Soyoung

At the time that Jinyoung received his letter, Soyoung was busy holding her daily meetings with the palace ministers in the large meeting room. Papers laid scattered across the long table as usual as the highest ranked people in the country discussed the most recent issues, including how to punish the captured pirates.

“Then, the next topic is-” The sound of the door banging open cut off Soyoung’s words and drew her attention to the main door to find a soldier standing there, panting as he held up a sheet of paper.

“Your Majesty, this is an emergency!” He exclaimed, “The Crown Prince of Assai-!” 

“Your Majesty!” Jinyoung’s voice interrupted the soldier’s announcement, and the prince stormed into the room without so much as a glance at the ministers in the room. His gaze was uncharacteristically furious, and he slammed a piece of paper down in front of Soyoung.

“What is the meaning of this?” He demanded, “My country was already half demolished because of your men! Isn’t that enough?” Soyoung frowned in confusion, her gaze slipping slowly downward to the hastily scrawled message on the paper in front of her. The handwriting was a mess, but Soyoung could still make out enough words to know what had happened.

Crown Prince…attacked…severely injured…

Finally, her gaze fell on the symbol drawn on the bottom of the page. Swallowing hard, Soyoung held out a hand towards the soldier at the door, who duly placed his message in her hand. Ripping the envelope open, Soyoung forced herself to be calm as she ran her eyes down the message from one of the scouts she had left in Assai. The message was more or less the same: the Crown Prince of Assai had been attacked by an unidentified assailant, leaving him bedridden and potentially lame for the rest of his life. All that had been left at the scene was a pendant with a particularly identifying symbol on it. Soyoung was all too familiar with the symbol provided on the message; in fact, without fail, she had pinned that exact pendant on each of her generals when they were promoted. 

 Soyoung blew out her breath slowly as she put down the message, her mind slowly beginning to trace the line of Jinyoung’s thoughts and what had led to his fury.

“You think I ordered this attack.” She guessed, looking up at Jinyoung’s burning gaze.

“Is it possible for me to think anything else?” Jinyoung answered, “Those are your generals. Who else could make them move besides you?” Soyoung sighed in exasperation.

Here we go again.

“If I wanted to ruin him, why would I need to wait until now?” She asked, “I could have killed him on the day I suppressed the rebellion.” Jinyoung hesitated for a mere second, but the furor in his eyes barely faded. 

“What a perfect excuse. Does Your Majesty intend to manipulate me again into depending on you, now that you have put forward a perfect image in front of me?” He responded, “I must admit, my brother is an excellent choice for doing that. Why are you bothering to attack my brother after you’ve already obtained what you wanted?”

“Park Jinyoung!” Soyoung’s hand slammed on the table in front of her, the sound making the court ministers jump. She could feel all their eyes watching, scrutinizing every word that was being exchanged. Soyoung knew that before long, word would spread that the royal couple had fought yet again.

“Do you feel nervous now?” Jinyoung demanded, “Now that I’ve caught you red handed?” Soyoung gazed at him for a long moment before scoffing. 

“Court ministers, you are dismissed.” She said, her gaze never wavering even for a moment from Jinyoung’s face, “No one is to speak of what happened today.” The older men shuffled quickly away from their seats, bowing their heads quickly in silent acquiescence before hurrying away from the brewing storm inside the room. Soyoung didn’t speak until the doors closed and she and Jinyoung were the only ones left in the room.

“Are you that eager to find fault in me?” She asked, “Think about it carefully, Park Jinyoung. What fool leaves an easily traceable path like this after attacking none other than the crown prince of a nation like this?” 

“Your Majesty intends to dodge responsibility, it seems.” Jinyoung replied. Soyoung scoffed incredulously.

“Fine. Let’s say I ordered the attack.” She replied, “What do you intend to do? Obtain vengeance on me?” 

“If my brother never walks again, do you think I wouldn’t dare?” Jinyoung challenged as he stepped closer, “My brother is the most precious person to me. I won’t forgive anyone who hurts him!” With one fluid motion, Soyoung grabbed Jinyoung by the collar and flipped him down into her seat so that their positions were flipped, her hands slamming down on both sides of the chair as she locked him into his seat.

“So is this your answer to my request to try and trust me?” She demanded, “I’ve done nothing but treat you well and give you the respect and positions you’ve deserved over the past few months, and with one letter, you’re going to let it all go away again?” 

“I cannot provide such a trust when the evidence is before me.” Jinyoung answered firmly. Soyoung closed her eyes briefly and sighed deeply, her hands tightening on the armrests.  In a way, she could understand why Jinyoung was furious; if anyone so much as laid their hands on Eunseong, she would’ve stopped at nothing to punish them for their actions. At the same time, she had thought that after nearly three months, Jinyoung would be able to understand her more rather than jump to conclusions at the slightest provocation. After all, she had done her best to involve him in her work and her life as much as possible; it wasn’t like he was left like a decorative sculpture in her room. Even if she didn’t have his full trust, at least he would think before accusing her of anything.

I was naive to think that things had changed.

How I wish we could go back to those days when you believed every word that came out of my mouth.

“Fine.” She said at last, “I won’t force you to give me your trust. If you’re so insistent that I was the driving force behind the attack, then I give you full permission to investigate to your heart’s content. You can go anywhere in this palace, anywhere in this city, and ask anyone anything, as long as it’s for investigation purposes.” Jinyoung shrank back slightly as Soyoung leaned in closer.

“But Prince, I can guarantee you that you’ll find that none of my generals, and none of my soldiers, have taken so much as half a step out of this country recently.” She said coolly, “You will find no evidence pointing to me, because it doesn’t exist.” Jinyoung’s Adam’s Apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed at the firm look at her eyes, then steeled himself and pushed himself out of the chair.

“I thank Your Majesty for your grace.” He answered equally coldly, “I hope Your Majesty is ready to give me a proper explanation when I find the true culprit behind my brother’s attack.” Without waiting for another word, Jinyoung spun on his heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Soyoung alone. Soyoung groaned as she leaned against the long table in front of her, her head beginning to spin again. As if losing her appetite lately on top of her headaches hadn’t been enough, now her husband had to march into the room full of court officials and accuse her of attacking another country’s crown prince. It was clear that he had no clue what the implications of taking such a drastic move would be.

“Sister?” Soyoung didn’t bother looking up as she heard Eunseong’s familiar voice, and a few moments later, his warm hands gently squeezed her shoulders, slightly easing the tension that had gathered in them. Soyoung sighed softly as she leaned her head back slightly.

“How are you always here when I need you most?” She asked softly. Eunseong chuckled and carefully sat Soyoung down into the chair Jinyoung had vacated.

“I am the child that shared everything with you since we were babies.” He answered, “Of course I know when my twin sister is feeling uneasy.” Soyoung smiled faintly despite the unrest in her chest. 

“Eunseong, did I do anything wrong again?” She asked quietly, “I thought we’d made some progress, but it seems like everything has gone back to square one.” Eunseong sighed and shook his head.

“He just needs more time.” He answered quietly, “Brother-in-law suffered a great shock when this all began, after all. It is natural that he still has his guard up around you.” Soyoung sighed and leaned back against the chair, closing her eyes.

“All I want is for my marriage to be peaceful, at least.” She murmured. Eunseong was silent for a long moment before speaking.

“Sister, do you have feelings for the prince?” He asked, “The type between a man and a woman, I mean.” Soyoung laughed dryly.

“What nonsense.” She answered. Eunseong shook his head.

“I’ve never seen you care so much for a man before.” He insisted, “It’s beyond what you’ve shown to anyone in the entire palace, and it’s different from what you’ve shown to me or any of your soldiers. Could it be…you fell in love with him during the time in Assai?” Soyoung opened to protest, but ended up stumbling through her words rather than form a coherent sentence, which she chalked up to the ridiculous presumption that she had fallen in love with Jinyoung.

In love? That’s impossible.

Sure, Jinyoung showered me with kindness even though my identity was merely a maid, and he is usually a warm and gentle person.

And sure, I will admit that I was always comfortable around him, to the point that I could usually leave my guard down around him while in Assai. In front of him, I didn’t have to act like the perfect ruler and keep everyone at arm’s length. 

But…love?

Soyoung sighed deeply and shook her head. 

“My feelings for him, whether romantic or not, don’t make a difference.” She said softly, “As long as he treats me as an enemy, we’ll only go around in circles.” Eunseong gently patted her knee.

“Give him a little more time.” He said gently, “He’ll come around. Why don’t you let him go back to Assai for a few days? Princess Brisa won’t be coming for another two weeks.” Soyoung bit her lip and thought for a long moment before nodding.

“That’s a good idea.” She mused, rising to her feet, “I’ll-” Soyoung nearly fell backwards as the room started spinning again, a soft moan escaping her lips as she fell back into the chair.

“Sister!” Eunseong’s reassuring grasp steadied her quickly, “Dizzy spells again?” Soyoung sighed and nodded, resting her head against her fist.

“I must be working too much lately.” She mused, “Too many things have been happening.” Eunseong frowned and took her hand, his light fingers tapping gently against her wrist. Then, a surprised look flitted across his face. Soyoung raised an eyebrow at the expression on his face.

“What is it?” She asked. Eunseong’s lips parted slightly in surprise as he looked up at her.

“Sister, you…”

____________________________________________________________________________

Jinyoung

Although Jinyoung had spoken boldly, no matter where he looked, there was no evidence connecting Allegria to the attack on Crown Prince Jaebeom. As Soyoung had firmly insisted, none of her generals or the regular soldiers had left the capital within the time it would have taken them to get to Assai, carry out the attack, and get back. The only other possibility would have been the scouts that Jinyoung knew Soyoung had scattered across her territory and vassal states, but it made no sense for a scout to have a general’s badge with him. Still, Jinyoung was unwilling to believe that the queen wasn’t involved. Surprisingly, a notice came from the queen before long instructing him to return to Assai, which he gladly accepted. Awkward tension had settled over the royal palace after their argument in the meeting room that day, a tension that was only felt even more whenever they were in the same room during mealtimes or other events where they had to appear together. If Jinyoung left, he wouldn’t have to face any of that, and he’d have the chance to investigate the incident from Assai. 

Jinyoung was welcomed back with open arms the moment he stepped off the carriage in front of the Assai palace, and he let himself bask in the warmth of his family members for a few moments before rushing to see Jaebeom. Although the attack had been severe, the Crown Prince’s strong body allowed him to wake up quickly, and the doctors were confident that he was well on the road to recovery. The only problem that remained though, was whether he’d recover full use of his legs. Despite the situation, Jaebeom greeted Jinyoung with a small smile as Jinyoung rushed into the room. 

“Nyoung.” He said softly, holding out a hand to his younger brother, “Welcome home.” Without thinking another second, Jinyoung rushed into his brother’s embrace, his body trembling as he hugged him tightly.

“Hyung, I was so worried!” He cried, “I’m so glad you’re alive!” Jaebeom coughed softly as Jinyoung squeezed him tightly, but laughed all the same and lightly patted Jinyoung on the shoulder.

“I’m not ready to die yet.” He assured him gently, “As for you, why are you still acting like a child? You are a married man now.” Jinyoung huffed at the reminder. 

“Don’t even mention that ruthless queen in front of me.” He muttered. 

“Jinyoung.” Jaebeom said warningly, “We may be in Assai, but you still have to watch your tongue.” Jinyoung shook his head. 

“The symbol on that pendant is the one used on the queen’s generals.” He replied, “I’m not speaking on pure speculation. Who would dare to make a fake and frame the queen of Allegria of all people?” Jaebeom cast a glance at his wife and the servants in the room at Jinyoung words. Taking the hint, the Crown Princess quickly sent the servants out and closed the door behind her, leaving the two brothers alone. Jaebeom sighed.

“Jinyoung, do you have hard evidence that Her Majesty ordered the attack on me?” He asked. Jinyoung hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

“Neither do I. In fact, from what I and the nearby guards recall, the assailant had no particularly identifying characteristics besides what appears to be military training. Even with the pendant, that is reason enough for Assai to refrain from sending delegates to Allegria to demand an answer. Then, has the queen been treating you poorly since you got to Allegria?” Jaebeom pressed. Jinyoung thought for another moment, and then shook his head. Jaebeom sighed again.

“Then, brother, don’t you think you’re being a little unfair to the queen?” He asked. Jinyoung stared at his brother in surprise.

“But hyung, I-” He began, but Jaebeom cut him off.

“I know you are worried about me, and I’m grateful for your care.” He said, “But right now, you are accusing none other than the queen of Allegria of attacking the Crown Prince of her own vassal state, an act that brings her little benefit but more than enough damage from her point of view. I know your relationship with her started on the wrong grounds, but can’t you put that aside for a moment and think about things rationally? After all, she is still your wife.” Jinyoung frowned.

“It is not like I wanted to take her as my wife.” He muttered, “The one I was marrying was Soeun, not Soyoung.” 

“Jinyoung, look at me.” Jinyoung raised his head obediently to look at his brother.

“There’s another thing I’ve noticed you’ve been doing, and it’s time I say it to you.” Jaebeom warned, “You always draw a line between Queen Soyoung and the little maid Soeun that you married. But in the end, they’re one and the same person, so why are you always making them sound like two different people?”

“But they are!” Jinyoung protested, but Jaebeom shook his head.

“Think about it carefully.” The Crown Prince said, “Are Soyoung and Soeun really two different people? Was Her Majesty putting on an act, or are they just different sides of the same person? What does Soeun have that the queen doesn’t?” Jinyoung swallowed hard and thought for a long moment. 

“Soeun was warm, kind, and bright like the sun.” He began quietly, “She was brave and always stood up for those around her, even though she was just a maid. Soeun was an attentive girl who quickly caught onto my likes and dislikes, and would quietly tailor everything to the way I liked it.” 

“And the queen?” Jaebeom asked. Jinyoung bit his lip. 

“Her Majesty the queen is…” He thought back to the few months he had spent by her side, watching as she carried out her duties. 

“She is valiant and fearless.” He began again, “A woman who charges forward without a moment’s hesitation and commands the trust and respect of thousands of soldiers. She carries out most of her tasks herself even if she could have delegated it to someone else, and is a ruler who cares not only about the nobility but also the commoners.”

“And her attitude towards you?” Jaebeom added. Jinyoung sighed.

“In a way, she…is protective of me.” He said slowly, “Besides the marriage, she has rarely forced anything on me.” Jaebeom gave him a knowing smile.

“Then, putting aside matters of status, are the two identities really all that different?” He asked. Jinyoung swallowed hard. He didn’t want to answer his brother’s question, but in his heart he knew Jaebeom had a point. 

“No.” He answered quietly, “But hyung, I…” He trailed off as he struggled to find the right words, and Jaebeom squeezed his shoulder gently.

“You’re still angry she lied to you, right?” He guessed. Jinyoung bit his lip and nodded.

“I gave her my true heart, and she…” He trailed off again, his head bowed. Jaebeom lightly squeezed his hands.

“It’s understandable.” He said, “But I’m sure she gave a reason for her actions. Do you find her reason believable?” Jinyoung closed his eyes and blew out his breath slowly as he reflected on what he had seen and heard around the queen since he had been brought to Allegria.

“...Yes.” He answered quietly. 

“Then, I would suggest you do this.” Jaebeom said gently, “Take a step back and try to move past the queen’s initial actions towards you. It will make both your lives easier.” Jinyoung frowned.

“Hyung, I don’t understand why you keep helping her.” He muttered. Jaebeom chuckled and shook his head.

“No, I am helping both of you.” He corrected, “I’m saying all of this because I want my little brother to live his life happily. And like it or not, you are married to the queen. A married couple cannot live a good life if they keep getting caught up on things of the past. I’m not telling you to forget what happened, but to move on. Do you understand?” Jinyoung sighed deeply. Although his heart still felt unwilling, Jaebeom had a point.

“I’ll try.” He promised, “But hyung, besides the queen, I really can’t think of anyone else who could be the one behind the attack on you.” 

“Many people will act loyal to a ruler but view the ruler as an eyesore.” Jaebeom commented, “Especially when the ruler is young and relatively new to power. Father told me many stories in the past about how older court officials tried to turn against him earlier in his reign. The same could be true of the queen’s court. Has the queen offended anyone recently?” Jinyoung thought for a moment. 

“I don’t know who would-” He cut off as he suddenly recalled what Soyoung had said to him on the first day they had met in the palace.

“It was not I who gave the order to slaughter innocents, but an older general who used to follow my father. I’ve already punished him.”

“Jinyoung?” Jaebeom asked, noticing the look on his brother’s face, “Did you think of someone?” Jinyoung bit his lip.

“I didn’t believe it before, but the first day we met, the queen told me one of her subordinate generals had been punished because he had disobeyed her orders not to harm innocents during the fight in Assai.” He said, “I’m not sure how he was punished, but what if that person wanted to obtain vengeance?” Jaebeom nodded slowly.

“If that is the case, everything would line up.” He mused, “If he wanted revenge against the queen, one attack on me could accomplish three things at once. First, it would turn you against the queen, and second, it would allow him to obtain revenge by ruining her marriage. On top of that, if everyone thought the queen was behind the attack, it would affect relationships between our countries and potentially even turn part of the court against her.” Jinyoung’s mind spun as he considered Jaebeom’s proposition. He had thought that the evidence against the queen was undeniable, but now that Jaebeom put it that way, it didn’t seem all that far out the realm of possibility. Jinyoung sighed deeply, his head starting to hurt from the conflicting possibilities.

“Why is the court so complicated…” He whined, holding his head in his hands. Jaebeom chuckled and patted his head.

“You will learn soon.” He said gently, “You have the ability to think things through rationally.” Jinyoung sighed.

“Did the assassin have anything particular about him?” He asked, “Anything that would help identify who he is?” Jaebeom thought for a long moment.

“His face was covered, and his clothes weren’t anything out of the ordinary.” He answered, “It was dark at the time of the attack, so it was hard to see much of anything. But while we were fighting, I recall he was limping at the time. It reminded me of someone who had once been tortured around the leg area.” 

“That would line up with that person being a criminal.” Jinyoung mused. Letting out a deep sigh, Jinyoung looked up at Jaebeom mournfully.

“Hyung, what if I wrongfully accused the queen again?” He asked. 

In fact, have I been almost completely wrong about her since the day I arrived in Allegria?

Jaebeom smiled faintly and patted his shoulder.

“Talk things out with her.” He suggested, “At the end of the day, you are husband and wife. There is nothing that can’t be solved by talking cordially with each other. Then, try not to jump to conclusions so much in the future.” Jinyoung yelped at Jaebeom hit his nose lightly with the back of his index finger.

“It seems that I’ve protected you too well as a child.” He teased, “You’re smart, but when it comes to politics, now you are too innocent.” Jinyoung huffed and covered his nose with his hands. 

“Stop teasing me, hyung!” he protested. Jaebeom chuckled and patted Jinyoung’s cheek affectionately.

“Alright, go and get some rest.” He said, “You must be tired from the journey. I’ve instructed the servants to clean up your old quarters. I’ll help you investigate more in the days before you have to return to Allegria.” Jinyoung nodded and rose to his feet.

“Rest well, hyung.” He said, giving his brother a bow before leaving the room. Jaebeom sighed as Jinyoung closed the wood panel doors behind him and his footsteps padded off into the distance.

My cute little brother, I truly hope that one day, you can truly become the queen’s closest aide. 

____________________________________________________________________________

As frustrated as she was with Jinyoung’s attitude towards her, Soyoung didn’t sit idly during the time her husband was away in Assai. The day Jinyoung left, Soyoung sent a message out to every scout she had left in Assai, ordering them to search for information on the assassin and his potential identity. Within a week, a message arrived reporting that one of the scouts had spotted General Dragovic along the Assai market a few days after Soyoung’s initial message had arrived. After investigating carefully, the scout was certain that many commoners had spotted him in Assai in the days leading up to the assassination attempt on Crown Prince Jaebeom. Some might have thought of it as a mere coincidence, but with the pendant left behind at the scene of the attack, Soyoung was certain that the fallen general was the one behind everything. As for the motive, it wasn’t that hard to guess. 

If anything happened to Crown Prince Jaebeom, Prince Jinyoung would likely turn on Soyoung. If the Crown Prince lost his life, Assai would also turn on Soyoung, and then Soyoung’s reputation in the eyes of her people would take a hard hit. In short, if the pieces fell as predicted, General Dragovic would have his revenge.

Of course, Soyoung wouldn’t let him win.

Security was immediately increased in the capital and around the royal palace, and Soyoung ordered all possible soldiers to search quickly but quietly for the fallen general, with orders to capture him immediately upon sight at all costs. Time passed quickly as Soyoung rushed to capture the fugitive while preparing for Princess Brisa’s arrival, and before she knew it, Jinyoung was scheduled to return to the palace. 

When Jinyoung stepped off the carriage in front of the elaborate Allegria palace, he was surprised to see only a group of soldiers standing in front of the main gate, along with Hyojun.

“Your Highness.” Hyojun bowed, “Welcome back.” Jinyoung was silent for a few moments as his gaze moved around the group of people waiting for him. No matter how far he looked, all he saw were soldiers and the Prime Minister.

Just what were you expecting, Park Jinyoung?

“Your Highness?” Hyojun prodded, drawing the young prince out of his thoughts.

“A-ah, yes.” Jinyoung replied, bowing hastily, “Thank you for coming to fetch me, Prime Minister.” Hyojun smiled faintly.

“It was Her Majesty’s orders.” He answered, “Naturally, it is my duty to make sure the Prince Consort is brought back into the palace safe and sound.” Jinyoung hesitated as he followed Hyojun through the tall palace gates. He had slowly grown accustomed to the path to his chambers over the past few months, and it wasn’t particularly far, but with the awkward silence stretching over the group, it felt like the room was miles away. Jinyoung’s mind slowly started to wander back to what he had found in Assai. On the day Crown Prince Jaebeom was attacked, the assassin had disguised himself as one of the soldiers tasked with guarding the prince during his hunting expedition. Then, he waited until the Crown Prince had wandered off on his own and been distracted by a deer in the distance before attacking him from behind. Before the other guards could arrive, the man had disappeared. As soon as Jaebeom’s condition had stabilized, the king had immediately ordered the city guards to examine every person leaving the city, but there was no one suspicious to be found. The investigation would continue, but it didn’t seem like an answer would appear any time soon. 

What Jinyoung now knew didn’t completely absolve Soyoung of any potential involvement, but under Jaebeom’s rationale, it did seem less likely. He had hoped going to Assai would give him a firm answer, or at least more evidence against the queen, but now he felt more conflicted than anything.

“Forgive me for being frank, Your Highness, but were you looking for Her Majesty earlier?” Hyojun’s voice broke through his thoughts again, making the young prince look up in surprise, almost tripping over the carpet and flat on his face before one of the soldiers caught his arm.

“I…” Jinyoung fumbled for an answer, which seemed to be all the Prime Minister needed for his answer.

“She is very busy these days.” He provided, “Hosting Princess Brisa, even for a few days, takes a lot of effort. On top of it all, she has to investigate the attack on your brother, and she hasn’t been feeling very well lately.” Jinyoung swallowed hard.

“She must be furious at me.” He muttered.

“Oh?” Hyojun commented casually, “It seems Your Highness’ opinion on the matter has changed. It was a good idea to send you to Assai, it seems.” Jinyoung ducked his head in embarrassment.

“I did find some things.” He answered reluctantly. Hyojun sighed slightly.

“Your Highness, may I speak out of line?” He asked. Jinyoung nodded, looking at the Prime Minister curiously.

“I normally would stay out of the private matters between you and your wife, but this time, it makes no sense for me to do so, whether as a friend or as a subject. Her Majesty the queen is a woman who has spent half her life on the battlefield, and the other years fighting her way to proper control over a country fallen into chaos.” Hyojun stated, “She is an understanding person, and she is aware that certain things should be tolerated, including your positions and attitudes towards her up until this time. But despite that, even someone like her has their limits. No, what I should say is someone like her particularly has firm limits on what is acceptable and what is no longer tolerable. And this time, your behavior has fallen outside of what is acceptable.” Jinyoung swallowed down on the mixture of rising irritation and embarrassment rising in his chest. 

“Prime Minister, what are you trying to imply?” He asked simply, “I know that you know the queen well.” Hyojun shook his head.

“What I mean is, Your Highness,” He continued, “If you intend to ask Her Majesty for forgiveness, it will take more than an apology, no matter how heartfelt it may be. You must remember, at the end of the day, Soyoung Annalisa Adamir is the queen of the strongest nation on the continent, and you not only charged directly into a meeting with high ranking officials, you also directly accused her of trying to harm the future ruler of another country in front of all those influential members of the court. While I admire your good relationship with your brother, at the end of the day, you have caused the queen to lose face.” Jinyoung frowned.

“I never thought of the queen as someone who cared about things like face that much.” He muttered. Hyojun shook his head again.

“It is not only her face.” He corrected, “It is also respect to her as your other half and queen of this country. With those things combined, you not only need to apologize, but also need to give her an opportunity to step back gracefully from this incident. After all, the argument you had with the queen that day has already spread through the nobility and is likely already being used as gossip among some commoners.” Taking another look at the expression on Jinyoung’s face, Hyojun sighed.

“If Your Highness is confused, then think about it this way,” He suggested, “What would your father do if someone treated him like that? What would that person need to do to obtain forgiveness?” Jinyoung’s footsteps paused at Hyojun’s suggestion.

“I don’t know.” He answered after a long moment, “I never participated in politics very often.” Hyojun sighed.

“Then I will ask Your Highness to think about it a little further.” He answered. 

“Hyojun.” A female voice drew both men’s attention, and Jinyoung gulped as he saw Soyoung standing a few feet away. She had opted for a dress rather than her usual official uniform today, the light silky white and baby blue fabric draping gracefully around her figure and fluttering around her ankles. Eunseong stood behind her dressed in similar colors, and he offered Jinyoung a soft welcoming smile as their eyes met.

“Your Majesty.” Hyojun bowed at Soyoung’s appearance, and Jinyoung rushed to do the same.

“I believe my orders were to fetch my husband, not to waste useless chatter on him.” Soyoung scolded coldly, her gaze barely flickering over to Jinyoung for more than a second. Hyojun gulped.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He answered quietly, “I shall watch my tongue.”

“Keep that in mind.” Soyoung answered simply. Without another word, she stepped past Hyojun and Jinyoung without another look at the young prince. Jinyoung felt his chest tighten slightly as the queen silently brushed him off, and hesitated for a few seconds before calling out to her.

“Your Majesty.” Soyoung paused at Jinyoung’s voice, her head turning slightly in his direction. Jinyoung gulped before bravely plunging forward.

“If Your Majesty has time for a meal,” He suggested, “I’d like to share my findings with you.” 

“I don’t have an appetite.” Soyoung answered coolly without even a second’s hesitation, “If you are hungry, tell the kitchens what you’d like to eat.” Jinyoung felt the sting of rejection like a slap in the face, and he swallowed hard as he bowed his head.

“If that is what Your Majesty wishes.” He answered quietly. Soyoung continued on her way without another word, leaving Jinyoung staring after her silently. 

“Your Highness?” Hyojun’s voice drew his attention, “Your rooms are this way.” Jinyoung nodded and turned reluctantly to follow the Prime Minister.

“Yes, I’m coming.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Soyoung

“I thought you were intent on not seeing him.” Eunseong commented as he and Soyoung turned the corner.

“I didn’t intend to see him.” Soyoung confirmed, her gaze fixed firmly forward, “I just happened to run into him on the way to the library.” Eunseong scoffed under his breath.

“Sister, did you really think I wouldn’t notice we took the longer path to the library?” He replied, “There’s a much shorter way that doesn’t cross the front of the palace.” Soyoung looked over at Eunseong with a start as her brother pointed out the obvious, then cleared and returned her gaze to the hallway in front of her.

“I simply wanted to get more exercise.” She answered firmly, “That is all.” Eunseong laughed at her excuse.

“If you want to see him, you just have to say so.” He reminded, “It’s nothing strange for a queen to want to see her husband.”

“Absolutely not.” Soyoung answered petulantly, “Why would I want to see him after he embarrassed me in front of all those officials, much less make the first move?” Eunseong chuckled and shook his head.

“If you say so, dear Sister.”