In an alternate universe, there's a version of Lee Gon that grew up without the Court Lady Noh and the identification card of a certain Lieutenant from another dimension. His upbringing turned him into a ruthless monarch ruling over his people with...
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Jo Han Wu had been on the King's side ever since he was too young to remember. He had been his Guard, his friend and at times the only person who dared to offer him council. He watched the King grow into the man he was today and Han Wu was personally not happy about how he ended up.
Lee Kwon had always been a stubborn and intolerable on whatever he thought was not the way it should be. Once he had a servant flogged in from of the entire court, in the palace entrance to demonstrate how these who dared touch him would be punished. Han Wu had despised the punishment, a simple firing would do, but his King rather had the flair of Drama deeply imprinted in his bones.
The captain of the royal guard was very much aware that he was serving a Tyrant and he wouldn't think twice to shoot when commanded to kill on his behalf, his loyalty was not questionable. But he sometimes found himself wondering if everything he did in his name was right. Or even acceptable.
Lee Kwon was perceived to be a cold-hearted leader, but Han Wo had once seen his kind side and knew that his King could have a better side than this. He had blamed the Prince his entire life for turning his best friend into a monster. He hated him for manipulating him into decision that were, in his opinion unnecessary. He even blamed himself for not being noble enough to advise his King against following his greedy uncle's plans and almost getting killed in wars that he had started.
The night of the Great Storm, when the King lost his parents to the invaders that snuck into the castle and tried murdering them into their beds while they were sleeping, that night, his King changed forever. Han Wo blamed his Unkle for that change. To this date the resentment he felt for the Prince was very real, but by his King's rules he had to protect him. So blind was his devotion that when the King asked of his opinion, he'd always try to let him decide on his own fearing he'd give his highness a biased opinion on the Prince.
So tonight, when the girl had tried to murder the prince, for a fraction of a second he had considered letting her do it. But that second flew by and he was left with the shame of his thinking. Perhaps he didn't deserve the King's trust if he let what was left of his family get hurt.
He wondered again who she was and how she'd end up here. Her blood tests run negative. She was not related to anyone in the Kingdom of South Korea and it was nearly impossible to deflect from the North. People tried to deflect all the time, but it was usually from South to North, not the other way around. Some of them deflected to Japan, most of them got caught and executed in the Townsquare in front of their families. Now, according to the new law the king had passed, people who deflected, once caught would first watch their family being beheaded and then be beheaded themselves.
He passed by the room the strange girl, Jung Tae-Eul, was staying previously and stopped when he heard a calm sweet voice, he knew all too well, asking questions she shouldn't be asking. He decided to go inside to demand from her to mind her own business. He walked in, glaring at the girl in the grey maid's dress, her eyes widened and she immediately bowed down to him, reciting his name as if it was a terrifying prayer. Myeong Nabi, who until then had her back turned at the Captain, realized he was present and turned around to face him.
