Your Majesty {NamJin}

ten

Sura had only missed seven days of the palace's luxuries and grandeur, but time moved smoothly without her. It was as if the sun shone brighter when she was absent; Sura had been a dark cloud covering its rays, and the storm had run its course.

One could especially see the effects of Sura's absence in the motions of Kang Rinji.

Rinji was born underneath the eastern moon a level above poverty, but a good measure below the ability to be considered well off. She only had a mother to begin with; her father had a brain tumor and died while her mother was pregnant. Alone and widowed, Rinji's mother sank down the village caste, living an extremely frugal life until her daughter was born.

Her mother washed clothes for a living, sometimes working from early morning to late into the night doing a neighbor's laundry. When Rinji was old enough, she served as a delivery girl, bringing the dirty clothes home and returning them clean to their owners. Rinji and her mother had seen it all -- the soiled nappies of the newborn babies in the village, the bloodstained undergarments of the menstruating young women and the sweat-soaked shirts of the rice planters gave plenty of work to them. There was never time to take a break -- which might've saved them from a worse fate in the end.

When Rinji was ten years old, a few soldiers happened to pass through the village while she was folding clothes outside of her humble abode. Her mother saw them as an opportunity to help Rinji survive -- even if it meant working her whole life. With a heavy heart, Rinji's mother gave her away, and the young girl silently followed the men to her new home in the center of the kingdom.

For five years, her spirit, strength and endurance grew, as well as her slim figure and ash brown hair. Her tanned cheeks, freckled with dark spots and pimples, arched as the corners of her mouth poked the expanses of skin with each and every smile. Even now as Rinji ran around the palace grounds, her smile went unrivalled as the happiest one in the center of the kingdom.

Finally finding what she was looking for, she bowed toward the happy noble sitting before her in the gardens.

"First Lord Kim," she said, greeting Seokjin in his usual area.

Seokjin smiled back, nodding his head at Rinji. "Rinji-ah, dear friend. How are you?"

"I am well. I hope life treats you kindly," she said, still panting a bit from all that running around.

"It does indeed."

"I came to give you your cloak, my lord. I mended it myself the day Lady Yang left the palace, but I had forgotten to give it back to you. Huhuhu!" Rinji laughed, amused by her own slip up. "Leave it to Rinji to forget."

Spreading the cloak over his shoulders, Rinji clasped her hands together and smiled in approval of her work.

"Thank you, Rin-Rin!" Seokjin chimed, placing a friendly hand on her shoulder. Although Seokjin only knew Rinji for a week, he had already become so attached to her that all formality and sense of superiority over her as a noble and an adult had left as soon as they came. He treated her like his dearest daughter, and spoke to her as if they were old friends catching up on life.

Blushing at the nickname, Rinji bowed slightly towards him, giving him an innocent, childish look. "You're welcome, Lord Kim!"

"Please, please, child," he said, gesturing for her to sit next to her. "Call me Seokjin."

Rinji sat next to the noble, pouting a bit. "That feels weird, Seokjin," she said, looking into his eyes. "It feels like something is missing."

"What would you like to call me then?"

"Hmm..." Rinji said, thinking on the matter for quite some time.

"May I call you samchon?" (samchon=uncle)

Initially, Seokjin was surprised at the idea. He had never thought he would ever be an uncle to someone, especially at such a prime age in his life. However, it had a certain feeling to it; it felt familiar and endearing, and left warm sensations in the man's heart. It felt like a special title that was only given to a certain person. Rinji must've loved Seokjin enough to consider him almost family to her, even only a week after meeting him.

He laughed and took the girl's hand in his, smiling with his eyes, lips, and heart.

"Yes, Rin-Rin. Call me samchon."