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He stared at her in shock.  And felt like rejoicing.  Or laughing.

“Your father is the king of Goguryeo?” he asked in astonishment.

She shook her head.  “No.  My brother is now.  My father was the old king.”

“And he banished you at birth?”  Jijin was flooded with sudden anguish.  So much more had been stolen from his precious Sookie than he had ever imagined.

She nodded.

“I am truly sorry for all that you have suffered, Sookie.”  He reached out and slipped his arms around her, drawing her close to his heart. 

After a few silent moments, he whispered, “But this is the best news ever.”

“What?”  Confused, she pulled back to stare up at him.

“Don’t you see?  There is absolutely no impediment to you marrying me now!  You are a princess.  A sacred bone.  Entitled to marry another sacred bone.  Me!” he grinned at her.

But she shook her head.  “No.  Don’t you see?  I told you the story to ease you into the truth about me.  So you would understand that if I wasn’t a suitable daughter for a king, then I am most certainly not a suitable wife for one. 

“I can’t marry you, Jijin.  I would be a liability.  I could only become your wife if I could enrich you by marrying you.  I wish to make your reign stronger.  Not to weaken your influence.  If you married an albino, the people would mock you too.”

“Stop that, Sookie!  Stop putting yourself down!  You’re imagining things!  I am king!  What I say goes!  No one will dare to oppose me. 

“I have the support of the hwarang.  And none of them would mock you for having white hair.  And the council have all bowed to me since I sentenced their traitor to death.  Those old men aren’t going to oppose me because I want to marry a girl with white hair.”

She shook her head.  “You’re wrong.  You don’t know.  You have no idea how the entire village repudiated me.  They were all terrified of me.  Everyone except…”  Her voice trailed off.

“Everyone except who?” he asked, suddenly arrested.

But she remained silent.

“A lover?” he queried, instantly insecure.

“No!” she gasped.  “The only lover I’ve ever had is you!”

He felt relief spiraling through him.  “Then who is the friend you speak of, Sookie?”

She sighed.  “A little girl who befriended me when no one else would.”

“Wait a minute.  Is she the one you were writing the story for?”

She nodded.

And Jin Heung felt suddenly very foolish.  “And I accused you of writing to a man!”

She giggled.  “Yes. That was just preposterous!”

“No,” his eyes speared hers.  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you.  It’s not preposterous at all.  Sookie, you’re beautiful.  You’re desirable.  And I want you.”  He dragged her up close to him once more.  Until her chest was pressed snugly against his.  “And I’m not about to let your fears keep you from me.  I…I would give up my kingdom for you.”

She shoved at his chest then.  “Stop it!  You will not give up your kingdom for me!  Your people are counting on you!  They need you.  They need a just king full of compassion for them.  A king who would suffer so they won’t.  That king is you.  I have always known it.  From the very beginning.”

“Is that why you played dead?” he grinned. 

“What?” she gasped.

“When you pretended to faint.  In the forest.  So I would leave you alone.”

She shook her head.  “No.  I meant that, from the moment I first suspected you were king, I already knew you were a man of strong character.  And kindness.  You cannot give up your kingdom for me.”

“Don’t make me.  Marry me, Sookie.  And I’ll make you my queen.  You’re a sacred bone too.  My people will welcome you.”

She sighed deeply.  “My own people didn’t even welcome me, Jijin.  Why would yours?”

“Because they love me.  And I love you.  They will love whom I love.”

She inhaled sharply.  “I do love your view of the world.  I wish that it were true.”

“Sookie, I don’t want to walk my path without you.  Promise me.  Promise me you won’t leave me,” he implored her.  He was beginning to feel desperate.

She didn’t respond.

“If I can find a way to make you an asset to my kingdom, will you marry me?”

She furrowed her brow and stared up at him quizzically.  “What do you mean?  How on earth could I be an asset to your kingdom?”

“I want a lasting peace with Goguryeo.  It seems to me that marrying one of its princesses would help me to secure that peace.”

“But I am no longer one of Goguryeo’s princesses.  I was cast out, remember?”

“By your father.  But he is no longer in power.  Your older brother is.  When he discovers that I’ve married his sister, don’t you think that he’d be more willing to work with me?”

She shook her head.  “I’ve never had any proof that anyone in the royal household has missed me.  I doubt very much that he wants to see me.  He may not even know I exist.  My mother died the night I was born, and I was immediately cast out.  My guardian swept me up in her arms and departed the palace that night.  And neither one of us ever looked back.”

“I think you’re wrong.  Someone knows of your existence.  And there is a special bond between siblings.  Your brother will desire to know you.”

“Do you feel that bond with Sook Myeong?”

He nodded.  “I do.”

Eun Sook sighed.  “All right.  If you can gain peace with Goguryeo by marrying me, I will agree to become your wife.  Then I would be a symbol of peace.  Instead of peculiarity.”

He beamed down at her.  But then he grimaced. 

“What’s the matter?”

“I just realized that if you refuse to marry me before your brother arrives, I’m going to have to give you a private suite.  You won’t be able to share my chambers anymore.  The last thing I want is your protective, older brother challenging me to a duel for threatening your chastity.”

She glanced up at him.  “What if I agree to become your concubine?  You could be with me under that premise.”

He shook his head firmly.  “No.  That would definitely not show your brother that I want to give you the place of highest honor.  It’s all or nothing.  If you want to remain here with me, you’re going to have to marry me.  Otherwise, I’m moving you to your own rooms.  Tonight.”

“Tonight?” Disappointment laced her voice.

And he chuckled.  “Come on, Sookie.  Just marry me.  I’ll call the priest right now.  And you could spend the whole night in that bed with me.  Warming it – and me – up,” he teased her.

She huffed.  And turned towards the door.  “Where am I sleeping tonight?”

He sighed.  He’d just lost that argument.  Was his gamble going to work?  Or was he going to lose her forever?

She turned back towards him suddenly.  “Wait a minute.  You just spoke like my brother was on his way to meet me.”

“I hope he is.  This morning I issued him an invitation to visit me here.  At my palace.”