Rise of Silla

1.18 picture books

Yoongi focus

It had been two days since their return to the capital, and while the crown prince was enjoying his new-found fertility with his wife, Yoongi was already buried neck-deep in letters and reports. It was like the paper that had gathered on his table was trying to punish him for taking off a few days under the cover of a general title. Anyone could have done what he had done on the battlefield, but the crown prince had chosen him in particular, and now Yoongi had the notion that it had only been to give him some air to breathe before he would suffocate to death in the confines of this tower. The prince was too clever for his own good.

With a sigh Yoongi stood up to stretch his numb legs and get some blood into his feet. He should take a stroll to the kitchens to ask for some snacks. A working brain needed food.

But his walk came to a sudden end when he saw a swish of bright clothes between the bookcases of the library's maps and military section. Apart from Yoongi no one but the king and the crown prince were allowed to touch these scriptures and maps, and that figure did not meet the requirements of either. Silently, Yoongi followed the intruder.

When he peeked around the corner of one of the bookcases, he was met with the sight of an unfamiliar girl. A round face, plump lips, big eyes, and the hair of an unmarried woman. Was she another spy hidden as a maid? But her clothes were not that of a palace servant.

However, she was on a forbidden floor, so her life would end right now. Yoongi pulled the short dagger from his belt and held it against her neck. Big shocked eyes looked at him, but then his hand was pushed away with more speed and strength than Yoongi would have expected from such a small being, and a fist was thrown at his face.

With a quick dodge, that was rather inelegant due to his surprise, he evaded the blow and tried to go for a stab at the heart. This one could fight and was in the forbidden section, no doubt he had been catching a spy at work. His hand was blocked half the way, and the girl tried to twist his wrist, but Yoongi was too strong for her. Apparently, she had understood that as well and was now running from him.

"Assassin! Assassin!" she shouted while she tried to reach the stairs.

What kind of stupid spy would play dirty with him? Everyone knew his face in the palace. Did she really think someone would come to help her? That arrogance! Was she a maid of the consort?

"What are you talking about?" he snapped back while jumping over the rail of the stairs to block her off one level lower and chase her back upstairs. But to his surprise, he only received a kick to the chest and rolled over the floor, while the little maid was running further downstairs.

Ridiculous. How could a girl be this well-versed in martial arts? And then it clicked in Yoongi's head. "Mistress Park?" he shouted and ran to catch up with the girl. "Mistress Park, is that you?"

The woman was standing close to the exit of the tower, breathing heavily and looking at him confused. "Advisor Min," she stated after some thought.

"Yeah, that's me," he confirmed. "I'm sorry for attacking you, but you were in a section that has certain restrictions," he explained and put his dagger back into its sheath.

"Oh," she said, looking apologetically. "I was not aware that there is something like that. No one told me." She came closer now and curtsied to him. "I apologize for kicking advisor Min." Now she looked like she expected him to cut off her head as punishment.

"It's nothing," Yoongi brushed it off even though his back hurt like he had received a beating with the royal ruler. And he knew what he was talking about. "What was mistress Park searching for?" he asked while trying to calm his heart down.