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

Chapter 38: Repercussions

She had begun to tremble.

"Sook Myeong."

The king's voice hadn't even reached her. He had instructed his men to remove the body.

But her voice had rung out then. "Wait."

She had dropped to her knees and reached out to touch the man's face. It had been as cold as ice; it had long ago turned ashen as a deathly pallor crept over it.

"I killed him," she had whispered.

Jin Heung had squatted down next to her. "And if you hadn't, that would be me – or the prince – now. Perhaps both of us. Lying white and rigid against the hard ground." He had glanced at her. "Maybe you too."

She had drawn a fortifying breath and stood up. "Take him."

Her voice had rung with authority. But it had only hidden the heart beneath. And the grief that was welling up in it. This was a deep wound. It hurt so much worse than she could have imagined.

She was only thankful that Seon Woo had prevented her attempted assassination of Ah Ro. The circumstances of that averted death would have completely obliterated her conscience. At least, in this man's death, Sook Myeong had acted justly. Still, she knew today would continue to haunt her. For a very long time.

––

Now, she had proof. It had been a week since she'd killed that boy, but the consequences of her actions were stalking her with a greater vengeance today. As she anticipated picking up her bow again.

She tamped down on the tension growing in her belly as she smiled down at Jong Su. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

She was fairly certain that she wasn't.

He grinned up at her. "Absolutely."

The king had arrived to help his brother-in-law stand up for the first time since he'd been injured. Sook Myeong stood ready to steady his right side while Jin Heung helped him stand up. Situated at his left. She watched in dismay as the prince grimaced deeply. But he straightened, standing to nearly his full height.

"Time to move," the king murmured, not unsympathetically. "Did I ever thank you for bearing this wound for me?" He turned his head towards Jong Su.

The prince chuckled ruefully. "Yes. You're giving me your sister, remember?"

"Ah, yes." Jin Heung's eyes clashed with Sook Myeong's for a moment. "But only if she agrees."

"She's the one who proposed to me!" the prince responded, disgruntled.

"What ever was she thinking?" the king asked teasingly.

"She couldn't resist my charms when I was confined to a bed."

"You were clearly irresistible immobilized," Jin Heung chortled.

But the smile faded from his face as, wincing, the prince took his first step. Grunting the whole way.

Sook Myeong slipped her arm around his waist and drew herself into his side. "You can do it," she whispered. Without even meaning to. She simply wanted to encourage him.

Really, she wanted to put him back into that bed until he could move without pain. She'd also be able to avoid the range for a little while longer too.

Together, she and her brother helped the man to walk across the room.

"That's enough for now," the doctor murmured.

"No," the prince glanced up at him, "it's not. I promised I would escort the princess to the target range."

"That can wait," she responded firmly. "We can do it tomorrow. Or the next day."

The doctor intervened. "Just sit in a chair for a little while," he instructed the prince. "If you feel up to it, you can walk across the room again in a few minutes."

So it was that half an hour later, the prince made his ambling way out into the corridor, supported on one side by the king and on the other by his own beloved. They shuffled along that hallway at a slow pace.

Sook Myeong felt her inner tension growing. She wanted to avoid that range at all costs. With every step that closed the distance between her and her bow, her anxiety ramped up another notch.

"I think that today you should just concentrate on walking through the palace," she murmured into Jong Su's ear. "We can venture outside on another day."

His countenance pinched, he glanced down at her. "But I really want to visit our garden with you."

Her heart melted.

Our garden.

It used to be hers. Alone. When she was alone.

But now she had the prince.

She smiled tremulously up at him. "It's okay. Our garden will still be there tomorrow...or even next week."

He instantly discerned her fear. But he didn't address it. Instead, he gave in gracefully to her concern for him. "All right. Another day then."

She sighed with relief.

One of these days, she'd have to conquer that target again.

But not today.