Throne Room

Jeongjong gave his eighth brother a look of satisfaction. The information Won had supplied him with about Wook's machinations within Hyejong's court had aided him in bringing the wolf-dog under control as well as the surrounding powerful clans. Too bad he had to purge the family of his tenth brother, but the sacrifice of Eun and Soon Deok would pave the way for his reign.

"...With this, Wang Gyu's Revolt was not fabricated, but fact."

He smirked slightly at the discomfort Eun's death brought Wook. "Congratulations, Pyeha." Wook woodenly replied. I've gone too far, he clenched his fists, then relaxed as he stared dully at Yo. Everything he had done to gain the throne and Hae Soo was for nothing. And, now, it wasn't enough to slowly poison Hyejong, but his complicity in the purge of Eun's clan killed his soul.

"This should get all the powerful families to act in their best interest," Yo advised Wook, ignoring the brief reaction. "We should hurry and move the capital to Seokyeong. This will satisfy Uncle Wang Shik Ryeom."

Baek Ah rubbed the last of the dirt from his bruised hands. Jung had barely said a word while they waited for the guards to leave. Then they moved Eun and Soon Deok's bodies deep into the woods. Jung swore as the arrows remained embedded in Eun. Taking out a knife, he cut them out of his brother's body. He tucked them into his boot as silently, they piled stone after stone, not caring about the pain anymore.

The sun was sinking through the trees when the last stone was laid. "I'm leaving the palace," Jung said out of the blue.

"Where will you go?" Baek Ah asked, wiping the dirt from his bruised hands.

"To the Northern border," Jung replied as Baek Ah fell into place beside him as they made their way back to the palace wall.

"Your mother will never allow it, you know she will force Pyeha to keep you where it's safe." Baek Ah frowned at Jung as his younger brother jumped to the top of the wall.

Defiant anger filled Jung's eyes as he glared down at the thirteenth prince. "After today, they will have no choice." He said before he jumped down and took off across the courtyard.

Baek Ah climbed over the wall, feeling defeated. Woo Hee would be waiting up, but he had to find So first, so he headed for the observatory. He quickly found So standing on the balcony, his body tense.

"The monks can't hold a funeral for one considered a traitor so they can't be buried in the family cemetery. And we are not allowed to wear mourning clothes." Pyeha's decree felt like ashes falling from Baek Ah's mouth. "They were thrown outside the palace walls. But we took care of it secretly and buried them." So turned to face him, guilt and shock warred in his brother's features as he continued. "We could not get the arrows out of Eun's body. Jung had to cut the arrows."

"Eun..still remembered that birthday. Even I had completely forgotten." So shook his head in disbelief. "He said it was a gift that only I could give him."

Calmly attempting to console his brother, Baek Ah replied. "Eun would be thankful for what you did for him today."

"Wangjanim." Ji Mong reluctantly interrupted the brothers, handing So a letter. "I just found the letter that Court Lady Hae left for me. She wrote that the tenth prince and his wife were hidden in the Damiwon."

Solemnly, So opened the letter, reading the contents. Soo-ya, I'm sorry. Despair filled him as he held the evidence of her trust in him. Why? Just when he had gained her, he had to let her go. He would have to break that trust to ensure her safety. Without a word to Ji Mong or Baek Ah, he headed down the stair and across the courtyard.

Damiwon

Gingerly, Hae Soo made her way down the steps. Her knee ached as she stopped by the edge of the lake. Even though the moon shone through the trees and off the water, she had no time for the constellations. She was too worried about So. How could she have been so wrong about her vision? She had to make sure he understood that she didn't blame him for what happened to Eun. It was all a mess of her making. With a heavy sigh, she bent down to rub her knee.

He's here. Soo turned toward the sound of his boots on the steps behind her. "Wangjanim?" She rushed to him, but the hardness in his eyes halted her in her tracks.

"Now, I must look like a monster in your eyes too." So grounded out bitterly. ".I did kill Eun."

Hae Soo hesitantly reached out to him. "No, it was a hard choice to make. I know that." Please, know this isn't your fault, Wangjanim, she pleaded inside.

Pulling away from her, he glared down at her. "Why did you hide the fact that he was in the Damiwon?" The accusations fell from him, each word stabbed like a knife blade. "You didn't trust me, did you? You didn't say anything because you worried that I might kill Eun."

Soo broke out in a cold sweat as dread filled her with a pain that rivaled that of her torture. I did this to him, she thought guiltily. I have to make him understand. Please, So. "Yes. I did." She began carefully. "I was worried about the tenth prince. However, I was also worried that you might have to do something terrible. I thought things would turn out alright as long as they escaped." She wanted to touch him, but the wall he put up between them was impenetrable. Desperate to breach it, she continued, her eyes pleading with him. "I didn't realize we would end up hurting each other..until it was too late. That is why I left the letter. I trusted you. I know it took me some time, but I truly trusted you." Her heart ached as she pushed on, baring her soul to him. "Enough that I would trust you in any situation. I know how much I love you."

So stood in stony silence, his expression cold. "I no longer feel that way about you. When I look at you now, I will only remember what happened because of your lack of trust. Eun died because of you. I will remember how I had to kill him."

No! Soo's face turned pale as So jerked back from her. "To save you, I became the king's dog and still my feelings for you remained unchanged until now." He gave a tired sigh, turning to leave. "Now they have changed. Let's stop now."

Stunned, Soo couldn't believe that his feelings for her were that shallow. "Lies." She whispered, then desperately demanded. "You are lying."
So stopped, then turned with a caustic smirk. "We promised not to lie to each other." Then without a backward glance, he strode up the stairs and disappeared.

Dumbstruck, Soo stared at the space where So had stood just seconds before. She couldn't believe he would leave her like this. Why was her world crumbling around her again? In a daze, she wandered blindly into the empty corridors of the Damiwon. She entered her quarters and lay down on her bed as the shock of the day's events numbed her mind. This time she knew that when the pain set in, it would be worse than ever before. Shutting her eyes, she curled into a ball as the heat of her tears cooled against her cheeks.

Her mind raced in circles of 'what ifs' as the comfort of sleep eluded her. Finally, she wiped the tears away and got up. Tomorrow she would have to gather her courage to face her losses. Gathering herself together, she wandered to her desk and opened the wooden box. The butterfly hairpin So had given her lay on top of a red envelope. She ran her hand lovingly over the hairpin, then picked up the envelope. Opening the seal, she withdrew Wang Wei's poem, Mountain Retread. For what felt like the millionth time, she read So's message to her.

When the water runs dry,
Sit and watch the rising clouds.

Despite her guilt over what happened to Eun and Soon Deok, she wouldn't believe he couldn't understand why she had hesitated in her trust nor forgive her for doing so. There had to be another reason why he was throwing her away. She refused to accept she had lost him. He's lying to me, but I have to trust his reasoning and patiently wait. He will come back to me.