The break of dawn is near, and as the reddish-orange color of the sun graced the morning sky, Lord Park Mun Seong woke up from his slumber with a start. He inclined his head to his right and saw his beautiful wife still asleep beside him, her head resting on his shoulder as her calm breathing tickled his neck.
His body adjusted towards his bride, smiling as he took his time staring intently at Sae Woon's serene face. He brushed some stray strands of her hair that covered her face, framing it behind her ears. At that very moment, Mun Seong counted himself lucky to have the love of his life - the 1st Princess of Goryeo, as his wife.
He took her hand in his own, placing a kiss on the back of her hand as he held it tight against his mouth. At that action, Sae Woon stirred from her sleep and her eyes started to slowly open. As she saw her husband's face smiling down upon her, she returned the gesture with a grin.
"Good morning, Mun Seong", Sae Woon greeted, her body edging closer towards her husband's as their foreheads connected.
"Good morning, Sae Woon", Mun Seong smiled as he felt her arms encircling his torso. "Did my beautiful wife slept well?"
"Yes, she did", Sae Woon smiled, her palms holding Mun Seong's face as she inched closer, kissing her husband tenderly on his lips. The lieutenant happily received the gesture and kissed her princess back. They inched apart slowly after, exhaling loudly as they chuckled softly.
What a romantic way to start my morning, Sae Woon thought, her insides tingling with anticipation.
The couple spent their morning in the nearby stream where they first encountered each other in their bare selves. This time, they were dressed pretty decently for a swim. Mun Seong was only sporting black pants, while Sae Woon was wearing a modest white knee-length dress with a single sleeve.
While the princess was busy bathing herself with the soap given by Hae Soo, Mun Seong patiently watched her from afar. But the princess had other ideas, for she noticed her husband who was spacing out. She put aside her soap and splashed water at Mun Seong, making him glance at her in surprise.
"Yah, what was that for?!" Mun Seong exclaimed.
"You've been looking at me like that for quite a while", Sae Woon chuckled, going over to her husband and massaging his shoulders gently. "Is there something on my face?"
"There is none", Mun Seong smiled, enveloping Sae Woon in his arms as she continued to gently massage his shoulders. "It's just – you are so beautiful"
"Omo, what's with you?" Sae Woon asked playfully, batting her eyelashes at him as she smiled shyly. "I bet you say that to all the poor servants that worked for me back in Shinju"
"Of course not", Mun Seong chuckled, his nose colliding with Sae Woon's as his face got near. "Just you"
Sae Woon glanced down instinctively, her extreme shyness kicking in as her gaze suddenly dropped to his lips. She gulped nervously as Mun Seong looked down at his wife's face, and on that moment, he finally let out his innermost thoughts.
"Are you still uncomfortable being with me like this?" Mun Seong asked tentatively. "Being your husband and all?"
"What do you mean?" Sae Woon asked, utterly bewildered. "Why would I be uncomfortable?"
"I'm well aware that getting married is not in your topmost priorities", Mun Seong said. "We have known each other for a long time, Sae Woon. As the princess, I know that there are certain duties that you wanted to fulfill. And trust me, I will never get in the way of that"
"Mun Seong-", Sae Woon said worriedly, but Mun Seong soothed her anxieties by bringing her body towards him in a comforting hug. Her head rested on his shoulder as her arms went around his torso, reciprocating his sweet gesture.
"Do not worry too much, Sae Woon", Mun Seong whispered in her ear. "Even if we are husband and wife now, we are still the best of friends, aren't we? So, why don't we just continue our relationship the way we had it before? Nothing much have changed anyways, except for me loving you this much"
Sae Woon briefly lifted her head from Mun Seong's shoulder and looked meaningfully in his eyes. She saw the soft twinkle in his gaze, and she couldn't help but smile as he continued to pour his heart out.
"I managed to wait for a very long time to confess my feelings to you", Mun Seong spoke softly. "I could wait a little while longer until you are ready to truly accept my feelings. So, being my beloved best friend and wife would do for now. And I'm happy about it"
Sae Woon couldn't contain her happiness as she admired his husband's promise to her. At that moment, she saw her best friend Mun Seong, the very man she loved in her own way.
She placed her palms on his cheeks affectionately, only before she kissed him briefly on his lips to express her utmost gratitude.
"Thank you for putting the interests of my heart first", Sae Woon finally spoke. "Thank you for waiting for me. I promise you this, Mun Seong - once I figure out my own feelings and when I'm ready to accept your heart and reciprocate your love, you'll be the first to know"
Mun Seong grinned happily as he enveloped his wife in his embrace once more, their relationship now taking a monumental step towards a brighter future ahead.
The rest of their day turned into an adventure as the married couple spent their quality time together. Mun Seong and Sae Woon relived their teenage memories of becoming best friends by participating in spontaneous activities.
One of them is catching fish with their spears at the stream. They managed to spear fifteen fishes in total, which they later on cooked and ate as their lunch.
In the afternoon, they practiced their skills with swordsmanship and martial arts at a nearby training area in their residential home. Armed with their wooden swords, they engaged in a combat with one another to test their strength. But the fight slowly turned into a hilarious wrestling match, in which Sae Woon emerged as the victor.
With great tickling difficulty, she thought mischievously.
***
After their honeymoon, Mun Seong and Sae Woon went back to Songak together. The main gates opened as the royal guard recognized their presence. Their horses galloped inside the palace, and soon after, they reached the stables where the horses are being kept.
The lieutenant assisted his wife in getting down the horse, while the stable boys bowed to the royals in respect. The couple returned their greetings with the smile and asked them kindly to feed their horses well.
At the assembly hall, they greeted the King together for the first time since their wedding. Taejo looked at his daughter and her groom with kind eyes as he addressed them both.
"I'm glad to see you two again", King Taejo spoke. "How was your day together as husband and wife?"
"It went well, Your Majesty", Mun Seong said happily.
"Am I to expect grandchildren anytime soon?" Taejo said meaningfully, making the two look utterly startled and cleared their throat in surprise.
"It is still too early for that, F-father-", Sae Woon stuttered, which made Taejo laugh heartily.
"Relax, I am only kidding, my daughter", Taejo grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Although, I slightly meant it. It has been a while since I see little children running here in court"
"Father!" Sae Woon exclaimed.
"Fine then, no more child talk", Taejo chuckled. Later on, he slowly straightened his posture as he delivered news for state matters.
"Now, for the main reason why you are here today", Taejo pointed out. "The rain ritual is coming up soon, and I need all my children to participate in it"
Sae Woon and Mun Seong listened attentively as Taejo delivered the news to the newly-wed couple.
"Which is why, I need you to abdicate your position as the Head Martial temporarily, Princess Sae Woon"
"I will follow your orders, Your Majesty", Sae Woon bowed. "However, I need you to pardon me for asking you this question"
"What is it, Sae Woon?"
"Who will then take my place as the Head Martial when I'm participating in the ritual?" Sae Woon asked politely.
"Lieutenant Mun Seong can fill in for your Head Martial duties in the meantime", Taejo announced. "I believe it is only natural that your second-in-command will take responsibility for inspecting the troops in your stead. I hope my decision is alright for the both of you"
"I will humbly accept your command, Your Majesty", Mun Seong answered, making Sae Woon grasp his wrists in assurance as she faced his father, nodding affirmatively at his words.
"If my husband has no objections to this, then neither have I"
END OF CHAPTER FORTY-NINE.
