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“You acted bravely, Sook Myeong,” Jin Heung declared a little while later as they stood together outside of the prince’s bedchamber.

She gazed at her brother.  “Who was that man?  The one who shot at you?  He looked familiar.  But across the distance, in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t identify him.”

“He was Lee Bom Ho.”

She gasped.  “Minister Lee’s son?’

He nodded.

“This is proof then that Minister Lee was working with Minister Park, attempting to overthrow you.”

Jin Heung sighed.  “It would seem so.” 

Would his enemies ever stop piling up?

“Have you talked to Eun Sook yet?  Does she know you were shot at?”

He shook his head.

“Yes, she does,” came a strong voice from behind them.

The king spun around.  To face the woman whom he loved.

“Someone tried to kill you?” she whispered, her pale face stricken.

“Yes, but as you can see, I am quite all right.  Thanks to your brother.  And my sister here.  The fearless archer.”

Eun Sook flew towards him.  She didn’t stop moving until her arms were firmly wrapped around him.  Sook Myeong watched as his fiancé buried her face in his chest and hugged him tight.

“Promise me that you won’t go out without your guards again,” Eun Sook insisted.

“Sookie,” the king whined.

“Don’t you ‘Sookie’ me.  You won’t let me go anywhere without at least three men guarding me.  I insist on the same escort for you.  You are the king for heaven’s sake!  You must stay alive.  At all costs!”

“Apparently, your brother agreed with you,” Sook Myeong murmured.

“What?”  Eun Sook lifted her head to stare at the princess.  Then her head flew towards the king.  “What’s this about my brother?”  Fear gripped her heart.  “Is he all right?”

Jin Heung nodded.  “He’s fine.”

“Or he will be,” corrected his sister.  “The foolish man dove in front of my brother and took the arrow in his own shoulder!”

“Foolish?” the king queried faintly.  He gazed in astonishment at his sister.  “Are you saying that you wish he had not shielded me?”

“No.  Of course not!  I don’t know what I’d do without you, brother.  But…”  Her voice trailed off.

“She doesn’t know what she’d do without my brother either,” Eun Sook wisely discerned.

Sook Myeong swallowed, but she didn’t deny the other woman’s claim.

Eun Sook gazed up at Jin Heung.  “I want to see my brother.”

“So do I!” the princess insisted.  “When are they going to let us into his room?” she demanded.

“When the doctor is done removing the arrow.  And cleaning and bandaging the wound.  Sit tight.  I’m sure we’ll be allowed in soon.”  Jin Heung glanced at both worried women.  “He’s going to be fine.  The doctor said the arrow didn’t hit any vital areas.  He’s in some pain, and he’ll have to watch the wound to make sure that it doesn’t get infected.  But he should recover.  Fully,” he muttered as he gazed down at the love of his life.  Who was – at this very moment – looking quite troubled.

“Have you now rounded up all your enemies, Jijin?  Or are more villains going to be coming out of the woodwork in the next few weeks?” she queried doubtfully.

“I hope we’ve found them all,” he sighed.

“I don’t want to wait any longer,” Eun Sook abruptly asserted.

“Wait any longer?” he mumbled.  “For what?”

“For you,” she admitted tenderly.  “I want to marry you as soon as my brother is up and moving around again.”

“You do?” he asked gently as his eyes caressed her own.

She nodded and leaned towards him.  She lifted her lips to whisper into his ear, “I miss sharing a bed with you.”

“I do too, my dear.  I do too,” he muttered as he continued to gaze longingly down at her.

And Sook Myeong felt a dart of jealousy stab her in the heart.  Watching the two of them, she suddenly knew that she was witnessing a relationship like the one she desired.  Deep down.  Under all the doubts.  And all the trauma.  She longed for a true love.  And a best friend.  And for those two to be one and the same.

She wanted a man to gaze at her the way that her brother was staring down at his dear “Sookie.”  Only one man had ever looked at her that way.  The man who had been willing to die for her brother today.  The only man she could ever picture herself kissing now.  The only man to whom she’d ever surrendered.

Jong Su.

She wanted him.

Forever.