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Jong Su came upon the maiden sitting in the gardens as she studied a flower she had plucked, her fingers tenderly caressing its petals.  As he glanced down at the bloom, he saw a bead of moisture form on one long, white petal.  He looked up to catch another of her tears falling.

Sook Myeong was still breaking her heart over Seon Woo.  That clever doctor had stolen him.  Right out from underneath her nose.  And with her silly brother’s approval.  Had he simply had a bit more gumption, he could have forced the woman to marry him.  Leaving Seon Woo to solace his broken heart in her own arms. 

But, instead, the weak-willed Jin Heung had given them what they wanted.  Each other.  And left himself and his sister alone.  At least, he hadn’t forced her to marry himself.  She would be eternally grateful to him for that.

Jong Su stood rooted to the spot.  Gazing at the young girl.  She was stunningly beautiful.  So much so that he was finding it difficult to draw a breath.

And then she looked up and any success which he’d had in finding that breath instantly evaporated.  Her deep brown eyes were so sad.  They instantly reminded him of his mother’s.  So did her tears.

He took a step towards her.

Her brow was immediately troubled in a different light.  “Stop.  Who are you?” she asked suspiciously.

Her eyes delved the depths of his, demanding an answer, before briefly flying around the garden.  Probably in search of a guard.

“Who let you in here?” she challenged him.  Coldly.

But he could hear the edge of worry underneath the ice.

The corners of his lips quirked upward.  “The king,” he murmured, biting back a chuckle.

But then understanding dawned as he took in her youth, her stunning beauty, and her imperious attitude.  This must be the infamous Sook Myeong.

“The king?”  She stood up, pulling herself up to her full five feet seven inches.  She instantly felt less vulnerable.  Until she glanced up at him.

She generally felt tall amongst most men.  But not in front of this one.  She still had to stare way up to reach his towering height.  The man must be six foot three.

He nodded and smiled at her.  “You must be the Princess Sook Myeong.”  He bowed deeply.  “I am Prince Jong Su.  From Goguryeo.”

She stilled.  Was her brother trying to make a match between her and this man?

She studied his face.  It was not unsympathetic.  She supposed it was handsome enough.  But he couldn’t touch Seon Woo for beauty.  This prince was no hwarang.  That was for sure. 

Probably his nicest feature was his light brown eyes.  They held a reddish tone.  The best color to describe them was possibly…cinnamon.  They definitely reminded her of one of her favorite spices.  Warm and rich like cinnamon.  Inviting.  She lost herself in his gaze for a few breathless moments.  Not because he was attractive, she convinced herself.  But because something compelling was hidden in the depths of that enigmatic – and compassionate – gaze.

Compassionate?

She bobbed her head in agreement with herself.  It was an odd assessment.  She was not used to being surrounded by anyone whom she would deem compassionate.  In fact, it was a character trait that rarely crossed her mind. 

Her mother had certainly not been compassionate.  Nor had her father.  What little she could remember of him.  But she supposed her brother must be to make the choices he had made concerning the doctor.  He’d had the woman trapped in his palace.  At his beck and call.  Yet he had let her go.  To fly back to her lover.

She grimaced.  She didn’t want to think about that. 

She had a grudging respect for Ah Ro now.  But that terrible jealousy was still eating her up inside.  Seon Woo had encouraged her to find someone who shared her heart.  But, truthfully, she knew that she lacked a heart.  Where such a sympathetic organ should beat, she had instead a calculating brain.  Full of cruel strategy and heartless tactics.  She had nearly killed Ah Ro in her quest to protect her brother.  And she knew that – if called upon – she would do it again.  Some things were worth fighting for.

“What’s wrong?”

She’d been wrong.  His eyes weren’t the only attractive thing about him.  The prince’s melodious, deep voice wrapped around her in comforting waves.  That, frankly, scared her.

Her eyes widened, and she brushed past him.  “Nothing,” she answered brusquely, quick to dismiss him.

But he wasn’t about to let her go.  He reached out and slipped his fingers around hers before tightening them to grasp her hand firmly.  She stopped and coldly turned towards him.  But only halfway.

“Let go of me,” she hissed.

“No,” he refused.

“I will scream.”

“Oh, goody.  Then you and I can be married tonight.”

Ice water immediately replaced the warm blood flowing through her veins.  She stood frozen for a moment.  Unable to think. 

Finally, she raised her eyes to meet those warm cinnamon orbs again.  “What are you talking about?”

“My brother wants me to marry you.  If you make it look like I took advantage of you, I’m sure that your brother will force us into a marriage to save your honor.”

She swallowed.  He had her trapped.  And they both knew it.  The scenario he had just described perfectly matched the world in which they lived. 

She tugged on her hand.  “Let go of my hand.”

“No,” he refused quietly, smiling sweetly at her.

And she discovered another aggravating truth.  The man’s smile was divine.  It completely transformed a rather ordinary face into something beautiful.  She bet if he bared his teeth too, he might be upgraded to gorgeous. 

She closed her eyes to block him out. 

And he saw his opportunity.  He lifted his other hand to brush away the tear on her cheek. 

But the instant his fingers contacted her skin, her hand popped up in ready defense of that cheek and batted his hand away.  Her eyes sprang open.  “What are you doing?” she gasped in outrage.

“Wiping away your tear,” he spoke softly.

Her heart flipped over.  And seemed to deposit a mass of warm water into her stomach.  The heat of that bath flooded her whole being.  And what had been frozen a moment before was now melting.

She began to tremble.  Not even Seon Woo had affected her like this.  What strange power did this prince possess that one smile and a few sweet words from him could so affect her frigid heart?

She sniffed.  And straightened her backbone.  It was all an illusion.  She was probably dreaming this entire scenario.  She would not give in to this strange man.

She tugged on her hand again.  And, again, he refused to release it.

“Why do you want to hold my hand?” she demanded crossly.

“Why wouldn’t I want to hold such a soft hand?” he responded in a quiet murmur.

“Soft?  My hand is anything but soft.”  She lifted her free hand to show him her calluses.  “See?  From my bow.  So, if you don’t unhand me, I shall be forced to shoot one of my arrows through you!”

He chuckled.  “I’d love to see you try.  How will you shoot an arrow through me while I’m holding one of your hands?  You must be quite gifted with a bow,” he teased her gently.

That beautiful voice continued to ride the airwaves around her head, making her dizzy, even as his ribbing irritated her.  She was fuming now.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  Garnering her defenses.  Preparing for battle with this infuriating prince. 

But then she remembered how badly her brother had said they needed an alliance with Goguryeo.  She released that fat breath in anger.  And despair.  Was she going to be forced to marry a stranger?  And move to a foreign land? 

That would be even worse than being forced to marry her own half-brother would have been.

He watched a myriad of emotions playing out on her countenance and quickly realized that she was anything but cold.

“You’re really quite passionate, aren’t you?” he queried quietly.  “You needn’t fear me, you know.  I’m not going to hurt you.”

She opened her eyes as another blaze of anger overtook her.  “I can trust you?  That’s why you’ve trapped my hand within your grasp?!”

He stared into her fathomless, obsidian eyes for a few silent moments.  Then he glanced around.  And found her bow resting on the little well wall upon which she’d been sitting.  Mourning over a cut flower.

“That bloom will fade; it’s true,” he murmured.  “But you needn’t mourn its passing.  I’ll plant you another thousand with which to replace it.”

Confused, she frowned.  “What?”

Then he glanced back at the blossom which she’d dropped on the ground.  She followed his line of sight and scoffed.  “I wasn’t crying over a dying flower!”

“Oh.  Forgive me then.  I just assumed…”

“That I’m as soft as all the women in Goguryeo surely are!”

His eyes perused her face for a sweet moment.  She really was quite fetching.  Especially when she was angry.  Her irate beauty made him want to tease her again.

“Ah, yes.  I think you’d fit in quite well with all those soft Goguryeon women,” he grinned.

And she tugged her hand again.

“Forgive me,” he bowed to her.  Even as he still held her hand firmly in his grasp.  “I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?” she eyed him suspiciously.

But then he dropped her hand abruptly and strode over to the well.  To retrieve her bow and arrows.  He turned towards her.  And she felt her heart fly up into her mouth.  What was the man going to do?  Shoot her with one of her arrows to get her to comply with his wishes?

However, she needn’t have worried.  He stepped up to her and handed them to her.  “Now you may shoot me with ease.”  His lips tipped upward in a humorless smile.  “I’ll even stand right here to make it easy for you.”

“Don’t tempt me.  I’ve shot a man before, you know.”

“Have you really?” he asked in astonishment with a quirk of both dark eyebrows.  “Did he live to tell the tale?”

She sniffed.  “I’m not sure he ever told the tale.  But, yes, he lived.  To love another,” she muttered the last darkly under her breath.

“To love another?” he asked, startled.  “What does that mean?”  He blinked.  “Did you – did you shoot your lover?”

“I did,” she answered untruthfully.

He grinned suddenly.  “Wow, you really are fierce, aren’t you?”  He smiled at her appreciatively.  “Did you shoot him because he was unfaithful?”

“No.  I was trying to shoot my rival.  Not him.  The silly man jumped in front of her.”

“Ah.  You thought you’d just dispatch her and then you could have him.” 

The woman really was heartless.

“No,” she sighed.  “The girl discovered my brother’s identity.  Before he became king.  When he was still in hiding.  She was a danger to him.”

His elegant eyebrows rose again.  “Ah, so it was out of filial loyalty that you tried to kill her?”

She bobbed her head.  “Exactly.  My mother ordered me to do it.”

“That, at least, I suppose I can excuse.”

She furrowed her brow as she stared at him.  “You can?”

He nodded.  Though she wasn’t the softly feminine woman he’d always believed he wanted, he found his heart bending oddly towards her.  “You were protecting your brother.”

“Yes.  But I angered him by doing it.”

“How so?”

“He fancied himself in love with her,” she responded bitterly.

“Ah.  What a complicated love quadrangle.”

“It was,” she grimaced.  But then she suddenly burst out laughing, shocking him.

He gaped at her as she twinkled up at him.  “We must seem so ridiculous to you!  If you tell your brother this story, he’s certain to take back his marriage offer!  So, please, tell him as soon as possible!”

He frowned.  “On the contrary.  It would convince him that you are the perfect woman for me.  He thinks I need a hard woman to harden me.”

She sobered instantly.  “Does he?” 

She glanced up and then examined him from head to foot.  “He’s wrong, you know.  You’re just perfect already.”

Shocked, he stared at her.  “What?  I thought you disliked me.”

“Not at all.  I find you immensely likeable.”

“Since when?”

“Since you handed me my bow and arrows.” 

And glanced my way with those warm, cinnamon eyes of yours.

He hadn’t attempted to disarm her.  But, instead, had given her the one thing that made her feel safe in this crazy world.

“Dare I hope that you will, at least, consider an alliance with me then?”

“Are you serious?” she gasped, her chocolate brown orbs challenging his lighter ones.

He nodded.  “I am.  I think…we should get to know each other better while I am here.  I’m to be here for several weeks, you know.”

Her eyes widened in surprise.  “Several weeks?  Isn’t that unusual?”

“Not at all,” he shook his head.  “So…what do you say?  Will you get to know me?”

Sook Myeong stood staring up at him.  Her heart tripping along suddenly.  What was it about this man that so unsettled her?