She brightened up her face and straightened her clothes before going outside to receive her visitor who was already walking to the threshold...
“Your Royal Highness, you could have called me to your residence, there's no need to...”
“Oh no, not when you're almost due, I can't have you stressing. I'm still strong and I can walk so let me do the stressing, not you. Come on let's go in, it's cold outside.”
She led her granddaughter-in-law in and helped her sit down before she sat opposite her.
“How's the preparation for the festival going, is the any problem?”
“No, all is going according to plan, your Royal Highness.”
"According to plan... now talking about plans, what are your plans for the strange woman under your custody?” she asked and when she saw no surprised reaction from InMok, she realized InMok knew that she was aware.
“Your Highness, I just want to keep her away from my husband, until he learns to love me...”
“We both know that is impossible for my grandson to love you. we all know that he never wanted to get married, he just did it to please us all. So you must release the stranger! " the Queen Dowager ordered.
"But your Highness, I... " Queen Inmok tried to defend but the Queen gave her no chance,
"To what length are you going to take it? Do you even know what you have done? What will His Majesty say and do when he gets to know you orchestrated the plans just because of your anger against him knowing fully well he adores the stranger? You don't want to make this silly mistake... " she persuaded calmly.
"Your Royal Highness, I don't know how you found out but I'm assured His Majesty won't and.. " she defended
"Who do you think I am? Just an ordinary Queen Dowager sitting around playing the grandma role?? Oh don't be naive, I knew since the day she was kidnapped. I only waited patiently to know what you want to do but this, this is not going to end well. With the way this investigation is taken, it will be a matter of a day before she will be found. I'll advise you to stop it while you can and besides I don't want it to obstruct the happiness on New Year's Day for everyone... ".
"What about me or am I not among them?" She looked at the Queen Dowager like a child.
“Don't worry it includes you, just do as I say and you will be happy." She assured as she got up and looked back at Queen Inmok,
"Don't worry child, his heart will always be here, I assure you, just worry about yourself and my great grandson, hmm. Don't see me out, rest the crown prince. " she smiled and left.
Having the Queen Dowager by her side meant she had nothing to fear.
She took a piece of paper, a writing brush and scribbled on it, rolled it, and called on her maid who always waited by the door.
"Are you there?”
“Yes Your Highness” she answered,
“Come in" She entered and went on her knees,
“Give this by your own hands to the Minister Go when he comes tomorrow for the court meeting." She ordered the maid who received it and bowed before leaving.
King Seon Jo
Your Majesty!! " they all chorused with their heads bowed as I entered walking towards the throne.
"Arise. " I permitted as I sat down and glanced at every man in this courtroom.
"The King looks happy and energetic today, I rejoice with you, your Majesty. " the prime minister Nam bowed.
"Thank you Prime Minister, how is the preparation for the festivals? " I asked as I rested my back on the site.
"All is done, your Majesty " he bowed by his words.
"And I hope I will see all my ministers at the festivals? " I smiled,
"Yes, your Majesty" they all chorused happily,
"That good to hear, what... " I was interrupted by a voice outside.
"A Border Guard requires entry, your Majesty " the eunuch outside announced which caught us unawares. As I gave him a permit to enter, a young warrior walked in directly and stopped in front of me with his hand raised above his head showing off what he held.
Eunuch Park got closer to the boy and collected the item from the boy who bowed in front of me and brought it to me.
After reading what I was given, I passed the scroll back to Eunuch Park, he passed it to Prime Minister Nam, who read it and passed the message to the court.
"The Ming Dynasty Ambassador is arriving tomorrow to celebrate the Queen Dowager and the New Year's Day festivals," he said to the whole court.
"The Arrival of the Ming Dynasty Ambassador mostly means trouble, your Majesty, what do you suggest?" Noron minister Jang asked me who was worried by the news like others.
After a long silence that left everyone confused,
"Double everything we prepared for, from food to activities down to attendance," I ordered after taking a deep breath.
"Yes Your Majesty” the whole room sounded with their voices.
Vivian
It had been three days since I had been kidnapped and I'd stopped screaming or crying since I had realized it was not useful to.
Besides, someone had been feeding me for the past few days without speaking to me. Whenever it was time he'd come to serve me and through that I knew when it was morning, noon, and evening.
The door would open and I would hear them walking in, setting the table before I would hear them walking to me.
I could tell by the size of his hands that he was a man and when he would grab my hand quicker than I had calculated, I would flinch out of surprise.
Still, I would allow him to lift me, lead me to the table, and sit me down before placing a spoon in my hand and dipping it in the meal.
Hunger wasn't so beneficial at that point and the food's aroma wasn't even helping me reject the food.
So I would just - without a choice - dig in and in no time, the plate would empty but the next problem would be, how to tell him, I want more.
I reasoned sliding the plate inches forward would do the trick, which it did and I could hear the person refilling it as my hands could feel the food on the plate. When he'd done refilling, He would push back the plate to me so I'd continue eating.
I woke up some days ago and realized my sight was better.
I could see my surroundings and now, I could tell the person that lived with me was a man, that might be my abductor awaiting orders to have me killed.
Just the thought of that made it impossible for me to sleep although I find myself waking up every morning.
I would stir on the mat with my eyes on the figure asleep on the bed afar off, my watchkeeper since I got here.
How many days since I was abducted? I've lost count.
I remember losing consciousness at that lonely and quiet place, where I was all alone, lost, and blind but after that, I don't remember anything else.
All I knew was, that one time I was in a dark cramped-up, and silent space, and next thing, I was here where light rays would burst through my blurred vision telling me when it was day and night.
It was a little better at least there was someone here with me though he might be working for them. He has a tall and well-built stature and from the way he would always hold my hands, I admit he's really strong with those muscular hands.
When I wake up each morning to an empty house, I'd sit and wait for him till he would return to prepare breakfast but, before it would be served, he'd lead me to a big bath to wash up. A daily routine I was getting used to.
I remember the first time I had refused to and I struggled with him thinking he would leave me be, but he lifted me like a feather from the mat and left after dumping me into the giant bath filled with water and I was still blind.
I would have breakfast, nap till dinner then bathe before sleeping to avoid his angry vibe.
The day I could see was the fifth day after my sight became a blur, that was before dinner. I had slept after breakfast but was woken up by the sudden noise and harsh whiff of blood.
I adjusted to see where the noise came from and saw a man enter, although I was joyful that I regained my sight, I laid still to know who the intruder was.
This intruder knew where the kitchen was because he came back with water in a bowl and a towel, he lifted his shirt exposing a hell of scars on his body. Some I could identify as knife wounds with little or no space between them.
Wow, how many years have you been in the business, he must be a professional.
After he cleaned up his wound and disposed of the water, he laid down on the bed and suddenly turned to me but, I quickly redirected my eyes to the ceiling before I saw him return his face to the thatched ceiling above him and closed his eyes to sleep.
He would take care of me, and feed me, except bathing me for all I could acknowledge, this guy could be my kidnapper or work for the main guy.
We have been together for some days and no conversation has been ensured between us. I thought as I felt my consciousness of my surroundings dwindling.
"....ke up!"
"...ake up!!"
"Wake up!!!” I heard as my body shook involuntarily making me open my eyes to see him next to me with concern in his eyes.
As I looked at him, I could feel the heat from his firm hands to my arms,
"You're having bad dreams," he said with his expression clearing as he helped me sit up.
He turned around to go back to sleep when he stopped to look back at me.
I turned to where his eyes were focused and saw me holding his hand. I let go immediately and made space for him to sit by me as I witnessed his expression soften.
He slowly sat back on the bed while I returned to sleep with a plan building up in my desperate mind.
The next day
“Today of all days, you decided to chop wood, today of all days?!" I opened my eyes to see the world my well-appreciated sleep freed me from i.e. I woke to the sound of wood being chopped.
Getting up from the bed, I walked to the already opened door that led outside to a man who was half-clad with an axe in his hands breaking wood.
I still don't understand why at this point my eyes decided to show me every vein bulging out from his muscular hands, arms, and shoulders even to sweat-decorated back.
His bare body in the morning sun, his hair held up in a messy ponytail connived with my brain to intimidate my mouth to accept the fact that hotness in all glory stood in front of me.
After dragging my jaw up from the ground, I helped to gather up each cut-up wood.
I took them inside to where I had seen the remaining ones from the last time.
On returning I caught the almost vanishing expression of surprise in his eyes while he was looking at me and I picked up the last wood, went inside to keep them, and returned for another round.
When I noticed he stopped chopping and started staring, I went to where the logs were kept, and rolled one over to him, though I almost broke my waist doing that. I picked another axe and tried to chop the wood but found it very hard to lift.
I grunted over and over in my attempts to lift something he lifted like biscuits until I gave up and sat on the wood.
Seeing the whole scenario made him look focused on me with keen interest.
Realizing only he could chop the wood, I chuckled and smiled charmingly at him but he just returned to chopping wood like nothing happened to my disbelief.
"Ok, charms won't work," I noted when he continued chopping and I returned inside to wait for breakfast.
"Come eat," he said after he knocked on the lintel of the door to where I slept,
I rushed to sit at the table before him to wait as he served the meal; vegetables and rice with chicken broth.
"Hmm, delicious as always.." I commented closing my eyes to the delicious savour dancing on my tongue and when satisfied with the taste, I opened my eyes to eat.
I saw him staring at me while I ate alone like a horse.
Seeing he wasn't eating with me, I dropped the spoon and stood with him as he was about to leave,
"Why? You're not hungry or you don't like it? " he hesitated when I came closer and took his 50-pound bag of whatever from him.
Quickly, he stood my way with his arm that was very muscularly tanned by the way, when he realized what I was doing.
"You're not coming with me! " he said with a firm expression before taking his bag that weighed like a dead boar and made steel noises, back from me.
"Eat and sleep," he told me and walked out into the forest.
Angrily I watched him get lost in the jungle before I returned to my food.
"You're lucky am in a good mood, no one raises their voice at me." I beefed.