The girl stood there with her head bowed, facing Taehyung, Seonbi and Mirin as the sun peered in through the window behind them. Its golden rays lit up the room like a candle shining in the dark, erasing all shadows and pushing them to the corners and crannies that the radiance couldn't control. Their eyes were aglow with wrath, and Mirin turned up her nose in scorn.

"I found her sneaking around the palace as I was making my way back, Sister. She hadn't been to the vigil last night."

Taehyung crossed his arms in indignant disappointment.

"How could you do such a thing? Do you realize what you've done?" he rebuked. "You've put dishonor on your dear friend! What do you have to say for yourself?"

She stood there in silence.

"Answer your father, young lady!" Mirin said, grabbing her arm once more.

"That's enough, Mirin. I think Taehyung and I can handle it," Seonbi sighed, looking up at Taehyung, but quickly looking away. "I truly expected better of you, Rinji. I am very disappointed in you."

"I feel the same way as your mother, Rinji. As penance, you will spend the next week in the temple shrine assisting the priests. You will take your meals there and you won't come out until you've truly reflected on what you've done."

Mirin nodded in approval, touching Seonbi's hand as she began to back away from the couple. Believing her job was done, she left the room without a word.

"Rinji? Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" Seonbi said, finally pulling the girl into her arms. "I'm so sorry, darling. Let me see you."

Seonbi and Taehyung took the girl gently by the shoulders and looked into her teary, glimmering eyes--

--but they suddenly stepped back in awe and disbelief, gasping for air they couldn't find.

"Y-You! Who are you?" Taehyung whispered sharply, clutching his wife close to his chest.

"You're not my daughter! You aren't Rinji!"

"She may not be me, but she's part of my ploy."

Taehyung, Seonbi and the girl quickly popped their heads ninety degrees to see the raven-haired, dark-eyed daughter they knew and loved walk out from behind a screen. They watched in veneration as none other than Princess Kim Rinji joined the girl in front of them, smiling cheekily at her parents.

"What-- how-- I don't--"

"Mother, Father, this is Sooyoung. She's my maidservant, and she looks a whole lot like me."

Rinji chuckled with Sooyoung, who had taken her veil off and bowed deeply towards Seonbi and Taehyung.

"Second Lord Kim, Lady Kim," Sooyoung said, acknowledging the two as she bowed. "I am honored to be in your presence."

"I-I...it's a pleasure to meet you," Taehyung slowly smiled, struggling to overcome his astonishment.

"Sooyoung, please check to make sure Aunt Mirin has left. The walls have ears."

Sooyoung left the room upon Rinji's command, bowing quickly before exiting the room in a brisk fashion.

"You never told us about this, Rinji-ah," Seonbi said, tilting her head in confusion. "What exactly is your plan?"

"Yesterday, Sooyoung and I were speaking as she prepared me for the memorial. We were both in front of the mirror, and it struck me how alike our appearances were. I then came up with the plan."

"Well, if this plan was meant to make fools of us, then we were all turned into idiots!" Taehyung giggled, shaking his head. "I had no idea..."

Sooyoung returned, bowing once more before the three.

"I have checked the perimeters, Your Highness. No one is here."

"Good. Now I may tell you my plan."

Taehyung and Seonbi leaned in as their daughter began to speak in a hushed voice.

"Last night, I attended the memorial. You were with me. You saw me, Hancheol's parents saw me, His Majesty and His Divine Grace saw me. There is no question that I was there."

"That means the girl Mirin saw...that was Sooyoung!" Taehyung said, immediately putting the rest together.

"And she was wearing a veil...it makes perfect sense now! That's why she never spoke either! If she said anything, her voice would've given everything away," Seonbi remarked. "We scolded a maidservant, not our daughter!"

Seonbi bowed in apology towards Sooyoung, who turned red at the gesture.

"I-I was made known of the scheme beforehand, my lady," the servant stammered. "Please...n-no need for apology. Anyway, I am used to cross words. I was brought up by a strict matron."

Rinji coughed, placing everyone's undivided attention on her.

 "Now, please listen. The next part of my plan involves General Park and interim General Jeon. I'm going to need everyone's help here."

Jungkook received happy neighs and whinnies from all the horses in the stables as he entered with a broom and a large bucket of water. He smiled happily at the creatures, eager to let them out of their stables and let them roam for a bit before cleaning their stables. Work in the stables wasn't "fitting for a man of his caliber" according to some of the elder lords in the palace, but Jungkook was happy to see the horses each day and interact with them. Additionally, if Jimin happened to catch him in the stables while he worked, they could share a few secret moments of passion before returning to their duties.

Smiling at the horses, Jungkook put the broom down next to the barn wall and opened a door -- letting a grey horse with black, paint-like splotches out of her stable. Leading her out of her stable, he took her by her reins and gently led her to the open grass where she began to roam and nibble on a few desirable-looking patches.

"Good girl, Sagwa," Jungkook said, leaving her to roam. "I'll be back when I've finished your stable."

Jungkook went back into the barn, repeating this process for Miso, Areum, Chimchim, and all the beloved horses of the palace elite. As he came back from releasing the final horse, however, he came upon an even more pleasing sight -- the splendor of Jimin dressed in the robes and cloak of an army general. His hair fell in a side part over his left eye, and the top half of it was slid into a silver band while the bottom was left to fly and wave in the breeze.

"Jimin, my love," Jungkook sighed, lovestruck by his appearance. "You're so handsome in those robes."

"You think flattery will invoke my mercy?" Jimin growled, smiling evilly at Jungkook like a wolf about to devour its prey. Jungkook wasn't able to think of running before Jimin had grabbed him by his wrists and pinned him to the stable wall.

"I will have you today, Jeon Jungkook. Whether it be later tonight in our bedroom or right here in this barn...I will take you for my own."

As much as he would've denied it, excited adrenaline was rushing miles a minute through Jungkook's visible veins. He smiled, intoxicated with the sexual energy radiating from Jimin's body.

"J-Jimin-ah...w-we're in public! And I haven't finished my work yet..."

Jungkook was cut off by his own gasp as Jimin's hand slid down to Jungkook's inner thigh.

"Mm, I suppose you're right..." Jimin said, smirking at the younger boy writhing in pleasure beneath him. "I suppose I should wait until you've finished. The question is...do you really want me to?"

Jungkook bit his lip in anticipation, breathing heavily and whimpering in Jimin's ear.

"I know you don't want me to. It's too bad that you'll have to."

Jimin eased off Jungkook, allowing him to catch a breath and whine in anticlimactic frustration. The elder laughed at his behavior, shaking his head and leaning against the opposite wall.

"You're absolutely right. We are in public and we could be seen. Now finish up, boy!"

"F-Fuck you, Jimin."

With that, Jimin went into the stable behind him and grabbed the whip off the wall. Returning to the small walkway where Jungkook still stood, he brandished the whip for the younger to see -- immediately making him drop to the floor and apologize for his remark. Jimin smiled, leaning back on the wall in a cocky manner.

"Work."

"Yes, sir."

Jungkook picked himself up, dusted his robe off and immediately began to sweep out Sagwa's stable. His body still trembled with excitement and shuddered with desire, but he dared not show it to Jimin, lest he earn the crack of the whip on his backside.

His vigilance was also a relief to the two girls hiding in the stables who could barely keep themselves quiet.