Suitors and Strangers

Chapter 9 (Pil)

"Joon Seo!?" yells out Prince Wang So as he and the palace guards look for the Princess. She had gone missing as she went back to her room after the party, and Jung had found Sa Ra passed out in the Damiwon and Princess Pil was nowhere to be seen.

"Wang So!" cries Yeon Hwa as she goes to him, tears her eyes, followed by Wang Yo and Wang Wook. "There's a building on fire! The guards think Joon Seo inside! They th-"

Yeon Hwa doesn't even get to finish before Wang So goes around her and runs to where the burning building is located. As he gets there, the heat from the flames is too great and the guards have cleared everyone back from there.

"You cannot enter, Your Highness!" says a guard, blocking Wang So from getting any closer to the building. Ignoring the guard, Wang So pushes him away and jumps into an opening in the building just as the doorway collapses.

"Wang So!" yells Yeon Hwa, fearful he might have gotten himself killed. Wang Wook holds his sister close as she sobs loudly. Wang Yo watches carefully, knowing that this was nothing to Wang So compared to the things he was made to do while living with Concubine Kang.

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On the inside of the building, Joon Seo is on the verge of losing consciousness. She is in a room with only one door that looks like it's about to collapse at any moment. Just then she hears footstep frantically running through the building, just outside the room she is in.

"Help!" yells out Joon Seo with the last of her energy as she faints. As she is going into darkness, she hears a voice calling out to her and wood falling.

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Just as everyone outside the burning building begins to lose hope that Wang So and Joon Seo will live, Wang So jumps out of the building just as the roof collapses. He gets up as if nothing had happened and runs to the Royal Physician who is at the Damiwon, treating Sa Ra. Everyone but the guards follow behind him.

"Royal Physician!" exclaims Wang So as he enter the Damwion, carrying the burnt figure of Joon Seo.

"Princess Joon Seo!" exclaims Sa Ra as she sees her best friend laying motionless in Wang So's arms. "What happened?"

"She was kidnapped and put in a burning building and left to die," says Wang So as Princess Yeon Hwa enters followed by Wang Wook and Wang Yo. "If she dies, I'll never forgive those who did this to her." Sa Ra looks at Princess Yeon Hwa who seems to have gone a bit pale at Wang So's words.

"She will be fine," says the Royal Physician as he cleans Joon Seo with a wet cloth and gives her a tea that will help her regain consciousness. "She has damage to her lungs because of the smoke, but she will regain consciousness and she will be fine."

There is a sigh a relief throughout the entire building when hearing the news. The King orders an investigation as to who kidnapped the Second Princess of the Palace and who was behind such a thing.

Sa Ra stays next to Joon Seo for the next couple of days as she recovers from the trauma. Wang So visits everyday and helps Sa Ra with caring for Joon Seo and uses this to get closer with Sa Ra, Joon Seo's best friend.

"How did the two of you meet?" asks Wang So as he takes a cup of warm tea from Sa Ra as she cleans Joon Seo's forehead from the sweat that has formed there.

"I was only  year old when I was made to be the lady of Joon Seo," says Sa Ra with a warm friendly smilers she looks down at her friend. "When we saw each other, people said we smiled and hugged one another as if we had known each other in a past life. But when she was sent to live with Concubine Kang, I was sent to live with my..." Sa Ra freezes and Wang So notices she looks to her left, a sign of when a person is trying to come up with a lie. "With my father. I worked with him in the market for the next few years and even became the top dog in the local fighters club. I even made a great friend there." She smiles recalling her times with Prince Jung. "A few months ago I was summoned back to the palace to become her lady once more and wouldn't have it any other way." Joon Seo's hand twitches but neither Sa Ra nor Wang So noticed. "What about you?"