Choi Young's shoulder troubled him, but it wasn't what kept him awake. Oddly, his mind kept replaying the conversation with the prisoner. The Healer. Eun Soo. More specifically, the moment when the light fell on her and she looked up and smiled. As if she was welcoming them for tea, he scoffed in his mind. The woman was surely deranged. Didn't she realize she was a prisoner? He tossed, yet again, this time onto his injured shoulder and winced. He was glad the decision of what to do with her wasn't on him. For the first time in his life he was conflicted. Against all the evidence, he wanted to trust her. He shook his head. The drug must still be in his body for him to have such thoughts.

By morning, Choi Young had shaken off his uneasy thoughts about the Healer. But after breakfast, Dae Man was there again with his medicines 'from the Healer'. And she was back where he fought all night to dislodge her from. His thoughts.

When the King summoned Choi Young, he almost hoped there was someone who needed killing. Anything but that troublesome woman. The Queen and Lady Choi were present as well. Without preamble, the King said, "She will stay in the palace"

"But Your Highness, she will never agree to a marriage…." Joo Seok said. The King had an arrested expression on his face. "Not even if I force her?" He said turning to Lady Choi

"Well, Your Highness, the last time someone tried to force her to marry she disappeared for three years" Lady Choi said. "If you believe she is a threat to you, it may be better for you to keep her close under watch."

"It is unnatural for a woman to not want a chance at a husband," the King said, earning him a cold look from the Queen. "No, I have decided she will stay here without that condition. We will set out rumours of her loyalty to me. But guard her closely. Now, where shall we put her?"

"The Queen's palace would be suitable," the Queen suggested, "there are enough guards to watch her movements."

Lady Choi shook her head. "It's still too open Your Highness. Besides she knows every brick in the garden walls to come and go without anyone being any wiser."

"The palace hospital,"….. "the lodge at the back of the palace grounds,"….. even the servant's quarters was suggested, but Lady Choi and Joo Seok countered each one. Eun Soo knew them all.

Finally the King snapped, "What kind of palace did the previous King run where little girls are running amok everywhere?" But it was more of a rhetorical question, and no one answered. Then Choi Young spoke up.

"The banquet rooms in the Woodalchi barracks may be suitable Your Highness." 'Banquet room' was a bit of an exaggeration. It was two rooms, for the pleasure of the Woodalchi General and his guests. It served the exclusive purpose of generals being allowed to let down their guard with drink and women in a secure place. Choi Young never used it. He had no use for either. It was now little more than a dusty storeroom.

Lady Choi pursed her lips. "That is most disreputable."

"I'm sure she has heard worse about herself." Choi Young countered dryly.

"Well," said the King expectantly, "Does she know a way out of there as well?"

"It is not possible Your Highness", said Joo Seok, "The room is in the very centre of the barracks and there is no way in or out without being seen by at least four guards."

"Then we are in agreement," said the King. "I still want guards assigned to watch her at all times however."

"And her patients?" asked the Queen shooting daggers at her husband. "It will not help your cause if a well-known Healer disappears into the palace and isn't seen again."

The King considered this for a moment then clapped his hands together. "Find her some rooms in the nearby market and announce she will be available there. On the generosity of her patron, the King. General, please make the arrangements. Escort our 'guest' to her new quarters and explain the terms of her stay. Lady Choi, you will go too. You have freedom to enter and exit her living space at will. I am entrusting you keep an eye on everything. I'm sure, Vice General, you will arrange for constant watching eyes on her." They all bowed their agreement and departed. Choi Young and his aunt made their way to the dungeons while Joo Seok left to arrange the guards.

Eun Soo was where they had left her the previous night. This time however, she really was asleep. Lady Choi gently laid her hand on Eun Soo's head saying, "Wake up child. You can leave this place now." Eun Soo blinked and stiffly stood up. She yawned hugely as she stretched the kinks out of her shoulders enquiring, "General, I hope you have recovered well?" He said nothing, making an impatient motion to his aunt, which she correctly interpreted as "Explain!"

Eun Soo heard her out and slowly nodded. "I think that is acceptable to me. I can stay here for a while and then when all is cleared I will take my leave."

"What makes you think you're going to be given a choice?" Choi Young asked in a surly tone.

"General, I am here, because I want, no need to be here. If I didn't, nothing could keep me," Eun Soo returned, openly challenging. Choi Young rudely stalked away giving no response.

The ease with which Eun Soo settled into her new situation astounded Choi Young. Somehow, he expected there to be a lot more….turbulence. He was prepared to deal with complaints about the unorthodox living conditions and the hindrance to her movements that the close watch would have made. He expected to deal with having to discipline his men for hovering around her constantly. But since the move to the palace she had become more reticent. She still smiled but it was now tinged with wariness. Everyone else had put it down to the experience of being imprisoned. In fact, Dae Man continued to be slightly chilly with him and Dol Bae who was the one to actually lock her in, stood stiffly in his General's presence and couldn't even meet Eun Soo's eyes when their paths crossed. Eun Soo took to eating her meals either with Dr Jang Bin in the infirmary or with the men in the barracks. She rose with the dawn and often, when Choi Young retired late, he could see lamp light spilling out of her room.

In response to the King's refusal to hand over Eun Soo, Ki Chul made Eun Soo's back story common marketplace gossip. The King was perturbed because this could only taint him by association. After all, it seemed the King lent his patronage to a woman with a questionable reputation. Ki Chul attacked Eun Soo but his target was the King.

While the King called his personal council angered about being ousted this early in the game, Eun Soo sat passively through the tirade. When he turned to Eun Soo expecting a response, all she said was, "They will come." And she was right. Five days later her patients were lining up as if nothing had happened.

That night, while Eun Soo ate her dinner in the barracks, Joo Seok commented on the number of her patients during the last week. Her lips turned up, but it wasn't really a smile. "When people are hurting, they don't care if the person healing them is a reputable person. A good Healer is good enough," she said.

Choi Young spoon halted momentarily at the depth of her cynicism. Her flippancy about most things irritated him but her world weary cynicism made him more uncomfortable. As if it was his fault. He fully acknowledged he went through life emptily going through the motions waiting for the day someone's sword would be faster than his own. But it didn't mean he didn't recognize a naturally joyful soul or mourn the loss of their innate sense of happiness. He felt compelled to seek her out. Her night guard had been done away with provided she wasn't called out to help a sick person. Tonight however, she didn't seem to have gone anywhere. Feeling foolish, he lifted his hand and knocked. He heard scuffling inside and the door was thrown open. Not seeing who it was, she rushed back inside saying, "I will be ready to leave in two minutes," as she simultaneously tried to put her feet inside her shoes and gather her hair into the bun she normally wore. Finally catching sigh of him, her flurry of movement stopped abruptly as she turned to him with her hands still holding up her hair. She raised her eyebrows in question, "Isn't someone sick?"

He shook his head. She continued to look at him with a perplexed expression on her face. Finally realizing her arms were still held up with her elbows at her ears, she put her hands down, not realizing that it would release her hair as well. Uncaring, she pushed a chunk of it behind her ears and asked, "Is there something you wanted General?"

"Just keeping an eye on you." He could see she didn't like that.

"As you can see I'm still here. I bid you good night." She said dismissing him.

"Do not try to manipulate my soldiers into helping you," he said grasping at straws to extend the conversation feeling stupid and a little guilty. His men were intensely loyal and to suggest otherwise was disloyal on his part.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"They are young and despite the battles they have been in, they haven't yet lost their faith in humanity. Don't disillusion them." He cringed a bit at that. He had done just that to her.

She continued to look at him uncomprehendingly. "I don't know what I'm supposed to have done?"

"Do you not? Then tell me why is Dol Bae behaving like I have done him a personal injustice. Do you really have nothing to do with that?"

"He is young," echoed Eun Soo. "He is not angry with you. Just coming to terms with the fact that sometimes you have to do your duty even if it's at odds with your heart. He is angry with himself for doubting you. Your boys worship the ground you walk on. Nothing I say or do will change that." Seating herself on a mat in front of a small table, she continued, "I will leave soon enough. And will be forgotten just as quickly. You have nothing to worry from me."

There was nothing more to say. Choi Young stepped out closing the doors behind him, carrying away the image of her seated, so still yet troubled.