Ghost Du Hongmo

The Whip

Two month after Asano's birthday party, Hongmo had gained several important information from all the military targets that she killed.  Before she would kill them, she would torture them and make them confess to their sins.  Any evidence to their corruption that tied them to other military or other ministers Hongmo would follow the lead to get a better understanding of the government, the people who served the government and the conspiracies.  

In one occasion, she was able to find information on a special operation that dealt with the movements of the Yukah Kingdom's boarder patrols and platoons.  On this secret special operation, the mission for the elite soldiers was to integrate themselves with the boarder villagers and scout the Yukah's soldiers and their movements.  The written report had only one name on it, as the report was ripped at the bottom where the names of the soldiers would be.  The name on the paper that Hongmo read was a nickname that the soldiers went by.  And on it was the name, The Whip.  

When Hongmo took the head of the official to Mace.  Mace had received her with a smile on his face.  His charming demeanor tried it's best to win her over, but to his dismay, she never warmed up to him.  

"Why aren't you mesmerized by my looks?"  Mace pouted as he rested his chin on his hands, totally ignoring the head on his desk. "Is it because you don't like my silver hair?  Does it remind you of an old man?  Is that why you don't find me handsome?"  

The corner left side of Hongmo's lips twitched at Mace's puppy attitude as she corrected herself again and placed the mask over her face again.  

"Or is it my silver eyes?  Most women say it reminds them of a silver liquid pool which they can drown themselves in and yet you glance over them like they are silver trinkets sold on the streets.  Small and significant."  Mace pouted more as he lips pushed themselves forward with every word.  "Why are my charms not working either?  Every women who seen me wanted to spend a night with me, especially the married ones!  They would beg and plead for my attentions and here you are ignoring everything I say and my whole existence! My whole world has flipped upside down as I do not know what is up and what is down. What is right and what is left!"  

Hongmo stared Mace with the entertainment that he provided for her.  She had to bite the inside of her cheeks to stop her laughter.  

"Ghost, I would ask you to put me out of my misery, but you would actually do it if I ask.  And knowing your skills, you would do it without mercy or hesitation!  It would be like I would be asking for my own death!"  He faked cried louder.  "How can there be a woman who is immune to me!  Dear Gods, you have wronged me greatly!"  

Hongmo couldn't hold it in any longer and her lips cracked into a grin.  

"Ha! Ha!"  Mace cried out in triumphed as he pointed to her smile. "I knew the Gods didn't let me down!  You smiled at me!  You're not immune to my charms!"  

Hongmo rolled her eyes and put out her hand for the payment of her work.  

"40,000 gold coins."  Hongmo said as she smirked more at him.  His foolishness behavior was only seen and acted out with her and always in private.  With others he was a cold hearted assassin organization master.  

Mace grabbed her hand and she let him, she wanted to see what foolishness he was going to act out next.  He lead her hand to his face as he made her hand feel his forehead.  

"I have to be dreaming for Ghost to act so strangely. Quick feel my forehead, I must have a high fever and be dreaming at the moment of this miracle!"  

Hongmo took her hand back a bit and smacked his forehead lightly.  A smacking sound could be heard as Mace pretended to fall back into his chair with force.  

"You're not dreaming."  Hongmo told him.  "Nor do you have a fever."  

Mace rubbed his forehead in mock hurt and a pout on his face.  "You ruined this handsome face with your attack.  I demand a kiss on my booboo!"  

Hongmo couldn't help herself, Mace pouting like a hurt puppy made her want to take him home and treat him well.  She stood up and walked around the desk.  Hongmo leaned over and kissed his forehead.  Mace's hands came up and cupped her face.  The silliness he had inside of him went away as it was washed over with seriousness.  

He stared at Hongmo with is serious silver eyes trying to read the situation.  He had liked her the moment he met her, however he too had been at Prince Asano's birthday party and have seen how he treated Hongmo.  Mace couldn't help the way he felt, as he was jealous that his friend took the woman he was attracted to away from him.  But he also knew that his friend was not one who lusted over women.  If he took a liking to Hongmo, he was serious about it.  So he took a step back to let his feelings disappear, but how could he just let her go.  She came to his tea house every day and they have sat down and drank tea every time she came in.  She came to claim her payment once a week.  She had slowly became his friend and won his respect.  How could he just sit back with his feelings towards her as they ran rampant inside of him and grew with every passing day? 

"Do you want to kiss me?" Hongmo asked him as she too had felt attracted towards him.  But she hadn't acted upon those feelings.  At first she wanted to keep things with him professional, but with every day that they spent together, she too felt herself soften towards him.  She too thought how it would be to kiss him, to hold him, to lay with him. 

"But what about--"  Mace started to say, but then was cut off by Hongmo's kiss.  

Her lips felt like fire on his lips.  The hungry lips took control and as Hongmo climbed on to his lap and straddled him. Her hand wrapped itself between his silky silver hair and pulled.  He groaned loudly at her actions.  Her will to dominate and lead him caused him to want her more.  His hands had made it's way down her back and hold on to her hips as they grind over him.  

Mace pulled away, knowing that things would become more serious than they already are.  

"I've wanted to kiss you the moment I met you."  He confessed to her.  

"How was it?"  She asked. 

"Better than what I imagine and could ever dream of."  He told her.  

Hongmo smiled and got off of his lap to sit on his desk.  He smiled at her and his heart sang with happiness.  

"What about Prince Asano?"  Mace asked again.  He didn't want to lose a friend and didn't want to cause any issues between them.  

"What about him?"  Hongmo said. 

"Aren't the two of you together?" He asked.  

"What do you mean by together?"  She asked.  

"Together, like I don't know... I just..." Mace kept trying to find the right words to describe their relationship, but the right words could not be found.  

"We made sure to understand where we stand with one another."  She told him.  "No promises. No strings. No drama.  I'm my own woman."  

"What does that mean?"  He asked as he reached out to touch her cheeks.  

"It means we understand what we mean to each other and where we fit in each other's lives.  I refuse to fit into his mold of a woman that stands and waits by his side as he rises up to the throne.  Besides, I wouldn't be able to bring to him the necessary connections or wealth he needs to become King."  Hongmo told Mace as she leaned into his palm.  "We take what we need from each other and give what we can give and that is all."  

"And our kiss?  What does that mean?"  Mace asked.  

"It means I took a kiss from you because I wanted to kiss you.  Should I want more from you I'll ask you. But before anything happens, we too, need to come to an understanding between us."  

"And what's that?"  

"I'm a bird that refuses to be caged."  Hongmo told him.  

"A Ghost that can't be trapped." Mace said back in understanding.