Masters of the Sea

008

Does this girl honestly think she's going to be able to sneak out of the palace?

Go Yeon had been following closely behind Sol as she made her way in circles down the passageways of the palace grounds, watching in amusement as she tried to figure her way around. The Goguryeo palace grounds were considerably vast and it was no surprise that a newcomer could easily get lost.

Droplets of sweat were trickling down Sol's face, more because of nervousness than because of the heat. She hadn't banked on the fact that Go Yeon would have decided to follow her "out of the palace" and now she had no idea how she was going to end this unfortunate encounter. She had lied that was headed back out of the palace, but it was obvious to her that there was no way she was going to make it past the palace gates. It was a sticky situation.

"Are you lost?" Go Yeon's voice suddenly piped up from behind her. When she didn't reply, Go Yeon continued, "The Goguryeo palace can be a bit of a maze for those who are unfamiliar with it. I can show you the way to the nearest gate." He gave her a wicked grin as he took over the lead, taking a left down a narrow alley.

Sol silently cursed at the man's persistence—why couldn't he just leave her alone? Right now she had no choice but to follow him towards the direction of the gate, all the while racking her brains for a way to make a sneaky escape. If the palace guards caught her out, then her identity would definitely be exposed and she would be hauled back to her quarters in no time. What would the king and queen do if they found out that she was running around the palace dressed like a man? And seemingly trying to escape no less? As the gate came into view, Sol could see the guards turning towards them and the uneasiness was starting to make her palms feel clammy.

I need to get away quick, or else it's going to be too late, she thought to herself with great urgency, watching helplessly as Go Yeon walked closer and closer towards the guards at the gate.

When the guards realised who it was that was approaching, they immediately began to bend their backs in a bow, but Go Yeon put out a hand in front of him to stop them in mid-action. With a frown, he signalled to them to withhold their greetings, not wanting his identity to be exposed in front of the clueless princess.

Much to Sol's horror, Go Yeon shouted out to one of the guards, "Hello there! We need to leave the palace if that's alright." Now all the guards were looking at them and it was too late for her to beat a hasty retreat. If she took off running right now, she would seem highly suspicious and the guards would probably apprehend her on the spot. She lowered her head and hid behind Go Yeon, hoping that with a lot of luck, she wouldn't be recognised.

The captain of the guard tilted his head to get a closer look at the person who was hiding behind the crown prince, but Go Yeon placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head subtly. The captain was a sharp and shrewd individual and knew better than to ask unnecessary questions.

"Entry token?" the captain asked.

Go Yeon flashed the gold token that was hanging at his waist and without another word the captain signalled to his men to open the gates. As the heavy wooden gates creaked, Sol looked up in wonderment as the doors to her freedom opened up in front of her. Out of curiosity, she wanted to take a peek at the token Go Yeon had just shown the guard, but it was already hidden beneath the folds of his clothes.

It's that easy to leave the palace? If only I could get my hands on one of those! Then I could leave the palace any time!

Sol kept her head bowed down, praying that the guard wouldn't ask her for her entry token. Much to her relief, the captain of the guard said nothing. Realising that Go Yeon had already begun striding out of the palace and into the city, Sol quickly trotted along after him, not wanting to risk getting caught by lingering any longer. Only when she heard the gates slam shut behind them did she dare turn back to take a look. Behind her was her gilded cage; in front of her was the vibrant and bustling capital city of the Goguryeo empire, and there was the sweet smell of freedom in the air.