~ a lily among thorns~

"an impossible mystery"

An impossible mystery. That's the only way Nari could describe the coin in her hand. With the word 'to' carefully etched on its surface, Nari dug through the chasms of her mind, tying desperately to find some sort of clue that would reveal the person behind this message.

Nothing.

Nari sighed. She gave up intensely staring at the object, flipping it in the air nonchalantly. She was beginning to think focusing on the coin and hairpins was pointless and was ready to let them go.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her head back up against her bed, beginning to feel fatigued. Nari was all alone in her room that night– the others out and about...who knows where? She could feel herself drifting off slowly.

Suddenly, she heard to the door slide open. Nari jumped back into an alert state. Rubbing her eyes, she looked to the entrance. Ji-Dwi was standing there, watching her.

"You're here?" Nari greeted cheerfully, stretching out her arms with a yawn. "I thought you would've been with the others."

Ji-Dwi smirked, leaning against the wall. "Drinking and making a fool of myself? Not tonight anyway."

Nari smiled, sitting up. "I'm glad," she said softly, always happy to be in his company. "Come sit." She patted the floor beside her.
Ji-Dwi hesitated for a moment, seemingly conflicted inside. He knew what needed to be done. But Nari's sweet voice and loving gaze lured him in, and he plopped on the ground beside her.

"I've been looking at this coin once again," she explained in a tone of defeat. "And I'm stuck. When I first found it, I thought it to be something profound...but now I'm wondering if it and the hairpins are all just a coincidence."

"Hmm," Ji-Dwi pondered, rubbing his chin. "May I see it again?"

Nari placed the coin into Ji-Dwi's outstretched palm, and he inspected it carefully. He was immediately reminded it was foreign.
"It's a curious sight," he mumbled to himself. "What flower is this?"

"A lily," Nari answered almost instantly, able to identify it above all other flowers.

"A lily? Alright. And where did you say you found it?"

"At the marketplace while I was talking to Suho's little sister."

Ji-Dwi paused, looking up. "Was the salesman foreign?" he asked curiously.

Nari shook her head. "No, he's been in Silla ever since I was born. I remember buying from his stall when I was younger."

"Did he know your parents at least?" Ji-Dwi questioned.

Nari thought for a moment before answering. "Mother not so much...but my Father and him used to talk quite a bit."

At the mention of Nari's father, Ji-Dwi froze. He was suddenly reminded of the reason he was there – to frame Nari. He winced at the idea. Although he had a plan to save her, he knew she wouldn't understand it until later. There'd be a point in time where she'd feel betrayed by him, and he couldn't bear the think about it.

Nari, noticing Ji-Dwi's sudden downcast expression, placed her hand on his arm. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly. Ji-Dwi didn't answer, and instead, turned his head away. Nari felt stung but tried to remain positive. "Is it something I said?"

With still no answer, Nari let go of his arm, looking at the ground. "You haven't been the same ever since you stole Hansung's pillow...do you really feel that guilty?" Nari giggled, trying to cover up her disappointment. "I would too if I stole something from a literal ray of sunshine."

"Then you must know how I feel right now," Ji-Dwi thought to himself, knowing what he was about to do.

"You don't have to hide your feelings from me Ji-Dwi. You can tell me anything and I'll listen," Nari continued, hoping he'd reach out to her, even in the smallest way. But he remained silent, refusing to give in. Nari sighed, taking back the coin from Ji-Dwi's palm and holding it up to look it. The lily reminded her of old times with her Father, and she smiled, missing her family.

"You know, Ji-Dwi...," Nari began hesitantly, aware she was practically talking to herself. "After this is all over...if it ever is over...do you think we will still be...perhaps we should..."
Nari stopped herself, shaking her head. "Never mind."

A warm hand pressed against her own, and she looked up to see Ji-Dwi pleading her to continue with caring eyes. Nari smiled, taking a deep breath in.

"Maybe we could be our own family." Nari murmured, now slightly embarrassed at the prospect. It was usually the man's job to say that line.

Ji-Dwi, however, didn't take it as lightly. Raw emotions spewed throughout his body and he realised that it was the one thing he wished for in life. Because of this, the pain of his mission tripled. He exhaled slowly, before looking at Nari with tears in his eyes.

"Do you know what a blood promise is?" he asked her, struggling to keep his composure.
Nari hesitated before answering. "Yes...," she replied.

"Let's make one now," Ji-Dwi continued hurriedly, rubbing the wetness from his face. "Do you have your knife?"

Nari, completely caught by surprise by Ji-Dwi's sudden idea, pulled the knife from her gown in confusion. "Here," she said, passing it to him. "What are you going to do?"

Ji-Dwi took the knife, looking at it with guilt. He knew he had no other choice, but it still felt terribly wrong.

"Let's make a promise," he proposed, taking Nari's hand. "That after all this, no matter what happens, we will stay by each other's side."

Nari nodded, trying to assure Ji-Dwi who was clearly in a distressed state. "Alright," she said. "Let's make one."

Ji-Dwi looked at Nari, before looking down at his own hand. Slowly, he ran the blade across his skin, a trail of blood following after it. After, he gave the knife to Nari, who did the same. She masked her pain through clenched teeth as her hand began to sting violently. "Shake on it," he instructed, and the two joined hands. 
Nari used her other hand to stroke Ji-Dwi cheek. "You do know I would stay with you, even without a blood promise bounding us together?" she asked with concern.

Ji-Dwi's eyes fell to the ground, and he suddenly stood up, pulling away his hand. "I have to go now," he said softly.

"So suddenly?!" Nari questioned, but he'd already walked out the door. That's when Ji-Dwi was immediately met with the Queen's Command.

"It's been done," Ji-Dwi growled angrily, pushing past him.

"Good," the Command stated, not bothering to follow after him. "We'll have the royal physician fix up that hand for you."

"As you wish," Ji-Dwi mumbled from a distance, disappearing into the streets of Silla.  "Time to go tip off some royal guards."