He Walks Alone in the Moonlight

INTO THE LION'S DEN

"Well, this is certainly unexpected." Princess Eunbin was staring at the letter in her hands, the corner of her mouth curling upwards in amusement. Her brother's bold handwriting took up only a fourth of the page, the message short and precise. She was invited to enter Horangi Palace as Jihyun's tutor. "It seems that servant has more sway over Doyoon than I'd thought."

"Would you like me to send a reply, Your Highness?" Eunbin's maidservant reached for the inkstone on the desk. Eunbin raised a bejeweled hand, stopping her.

"There is no need. Making my brother anxious is one of the few pleasures in my life. Whether I accept this invitation will be unknown to him until the day arrives."

"So you are going, then?" Eunbin closed her eyes at the question, her grip on the letter wrinkling the page.

"But of course. How could I miss spending time with my fiance?"

~~~~

Jihyun awoke to the soft chirping of birds. Grey sunlight leaked through the windows, making him close his eyes.

"Are you awake? Breakfast is ready, we must hurry up and get you dressed." Munyeong's bright voice cut through the quiet of the morning.

"What is the hurry?" Jihyun sat up in his bed, rubbing at his face. It had been nearly a week since he'd last spoken with the prince, and he and Munyeong had worked out a familiar schedule. It mostly consisted of Jihyun eating and Munyeong talking, with the occasional visit from Minjoo and Chang. But there was no sense of urgency, no tasks to be completed, or schedules to meet. Jihyun was free to wake up when he wanted, eat when he wanted, and sleep when he wanted. It was very different from his life before and had made him so restless he'd begun to clean and organize various parts of his room and the courtyard just to have something to do.

"Your lessons begin today! We must be ready on time, especially since it is your first day." Munyeong explained cheerfully as she set the table. Jihyun grabbed his chopsticks, feeling numb as he poked at his breakfast. Minjoo had told him about the change of plans, how both Songmin and Eunbin would be teaching him, but that the prince would also attend his lessons. The idea had filled him with both excitement and anxiety. He couldn't deny that he was looking forward to meeting the strange princess again, but the fact that the prince would be there filled him with apprehension.

"It came faster than I'd thought," Jihyun whispered to himself. Munyeong sat next to him and began to serve herself. It was something Jihyun insisted upon early on. He wasn't used to dining alone, and having Munyeong stand and watch him eat made him uncomfortable. Since then, the maidservant joined him for every meal, except lunch, which he shared with Minjoo most afternoons. After finishing his meal, Jihyun got dressed, carefully donning the pale blue robe Munyeong selected for him.

"Here. This too. You've got to be at least a little fancy when you go out," Munyeong said as she held up a small pendant made of white jade. A tiger's face was delicately carved into the stone, which Jihyun studied as Munyeong tied the tassel to the ribbon around his waist. He'd seen a similar symbol around Horangi Palace and assumed it represented the prince in some fashion. Jihyun didn't like it, it made him feel as though the prince had staked a claim on him. "Perfect!" Munyeong clapped her hands together as she straightened, then turned to grab a small package from the table. "I packed you some snacks as well. General Chang said Lord Songmin is a strict teacher, so you will need to replenish your energy."

"Thank you, Munyeong," Jihyun gave an empty smile as he took the box from her.

"Everything will be alright. I mean it." Munyeong's voice grew soft as she watched Jihyun shrink around the box. Jihyun only nodded, before making his way to the door. The silhouette of Lord Songmin cast an imposing shadow against the yellow paper, making Jihyun's throat go dry. Sighing, Jihyun slid open the door, stepping out into the chilly morning air. The advisor gave Jihyun a once over, snapping his fan shut with a loud clack.