Moon's Whisper, Heart's Echo

35.The Turning

Nandi woke to find her sleeping mat wasn't quite as empty as it should be. Tae-young lay beside her, his formal robes hopelessly wrinkled, one arm flung over his eyes against the morning light.

She'd drooled on his sleeve at some point during the night, though she'd rather face Lady Yi herself than admit it.

When she tried to slip away, his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back with surprising strength for someone pretending to sleep.

"Don't even think about it." His voice was rough with exhaustion.

"The servants—"

"Are already gossiping about how I carried you home." He cracked one eye open to look at her. "A few more minutes won't damage your reputation any further."

She soon found herself settling back against him, breathing in the lingering scent of ink and spiced ginger that always clung to his clothes.

"You look terrible," she informed him.

"Mmm." His chest vibrated with silent laughter. "Such sweet words from my beloved."

"I mean it. Did you sleep at all?"

"Between your tossing and talking in your sleep? Not particularly." His arm tightened around her.

She winced. "Was I really..."

"Quite vocal about it." His fingers found hers, intertwining with familiar ease. "Though you said his name."

The gentle reminder of yesterday's revelations made her throat tight. But before she could spiral into those thoughts, Min-joon's voice carried from the courtyard.

"Young-ah! You promised sweet rice for breakfast!"

"After you finish your morning writing practice," came the maid's patient reply.

"But I'm hungry now..."

Tae-young's laugh rumbled against her back. "Some things never change. I used to try that same argument with my mother."

"Did it work?" Nandi murmured against his chest, still caught in that hazy space between sleep and waking.

"Never." Tae-young pressed a kiss to her hair. "Though I was considerably less charming than our son about my failures."

Our son.

The words settled in her chest like warm honey, even as her mind caught on their edges.

If Jae-hoon wasn't seong... if timing... if...

But Tae-young just drew her closer, as if he could sense her thoughts spiraling. His arms tightened around her, offering shelter from the very questions he seemed to know were forming in her mind.

She wondered, not for the first time, how he always knew exactly when her thoughts were turning down dangerous paths. How he could read her so well, when she was still learning to read herself.

"Stop thinking so loud," he murmured. "At least until the sun's properly up."

As Tae-young drew Nandi closer, his fingers tracing idle patterns on her arm to quiet her racing thoughts, elsewhere in the palace a different sort of comfort was being sought.

The Crown Princess was attempting to rescue an embroidered crane from her latest artistic attempt when Lady Park was announced. She immediately set aside her work, not bothering to hide her pleased surprise.

"Aunt Park!" The formal title softened with genuine warmth. "Have you come to save me from my embroidery?"

Lady Park's eyes crinkled at the sight of the tangled threads. "Still fighting with the cranes, I see."