(Cheondeok Hall, Songak)

~Chronicler's POV~

King Taejo was interested in marrying Lady Hyeong? Her face had turned so pale that it looked even whiter than Court Lady Oh's uniform. It was as if she'd seen a ghost. No, in fact her face was so bloodless that she herself could well be mistaken for a phantom.

Lord Geolha's face was not drained of blood but his expression certainly turned grim. He had been in this position before, not having a say in who to marry. But this time he was actually angry, deep inside. He'd already lost Park Moongeum, the love of his life, to King Taejo. And now he was expected to hand his lady sister over to this very same man too?

Their parents maintained a collected exterior even though they were taken aback, yet Lord Geolsang was still too young to be skilled at not letting it show that he was shocked. He let out a gasp and his mouth was shaped like an 'o'. Luckily, taking into account his tender age, King Taejo did not take any offense from it.

None of them knew what to say, or if it would even be wise to speak at all. Therefore they remained silent. In fact that was the best policy as King Taejo was not finished yet and he continued, "but after some deliberation, I realize it would be better to think for my sons and their future. It is also important that they marry women from prestigious families, especially those who haven't even had a first wife yet. And so, Lord An, I leave it to you to choose one of the unwed Princes as your son in law: the 4th Prince So, the 10th Prince Eun, the 13th Prince Baekah, and the 14th Prince Jung. I'll give my blessing."

"Your Majesty's grace is immeasurable," said Lord An and Lady Choi immediately, standing up to bow, and their children followed suit. Hyeong exhaled in relief, and color had returned to her face, but she was shaking and still thought she was going to pass out.

But if that was all that King Taejo had wanted to say, why didn't His Majesty just summon Lord An alone and say it to His Lordship? Why send for his whole family?

King Taejo sighed slightly. "At the end of the day, it is your clan that gives me the least worries. Look at all the other aristocratic families stirring up trouble every now and then. I am so fed up with the Yu clan and the Hwangbo clan constantly fighting one another. I thought I liked the Hae family, but I've heard that they're involved in some bribes recently. And that's just to name a few. Don't even get me started on the Kang clan...they're a bunch of snakes. It's only your clan that won't give me a headache," he stated. "There is no other family than yours that I would rather entrust my daughter to — I must choose well for Princess Yeonhwa."

Whereas Lord An and Lady Choi looked pleasantly surprised, Geolha was startled and looked very uneasy.

"An Geolha," King Taejo announced and looked at the alarmed lordling with hope rather than with suspicion. "I give you permission to court Princess Yeonhwa. Out of the young, single noblemen that the Crown Prince Mu had commended to me, you are the candidate that I am most pleased with. You will continue serving the Crown Prince by attending his daily meetings each morning. After that, you will be spending time with the Princess. I recall that you are involved with the Ministry of Arts and Humanities. This proves you are well-read and Yeonhwa will be pleased with that. I am uneager to send her away from Court anyway, so it pleases me that you live in Songak. If Yeonhwa is content and agrees to marry you, I will give my blessing for you two to be wed."

Geolha wanted to throw himself off a cliff or drive a knife through his chest. He had had enough. First he had to give up the person he loved the most. Then he was forced to marry a noblewoman he did not care for. And now he was expected to court a Princess he disliked. Although His Majesty had phrased it nicely, giving his 'permission' and his 'blessing', it was nothing but a curse to Geolha and he wondered what great sin had he ever committed to have to deal with such bad luck. For the first time in his life he wished he was still married to Lady Nangyung.

Still, he was merely the King's subject and therefore a small potato. It was not up to him to raise objections to what His Majesty was so pleased to arrange. He and his family members had thanked King Taejo once more and just as dramatically.

(Hyunhui Mansion, Songak)

Today's announcements from the King were just too overwhelming, particularly for Geolha and Hyeong. That night, neither of the two could fall asleep. They decided they might as well sit in the lounge and talk about it.

"His Majesty had scared the living daylights out of you earlier today," said Geolha to his sister.

"I could've died. For a moment there I really thought that I was going to have to become one of his concubines. I wouldn't have wanted that. It was such a relief that I'm just going to get married to a Prince," Hyeong gushed in one big breath.

"I saw how horrified you were. I was worried that you were going to faint," he replied.

"It would have been the least of our worries," she sighed. "But I suppose I'm already very fortunate. Your situation is much direr. I take it you're displeased to have to court somebody you're not very fond of. Even though His Majesty didn't directly set up a betrothal or a marriage, you may well be going down that path. I'm sorry you have to go through this all over again. I don't think I've ever really been able to put myself in your shoes to think about your feelings. I can't imagine how frustrating it is for you. You must feel so helpless."

"'Displeased' is a mild way of putting it. Just the thought of it has me climbing the walls. Don't tell anyone I said this, but Her Highness the Princess is really not an agreeable person. She's haughty and picky and callous to other people's suffering," he groaned.

"I've heard about and seen for myself how condescending she could be," Hyeong nodded sadly, remembering how the Princess treated Lady Hae Soo.

"With that personality of hers...I don't know how in the world I'll ever be able to get along with her. Yet I am bound by what is practically a royal decree to spend a lot of my time with her each day. At least I never had to suffer this way when I was stuck with Nangyung," he buried his face in his hands and rubbed his temples.

"You see the good in Nangyung now?" Hyeong enquired, keeping the castigation in her tone a minimum. She knew that her brother had it tough. There were certain behaviors he displayed that she didn't approve of, and she hadn't forgotten how vehemently she'd had to stand up for Nangyung when he wouldn't treat his wife right. But now another misfortune had befallen Geolha, and Hyeong still wouldn't have wished this calamity upon him or anyone. Even if it wasn't marriage, being stuck with and having to spend time with a person you disliked was agonizing enough.

"I never thought I would. I now realize she's certainly not the worst," he admitted.

"You've spoken a few times with the Princess, haven't you? What does she think of you? Do you think she likes you?" She asked.

"I don't think Her Highness likes anybody. She just tolerates people if and when she has a reason to," he grunted. "I wouldn't want to make her like me though. If she decides she can't stand me and wants to get rid of me, it might be even be good for me."

"Except our parents might not be happy with that. Even though Her Highness isn't likable, she's still a Princess, and if she is to marry into our family, it would be a great honor and glory for our clan. I'll admit I don't think that much of it, but our parents certainly find that important," she pointed out.

"It's really not that I don't want to be an obedient and dutiful son. I know I have the responsibility to defer to my parents and do as they say. But I've had to give up so much, and I don't think it's fair to me. They didn't much like that I was into poetry, so I tried to be good at politics and follow Father's footsteps, so that now, Geolsang could be the warrior that he wanted to be. They liked the social connections that Nangyung's clan had, so I married her anyway and tried to give them the heir that would bind our families together, so that our status could be further elevated and that'd facilitate better marriages for you and Geolsang. There were so many times when, as the eldest son and heir of the An family, I had to go the extra mile to secure the best interests of our clan. A lot of things I didn't really have a say in. We might have gained and benefited from it in the end, but I don't think I'm able to say it was worth it, because for me, all it's generated is unhappiness," he explained. He had kept these feelings and sorrows bottled up for a long time. He was never certain if the people around him, even those that he'd spent the most time with, truly understood him fundamentally. The Crown Prince Mu had praised him for being competent at politics, but his aptitude was often mistaken for taking a liking in it. Even if he wanted to or needed to confide in someone, he didn't know who he could go to, especially when his beloved Park Moongeum was more often than not out of his reach.

"I'm so sorry that you've had to feel this way for so many years," Hyeong replied sympathetically, only beginning to realize how weighed down with tribulations and adversities he was because of the onus on him. She honestly didn't know how she could make him feel better. What was in her power to do seemed so meager compared to what he had had to go through. "If only I were allowed to choose to marry the 8th Prince Wook."

"What good would that do?" Geolha asked.

"If His Highness were to marry me, the Hwangbo family would already have an alliance with us. Naturally, they wouldn't want to waste their only daughter, the Princess, on a marriage to another member of our An clan that they think they've already secured their ties with. That way, they would have objections to your courtship with Princess Yeonhwa, and they'd use their influence to change His Majesty's mind, so you wouldn't have to put up with her," Hyeong explained.

"That makes sense. But how could I put you through my suffering? I'm sure the 8th Prince is much more likable than his sister, but Hyeong-ah you deserve to be a man's first wife. His only wife actually. I don't want you to be tied in marriage or feel trapped, or obligated to do this just to delight somebody else, even if it's your own family members. I would really rather you choose a Prince that you love or at least like, out of the candidates that His Majesty had mentioned. You are so fortunate that the most powerful man in the kingdom has given you the freedom to choose. Treasure this liberty, because not everyone gets that. Make that choice wisely, and think for your own happiness. It's not selfish, Hyeong. It's natural and normal to want to be happy," said Geolha earnestly. "I do long to be happy. And in spite of these arranged relationships, I still have faith that in the future I would get my shot at happiness. Someday, I won't have to fake it anymore. But until then, I guess I'll settle for living vicariously through you."

"I won't disappoint you," Hyeong promised. She still reckoned that the last time they quarrelled she was right for defending Nangyung, but she might be wrong for judging him so harshly and too quickly.

"What do you think then? You have a total of four Princes to choose from. Even among noblewomen in Goryeo, few would have that honor. Do you know who you're going to pick already?" He asked. "I know the King let Father be the one to choose, but surely Father would go by your preference."

Hyeong nodded. "Yes, I think I know who I want as my betrothed."

(Okrin Palace, Songak)

~So's POV~

This morning, I was going to do something that I still wasn't quite used to doing: socialize with my brothers. Sure, I was less reluctant to show up at 'family events' where all of us would be present, and I'd had some positive experiences with my 13th brother Baekah and my 14th brother Jung, some slightly problematic run-ins with my 8th brother Wook because of his pesky cousin-in-law Lady Hae Soo, as well as some negative encounters with my 3rd brother Yo, but today I was set to visit my 9th brother Won, and he was an enigma. I didn't know what he was up to or whose side he was on. I wasn't sure how mean or how nice he'd be to me, but I was about to find out.

Once I'd arrived, I was greeted by his two wives. They were polite and didn't show any signs that they didn't want me around even though I was sure they must have heard of my reputation. Cautiously, but not reluctantly, each of them handed her son to me. I didn't know how to carry a child properly, as nobody had ever felt safe to leave an infant in my arms, so I felt incredibly awkward. But to my relief and surprise, my nephews didn't cry when I was holding them. I was bracing myself and waiting for them to wail, but they didn't, at all. I couldn't tell which one was Beom and which one was Bon as they were equally chubby, but I was amazed when one of them giggled, and the other even reached out to poke my mask. They didn't fear me. Fear was learned, and they weren't taught to be afraid of me just yet. For me it was a wondrous sight to witness.

Afterward, as they had to be fed, their mothers brought them back to the nursery, which left my 9th brother with me in the lounge.

"Not a single sign of protest," said Won, looking pleased with himself, rubbing his hands together. "They must like their 4th uncle a lot."

"I never thought they would like me," I admitted. I never thought anybody would like me, to be honest. Jiyoun was just an exception.

"Guess kids aren't called bundles of joy for no reason," he laughed. "Have you visited our eldest brother Mu and our 3rd brother Yo yet? Mu has three daughters and two sons; Yo's got one each."

"No, I haven't been invited yet," I answered. It could be construed as a lie, but it was the wise thing to say. It'd convince Won that he was among the friendliest ones, so that he'd continue to be on good terms with me. Also, even though the Crown Prince did introduce his wives and his children to me, I didn't want to let anybody know that he and I were close. And of course, the last thing my 3rd brother would do was allow me to get near his kids.

"I can't wait till my sons are older so I could have them trained in this and that. I'll hire the best tutors for them, no doubt our 13th brother Baekah will teach them to appreciate the arts, and our 14th brother Jung will teach them how to fight," Won replied. "Even though my boys aren't Princes, they should still make their royal grandfather the King proud."

"Everybody says Jung-ie is good at martial arts. But is he really?" I inquired.

"Well, he definitely is better than I am. I'm no good with a sword, really," he chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I know you're good at sword-fighting, though. Who taught you, So?"

Ah, I wasn't about to expose General Park, but if I dodged the question it'd seem suspicious. "My adoptive family gave me some training," I lied.

"I see. I guess it's not my strength. Or at least, a blade isn't my preferred weapon," he said. That made him sound more dangerous than he might have intended. Perhaps he noticed that too, so he followed it up with a joke. "There probably are women who can fight better than I can."

"I've met a woman who can fight better than a lot of men," I stated, thinking of General Park's daughter, Soonduk. She was a couple of years younger than me, but definitely a lot more talented. We were sparring partners when I was under her father's tutelage.

"The only time I'd feel comfortable with a sword in my hand is for the exorcism rite," Won shuddered and didn't look like he wanted to pursue the topic. "By the way, So, this is the first time you're participating in the exorcism ritual. How do you feel? Tense?"

I had agreed to take the Crown Prince's place at the ceremony so that I would be sacrificed should an assassination attempt really take place, but of course I wasn't going to tell Won that. "It's new to me," I said curtly. "Not just this ritual, but everything at Court feels new to me."

"Do you like living at Court?" He enquired. "How does it compare to living in Shinju?"

Shinju was a nightmare; I was better off dead than living there. "It's much more restrictive here, but I can get used to it. I'm sure the King means for me to get accustomed to the lifestyle here. His Majesty hasn't made any plans or given me any instruction to go anywhere else after the rite."

"Then if you're staying, shouldn't you be given a palace as your own residence?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Who else would stay there apart from myself? I'm quite content with the chambers that Jimong had arranged for me. There's not much point giving me a household of my own to run."

"Right, since you're yet to be married," he replied and shrugged. "Which is kind of a surprise. I mean, you're older than me, and all of my elder brothers are married. Surely there are nobles in Shinju who'd like to marry off their daughters to a Prince locally available?"

I pursed my lips flippantly. "You'd be surprised by how much more they care about my face than they do about my princely status."

"Haven't any Shinju beauties caught your eye though?" He asked curiously. Clearly, he was more interested in meeting Shinju beauties than whether or not I had ever encountered any.

I raised my eyebrows. "You have two wives already. Isn't that more than enough?"

He smirked slyly. "Our father has almost thirty wives. Do you ever hear His Majesty say it's enough?"

"I'm not that interested in making a marriage," I replied plainly. "I'd rather spend time alone or with my siblings. In fact I'm going to go have lunch with our 13th brother now."

"Alright then. Feel free to come by Okrin Palace anytime, though," he smiled. "I'll be happy to chat with you whenever you want to drop by, 4th brother."

A/n: Which Prince do you think Hyeong is going to choose? And which Prince would YOU choose if it were up to you? Tell me in the reviews below. :D