Gwen gasped at the sudden closeness of the man. His long black hair was only partially pulled back, leaving most of it to fall over his shoulders. Bangs fell on the left half of his face, but they barely hid the mask underneath. He was like a figure from a story Gwen’s father – her real father – would tell her before going to sleep. The dark hero of a fairytale. 

This mystique, however, was undone by his recklessness with the horse.

The rider sneered at Gwen, confused by her foreign appearance. Then, slowly, the sneer turned into a smirk. Though the expression angered her, Gwen forced herself to remain polite, opening to thank him for saving her from falling in the river - despite the fact that it had been caused by him in the first place. Before the first syllable could be voiced, the rider brought the horse to a stop. 

And shoved her off. 

She landed with a hard thump in the dirt, her palms taking most of the bite. Now even angrier than before, she jumped up, putting herself dangerously between him and the road. He might have saved her from the river, but it was possible that he would run her over. 

“Who exactly do you think you are, riding through a market full of people like that?” Gwen yelled. A lock of hair fell into her eyes. She blew it out of the way, not taking her eyes off of the masked rider. “You could have hurt someone who did nothing to you!”

The scolding seemed to do little more than annoy him. Still smirking, he reared his horse back, the hooves kicking mere inches from Gwen’s face. She scrambled out of the way as the rider took off, charging even more fiercely as if to make a point. 

Gwen muttered to herself as she dusted off the dirt from her dress. The curses didn’t stop as she stomped back towards Prince Suho’s household, done with enough adventuring for the day. 

Things were quieter there, calmer. Most of the servants were moving on to their evening chores. Chae Ryung found Gwen wandering through the courtyard and escorted her to dinner. To her relief, it was only Gwen and Papa in their private quarters. She didn’t have to worry about protocol and manners. She only had to worry about Papa eating first, though he insisted she get her fill before himself. Everything was delicious and filling. 

Gwen stayed mostly quiet during dinner, keeping her strange encounter with the masked rider to herself as Papa talked about the progress on the house. He was excited about the ways the builders were combining the styles of Goryeo with the styles of home, of Eire. Gwen smiled as she listened to the low tenor of his voice. No matter what happened, this man made her feel safe, stable. 

She still wanted to go home. She needed to get back home. But- Well, she didn’t have a way back yet, so she might as well grow comfortable in her new role. It was quite possible that this Gwen was now running around in her body back in her time. She hoped that past Gwen was kind to her family. They would take care of each other’s families until they were back in their respective times. 

                                                                                                               ********

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Chae Ryung huffed, irritated. Her shoulders heaved up and down from running all around the compound. 

Gwen had been hiding on purpose. She’d taken one of the history texts out of the library and was sitting precisely in the empty gazebo so she would be seen from the path while she read. She had been hoping for one day where she wasn’t bothered, wasn’t in someone’s way, or being ordered about. Perhaps that was too much to hope for.

“The Princess is requesting your presence in the Prince’s study.”

Gwen whimpered. “Do I have to?” The princess had been ordering her to do small, annoying things over the past week, mostly for the upcoming festival. Chae Ryung nodded sympathetically. Closing the book a little too harshly, Gwen stood up from her hiding spot. “Fine. Lead the way.”

Gwen was silently stewing as she followed Chae Ryung through the buildings, making a stop at the library to replace the book before continuing on to the study - a room that was almost the entirety of the building it was housed in. She assumed that she was going to be told to tidy up or write letters, or organize stamps. 

Unfortunately, it was much worse. 

Once outside the study, Gwen was informed that she was to help serve tea to the gathered princes. Wonderful. The last time Gwen had checked, she was a guest here, not a servant. But the princess wanted to humiliate her or put her in “her place”. Gwen didn’t mind being helpful around the household, she had told Prince Suho as much. As long as she had a say in it, she would do it. But this was court lady work.  

With a small wooden tray in her hands, Gwen followed the court ladies in, coming in last. Her eyes were trained down to fight the humiliation that was brewing under her cheeks. She prayed that her pale skin wouldn’t give away her embarrassment. They turned red at the drop of the hat. 

When she finally looked up from the tray, she let out a quiet gasp before hiding behind a pillar. Not the smartest or least noticeable move, but her surprise took over her actions. 

The masked rider was there. 

That rude jerk was a prince? Gwen nearly choked on a scoff. She thought they were supposed to be charming and chivalrous, like Suho. He was the walking portrait of a prince, all the way down to how he spoke and carried his shoulders. The masked rider was the opposite - the selfish, snobbish prince who didn’t care about the ordinary person. Did the two of them really come from the same bloodline?

Gathering up what little courage she could find, Gwen left the safety of the pillar. She continued to keep her face down towards the ground as she slowly approached the table. Her hands were slightly trembling, but she hoped no one noticed. 

Two feet stepped in her way, blocking the path to the table. Inch by inch, she moved her gaze up until she was nearly nose to nose with another one of the princes. It was the klutzy one from the rehearsal she had witnessed last week. Gwen jumped back in surprise, letting out a small yelp. The tray slipped from her shaking fingers, landing on the floor with an attention-grabbing rattle. The young prince scurried behind his brothers with a scream of his own

“It’s a green-eyed demon!” the scared prince shouted.

“I am not a demon!” Gwen yelled back defiantly. The previous meekness was gone. Her fists curled at her sides. There was a long list of abuse she was willing to take in this time period, but being called a demon because of her eyes was not going to be one of them. 

The prince still cowered behind the others as he pointed at Gwen. “That’s what they all say!”

“Clean up this mess!” Yeon Hwa ordered of Gwen. From the way her face contorted, Gwen could only assume that she had ruined the precious gathering. That was what she got for making Gwen do this anyway.

Gwen didn’t move to clean up the spilt tray. All eyes were on her. The emotion of her situation along with being called a demon - worse than human - was beginning to be all too much. She could feel the tears starting to form along with a lump in . Taking a risk, she made eye contact with each prince. Three had pity on her, one was scared, and two were simply annoyed with the current proceedings. Then the last prince; she could only see part of his face, but the smirk he had worn while throwing her off the horse was nowhere to be found, replaced by something else. Gwen didn’t bother to stick around to try and read it. Without a single word, she her heels and marched out of the study. 

Once alone in the courtyard surrounded by buildings that constantly reminded Gwen where she was, she took deep breaths, willing the tears to go back inside where they belonged. Her body calmed down. It took time, but it did eventually. Needing to be alone, she took a step to head back to her room. She agonized over Lady Hae having to hear about this. She was going to hide. Until a throat being cleared stopped her in her tracks.

Turning around, the young, rude prince stood a few feet, acting all high and mighty like the spoiled brat he was with his arms crossed and his chin raised. 

“Can I help you?” Gwen snipped. 

He frowned, not accustomed to that kind of reaction. “You need to go back inside and clean up your mess.”

Gwen’s mouth dropped. “My mess? You were the one who scared me and called me a demon! Not to mention got in my face!”

The assertiveness was slipping. His arms uncrossed in a jagged manner, pausing halfway before falling completely to the sides. “I am a prince. I don’t have to respect your boundaries.”

The nerve of this guy! 

The five-year-old behavior would have been entertaining, considering this prince had to be in at least his early twenties, but being on the receiving end evaporated the amusement on the spot. “Oh, yes, you do! I’m a human being. Prince or not, you have no right to go around calling people demons just because they don’t look like you!”

The prince stalked closer until he was once again in Gwen’s face. “Well, from how you’re treating me, maybe you are a demon!”

Smack!

She hadn’t meant to do it. If she could take it back she would. She usually had more control over her actions. But having him mere inches away, again accusing her of not even being a person was too much and her hand reached out to slap him before she could process what was happening.

A big red mark stood out against his skin and he held it as he let out a whine. 

“Maybe now you’ll learn not to call people demons just because they look different from you,” Gwen growled. Though she regretted the action, she let her emotions speak for her. The initial thought was that he would understand his wrongdoing and apologize like he should have in the first place. She’d overestimated him. 

The prince charged, wrapping his arm around her neck and putting her in a chokehold. It wasn’t tight enough to cut off air, but Gwen was incapable of hitting him again from this angle to defend herself. She struggled against his grip, unable to break free.

The rustling of more onlookers reached Gwen’s ears. Then someone shouted, “Baekhyun, let her go!” 

With effort, Gwen shifted around to see that the princes, minus the masked one, had ventured out to see what the ruckus was. 

Wonderful. As if this couldn’t get more embarrassing. Sick of the situation, Gwen flung her head back, knocking the prince – Baekhyun, apparently – in the nose. His grip loosened enough for her to escape. Not caring about the audience and her earlier regret dissipated, Gwen reached her hand back. This time, she was fully aware of the intent of smacking him. Mid swing, a hand grabbed her wrist, bringing it to a stop.

It’s the masked prince, interested in the affair after all.

Baekhyun, seeing an opening, went to charge again.

“Baekhyun!” Prince Suho cried out. “That is enough. People are watching.”

Baekhyun glanced around, noticing the servants that, too, had stopped to watch the show. With a pout, he ran off as the others dispersed as well. 

Gwen wrenched her hand out the masked prince’s grasp. He said nothing as he walked off. She stared after him, fighting with the urge to kick him. Her bravado was still high from the fight with Baekhyun. There was something she was dying to tell him and no will power to hold it back. “Hey!”

He stopped abruptly, startling Gwen. She’d expected the prince to ignore her, to keep walking as if her voice was nothing more than an annoying gnat to shoo away. He spun on the heels of his boots and stared her down. Though not as tall as some of his brothers, his stare under the mask made up for it with its intensity.

Not wanting him to be satisfied with scaring her, Gwen squared up her shoulders. “I think you owe me an apology. 

“Really?” The smirk was back, pressing the skin of his cheek into the edge of the mask. It was nearly impossible to ignore the wooden covering, but Gwen tried to focus on the eyes behind it. 

“Yes,” Gwen barked back. “I don’t know who told you it was okay to chauvinistically charge through a crowded market and nearly get someone killed, but being a prince doesn’t give you the right to just shove everyone out of your way!”

The prince stepped up, forcing Gwen to look up at him despite him not being that tall to begin with. Admittedly, her bravado was beginning to waiver. What exactly made her start this confrontation again?

“Who are you?”

“My name is Gwen. I’m the merchant’s daughter living with Prince Suho.”

“No, who are you,” he asked mockingly, folding his hands behind his back, “to demand such a thing? What is your status that you could treat royalty in such a way?”

It was Gwen’s turn to scoff. This was what she got for growing up in a country that didn’t have royalty. Though equality was not practiced as it was preached, she still had that rosy-colored outlook. “Are you serious? Are you also going to treat me like dirt just because I look different? No matter what my face looks like, you should still apologize for throwing me from your horse. I could have been hurt worse than if I’d fallen into the river anyway!”

He nodded in a way that made it seem like he was contemplating what Gwen had said. She started to smile, thinking maybe she had won and would get what she demanded. That is, until he leaned down, so close to Gwen’s face that he had begun to blur. 

“Once I, as a prince, apologize, then you, a nobody, will have to die for causing such humiliation. Are you okay with that?” 

Gwen swallowed hard. She hadn’t taken that particular aspect into account. The slightest offense could mean the end of her life here. And anything could be considered an offense. It was all up to the royal family. It sickened her, the idea that a life could be thrown away so easily. But her own opinions held no weight in this place. 

The Prince knew he had her. “Well, then. I’m sor-”

A savior rounded the corner. All courage lost, Gwen ran to Lady Hae before the prince could finish his sentence. 

“Gwen, there you are. Come with me.” 

Her tone was clipped. It sent a shiver down Gwen’s spine. She followed Lady Hae all the way to the temple. At first, Gwen was confused as to why she had been led here, but it dawned on her. It must be time for Lady Hae’s daily prayer. 

Not looking at Gwen, Lady Hae stared down at the pile of rocks in front of her. “I heard what happened with Prince Baekhyun.”

“He started it!” I defended, worried that she might think I did it all on purpose. 

“No matter the reason, you laid a hand on an imperial prince,” she sighed. It seemed that she would not be on Gwen’s side, no matter what. “You won’t be able to escape punishment. It’s possible that even Prince Suho and your father will be punished as well.” 

That… that wasn’t fair. Why should they be punished? Gwen was an individual person who made her own choices. Neither of those men made her do anything. Although, Prince Suho didn’t exactly come to her aid either. 

Lady Hae stopped, turning to face Gwen. “You have changed so much. Even though you were unpredictable before, you still kept your head and knew your place.” She gestured to a pile of rocks that were stacked to resemble a pyramid. 

“These rocks are placed here by mothers and they come to pray for their children. I don’t have any, but this pile is one I built for you. I know I could never replace your own mother, but since your father and you have come to live here, I took it upon myself to look after you as my own. I feel as if I have failed. I’m ashamed that your mother is watching me fail.”

Every word she spoke was filled with true emotion. She was right, she could never replace Gwen’s mom - past or future - but here she was, trying her best to look after someone she wasn’t even related to. Her compassion and love was overwhelming. The tears Gwen had been holding back since the study swelled over. Lady Hae pulled her into a hug and Gwen held on tightly. 

Lady Hae left her alone a little while later to reflect on her thoughts. 

Gwen spent hours sitting in front of the pile of stones that had been spent specifically for her. She was causing the people here too much heartache and frustration. She needed to get back home. But how? She hardly knew how she got here. Would she have to wait for another eclipse? And then what? Bash a rock to her head? Jump in the lake and drown? Some sort of magic had brought her here and left her without a rule book. 

She hoped that this wasn’t one of those “you must stay here until you learn a lesson” type of journey. If that was the case, then she would be stuck here for a very long time. 

“Lady Gwen! Please, come quickly!” Chae Ryung came skidding to a stop near the prayer pile.

“What is it, Chae Ryung?” Gwen asked absentmindedly. She did not want to do any more “favors” for the princess. Whatever needed to be done, her highness could do it herself. 

“Your father–”

Gwen jumped up from the ground, suddenly paying attention. “Papa! What is it? What happened?”

“There was an accident at the construction site.” Chae Ryung grabbed Gwen’s hand, pulling her along. “Please, come quickly!” They ran back to the house as quickly as their dresses would allow. 

In Papa’s room were Prince Suho, Lady Hae, and the doctor. Papa was lying in his bed, sweat dotting his face and neck. His breath was ragged and uneven. Not caring about decorum, Gwen shoved past them all, to be his side. His shirt had been ripped away, showing his torso wrapped in bloody bandages. The doctor stood up and whispered to Prince Suho.

“It doesn’t look good. I’m not sure if he’ll make it.”

Gwen thought she had cried away all of her tears earlier selfishly, but some were still left for this. He was her one connection in this place, the only other outsider who could understand her confusion of this place. He couldn’t leave her alone. It was selfish, she knew, but… she needed him. More than she had realized. 

“Papa.”

Papa opened his eyes at the sound of Gwen’s voice. Lady Hae coughed heavily behind them. Gwen barely acknowledged Chae Ryung escorting her out.

“Gwen,” Papa breathed softly. “You look just like your mother. So much. Remember both her and me when I’m gone.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Papa,” Gwen said through gritted teeth. “I’ll see you every day. Especially when we move into our own home.”

“Yes,” he smiled weakly. “My little butterfly. I keep forgetting that you’ve already broken out of your cocoon. Just don’t fly too high.” The doctor put his hand on Gwen’s shoulder, silently signaling for her to leave. She didn’t want to be away from his side, but her hysteria wasn’t going to help him heal. 

“Rest, Papa,” Gwen ordered. She gave him a kiss on his scruffy cheek before following Prince Suho out. 

In the hallway, Prince Suho offered his comfort. It didn’t feel appropriate as he pulled her in for an awkward hug. It wasn’t like Lady Hae’s hug from earlier. “Your father is a strong man. I’m sure he will recover soon.”

Gwen shook her head as she slipped out of his arms, tears still streaming down her face. She hoped that there hadn’t been onlookers. “I heard the doctor. He doesn’t have hope.”

“Miracles have happened before.”

A sob escaped. “I just need one. One miracle in my life and I will be satisfied. He can’t leave me alone.”

A hand weighed down on her shoulder. She looked up. Prince Suho stared down at her with pity. Or, at least, she thought it was pity. There was a hint of something else, but Gwen couldn’t read what it might be. “You won’t be alone. If anything happens, we will continue to watch over you.”

Gwen had no words to give back to him, so she simply nodded, bowed and walked off.

She was too restless for sleep. She needed the true feeling of being alone and there were too many bodies around the prince’s household to achieve that. 

So, Gwen left the buildings behind in favor of the trees, letting her hands brush up against the soft bark, wandering aimlessly. The image of Papa’s bandages plagued her mind, the bright red stains haunting her every step. 

Eventually, she came to a small cave, just beyond the public bathing pool. Too curious to move on, she stepped inside. Someone had made it their personal hideaway. Or it was once a storage area, given the wooden crates and rotting ropes scattered around the edges. A small wooden bridge connected the two sides of the cave so any travelers wouldn’t have to step into the shallow creek running through. Gwen followed the path to the other exit, unsure of where it led but too inquisitive to turn back now. 

More trees greeted her on the other side. There didn’t seem to be anything worthwhile to find. She was about to give up on any sort of distraction when she heard the sound of splashing water. Stepping lightly, she headed towards it. Perhaps there was a secret waterfall hidden in the forest. That would certainly be something to behold. Maybe it could be a new haven for her when she needed to get away. 

Abruptly, the trees stopped. It wasn’t a waterfall waiting for her, but a private bathhouse. The masked prince from before was slowly walking into the outside pool, his face no longer covered by the intricate wood carving. His bangs, however, still covered too much for Gwen to see what was so important to be concealed. 

Obviously intruding, Gwen turned to go when – just like the movies – her foot snapped a twig, the sound much louder than it ever should have been. The prince’s head shot up and he was out of the water faster than a snake after its prey. Gwen was too frozen to move when he found her just inside the trees. 

His hand covered the left half of his face and for once, there was no harsh emotion on his face, only horror and shame. 

“Did you see it?” he asked hesitantly. 

Gwen didn’t answer him, unsure of what it was she supposedly might have seen. Her silence brought back the anger as he stepped forward. He wrapped his hand that had been previously covering his face around Gwen’s neck. Not tightly, but enough that she couldn’t run away. He would probably catch her, anyway, since he didn’t have the burden of skirts to slow his pace. 

Now, she could faintly make out whatever disfigurement he was hiding, what he didn’t want her to see. A red line stuck out from his pale skin, right under his eye. It stretched down his cheek in a jagged line.

“I asked if you saw it!”

“Please,” was all she could muster up. Panic rolled over her, but he wouldn’t hurt her simply for accidentally stumbling into this area, would he? Then again, she was already in trouble from hitting Baekhyun. 

Relaxing one finger at a time, he finally released Gwen’s neck. “Go. And forget me.”

Nodding frantically, she tripped and stumbled back the way she’d come. 

She didn’t slow her pace until she was back through the cave and she saw the lights of Prince Suho’s home. When she rounded the first building, it seemed the whole household was waiting for her to reappear. 

Prince Suho looked relieved when he saw the thing stumbling out of the forest was Gwen. Lady Hae ran up, wrapping her in a crushing hug. 

When Lady Hae pulled back, she chastised, “How could you wander off without a word? You’ve left your family worried.”

“I-” Gwen was stunned. But she wasn’t sure if it was from her run-in with the masked prince, or from Lady Hae including Gwen in her family. “I’m sorry. I just needed to clear my head. I didn’t mean to worry anyone.”

Lady Hae cupped Gwen’s cheek in her palm. “Please, next time, at least tell one of us, so we aren’t worried when no one can find you.”

Gwen bowed to hide my tears from hurting her so much. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“Come, let’s go inside before you catch ill as well.”

Lady Hae kept an arm at Gwen’s back to guide her inside. As Gwen passed Prince Suho, he locked eyes with her and smiled. She smiled back out of politeness. 

Chae Ryung took over for Lady Hae and assisted Gwen in getting ready for bed, brushing out the unruly red hair that had gotten tangled up from the rush to escape. Thinking that servants were the ones more likely to give up information, Gwen decided to finally get some answers to the masked prince.

“Chae Ryung?”

“Yes?”

Gwen fiddled with a simple hair pin that sat at the vanity, trying not to look too eager for the answer. “What do you know about the masked prince?”

Chase Ryung’s hands froze. “Th-the masked prince?”

“Yes.”

“That’s Fourth Prince Wang Yixing!” she said frantically. “You better stay away from him! He is cruel beyond imagination! He was sent to the Kang clan down south to appease them. The mother had lost her son because of the King and was threatening rebellion. He is called the dog-wolf. If anyone sees the scar, he kills them. That’s what hides behind the mask. A hideous scar that deforms his face! Everyone’s wary of him at the court.”

The memory of Yixing wrapping his hand around in anger hits Gwen. She rubbed her neck where his skin had pressed up against her own. And yet, she could only find pity for him, thinking of the scared look on his face when he thought she had seen his scar.

“Is having a scar really that bad of a thing?” Gwen asked quietly. It hadn’t seemed that bad, from she could discern from behind the hair. She certainly wouldn’t call him deformed. 

Chae Ryung nodded. “Yes, it’s only because he’s a prince that he wasn’t completely cast out.”

Gwen shook her head in anger. “What a ridiculous notion.”