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Chapter Text

The wind whipped her face as her feet pounded hard on the gray gravelly pavement. Jeong Taeeul could feel her lungs screaming for air but she did not stop. The trees and buildings of the neighbourhood flew past her in a blur as she pursued the suspect. The man slipped into a small alley and she followed closely behind, breathing hard. 

Yes! A dead end. 

"Stop, dont come any closer! Why are you following me?" The burly man cried as he reached into his scruffy black jacket to withdraw his weapon of choice.

Taeeul rested her hands on her knees and breathed deeply to catch her breath. "All I need is for you to cooperate with the investigation and follow me back to the police station. Where were you last Monday night, 25th May, between 2am to 4am?"

He ignored her question and brandished the shiny blade in front of him. "Don't come any closer or I'll hurt you. You don't want that, little lady." 

Taeeul scoffed and rolled her eyes. How typical. She advanced slowly towards him, drawing her sweater sleeves down to her gloved hands, just in case. She flicked her wrists up as a corner of her lips quirked,  "C'mon then. Give it your best shot." 

He let out a deep growl as he dove straight towards her, his knife pointed resolutely at Taeeul. His eyes were wild and Taeeul knew that he was getting desperate. She doesn't even need to touch him to be sure of his guilt. "Try to make it count, ah-jussi. This chance may very well be your last."

Taeeul watched closely as he charged towards her, her years of Taekwando practice telling her to bide her time. Just when the blade was inches away from her neck, she whipped up her left leg in a roundhouse kick. Her sneakers smacked his face, hard. The man fell heavily to his side, the knife clattering noisily on the floor as he groaned loudly. Taeeul used the momentum to knock him off his feet before planting her rubber sole heavily on his back. 

"Good effort. Now try again. Where were you on that night?"

She rocked her entire weight forward to keep him still, and removed the glove from her right hand. Subconsciously, Taeeul took a deep breath before allowing her index finger to touch the suspect's bare neck just as the man mumbled a response. 

A lightning quick jolt ran up her spine at the contact. There was a familiar pinch in her chest that ended once she withdrew her finger. 

It was worth it.

She answered her buzzing earpiece. "Hyung-nim. He's the one." Now, they just needed to make him confess.

She could hear Sinjae's footsteps as he approached swiftly behind her. From the corner of her eye, she saw him throw his ice cream cup into the bin and she whistled at the perfect shot. "Well done," he said gruffly, "I'll take over from here." 

Taeeul grinned, moving away just as Sinjae bent down to grab the criminal's forearms to slap the metal cuffs unto the man's hairy wrists. Sinjae recited the Miranda rights quickly before dragging the criminal up to stand.

They were the perfect team.

After graduating from the police academy, Taeeul had asked to join Sinjae's unit. They had known each other since high-school, and he knows everything about her truth-seeking ability. Their Taekwando training history meant that they've learnt to work well in tandem, which proved useful when they came together to beat down the criminals. They also turned her ability into their unit's asset - she checks the veracity of their statements and Sinjae apprehends them.

Ever since she joined the violent crimes unit, their clearance rate had soared. 

At that moment, a wailing police car pulled up and Jangmi leapt out. "Sunbae-nim! I am here!" 

"Great timing, hey our maknae is doing well, isn't he!" Taeeul waved gaily at him before making her way to the carpark. "Thank you, Jangmi-ya." Sinjae murmured before shoving the bound man towards Jangmi. Without missing a beat, he took long strides to join Taeeul at her car. "Let's go, I'm hungry. Time for lunch, your treat." 

Jangmi was about to hop into the police car but his head bounced up when he heard 'lunch'. 

"Yah! Hyung-nim! Why is it my treat?" Taeeul protested loudly as she pulled open the car door. "Shouldn't the senior be paying?" She stepped into her navy blue car. Sinjae chuckled and followed suit. 

Jangmi gaped as his seniors buckled up, getting ready to drive off, without so much as a backward glance for him. "S-sunbae-nim... " He called out weakly. 

As the maknae of the team, Jangmi knew that he would be doing all the things that his seniors don't care about. He loved his seniors and would do anything that they asked. Even when they told him never to touch Taeeul - not even a handshake - Jangmi had obeyed without any questions. 

The muscular man pouted.

How could they leave for lunch without him... 

Kang Sinjae watched as Taeeul expertly flipped the marinated beef on the sizzling pan, the mouthwatering aroma of grilled meat in the air. They were in Taeeul's favourite barbecue restaurant. Around them, the lunch crowd buzzed with energy and excited chatter filled the restaurant.

She smiled cheekily at him, her eyes disappearing into charming crescents as she placed a piece of lightly charred beef rib on his plate. "Eat up, Hyung-nim. Better get your money's worth!"

Absentmindedly picking up his chopsticks, Sinjae watched Taeeul's face closely for signs of discomfort. 

The first time he ever touched Taeeul was when they were seventeen.

She had spilled a cup of hot coffee all over her hand. Sinjae could still remember the red angry blotch that appeared rapidly against her milky white wrist. Anxious to soothe her burn, Sinjae had grabbed her other hand with the intention of dragging her to the sink. Yet when his fingers closed around her slender forearm, Taeeul's eyes squeezed shut and her knees buckled. She quickly snatched her arm back as she fell backwards, confusing Sinjae.

Sinjae had since learnt how painful another's touch can be for Taeeul. Her grandmother, Halmi Noh, had explained it to him. 

'Taeeul is different from everyone else, Sinjae-ya. She has been blessed with Truth. And in return, she has to withstand the weight of that knowledge.'

He didn't really understand then. Why Taeeul? And why does it hurt her?

'The universe gives, and the universe takes.' Halmi explained with a soft and wizened voice. 'Any form of physical contact with another person will bring Taeeul the truth. And the cost of truth, will bring her pain. That is why you should never touch her, Sinjae-ya. No one should.'  

That's why Taeeul's father had taken extra care to make sure she was a black belt by the age of twelve, and she had been a strong fighter ever since. 

Sinjae had wanted to ask the elderly shaman more then, but Halmi had resolutely refused to speak further on the topic. 'She will tell you more when she's ready, Sinjae-ya. I can tell that you're good to our Taeeul. Be patient, okay?' 

From then on, Sinjae started watching Taeeul closely. He became sensitive to the slightest furrow of her brows and the merest hunch in her back. He learnt that the amount of pressure applied seemed to make a difference. A very light brush barely hurt her. And when Taeeul was prepared for it, she could control the pressure of the physical contact. That's why it hurt her so much when he grabbed her the very first time.

He also learnt that she could easily tell when he was lying, with just the slightest touch. Taeeul never seemed to mind the pain in situations like that, which is probably the reason she ended up in the police force. 

'This is where I'll be the most useful, Hyung-nim! I could efficiently sieve out the crooks from the innocents. Just think of all the people who would be helped through that!'

Sinjae could never understand that. He would have avoided the pain at all costs - anyone would have. Perhaps that's why he had come to admire her, for being able to endure pain for the greater good. Admire her for her seemingly endless bravery. 

"Not eating, Hyung-nim?" Taeeul chirped as she placed a lettuce wrap on his plate. "Is that how you're going to make me pay for this meal, hmm?" 

He shoved the wrap into his mouth and she flashed her pearly whites at him in approval. A wavy lock of hair fell across her eyes and he resisted the urge to tuck it back for her. 

"You feeling okay, Jeong Taeeul?" He asked tentatively. 

Taeeul's brow rose quizzically. "Of course! He barely had any moves to speak of - he was easily subdued." She reassured, "And did you see his face? Tsk. His actions were already showing us his guilt. I barely had to touch him." 

Sinjae continued gazing at her, chewing thoughtfully. "You sure?" 

Taeeul rolled her eyes, "Aish, you're being naggy again. You know I'll tell you if I'm not feeling well. Don't go all Halmi on me." 

"Yah. Jeong Taeeul. You know Halmi will not let me go if anything happens to you. I'm not that worried about you, I'm more worried about Halmi's angry glares." 

"I'm fine," she huffed dramatically as she flicked her hair back and pursed her lips. Sinjae tried not to stare. "Stop worrying like a little old lady. Anyway, Hyung-nim. Did you hear? The King's coming to Seoul! Apparently, he's going to be giving the commencement speech for this year's graduating batch at the police academy!" 

"Yeah, I've heard. What's the big deal?" Sinjae ignored the flare of annoyance that was roused by her interest in their handsome monarch. 

"Well, isn't it nice that our King is taking an interest in the police force!" Taeeul exclaimed excitedly, "Maybe we'll even get a raise this year!"

"The Prime Minister is in charge of that. You know that, right?" 

"Eh-hey, Hyung-nim! Can't you be a little bit more hopeful? You never know what lies ahead!" Taeeul continued, refusing to allow him to dampen her spirits.

Sinjae watched as she shoved another lettuce wrap into her mouth, smacking her lips loudly in delight. 

Eating well. Guess she's alright this time. 

"Hyung-nim. Shall we go watch?" 

Sinjae sighed loudly in response. 

A row of flashing lights lined the main street as a stately black Bentley drove down it, accompanied by a dozen traffic police officers on motorcycles. 

"All clear. The VIP car is heading towards the intersection." 

Lee Gon sighed, closed his eyes and leaned back into the dark leather seat. His uncle, Prince Buyeong, had been pestering him about this graduation ceremony for the past few months and Gon had finally relented. Despite the fact that Gon saw no need to attend another public event to boost his image. 

It was obvious. His people loved him.

Gon had worked hard to make sure of it. 

As the ruling Monarch of the kingdom, his duties were endless and Gon laboured day and night to keep his people and economy thriving.

Yes, the kingdom had a Prime Minister to help with managing the cabinet ministers. However, Gon often found himself doubting the intentions of his entire cabinet, especially the wily Koo Seoryeong. 

He simply did not trust anyone.

Gon just couldn't. 

His father was viciously slain by his own half brother, and Gon had seen it all.

Prince Lee Rim was once the supportive and loving uncle to him, and often displayed brotherly affection and respect to his half brother, the King. Up till the very night of Lee Ho's murder, his royal uncle had spent a lot of time with Gon, explaining the classics patiently to him and teaching him the tenets of swordsmanship.

Lee Rim was the epitome of the perfect uncle. Gon had loved him. 

Witnessing the murder was a cruel shock to little Gon's system. Since then, he had been sleeping with death on his mind.

How could he not, when the person who claimed loved him had betrayed him in the worst possible way? 

If that is his destiny, he would do whatever he can to resist it. 

Gon found that it was eaier to keep everyone at an arm's length. Even his closest living family member, Prince Buyeong, who did all that he could to support and raise him, was someone that Gon guarded against.

One could never be too careful. 

"Your Majesty. We are here. Stay behind me at all times." As usual, Yeong's speech was short and succinct. 

Ah, Yeong, the only exception. The captain of the royal guards had proven himself to be loyal and true to Gon, having saved him time and again from death's door.

Gon nodded.

He expected this event to be, well, uneventful. According to the royal secretary, Gon's dissenters had been quiet recently, probably because of the recent prosecution of the previous traitors that had been rooted out last year. Gon relished this period of peace, hoping that it would last for a much longer time than the previous one. 

He could never rest his guard though, not when that traitor Lee Rim was still at large. The royal force never did catch him. 

One could never be too careful. 

Taeeul's eyes widened when the King stood up from his seat at the front of the auditorium, preparing to go on stage to deliver his address. This was her first time seeing him in person and she never realised how statuesque their King actually is. 

Gosh. He looks like a model. 

A smile lingered on her lips as she remembered a memory of Nari fangirling over the King when they were teenagers. Growing up, Taeeul never really paid attention to boys. She did have a few eyes candies, and the King was one of them, yet romance was something she focused little on. 

There was no point. This was the price of her power.

Or curse, depending on how you look at it. 

She shrugged subconsciously, brushing the thought away. Taeeul never allowed herself to linger, deeming such sentiments an utter waste of her time. 

Next to her, Sinjae snickered and folded his arms across his bulletproof vest. They had rushed over from their previous operation at her request. "Yah, Jeong Taeeul." He whispered teasingly. "Stop daydreaming about the handsome king and pay more attention to what he's actually saying."

Taeeul rolled her eyes and half-listened as their eloquent monarch continued discussing the future in ones and zeroes, making Life out to be one big equation.

Huh. He's actually kinda nerdy.

Cute. 

Suddenly, Taeeul heard the distinct click of a pistol in the sea of graduates. Alarm bells went off in her head. She quickly located the source just two rows behind her, four seats to the left. Taeeul's instincts kicked in and she stood up almost instantly and whirled, her gun cocked and ready.

"Police!" She stated calmly. "Put down your weap-" At that moment, a deafening bang rang out.

Time seemed to slow down as the sharp stab propelled Taeeul backwards. She groaned, her body frozen in shock. Taeeul barely noticed the pain that was rapidly blossoming from her right shoulder. 

Not quick enough.

Taeeul had the great misfortune to be standing directly between the shooter and their King. 

"Taeeul!"

From the corner of her eye, Sinjae disarmed the shooter with two clean shots. The man, clad in a deep forest green coat, had fallen to his knees.  

Everywhere, people started screaming. 

Chapter Text

Gon found himself holding his breath and sucked in a mouthful of air. He barely registered what had happened when Yeong suddenly darted in front of him and drew his weapon, to stand between him and danger. 

What followed closely behind was an ear-splitting crack of a gun shot, and scattered screams as the crowd started to panic.  

Then two more shots were fired. Not by Yeong, but by someone further away from him.

"Target down. Watch out for other shooters." Yeong said into his radio, his body stiff as he scanned the area. 

"All clear," was the prompt response. 

Gon ducked his head out from behind his personal protector, furrowing his brow as he rapidly scrolled through the list of possible suspects in his mind.

So much for an uneventful day. 

The last of his people emptied the auditorium, ushered by the police graduates, leaving behind just the King and his royal guards. He could hear the sirens of emergency vehicles in the background. 

"Yeong." Gon demanded worriedly, "Any civilians hurt?"

"A police officer, it seems. Blocked his shot. She's wearing a bulletproof vest and not badly hurt. Someone else had shot him down." 

She?

Gon pushed past Yeong and strode forward to meet his benefactor, determined to convey his gratitude.

In the sea of red auditorium chairs, he could see that the gun man was being surrounded by the royal guards. A few rows away, a slender figure was slumped in her seat, crouching into her right injured shoulder. Long wavy brown hair covered her face and features. 

A man was kneeling on her right, his arms stretching out towards her yet not touching her. Gon clocked that curiously. He reached the pair in a few long strides, with Yeong following closely behind.

"Taeeul-ah, are you okay? Can I help you remove the vest? The ambulance is coming." 

Taeeul? Is that her name? 

The woman shook her head almost imperceptibly. "No, no. Don't." She struggled to shift herself upright and responded anxiously. "It's okay. I'm fine, it didn't go through the vest." She gestured at the bulky piece of garment weakly. "Could you tell them that I'm okay? Don't want them to touch me. I just want to go home. Halmi will know what to do." She sighed and her tone softened. "Let me sit here for a moment." 

The man nodded and slowly stood up, seemingly moving to heed her instructions. He stopped short when he saw Gon and his entourage. 

"No," Gon responded in disagreement. He moved down the rows of chairs and walked to her left, ignoring Yeong who tried to stop him from going any closer. "Taeeul-ssi? You should be seen by the royal physician. That's the least I could do to thank you for your assistance."

Gon knelt down on one knee next to her. "Can you stand? We could take my car. It will be faster." Gon held out an open palm to offer her support. 

Taeeul looked at his outstretched hand, her almond-shaped eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to process what the King just said. Her lips parted and she gaped at him.

Gon was not sure what went through her mind, but he was used to people being star-struck around him. He allowed his gaze to linger on her soulful eyes, framed prettily by dark and petite lashes, and patiently waited for her to respond. 

The male police officer stepped forward from behind Taeeul and Gon raised a brow. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, I don't think that's a good idea. Taeeul will-"

"Hyung-nim," interrupted the lady in question softly. "It's okay." She shook her head at him almost imperceptibly. 

Gon nodded his approval and smiled warmly at her.

No one in their right mind would argue with their King. 

Gon watched as she took a deep breath and gingerly placed her hand on his palm, her other hand still clutching her injured shoulder. She tried to rise up to a standing position. 

Gon closed his fingers gently around her small hand. He could feel a charged buzz in the air as their skin came into contact, and his heart started to hammer strangely in his chest. 

Then her eyes rolled back and she stared to fall. Gon felt his insides lurch as he instinctively moved forward to catch her in his arms. 

"Taeeul-ah!"

What is this? 

Taeeul had braced herself for the pain, preparing herself as she placed her hand on the King's large outstretched palm, intending to lightly touch his hand for a perfunctory handshake and tell him that she could get to his car independently. 

Pleasure. 

She could barely hear Sinjae shouting out from behind her as she fell. He had attempted to push the King away from her, and she could hear the royal guards prepare their weapons to stop him.

"Hands off," a cold male voice rang out, commanding Sinjae to stop. "Unless you want to die." 

Taeeul couldn't seem to focus on what happened to Sinjae next.

Oh, how wonderful. 

Dizzying waves of pleasure that Taeeul had never known before washed across her entire being. Her knees had buckled in response as the delicious sensation bowled her over, assaulting her senses.

A firm, strong arm had caught her. 

Is this how it feels like to be held by someone? 

Growing up, Taeeul was never physically comforted by her parents and kept everyone at an arm's length. Halmi Noh had came to her house when Taeeul was barely a few days old and explained her gift to her worried family, who didn't know that their attempts to soothe her had only brought her pain. At first, her parents were reluctant to the heed the advice of the eccentric shaman. But when Taeeul became more settled and fussed less, Halmi became her permanent nanny, and a trusted member of her family.

I don't understand. 

Taeeul was consumed by the silken warmth that bloomed from the very spot where Lee Gon held her. It had gone on to spread across her entire being. 

Why isn't there any pain? 

This was a first for her. The immense bliss that she was in, felt complete. Every cell in her body seemed to have come alive, buzzing in delight. The pain in her shoulder seemed to have eased. Taeeul was utterly disoriented, and relished it, a smile touching the corners of her lips. 

Wait. 

Taeeul searched internally for the invasion, the tingle that allowed her to become aware of another person. For the first time in thirty years, Taeeul could not seem to sense the other person she was touching. She took a deep tremulous inhale and tried to rouse herself from this intoxicating stupor.  

It was hard, like trying to break through the still water surface from the very depths of a lagoon. 

"Please!" Sinjae called out in agitation. "Please Your Majesty, ju- just stop touching her. You're hurting her!"

No. 

"Taeeul-ssi," a deep baritone voice called out her name firmly. "Taeeul-ssi, are you alright?" 

I'm not ready to leave this paradise. 

Taeeul tore open her eyes and found herself looking directly into the King's deep expressive orbs. His brows, dark and prominent, were arched down in confusion and concern. His dark brown eyes, though, were calm and earnest. 

"Eo, Your Majesty." Taeeul's throat started to constrict at their proximity. His gaze started to build heat within her and she tried to tear her eyes away from his, allowing herself to examine his perfectly angled nose. 

Wow, his skin looks perfect. 

He looks perfect.

Taeeul vaguely realised that they have left the dim auditorium and her peripheral surroundings were bright and eye-piercing. She winced and let out a quiet whimper.

"Does it hurt?" The King asked, his voice filled with concern. "We'll get you to the royal infirmary soon, don't worry." Once again, Taeeul searched within her to determine the authenticity of his words.

Still, nothing. 

Yet, somehow, she knew he was sincere. 

The sweet coat of euphoria was still shrouding her senses from their physical contact. Taeeul absentmindedly wondered if the wild fluttering of her heart was due to the King's good looks or if the pleasure was undermining her reasoning ability. 

Probably both. 

The King bent down to tuck her into his car, and he released her from his embrace. He reached over to put the seat belt across her, before taking his seat across from her. 

Oof. 

The pain in her shoulder quickly returned once the King let go of her. Taeeul bit her lip and tried not to cry out, at the same time, her mind raced as she tried to understand what was happening.

Sinjae was quickly ushered in next to her. 

"Is the pain very bad, Taeeul-ah?" Her dear friend snuck a death glare at the monarch, before darting his eyes back to look at her anxiously. Taeeul knew that he wanted to comfort her, but did not dare to touch her for fear of bringing her pain. 

"It's okay, Hyung-nim." She whispered, hoping to comfort him instead. Taeeul squeezed her eyes shut as her shoulder started to throb again. The bulletproof vest that had once protected her, now felt like it was filled with lead.

Taeeul leaned back into the cool leather seat.

A deep sense of weariness started to seep into her bones.

What is it, about him? Why does he have the power to make me feel this way?

She yearned for the King to take her back into his arms, if only for the pain to go away. Taeeul sighed internally, knowing how unlikely it would be for the King to ever hold her again. 

This is going to be a long car ride. 

Chapter Text

The expansive glass windows presented a perfect view of the glorious setting sun, the last of the orange rays streaking across the purple blue skies, casting shadows across the vast grounds of the palace.

Lee Gon barely paid notice to the view behind him, instead focusing all his attention on the sullen stranger sitting in front of him. 

This man, Kang Sinjae, was clearly very worried about his colleague, frequently glancing towards the door of the treatment room. His lean frame was rigid yet fidgety. He appeared discomfited to be alone with his King, sitting there in the luxurious waiting area with Gon and his guards.

Interestingly, Sinjae did not care to mask the awkwardness with small talk, which is a change from the simpering that Gon usually received. He avoided all eye contact with Gon instead, opting to wait in stony silence.

Gon rather liked his honesty. 

They both stood up when the chief royal physician came out of the treatment room, followed closely by Prince Buyeong. 

"Your Majesty, Lieutenant Jeong sustained a clavicle fracture, along with swelling and bruising in the area. Thankfully, there was no need for surgery." The physician paused for a moment, uncertainty flooding his eyes. "She was very insistent that we not touch her though, which was not possible for treatment." 

Gon arched an eyebrow, puzzled, and gestured for the physician to continue.

"She appeared to be very uncomfortable, almost pained, whenever someone touched her." He took a quick glance at Sinjae before continuing, "We had to give her a hefty dose of local anaesthesia, against her will. We managed to complete the treatment, all she needs to do now is rest and recuperate for the next two months."

The physician gave a deferrent bow to signal the end of his report. 

"Two months? That serious? Is she okay? Can I see her?" Asked Sinjae anxiously. "When can we leave?" 

Prince Buyeong chuckled softly. "She's fine now. Mainly superficial injuries. Sorry about the anaesthesia, we wanted to make sure that she recovers well. We called her father, who agreed to it in the end. He's on his way here now." He clarified, smiling kindly at the police officer.

"Come, let's go in and see her."

Nodding, Gon entered the room with quick, long strides. He needed to see for himself that Jeong Taeeul was well.

Yes, Gon was used to being protected by others. But while he trusted Yeong, he was certain that the rest of his security team had the potential to betray him.

Everyone had their price.

The fact that she bravely stood in front of an assassin to shield him from danger willingly, with zero expectations of compensation, meant that she was beyond that.

And that made Jeong Taeeul special to Gon.

It was comforting to know that someone out there had his back - the knowledge made Gon's world a less lonely place. 

"Jeong Taeeul-ssi, how are you feeling?" 

His guardian angel was currently tucked neatly in bed, her long brown hair a stark contrast against the white sheets. Her eyes were still slightly clouded, as she assessed her surroundings. 

"Oh, Your Majesty." Her speech was slightly slurred and she struggled to sit up, her right wrist bound to a navy blue sling.

Gon stepped up to stop her, not wanting her to aggravate her injury. "Stop, it's fine. Dispense with all formalities." He placed a reassuring palm on her shoulder.

At his touch, a startled smile nudged the corners of her lips and stretched across her wan-looking face. It lit up her plain features, and a pink blush gave her complexion a healthier glow.

Gon grinned, secretly pleased.

Bravery and competence did not seem to provide any immunity to the presence and touch of a handsome King. 

"Eo, yes Your Majesty. And please, just call me Taeeul." She responded softly. 

Sinjae entered the room next, "Taeeul-ah, are you okay?" He moved towards the other side of her bed. "How are you feeling? In pain?" 

Gon did not miss the dirty look that Sinjae shot him, his eyes lingering on her left shoulder, where Gon's palm rested. 

Why? Are they seeing each other? 

Gon pursed his lips, a bitter taste in his tongue at the thought. He found that he did not like the idea of that. 

"Your Majesty," Sinjae started in a stiff, wooden voice, "please remove your hand from her shoulder. Taeeul is sensitive to physical contact." 

Why is he so protective over her? 

Gon withdrew his hand, folding his arm a little self-consciously behind his back.

Taeeul's eyes widened and she started shaking her head, her cloud of hair floating gently at the movement. "Eo, Hyung-nim! It's okay. It actually feels goo- I mean, this is fine. Don't worry about it."

Sinjae looked at her strangely at first, but appeared mostly relieved. Whilst he made no move to be closer to Taeeul, the police officer's body visibly relaxed for the first time since Gon met him. 

It was rather gratifying to see that Taeeul looked slightly disappointed, almost pouting at the loss of contact. 

Not together then? 

That pleased him.

Gon paused, noticing that he felt the same way - a mild disappointment hitting him at the back of his head. He marvelled at the soft spot that he was rapidly developing for one Jeong Taeeul. Apart from Yeong, he had never felt this way before. 

"So, is His Majesty with her right now? I would like to meet her."

The Prime Minister's firm and clear voice came from the doorway of the infirmary, followed by the rhythmic clicking of her signature killer heels against the wooden flooring. 

News travel fast. 

Gon tried not to roll his eyes at her swift arrival. Koo Seoryeong somehow had the ability to stick her high, upturned nose into every corner of his life. 

She peered into the room, "Can I come in?" Without waiting for a response, she approached them. 

Blessed with large doe eyes, shapely lips and aristocratic cheekbones, Gon had to admit that Koo Seoryeong was an extremely attractive woman. Her perchant for the King's business, both personal and professional, meant that she was forever flitting about him.

Her motivation became clear to Gon when she started hitting on him during their private conferences to decide on state matters - she wanted to reign as Queen of the Kingdom. 

Thank goodness she's obvious like that.

"Stop," commanded Gon. "Why are you here, Prime Minister?" 

"Why, to see who saved your life, of course!" Her smile was beguiling. "Your safety is a matter of public interest, and I have come to thank your savior on behalf of the nation."

She took a step closer towards the police officers and Gon tried to ignore his rising irritation. 

"Lieutenant Jeong Taeeul? Lieutenant Kang Sinjae? On behalf of the kingdom, I would like to express our deepest appreciation for your commitment to our King." Her voice was warm and friendly. "I heard you were injured, Lieutenant Jeong. How are you feeling?"

Too friendly.

Gon did not like the slimey woman anywhere near Jeong Taeeul. At all. He resisted the urge to shield Taeeul from the Prime Minister's calculating gaze. 

Before Taeeul could answer though, a middle aged man with black curly hair was ushered into the room by Prince Buyeong. Gon could not help but notice the meaningful look that the Prince and Prime Minister exchanged when they greeted each other. 

"Our Taeeul-ie, oh gosh. Did you know how worried I was when I received the call from His Highness?" Her father rushed to her side and hovered over her worriedly. He clutched the bedside rails tightly as he took in his daughter's injuries. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

How very odd. 

Gon observed that Taeeul's father was cautious about not touching her too.

"Aish I'm fine, I was wearing the bullet vest and it was a calculated risk." Taeeul responded chirpily, trying to placate her father and his grumbling. 

"And don't worry!" Taeeul continued cheerfully, "the anasthesia worked very well and I was in barely any pain." She made cute little punches in the air with her left fist. "The physician said that I should be fighting fit in no time!" She beamed brightly at her father, and Gon felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

It was disconcerting how that smile had the amazing ability to transform up her entire face and introduce a mesmerising twinkle in her eyes. 

Gon chuckled in a mixture of amusement and awe, absentmindedly noting the peculiar thumping in his heart. For someone who just went through a life and death situation, Jeong Taeeul sure bounced back quickly, all energy and spunk.

He made a mental note never to underestimate her. 

"Halmi-ya! Halmeoni! We are home!" Taeeul called out gaily when she stepped through her front door. Her father and Sinjae followed closely behind, carry with them gifts from the palace. 

The old lady hobbled out from the kitchen, her worried face sagging in relief when she saw Taeeul. Taeeul smiled warmly at her. She had so much to share with the elderly shaman, who was as dear to her as her biological grandmother. 

"Quick come here and let me have a look you," the old lady demanded anxiously. "I've not seen you for a day and so much has happened!" She glanced at Taeeul's arm sling and her sallow complexion, frowning disapprovingly at her charge. 

"Eh-hey, Halmi. You're making a mountain out of a molehill! These are just superficial wounds." assured Taeeul, as she inched over the couch to sit down. 

Taeeul had declined the King's offer to stay for the night, opting instead to go home. The King had insisted that she bring home the food and gifts of fruit prepared by the royal kitchen though. He also made Taeeul promise to return to the royal infirmary for follow-ups. 

Not that she was complaining. For the first time in her life, Taeeul found herself looking forward to another's touch. She was both intrigued and confused by her body's response to the handsome monarch. 

I mean, he's really handsome and all. But it cannot be for just that reason, right?  

"Halmi," she said softly to her grandmother, gesturing for her to sit down next to her. "Something strange happened to me today." Taeeul had waited for the two men to step out. For some reason, she did not want her father and Sinjae to know, just yet. 

Maybe the King's just like me. Or maybe there are people out there whom I can touch. 

The old lady looked at her, concern filling her eyes. 

"When I met the King today, he carried me for a distance... And Halmi, there was no pain at all."

Taeeul recalled how her heart started to throb in a wondrous tempo when Lee Gon placed his large, warm palms on her shoulder. The luxurious wave of contentment had veiled her senses, and her body had once again, welcomed him.

Even the soreness in her shoulder, detectable even with anaesthesia, had quickly ebbed away at his healing touch. 

Taeeul checked her grandmother's eyes, which had started to widen into large saucers. She did not respond. Taeeul bit her lip, unsure of whether to continue. 

The memory with the King had sent a jolt up her spine and Taeeul could almost feel it, once again. She could not help but blush, feeling the heat spreading across her cheeks. 

"An- And, it felt, well, it felt quite nice actually." 

The wrinkles in Halmi's forehead started to deepen, and her face fell and ashen. A low sigh escaped Halmi's lips. She blinked rapidly and tore her gaze away from Taeeul. 

"Ah, Taeeul-ah. So you've met him."

Her grandmother paused for a beat before looking back, straight into Taeeul's eyes. 

"It has begun."

In the inky darkness of the night, Noh Oknam rose from her bed. 

The world around her was quiet, and she could barely make out the distant singing of the crickets. Her mind raced with thoughts. She let out a resigned sigh, feeling her shoulders heaving heavily down. The pit of her stomach was coiled in knots.  

She knew she had to do it sooner or later. 

Oknam reached for her mobile phone and dialed the number that she knew by heart. There were two rings before the man picked up the call. She did not bother to ask after him, despite not speaking to him for almost three decades. 

"The wheels of fate are turning, and it is time we meet." 

Chapter Text

Truth comes to power, 

With a life freely given

And freely taken.

Noh Oknam silently slid the wooden panels open and stepped into Prince Buyeong's study.

The interior was set in shades of blues, matching the wooden furniture and flooring perfectly. Against the walls hung several scrolls of ancient teachings, and the windows were covered with white translucent blinds, allowing both privacy and natural light. Classical music played quietly through hidden speakers in the background.

The room was comforting and peaceful.

Just like him. 

Oknam took a deep, steadying breath before walking across the parquet flooring. "Your Highness," she greeted him, bowing respectfully. 

The silver man haired looked up from his notebook to acknowledge her presence and smiled. He capped his fountain pen and gestured at the empty seat in front of him.

"It's been awhile, High Priestess Noh."

Lee Jongin took off his reading glasses to observe the woman in front of him. He had not seen her in thirty years, after she left the palace to search for the King's aide.

"Have you been well?" He asked, as he allowed his eyes to wander across her face and take in her apperance.

The High Priestess' skin had folded gently with time, and her hair had faded to a light grey. Her frame was even slighter than before and her back had started to stoop slightly to her right, favouring her dominant side. 

Like him, she had aged.

Yet her shoulders held straight, ever dignified. And her dark eyes, now framed by cobwebs of smiling lines, still gleamed with the same, perceptive light. 

She nodded, giving him a small smile. 

He was thankful that the years were kind to her.

"Why didn't you return to the palace?" He asked gently. 

He could vividly remember the day she left, as if it was only yesterday. For his cousin, the late king, had died earlier on the very same day. 

Prince Imperial Geum, Lee Rim, had slain the late King in a bid to seize the Manpasikjeok, an ancient flute that was prophesised by the Old Practice to bestow its master with absolute powers. 

What Rim did not know, was that the King's aide had been lying in wait to stop him.

According to the Old Practice, all destined monarchs of the kingdom were blessed with a complement for their reign - the King's aide.  The late King's aide was the captain of the royal guard, and had been prophesised to be the man to stop an act of treason.

Alas, the crown was saved, but the King and his aide had died saving it.  

This treasonous act had sparked public outcry. In his bid to stabilise the Kingdom, Prince Buyeong had advised the young King to make the controversial move to outlaw the Old Practice in the name of the late King, who was well known as a man of Science. 

And the High Priestess was entrusted with the sacred task of searching for the young King's aide.

"I just couldn't." She replied simply, sighing. 

The High Priestess and her ways were no longer a welcome presence in the palace. And it was his doing. 

"I apologise, it is my fault." The Prince bowed his head sincerely. 

"You did what you had to, at that time. I do not blame you, Your Highness." she responded lightly, brushing it away. "And our young King had grown up well, under your care." 

He chuckled, shaking his head at the sudden change in subject. As if that was enough to make up for the exile from the one place she used to call home. 

"I'm not sure about well. He is physically healthy and alive, that's all I can say. But Gon..." He sighed, suddenly feeling all of his eighty years.

"The treason and death of his father left an indelible mark on him. Gon, he has his demons."

Jongin's not even sure if Gon trusted him. 

"Don't we all, your Highness?" 

"I hope you've finally found his aide, High Priestess. I was getting a little worried with the radio silence," he added teasingly. 

He had been waiting for her phonecall ever since she left the palace.

The duty of the High Priestess was to find and groom the King's aide, and once they were ready, to present them to the King to support his reign. 

Every aide is different for each monarch, and Jongin must admit, he was curious to learn more about Gon's aide and how they would help him. 

He leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him, ready to listen. 

Yes. Oknam did find her.

"Her name is Jeong Taeeul, Your Highness." She watched as a flicker of recognition crossed the Prince's eyes. 

What Oknam never anticipated was that she would fall in love with the child.

Taeeul, with her michievous and bright nature, easily endeared herself to her Halmi Noh.

Her gift of Truth and the corresponding pain meant that the poor girl had to keep everyone at a literal arm's length. Yet, Taeeul had never allowed that to stop her from developing strong relationships with her family members. 

And as her Halmi, Oknam was reluctant to send her to danger.

As the years passed her by, Oknam found herself avoiding all possible interactions with the Royal family, hoping to keep Taeeul away from the prophesised path. She also went no contact with Prince Buyeong, and he did not come looking for her either. 

Until today. 

Despite Oknam's interference, Taeeul ended up on the same path anyway. 

She recited the prophecy to Prince Buyeong. 

"The first half of the prophecy has come true, Your Highness. Taeeul had sacrificed her life to save the King."  

If there's one thing that Oknam learnt, it was that there really was no fighting destiny. 

Doesn't mean I can't try to do something for our Taeeul. 

"I will bring her to the palace, Your Highness. But I have one request." 

The High Priestess now chose to work on the best possible outcome, rather than the impossible feat of going against Taeeul's fate.

When Taeeul told her that the King's touch was different, bringing her pleasure instead of truth and pain, the High Priestess knew that this was the path that they needed to take. 

A life freely taken. 

Oknam paused, looking at Prince Buyeong intently.

Even though she had not met the elderly royal in thirty years, instinct told her that he was an ally, not a foe.

The Priestess took a sip of the barley tea set in front of her, it tasted warm and earthy against her tongue. The Prince mirrored her movements. 

She tried to keep her voice firm.

"Make her the Queen." 

Prince Buyeong's almost choked on his tea, coughing loudly, his peppered eyebrows raised to his hairline. 

She held his gaze unflinchingly. 

"The King needs to take Taeeul as his Queen. This is the only way."  

The air in the King's study was thick with tension.

"No." Lee Gon declared firmly. 

Yet, his actions betrayed him. The steadiness that rang clearly in his words was undermined by his restless pacing across the length of his cavernous room. 

Prince Buyeong sighed, rubbing his greying brows tiredly with gnarled fingers. 

"I know you do not believe in the Old Practice, Your Majesty. You are a product of your upbringing, and your time." 

"Then why are you even bringing this up?" Gon demanded, gazing straight into his uncle's eyes, incredulous. 

Despite Gon's difficulties with trusting Prince Buyeong fully, he had always believed his uncle to be a reasonable man. Or at the very least, a man of Science. 

"I can understand if you want to discuss marriage for power or even to negotiate peace. But an arranged marriage because of a prophecy of the Old Practice?" Gon scoffed loudly, raising his voice. "This is ridiculous! Are we still living in the Joseon era?" 

Gon could hear himself rant, he was losing his cool. He knew that he should pause for a moment to breathe.

But he couldn't.

His internal states were warring. 

"A prophecy of the Old Practice - the same thing that we outlawed, the same thing that had failed to save my father, no less?" Gon added bitterly, his eyes filled with disdain as they narrowed.

As a child, Gon was raised in an environment that believed in the scientific method, advocated by his late father. After his death, Gon had thrown himself into his studies fully. He had found much solace there. 

Gon knew he could trust in the Sciences completely. It would never betray him and its logic would always make sense.

"The crown was saved, Your Majesty." Prince Buyeong had responded objectively. 

The thing that exacerbated Gon's irritation, was that there was a miniscule part of him that was curious. 

That part of Gon seemed to be yearning to believe in the importance of Jeong Taeeul in his life. It was strange for a person like him who had everything. Gon was never a man who desired things. 

If the prophecy was true, then that would explain why he was so unusually drawn to the woman who saved his life. 

When he closed his eyes, Gon could still see the curve of her smile and the twinkle in her eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not seem to dislodge her from the depths of his mind. 

Gon had hypothesised that this was due to the shock of the entire situation - strong emotions leave deep memories, right? It could not have been due to some prophecy, could it? 

Gon flopped heavily down on the velvet couch, running his hands agitatedly up and down the arm rests. He tried to focus his attention on the soft and sleek sensations against his palms and fingertips, to calm himself down and grab hold of his senses. 

Gon took a deep breath, taking care to remember to exhale. 

Think, Lee Gon.

Think. 

What woul be the simplest way to deal with this?

"You're saying that she can tell when someone is lying or telling the truth? Well, let's prove it." 

Chapter Text

Jeong Taeeul watched as the autumn scenery swam past her eyes.

There was not a single cloud in sight and the sky was an endless icy blue. On one side of the road, the ocean waves crashed dramatically against the breakwaters. On the other, neatly groomed trees were adorned in shades of yellow and red, the colours blending into a gorgeous fiery orange. 

Taeeul turned to look at her Halmi, who was seated next to her. The old lady was lost in her thoughts, her head bowed, eyes tight and worried.

Behind their black Bentley, trailed four royal guards on shiny motorcycles. They were being escorted to see the King.

Taeeul was not sure what to expect.

When the formal invitation came, in the hand-delivered form of fancy gold paper and aqua-green embossed lettering, she thought that the King was inviting her over to be seen by the royal physician like he had promised.

Until Halmi brought up the prophecy again. 

She patted her grandmother's restless hands lightly, ignoring that familiar tug of pain. 

"It'll be fine, Halmeoni. Really." 

"He is the one, Taeeul-ah." Halmi Noh had warned her. "He will be the one to take your life." 

On the day Taeeul turned 18, Halmi had revealed the prophecy that was linked to her ability. Taeeul could tell that her grandmother genuinely believed in it, but had thought nothing of it, brushing it aside. They were merely a bunch of words, strung together by someone in the past. 

Taeeul had always reassured her exasperated Halmi and dismissed her ceaseless concerns.  

Why worry about the future, if there was nothing one could do to change it? She preferred to live in the moment, and take things day by day. 

For things that are bound to happen, are already happening, even at this moment. 

Her mother's death from cancer, had taught her that much. It was pointless to worry about what may or may not happen, to ruminate about the future. 

Well, her future had finally caught up with her. Starting from the very moment that Taeeul made the decision to step between the gunner and her King.

"Taeeul-ah, it's a gamble. But rather than ending up taking your life, I rather that he takes you as his wife. You would be best protected with that status."

When Halmi first told her about the plan, Taeeul was stupefied by her solution of marriage. 

Yes, she hated the idea of being a sitting duck for destiny and going mindlessly down a predetermined path, just because.

Ridiculous. 

Marrying someone to go against it though, seemed like a pretty dramatic step.

Taeeul was never one to pay any attention to the notion of romance, deeming them pointless, for they would amount to nothing with this affliction she had with physical touch. She had come to terms with being single for the rest of her life.

She had her family, that was enough. 

Yet another part of Taeeul remembered how it felt to have him hold her. It ignited a searing flame within her, and if she was honest, something deep inside her was aching for more.

With the King, Taeeul actually stood a chance.

He was the only person in the entire Kingdom who could touch her, without giving her any pain. And it had felt nice. 

Glorious, in fact. 

Taeeul felt her belly flutter at the possibility of that immense pleasure again. 

Plus he's really good looking.

Let's see what happens.

Why not. 

The first time Jeong Taeeul was in the palace, she barely had any time, nor the energy, to check out what it actually looked like. 

Today, she walked down a long arched hallway with walls painted in shades of green. Potted bonsai trees perched on tables set against every brown pillar. Overhead, hung dozens of glimmering chandeliers that bathed everything in a soft, warm glow.

Taeeul felt as though she was walking through an enclosed, concrete forest.

She was flanked by four royal guards, who were guiding her towards the King's study. Their footsteps were quiet against the hardwood flooring. They ignored her friendly greeting and curious questions, avoiding eye contact and stared passively straight ahead. 

Taeeul felt slightly miffed by their standoffish behaviour. 

For someone who had just saved the king, they sure were treating her like some sort of criminal. Like they were sending her to a beheading. 

Only Taeeul was invited to this private audience with the king. To her consternation, Halmi was instead ushered into a holding room by Prince Buyeong.

"Go on, His Majesty has been waiting for you." The old man with the kind eyes had smiled at Taeeul and gave her a little wave. "I'll look after your Halmi."

The tall wooden doors to the King's study were guarded by two men.

Next to them, stood a woman dressed in a black power suit. Her sharply angled hair and bespectacled austere eyes reminded Taeeul of Edna from The Incredibles.

She gave Taeeul a perfunctory nod and smile, all businesslike. Her hands were kept clasped in front of her waist, and did not offer to shake Taeeul's hand.

"Lieutenant Jeong Taeeul? Good morning. I am Secretary Mo. Are you ready?"

Taeeul had no idea what to expect. She gave the lady a brief nod in return, feeling her heart quicken with anticipation.

"Y-yes."

"Excellent. Let's go in then." 

She took a deep breath and stepped forward. 

Lee Gon watched her as she entered his study. 

Jeong Taeeul was wearing an oversized trench coat over a loose sweater and jeans that hung loosely on her hips.

Her wavy brown hair was untied and sitting loosely on her shoulders in gentle waves. Gon could tell that she was wearing light make-up today, her lips painted a shade redder than her natural colour, drawing his attention towards them. 

Her almond shaped eyes surveyed his room curiously, taking in the rows of dark green chalkboards and his endless shelves of books.

When Taeeul tilted her head to check out the high ceiling and his mezzanine library, her pretty neck presented itself and caught a ray of sunlight. Gon's pulse started to race.

He could not help but start to trace the imaginary line that began at the bottom of her lip, across the curve of her chin and down the column of her delicate throat.

It disappeared under the neckline of her sweater.  

Yeong coughed loudly. "Your Majesty?"

Gon blinked rapidly and tore his eyes away from Taeeul, belatedly realising that he was gawking. He blinked rapidly and stood up, his chair sliding noiselessly along the carpeted floor. 

Gawking!

Objectively speaking, Jeong Taeeul was not beautiful by traditional standards. She did not have large doe eyes with long lashes, nor a voluptuous body with full sultry lips.

She was plain. 

Taeeul was dressed in neutral colours of beige, white and blue.

Even her clothes were plain. 

That's right.

Get a grip, Lee Gon. 

"Jeong Taeeul. Thank you for accepting my invitation. How is your injury?" He asked politely, injecting the usual poise in his tone. 

"It's healing well. Thank you for asking."  

"Here, have a seat." Gon sat down at the head of the table, adjacent to Taeeul as planned. He waved Secretary Mo over, who sat across from Taeeul with her tablet. Jo Yeong stepped forward to stand between his King and the cop. 

"I truly appreciate your bravery on the day of the assassination, Taeeul. And I plan to reward you in any way that you want." Gon paused, watching the woman closely for any signs of deception.

"Except marriage. Honestly, I don't believe a thing about the Old Practice that Prince Buyeong told me. I don't need an aide."

To Gon's astonishment, the woman merely crossed her arm and nodded in agreeement. 

"That's fair enough, Your Majesty. I don't really care about the prophecy either. If you're not interested in marriage, then I have no intention of throwing myself at anyone's feet. Even your royal ones."

Gon nodded, slightly relieved that she did not try to change his mind, he was also surprised by the absence of any artifice.

"My ability is real. So perhaps the prophecy is too. But who cares. I can take care of myself." Taeeul's facial expression was serious but her tone had turned cheeky. She shrugged.

"In fact, if my memory serves me right, it might be the other way round. I don't need you. You actually needed me more."

Gon flinched internally, an odd feeling of rejection rising up his throat.

His peripheral vision informed him that Secretary Mo's eyes had widened in disbelief at the young woman's impertinence. 

"I don't need anyone," sputtered Gon.

No, he really did not.

"I have Yeong. If you didn't interfere then, he would have stepped in." 

Yeong's chest puffed out slightly with pride. "Of course, Your Majesty." 

"Okay, sure. Whatever you say. I mean you're the King, right?" Taeeul continued, raising both palms up in front of her as if to stop him from going on. "No one can make you do anything in this Kingdom. You don't have to believe me either, that's fine."

Gon marvelled at the absence of anxiety in her eyes as she settled into the armchair, crossing her legs. 

She's either a very brave woman, or whatever this magic ability is, is real. 

Gon found his interest piqued. 

"I would like to learn more about your ability, if you don't mind. Prince Buyeong says you can tell if someone is telling the truth. And it causes you pain when you... sense or feel the truth? How does it work?" 

She nodded as she started to gather her hair into a ponytail. Gon was momentarily distracted by the glossy sheen produced by the sunlight's caress on the side of her head.  

"Well, if I'm prepared for it, it's like a pinch. And along with that, I get a sense of whether the person is speaking the truth. I'm like a lie detector, i suppose." 

Gon nodded, extending his hand out to her.

"Show me." 

Taeeul only looked at his outstretched palm, her fingers twitched on her lap but she did not make contact. She only shook her head. "Not you though, I can't read you. So far, I've not felt anything with you. There's no truth, and also, no pain." 

Gon raised an eyebrow.

Huh, how convenient.  

He turned to the person he trusted most and nodded at him. They planned for this. 

"Let's start with Yeong then."

Taeeul took a deep breath and turned to the royal guard. She placed a fingertip on Yeong's large open palm, and met his ever unreadable eyes. She tilted her chin up and gave a slight nod.

"Go ahead." 

"Was Yeong ever disloyal to me?" Gon started going through the list of questions that he had spent an entire day preparing. 

"No." Yeong answered. 

"Truth." Taeeul confirmed. 

"Did Yeong ever receive any attempts to bribe him." 

"No."

"Lie." 

"What was the colour of the first toy I shared with Yeong." 

"Blue." 

"Lie." 

As he continued his questioning, Gon felt more and more confused. He watched as she bit her lip in concentration, her brows furrowed. 

He had even calculated the acceptable error rate for her accuracy. Now, that was no longer necessary. 

She got every damn question right.

Every single one. 

Gon could feel a headache coming on. His logical mind was yelling at him to find a way to disprove what was clearly presented in front of him.

Jeong Taeeul continued answering his questions confidently, even as her voice started to wobble.

His mind was racing.

Secretary Mo had done a series of background checks to ensure that there was no way that Jeong Taeeul could have gain knowledge of the answers.

Gon had meticulously curated these questions. There was no way that Prince Buyeong, or even Secretary Mo, knew all the answers.

Gon did not like how this experiment was going. All of his hypotheses had been nullified.

Beads of perspiration had started to gather at Taeeul's forehead, and Gon tried to ignore the distracting lock of hair that had made its way out of her ponytail. Her bottom lip was starting to turn pale by all that intense chewing and Gon had the irritating urge to tug it free with his thumb. 

His stomach started to churn when he realised the magnitude of the situation.

Beautiful equations were always simple. 

Jeong Taeeul was his aide. 

Chapter Text

Jeong Taeeul had never suffered through such prolonged contact with another person.

Her surroundings were starting to get fuzzy around the edges, and she winced as the soft sunlight felt like piercing shards. The pain was surging, insistent and unrelenting, she could almost hear it drumming in her ears.

In the past, she had tried to see how long she could last. She had held Halmi's hands for up to five minutes, before her grandmother pulled away, unable to tolerate seeing Taeeul in distress. 

How long has it been?

She shifted in her seat, tapping her feet rapidly against the floor to distract herself. She was confident that she could still manage.

Hang on, just a little longer. 

She could remove her finger from Jo Yeong's hand, right now, if only to catch her breath, but she also did not want to drag out the entire process. It would not change the amount of pain anyway.

The King was starting to believe her.

His facial expression was cool and calm, but the detective in her could tell that he was getting antsy. He was pacing up and down his study with quick, long strides.

Again and again.

She dragged her eyes away from his dizzying pacing to look at the royal guard instead. He never once took his dark steely eyes off her, his rigid body remaining as still as a statue. 

Man, this Jo Yeong is intense. 

She shook her head and willed herself to focus.

"You've answered all the questions correctly." 

Finally. 

"Last question."

She had lost count of the number of questions that the King had asked her. Was it fifty? It felt like a hundred. The meticulous man seemed to have prepared a whole long list of it. 

Halmi was right, the King really did not trust easily. 

At least he seemed to be believing in his little science experiment. 

"Has Yeong ever fallen in love?" 

"No!" 

Taeeul yelped, withdrawing her finger. The ferocity of his response burned and a wave of nausea washed passed her entire being.

She had to swallow hard to push back the bile that was rising up her throat. 

"So? Is that true?" The King asked, almost mischievously.

His cheekbones were raised slightly, forming little crinkles at the corners of his smiling eyes. It brightened his solemn face. "I've always wanted to know." 

"Lie," Taeeul rasped out. 

Even without checking, Taeeul could tell that Jo Yeong was glaring at her. 

She picked up the glass in front of her with trembling hands, spilling some of the water in the process. 

Urgh, she could use a proper drink, right now. 

"Secretary Mo, please invite Prince Buyeong to join us." The King turned to Taeeul, his large brown eyes locking firmly on her. "If the prophecy is true, and you're really my aide. I have my first task for you, Jeong Taeeul."

She groaned.

Did she look this pale when she first came in?

Lee Gon frowned as he watched Jeong Taeeul take a small sip of water.

Wisps of stray hair had started to cling onto her temples and she was breathing heavily. She looked like she had just ran a marathon. 

Before he could explore that thought, the doors of his room opened and Prince Buyeong was brought in, along with Taeeul's grandmother, the High Priestess of the Old Practice.

Gon waved their greetings away. 

"Prince Buyeong, it appears that you are right. Jeong Taeeul really does have the ability to detect truthfulness." Gon paused, a bead of regret burgeoning within him. He knew he had to do this. 

"I just need to verify one more thing. Taeeul, I need to know if Prince Buyeong is loyal to me." 

Hurt flashed across the Prince's eyes and Gon shifted his gaze away from his uncle guiltily. 

Over the years, Prince Buyeong had been nothing but patient, kind and nurturing towards Gon. He  was not blind, he could see that much. Yet, tried as he might, Gon could never bring himself to trust him completely. He could never forget how his father was murdered by his own family. 

Gon sighed.

It had to be done.

Wouldn't it be better if he, Lee Gon, rather than some aide, possessed that power instead? If he knew for sure who was trustworthy and on his side, then perhaps Gon could finally sleep soundly at night. 

He found himself envying one Jeong Taeeul. 

Well.

Maybe that's why he was given an aide. 

If he could bring himself to trust her, that is. 

"No." The High Priestess demanded, snapping Gon out of his brief reverie. "Stop this at once. Your Majesty, you've been hurting her."

Her greying brows were fiercely arched and her tone was unmistakably accusatory. 

Gon's eyes widened in disbelief.

This little old lady was actually livid. At him. He rose to his full height and stared right back down at her. 

No one was ever angry at Gon. Not outwardly at least. It made him feel like a ten year old who got caught doing something naughty.

And he had not felt this way since his parents' deaths. 

"All I did was to ask her a few questions." He retorted, defensiveness creeping into his voice. "I just needed to verify that this ability of hers, is real."

"Halmi," interrupted Taeeul. She tried to reassure her grandmother. "It's okay. Look, I'm fine. Let's just get it over and done with." 

Gon's frown deepened when he saw her tremulous smile. It was a stark difference from her earlier vivacity.

He found that he did not like that. 

Taeeul reached out to the Prince and gave him a small nod. But her grandmother blocked her from holding his hand, she was glaring at the both of them. 

"No, it's not okay. Taeeul-ah, you're going to fall sick like this." 

Gon felt his stomach flip at the thought of Taeeul hurting.

Why is she so upset? How bad is it? 

"Explain yourself," he commanded. "Is this about her injury? Or her ability?" He turned to Taeeul, trying in vain to keep his annoyance at bay. She did not tell him anything about falling sick. "I thought you said that this costs you very little pain." 

She only shook her head.

Addressing her grandmother, rather than Gon, Taeeul said soothingly, "it's really not that bad. Let's just get on with it, and go home, Halmeoni. Otherwise the King might start to think that we are in cahoots with each other or something."

She reached out to his uncle again, inhaling deeply. "Prince Buyeong, if you don't mind." She placed a shaky finger on his hand and tilted her head. 

"I am loyal to you, Lee Gon, my King." Prince Buyeong pledged, looking directly at Gon.

He was momentarily struck by how unblinking and steadfast his uncle's eyes were. All at once, Gon knew that his words were sincere. 

"Truth." whispered Taeeul, removing her hands swiftly. "Could we leave now? I would like to rest."

Gon cocked his head. How much pain is she actually in? 

Taeeul rose slowly, pushing herself against the arms of the chair to stand. She shuffled forward and started to sway on her feet. Gon watched in alarm as her eyes fluttered close. 

Yeong was closest to her and grabbed her elbow automatically.

Gon watched, mouth gaping in shock, at her immediate reaction. Taeeul had cried out at the sudden contact, her arms thrashing out frantically and shoving Yeong away. The man released her almost immediately.

"No! Taeeul-ah!" At the same time, her grandmother reached out helplessly, unable to touch her.

Taeeul stumbled backwards and crumpled to the ground, chest heaving as she took ragged breaths. She shook her head, mumbling. "I'm okay." 

Her eyes were becoming unfocused and she was worrying her lip again. It had started to bleed.

Gon's stomach clenched tightly when he saw that and he moved, almost subconsciously, toward her. There was definitely something about the woman that was drawing him in. 

He wanted to know what it was. 

"Secretary Mo, prepare a guest room, now." 

Taeeul was obviously tired, dark circles starting to show under her soulful eyes. "You said that it doesn't hurt when I touch you." Gon asked, his voice low.

Gon reckoned that her injury might still be healing and she's not completely well yet. And now, he learnt that she's actually in pain. And he was the one who was responsibile for the pain. 

How frustrating. 

Yet she never once complained. Nor allow anxiety to creep into her eyes.

"Can- Can I help you up?" He asked softly. 

She nodded her head slightly and that was enough permission. Gon grasped her arm, tentatively at first, watching her closely for signs of discomfort. Taeeul gasped at the contact, a blush creeping across her pale cheeks. Her confident boldness had ebbed away and she was suddenly bashful, her dark lashes lowered to shield her eyes from his.

She was a contradiction.

And the more Gon watched her, the more compelled he felt to get to know her.

"Your Majesty, you wouldn't hurt her," the High Priestess explained. "She is your aide. And your touch will bring no pain."

Gon held Taeeul more firmly and guided her to her feet. She was tiny. Even when standing, Taeeul barely reached his chin. 

"Instead, it would bring her comfort. You were meant to take away the pain. This is how the Balance, is restored." 

Chapter Text

Lee Gon did not know what to do with Jeong Taeeul. 

Marriage? 

He had scoffed at the idea before, but now he was no longer as sure. 

In the short time that he spent walking her to the guest room, Gon had witnessed how Taeeul regained the vitality that was supposedly drained by the physical contact with Yeong. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I can walk on my own now." Taeeul had called out to him when they arrived at the guest room, strength had returned to her voice. 

Simply because he was holding on to her elbow.

Well, still does not mean I have to marry her. 

Gon had watched, transfixed, as Taeeul's cheeks turned rosy again. Her shallow and erratic breathing had regulated to a steady rhythm. More importantly, she had finally released her poor lower lip and relaxed enough to release that it was bleeding. 

You were meant to take away the pain.

Gon tried not to stare when her tongue darted out to swipe at the bead of blood. A healthy pink against dark red. Once. Twice. And then a third time.

The blood was gone. Then her lips started moving again. 

He still struggled with the understanding of having an aide. Someone to help him. And this person was magic.

Huh.

His scientific brain seemed to be on blue-screen mode, unable to reconcile the idea of a person who was somehow psychic.

Someone who was able to just know the truth.

There must be books on this. Yes, someone must have written on this subject.  

"I said, I can walk now." She was trying to pull away from his tight grip. 

"Oh." He released her hastily and took a step away from her. "Please rest. Let's speak when you feel better." 

"Thanks, actually I feel better already." She said, beaming with gratitude.

Did she smile at him like so, earlier?

This smile hit her eyes in just the right way to brighten up her entire face. Gon found that he liked the warmth that it generated. 

If her bodily responses were merely an act, then she must be a really good actress. 

I have the power to take her pain away. 

Gon could not bring himself to believe it, yet the evidence was right here in front of him. 

How curious.

"Look, I'm okay. I'm really okay," repeated Taeeul, her arms spread open as if to illustrate her point. Halmi Noh remained silent, one eyebrow perfectly arched as she crossed her arms.

Taeeul sighed. 

"Yes, Halmi. You were right. He was still skeptical about it, even after he was done with all his questions." She shrugged. "But it's fine, Halmi. I don't have to marry him."

Who would want to marry a man who did not want marriage?

She could see the exasperation spreading across her grandmother's eyes. "You don't understand, Taeeul-ah. You need the protection." Taeeul could predict that she would start nagging again. "The prophecy clearly states that he will be the one to-" 

The prophecy again. 

"Eh-hey Halmeoni, if he is the one to take my life, then shouldn't I be as far away from him as possible? Marrying him should be the last thing to do."

"Well." Halmi huffed, stuck both her hands on her waist and death-stared.

"It just happens that he's the only person who can actually touch you without causing you pain. There's no other candidate for you, my Taeeul-ie."

Ah, right. 

Taeeul could still feel the delicious warmth that washed across her belly at his touch.

She didn't realise how much of an antidote it was, until then. It was almost as if it had the ability to transform all of the pain into sweet molten honey coursing under her skin. 

"Well, he doesn't want marriage though. And he's the King, so there's no forcing him anyway."

"That is negotiable." Halmi hobbled closer to her and lifted up a crooked finger.

"You have something that the King wants. No, that he needs. He's going to ask you to help him. We could ask for your protection in return, Taeeul-ah."

"Halmi, look at me. I dont need anyone to protect me. I can protect myself."

Taeeul's previous weariness had been swept away and her energy had returned. She playfully demonstrated two swift sonkal hand strikes. "And I've done well for the past thirty years, haven't I?" 

The idea of marrying for the sake of protection against what, destiny? It did not make sense. Taeeul had been managing perfectly fine before he came along and really did not see the need for him in her life. She's not greedy. What's not hers will never be hers.

"But Taeeul-ah, dont you understand?! I don't want you to end up sacrificing your life for the monarchy, like Eun Seob, the aide before you. You're too precious to me - I want the King to be compelled to protect you instead."

Oh dear, Halmi's voice had started to crack. Taeeul sighed. She could feel her resolve melting away.

"Okay, Halmi. Okay, I hear you. You want me to be protected by him."

Halmi only wanted what's best for her. 

"We'll see what the King says. It's not like we could defy his orders anyway." 

And I'm sure there's something else, other than marriage.

Gon waited for Taeeul outside her workplace.

He spent the past two days holing up in his study doing the only thing he knew to do when he felt lost. 

Gon read.

He read the ancient scrolls of text that Prince Buyeong had hidden away after his father died. He read the books that were banned but never burnt after the Old Practice was abolished. He read the chronicled prophecies that always came true. 

Every single one of them. 

Gon learnt that aides, once found, were typically groomed to stay with the king. 

Till one of them died.

Usually the aides.

Gon learnt that his father's aide had the ability to stop time, but at the cost of continued ageing during all of that frozen time.

There were photos of Jo Eunseob, who started off at the same age as his father but had aged at a rapid pace. He had died an old man during his final mission, along with his youthful father, barely in his forties. 

Gon learnt that there was always a penalty for the aide's power. And the King possessed the ability to counteract the penalty.

His father could have slowed down the ageing process at the expense of his own mortality, and it was recorded that Lee Ho's aide had stubbornly rejected that. Jo Eunseob had chosen to live his life as an old man instead.

Gon wondered if Lee Ho had shared his years with Jo Eunseob against his will, then perhaps his aide would not have died so easily.

And perhaps, Lee Ho might still be alive. 

Seoul Jongno Police Station was busy on a Friday evening.

The loud sirens were blaring continuously and the light bar on the vehicles shot random blasts of red and blue across the carpark. Officers clad in an assortment of smart uniforms walked briskly in and out of the main entrance.

There she is. 

Gon watched as Taeeul strolled out of the station.

She was with four other men, including Kang Sinjae.  Her dark wavy hair was let loose and settled like a cloud around her shoulders. She smiled at something Sinjae said, it made her eyes twinkly.

It made Gon feel annoyed.

Gon stepped out of the car and started towards her, ignoring Yeong's objections about security. 

Muttering under his breath, Yeong leapt out of the front seat and followed closely behind him. 

She had her hands stuffed deep in the pockets of her coat.

It was the same trench coat as before, and it just happened to match Gon's outfit today. He happened to choose a beige coat too. This pleased Gon.

Greatly. 

Everyone stopped short at the sight of him. 

"Your Majesty," they greeted, bowing respectfully to the King.

"Please dispense with all formalities and be at ease. Are you guys done for the day?"

Gon kept his posture open and his smile friendly, tilting his head at the members of her team in greeting. "I'm here to meet Lieutenant Jeong Taeeul for a personal matter."

"We were just about to go out for a team dinner to celebrate Taeeul's and Sinjae's commendation awards for their heroic act," an older man with curly hair stepped up to explain. 

Her boss?

"But not to worry, Your Majesty. We could always do that another time. Please go ahead."

Gon allowed his smile to reach his eyes and nodded his thanks. 

To his surprise, Taeeul only furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips in annoyance. Especially when her team started nudging each other not-so-covertly.

Wouldn't most girls feel happy about being picked up at work?

And by the King, no less? 

The King brought her to a private bamboo forest. 

"This is my favourite thinking spot." He explained to her when the car pulled to a stop. 

"Come, walk with me."

The King instructed Jo Yeong not to follow them. 

Does this mean that he's starting to trust me? 

The bamboo leaves rustled gently in the wind and the jade coloured stems rattled as it danced. The trees were so tall that Taeeul could barely make out pockets of the colourful twilight sky. The air was fresh and crisp, stinging her nose just enough to make her eyes water.

Gon guided her down a well-groomed pathway that led them deeper into the forest. 

"Did you want to talk about something privately, Your Majesty?"

Taeeul figured that he remained silent throughout the car ride because he did not want the chauffeur nor Jo Yeong to know what he was going to say.

"With all the evidence laid in front of me, I think I have no choice but to believe you now." He declared in his deep baritone voice. He tucked his palms neatly behind his back, looked straight into her eyes and gave her a megawatt smile. 

And when he smiled like that, she couldn't think. And Taeeul hated that. She laughed awkwardly, avoiding the direct eye contact. 

"I can understand how baffling all of this is," she said, focusing instead on the greenery around her. "You don't have to rush into believing all of this, Your Majesty. We could do more of your little experiments, if you want."

"Actually, I'm thinking that I would like you to join the royal guard. Train under Yeong. Actually, I'm not sure what he would think, but we can work that out. That way, Taeeul, you could help me when I need you to." 

What?! 

She gaped, only closing her mouth shut when she noticed her King's intense eyes lingering on her lips. 

"With all due respect, your Majesty, I have my job and my responsibilities. I can't just quit like that." 

"Your job is to be my aide. Stay by my side. And isn't this what you want? Then you can help me when I need you to."

Urgh, another megawatt smile.

His large brown eyes were watching her intently. "And well, I could help you with the, uh, pain."

Taeeul's mind was racing and she made the split second decision to be honest. "Well, no. That's not the job I want. With all due respect, Your Majesty, I happen to be good at my current job and would like to keep it." 

His eyes started to narrow and the smile vanished. "Please stop saying "with all due respect",  when you're just going to disagree with me." He sneered knowingly. "Now then, the other option would be marriage, is that what you prefer, Jeong Taeeul?"

"What?!" Her voice rose in alarm. That escalated quickly.  

"Would that not be a blessing? To be the aide, get close to the King, marry him."

"More like a curse," she muttered. "I never intended to marry anyone, Your Majesty." 

He cocked his head, confused. His fringe brushed lightly across his handsome forehead. Gosh, his good looks were too distracting. 

Taeeul blinked hard and tried to remind herself not to look at his face. 

"If my blessing means that the only sort of physical touch I can tolerate is by someone so unattainable, and that I feel pain from everybody else, even my own family, would that not be a curse?"

"A curse, huh." 

She didn't realise how swiftly he moved until his fingers reached out to tilt her chin towards him.

He had bent forward, his face leaning in close to hers, a mere breath away. His dark soulful eyes were lowered, and focused on her lips.

Taeeul had to stifle the moan that followed the pleasure from his touch. 

He raised his eyes to meet hers, voice dropping to a low whisper. 

"Jeong Taeeul, I'm going to kiss you now." 

Chapter Text

Lee Gon saw the tremble that ran through Jeong Taeeul's body. She pursed her lips, but a soft gasp escaped anyway, revealing just how much his touch had affected her. The sound, amplified by the silence of the forest, went on to ignite something deep within him. 

Taeeul was shaken, but then again, so was he. She evoked too many emotions within him.

Gon frowned.

As a child, Gon learnt to regulate his emotions using logic. Emotions became easy to manage when the answers were clear and unchanging. Gon liked the stability that came with being logical.

And as King, he had the power to choose for life to be simple - there is only one answer to every Math equation. It might sound cruel, but Gon could easily disregard people who did not fit in with his life's equation.

Things were different with Taeeul, somehow.

Gon leaned in slowly, allowing the woman to pull away if she did not want to be kissed. He guided his gaze down to her lips. They look like petals, a bright rosy red and slightly parted, drawing him in. 

At this proximity, he could smell the sweetness of her breath. 

And do I want to kiss her?

She stared up at him, confused, her almond-shaped eyes wide and unblinking.

Gon swallowed.

It felt like she was looking directly at him, Gon, instead of her King, the monarch.

Her eyes started to flutter close and Gon's felt his heart start to speed up, with heat spreading from the centre of his belly.

I do. 

Funnily enough, Gon was not surprised by his answer.

Yes, Gon felt annoyed when Taeeul kept disagreeing with him. "With all due respect" was a pet peeve that he developed as a young monarch. The adult ministers kept it at the tip of their tongue whenever they tried to undermine his power. 

And yes, he felt disconcerted when Taeeul said that his aide's ability was a curse, rather than a blessing.

He could understand the logic behind it at - such gifts were often saddled with unfortunate responsibilities, and for Taeeul, pain. However, Gon disliked it when he thought that she did not want to be stuck with him. 

He did not want to leave her out of his life. Perhaps it was the curious mathematician in Gon that wanted to see if Taeeul fit into his equation. 

That's right. Nothing personal. 

She was starting to nibble on her lower lip again in contemplation. She needed to stop doing that.

Gon leaned in closer.

If Taeeul shifted the barest distance, their lips would touch. 

Oof. 

"Ow! Ow! Hey!"

Gon winced when Taeeul twisted his arm and deftly flipped him around to lock his wrist tightly against his back.

"That hurts! This is extremely disrespectful, Jeong Taeeul. How could you do this to your King?" He grumbled loudly. "What's wrong? Isn't it supposed to feel good when I touch you?"

"Well, it feels good when I'm hitting you too."

She flashed him a completely fake smile and shoved him away from her. "Please keep that in mind, Your Majesty." 

Gon was confused.

He could tell by the way her eyes had softened and her lips had quivered, ever so slightly.

She wanted to kiss him.

Yet she pushed him away. 

"Yeong would not allow this if he was here." Gon complained, rubbing his sore wrist with a pout. "Please be careful, aide or not, I might just decide to behead you." 

Why did she push me away?

"Not before I arrest you for sexual harrassment. As our King, you should set a good example for the people, no?" 

Gon chuckled. This woman was an enigma. 

She was glaring at him again. He raised a brow and frowned right back at her. 

"Jeong Taeeul. You don't want to join the royal guard, nor do you want to marry me. How do you suggest we work together then? You are supposed to assist me, no?" 

"Yes." She sighed, frustrated. "Yes, I suppose so, Your Majesty. Just, just don't come so close to me and give me time to think." Taeeul looked away and started walking deeper into the bamboo forest.

Gon smiled, deeply satisfied about the effect he had on her. 

He tucked his hands behind his back, following a step behind.

She was tying up her hair, gathering the soft silky strands together, taking the time to put her thoughts into words.

They walked, in tandem, for a quiet moment. Gon took the time to allow his emotions to settle. 

Taeeul stopped when they reached the two ancient obelisks that stood in the centre of the forest. Her eyes grew thoughtful as she allowed her palm and fingers to wander across the rough, uneven surface of the stone. 

"Let me help you by investigating the assassination, Your Majesty." 

She turned and looked directly at him. "Don't you want to know the truth behind that? Assign it to my team. I could use my ability to speed up the process."

Gon considered it. 

It was reasonable, and gave him the opportunity to know her better, without all the complication of marriage.  

He recalled how upset Yeong was when he raised the idea of getting Taeeul to join the royal guard. Perhaps this would please him. 

He nodded.

Jo Yeong was not pleased. 

The King had called for an emergency meeting, leaving Yeong with barely enough time to ensure the security of the venue and conduct background checks on Jeong Taeeul's squad mates. 

They were in a boardroom located on the top floor of the royal guard headquarters, with full length windows that presented sweeping views of Busan city and her surrounding waters. The sun had just risen above the horizon and the morning rays casted a gorgeous brilliance on everything within reach.

Seated around the ornate wooden table, were his trusted team mates from the royal guard and Jeong Taeeul's colleagues from Seoul. The police officers were stifling yawns, having travelled to Busan for the early meeting. It did not help that the intense white lighting from the beams overhead was harsh, washing out everyone's facial features.

Everyone's except the King's.

He was beaming- no, glowing, almost angelically. His seat at the head of the table had meant that the sunlight hit him just right, highlighting golden hues across his hair and face. 

Teenager-Yeong would have found it hard to look away, while Adult-Yeong was a lot more used to it. 

The King was perfection, as usual.   

"Thank you for agreeing to meet at such short notice." The monarch started, sweeping his arms out in an opening address. "I am greatly appreciative that both the royal guard and police force have come together to assist me in this investigation."

Yeong did not understand the need to rope in the police. It would be much easier with a smaller team.

It would also be within his control. 

He liked it when things were within his control. 

"Please get to know each other. I hope that we could work closely to find out who is behind this attempt."

Yeong knew that Gon did this for Jeong Taeeul.

He could tell by the way his eyes kept darting over to check her reaction and the way his chair was angled, just so, so that the woman was directly in his line of sight. 

Gon was intrigued by her.  

And well, Yeong did not blame the King.

Jeong Taeeul surprised him too when she managed to pass the experiment with 100% accuracy. Yeong had taken extra care to ensure that she could not have known the answers to some of the questions.

Actually, nobody knew the answer to that question. Not even himself. And yet when answered, he knew she got that right too. 

"Yeong, perhaps you could share your findings with us?"

No, Your Majesty. Yeong did not like sharing.

"We have interrogated him and other than learning that he is an incredible pain to be around, we have not been able to extract the information on the mastermind behind this assassination. Yet." 

Not like he had a choice, though.

Yeong gave Chief Park a tight lipped smile, hoping that it looked friendly enough. 

Not when His Majesty was the one asking, the one person whom Yeong could never refuse. 

Not since the day His Majesty, his Hyung, soothed Yeong's tearful sympathy-tantrum with a bright smile, a blinking toy and an honorable title. 

Unbreakable sword. 

Through the years, Yeong watched as Gon overcame every single obstacle. He was grit and determination, he was the unbreakable one.

Yeong had no idea how Gon held on, only that he did. He managed.

Gon always did. 

The early years were unkind to him, but Gon never retaliated with cruelty, only proceeded with caution.

Perhaps, excessive caution. And coming from Yeong, that's saying a lot.

The King never seemed to have outgrown his suspicions and mistrust. 

Well.

Perhaps, this aide could help him now. 

Perhaps, just perhaps, Jeong Taeeul could teach Gon to trust again. 

Kang Sinjae was not pleased to have the King around Jeong Taeeul.

But he was the King, and obviously, Sinjae did not have any say on his actions. 

He did not have to like it though. 

Sinjae huffed and crossed his arms again for the umpteenth time, giving their monarch another withering side-eye glare. 

The King was seated at a corner of the room, his long legs crossed regally. He allowed them to do their jobs and tried not get in anyone's way.

Fine. Sinjae could tell that he was trying to be unobtrusive, he'd give him that.

Although the King should really be aware by now that he was about as unobtrusive as a disco ball in a darkened room.

"Please try to forget that I'm here." He had said to them with a huge grin. 

Sinjae tried not to roll his eyes.

And failed.

Rumour has it that the King could be paranoid at times, but to participate in the interrogation of a criminal was a bit much, no? Granted, this was a person who tried to assassinate him. But Sinjae had thought that such dirty work would be beneath him and left to his underlings instead.

Sinjae's eyes wandered and, like a missile, homed in on a familiar target. 

Taeeul was tying up her hair, hands sweeping blindly around the nape of her neck to gather up the loose strands of hair before reaching for the black band on her wrist. 

She was affected by the King's presence. 

Taeeul had cocked her head ever so slightly whenever he spoke, as if to try and catch what he was saying. She kept her eyes nonchalant whenever she scanned the room, pausing for just a microsecond at the King before moving on.

Sinjae knew that Taeeul was seeking his presence in this room filled with people.

It was subtle. But Sinjae could tell. Because this was exactly what he also did, whenever Taeeul was near him.

And Sinjae could tell because he had been watching her, watching her watch him, and she never once sought his presence. 

He rested his head on the wall that he was leaning against, keeping his stance deliberately casual. The teams were briefing Taeeul on the next round of interrogations.

He knew what she was going to try to do.

Jo Yeong had just finished his round, and he was curt and forceful with the gun man. Through the one-way mirror, Sinjae could see that the man was getting antsy, his eyes rolling shiftily as he tapped his feet at a manic pace. 

"I'm going in."

Sinjae pushed himself away from the wall and went to her. 

"Taeeul-ah, just keep it simple and direct. He's getting anxious." 

She nodded, her ponytail bobbing along. "Yes, Hyung-nim." Sinjae caught a whiff of her familiar floral scented shampoo and gave her a small smile.

He held the door open, which closed heavily after Taeeul.

Sinjae moved quickly towards the screen and watched as Taeeul sat down calmly, her back facing them. He frowned as he watched the scene unfold. 

"You!" The man gave a bark of laughter and smirked.

"All recovered now, Lieutenant?"  

"Who are you working with?" Taeeul asked, placing her hands on the table between them.

The man leaned forward and mirrored her body language, grinning menancingly. 

Win. 

Sinjae shifted his feet and uncrossed his arms, rolling his tense shoulders back before crossing them again. 

"No one. I did not want to shoot you, Lieutenant, but you got in the way." The man banged the table with his hands. "I would have succeeded alone if you didn't get in the way. Don't you regret saving his life?"

Sinjae's muscles started to tighten again. He clenched his jaw tightly. 

"Who hired you?" Taeeul kept her voice neutral, refusing to react to his provocation.

"I regret that, that you saved his life." 

"Would there be another attempt?" 

He gave her a shit-eating grin and Sinjae felt like punching it off from his face. Actually, a good solid punch right now would help to loosen up his shoulders a bit.  

"Of course. And I'm not even working with anyone. That's the beauty of it. More than one person want him dead. And more will rise up - they will keep coming."

Taeeul chose to reach out towards his hand to check his words.

The man lunged at her at the exact same moment, screaming, "if it weren't for you, I would have succeeded!"

Everything happened in a fraction of a second. 

Sinjae watched in frozen horror as the man thrusted his cuffed wrists towards Taeeul's slender neck and closed his fingers around it. 

She gasped, quickly standing up to shove him away from her. As she fell, Taeeul kicked her right leg up to flip the table towards the man, before crashing heavily backwards onto the floor.

Sinjae sprung into action and yanked open the door.

"Taeeul-ah, are you okay?"

He crouched down to take a closer look, his heart thudding loudly in his chest. 

She nodded as she took deep breaths, her hand clasped protectively around her throat. 

The King followed closely behind with Jo Yeong and the royal guards, he stood in front of the fallen table, that laid between Taeeul and the assassin.

"Well, you failed. Miserably." The King's mouth was twisted in a sneer. "Enough of this. Take him away for his beheading."  

The man did not struggle when the royal guards pinned him against the floor. He merely cackled.

"Did you forget this, Your Majesty, beheading is outlawed."

"And did you forget, that I am the King? My word, is law." The King's voice was cold when he responded.

The man's eyes grew desperate as he wailed. "No! If you kill me, then you will never know who I'm working with!"

The King did not spare the man another glance.

Instead, he turned to help Taeeul up, his eyes round with concern as he reached down to her. 

"Your Majesty, wait!" The assasin called out, but nobody paid him any attention.

Taeeul gave the King a small smile, grateful. 

Sinjae watched, stupefied, as Taeeul voluntarily placed her small hand on the King's large palm and allowed him to wrap his fingers around her before pulling her up to stand.

The King's touch does not hurt her.  

The King wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and guided her towards the door. She leaned against him, one hand still rubbing her neck absentmindedly.

It truly does not. 

Sinjae smiled wryly, a bitter taste in his mouth. 

"And that's a lie, Your Majesty." rasped Taeeul. "He was telling the truth just now. He's not working with anyone." 

The gun man laughed shrilly. "You trust her?"

The King smiled, his eyes focused on Taeeul. She was looking directly back at him, and there was something in her eyes that made Sinjae look away.  

"Of course," The King said without a backward glance.

"She's my aide."

Chapter Text

The mellow whirring of the aircraft, combined with the lofi music playing in the background, allowed Lee Gon and Jeong Taeeul to sit in a relatively comfortable silence.

After the incident at the royal guards headquarters, Gon had insisted on sending Taeeul to her home in Seoul. He did not extend this offer to her Hyung-nim, nor the rest of the investigating team.

It might have been a little petty of him, but he wanted to spend time with Taeeul. Alone.

"Is it true?" Gon asked tentatively. He glanced over to the woman sitting next to him.

Taeeul was gazing blankly out the window, deep in thought. Her face had regained some of its colour, a healthy pink seeping back into her cheeks.

Something was bothering her though, she was chewing on her lower lip again. 

Her eyes landed on him. 

A mixture of emotions washed across Taeeul's eyes yet she did not look away. 

"Is it true that the man was working alone?" Gon repeated, keeping his tone neutral.

Her unwavering eyes revealed uncertainty, annoyance and perhaps even a little resignation 

"Yes, he was." She finally responded, blinking. Looking down at her hands, she continued, "At least he truly believed that it was a lone wolf attack." 

"Then why did he say that others will rise up?" 

"Yeah, I've been wondering about this too." Taeeul paused. "But I don't have an answer for you." 

Gon frowned and pursed his lips.

"Rise up. What a peculiar choice of words. Almost like there's a whole group of people that he's working with." 

Taeeul nodded in agreement, her loose dark hair bobbing along with her.

That man had behaved in a really impulsive and erratic manner.

He seemed to be truly resentful of Taeeul's intervention and ruining his plans, and was certain that he had the ability to kill the King in front of an entire cohort of police graduates. His reaction suggested that he genuinely thought that the King would keep him alive for further questioning - as if he did have some information to disclose. 

Taeeul only shrugged, catching his eye again.

"You can choose not to believe me. But all I can say is that to his knowledge, he was acting independently."

Gon searched within himself.

He searched for doubt and suspicion, for the tired cynicism that he was used to, all his life. Yet, all he found was a curious, and appreciative, belief in her words. 

Tilting his head, Gon marvelled at the unfamiliar feeling that was rising up within him, the slivery threads of acceptance that was weaving across the centre of his chest.

'She's my aide.' Gon had declared, blurting the words in seething anger.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, when he found that the words rang true in his ears. He was beginning to trust this woman.

At the unsettling realisation, his fingers gripped the plushy leather handrests. His body rapidly turned stiff and his palms, damp. 

"Well, he did say that others will come, so we should still watch out for that." He deflected. 

Taeeul rubbed her neck absentmindedly, her slender fingers tracing the vulgar bruises on her fair skin. 

"I can't believe that he chose to attack me in front of everyone. That was rash, and unpredictable considering that he remained non-violent when he was in custody up until I went in." 

A wave of concern washed over him. He remembered her trembling body when he got to her, and how she sagged in relief when he held her. 

"How are you feeling? Still in pain?" 

Taeeul bit her lip again, taking a moment to pick her words.

"Much better, thanks to your help." Her cheeks flushed a darker pink. 

Ah. 

"What usually happens? When you're in pain and... without me?" 

"Nothing." She said, nonchalant. "Nothing happens. It just hurts for awhile. Then I just dust my knees and get right back up. The pain is momentary. Unless the contact is prolonged."

Gon thought back to the experiment that she completed at his request. She had maintained contact with Yeong, determinded to complete it to prove herself. 

A mixture of admiration and regret filled his eyes. 

"The experiment. I'm sorry. I didnt know." 

She shrugged again, shaking her head.

"That's okay. You couldn't have known. I didn't tell you. But thanks for helping me out today. That felt... nice."

She blushed again, her eyes fluttered briefly down before looking directly at him. "Really nice." 

A genuine smile. One that reached all the way to her eyes, it lit her features and sent a jolt of warm, fuzzy feeling up his spine.

Gon instantly relaxed. 

He returned the smile.

"Anytime." 

Then winced internally, feeling instantly like a clumsy teenager. 

Real smooth, Lee Gon. 

"Do you think I should trust her?" Gon asked as he brushed Maximus' glossy white coat. 

His equine friend turned his ear back and swished his thick bushy tail in response.

As a child, Maximus was the only companion with whom Gon could speak to freely. He was an excellent sounding board, one who never deferred to Gon and always treated him like an equal.

It became Gon's habit to seek out his buddy's presence, whenever he felt overwhelmed and needed advice.

"It's strange, when I'm with her, I feel really at ease. Like I can allow myself to be me again, if I wanted to. You know, like how I feel with you or Yeong. Well. Except that she's way cuter than either of you." 

Maximus snorted in response, making Gon chuckle.  

Gon had come to the stables once dawn broke this morning, having had difficulties sleeping all of last night. He had tossed and turned in bed, unable to settle.

Not when the image of one Jeong Taeeul appeared whenever he closed his eyes. Especially the image of her seated next to him, blushing to the tips of her ears. 

That felt nice, she had said shyly.

Gon stood up to exchange Maximus' body brush for the mane comb hanging on the wall, stretching out his limbs and breathing in the fresh morning air of clover hay.

What Taeeul didn't know was that it felt nice for him too. 

Maximus nudged Gon's shoulder with his muzzle, urging him to continue. 

"And I- I tried to kiss her." He disclosed, his neck heating up at the memory.

"I was, erm, curious, y- you know, I just wanted to see how she would respond." 

Maximus huffed skeptically, his keen eyes gazing at Gon.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I- I also wanted to know it would feel like. Her lips, they just looked so soft. Inviting. And it's almost like they were... reeling me in, you know?" 

Maximus nodded in understanding. 

"You know, I've never felt this way. The ladies, they tend to just fall at my feet. Simply because I'm their King."

Gon threw his arms up in the air with a short laugh.

"Ha! Not Jeong Taeeul though, no. I thought she was playing hard to get. But she was properly offended when I tried to kiss her. She twisted my arm like this to stop me."

Gon demonstrated, reenacting the scene for Maximus.

"And trapped me like so. Even though I'm the only person in this world who could touch her! Plus, I could see that she wanted the kiss too! It's not all one-sided!"

Gon started pacing up and down the stall.

"Yet she rejected me. Me, Maximus. The King. Who does that?!" Gon sighed in annoyance. "She's extremely confusing, this woman. I don't know what to make of her."

Gon ended his mini tirade, looking to his horse for support. 

Maximus did not respond, merely cocking his head and flicking his ears.

There was more, Maximus knew.

He always did. 

Gon recalled the icy sensation that slithered up his chest when he saw the man's fingers clutching rabidly at Taeeul's throat. Jumping up from his seat, Gon had moved instinctively, despite knowing at the back of his head that she could very well look after herself.

That they were in a place filled with people who could help her, and that she did not need the King to come to her aid. 

He had rushed to her side anyway. 

Gon started grooming Maximus' wiry mane, focusing on gently unknoting the coarse strands of hair.

The repetitive action soothed him. 

Inhaling deeply, Gonn continued.

"And yesterday when I saw her being attacked, the outrage I felt was... shocking. I was furious, Maximus, I almost lost it. I could barely stop myself from hitting him." 

It was only when she was pressed snugly against him, with his arm wrapped around her, that he could start to breathe again.

Gon furrowed his brow, swiping frustratedly at the beads of perspiration trickling down his temple.

He was rattled by the tendrils of protective feelings towards Taeeul that was budding within him. 

"I barely know her, you know. I mean, I do have all the background information and it does seem like whatever it is about her being my aide seemed to be true. But I've only known her for a few weeks. And whenever she's not next to me, I start to doubt her and her motives again."

Maximus grunted, nuzzling his nose against Gon's face to comfort him. 

"It's... destabilising, Maximus."

"I enjoy being around her and every single moment that I've spent with her. Things make sense when she's next to me. But I doubt I can fully trust her. I just can't. Well, not yet anyway."

She had clung to him when she needed him.

Not for power nor for riches, merely because he brought her comfort.

That was it.

Or so it seemed. 

And Gon didn't know what to make of it. 

"What should I do with Jeong Taeeul, Maximus? Should I keep her with me?"

Maximus shook his head, refusing to respond. Yet his chocolate brown eyes were soft with affection for Gon, as if the answer was clear to him. 

"Do you think it's going to be okay?" 

Maximus raised his front hooves, one after the other, neighing gaily.

It had an uplifting effect, raising Gon's spirits when he cheered him on like that. He smiled gratefully and patted Maximus' neck.

It helped to confirm what Gon suspected he already knew he wanted to do. 

"Thanks buddy."

I'll win her over.

Everything else can come later. 

Chapter Text

Jeong Taeeul, are you free on Sunday, 6pm?

Who's this? How did you get my number? 

This is your King.

Got your number from Secretary Mo. 

Oh

Erm

How should I greet you over text, Your Majesty?

And why are we meeting? 

It's fine. We can keep this informal.

I'd like to get to know you better. 

Do you finally believe me, Your Majesty?

You'll find out when you meet me.

Why do you ask so many questions?

Job hazard

What do you want to do, Your Majesty? 

Let's do an activity together.

And you can drop the title.

Ah, thanks

Honestly, I doubt we have much in common

What do you suggest? 

How about the amusement park? 

I'm sure there's plenty to do there.

Wouldn't security be a nightmare?

I have Yeong.

And you.

We'll be fine.

If you say so

I can't exactly refuse the King

Right?

You could. Though I'd rather you don't. 

I'll see you at Everland at 6pm? 

Someone will pick you up. 

I can get there myself

I insist. It's safer this way.

Secretary Mo will be in touch. 

Well. I think I can protect myself.

But fine

Great.

It's a date. 

Date?! 

Jeong Taeeul sat up from her lying position, slightly alarmed. She was tucking herself in for the night when she received the King's texts.  

Taeeul shook her head, her messy hair in fluttering in a wild cloud.

The King was clearly against the notion of marriage.  

Yet, despite his doubts, he did not hesitate to intervene when she needed his help. He was, at the very least, concerned for her safety - if that meant anything. 

Her body flushed at the memory.

The monarch had held her tightly against the warmth of his body as he guided her out of the interrogation room. All the physical pain and feelings of panic that came from tussling with the man had quickly ebbed away. 

Taeeul leaned back against her nest of pillows, allowing their cool softness to envelope her in a cosy cocoon. 

Instead, all Taeeul felt was sweet, almost euphoric, relief. Like how she felt when he had tried to kiss her. 

Taeeul had never known how a kiss felt like - there was never a point for her to explore that side of herself, for nothing meaningful would ever come to fruition.

She traced the glow-in-the-dark stars that were pasted on her ceiling with a finger. The stars connected formed the Gemini constellation. The twins, lives entwined at birth. Like King and Aide, connected by fate. 

Thinking that she was destined to never enjoy the joys of the flesh, Taeeul had accepted her fate and embraced singlehood. And she enjoyed it. She relished her personal space, autonomy and freedom to do whatever she wanted and at anytime she wanted. 

it was great. 

Her only gripe was watching movies on her own - it would be nice to have someone to go to the theatres with.

But there's always Netflix. 

Then the King came along.

And now, Taeeul had a better idea of what she had been missing out on. His presence and his touch, had awoken a part of her that she assumed did not exist.

It was messy and exciting and scary.

So why did you push him away? 

Taeeul closed her eyes and buried herself further under her covers. 

When you wanted to kiss him back?

Lee Gon grinned as he closed the WhatsApp chat window. Excitement bloomed at the pit of his belly. 

Starting from his late teens, Gon took endless ettiquette lessons on how to behave with members of the opposite sex, how to play the game, and creative ways to reject any unwanted advances politely. 

He opened the internet browser and typed his question in the search bar. 

Gon was never truly interested in the ladies, much to the ire of his royal uncle and Secretary Mo, who had to monitor the press closely for any undesirable pieces on his sexuality or sexual abilities.

Chuckling at what he was doing, and feeling a tad foolish, Gon thumbed through the search results. 

He had needs, of course. He merely preferred to fulfill them discreetly. Gon disliked the unnecessary complication that came with maintaining a romantic partner. They require too much effort. Gon was solely focused on the prosperity of his country and on eradicated any potential traitors in his Kingdom. There was never any impetus to learn the ways of courting. 

Until Jeong Taeeul came along. 

Now, that there was someone that he was actually motivated to keep, someone imperative to his reign. He felt galvanised by the thought of doing something that he had never done before.  

So, he did what anyone would do in this situation. 

According to Google and Wikihow, the first thing one needs to do when you want to court a girl is to learn more about her. 

Well duh. He had all the information he needed from the in-depth reports he received from Secretary Mo. 

Lieutenant Jeong Taeeul. 30 years old.

Lives with Father and Grandmother (previously the High Priestess of Corea).

Best friends with Myeong Nari and Kang Sinjae.

Works as a detective at Seoul Jongno Violent Crimes Squad 3.

Splits time between fighting crime and having Chimaek 

Taekwando Black Belter. 

Can Detect Lies. 100% accuracy. 

No SNS accounts. 

No past or present romantic interests. 

What he did not know, was who she really was beyond these facts. 

He paused at a peculiar article. 

'36 Questions for Increasing Relational Closeness' 

Hmm. Might be a good place to start. 

Lee Gon sent the link to his phone and closed the web browser.

He was ready for his first date. 

Jeong Taeeul turned at the sound of her name.

She had arrived at Everland just five minutes ago, flanked by two royal guards who received her at the side entrance.

The amusement park was alive with flashing lights of neon pink and yellow, a striking contrast against the rapidly darkening sky. It was late autumn and temperatures had started to dip, especially after sunset. 

The King had his hands in his pockets as he jogged towards her with long, quick strides. Taeeul tightened her trench coat around her body, suddenly self-conscious.

"You're here."  

Dressed plainly in a black tracksuit and running shoes, the King flashed his megawatt smile at her. The bill of his baseball cap covered most of his forehead, casting dark shadows across his large expressive eyes.

"You look pretty today, Jeong Taeeul." 

She tucked a loose fringe behind her ear, discomfitted by the compliment. Especially because she had taken special care not to overthink her outfit for the day - she was dressed simply, in her usual white tee and loose jeans. 

She did apply some lipstick though. 

"Uh, thanks. Your Majesty."

Around them were milling crowds of families and tourists, out to enjoy the last bit of warmth before winter kicks in. 

Taeeul spied Jo Yeong, dressed in inconspicuous civilian clothing, talking into his wrist. She was not surprised to see him. Over her shoulder, she quickly identified several other royal guards hidden in plain sight. 

She wondered briefly how and why the King arranged this outing, especially when there was a recent attempt at his life. 

Isn't this pretty risky for a paranoid monarch? 

"We'll be fine. This is not the first time the security team had to do this." The King's baritone voice in her ear drew her attention back to him.

Taeeul moved her head instinctively away, trying to resist swatting at her ear to get rid of the fuzzy feeling that was slipping up her flushed neck. 

He smiled, rising back to his full height. Inclining his chin towards the game booths, he gave her another suave smile. "So, which do you want to do first?" 

Urgh. He must go on dates pretty often.

Taeeul shook her head in an attempt to dismiss the flare of annoyance at the thought of that. 

"Let's go shooting."

Lee Gon watched as Jeong Taeeul gleefully accepted another large stuffed lion, much to the dismay of the game vendor. 

Scattered clapping from behind him told Gon that they had gathered a crowd of curious onlookers. And this time, the people were not there because of him. 

It was Jeong Taeeul and her perfect shooting skills. 

They had spent the last hour at the booth, and she had shot down all 100 targets that were strategically placed on the counter. 

Twice. 

Today, Gon learnt that Taeeul was a sharp shooter. One shot, one kill. 

He also learnt that Taeeul had a competitive streak in her.

And it was adorable. 

"Here, you can have one." She said, as she passed the oversized stuffed toy to him, her bright eyes were smug and playful. "My dad taught me to share what I have."  

Gon had played two rounds too, but his prizes were humble. Glancing down at the two keychains that he won from getting only 50% of the targets, he realised that they were the miniature versions of Taeeul's stuffed toys. 

"Let's swap then. You can have one of mine." He leaned forward to slip a keychain into her coat pocket. His fingers accidentally brushed past the back of Taeeul's hand, and she froze at the contact. 

He glanced up to meet her startled eyes, his face mask hiding the large grin that was hanging off his cheeks.

At this proximity, he could make out each separate strand of eyelash that framed her eyes and the light sun freckles that dotted across her nose. Her scent was unexpectedly feminine. 

Gon withdrew nonchalantly, and a little reluctantly, pretending not to take notice of his effect on her. 

"T-thanks, Your Majesty," Taeeul muttered as she shuffled backwards. She turned away from him to pick up the other stuffed lion. Gon later learnt that it was called a Minomi. 

An excited chatter in the crowd behind them and Yeong's sudden appearance to him informed Gon that his cover was blown. 

"Time to go, Jeong Taeeul. We seemed to have attracted quite a bit of attention."  

Taeeul's eyes widened as she scanned their surroundings. More families were starting to gather and move curiously towards them, pointing and whispering to each other. His guards were moving in, stopping to talk to people who had their phones and cameras out. 

"Ah, I understand, Your Majesty. Are we going home?" 

"Of course not. The night is still young. I heard you enjoy Chimaek."

Without waiting for her reply, Gon slung his free arm across her shoulders and started to guide her to his car. "Let's walk and talk at the same time. Do you know a good Chimaek place?" 

"I- I... " Taeeul stuttered. 

"Does my touch feel uncomfortable, Jeong Taeeul?" 

"Yes, uh -, I mean, no." 

"No? You look pretty uncomfortable to me." Gon teased. He watched as a series of emotions flitted through her eyes. 

"Yes, I mean. No, your touch doesn't feel uncomfortable. It just feels uncomfortable, because, well. It's you, Your Majesty. The King." 

"Well. I guess I'll just have to help you get used to it. We should get to know each other, Aide."

Taeeul's raised a perfectly arched brow, eyeing his face carefully. He could tell that she was still suspicious of his intentions.

Gon shrugged, must be another job hazard. 

No matter. 

"So, Chimaek?" 

Chapter Text

Jeong Taeeul would never say no to Chimaek. 

When she was growing up, Chimaek was a Saturday night tradition. Her mother would have a day off cooking, and they would order in some ban-ban. It was the only day in the week that her father would break out his precious alcohol stash, while her mother pretended to be all impressed and Halmi rolled her eyes at his silly antics. 

She loved Chimaek nights. And of course, brought the King to her favourite Chimaek spot.

Taeeul eagerly picked up a piece of chicken drumstick and bit into it, delighting in the crunch under her teeth and the sharp Yangnyeom sauce hitting her tongue. 

Even after her mother passed away, their family kept up with this tradition. This particular shop was where Taeeul celebrated her 18th birthday. She could still remember the excitement of finally having beer instead of soda. Her father, equally excited, had mixed Taeeul her very first Somaek, on the pretext of training up her alcohol tolerance. 

"Here are your drinks."

Two ice cold mugs of beer, soju bottles and mixing glasses arrived. The King was amused, chuckling, as he watched Taeeul crack open the soju eagerly. 

At first, she could not believe that the King had no idea what a Somaek was. He was lucky that she was in a generous mood today and had decided to take it upon herself to educate him.

One shot of soju, then top it up with beer.

She passed the concoction to the waiting monarch. "Here, one shot." She said, flicking her fingers. 

The King raised a quizzical eyebrow, "Why do you want to mix soju and beer together? They taste perfectly fine on their own."

"Whyever not? Aish. You don't know what you're missing out on." 

He picked up the beer glass and examined the blend. From the corner of her eye, she could see his aristocratic nose angled into the glass, sniffing at it curiously. 

She wrinkled her own nose at the sight, trying not to judge, and started on her own drink. 

Another savoury mouthful of Yangnyeom chicken, chased down with Somaek. Taeeul revelled in the bubbly sensation gushing down her throat. 

Ah, heaven. 

"Wow, how can a drink even taste like this," the King gasped after he had his first sip, his eyes widening. "I have never tasted anything like this before."

Taeeul met his eyes, smiling at the childlike wonder on his face. "See what I mean?"

The King bobbed his head.

She was suddenly aware of their close proximity. Seated next to each other with their shoulders almost touching, Taeeul realised just how much space the statuesque man took up, in this snug little booth. 

it took all of her self control not to move closer to him. Just an inch, and their shoulders would meet.

"You're right. Thanks for sharing this with me, Jeong Taeeul." There was a twinkle in his eye when he flashed her a dazzling smile.

Taeeul gulped.

Her heart hammering in her chest, Taeeul turned her head away to down more Somaek. The butterflies in her tummy were colliding with each other.

Urgh. 

She didn't like how her body responded to him so readily, even without any physical touch. Tugging at the neckline of her t-shirt uncomfortably, Taeeul tried to distract herself by surveying their surroundings.

The shop was bustling with the dinner crowd, but they were thoughtfully seated at a private booth by the large full length windows that showcased a gorgeous view of the river. Outside, the sky had turned a dusty dark blue, the only light coming from the bright street lamps that lined the Hangang. 

His deep velvety voice drew her attention back to him. 

"Why don't you pick the next question from the list?"

Ah. Another question. 

The King had presented a list of 36 questions to her, claiming that research suggested that if they went through the questions together, they would grow closer. 

Taeeul was skeptical initially, but he proposed that they give it a go, and could stop whenever she felt uncomfortable. She couldn't find any reason to disagree. 

It was probably because they had nothing to lose. And she definitely had a lot to gain. 

Taeeul snuck a sideway glance at the King. He was still looking at her, with his set of unwavering eyes. 

Would this be my life now? Filled with endless experiments?

They took turns to answer questions, starting on the ones that felt less invasive.

She found out that his favourite memory was of his mother teaching him to read, and shared that hers was when she watched crime television with her father. As the night progressed, the vague standoffishness that permeated their initial interactions was replaced by open curiosity and genuine attentiveness.

Emboldened by liquid courage, Taeeul blurted out the question that was on her mind all evening. 

"Why did you want to go on a date with me, Your Majesty?" 

Taeeul tilted her head up to meet his eyes and found herself mere inches away from the King.

"Is it not obvious enough? Jeong Taeeul?" 

They were sharing the same pocket of air, the warm puff of his breath setting her cheeks ablaze.

She froze, unable to pull away. 

"Don't look at me like that." The King murmured.  

"Like what," Taeeul whispered back. 

"Like I'm the most fascinating person in the entire-" The King was interrupted by his hiccup, which was followed closely with a little burp.

Taeeul scoffed.

It was strange seeing this side of her polished monarch.  

"With all due respect, that was kinda gross, Your Majesty."

"I don't like that." He declared, lips pursed tight. "Stop that, Jeong Taeeul." 

"Stop what?" 

"I thought I've told you before. The respect bit." The King grumbled. "And the endless Your Majestying. It's annoying." 

"Well, you are my King. I don't think there's an alternative." 

Taeeul was tickled by the dramatic changes in his facial expression.

The King was actually pouting now, his voice going up another octave higher. Who'd knew that a big strapping man could actually be a lightweight? 

"There is." The King insisted, his thick worm-like brows were drawn. "There is an alternative." 

"Oh is there now," Taeeul asked playfully as she took a sip of Somaek. The King mirrored her, drinking deeply.

"Okay, tell me what it is, Your Majesty, and I'll call you that instead." 

The King slammed his glass on the table and exhaled loudly to express his pleasure. 

"Lee Gon."

He patted his chest in pride. "My name, which I've just decided that you can call, is Lee Gon." He flashed her a boyish smile. 

Taeeul gaped, her lips parted, unsure of how to react. The butterflies in her tummy were rioting again. 

"Come on, try it. G- ohhhhhhnnnn. Gon." 

"Uh. Your Majesty? I think you're drunk." 

The King scoffed. "Drunk? What nonsense. I'm perfectly sober. C'mon, Jeong Taeeul, I want you to try it." The King started gesturing at her, growing impatient. "I want to hear my name coming from your lips." 

Taeeul took another swig of Somaek. 

"Gon." 

Everything around him seemed to slow down when she said his name. 

In her voice, his name was said with reverance and ended with a gentle sigh. Soft, raspy and low, it sent warm tingles down his spine. 

He liked it. Very much. 

His gaze traced her lips, bright red and a little swollen from the spicy sauce. He wanted a taste.

"Again." 

Taeeul stood up abruptly.

She was averting her eyes, looking at anywhere but at Gon. 

"Uh, Your Maj-, uh. G-Gon. I think it's time we leave this place." 

She whacked him on his arm and squeezed past him roughly. His eyes widened and his body went rigid, he tried to say something but nothing came out of his mouth. 

In an instant, the fuzziness from the alcohol dissipated and he was suddenly very aware of his surroundings.

His arm, felt like it was on fire. 

Nobody whacks him on his arm.

"I'll get this one, since you know, uh, you had a hard time at the shooting booth."

His eyes followed her as she escaped. Her gait was unsteady but she managed to make it to the cashier counter. 

He turned back to the table, mouth still parted in disbelief.

Nobody whacks him, period.  

Gon chuckled to himself, incredulous.  

It feels good when I hit you too.

Suddenly, a roar of laughter tumbled through him. 

He knew the moment was lost. Yet, he found that he actually liked the way she acted. 

She really is special, this Jeong Taeeul. 

This was the first time he had ever felt this way, and Gon welcomed the feeling of intimacy that came with it. She was treating him like a person, instead of a monarch. Perhaps even like a friend, he hoped. 

He found himself hoping for more. And that's a first. 

Gon whipped out his phone. 

I know you're watching us.

I'm fine and having a good time.

We're leaving.

Don't follow us.

Where are you going, Your Majesty?

It's not safe.

I'll just make sure the area is cleared.

We'll follow from afar.

No. 

Trust me. 

This is a calculated risk. 

I'll be fine. 

Just leave.

I'll text you when I'm done or need help. 

That might be too late, Your Majesty.

Just me. Promise.

Will be unobtrusive

you wouldn't even notice I'm there.

No. 

Leave. 

This is an order. 

... ...

Yes, Your Majesty.

Jo Yeong raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.

The King had always been exceedingly careful about his security. And now he's doing this. For a girl. 

Jeong Taeeul. 

The King led Jeong Taeeul to an obscure part of the Hangang.  

The autumn wind was refreshingly cool against her flushed cheeks and the night air was tinged with the scent of freshly cut grass.

"Ah, I love this," declared the King, one Lee Gon, as he spread his arms out across the railing and faced the gently rippling waters. 

"Eo, this spot is really nice." Taeeul stopped next to him and rested her hip against the cold metal bars. "You must have been on dates here before," she teased.

They had strolled over from the chicken shop, and thankfully no one recognised their monarch under the cover of darkness.

"Why?" He reached over to coax a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The action sent pleasurable shivers down her spine, and she ducked away defensively. "Jealous already, Taeeul-ie?" 

"Taeeul-ie?" She scanned his face. It was still flushed from the alcohol. He smiled, not answering her unspoken question. 

"No." She paused, unsure of how to put her jumbled up thoughts in words. "Just noting the difference between us." 

"The difference? Tell me." He urged. 

"Well for starters, you are King whilst I am your subject." 

"I told you to call me by my name." His voice remained low even though they were alone. "That puts us on par with each other, no?" It felt like he was murmuring directly into her ear. 

"How about dating experience then? I've never dated before. This was my first date." 

"Never, ever?" His eyes widened in surprise. "Wow." 

She shook it off. "Well, it didn't make sense for me to date, right? It was going to be fruitless. There would be no physical affection. Anyway, I've accepted it." 

He nodded thoughtfully. A mixture of emotions that Taeeul couldn't quite place flitted across his eyes. "Well, now I'm here."

"You are. And so what?" 

"Well, you know you can smack me and it would feel good - that counts as physical affection, no?" He reasoned with a straight face.

It made her smile. 

"Taeeul-ah, I'm here. For your services as aide, you could use me - for your pleasure." He winked mischievously, yet his tone was serious. "Have you never felt curious? To know how it feels like?" 

She didn't know how to respond. Taeeul was curious, of course. Anyone would be. She still is, if she could be honest with herself.

Gon shifted to rest his arms on the railings on either side of her, closing her in. His movements were slow and unrushed. He bent his head and gazed down at her, his eyes filled with a sudden intensity. 

"Taeeul-ah, you could kiss me now, if you want to." 

Chapter Text

Lee Gon wanted it.

He searched within his slightly inebriated self, allowing the crisp air to nip at his nose and the soft swishing of the river to ground him in the moment. He didn't know exactly when Jeong Taeeul had stopped being a good idea, and became a burning desire.

He wanted to kiss her. 

Perhaps the drinks that she concocted for him was a magic potion, allowing him to sweep aside the threads of worry, revealing what he truly wanted. 

And he wanted her to want him too. 

He gripped the railings with tense fingers at the revelation. Fingers that were using the icy sensation of the metal bars to resist his urge to feel the heat of her reddened cheeks against his knuckles.

The knowledge that his touch had the power to pleasure her, had become a barrier. Gon wanted Jeong Taeeul to kiss him because he was, well, him. And not because he was her only option. He wanted, no, needed to know that she was as into this as he was.

His eyes met hers again. Even as her features were marred with hesitation, Taeeul was beautiful under the moonlight.

"Hey. You don't have to, if you don't want to, Jeong Taeeul."

Gon murmured, his fingers reached out involuntarily to catch a loose strand of hair that was fluttering in the river breeze. He tucked it behind the shell of her ear, gingerly, still resisting the urge to touch her.

A visible shudder ran through her body, but Taeeul did not reply.

Gon reached for the icy cold railing again. 

Come to me, Jeong Taeeul. 

Gon was surprised by the twinge of sympathy that he felt for the teenager Taeeul probably was.

Awkward and lanky, he surmised, and slightly tomboyish. She would definitely be pretty, with her bright almond eyes and all that spunk. Anyone she chose to love would receive all the affection in the universe, and then some. 

Love. 

Gon shook his head. He was getting ahead of himself.

Focusing his eyes on her again, he willed her to do something, anything. She was still looking at him, eyes wide and assessing.

Tenderness seeped into his gaze. If Jeong Taeeul chose to kiss him, she will do it with her both eyes wide open.

Gon found that reassuring. 

He inched his chin forward, just a little. She remained still as a statue.

He was starting to become aware that the faint scent of honey blossoms was coming from her neck, and it was distracting, assaulting his senses. Gon fought the urge to tuck his nose at that exact pulse point. 

A losing battle.

Then everything happened all at once. 

Taeeul's lashes swept down as her eyes lowered to the focus on his lips. The intensity of her gaze unfurled the heat that reached out across his chest, the growl that Gon had been trying so hard to suppress rose up his throat again. 

He tilted his nose, ever so slightly, and waited for her lips to meet his.

Jeong Taeeul was as soft as a cloud.

Her lips felt like the brush of a falling flower petal on a warm spring day as it landed on against his lips. They pressed against his mouth, once, twice, and then a third time before she let out a soft moan at the foreign sensation. 

She start to withdraw, a pretty blush colouring her cheeks as her glassy eyes looked up in wonder. But he couldn't allow that, no.

Not yet.

He leaned in towards her, a corner of his lips rising subconsciously.

"That, is just a peck, Jeong Taeeul."

He nosed her velvety cheek and she let out a quiet gasp, her mouth parting for him perfectly.  

Gon closed his eyes and caught hold of her lower lip. It had been the subject of her endless worrying and was in need of his soothing.

He suckled at it experimentally, first the thin corner of her lip, then sliding toward the plump, moist centre. He was rewarded with another little moan, her hands grabbing hold of his jacket to pull him closer to her, their bodies meeting.

Jeong Taeeul was an eager student.

Gon had wanted to go slow, pace themselves, but lost it when he felt the stroke of her tongue against his lip, tentatively reaching out at first, then hot and searching when he opened his mouth further to allow her curious exploration. When her tongue met his, it stoked something primal deep within him, all thoughts about not touching her, forgotten. 

Gon released the railing to wrap his arms around her. His hands splayed across the narrowest part of her waist and he marvelled at the violent shiver that down the length of her being.

This pleased Gon, greatly.

He urged her body upwards to kiss her deeper, matching her tongue stroke for stroke, groaning at the delicious sensation of her body grounding against his.

Her knees finally buckled, and their lips separated unwillingly. She rested her forehead on his heaving chest, both breathing deeply to replenish the oxygen that they denied their bodies in favour of the other's lips. 

Gon slid his arm up her pretty neck to cup her face in his palm, content to just look at her.

Jeong Taeeul was an image to behold. 

Her eyes were glassy, utterly lost and confused. Her lips were swollen and bright red, thoroughly kissed. 

His thumb lingered at her lower lip, delighting at the soft whimper that seemed to come from the centre of her chest. He blew wickedly into her ear and whispered.

"And this, Jeong Taeeul, is a kiss."

Jeong Taeeul buried herself deeper under the cocoon of her duvet, trying in vain to dismiss the image of her monarch, one Lee Gon, and his lips, from her mind.

Something shifted within her after the kiss. 

It dredged up the feelings that she thought she had buried deep in the darkest crevices of her mind. The banished emotions. The wishful desire she convinced herself that she had never felt. 

Now that Lee Gon seemed just as interested in this relationship, Taeeul couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards him any longer. 

It erupted with the kiss, hunger burning through her entire being. Like eager seedlings breaking through soil, springing free into the sunlight. 

She remembered the silly expression on Nari's face when she fantasised about Jo Yeong as a teenager.

Well, Taeeul was quite sure that her own face was the exact same, frozen into that very same expression whenever her mind wandered to that kiss. 

And his husky voice that pulled at the pit of her belly. 

She grumbled loudly into her pillow, frustrated. 

Her mind was bombarding her with flashback of the evening, and boy was it noisy. 

His words and actions were repeated and examined over and over again. Like a broken video recorder replaying itself. Ceaselessly. 

She never knew how blessed with peace and quiet she was. Until today. 

Sighing, she flopped on her belly under her makeshift blanket fort and propped her face up. 

Their first date had ended with him sending her home, made slightly less awkward with the company of his two body guards.

Jo Yeong, who muttered tersely at Lee Gon under his breath while he glared at them ever so often through the rearview mirror, and a Ho Seok Pil, who answered her questions amiably but choked when she called Gon by his name. 

They had both sobered up by the time Gon was walking her to her doorstep, his hands tucked primly behind his back, ending their first date like a perfect gentleman.

Before they parted, he asked for a second date, proposing that they see where it takes them.

Taeeul couldn't read his intentions and only raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"What's this all about, Lee Gon? I thought you were not interested in marriage?"

"As my aide, you were meant to stay by my side." He paused. "Think of dating as a form of probation."

"Why? All of a sudden?" 

Seeking clarification, Taeeul had touched his arm on impulse. But she found no answers.

All she felt was supple muscle and desire. Desire that started tugging insistently in the her belly. 

She had let go almost immediately. 

The King shrugged. "I like being around you." His smouldering eyes were boring into hers, seeking a response. It sparked a warm fire that spread from the centre of her being and sent her heart fluttering.  

Trying to play it cool, she merely nodded. 

"Dating? Sure." 

Taeeul flopped on her back, her legs thrashing wildly at her sheets. She was anything but cool right now. There was this tightly coiled tension in her body that just would not go away.

At that very moment, her phone vibrated.

I had a good time tonight. Sleep well, Taeeul-ie. 

She growled into her pillow.

Koo Seoryeong slammed the tablet against her desk and stood up, incensed, her chair sweeping back with a loud creak. 

"What?!"

Secretary Kim jumped back hastily to get out of her way, used to the Prime Minister's displays of anger.

It was three in the morning and they had just finished looking at the pile of documents for tomorrow's sitting when the message came in. He sighed internally, regretting having to be the one to inform her. 

"He's dating Jeong Taeeul?" She snarled, her beautiful face was twisted in rage. 

Secretary Kim only nods, remaining still in his spot, knowing not to respond. 

"I seemed to have underestimated the King." The woman had started pacing the length of her office, balancing perfectly on her stilettos. He could see the wheels in her head turning rapidly.

"First he manages to find his aide, then he beheads our member and now, this?!"

Where did she get all this energy?

"When was the last teaching session, Secretary Kim?"

"A week before the assassination... attempt."  

"Bring forward the next one. And arrange a meeting with the leaders, it's time we meet." 

Chapter Text

"The King is in the way of the Old Practice, with him on the throne, we will never be able to reinstate the practice." 

Lee Jongin and Noh Oknam exchanged worried looks as they watched the Prime Minister, Koo Seoryeong, nodding at the vehement comment. Seated in the crowd, she looked poised and thoughtful, her doe-like eyes a picture of innocent concern. 

The heated discussion was currently taking place in an underground boardroom. It was a cavernous space created from stone, meaning that the air was cold and damp, and when anyone spoke, their voices reverberated loudly around the room.

Oknam managed to convince the Prince to bring her to this session, to meet the followers of the Old Practice.

She had hoped that she would meet an old counterpart, someone that the Prince might not have recognised but perhaps she would. She scanned the sea of angry faces, hoping against hope that she would find someone familiar. 

But Prince Buyeong was right, she noted dismayingly.

None of them were left. 

These were the new followers of the Old Practice. An incredibly mixed bunch too, Oknam observed, with people of all ages and societal statuses.

And today, following a teaching sesion, the congregation began talking about ways to reinstate the Old Practice - apparently a regular item on their meeting agenda. 

"Perhaps the King could be converted back to the Practice? Afterall, his family benefitted from it for centuries."

"That's impossible. His father was killed by the traitor and he grew up a man of Science. He would never believe in it." 

"Why do we have to meet in secret? Why do we have to practise in secret?"   

"Without the King, our practice would be free." 

"That's a dangerous assumption. No one knows if his heir would allow us to reinstate the Old Practice." 

"Well, at the very least we know that he, or she, would sympathise our cause."

A hush came over the crowd as they threw furtive looks at their Prime Minister and Prince Buyeong, who were seated at opposite ends of the room. 

Koo Seoryeong was the one who addressed them first. 

"I hear your concern, and quite frankly, I do agree that the King's current stand is unfair to our Practice."

The Prime Minister raised her brows, allowing her eyes to go round and soft. "However, he is our chosen King... " A helpless sigh escaped her mouth before she bit down on her brightly coloured lip. 

Murmurs of dissent started in response to that. 

"The monarchy relied on the Old Practice for centuries!"

"Yes! As the King, he should be the last person to turn his back on us?!" 

The noise within the boardroom became almost unbearable as more started to add their views to the discussion. 

In this single moment, Oknam realised that the congregation's fervant passion was the perfect dry kindling for the King's assassination. 

And it was anyone's guess when it would turn into a wildfire. 

Kang Sinjae watched from the corner of his eye as Jeong Taeeul picked up her belongings. After zipping up her bag, she aimed her empty coffee cup at the waste basket - it flew in a perfect arc and landed noisily in the recycling bin.

She punched the air triumphantly. "Still got it!" She said to no one in particular.

"Yah, Jeong Taeeul. Leaving already?" He asked, faking a yawn as he stood up for a stretch, allowing his eyes to take her in. 

She was dressed simply, as Sinjae knew she usually did, in neutral colours of beige and blue.

But Sinjae could tell that she had primped for her date. Her eyes were lined ever so slightly, her nose was light pink and her lips were not their natural colour - they were a muted red and tinted. 

Ready to be kissed.

"Eo, he's supposed to be picking me up in a bit." 

Sinjae swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and watched as Taeeul checked her phone.

The right side of her mouth quirked upwards when she saw the incoming message, "Oh actually, he's already been waiting. Time to go, Hyung-nim."

She wiggled her phone cheekily at him and sniffled, before turning to leave.

"Taeeul-ah, you sure about this?" Sinjae called out tentatively. 

She paused, startled, turning back to face him. 

Ah, her ponytail's perkier than usual too. 

"Hyung-nim?" Her prettily drawn brows were arched in question.  

This was the first time Sinjae ever said anything aloud about the budding... situation between the King and Taeeul.

Ever since the day at the interrogation room, Sinjae had started to catch shy, wistful smiles coming from one glowing Jeong Taeeul as she snuck glances at the King whenever the monarch was in the same room as her.

He had never seen that look on Taeeul's face, growing up. 

Not once.

And he should be happy for her to have finally found someone who would never give her physical pain with his touch.

He certainly was not it. 

No. 

"Nevermind." Sinjae waved his hands impatiently at her and cocked his head in the direction of the exit. "Leave." 

Taeeul nodded and gave him a small smile, before bounding out of the station, her wavy hair swishing gently behind her.  

He never stood a chance. 

Jeong Taeeul paused for a moment as she stepped beyond the automatic glass doors of the station. 

The sun had already made its way beyond the horizon, the remaining rays streaking purple and pink against the darkened sky. There was a distinct wintry bite in the air and she tightened the sash of her woollen coat to stop the chill from spreading. 

Lee Gon was already waiting for her. 

A black Audi was parked at the corner of the carpark, flanked by another black sedan and a black motorcycle. Despite their muted colours, it was a rather eye-catching entourage. Taeeul shrugged resignedly when she spied Jo Yeong on the Ducatti, surmising that this was as inconspicuous as it would ever get with the King.

Gon was leaning casually against the passenger car door, his face turned expectantly towards the doors of the station. From the tilt of his chin, Taeeul knew that Gon was watching her. 

This was their fifth date, and so far, each date had lasted longer than the previous one. Taeeul had found herself either strolling down different park areas of the Hangang river or hiking up the royal forest, safely hidden away from prying eyes. They enjoyed spent their time together talking, much like their first date. It was a silly little thing between them now, merely holding hands and asking each other questions, taking turns to answer them honestly. 

Well, as honestly as she could tell. This was a first for her.

He, was a first for her.

Taeeul, blessed with the truth, had never ever gotten a chance to trust her own instincts, and found herself enjoying the process of getting to know Gon. 

Naturally. 

Well, as naturally as they can get. Today, they decided on a date at a public area instead and he was supposed to be in disguise.

Dressed plainly in a black turtleneck and slacks, unfortunately, had accentuated rather than mask his tall and royal bearing. This man was not very adept at this. Taeeul easily identified his large expressive eyes peeking out from between the black face mask and his unstyled floppy mop of hair. 

His eyes caught hers, and for the umpteenth time in his presence, Taeeul could feel the butterflies unsettling her belly. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tried not to blush. 

It did not help that the light from the street lamps was reflected by the shiny car paint, casting a golden halo around the man. 

Taeeul couldn't help but chuckle. It really was not easy for the King to hide his, well, kingliness. 

Absentmindedly swiping at her nose with a finger and adjusting the backpack on her shoulders, Taeeul headed towards him. 

"Hey, it's cold outside. Why are you not waiting in the car?" 

"So I can do this." Gon opened the door with a flourish and a little bow. 

She rolled her eyes and stepped into the toasty car.

"I don't need- "

Gon merely wiggled his finger at her, before shutting the door in her face. She scoffed and watched as he jogged over to the driver's seat. 

"Have you been waiting for long?" 

"Not at all, I enjoy waiting for you."

Taeeul paused, sweeping her eyes downwards to busy herself with buckling up. "Did this line work on your ex-girlfriend too?"

He was in the middle of tucking his face mask in his pocket. From the corner of her eye, Taeeul could see the slow smile that started to spread across his face.

"Why? Are you jealous?" 

"No," Taeeul huffed. "Just wondering where you learnt to be so smooth." 

"Do you really want to know?" Gon turned to face her as he buckled on his seatbelt. "I could show you."

She cocked her head in confusion. 

"Show me? What do you mean?"  

Gon turned on the engine, and started to head out of the carpark.

"Sit tight. You'll see." 

Lee Gon swept his arms wide open before declaring, "This, Jeong Taeeul, is where I learnt the rules of the game." 

The woman only raised an eyebrow. There was a hint of mirth in her eyes, and before she even said anything, Gon could already hear her teasing him about being a nerd, the fact seemed to tickle her whenever it was brought up.   

"You brought me back home to show me," she burst out laughing, her eyes transforming into moon crescents, "your books?" 

"Uh-huh, stop laughing." He demanded, grabbing her arm gently. She quietened at his touch, only raising her brows. Her cheeks were still raised in amusement. "And to be honest, I'm rather proud of it. You wanted to know where I learnt stuff. And this is where. My books are my teachers."

"Don't you have social etiquette coaches or something?" 

Gon guided her to his favourite corner of the room, and pushed her gently down on the daybed by the bay window. The scenery outside was dark, with the occasional lamppost illuminating the wizened trees and barren shrubbery of the royal garden in winter. 

"I did have coaches, but there was never really anyone I could trust to you know, talk about such things. And it's not like I could ask Yeongie about it."

"That must have been hard." He could see sympathy flashing across her eyes fleetingly. "You must have felt so alone." 

"But never lonely," Gon smiled warmly. "Look, the books did help." He took her hand in his, marvelling at how they fit perfectly. He could feel his heart growing full. "Here you are."

He pressed a chaste kiss against the back of her hand. Her fingers only tightened around his. She seemed to be getting used to his physical affection now, and was no longer pulling away from him.

"Well, not exactly. Technically, an assasin brought us together. Or the prophecy. Or the Old Practice. Depending on who you're asking."

Gon sighed heavily. 

"Taeeul-ah, do you believe in the Old Practice?" He gazed into her eyes, hoping to find the answer that he wanted. That he needed. 

"I... " She bit her lip, as if trying to search for the right response. "I was raised on it. By Halmi. It was a big part of my life." Her eyes grew worried as she watched his face fall.

Gon regretted bringing the topic up immediately. It was too early to talk about it. It was too soon for him to decide what to do about it. 

"I understand, Taeeul-ah." He tried to smile as reassuringly as he could. "Let's not talk about it here." He pointed to a corner of the room. "There are security cameras everywhere here. There's probably six pairs of eyes watching us right now. Here, let's wave to them."

He raised his arm, watching Jeong Taeeul's reaction from the corner of his eyes.

The woman was completely frozen, her eyes wide, unsure about how to proceed. Her arm slid tentatively halfway upwards limply and he smiled. 

"I'm joking." He grabbed her hand to pull it down into his lap.

"There's maximum privacy in my study. It's the one of the few places in the Kingdom where I am actually allowed to be my true self." 

She was stiill glancing at the corner of the room, suspicious. "I wouldn't put it past Jo Yeong to make sure you're not in any trouble."

"Correction. If Yeong did that, it would be to make sure that I'm not up to any trouble." 

Gon could still recall how he tried to ditch Yeong during one of his dates with Taeeul. "That man's relentless. Some days I wonder what it would be if I never made him my unbreakable sword." 

Taeeul shrugged and pointed out helpfully, "he's also very, very loyal to you. I didn't even have to touch him to know that." 

"That he is." Gon smiled. "I'm very lucky to have him in my corner." 

"Well, I- I'm in your corner too, you know." Taeeul stammered. She looked down to play with his fingers, allowing her wavy hair to fall like a curtain across her face. "Mainly because, uh, you know, I have a secondary gain." 

He reached out to thumb at the pretty blush of her cheeks, before coaxing her hair behind her ear. A small smile lingered on her face and she added softly, "Like so."

"Like so?" He asked, bring her chin closer with his index finger. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his palm, and he slid it up her jaw, needing to feel more of her warmth. His fingers searched her neck to feel her pulse.

It was beating erratically. 

For him. And that pleased him. 

Taeeul's eyes fluttered close as he leaned in, tilting his nose slightly as his mouth captured hers.

Her lips were soft and willing against his, her tongue darting out to meet him halfway. Gon growled when he felt her hand on his inner thigh to steady herself as she pressed against him eagerly, and she gasped when he gave in to his urge to pull her unto his lap.

A violent shudder ran through her body. 

"Is this okay?" He asked, drawing away. She opened her pretty eyes and he could see the desire in her dark pupils. 

She merely responded by winding her arms around his neck to pull him back towards her. 

"More than okay." 

Chapter Text

Lee Gon paced the length of his thinking spot, which was further into the imperial garden than most palace staff knew about. He was deep in thought, barely noticing the changing colours of autumn surrounding him, the trees and shrubbery adorned in fiery shades of red and yellow.

If Gon paid attention, he would detect the scent of burnt firewood in the air, coming from the various hearths within the palace. The smoky scent was one that he had associated with autumn and the changing of the weather, and it was a scent that he loved as a child because it heralded the coming of the holiday season.

But today, Gon barely noticed it. 

Instead, the heady floral scent that was undeniably Jeong Taeeul stayed with him. It was sweetness and warmth all at once, more summer than spring, a scent that had a liveliness to it.

And despite her departure from his side this morning, despite his best efforts to dismiss her scent, it lingered. 

Gon sighed softly to himself. His breath was smoky white against the cold mid-afternoon air. 

This morning when he woke, the bright sunlight was streaming through gaps between his gently flapping curtains. They were nestled comfortably within the silky cocoon of his bedsheets, her face buried in the nook between his shoulder and neck.

It was as if she had always belonged there.

It was disconcerting how perfectly she fit against his body, just so. Like two puzzle pieces sliding into place, into where they were always supposed to be. 

It pleased him. It also heckled him. 

"Your Majesty," greeted Prince Buyeong. His silver haired uncle had padded up next to him silently.

Gon shook his head a little, gathering his thoughts before turning to address his uncle. 

"Thank you for coming at such short notice." 

Prince Buyeong's smiling eyes disappeared beneath bushy white eyebrows. 

"You needed me. And so here I am."

When had his uncle gotten so old? 

"Uncle, do you believe in fate?" Gon asked, tucking his hands behind his back.

His uncle chuckled, "Fate? It is a hard concept for a man of logic."

Gon smiled wryly.

"The man of logic in me says to tell fate to move aside, to challenge it. What should I do?"

"I heard Lieutenant Jeong Taeeul was in the palace last night." 

"Yes Uncle, she was."

"You never brought women back to the palace." 

Gon heated up at the comment.

Despite his higher status, he still felt like a schoolboy who got caught by his uncle for doing something that he should not have done.

Last night had signalled a shift in his relationship with Taeeul.

He allowed himself to be lulled asleep by her soft snores and her breath gently caressing the column of his throat. Gon found that falling for Jeong Taeeul was really easy, so easy that it worried him.

Gon had finally found a place where he belonged - and that made him think of all the different ways that he could lose this.  

Again. 

Prince Buyeong did not wait for Gon to respond. "One can never know what will happen in life."

His uncle clasped a reassuring palm on Gon's shoulder, his kindly smile never leaving his eyes.

"But Gon, if there's something you want, even though it's hard to attain it, then that - that must be fate."

Gon nodded.

Even knowing that he could easily lose Jeong Taeeul, to give up now felt like a coward's decision.

"Gon, the steps that you take and the decisions that you make, while taking tremendous risks is what's fate. Is there a place that you want to reach?"

The memory of her rousing from her slumber was still vivid in his mind.

Gon knew the very moment when Taeeul woke up, her smile slowly spreading across her lips that was pressed intimately against the skin of his neck. It was the most curiously wondrous sensation.

"Yes," Gon answered, surprising himself with the amount of conviction in his voice. "There is."

"Then you just have to go there. You don't need to fight it." Prince Buyeong said.

"And if there's a beautiful lady waiting for you, all the better. You really should get married this year." 

Jeong Taeeul rubbed her face tiredly with her palms, "Appa-ya," she coaxed, trying to keep her exasperation at bay. "Trust me, nothing happened." She said for the umpteenth time. "We were just getting to know each other." 

"Was there a chaperone?"

Taeeul tried to resist rolling her eyes. She had never seen this side of her usually easy-going father, as she had never dated nor brought any boys home. Now, she knew what people meant by overprotective dads, defending their daughters with their proverbial shotguns. 

It was no fun at all. 

"Chaperone?!" Her grandmother exclaimed, "Ya, are you living in the Joseon era? Stop acting like you're my age." 

Halmi Noh waved her father away.

"She's old enough to decide what she wants in her life. Now, go cook us some kimchi stew and leave us alone."

Taeeul could hear her father grumbling under his breath as he tugged on his curly hair in frustration. "I just want what's best for her." 

"Me too," retorted her grandmother. "And them getting to know each other, is definitely what's best."

Halmi Noh shooed him out the door and shut it close.

Taeeul sighed in relief and leaned back into her daybed. "Thanks, Halmi. What would I do without you."

Taeeul had returned home after breakfast today, a meal prepared by the King himself, no less.

It was oddly domestic, watching the suave monarch from across the kitchen counter whilst he busied himself with their meal. He was dressed in a tidy black apron, his hair haphazardly pulled back and his large hands washing rice with an intense focus, like their Kingdom depended on it.

A gentle warmth blossomed from within her belly. Taeeul could definitely get used to that scene in her daily life. 

Belatedly, Taeeul noticed her grandmother watching her, grinning smugly. Like the cat that ate the canary. 

She had a bad feeling about this. 

"Now tell me, Taeeul-ah, what exactly happened last night?" Her grandmother's wrinkled eyes twinkled conspiratorially. "I promise not to tell your father." 

Taeeul sat up, "Urgh, Halmi-ya!" Her brows furrowed. "Not you too! Like I said, nothing happened!" 

"Really?" Halmi Noh said calmly, her mouth downturned and disbelieving. "Well. I must say that's pretty disappointing. I thought you guys were progressing well." 

"Yes, we are." Taeeul paused, remembering how they had lain in bed together after their makeout session, side by side, facing each other.

It was kinda sweet - all he wanted to do was to hold her hand, and Taeeul was secretly pleased by his display of restraint, knowing full well that she would most likely have difficulties resisting his advances. 

"But Gon, he... he's gentlemanly about these things." 

"Ooo, Gon." Halmi Noh, chuckled softly. "I see you're on first name basis with the King. So there is progress."

And progress it was.

Waking up next to him, all wrapped up in his arms, Taeeul decided, was the most comforting feeling ever. It was like soaking in a warm lavender scented bath on a cold winter's day, with warm apple cider in her belly and soft music in her ears. 

"Eo, Halmi. So let us progress naturally, okay? No meddling from you guys." 

"Taeeul-ah, I understand your wish to take your time. Afterall, it is your first experience with love."

Taeeul watched as a myriad of emotions crossed her grandmother's wizened features. 

"But with the prophecy, I can't help but worry. If you married him, it will put my worries to rest." 

"Halmi, he has been treating me well so far. And he has his famous unbreakable sword's protection 24/7, forever tailing us on our dates and making sure we're okay." Taeeul reasoned. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"A lot. Anything actually. Destiny has a nasty way of making things happen." 

"And I always thought you were a glass half full kinda person, Halmi." 

Her grandmother gave her the stink eye.

"I'm being serious over here, Jeong Taeeul. Lee Gon's status as the King has painted a target on his back, and this assasination attempt will definitely not be his last. As his aide, you will be in perpetual danger from now on. The security team will protect him, yes. But not you. 

"Only marriage will solve that."

Taeeul sighed. She knew her grandmother had a point, and could not think of a counter argument. Jo Yeong and his team of guards would only prioritise Gon's safety, and always over hers. 

If she was Queen, her security level would be on par with the King's. 

"Well Halmi, thanks for the vote of confidence. I can protect myself, thank you very much." 

Her grandmother clucked her tongue impatiently. "You know that's not what I meant. You're not listening to me on purpose!"

"Because, I'm just not ready." Taeeul started chewing on her lip. It was a nervous habit that never went away. "And you know what, it's not just marriage. Maybe I don't want to be Queen.

Her grandmother urged her to continue.

"I like Gon, I like being around him. But it's not just the idea of commitment I have to consider. It's also being Queen!"

Her voice was rising uncontrollably, like the emotions that were quickly bubbling up from within her.

"I don't think I would make a very good leader, or role model. Before this, I was happy just leading my little civilian life! 

"I don't want the title, or status, and definitely not the multitude of expectations that come with it!" 

Taeeul was breathless after her mini tirade. It felt good to get it out of her chest. "That's why I don't want to think about marriage now." 

She met her grandmother's eyes, and was relieved to find that they were filled with compassion and understanding. 

"And you thought I was pessimistic," Halmi Noh teased. "Thank you for sharing this with me Taeeul-ah, it is reassuring to know that you've considered what marriage is like.

"You know, good leaders are usually people who don't want power nor status. The fact that you are cautious about wielding power and status, instead of desiring it, says a lot about you." 

Taeeul played with the frayed ends of her worn shirt as she considered her grandmother's words. 

"If you could only see how I see you, Taeeul-ah, you'll see that you'll make a wonderful Queen."

Chapter Text

It was Monday.

Lee Gon hummed quietly to himself as he made his way into the city centre. He used to hate Mondays, because that meant the start of another work week which typically began with a never-ending meeting with the Prime Minister reporting on the state of affairs. 

Today, he put an end to that. 

Monday was Taeeul's day off. And this meant that they could go on a date, barring any last minute investigation that she had to do. 

Gon sunk further into the leather seats of the Macan, unaware of the smile playing on his lips. His stomach was flipping in anticipation of seeing Taeeul. He hoped his date idea for the day - to bring her out on his yacht - would light up her adorable face, as would his excellent fishing skills. 

From his tinted car windows, Gon watched as the dark wizened branches reached up towards the cloudless blue skies. There were barely any leaves left on the trees, with winter just round the corner. He glanced at the matching puffy jackets that he prepared for them when they go out to sea, and smirked at the thought of her grateful face beaming up at him when he drapes it over her shoulders. 

Ah. 

It was going to be a beautiful Monday. 

"How long more till we get there?" He asked Jo Yeong, his calm voice barely masking the excitement that was bubbling within him. 

"11 minutes," was the curt response. 

Gon sighed internally. The drive was taking longer than he expected. His phone buzzed and he saw an alert from Secretary Mo.

You may want to see this, Your Majesty.

He clicked on the link she sent him, which led him to a webpage.

Beloved King's Rumoured Lover

The title of the page all but jumped out at him. 

Gon's eyes widened as he took in the headline. It was on the gossip page of a small online newspaper.

The Beauty who saved our Hero, it read, is Jeong Taeeul, an elite officer of our police force. 

It was basically an esposé of how their King was besotted with the beautiful cop who saved his life. Gon's eyes scanned the article quickly. Detailing possible date locations, it even included a photo of them strolling by the Hangang together, with their shoulders almost touching and Gon's head tilted down towards Taeeul. 

Gon chuckled.

While he was mildly annoyed to learn that their privacy was breached, it was a really good photo of them. Before this, they did not have any photos together.

He saved the image into his phone and continued his scrolling.

The article was only released this morning, but there were already hundreds of comments. Gon rarely cared about gossip but this time, he was eager to find out what his people thought about his budding relationship with Taeeul. 

The top comments made him smile. 

'Finally! A heroine who saves the day!'

'Yeah, girl powerrr! I want to grow up to be just like her.'

'Omo! She's so cool! Pyeha please have my blessings!!'

His heart was light and his cheeks were starting to hurt from his prolonged wide grin. While Gon did not need to rely on approval ratings as the King, it would be good for Taeeul if things continue to develop between them. 

Some of the comments though, made Gon scoff. 

'Nooo! #jogonjogon forever!!!' 

'Our poor yeong-ie must be heartbroken'

He rolled his eyes at the baseless comments as his thumb continued scrolling, marvelling at how people could make something out of nothing.

Then the comments got worse, making Gon shift uneasily in his seat.

'Beauty? Jebal. She needs to make a trip to Gangnam.'

'She looks so ugly, nothing compared to our perfect King!! Pyeha deserves better!'

'Omo! Who knows what her intentions are, bet the assassination was just a hoax to seduce the King!'

Gon got more and more alarmed as he read further. The comments got progressively worse, and people had started to share outrageous conspiracy theories.

At this rate, there will be more articles out tomorrow, and he doubted that they would play nice. Gon furrowed his brow, wondering how Taeeul would take this.

He called Secretary Mo immediately.  

Jeong Taeeul jerked awake to the blare of her morning alarm.

The last tendrils of her dream still wrapped around her mind a like a veil made of silky spiderweb. Gon was in it. He was holding her close and breathing soft kisses down her neck. His hot breath was inching across her collarbone, toward the base of her throat.

Heat started to unfurl in Taeeul's chest as her eyes fluttered shut. 

Then her alarm rang again.

Taeeul groaned as she sat up in a huff, finally awake. She was no longer embarrassed by these dreams, given that they were now almost a daily occurrence. She stretched out her limbs and blinked away the sleep from her eyes, before rolling over to her bedside table to shut the darn alarm on her phone. 

Nari - 52 unread messages

Gon - 1 unread message 

Hyungnim - 1 unread message 

She opened the one from Gon immediately.

They had made plans to go on a date today and her heart started to race in delight at the thoughts of spending time with her newly minted favourite person.

Don't check the news. I'm coming over to pick you. 

Taeeul raised an eyebrow, wondering why he said that. She checked Nari's messages next.

The woman had spammed her with texts exclaiming how upset she was that Taeeul give her any updates on her relationship with Gon. And how asserting how she was definitely going to be her bridesmaid with Jo Yeong should most definitely be Gon's best man. The wall of texts ended with the same warning that Gon gave - to not check the news. 

Now she was definitely intrigued.

What was on the news today? She was almost 100 percent sure that Shinjae's text would say the same thing. 

She checked it quickly. And, it did. 

With barely any hesitation, she swiped open her web browser. But before the page could even load, her Halmi Noh had burst into her room. 

"You might want to come down now. The King's speaking to your dad." 

Taeeul's eyes widened as she took in her Halmi's sparkling eyes and a grin so wide and smug that it folded her skin into millions of lines. 

"Right now?" 

"Yep, it's happening downstairs. You might want to wash your face first though." Halmi advised as she took in Taeeul's disheveled hair and sleep crusted eyes with clear disapproval. "It's way past Halloween."

Jeong Doin was facing a crisis. 

He ran his hand through his curly hair, yelping softly when his fingers tugged a little hard on his scalp. As Taeeul's father, he had prepared for this moment all his life, and was perfectly ready to grill all potential suitors with a stern glare and sharp words.

Until today. 

Slicing the aged kimchi with a lot more strength than it required, he grumbled under his breath.  

For his princess, he had prepared an extensive list of questions to elicit all information that he could get in order to find out everything to determine compaitibility with Taeeul. He was prepared for this ever since Taeeul was born, a precious gem of blotchy skin and dark hair. And even more so when his wife died - praying for Taeeul to find someoe who could match her well, while preparing questions that his dearest wife would think to ask. 

He dumped the kimchi and tofu into the bubbling stew and stirred it vigorously, barely noticing the sloshing of the hot soup across his pristine kitchen stove. 

Of all the eligible men in the world, he had never expected to have the King, here in his humble home, here to take his Taeeul out on a date. Now that it was the King, the tired man found that he did not know what to do. Was he supposed to treat him as his King? Or as a potential suitor for his daughter? 

He peered out of the kitchen serving hatch, towards the tall, handsome monarch standing in their front hall.

Drinking his instant coffee with an air of unmistakable nobility in the morning sunlight - the monarch looked like he had just teleported from a television ad. 

The rice cooker went off with a loud click.

The breakfast meal was ready, but Doin definitely was not. 

Should he ask the King the questions? Or perhaps just half of the list? 

He sighed as he untied his red polka dotted apron and hung it up by the door. If Taeeul's mother was around, she would surely have a clearer idea of how to manage this situation.

Yeobu, I miss you. Please watch over our daughter. 

Taeeul tiptoed down the stairs and stuck her head around the wall to sneak a peek at the dining room. The table was filled to the brim with food and she could smell the spicy kimchi in the air, making her mouth water. Her stomach growled loudly. She was definitely ready for breakfast - but not at all prepared for the situation that was unfolding in front of her.

Her father was politely gesturing for Gon to start his meal, while he picked up his chopsticks. Both of them sat rigidly in their seats with polite smiles frozen on their faces. Her Halmi though looked relaxed next to her father, already tucking into her meal with gusto.

"Come here, Taeeul-ah." Sharp-eyed as ever, her Halmi spotted her instantly and called her over. 

The two leading men of her life visibly relaxed when she sat at the dining table, with each of them on either side of her. Gon, especially, looked like an excited puppy. 

Taeeul decided not to over-think and picked up a spoon to taste the red stew. "Eo Appa, it tastes really good."

Her father beamed with pride. Then, awkward silence fell like a blanket upon them. 

"Taeeul-ah, did you sleep well?" Both of them asked at the same time. Taeeul coughed, and tried not to choke on her soup. Her Halmi was of no help at all, almost cackling as she helped herself to more seasoned squid. 

"Yes, yes. I did." She said. "Gon, you told me not to check the news - what's going on?"

"Ah," Gon stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry, Abeo-nim. I've been meaning to visit - I didn't mean for you to find out this way." He turned towards her father and bowed deeply. Her father stood up almost in reflex, and bowed back in confusion.

"Ah, yes Your Majesty. But what's going on?" he asked, gesturing for Gon to settle back in his seat.

"Ah, I'm guessing that you haven't read the news." Her father shook his head in response and frowned, his curls tossing wildly. "Taeeul and I... were reported to be dating on an online newspaper. It's not a very popular one, but it will only be a matter of time before the major papers catch on." 

Taeeul's eyes widened as she took in the information, it took all of her self-control to not race upstairs to check her phone. 

"... I've already asked the PR team to take care of it, but I'm afraid that Taeeul's identity is exposed. I apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause you in the future." Gon said, again bowing to her father.

Her father started tugging on his hair again as he took in this news.

"Don't worry," Halmi said. "It's only a matter of time anyway. This is her fate." Her grandmother was the only person who carried on eating, not bothered at all by what was going to happen. "The King will keep her safe, won't you, Your Majesty?"  

"Would Taeeul be in any danger?" Her father interrupted. 

"No, I will make sure of that." Gon replied. "I will also make an official announcement about our current status." 

"Our... status?" Taeeul asked. 

Gon turned to her, his eyes seemed to be sparkly against the steam from the bubbling stew.

He grabbed her hand in his, and Taeeul watched, gaping as he brought it slowly to his lips. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as pleasure coursed through her veins. Taeeul could not believe that Gon did this in front of her father. She tried to tug her hand back, but his grip was firm.  

"Yes, our dating status, of course." Gon said. 

"Of course." Her father muttered under his breath as he watched their linked hands. "Y- you... can hold her hand." Halmi chuckled and placed a piece of meat in his bowl. "Eat, Doin-ah. You need your strength." 

"I know it's very sudden, Abeo-nim. But I have treasured Taeeul for awhile now, and I hope to continue doing so for a very long time." Gon said before picking up his spoon to start eating.

Taeeul pursed her lips at Gon, at what he was suggesting. Her Halmi's eyes looked triumphant as she took in Gon's words.

"I will come over for a proper visit, with my uncle joining me, to make this official."  

Chapter Text

The afternoon sun was a warm, balmy yellow against the pale blue sky, and Jeong Taeeul could almost taste the distinct saltwater scent in the air.

On any other day, Taeeul would be excited about this. They were on their way to the Isle of Azure for the couple's very first fishing competition. A trail of frothy foam followed the gleefully bouncing speedboat, with the surrounding waters a brilliant shade of blue.

But Taeeul was barely paying any attention to her surroundings.

Her eyes remained glued to her phone screen, scrolling the internet with impatience. Taeeul never had a social media page, and she had never lurked - was that the correct term? - nor stalked anyone. 

It was addictive, she found. Her fingers were swiping on their own accord, through fascinating thoughts of faceless strangers. The comments varied in tone and languages, but they were all about her, and her romance with their handsome monarch.

Just how anyone would bother to take time to write all of these - she would never know. 

Whatever. We all know who had sacrificed his life multiple times for the King, and his name starts with a 'J' too.

- JGJG_4_lyfe

"Heol," she scoffed when she saw this comment and what it implied. It was not the first one, that she came across, and Taeeul was very sure that it would not be the last. "You and Jo Yeong have so many people rooting for you!" 

"Okay, stop. That's enough," Lee Gon said gruffly as he took the phone away with his firm, long fingers. 

He stood up and walked towards the the side of the boat, tucking her phone deep into his large orange pocket.

Taeeul frowned, displeased. How could he just take it as if it belonged to him. "Give it back, Lee Gon. I'm not done yet!" 

"These comments are endless. One can never 'be done' with it, Taeeul-ah." 

Gon gestured at the two fishing rods that were resting against the boat's rails. "Come here, please. We're ready to start." 

Belatedly, Taeeul realised that the boat had stopped moving, and the once whirring motor was finally silent. Her hair had also stopped its helpless flailing in the wintry wind. Boisterous cawing alerted her to the seagulls circling above their heads. The boat was anchored less than a kilometre away from a grey, rocky coast that lined an ageless evergreen forest. 

"Aren't you bothered by it at all?" She said as she lifted the long metal rod, testing the weight of it in her hands. It was light yet sturdy. "Your people mean the world to you." 

She knew that he was the King, the one who ruled over them. But she also knew that, like all Kings, Gon was in their service. Taeeul was 100% certain that their opinions matter to him. 

"You are right. They do mean the world to me." Gon said as he cast his fishing line expertly into the water with a soft whoosh, reeling it in slightly before resting the rod in its holder. 

"And so do you, Taeeul-ah."

His large brown eyes turned to look at her and her heart sputtered instantly at the fiery intensity in his gaze. 

"This is going to be the first of many articles." He said, walking towards her, then moved behind her, grabbing her clothed shoulders with his large hands. "It won't do you, or us, any good if we let it affect us."

He nudged her a step forward, next to where his fishing rod was. 

"Did you expect this to happen?" Taeeul asked, curious.

"Do you know how to cast your line?" He asked instead, from atop the crown of her head.

Taeeul merely shrugged, she had watched movies on how it's supposed to work.  

"Ahh, your first time. Come, let me help you, my young padawan."

She snorted. He was such a geek. But her amusement was cut short when he encircled her with his arms, to reach around her for the fishing rod that was clasped in her palms.

Taeeul could feel the heat emanating from his body in lazy waves. It was making her heart race. Her cheeks felt hot and she was sure they were red. She hoped Gon wouldn't notice. 

She was suddenly thankful for the ugly orange jackets that he insisted they wore. It was so puffy, filled with the finest down, he had said. Taeeul was a little surprised that she could still feel his presence.

And he didn't think she would be able to manage if she could feel the pleasure too.  

A part of her was startled by this sudden realisation. That she was just as affected by being in his presence as she was when coming into contact with him. 

She was truly falling for him. Pleasure, or not. 

This is endgame, Jeong Taeeul.

His hand reached for her gloved ones as he moved them through the motions of raising the rod, swinging it up and then down. The line whipping the air with a loud whoosh.

Ah, there it was, the firm curves of his chest, and then, his hard stomach and his biceps. 

"There you go," he muttered softly into her ear. His lips never touched her at all, she noticed with regret. Only the warmth from his whisper, sending shivers tingling down her spine.

Delicious shivers. 

And with that, the line was cast. 

People can think whatever they want, Taeeul just needed to focus on what is right in front of her.

And in this moment, Gon was all that's important. 

They focus on fishing, catching nothing.

Zero. Nada. Zilch.

Not one fish.

Lee Gon was thoroughly exasperated. Fishing was one of his finest talents, and he wanted to share it with her. 

He was only human, afterall, and wanting show off his best side to his favourite person.

Gon huffed loudly, blowing his fringe away from his forehead. He knew he was being silly, and he knew that this hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things. 

"My good marine subjects," he said in the deep voice he used for formal events. The waves continued to splash against their boat, rocking it gently from side to side. Taeeul turned to face him with a bemused smile.

"Now is time for you to submit to your one true King."

He snuck a glance at her. Taeeul's beautiful almond shaped eyes were starting to twinkle. He ended his address by waving his free arm in a wide arc, his chin still tilted up regally. 

She laughs gaily. A bright chime against the quiet humming of the ocean breeze.

Ah.

There it was.  Anything for this beautiful sound.

Koo Seoryeong paced the dark wooden floors of the Prime Minister office. The space was lit by the lone desk light that threw familiar shadows against the walls. The world outside her windows had gone dark, the evening sun long set below the horizon. 

All her life, she had relied on her wits and beauty to get what she wanted.

Life was never easy for her, and she never expected more from it. Whatever she had now, she worked hard to make sure she got it.

"I don't know, we need to move with the times" said Seoryeong into the mic, joining the conversation virtually.  

Riches, connections and power. What she wanted, Seoryeong always got. 

"I don't see anything wrong with the King marrying a commoner." She continued, keeping her tone even and tentative, keeping her eyes on her next prize. "But ideally, this person could help to guide our King back to the Old ways."

Murmurs of assent fizzled through the speakers, the voices of the congregation who were excited at the possibilities. What it would mean if the King acknowledged, no, was converted to the Old Practice. What it would mean if they could preach what they believed in the open.

"Maybe we can convert her!" A lone voice called out. "Yes, we could help her to see the wisdom of the Old Practice, couldn't we?"

"But how can we do that," cried another faceless member. "Would she even be willing to come?"

The speaker exploded loudly as everyone started contributing their ideas. 

Seoryeong smiled. This was going exactly the way she planned. 

Things always do. 

Chapter Text

Jeong Taeeul woke up with a start. 

Her head felt heavy and the world was dark. She blinked rapidly, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. But to no avail.

It dawned on her that she was being blindfolded. 

Odd.

She was in a seated position, with her body and limbs bound to a heavy chair. Her curiosity about the situation was quickly dismissed when she shifted and her body protested in an explosion of pins and needles. She bit her lip to stop herself from groaning.

Fishing. Orange puffy jackets. Gon.

With her head kept bowed, she licked her dry lips. Her tongue was furry and floppy and she found that she could barely focus on the action.

Where the hell is this place?

Taeeul struggled to remember the last moment before she lost consciousness. She was at home, after their fruitless fishing trip, yes. Then she received a notification from the precinct to answer a 112 call for help, yes.

Then what happened?

Taeeul was covering for one of her hoobaes, which was not unusual in itself. Her mistake was answering the emergency on her own. She should have brought someone else along. No, wait. Actually, there was someone else.

A patrol car. 

He was in the civilian patrol car, another hoobae, one she did not recognise.

The car had come to pick her. She had assumed he was one of their new trainees.

Was it the water?

He had passed her an unopened bottle of water, she remember unscrewing it with a crack.

It must have been.

At that time, there was nothing suspicious about it the bottle. It had the exact same label as the ones freely available for the officer. 

Urgh. 

She had taken a large swig, and then her world had faded to darkness. 

Where am I?

Her ears started to pick up urgent whispers. Male whispers. Three of them. There was barely any background noise, other than the faint singing of unknown insects in the distance. Someone had removed her coat, and her bare arms were covered in goosebumps.

Urgh.

She didn’t recognise any of the voices. 

"She should be awake by now, Hyung." 

"Yes, put on your masks." 

She could sense them walking towards her and she backed uselessly away from them, the chair digging into her hip.  

The blindfold was ripped ruthlessly away from her face.

Taeeul flinched at the momentary contact from the person's hand against her temple, pain fizzing against her skin. Overhead, the florescent glare from the light beam blinded her vision. 

Urgh.

Her head started throbbing.

She blinked hard to adjust to the sudden brightness, taking in her surroundings as quickly as she could.  

Patches of mold covered the top parts of the wall. White paint was peeling at all corners of the room, revealing the ugly grey concrete beneath.

She looked up and noticed that the ceiling was high, and made of steel slates to form a simple roof. There was no furniture, apart from the metal chair she sat on, and only one window, to her left, looking out into the inky darkness.

"Miss Jeong, we do not wish to hurt you," said a burly man with a thick moustache, his voice was high pitched in spite of his size. 

"Yea, we only wish to tell you something, that's all. Trust us." Said another, a purple-red scar running from under his mask down the side of his face.

Who in their right mind would trust their kidnappers? 

All of them were in black, with black masks covering the top half of their faces. They were dressed uniformly, but it was obvious that the third guy was the leader. 

Leaderman remained quiet, but she could tell that he was a little older by the salt and pepper fuzz covering the top of his ears. His gaze, dark and piercing through the mask, spoke of dissatisfaction and danger.

It sent a chill down her spine. 

"You can tell me anything without tying me up," said Taeeul, using her firm inspector voice. Her mind was racing. What was there to tell her that would require a kidnapping? 

Instinctively, she knew it involved the King.

"We just need you to stay for the entire time. We will release you when we've said our piece." 

"The Kingdom needs your help, only you can convince the King," added Scarface. "If you would cooperate and follow us, we will untie you." 

Taeeul nodded. She stopped herself from taking another look at the window, knowing that the action would only expose her intentions. 

"Okay." 

The larger man came towards her tentatively, showing her the switchblade that he was holding. It looked much smaller than it is in his large hands, and he gestured at her bonds. 

She nodded, adrenaline surging through her veins. 

The moment he bent down to cut the dark cloth binding her ankles together, she slammed the heel of her boots up against his jaw and heard it crack. He went down, out cold.

Two more to go. 

She tried to stand, but with the chair still bound to her, it was a clumsy movement. Scarface swiped at her with his bare fists. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears. She wished he was using another weapon in hand. 

Then Taeeul could attack first. 

But he lunged at her. Big mistake. She pivoted on her foot, and swung the legs of the chair across his face. The wood splintered and broke off, relieving Taeeul from its weight. 

He went down with a loud thump. 

"Stop, Miss Jeong," the Leaderman finally said. His voice was raspy and harsh. He probably smoked quite a bit.

Taeeul stilled her actions. She could not decide whether to try escaping now or bring him down, just in case.

"No, stop. I know how to stop you." He said again. "You don't want me to touch you. With my bare hands." 

What? 

Taeeul cocked her head.

"Yes, I know your weakness, Aide. I know everything. And if you promise me your loyalty, you will be able to keep your useless life. And more. I can give you everything you can imagine." 

Taeeul could only shake her head. 

Here was a man who could use her against Gon. 

She would die before she was used against him.

Wow.

Where did that thought come from? 

With a slight nod of her head, she smiled. "And who might you be? Would you really be able to give me what I want?" 

"Of course. Fame, riches. Whatever you want, you will get." 

"And what do you need me to do?" 

The man smirked, his chin tilting up. When he smiled, his mouth split his face into two ugly halves. 

"Ask the King to allow our practice. Convert the entire Kingdom back to the Old Practice." 

Ah ha.

So that was their agenda. Taeeul was surprised by how simple it was.

And how ambitious. 

"That's it? Why did you have to kidnap me for that?" 

The man only scoffed, his voice turned to one of disbelief. "Haven't you heard, Miss Jeong? Have you been living under a rock? The King hates the Old Practice and has banned it for decades. All followers who share their ideology have been thrown into jail." 

"Jailed?" Taeeul heard a rumour like this before, that the King had been stemming the Old Practice, disallowing its spread due to fears that it would threaten the monarchy. Again. 

"Yes, jailed." The man echoed bitterly. "Haven't you heard of the story of how Old Practice followers were locked up in Daenara jail? They were never seen in public again." 

Yes, she had. These people were jailed because they broke the law of not practising nor talking about the Old Practice in public. But she thought it was just a rumour designed to deter the dissenters.

Leaderman seemed pretty certain that it was real.

"Well, one of them was my mother. She was an Old believer. And was just trying to share her thoughts with her grandchildren. Was it wrong for a person to do that? Unfortunately, she forgot where she was and did it in public. And just like that, she was thrown into Daenara for twenty years."

Taeeul furrowed her brows. This man looked like he could be her father's age.

"She was not allowed visits. I'm not sure if she's still dead or alive." He added as his voice turned hoarse. "Here, touch me and know the truth about our kingdom."

Her mind reeled at the unexpected information. Then Taeeul reached out to touch his outstretched palm. She could see the honesty in his eyes but felt compelled to verify.

Truth.

Or at least, this man truly believed that this was what happened to his mother.

Taeeul's heart went out to the old man and her eyes started to grow hot with tears. She remembered how painful it was for her when her own mother finally succumbed to her illness.

She could not imagine how the man lived in uncertainty for years, not knowing if his beloved mother was alive or dead.

Her voice was noticeably gentler when she said, "I'm very sorry. That's horrible." 

"It was, and I don't need your pity Ms Jeong." His gaze was cold when he met her sympathetic, tearful eyes. "I do need you, however, to convince the King to allow our practice and let these innocent people go."

She swallowed deeply before responding.

"What do you need me to do?"

Lee Gon's heart was racing and filled with dread. He was instantly transported back to the moment when he discovered his father's dead body. His fingers were cold and numb, and the rest of his body felt frozen in time.

"Ms Jeong has gone missing for the past twelve hours. Her father made the report this morning." Secretary Mo had reported.

He hated this feeling.

This feeling that the ground had been ripped away from under him, blood roaring in his ears. This feeling of his heart lodged in his throat, an inability to return to a restful baseline state.

"We've found the footage outside her and it appears that she had willingly entered a car last night after you sent her home." Jo Yeong reported.

Willingly?

That threw Gon off. Tendrils of doubt started ravelling around his intense emotions. Strangely, the doubt he felt had started to calm the chaos within him. 

"Stop. What do you mean? Taeeul was taken by someone she knows? Who was that?" asked Gon.

"She was not forced into the car, she opened the car door and entered it all by herself. We do not have the identity of the driver yet, the license is not registered." Yeong replied, as he gestured for the footage to be shown to Gon, his voice held no concern.

"You don't think she's been kidnapped," said Gon. 

"No, I don't. Not at all. That wouldn't make sense given our observation of behaviour. I think her father is making a mountain of an anthill." Yeong replied, sounding almost bored.

"Molehill," corrected Gon distractedly as he reviewed the footage.

"Anthill. That's what I mean, it's even smaller than what it seems it is. We are wasting resources here," Yeong said.

"An anthill is bigger than a molehill," added Gon. "People often make this mistake."

Yeong was right. Taeeul did enter the car on her own. She was not forced at all.

"Whatever," huffed Yeong. "You know exactly what I mean. There is no need to get this worked up."

"Worked up? You are the one who's all worked up. I am not," said Gon.

And he wasn't. Outwardly, he was cool as cucumber in front of the staff. He made sure of that.

He turned to meet Yeong's eyes. There was an irritating smirk on his face. "Right," was all his guard said.

"What?" Gon protested. He wasn't even pacing and his hands were folded neatly behind his back. He was very sure that he looked every bit a calm and composed leader.

Yeong gestured at the wall of CCTVs in front of them. Then turned around before gesturing at the rows of staff seated behind them.

"Well there must be a reason why all of us are gathered here, just to trace a single car." Yeong said.

​​Gon coughed, a little embarrassed.

When Gon was informed by Secretary Mo about the police report made by Taeeul's father, he had sprung into action immediately. He activated an investigation team to review the CCTV footage in Taeeul's neighbourhood and to start locating her.

Gon had never done this before. This was the first time he was so invested in one person. He knew it was not like him at all. 

"Well, it is to the monarchy's benefit to ensure the safety of his aide, right?" He reasoned.

It was all very rational.

"She's becoming important to you, isn't she?" Yeong asked.

Gon frowned as he considered his response.

He liked Taeeul, of course.

He enjoyed her presence and have grown comfortable in her company. It pleased him immensely to see her smile and the sparkle in her eyes.

And yes, of course, he was very attracted to her. She was special, different from others who threw themselves at his feet. She was someone who was willing to sacrifice her life for him, afterall.

Indeed, he liked her. 

If there was anyone who could be his Queen, it would be someone like Taeeul.

Is she someone important to him? 

His heart suddenly felt empty and heavy, all at once. 

No.

It would only make him vulnerable to treachery.

"Do you love her?"

Love.

Only Yeong could ask him this with such ease. 

No.

He could feel his body stiffening in warning at that thought.

There was a time when he had loved and he had lost.

Too much. 

No.

It would be too dangerous.

There was no need for love.

A mutually beneficial partnership, one that pleases him. This would be enough.

Are you sure, Lee Gon?

But before he could answer himself, a yell rang out in the investigation room. 

"I've found her!"