A/n: Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful reviews! It means so much to me! This chapter is going to feature an epic meeting between Hyeong and one seriously underrated Prince. Enjoy! :DD

(Okrin Palace, Songak)

~Hyeong's POV~

A week had passed and I had still spent every morning with Lady Kang and Lady Kim at Prince Won's residence. As usual I didn't see Won around very often, but today was apparently special. He didn't go out this morning.

"What's the occasion?" I asked curiously. "You finally decided that you're better off with than without me so you're going to be wherever I'm at?"

"Oh, you wish, Hyeong. You wish," he laughed.

"Aw! Why not?" I feigned hurt. "I'm so offended. How could you not think that I'm the best thing to ever happen to you?"

He shrugged and chuckled. "I should be saying that to you, not the other way round."

"Oh, really?" I put my hands on my hips, giggling. "I treat you so well, though. I've made some shoes for your sons, bought some pretty headgear for your wives and even your lady mother. Not to mention the gloves I've knitted for you. What, you think I do that with everybody? You better cherish me while you've still got me. When I'm married, I'll be doing that for only my husband."

"Yes, thank you for all of those. My lady mother was very pleased, and my wives adore you, as usual. But it only makes them even more intolerable because they won't stop talking about you and how much they love you."

"Ah, you should have known that I'd get more love from them than you ever could," I said smugly, leaning back on the chair. "But would you please tell me why you're not going anywhere today?"

"No, I won't tell you."

"Fine, I'll just go ask your chamberlain," I pouted, but I wasn't actually going to go anywhere. He'd tell me sooner or later. Or I could just sit around and find out for myself.

"My servants are busy with the preparations; don't harass them," he said hastily. "Today, all of my siblings would be coming over."

"You have visitors! How nice is that. No wonder your wives aren't around to chat with us. They must be in their chambers getting ready to receive Their Highnesses," I remarked. "Why are they coming over though? Why in the world would they want to spend time with you?"

"Ah, you're right about that. They don't actually want to spend time with me. They don't even care about me," he rolled his eyes jokingly. "They're just here to see my sons, their nephews."

"And they haven't seen Beom and Bon before?"

"Only once," he answered.

"I see," I replied. "Technically I'm not invited to your lunch gathering, so I better leave. I know you're going to miss me but don't worry; I'll be back tomorrow."

"No one's going to miss you, Hyeong. Just go and never come back," he chortled.

"Oh, no way you're getting rid of me so soon," I teased, although I got up and headed for the door.

"Please just go. You're just going to embarrass me and make a fool out of me," he pretended to look worried, chewing his lip in anxiety whilst shooing me away.

"Why would I do that? I think you're already doing an excellent job at that on your own. You don't need my help with it," I smirked, stepping out of the antechamber as I was pretty sure Their Highnesses were going to be here any minute now — hold on. I thought I heard a familiar voice and I reckoned it belonged to the 14th Prince Jung. I looked around did indeed find His Highness approaching Won's residence. He was accompanied by who I presumed to be one of his brothers. Both of them were wearing headbands that matched their usual princely attires.

"I'm sure I'm the best uncle that little Beom and little Bon will ever have," said Jung pompously.

"Impossible. I know what they like and I'm willing to play with them. They'll favor me over you for sure," countered the other Prince quickly.

"Not a chance. All you do is play anyway. You'll never be able to teach them martial arts but I can," Jung guffawed proudly.

The other Prince growled and made a face at Jung. "All you do is show off. You haven't an ounce of humility in you."

I giggled, and greeted Their Highnesses politely as they approached.

"Oh, Hyeong, you're here too?" Jung grinned from ear to ear once he saw me.

"Just about to leave, Your Highness. It seems the 9th Prince is not eager for me to stay," I pouted pitifully. "Besides, it's your family gathering. I should probably go back to my own," I bowed once more, about to take my leave.

"Oh — I...I won't mind if you join us," Jung said quickly. It was as if he even spluttered a little as he spoke. "R-right, 10th brother?" He asked hesitantly, eyeing and nudging the other Prince expectantly. Jung's 10th brother...this must be the 10th Prince Eun then, whose living daylights were scared out of him when he encountered the mysterious girl who randomly and suddenly popped up at the bathhouse last week.

"I...I...well, if she's good fun, I won't object to it," said Prince Eun. Although I'd never met His Highness before, on all accounts and from what I'd heard, he had a playful and cheerful personality.

"What are you two doing here? Come on in," Won stepped outside and had his servants opened the doors wide. "Where're the others?" Won asked. I was apparently invisible to him.

Speaking of, five figures of dignified demeanor showed up. One of them was obviously Princess Yeonhwa. There was no other woman more elegant or more genteel than Her Highness. To her right were several Princes that I could recognize: her own brother the 8th Prince Wook and the husband of Lady Myunghee, the Crown Prince Mu with whom my brother Geolha was best friends, as well as the 13th Prince Baekah. My gaze had landed upon the one Prince in particular that I had never met before. I couldn't help but stare at him not because he was a stranger to me but because even though he was standing next to the Crown Prince, it felt to me as if he had much more regal an aura to him than the heir to the throne did. The way he carried himself, his gait, and the look in his eyes — an authoritative and assertive nature was written all over his face. Prince Mu had really paled in comparison. In fact everybody else and everything else had faded. His tall, imposing figure, the perfect shape of his nose, and his chiseled jawline was all that I could focus on. He had me enthralled.

Surely by now Prince Eun and even Jung had gone inside to be received by Won and his wives. Princess Yeonhwa and the other Princes followed suit as I could vaguely hear the shuffling of chairs. And yet this particular Prince, who held my undivided attention, stopped at the small steps of the stairs, and turned to me.

Although he was already a couple of steps below where I was standing, he still seemed to tower over me. He stared back at me for a good moment. At first it felt as if he was studying me, investigating me. He just had this singular ability to look into my eyes and make me feel as though he was staring directly into my soul, sizing me up, preparing to do something to me, although I could only guess at what exactly. I might have been intimidated by him because of how penetrative his stare was, but how could someone so good-looking possibly incite fear in me? He was arousing something in me, alright, but it was not fear.

Before I knew it, his incisive, piercing eye contact was getting too much. I had to break the eye contact by lowering my head a little and shield my gaze. He was like the sun — I had stared at him directly for too long and now I was getting burned. My cheeks definitely agreed.

"Your Highness," I purred demurely, glancing at the floor for one moment before looking back up again. I had come to realize my sight was glued to him and I just could not help myself. It seemed I have no control over my body either when a smile was drawn across my face. I felt like an idiot, smiling because of nothing in particular. I didn't know what I was smiling at. All I knew was that I wanted to look my best for him. He wasn't really smiling, but it seemed his gaze had softened now.

"You have a pretty smile," he commented, sounding amused. Although his expression had not changed much, and he was just wearing a smirk on his face as if nothing could ever surprise him, his tone was not at all mocking and felt in fact genuine.

I couldn't even find the words to say. He tore his gaze away from me and, brushing past me, joined his siblings inside. The servants had closed the doors and it was only then that I had snapped to attention.

On the way home, I couldn't stop thinking about this Prince. He must be the 3rd Prince Yo, as I had met all of the other Princes at court already. How handsome His Highness was! Just thinking about him had me blushing.

"My Lady? Are you alright? Your cheeks are so red," Woljin asked gently.

"I'm...I'm fine, Woljin," I reassured her, and smiled to myself.

(Hyunhui Mansion, Songak)

When I got home, an unsettling feeling had crept into my stomach. Something was a little off. There were fewer servants than usual around the courtyard. The atmosphere gave me a very bad hunch.

One of the maids had spotted me and sprinted to me urgently. "My Lady! My Lady!"

"What's wrong?" I inquired, not sure if I really wanted to know.

"Lady Nangyung has gone into labor," she revealed breathlessly. My heart sank when I felt as if her sentence was unfinished and there was a 'but…' to follow. I didn't tell her to go on as I could hear the ear-splitting screams from upstairs already, sending chills down the back of my spine.

I gulped and drew a heavy breath. "Bring me to her," I instructed. On the way, I asked again, "where's the rest of my family?"

"Lord An is at work this morning. Lady Choi is presently with Lady Nangyung. Lord Geolsang is right outside the room…"

"And Geolha?!" I enquired impatiently. "Where is he when you need him the most?"

"Lord Geolha...Lord Geolha is not at home…" the maid answered almost shamefully but she should not be the one plagued by shame.

"Geolsang," I marched up the stairs hurriedly and grasped my younger brother by his forearms. "Where's our brother?"

Nangyung's screams of pain were getting louder and louder as I got closer to her location. Geolsang looked just as worried as I was. "He's gone out, Hyeong. I don't know where Geolha is. Nobody knows."

"Where could he possibly be?!" I demanded, not caring to look ladylike as I stomped my foot in frustration.

"Our brother...he spends a lot of time with the Crown Prince, doesn't he?" Geolsang suggested, looking more and more anxious as another series of cries of pain was elicited from Nangyung.

Utterly disappointed, I huffed and turned to my handmaiden. "Woljin, hurry, go to Heunghwa Palace and fetch Geolha. And please let him be there."

"No, I'll go," Geolsang volunteered, and skimmed the stairs down.

The cries from inside the room would not stop, and they were not a baby's cries. Although the midwives were urging Nangyung to push with all her might, only their words were encouraging yet their tones were laden with worry and panic. I couldn't let Nangyung go through this all on her own. She was already neglected by Geolha all the time and I really thought it could make her feel slightly less scared if I were to accompany her and hold her hand. I pushed the doors open and dashed to her bedside. She was an utter mess, and there was so much blood that my eyes popped wide and my jaw dropped at the sight. But I quickly regained my composure; I needed to be strong and support my sister in law. I held her hand tight and chewed on my lip. I shot a glance at my mother who was on the other side of the bed, and she looked very somber, as if expecting the worst already. This made me even more scared and I just shivered at the thought that Nangyung might not survive this. She could die. We could lose her. No. I refused to let that happen. I clenched my jaw and gripped her hand even more tightly, but it was difficult as there was so much sweat on her palms and mine that it was slippery.

I watched helplessly for what felt like a hundred days as Nangyung's screams became raw and hoarse, no longer drowning out the midwives' pleas for her to push hard. Her face was so pale because she was losing so much blood. It really hit me that she might not make it.

"You must stay strong," my mother begged. "Don't give up. Keep trying. You can do this!"

Temporarily, her words seemed to have an effect on Nangyung. Out of nowhere she found the energy to push, and the midwives, in spite of having seen childbirth dozens of times, gasped as if they had just witnessed a miracle. There was hope after all! The tears, originally of fright and frustration, that were welling in my eyes now ran down my face but they were tears of transient joy and ephemeral relief. And there she did it again! She managed to push, and after a few attempts, she did it! She gave birth! She was stronger than anyone could have ever thought and I was immensely proud of her. My mother and I exchanged smiles and we turned to Nangyung, but our smiles died when Nangyung was struggling to keep her eyes open, and was only able to let out a whimper of resignation.

"Nangyung?" My voice was shaking. "Nangyung, stay with us. You did it. You did so well. There'll be no more pain. Do you want to look at your beautiful —"

I turned to the midwives and suddenly it was like the temperature of the room had plummeted even though we were all sweating heavily. It had only just occurred to me that we couldn't hear a baby's cries fill the room.

"What's happening?" I whispered, looking at the midwives in despair.

"It's...it's a...a stillborn, my Ladies," one of the midwives piped up.

"W-what?" My stomach gave an involuntary lurch in utter shock. I dropped what I was holding, which happened to be Nangyung's hand. I quickly turned back to Nangyung and tried to pick up her hand again, but it was completely limp. I tried to shake her and talk to her, but she was unresponsive. "Nangyung? Nangyung?! Please, please wake up. Oh my goodness, please, what's happening, somebody help please, please she can't be gone!" I exclaimed hysterically.

As tears streamed down my face like two rivers running in parallel, I panted. And when the doors burst open finally, through my blurry vision I saw two male figures. Geolsang was running toward us, whereas Geolha sure took his time. In fact, he didn't even move. He just stood at the door expressionlessly and motionlessly, letting it sink in that he'd just lost both his wife and his child.

A/n: You know that song that plays whenever a character dies in MLSHR? Yeah, better cue that. :(

P.S. Hyeong and the 3rd Prince Yo. Thoughts? Please review! :DD