"What would you do next?" He asked, wet messy hair shielding her view of everything else.
"What?"
"How would you gain the upper hand? How would you kill me?" Dumbstruck, she couldn't speak for a moment and he tightened his grip on her wrists.
"These things you must account for Tiye. Men will use everything they have to gain victory. If they can use their body weight to crush the life from you then they will." Taking a few more deep breaths, she lifted up her body with all of her strength and forced him back to the ground. Reaching behind her, she grabbed one of the swords and firmly pressed it against his nether regions. The look of surprise soon turned into a grin and he flashed her a smile, chest heaving.
"Good. Very good." With that, she rolled over onto her back with a groan. She turned to look at him, chest full of exhausted air.
"Will you now ride Dong Il?" She asked, voice quiet. His dark gaze opened and slid over to hers.
"Yes."Leaning her head back, her eyes found the sky.
"I will wait for you. In your chambers."
"Good."
"Take care not to over exert yourself." Her body screamed so many things, loud things that threatened to overwhelm her.
"When I return, we shall eat hm?"
"Okay." He lifted up and helped lift her to her feet, gently pat the top of her head before heading away from her.
***
She'd drawn up a bath, shooing the girls away. She knew some of them lingered by the door but at the moment, she didn't care. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she pressed her forehead against the tops of them. Before she could control it or stop it, she began to cry. For his sake, she'd tried to keep calm. But it threatened to drown her... the reality of what happened. A part of her felt fury...a fury she'd only felt once before. When her Baba had been murdered. That was the first time and she had hoped that it would be the last. Caught up in her emotions, she let out a frustrated scream before sinking underwater, allowing the warmth of the water engulf her. Many dark thoughts traveled through her head and it pained her to entertain them. But even more so... she was more grieved for the reaction of Wangja-nim... should he find out.
She knew him. Knew that the two had never much cared for one another, even though they were related by blood. She knew that their friendship was one that he took of utmost seriousness and he valued her well being sometimes more than his own. When he could help it. Sometimes, his hands were tied. Sometimes, his duty and role as the future King of Goryeo outweighed his role as her friend. She understood that. Lifting from the water, she inhaled deeply.
She'd been forced into a strange land with strange people, ways and customs. But if she had to choose, she wouldn't complain. Shouldn't complain. She supposed that her life might have turned out different depending on where she had been originally destined to. Lifting fingers to massage her scalp, she lifted watery eyes to the wooden ceiling. That bastard would get what was due to him in the end, be it by her hand or not. Life worked in funny ways that way.
"Tiye-ah, Wangja-nim is back from his ride."
"Mm."
***
His knuckles were cherry red and starting to swell. His thighs, hamstrings and glutes all felt like a candle had been lit to them. He'd rode longer than he'd anticipated but his mind was full of many things... many thoughts. Something was not right... with Tiye. The little one he'd known nearing 9 years was never this aloof. She tried to hide it but it was plain as day to him. He could see a discord within her and it worried him immensely.
