Now that her arrows nine out of ten times hit the board, Iseul felt a little less perturbed about what happened during today's lessons. She was so happy she even ignored Whan-wook's sneer about becoming too boyish.

Together with Ae-cha and Ha-neul she took a shower in the large washing area. It was the first time she showered together with other people, but the giggling was mostly due to their speculating whether or not the boys all showered together every day as well. Nari and the other servants made sure their outfits stayed spotless, and clean undergarments lay waiting for them each time they took a shower at the end of the day.

While pulling on the purple trousers, Ae-cha asked: "Do you really want to become queen, Iseul?"

Iseul paused what she was doing and stared at the far end wall. Somewhere along the way she'd stopped thinking about her situation as inevitable. Since a few days she really wanted to do her best for hér, not just for the honor of her family. She wanted to prove to the likes of Jae-sung and Hojin that a woman was just as capable as ruling the people as a man. The problem was that she had no idea how. Learning about politics, rankings and the layout of the land didn't automatically make you a good ruler. No matter how condescending Hojin had sounded, he had pointed out a major flaw in her upbringing.

"I think ..." she began, then halted, pursed her lips and continued after a few seconds: "I want to be the best person I can be. Whether it's at home, with my mother, one day as my husbands wife, here as Wonhwa, or in the palace as queen; I want to be able to do good wherever I am needed."

She put on the top coat and carefully smoothed the fabric before tying the ribbons together. "I don't need to beat everybody," she finally stated. "I just want myself, and all of them, to see what I am capable off."

With a dreamy expression, Ha-neul sighed and said: "I think you will make a wonderful queen. You already have those boys wrapped around your finger."

Iseul pulled a face and concentrated on wrapping the belt around her waste.

"Here, let me help you." The timid girl flitted to her side and adjusted the belt till it was straight. "There, perfect."

"Thank you," Iseul smiled. "I'm sorry I haven't been very accommodating towards you before. I think I got a little jealous because when I first got here, everybody ignored me. Yet, they immediately accepted you three."

Ae-cha snorted. "That's because they know we're no threat to them. We're just some silly girls who came looking for pretty boys."

"Speak for yourself," mumbled Whan-wook from the door opening. She looked offended. Iseul wondered how sincere the older woman was in her participation.

🌸

Dinner was a quiet event, since they had been given an assignment. Not just the candidates in the selection, but the regular Hwarang as well had to come up with a means to prevent a neighboring kingdom to take advantage of them.

Iseul had heard Ha-neul whispering about a marriage, but that idea she frankly found offensive. As if Silla didn't have any other option than to sell a princess, which they didn't have anyway. No, there had to be a better way besides that and the obvious fighting some of the boys were discussing.

She was glad there wasn't a pressing reason to come up with an answer. The assignment was hypothetical. At the moment there was a fragile peace between Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje and she planned to keep it that way. Fighting wasn't the answer either. Silla had a proud army and the Hwarang were trained to be elite warriors, but they were a kingdom which valued the lives of it's inhabitants.

So deep in thought was she, that she didn't notice it weren't the usual boys who came to sit at her table. She was about to ask Du Ho if they received assignments like this often, when she caught sight of the Hwarang next to her. She barely managed to keep the soup inside her mouth and ended up with a choking cough. "Jae-Sung," she wheezed, as soon as she was able to speak again. "Why are you here?"

Frantically turning her head left and right, she spotted Du Ho and the brothers at a table nearby. They had worried expressions on their faces and kept a close eye on them.

"What?" Jae-sung answered, way to airily for his doing. "Are we not allowed to sit here?"

His friends, the ones who were usually gathered around him, tried not to glance their way all the time, but failed miserably.

"Well, yes, of course you're allowed, but you always sit over there." She pointed at a table further away.

"And now I'm sitting over here." Jae-sung seemed intent on not elaborating, so Iseul grabbed her tray with both hands and made to get up.

A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, almost causing her to tip the tray. "Stay here," he grumbled.

"Why?" Iseul hissed, attempting to pull her arm free.

Jae-sung looked briefly at the table where her friends sat and then said in a low voice: "I don't want you sitting with them. The daughter of the prime minister should be careful whom she associates with."

For a moment Iseul was speechless. Did he really just say that? She didn't think Binna's brother was that shortsighted. Because she was barely standing and they talked in hushed tones, hardly anyone paid attention to them. The boys nearby had their heads bend and were focusing with all their might on the food in front of them.

She thought for a moment whether or not she should publicly humiliate the boy who had helped her earlier this day, but ultimately decided against it.

Leaning over to him a little bit, she whispered: "Try to judge a person by his or her merits, Jae-sung. There are no ranks among the Hwarang." With that, she stood up and left the table.

Du Ho wanted to know what Jae-sung and his friends were doing at their table, but she merely shrugged, sat down and began her meal. When she looked at Chul-yeo, she saw the elder brother understood. His jaw was set and there was anger in his eyes when he looked at the offenders.

She placed a hand on his and softly said: "Don't mind them."

With raised eyebrows, he turned his face back to her. His expression changed from annoyed to amazed when she added, louder this time: "They still have a lot to learn."