There were two sets of annuls, kept in the Imperial Palace. One was kept in the official register. It praised the King, praised his achievements accomplished in his tenure. It spoke highly of his Queen, her deeds unto the people nearly worshipped in some parts of the area. Mother to the Nation, she was known as wise, diplomatic, and intelligent. Her influence was known from Goryeo to Song, England, and Italy, even France. 

    With all of this, there remained a second annul. One who displayed a different portrayal of the King who sat on the Throne and of his foreign-born wife. Documented were offenses, sins that were too grave to permit forgiveness. This one came with the ideas of the greatest man ever to live, some would tell it. He had the sure sign of a King and had he been able to reign, it was believed that great prosperity would have come to their land. And so, yet another entry upon entry was written, waiting for the day when it too would be displayed to the public that they would make their own decision. 

*** 

1044

    “Auntie Kkot-bi?” 

    “Yes, my little fish?” 

    “Mommy’s belly is big.” Smiling at the child, the woman knelt and hugged the prince close. 

    “Yes, it is.”

    “What’s inside of it?” 

    “Your brother or sister.” The boy’s eyes grew wide in disbelief. 

    “Like you and me?” It was a pity that the child’s pretty black curls were hidden by the small hat with rounded wings on his head. 

    “Yes, like you and me.”

    “What do they do in there?”

    “They sleep.” Fascination lit the prince’s face aglow and it made her laugh. 

    “Like the ducks you like so much. The mother ducks carry the baby ducks inside of her body too, like your mommy.”

    “Ah,” Content with the information, the child sat back against her in her lap, giggling as she lightly tapped his legs. 

*** 

    The court was packed to the brim, officials all in a position to welcome and receive the King. Daechwita from afar announced his arrival. Heads and bodies remained bowed as the cry of his entry echoed off of the walls. 

    “We welcome your entry, Great King.” He was silent as he walked down the middle of the floor, his very authority parting them like a sea, a sea of red and blue. They lifted their heads as he sat down. He, their King, appeared older, the presence of a small mustache and beard made him resemble the Former King, his father. Fatherhood further gave him an air of maturity and he had grown even more handsome than just a year before.

    “We welcome the Great Former King!” Once more, all bowed as the one they’d previously called king years past entered. In his old age, he still carried a dignified presence, the presence of laughter having made lines to deeply appear around the corners of his mouth. Crow’s feet around his eyes, sagging skin of the neck. Unlike his younger self, this elderly version appeared much calmer, much more grounded to the shock of his subjects. Taking a seat to the left of his son, again they bowed. When all eyes, bodies, and minds were clear, the voice of their sovereign spoke, booming with power. 

    “Let’s begin.” 

*** 

    A rasp on his door caused his eyes to lift from his book. 

    “What is it?” 

    “The Queen requests your presence.” Standing at once, the swish of his robs flowed in the air as he exited his office. The morning was crisp and clear, the presence of the sun already starting to light up the sky. Pale pinks delicately met the powder blue, the world was starting to waken. Passing the bowed heads of servants and bowing to the presence of officials higher up than he, finally he made it to the Queen’s palace. Wasting no time, the head maid, bowed her head at his arrival and turned to lead him to her. 

    “Minister Gang of Law Enforcement has arrived, Jungjeon mama.” Doors peeled back and he entered the room, head and body low. 

    “My Queen,” Lips smiled as the door closed behind him. 

    “Come in and make yourself comfortable.” 

    “Of course,” Sitting down at the expansive table, a few different dishes were placed in front of him, soup to warm his bones, rice and a healthy portion of fish, freshly caught from the stream in the early hours of the morning. Lifting his eyes from the meal being served, he returned her smile. 

    “Jungjeon mama,  you are too kind.” 

    “This morning, we leave our titles at the door.” Her voice was friendly, the presence of her growing belly evident from over the edge of the table. 

    “It grows tiresome sometimes, Jungjeon mama. Jungjeon mama.” Revealing his teeth in a full smile, his laugh filled the room. 

    “Very well. Tiye-sunbae-nim.” Pleased, the woman relaxed out of her straight back. 

    “You haven’t eaten, I presume.”

    “No, I haven’t.” Picking up her jeotgarak she started to slice the fish in two. 

    “How are things?” Her informal language prompted him to respond in turn. 

    “Do you want the truth or the formal answer this morning, sunbae-nim?” 

    “You know which one I want.” Giving up with a sigh, he relaxed even more and lifted his sutgarak to dip into the soup. 

    “Exhaustive. Stressful as all hell.” The woman smiled, eating some of her soup with the piping hot rice. 

    “Mountains of paperwork and study materials, I’m sure.” 

    “Gods, yes.”

    “The King would not have granted you the seat if he didn’t think you could handle it.” Cheeks rosy, he blew on the soup a few times before eating some. 

    “How is our future Prince?” He asked, warm eyes falling to the crest of her bump that peeked up over the table top. 

    “You think it’ll be another boy?” 

    “Mm.”

    “Ugh,” A delighted little chuckle escaped his mouth. 

    “What, sunbae-nim, you don’t want another boy?”

    “I want a girl, Young-ho. A GIRL.” Snickering, he ate some more soup before answering. 

    “I’m sure His Majesty will be pleased with either. So long as you deliver safely.” The comment made her melt and she blushed prettily. 

    “And?”

    “And what?”

    “Is your wife pregnant yet?” The comfortable smile faltered on his face and he cleared his throat. 

    “No. She isn’t.” 

    “How old is she?”

    “Seventeen.”

    “Ah, she’s young.” 

    “Too young.” The woman smirked. 

    “Most men like them that way. They are easier to mold, shape, and bend. I forget that you are not like most men.” He left that unanswered and for a moment the two of them ate their meal in contented silence. 

    “Does she want a child?”

    “It doesn’t matter if she wants one or not.” He cut her short, spooning more soup. 

    “Her sole duty and purpose is to give me children. Nothing more, nothing less.” His words were cold and void of emotion. 

    “Is love not a prerequisite for such activity? It enables the making of the children to be…far more pleasurable than not.”

    “It’s not a requirement, no.” 

    “I see,” The topic of conversation now caused him to look stoic as if he were but a block of marble sitting across from her. It caused him to look unrecognizable. 

    “How the years have changed you, hoobae.” He lifted his eyes up from his plate and a soft smile stretched his mouth but it looked wrong. Wasn’t genuine. 

    “Was it worth it?”

    “Was what worth it?”

    “A new life.” He opened his mouth to answer but no words would come. 

    “Status, money, and prestige aren’t always worth the sacrifice it takes to acquire them. Sometimes, the quality of life fares far better with hands in the dirt than in gold nuggets.” 

    “Were I not reborn, were I not given the chance, I wouldn’t be able to-” He stopped himself short but the words were already in the room, in his ears, in her ears. Be near her. Protect her. Still love her. 

    “It has its shortcomings but there are many advantages, Jungjeon mama.”  He said with a small clearing of his throat. 

    “It is a blessing from Heaven to be afforded two lives in one lifetime.” 

*** 

    The banks of the pond were calming, soft rhythmic laps against her feet. Stepping into deeper waters, she smiled to herself at the quiet, the stillness, the air that kissed her face. She allowed her eyes to close. It was rare that she was granted time to herself during the day but when the moment presented itself, she took it. With the sun shining its light on her, it made her homesick. How she wished she could be free of the long swirling clothes. She wished to be free from the stuffy hot shoes and let her toes feel the earth. As her heart ached, she knew that she would never see it again. For her home now was Goryeo and so long as her Queen, her Goddess of the Moon and Stars sat on her Throne, she would remain. 

    “You look lonely,” A big masculine voice cut into the peace, the still and quiet, making her jump. Turning, her heart leapt up into her throat at who stood behind her. 

    “M-Minister Gang,” 

    “I’ll help you.” Extending a hand, he smiled gently. 

    “Take it.” With one of her hands nearly overflowing with her chima, she kept the other at her side. 

    “I can get out unaided.”

    “Take my hand, Anat.” His voice was firmer than before but still, his hand remained in front of her. Releasing a shaky breath, she lifted her free hand and gently touched his palm with the tips of her fingers. With tight fingers, he stood still as she neared him. A patch of wet marsh and mud caused her to slip and he pulled her up towards him with a firm yank, causing her to crash against his body, his other arm now protectively hugging her back. Roses lived in his cheeks, carnations in hers and she quickly distanced herself from him with a slight push of her hand, now having released her chima. 

    “T-thank you, my Lord.” Eyes followed her as she weaseled her way past him, going to sit there against the lower banks. 

    “You still have an affinity for near-death situations, I see.” Though she didn’t mean to, she pursed her lips and cut her eyes up at him, making him grin. 

    “You’re shaking.” He observed her arms in wet sleeves, sure that the breeze of the day had chilled her. Reaching up, he went to grab her arm but she moved it away from him. 

    “No.” Swallowing, he felt the rejection hit his chest and soon joined her on the grassy banks, taking in the deceptively calm banks. 

    “Anat,”

    “Why are you here?” 

    “I had business with the Queen.” Accepting his answer, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. 

    “What then is your business with me?” 

    “You’re angry.”

    “I have every right to be angry.”

    “So do I.” He turned his head completely and the two of them made eye contact. 

    “You’re not the only one who lost.” 

    “You gained a pretty wife.”

    “In name only.” At that, she removed her gaze from his. 

    “Is that not what matters to men in this society? The name, the paper trail…the legacy.” 

    “Staying by your side matters to me.” Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. 

    “Please. Don’t patronize me, my Lord.” Eyes shooting down to the grass, she found his hand gripping hers tightly. 

    “Let go.” 

    “I’m hurting just as much as you are.” She tried to pull her hand away but he refused to let go. 

    “Go home to your wife, Gang Young-ho.”

    “How can I when she sits beside me?” His words cut deep into her heart and at once the anger lifted. The guise of strength dissipated and all that was left in her heart was an overwhelming ache. The waters in front of her started to blur. 

    “That girl only has my name. You have everything else.”    

    “Stop it…” Her chin trembled and tears silently slipped down her cheeks. 

    “Run away from me now or forever, it doesn’t matter. The more you run, the more I will chase you.” Her hand grew flat and she no longer resisted him. Inhaling a teary breath, she felt their fingers entwine. 

    “Do you remember?” He asked, his voice soft and quiet. More tears dripped, turning into dark little spots in her chima. 

    “Do you?” She nodded, her free hand lifting to cover her face. 

    “I’ve never… never forgotten.” 

*** 

    There lived hunger in-between their breaths, impassioned lips, teeth, and tongue mashed into a mad frenzy. His gat had been thrown away from them, her fingers angry. Now, now they were calm, satisfied within smooth obsidian strands. She’d pulled it all apart, the manggeon that kept his hair tidy and neat, the small pin that held his top knot together. All of it crashed down revealing a sea of luxurious black. Sighing as his teeth embedded themselves into her jaw, she let him pull the remaining shreds off of his body, hands now hastily undoing the ties to the other barriers that kept them apart. Pushing him back to lay against her bed, she lowered her hands down to the gaping robes, taking her time in pulling them open. Slender collarbone and thick shoulder. Skin she remembered as tanned and bronze from the sunlight, now milky and smooth. Soft. Warm. 

Occupied with her unwrapping, she didn’t realize it until too late that he’d removed the short pair of shorts, unraveling the ties and pulling them away with a little tug. The air was cool upon her exposed skin, yet warmth in the form of his palms covered the cheeks of her derriere, the gentle mash of flesh against flesh made her gasp. It was maddening… the heat, the hunger, the raw need in his dark eyes. She felt inclined to give him the meal he yearned for. 

    “In my country, it is understood that should a woman wish to take a husband, she takes him into her chambers.” More creamy white skin was bared to her greedy eyes now. His pectorals were firm, hard and well-defined, pleasing to look at amidst the scars that were etched into his flesh. His body told a story she wanted to know, a wild imperfect beauty. Bulging abdominal muscles now rippled under her touch.

     It fascinated her, how their skin contrasted, hers rich, warm earth and his so clear and fair that networks of veins could be seen just underneath the skin, long thick ones that traveled further underneath what she hadn’t revealed yet. But, the blood within them provided a healthy result, a hard elevated stump that poked her bottom.  Taking a finger, she followed the trail of a thin scar, laying her palm flat against his quivering flesh. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss against his mouth. 

    “The ceremony of marriage is solidified by two bodies made one.” Yet another kiss to his mouth and yet one more. 

    “Until she chooses the one worthy of her, she remains untouched.” Reaching behind her, she plucked his hands away from her bottom. Lifting them to her face, she allowed a nervous breath to escape her throat. 

    “I choose you. I want you.” Moving his palms down to her chest, she pressed them flat against the shape of her breasts still bound, cheeks a gorgeous red. Sitting up once more, he hugged her for a moment without saying anything. But finally, finally, he showed his acceptance of her in the fingers that unbound her chest. Their eyes remained locked as the last of it slipped out of his hand onto the bed. Revealed skin and slow gentle palms, lips against lips, against neck. When his gaze lowered to view her offering, she felt tears prickle the corners of her eyes as his hands finally received them, gently caressing and squeezing. A startled sound erupted from her, before another, a softer sound of pleasure as his lips kissed her and his tongue traced her tiny black areolas. Pulling the small dark berries into his mouth, he sucked them softly, pleasure drifting out through a timid breath. And soon, more and more would come out through voice. 

*** 

    “I wonder what I have done in this life to be punished this way?” More tears and breath. 

    “Every waking moment away from you is torture. I want you to know that.” 

    “Royal Sister Tiye-I-I mean Jungjeon mama-”

    “She’s allowed this meeting. But, it won’t happen again.” Her sorrow wet her dry lips and she gasped as he pulled his hand away from her. He visibly looked pained as he stood, all of the color drained from his face. His eyes were silently filled with tears yet it stood firm and strong. When he couldn’t stand to look at her any longer, he left her there at the bank side and he knew that for years to come, the sounds of her wailing would replace the sounds of her pleasure in his dreams.

***

    In broad daylight, he’d known no shame. Dark red splotches, one against her neck. Another there in the same spot on both breasts. Further down underneath them and against her rib cage laid teeth imprints. He’d lost reason as he’d explored and tasted her body, concentrating his energy into satiating the pulsating hunger that throbbed in open air. The small sounds she released were unlike any he’d ever heard before from any woman he’d been with. They fueled him, aroused him further, and made him want to hear it more, louder. Her voice was beautifully rich and layered, full-bodied and lower-toned. Smooth and seductive, it sent chills to dance up and down his spine. A weaker man, an immature man would be intimidated by it, might even dare to accuse her of being too masculine. 

    Taking a buttery thigh in each palm, he spread them. The small mound covered by white cotton however, suggested an altogether different truth. He couldn’t help himself and leaned down to press his nose against her, inhaling her sweet musk. Nuzzling her, he couldn’t stop his tongue from slipping forward to lick the growing wet spot. Her hips bucked upward some and he allowed his lips to greet her, kissing and gently sucking at her. 

    “Mm!” Lifting his head, he watched her sink teeth into her bottom lip. And again, he did it, her expression this time making him groan against her. Her hands gripped his and she slightly lifted up, breath heavy. Too much, perhaps. Slow down, her hands seemed to tell him and he withdrew completely, kissing her with ease. 

    “W-where did you… learn that?” She asked in between kisses. He didn’t answer, instead he smirked, pulling the last of his sokgot off, leaving him completely naked. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. 

    “Did you like it?” He asked, lifting her gaze to his own. Mute, she could only offer a nod. So cute. 

    “Come, I want to show you something.” Lifting up, he gently pulled her up by the hand. Gingerly, she followed him. 

*** 

     “Pyeha, what will we do about the Japanese?” 

    “They feign being friendly but I distrust them. We’ve had problems with them in the past.”

    “They encroached upon Song when it was still Tang.”

    “What is your suggestion?” The voices of his court echoed with fear. 

    “Minister Lim,”

    “Yes, pyeha.”

    “Our financial reports.”

    “We are well within our budgets, thanks to your wisdom. We have more than enough to spare.” Should we need it. 

    “Ministers of Ministry Defense and Law Enforcement.”

    “Yes, pyeha.” 

    “What do you recommend?”

    “We have hosted many foreign envoys in the time you have graced us with your reign and we hope many more. Our defenses are strong and our soldiers are focused on the goal of keeping you safe. Should there be concern for attack, members of our Great Army will be deployed to every port city where Goryeo deals in trade with the outside.” Eyes turned to look at the Former King who nodded at them to continue, 

    “We shall amp up the police presence within the palace and outside in the common sects if need be. I agree with Minister Lim. We should be prepared.” 

    “Agreed, Minister Gang. Both of you, I appreciate your combined tenacity and expertise.” 

    “It’s our greatest honor, pyeha.” 

    “We will reconvene tomorrow, same time. Meeting adjourned.”

    “Pyeha!” 

    *** 

    The smell of smoke drifted up and out into the hallways. Door closed, a lone woman stood outside, hands clutched together. 

    “He does not wish to be disturbed. I told you this already.”

    “Madam, please. You must try.” Lips pinched together and uncertain eyes fell back to the door. 

    “Yeo-“ Voice weak, she cleared her throat and tried again. 

    “Yeobo?” It was a while before the voice of her husband answered. 

    “What is it?” 

    “I didn’t realize you were home.”

    “I just got in.”

    “Ah,”  There was more silence, more smoke. 

    “Is there something you need?” It wasn’t how he said the words. It was what he said that hurt her. Gang Young-ho was six years her senior but he was a kind husband. He never mistreated her and always spoke well. But, his refusal to lay with her perplexed her. He wanted no sort of physical contact with her. 

    “M-may I come in, husband?” Silence. She was prepared to open her mouth again but his reply stopped her dead in her tracks. 

    “I will be retiring soon. I’m tired.” 

    “Ah… of course. Will we retire together?” 

    “I’ll sleep here.” Looking down at her tightly clasped hands, she bowed to the door. 

    “Of course. Please rest well.” 

*** 

    He watched the shadow of her outline draw away from the door and deeply sighed, bringing the pipe once more to his mouth. He couldn’t, by law or in reason, keep denying her. At some point… at some point he was going to have to sleep with her. The thought turned his stomach. The first and last time they’d been intimate was the night of their wedding and he couldn’t shake the look of disgusted surprise that met him when she’d seen his naked body. She tried to cover it up but the damage had already been done. 

    What was more, he’d had the nauseating feeling that he was doing something terribly wrong. She had been new and inexperienced. He’d been extremely careful, almost too careful with her, treating her like a porcelain doll. At his entry, her pained expressions and tight drawn in body made him feel like he was raping her. Almost immediately, intercourse ended. Covering her trembling body, he held her until she fell asleep. From that night on, he never touched her again.

    Inhaling the sweet tobacco, he lowered his face into his hands, slowly letting the smoke exit his mouth. He had an obligation to fulfill not only to the law but to the Gang household. He couldn’t, under any circumstances, be presented to be a neglectful husband. Sooner or later, that is what she would plead and he couldn’t bare to embarrass his Hyung-nim. He had to do it. 

*** 

    She felt as though she’d been placed in the hottest part of the desert. Her face had grown warm and her body felt even warmer.

    “Don’t look away..Look at me.” Swallowing stones, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. There they sat, on the warm heated floors. There, in front of her mirror. She in-between his legs. Him behind her, posture comfortable, close, supportive. His arms hugged her and she felt his heart thump against her back. 

    “Have you ever seen yourself in a mirror?” He asked, voice gentle and quiet against her ear. 

    “No.” 

    “They don’t have them in Kush?” 

    “Of course they do!”

    “Then why haven’t you ever seen yourself?” She shifted a little on the floor, legs closed. 

    “Large glass shards like these are only for the royal family. No one else is permitted to use them.” 

    “Ah,” His arms slid away from her waist. Taking hold of her arms, he lifted them and crossed them behind his neck, exposing her breasts. The action made the blush in her cheeks spread. 

    “It’s a pity to prohibit someone from seeing something so pretty.” His hands drifted down to touch and caress them. 

    “They’re so very pretty.” 

    “Young-ho, this… is.. embarrassing…” Pulling her back flush against him, he softly kissed her neck, eyes on their reflection. 

    “What’s embarrassing about it?” 

    “I…mm..” Her voice trailed off as he squeezed her. 

    “Do you think it’s wrong? To see yourself like this?” Her breath answered him and a soft moan escaped her throat as she watched his hands fondle her, and another moan released itself as his fingers pinched her nipples. Her toes dug into the floor and she turned her head, just enough to welcome his kiss. Palms now having left her chest, they slipped down and across the back of her thighs. Rapid breathing and eyes squeezed shut as he started to open her legs. 

    “Look.” Licking her lips, she panted for breath and took herself once again in sight. Spreading her legs wide, he kissed her neck again. 

    “I think you like it here too.” 

    “Young-ho…” Removing his hands from her thighs, he took a calf and hooked it underneath her leg, deadlocking her. Taking the other, he did the same until she couldn’t move her legs, couldn’t escape. Breath heavy and warm against her, he once again hugged her, palms full of breast. 

    “You’re perfect.” Voice rough now, he sighed and let go of her chest. Reaching behind him, he intertwined the fingers of one of their hands. His free hand slipped down and across the exposed dari-sokgot. She wiggled her hips, panting and whimpering as he traced the shape of her outer lips with relaxed fingers. A little further down and there his fingertips met the wet and he softly rubbed against the spot, watching her try to wiggle away. 

    “Let’s see this beautiful place together, hm?” Panting against her mouth, he pulled the ties to the underwear loose, eyes narrowing on what now was revealed to him. Eager to touch, eager to feel, two of his fingers caressed her on either side of her mound and spread it even more open, revealing a tiny hole. He grunted his approval now, the sound rumbling against her entire body. Following the shape of the throbbing quim, he brushed her clitoris with a thumb. She bucked, a loud moan filling the space.  She gripped his hand now to filth. Again and down, a single digit slipping into her slick warm wet. 

    “Ooh… mm…” Her withdrawn moans made him slide it in deeper. Greedy and tight, she sucked him in until he was stopped at the knuckle. Thrusting up slowly, he watched her hips roll and buck, moans now bitten off in between her teeth. Her eyes rolled back and her head fell back against his shoulder, letting him see her how good he made her feel. Thrusting a bit harder now, a soft slick clap drifted up from beneath her waist and she arched her back, their fingers tight. So soon after, release tore her into pieces and her voice a sudden scream. Growing slack against him, she trembled, her inner muscles clenching around his digit. The intensity of her first orgasm turned her eyes disoriented and dreamy.

     Pleased in the slick translucent gush of wetness that erupted from the throbbing little orifice, clear glassy slime drifted upward from his fingers, wetly dripping residue as he brought them upward, towards her mouth. Tongue first met his finger tips and warm heat enclosed him, a slow sensual sucking that sent a soft pain to his testicles. A little patience more…for soon he’d be inside her.

*** 

    “The Kingdom is in jeopardy.” 

    “He’s too preoccupied with fucking that black bitch of a wife he has. Pah!”

    “Will we allow a half-breed sit on our Throne?” 

    “Lower your voices.” 

    “He cannot be trusted! He puts us all at risk for another invasion!”

    “How dare you.” An urgent meeting of the Ministers had been called early in the morning while the sunlight was still pale. He was grumpy and highly annoyed at being awakened to sit and watch old bastards argue. 

    “It is thanks to him that many of you weren’t executed when the late Prince was on trial for treason.” 

    “Watch your mouth, cheonmin filth!” Eyes filled with hatred glared at him. 

    “Don’t forget from where you come, boy. You were crawling in shit before you were, by luck, liberated. Were you not, you still would be face first in horse dung. You wear those robes thanks to the favor of Gang Yooshik and the King. By no means are you one of us. You never will be.” 

    “Ministers, please. Compose yourselves. We must focus on the topic at hand.” The prick’s eyes fell away from him but his stared at him so long that he began to see two of him. 

    “Is he not performing as a King should?”  

    “The Japanese in the capital were not found with any plans of an uprising.”

    “That doesn’t mean anything. If Mongolia decided to attack again, we would not survive.” 

    “Stop beating around the bush. Let’s all be honest, since we all sit here. You hate the Queen. Obviously, because she is not native to us. You’re looking… hoping for an excuse. Any excuse to depose her. Were I any more of a fool I would think that you crotchety pieces of shit want to usurp.”

    “Enough!” The eldest of them all, Minister Yoon exclaimed, his face beet red. 

    “We are rational and civilized men. Let us do well to behave as such!” Tension still crackled in the atmosphere but they started to settle down. 

    “What has left our lips must not leave this room. We shall take an oath of secrecy. With blood.”

*** 

    A loud noise woke her and she jolted away. Gasping for air, wild sleepy eyes darted around the room. Fear choked her as she took in a large looming figure in the darkness. Bells tinkled. Anklets. Sacred belt. A voice filled the room though the form did not speak. 

    “This nation will fall. The blood of many will fill the streets and the ground shall cry out and the earth shall wail.” Spoken in the language of her people, it caused her to weep, hands lifted up to hide her agony. Those tears soon turned into screaming and so the cycle of awakening began. 

    *** 

    It wasn’t often that she saw visions, the gift of sight thought only to be inherited by the Royal Family. She’d never told anyone that she could in fact see, she kept it hidden from a child’s age. Of course, as a child, her sight was intensified and she saw things with little problem, crystal clear. It had been a while… but…but…

    “Lady Kkot-bi?”

    “Yes?”  In the middle of her morning exercise, she was interrupted.  

    “A government official wishes to speak to you.” Brows knitting together, she looked up at the woman. 

    “What is this person to me?” 

    “A person you cannot refuse.” Nearly keeping herself from rolling her eyes, she replied with a slight purse of her lips. Annoyance. 

    “I need more information from you before I go anywhere.” 

    “It is on behalf of the King that you go.”

    “Wait. Didn’t you just say-” The lower-rank servant reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small letter. Meant to be discreet. Kneeling, she reached for her hand, pressing it into her palm. 

    “If you’ll excuse me, ma’am.” Bewildered and more than confused, she stared down into her open palm. Opening the small letter, laid instructions and a code to be said in complete secrecy, shared with no one. The King’s seal there at the bottom affirmed the validity of it all. What are you up to, Brother? What is it you wish me to see? 

*** 

    Hooves pounded the ground to dust and large trees shielded the rider. Air shot out of the nostrils of the beast and reins prompted it to halt. The feet of a human fell upon the same earth. Go alone. Eyes took in the swirling green and nothing of it was familiar. Bring no weapon. She began to leave the horse, every hair on her body standing up. Wait for the messenger. What if this was a trap? What if she was walking into the scene of her murder? Eyes darted to and fro and slowly, she turned to see the path behind her still empty. 

    “Turn left and go to the abandoned house.” Twisting, there was no one, yet a voice in the trees. 

    “Who are you? Come out!” A rustle of wind through the leaves and beads of sweat now dripping down the small of her back. Dread danced in her stomach, and panic threatened to set in at the sight of her horse, now having disappeared. I have no choice but to heed. Swallowing, she slowly started to turn left, the pathway natural forest floor, years of feet having made the land level. There aways sat the house. It was old and appeared unused. Lonely. Like me. Chasing away the thought, she again, surveyed her surroundings before drawing nearer. Finding the door open, she forced herself to go inside. 

    “I’m here as you requested. Reveal yourself.” Quiet. The trickle of rain. Somewhere there was a leak in the roof. Looking about in one room, she turned to exit when she suddenly yelped at a man standing behind her. Her eyes grew wide and her eyebrows frowned. 

    “Y-Young-ho?” 

    “We don’t have long.” 

    “Have long for what?” What are you-” Lips crashed violently into hers and the force of his impact made her stumble back, nearly losing her balance. 

    “Y-Young-ho…” Hands seemed to be all over her and nowhere at the same time, grabbing, gripping, pulling. 

    “…don’t have time… explain… later…” Backing her up against the wall, they roughly collided with it and for a moment’s breath, they were apart. With each passing second, she grew weaker… weaker as his hands turned her around to face the wall, up to trap her own. Weaker still as lips and teeth nibbled away at her, hungry for her flesh. Weaker even still as his baji fell to his ankles and her chima was lifted. Words served her no good. The ties to her sokgot and dari-sokgot were pulled apart and joined his baji, there on the dirt ground. Words served her no good. Not when his hands pulled her hips back and up, up to meet his need. In a single moment, a single sweet moment, time… time was all they had. 

*** 

    She couldn’t look away, didn’t look away. Pleasure whispered cold, hot, warm, good against her skin as his mouth feasted on her. It amazed her, fascinated her, aroused her… watching his tongue circle the engorged knob of flesh there at the top of her sex. Slow, round movements, much like her hips. And then the tip of his slick pink muscle would flick upward, causing her to finally remove him from her sight, but for the tiniest moment as her eyes rolled back into her head. Once, slow, twice, even slower, tongue flat. 

    “Mm… oh…hm…” His sinful lips would close around the bud and suck, letting go to kiss, and suck again. It was like he tried to pull as much of her into his mouth as he could, soft wet sucking and breath now a loud wanton slurp. And release, but for a moment… just until she managed to catch her breath enough. Her legs couldn’t close him in, held still by his palms. But her own searched and found, diving into silky black strands. Rolling her hips, he followed her lead, relentless in his meal. The vibrations of his moans proved to be the final straw and the now fast light flicking against the tight bean made her explode and with a harsh yelp, she pushed his head away, causing him to wetly separate from her. 

    “E-enough….Gods…. enough…” She all but wailed and he let go of her. Teeth smiled against her and a wicked little chuckle against her thigh made her jerk. He lifted from between her legs, soft open mouthed kisses here and there on his way up.  Eyes staring down at her, he spoke. 

    “I know what you want,” Meant to tease, his voice was ridiculously roguish. Her eyes fluttered closed and she whimpered at the thick heavy cock now slipping up across her sensitive folds. 

    “How are you to take this when my tongue proves too much?” He breathed against her mouth, smirk growing naughtier by the second. Cheeks full of embarrassment and annoyance, she lifted her hands up to his chest, pushing him off and to the side of her. 

    “Don’t mock me.” Feigning protest as he pulled her against him, he laughed against her hair, braid of before now gone. 

    “I love when you get flustered…” He whispered against her ear, pressing a tiny kiss against her ear lobe. 

    “It makes it all the more fun to watch you unravel.” 

    “Hm. Asshole.” He snuggled as close to her as body and skin would allow and she gently provided the slightest opening in between her legs for his shaft to slip into, keeping him nice and warm against her folds. Letting her arms lay against his on her waist, she turned to look up at him. 

    “Young-ho?”

    “Hm?”    

    “Where did you get your scars?” Pressing his forehead against hers, he sighed and closed his eyes. 

    “It’s…it’s complicated.” 

    “How so?” 

    “I wasn’t always…a good person.” 

    “You’re a good person now?” Teasing him back, she was quickly reprimanded with a slight thrust of his hips, the wet friction shutting her up with a choked gasp. 

    “The fact that I haven’t completely destroyed you says that I am a very good person, woman.” Teeth grinning, she chuckled. 

    “Mm.” 

    “Do you want my answer or not?”     

    “I asked, didn’t I?”

    “Shut up and listen, then.” Playful eyes met his. 

    “As I was saying, I wasn’t always a good guy. I did a lot of bad things.”

    “Did you?”

    “Mm.”

    “Like?” Though they played, she could tell that she was venturing into vulnerable territory. 

    “Share more than your body with me, raajili.” 

    “What?”

    “It means husband in my language.” His cheeks grew pink.

    “I sold this body for money.” It was hard for him to say it, his eyes closed so he wouldn’t have to look at her. 

    “Male…female…it didn’t matter. If they paid for it, I would have even fucked a dog, long as I could keep Do-Won warm.” Her heart broke at the misery in his voice, memories of past that he long wished buried now closing in on him.

    “How young were you?” 

    “Sixteen.”

    “A child.” She confirmed, her voice sad. 

    “Losing our parents… our noona, our hyung-nim… it… it forced me to grow up quickly. I had no place left to be a child. I had to find work… money to feed and shelter him.” She was quiet, listening to the nuisances in his breath as it shuddered and he swallowed so hard that she could hear the saliva travel down his throat. Turning her body, she faced him. 

    “How terribly alone you must have felt.” 

    “As I grew older… more popular…I got involved with the wrong people. With prostitution comes Opium. I was a slave with no rights, told what to do, where to go and how to sell it. Most of the… scars you see are…from one of my former patrons. As punishment for being disobedient.” Lifting a hand upward to caress his face, she quietly trailed the one over and across his pectoral with a light finger. And there, a bigger one against his side. A raised thick welt that she was sure had been torn and ripped apart at one time. With a quiet kiss, she pressed her lips against them. 

    “You are a good man and an honorable brother, Young-ho. Your heart is kind and selfless. What you’ve given must be repaid.” Pressing her palm against his heartbeat, she felt her eyes grow misty with tears. 

    “I too was a child in a parentless world. The weight of my grief and loneliness was too much for me to carry but Royal Sister Tiye saved me. It is thanks to her that I have lived so well of a life.” Their eyes met.

    “Great honor shall be shown to you in return. Your sacrifices must be recognized and rewarded. If not by man then by the Heavens.” He released a shaky breath as if for so long he craved those words, the affirmation, the acceptance. 

    “I neither want it from man or from the Heavens.” His lips kissed her, slow, sweet, and tender. 

    “Right now, you are my reward.” Reaching down in between her legs, small fingers gently stroked him, causing a breathy moan to whoosh from his mouth. Lifting to wrap his arms around her, he hugged her close. 

    “And you shall have me as such, as sure as you have my heart.” 

*** 

    Lost in time, lost in higher realms, in him. She didn’t recognize her own voice, their voices…how they cried out to each other with desperation, how her body received him with pure greed. Too much, and yet not enough. It wouldn’t ever be enough. 

*** 

    Once more she found herself seated, on his lap. Displayed in the mirror, their bodies were pressed tight together. Lips kissed languidly, in no rush this time. No, they smiled against each other, teeth nipped and bit at each other, throats releasing small tiny quips of laughter. Comfortable. Uninhibited. Turning her eyes towards their reflection, she watched as his hands came to squeeze her breasts. The embarrassment of before had passed and it was the strangest thing… how powerful she felt in his arms in this moment. 

    Her feminine energy drew his masculinity closer like a moth to flame and she found she liked looking at it. A thick silken staff of appropriate length peeked up from in between her legs, hard marble and gold rubbing sweetly against the much softer pliant folds of her womanhood. It looked natural, as if it, in all of its massive and godlike splendor, belonged there. Biting into her lip, the dew of her excitement clung to the flared head of his cock and again she gave a gentle push, breath light and relaxed. Her temple was ready now, ready to receive his offering. Lifting eyes upward now to his own, she reached down and took hold of him. Watching together, she brought him to her entrance and pushed down. He pushed up in response and soon he began to disappear inside of her. 

     Knit eyebrows and open mouths, breath and voice exploding into ecstasy and Gods…. Gods the stretch… inside he felt twice as big and she felt like she would burst apart. Pleasure choked her as his meat filled her to the brim. 

    “Fuuuuuuuckkkk…..” He growled behind her, head thrown back, the blush that had been in his cheeks now having crept into his ears and the column of his neck. Veins bulged against skin as he grit his teeth and lifted his head, nearly black eyes taking in the slow ride of her hips. She couldn’t bare to engage, the sensations in her body left her breathless and she released a small drawn-out mewl as their lower halves rocked together, sweet and slow circles. Shuddering, she laid back against him, welcoming his lips that kissed her jaw and the underside of her chin. Her ears heard it first, the soft wet clap of their flesh meeting and she opened her eyes, enjoying the sight of them colliding. 

    With just the slight shift in force, her breasts bobbed and quaked and his hands came up from her waist to grip them, pinching the aching nipples with the tips of his fingers, gently pulling and rolling them. Now the sounds below her waist grew louder, wetter. It grew into something else, something bigger, something… something-

    With a hand full of his hair, she buckled and came to a sudden stop, legs closing up. So close and so far away. Panting, he watched as she tried to fight it, the orgasm that threatened to overwhelm her. Reaching up, he pulled her to lay back flat against him now, the mirror no longer his focus. Grabbing hold of her jaw, he turned her head towards him, until their foreheads pressed against one another. He wanted to watch her come, wanted to watch her crumble into tiny little pieces. He didn’t let go of her as he began their rhythm again, just as it was before. She sobbed against his mouth and he lifted his arms to embrace her, holding her tight. 

    Her breaths were starting to rise in intensity and she wiggled in his arms, with no where to go. His hips now took the lead, desperate to bring them up into the sky. A hard heavy pounding caused her sex to squelch and her channel tight, slick and warm to milk him. Those smooth sexy sounds of before grew louder, full of need; a need he understood, a hunger that had never been satiated. It didn’t take much more until she hit the crescendo, a high-pitched scream that broke off, sending chills up his spine. A few more deep pumps and he climaxed too with a trembling open-mouthed moan against her mouth. Arms, fingers and legs relaxed, and a sloppy creamy mess dribbled out and down around them. 

*** 

    They’d been like wild animals then… now…wasn’t it all the same? She’d never tire of it. She didn’t remember how they had ended up like this, laid together on top of crumpled and strewn hanbok. She naked and he the same. His hair now, the same as then damp with sweat and messy, providing welcome refuge for her fingers. Everything about him… his touch, his kiss, the arms that now held her… it was all so familiar… warm like home. 

    “You should have done this with the woman you have at home.” She whispered against his chest, voice weak. 

    “Should have.” He agreed, warm intense eyes looking down at her. 

    “But I didn’t.” Would she ever get to the point where he failed to make her blush? By no means a girl and yet this one man always made her feel like one. A thumb stroked the pretty color in her cheeks. 

    “I never will.” 

    “Don’t say never.” She finally pulled away from his embrace. 

    “You’re not a child anymore, Young-ho. You have obligations.”

    “To everyone but you?”

    “You’ve spoiled me.” She wanted to be angry at him but Gods he made her so weak, his lips kissing her neck shattered her. 

    “You’ve ruined me from any other prospect of marriage… out of pure selfishness.” 

    “And greed, yes.” He admitted, a hand now grasping the hair that had been pulled down, pulled apart and fucked out of its braid. 

    “I never intend or plan to share you. With anyone.” His voice whispered against her temple. 

    “You belong to me.” 

    “And you? Do you not belong to two women?” 

    “No,” His breath was warm against her mouth. 

    “Just one. You.” With a stubborn turn of her head, she felt him smile against her, a small humored laugh following. And so, his arms wrapped her up and pulled her back into heaven… or perhaps hell. 

*** 

    They should have more quiet. He should have stuffed the daenggi into her mouth to quiet her but instead, no, instead he’d used it to tie her hands behind her back. What a wicked beast he was to know that he intended to fuck her dumb in broad daylight and in his house no less. But, how could he not with her beautiful little body glistening with the sweat of the unusually hot spring day? Presented as such a deserving gift, she was just what he needed to release his stress.

     Licking his lips, he slowly removed his gat, tossing it away from him. She had tried. He had tried. They both had tried to stay away from each other. But it couldn’t be helped. Reaching up, he removed his court robes, letting them too fall to the ground.

    “Young-ho?” Her voice asked, soft and breathless. 

    “Hm?” Now standing in his sokgot, he peeled off the thin robe, revealing his chest and midsection. 

    “Why am I tied up?” His feet led him to a small container and he opened it, the smell of pleasant earthy tobacco wafting across his nostrils.

    “Because.”  He waited until he had placed some of it into the small golden flute of the pipe to speak again. 

    “I don’t want your hands in the way.” Coming to stand over open flame, he soon inhaled.  Turning, he released the smoke with a quiet exhale. Kneeling behind her, he sat down and smoked in silence, eyes devouring her form. From here, he could see the shiny dew that covered her excited sex. Close enough to reach out to touch it and yet, he didn’t. 

    “You sound angry…” Her voice quipped up from the table and slowly, she turned her head to look at him. 

    “Not angry. Stressed.”

    “The Ministry?”

    “Everything.” More smoke drifted up into the air. 

    “I want to cast it all aside. For one day. All the responsibility. The expectations. The demands.”

    “Demands?”

    “The Gang family wants an heir.” At that, she grew quiet and her gaze fell away from his.     “I…I see.” 

    “Yooshik-hyung-nim knows how I feel. He’s trying to give me time but…”

    “It’s your wife.” 

    “The woman,” He corrected but the way he said it didn’t miss her. There, the spark of anger made his voice hard. Biting. A tone she’d never heard much before and it made her stiffen for a moment. 

    “I don’t acknowledge her as my wife. She’s a child.” She grew quiet and her eyes once again met his. After a while, she spoke again, 

    “She may be. But… she didn’t ask for this either.” An exhale of breath. 

    “We are all in chains.” A humorless laugh left his throat. 

    “You and I to one another. She to the wishes of her family. Nothing is as it seems.” The tiny clink of the flute against a plate of jade tinkled and he once again, got up to put it away. 

    “I will honor their requests.” He said lowly, approaching her again. 

    “They want a child. I’ll give them one.” Kneeling, he closed the small distance between them easily and grabbed hold of the ample cheeks of flesh, smooth, soft and firm. Spreading them apart to reveal her glistening slit, he groaned quietly. Light of day revealed the shape of his stiff swollen form poking up inside of his sokbaji and he bit into his lip as he softly rubbed himself against her. Already, she panted and whined at the slow teasing friction he caused against her, wetness soaking through the thin fabric. 

    “First, I’ll have what I want.” Pressing his palms now flat against the surface of the table, he leaned in closer to inhale her scent. 

    “I’ll spend my day like the rest of those pompous flesh-drunk bastards do…here, pleasing you with my mouth.” To add to the point, he softly licked up against her outer labia. Bucking, she gasped as his tongue split apart her inner lips, moaning softly as he pulled them into his mouth. Hands now left the table and grasped her hips, pulling her back against him. She felt the gentle stir of pleasure spread up across her back as sounds of quiet sucking, slurping and hot breath enclosed the room. 

    Just outside the door, footsteps of servants carried about and voices spoke in hurried tones. Her very presence was a threat and the danger of being discovered sliced her in two. His face and mouth withdrew from her now dripping womanhood. 

    “I’m not ashamed of you, Anat.” His voice rumbled against her bottom and he kissed the flesh. 

    “I won’t hide you. I won’t cast you into the dark.” Lips pressed a kiss against the column of her spine and further up against the small of her back. 

    “The sacrifices will be worth it as long as I can continue to be by your side…as long as you don’t remove me from your heart.” She let his presence overwhelm her and with each kiss upon her body, she let herself drift further and further away from the shame of embarrassment.              “If I can have you…like this… at all… I’ll survive.” Voice now against her ear, his hands reached up to her braid and began to unravel it, not satisfied until its thick fragrant strands covered her, spilling over the edge of the table. Fingers lifted it up and away from her face. To her forehead and to her lips he pressed a soft kiss. Touch now sliding back down her back, hands lifted up the very thing that would destroy her upward, angling his cock-head to press against the opening to her slick warm cave. With one little push, with ease he began the process of causing her slow, sweet death. 

*** 

    She’d been sitting at her desk writing when she heard it. The moans of a woman. Pausing her brush, her fingers gripped the wooden handle tighter than what was necessary. It waned, quieted and fell silent. Eyes stared down at the painting she had started, ink from the hairs dribbled down, instantly destroying the portrait. Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them back. Now, it made sense. Why he never shared her bed. Impassioned sounds started up again and she slowly put the brush down, her throat tight. 

    “Madam-”

    “I know.” She replied quietly to the voice there at her door. 

    “I hear them.” A loud crash now sounded. Cups perhaps. 

    “What… would you like us to do, madam?” Eyes closed now and tears slipped out from underneath her lashes as more sounds zipped like an arrow straight into her heart. The voice of her husband revealed his pleasure, pleasure she could not give him. 

    “Let him be.” 

    “Madam-”

    “Let him be!” The voice was silent for a moment before, 

    “Yes, madam.”

    “Prepare my carriage.”

    “At once, madam.” The figure went away from the door and she released a tearful sigh. Standing, she went to check her hair in the mirror, eyes drifting down across her appearance. 

    “It’s here, Madam.” Opening the door to her room, she stepped out. 

    “When she leaves, follow her.” 

    “Yes, madam.” 

***

    Fingers dug into the floor, arms back, straight, muscles slick and bulging. A loud heavy clap filled the room and an arched body caved and bounced under weight as a shiny ass slammed down against it. Beautiful dark umber cheeks, round and plump, convulsed and rippled at the impact, and wet translucent drool made a mess of hips. Heat and light smashed into him and he teetered on the edge… dangled from the precipice of climax. Eyes once having rolled back  opened, and a head now lifted. The sight of her pussy devouring his shaft was delicious and with a harsh grunt, he lifted a hand from the floor to take hold of her hair. Fisting it, he yanked her head back with a firm tug, the moans she pressed into the lacquered wood of the table now unrestrained and filthy. 

    “Joha?” Rendered speechless, she answered with a hoarse sob, her throat raw from screaming. Yanking her head back with another firm tug, he tightened his fingers in her hair. 

    “I love it…s-so much, raajili…”  Pleased with her answer, he let go of her hair and brought their hips to a stop. Relaxing his body, a slight pinch of air escaped from her cavern as he pulled out of her and she folded weakly against the table with a tiny whimper. Sliding damp hair back from his face, he took a moment to breath, to savor the smell of passion and sex that lingered in the air. 

    Coming up to rest on his knees, he slowly unbound her hands. They stayed behind her back for a second and her body trembled as she tried to catch her breath. But, when she gained enough strength, slowly they parted at the wrist and lifted up to lay flat against the table. 

    “I was really rough today but you took me well, my precious one.” Slow sweet kisses eased their way up her glossy back. Fingers smoothed back her wet heavy hair, caressing her hairline with gentle thumbs. 

    “I’m so proud of you.” Her eyes fluttered closed as his lips kissed her tear-stained cheeks, wet from fresh ones. Soft tender touch and warm little kisses made her mewl and she greedily soaked up the attention. 

    “Can you take me one more time?” He asked, pulling her up a bit from the table into a slight sitting position. With a kiss, she wiggled her hips back to completely sit against him. With a gasp, she released a satisfied hum as once again he filled her up, leaving no spaces. His breathy groan against her neck made her smile. 

    “I feel so full when you’re inside,” She breathed, “Like I will burst.” A hand grabbed her jaw and turned it so that lips could meet. 

    “It feels so good that I can’t breathe…” A gentle clap of their sex and they panted against each other’s mouths. 

    “Hm… mm…mmm yes…yes…” Harder now, deeper. Hands drifted down and across her body, reaching up to give her quivering breasts a healthy squeeze. And stop…breath now, soft kisses against her shoulder, up against her ear. Nice and slow they began to rock, following the steady wave of the tides. Fingers slipped in-between her legs and played with the small bundle of nerves, causing her to yelp. Her hand shot down and gripped him by the wrist but made no move to remove his touch. Head back against his shoulder, she opened her eyes to find him looking down at her with tender loving eyes. Letting up just a tad, they came to another gradual stop with occasional gyrating hips.

    “I love you.” His words caused her heart to soar and she melted under his scrutiny, a thumb rising to lightly brush her bottom lip. 

    “I love you.” He breathed now against her mouth, voice soft and low. I love you. I’m sorry. 

    “I love you too, my heart.” His arms came around her and closed her up in his warmth. Welcoming the press of his head against her shoulder, she lifted her hand to bury it into his hair. Without a word, their hips started to move one last time and without hesitation, his deep gentle thrusts rendered her speechless. One last time, fingers played with her little button until she grunted harshly, climax but a moment away. 

    “Come with me, my love…. please…” Lips crashed into each other in an urgent collision and she got her wish, his pants against her now soft bitten-off groans. A little more, more…more and they grew still, their conjoined moans of climax blending. Her slit wept, now full of his fingers and his shaft, having been removed out of her, throbbed once and again, the cream of his release oozing onto the ground beneath them. 

*** 

    “The King is in danger,” Turning her head upward from her spot on his chest, she knit her eyebrows. 

    “In danger?” 

    “Yes.” In the quiet, he sat behind her, they both clothed once again. His fingers combed through her hair from root to end, nails lightly scratching her scalp, making her sigh.

    “It was you…”

    “I didn’t summon you here in assignation just to make love, precious one.” His voice was low and serious against her, his eyes focused on the task before him. Sectioning her hair into three parts, he gathered them all together in his fingers and began to braid. 

    “The King’s seal…was it a fake?” 

    “No, it was real.” Fingers continued to braid, now halfway done. 

    “I have my ways of accessing it. I needed it to legitimize everything, else you would not have come.” 

    “I almost didn’t.” At the tail end, he let the plait go, reaching now for the once discarded daenggi. Lifting it, he began to tie it to her braid, in a pattern appropriate but one she’d never worn before. A bit higher up than where she normally wore it, he folded it to display the pretty designs. Hands now finished, he gently laid palms against her temples, pulling her head back against his chest.

    “Inside the Palace walls, lies, trickery, deceit and conspiracy.” Her silence was contemplative and she turned her body a bit in his lap to face him.

    “Do you know which way it originates?”

    ‘I have a pretty solid idea, yeah.”

    “Well then… let’s get a move on… we have to tell His Majesty!” 

    “No. Anat.” His hand paused her rising body. 

    “I must be the one to tell him. No one else is to know.” She felt herself grow cold as she looked down at him. 

    “I’ve broken the vow of secrecy by telling you. By doing so, now you could be in danger.” She swallowed a lump. 

    “When we leave this place, go east.  Take the long way back to the Palace.”

    “What do you know?” 

    “I can’t prove anything as of yet. But, there are events behind the scenes that intend to cause destruction to the King and his reign. That I know for certain.”

    “This cannot be…”

    “Be careful and trust no one from this day forth. Should anyone come to you and paint me to be one of them, don’t believe them.” Sighing, he tightened his jaw as she leaned back against his chest once more. His hands and arms came up and around to shield her. 

    “What will sustain us now is an unbreakable trust… a trust that must stand above all else.” Closing her eyes, she nodded against him. 

    “Wait for my letter, hm?” 

    “I will.”