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Soo Yeon heard the gasp, but she was so lost in the wonder of kissing her beloved that she simply closed her eyes again and continued to enjoy his kiss.  Until her mother’s voice sounded in her ear.

“Soo Yeon!  What are you doing?” came the woman’s scandalized query.

Sighing, the girl drew slowly away from her beau.  “Eomma, you know perfectly well what I am doing.  You enjoy such a dalliance with Appa all the time.”

“Soo Yeon!” her mother’s strident voice instantly rebuked her.

“What?” she asked without compunction.  “I have offered to marry the gentleman.  It’s just that no one will listen to me.  If I cannot have his hand in marriage, then, at the very least, let me have a few of his sweet kisses.”

Her mother just shook her head at the silly girl.  But clearly there was no reasoning with her daughter.  So she addressed the young man instead.

“And you, Ban Ryu!  What were you thinking?”

“That I’m a prisoner in this bed and at the mercy of your daughter, my lady,” he drawled suddenly. 

But his face betrayed him.  He looked positively mortified. 

“I beg your pardon, my lady,” he mumbled.  “I…am without excuse.  Except,” he glanced at Soo Yeon, “have you seen how beautiful your daughter is?”

Lady Bit Na bit back a smile.  She could understand why her daughter loved this man so.

“That is no excuse, Ban Ryu,” she rebuked him lightly. 

Then she sighed.  For she knew what she must do.

First, she installed a maid to sit with them.  Then she headed for her husband’s office.

––

“Seub,” her voice sounded quietly behind that fine gentleman a few minutes later, “we need to talk.”

He turned towards his beloved as his lips tugged upwards into a sweet smile.  One he reserved for only his lady wife.

“My dear,” he responded cheerfully, “what a wonderful surprise!”  He beckoned her with his hands as he urged her, “Come here, my love.”

Seeing the gleam in his eyes, she laughed and crossed the room towards him.  She wasn’t in a hurry to deliver her news.  So when he reached out to tug her into his lap, she fell forward happily.  And soon embraced him as his mouth found hers.  After several pleasant moments, she sighed and drew back.

“Are you still happy, Seub, after twenty years with me?” she queried sheepishly.

The kiss he planted on her throat was his only reply.  Until his hand crept up under the skirt of her robe.  She giggled and batted that hand away.

“Seub!  You are still just as naughty as you were when you were courting me.”

He glanced around guiltily.  “Shh.  That’s our little secret.  You can’t let it out.  Especially not in our daughter’s hearing.”

Instantly, Lady Bit Na sobered.  “Actually…”

Now on alert, he stared down at her as his gaze sharpened on her.  “Bit Na…what is it?”

“Well, um, at least, I know where our daughter gets it from…” she soft-pedaled into the coming discussion.

Suspicious, he cocked both of his dark eyebrows at her.  “Gets what from?”

“An inclination towards certain behavior.”

He shifted under her.  “What behavior?”  A storm cloud was now descending upon his face.

She sighed.  “The propensity to steal kisses from a certain unwilling victim.”

“To steal kisses from an unwilling victim?” he thundered.

He would have shot out of his chair, but thankfully his wife was still firmly planted in his lap.  So she prevented his ire from carrying him towards a certain unwilling victim’s bedchamber.

“Seub.  You must insist they marry.”

“What?” he asked, incredulous.

“Soo Yeon.  And Ban Ryu.  She needs to marry him.”

“But,” he sputtered, “he is—”

“Yes, I know, I know.  He is poor.  And no longer titled.  And disgraced.

“And,” she took a deep breath, “he is a favored hwarang of the king.  And one of the princess’s personal bodyguards.  Who, I might add, saved her life to the detriment of his own.  Not to mention the fact that he nearly died saving our son from certain death.  And…our daughter is madly in love with him.  And is likely to get herself into trouble with him if you don’t intervene. 

“And by intervene, I do not mean to throw the poor young man out into the street.  I mean – agree to their marriage.”  Before he could argue, she pressed on passionately, “He clearly adores her.  Let them marry.  And adopt the man as your own son, Seub.  It’s the right thing to do.”

He simply stared at her.  While her heart raced away.  She bit her lip nervously.  And a faint smile teased the corners of his mouth as he took note of her anxious gesture.  He reached up and ran the pad of his thumb tenderly across that offended lip. 

Finally, he also released a deep sigh.  “I tried.  He rejected me.”

“What?” she gasped sotto voce.  Utterly shocked.

He nodded his head.  “That’s why I wanted to speak with him this morning.  I offered to become his father.  But he wouldn’t have it.”

“But…didn’t he ask you to foster him a few months ago?”

His eyes grew wide.  “How did you know that?”

“Two words,” a secret smile lit up her face.  “Soo Yeon.”

He grunted.  “Yes, he did ask me.  As a favor.  I repulsed him that day.  But now, I…”

She furrowed her delicate brow at him.  “You what, Seub?”

He didn’t respond but glanced down at her lap.

“You’ve grown a soft spot for the lad, haven’t you?” she murmured quietly, a proud smile lighting up her countenance as she beamed up at him.

“Our daughter reminded me of something…” 

His fingers covered her own.  Then, absentmindedly, he began to trace circles on the back of her hand with the tip of his index finger.  Secretly driving his wife bananas.

She shivered.  “Hmm.  I wonder what that was.”

His finger stilled.  “She reminded me of what it’s like to be terribly young.  And to have no control over your future.”

She gazed up at her husband quizzically.  And his eyes met hers finally.

“We were blessed, Bit Na.  When our parents decided we should marry, I was already smitten with you.”

“And I was head over heels in love with you,” she breathed happily.

His lips flipped upward in a sweet smile.  He leaned forward and brushed his mouth softly across hers.  But a moment later, he was straightening as he peered down at her through narrowed eyes. 

“Did you catch our daughter in a compromising position?”

“They were just kissing, Seub.”

“In his bed?”

She swallowed.  And nodded.

And watched as his nostrils flared.

“Seub.”  She’d spoken so softly that he almost hadn’t heard the warning – and the appeal – in her tone.  “You know how strong-willed Soo Yeon is.”

He sighed.  He did.  He began to trace a heart on the back of his wife’s hand then.

“Please…give her the desire of her heart.  Let her have the boy.  I would rather see her struggling yet happy than prosperous and miserable.  Besides…we can help them out.  And Ban Ryu has the king’s favor.  I hardly think they’ll starve.”

“As long as the king remains in power,” he muttered darkly.

“Ah, but all of our fortunes rely on that,” she pointed out logically.

He grunted.  And ran the pad of his thumb across her palm.

“Why do you think Ban Ryu turned you down?”

He turned her hand over and began to trace a heart on her palm.  “He said he wasn’t worthy of the honor.”

“Go talk to Ban Ryu.  Offer to make him your son.  Again.  But this time, don’t take no for an answer, Seub.  Convince that boy to receive your help.  Convince him that he’s worthy of it.”

He glanced up at the most compassionate woman he knew.  And was reminded of the other kind girl whom he had once loved.  And of her son.  Whom he was now in a position to help.  If he could convince him to receive such an honor.

He sighed.  “I will try, Bit Na.”

She captured his hand with her own.  “No, Seub.  You will succeed.  Our daughter’s happiness depends upon it.”