Bongrim quietly sat at one end of the rather long table. Way too long for his taste. He enjoyed cozy warm rooms with many people. Parties till late in the night full with sweaty, dancing people. Those dreams he'd like to make come true. For a grand prince that isn't possible though. Only drunkards and poor people went to such parties. He had heard about Parliament officials going to such parties in secret but they were never found again or they'd been kicked out after their tainted image got heard of.

                    “Father.” Bongrim scraped his throat before talking with a low booming voice to reach the other end of the long table clearly. “How was your nights sleep?”

Bongrim could feel the cold glare pierce through his chest as his father, King Injo, looked up from all the paper scrolls laid around his, still untouched, plate.

                    “Don't talk if it isn't necessary, son” His father replied, not even giving him a second glance, before turning back towards the scrolls.

Another morning began for the second successor. He didn't see his father often. It was a miracle his father was still sitting at the breakfast table.

                    “Yes father. Please continue eating your breakfast.”

A low grumble was heard as Bongrim took a quick peek at his father. Bongrim stifled an upcoming smile as he saw his father started eating his already cold food while scanning the paper scrolls.

His father might be scary looking and feared by many, he was still his father. His big brother might be his successor but he still cared for his second son as if it were his first too.

                    “Father, can't I get another playmate? One around my own age this time.” Little Bongrim asked quietly as he held his father's hand. They were standing next to the lake as a little boat with a candle slowly drifted away. “Where has Young Lady Mihyun disappeared to?”

                    “She went and visited her parents, my son.” Father answered as he turned around to walk back to the carriage pulled by two horses. Bongrim followed the little lit up boat with his eyes till he had to squint to still see it in the far distance before turning around too. He skipped towards the carriage before jumping up and inside with one fluid movement.

                    “Where are we heading towards to now, father?” Bongrim asked as he settled down beside his father on the bench.

                    “Didn't you say you wanted a new playmate?” Bongrim's face lit up as his father answered. He clapped his hands excitedly.

                    “I want the prettiest playmate in whole Jeju island!”

                    “Hyobin! Please get me some of the, you know, 'special clothes' please.” Bongrim shouted as he exited the bathhouse. Hyobin exactly knew what this meant. She hurried over to her own part of the room and lifted up a pile of her shawls from her drawer. She grabbed the secret stash of clothing to hand it to her master.

                    “You get ready yourself too, Hyobinnie. We're going to have fun today.” He grinned before getting dressed behind the room divider.

Hyobin knew what her real job would be at the age of 17. She had been trained to be kind, courteous and do whatever she was asked to do. As soon as Bongrim became of legal age she got treated like a princess. The changes were scary for her, after living so long as a slave she didn't understand what had happened till the first night she got locked up in her master's bedroom chamber.

Her too kind master told her what she was towards him. Her memories came back and as the shock arrived her knees gave in. A concubine. Hyobin now understood what a concubine does.

She had knelled down and cried as silently as she could muster. Her pitiful posture was something she was never ever allowed to show her master.

Hyobin felt that night the luckiest she had ever felt, since she entered the palace. She was grateful for having the second successor as her master. Instead of punishing her as the other maids used to do she got comforted. Bongrim felt guilty. The only thing he could do was comfort her. He had done this to her. He had taken her away, kidnapped her just because he wanted some playmate as an immature little kid. He had always been careless before, he didn't think much about other people's their feelings but as soon as he saw, the prettiest girl in the kingdom, cry he knew something had to be done. The immature Bongrim needed to grow up, and fast.

Awkwardly patting her shaking shoulder after sitting down next to Hyobin he started talking. Like normally he would. He just rambled on like always but knew he shouldn't talk about unnecessary topics right now.

                    “Hyobin. You're 17 right? I'm always a year older than you.” He tried showing her his grin. “I'm a grown man now. I can do whatever I want.” He let out a big sigh, glancing towards her shoulders to see that they've stopped shuddering. “What should I start doing first as a grown man? Ah! I could go out to town without any guards now!” Bongrim stood up and held out his hand towards the suddenly petit looking girl. “Want to come with me?”

That was the start of their friendship. Hyobin modified old clothing of Bongrim to make it look like the clothing commoners wore in the villages. Slowly but surely Hyobin's stories about her village were told. They've both avoided talking about their first meeting and what happened prior to that.

It was a very good start for these two people. When they're in the palace with other people around they'd act like their real status. When they'd be alone in the bedroom chambers they'd act like long lost friends, talking about anything and everything and when they'd sneak out and head off to the village they'd become their true selves. Hyobin slowly returning to the childhood she never had.

The maids and other helpers in the palace began speculating rumors about the second successor and his concubine. Even though they've been sleeping in the same room for a while now there have been no signs of a little life growing inside of Hyobin's stomach. That's because the courteous Bongrim have made sure to let Hyobin feel safe around her friend and master. The beds have different heights, Hyobin insisted on having the smaller, thinner bed to keep respect on her rank, and they bath and dress separately.

They've only had each other since they were children and they'll only have each other till the future.

                    “Ready Hyobin?” Bongrim asked as he peeked from the top of the room divider. As he stood on his tiptoes the warmth slowly crept up from his feet till his reddening cheeks. Secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of her flesh. 'I'm still a healthy young boy' he always told himself to righten his wrong doings. To decieve his brain that the things he thought to do to Hyobin were normal thoughts every boy had.

But he knew. Ever since that day, a few weeks ago, his brother brought him along on one of his trips to visit the next village's brothel. He knew something changed.

He quickly bend down again as she turned around to face towards him as she adjusted the ribbon. She looked up with her big dark eyes as her pitch black ponytail fell onto her back, a huge white grin visible on her face.

                    “Ready.”