Darkness encroached upon my vision as I crouched, motionless on the loam. Min Sun lay beside me, hardly breathing. Yi Bangwon would walk right in front of us in just a few moments, and we could complete our mission.
Yi Bangwon.
The future king stepped out and I felt a rush of blood fly into my head as I stared at him.
He looked like every other average Korean king I'd ever seen, and I'd seen a few. However, as he stepped into the light, his eyes caught the light, and my breath escaped me.
His eyes were hungry. Starving, almost. They flashed and flickered, and for a fleeting moment, I could've sworn that the fire was inside his eyes, and not a mere reflection. This was a true ruler, but I could understand his father's reluctance to place him in power.
Yi Bangwon was deadly.
A group of soldiers stood in orderly lines behind him, a single lantern held to illuminate Bangwon's face.
I remembered his words to the man bearing the lantern with a chill- I want them to see my face. I want them to see, and fear.
Their footsteps were feather-soft across the grass, and as they passed, the pale light caught on edges of swords.
Tonight was Bangwon's.
His brothers streamed out behind him, fires lighting in their own eyes.
They passed us, continuing on towards the palace, and specifically the room of Jeong Dojeon, the main supporter of Prince Euian.
A sly grin crept onto my face.
Now for the final piece of this mission.
Keeda and Devin were ready and waiting on the other side of the palace. Seo Hyo was camped out in Prince Euian's room, cloaked by Hyun-ae's latest idea, determined to find if it really was Bangwon who killed him. Max was back at our informal HQ, probably have a hay day with Hyun-ae's tech, as our small communication implants were muted but humming. Sun's goal was to retrieve artifacts from the rooms, then give them to me. I would then smuggle them out and bury them in a plot of land not far from here where we could retrieve them in the 21st century. I had a suspicion, however, that Sun would do a little investigating afterward. She was, after all, a direct descendant of Bangwon.
Min Sun (or "Unnie" as I called her on occasion) stood, darting towards the door Bangwon had just passed through. I followed suit, acting the part of a drunk man back from a party, leaning on a handmaid. I slurred my Korean in an overly-exaggerated gruff tone, as Sun "escorted" me to my room. Passing the guards easily by asking one of them to hold my wine, we straightened and tore down the hall in total silence.
There was no second chance. This was my moment.
We turned a corner slowly, checking if anyone was there-
Cold steel. A pinprick of pain jolting through my neck.
Sun grabbed my hand, and I grinned sloppily at the man. One of Bangwon's followers.
Tread carefully. I could almost taste the suspicion hanging heavily around us.
"Bathroom?" I asked, trying to keep my old-fashioned Korean appropriately deep and sloppily drunk.
The guard shook his head silently. Sun pinched me, fingernails digging deep into my flesh and I bit down on my stream of curses as the guard noticed the motion, in response rotating the sword he had placed at my neck.
To the sharper side.
"No one's allowed down this hall."
The burning pain from Sun's nails intensified.
