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Soo Yeon sat in the front room all morning.  Waiting for Ban Ryu.

She was on the verge of tears by the time he finally knocked on the front door.  She had already dismissed the servant who usually hovered there.  Now, she jumped up and flew to the door.  Dragging it wide open to stare longingly up at her handsome beau.

She had missed him so much while he’d been in Goguryeo.  She had worried about him constantly for a few days.  Until word had come that the princess had been well received by her brother-in-law, the northern kingdom’s ruler.  Then Soo Yeon had been able to breathe again.  Still, she had missed Ban Ryu.  More with each passing day. 

She’d also begun to worry about another matter.  Her father had started the process of finding her a suitable husband.  Soo Yeon had overheard her parents discussing several possible matches.  The only problem was that the two of them had yet to come to a consensus on their favorite prospective groom.  Her mother favored one candidate, her father, another.  But for her part, Soo Yeon wanted nothing to do with either young gentlemen.  She had met them both, and Ban Ryu outshone each of them.  And he always would.

Still, she knew that she wouldn’t be left with any options once her parents had agreed upon a good match for her.  She was privately mourning her inevitable loss of her beloved.  She might be forced to marry another man, but her heart would forever belong to Ban Ryu.

She shoved such depressing thoughts to the side as she reached out to grab him by his robes and haul him inside.  She glanced back and forth down the street to see if any of her neighbors had witnessed his approach.  But all their doors were tightly shut. 

She sighed with relief and closed her own door before tugging him towards a little sitting room off to the left.  Once they were safely ensconced inside of its intimate confines, she shut its door and sat down on the tiny sofa that occupied the outside wall of that tiny room.  Then she patted the cushion next to her.

“Come sit with me, Ban Ryu.”

Ban Ryu’s lips twitched as he recalled another day when she’d invited him to sit next to her on that little loveseat.  A time before he’d confronted her father and asked for his favor.  And been denied such a bounty.

He sighed.  “I don’t think I should.  Your appa—”

“I don’t care what my appa says!” she ejaculated as her smooth brow suddenly puckered in agitation.  “Come!”  She pouted up at him.  “I have waited three whole months for you to return safely to me.  And now you have!  I will not miss you one moment more!”

She stamped her little foot.  But then she gazed up at him out of those guileless, obsidian eyes of hers as the ravine digging itself between her eyebrows deepened alarmingly.  “Have you any idea how worried I was for your safety during those early days?”

He simply stared down at her.  So she stood up and reached for his hand.  Then she tugged on it until they were both sitting next to each other on that little couch.  She squeezed his hand.  Then she picked it up and began to slide the tip of the index finger of her free hand over the back of his hand.  She gazed down at it lovingly.

“Such a strong, capable hand.  Mighty to defend our princess.  And our king.  Dare I hope that this hand will defend me some day?” she murmured.  “Maybe then, my father would accept your suit.”

He tugged his hand free from her grasp.  “It’s not going to happen, Soo Yeon.  You’re shooting for the moon.  But you won’t even lasso any stars that way.  You should just forget about me,” he mumbled, staring down at his toes.

“I will never forget about you!” she cried dramatically.  “You cannot make me!  Appa cannot make me either!”  Her face crumpled, and she began to weep silent tears.  But they did not deter her. 

She leaned towards him, throwing her arms around his shoulders, as she shifted to plop her bottom down soundly on his lap.  Startled, he jerked and threw his arms up to prevent her from sliding off his lap.

“What are you doing?” he gasped.

“Kissing you,” she murmured as she lifted her pretty face towards his, offering him her lips like some virginal sacrifice.

He gazed down at those twin pink beauties before finally giving in to her.  How was a man supposed to resist such a tempting offer?

He bent his head and captured her lips with his own.  Tenderly brushing his mouth along the length of hers.  Finally, his eyes fluttered shut as hers had at the first.  And Ban Ryu relaxed as he lost himself in the sweetest kiss which they had yet shared.  It was the longest too.  He dragged it out for several happy moments.  Shifting his lips slightly often in an attempt to apply more pressure first here.  Then there. 

It didn’t appear to matter.  Soo Yeon seemed to revel in all his kisses.  Her arms wrapped themselves about his neck and drew him even closer.  As she finally sighed into his mouth.  Her breath stirring his desire for her even more.

Suddenly, he dragged his mouth away from hers.  And began to stand up.  His hands maneuvered her to assist her in sitting down on the loveseat once again before he stood up to his full height once more. 

She pouted up at him.  “Where are you going?”

“I don’t think I should stay.  What if your father returns for lunch?”

“He won’t.  I told you.  He’s been spending all day, every day, at the palace of late.  We won’t see him until dark.”

“Still.  I don’t like betraying his trust.  I shouldn’t be meeting you here like this.”

She jumped to her feet and lunged for him.  Throwing her arms around him and burying her face against his chest.  “Please!  You’re returning to Goguryeo in six weeks, aren’t you?  Please!  Promise me that you’ll visit me often during the weeks you’re home.”

He didn’t move.  He didn’t speak.  He was lost in the fragrance of clementines again.  And grasping for some self-control.  How was he supposed to deny this sweet girl anything?  Yet…if her father discovered them engaging in a dalliance here…in his home….

Ban Ryu shuddered.  The consequences didn’t bear imagining.

“Please!” her voice rose in desperation.  “Ban Ryu, I love you!  I can’t live without you!” she gasped dramatically.

He was fairly certain that she could…and would…live without him.  A fact that depressed him somewhat.  Not that she would live.  But that she would do it without him.  But there was nothing for it.

“Soo Yeon.  Your father refused me.  I spoke to him.  Before I left for Goguryeo.  He wouldn’t even consider mentoring me.  There’s no way that he’s going to entrust his precious only daughter to me….”

“I do not care!  I will always choose you!” she responded stubbornly. 

Right before she planted a kiss over his heart.  Her lips brushing the deep violet fabric of his hwarang robe.  Completely melting – and exasperating – that noble gentleman yet again.

“Soo Yeon,” he murmured warningly.

“What?”  Her head came up, and she glared at him.  “He cannot force me to marry another!” she insisted, strong-willed.

Yet…she knew her father could coerce her into such an unwelcome marriage.  That was the thing that scared her almost the most. 

Ban Ryu sighed as he gazed down at her rebellious glare.  He knew that it wasn’t set against him but in opposition to her father.  Yet…

…it filled him with an odd dread.

“Please don’t do anything desperate,” he whispered finally.

She sighed again.  “I promise I won’t if…”

He quirked one beautiful, dark eyebrow.  “If…what?”

Her lips curved upwards into a smile.  “If you kiss me…”

He bent his head and offered her a quick buss on her lips.  Then he straightened to gaze down at her once more.  Then – and only then – did she complete her thought.

“…and promise to come kiss me every day until you leave again.”

“Soo Yeon!” he ejaculated, irked.  And amused by her persistence.

“What?” she asked innocently.  “I only asked for a kiss.”

“Or forty,” he murmured, humor crowning his lips now.  And dancing in the depths of his eyes.

She gazed up at him, her heart yearning for him.  “You are absolutely gorgeous when you laugh,” she whispered.

Right before she stood on her tiptoes again to plant another kiss along the line of his lovely lips.

“Promise me,” she mumbled against those sweet lips a few moments later.  “One kiss per day…”

“Only one?” he murmured, laughing, as he cocked a midnight eyebrow at her.

“You’re right,” she sighed.  “Not one kiss but…three.”

“Three?” he questioned in surprise.  “Why three?”

She shrugged.  “Three just seemed to be a good number.  One for me.  One for you.  One for us both.”

“We don’t get to keep all three?  Both of us?”  He was chortling under his breath now at her absurdity.

“Fine,” she ground out.  “Five then!”  She stamped her tiny foot again.

And he suppressed another snicker.  The girl was magnificent.  “Five?  Why not seven?”

Her eyes lit up.  “Ooh!  Of course, you are right!  Seven would be much better!”

She leaned up once more and brushed her lips across his own.  Lingeringly.  Then again.

He pulled back.  “What are you doing?”

“Making sure to get my morning’s worth of kisses from you.”  Her lips twitched upwards as she peered artlessly up at him.

He sighed again.  “Listen, you little minx, I—”

She placed her finger over his lips.  “Shhh.  I haven’t gotten today’s quota yet.”  She lifted her face and brushed her mouth lightly across his.

He groaned and gave in, his arms drawing her tightly against him as his mouth plundered hers for a few delicious moments.  Maybe if he gave this girl a real kiss, she’d back off.

But as he deepened the kiss, he realized that…that wasn’t very likely.