.seventy three.

-

"We had our honeymoon before the actual wedding. You were amazing."

-

With King Taejo gone and his son Wang Mu in power, Jangmi had lost the opportunity of a lifetime. Not that the tenth prince was even interested in her to begin with. But at least she had a fighting chance and she wanted to prove to him that she was a better match for him than some blind girl who at best had been able to give him three children--one with plenty and significant health problems. The new king had no interest in making her his younger brother's bride. He was quite fond of the general's daughter and thought that of all his brothers, the young couple were the least problematic--well, them as well as Han and Soon Deok. 

In the past year, she and her people had been taking refuge in the forest, with some people opting to work in terrible conditions in the village because they were not actual citizens. Jangmi was currently making money stealing items from the local tent shops and selling them at the docs to the merchants who came in from other neighboring countries. But it was a difficult trade and she often bitterly thought that she could provide better for herself, her family, and her people, if she had gotten married to the tenth prince, or even the fourteenth prince. But the latter had gone off to the battle fields where it was very unlikely that he would ever return. He had the skills and the training, but out there someone also had to have luck.

It was about a year and half into Wang Mu's reign now when Jangmi spotted the tenth prince in the village. He was taller, more handsome, and well build underneath his robes with broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw. He was also more lean and appeared more manly than he had once been. 

He was looking around in the row of tents that sold hair pins, and other jeweled objects and she followed him closely, making sure not to be seen. At one of the tents, she heard him asking one of the merchants, "Which is the most expensive and best hair pin you have? Its my anniversary with my wife and I'd like to surprise her with a nice hair pin." In other years, and also for her birthday, he had gotten her little toys which signified the way she had gotten him a toy for his birthday. But on this occasion he wanted something more for her. He wanted to impress her and show his love for her in the form of something she could cherish and wear. Though he thought that nothing could ever top the silk ball he gave her for her fifteenth birthday.

Prince Eun firmly believed the legends about it were right and that if a boy gave a silk ball to the girl he liked, then she would fall in love with him. It had happened with Minji, even though he had given it to her during a time when he wasn't, or he thought he wasn't interested in her. 

She walked up to him, pretending she was just another interested customer and she grabbed the nicest hair pin she could find. Having the keen eyes of a female, she grabbed one that she knew he had been eyeing already. The tenth prince stopped her by turning his eyes towards her and placing a hand on her arm. "Excuse me, but I had been looking at that pin." He told her with the slightest hint of annoyance shining through. Sometimes he seemed to revert to his old ways of being that little prince who felt entitled to the world. But that all melted away when he was with his wife. She made him want to be a better person. 

The princess gave an uncaring shrug of her shoulders. "I don't see your name on it."

The tenth prince's lips came together to form a tight line. He then looked to the merchant, who quickly scolded her like a child. "Mind who you're talking to and have some respect, young lady. This is his majesty Prince Eun, tenth prince of our great nation."

Eun nodded, nose in the air with pride.

Jangmi snorted at that, risking getting a public flogging or anything of the sort. But she wanted a reaction out of him because she wanted his attention. She had a plan. One final attempt to get him to marry her. "You actually want me to believe that this boy is the tenth prince? The tenth prince probably has servants who shop for his servants in the village." Eun's proud smile immediately dropped and was replaced with a look of annoyance. 

He didn't recognize her, which was much to her benefit, since she was covering most of her face with a scarf. Only her eyes were visible.

"Fine. Take it." The tenth prince huffed, deciding he would leave the tent. "I can just find another pin elsewhere."

"Wait." Jangmi called to him as he was making his way out. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her now. Only then, did she continue. "I will let you take this pin, if you take me out for a drink."

There was a tent nearby where they sold drinks, all imported from different parts of the world. Most people could not afford them, but the royals could, and Jangmi had a trick up her sleeve. 

Eun refused with a shake of his head. "I can't. I have to get back to my wife and children."

Jangmi dangled the pin in her hand in front of him. "Your wife will really love this pin. And all it will really cost you, other than the price of the pin, is a drink with me."

The tenth prince mulled it over. He had been in the village all morning, going from tent to tent searching for the perfect present. None could convince him until he saw the silver and jade studded hair pin that he was about to purchase when she walked up and grabbed it. He wanted to surprise his wife with something that would be just as beautiful as she was. 

He finally heaved a sigh and gave in, rolling his eyes at her. "One drink."

-

They had gone to a small hut by the edge of the village and there were a few people who appeared to be nobles drinking there. They all bowed their heads in respect as they saw the tenth prince come in. Jangmi led him to a table and informed him that she would get the drinks. He handed her some money so that she could pay for them. He was already appearing bored, clearly only there out of obligation because he had promised he would buy her a drink if she surrendered the pin. Little did he know that she didn't even have money to purchase such an expensive pin in the first place. But despite everything, he was still that innocent little tenth prince who often believed most of what people told him.

She got two drinks--one for her and one for him. Before walking back to their table, she pulled something from her pocket. It was a fine black powder she had made from dried up night berries. Night berries were known in Goryeo for causing the mind and body to relax to such a point that one would be knocked out into a deep slumber. 

Jangmi poured some of the powder into his drink and walked back to the table. She handed one to him and the tenth prince only stared at it. "I'm not here to drink. This is for you." He slid the little shot glass in her direction.

The fallen princess gave a shake of her head. "Its no fun to drink alone."

The tenth prince rolled his eyes at her once again, unamused, but finally gave in. In his mind, the faster he did what she said, the faster he could get back to his home to share the company of his wife. That was all he wanted. After a tiring day of searching all of Goryeo for the perfect present, he just wanted to hand it to her and call it a day. He had even skipped training with his younger brother Han for this.

He brought the drink to his lips and thought it was strange as he caught a whiff of the liquid that it smelled faintly of berries. That was not normally what other alcohol smelled like. It usually always smelled like what it was--alcohol. He drank it up quickly and then got up to leave, but she held his arm down, insisting that they have another. She had given him enough money for two more drinks if they wished to have them. The tenth prince tried to decline, but she would not let him leave. He was nearly reaching a point where he would just get up and leave without looking back. 

After nearly ten minutes, he started feeling extremely tired, and his eyes started drooping shut. "I really should go home now." He slurred, and the princess grinned, as the berry powder was already taking effect.

"I'll help you." She offered this time and she got up. 

Eun got up a bit too quickly and fell back into his chair. The princess went around and helped him, getting his arm around her shoulders, and her arm around his torso for balance. It was a struggle to even get him out of the hut, but she wasn't planning to take him very far. Next door to the hut was a House of Heaven, a place where women sold their bodies to men in exchange for bodily pleasures. They also rented out rooms to people who wanted to indulge in their desires without being seen by the outside world.

Jangmi took him there and paid for a room with money she had taken out of the prince's pocket. He was barely even conscious, mindlessly babbling about how he needed to get home to his wife. But the princess took him into a room, undressed him, and put him under the silky sheets of the brothel. She then stripped out of her own clothes and climbed into bed next to him. The tenth prince was out like a light in less than ten minutes, and she had a good nap by his side, smiling to herself that she had accomplished her plan. She would make him believe that he had taken her, in his drunkenness, and that he would have to marry her because he had likely gotten her pregnant.

The tenth prince awoke when night fell and he was disoriented and with a terrible headache. It was one of the side effects of the night berry. He looked around the room to see he did not recognize where he was, and he jolted upright when he felt someone stirring in bed beside him. His eyes widened in shock as a female figure tried to cuddle up to him. She was undressed, and he was undressed, and he didn't remember anything after the fact that he had gone drinking with a stranger after getting the jade pin for his wife.

His heart dropped at the realization that he had possibly done something terrible, something he didn't want to do.

He shook her awake quickly and bombarded her with questions. "Where are we? What happened? Who are you?"

She sat up slowly, yawning tiredly and as the faint moonlight coming in from the window hit her face, his heart dropped once more. She pulled the covers around her small frame to shield herself from the elements, leaving his bare chest exposed. That's why she had been so insistent. It was the princess who had wanted to marry him, to be his second wife.

"We had our honeymoon before the actual wedding. You were amazing." She smiled at him, her hand reaching up to touch his face. She was over the moon that she had gotten what she wanted. Now surely she would be able to get the tenth prince to marry her. He would have to if he thought they slept together and that there was a chance that she would get pregnant. She thought herself very smart and she thought she had beat the general's daughter. Once married to the tenth prince, she would be the more important wife. She was a princess after all.

Eun was horrified and quick to swat her hand away. 

He then brought his face into his hands and was full of laments. "What have I done? She will never forgive me for this."

And of course he had been talking about the one person that matter most to him.

Minji.

-

so jangmi basically drugged eun and made him think that they did the deed.

they really didn't but he thinks they did because he's so innocent and whatnot. now she will surely try to get him to marry her and there will be a ton of more drama to come. 

thank you all for reading and supporting this story. it means the world to me. also, this comes at a convenient time for jangmi because eun and minji have been trying to have their fourth baby, and they just haven't been able to. so that will bring more drama.

have a wonderful night everyone!

-clary