The Mercenary: A Sequel to Hwarang: The Saga of the Sooks Book #2

Chapter 42: Desperate

"Stop him!" Sook Myeong ran into the throne room. "Stop the prince from leaving!"

Jin Heung glanced at her. At a loss. "I thought you didn't want to marry him."

"I do! I want him. You can't let him leave."

"He is a grown man. A prince from another kingdom. I have no authority over him. I can't make him do anything. Least of all, marrying you."

"Yes, you can! You can withhold peace from Goguryeo if he refuses."

He gazed at her with contempt. "You need to own up to your own feelings. You need to act like the adult you claim to be. Go after the man yourself. I will not withhold a peace between our kingdoms just because your heart is fickle.

"We need peace with Goguryeo more than they need it with us. Their strength will help us to subdue the crown prince once and for all. I hope," he spoke the last under his breath. "And I am not about to ruin a peace between my kingdom and Sookie's. She's been separated from her family long enough."

He was angry with his sister. She was behaving like a spoiled, little brat.

"What did you do to turn him away from you?"

"Something stupid," she muttered with angry tears filling her eyes. "You won't help me?"

"I will not."

Jin Heung looked imposing right now. Every inch a powerful king. And nothing like the sympathetic brother whom she'd been hoping to find.

"You're heartless!" she cried out.

"When did you become so dramatic? Has the prince turned our ice queen into a turbulent wave of water?" He smirked at her. He'd never believed that the man could melt his sister, but it seemed that he had accomplished his task. So...why was he leaving her?

Without even a word to her.

"Why do you want him? I figured you'd have no use for him. That your heart was still tied up in knots over Seon Woo."

She sniffed. "Men are impossible!" She turned from him and strode towards the doors.

"I believe he was headed for his chamber after breakfast this morning," Jin Heung murmured quietly.

At least, her brother had given her something. A useful piece of information.

She turned back towards him. "I thought he'd already left."

"I don't believe so."

––

She had refused to see Jong Su this morning. He had come to her chambers. And waited respectfully outside while sending in a maid with a note from him.

It had been a short missive. Nothing extravagant. Just a simple request.

"Please. Come meet me in our garden."

And it had scared her spitless. For she had known that if she faced him, then she would melt like so much wax under the warm rays of his bright sun. Those cinnamon eyes. She'd never been able to resist their appeal. This morning would have been no different.

So she had sent the maid back with a single response. "The princess cannot meet you."

An hour later, she had entered Eun Sook's rooms to discover that because she had refused to meet with him, Jong Su had fled from her.

Instantly, her heart had broken. Because she had known that she had finally caused a permanent severing of their ties. But close on the heels of that realization had come her fear that he would do himself permanent harm. If the man died, she would never forgive herself.

––

She marched down the corridor towards the prince's chambers. When she arrived outside of them, his guards eyed her with not a little curiosity.

"I demand to see the prince!"

"The prince is not here, your highness," one of them answered her command.

"Where is he?"

He glanced at the other guard. Who shrugged his shoulders.

"We don't know, your highness. He doesn't report his movements to us."

"He hasn't left? For Goguryeo?"

"No, your highness. We wouldn't be here if he had."

Frustrated, she turned away from them. Tempted to stay until he returned.

Where would he go if he were about to leave?

She could think of only one place. But it was a gamble. Would he be there? It wasn't sunset. Not even close. But it was the only place she could think of, so she headed towards their garden.

It wasn't her garden anymore. She'd never be able to think of it that way ever again. He had tainted it with his wonderful presence. It would forever be known in her heart as their garden now. Their haven from the cruel world. And the place where she had lost her heart to him. This time she was pretty sure it was gone forever...