Oh, Venus’s wrath was much more then expected. A woman who was written to be as kind as she was beautiful, was really as mad as a hatter. Her words hit her like arrows, piercing the thought in her heart that Taemin had given up on her, and to think this was a sham marriage. Hearing those words, she wanted to fall into a ditch. But then, when Sooyoung pulled her from her, it was like another side of her had awakened. A side she had never seen before. She stood up to that mad and heartless woman, without even thinking of the consequences. Though there was none, as Venus looked as if the words she spoke was true. Although, the consequence may come now. Where ever these two young ladies, Worry and Sadness, were taking her, she was hoping to be nothing bad.

 Not one of them spoke or even looked at her as the were leading her by the arms down a dark hall with many doors on each side of the walls. The walls were painted red, and yellow carvings and swirls spun all around them. Different sounds were coming from each of the doors. Sounds you wouldn’t regularly hear from them. One with a strange and faint sound of an elephant blowing from it’s trunk. Another sound of birds chirping and a gentle wisp of the wind. Another door, with bright light seeping from the wooden frame. Bubbles popping, and running water. Na Eun looked at the two girls.
 “Wow,” she cooed. “These doors are interesting. What is inside of them?”

 She was only met with silence. Worry and Sadness’s eyes were only glued straight ahead of them.
 “Is it some kind of trick? Magic?” No answer. The one with the strawberry hair cast a glance at her, but quickly looked back straight ahead.

 The three continued down the hall of magical doors, until the were met with a large, steel door with a wide shadow surrounding it. Nothing happy and mysterious like the other doors.
 Strawberry Hair unhooked a set of large metal keys from her belt and entered it into the key hole. Rather roughly, she opened the large door. The girls moved themselves behind Na Eun. She looked up at the long spiraling stair case. She was beginning to the they were leading her to a bad place. She can’t be facing torture again? After what her royal highness did to her. Worry and Sadness each took her shoulders and started walked down the stairs. Why did they feel the need to touch her like this? She wasn’t some dog that needed a leash. Na Eun softly pushed their hands off her and turned around. “It’s okay. I won’t run off.”
 Strawberry Hair considered that and nodded, but Brown Hair gave her look and shook her head. They both turned Na Eun around and now gripped at her shoulders.
 On they went, up into the dimly lit tower that could possibly some kind of whip chamber. Oh, how her heart beat faster as they climbed up and up, until they reached another door, this time smaller but still made of that rock hard steel. Strawberry Hair took out her keys and opened the door. This time more smoothly. Brown Hair motioned with her head for her to enter.

 Na Eun entered into the cold and grey room. She looked around the walls. Along them were of different tools and instruments for torture. Whips, knives, spikes, blundered instruments, and alike. The was only one window, and it held no glass but just bars. Then there was the larger torture machines. The Boot, an Iron Maiden, five branks, and. . . was that the Rack, covered in blood?
 The instruments of torture were much worse then the ones you could see in Na Eun’s dungeon. These were creative to kill you on the first hit.

 The steel door behind her closed with a loud echo. Na Eun turned to see the girls standing against the door, looking at her.
 Na Eun shook her head. “Isn’t it bad enough I have to deal with this pregnancy, and a searing headache to which your goddess gave me. I do not deserve to be tortured.”

 The girls shook their heads.
 “No.” Brown Hair said in English.

 Na Eun furrowed her brows. “What?”

 "No. No torture.” she said again, in lightly accented English.
 Na Eun understood English well. She wasn’t going to be tortured. Venus just sent her here to stay. But, with these girls.

 Worry and Sadness walked over and grabbed two wooden chairs and sat down. Na Eun looked around. “Where do I sit?”

 The girls said nothing in response. You would think they wouldn’t know Korean, but the way one of them responded, it seemed they were fluent enough.
 Na Eun lowered herself on the cold stone floor. The girls didn’t look very uncomfortable, but they were rather silent, and was just sitting there looking down at the floor, sometimes glancing at each other, the room, Na Eun.
 Though, Na Eun noticed something else. It was with Strawberry Hair. She mainly kept glancing at her, as if she was having trouble keeping in something. seem to twitch every time she looked at Na Eun. What could be the matter? Na Eun was so curious of them.

 “Excuse me.” Na Eun called. The girls looked at her, Strawberry Hair with wide eyes, Brown Hair cocking her head.
 “May I ask, why did Venus choose to send me here? Is something going to happen?”

 They still didn’t say a thing. Brown Hair looked away, Strawberry hair looked down and fiddled with her fingers.
 “How come she sent you two with me?” Na Eun asked.

 They still didn’t say a thing. This is becoming strange. Why not talk to her? Strawberry Hair seemed a little anxious to talk for some reason.
 “Perhaps, I should try in your language?”

 Na Eun sat up. “Um, why are you two with me?” she asked in English.

 Whilst Brown hair crossed her arms and looked away again, Strawberry hair lowly squeaked, “We’re not supposed to speak to you.” As soon as she said that, she quickly shut and ducked her head. Brown Hair glared at her and nudged her with her leg.
 Na Eun pursed her lips. “Do not worry.” she reassured in English. “I will not tell anyone.”

 Strawberry Hair bit her lip, and looked at her companion, as if seeking permission to go on. Brown Hair looked away, facing the other way.
 Na Eun continued. “The goddess said your names were Worry and Sadness. Which one are you?”

 Strawberry Hair glanced at her companion, partially hesitant. She laid a hand upon her chest. “I am Worry.” She laid a hand on Brown Hair’s shoulder. “This is Sadness. She is my sister.” she answered in Korean.

 Na Eun bowed to Sadness, and she inclined her head slightly back.
 “Worry. Sadness. Such peculiar names.” Na Eun commented.

 Worry shrugged. “We have those names for a reason. Once you enter the great kingdom of the gods, you don’t go back. You stay here, and make new names. I was originally Krystal.”

 “And I was originally Victoria.” said Sadness. That was the first time she heard her talk. Her voice was much lighter then she expected, and even her Korean was slightly accented.

 “Why are your names so. . . pardon me, bleak?” Na Eun asked.

 Krystal answered, “We never talk, or show much expression. In fact, this is the most I’ve talked ever since we got here.”
 Na Eun sat up on her knees so she could give better eyes contact. “How did you get here? Did the Zephyrs send you here?”

 “You could say that.” Krystal said. “See, we ran away from our home. We wanted something else, where we didn’t have to come in contact with the abusive and alcoholic creature we once called father.” Krystal shook her head at the memory. “We thought we had to beg to get the money we needed. But then, a woman came up to us, and was kind enough to give us hospitality. And then, we she realized we had no where else to go, she positioned us to servants. We are personal servants, as in we sew her cloths, make her bed, sometimes even make dinner. We wanted nothing more.”

 Na Eun smiled as she took in their story. “The woman, was it Ceres?”

 Krystal shook her head. “Of course not. It was Venus.”

 Na Eun widened her eyes. “She gave you hospitality? Just like that?”

 Krystal nodded.
 “That is why we work for her now.” said Victoria.

 Na Eun couldn’t believe it. As far as she knew, she couldn’t imagine Venus more then the she devil she appeared to be.

 “As far as I am concerned, that is a most different reaction then when I entered her house.” Na Eun said.

 The sisters nodded. “She has been like this for quite some months now. We’ve never seen her so angry, so depressed of her power lowering by the minute.” said Krystal.

 “How long has she been this way?” Na Eun asked.

 Victoria said, “I suppose, two months ago it was quite idle. But the mood sort of escalated once she heard of her son getting married to a certain mortal.”

 Na Eun lowered her eyes. She had nearly forgotten about him when that woman banged her head upon the floor. Taemin could be anywhere right now, they were now in the same house, but there was still so much distance between then. Oh, how she wish could just say a word to him now. To tell him that she missed him so much. That she still desperately loves him, and she wanted him back.
 Na Eun looked at the sisters. “Do you know Taemin? Have you ever talked to him?”

 “The master rarely talks to any of the servants and we only refer to him as Cupid.” Victoria said.

 “In fact, for the past few days he chooses not to talk to anyone.” says Krystal. “And he’s been locked in his room for so long. The normal active and mischievous Cupid has been replaced with this quite and rather sad man. The gods have an aura, his is white. But lately, it’s been like it was disappearing. Almost as if he was turning mortal.”

 Could this be Na Eun’s fault? Her betrayal for his love has made him depressed, and rather human. She can’t imagine it, it’ll just pain her heart more.
 Na Eun stood up. “Please, tell me if anyone knows. Is it because of me? D-did he reduce down to mortal because how I mistreated our relationship.”

 “We told you, we wouldn’t know.” Victoria said. “We don’t talk to anyone and no one talk’s to us. And Cupid refuses to come out of his room. We even have to bring him meals to his door.”

 Na Eun sighed. How could she fix this if she doesn’t know how he feels?

 “Sometimes, I pass by his door, and I can hear the faint sound of weeping.” Krystal says.

 Na Eun furrowed her brows. “What?”

 “And when he comes out of the room, he looks so pale and his eyes are red and puffy, like he’s been crying for hours. And he doesn’t always eat his food.” she looked at Victoria. “I dropped off his dinner once. I come back the next morning, and it’s still there, outside his door right where I put it. I, we, as in everyone, servants and gods alike, are so worried about him. Venus has tried her best to keep him healthy, but it’s not doing much. Servants have said he was, how you say, lovesick.” she says in English.

 Na Eun slumped down on to the floor. “Oh my.” she murmured. Lovesick? That could only mean that he still loves her. That she may have a chance to bring him back to her. If she just does what Venus wants, she could see Taemin again, and she will. She would do anything to see him.
 She gave a relived smile to the sisters. “If that’s the case, then-” Na Eun stopped. The searing headache was running to her fast like an arrow. She gripped her head with one hand, and gripped her stomach in the other. Na Eun shivered. She felt very cold, and her stomach was twisting and turning.

 “Na Eun?” Krystal stood. “What is it? What’s wrong.”

 Na Eun coughed, heave, coughed, heave. She was starting to get dizzy, the room spinning around in circles.
 She suddenly felt hands on her back and her legs. “Na Eun?” Victoria tried to readjust her legs. Krystal sat her up. Na Eun coughed into her hand, the dizzy room becoming clearer.
 “I’m fine.” Na Eun coughed out.

 Krystal smoothed her hair down and took Na Eun’s face in her hands. “No milady, you need tending to.”
 Victoria nodded and took hold of her hand. “Yes. We must leave and get you refreshment. And find some medicine.”

 Victoria stood up and walked over to the steel door.
 “We’ll be right back.” Krystal said. She stood up and started to walk to Victoria, but then she stopped. She turned to Na Eun and slowly crouched. Krystal took her face in her hands and smile. “I’m going to talk to Cupid for you.” she whispered.
 Na Eun smiled and held her hands. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

 Krystal nodded. Na Eun leaned in and whispered, “You’re a good friend.”

 “Friend?”

 “Of course. Anyone so kindhearted and tender like you has my heart.”
 Na Eun looked up to Victoria. “You too, Victoria.”

 And another thing she saw Victoria do for the first time, she smiled. “Come on. Let’s hurry and get her that medicine.”

 Krystal scampered over and unhooked the keys from her belt. “Can you believe it Victoria? We have a friend.” Krystal exclaimed as she moved to unlock the door.
 Victoria murmured, “I know.” and smiled.
 The two continue to smile as they opened the door, preparing to run down the stairs and silently think of there new happiness, when someone appeared at the door.

 Victoria and Krystal lost their smiles and backed away two steps. Venus leaned upon the door way, dressed down in a shimmering gold gown and her hair in a flowing glow of curls. She starred at the two curiously. “Where do you two think your going?”

 The girls didn’t say anything. They tried to compose to their silent and bleak personas as usual.
 Venus narrowed her eyes. “Your suppose to stay here with her. I heard talking in here. Why were you talking to her?”

 The said nothing again. They didn’t want to blow their cover, or get Na Eun in anymore trouble then she was with Venus.

 Venus rolled her eyes as they didn’t respond to her. “Go. Away with you.”
 The sisters scurried off past the goddess. Krystal casted a long glance behind her to Na Eun, and suddenly felt sad. She didn’t want to leave her alone. Especially after what just happened with her. But she had to go, at least, for now.

 Venus pointed to Na Eun. “As I said before, the only way to get back what you want is to prove your work and dilligence. I will make trial of your housewifery”

                                                                                                             *

 Na Eun was led around the castle, to a little grassyland with a pond, and a huge mount of what appeared to be grains.
 As Na Eun walked closer, the mountain was four heads higher then she was. Laid up was a great quantity of wheat, barely, millet, vetches, beans, and lentils.

 Venus gestured to the heap. “This is the food given to your pigeons once every few months. They are off and shipped to Earth, scattered for those birds to find them.”

 And to think there food came because of nature.
 “Take and separate all these grains, putting all of the same kind in a parcel by themselves, and see that you get it done before evening.”

 Na Eun looked at the heap up and down. She wanted her to do all of this before sun down? By herself? That’s going to take forever. Maybe seeing Taemin wasn’t going to be so easy.
 “Goddess, this is going to take some time.” Na Eun said, still starring at the large heap.

 Venus shrugged a shoulder. “Well, then you better get started. I have a wedding event to attend.” and with that, she departed.

 Na Eun slumped down on to the ground. Only groaning to look up and see the heap seemed bigger in this angle. She sat still and stupid. She knew she couldn’t do all of this by herself, and so did Venus. She was doing this on purpose. To get to her.
 Na Eun sighed.
 “I guess I better get started.” and slowly she started pulling two lentils out of the heap. A thunderous sound came from above. She looked up, and she saw the heap starting to vibrate and crumble. Na Eun shouted as the heap crashed down on to her.
 She yelped and heaved when her head popped from the grains. She pushed up her arms. This was rather strange now. Na Eun chuckled and patted the grains. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” she joked. Na Eun shimmied out of the grains, and got started on the work.




 Taemin ducked from his window as heard voices from his window. Who could that possibly be, interrupting his thoughts?
 He could hear the familiar clatter of his mother’s heels, even upon the grassy lands. She was the very first one he saw, in all her glory of her golden gown and matching heels with flowing brown hair. She had invited him to go with her to the wedding feast, but as usual he dryly declined. It’s the third party he’s turned down, giving the excuse that the wound on his shoulder still hursts terribly. But really, it’s gone a little numb and has left a rather large purple and yellow bruise. Ever since that hot oil hit his shoulder, he’s had to wear this annoying bandage that wrapped over his wound and along his arm. His mother tried to fix it many times, but she easily grown tired from all the energy she had to waste.

 Taemin leaned closer to his window, peering down at her mother. As she motioned to that large heap, someone followed behind. An unsure face, long black hair that reached to her knees, a long blue skirt, and a large buttoned shirt.
 Taemin’s heart fluttered and his tired eyes no longer were weak, but he was thinking they were. Was that really her down there? Standing near his mother, looking at that heap of grains like it was truly impossible to separate them? Taemin shot from his seat and turned away. No. It was his head again. He could be hallucinating.
 Just to be sure, Taemin started to pinch himself. He slowly turned around and attentively walked to the window. She was still there, along with his mother. It was real. She was so near him, just a few feet away. Taemin opened his mouth to yell to her, to tell her that he was right here and he wanted her to come up to him and kiss him. But he couldn’t. Not after what he did. She would either cry and fall to her knees, or they would both be lost in love.

 He watched as Venus strode away, leaving Na Eun sitting alone and staring at the large heap.
 She did nothing but stare until she sighed and muttered, “I guess I better get started.”

 She only pulled out two lentils, and the whole heap came crumbling down on her. Taemin gasped. He wanted so much as to help her, but stopped himself by gripped hard on to the window sill. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. No. Don’t you dare.
 He watched as Na Eun popped up from the heap, and then started to laugh. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” she joked. She laughed. He laughed.
 Still cute as ever.

 Na Eun started again with the heap.
 She wanted to help her. Or better yet, he wanted to get her away from that heap and take her to his room. To hug her, kiss her, tell her how much this was a mistake and that he never wanted to leave her again.
 But he couldn’t. Not now. He didn’t have to do it.

 Taemin, without putting on a shirt, ran out of his room. He passed by the servants, whose eyes went wide as they spotted Cupid, out of his room and running somewhere.

 As he ran, he past by the two sisters Worry and Sadness. Worry, the strawberry haired girl, let go of her sisters hand and looked to the running god. Mabye she could tell him now. But he looked so in a hurry. Before she could even put up her hand up, Cupid zipped right on by without even a look toward her.
 Krystal looked to Victoria, and just like that they had the same thought.

 “He knows.” they said.

 Taemin escaped out of the back door and into the yard. He knew that where he was, he was literally fifty feet away from Na Eun. He could feel it. But no time to think about that.
 Taemin crouched down, and spotted a large black ant. “Hello there little guy.” he muttered.

 Taemin stuck out his finger and the ant slowly crawled on to it. Taemin smiled. “You have a little job to do my friend.”
 He enclosed the ant into his palm and entered back into the palace. With a twist and a turn, he was back in his room, locking the door behind him. He crouched behind his curtains and looked down to Na Eun. Her piles were still a little small and the heap was very large, so not much was done while he was doing all of this. He opened his palm and the ant crawled from his hand. With a snap of his fingers, the little stopped crawling and starred right up to Taemin. “What’s your pleasure sir?” it squeaked.

 Taemin pointed out his window. “See that girl over there? I need you to get your colony and held her separate that heap. Please, take compassion over her.”

 “As you wish sir.”

 The fellow ant started to crawl out of his window. Taemin sat by and watched his wife continue to work by herself. At least, by herself for now.

                                                                                                               *

 Na Eun started separating the grains as she was told to. She still kept thinking that she will not finsh in time. But even if she failed this task, she would still do anything to get to Taemin.

 How would she explain of the baby, and then her disease. Whilst separating that was what she was thinking about the most. If she was to tell him, she hoped he won’t be so devastated. It’s only a matter of time. And hopefully that time will be a little short.

 “Madam.” someone called.

 Na Eun stopped and looked around. Where did that come from?
 "Um, down here milady.”

 Na Eun looked down to see a black ant waving one of it’s little legs.
 She cocked her head. “Hello there.”

 “Hello.” said the ant. “I have been sent by a god to help you with this heap. Please, lay your hands down and let us do the work.”
 Na Eun looked around. “Us?”

 As soon as she said that, long lines of ants came from small holes out of the ground, out of the leaves, out of a tree.
 Na Eun stood as they all started coming near the heap and her. They started to organize each of the grains, the small piles progressively becoming bigger. The whole team work of the wants was remarkable. Each takes a piece of barely and passes back, as trained ants would. Na Eun awed at this. She’s seen many things, and she’s glad that she didn’t miss this. “Wow.” she smiled.

 Up, right at the window where Taemin was standing, he watched her smiling face, and he smiled. How beautiful she looked even more when she was happy.

 Down below, Na Eun walked around the ants looking upon them. Her stepping over them didn’t disturb their work. The heap was already getting smaller. This is the magic she liked experiencing. She could hear the faint stomping of the ants, a soft rhythmic beat. Na Eun giggled.
 She started skipping along the ants along the beat. Spinning, skiping, jumping along the ground.

 Taemin’s smile turned even brighter. That was the face that he missed so much, the one he constantly dreamt of ever since the day he left her helpless in the field.
 Now she looked so different, so alive and well.

 As soon as the heap was gone and separated, the ants quickly scattered, only leaving the fellow black ant. Na Eun bent down. “Thank you my friend for helping me.”

 The ant stood up and waved two of it’s legs. Then crawled away into one of the dirt holes.
 Na Eun sat down in the center of the circle of the small heaps. Now all that was left was to put them into the parcels. Na Eun gathered the bags and started with the wheat.

 Taemin watched from behind the white curtains. He had succeded in making it much easier for her, and he couldn’t do anything more then that. Fate will do it’s job, that’s what Guen Suk said. That one way or another, it wouldn’t matter because they would come back together no matter what. Hard to believe that the god of love is seeking love advise from Jupiter.
 A hard wind past between the two. Na Eun’s long flowing hair was lifted into the wind, like the wind was caressing her hair.
 That gave Taemin an idea.

 He settled slowly on to his seat. He leaned against the window sill, and commanded a long wind to entwine into his whispers. “My wife, I have missed you very much. My heart ached as I was away from you for this long. Do you forgive me? Do you still think of me?” He leaned against his arm and looked longing at her. “Come back to me, my darling. I love you.”

 Down below, a strong wind hit across Na Eun face. She stopped to enjoy the breeze, smiling as the wind caressed her face. But then, she heard faint words. She could make out the full sentence, but she did catch three little words that hit her heart like a comet: I love you. Na Eun gasped. She dropped the bag of vetches and stood up. She looked around her. “Hello.”

 Nothing but another wave of wind. She could still hear the faint sound of those words. Her eyes started to water. “T-Taemin?” she whispered.
 Na Eun shook her head. Calm down. Na Eun took a breath and stepped over her bags. She started loading the vetches again, and doing so with a loving smile on her face.

 Venus came back, rather a daze then when she left. She spotted Na Eun piling up the bags and narrowed her eyes. She walked up to Na Eun. “What the hell is this?” she slurred.
 Na Eun looked up to her. The goddess was rosy red in the face, and her head was crowned with roses. Her eyes were strangly narrowed and she pointed to the bags. “I gave you a weeks worth of sorting. How did you get this finished?”

 Na Eun stood and shrugged. “Hard work, I guess.”

 Venus scoffed. She looked around her, walking around while looking at the ground. Venus put her hands on her hips, and looked up. There near the wall was a window, with closed white curtains. And a lingering feather sticking to the window sill.

 Venus huffed. “Aish.”

 She walked up to Na Eun. She exclaimed, “This is no work of yours, wicked one, but his,” she pointed to the window. “whom to your own and his misfortune you have enticed.”
 Na Eun widened her eyes. So that was Taemin in the wind. She gazed up to the window, realizing how close they were to each other. She opened , but Venus came upon her and closed with her hand. “Don’t even think about it, young foolish Na Eun.”
 Venus snapped her fingers, and the window’s curtains closed and became red velvet, no longer see through. She stopped the wind and the curtains no longer flowed, not even giving a little peek of the room.
 Venus turned to her. “Well, since you partially completed your task you’ll find your prize back in the dungeun room.”

 So Na Eun walked away, glancing back at the window.
 Once she entered the room, she found what could have rather been a rock. A small roll of bread to norish her.