The Eight- Eight king ~ King of Joseon

二

The next day began as Inwu's peaceful seep was rudely disturbed by the sharp sound of knocking at her door in the very early hours of the morning. "Who ever it is, go away!" She mumbled turning in her sleep. But the knocks continued to come like the tuneful patter of raindrops, indistinct yet disturbing to the resting mind. "I said go away!" She said throwing a pillow at the door she she could bear the sound no more. "Inwu! Wake up! It's me, Imhae!" A sharp voice came from the other side of the door. Inwu ignored the annoying voice at the door and went on sleeping. "If you're not waking up, I'm coming in!" The voice warned, but Inwu took no heed of this and kept on sleeping.

The door to the chamber opened to reveal a firm jawed young man dressed in rich fabrics. His sharp features and slightly angled grey eyes which seemed to accentuate his sharp features even more somehow managed to give his pale face a permanently conniving appearance. He quietly made his way to the bed and yanked the covers off the sleeping Inwu. The sudden cold having reached her, Inwu suddenly leapt off the bed, an otherwise livid expression on her face which was marred by the tiredness in her eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" She yelled in evident anger. "I was only trying to wake you up." The man answered giving her a charming smile, then sat by the side of the bed and inspected the room. "Not much has changed here has it? It's still as small as ever." He noted.

Inwu gave a small sigh. It seems that she wasn't getting her sleep after all. "What are you doing here Imhae? Aren't you supposed to be away in China?" She asked sitting up in bed. The small skirmish about her sleep now forgotten. "Shouldn't you still be with the Chinese envoys?"

"I am... but I doubt I'll be missed. I was nothing but an extra mouth to feed. Besides I find China and the Chinese quite boring. So I decided to come back a bit earlier than expected." The man, Imhae, answered. "Now hurry up and get ready, we're going out!" The man tossed Inwu her uniform but not the armor.

Inwu caught her uniform in midair, folded the fabric neatly then placed it on her bed. She looked at the man in front of her then gave a small sigh. "But shouldn't you be visiting the king and the nobles first?" She asked. "I'd prefer to spend my first day back in my own country with my best friend. Not those pampered idiots who consider themselves the elite of the country." He replied with a wry smile. "Besides, it's been a year since I last saw you."

Imhae had always been one to do things as he wished. Being the second prince of the country that wasn't a very trying task for him. But then again, he would have managed accomplish that even without his position. There was nothing much that one could do other than succumb to his wishes and go along with his plans. Inwu found herself in such situations more times than she would like to admit. She gave another sigh, but this time it was one of annoyance.

She crossed her hands over her chest and glared at the man who so rudely disturbed her sleep and said "I would love to, on another day, but unlike you your highness, I have a job that I need to attend to".

Imhae laughed heartily. "Ah, always so dedicated. Not to worry my friend, I took it upon myself to take the day off for you." He said. "Now hurry and get dressed. I don't want to spend the whole day in the royal guards' headquarters. This place is very dreary." With that he left the room allowing Inwu to get dressed in peace.

Once dressed, Inwu stepped outside her room to greeted by Imhae who dragged her out of the compound amidst the short bows and shouts of "Vice-captain" which came from the guards.

A voice filled with authority and purpose interrupted their exodus from the compound "Where do you think you're going?" It was Woon who had stopped them. He was wearing his armor and looked ready for morning practice. He gave a reluctant but hurried bow when he noticed the person accompanying, or rather dragging, his friend out of the compound. Imhae only offered the captain a look of disdain in return of the bow.