.fourteen.

As soon as they walked into the house, leaving the princes outside with their father, their mother saw them and heaved a sigh of relief. She had been pacing around the living room with one of the servants and rushed over to the two girls, pulling them into her arms. "With all the commotion at the palace I thought something happened to you girls." She said with worry, kissing one and then the other on the cheek desperately. Her hands ran up and down their arms as though she were checking for any bumps or bruises. Their father had soon followed into the house behind them, after having a word with his soldiers about calling off the search for his daughters. "Why would you sneak out on a night like this? When there are criminals on the loose." Their mother wondered, wanting to know what had possessed them to do something like that.

The Park sisters were normally good girls and would never even think of sneaking out of their house. They knew it would worry their parents.

Their father chuckled, everything coming together when he saw the two princes escorting his daughters back home. He had to admit that he liked what he saw. He had always thought that only a prince would be good enough for his precious daughters. "They were in good hands, darling." He assured his wife. When she shot him a look of confusion, he explained, "They went out with the youngest princes of Goryeo--Wang Jung and Baek Ah."

Now knowing that they were never in any real danger, her face flooded with relief. 

General Park went to Minji's side and nudged her teasingly. "Prince Jung and you are close again. I might have to talk to King Taejo about a marriage between one of my daughters and one of his sons." Looking to the other of the two girls, he said, "Looks like you're going to have to settle for the thirteenth prince since the fourteenth has an eye on your sister." He had given Soon Deok the choice between the two youngest princes, but since one of them already had a preference for Hak Soon, the remaining one would have to do for his other daughter.

"I'm not interested in marrying either of them." Soon Deok protested. She had already mentioned it several times, but her father wouldn't listen. The prince that she was in love with was Wang Eun. 

"And I'm too young to get married." Minji added an argument of her own, crinkling up her nose as she refused. Though her father grinned when she didn't dismiss the offer, but rather said that she was too young to be married off. He saw it as a good sign. Perhaps, he thought, she wouldn't mind if she were to marry the fourteenth prince of Goryeo. She just didn't want to marry him right away. And he was even more pleased that the prince was very keen on his daughter as well. Even if his daughter didn't want to, he was going to talk to the king. Maybe they could arrange for their youngest children to marry after turning eighteen.

General Park sent his daughters off to bed for the night and got up early the next morning to head for the palace. Minji and Soon Deok had gotten up early as well. Soon Deok was doing her morning martial arts training, while Minji watched her. Then she would head to the palace to visit Jung. She wanted him to teach her how to fight, something she would need if she was to continue living in Goryeo as Park Hak Soon.

The king had made time to meet with his most trusted general, even though he had been informed that it wasn't exactly a formal visit. They were in the throne room of the palace when General Park walked in. He followed the long aisle to the front of the room and knelt before the king. "Your majesty." He greeted with respect.

"Ji Mong told me this wasn't a formal visit." The king said. When the general nodded his head, the king asked him, "What can I do for you, old friend?"

"Your majesty, I've noticed the way our youngest have been getting very close with each other lately." The general explained.

"My Jung and your Hak Soon?" He asked. He knew that his children and the general's children had grown up around each other and some of them were friends. When General Park gave a nod of his head, the King continued. "Yes, I remember they were especially fond of each other as kids." Last he had heard, Park Hak Soon had been sent away to the country side to help her aunt and uncle for two years. Recently there was word of her return, but she had lost her memory when she tried to stop someone who was watching the princes bathing.

There was a silent pause between them for a minute, since General Park didn't exactly know how to offer his daughter's hand in marriage to the king for one of his sons. "I initially wanted to marry my Soon Deok to Jung. But since he and Hak Soon seem to get on so well, I thought it would be a better idea for them to be married. My Hak Soon is a good girl, and one of the prettiest in town. She will be a perfect bride for your son who I can see is also a good boy."

"They're only fifteen." The king pointed out.

"I know." The general nodded in agreement. "I don't mean they should get married right now. I wouldn't be able to let my little Hak Soon go when she's so young, merely a child. I mean that we can agree to make them engaged to be engaged until your Jung turns eighteen. I want to promise her hand in marriage to your son."

The King thought about it briefly. "I like the idea, but I'd have to think about it for a few days. My Eun will be turning eighteen soon and I still need to find a good wife for him. And in about another year I'll have to find a wife for my son Han. Then I need to marry off Yeon Hwa and Baek ah before I can even think of marrying off Jung." But for his other son he already had a candidate in mind. His son Han wasl always talking about Park Soon Deok and spending his free time at her house. He thought Soon Deok was the ideal candidate for Han, while he still needed a bride for his son Eun. 

-

Minji had dressed in her most comfortable clothes to practice martial arts with Jung when she went to find him in the palace, and by the time they finished, he had managed to pin her down several times. He also felt her arms and legs were getting sore and bruises about to form on her skin. Her clothes were also stained with dirt, grass, and her own sweat. That had been considering that Jung had been really holding back. She returned to her house later that morning for a bath, changed into some clean clothes and walked the short distance to Wang Wook's house where Hajin lived.

She made it there just past mid day and she felt the sun's rays beating on her back. Minji found her friend easily and they sat near the entrance of the house in an attempt to avoid running into Yeon Hwa. 

Hajin looked to be distracted, and Minji didn't know what had caused it since they lived in different houses. They had been making absent minded conversation when Prince Wang Eun arrived with a box in his hands. "I brought you some presents." He told Hajin cheerfully and sat by the other side of her. Minji didn't understand how he could be so nice to Hajin and appear so innocent, while to her he was a jerk. 

"Get lost, shrimpy." Minji shot a comment and a glare at him.

He only stuck his tongue out at her, but ignored what she said. He wasn't there to see her anyway. He then opened up the box he had set on his lap to reveal several toys he had brought. "You look upset." He said, and grabbing a card deck from the box, he set it in Hajin's hand. "You'll feel better once you play. Or if you don't like that, I have other toys. This one's my favorite." He got a sling shot out of the box and offered it to her. It had been the very same one that Jung had gotten for him at the shop several days earlier. Next he got out a colorful silk ball. "They say that if a boy gives one of these to the girl she likes, she'll fall in love with him."

But Hajin rejected his presents coldly, her mood appearing sour. "How old are you that you still play with toys?" She snapped at him a bit rudely.

Prince Eun was dejected, but only for a moment before he recovered. "If you share your burdens with someone, they'll feel lighter." Though Minji and the tenth prince didn't get along, she saw that he was a good person underneath him being a jerk to her. He was a good person to Hajin at least. 

It only took a moment before Hajin opened up to the two of them, revealing what was bothering her.

Turning to look at Minji first, she then leaned back a bit and looked from one to the other before starting. "I have a question for the two of you." The two waited patiently for her to continue. "Are you married, prince Eun?" She asked the tenth prince first. She already knew that Minji wasn't married--in this life or in their previous one.

He shook his head no. She then continued with her hypothetical question, one that had been on her mind from the previous night. It hadn't even allowed her to get a wink of sleep. "If you had a wife--or a husband--that was ill, would you bring in someone else to replace them?" 

Both Eun and Minji replied instantly, and at the same time. "No."

The tenth prince added his opinion on the matter while the two girls listened. "I think its too much of a burden, having too many wives like my father. Its sad because he doesn't get to see us very often. I grew up thinking for a long time that my grandfather was my real father." Minji felt a twinge of pity for him. He was a prince and was at times an arrogant jerk, but there were aspects of him that were innocent and pure, and even likeable. Minji also thought about Jung, the youngest of the brothers. Though his mother was the first queen, he probably didn't get to see much of his father either.

"Hm. " Hajin hummed in response.

"I'm going to find one woman and then be with her for one hundred years." Eun said. 

Hajin cracked a smile at that. It was a nice way of thinking, both girls thought. Especially in a time where it was not a big deal to have more than one wife. "It would be nice if more people were like you." Turning to Minji again, she asked, "What about you, Min--I mean--Hak Soon?"

Minji mulled it over, but heaved a sigh as she admitted. "Surprisingly, I agree with the shrimp prince. I think its best to find one person to love and then be with them for the rest of your life."

"Surprisingly?" Eun scoffed at Minji. "I'm a prince, which means I'm naturally wise and always right."

"Don't make me laugh." Minji shot back.

"Yeah." Hajin said with a sigh, agreeing with Hajin's comment about Eun being right. He had a good mind for a prince a thousand years in the past. "Me too."

She hoped off the steps where she was sitting in front of the house and Minji did the same. She said her goodbyes to the prince and walked into the house, with her friend following behind her. She had now left the young and innocent tenth prince with some confusion on his mind.

"Does she mean she wants to marry me?" He smiled to himself, pleased with the possibility. "She moves quick."

-

just a quick uodate right now before i go to the gym. and a quick venting session. so okay. im naturally not someone who likes to talk a lot. but my two sisters TALK A LOT. damn, like they dont shut up. so my sister had a bad day at school when she was trying to get her classes for the new semester.

and she felt the need to tell me all about it. meanwhile i was just going "mhm, yeah." to everything she said. but in my mind i was thinking "pls stop talking."

that's kinda mean but im a person of few words. like my little kyungsoo.

i've never been into talking. that's just me. anyway, i hope you all have a wonderful night.

-clary