.
Kim Sae Yeon lifted the bowl, but just as it was about to touch her lips, it was slapped out of her hands.
The chamber was suddenly filled with a strange wind.
"Oh my! Who are you?!" The first Concubine (Second place girl) gasped.
"Who is that?!" The second Concubine had dropped her own bowl in fright, and Sae Yeon glanced up sharply to see who stood before her.
It was Choi Yoon!
At first she didn't recognize him, because a dark aura surrounded him and his eyes were completely black.
The wine smell rolling off him was tremendous, and far worse than anytime she had met him. And it was made worse by the wind which blew the sharp smell around the chamber!
"Oh my! The smell!" One of the ladies exclaimed. The two ladies, the Queen Dowager, the court ladies and Palace maidens all covered their noses in various ways.
Sae Yeon was tempted to cover hers as well, but she was still transfixed at the sight of Choi Yoon.
The smell of the strange wine was nothing compared to how dense his aura felt.
His robes hung open all the way to his belt, revealing a lean muscled frame, his loose ponytail was messy, and they both blew about in the wind.
"Do you have no fear? How can you drink just anything?!" He swayed drunkenly, which was no wonder, as he was clasping a slim-necked wine jar in his hand.
Sae Yeon had never seen him like this, and pure fear flowed through her.
She had the sudden urge to run away and hide, but she refused to act on those urges.
And besides, an unhealthy anger was rising within her, and she eyed the wine jar he held.
"Aren't you the one drinking just anything? What is that strange wine? And what are you doing he-?"
"What an insult! How did you come in here?!" The Queen Dowager had cut Sae Yeon off. "Didn't you hear me?! Who are You?! Guards!! Come in he--!!" That was as far as the Queen Dowager got.
Choi Yoon had turned his dark eyes on her, and her words got caught in her throat. She opened her mouth and closed it, but no sound came out.
"Your guards are already asleep, but more importantly... How dare you interrupt me!" The wind picked up speed, rattling the tables and the bowls on top them.
The other girls, the court ladies and maidens all hastily scooted away to one corner of the chamber.
But though she was frightened, the Queen Dowager didn't move from her place. She sat ramrod straight, her nose in the air with pride.
Sae Yeon mimicked her stance. She would be the new Queen after all!
Choi Yoon ignored the Queen Dowager and crouched down in front of Sae Yeon.
His eyes returned to normal, and the dark aura and wind died away.
"Ya, Kim Sae Yeon." He glared at her, though he was obviously a lot calmer. "Why did I come to save you even when I'm like this? Huh?"
"You came to save me?" Sae Yeon scoffed. "Heol."
Choi Yoon had practically bullied her for almost four weeks. And now that she had entered the Palace like he wanted, he was here causing trouble.
"Get it straight. Did you really come to save me? What exactly did you save me from?" She scoffed again.
"I've never known what you are, but you're not human, right? Still, try to observe proper etiquette. You're frightening everybody, and ruining the dinner Grand Dowager prepared with care!"
She was presently ignoring the voice that reminded her that she herself had been suspicious of the flower beverage.
Choi Yoon looked around, as if he just realized that they were still awake. "Sleep!" He commanded, and as usual, they all slumped in sleep.
"I came to save you and you're defending the person that tried to kill you?" He was pointing at the Queen Dowager, who held herself regally, even in her sleep.
"Why would Queen Dowager want to kill me?! She came to my house to ask me to be Queen!"
"Are you raising your voice?! Should I just throw you off the tower?! Huh?!!" The dark aura returned briefly, and Sae Yeon swallowed.
But she still glared at him. "Such a petty person! Showing off against a weak lady!" She muttered under her breath.
"What did you say?!" He obviously heard her.
"Nothing!" She shook her head.
He sighed and flung the white jar across the chamber, then felt a sliver of satisfaction when it shattered and Sae Yeon flinched.
"So you know what fear is?" He grabbed her hand and stood up, then yanked her to her feet. "We're leaving."
"Ya! Let go of me!" She pummeled him with her free hand, but it didn't do much good.
She felt like she was hitting a rock, and he felt like a feather was hitting him.
He dragged her to the sliding doors and out into the corridors.
The sleeping guards and a few other Palace maidens lined the edges of the corridor, and he dragged her past them and out of the Queen Dowager's Palace (Palace within the main palace).
But then he halted suddenly.
Sae Yeon wasn't prepared for his sudden stop, so she crashed into him.
"Ya! If you're going to drag someone, don't just stop suddenl-!" Sae Yeon fell silent as well.
There were more than fifty armed palace guards right in front of the Queen Dowager's Palace, and their swords and spears glinted in the moonlight.
In their midst was the King.
The King's worried expression changed to anger, as his gaze fell on Choi Yoon who held Sae Yeon's hand.
He drew a sword.
"My Queen! Are you alright?" He asked Kim Sae Yeon, who hadn't noticed him at first.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Sae Yeon had hastily sunk into a graceful bow, but Choi Yoon refused to let go of her hand so she couldn't bow completely.
"Let go of that hand right now!" The King ordered Choi Yoon, and Sae Yeon bit her lower lip nervously.
Choi Yoon's eyes flashed with deadly anger, and Sae Yeon felt a mild shock flow down her arm.
"Do you even know what you're asking?" Choi Yoon's voice was calm, but somehow that made Sae Yeon more uncomfortable.
"You filthy humans. Selfish from generation to generation. You covet things you cannot even protect!
"If I hadn't come when I did, that old bat in there would have poisoned your so called Queen. Worse, she would have blamed your first concubine, and you wouldn't have been 'Able. To. Do. Anything'." He wickedly separated each word for effect.
A quick sequence of disbelief, anger, misery, guilt and frustration crossed the King's face.
It was clear that he believed what Choi Yoon had said, and he didn't even seem surprised.
"And who are you?!" He demanded. "I offer you my thanks, but what right do you have to grab the Queen and drag her around in such a disrespectful manner?!"
"Heissss..." Choi Yoon cleaned out his ear with a finger. "Stop yelling and move out of the way. This woman is not staying in this palace."
"Guards! Capture the Intruder!" The King ordered.
"How annoying." Choi Yoon sighed. "Sleep." He commanded, and everyone except the King fell into sleep.
The King jumped backwards to avoid being pinned beneath the falling guards, especially since their spears and swords fell dangerously around.
But by some miracle, none of the guards were hurt by each other's weapons.
"Who are you?!" The King demanded.
His face registered his shock, but at the same time, he didn't seem too surprised. He was more afraid than surprised. "What are you, you monster?!"
"Do you really not know? Haven't you met someone like me before? The source of all the death you welcomed in?"
Guilt crossed the King's features. "Don't accuse me when you don't understand anythi-!"
"Sleep." Choi Yoon cut him off, and the King slept as well. "You can sleep now that you've realized how helpless you are."
Sae Yeon glared up at him. "Are you going to keep putting everyone to sleep?!"
"Would you rather I killed them."
Sae Yeon pressed her lips together, a resolute scowl on her face.
He pulled her back up, and headed down the stairs, but yet again, he stopped suddenly, and she crashed into him again.
"Ya! What are you-?!" But she kept quiet when she noticed someone else standing in front of them.
He must have been silent or invisible, because she never even saw him arrive, and he insolently stood right next to the King's head.
"Hello Choi Yoon." He smiled. "You didn't think you could enter my territory and leave without saying goodbye, did you?"
'Ah. His name is indeed Choi Yoon.' Sae Yeon briefly thought.
"I should have known the source of the trouble was you." Choi Yoon was saying, and he yanked Sae Yeon behind him.
Meanwhile, at the Golden Palace in the Sun, the Grand Crow shot up out of her throne, as she was filled with panic.
'No! Not him!'
Choi Yoon had met someone he definitely shouldn't meet...
.
Back at the human palace, Sae Yeon eyed the newcomer.
He had an innocent looking face, and he looked about as old as Choi Yoon, which was maybe about twenty years old?
She couldn't be sure.
He smiled a charming boyish smile, revealing perfect white teeth. But after meeting Choi Yoon, Sae Yeon wasn't fooled by that smile.
It didn't even come close to his eyes, and she could tell this was a dangerous person.
'Perhaps even more dangerous than Choi Yoon.'
He had long hair like Choi Yoon, but his was a mix of deep reds, with some white clumps here and there.
He wore deep red robes, belted neatly around his middle, and he held a slim, red and black fan which had a gold fang dangling from it.
The two men stared at each other, none of them blinking, and the shock down Sae Yeon's arm was now worse.
"Olppaemi (Owl)... I know you're at your best at night, but it's rude to interrupt people that are minding their own business." Choi Yoon said.
He was speaking with controlled calm, but Sae Yeon was feeling more powerful jolts of energy creeping into her arm. She tried to yank her hand out of his, but he only gripped her tighter.
"Galgamagwi (Raven)... Aren't you the ruder one, entering someone else's territory uninvited?" He scoffed. "As far as creature names go, I think yours sounds more distasteful, so how about we return to using our given names, Choi Yoon?"
"Shin Ra. Fancy running into you here."
"Yes, I'm also surprised you came all the way here."
"I don't have time for a reunion, so move out of my way."
"Not possible. That mortal woman will have to stay. She belongs with him." Shin Ra nudged the King's head with his foot.
"Ah, the Idiot that joined hands with you? Did you also promise to pick a wife for him?" Choi Yoon asked.
"No, but he did try to cheat me. You see, our deal was that I would give him enough power to change his fate. In return, I claim the lives of a few, insignificant humans in his Kingdom, only twice a year...
"Oh, and here's my favourite part. With every dead mortal, I slowly drain the life of his heir."
"The Red Moon!" Sae Yeon blurted out. "The rumours were true! The King is behind the Red Moon!"
"Ah, she is clever too! After watching the Queen Selection process, even I understood this mortal's desires. Won't she make the perfect queen?" Shin Ra beamed.
Sae Yeon cleverly stepped back behind Choi Yoon.
Her sense of self-preservation told her that following Choi Yoon was better than staying with Shin Ra!
"I already knew about your deal with that mortal." Choi Yoon was saying. "Leave it to humans to be selfish and greedy enough to join hands with something like you."
"Ah, but you can't judge him too quickly." Shin Ra opened the fan, fanning himself lightly. "That old hag you put to sleep in there..."
He nodded in the direction of the Queen Dowager's Palace. "She killed Lee Hwi Joon's entire family, just to make sure there was no threat to the throne.
"Lee Hwi Joon was left bloodied and bruised in a dark prison cell, the night before he was to be drawn and quartered. I merely stepped in to help! To give his anger and hate purpose!"
Choi Yoon scoffed. "Yes, you didn't step in until he had reached that point, so he would be desperate and helpless enough to accept your offer."
"Oh? Are you actually understanding a human?" Shin Ra nudged the King's head again. Then he swung the fan shut. "Interesting as that may be, I don't have all night.
"So hand over Kim Sae Yeon and be on your way."
"Not happening. If I remember correctly, you already claimed the king's heir, the Crown Prince. What business do you have with who he marries?" Choi Yoon asked.
"Hmmm, yes I did claim the life of the Crown Prince. But that was when I realized this mortal's pathetic attempt to cheat me!" Shin Ra nudged the King's head again, this time slightly harder than the previous times.
"When he accepted my deal," Shin Ra continued. "...he allowed the Queen Dowager to pick someone he hated as his wife. He never considered that Crown Prince to be his heir, so his life wasn't an equivalent payment.
"Then I realised he had been spying on that mortal woman." He nodded toward Sae Yeon. "And he even sent Palace guards to find her when she went missing. That's when I knew she was the one! Her future son would be the perfect payment for our deal!"
.