Yeolahop
(nineteen)
A pain in her side woke her. What happened next was something that even her dreams hadn't prepared her for. Two men stood over her, one of her legs each in their hand. Dressed as the royal guard, they drug her brutally upon the ground, tiny rocks and pebbles scraping and tearing her skin.
"What's....what's going on? Why are you doing this?" She protested, sleep fading from her with each passing second. At the sound of her voice, the men stopped and looked back at her. One of them let her leg go and it hit the ground harshly, drawing a cry of pain from her. She tried to move her hands but found them tied together, the rope that bound them starting to make her wrists raw. He reached for his sword when a voice familiar to them all stopped him.
"I said unharmed." Slowly, a woman appeared in her peripheral vision, a sinister smirk on her face.
"We don't want to bring them damaged goods do we?"
"What the hell is going on?" Turning eyes onto Jae-Hwa, she felt anger light her like a match.
"I'm eliminating the problem."
"Wangja-nim will never forgive you."
"That's something I'm willing to risk. After all, we'll have our whole lives to work this out."
"It has to be done." To her surprise, Taewang-nim stepped out from the corner and soon joined Jae-Hwa.
"T-Taewang-nim?"
"You're becoming too much of a distraction to him. He's placing you above his priorities. That is unacceptable."
"But-"
"I will deal with Cheol-Su. As for you, you have fulfilled your requirements. You will be returning to bondage." At the lift of a hand, the men gathered her legs and began to drag her on, ignoring her screams and cries.
"TAEWANG-NIM! PLEASE....PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. PLEASE!" But it fell on deaf ears as he stood there, face as stone. Jae-Hwa's devious smirk grew and when she was out of their sight did the wind carry her laughter her way. Men dressed like the men who had captured her all those years ago stood by a wagon. Bending down, they attempted to grab her but she fought as much as she could. With one good solid punch, she fell limp. Tossing her body into the wagon, the men received their payment and began on their long journey.
***
Sitting inside of the court library, all was quiet until the doors burst open. He lifted his eyes to see a host of gisaeng flooding in, tears and concern all about them.
"Wangja-nim! Wangja-nim!" Putting his book down, he frowned at the faces that peered up at him.
"What is the matter?" Some of them were filled with so much emotion that they could not answer, instead their tears flowed in anguish.
"It's about Tiye Wangja-nim." At the sound of the voice, he watched as the woman Hae entered, fingers tightly clasped in front of her. She appeared as though she had just finished crying, eyes puffy and watery and her nose and cheeks red.
"What about Tiye?" He asked, starting to stand.
"She's...she's gone my lord."
