forum "How come you haven't run away from me yet?"//oxo//Closed

Started December 12, 2020 by @knightinadream group

tune

She listened quietly, drinking the tea. The cramping didn’t quite go away, but it was manageable, at least. It did nothing to improve her mood, though, and she felt less and less inclined to respond to the man. So, she didn’t, at least, not at first.
“I see…” She paused to think. “But we need to consider something else. The fauna and flora. Was there any poisonous plant or venomous animal that he could have come across? I understand he might have mentioned something of the sort, but sometimes those things go unnoticed or unrecognized. Also, His Highness has not been the most eager to share information with me.”
Jimin filed the small stutter away in her mind. “I do,” she conceded. “But as coincidental as it may be, it feels almost… fantastical, I will admit.”
Reaching over, she picked up the teapot after him and filled her own cup. She let out a breath, trying to relax and keep herself composed.

As if he were truly intrigued, he leaned forward. His left brow rose up in curiosity. The fauna and flora. What could that possibly mean? Nothing possesses the innocence of those two things. In this world, there are only beasts and thorns, but if the queen's court lady insists….

"All I can think about are tigers and boars," He shook his head. Everything on his face was relaxed and nonchalant. On the other hand, his energy exuberated an emotion way beyond those things. "But those would have ripped him apart in an instant. Prince Doyun would be the crown prince now in that case. And as for poisonous plants…." He paused, biting the corner of his lip. "Well, I for one can say that poison normally often acts quickly. For him to be in an odd state, he would have had to be poisoned in small amounts for a long time, but no one in their right mind would do such a thing. The theory is fantastical in a sense, but I suppose it is probable."

The rigidity within him had snapped as he glanced over at the door. He could have sworn that he heard footsteps outside, but between his own thoughts and the sounds of Lady Hwang, he was not completely sure. With the left side of his lip curved up into a faint smirk, he returned to Hwang. "Are you alright, my lady? Did you have a long night?"

“Tigers and…?” Jimin blinked, an ironic smile spreading on her face. She turned away and covered her mouth, trying to cover up a snort of laughter. “Tigers and boars! Oh, Song Jeonghan, you jest!” After calming herself, she clasped her hands in front of her and tilted her head slightly. “No, sir, tigers and boars do not need such things as venom or poison, they already have their claws and teeth. I’m talking of things such as snakes or frogs, or even small insects. But you do bring up a valid point. Poison from plants and poison or venom from animals tend to act quickly in the human body, too quickly to be the cause of a situation like this. Personally, then…” there was a small pause in her voice, as she started to realize the idea as she spoke. “I think a rat or insect bite would be the most likely. Perhaps it’s far-fetched, but… ‘I suppose it is probable.’”
Though she did not quite hear footsteps over the sound of the tea trickling into her cup, she did catch Jeonghan’s stiffness. When she set the teapot down, she sipped the cup.
“Me?” She said when she moved the cup away. “This is not really about me, is it? There is no need to ask.”
The tea seemed to have helped, since the cramping was beginning to fade, and the laughter improved her mood somewhat. Though, she could already feel herself becoming a little drained by the amount of mental energy she was having to spend. How long could this go on?

"Eh?" Jeonghan was lost at with what was going on at the moment; a fear that he deeply has and holds onto, surprising for a man of his standing. He wasn't sure if he had done or said something that was particularly amusing. All he said was tigers and boars, those furry bastards are a real trouble up there.

But he couldn't play into the truth that he knows very well. Oh believe him, he knows. He isn't completely sure if Jimin was hiding something or not; that is partially why he had asked Her Highness if he could meet with the court lady and be a part of the investigation. He is the one who has to guard the palace and royal family after all. He might get killed eventually if he does not handle all of this well enough.

He laughed. "I see what you did there. But do you really think so? Believe me, I know poison. If it takes this long then what's the use of saving him? How could we? If he was poisoned from an animal or someone, wouldn't he have been dead already? Those who are infected by rats typically die off within a week or so…." It isn't poison, trust him on that. Why is he even playing into this? The crown prince couldn't have been posioned by an animal; the only person who could was….

"'Me?' Yes you, my friend. I only ask because you seem a bit exhausted. Well, I apologize for asking then." Jeonghan sighed, he really isn't going to get anything out of this, is he? "Perhaps I should go then. The day has merely started and I know the both of us have much to do."

Steadily standing up, he picked up his jeonrip. "This has been a pleasure." He lied. His steps were wide as he carried himself with a massive amount of pride. The door opened before he even stepped out. Myung, the servant, was standing in the middle then swiftly stepped to the side where he wasn't seen.

Jeonghan turned to look at Jimin one last time. "I look forward to working with you more as this goes on. Let's continue to look into what's really….probable, my friend." He smiled then stepped out into the hallway.

Giving the servant a look, he rolled his eyes. "Ahhh, they let bastards work at the palace? Shameful…." He mumbled before continuing on and was beyond the queen's chamber.

Myung walked back to where he stood. He laughed a little and shook his head, but didn't dare to go into the queen's chambers. Still, he laughed the moment he saw Song Jeonghan left. He held a red flower in his right hand. "Lady Hwang? I know you must be busy, but I was told by His Highness to see you briefly. Well, I have something for you, that is."

Though he was irritating and annoying, he was also smart. Jimin could see that clearly enough, though she was tempted to forget it in favor of thinking he did not know what he was talking about. It may give her some sense of security, that the possibility of everything falling apart was in the distant future, and not staring at her in the face. But she could not. To retreat into ignorance now was surely a death sentence. Song Jeonghan knew, or at the very least, suspected.
She sipped her cup again, just nodding along as agreeably as she could. "As I said, you make a good point. Perhaps I should see if there are any marks on his body, then…" she let out a breath, then said, a little stiffly, "Well, you could have chosen a better time to ask me, but I will say that I appreciate your concern."
Her eyes followed him as he made his way to the door. She could not find the incentive to smile back. "Indeed. Same to you."
It was over. He was gone. Catching sight of the servant at the door, she stood up. Apparently the cramping had not faded, like she thought. Jimin put a hand to her hip, her expression briefly shifting into one of pain before she refocused.
"Myung." Her voice was significantly warmer and more relaxed. She made her way towards him, though she was a little slow so as to not provoke more pain. "It is alright, you came at a good time. Oh, did he? How lovely. Ah, you have something?" she asked, eyes briefly flickering to the flower in his hand.

The servant kept looking down the hallway then back at Jimin. He knows that he really isn't supposed to be here, and he knows that no one else can really help the crown prince as much as he can. Nevertheless, his shoulders are squared as they drew in close. Even as his body was rigid, he naturally beamed.

Myung bowed again the moment she had approached him. His Highness told him to treat her with utmost respect. Naturally he already would, but the emphasis makes him curious as to why the crown prince had told him. His eyes squinted in sudden thought, but he shrugged it off.

"Oh yes!" He nodded. "Actually, I have a few things, my lady. Just wait a moment please…." Placing the flower on his head, he rummaged through his travel pouch. The bag was full with all sorts of letters and flowers. When he found one with a little horse drawn on the back of a letter, he pulled it out. Then with the red flower, he held them out to Jimin.

"It's a poem," He stated. "He did want me to tell you about Song Jeonghan, but I have to act as a guard for him until they find replacements. He wanted me to warn you, but I knew I'd be too late." Myung sighed then shook his head. "It's alright. His Highness told me you are strong."

Recovering from the irritation and tiredness from earlier, as well as the pain made it difficult for her to anticipate what Myung would reveal, so when he produced the letter and held it out with the flower, Jimin at first didn’t quite understand what she was looking at. Uncertainly, she took them both, and suddenly she had to use quite a lot of willpower to control the emotions stirring up in her.
“Oh… a poem?” Her eyes were fixed on the little drawing of the horse on the back. They then moved to the flower. “His Highness is… too kind.”
Her head then snapped back to the servant. Act as a guard? Replacements? Were her memories true after all? “Oh, I see. It is alright,” she repeated in assurance. “I handled it… as well as I could have.” She sighed, then smiled. “Thank you. You must already be doing a lot.”
She did not want to look at the letter just yet, wanting to find a better time and place first. Her thoughts moved on to the Queen, and she thought to ask Myung about her, but it was likely he didn’t know much. Looking back into the room, she muttered, “Perhaps clean things up here…” she paused, and seemed to come to a decision. Turning back to the servant, she said, “Thank you again, Myung, and thank His Highness for me as well. It truly is an honor.”

The servant shrugged. His eyes flickered to the letter. "I'm sure you know His Highness enjoys writing. He used to do it all the time when he was bedridden. My reading abilities are not as good as his, but I can assure you that he has a talent for it."

Myung adjusted the bag, making sure that the cover was hiding the rest of the letters, and the flowers, inside. Strands of hair fell in front of his vision, but he did not pay attention. He kept on smiling at Lady Hwang; naturally smiling, of course. Looking down at the hallway, he shook his head. "You did, but if I may say, my lady, you did better than what I could do."

Again, he gave his head a simple shook. "For a half-blood, I am doing the most I can. And for His Highness and people like you, it's all worth the effort." Looking down at his clothes, he brushed them off then bowed. "Will do, my lady!"

Myung was almost halfway down the hall by the time he had stopped. He was forgetting something. There are millions of thoughts in his mind, but he knew that there was another important matter he needed to address with Lady Hwang. "Oh, wait!" Before he could think any further, he turned around then rushed back to her. "Before I go, I do have a question to ask. Do you anyone who is really good at fixing tares in royal robes?"

But he wrote it… for me. Jimin chuckled. "I do not doubt it. And I will enjoy reading it." After fiddling with the flower and letter for a moment, she decided to put the former in her hair and the latter… well, sticking it beneath her jeogori would do for now.
"So humble," she remarked. After watching him, she returned the bow with a soft smile. "Good day to you, Myung."
When he left, she turned back into the room and went over to the table. The tea tray was still sitting there, the cups half filled and the pot no longer steaming. It would not do to just leave it here. Best to take it to the kitchens or hand it over to someone more suitable. She took it, moved out of the room, and was about to cross into the hallway when she heard the servant again. She stepped out, and waited until he came up to her.
"Do I know anyone?" She asked, wanting to make sure she had not misheard. "Well, all the women in the sewing department have to be good at that, but you can go to my friend, Lady Seok Iseul, or Lady Sa Hyunjung."

Myung nodded, "Yes. His favorite robe has a tare and now he's a bit upset because of it." Luckily he didn't realize to ask the question halfway to the crown prince's chambers; it is such a long distance to cover. Besides, he really needs to get the robes fixed as soon as possible. His Highness seems to be realling trusting of Lady Hwang too.

On the side of his leg, he traced the names of the ladies in order to commit it to memory. He only knows how to write thanks to the crown prince, but it's a secret that he must keep from the nobles. Grinning, he bowed again. "Thank you. You see, I asked you that because I know His Highness has deep regards for your opinion. Although now the thing is, everyone is scared of him." He bit on his bottom lip. "If I take His Highness over tomorrow, could you join us? I can ask the crown prince to send a letter to Her Majesty on your behalf. I am sure he will be quite alright with it since…."

He started to giggle before quickly stopping himself. Professional and noble, that's what he must exude, but of course, he could not help himself. After looking around to see if others were there, he shuffled forward a little. "Please do not tell anyone this, but I think His Highness has some affection for you. He always grins helplessly the moment I mention you…. like this-" Myung sighed with relaxed shoulders, trying to emulate the way the crown prince smiles. "Anyways, I think of it to be quite adorable. Have never seen him that way ever. Oh and how you two would be adorable too."

Myung paused, shaking his head at himself. "Oh forgive me, my lady. I get too carried away, but I thought you should know. Oh well, I mustn't waste another bit of your time." He slightly adjusted his bag again then fully bowed. "Thank you again, my lady. You are always so kind. Good day, Lady Hwang."

And with that, he was off. This time it was for real. No stopping or having to run back. Although, the further he strolled away, the faster his pace got. In the palace, there is no time to waste.

(He doooo lol)

Her gaze became increasingly fixed on the servant’s face as he spoke. There seemed to be a small flutter in her heart. She liked to go to the sewing department to visit Iseul and see her and the others’ work. Rarely did she go with another person, and the thought of going with Kangdae seemed rather wild to her in this moment, wilder than even sneaking out to go to the stream. But then, Iseul and Lady Sa might feel uncomfortable, even with Myung present. And of course, Jimin could not ignore the feeling in her, the stirring and longing to be with him, even when she felt she should not.
Alas, since she was holding the tray, there was nothing she could do to hide the blush blooming on her cheeks. Her eyes went wide; it truly felt like she was only just learning of this information, as if neither of them had confessed their love for each other only the previous night. It seemed that Song Jeonghan was not the only one to suspect something. She quickly averted her gaze.
“O— oh…” her voice was quiet, but high pitched. “I see… Well, I would be quite alright with it as well. Just… just as long as Her Majesty is aware and accepts.”
Myung left quickly, leaving Jimin no time to thank and bow to him in return. She stared after him for a moment, hoping that her cheeks would cool. Then, looking down and remembering what she had originally been doing, she let out a small squeak and starting making it for the kitchen.

Just on the other side of the palace stood the chambers of the prince, well the soon to be crown prince. For years it has collected dust, but there's life in it once again. Her Majesty ordered for her court to go about their own businesses in order for her to be alone with her younger son. She did the same with her son's as well, except for all the guards.

Everything is exactly the way she wants it, but for Doyun, it is the exact opposite. While he is happy to be in his mother's embrace again, he does not like the palace. It's too big. It reminds him of his dead father. His best friend, Song Jeonghan's three year old son, Yeongsang does not live here and he can only see him a few times a week. He can't share his bed with Yeongsang. He has to sleep alone in a big bed. Song Jeonghan is still here. He has no friends here, except for one technically. He can't climb trees and run freely. He can't even meet his older brother because apparently Kangdae is still very sick. He hates it here already.

"Mama, I want to see Kangdae," His soft voice said. Doyun looked down at his robes, playing with the silk fabrics. He felt his mother's hand come up, lightly brushing his cheek. Still his gaze was kept down. "May I go see him, please?"

Queen Seohyun took a deep breath. "My little one, he is resting right now. You can see him when he gets better," She promised. Her arms wrapped around him, give a light squeeze.

Not saying another word, Doyun hummed. He returned the embrace before steadily getting up. There were a few books on his bed. Two were old tales while the other was one from his studies. He actually does enjoy studying, but now he hates it.

Doyun wandered over then sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up one of the old tales and opened it. Queen Seohyun eventually followed. She brushed the other books aside then sat down beside her son, looking down to see what he was reading.

(I already love Doyun)

Soon enough, there was a knock at the door. Jimin entered, her hands folded in front of her and the red flower still in her hair. She had gotten a compliment from one of the kitchen girls, and opted to keep it there, not just wait until a good time to take it out. Turning to the Queen and her younger son, she bowed.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness,” she greeted politely. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
When her eyes landed on Prince Doyun, it wasn’t long before she could see the resemblance to Kangdae. It made a soft grin grow in her eyes, but she soon moved her attention to Queen Seohyun. After all, she was more concerned about her, and her mind was still whirling with scattered thoughts.
The mother and son looked busy, so at first Jimin was afraid to speak again, but it was probably necessary to explain herself. Her fingers fiddled nervously as their palms were pressed against each other.
“I wanted to find you after the meeting,” she began, wanting to be generic due to the young Highness’s presence. “There are some things I believe we should discuss, but I understand if you would like privacy. In any case, I can stay here if you need me for anything. Should I introduce myself?” She then looked between them, shifting her weight.

(ahh im so glad)

The little prince swung his feet while he turned the page. He was not reading, he couldn't pay attention to the story about the monster and his lover. His mother has already read him four other stories since he had returned last night, but he wants Kangdae to read to him. Doyun is great at reading; he just enjoys taking advantage of his youth, and of course, his adorable face. Making others read for him is a power of his as a somewhat small seven year old.

His own innermost struggles kept him distracted, and it seemed like Queen Seohyun was on the same boat, for neither of them didn't notice Lady Hwang entering. It took Doyun a few minutes to realize the new presence.

Doyun lifted his chin up, his gaze focused on the court lady in front of them. His pout simmered and was replaced with a smile, almost an exact replica of his older brother. Confusion shined in eyes as he tilted his head. "Me?" He pointed to himself. "You have a pretty flower. I am afraid you are mistaken, Lady Flower. Unless you had a meeting about me seeing His Hi-"

Queen Seohyun rested her hand on his shoulder, softly squeezing it. She laughed a little, "Your Highness, my beloved." Her gaze flickered to Jimin. The smile was only a facade. "You may introduce yourself to our little prince here, then we can go out into the hallway to address your concerns."

Doyun pouted. He closed the book and hugged it.

Jimin offered him a small smile in return. She was not unfamiliar with children; after all, the young maidservants, the ladies in training, they were only a few years older than Doyun. The difference was that Doyun, of course, had the royal blood that those children lacked, and that made Jimin a little unsure of how to act. Especially when the Queen was also present.
She watched them nervously, but with the smile still plastered on her face. Glancing to her, she nodded, then turned to the young prince.
“Ah, Your Highness, I’m Lady Hwang, and not Lady Flower. I am glad you like my flower, though. I am your mother’s lady-in-waiting, and I must speak to her about some business we have between us. Do not worry, I won’t keep her for long.”
She smoothed her skirts and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. Turning to the Queen again, she said, “I can wait outside first if you would like, Your Majesty.”

There is still a lot for Doyun to learn, that is what he heard Song Jeonghan tell his mother, but he could already sense that there is something wrong by the way the lady-in-waiting stood before them. Not to mention, the smile on his mother's face became lackluster.

"Oh…." He muttered to himself, his lips still in a small pout. Doyun was about to bow his head in apology but then stopped himself. Right, this is the palace, and he's the one who does not have to apologize to anyone. Strange. Very unfair in his opinion. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Hwang."

He nodded before stopping himself. Why did he just bow his head like something his late father or even his older brother would do? He cannot really protect his mother, so why did he feel the need to then?

Queen Seohyun squeezed his hand, then gently rose up. She said nothing as she walked towards the door. Only letting her footsteps do the talking, she watched the doors fly open. Stepping out, she turned to face the end of the hallway. "Follow me," She ordered while continuing her walk.

Strange how she felt more nervous now, around the Queen and her younger son, than earlier this morning, with Song Jeonghan. Jimin wanted to respond to the young prince, but she felt her throat close up. Her plastered smile finally faded. Her gaze fell to the floor as Her Majesty stood up and began moving towards the door. She could not even acknowledge her order, though she wanted to. Her feet pulled her to follow the Queen outside, while the rest of her body seemed frigid and stiff.

The mood in the queen had shifted. Nevertheless she kept the gentle smile on her face the same way it was just seconds ago. Not entirely sincere, yet had enough effort in to maintain the little bit of it there is. She observed Jimin, noting the unusual stiffness in the court lady. It must be related to the fact that she had Song Jeonghan enter their little secret mission. So much has clouded her mind and she is at her wits end. Time is running out for them all. Who's to say that it is her fault that things have led to her bringing someone from the Song clan into this?

"If this has anything to do with Commander Song, just know that I did not foolishly make the decision to involve him out of nowhere," She stated. "But, I know that this is surprising, and you may not like it. What is it, Jimin? Is there something wrong?"