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Jijin didn’t return until midnight.  And even then, he had to rouse Eun Sook.  She had fallen asleep waiting for him as she watched the moon rise higher in the sky.  He undressed hurriedly and crawled into bed next to her.  He reached for her and bent to kiss her awake.

Very slowly, she came to herself and returned his kiss with passion.  But after a moment, she drew back.

“Jijin!” she gasped as she opened her eyes to the heavy darkness surrounding them.  “What time is it?  Did you just now return?”

“Yes, my love,” he sighed.  “I beg your pardon.  Today was exhausting.”

“I guess!  You’ve been gone since sunup.”

“Mmm.  That must be why I’m so tired.”  He snuggled into her side, drawing her close to him.  “Now.  Tell me the rest of the story.  I’ve been on the edge of my seat all day.  Wondering what’s going to happen.”

She giggled.  “You have not.  You’ve had much more important matters occupying your mind today.”

“Come on,” he begged.  “I want to hear it!”

She smiled at her beloved husband.  “All right.  Relax.  And I shall tell you some more….

“‘Father, I told you,’ Su Bin exclaimed as tears slid down her face, ‘I have no desire to marry Han Cheol!’

“‘The man supported the king,’ her father sought to reassure her.  ‘You needn’t worry about marrying him now.’

“‘But, Father, I told you that I love another.’

“‘Aye.  Another whom you will not name.  Can you name him now?’ he studied her closely.

“She could not.  For Yong Joon had not contacted her since he had been crowned king.  And it had been several weeks.  She was beginning to lose heart now.  Especially after he’d ignored her in her own sitting room.  At the time, she’d thought perhaps he was just trying to maintain their cover.  But, surely, after three weeks as king, he could have made some move to, at least, communicate with her by now.

“‘Don your wedding garments.  Right now,’ her stepfather barked at her.  But when he saw her face crumple, he responded softly, ‘It’ll be all right.  You’ll see.  I have promised you so.  But you must get ready now.  And clean your face.  Believe me: when you’re standing before your groom, you’re going to regret those tearstains.’

“The only thing she regretted was falling in love with the king.  And being promised to another man.

“She simply stared at her stepfather.  Disbelieving.  ‘You’re truly going to make me marry him?’

“‘I think, Su Bin, that when you’re standing before him, you will choose to marry him.  You won’t be given a better choice than this one.’

“She shook her head.  ‘You’re wrong.  I will never marry him!  I would be forsaking my own heart.’

“He smiled sweetly at her.  ‘Nevertheless, get ready.  We don’t want to keep your groom waiting.  The wedding is in an hour.’

“He left her then, and she burst into tears again.  Her mother found her lying prone on her bed a few minutes later.

“‘Darling, get up!  Your wedding is in less than an hour!  We have just a few minutes to get you ready.’  She examined her daughter’s tear-streaked face.  ‘Oh!  Your complexion is a disaster!  Stop crying!’ 

“In an undertone, she hissed, ‘You are a princess, for heaven’s sake!  You must look beautiful on your wedding day!’

“‘There’s no problem, Eomma.  Because I am not getting married today.’

“Her mother sighed.  ‘Please, Su Bin, just calm down, wash your face, and get dressed.  If, when you’re standing before your groom, you still don’t want to go through with the wedding, I will support your choice.’

“Su Bin glanced at her mother strangely.  ‘What kind of a statement is that?  Why don’t you just support me now?’

“‘Don’t you think that he deserves to be let down in person?  He’s been looking forward to marrying you.  I mean your father did make a contract with him.  If you’re not going to honor it, the least you can do is face the man.’

“Her tears instantly drying, Su Bin sat up.  Her face lighting up with hope.  ‘But…why do I need to be dressed in my wedding clothes if I’m just going to refuse him?’

“Her mother stuck her nose in the air.  ‘It is important that a princess always be dressed properly for each occasion.  And…you might change your mind when you gaze into his eyes.’

“Su Bin snorted.  ‘Hardly,’ she grumbled.  ‘But because I love you, I will obey you, Eomma.’

“‘That’s it, my darling.  Here, wash your face.’  She handed her a bowl of water and a towel.

“Su Bin sighed.  The sooner she got ready, the sooner she could let Han Cheol down.  But the more she thought about such a circumstance, the more nervous she became.  She didn’t want to break the man’s heart.  Though, come to think of it, there was really no reason to believe that he’d be heartbroken. 

“They hadn’t even sat down to a meal together yet.  She barely knew him.  They had met just the once.  Briefly.  A couple of days before the king was crowned. 

“It had been a lackluster meeting.  No sparks had flown.  Between either of them.  He had barely looked at her.  Preferring instead to address her father.  She’d spent the barest of moments in his company before he’d left her home.  So, really, refusing him shouldn’t be so difficult after all.

“Nearly an hour later, her father helped her climb into the carriage.

“‘Father, where are we going?’ she asked as they rode away.  ‘I thought we’d marry at our home.’

“He shook his head.  ‘No, you’re going to be married at the palace.’

“‘At the palace?!’ she gasped.  ‘Why?’

“Did all the hwarang marry at the palace?  Did the king grant them the honor since they faithfully served him?

“She sat in stunned silence.  Her parents also remained quiet.

“She glanced around.  ‘Is Yun Seo meeting us there?’

“Her mother nodded.  ‘Yes.  Along with all the other hwarang.’

“So that was it.  Marrying at the palace was an honor bestowed upon the king’s faithful soldiers.  She cringed.  She was going to have to refuse the man in front of his peers.  This was not going to be fun.  She was going to disgrace both him…and herself. 

“But then another more trying thought occurred to her.  The king would be in attendance.  He must be.  If the wedding were going to take place in his palace.  She groaned.

“Had he changed his mind?  Had he never really loved her?  He’d simply been attracted to her?  And stolen a few of her kisses?  Had she been just a distraction?  But once he’d been settled upon his throne, then he’d realized that he had neither time nor place for her in his life?

“That must be what had occurred.  Why else would he have ignored her for weeks on end?  And walked past her twice in her own home.  Without meeting her eyes.

“She closed those eyes.  And fought back tears.  Again.  If the king had forsaken her, would she be wise to turn down Han Cheol’s offer of marriage?  If she did, would any other man ever be brave enough to enter a marriage contract with her?

“If she made her father’s word void, she would humiliate the man who had sheltered both her and her mother all those years ago when they had been without protection.  She sighed deeply.  As much as she wanted to be the master of her own fate, she wasn’t sure that she could so dishonor a good man.  Two good men.  Was she going to bow to the pressure after all?  And be married to a man whom she barely knew?

“She stared out at the passing scenery.  And tried not to think.  But even more, she strove not to feel.  It shouldn’t be that difficult.  The king had cut out her heart and taken it with him.  What more was left to feel?

“She would judge today through his eyes.  When she saw him, would he ignore her as he had two weeks ago upon visiting her father at their home?  Yong Joon hadn’t even glanced her way before her father had whisked him off to his private rooms to discuss some kingdom business.  She should have known then that he was done with her.  What a fool she had been!  To hold on to her hope.

“But the worst part of it was that she had told him her secret.  Would he one day betray her?  She prayed fervently that he would, at least, keep his word regarding her true identity.  Otherwise, she might find herself in mortal danger at some point.  If her enemies ever discovered where she was, that is.

“Her morbid thoughts were interrupted by the stopping of the carriage.  Her father flung back the curtain as a servant helped her to alight from the conveyance.  She followed her parents into the palace.  Staring about her in awe.  Despite her discomfort.  And her fears. 

“Her eyes were seeking out one face.  And one face only.  But she did not see the king. 

“She was escorted into the throne room where a great body of people was assembled.  She glanced around the room quickly, noting that the vast majority of witnesses in attendance were men dressed in the gloriously gorgeous robes of the hwarang.  A swath of white silk bedecked in beautiful shades of purple and blue met her eyes.  But she refused to glance down to the end of the aisle upon which she was walking.  She knew that Han Cheol awaited her there.  Near the throne. 

“She was, in fact, quite shocked that the wedding was to take place in the throne room.  The king must be settled upon that royal seat.  Preparing to watch their wedding.

“Her heart sank.  If he were, then he must be perfectly happy with today’s events.  And if so, then he couldn’t possibly love her as she loved him.  For this walk was stealing the very breath from her lungs.  And crushing her heart into tiny bits. 

“She fought back her tears.  And took steadying breaths.  Yet she still felt uneasy.  Overwhelmed by heartache and loss. 

“However, she kept putting one foot in front of the other.  And before long, she had come to the end of that aisle.  And it was time to lift her eyes to meet those of her groom.  One more deep breath.  And she glanced up into the eyes of that chosen man.  And discovered that her mother had never spoken truer words than she had earlier today.

“‘…you might change your mind when you gaze into his eyes.”

“For as Su Bin lifted her gaze, her eyes flew open in astonishment as she found herself peering into the soul of the man whom she loved with all her heart.

“‘Yong Joon?!’ she gasped.

“The king smiled at her.  ‘Hello, my love.’

“‘I…I’m marrying you today?’

“He nodded his head as that sweet smile continued to curve his lips.  ‘I sure hope so.  I’m sorry that I kept it a secret from you.  It was necessary.  I have only just returned from negotiating an alliance with Kaya.  I wasn’t certain that I could marry you until this morning, and I didn’t wish to raise your hopes if the alliance fell through.  I also didn’t want to endanger you by releasing the identity of the surviving princess until I knew for certain that I could keep you safe.’

“She stared up at him in awe.  ‘Does that mean…are you going to war against Baekje?’

“He nodded.  ‘Yes.  I have already deployed some of our forces to meet with those of Kaya.  We’re planning an attack at the earliest possible opportunity.’  His sober face lightened suddenly.  ‘But, first, I have a question to ask you.’ 

“He gazed intently down into her eyes.  ‘Princess Su Bin, will you marry me?  Today?’  His head bent closer to her.  ‘Right now?’  His lips twitched for a moment before a sober light entered his gaze.

“Her eyes widened as she peered up at him.  But she didn’t speak.

“He leaned even closer.  ‘I love you,’ he breathed.  ‘Please say you’ll be my wife…my queen.’

“Tears filled her eyes again, and she reached up to wipe them away.  She began to nod her head.  ‘Yes!’ she gasped.  ‘Yes!’  She frowned then.  ‘But why did you ignore me at my home two weeks ago?’

“Yong Joon instantly recalled his meeting with her stepfather that day. 

“He had stopped to speak with the minister before he’d headed for the capital of Kaya.  The king had been so nervous about his upcoming conversation with her stepfather that he’d barely glanced her way.  He had been careful not to meet her eye.  He hadn’t wanted to raise her hopes.  He had still been uncertain about the outcome of all his ventures.  So with a mere glance her way, he’d followed her stepfather to his private chambers.

“As Yong Joon faced Minister Kim Beom Su, the king inhaled a sharp breath.  ‘I know that you have promised your daughter to another man.’  He stopped abruptly.

“And her father bowed to him.  ‘The engagement is off.’

“Surprised, Yong Joon straightened and stared in astonishment at her father.  ‘It is?’

“‘Yes.  As you know, his father is in disgrace.  And, apparently, the young man was never consulted.  I could not in good conscience hold him to a bargain I struck with his now imprisoned father.’ 

“And it had become abundantly clear to him over the last few days that his daughter was not simply indifferent to such an alliance.  But downright depressed by it.

“‘Then I have a favor to ask,’ the king spoke quietly.

“Astounded, her father stared up at the tall man.  ‘Anything, your majesty.’

“‘I would like your daughter’s hand in marriage.’

“Speechless, the man gaped up at the king.

“‘I know this must come as a shock to you.  But…we are in love.  And I wish to make her my queen.’

“Blinking rapidly now, Minister Kim Beom Su queried, ‘But…how can you marry her?  She’s…’

“‘Better than I am, I know.  Believe me,’ the king grinned, ‘I am aware of how absolutely wonderful she is.  The thing is,’ he bent towards the man in a conspiratorial fashion, ‘I need you to keep this news to yourself for a little while.  I must make some arrangements before I can take her as my bride.  With your permission, of course.’  He bowed his head to the gentleman.

“‘Of course, I would never deny you anything, your majesty.  But…she is not a sacred bone.’

“‘Ugh!  Not that again!  That is a system that I am bent on changing.  It matters not to me that she isn’t a sacred bone.’  He glanced pointedly at the man.  ‘You married her mother.  Did you care about that?’

“‘No.  But she was my second wife.  And I already had an heir.  And I am not the king.’

“‘No.  You are not.  I am.  And I’m telling you that I want that girl.’

“Drawing himself up to his full height – which was still several inches shorter than the king’s – Minister Kim Beom Su responded heartily, ‘Then you shall have her, your highness.  And I will not breathe a word of it to anyone.’

“The king bobbed his head.  ‘Excellent.  I will send for you all when I have set everything into place.’

“‘Very good, your majesty.’  And her stepfather had wondered….

“Was he being rewarded for his faithfulness to the king?  Even in the face of such temptation as Han Cheol’s father and his accomplices had dangled before him?

“Now the king smiled down at his bride.  ‘I had no desire to raise your hopes before their time.  So many things were still up in the air that day.  And neither of your parents knew of our love for each other.  I had yet to speak to your father.  I did, in fact, visit your house that day to ask him for your hand in marriage.’

“She gasped, ‘What?  That’s why you came?’

“He nodded.  ‘Yes.  And I left your house and traveled directly to the leaders of Kaya.  I’ve been there ever since.  I just returned an hour ago.’  The light of his smile shone on her.  ‘So I could marry you.’

“Su Bin smiled up at her hero.  He had figured out how to rescue her yet again.  This time from a mess not of her own making.  And she couldn’t have been happier to be rescued by such a dashing, darling man.  Her very own hwarang.  A man worthy of the princess who had escaped death all those years ago.  The ruler of a mighty kingdom.  The king of Silla.  Her very own precious Yong Joon.”

Eun Sook stopped speaking and wished that she could see Jijin’s face.  But their room was pitch black right now. 

“Is that the end?” he quizzed her suddenly.

“What do you think?  Is it the end?” she queried.  Her voice filling up the darkness around them.

“I think it’s not the end.  What happened with the war?  Did Yong Joon and Kaya defeat the evil king of Baekje?  Did Su Bin give him a son?  And did he come to rule Baekje?”

“Hmm.  I will have to think about those things,” she murmured.

“Or you could just tell me the outcome.”

“But,” her lips curved into a smile that revealed itself in her tone, “…what would be the fun in that?”