The King was spiteful and loved to brag.

Seol was like that as well, she admitted it. And she wondered if that was a family trait she got from him or if the both of them had been somewhat spiritually influenced by her mother. Not that she thought she would ever find out, as her adoptive father would refrain from ever accusing Hae Soo of being anything other than absolutely kindhearted, and her biological father saw even her flaws endearingly and tended to extrapole her actions.

Like, there was no way she once hit a Prince and suffered no punishment.

So, she knew the King would have an I-told-you-so attitude during her visit this time. And she couldn't blame him, because she would have it as well, had she been in his place. And, somehow, part of her also believes that her biological mother would have it too.

She couldn't, however, be bad about it. Not even if she wanted to.

"You don't have to thank me for stopping all your wedding proposals before." That was the first thing he said to her, after a little more over a year since she had last seen him.

And she couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank you for stopping all my wedding proposals before."

He smiled, and she didn't feel bitter at all, only smiled back at him. The King took in her semblance, her posture, her words, carefully analyzing and studying his daughter, before some tension she hadn't noticed before rolled away off his shoulders.

"Then, I assume you're happy."

Wang Seol looked down sheepishly. He was bragging about being right again, as she had always argued that happiness was a null aspect to look for in a marriage. That was, until she had met her current husband.

She couldn't stop smiling.

"More than I thought to be possible."

"Then I'm happy too."

"Even if I'm now living farther from you?" She mentioned the distance of her new home from Songak, even from her hometown. Her new home, small, quiet and comfortable, away from the prying eyes in the palace or the expectant words of her Yoo relatives. Away from both of her fathers, yes, but close to a different family that had already made her heart grow so much in so little time. But she still wondered if the King had no regrets about supporting her union.

He poured a cup of tea for her, finally allowing himself to smile as well.

"The only way for me to allow you to go with a man, no matter where, was if I was sure that you loved him, and that he loved you back equally, if not more."

"Jong Ho said he loved me a thousand times," Seol mentioned her second intended, a courtship that had lasted only a few months before the King intervened.

"But he was weak minded," he said curtly, finally revealing his aversion to the man openly, "I've seen men like him before, claiming their endless love, writing poems, offering gifts, making promises... The moment you need him to put you first, they turn their backs at you."

"Where have you seen men like that?"

"I've traveled a lot." His eyes were distant when he sipped on his tea, and she sensed that there was another story there. She made a mental note to investigate it further in a later moment, but did not pry.

"And what a strong-minded man was supposed to be?" She asked instead, almost teasingly.

"Loyal, honest, open about what he feels, ready to sacrifice anything to protect you, unable to watch you go through any kind of suffering, trustful of what you say to him."

"A man like you?"

"A man better than me."

Seol paused, not knowing how to respond. Then a beat later she jumped at his declaration with a glint in her eyes.

"Are you saying that Hyun Seok is better than you?"

"No. But he's close enough."

"Enough to deserve me?"

Then it was the King who paused, teacup frozen in the air before he could take a sip of it, eyes bulging slightly, taken aback by her question. Then he lowered his hand, smiled softly and looked gently into her eyes, his voice in that quiet and soothing tone, so distinct to the one used by the mighty ruler of Goryeo.

"No one will ever deserve you, my Seol. And if you think I'm being irrational just ask Jung or Munhye, they'll also agree." She smiled silently at his declaration, remembering her adoptive parents saying something along those lines the morning of her wedding, "But if he's someone who makes you happy, I can't stand in the way."

Seol lowered her eyes once again, the tenderness in the man's words too sweet for her to withstand, the giddiness in her chest threatening to burst. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from all the smiling, but she still didn't stop.

"He does make me happy, Abeonim."

"I can see."

It felt nice to talk about her husband with him.

The King had been at the ceremony, she saw him watching from afar, thinking himself to be concealed in the shadows — or maybe deliberately positioning himself to be seen by her and her alone. He had been there before she even arrived at the ceremony, and she saw him still standing as she left. Yet, they could not talk. And soon after she was gone to her husband's hometown, and couldn't find the time or the excuses, while adjusting to her new life, to depart to Songak and visit the palace.

Until now.

"I have something to tell you," she blurted out, drank the rest of her tea in a gulp and took a deep breath.

"Me?"

"Yes. It was to you and Abeoji, but he couldn't come," she lamented quietly, without losing her determination, "But I do have to tell you now."

"Did something happen?"

"Yes."

"Seol-ah," he started but she didn't let him.

"I'm pregnant."

Her words didn't seem to sink in immediately. And that was because instead of saying or doing anything — you know, reacting — he only remained as before. His gentle and curious gaze still fixed on hers, unblinking. His steady hand, still resting beside his forgotten cup, didn't move. His face wad utterly blank of any emotion. Seol even wondered if the King had heard her, to begin with.

But then the seconds passed, and he still didn't move, still didn't say anything. He still stared at her with no expression, and Seol could almost see the smoke rising from his head as his brain assimilated what she had just told him.

"You..." He started, stuttered, moved his lips without making sound. He closed his mouth again and breathed deeply, looking down to his hand that begins to shake.

At his loss for words, she took pity and spoke a little more in his place.

"That's why I came without an invitation. And why I asked Abeoji to come as well. I would have waited for him, but since I'll be back home soon and I don't know when we'll have another chance to talk like this, I just really had to tell you."

Not a single word from her explanation was heard, though, and the King was still stuck on the revelation, as he finally managed to regain control of his faculties.

"You're pregnant?" His voice was strangled, as if he was struggling to contain his emotions. His eyes, however, started to tear up. His hand moved to his mouth, in a move that looked bizarre on the King. And she could only giggle at his contained yet overly emotional reaction, only wishing her thirteenth uncle had been here to witness the scene.

"Yes, Abeonim," Seol gushed, her eyes tearing up as well.

"I... You..."

"You're going to be a grandfather!"

That did it. One tear fell from his eyes, yet her father was solely focused on her. His hands grasping hers tightly, a blessing gesture and a comforting caress at the same time. His shock gradually merging from shock to utter and complete joy.

"How long?"

"About four months? Maybe more, maybe less?"

"And you're traveling? Isn't the road too hard on you and the baby?"

"It'll be harder to come visit you after the baby is born."

"I'll take care of it," he was back to his solemn and determined tone, so Seol knew he had meant it and panicked.

"You can't go there!"

"Oh, trust me, I won't. I'll just create a holiday so your husband you will have to come and bring both of you."

Seol laughed out loud, and her father looked offended, as if she had been doubting either his power or his insanity. So she tightened her hands around his as well, comforting the man that was already fussing over her like a hen over her chicks.

He would most definitely create a new holiday. If he couldn't, then he would cause something that would earn a holiday or just an annual celebration, a pilgrimage of sorts. Even if that didn't work out, he would just come up with an excuse to travel all over the kingdom, just in order to see his daughter and his grandchild.

The King was always willing to move the Heavens for her.