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

Chapter 26: A Bending

Eun Sook was headed for her brother's room. To chaperone him and the icy Sook Myeong. Eun Sook was not comfortable with this assignment. Her husband should have known that his sister was more strong-willed than she was. How on earth was she supposed to control the young princess?

She wasn't planning to. Eun Sook had brought her parchment, quill, ink, and glass. She was going to spend the morning writing. In a far corner of the room. And fervently ignoring her brother's interactions with the girl. What he did with his own life was his business. If he decided he wanted the prickly princess, what did it have to do with Eun Sook?

The new queen was still smarting from Sook Myeong's sharp words on the morning of her wedding. She wasn't entirely certain that the girl approved of her. And it distressed her. Truly. But she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do about it. It appeared that even Jijin couldn't control his stubborn sister.

She drew an apprehensive breath as she entered her brother's room. But she let out a deep sigh of relief when she found him slumbering. Alone. The prickly princess had yet to arrive. Maybe Eun Sook would get some peace this morning after all.

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"I'm sorry that I got myself confined to this bed. You don't have to entertain me every day. You must be terribly bored," the prince commented later that morning as Sook Myeong paused in the reading of the book she'd begun reciting to him on the day of his injury.

"You're sorry that you saved my brother's life?" she queried in mock surprise.

"No, of course not! I'm sorry that a princess of the realm feels that she must play nursemaid to an invalid!"

"That's sour grapes, surely! Stop putting yourself down, sir! You're not an invalid! You're simply injured. With a wound that takes a great deal of time to heal," she added soberly as she gazed at him.

Tears were stinging her eyes. So she closed them in an effort to cut them off.

"Hey, now. What's this?" he whispered, his heart suddenly rolling around in his chest at the sight of her distress.

He was so frustrated that he couldn't pull her into his arms.

"Are you upset that I'm in this bed?"

"Of course, I am!"

"Because you're not free to join me here?" he teased her. Just to see the fire leap into her cheeks. And her eyes.

He was not to be disappointed.

"Prince Jong Su!" she rebuked him frigidly.

And he chuckled breathlessly. "You are the only one who has ever used my title and made me feel like a tiny boy being scolded by his mother."

She glared at him. After a few moments, she retorted lightly, "Yes, well, you deserve it."

"I daresay I do," he whispered gruffly as his eyes caressed her face longingly. Then he grunted in frustration. "Now I won't be able to make you mine for months!" he groaned.

His eyes slid along the bow of her lip. "And I miss kissing you," he murmured in a bare breath that did not travel across the room to where his sister was bent over the bare bones of her latest story.

He watched as the fire in Sook Myeong's cheeks continued to leap.

"You are impossible, sir!" she rebuked him in a matching whisper.

"I should hope so," he murmured as he sent one elegant eyebrow flying. "Else, where would be the fun in our acquaintance?"

His eyes held hers, and she was so tempted to sit on the edge of his bed. Just to get closer to the aggravating man.