.thirty six.

They left the lake with the sun setting behind them, having spent hours in each others arms, and as they emerged from the row of trees together, they were ambushed by a group of armed palace guards that were waiting for them. They pointed their swords at the two teenagers menacingly, forcing them to get on their knees in surrender as they surrounded them in a circle. Minji screamed in fear and Jung wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying his best to conceal her from view. Just then, a space broke out in the circle of guards and up walked Yeon Hwa, along with Ji Mong and Eun. 

"They were planning to run away together tomorrow morning." The princess accused, but her words were not at all resentful, nor were they full of hatred. Instead they were of genuine concern. 

Jung had gone to his older sister days earlier, begging for her help to run away with Minji. He never suspected that Yeon Hwa would turn around and use that information against them. But she did because she didn't want them to leave. Now she was exposing them to the whole kingdom, knowing that the consequences for that were dire, but the consequences could even turn lethal if they actually went through with their plans to run away. Yeon Hwa preferred to have her friend and her brother punished lightly for planning it than to be punished harshly for actually doing it.

The guards grabbed the two teenagers and dragged them back to the palace, and forced them on their knees in front of the king.

The King appeared disappointed as he regarded his youngest son. "I told you not to interfere in your brother's wedding, and I warned you there would be a punishment for your actions. There will be punishment for her as well, for betraying your brother." Both Jung and Minji struggled in the hold of the guards, Jung more so, as he tried to get to Minji to shield her from any punishment. Minji had tears streaming down her face, but said nothing. There was nothing she could say in that moment, as the King wouldn't listen to her anyway.

"Its not her fault, your majesty. You have to believe me." Jung tried to defend Minji, although his words weren't a lie. In order to spare him any punishment, she had refused his offer to run away together several times. "I planned all of it on my own, and I planned to take her away with me whether she wanted to come or not. But she told me she would go through with it and marry my hyung even though she didn't want to."

The king wanted to make things quick, knowing he had to do something to keep the wedding going, that was if Eun was still willing to marry a woman who was having a secret rendezvous with his brother on the eve before their wedding. "Take him away and lock him in one of our palace cells until after the wedding." He instructed. The palace cells were almost like animal stalls in the deep ends of the palace. Jung had only been there once with his father when he was explaining something to him and his other brothers about behaving, otherwise he would throw them in there. Back then, it had been a harmless joke. Now he was doing it to keep Jung from interfering any further. The guards nodded and started lugging him away.

All the while Minji cried and tried to go after him, her hands trying to reach out to him. Their finger tips grazed each other ever so slightly for a fraction of a second before he was taken away. Her own set of guards held her down and in place to prevent her from moving any more. 

The King now regarded her with a cold expression. She had never seen him like that, as he was always warm and parental towards her. He was always welcoming and kind, since she was the daughter to one of his generals. 

"Eun-ah," He started his expression softening as well as his tone. He was now looking toward the tenth prince who wore a worried expression on his face. He jumped slightly when he heard his name being called, as he had been scared out of his thoughts. "If you want to cancel the wedding and have this woman punished, you will be in your full right. I leave it up to you to decide what will happen."

The tenth prince, who had been standing at the front of the room with Yeon Hwa and Ji Mong, cut the distance between himself and Minji until he was standing over her. He saw the fear and despair in her eyes. But he also saw innocence. She hadn't been the one to plan running away with Jung. As much as he felt humiliated to see his bride to be in the arms of his brother, he knew she was a good person and he trusted her.

"I will still marry her, your majesty." Eun announced, and Minji let out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding in.

With Eun's forgiveness, she knew the King wouldn't be as harsh on her or Jung.

The King nodded in understanding, yet still instructed the guards after a moment, "Take her to another one of the cells and keep her there until tomorrow."

Eun looked to his father with widened eyes. "But your majesty--"

He was immediately cut off by his father. "What she did can't go unpunished, Eun-ah." Looking towards his guards again, he told them, "And make sure she never sees her lover again."

Minji quickly understood what he probably meant by that, but before she could say anything, or even react, she was dragged out of the room.

-

Minji woke to a whole new world and on a pile of hay that was in one corner of the cell. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face sticky with dried up tears. She had cried all night because of what had happened to Jung and what had happened to her as well. She could hear footsteps approaching, coming her way, and she sat up. When they arrived, she learned that it was a group of court ladies who would take her into the palace to get her dressed for the wedding.

They helped her back on her feet and led her down the long cold hallway of the cells. When they entered the palace, everything felt different. It smelled different, it felt different. She was taken to a room which she assumed was the same one she had been when she was fitted into her dress. It took them about an hour for them to dress her, and do her hair and make up. They then led her to another part of the palace where she was to wait for her husband to arrive for the ceremony. 

Little by little, others started arriving. Minji knew who they were by the sounds of their voice. First Wook and So, then Yo and Won, then Han and Baek-ah, then Eun's mother and grandfather, General Park and Soon Deok, and last the groom and the king. The general and Soon Deok had been informed of the punishment inflicted towards Minji, and the general was full of anger and resentment towards the king for doing so, but he could not lash out at him. He was merely a subordinate. He also didn't want to bring his daughter more trouble.

Minji felt her breath hitch in her throat as a priest of the temple arrived to conduct the ceremony. Minji's hands felt through the empty space, looking  for something, anything familiar. She was hit with a sense of deja vu when her hands collided with someone. Her hands felt first at the material of his gown, and just like the other time, she pulled back quickly. Remembering that scene perfectly, and trying to recreate it in order to ease her worries, Eun grabbed her hands in his, bringing them up to his face. "I'm right here." He told her. This time his words were saddened, and full of guilt. He felt like he hadn't done enough to help her.

Her fingers ghosted over his face, this time acting as her eyes as she felt every inch of his skin. Memorizing it the only way that she could now.

As the ceremony ended, they started opening presents, all of which had the intentions of bringing the couple good luck. But Minji already felt like luck was not on her side. Perhaps it had been the infamous curse of the wedding dress. Eun had seen her in it before the wedding and she had been punished in such a cruel way. One of the presents, Yo informed them, was for them to have many children, to which Minji responded by blushing madly. She couldn't fathom the though of having children with someone as innocent of heart as the tenth prince. The third prince also added that there was a present Minji should give the tenth prince later that night, which made Eun wonder with excitement what it was. He didn't get the hint that his older brother was talking about her virginity and he thought it was an actual present instead.

When they finished opening presents, the family dispersed and Eun's grandfather informed them that his present was back at his house and that he hoped they would be happy there.

With the help of Eun, they got back to his mother's family's home and he led them towards a magnificent house which had been built for them and decorated in a matter of days. Eun thanked his grandfather and he left them at the entrance of the house.

It wasn't until Minji heard him leave that she really let her tears stream down her face like a waterfall. She covered her face and cried into her hands to conceal herself from the tenth prince's view, her sobs wracking her small body. She had married someone by force and would never see again, two things that had always terrified her. 

She froze when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her slowly and awkwardly. They were the arms of her husband who had never comforted someone before, and he knew he probably wasn't good at it, but in that moment he just felt the urge to hold her and make her feel better. He pulled her close and rested his chin on her head. She was fifteen, practically still just a child, and he was three years older than her. He had to learn to be the responsible one in the relationship even if he didn't want to be. 

He held her until she calmed down, which took several minutes, and then silently led her into the house when she was more relaxed. He took her to their bedroom, leading her by the hand, and helped her lay down on the bed. "Maybe if you sleep you'll feel better once you wake up." He said to her gently, and Minji sniffled silently, nodding her head in agreement. She almost thought, since she couldn't see him, that she wasn't talking to Eun. But rather that the playful little prince had been replaced by someone more mature.

But it was him, and she knew by the way his skin felt to her touch. It was the same way it had felt when she had to wear a bandage over her eyes for a few days.  Her heart raced in her chest. It was their wedding night and she didn't know if he would be expecting something from her. Then again, she thought, probably not since he was likely even more innocent than her.

Like the time he slept over at her house, he didn't ask to sleep on her bed and made himself comfortable on the floor. Minji knew it was because he felt sorry for her and the punishment she had been burdened with. As his wife fell asleep in their bed, curled into a little ball, Eun couldn't help but think what his older brother meant when he said she would be giving him a very special present that night. 

Perhaps, he thought, Minji had forgotten and she would give it to him tomorrow.

-

eun acting mature for once, stepping up as the responsible one in the relationship. it is because he does feel bad for her condition. but once they both adapt to it, i feel like i will make him go back to his cute and playful self again.

i just felt like minji needed someone to comfort her and eun was there to offer her than comfort. just a little update before i got to bed.

thank you all loads for reading. 

have a wonderful night!

-clary