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

Chapter 19: A Lovely Afternoon Spoilt

The prince and his princess spent a lovely morning enjoying the fresh air and the delicious breakfast that the chef had prepared for them. Jong Su convinced Sook Myeong to sample at least one bite from each of the dishes. Even while he pondered how he could get her to trust him fully. He rather suspected a lot of patience would be required.

Finally, he packed up the leftovers and tethered the basket to his saddle once more before helping her to get back in her own saddle. She, of course, protested that she did not need his assistance. And set out to prove it. He simply chuckled good-naturedly before climbing atop his own mount.

He convinced her to take the long route back to the castle. And she didn't admit it, but she had thoroughly enjoyed his company this morning. Every single minute of it. From their extended ride to their picnic breakfast. He had spoken of several subjects that interested her. And listened to her expound at length her own viewpoints of those topics. He had seemed genuinely concerned with her perspective. She couldn't think of another man who had ever taken the time to listen to her thoughts. She wasn't quite sure what to do with him. Sometimes, she wondered if she had simply dreamt him up after breaking her heart over Seon Woo.

As they rode up to the palace stable, her brother met them. He was grinning broadly.

"You've been for a ride, eh? Would you care to go on a hunt through the forest this afternoon? I've been in meetings all week. And I am longing for a bit of fresh air. Sook Myeong, you'll get a chance to practice with your bow."

Her face lit up. "That's a great idea!" She turned towards the prince. "Do you want to go? Or did I already wear you out today? Would you rather stay back while we go?"

"Stay back? And miss another chance to see you use your bow? Not on your life. I'm coming!" He shot her a brilliant smile that made her heart do a funny, little dance.

Stop that! Stop getting excited simply because the man glances your way. Remember: he needs an alliance with this royal house to strengthen his brother's kingdom. All of this could just be an elaborate game to him.

And her, a simple pawn.

But the thing was...it didn't feel like a game. It felt real. The warmth in his eyes when he glanced her way felt real. The solace in his voice when he spoke to her felt real too. The sweetness of his kiss tasted genuine enough. She didn't feel like a pawn either. He had made her feel like the very center of his world.

And it still scared her. Because she was pretty sure that she wasn't built to be the center of his world. That sounded like an awful lot of responsibility. Responsibility which she was fairly certain she wasn't up for. She couldn't even make her own self happy. How was she supposed to please him all the time?

"Excellent!" Jin Heung exclaimed. "Can we meet here in an hour? We'll set out early so that we can bring dinner home!"

She beamed at her enthusiastic brother. He seemed so much more at his ease since he'd come firmly into his kingdom. And now knew for certain that the hwarang – and Seon Woo – were backing him. Their influence had been enough to sway most of the royal council in his favor. He had only had to deal with Minister Park, who was still awaiting his execution, and a couple of other elderly councilors who had been plotting with the cruel man to overthrow Jin Heung and place someone they could control on the throne. They had made a fatal error when they'd mistakenly pinned their hopes on Seon Woo. He had decided not to betray the young king who had appealed to him as a friend. Instead, Seon Woo had given up any right he had to that throne and pledged to serve the king with his dying breath. They were fast friends now. Jin Heung had even forgiven him for falling in love with the same girl.