Heart of Ice

Honor

"Get off of me," Yewon tried to push him.

"Come on princess. Don't tell me a wild one like yourself doesn't want this..."

"I'll scream," she threatened when he began lifting her dress.

"If you do that, then I'll tell him about the rumors..."

"What rumors?" came the deep voice of Seungcheol from behind him. Jun turned around swiftly, letting go of Yewon finally. Yewon was only half-relieved at this point, but her anxiety was still up to her throat as she considered the possibility of Seungcheol finding out about the rumors.

"You followed us? Didn't think you'd care about her that much," Jun crossed his arms, clearly frustrated with the interruption.

"What rumors? Tell me." Seungcheol crossed his arms and glared at Jun.

"Why? Do you want an excuse to avoid marrying her? It's no secret you hate her and this marriage."

"Tell me the rumors," Seungcheol pressed.

"I don't want to. I like having leverage against your princess," Jun said with the most obnoxious grin he could muster.

Seungcheol frowned. "Prince Jun, I want you out of this castle by tonight," he ordered. "This order will be enforced immediately."

"You wouldn't kick me out," Jun scoffed. "I'm the Prince of China."

"But I would, and I am," Seungcheol maintained calmly. "Go pack your things immediately. I'll have a carriage ready for you tonight."

"Is this because I'm not telling you her rumors?"

"No. It's because your presence in this castle now jeopardizes the honor of the future Queen of Solen. It also threatens the peace we're trying to maintain with the enemy country. I want you out, and you will never be welcome here again."

"Do you really want me to complain about you to the Emperor of China? Do you know what he is capable of? He will run your country into dust if I want him to..." Jun spat in Seungcheol's direction.

"If that's the price of protecting the future Queen's honor, I will take it," Seungcheol replied coolly.

Jun scoffed. "Wow, you care about her a lot more than I thought you did."

"I don't care about her. I care about the future Queen of Solen. Now go," Seungcheol hissed. With an exasperated expression on his face, Jun finally retreated.

Seungcheol turned to Yewon, who was still against the wall, her arms covering her chest, still shocked by what Jun had threatened to do. Even until now, with Jun gone from her sight, she could not relax, especially as she sensed just how angry Seungcheol was with her.

"Tell me the rumors," he ordered with a frown on his face.

Yewon felt cornered in that instant. She didn't want to tell him. If the honor of the future Queen of Solen was so important to him, then he certainly would not accept her as Queen if he knew about what people said about her. She would have failed her country even before she had married him, she would have ruined the peace that her father worked so hard to establish...

"Tell me," he hissed again when no words were coming from her mouth.

"None of them are true," she managed despite how hard her heart was beating in her chest. "They're just rumors."

"What are they?" he asked again, just a little more calmly.

And so Yewon told him about those rumors of promiscuity and nudity and extramarital affairs. He looked strangely unfazed, but he listened attentively.

"But none of them are true," she ascertained at the end of it. "I'm still untouched, so please don't call off the marriage."

"I'm not going to call off the marriage," Seungcheol said to her. "Believe it or not, Solen needs peace with your accursed country too."

"Don't say that about Galacia," she responded, visibly offended.

"You're in no position to lecture me, Princess," Seungcheol spat back.

"If you think I'm going to stand back and let you scorn Galacia in my presence, you would be so wrong," she rebuked.

"If you think I'm going to let you speak to me like that, then you would be so wrong." He glared at her, a fire in his eyes that frightened her just a little, but she did not want to stand down to him. She was not going to let him prevail over her so easily.

"Say nothing bad about Galacia, and I won't speak to you like that."

Seungcheol didn't say anything to that. He backed down from the verbal fight by changing the subject. "Don't go off with men to secluded parts of the castle again, princess," he told her as if she were a child. "And let's hope your rumors don't spread through Solen."

"Would you call off the marriage if they do?"

Seungcheol seemed to find that question amusing. "You're not the only one with rumors, you know. I've got my fair share of those too, and unlike yours, my rumors are actually true."

"What?"

Seungcheol shook his head, indicating he did not want to speak about the matter anymore, "go back to the party."

"What rumors?" Yewon insisted.

"Stop talking about it," he ordered, suddenly angry again. "Now I'm going back to the celebration." He turned around and began to walk.

Yewon started to follow him, knowing she would be lost if she tried to find her way alone. As she walked, she realized that her dress was too loose now since Jun had undone it.

She stopped and tried to tighten it herself, struggling as the laces were tangled from behind her.

Seungcheol turned around and saw her struggling. He rolled his eyes and walked back towards her, looking annoyed again. She was embarrassed, but she hated how condescending he was with her.

He stepped behind her and untangled the laces.

"Didn't your maid tie this for you?" Seungcheol asked.

"She did. But I wanted to loosen it because I couldn't breathe. I've never worn dresses like this before."

"Of course. You Galacians are prude and wear ugly robes instead of dresses..." he muttered as he attempted to tie it again.

She turned to face him, frowning at him. She would not let him talk about her people like that.

"Turn around before the dress falls off and you embarrass me," he muttered, clearly annoyed with her readiness to fight him.

"Take back what you said."

"You're really childish, you know?"

"And you're really condescending."

"You know what? I won't help you. Let the dress fall off your body and let people laugh at you," Seungcheol snarled, walking away from her without even looking back, even when she called back for him.

Thankfully, he had already untangled and tightened the laces, so all she needed to do was tie them, and that was easy enough to do without his help.

She felt this deep irritation with him as she watched his broad shoulders from behind. He was cold, mean, condescending and insensitive. He clearly hated Galacia, and only cared about her inasmuch as she was future queen of his country.

But in a weird way, she did not hate him.