The morning came with warm light falling through the paper of the windows and waking San. As he blinked against the cheerful glow, he noticed the palace had patterned the wood of the window's structure in geometrical and modern Confucian shapes. He wondered if the ancient Buddhist ones were still around somewhere since he preferred those.

San rubbed his eyes, not daring yet to move. He knew his body throbbed, but he would need to rise to greet the court and Hongjoong's close associates. His duties were plentiful. He took the role of a queen, of the king's spouse, and of the court dragon.

When he sighed into the blanket, he had pulled up to his chin, a chuckle behind him responded. Instantly, a furious blush filled San's cheeks when he noticed the presence of the king only now. He turned on his back to look at the king, who had propped his chin on his hand to watch San with amusement shining in his eyes. His long hair was tied back by a ribbon but still flowed around his shoulders freely.

San bit back a groan at the jostling of his body and lowered his eyes.

"Ah, your majesty."

"Have you rested well? I imagine yesterday's festivities wore you out."

They weren't touching, but their bodies were close enough that their heat mingled in the middle. San's body was naturally colder, but he appreciated Hongjoong's warmth.

"I did. Will you have to attend to your duties now?"

Hongjoong nodded as he sat up. The blanket slipped from his shoulder to pool in his lap. Since the light had been so dim last night, San hadn't noticed the smoothness of the man's skin that was so consistent all over his body. He had no odd skin patches or scales, and no appendages where none belonged. Self-conscious, San grabbed for his rough tail. The scales on it weren't as smooth as the snakeskin on his body. They were jagged and pointy and his ridge kept getting stuck in the sheets.

"Yes, but we will see each other later today. Seonghwa will escort you today. Once you come over to the throne room to relay your greetings to my court, we may meet," Hongjoong assured him. He gathered their clothes from the past evening in the adjoining rooms so they could get dressed. As San tied his clothes shut, he pretended not to grimace whenever dull pain throbbed through his bottom.

Once Hongjoong had brushed his hair and fixed his crown on it, he smiled at San. His eyes curled and his grin reminded San of the sun beyond the peaks.

"I will send Seonghwa here as I leave. Please, be at ease today. I will remind my people not to exhaust you."

After a thankful nod from San, the king strode away. His brisk pace had his blue robes fluttering behind him as he left the room in a hurry. San remained to play with his tail as he waited for the shaman to enter.

Before Seonghwa intruded, he called for his presence from outside. San felt out of place being the one to call him in. Seonghwa had probably grown up on the palace premises with his special connection to the spirit world, and San had yet to get used to the rank he suddenly had above the man. Nervously, San stood at the step leading up to the bed while Seonghwa entered.

The shaman had rid himself of his ceremonial robes. His casual style was a shining robe made of silk as turquoise as jade. His snowy white pants and socks complemented his flashy appearance. Wealth and presence carried in his presentation.

"Good morning," Seonghwa said. An exquisite smile played around his lips and crooked them in one corner as he bowed his head. The two servants who had entered with him kept their backs and heads bowed when he straightened.

San stood there, still queasy from pain and discomfort. Now that his body reminded him of its misuse last night, his stomach had become more sensible. He doubted eating was a good idea.

As Seonghwa stepped in, his eyes lingered on the dark spots San's blood had left on the rumpled sheets. He glanced away politely, but San knew the affirmation that the king had conducted his wedding night as required of him would get carried through the palace soon.

"Accompany me to drink some tea as I brief you on your tasks for today," Seonghwa offered with a graceful beckon of his hand towards the open door. Upon San's nod, Seonghwa turned and the golden patterns on his white waist belt reflected in the lazy sun. Curious, San's eyes got stuck on the dangling norigae he spotted on the man's belt. The tassels of the accessory swung with his movement and shone in the gold and white he fashioned. San couldn't see its shape, but he double-took Seonghwa's left hip, behind which it had disappeared.

Had he mistaken the man's gender? No, he was male. Why would he fancy a feminine adornment? Perhaps San had misinterpreted it as something related to his spiritualism. It was a prominent one, too, speaking of the high rank of the bearer.

Distracted by the swinging tassels, San followed Seonghwa out of the room. They entered a private sitting room two rooms over. While San and Seonghwa got comfortable on the ground, the servants scurried to embellish the desk with a shiny tea service. The first sip of the hot tea had San sigh in bliss. Seonghwa smiled at him over the rim of his cup, sensitive to heat compared to the imoogi.

"How do you feel?" Seonghwa questioned as he warmed his elegant fingers on the cup. The expensive porcelain looked fitting to his dainty grip, while San's claws struggled not to crush it.

"I have rested and calmed from my strain yesterday. The food here is heavenly, and I feel most welcomed by everyone I met so far," San muttered. He kept his talk polite, not opening up about feeling out of place or his pain last night.

As Seonghwa set down his cup, San gulped at the solemnity settling in his eyes.

"I am your confidant now and I can assure you that your personal matters - especially regarding those concerning your kin - are safe in my ears. The king will hear only of what you want him to hear, and any other member of the court has no right to access sensitive information about you." His voice had lowered to a grave drawl. San believed to hear the accent of a southerner shine through. The roughness blended with the otherwise harmonious language.

Relief flooded San. He had been unsure whom to trust in a location of festering intrigues and schemes, but Seonghwa seemed to be a loyal advisor to both the king and San. If he could trust anyone, it was the spirit medium who understood San's kin after studying the past dragon kings all his life.

"Thank you," San breathed. His sigh drew another smile on Seonghwa's lips. The man wrapped his arm around his knee, his seat casual in the privacy of their meeting.

"Then be honest with me. Did you enjoy your night with the king?"

San bit his lip. He didn't want to insult the king, and neither did he want Seonghwa to listen to such improper matters. Even if they established trust, there was a fine line between matters not meant to be spoken about.

Looking at his lap, San answered hesitantly. His tail curled around his behind protectively at the reminder of its agony.

"His majesty, the king was very kind. I believe our bodies aren't compatible with each other, but we did as we were required to do."

Seonghwa's voice sunk to an empathetic whisper.

"Are you in pain?"

For a long second, San pondered whether he should pretend to be invincible. He was a dragon; might and grace were expected of him. Yet, he didn't wish to establish a charade he couldn't uphold in the years he would spend here.

When he nodded pitifully, Seonghwa exhaled.

"I will supply you with medicine. If you feel you need medical attention, tell me so I may send for a doctor."

San blinked up at him, touched by his calm aid. Seonghwa's smile was gentle, as if he had foreseen as much and was glad he was allowed to help. San's shoulders lost their tension as he relaxed.

"Thank you. I will tell you if I need anything."

Seonghwa nodded at that, ever so refined. He beckoned San to drink his tea as he listed off a row of names and occupations they had to approach today. San was required to befriend the king's mother, though not as much as a queen would have to. He had to become close with Hongjoong's devoted advisors and find someone San confided in to exchange ideas about his political influence. Especially the ministers concerned with the spirit world, dragon history, and agriculture were important to San. Another field of people were those tending to any body of water, be it the ocean beyond the fields, or the lakes in the mountains.

After a few minutes, San's head buzzed with names and people. He remembered as much as possible about his stance on different people and what he owed them, but there were a lot.

Once they finished their tea, Seonghwa rose from his seat to guide San outside.

"Ultimately, it's best if you uphold polite mannerisms with every person you see here. Naturally, the king and I will require most of your time, but whenever you don't have duties as a spouse or we prepare for the ritual, you are free to spend time with whomever you please. Perhaps dragons have hobbies they frequent?"

San walked slightly behind Seonghwa, even when their ranks would have demanded otherwise. Still shy, San peered around the wooden halls and appreciated the artworks and decorative statues and shrines in the corners of the spacious rooms. The palace had tall ceilings and let in a lot of light, bathing the entire building in shadowless harmony.

San preferred shadows occasionally. He lived deep down in the waters of the lake he came from, and while he enjoyed the light dancing on the surface during the day and filtering through the water to tickle his nose, he gravitated towards the comfort of the cold depths. His eyes strained against the palace's spring light, even if they were human ones.

On their tour through the palace, they met most of the people Seonghwa had mentioned. They faced the minister for agriculture, the minister for lawmaking, the minister for military affairs, and many more. They all wore similar garments, and most of them were much older than their king. San bowed to them all politely and received their welcome wishes and offers to share a meal once he found the time. Seonghwa watched from the sidelines, pleased with the integrity of the dragon, who had lived among them only for a few weeks.

They passed the crimson red throne - meaning luck - on their way through the never-ending halls. The golden seat was empty and showed off its golden dragon statues and paintings of the Five Peaks and other symbols of longevity and blessings. San tried to imagine Hongjoong sitting on there, but he couldn't. The king's embrace had felt too personal and private for San to regard him as an intimidating ruler.

When Seonghwa introduced San to Hongjoong's mother, San got to meet a true queen for the first time. Her complicated hairdo was decorated with dangling charms and red accessories that matched her robes. Her face was youthful for her age, and San recognised the slope of her nose on Hongjoong's face. She wore a noraegi similar to Seonghwa's, only that hers was red and matched the rest of her clothes with its butterfly ornament.

The corners of her mouth were strict, but she received San's bow without complaint. San felt she would have wished for a wife for Hongjoong instead of a dragon, but she kept her tongue for the welfare of the country.

"Let's have dinner together one of these days. Us, and Hongjoong," she proposed after she had watched him struggle to press his head to the ground because of his antlers for a few moments. Her voice was quiet, if conciliatory. Glad that she made an effort to accept him, San bowed again.

"I will gladly accept that invitation, queen mother," San whispered with another bow. His heart jumped in his chest nervously, even if he wouldn't see her a lot. If he were a queen, they would live hand in hand, but his mentor was Seonghwa, not her.

"Seonghwa, bring this child back to the palace. He looks pale with all the stress."

Seonghwa bowed his head at her. Indignant, San bit his tongue to keep in his comment about being many more times her age.

"I will. Please rest well."

She smiled at Seonghwa, a gesture so brittle and resisted by her face San wondered if she ever did it. Seonghwa grinned back charmingly before he led San outside.

"This shall be enough for today. Let's get you your medicine and then see if the king wishes for your company tonight." Seonghwa ushered San back outside into the yard. Chilled by the wind, San wrapped his arms around himself.

"I can sleep in my own quarters?"

Seonghwa nodded.

"Since you are no queen, there is no need to share his bed every night to try for an heir. Though you shouldn't neglect your duties to each other as spouses. It depends on his needs, whether you will be asked to join him at night."

When San hummed in response, he tried not to show his relief. Perhaps he could persuade Hongjoong sleeping together wasn't a necessity for them.