.seventeen.
At the very sound of his voice, her face brightened with a smile and she pulled away from Eun's arms in an instant. With her arms shot forward in front of her, she walked blindly in the direction where his voice had been coming from until her hands met his chest, her fingers feeling the soft robes beneath her fingers. He grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her behind him, still not forgetting what he saw and he was out for blood. He was ready to confront his older brother.
"I thought you guys didn't get along." He reminded them bitterly.
Hak Soon's smile dropped when she felt the coldness of his mood which he was displaying towards his brother. Even Eun was susprised. Out of all his brothers, he had mostly grown up around eight of them. But three of them--Baek ah, Han, and Jung--being closest to his age, were the ones he got along with the most. Jung had always been just as playful as him, teasing and trying to wrestle with him. But never had he been so cold towards him, like they weren't brothers, but more like enemies. Like he thought Eun was trying to steal something precious of his.
His older brother tried to explain. "Don't misunderstand, Jung-ah. I only helped her because she's your friend and I saw her walking to Wook's house without being able to see. I thought you would want me to help her." He said. And he remembered that night in the palace when Won and Baek-ah had laughed at him for getting beat up by two girls. Baek-ah had assured that it had everything to do with the fact that Park Hak Soon was in love with him, but Eun knew otherwise. His younger brother had also warned him to stay away from the fourteen year old because he hadn't failed to see the friendship between the two was starting to look like more than just a friendship.
"He's right, oppa." Minji cut in, tugging on the sleeve of his robe to get his attention.
The fourteenth prince was calmed, for the moment and he thanked his hyung with a bow of his head. The tenth prince then climbed on his horse and returned to the palace.
When he was out of sight, Jung helped Minji into her house. They had walked right past the livingroom and down the hall towards Minji's room. On the way there, they were stopped by General Park, who was more than happy to see both of them together. "Just the people I wanted to see." He said to them with a grin.
Both teenagers greeted him with a bow of their heads.
"Hello appa." Minji said with a warm smile.
"How are your eyes feeling?" He asked her, caressing her face with the back of his hand in a fatherly gesture.
Minji replied, "Much better, I think."
Her father chuckled, still full of enthusiasm. He was indeed concerned about her health, but he had news for them that made him happier than he had been in a while. He thought the news would make the two of them happy as well.
"Lets go into the sitting room, I have something to discuss with the two of you." He moved to walk towards the living room and gestured for them to follow after them. Jung linked arms with Minji and helped her back down the hall to the living room. He sat at the small table in the room and the two teenagers soon joined him. Both of them waited for him to speak and soon he began. "I went to talk to his majesty about you two, since I've noticed that you get along so well."
Minji made a face as her cheeks burned bright red. She knew where her father was going, as he had mentioned to her and her sister that he wanted them to marry the two youngest princes of Goryeo, Baek ah and Jung. Minji didn't think she wasn't exactly on board with it, but she thought the whole process to be ridiculous. She couldn't even choose who she wanted to marry. Her family had to choose for her and she had no choice in the matter. Then there was the fact that she was only fourteen and they were already promising her off to a prince she really didn't know.
