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Soo Yeon waved goodbye to her father as he slipped outside.  On his way to a council meeting.  She sighed in relief.  She waited five minutes before opening the door to her home.  And smiled broadly up at Ban Ryu.

“Hi,” she whispered sheepishly as she led the eager, young man into her home. 

He grinned down at her.  “Hi,” he murmured before she led him into a sitting room and shut the door.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked apprehensively.  “If your father catches me with you…”

She sighed.  “I know.  But I miss you so much!  I had to see you.”

Ban Ryu’s father, Ho Gong, had fallen out of favor since Minister Park had been arrested.  Ho Gong had been part of the traitor’s inner circle, and the king’s men were keeping a close eye on all his movements.  His title, lands, and wealth had all been stripped from him by the crown.  So the other members of the council had distanced themselves from Ban Ryu’s father. 

Soo Yeon’s father had always been faithful to the queen dowager and her hidden son.  He fully supported the reign of King Jin Heung and despised the conspiracy to overthrow the true king.  Her father had lost all respect for Ho Gong.  And he figured that the traitor’s son didn’t lean too far in the right direction either.  Hence, he had no liking for the boy whom Soo Yeon had come to love.

Ban Ryu gazed down at her longingly.  He had never been very good at hiding his true feelings from her.  His face was usually a study in impassivity.  Especially around his elders.  Or when he was surrounded by his peers.  But his stony mask always seemed to slip when Soo Yeon gazed up into his eyes.

The sweetness in her heart was forever communicating itself through her countenance.  And he had discovered that he had no ready defense against it.  He had found himself softening around her ever since she’d accidentally touched him inappropriately.  In an attempt to wreak vengeance on her brother.  Who was constantly teasing her mercilessly.

She had mistaken the silent Ban Ryu for her older brother that fateful day.  Instead of punishing Soo Ho, the object of her pique, she had embarrassed the quiet, sensitive boy whom her brother had then considered to be his mortal enemy.  The two men had since reached an accord with each other, and in the meantime, she had fallen in love with the guarded Ban Ryu.

Under her gentle influence, he had chosen a different path than he might have had he been left to his own devices.  Despite the pressure from his father to wreak havoc as a hwarang and spoil the old queen’s plans, thereby endangering the boy king, Ban Ryu had eventually followed the righteous path.  Refusing to do Minister Park’s bidding in the end.  When it was time for the hwarang to surround Jin Heung. 

But Ban Ryu’s road to redemption had been a bumpy one.  He had faltered on several occasions, terrified to be found lacking by both his father and the powerful, cruel Minister Park.  Though Ban Ryu had failed to carry out their instructions to destroy the instruments and thereby make the hwarang’s performance an utter failure, he had caved to their pressure and slipped a secret note to the crown prince of Baekje.  A missive that had eventually endangered both Ah Ro and his friends.  Ban Ryu had alerted the evil prince to the fact that the then faceless king had been amongst their ranks. 

After barely escaping with their lives and watching several innocent citizens of Silla mowed down by the merciless prince, Ban Ryu had found it easier to choose sides.  Soo Yeon’s sweet fidelity to him had weighed in that balance too.  Desiring to be faithful to his fellow hwarang as well as to the young woman who had turned her affection upon him in such sweetness, Ban Ryu had eventually made a move to support the true king.  Soo Yeon, a tender girl with a wide heart, had made the conflicted young man want to be a better person.  He had despised breaking her heart and had sought a way to become a man of whom she could be proud.  The day that he – along with all the other hwarang – had backed Jin Heung, Ban Ryu had solidified the young woman’s devotion to him.

Now, he watched as that lovely girl sat down on a couch.  Then she patted the seat next to her.  And gazed up at him with beautiful, expectant eyes.  “Come, Ban Ryu, sit down.”

Gingerly, he sat down on the edge of that chaise longue.  The last thing he wanted was to be discovered here.  Alone.  With the object of his affection.  Especially not by her father.  But even being found out by her brother could be disastrous….

“Soo Yeon, have you seen Father?”  The door suddenly opened, and her brother, Soo Ho, appeared in the doorway.

All three of them gasped.

“Ban Ryu!  What are you doing here?” his erstwhile enemy gasped.  Soo Ho glanced around.  “If my father finds you here, you’re dead.”

Ban Ryu sat frozen on the couch to which Soo Yeon had led him.

“Up, man!” Soo Ho urged him excitedly.  “Get out of here!  Before you’re caught with my sister…doing…what exactly?” he queried suddenly.  Cocking a dark eyebrow leeringly.

“Talking!” Ban Ryu exclaimed.  “We’re just talking!”  But he appeared mortified.

“Sure, you are,” Soo Ho murmured with a cagey grin.  “I’ve talked to a lot of girls myself.”  He gave his friend a knowing look.

“Soo Ho!  Ban Ryu is not like you!” sniffed Soo Yeon, readily coming to the defense of her beloved.  “He is an honorable man.  He’s never treated me cheaply!”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it.  Otherwise, I’d have to call him out.  And we both know that my swordplay gets better every day.”

Which isn’t saying much, Ban Ryu reflected dryly as he stared at his sparring partner.

He took a deep breath.  Then he glanced at Soo Yeon.  “Your brother is right.  I should be going.  I don’t have any desire to get you – or me – into trouble with your father.”  Suddenly, he expressed a heartfelt sigh.  “If only my father had made better choices.  And hadn’t followed Minister Park.  Then – maybe – your father would have smiled upon our union.”

“Our union?” she gasped, her eyes lighting up.  “Ban Ryu?  You wish to marry me?” she queried incredulously.

He simply stared at her.  “It doesn’t matter,” he answered guardedly.  “Your father would never allow it.”

“I do not care!” she cried out rebelliously.  “I will continue to see you.  Just name the time and place.  And I will be there.  Soo Ho,” she threw a pleading glance at her brother, “will help us.  Won’t you, brother?”  She batted her eyelashes at him as she implored him.

Soo Ho chortled.  “Not on your life.  I’m not running afoul of Father.  If you want to risk your own neck, be my guest.  But I’m not about to embroil myself in your perilous affairs.”

She pouted, frowning deeply at her brother.  “You have always been a tease.  And absolutely worthless!  What kind of a big brother are you?”

“One who is looking out for your welfare.  Do you really want Father to cane you?”

She jumped up as another gasp flew out of her mouth.  “Father would never cane me!”

He gazed at her doubtfully.  “Are you sure?  I mean, you’re sneaking around behind his back…doing God knows what with Ban Ryu here.”

“Hey!  I have been nothing but respectful of your sister.”

Soo Ho’s eyes traveled from his friend’s stern face to his sister’s shocked countenance.  “If you say so,” he murmured dubiously with a shrug.  “Still.  I want nothing to do with this.  Father is scary enough when I have to face him over my own scrapes.  I don’t need to add your escapades to my account,” he informed his sister.

Soo Yeon shook her head.  “You know,” she narrowed her eyes.  “This is all your fault.”

“What?”  His eyebrows hit the ceiling.  “How so?”

“I would never have touched Ban Ryu if you hadn’t teased me so mercilessly.”

“Oh, stop trying to pin this on me.  If that little imp hadn’t prompted you to grab his…”

“All right,” Ban Ryu cut him off, “that’s enough.  While you two duke it out, I’m going to get caught.  I’m leaving now.”  He turned towards the light of his life and bowed deeply to her.  “Until we meet again, Soo Yeon.”

Her lovely face clouded over with disappointment.  “When?  When will I see you again?”

“I do not know.  But…please…don’t cease to write to me.”

She bobbed her head eagerly.  “Of course not!  I’ll keep my letters coming, my brave hwarang.”  She was immensely proud of her Ban Ryu.

He smiled at her before disappearing through the doorway.  After shoving her brother to the side.  “Come along, Soo Ho.  We’re due back at the training field at three o’clock.”

“That gives me two hours.  I’m not coming with you.  There’s a girl I need to check in with….”

Ban Ryu gave him a knowing look.

“Who?” Soo Yeon asked suddenly as her ears perked up.

Her brother glanced back at her and flashed his gorgeous grin.  “Gwan Jung Sook.”

His sister rolled her eyes.  “Dream on, brother.  That woman would never give you the time of day.”

Soo Ho grimaced as his eyes met Ban Ryu’s.  “I’m hoping you’re wrong.”

“You are?”  She furrowed her brow at him. 

He sounded uncharacteristically serious all of the sudden.

What was going on?  Was there something he hadn’t told her?

Ban Ryu glanced from one to the other.  Before sighing again.  Then he faded from view as he headed for the front door.  There was no way he was getting caught in Soo Yeon’s house.  He had absolutely no wish to face her father.  Not ever.