Archive of Our Own

1.

wonyoung remembers the night before she was sent to the south.

her mother combed her hair, whispering soft words to soothe her as she awaited for daybreak. she has known for a while that the war her father was fighting was drawing to a close.

they tell wonyoung she has an important part to play in it. she will go and live with a new family, a symbol of the newfound peace between the northern tribes and their southern neighbours of the duchy. she’s too young to realize it now but in a few years she will know she is considered a ward of the duchy, which is a roundabout way to say she is a political prisoner, one to keep peace and to prevent the north from trying to invade once more.

now though, she just focuses on her mother combing her waist length hair out, a comb that was carved from animal bone and engraved with snowflakes and swirling mountain peaks. she doesn’t know it yet but it will be the last reminder she has of this home, the last thing that remains with her as the rest is torn from her hands.

"my dear, just look to the moon if you miss me. and know i will be looking there too when i miss you. i will pray every single night to the goddess there that she may protect you." 

wonyoung nods at her mother’s words, letting them wash over her softly as her nervous body finally finds rest, eyes drooping as her mother lets wonyoung’s head fall into her lap. she sleeps until morning.

2.

they had given her honeyed words to make sure the young girl didn’t put up a big fuss. promises that if she was good and she pleased her new parents she would get to see her homeland once more.

she doesn’t know she will never see her home like this again.

all she can do is look up to the moon and pray to the goddess living there that things will get better, and she will see her family once again.

3.

the duchess hates her.

she knows it as she bows towards the duke and duchess of the land. their two sons stand off to the side, curious eyes upon her. she feels smaller than she is under their gaze. wonyoung is 13 when she arrives. she is alone and so scared.

the duke has kind eyes, nothing like how the people of her tribes described him as. a fearsome warrior, a terror upon the field of battle. none of that exists in the comfort of his castle. the ride here was with him, upon his horse. he had gently helped her off the horse before entering the castle first, leaving maids to see to her getting ready to be brought in front of the duchy’s ruling family.

however, his wife does not have the same eyes. they are narrowed and cold. it brings chills down the back of her spine.

that night, wonyoung prays once more to the moon’s goddess, just like her mother taught her when she was little.

4.

the duchess is put in charge of wonyoung. she does not use wonyoung’s name, referring to her only as the girl or the barbarian. it is clear she holds no respect for wonyoung.

she learns quickly she also holds no love for one of her sons too, and for most things in the castle. the duchess does not love the way the court is run by her husband but bites her tongue to keep her prestige. the duchess dotes upon her second son, but it is clear to all that live in the capital that she abhors her oldest.

most of the flowery speech that the duke says is lost on her young ears. she just learns she will call the duke and duchess by their titles always. their eldest son is sunghoon, their second is seonwoo.

wonyoung doesn’t know it yet but she will suffer greatly before she is allowed to breathe. she prays for her suffering to be eased in the light of the moon.

5.

the duchess cuts the braids off her head, long hair she has grown since she was a babe gone with two snips. she justifies it because she is unclean and from the barbarian tribes of the north, so she must be cleansed to even stand a chance to live in the duchy. wonyoung wants to cry and kick and scream and run away but she sits there silently as it happens.

they scrub her skin red with all sorts of soaps, discard the furs that she was sent with and dress her in plain dresses in the style of the duchy, long to her ankles, lightweight to match the more temperate weather of the south.

when she is sent back to her room, it is then that tears start to fall from her face. she sleeps with the full moon in view and she prays that her hair will grow back soon.

6.

the duchess hates the fact the people gossip about how they don’t believe that sunghoon is her son. the duchess is vain, she is obsessed with perfection and beauty because she does not see it in herself. there is no one who would dare say that sunghoon is not the duke's son. he truly is the spitting image of the duke in his younger years, all the citizens of the duchy would agree so.

sunghoon is taller than boys his age already, and his growth doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

he has a kind heart but a stoic expression on his face most of the time.

sunghoon is also the one who saves her comb from being burned along with the rest of her belongings from the north. it is an action against his mother which would have him whipped if she found out. however, as wonyoung clutches it tightly against her chest, she knows she’ll never let anyone know about this kindness.

this is the start of what makes wonyoung trust sunghoon. perhaps the goddess heard her pleas and gifted her a friend.

7.

wonyoung is given long lessons day in and out on how to be a presentable lady in the duchy’s high society. she learns to read and write quickly, learns manners and etiquette and perfects her posture. she learns to embroider, she learns to sing. 

in the early days, the duchess would scold wonyoung day in and out for her slow progress - no care that all this information was completely new to the girl. verbal lashings became normal, strikes against her palm numbing her pain receptors.

she learned quickly that if she did well in the eyes of her tutors, the duchess would find her passable, and not bother her. so, wonyoung dedicated herself to her studies.

every tutor and governess that took care of wonyoung’s education always had glowing reviews of her work. they praised her openly for growing into a beautiful and virtuous lady. the duchess would use this amongst friends to say even a barbarian could be taught over time, wonyoung’s hard work just used as a joke. 

but, no more lashings. so, she accepted it all.

she had to. this was her purpose now. to change the view of the duchy's people of the barbaric north. wonyoung represented them all. so she had to keep going. the discrimination she faced, the unkind words, she had to push through them all. prove them wrong. make the north proud of their princess.

8.

while she attended lessons growing up, if she was not in the library practicing what she was taught, she was out by the training fields to watch sunghoon.

sometimes if she was lucky, seonwoo would be there - but often he was kept indoors by his mother for fear of his health that was not as hardy as his brother. whenever seonwoo was there though, wonyoung enjoyed sitting on the bales of hay nearby and watching the soldiers spar.

of course, the soldiers would all smile fondly when wonyoung and seonwoo would cheer openly when it was sunghoon’s turn.

however, most times it would just be wonyoung sitting at the bales. when she was younger, she would be all wide eyed in awe of all the commotion. the soldiers were kind to this young girl despite fighting her brethren previously. perhaps they saw that the sons of the duke favoured her and did so themselves, but the real reason laid with the duke telling them that pointless war would harm all, and this little girl was making a great sacrifice she didn't even understand to end the fighting and bring peace to everyone. so they let her pet the horses in the stables. she’d pet them all with an enthusiastic smile and at the end sunghoon would be there to walk her back to the main quarters of the castle.

she still visits the horses now that she’s a little older, but she can’t help but want to spend more time looking out for sunghoon.

he is agile when he fights, dodging attacks and landing perfectly timed ones himself. she admires his technique from afar and wonders if she could also pick up the blade to learn one day. to protect herself, to protect what has become dear to her.

of course, she would never be allowed lessons in an official capacity, but sometimes the commander would bring her a practice blade and would go through basics with her. how to hold the blade, how to strike properly, and how to block.

sunghoon would take the time after his training too to allow her time to go through the basic forms with him.

now that she’s 16, almost 17, she is less shy with the blade. the commander gave her a lightweight one, even if it had to be kept hidden in the barracks, for her personal use for her birthday. sunghoon had gifted her a custom leather sword holder for her.

she’ll probably never be able to wear it, but she pulls it out often at night with the light of the moon to run her hands over the leather of the belt. there are designs of snowflakes and the moon, just like the stories of the north she'd recite as best she could to sunghoon. a clear sign that he had listened and taken to heart her words.

9.

as she grows closer to 18, the official age that she could be betrothed and married, the more the maids talk about the prospect around her.

she is still considered a princess of the northern tribes despite her status now as a ward of the duchy. originally, one of the maids that attended to her said she would probably be married to the ducal line - to sunghoon most likely. the duchess had said something about it being cost effective, easy, a barbarian girl being married to the son she wished she never had.

seonwoo was the apple of her eye, she would never let wonyoung be married to him. 

wonyoung never knew if sunghoon knew this, but wonyoung was never opposed to the idea. sunghoon was kind to her. he was her first friend and her closest confidant.

it isn’t until much later that she learns that the duchess wants to marry her to one of the other noble families of the duchy. wonyoung didn’t even know she dreamt of a life with sunghoon, staying in the castle, getting to sit and watch the guards train with seonwoo, sharing laughs with sunghoon. it’s not until one of the maids lets this piece of gossip reach wonyoung’s ears that she realizes she may have to mourn the idea of spending a lifetime with her best friend.

she prays to the moon’s goddess again. she just wants to be with her best friend.

10.

wonyoung doesn’t see much of the duke apart from being at official events. and since she and sunghoon have earned the duchess’s ire, it is no surprise that she tries to avoid both of them as much as possible.

however, sunghoon and seonwoo's father always has a warm smile on his face, and it is obvious that he cares deeply about the people of the duchy. all the servants adore him, going out of their way to make his life easier. the guards all hold a deep respect for him, obvous that his prowess in battle and discipline at home inspires them to work harder.

one of wonyoung's tutors once let slip to wonyoung that because the duke is such a wonderful duke works so hard to advocate and actually execute policies that benefit his people, as a result, he is a terrible father. in his lifetime, he has gotten rid of slavery in the duchy, a very controversial idea in their time. yes, there was still servants and many unfair contracts, but at least everyone was paid for their work and could it could be legally prosecuted if employers did not. the duke invests money into science and research, but also holds his government to high standards in inspecting public buildings and systems to enusure they were always in working order. 

she secretly agrees with the statement, but he's not a terrible father, he's just a father who has left his family to their mother. a father that is doing so much good for so many people that it just so happens his family doesn't get that sort of attention. it is just such a tragedy that this is the sort of mother that is raising seonwoo and sunghoon.

she doesn't know it yet, but the duke will summon her to the throne room one day and ask her candidly if she would want to stay in the castle for the rest of her life, or be married to a noble family and be able to live and explore somewhere else.

wonyoung will bow her head and just say that the duke should do what he feels his right, artfully dodging giving a definitive answer. however, the duke will draw the real answer out of her easily. he seems so intimidating, sitting on his throne with wonyoung's head bowed. he is able to get her to answer truthfully. wonyoung would be sad to be away from sunghoon and seonwoo for she sees seonwoo like a true brother.

"and sunghoon?"

she blushes and simply says, "sunghoon is important to me. i wouldn't want to be far from him either, if he does not mind."

however, she spots him smirk, a quirk of lips that makes her hope once again.

"is this you telling me that you would like to spend a lifetime with sunghoon, wonyoung?"

she nods, cheeks aflame.

11.

seonwoo is so kind. he always has such a serene smile on his face, and it is so obvious he cares deeply for sunghoon. he does not regard him with the contempt their mother does, a true miracle since he is with his mother most of his time.

he's always been more prone to getting sick, which led to his mother cooping him up indoors all the time. the duchess usually forbids anyone going in, but when wonyoung is older and better at sneaking around, she'll bring him new books and things to tinker with. they'd discuss the stories they've been reading, complain about their tutoring sessions, and wonyoung would usually show him a fun thing that sunghoon's brought home from an wilderness training session that he thought that seonwoo would enjoy.

wonyoung values her friendship with seonwoo greatly, and it is also because she only feels sisterly love for seonwoo, that she knows her feelings for sunghoon are different.

12.

it is the day before her 18th birthday. 

there is so much meaning behind it. the transition of wonyoung from adolescence to adulthood. she is eligible to be betrothed officially. she is about to be a woman. 

the maids of the castle all praise her beauty. when they help her dress, they all complement the way the dress perfectly hugs her figure, they choose colors for her blush that will accentuate her features, bring out the loveliness within. they colour her lips carefully with soft pinks to show how luscious they are. they love it when there is a party she is invited to because they can dress her in fancy dresses and do her hair exquisitely. since the chopping of her hair, it has grown back long and luscious and wonyoung hasn't cut it short since. it is the current trend to wear complicated updos, so that is what the maids do for wonyoung.

now, when she visits the barracks to see sunghoon, she can feel the eyes of the other soldiers watching her as she walks by. she pretends she can't feel it though. there really is only one person she seeks attention from.

that person though smiles at her just like he did when they were young. reaches out and pats the top of her head like he did when he was 15. like nothing's changed.

wonyoung can only meet his eyes with her own gaze and pray that he can't tell that something's changed within her. the feelings within her that have grown and changed. her love for seonwoo has remained consistent like a sister for her brother, teasing and fun as they play card games together and discuss hypothetical adventures.

her love for sunghoon has changed though, admiration developing into a girlish crush that makes her blush redder than the rouge on her cheeks. her heart beats double time when he opens doors for her, lends her a gentlemanly hand to help her up the stairs as is proper for someone with their upbringing.

it is the day before her birthday and she can't help but wonder what sort of pleased expression she would have to hide in front of the duchess if the duke were to say that wonyoung was to be wed to sunghoon.

13.

the armies of the southern deserts attack the duchy. it is the day wonyoung's bethrothal is to be annouced and there is to be a war.

there is supposed to be a ball that night, something that the duchess had vehemently disagreed to but the duke himself had vetoed with a sharp voice and a glare. he had something to announce there, something bright and happy that would bring hope to the people.

the duchess's face had soured and she then retired right after to her chambers. wonyoung doesn't dare to hope that the reason she was so upset was because it was because wonyoung was to be engaged to sunghoon. no longer cost effective was the idea, now the thought disgusted her. perhaps she is disgusted and had many other opinions on who wonyoung should have been promised to. maybe, the duke had told the duchess that wonyoung was to be engaged to sunghoon and it had caused the duchess to act this way.

all of that is over though. there is to be war and she knows that sunghoon will not rest until he is on the front lines. for he is a soldier at heart, a protector of the duchy, loyal and brave. she knows that he has not had love in his life and he filled that emptiness with duty. now she feels that sense of duty will bring him farther away from her. wonyoung could never ask him not to go, to stay with his father where the fighting would be less intense.

she never even could fathom asking him to return to her. does she have the right?

that night, the armies are mobilized and as per tradition of the duchy, all the children of the duchy would march to the symbolic gate two cities away to do the ceremonial procession to ask for the blessings of the ancestors of the duchy before war. sunghoon has done this once before when the duchy marched to the north, although he was young too. it will be seonwoo's first time.

neither of them are going straight to the front lines but, wonyoung can't help but feel nervous and frightful.

she fiddles with the comb that sunghoon had saved from the duchess all that time ago and brushes out her hair with it, trying to grasp the comfort she felt when her mother used to do it. 

sunghoon was the bravest warrior that the duchy had ever seen. the lord commander had said it himself all the time. all of the army also praised sunghoon's fighting skill, advanced for his age and battling like and legendary warrior at his young age.

of course, the duke wouldn't just throw sunghoon into battle unless it was necessary but this was also what sunghoon had trained for. when she was young, she didn't understand it, but she does now. the duchess's hatred had led sunghoon down this road. his love for his brother led him to the path of the warrior. as a soldier, poised not to be the next duke, but the next lord commander, the legendary protector of the duke. he knew his mother hated him and wanted seonwoo to ascend to the duke's positon, so he resolved to become his younger brother's protector for life. he had willingly instead of keeping the position of the sucessor of duke, taken on the title of lord marquess, second in line for the throne. he would prove with his skill to be commander as well so when the current lord commander stepped down he would take his place to protect the duchy. his mother didn't care much, just happy that her beloved seonwoo would lead the duchy when the time was right.

however, this is what sunghoon has worked for all his life. for the battlefield. to protect his homeland. he would not shy away if the situation called for it for him to charge into battle. he was made to protect, no matter the cost. he would protect the people. that was the only thing wonyoung was confident of.

14.

seonwoo and sunghoon leave.

wonyoung prays and prays and prays to the moon for their safe return.

she won’t know this until a few days later that there were assassins at the gate.  

the duke had announced the betrothal of sunghoon and wonyoung in front of the people before marching to the gate. something to brighten their spirits in the face of war. the beautiful northern princess joining hands with the beloved marquess of the duchy. as much the duchess despised wonyoung, the civillians had always had a positive impression of her. the duke's frequent tours of the duchy, wonyoung's regular appearances (at the duchess's opposition) in front of the people with seonwoo and sunghoon had shown the unity that the dukedom and the northern territorities had built upon her back. she was just a child when she rode with the duke back to the capital, and those old enough to remember it had remembered her small little face taking in the sights and smells of the capital. this had endeared the small girl to the masses, and wonyoung had strove to present herself in a way that would not shame her family. the hard work she put into in acting like a lady, keeping her chin up when she would follow the duke, duchess, sunghoon, and seonwoo on the duchy tours. it all paid off. of course, there were still those that did not like the northern territories, but no one could deny that wonyoung was the perfect image to present to the people, no one hated wonyoung.

and because of the fact wonyoung's name was something positive to the people, and sunghoon was always beloved by the people, despite the lashings he recieved at home by his mother - the masses were satisfied with the match. joining hands with their northern neighbours meant less chance for war, and less chances for war was important now that it seemed the duchy had new enemies bent on taking their peace away from them.

victory and a royal marriage. long live the duchy!  they whooped and hollered and cheered. long live the princess and the marquess! long live the future marchioness and marquess!

when the news comes though, wonyoung wants to vomit. what happened to sunghoon? to seonwoo? to the duke?

she didn't even get to speak to sunghoon much after the announcement. he had held her hand and kissed it in front of the crowds, in front of the army, to cheers and the clanging of shields. wonyoung had wanted to ask so desperately, did sunghoon know? did he know that this was happening before her? was he happy with the arrangement? did he hate it?

well, the last question didn't need to be asked. wonyoung knew sunghoon enough to tell from the gentle smile he sported that he didn't hate it. he seemed pleased with the thought of being able to spend his life with wonyoung. she wouldn't let her thoughts get ahead of herself, perhaps he was only happy that it wouldn't be with someone from the high houses, it would be with a friend. someone that he got along with. she was happy about that too, even if she didn't feel all these butterflies with sunghoon, she was happy that she could be with someone she truly trusted and enjoyed her time with. in this political arena where marriages were not for love but for the realm, this was all she could ask for.

her dreams of a peaceful life with sunghoon, doing the things they enjoyed doing, her watching him go through drills in the barracks, him finding her in the library and discussing whatever novel her tutors had her read because he had to read the same books in the past. them doing duchy tours together, walking along the roads and greeting the citizens. she would discuss the concerns the people had with sunghoon and they'd brainstorm together on solutions to solve the problems of the communities of the duchy.

all of that fades in her mind.

15.

the duchess is in charge by proxy due to the news. the mood in the castle is grim. there is a task force immediately sent to the gate to investigate. 

there's something else going on, though. wonyoung can't be sure but there is something wrong. the imperial family to the west had immediately jumped on offering support to the duchy, which made sense because they were technically allies, but the way the duchess reacted to the news didn't sit right with wonyoung.

the good thing was that this was not unnoticed by others in the castle. the way the imperial envoy was able to trapise around the castle was unnerving. the way that everyone would placate the people of the castle and the capital that all efforts were being made to figure out the truth and to drive back the desert kingdom. sure, the imperial army had sent their forces to scare the desert warriors back home, but the way they acted in the duchy had wonyoung's suspicion.

wonyoung couldn't imagine the duchess conspiring with the imperials to hand the duchy over to them. it seemed impossible. but, it wasn't a secret that her relationship was the duke was rockier than ever because of the rumors that floated around about her openly harsh treatment to her eldest son, her opposition to wonyoung's promised marriage to that son, and her overall treatment of the staff and citizens. she saw herself above them all because of her bloodline and demanded respect because of it.

within the castle, it was an open secret that the duke and duchess clashed heads because of this often.

she had commanded them out of fear, not the respect that the duke, sunghoon, and seonwoo had fostered and earned through hard work. 

so when the lord commander's wife approached wonyoung with her concerns, she knew that she had to make a move. she could not stand silently by. if her fears were true, she had to protect the duchy. this was her home now, had been her home for many years. it was the home to her newfound family, complicated the relationship may have been because of the way she ended up in the duchy, she was treated well by them - excluding the duchess. in their moment of peril, she may have been the only person that had any sort of power to oppose the duchess.

wonyoung was to be the future marchioness of the duchy through sunghoon and was a princess in her own right. the only other person remotely related to the main family of the duchy. although she felt so weak in front of the duchess, she knew that only she had any sort of right to stand up to her.

16.

the duchess and the imperials try to take over the castle. it is the dead of night when one of the guards that was left the protect the castle enters her room and informs her of the news. 

wonyoung had been quietly collaborating with the lord commander's wife, gaeul, and many others loyal to the duke and suspicious of the duchess. they had almost found real hard evidence to bring to court to detain the duchess and kick the imperials out of the duchy. with this turn of events though, it is obvious that the duchess was suspicious of them and wanted them removed so that she could impose her iron will on the duchy. wonyoung knows what kind of person the duchess is, cruel, unforgiving, willing to even hurt her own son regularly. if she had orchestrated the imperials to kill her husband, and her two sons... what would she do to the duchy? what violence was possible at her the helm? 

she couldn't let this happen. 

"the truth must be spread to the citizens. we must spread what we know to them immediately."

the guard nods in agreement, "we that are loyal to the duchy will clear a path for you and the others who cannot fight to escape then."

"gaeul, has someone gone to fetch her?"

"yes, my lady. all of us have gone to grab all those loyal to the dukedom and the servants to get them out of the castle. we will fight a path out for you all. others are working to fortify and hold the barracks. we can't let the imperials get a hold of our weapons."

wonyoung nods and grabs the sword holder that sunghoon had commissioned for her all those years ago and puts it around her waist. the solider smiles as he pulls a familiar sword from his waistbelt.

"our lord marquess would be proud to see you now."

wonyoung reaches out for the sword, "i will fight so that he and everyone at the gate have a home to return to."

when they exit, she can see that there is fighting and clanging of swords. both she and the loyal guard rush down the stairs towards some of the hidden servant corridors, used for the workers of the castle to discreetly get around quickly. hopefully the imperials had not found all of them, nor knew how to navigate them like the duchy's workers.

"we can use these corridors to get to the study, we must grab the duke's horn so that all can hear and know our message." wonyoung says.

the horn was a symbolic piece of the dukedom's history, the unique sound of it always heralded important messages. it had sounded when the duke had returned from the north with wonyoung in tow, it had sounded when the duke and his sons left for the gate. all the citizens knew the sound, and it would be the quickest way to get the citizens to listen.

so she and the guard race up narrow stairs, encouraging all those they saw to get out and to tell everyone that the imperials were attacking the castle.

in front of the study are imperial soldiers, there is no easy way past them other than through.

wonyoung draws her sword, "who dares to block the way of the future marchioness?"

the imperials growl at her. she lunges forward fearlessly.

17.

there is a glow of light from a window, bright and unrelenting like the moon. then a horn that sounds. a sound that all citizens of the capital know well as they rise wearily to see what is going on.

gaeul, the well known lord commander's wife, someone who had earned respect for her pure love for her husband, and was known to be completely loyal to the duke because she had grown up with him and her husband at youth, stood at the city center atop wooden crates so that all could see. 

"the imperials are staging a coup against us! we must fight back! all who are able, we must gather at the barracks to help the soldiers so that we can take back the castle. we have injured but no place to send them, if you have any beds, any healing salves, please lend them to the cause!"

the crowd gasps in shock but immediately move quickly. young men and women clamouring with makeshift weapons rush forward to the dukedom's guards to find a place. the local innkeeper immediately ordering her staff to open any and all beds available so that the injured could be transported to them. others rushing into their houses to find any supplies that could be useful. gaeul is on the verge of tears as she watches the citizens.

"thank you! we must protect the duchy together! we will not let our home fall into those who seek to annex us!"

the sound of an explosion causes shock, gaeul turns around to see the strange light from that window growing. 

"wonyoung!" she screams. the citizens are in shock.

the mayor yells, "the future marchioness is still in there?"

gaeul nods, "she is the one that must have sounded the horn. she must be in there! she is fighting for us, we must take back the castle!"

18.

sunghoon's hearing is what comes back first. his head is swirling. 

it was night time when the guards had sounded the warning bells. he had just sent seonwoo to bed as they would be up early to perform the ceremony. sunghoon was planning to stay up a bit longer to clear his head.

married to wonyoung. the best case scenario.

he can't help but smile to himself. so that is why the duke had grilled him so throughly the months before on his thoughts on basically all the eligible women of the duchy and even of their allies or potential allies.

"the northern territories are agreeable to join with us not just in alliance, but to be folded under our banner, sunghoon."

sunghoon looked up at the duke in shock, "so suddenly?"

the duke shakes his head, "the north is suffering from starvation. if they settle some of their people closer to our settlements, they will be able to survive. however, them settling that close would break the treaty they signed with us. that is why they stopped attacking in the first place, they didn't have the resources to end the battle they began. it wasn't out of anger they started that fight though, their leader knew that this day would come and they needed a place with more food in order to survive."

"they haven't been able to recover, even with peace and time." sunghoon notes.

"they know the only way forward is joining hands with us permanently. i do not have any plans to strip them of their heritage or force them to assimilate with us. the north also does not have any plans to force themselves to mix with us. we will provide the refugees with places to settle, they will lend us their army and access to the mining they have. the mines they can't send workers to because of the lack of food."

"the northern warriors are fierce, aren't they?" sunghoon remarks.

his father nods, "yes, i remember them. the fiercest army i have ever battled. may we never get into a fight with them again."

sunghoon isn't dumb though, "there must be a catch though, for them to willingly surrender themselves to the duchy."

the duke smiles, sunghoon sees his own smile in it, "their princess, they want to solidify this pact with wonyoung joining the bloodlines with the duchy. the princess will be a symbol of our peace."

inhaling, sunghoon fights to control his expression. marriage, could it be? for one second, he pictures wonyoung in the customary long white dress, her hair perhaps combed out and left down for the occasion, as she usually does when she is not out in high society, the way that sunghoon remembers her so fondly. then he can feel his chest tighten. they must want her to be married to the actual successor of the duchy, not just some spare.

"then, does seonwoo know of the arrangement?"

the duke tilts his head curiously to his son, "are you not of my bloodline, sunghoon?"

sunghoon can't help but furrow his brow. does his father really mean...?

chuckling, the duke responds "wonyoung's father, the leader of the territories is ill. his sister, wonyoung's aunt, is poised to take on the position after him. and they both asked me if wonyoung had a preference between my two sons. or even of any of the noble families' sons as long as they were worthy in my eyes. they were not picky, they felt because of wonyoung's cooperation for so many years, that this one choice they would give her - as long as i was agreeable to it. they know of your valiance and your brother's kind countance. and i am agreeable to it. you are both my sons, both equal and loved in my eyes."

there is hope in sunghoon's heart. so much that is burns in his chest.

"i would like for wonyoung to marry directly into our line instead of the satallite branches or into one of our noble families. it is the due respect the northern tribes deserves. wonyoung has stated her preference for you, my son. she said you were important to her. now i must ask you what your preference is, sunghoon."

"if you are willing, and the north is agreeable, i would be honored to take wonyoung as my wife." the reply is immediate, sunghoon does not need any time to think about it. he is not worthy. however, he cannot give up this chance. if this was what wonyoung wanted, he would do anything to do what she desired.

the duke nods, "i figured. i have not had the chance to sit down and tell her this in detail, however my hope is after the marriage, you could bring her to see her family. there is no fear of her being stolen away once she is married and the territories are officially a part of our duchy, and i think her father deserves to see her since she has grown to be so lovely."

sunghoon just nods, head spinning.

that memory was what he was thinking through again when he heard the sounds of fighting. he had run towards the sounds, drawing his own blade. men disguised as the duchy's soldiers attacking. sunghoon knew every soldier by face and name that had come with them, it was easy for him to spot the imposters.

the lord commander rushing to his side, heeseung immediately telling him that his father and seonwoo were missing. sunghoon immediately leaves command to trustworthy soldiers to secure the main square as he and heeseung rush in to find seonwoo and his father.

they fought through imposters, and then those wearing the imperial banner, and it became so clear what was happening. the imperials were striking when they were weakest. but how did they know the gate so intimately? the gate was a sacred place, only true loyalists were allowed even to settle near it.

there must be a traitor. which means seonwoo and the duke were in danger.

a loud explosion causes sunghoon and heeseung to fall from the vibration.

that is the last thing that sunghoon remembers before waking up. the gate is crumbled, but he is somehow safe, looking around carefully. the way the rubble had fell had somehow saved his life. now though, as the sun starts to rise, he needs to know what the situation was and what needed to happen next.

groaning, he heaves himself up so he can get a better look at what was going on. heeseung lies unmoving not too far, and sunghoon immediately heaves himself up. he pays no attention to his own pains.

"wake up, heeseung!"

19.

although wonyoung is well trained, she is no match for imperial soldiers who have real experience in war. the brave guard that was with her was tired, and she knew it was partly because he had to cover for both himself and her. frustration grows within her. the soldiers’ are furious because they were even able to get this far.

wonyoung parries the soldier's blade with her own as she stumbles closer to the horn. just one chance, if she blows it, she can summon the people of the duchy to their cause.

"my lady, go!"

the guard lunges forward, and wonyoung turns and scoops the horn up. a pained groan from the guard alerts her that her time is short now, and she blows upon the horn's mouthpiece.

she doesn't stop blowing the horn until she collapses from the pain from her previous wounds. wonyoung looks at the guard on the ground, blood staining his shirt. the way one of the soldier's hover his blade above him. the imperial that had slashed at her was ready to end her life too.

wonyoung screams. the full moon behind her illuminating her figure.

a light emits from her hands as it knocks the imperials to the floor. they yell as they gaze upon her.

"what is she? a monster?"

"fuck, i didn't sign up for this!"

her fury manifests into a ball of burning light in her hands, she throws it forward and it hits the closest soldier to her and guard.

this power, what was it? wonyoung cannot explain it but she knows she needs it. she needs to make it out of here alive.

"if it is kill or be killed, i will end you all. i won't be the one dying here today!"

the light upon her grows greater, the pain from her abdomen fades as another ball of light flies from her and hits another solider. the imperials, knowing better than to try and oppose this monster attempt to run, but her light reaches them and crushes their legs, leaving them unable to move.

the guard chokes out, "my lady..."

wonyoung rushes to him, her light surrounding him and stopping the blood rushing from his chest. the guard's eyes widen as he no longer feels faint and like he was slipping from the world. 

"i think i can fly." wonyoung states.

if it was any other time, the guard would have laughed, but after seeing the supernatural feats she had just performed, the guard believes wonyoung.

"can you get us out of here?"

wonyoung nods as she picks up the solider like he was light as a feather. now at less threat of danger, he notices that wonyoung's hair has turned blonde, almost white like moonlight, her skin glows, and her tattered clothes from fighting had transformed into something bright and shining, a cape around her shoulders fluttering in imaginary wind.

she jumps, and he gets to experience floating in air.

20.

there are so many dead, and so much danger afoot.

with heeseung alive and limping but still breathing, they are able to regroup whatever forces are still here and assess the situation.

from what the remaining soldiers have gathered, the explosion had actually been a mistake. they were fighting in the room unknowingly with a lot of cannon powder and a rookie imperial soldier had set it off by accident.

it worked out for them though because it caused a mass retreat from the imperial soliders. the castle of the gate had fallen because of the explosion and crushed many of their reinforcements. plus it blocked off the path that was in direction of the imperial lands.

"any news on seonwoo and the duke?"

a scout ran forward and bowed before heeseung and sunghoon, "i surveyed the area and i saw trail markers that only our army would use. however, i'm unsure of the code." 

the scout presents an engraved piece of wood, small as sunghoon's pointer finger, to him. it is from the duke. sunghoon sighs in relief.

"it's a code my father created with me and seonwoo. he has seonwoo and they are riding to the capital now. i daresay he's figured out the imperials are behind this and knows they must be targeting the capital as well."

sunghoon nods towards heeseung who immediately addresses the survivors, "we follow the duke back to the capital. the imperials must be there now and we must liberate the citizens!"

the survivors roar in agreement as they head to grab whatever materials they can to prepare for the march. sunghoon holds his breath and can only pray that his family is alright, and wonyoung is not in danger as well.

21.

when wonyoung lands in the town square, gaeul is crying.

she sets the guard down and immediately the innkeeper beckons people over to move him into the inn to get him examined.

many stare in awe as the glow of wonyoung's skin fade and her hair return to it's usual dark colour.

gaeul sobs as she aproaches wonyoung, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"the duke! the duke is here!" someone shouts, the roads clear.

gaeul and wonyoung seperate to see the duke with a small amount of soldiers behind him, ride into town. seonwoo shares a horse with his father. there is no sunghoon.

"wonyoung!" seonwoo cries out.

wonyoung and gaeul quickly curtsey but the duke waves them off.

"no need for formalities now, i want to know what is going on. i had feared the worse when we were attacked at the gate by the imperrials."

a gasp escapes wonyoung. gaeul pats wonyoung's shoulder, she notices too that her husband is not with the surviving force but she is strong for both of them as she quickly informs the duke what has happened this past week.

"in summary, we gained evidence that the duchess was in league with the imperials to let them take control of the duchy with the ultimate goal of making the duchy a province of the imperial kingdom. they must have found out our intentions and worked to attack the castle and take it over. we had to evacuate to the barracks and hold the line there, we knew we could not let them get access to the weapons or it really would be all over. wonyoung was so amazing, she and a brave guard fought all the way to your study to sound the horn so that the citizens of the duchy could gather and fight for the cause." gaeul finishes.

gaeul is tearful as she bows her head, "we are just so sorry that we acted so late. the duchess framed the desert soldiers so easily and we all thought that was the case. now we know the deception... but we have lost control of most of the castle."

the duke clasps a firm hand on gaeul's shoulder, "you have all acted bravely in the face of danger and deception. although the truth is shocking, i cannot say i am surprised. gaeul, you know this too... the duchess has always been in close contact with her cousins that are still of powerful noble families of the imperial kingdom."

a sigh escapes him "i did so much to keep the peace between us... and yet still disaster has struck us at her betrayal. it was she that wanted you out of the castle and away from heeseung, gaeul. she probably feared that you would be too favoured in court and she would not be able to influence the high houses the way she has. she must have some of them under her control in order to execute such a lockdown of the capital."

turning, the duke faces the mayor and other key stakeholders of the capital's community, "however, tonight has shown that the duchy will not fall that easily. no, we will not go silently today, tonight, or in the future. we will fight the enemies within our borders, and outside."

the air is filled with cheers, a renewed sense of determination now that the duke had returned seemingly from the dead.

he glances at wonyoung who is still silent. he knows that the only thing that girl is thinking of is sunghoon. the son he lost track of in the flames. the duke can't help but feel apologetic and sad. he had offered her happiness in a world where politics dictated marriages and blood that was within you  told you your place in the world. he had promised her a lifetime with sunghoon, the man that he was convinced she was in love with - and now he was potentially not of this world.

this girl had her homeland wrenched from her hands before she could even understand the implications. he knew his wife was strict, but seeing wonyoung now, seeing sunghoon, seeing even seonwoo... he wonders how much of her disgusting deeds were hidden by them and the castle's servants in order to not worry him. how much did they bear in order to allow the duke to focus on his work on the outside? how much fear did hiswife put into them that they didn't feel like they could even tell him?

he has a lot to make right. the first thing he can do is take charge and plan their retaking of the castle.

gaeul pulls the duke aside after he's assigned jobs and given everyone an outline of the plan they have to rush the castle. the imperials couldn't have sent many forces to them. now that there were more of them and they were more organized, they could push to retake the castle before the imperials could call for any sort of back up. everyone just needed to be stationed at every entrance the castle had, especially the hidden ones, in order to ambush the imperials and his wicked wife.

the commander's wife quickly tells him what she saw of wonyoung, what the young guard had said she had done for him when they fought their way to the study. wonyoung herself hadn't spoken any words since landing, even with gaeul's encouragement but she had shook her head when gaeul had asked her if she knew she had this sort of power.

"another mystery of the north... it is a regret that we do not know that much about the culture and the bloodlines that run through the north. only the basic history that they've shared with us since the treaty was signed. we will have to get in contact with the territories once things have settled in order to unearth this mystery." the duke replies.

"what have the people said of wonyoung?"

gaeul hums softly, "the guard talks about what wonyoung did in a very positive light, without her he was convinced that would be dead, and she healed her own wounds too. the people are mostly maintaining a good opinion of her. some say she is sent from the heavens to prove that the duchess's actions are wrong. they call her an angel descended of the moon. of course... not all feel that way, many feel until wonyoung is securely wed to sunghoon, her power could be used to destroy the duchy."

the duke groans, "even after all of this, they still doubt her dedication... her innocence in a war that started when she was barely alive... and they still see her as less than just because she is a woman."

gaeul smiles and reaches out to pat the duke's shoulder, "now jungwon, not all of us are as enlightened as you. you've already done revolutionary work with slavery and moving the people's views in the duchy towards equality and respect for all. wonyoung is strong enough to bear it, i know you'll say she shouldn't have to but, she will until the world changes a bit more."

jungwon reaches over to grasp gaeul's hand gently, before sighing. "i'm sorry, gaeul. i did not see heeseung before leaving. we were seperated even before the explosion happened."

gaeul smiles gently, "how many times have you and heeseung gotten into trouble and still found a way to come home from it? when we were just children to now, both of you have always returned home. i doubt it will stop now. heeseung will be back with his sword sharpened, ready to raise hell and take back our home." 

22.

heeseung limps with an arm around sunghoon's shoulders. without a proper healer and more supplies, heeseung won't be walking on his own anytime soon. the remaining soldiers following them are tired, however they all hold determination in their eyes.

it is clear, the imperials will attack the capital if they have not already done so. if they don't hurry back, there may not be a capital for them to defend. they march double time, despite the exhaustion.

sunghoon wonders if wonyoung is alright. he knows that she can handle a blade, but she was never permitted one her quarters. hopefully she was able to find one if they attacked. sunghoon was never one to really do much praying, but he remembers the way wonyoung would pray to the moon, hands clasped together as they stood on a balcony together in the castle. she used to pray for his success in his trials to join the army and for each test he had to success to make his way up the ranks.

he remembers in particular the trial he did in the wilderness. the day before, wonyoung was so worried. she had tried to hover around him almost the whole day, getting told off by the duchess. that didn't put a damper on her spirits though. she was by his side, encouraging him and getting his mind off the next day. on one hand, sunghoon was endeared by her presence, the other was still full of nerves.

very clearly in his mind, she shed a tear that night when she prayed to the moon. he stood beside her and felt paralyzed. how desperately did he want to wipe that tear, to pull her close and reassure her. he couldn't though, fear racing through his veins. feelings of unworthiness surging into him. 

it was one of the many memories he cherished though. her pure-hearted admiration of him. despite how unworthy he felt of her light. (the unworthiness that was set into him by his mother, eroding his self worth in the castle. so he turned to the army to feel some semblance of belonging, then he enjoyed that. then he got to actually speak to the citizens of the duchy that he was protecting, and his heart glew. he was unworthy, but he'd do anything for them.)

so he has to get back to the capital. at any cost.

23.

there is a flurry of commotion in the square. the battle to take back the castle has begun in earnest. 

gaeul and the mayor had convinced both the duke and wonyoung not to go to the front lines personally. seonwoo too had put his opinion out there, if he couldn’t be fighting directly, neither could they.

"please at least wait until the front gates are breached again." gaeul begged.

the duke had relented and in turn ordered wonyoung to stay in the town square with him. with her determination and her strange powers being revealed, it was clear that she was more than capable of defending herself, but the duke had a vested interest in her survival, especially since he knew his son, wherever he was, would fret greatly over wonyoung's safety.

"there is movement outside the capital! the marquess and the commander have been spotted!" 

wonyoung gasps, and then she runs. too long has she resisted her own desires. held herself so firmly in place and stood up so straight at the requests of others.

she could have died in that castle to the duchess's schemes. she could have been so close to happiness she thought was impossible and had it taken away. wonyoung could have lost sunghoon forever. if she died, she could have caused so much pain to sunghoon.

her feet and the pointing of the citizens lead her directly to where sunghoon was, arm supporting the commander. there are faces of weary soldiers, but all of them look determined and bright eyed. the citizens are cheering.

wonyoung is huffing and puffing after her full out sprint to see sunghoon for herself. the commander has a smile as another soldier offers his shoulder for him to lean on, leaving sunghoon free to approach wonyoung.

23.

sunghoon can’t help but reach for her. there are tears streaking her face and all he wants to do is dry them.

wonyoung’s hands are there to meet his, intertwining their fingers. there's so much he needs to tell her, but the first thing he says when she comes close enough is "wonyoung, i love you."

as unworthy as he is, he loves her. he loves her bright smile when she greets him at the training grounds, waiting for him. loves the sound of her voice as they discuss books in the library, the hushed sound bidding him to lean closer to catch her words more clearly. loves the spark behind her eyes when she's determined, her spirit unwavering even in the face of the casual cruelty handed to her by his mother. 

the face he's grown to memorize looks upon him with so much wonder and joy that he can't help but be filled with those emotions as well.

"sunghoon... even in the face of the worst days that we could experience... you have made me the happiest person in the world."

24.

the situation gets quickly explained to sunghoon, the commander, and the rest of the forces that have followed them from the gate. wonyoung holds onto sunghoon's arm the entire time, not caring much for propriety since there are much more pressing issues. especially since just a mere few hours ago, wonyoung had believed that sunghoon may have passed at the gate cruelly because of his own mother.

seonwoo is overjoyed to see his brother alive and sunghoon is equally as relieved.

there is no question, sunghoon also wants to be on the front lines fighting to liberate the castle. the commander wants to join him, but is sharply reminded at the state of his leg by his wife and the duke himself. instead, he takes his place helping coordinate his forces, the citizens who have quickly signed up to fight, and the rest of the capital that are lending resources to their fight.

wonyoung knows she'll have to try and explain what happened to her to sunghoon. how should she start though? she barely even knows what happened. how would the duke react? will he be angry?

with a sigh, wonyoung resolves to just focus on what was in front of her first. she'll get her home back one way or another.

25.

a triumphant horn sounds which causes cheers of citizens to echo as dawn breaks on a new day. the duke has retaken the castle. the imperials leave in a flash once they realize that the duchess's plot has failed.

26.

with the duchess safely put behind bars, her trial pending, and a investigation to see who helped the duchess is launched,  it is then when people who witnessed the cruelty duchess enacted on the staff, servants, sunghoon, and wonyoung are able to speak up without fear of persecution and punishment from the duchess. even seonwoo's obvious trauma from being emotionally abused by the duchess, her loving nature towards him most of the time when he could clearly see how terribly everyone else around him was treated had caused seonwoo so much pain growing up. seonwoo told the duke clearly that it was because sunghoon had always loved him, never blaming his brother on their mother's transgressions, that seonwoo was able to find some normalcy in life.

the duke takes the time to listen to every single person. he is horrified at the truths revealed. to see the depth of cruelty that the duchess enacted on their own sons, their ward, and the staff she felt was below her.

sunghoon had been strong and never let his father know what exactly went on behind closed doors. however the strange bruises have an explanation, the scar that crosses sunghoon's lower back has a reason that isn't just a  "riding accident". 

the duke approaches wonyoung seperately. they talk about the duchess's treatment of her, and wonyoung confesses softly that she was truly afraid the duchess would marry her away to a man thrice her age in one of the high houses because she saw her as a savage. wonyoung confesses that she was truly afraid to be away from the castle, and in hushed tones she admits that she was scared to find out what a life without sunghoon meant for her.

he listens and in his heart he curses the witch that was his wife, his own short sightedness when it came to his family and his ward, and all the moments he could have prevented this damned coup.

"gaeul told me what happened that night. i haven't talked to sunghoon about it, i wanted to give you the chance to speak to him."

wonyoung looks at him with tears starting to gather, the duke reaches out to pat her shoulder.

"you know sunghoon better than i. i know you cannot see it, but he looks at you like you hung the stars when you're not looking. you do the same when his back is turned, you look at him like he caused the sun to rise."

27.

wonyoung seeks sunghoon out after her meeting with the duke. she has to tell him.

sunghoon is in the training grounds, it is well after dinner and the troops are away getting well earned rest and recovery. there isn't anyone near this part of the fields. it affords her some privacy.

sunghoon smiles at her when he notices she's standing at the usual bales of hay she sits on. he hops over the fence easily and draws her into a tight hug. it's a bit surprising, they both are usually so conscientious of the eyes around them because of their positions, but it seems that this near death experience has opened sunghoon up more. wonyoung immediately wraps her arms around sunghoon in return.

when was the last time sunghoon's held her like this? it must have been when they were both still children and still allowed to hug and play without people batting an eye, without it becoming a scandal. wonyoung ponders on it and she think it was on one of sunghoon's birthday celebrations that the duchess put on, basically it was nothing to do with sunghoon and everything about amassing admiration for herself.

it was probably the night after the duchess put the scar into his back from her anger. sunghoon had shown a rare moment of weakness after and it was the night of the celebration where they had snuck out to the gardens and wonyoung noticed it was bleeding. she had brought them from the gardens to the servants' quarters where someone had lent them a first aid kit. wonyoung had done the dressing for him, the lash still healing. wonyoung hadn't known what to say to try and comfort sunghoon, so she held him close and told him that he didn't deserve this.

she remembers the way his soft voice had whispered back, "but what if this is what i deserve? what if i'm just wrong? i was made wrong and i can't be loved."

wonyoung had tightened her hold on him, careful to avoid the place she had just redressed, and shook her head. "no, i don't believe that. you're the best person i know here. everyone else is wonderful, of course. but you're the best. you're my best friend, i wouldn't know what i'd do without you."

that was the first and last time she had saw sunghoon cry. now she thinks to herself that the trauma he went through would have to be healed with gentle words for a long time so that he would see what wonyoung did, all the good in him. good thing they'll be married, she'll get a lifetime to remind him that he was so good for this world. that so many people loved him. the soldiers that fought side by side with hm, the citizens that would be so happy to see him because he'd always take the time to help with little errands they needed done. they all loved him, though he was going to grow into a fine marquess. he's a war hero now too.

sunghoon lets her go and uses one hand to cup her face. the memory of the lash fades into moonlight.

"the soldier you saved, he came to speak to me. he told me you saved him. you became an angel of the moon and saved him."

wonyoung bit her lip, "i don't even know how i did it."

sunghoon strokes her hair gently, "it's alright. if you want to find out, i'll help you."

"you're not scared of me?"

sunghoon laughs softly and draws her in close once more, "i could never be afraid of you, wonyoung. you used to be so afraid of the dark so i'd sit outside your door and wait for you to snore so you wouldn't feel so lonely."

wonyoung laughs wetly, the tears she had held back with the duke flowing freely now.

28.

the duke allows sunghoon and wonyoung to travel back to the lands of her ancestors to find answers and to recieve their blessing before the official marriage day.

seonwoo hugs them both fiercely, and then brightly tells them that he'd put his foot into the wedding planning and he'd make sure that it wasn't too overwhelming or extravegant for sunghoon to get through. wonyoung laughs brightly at that. trust seonwoo to do the best for his brother.

so they ride.

29.

they have a small band of soldiers travelling with them that seem to know sunghoon well, and wonyoung feels comfortable seeing sunghoon banter with them. they all love teasing sunghoon, and by extention about how gentlemanly he was with her.

sunghoon looks like he's about to pass out from embarrassment but it doesn't deter him from making sure that wonyoung is comfortable throughout the whole trip. still the perfect gentleman. wonyoung reaches out to hold his hand a bit longer once and he had looked so fond that wonyoung resolved to never really let go of sunghoon unless he wanted her to.

30.

it's the first time wonyoung's seen her aunt or her father in a very long time.  they tell her that her mother had passed away from sickness the year before. it's emotional yet, not really at all.

these are strangers to her now at this point.

her father is old, white hairs and needing a cane. he does hold her hand once though, tells her she grew up well, before having to retire to his rooms. he tells her that any questions could be asked to her aunt.

so she tells her of what happened that terrifying night. her aunt hums and then pulls out a necklace.

"this is the heart of the moon. it has been passed down in the tribes for years. it goes to the descendent of the moon and healing goddesses. there is a legend that those two goddesses founded our tribes and taught us how to survive in the north. when there is a great calamity, it is said they reach out to one of the daughters of the tribes to give her power to help the tribe overcome the challenge. what you experienced is consistent of the legends of the other daughters passed down from generation to generation. we haven't seen a daughter in over 100 years, most of those who saw the last daughter have passed away with her."

her aunt fastens the necklace around her neck, "this was forged by the first daughter of the goddesses, a symbol of strength. as you are the next daughter, it belongs to you. the goddesses gave you the power to save the duchy, so indirectly i can only come to the conclusion that the decision to merge the tribes and the duchy was the right one, the goddesses wouldn't have bothered to save the duchy if not so. they must believe there is good there."

wonyoung places a hand over her heart and where the pendant of the necklace hangs in front of her heart.

"the duke's son, the marquess. is he the one that will make you happy, wonyoung?"

"yes, he would do anything in his power to make me happy for the rest of my days."

her aunt nods, "then we will let you return with the knowledge that you have the support of your family."

31.

there isn't much a ritual or fanfare for wonyoung's return and leaving. the tribes usually live in smaller groups when not gathered for big events or for war. her father is gruff in his goodbyes, but he notices the necklace and nods his head approvingly at the knowledge.

"great goddesses of the moon and of healing. the founders of our tribe. the life giver and light giver. let your newest daughter go in peace. let her be a symbol of life and light wherever she may go." her aunt announces.

wonyoung hears their voices as they bid her goodbye.

sunghoon rides beside her. when they make it back to the border he takes her hand.

"we can go see them whenever you want, wonyoung."

wonyoung looks at him with a smile.

32.

the wedding of the great marquess and marchioness is one that causes a duchy wide festival for over a week. stories are passed around how the brave marquess survived the gate to make a three day march a day and a half in order to liberate the castle. they speak of the angel of the moon, the most deserving wife for such a brave marquess, fondly. her beauty illuminating the night, bright as the full moon.

wonyoung is in the most beautiful dress the dressmakers could make for her. seonwoo teases sunghoon at every turn that he was able to see her in the dress but sunghoon had to wait until the day of their marriage.

seonwoo presides over the ceremony as the heir of the duke, and also to let seonwoo taste what his future holds once the duke steps down.

the duke had privately asked the brothers now that the former duchess was executed, if they wanted to restore sunghoon to the place of heir and seonwoo to marquess. sunghoon had refused, still feeling inadequate and more at home in the military. seonwoo let his brother make the decision, but he had stated multiple times that sunghoon would make a fine duke if he ever changed his mind.

seonwoo as the head of the ceremony though gets to take liberties and he skips through the most boring parts of the ceremony, wanting to let his brother and his new sister get to the ball faster. everyone was looking forward to seeing sunghoon take wonyoung to the floor for the first dance. 

plus, sunghoon's never been fond of the formal outfit that he was supposed to don as the marquess. the faster he could change to more comfortable but just as dressed up clothes for the ball, the better. 

so seonwoo announces to the crowd to welcome the marquess and the princess of the northern tribes, marchioness of the duchy. everyone cheers.

33.

when the ball finally thins out to the point where it was appropriate for sunghoon to take wonyoung to their new shared chambers, wonyoung can't help but be relieved.

the noble houses were all in an uproar because of the former duchess's execution, the power balance was knocked to the side and wonyoung was sure that those helping the duchess were now worried and probably thinking of escaping to imperial lands now that the duke's investigation was widespread information.

as a result, it was such an uncomfortable affair to be with them in the ballroom. wonyoung just wanted to hide.

now though, she just has sunghoon, and his presence is enough to make her feel calm.

"wonyoung... you know what they expect of us, yes?"

her heart accelerates for another reason, she nods.

"you can say no, i would never force you to do anything you weren't ready for. today, tomorrow, or years down the road."

wonyoung takes sunghoon's hand carefully, "if i was never ready too? an old lady and with everyone wondering why i'm barren?"

sunghoon nods.

"that's why i love you so much, sunghoon."

sunghoon's eyes widen as she guides his hand to her face, to cup her cheek. wonyoung smiles at him.

"sunghoon, don't tell me you didn't know... i think i was obvious enough, even the duke realized it."

sunghoon draws wonyoung in for a hug, "i didn't feel worthy of it, so i didn't let myself believe it."

"well i have a life time of telling you that i love you in front of me, don't i? i won't ever tire of it. you are worthy of all the good things in life, and me if you desire it."

sunghoon kisses the top of her head, "and i do. i do desire you. lovely daughter of the moon and of healing spirits. i do desire you, and i will protect you until the last of my days."

wonyoung cannot erase her smile.