Tinted Green

"Careful," his voice is rough with exertion. Seol could see the strain on his hardened face as he bows before her, cupping his hands for her to step into. That official way of helping a lady dismount hasn't been Seol's original idea. Displeased, she places a hand on his shoulder and slips into his surprised embrace.

"Thank you and you are still feverish. Get the inn people to build a warm fire and heat up some -"

"Orabeoni are you ill?" The stranger woman from before has to intrude upon their conversation. Seol scowls at her with such venom that the woman blinks back blankly for a moment.

"This is Gi Nari,"Seo tells her, his expression rather puzzled.

"It's a fortune to meet you - mama," the woman - Nari has the perfect manner of a court lady. "You have grown more beautiful with time."

"Nari used to be court lady at Grand Prince Munwon's residence and had lived there even before that. Her aunt still works there," Seo explains.

Seol tries to ease her frown.

"Uh, and why…did you leave the palace service?" She asks, trying to curb the bitterness lingering at her tongue.

"Oh," Nari giggles, and claps a hand to her mouth. "I fell in love - mama." She bustles around, maternal like a hen and completely clueless to the brewing acid in the princess's heart. "Let me prepare everything - we are hosting the first princess! Has anyone ever hosted the princess before -!"

Seol turns to Seo, her mouth twitching rather like the emperor in rage.

"She fell in love?"

Seo shrugs.

"Let's get you in - mama."

*

Seol strangles the warm towel in her hand with vengeance, replaying in her mind the way Nari had beamed up at Seo. In love, was she? Min Ha sits by her feet, scattering rose petals into her warm footbath.

"You would never know with men who wage wars, mama," she says knowingly. "Their hearts are never satisfied."

Seol's scowl deepens.

"My imperial father is also a man who grew up waging wars." Min Ha shrugs as if to say, all the more to my point and Seol sulks, sinking deeper into her seat. "How long do you think they knew each other?"

"Well…that's hard to say," Min Ha says blankly. "I mean, General Kang had been ten at the time of Hwangbo's war - he's been living with Grand Prince Munwon since. Probably more than a decade by that estimation."

Seol stands up in the wooden basin, sending ripples of water across - Min Ha lets out a startled shriek when a wave of water drenches her.

"Mama!"

Her skirts trail in water, soaking at the rims yet Seol cares for none. Instead she steps out and ventures towards the door.

"I need to know what they are talking about - I wouldn't sleep otherwise," she throws that off handed explanation over her shoulder as she leaves the chambers the inn had designated especially for the princess - in search of where Nari and Seo ended up.

*

"She loves you." Nari hides a giggle by ducking her head, peeking into the room she had assigned to Seo. "Here is your water Orabeoni," she sets down the heavy basin on the top of the low table by the fire. Seo sighs, resignedly.

"She does not."

"Ah! You know nothing about women - brother. It takes one to know one. If she could spit fire she would and I'd be a heap of ashes in no time."

"The princess is my ward," Seo explains with the patient air of an adult putting up with a petulant child. "Will you please ask my aid Jung Ho to come up please? I need his help with something."

Nari rolls her eyes.

"Of course you might have this super secret wound that needs to be covertly cleaned."

"Geum Nari -"

"Going right away my lord," rather mockingly Nari excuses herself and Seo sighs. Then flinches, rolling his shoulder. Pain lances through him, sharp as if the Queen's blade was still lodged between the shifting muscles. He is weary and worried. This unexpected stop might end up costing them more than a day's hard riding would have worsened his condition.

Stripping down until his back is bare to the gathering chill of the evening, Seo picks up the rug Nari had neatly left draped on the basin's edge. He could barely reach the wound and his shoulder stung when it moved. Biting back a groan he pressed the cloth soaked with warm water against the cut.

It still pricked with remnants of that godly power and pain shoot through his veins. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed harder yet.

The door opened and closed.

"You took your sweet time Jung - ah," his wariness translates into annoyance. "Come - I need assistance in dressing this cut."

He relinquishes the wet rag without protest. Jung was well versed in battle wounds. Most soldiers were. On the battlefield you might have to sew your own skin together more often than not. A hiss spills through his clenched teeth as the heat of the water finally finds the deepest part of the wound. Seo draws in a breath and holds, awaiting Jung's pronouncement.

Instead of the sword hardened fingers that he expects however, a supple palm presses itself into his shoulder. Seo jumps back, stung - blindly reaching for his sword. The basin topples and sends a wave of water rippling across the room.

"Gongjunim!"

Seol is blinded with water in her eyes for a moment. Those precious seconds she wastes blinking and splattering is enough for Seo to grab hold of her shoulders.

"What do you think you are doing here?"

Inhaling sharply, Seol meets his eye.

"And what do you think you are doing - hiding an injury like that? How worse will it be by the time we ride all the way to Shinju?" Her voice is accusatory. "You didn't get that wound from war. How did you come by it - Kang Seo?"

"I am a soldier mama - soldiers get injured every other day."

"Not when they are back home after wars!" Her eyes narrow. "You are hiding things from me!"

"There are things I'm not supposed to share - mama. Such is the oath of wind and dust. You were not supposed to see this wound. Forget it - you are not supposed to be here."

"Oh why? Only your old friend Nari can enter your chambers at her will?" She wouldn't have said it had she not been so inflamed. Seol quickly lost control over her tongue whenever her temper flared. "Oh? Am I intruding into your sweet reunion? Were you maybe waiting for her to return and tend to your battle wounds?" She draws in a breath, patches of red tinting her cheeks. Her fists clench. "What? Going to throw me out? I dare you try!"

Against her expectations however, Seo inhales and barks out a laugh. He tries to bite it back and fails gloriously, his eyes crinkle into crescents of silver and his lone dimple dances - she'd never seen him laugh so. It catches her off guard and warms her heart a little. Seol huffs indignantly.

"Are you laughing at me now?" She asks sulkingly. Unexpectedly he raises his hand and pats her head, shaking his own.

"Geum Nari is many things to many people, mama," he says, not a trace of mockery in his tone. "But not what you are to me and never shall be." His hand drops and he steps back. "Please leave, mama, and forget what I said."