The Four Kings & Me

Chapter 5

Ryang Empire 1854

Gat (a traditional Korean historical hat)
Se-ja (Crown Prince)

Jun-ki's POV...

While dodging arrows left and right, my mind kept replaying that Nyota was always meant to be my wife. I don't know how I am supposed to feel about this new information that I learned, but now is not the time for me to be thinking about it. I needed to get back to the palace to make sure that She is alright before worrying about our future. I slipped into one of the small but very busy market stores when I spotted several hooded figures wearing all black and yielding swords searching the marketplace.

Taking off my mask, I stuffed it inside my clothes, then I pulled my Gat down over my face and leisurely made my way through the crowded marketplace with my head lowered. "We have to find her tonight if we don't want to end up like Jian and Gino did an hour ago." I hear a guy tell a group of men standing at the end of a meat market shop nearby. Pulling my Gat further down over my eyes, I walked past the group of scary-looking men unnoticed.

"Why are they after Nyota, and who are they working for?" I asked myself as I made my way back towards the palace. Dozens of the palace's best-trained swordsmen charged out of the gate just as I ducked into the passageway that led to the secret tunnel that was connected to both Nyota and my living quarters.

"Hanuel, I'm worried about Jung-ki. What if he's not alright? What if he's out there hurt or maybe even worse, d-dead?"

"Trust me, he's fine, Nyota. Jun knows how to defend himself better than I know how to defend him and myself." I heard Haneul say before I gave the signature knock that only Nyota and him would recognize. "See, I told you he'll come back unharmed." He says after opening the door and seeing me standing on the other side of it. Before I could step foot inside her room, Nyota charged toward me, almost knocking me over backward. I probably would have been lying on the ground with her laying on top of me if Haneul hadn't reached out and caught the both of us.

"Were you that worried about me?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her tiny waist. She simply nodded yes while at the same time squeezing me tighter. "Hanuel I need you to go report to mom and dad that I'm fine and back inside the palace walls."

"Yes, Se-ja." He says, sounding far too formal for my liking.

"Maybe I should do this more often if this is the kind of greeting I'm going to get from you." I jokingly said to Nyota as soon as Hanuel exited the room.

"Try it if you want to. I promise you'll never willingly put your life in danger again," she replied before playfully punching my right shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, checking me over from head to toe.

"I'm fine, I didn't even have to fight anyone," I replied after grabbing a hold of her arms and holding her still.

"Promise me that you're not hurt anywhere." Nyota sorrowfully utters at the same time her upper lip begins to quiver.

"I promise..."

"Thank goodness you're alright." Mom and Min-sook say as they barged into the room and began to look me over, the same way that Nyota had just done. By the way, they were all acting, you'd think that I'd never left the palace or ever been in danger before.