Sorry, the chapter is still on the rough side, but I wanted to post something on the first day of the way (Which officially is in my country for another 30 minutes)

Hope this year brings y'all good things.

Thank you so much for reading

Chapter Eight:

A Bent in the Road

When Crown Prince Mu had summoned him to an audience with the King, Wang So hadn't know what his intentions were, he had been prepared to confess to killing the monks if that's what his brother wanted, he owed him that. But instead Mu had surprised him by requesting that the king let him stay as one of his people.

"Your mother might have attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince, why should I let you stay?" Taejo rounded on So.

For a moment, So was tempted to ask if the King was planning on sending away Yo and Jung as well, but instead answered with: "I have no mother, your majesty. Queen Shinmyeongsunseong has made that plenty clear."

There was a moment of silence following that statement. "What about the reason why you were adopted into the Shinju Clan? To console Consort Kang who had lost her son."

"Not even for one second was I considered a son." So said slowly, looking straight at his father for once. "I was just a hostage and not one they cared to keep alive."

Ji Mong had the presence of mind to break the tension, parroting about how So's star was aligned with Mu's and was rising over Songak.

"What will you be to the Crown Prince then? Shinju Kang or Chungju Yoo?" King Taejo demanded.

Wang So took to his knees, so his actions matched his words. "I will be neither. I don't have any ties to either clan, nor have they ever made a claim of me. If I were allowed to stay, I won't be a son nor a brother, just a loyal subject to the Crown Prince and to your Majesty"

…

Prince Mu took it upon himself to show him where his rooms would be, in the section of the palace reserved for the unmarried princes that had left their mother's households. He was given one of the smaller residences, which shared a courtyard with Baek Ah's. Both Jung and Eun still lived at their respective mother's palaces.

"I could try find you a place in my household…"

"I'll be fine here." So said. "You have done more than enough for me, I wouldn't want to inconvenience your family."

Mu came closer and put both hands on So's shoulders, like he used to do when So was little and Mu wanted him to pay attention to something he said. "You are my family too, So-yah. I couldn't do anything when father sent you away all those years ago, though I knew he shouldn't have."

"I still tried to cover up for the queen." So said. "I might have put you in danger."

"I put you in danger when I asked you to take my place during the rite, and I shouldn't have. Let's just say that we are even."

So bowed to his brother in acceptance.

"Well, then, I'll leave you to get settled. I'm sure you have things to bring from the Eighth Prince's household."

He didn't have that much, but he nodded anyway. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I meant what I said earlier, you will be one of my people and I will keep you busy!" Mu said as he reached for the door before pausing for moment. "Did you really kill them all?" So shrugged uncomfortably and nodded. To his surprise, Mu just shook his head, "Is it wrong if I am impressed?"

So couldn't help the surprised laugh that burst from his lips.

-000-

Hae Soo hadn't known what to think when she woke up in her own room without a recollection of how she got there until Chae Ryung admitted that the 4th Prince had brought her after she had fallen asleep outside his room.

Chae Ryung said he didn't seem angry, just tired and Soo hoped that meant he was no longer mad about the whole fiasco in the woods the previous day, but by the time she had been made presentable, the Prince had been long gone, having been summoned to the Palace by the Crown Prince.

Hae Soo distracted herself as much as she could, but by the end of the day she just wanted to clear her head. In the end, she decided to take a walk – though she had to sneak away from Chae Ryung who seemed intent on trailing after her quite assiduously.

Maybe it was just her mood, but suddenly she felt like visiting the Prayer Stones. She hadn't been back since the night he had seen Prince So tearing them apart, the thought of them made her sad, but not enough to keep her away tonight.

Her feet were swift and silent, and she burrowed into Prince So's outer robe, which she had taken to wearing. She paused, stunned for a moment when she saw not only who was there but what he was doing.

Wang So was crouched down by a pile of stones, which he was stacking carefully, it seemed to be the last one out of the ones that he had destroyed, the rest had already been rebuild.

"Where are you sneaking off to?" He asked, without turning to look at her.

"I'm not sneaking!" Soo said indignantly,

"Then what are you doing here? Its late."

"I've been waiting for you all day!" Soo said indignantly but then smiled as she came closer to him. "You have rebuilt them all."

Prince So nodded, "I wanted to finish before I had to leave."

"You are leaving?" Soo asked anxiously as he stood up and went to sit at the steps of the building behind them – an old abandoned gatehouse. He was about to pull himself up when he looked at her up and down, before unceremoniously lifting her up first.

He then jumped up, leaving a bit of space between them… only to have her scoot closer.

"I'm going to be living in the palace from now on."

"Oh," Soo looked down. "Since it's what you wanted, I'm glad. Just be sure to behave, okay? Don't go around running over people with your horse," She started with a tone between deadpan and long-suffering. "Not everyone takes it as well as I do."

"I didn't run you over, and you made me fall in the end."

"… And don't go around yelling at people,"

"Yah!"

"Or threating them with death… most people don't know you are joking."

"I'm usually not joking."

"Try not to be too scary…"

"Are you quite done?"

Soo broke into a smile when she heard in his tone that he was getting riled up, "Also, try to eat well, and sleep well. Don't have bad dreams if you can help it." So's breath caught, his shoulders relaxing as a curious warmth started inside him. "And don't over work yourself."

So nodded, already missing her nagging, missing… her.

Hae Soo nodded and took a deep breath, looking up. "I love the stars you can only see in Goryeo." She said softly, out of the blue before adding more excitedly "Oh, look! Snow!" Soo reached her hand out, catching a few flakes in her palm while more were already collecting on her hair. "Pretty."

So looked up as well, allowing himself to enjoy this moment, letting her press herself to his side as more snow gathered.

"Are you ever going to give me back this robe?" He asked, pulling up the hood.

"No," Soo grinned. "It's warm. And all my clothes are light colored, so this is perfect for sneaking around."

"I thought you said you don't sneak."

Soo scrunched up her nose, "Only to see you, your highness."

So sighed, "You are a strange little person Hae Soo."

Soo leaned forward, getting awfully close to him without actually touching "I'm your strange little person, Wang So, don't forget."

-00-

Over the next few days, Hae Soo was all sighs and listlessness, and it wasn't hard to guess the reason why. Hae Myung Hee observed with a fond smile, remembering her own early infatuation with the Eight Prince. She tried to distract Soo by having her help more with the household in small ways while also keeping her away from Princess Yeon Hwa.

Hae Soo even expressed some interest on making some 'bathing aids' to give to Myung Hee's mother in law – whom they would be visiting in the palace in a few days – and got permission to go with Chae Ryung to the market in town – accompanied by a bemused Thirteenth Prince.

Wang Baek Ah listened patiently as Hae Soo explained the uses of different herbs and while he was piled with packages. As they walked back, Chae Ryung said she would walk ahead to get some other servants to help with the packages.

"Fourth brother told me about your problem," Baek Ah said.

"What problem?" Soo said distractedly, going over her ingredients.

"The one where you can't read."

"Oh, that. Don't tell Unnie."

"I wasn't planning on it; she worries about you enough as it is. And she has expressed some concern that you have seemed to forget a lot of your etiquette lessons, so I offered to help you with that, and maybe we can make some time to see about the reading thing too."

Hae Soo let out an excited squeal, dropped her packages and gave him a hug. "Thank you."

"It's fine." Baek Ah said, a bit surprised but also endeared. "You know, Nonna says you an are I very much alike. I'm not sure, but I would like to find out."

"We are going to be great friends, your highness. You just don't know it yet." Hae Soo said with conviction, getting a faint image in her head of Wang Baek Ah, they were both wearing white and, though she didn't understand what was happening in her vision, she understood that whatever had lead her to wear mourning clothes, it had been made bearable because of the person next to her.

"If you say so." Baek Ah said, overcoming his surprise. "Now, lesson one, you probably shouldn't jump on people like that."

Soo rolled her eyes but bend down to retrieve her packages. "Come along, I'll make you some tea to apologize, and you can play for Unnie, she'll like that."

It was much later when Wang Baek Ah made his way home, feeling stuffed and content after spending the afternoon with Hae Soo and Lady Hae, he made his way to the little courtyard he shared with his Fourth Brother, surprised to find him sitting there, looking up at the stars.

"Don't you love the stars you can only see in Goryeo?" Wang So asked after their greeting.

Baek Ah looked up, "The sky is pretty tonight." He conceded. They remained in silence for a moment before he continued. "I spoke to Hae Soo today, and she accepted my help."

"I'm glad."

"She also sent you this," Baek Ah said, pulling a small package from his robes. On top there was a small card, with a childish scrawl that read 'Eat Well, Rest Well'. "It took her 10 tries to get that neat."

Inside there were an assortment of small tea cakes, all his favorites.

Baek Ah smiled, looking at his fearsome Fourth Brother stare at a plate of cakes like they were the most wonderous things in the world.