"I was thinking that this Choi Jongho boy seems like a good choice for our Wooyoung, don't you think, Siyeon?" Hongjoong asks, looking down at the list of names they both compiled to come to the castle next week.

Choi Jongho

Im Nayeon

Son Seongjun

Hwang Yeji

Seo Changbin

Kim Yongsun

Siyeon rolls her eyes, "I'm just glad we've finally agreed to make him stop waiting around and procrastinating with this schooling fiasco."

"Fiasco? Wooyoung has been doing quite well in his lessons, has he not?" Hongjoong looks up at his wife, confused with what she said.

"I went down to the kitchen the other day and didn't seem to be doing so well to me," Siyeon states matter of factly, tapping her finger on Hongjoong's desk, "He plays too much. I believe that he's only playing around so much to lengthen the time until he has to be wed off. He's playing you, honey."

Hongjoong narrows his eyes, studying his wife's face, "Wooyoung wouldn't do that..."

"He can and he is, Hongjoong. Why can you never see it? You're never able to get it through your thick skull that Wooyoung will never stop trying to stall his wedding ceremony. He's always been this way!" Siyeon yells, becoming fed up, "He's the worst child," she mutters, some venom behind her words.

Hongjoong stands up, his palms face down on his desk as he confronts Siyeon, "Don't you dare say that about our son. Wooyoung has never done anything wrong, has he? You've always mentioned how often you catch him doing poorly-mannered things, yet I never see any of it," he sighs before continuing, hating the way he's getting livid, "Wooyoung's told me how cruel you act towards him and I want it to stop, Siyeon. He's our son."

Siyeon's face is crimson red from anger, her blood boiling over, "He's rotten, Hongjoong. One day you'll see it," she spits and then storms out of his office.

Hongjoong sits back down in his chair and relaxes back once she leaves, letting his eyes close in an attempt to give himself a moment's peace from all of the stress that's built up on him. He takes a few seconds to himself before sitting back up straight, pinching the bridge of his nose while releasing yet another sigh.

Hongjoong picks up the list of suitors he and Siyeon had chosen for Wooyoung and opens the drawer to put it back away when his eyes catch light of an old memory.

A ring...

He carefully picks up the small silver ring, a smile spreading across his face as he looks longingly at the ring that holds so many memories for him. Staring at it makes him think about all of the broken and forgotten promises it held from his past before ever getting married to Siyeon.

Hongjoong rolls the rings around with his fingers, remembering the day when he and his former lover exchanged these rings with each other. His heart pounds faster as his mind fills with thoughts of...

"Excuse me, King Hongjoong," A guard interrupts Hongjoong's thoughts when he enters his office, "I've received information about something regarding the castle."

Hongjoong looks up and calmly slips the ring back into the drawer, sliding it closed as he composes himself, "Go on."

"We have reasonable suspicion to believe someone is entering the castle without your permission, my King."

Hongjoong crosses his legs and strokes his chin, "Have you seen anything?"

The guard nods, "I heard voices coming from the kitchen the other night. My partner and I investigated, finding no physical bodies, but we did find spilt water on the floor. We don't want to take any chances, now do we? That's why I decided to bring it up to you, my King."

Hongjoong thinks to himself for a moment.

An intruder?

Throughout today's cooking lesson, Wooyoung kept eyeing Yunho, noticing how he was hardly speaking at all. It made the whole lesson quite awkward and he thinks it's lucky when, towards the end of the lesson, Wooyoung's father comes into the kitchen.

"Wooyoung, come here. I need to speak with you," King Hongjoong announces, motioning for his son to come out with him.

Wooyoung goes after his father, giving a small wave to Yunho and Mingi. Maybe this will finally give them some time to talk, he thinks. He doesn't like seeing Yunho quiet, it makes him feel weird since his best friend has always been so talkative and bubbly -- aside from when he saw Mingi, that is.

"Is something wrong, Father?" Wooyoung asks, but he has a suspicion it's something to do with his mother coming into the kitchen the other day.

King Hongjoong sighs, "Son, I want you to be especially careful now, okay? I've received a tip from one of our guards that there could be an intruder in the castle."

Wooyoung keeps calm on the outside, but inside he's freaking out. Does someone know about San? That's impossible, isn't it? They're never left Wooyoung's room and Wooyoung's never mentioned him once outside of Yeosang and soon he's going to have to explain to Yunho because he knows he will ask.

Wooyoung's mind is running a mile a minute, knowing that the possible intruder must be San.

Who else could it be?

King Hongjoong takes his son's silence as the go-ahead for him to continue, "I'm assigning more guards to your room, and there will be one that comes in to check on you in the morning as well as the evening. Yeosang will be notified about this and he, too, will be looking out for you more than normal."

Wooyoung just nods, still unsure of what to say at this moment. Yeosang knows about San already, so there shouldn't be any issues there, he thinks. The newfound problems will arise with his guards coming in to check on him... He's going to have to memorize the schedule that they check on him so that San isn't caught.

"There's one more thing I wanted to discuss with you, son."

Wooyoung looks up at him, clearing his thoughts, "Yes, father?"

"Next week, the suitors your mother and I have chosen for you will be coming here to meet you," Hongjoong explains, "But do not worry, you'll be given the opportunity to narrow down the pool to the ones that stand out most to you. Once you've done that, you'll be able to go out with one of them -- with a castle guard's supervision, of course -- for an evening of your choosing."

Wooyoung's eyes widen at his father's words, slightly shocked at how nice it all seems in the way he speaks about it and explains everything. Even through the flowery delivery of next week's inevitable torment, San never leaves Wooyoung's mind. He always is there, right at the forefront.

San...

Oh, how he wishes he could use that special outing on the one he holds dearest. His mind once again clouds itself with images of San and how it felt to be in his arms that night at the Hide. He was so lost in thought, he almost missed when his father had even more to say.

Words he wished weren't real, ones he pleaded to be a lie.

"We're doing all of this for you, son, so that once your lessons have ended... You'll be able to be wed right away," Hongjoong finalizes, his chest filled with mixed emotion at his beloved son's face of shock.

"Right away...?" Wooyoung questions, hoping that he didn't hear him right.

King Hongjoong only nods, "It's time."

Wooyoung watches as his father leaves, and as soon as he's out of sight, Wooyoung begins to mentally hyperventilate.

As soon as his lessons end...? That's so soon. Too soon.

He realizes how little time he truly has than he originally had thought and he doesn't know what to do anymore. Wooyoung always knew that this time would come, but he knows now that he would never be ready for it.

He tries to convince himself to stay optimistic, repeating in his head that the suitors his parents chose could contain the one he's been looking for, but...

The name Choi San continues to echo through his mind. The more time he's spent with the courtesan, the more his feelings of friendship have developed into something more. Something he was afraid to think too hard about, for fear he would be correct in his feelings towards him.

The world isn't the kindest to us

Wooyoung remembers back to everything San has said to him and his words couldn't be more true. It felt like the world was doing everything in its power to tear him and San apart, but Wooyoung wasn't ready to let go. It was much too soon.

Wooyoung had a feeling that this was only the beginning.

End of Chapter Eight