The Mercenary: A Sequel to Hwarang: The Saga of the Sooks Book #2

Chapter 2: A Raging Fire

Prince Jong Su crept into the garden at sunset and glanced around, looking for his quarry. He found her sitting on a bench near a stream full of blooming lotus. Of course, now the flowers had closed up for the day. Rather like the young lady staring down at them. Closed off. And he wondered why.

He stepped into her view and smiled at her as she raised her head to meet his eyes.

"Good evening, princess," he breathed.

And she scowled.

Which just made him chuckle.

"I see you are enjoying the season of fire," he murmured provocatively. Hoping to get a reaction.

He did. Her scowl deepened.

"I'm not enjoying anything right now."

"Ah, yes. Your broken heart." He stepped up to the bench and gestured at it. "May I?"

Her delicate eyebrows arched magnificently. "You wish to sit next to me?"

He nodded.

She speared him with an assessing glance. Then she sighed deeply. "All right."

He sat down next to her, careful to leave a few centimeters between them. But then he ruined the effect, leaning towards her to whisper into her ear, "I could make you forget him, you know."

Her head whipped around, and her lips nearly collided with his own. "You are impertinent, sir!" she rebuked him haughtily as she drew back wildly.

But the effect of her remonstration died a quick death as she lost her balance and went flying backwards.

Only to be caught by two capable, strong arms. His eyes had flown wide as he reached for her. He dragged her back up onto the bench. At least, he tried. But he overcompensated, and she ended up draped unceremoniously across his lap. Gasping like a landed fish.

"What are you doing?!" Indignation sputtered out of her mouth as she grappled for the bench. Wiggling her way off his lap.

"Why, I was rescuing you, princess, from a bad fall."

Fire shooting from her gaze, she glared at him before glancing at the ground behind her. "Hardly a bad fall. This bench isn't even two feet off the ground."

"Perhaps. But you were falling backwards. I wouldn't want you to hit your head and forget you hate me."

Her eyes lifted to meet his again. She was so tempted to laugh at his absurd answer. But she fought valiantly to keep the corners of her lips still. She lost the battle, though, so at the last instant, she twitched them downwards to save herself from smiling. She wasn't about to let him know that he had won a point. The man was too confident for his own good.

But she'd discovered something else about him during her debacle.

He smelled divine. Like a stiff sea breeze. Salty. Tangy. With a hint of freedom.

She'd traveled to the sea once as a child. With her father. She could still feel that beautiful zephyr pushing her hair back to blow in a continuous stream behind her. She closed her eyes to soak it in. And inhaled deeply of that sweet liberty.

A freedom she would never know. The liberty to make her own choices in life. Undetermined by those in authority over her. Not subject to a royal decree. Or a kingly command. Or even that of her imperiously frigid mother.

A mother whom she wished had held her lovingly. At least once. But Sook Myeong had no such lovely memory. She could not, in fact, recall anyone ever holding her. She rather thought it was too late now to undo such damage. She was a woman. Her childhood behind her.