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“Eomma, I don’t understand why I can’t see Ban Ryu,” Soo Ho whined, staring up at his mother in frustration.

“You need to stay in this bed and rest.  Your arm was sliced open a couple of days ago!”

“I slept all night long.” 

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. 

He grimaced.  He had tossed and turned from the pain.  But it was nothing compared to what his friend was enduring.

“You need to keep that arm still.”

“Eom-ma!  It’s bandaged.  The surgeon stitched it up.  It’s not going to split open again.  I am fine.”

Her hands on her hips, she simply stared down at him.

He sat up a little straighter.  “Is it Ban Ryu?  Is he…unconscious still?”

“He is fine.  He’s sleeping.  He has awoken a couple of times.”

“Does he still have a fever?”

She nodded.  “But don’t you worry about him.  The doctor has been giving him medicine, and your sister is taking good care of him.”

“My sister?”  His head flew up as his eyes careened into his mother’s.  “Soo Yeon is nursing Ban Ryu back to health?  How did this come about?  Does Appa know?”

“Your appa is the one who requested her assistance.”

“What?”

“As a favor to the king.”  She unleashed the brightness of her smile upon her firstborn.

His face was echoing her joy back to her.  “The king?”

She nodded.  “King Jin Heung invited your father to his throne room two days ago.  To ask him to house and care for Ban Ryu.  And to break the news of your own injury, of course.”

“Ban Ryu saved my life, Eomma.”

“I know it.”

“I was lying helpless on the ground.  I didn’t have time to move.  I thought,” he gasped, “I thought I was a goner.  He lunged for me.  But Ban Ryu stopped him.”

“More like Ban Ryu’s thigh stopped him.”

“Aye,” he winced.  Then he gazed up at his mother with burning eyes as he gasped, “He can’t die, Eomma!  Please tell me that he’s not going to die.”

“I think…he will live.  I certainly hope so.”

“Do you think that Appa will relent if he does?  Will he give Soo Yeon her heart’s desire?  I mean…if he’s letting her take care of him…”

“I don’t know, Soo Ho.  I don’t know.” 

She heaved a deep sigh.  For she was now certain of one thing.  Her daughter wouldn’t relent. 

There was no way that Soo Yeon would go quietly into a marriage with another man.