the soldier’s back as she strode away.  Will I be forced to waste away behind these palace walls for the rest of my life?

 

 

Joohyun gets her answer the next morning with a summons to the throne room.  She carefully tucks her now sharpened hair pin into her old Koguryeo robes, now clean of all blood and grime, and fixes her hair in the northern way.  If the king and his council will see her, they will see her as a princess of Koguryeo and not some soon to be Silla bride.

 

 

When she steps outside of her room, she startles a little to see Moon Byulyi waiting for her.  It’s been a few days since their last brief encounter, but the other woman looks even worse than before.

 

 

“Captain Moon,” Joohyun murmurs as she dips her head.  She can feel her assigned court ladies start to follow her steps as she approaches her.

 

 

“Princess.  I’ve been requested by the king to you to the throne room to be presented to the ministers.”

 

 

“Lead the way.”

 

 

Captain Moon nods and walks down the long hallway leading to the main entrance for her temporary quarters.  The eunuch keeping watch outside opens the door for them, bowing low as they pass.  It’s a pleasantly crisp morning and Joohyun smiles and exhales, seeing her breath fill the air.  She realizes Captain Moon is watching her and there is something heavy in her gaze, making her flush.

 

 

“Do you know why I am being summoned, Captain Moon?” she asks quietly as they make their way through the first set of gates to reach the inner courtyard that connects to the main palace.

 

 

“No but… I have a hunch.”

 

 

“And this hunch, I am assuming, is a bad one.”

 

 

Captain Moon’s mouth curls downward and she bites her lip.

 

 

“I… it’s only a rumor but I’ve heard that the Bear has been captured and brought to Seorabeol.”

 

 

Joohyun composes her face as she avoids the other woman’s cautious gaze.

 

 

“I see.  And he has been brought… alive?”

 

 

“For now.  But my father wasn’t informed of this.  And it worries us because,” Captain Moon pauses as Joohyun meets her eyes with a bitter smile.

 

 

“Because it means that the reason for my return north could disappear at any moment.”

 

 

“But,” Captain Moon takes a step closer as they walk under the awning next to the palace walls, “your father is aware that you are alive and in Silla.  If your father demands your release with the Tang’s authority, it complicates things in a way that could be even more effective than whatever the Hwabaek do.”

 

 

“Or it could start another war.  I do not know which is worse.”

 

 

Captain Moon sighs quietly and Joohyun feels a strange moment of solidarity with this soldier behind enemy lines.

 

 

“I am sorry, Princess.  I wish I had better news for you.”

 

 

Joohyun shakes her head and they stand in front of the main gates to the central courtyard holding the throne room. 

 

 

“Princess Joohyun of Koguryeo has been summoned by His Royal Highness and the Hwabaek,” Captain Moon says loudly to the guards manning the doors.  They bow quickly and open them.  Joohyun swallows, putting on the mask of deference that she’d been cultivating since she’d been born. 

 

 

When they step inside the central courtyard, she sees to her surprise a lone figure in tattered white robes slumped in the middle.  The king stands a few steps above him, backed by the massive throne room at the top of the stairs.  He silently observes Joohyun and Captain Moon walk forward, hands clasped loosely behind his back.  She is struck by how god-like he seems to be with his red and gold robes as he stares down at them from his tall height.

 

 

“Princess Joohyun,” he cries out with a smile. 

 

 

She bows deeply in response and sees Captain Moon tense beside her before bowing in turn.  She starts to fall behind as Joohyun continues to walk forward but the king gestures towards her with a hand.

 

 

“This concerns you as well, Captain Moon.”

 

 

The woman reluctantly trails after Joohyun as she walks to the middle of the courtyard, closer and closer to the slumped man curled onto his side.  His feet are bare and chapped from the cold, bleeding in some places.  When she sees him shift and his face comes into view, she feels the wind get knocked out of her.  It’s the Bear.  It’s Kang Gihoon.

 

 

For a moment he blinks tiredly as she comes into focus but then his gaze sharpens.  Even though one of his eyes is swollen shut, he stares at her as if the force of his gaze can say so much more than his words.  Joohyun returns the stare, easily finding despite the beard and moustache, his sister’s features.

 

 

“I have reunited you with your fiancé, Princess.  I am sure you must be overjoyed to see him again.  Afterall, so many songs have been written about the Ice Princess of Mount Baekdu who tamed the Bear of the north.”

 

 

Joohyun glances at Gihoon who is struggling to get to his knees but failing.  Have they hurt them, she wonders as she sees the guards behind them watch passively without any inclination to help.  To her surprise, it is Captain Moon who strides forward and gets down to help her fiancé get in a sitting position, resting on his ankles. 

 

 

“Well, Princess?”

 

 

“Your kindness is immeasurable, Your Highness.”

 

 

“And, Lieutenant Colonel Kang, how does it feel to see your soon to be bride after such a long parting?  To my understanding, most thought she’d been killed with her mother and sister in the palace fire.”

 

 

Joohyun lets her gaze drop to the ground, her sleeves hiding her hands which ball into tight fists.

 

 

“It is a surprise, Your Highness,” Gihoon rasps out weakly, holding his head up as he looks at the king standing on the steps before them.

 

 

“I had every intention of sending the two of you north after your reunion, but events have transpired that have forced my hand.”

 

 

The king pulls a scroll from his robes and gives it to a courtier waiting at his side.  He scrambles down the stairs to hand it to Joohyun with shaking hands.  She easily opens the scroll, noting the official seal of Tang royalty stamped ostentatiously on the far left.  Joohyun finishes the scroll’s contents with a frown before handing it to Gihoon who spreads the scroll out in front of him on the ground to read.

 

 

“The Tang have created the office of Protectorate General to Pacify the East with its jurisdiction including all people on the Peninsula?  Including Silla?”

 

 

The king nods, mouth twisting bitterly in clear annoyance.

 

 

“Our ally has turned into our enemy.  And it would seem that my enemy may turn into my friend.”

 

 

“So, you wish to rekindle an alliance with Koguryeo?”

 

 

“That is something that will need to be discussed with the Hwabaek, Princess.”

 

 

Joohyun raises her chin so that she can meet the king’s level gaze.

 

 

“Does this mean that we must remain in the capital, Your Highness?”

 

 

“I intend to send Lieutenant Colonel Kang to the north in the near future.”

 

 

“And I will remain here?”

 

 

“As a guest.”

 

 

As a prisoner, Joohyun corrects irritably.  She glances down at Gihoon who is still frowning at the scroll, eyebrows creased in concentration.  When their eyes meet, she feels his concern.

 

 

“If you wish to curry the favor of Koguryeo I could be of service to you, Your Highness.  My fiancé and I are respected among the officials and military.”

 

 

“I believe you will be very effective in future diplomatic endeavors, Princess.  But a few things remain in question.”  It is then that the king begins his short descent down the stairs, his tall frame followed by a throng of eunuchs and court ladies.  His shadow becomes long and winding like a dragon’s.

 

 

Soon he is in front of them, hands behind his back and gaze piercing.

 

 

“There are rumors that your father will be made the puppet king of Koguryeo, Baekche, and Silla with the Tang’s authority.  Such cooperation, albeit forced, will not be tolerated for the future.”

 

 

Joohyun’s eyes narrow as they look at each other and her spine feels tense like a bowstring.

 

 

“I may be my father’s daughter but I have no power over what he does or does not do.”

 

 

“No,” the king agrees softly, “but not many will understand the complex burden of royalty, Princess.  They will see a traitor who gave in to the Tang to save his life as his palace was burnt to the ground.”

 

 

“And how am I supposed to play into these concerns, Your Highness?”

 

 

“You are right that you are far more useful alive.  But the years spent fighting Koguryeo have turned many of the sacred bone ministers against anyone from Koguryeo in this court.  Marrying you to a member of the Silla elite could secure your safety for the future work of both of our kingdoms’ liberation.”

 

 

“My kingdom was already liberated, Your Highness.  Before it fell to Silla and Tang banners.”

 

 

The king sighs at the comment and glances down at Gihoon.

 

 

“I cannot have you marrying the Bear and returning to the north together.”

 

 

“You need an incentive for Koguryeo to trust you again.  But my people to do not respond well to threats.”

 

 

“But they will respond to not wanting to forever be under Tang banners.”

 

 

“But you are not promising complete freedom.  We will simply be forced under Silla banners when the Tang are pushed from our borders.  It will be trading one conqueror for another.”

 

 

Gihoon clears his throat in warning but Joohyun ignores him, glaring at the king who almost seems surprised at how honestly she spits the anger that burns deep in her heart.

 

 

“I will not marry you to a Silla prince.  If you have sons they could simply rise against me and try to unify the Peninsula under Koguryeo banners. I will have raised a baby tiger.”

 

 

“Then?”

 

 

And the king’s fierce gaze slides to Captain Moon who blanches in surprise.

 

 

“Your father has been quite bold in his back deals with the other members of the Hwabaek.  There’s even a rumor that he may be including your hand in marriage to try and stop me from entering into another war.”

 

 

“Your Highness, I was unaware of-”

 

 

“Please.  Do not play coy with me, Moon Byulyi.  I could have your father charged with conspiring against me at the royal court.”

 

 

Captain Moon’s throat bobs and she looks like she’s moments away from saying something she may regret.

 

 

“But, I see this as an opportunity to clip two dangerous hawks’ wings.  I need to stop your father from getting even more power at court and I need Princess Joohyun to also remain symbolic but nonthreatening in Silla.”

 

 

Joohyun frowns at the king’s slight smile.

 

 

“What are you saying?”

 

 

“This is a marriage proposal.  This way you will never have sons and Moon Byulyi will never be bartered to the highest bidder for her father’s political benefit.”

 

 

“But we’re both women, Your Majesty!”

 

 

The king scoffs and there is something almost mean in the way her regards Captain Moon.

 

 

“I thought you’d be grateful to marry a woman, Captain Moon.  Especially after the near mistake you had with my daughter.”

 

 

The sharp words make the other woman flush and she drops her head, jaw working furiously.  Joohyun swallows and tries to take on her most soothing tone.

 

 

“Your Highness.  This sort of marriage has never been done before.  If Captain Moon’s father is as powerful as you say, couldn’t the repercussions be far more harmful than the potential gains?”

 

 

“But he wins a substantial prize, Princess.  A marriage with a Koguryeo princess means if we win against the Tang, he has a fair chance at securing land and riches in the north.  Minister Moon is not a short-sighted man.”

 

 

“The Tang,” Gihoon rasps suddenly, “are near unbeatable, Your Highness.  Koguryeo has one of the best armies of the three kingdoms and we could not defeat them.”

 

 

“You were fighting alone.  Now the whole Peninsula will unite to push the Tang out.  Together.”

 

 

Joohyun exchanges an unsure glance with Gihoon, hearing the firmness in the king’s words.  But it is Moon Byulyi’s burning gaze directed right at the king that concerns her the most.     

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Joohyun sighs, eyes closed as she rests a cheek against a closed fist.  She can hear Moon Byulyi pacing back and forth restlessly in front of her.

 

 

“Please stop.  Talking to the Hwabaek after your king has made my head pound terribly.”

 

 

“S-sorry.”

 

 

Joohyun cracks an eye open and studies Captain Moon whose face is scrunched up in clear frustration.

 

 

“Are you trying to think of a way out of this or do you just like to pace in front of people?”

 

 

The other woman sighs and plops down onto the chair in front of Joohyun, resting her cheeks in her hands.  It’s strangely childish in an endearing way.

 

 

“The problem is the king’s strategy is unfortunately ironclad.  My family has a military background dating back to the founding of our kingdom! My father’s mentor is Kim Yushin.  The king knows he needs my father to cooperate with him if he wants to fight against the Tang and seducing him with the promise of more power and wealth is a good way to do it.”

 

 

“But I cannot guarantee him that power.  Silla could lose to the Tang.  Koguryeo could be unwilling to cooperate with us.  Isn’t it a risk to give his daughter away in a barren marriage?”

 

 

“He knows I have no interest in marriage anyway.  My father was saying empty promises as a last resort to coerce some reluctant members of the Hwabaek into agreeing to release you.”

 

 

“And he wouldn’t just make you marry?”

 

 

Captain Moon half smiles, dropping her hands flat against the table.  If Joohyun were to reach forward just a little, their fingers would be touching.

 

 

“My father is many things but he is not a tyrant.  Through his connections, he was able to let me train and rise to some standing in Silla’s military because it was what I wanted.  I even trained under Kim Yushin when I was small.”

 

 

“The greatest swordsman of the three kingdoms?” Joohyun teases with a raised eyebrow.

 

 

“Yes.  I think he is.”

 

 

“Still? Isn’t he in his 70s?”

 

 

“Would you like to spar with him someday, Princess?  Maybe you could see for yourself?”

 

 

Joohyun’s lips curve and she shifts so that she rests on the side of her fist, staring down at the lacquered table in front of her. 

 

 

“I wasn’t very skilled with the sword.  I enjoy hunting with the bow and arrow though.  Twice a year the king leads a hunt to help with training for soldiers in Koguryeo.  I participated every year until the war worsened.”

 

 

“Someday I should take you to hunt in Silla.  The forests here are different than the north.  It may present an enjoyable challenge for you, Princess.”

 

 

“After we’re married,” Joohyun jokes with a twitch of her eyebrows.  The slow smile disappears from Captain Moon’s face and she leans backwards, her eyes thoughtful.

 

 

“I know you must want to fix this so that you can properly marry your fiancé.”

 

 

“You do not know me at all, Captain Moon.”

 

 

“But the songs?”

 

 

Joohyun sighs and looks hard at the other woman.

 

 

“Nothing gives people hope like a love story.  The year the Bear supposedly melted the Ice Princess’ heart was the year the war became particularly dire with the Tang.  Hearing the songs about our love gave the common folk something to distract themselves from the rice shortages.”

 

 

It’s almost comical, the look of disappointment Captain Moon gives her.

 

 

“So it was all a farce?”

 

 

“Do you like the love and romance from the songs, Captain Moon?”

 

 

“Maybe.  Perhaps because I will never have that sort of love for myself.”

 

 

Joohyun tips her head to the side curiously, studying the bitter set to Captain Moon’s jaw.

 

 

“Have you ever loved someone?” she asks gently.

 

 

“Once.  But it ended before it could ever begin.”

 

 

Joohyun thinks of Seulgi leaning down and pressing a tentative kiss to the corner of , limbs loose from the alcohol they’d drank at the engagement feast.  Joohyun’s knees had almost buckled at the feeling of the warmth blossoming in her chest and it had been so easy to thoughtlessly throw her arms around the other woman’s neck.

 

 

“I also…”  Joohyun sighs and feels her eyes burn at the thought of Seulgi.

 

 

“It’s alright, Princess.  What’s the point of thinking of lost loves that could never belong in the songs?”

 

 

They share sad smiles when a maid suddenly knocks on the door.

 

 

“Princess Yongsun requests an audience, Princess Joohyun.”

 

 

Joohyun straightens her posture, the relaxed curve of her shoulders completely gone.  She sees Captain Moon out of the corner of her eye rise stiffly.

 

 

“She may enter.”

 

 

Princess Yongsun arrives in a turquoise dress, an almost sheer purple shawl draped over her shoulders.

 

 

“I had to hear second hand about your presentation to the Hwabaek, Princess Joohyun.  I thought we were close enough to share secrets.”

 

 

“I thought you knew.  Since the whole plan came from your father.”

 

 

Princess Yongsun scoffs as she moves to sit on the chair vacated by Captain Moon.  Joohyun watches the unhappy set to the other woman’s mouth but says nothing.

 

 

“I do not oppose the marriage.  It makes sense for the future unification of the three kingdoms.”

 

 

“I envy how easily you can confess to what you want, Your Highness.”

 

 

“Unification of the Peninsula has been a dream of Silla for years.  It has been no secret.”

 

 

“Yes, but it is unification at the expense of my kingdom’s independence.”

 

 

Princess Yongsun’s mouth curls at the comment but she says nothing.  It makes Joohyun want to throttle her pale neck.  Instead she looks at Captain Moon who is still glaring at the back of the princess’ head, jaw working.

 

 

“Is there something you’d like to speak of privately with the princess, Captain Moon?” Joohyun asks bluntly, tiring of the tension thick in the air between them.  The question makes Princess Yongsun look over her shoulder at the other woman.  Captain Moon’s face shifts from brooding to stricken and she drops her eyes to the floor.

 

 

“No, princess.  I will continue speaking with my father about how to dissuade the king from this idea.  We can come together to push back the Tang without a … marriage between the two of us.”

 

 

“Well I think it’s a good idea,” chimes in Princess Yongsun.  Joohyun and Captain Moon stare at her in surprise.

 

 

“Marriage is the easiest way to signal sincerity.  It will be a tether between Silla and Koguryeo for the years to come.”

 

 

“But it would be childless.”

 

 

“The symbol of it would be more important, Princess.  We just need something to last us through the war.”

 

 

Joohyun laughs, almost amused by the single-mindedness of Princess Yongsun. 

 

 

“A symbol will not give my people their country back.”

 

 

“But it will free them from the Tang banners.  Koguryeo has been fighting against the Tang in some form or another since its founding.  Is this how you want your kingdom to end?”

 

 

“It wouldn’t have ended if your people hadn’t interfered!” Joohyun snarls, face hot with anger coursing through her veins.  She slams her hands roughly on the table as she glowers at Princess Yongsun who has the decency to look chastened.

 

 

“Be that as it may be, Princess, I struggle to think of another option.  A marriage between Koguryeo and Silla can be a signal of good will to both kingdoms.  Captain Moon’s father is a major power in Silla’s military.  Marrying into her family secures our army’s interest in Koguryeo’s liberation from the Tang.”

 

 

“But if it looks like this marriage is disingenuous then neither kingdom will believe in the alliance.  A little over a month ago you were helping the Tang burn Pyeongyang to the ground.  And now you want to hold our hand and raise an army together?”

 

 

Princess Yongsun rises from her seat and presses her knuckles against the table as she looks down at Joohyun with a set mouth.

 

 

“You manipulated your people into believing your love for the Bear through songs.  You don’t think we could just as easily have something written for the love between you and Moon Byulyi?”

 

 

Princess Yongsun presses a hand over her bare collarbones with a heaving chest.

 

 

“The Princess of Mount Baekdu’s ice and snow melts at the sight of the White Tiger from Silla.”

 

 

“White Tiger?”

 

 

“It’s a nickname after one of the four auspicious beasts.  They say a white tiger only appears in the time of a monarch with absolute virtue.  Or in a time of absolute peace.  The constellation of the White Tiger shone brightest when Captain Moon was born.”

 

 

Joohyun hums as she appraises Captain Moon with a new eye.

 

 

“I suppose that legend could be used.  Mount Baekdu is the holy mountain where Tangun came from.  People could draw meaning from a symbol of the first kingdom being with a symbol for absolute peace and virtue.”

 

 

“Symbols?” Captain Moon mutters quietly, her gaze piercing.  Joohyun meets her eyes and thinks of the cries for mercy falling on deaf ears as she’d been whisked out of the burning streets of Pyeongyang.

 

 

“Of hope.  What greater thing is there?”

 

 

“Love?” Captain Moon offers with a sad smile and Joohyun finds herself unable to meet her eyes.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Joohyun stands facing her familiar pond, staring into its clear depths.  Gihoon is beside her, arms crossed.  Although his eye is still swollen and scratches criss-cross his cheeks, he has put on some of the weight he lost from being dragged south.  He, unlike Joohyun, stubbornly sticks to Koguryeo style dress even if it means wearing the same set of clothes day after day.

 

 

“Joohyun-ah,” he murmurs quietly, his voice tired.

 

 

“Yes?”

 

 

“The king does not lie.  It is true that the Tang have staked their claim on the entirety of the peninsula.”

 

 

“You are certain?”

 

 

Gihoon nods, jaw set.

 

 

“There’s a eunuch here who has been a double agent for Koguryeo for the past ten years.  The intelligence was passed to me first hand through the spy network.”

 

 

Joohyun sighs as she squeezes the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.

 

 

“Then there could actually be a chance that we can push the Tang from our borders once and for all.”

 

 

“Yes, Princess.  But…”

 

 

Joohyun glances at Gihoon who shifts a bit uneasily.

 

 

“The king is correct that our people would be skeptical about Silla’s sincerity without some sort of binding contract.”

 

 

“Such as a marriage?”

 

 

“Are you honestly entertaining the idea?  She’s the daughter of the Minister of Defense!  Her father and her king pushed for the Silla-Tang alliance that led to our kingdom’s downfall.”

 

 

“And her father could also push for a Silla-Koguryeo alliance.  A tie between myself and his daughter would ensure that the alliance wouldn’t just dwindle with his lack of interest.”

 

 

Gihoon sighs and crosses his arms over his chest as he glowers at the pond in front of them.

 

 

“You aren’t some chattel to be traded from one man to the next.  You are the eldest princess of the proud kingdom of Koguryeo.”

 

 

Joohyun’s mouth curls upward as she thinks of her father and the similar words he had uttered to her countless times in the palace.  Powerless to General Yeon and yet King Bojang had reminded his children of the once proud legacy of the Koguryeo royal family. 

 

 

“This marriage will not make me lose that part of myself, Gihoon-ah.  I will always be the princess of Koguryeo.”

 

 

The man chuckles, his smile so familiar it squeezes painfully on Joohyun’s heart.

 

 

“Your love for your kingdom is unmatched, Your Highness.”

 

 

“I… I think perhaps it is not.  Seulgi… she truly loved Koguryeo more purely than I ever could.”

 

 

Gihoon sighs, the sound pained.

 

 

“It’s true, isn’t it? That she was…?”

 

 

“Yes.  I watched it happen.  She died trying to protect me from being kidnapped.”

 

 

“My foolish sister,” Gihoon whispers, his voice thick with unshed tears.

 

 

“She would want Koguryeo to at least have a chance, Gihoon-ah.  This way we can try to save our kingdom from being a conquered people.  We cannot just give in to the Tang.”

 

 

“Even if it will cost you your freedom to return north with me?”

 

 

Joohyun smiles sadly as she thinks of Pyeongyang and the ash where her home had once been.

 

 

“The north will always be with me.  Even in Silla.”

 

 

“Is this you annulling our engagement, Princess?”

 

 

“Yes.  It is.”

 

 

Gihoon makes a thoughtful sound as they turn to look at each other.

 

 

“It will be lonely here by yourself.  You are the last of our people’s royal family on the Peninsula.”

 

 

“When this war is over and our kingdom is whole again, bring me back home, Lieutenant Colonel Kang.”

 

 

It feels almost like a foolish dream to say aloud but Joohyun says the words to manifest a potential future for herself and her people.  Her eyes fill with tears as she just barely manages to keep back the wave of hopelessness and loneliness from the surface.  She thinks of Seulgi’s warm arms around her back whispering soft comforts against the curling hairs behind her ears.

 

 

“My brave beautiful princess of ice and snow.”

 

 

“Even if I have to steal you away from your wife?”

 

 

Joohyun just stares at him, waiting for the answer she wants.

 

 

“Of course, my Princess.  When Koguryeo is restored to what it once was I will come back for you.”

 

 

Joohyun nods just once before closing her eyes and letting her tears of relief fall.   

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

“So you’re saying yes to the proposal?”

 

 

“I think it would benefit my kingdom to go forward with what the king of Silla has suggested.”

 

 

Captain Moon crosses her arms over her chest as she squints at Joohyun.  Gihoon had left for Koguryeo a few days ago, taking with him a scroll from Joohyun detailing her marriage to the other woman in exchange for military support to drive out the Tang.  This had followed her audience with the king of Silla, in which she had signed a marriage agreement between herself and Moon Byulyi.

 

 

“Is that so?  You think it's a good idea to send both of our kingdoms back to war after barely finishing the last one?”

 

 

“Captain Moon.  We both know that Silla will not be doing most of the fighting.  Koguryeo acts as a physical buffer between the worst of any potential Tang attacks.  Your king even says Baekje troops will come to help in the fighting.  This war will be different for both of our kingdoms.”

 

 

The other woman frowns and shifts uneasily in her seat.

 

 

“It is easy for the rulers of kingdoms to send their people to war.  I speak as a soldier who has led others into battle when I say there is a great cost to this fighting with the Tang.”

 

 

“There will always be a cost.”

 

 

Captain Moon’s eyes fall to Joohyun’s hand, clenched tightly into a fist on the table.

 

 

“My lady,” she murmurs, her voice so soft that Joohyun’s hand unintentionally loosens.  “You are soon to be my wife.  This will be the last time I say this before we move forward with the wedding.  But… if you do not want to be with me, you can still leave for the north.  I will not stop you.”

 

 

“This is my decision.  I want this.”

 

 

“Do you?  Or do you think your people want this?”

 

 

“They are the same thing, Captain Moon.”

 

 

The other woman studies her for an introspective moment, seeming to mull something over.  Finally she smiles, looking down at the table in front of them.

 

 

“Did you know ever since I was a child I dreamed of marrying for love?”

 

 

Joohyun feels her heart pound in her ears as she watches the other woman pull something from her sleeve.  It’s a golden ring inlaid with a cut lapis lazuli stone.  Their fingers brush as Captain Moon carefully gives her the ring.  Joohyun holds the small piece of gold in the palm of her hand, eyebrow furrowing as she stares at the unfamiliar design.

 

 

“It isn’t from Silla.  Our trade routes extend far to the West. There’s a place that they claim is the cradle of the universe.  They call themselves the Sasanians.  We in Silla greatly admire their art and poetry.”

 

 

Joohyun hums as she runs her thumb along the curve of the ring.  Etched on its exterior is a shape that reminds her of a long undulating dragon. 

 

 

“It’s beautiful,” she murmurs quietly.

 

 

“Even though there may be no love between us, I hope, Princess, that you would take that ring and see it as proof of my loyalty to you.  This may be a political marriage but it is a marriage all the same.”

 

 

Joohyun thinks of her last words to Gihoon.  Take me away from here when the war is over.

 

 

Joohyun wonders vaguely in another time and place if the two of them could have been close companions.  Not two women whose kingdoms are tied in a temporary alliance held by their political union.  She finds herself unable to say any lies to Moon Byulyi in this strange moment of vulnerability.  So instead she reaches forward and tightly grips the other woman’s hand and squeezes.  There is something almost sweet about the way Captain Moon’s face flushes and she looks away, her smile just barely teasing the corners of .

 

Joohyun would normally think it is a sign of weakness.  But she smiles back. 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

That night Joohyun dreams again.

 

 

Seulgi holds her close to her chest, their hands clasped between them as Joohyun feels her steady breathing.  She lets her eyes close and feel the phantom warmth of the other woman’s skin on her cheek.  It’s another memory.  In a few minutes there will be screams in the courtyard when the Hwarang execute their kidnapping.  In a few minutes Seulgi will have slit in a desperate attempt to save Joohyun from her inevitable fate.

 

 

“We can’t keep doing this, Princess.”

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

“You will be married off to another.”

 

 

A soft hand cards through Joohyun’s hair.

 

 

“Why didn’t you run when I asked you to, Seulgi-yah?”

 

 

They pull apart and she looks up into the other woman’s eyes, bright in the darkness of night.  For once Seulgi breaks the script of the looped memory.

 

 

“I will always try to be by your side, Princess.  No matter the consequence.”

 

 

Joohyun sniffles and burrows her face into Seulgi’s warmth, savoring the seconds she has left with her.  She feels something shift  and when Joohyun opens her eyes srill in thedream Moon, ,Moon Byulyi is looking down at her, arms circling her in an embrace.

 

“This may be a political marriage, but it is a marriage all the same,” she repeats, eyes soft and mouth inviting. 

 

She contemplates the words as they look at each other.  Joohyun leans forward and presses against Byulyi’s into a kiss.

 

It doesn’t taste like true love.  But it isn’t hate, either.