The eastern city of Gyeongju failed to have the vast empty fields to practice horse riding on, nor it had the chilly night breeze that would quietly sweep through the ancient trees surrounding the small villages around their palace. 

Still, it would have to do; Or at least that’s what Moon Byulyi reckoned. It was her actions that had taken her to where she was now. Clad in leather and iron armor, heavy boots gently kicking at her horse to push forward, bow hanging loosely around her left shoulder and a newly forged sword resting inside its scabbard against her hip, the woman was the perfect picture of a knight.

Harsh she fought to reach her dream of becoming one; harsh were the consequences of said actions. 

It was uncommon for women to become a part of the army. This was well known not only to Moon Byulyi but to her family as well. A part of her father had always known, or at least that’s what she liked to believe to alleviate some of the inner guilt her heart silently carried. 

His unfazed reaction when she announced she would be giving up on their efforts to marry her to a Western lord in order to join the royal army was the first reason for her theory. 

The offer to help her achieve her goals was the second one.

“You are a woman at twenty. I shall give you that, but I am still your father. If you want to become the best you shall have to start from the bottom. Serving.” 

A training camp or years of fighting in small conflicts were options that Moon Byulyi was certain were going through her father’s head. 

Never did she actually believe he would enlist her as the personal guard for the heiress of the Silla kingdom.

Her shocking reaction was mayhaps what her father had been looking for; judging by the guffaw he gave out at it, that is. 

During her journey her mind had been slowly reflecting on the matter, though. Accompanied by only two fellow Moon soldiers as an , silence and thus time to ponder reigned during both, day and night. 

It would take years for her to reach higher ranks; that is if she ever got to become well-respected among the many men in charge of the country’s defenses. Still, it was a better fate than being betrothed to a stranger and sent away from home to his lands. 

Luckily she had sisters. 

Luckily they loved her dearly and were willing to endure that fate in order to see their eldest succeed at something so extraordinary for a woman in their times. 

They lived in her heart and mind. First thing she would do in the morning after the palace was reached would be to send word to them that she’d arrived safe and sound. 

For now, though, the gates of the capital were opened at the mere sight of her Northern banner. 

Without fear, Moon Byulyi entered.

▝▝▝

The room she would be staying in was warm. The bed was soft, and the balcony small but the view made up for it. The sound of waves crashing against the shore not very far away reached her ears, as did the salty smell of the ocean.

It was all very inviting for exploration. She had never really seen the sea up-close, way less had she ever taken a dive into the water. It scared her as much as it excited her. There were two servants at her disposition, one that offered her some water, the other one that carried her luggage and was starting to prepare a bath. 

It was all supposed to feel homely, welcoming. 

She sat down on the desk and started to write a letter to her sisters.

▝▝▝

A few days had passed and Kim Yongsun was, the future warrior determined, the most insufferable woman in the realm. 

It still was better than being married to a complete stranger - a man at that - but the relaxation techniques for a proper lady that her mother had taught her a few years back were finally proving to be of use. 

Having the obligation of following the princess wherever she went was not helping her current odyssey either. 

You’re too close. You’re too far. Don’t go there. Please chew with your mouth closed. 

She did have all of the qualities the future great leader of Silla should possess, Moon Byulyi determined. At least that was something. Why she had to show the bossy traits at her own expenses though, she wasn’t sure. 

Maybe she did it to aggravate her further. 

3 personal guards in the last 4 months, Lady Moon. She doesn’t like being guarded. She likes to do as she pleases.

A warm set of welcoming words by one of Kim Yongsun’s ladies-in-waiting during her first day, Moon Byulyi thought during the rest of the night in her large chambers. 

Still, pettiness drove her into persisting. If the Princess was going to be a pain in the to her, then she was going to make sure to be ten times worse. 

During breakfast, the youngest of the two would make sure to keep the jars of juice by her side, leaving Yongsun with nothing but lukewarm water. 

An exasperated sigh would always let her know it was all starting. 

“Lady Moon.” 

“My princess.” She’d reply courteously. Personal war or not, gods be damned, she would not forget her manners. 

“The orange juice.” The Princess would command in a pointy tone. Any other would’ve been frightened by the order itself. Not many things scared Moon Byulyi though. 

“I beg your pardon, your grace?” 

A pause. “The juice.” 

With a smirk, the blonde would drink the last sip of whatever was left in her glass. It wasn’t until after she was done that she’d pass the jar to Yongsun, only to have the eldest discover it completely empty. 

True, no less than four servants would rush to her side to take the container from her and bring three more full ones, but the sight of a pulsing vein on the princess’s forehead would make it all worth it. Even if the actions sent her running to the privy not much later.

Gods, even if Kim Yongsun ordered for her to be sent to the dungeons and executed at first light, it would all be worth it. 

If she was indeed leaving, Moon Byulyi would make sure it was not because she was a quitter, but because the princess sent her into exile like a war hero that got songs written for them.

▝▝▝

Yongsun had taken a liking to wandering about in the palace’s gardens at noon. She had also personally requested her personal guard to hold an umbrella over her head to protect her royal face from the sun. 

It was all a deception; That much, Moonbyul knew. From the few weeks they’d gotten to spend together, the bodyguard had learned that not only Yongsun despised long walks because of the misery of it all - heavy skirts, layers of long sleeves and a seemingly bulky headpiece - but because the princess did not have any liking for her entourage. 

The only lady that Yongsun cared for like a younger sister was the lady-in-waiting that had mocked her during her first day after Moon Byulyi had fallen down the slippery stairs. 

Ahn Hyejin disliked social affairs as well, though. And thus, she was usually found hanging about in the kitchens or lurking in the shadows, bag of water always within reach so she could splash someone with it. 

Moonbyul had learned of it in not such a nice way.

It was easy for Ahn Hyejin to escape these types of gatherings, however. Kim Yongsun had a regal duty of dealing with them. As boring as these people were, maintaining their allies by her side was always more important. 

Moon Byulyi, on the other hand, had a duty of being scorched under the fiery midday sun. It was all a part of Yongsun’s scheme for vengeance. The royal guard knew she was going to be in trouble the minute the princess overheard her complaining over the warm leather on her armor during the humid summer in the capital. 

It would leave a mark. It would surely hurt.

She would have to strategize a subtle retaliation. A freezing shower at night to try and calm the pain would surely give her some time to go over it. 

The evil ideas going through her mind distracted her well enough for her to accidentally bump into Yongsun. 

While the princess turned to scowl at her, indignant, the blonde could only squeak in sunburn-related agony. 

The crowd had dissipated. It took her a moment to hear the kitchen bells, ringing loudly to announce that lunch was ready to be served. 

“My apologies.” Moon Byulyi forced herself to mumble with a quick bow. The movement sent her into another yelp. 

Kim Yongsun smirked evilly at that. 

“Are you unwell, Lady Moonbyul?” 

“No.” She lied. To try and prove her point, her limbs attempted to stretch as much as they could without feeling like she was going to die. “I’m doing perfectly well, princess. I appreciate the sunlight. We scarcely get it in the North.” 

Yongsun wasn’t fully convinced; the gleam of victory in her eyes reflected it. How she was able to read black-haired royal so easily, the guard was unsure. It was the last of her problems when the heiress ventured to speak again. 

“Very well. I shall meet you at dinner then, I expect. You’re relieved from your duty until then.” When she had walked a few meters away, her powerful voice was heard again. “You do look awfully hot, however. I’m sure some water would help.” 

Before Moon Byulyi could react, a bag full of water hit the back of her head. 

▝▝▝

The inner conflict had gotten so normalized by the month of Byulyi’s stay, that the blonde failed for a second to think about the King’s reaction to their little childish battle. 

So when the heiress to the realm started choking on her tea with some salt in it instead of sugar, Byul’s life quickly flashed before her eyes as the King worriedly stared at his daughter. 

“Is everything alright, dear?” 

That’s how she would die. It was stupid. All of her training and expectancy to at least die in battle only to starve inside a dungeon. 

Maybe that one wasn’t going to be that much worth it. 

A word from Yongsun and it all would be over. Worst-case scenario, they’d force her to marry the old, drunk man in charge of cleaning the stables. Maybe if she started to run now, she’d be able to steal a boat.

“I’m fine, father. I'ts nothing.” 

The strangled response form a red-faced Yongsun startled her to say the least, just as she was starting to unsuspiciously slip under the table. 

“It’s just a bit dusty, I suppose.” 

Not entirely convinced, the King still nodded. “I’ll have the caretaker clean more thoroughly later.” 

When Byulyi lifted her eyes to glimpse at Yongsun, brown eyes were staring right back.

▝▝▝

So far, the only thing that was left for the unlikely co-dependent pair was to go to the armory and take some swords and shields. 

Facing off in the courtyard did not actually sound like a bad idea. Moonbyul even assumed that the princess would enjoy it. 

Not that she cared about what the royal would enjoy or not. Absolutely not. She would utterly deny such thought ever going through her head if someone were to ask. 

But mayhaps she could propose the entertaining idea of a little innocent sparring near the barracks just for fun. Yongsun had been looking stressed lately, a little bit more than usual. The war had even reached a sort of unspoken truce after Yongsun failed to retaliate Byulyi placing rocks inside her pillowcase.

It was odd.

Not that she cared. 

▝▝▝

She had not meant to eavesdrop. Truly. It was just too late at night and the palace was in complete silence. The blonde was experiencing trouble sleeping, so she had taken a liking to strolling through the corridors as she awaited for tiredness to take over. 

Tonight her insomnia was getting the best of her. It was past midnight and Byulyi still felt like she could run to the North and back. Getting to see the palace beautifully lit by candlelight at night had been wonderful at first. 

Now, it was turning into the same old tour around the place. 

Yongsun’s chambers were two rooms away from hers. Even in the hallway the loud snoring emerging from inside made her snicker to herself. 

Three times she’d told the princess about her snoring and three times the eldest had been convinced it was just another one of her jests. Mayhaps one day she’d barge into her bedroom only to wake her up as she lets out another sharp wheeze. 

The King’s voice caught her attention quickly enough to distract her from the amusive idea. He had not seen her and she didn’t know her feet had taken her so far away from her side of the palace. 

His grace's royal chambers weren’t as big as his daughters, something she was sure Yongsun was behind of, but the Kim symbol still adorned the half-opened doors beautifully in glistening gold, even in darkness. 

As soon as Byulyi turned to leave on her tip-toes, someone else inside the room spoke. 

“I know the princess has been postponing this for years now, your grace. But I’m afraid that marriage is something she can’t run away from forever. The people will not accept a Queen without a King by her side.” 

The words resonated inside Moon Byulyi as if they had been directed towards her. And maybe they had been, just a few months prior. By her father, not by a complete stranger instructing her father how to sell her off.

Things were simpler for her, though. A lesser kingdom, in the service of the royal family, that guarded the North and kept the King’s peace as far as their territory would reach. While important, the future of the kingdom did not rest in her hands. 

In the middle of her and Yongsun’s little war she had failed to remember how the princess’s destiny had been fixed for her even before she was born. Their silly behavior had maybe blinded them both for weeks. 

With a heavy sigh, the King conceded. “You’re right, I’m afraid. It’s not something that she will take lightly, though.” 

“Certainly not. But it is something that must be done if you intend for your royal blood to remain on the throne.” 

Not just a marriage. A heir too. 

Without waiting for a reply from the ruler, the advisor stood up, and for a moment spoke with more authority than the King himself. “I shall write a letter to the family of the best suitor.” 

The door creaked open. 

Moon Byulyi ran. 

▝▝▝

The reasoning behind Yongsun’s recent odd behaviour was completely justified now in Byulyi’s eyes. Not only did she seem sadder, but she’d also stopped torturing her personal guard with the daily strolls in the garden and the constant nagging for her to walk her back to her room at night when Byul was just about to fall asleep on her feet. 

It was not that she missed being tormented, but failing to pull stupid tricks on Hyejin only to find her belongings outside in the rain after a long day was simply not the same. 

Not that she cared. It was just that if Kim Yongsun was not around to be the target of her antics, life would become boring inside the palace walls. 

What was the point of being a personal guard if the subject for said guarding barely left her room through the entire day? 

It was a waste of time. That’s what Byulyi would meditate about after yet another dull day of wagering in the barracks or walking through the city market. On her bed, and still not tired at all with her armor still on, the blonde groaned in frustration. 

She could be fighting in a war, as small as it was. She could be training hard. She could be traveling to other lands freely now that her marriage was off the table. 

Instead, she was here. Bored. Not tired at all. And mad at herself for all of these stupid excuses she was coming up with to not admit she was maybe a bit worried about Yongsun. 

Just a little bit. 

The utter irritation towards herself was what made her jump off the bed, boots heavily stomping on the wooden floor as she came out of her bedchamber, headed to the princess’s own massive room. 

Only two men stood guard by the door, one on the left, the other one on the right. If that could be called standing guard, that is, with both sleeping soundly against the red-painted wall. It took Byulyi no effort to slip inside the chamber with the door clicking behind her. 

Maybe that’s why they needed a new personal guard after all. 

The blonde half expected the princess to immediately yell at her for the sudden intrusion. Or maybe not yell, since that would attract unwanted attention from the entire royal army. More like a reproachful speech in whispers along with a sternful stare. Those had turned quite common lately, the few times Yongsun allowed herself to be seen during meals.

With great willpower, Moon Byulyi pushed down the excited anticipation for it. 

It quickly turned into panic when she realized that the princess was nowhere to be found. As gigantic as the bedroom was, it was implausible for her to be hiding under the carpet or even the bathtub to her left. The bed was empty and still untouched. The candles were new and the clothes inside the closet intact. 

I’m dead.

A thousand things ran in Byulyi’s mind at once. Maybe she escaped. Maybe she was dead. Maybe she was on her way to China already. Maybe she had been kidnapped. Maybe she was hiding somewhere in the nearest village. 

The explanation did not matter in the end, she realized. If she didn’t find the princess, she’d be dead. 

▝▝▝

Complaining about how tired she hadn’t been before was chasing her now. Hours later, a visit to the large town, every single room in the palace, inspections to every cart in the village, and an unpleasant visit to a brothel later, Moon Byulyi was exhausted to the core. 

It was a well-deserved punishment for not appreciating the peace she’d had for the last few days, she assumed. The gods were both, just and cruel.

Defeated, Byul returned to the palace. Instead of going in from the main entrance to avoid being questioned on the spot about her nighttime actions, her sore feet guided her to the gardens at the back of the palace. The short walls surrounding it would’ve given her no trouble were she in her best shape. 

Right now though, the weary soldier clung onto the stones with her teeth even, falling over the wall, landing on her back with a thud.

“Great.” Sarcasm was let out with a grunt. A tear threatened to roll down her cheek but the blonde quickly swept it away with a dirty hand. 

Crawling looked tempting enough. Nobody would see her in that pathetic state anyway. Not at three in the morning, at least. 

No human. Her ancestors would surely roll in their graves, judging from the afterlife. As if having an unwedded woman-soldier in the family wasn’t enough for them. 

Gathering strength, the blonde sat up.

The gardens were immense. Perhaps even bigger than the palace itself. Trees would reach the highest watchtower, weeds and roots would cover the soil, bushes would trap you if you weren’t careful enough, random ponds would drown you if you didn’t see where the bridge was. 

It was then that it occurred to her that she had failed to check the royal gardens. 

Not that she wanted to anymore. All she yearned for was to be dragged to her featherbed and sleep for a week straight. They could throw her into a cell as long as they gave her a bed and some food. The point of caring had been left behind. Maybe at the village after she stepped in horse .

“Yong?” She gave one last attempt, a weak calling that would not be heard farther than a few feet from where she was. “Yong?” Just a bit louder this time.

Silence.

A nod was to her the acceptance of her doom when the morning came. Maybe she should just fall asleep right there and there. The forest was big enough for her to live in for a few years like a wild woman until they inevitably found her. 

She should probably start considering her choices before dawn. 

A small rock was thrown into the darkness of the woods. Its sound echoed back to her ears. She liked it. It was calming. 

She did it again. 

The knock came back to her. 

She did it again. 

“If you call me Yong again, I will make sure you eat nothing but hay for the rest of your life.” 

Wait. 

That wasn’t the rock. 

“Yong?” Byulyi called back, brow furrowed. Maybe she was finally going insane. Just a few minutes into the wilderness and she was already turning into a madwoman. 

But the exasperated whine that reverberated through the trees was unmistakable. “What the hell did I just tell you, stupid?” 

“Don’t stop! Keep insulting me.” With renewed strength the blonde soldier rushed into the gardens. 

She tripped. She smacked herself against a trunk. Something stung her forearm. Every time any of that happened, she screamed in alarm. Every time she screamed, Yongsun laughed. 

Some bruises later, and following the sound of her laughter, she finally saw her. 

On a blue, old bridge over a large pond, Kim Yongsun stood wearing her golden nightgown, black hair free of any restraints and falling loosely down her shoulders. With no make-up, barefoot, and with bags under her eyes, she looked extraordinarily beautiful.

Wait. What?

“You certainly took your time.” Yongsun’s mockery thankfully distracted her from the funny feeling in her belly.

A stomach parasite, most likely. 

“Is this some sort of stupid game you put all of your personal guards through?” 

“No.” The princess replied, gazing longingly at the water shining underneath the moonlight. “Only you.” 

And the parasite was back.

An annoyed huff was the best she could do to hide it. Her outer demeanor was displaying indifference, or at least she hoped so, but her insides were starting to get all fluttery again as she walked onto the bridge - half expecting it not to crumble down - so she could stand next to Yongsun.

She would be lying if she said she hated the feeling. 

They didn’t say anything to one another. Few words were exchanged between them, even after a month of borderline combat. Most of what Byulyi knew from her, she’d heard from Hyejin or others around the palace. 

It felt oddly exciting, this new potential dynamic of theirs.

She wanted to ask, poke at her with a stick so Yongsun broke out of her shell and told her all about her life. A new sense of curiosity for the other woman filled her soul. It wasn’t proper. One could really not speak so freely without being prompted to first by the rulers of Silla, but if there was something Moon Byulyi was a personal devotee of, was not exactly following the rules.

“It’s not every day that I see a princess run away from her palace.”

“Do you know many princesses?” Was the rebuttal. 

It startled Byulyi at first but quickly regained her composure with a smuggy smirk. 

“A few.” A lie, but it was better than to admit she was the first noble-woman she’d ever met. “None of them tried to escape, though.” 

Yongsun puffed out her answer. “I was not escaping. I have just been coming here every night. It’s peaceful.” 

That Byulyi could not deny. Not seeing Yongsun often during the days made sense then. The princess would sleep during the day and be up at night. Much like herself, back home, whenever she was pensive.

The blonde didn’t say anything. She only nodded, which she doubted Yongsun could discern under the faint moonlight, but her mind couldn’t come up with much else to say. 

This Kim Yongsun truly made Byulyi experience way too many strange things she never had before in a short time-span. 

It angered her at first. Now it was kind of thrilling.

Not that she’d admit it out-loud. 

“I’m being forced into marriage.” The princess half-yelled, half-whispered into the night, ending it with a gasp, as if she had been holding it in for a long time.

Not much could be seen, but Byulyi could hear her labored breath, chest heaving after the adrenaline of said confession. She was unsure on how her majesty wanted her to react exactly. It was too late to act surprised but an agape expression would be too fake. Instead, she settled for a low huh. 

“And I assume you don’t want to marry.” 

A scoff. One that she was growing accustomed to hearing. “Yes. I do want to, Moonbyul. That’s precisely why I’m hiding in the forest at night.”

Byulyi couldn’t help but laugh at that. Even with so much on her shoulders, the somewhat real Yongsun she liked to believe she was starting to get to know was in there. Sassing her, of course.

“Well.” She continued, hands clasping and unclasping. “Is he ugly?” 

“I don’t even know him.” 

That didn’t really come as a surprise to Moonbyul either. She had not known the man her family intended to marry her to either. Her parents barely knew each other too. It was an ugly custom. 

She silently wondered how more doom would await her in the afterlife if she dare try to break that tradition too. After everything she’d done so far, the punishment couldn’t possibly get worse.

“I understand that you decided to remain unwed for the rest of your days.” 

Why exactly Yongsun kept talking to her, Byulyi did not know. Maybe it was because they were both women with an utter disgust for tradition. Maybe she did not have another choice; She was in the middle of a lonely woodland after all.

Still, Moonbyul could not help but wonder something else. 

“How exactly do you know that?” 

The question made Yongsun chuckle. The sound made Byulyi a bit dizzy. 

“People talk. Especially to me. Especially when it’s about the person who is supposed to keep me safe.” 

A pause.

“Which I failed at doing.” 

“Which you failed at doing. Yes.” 

“Okay.” A brow went up in interest as she leaned against the bridge’s rail. “What else have these gossipers told you about me?” 

“You’re the first-born of the Moon clan. You wanted to become a soldier instead of a wife, so you gave up your claim to the Northern lands in order to become one. That is how you, to our horror, ended up with me.” 

“Decent enough.” 

“Is there more?” 

“Oh, there is more.” A smile had taken over Byulyi’s lips. It was very visible now that the moon wasn’t being blocked by mist and clouds. Her body turned, back resting on the rails now, to fully look at Yongsun. “But right now I happen to be more interested in learning about you.” 

A flicker of nervousness glowed in Yongsun’s eyes for a moment. Had she ever been asked that before? Byulyi could bet she had not. 

“There’s not really that much to tell.” The princess replied, arms crossed.

“Not much to tell? As the princess of Silla?” 

“A boring life, trust me.” 

A sense of sympathy took a hold of the blonde at the sadness in Yongsun’s voice. She’d heard it many times coming from herself back when she was supposed to carry tradition. Back when she wasn’t free. 

In a low voice, Byulyi whispered. “I know you really do want to run away, Yongsun.” 

An embarrassed chuckle. “I was kind of hoping that’s why you were coming after me for. To help me escape my fate.” 

“Yong-”

“If I asked you, Moonbyul. Would you help me run away?” 

It was difficult to hold Yongsun’s stare as she spoke. Everything at that moment felt like an impossible task, mainly when it came to forming words. With a tight hold on the wooden bridge, she ventured. 

“You’re asking me if I would start a civil war for you.” 

“Yes.” The answer was cold. Swift. “Yes. I am.”

“I-” Treason. One wrong word and it would be considered treason to the kingdoms. Her life, her family, her lands. The reply came with a heavy sigh. “My loyalty is to the realm and its King.” 

Silence.

And a sad smile. “Yes. I suppose it is.”

▝▝▝

The pair returned to their chambers before dawn. While Yongsun was able to sleep as much as she wanted throughout the day, Byulyi still had patrols to run and new recruits to enlist.

With only two hours of sleep, the last thing the blonde wanted as the sun was setting in the west was to hear that her presence was required in the gardens. The perfect plan of bathing, stuffing her face with food before going off to bed as early as possible was utterly ruined. 

If this was one of Hyejin’s dumb pranks again, she’d have to take quick action against the youngest. Losing her in the back-forest wouldn’t be such a bad idea if Hyejin wasn’t smart enough to guess her intentions from the moment she casually invited her for a walk in the creepy depths of the ancient backyard. 

The anger from being torn away from her plans quickly dissipated when she saw Kim Yongsun waiting for her near the wooden arch covered by blue moon wisterias. The purple color of the flowers enhanced the lovely orange-y like skies produced by dusk. All the colors seem to come together to frame Yong’s silhouette into perfection. 

The heavy sleeves were gone, as was the set-piece that would always stay on whenever her personal entourage was around. Instead, she wore a simple white jeogori that was adorned with a lavender goreum, a long pink chima that hid her feet, and dangling from her waist there was an expensive-looking golden doringae of a dragon.

Byul could suddenly feel her face grow warm. Whether it was from how beautiful the princess looked or the sheer embarrassment of her dirtied state - muddy boots, smelly body armor, and greasy hair - after a day of traveling through the city. 

When Yongsun laughed, the bodyguard knew she had noticed.

Dammit.

“My lady.” She said, still trying to hide her bashfulness with a bow in an attempt to salvage some of the dignity she had left. “Are you unwell?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“You’ve never requested my presence at this time of the day. I find it strange.” 

Yong simply shrugged. “I am quite strange in case you have not noticed already.” 

The princess started to walk away from her. It was an invitation, Byulyi realized right on time. A cue for the blonde to follow her without having to ask. Before yesterday, the bodyguard would have walked away with a respectful bow. Now, she followed suit.

“I have. A strange creature of the night that preys on the innocent that just want to sleep.” 

“Unlike the many other princesses that you know?” She teased. 

“Unlike the many other princesses that I know. Indeed.” 

Yong could insist on asking about these women; just enough to pester Moonbyul with her own lie. She didn’t, however. To Byul, it meant that the princess was either gravely ill or was planning on murdering her. The latter made more sense to both of them. 

And still, she could not stop herself from walking by her side. No umbrella to be held, no empty-headed aristocrats to stand, no battles between the two. Just a harmless stroll through the open gardens at dusk. 

“Are you still thinking about running away?” 

It was an honest question, albeit one that should not be asked to a noble of her rank due to its intrusiveness. She waited for silence, but Yongsun answered. 

“Maybe.” She admitted. “I won’t ask anything from you, though. You shouldn’t be worried about that.” 

“I‘m not.” A truthful reply. 

The pair fell into comfortable silence soon enough. The road of the open gardens would extend until they reached the ancient woods. It would disappear then, as would the candlelight now illuminating their path. 

Deviating from the established concrete road in order to head into the freedom that the large trees provided was tempting enough; but dinner would be served soon and the guards would start looking for them. An alarm could be raised were they not found inside the palace without a previous announcement for their absence.

From the corner of her eyes, Byulyi could see the black-haired woman having the same idea.

“Can I ask you a question?” 

Or not. 

“Whatever pleases your grace.” She curtsied with a suppressed laugh. Yong rolled her eyes. 

“You refused to marry, correct?” 

“Is this about the gossip that you were told about me?” Byulyi asked suspiciously. Still, the amusement gleamed in her eyes. 

“No.” Yong sputtered. “Ye- Perhaps.” 

“Yong. Whatever you want to ask, you may ask. It’s fine.” 

Ignoring the informal title that was created the previous night, the princess continued. “Why did you?” 

“You must know why.” There were some walnuts scattered on the ground, so Moonbyul took the chance to collect some midnight snacks as she spoke. “Who really wants to get married to a complete stranger that you’ve never met before?” 

Yongsun was nervous. Byulyi could tell, even from her kneeling position on the ground. It had come to her attention that the Princess would bite her lower lip or her eyes would wander around the place to look at anything but the reason for her uneasiness. 

With more walnuts to gather, however, Moonbyul thought it would be better to give her the time she needed to compose herself instead of pushing her past the point of no return. 

Her patience proved to be fruitful when Yong finally asked, “Are you sure it’s not also because you fall in love with women instead of men?” 

It was all said so fast that had she not been paying enough attention, Byulyi would’ve completely missed the whole thing. Her lips quirked upwards in a smile she tried her hardest to conceal. 

With enough walnuts to last for a few days, the bodyguard let herself slump backwards so she could sit with her legs crossed, looking up at Yongsun. 

To her delight, the princess was flustered. Mayhaps more than Byulyi had been at the entrance of the gardens. The candlelight did wonders to magnify her puffy, tinted cheeks. The heiress gulped, eyes examining everything but the woman sitting right at her feet.

“Is that something that you heard from the rumors too?” 

“If it’s untrue I do apologize. It was not my intention to-” 

“There is no need to apologize. It is true. I have no shame over my nature.” 

“Oh.”

Her shoulders had visibly relaxed, eyes finally on Byulyi, but there was still something unsaid that Byul could really not pinpoint with enough certainty. 

Hands fidgeting, the princess took a deep breath. “Byul-” 

The bell rang behind them. Dinner was served.