The Foreigner 외국인

Chapter 13

13.

Kim Jun looked up at the clear night sky filled with stars and a crescent moon. In moments like this, he missed his old friend, the previous king. When they were younger, they would drink well into the morning and talk about how they wanted to make the world a better place. He had watched him as he had stepped into the darkness and lost sight of his goals, consumed by fear and regret.

His son did not fear. He did not fear the officials, the scholars or the consequences of his choices; otherwise he would never have brought a foreign warrior into his court. Was it innate or learned? A little fear was necessary for cautious decision-making.

Kim Jun had raised his daughter with love and care to emphasize her gentle and obedient nature, but also with strict rules, and he had made a point of infusing in her a sense of duty and respect for hierarchy. However, yesterday, she had defied him. The Jurchen woman was going to create chaos within Joseon, he was sure of it.

A servant approached, pulling him out of his reverie. "My lord, a court lady is here to see you." Kim Jun watched as court lady Choi, her face carefully covered under her coat, walked up the stairs to meet him.

"The queen went outside the palace with the foreigner today," she said, looking down.

"Out-outside the palace? Where did they go?" the royal chief secretary stammered.

"I don't know where they went, but they left with horses," the court lady responded.

Kim Jun's fists tightened as his distrust in the foreigner grew.

It was the first cold day of the year: leaves had started to turn a bright copper and twirled to the ground in the brisk breeze. Lee Ara did not mind the cold, as it reminded her of her home in the mountains. Hung San and the villagers were probably preparing for winter. She would be back just in time for the harvest festival, she thought with a smile. She was satisfied with the progress the royal guards had made since she had started training them; they were stronger, more agile and quicker in their bodies and thoughts.

She wished she had spent more time with the queen, but she was confident that her highness's curious mind would continue to seek knowledge and power from outside and within. She would miss Officer Yang and his brotherly affection, and of course Yi Jin. She tried not to think about him.

As her shift was ending, the queen sent for her. Lee Ara walked towards her quarters, remembering how she had kept getting lost when she first came into the palace.

The queen looked nervous when the Jurchen woman walked into her chamber. She was trying to paint, but her hand kept shaking and her lines were crooked. Lee Ara guessed this was from the apprehension of spending the night with the king.

She sat in front of the queen and asked, "Why are you so agitated? Isn't it what you have been waiting for, for ten years?" The queen put her brush down on the table, abandoning her ruined drawing. Lee Ara smiled and added, "Just have a couple of drinks; you will be fine."

"Let's start now," the queen declared before calling for her court lady. The servant walked in carrying a bottle of wine and poured a glass for both the Jurchen woman and the queen before exiting the room.

Lee Ara picked up her cup and brought it to her lips. "Do not drink too much, or you will fall asleep before it gets dark."

The queen looked thoughtfully at the wine in front of her. "I will just have one now. It will help me feel less embarrassed about the question I am about to ask you."

Lee Ara drank hers in one go, "Your highness, you have my full attention. What is your embarrassing question?"

The queen was fumbling with her cup. "Well... What does the king like...?" she asked while looking down at her wine. Lee Ara suddenly found it hard to focus on what the queen was saying. Her throat was burning and her tongue fell heavy in her mouth. The tips of her fingers started tingling, and she couldn't feel her legs any longer. She was able to reach across the table and knock the cup of wine out of the queen's hands just in time, before she collapsed.