464: BLACK ROSE

Chapter 3

"Wake her" A voice spoke.

"No, you wake her, you are lower in rank" Another shouted.

"Waa so now you're basing this on rank" The former spoke again.

"Just wake her, chief will be angry" The latter persuaded.

   The argument back and forth woke Jang mi as she rubbed her sore throat, Young do was sound asleep at the far end of the cage.

"She's awake, just bring her out" One of the officers who stood outside her cell ordered.  His subordinate nodded and dragged her out.  She stared at Young do's sleeping figure as she was dragged away. This would probably be the last time their paths would cross. Her mind drifted to the conversation they had last night.

"Sorry" He said his voice solemn.
Jang mi paid him no attention.
"I really am tho... Where you came from? How you got here is the least of our worries"

"What do you mean?" Her voice a little shaky.

"With the kind of attention you've drawn... I mean I was aware of your presence even though I'm in prison. Stories about you real and made up would have spread around the kingdom. People will be out for blood, people always fear what they can't understand you know?" He spoke nodding as if confirming his reasoning.

"So I'm going to die?" Fear eminent in her voice.

"Let's hope not, since you're already dead that will be hard" He laughed only to notice she didn't find it funny.

"You seem so lax, why are you here?"

"Oh me, I'm getting out tomorrow. They'll come for me, they always do" He sighed.

"That's a good thing, right?"
He was no longer paying attention.
"Right?"

"Huh?"

"It's good right?"

"Hmm, I have a feeling you will get out child. If you do look for me. Right now I'm sleepy" He said yawning.
Something felt off but she didn't want to push the matter any longer.

"Don't call me child" Jang mi tapped him playfully.

"Whatever you say... child" Young do suppressed a chuckle.

   A loud bang snapped her out of her thoughts, the man she earlier met at the gates staring at her with fire in his eyes.

"You insolent wench, pay your respects now"
Respect? To whom.

He was about to speak when a voice interrupted him.

"It's fine"

"But... " The man persisted to be cut of again. Jang mi looked up to see a young man his hand raised signalling finality.

The officer bowed and left them.

  Jang mi studied him, he was quite young roughly in his mid twenties from his appearance, tall, smooth almost glassy skin,  brown eyes, a straight nose.  He had a peculiar face yet was strikingly handsome. His lips were moving.

" What is your name?" He repeated.

"Ah... Right... Jang mi" Feeling flustered.

"Hmm..strange you don't look like your from Ang" He seemed I thought as he sat across her.

"Are you here to deliver my death sentence" She asked wanting to be done and over it.  There was no need getting familiar, she was dying soon anyway.

"Why ever would you think that? " an amused expression on his face.  "On the contrary" He leaned closer "I'm here to save you" He spoke on English.

Jang mi's face betrayed her giving away her shock.

He suppressed a chuckle. She looked at him.

"I've traveled to the western empire" He shrugged. "It's how I know your not 'the devil's brat'. However that does not explain your outfit"

She swallowed, realizing everyone she had met seemed to be wearing a hanbok of sorts unlike any she had seen before.  Even he was wearing one made of silk as he hair was pulled into a top knot, allowing the rest to fall on his shoulder. A band over his forehead...

"Possibly are you from the plains of scorching sun and fiery sands?" He pressed.

She nodded hoping it would satisfy his curiosity.  The last thing she needed was someone else convinced she was crazy.

"Makes sense... I however am here to sort this problem before it becomes a bigger issue"

"In a way that doesn't involve my death" Jang mi dared to ask.

"Depends, how good is your Ang? "
"I'm not sure how I'm able to speak it at all"

"Let's just hope your a good learner"

He looked deep in thought.

"Henceforth,  you have to acknowledge hierarchy.  Once we step out those walls you refer to me as your lordship"

She only nodded as she followed him into a palaquin.

🌹🌹🌹

  The palaquin pulled up, music,  noise, chatters, laughter rang through. The blinds were rolled up and his lordship stepped out holding his hand out. Taking it she stepped out, her sneakers hitting the sand too hard.

It hit her. She had been brought to a courtesan house.

"Your taking me to a courtesan house? " She asked in English.

"Your forgetting to make yourself look less weird" He said drawing her attention to the guards staring at her in horror.

"My Lord, why here?" Her voice demure.

"Why not, it's the best hiding place" He said leaving her behind as he stepped into the courtesan house.

She respected the arts but they sold their bodies.

The house grew cold as they wove their way through. His lordship didn't notice the silence and if he did he didn't show it.  He came to a halt in front of a woman who held her head high as she a lighted the stairs.

"Your lordship" She acknowledge with a bow.

He nodded flowing her away from the crowd into a room.  As soon as the doors slammed shut,  the noises continued.

"Dam ah" He called as proceeded to sit.

"Yes, my Lord"

"I won't be staying long"

"I assume your reason for wanting to meet me would be urgent then"

Jang mi who was hiding her small frame behind his lordship was revealed when he moved away.

"She couldn't possibly be" Dam cried. In a tone that threw respect to the wind.

His lordship didn't acknowledge her disrespect.

"Dam ah, your the only one who can... "

Not allowing him finish she spoke. "fine"

Jang mi took in the room as Dam and his lordship spoke in hushed whispers.

"I trust she's safe in your hands" He reaffirmed.

She only smiled.

Turning to leave he threw a glance that screamed behave before breaking into a small grin.

"I'm Tae by the way" He said in English.