“For the last time, I’m fine.” 

    “Quit moving!” 

    “It is but a little flesh wound.”

    “Be still!” Groaning in surrender, he sat in front of her as she inspected him for other wounds, having discovered the one by his mouth. She gingerly cleaned up the blood surrounding his mouth and lightly dabbed at the wound until it stopped bleeding. 

    “Wangja-nim, I need you to remove your-” Standing up, he unfastened the belt to his jeoduri. Sliding it off, he loosened the outer robes until he had them hanging down around his waist. Looking her into the eyes, he sat back down. She gathered her breath and pressed small fingers to his chest. She drifted them down and around his side, glancing at his back. Coming back around, they dropped to his abdomen, lightly gliding across the defined muscles housed on his stomach. He grabbed her hand. 

    “I told you I was fine.” 

    “I-I had to make sure.” He stood, her hand still in his. 

    “You’re the one who needs assessed. Sit.” 

    “Wangja-nim-”

    “I won’t ask again Tiye. Sit.” Pouting, she plopped down in the chair. The taupe coloring of her chima had been soiled with blood and it angered him. Reaching up, he grabbed some antiseptic and pressed it to the first obvious wound on one of her shoulders. She hissed, gripping the chair. 

    “I would never have put you in this situation had I known.” He spoke quietly as he carefully roamed her form for others. There. One right above one of her breasts. She seemed to notice it too and her breath was nervous. 

    “You can get a female attendant to tend to the rest.” 

    “No.” He answered, fixing another pad of linen with antiseptic. 

    “What?”

    “Pull it down just a tad. Enough that I can see it clearly.” He instructed, ignoring her embarrassed eyes. She pulled on the chima a bit, exposing the swell of her breast. He wasted no time pressing the linen to the wound but this time the sting was forgotten. 

    “You are my responsibility. I will do it.” Standing back, he brought a hand to her neck, going over the deep bruises with his thumb. 

    “Does your throat hurt?” 

    “I’ll be okay. Some herbal tea and I’ll be fine.” 

    “Hm.” Her heart near collided with her stomach as he took her face in both hands, caressing her injured cheek with a thumb. 

    “I will not allow him to strike you again.” Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before letting go of her. 

    “That’s the first and last time you spar with Hyung-nim. There will be no more.” Nodding, she clasped her hands together as he went to retrieve some salve from one of the shelves. 

    “Wangja-nim…” They both turned to find one of the medical attendants standing there with more linen and antiseptic. He took in her frazzled state and his shirtless one and cleared his throat, averting his eyes. 

    “I have brought these in case you need them.” 

    “Thank you.”

    “Should I send for the female attendant?”

    “She’s fine.” Lifting his robes, he soon closed them shut and put his jeoduri back on. 

    “Tiye, tonight you will retire with me.” Eyes wide, she opened her mouth to protest but at the lifted eyebrow daring her to question him she closed it. 

    “Yes Wangja-nim.” Satisfied, he smirked and soon left her alone in the room, body warm, hurting and yearning all at the same time. Clutching the salve in her fingers tighter, she swallowed thickly. 

***

    His pride had been wounded. Massively. The fact of that made him want to gloat, chuckle, laugh and rub it in his face. However, he knew he wouldn’t. Bastard. He’d underestimated her simply because she was smaller than him. And the kick she’d landed to his face satisfied him more than any throw he landed with his fists. Served the asshole right. The pain in his side throbbed dully but it was easy to ignore. Turning the corner, he headed towards the horse stalls. 

    “Prepare my horse Byung-ho.”

    “Yes Wangja-nim.” In his hand he held his bow and arrow. Today would be the first of many days to come where he would practice his archery seriously. After the sparring between Hyung-nim and Tiye, he knew he couldn’t allow her to be put in that position again. If he were to  to be worthy of protecting her then he needed to be well rounded. On their journey ahead, he needed to be sharp, quick and lethal. The Mongols gave nothing less. Archery being his weakest area of sparring meant that it had to become his strongest. The boy brought Dong Il towards him and he offered him a small smile. 

    “Thank you Byung-Ho.” 

    “It is nothing Wangja-nim.”

    “You are but a boy and yet you care so well for our horses. I appreciate you. Truly.” Taken aback, the boy could only nod as he removed the reins from his small hands and led his steed away.  

*** 

    “What is your relationship with Wangja-nim?” Looking up from the chicken she was plucking, she blinked at the other girl who sat Indian style, chicken in her lap as well. 

    “My…relationship?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Why do you ask?” The girl snort and looked up at her. 

    “You can’t be serious.”

    “Serious about what?”

    “You’re the most envied girl in the palace you know. Not even the Queen Consort gathers the same type of affection you do.” Pursing her lips, she grabbed a handful of feathers and pulled, breathing in sharply through her nose. 

    “There is nothing to envy me for. I am simply a slave to him. Nothing more and nothing less.” The girl had stopped plucking and eyed her for quite some time before she smirked. 

    “You don’t wish to be more?” She remained quiet. 

    “The other girls talk of your going to his chambers. When he summons you… do you not share his bed?” 

    “ Let’s work and get on to something else.” She replied tersely, yanking out the last bit of feathers more roughly than was necessary. Again, the girl smiled. 

    “You haven’t answered the question. In fact, your evading it will lead me to assume.” Sucking her teeth, she glanced at the girl. 

    “Do you wish to bed him? Is that why you’re asking me if I do?” Aha, a crack in the otherwise smug expression on her face. Weakness she planned to run with. 

    “Perhaps you sit up and wonder how a man like him could ever lie with the likes of me.”At that her fingers stopped plucking. 

    “That’s… not true.” The girl’s normally pale cheeks were bright red but she tried to compose herself for her sake. 

    “You should be grateful. Thankful that he even desires you.”

    “Is that right?”

    “Cherish it for as long as you can. His affections may travel elsewhere.” She laughed out loud, making the girl grow even more red. This time out of anger. 

    “What is it with you all? You give the male too much power.” Letting the chicken plop out of her hands, she stood before going over to the wash basin to clean her hands. 

    “If only you knew that what exists between your thighs has the authority to bring these so called men to their knees. If you had that knowledge, you wouldn’t envy a woman for sharing his bed.” She turned to face her. 

    “If anything, you might encourage her. Encourage her to shape and mold his mind and his will just as much as the rod that grows between his legs.” Leaving her dumbfounded, she left through the kitchen in search of something else yet to do. Times like these made her ache for home so badly. It was strange enough being here but the ways in which the women thought and acted were foreign to her. 

    “Hey! You there!” Stopping in her tracks, she turned to see a gungnyeo pointing at her. 

    “Wangja-nim is requesting your presence in the horse stalls.” 

    “Yes.” Bowing her head, she headed towards the stall. 

    “Wangja-nim?” Funny that the stalls were all empty except for one. She clutched her fingers together. 

    “Wangja-ni-” Hands grabbed her and pulled her into one of the empty stalls and a knife pressed against her neck. 

    “Scream and I will slit your neck.” The voice belonged to Wangja-nim’s older brother. Even though her heart beat wildly in her chest, she tried to speak calmly. 

    “What are you doing?” 

    “Shut up. Turn around.” Slowly, she did and looked him dead in the eyes. 

    “Wangja-nim won’t be happy knowing you’re doing this.” He lifted his hand and slapped her across the very cheek that took his abuse days before. 

    “I am your Wangja-nim.” He pressed the knife against the column of her throat and drug it down, the sharp point snagging on the rough material of her hanbok. 

    “He’s spoiled you so much you’ve forgotten your place. On your knees.” She didn’t move. 

    “No.” At her defiance, he grabbed her hair and forced her down. She saw it and tried to avoid it but nevertheless ended up falling right into a fresh pile of dung. 

    “On your fucking knees musori.” Thankful that her face had been unscathed, she licked her lips and slowly lifted, coming to rest on her knees. 

    “Your wounded male ego humors me Wangja-nim. Taking defeat from a woman is too hard for you?” 

    “Insolent little bitch!” He hissed, striking her again. The breath knocked out of her as the pain shot sharply down the side of her jaw and into her neck. Everything in her wanted to sweep his feet from underneath him but she stopped herself. She had no weapon and even with her fists, she was at a clear disadvantage. She might be able to do damage but the kind she wanted to inflict would not be possible. 

    “I will teach you to tame that hole in your face. Starting right here and right now.” Reaching down, he exposed himself to her and she felt as though she would retch. Jutting out from his body, his member too appeared angry and bothered, demanding submission. Submission she would not give willingly. 

    “So, this little thing is the women desire.” She laughed in his face but that was a mistake. He shoved it into her mouth without warning and replaced the blade with his hand, gripping her throat tightly. 

    “If you bite down, I will rip the tongue from your mouth with my bare hands.” She honestly couldn’t think of anything to say, not when everything about this was so new, so foreign, so wrong. In her mind, in her deepest desires, she’d envisioned intimacy of this level being experienced with someone else. Someone that she loved and thought worth it. But the feeling of the man inside of her mouth made her stomach heave and she gagged, squeezing her eyes shut. Lifting her hands to his thighs, she tried to push him back but it didn’t work. The grip on her throat tightened even more and she began to struggle to breathe as he groaned loudly, with no shame, no remorse. 

    “I know you wish it were he. My little brother.” Opening her eyes, they filled with tears as he began to thrust into her mouth, nudging the back of her throat each and every time. 

    “I know you desire him. I see it every time you look at him.” She voiced her protest but gagged again as he shoved his entire length down her throat. For a moment, he was overcome with pleasure and his hand left her throat and yanked her head upward, hair gripped by tight fingers. 

    “Let this be a reminder to keep your fucking mouth shut.” Soon, she felt it throb inside her throat and coughed in relief as he pulled it out. Squeezing her eyes shut, he proceeded to spill his seed, spurts messily soiling her face and hair. He took hold of her chin and forced it upward. Eyes watery with liquid fury, she glanced up at him, a sinister grin on his face. 

    “This is the only place where you belong little whore. Don’t forget it.” Shoving her back, he adjusted himself and once he was proper, he brushed past her like nothing had ever happened. She sat there for the longest time before she eventually got up. Not bothering to wipe anything away, she quietly made it to the servant’s quarters. 

*** 

    “Good. You’re improving.” Nodding, he relaxed his thighs and came to sit once again on Dong Il. Turning towards the face of the other man who was set to accompany them, he smirked some. 

    “Give it time. I shall be proficient sooner than you’ve bet.” 

    “How do you know I’ve bet?” Chuckling, he urged Dong Il into an easy trot. 

    “I’m not stupid. I know that I’ve been somewhat of a late bloomer when it comes to the ways of archery.” The other man only smiled to himself and joined him in the trot. 

    “But you, pyeha, are improving rapidly. It’s impressive.”

    “Hm.” 

    “But I wonder…what that woman will do.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “Fighter or no fighter, she is a woman. What place will she really have on our journey?” 

    “Need I remind you that some of the fiercest warriors we’ll face are female? Mongol women have indeed gathered quite the reputation and it is one I would not like to challenge.” 

    “So I’ve heard.”

    “Tiye carries the same spirit inside of her. It is strange and very foreign to me. That I won’t deny. But that is what I like about her. She is nothing like our women here in Goryeo.” The man, named Yoo-shik grinned. 

    “She definitely does not look like them. Places on her are…abundant.”  Smirking to himself, he continued, 

    “She can be mouthy when she’s in the mood for it. But she can also be a pillar of support. Sometimes, she sounds like an old sage.”

    “Ah. So it is her wisdom that you favor.”

    “Among other things yes.”

    “Other things like her abundant places perhaps pyeha?” He left that question unanswered and the two men shared a laugh as they entered in through the massive gates surrounding the palace. 

    “Pyeha, I trust your ride was satisfactory?” Dismounting from his horse, he handed him his bow and arrow. 

    “Indeed.”

    “Have the servants draw up a bath for me.”

    “Yes pyeha.” Looking towards the servant’s chambers, he swallowed tightly before heading in the opposite direction, towards his own. He needed to spend some time in the library and configure a plan best for travel in the approaching months. When he was alone, he ran fingers through his hair. Soon and very soon, it would have to come to an end. Soon, he’d have to put it all to an end.  

*** 

    Dressed in light chest bindings, a cotton jeoksam and sok-chima, she lowered herself to sit at his table. Reaching up, she began to undo the twine that held her hair in tiny little clouds. The doors to his chambers opened and he appeared, stopping in his tracks at the sight of her. 

    “You are here.” Her hands paused. 

    “You summoned me did you not?” Smiling softly, he entered the room, closing the door behind him. 

    “Tell me what happened today.” He shook his messy strands and came to sit next to her. 

    “It’s been a productive day.”

    “Oh?”

    “I went riding with Yoo-shik. Practiced archery all morning.” Glancing down at his hands, she reached for them. She could tell. They were crimson and starting to swell at the knuckles. 

    “You should take it easy Wangja-nim. It’s not good to push yourself so hard.” She scolded, running fingers across the tender skin. 

    “I have to.”

    “Why?”

    “How else am I to protect you?” There, that gaze of his with the strange look. It was doing something to her. 

    “I need no protecting. I am fully capable of protecting myself.” 

    “And that lies the problem.”

    “What problem is that?” 

    “You are self sufficient and that I like about you. But, once in a while eolin-i it would do well to allow someone else to care for you.” Pulling back her fingers, she forced them still in her lap. 

    “I know your capabilities. I know your strengths. I know you need no protection whatsoever.” Lifting fingers to her face, he brushed them against her cheek. She felt them warm and turned her gaze away from him, heart threatening to come out of her chest. 

    “I also know your weaknesses Tiye. I will do it not because I have to. I want to.” She silently thanked the gods as he distanced himself from her. She watched him as he began to disrobe, pulling the silk jeoduri from his shoulders. 

    “Tomorrow will be a very busy day for us both. As you know, the journey to the Song territory is underway.”

    “Mm.”

    “I want to spar with you. Perhaps even go for a ride.” She didn’t say anything, just watched as he bared his back to her, the last undergarment slipping from his strong shoulders. 

    “I’ve composed a list of suggestions as to the success of our trip. Time should be spent mulling that over as well.” 

    “As you wish Wangja-nim.” She dropped her gaze as he turned to face her. Coming in front of her, he lifted her gaze by way of her chin. 

    “You’re unusually quiet today.” His gaze was intense. 

    “Did something happen?” Her fingers at this point were gripped so tight in her lap that she was losing feeling in them. But she fixed her mouth to lie. 

    “No. I’m just tired is all. My day was spent in the kitchen.” 

    “Very well then. Let us rest.” Heading towards the bed, he laid on his side as he waited for her to join him. Getting up, she soon fell into the big warmth his body offered, pressing her face against his chest. He sighed contently, yawning against the top of her head. Smiling against him, she turned in his arms, facing the door. 

    “Good night eolin-i.” He breathed against her ear as he slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against him. 

    “Good night Wangja-nim.” But unlike his eyes that closed and the contentment that drifted across his features, hers remained open for a long while.