Danger

Familiar sights hit Jay Yi's senses as she and Ga Ram hurried through the market, the taller Guard leading the way. Myung Jin and the shorter Guard with the horse followed them. The stalls - busy hawking pretty ribbons, exciting trinkets, ornate bracelets, colourful fabric, intricately designed showpieces, earthenware, vases, pots, pans, oils, spices and a variety of other articles for everyday use - were distracting, swaying people to check their wares. It was pulsing with energy as throngs of people went about their day. 

Most were clad in plain, unadorned hanboks designed for comfort, stitched from affordable fabrics within their means. Although Gaeseong housed many rich and noble families, noblewomen were not often seen in the market during the day, unlike Hanyang, which was always bustling with people from all gender and class of society. Jay Yi realized with a start she had seldom been in the markets of Gaeseong dressed in feminine attire. 

Jay Yi hailed from the noblest family of Gaeseong. Being the Governor's daughter meant her clothes always reflected the position and prestige of her distinguished father. Her dresses were fashioned from some of the finest fabrics Joseon had to offer. Her richly crafted hanbok was creating a stir as women, all attired in modest, working-class clothes, paused to admire the finely embroidered voluminous silk tailored with exquisite care. 

Belatedly Jay Yi realized their small party was attracting more attention than she would have liked. Coupled with the fact that they were being escorted by Royal guards, one of them with a horse, made them more conspicuous. 

She pulled the robe closer around her face to veil it. She wished she had thought of giving Ga Ram a veil as well.

 She felt Ga Ram's anxiousness. "Aashi, what if someone recognizes us? Even though we have the papers, they might be angry at us for bringing dishonour to the town." 

 Jay Yi nodded uneasily. She had grossly misread the situation. She should have waited for a palanquin or told Hwan about her plan to go to the gravesite dressed in her hanbok. 

"I think it will be all right, Ga Ram. We have Royal guards with us if something goes wrong," Jay Yi tried to reassure Ga Ram.

 As if on cue, a voice rang out, "Jang Ga Ram?" 

 Ga Ram turned involuntarily, finding an older woman peering at her. Ga Ram gave her a quick smile with a bow and quickened her pace. The Guards gave the woman a withering look. 

 But the crowd had already started taking notice. 

 All of a sudden, they found themselves confronted by three burly men. 

 "Is that not the fugitive Min Jay Yi?" the shortest one amongst them sneered. 

 The tall Guard's voice rang out. "You are obstructing a Royal guard's path."

 "They must be the ones inside the Palace helping this murderer." The tall, thick heavyset man shouted. "Listen, everyone! This is the fugitive Min Jay Yi, who murdered her family and then the Crown Princess. She wanted to murder our Crown Prince!! She escaped execution. These men are helping them. We are on orders to catch this criminal and her servant." 

 Suddenly there was a commotion. The Guard with the horse had mounted the horse and was riding away.

 The men started laughing. "Look, her accomplice is running away!" Someone squealed gleefully.

 Myung Jin stepped in, pushing Ga Ram behind him deftly. "This is a misunderstanding. We have papers to prove their innocence." Myung Jin's voice was loud and clear, but his nervousness was palpable.

"You traitor!" One of the men pushed Myung Jin.

"Don't touch me!" Myung Jin snapped angrily, brushing his chest.

 Feeling unsettled, Jay Yi observed the heated exchange between the intruders and Myung Jin, her eyes scanning the area for possible escape routes. 

 The Royal Guard swiftly produced his seal and held it up, "This woman is under Royal protection. Stand down or be arrested!"

 "They are all frauds, don't believe them!" At the top of his voice, one of the three men yelled to the crowd. 

 Without warning, a stone came sailing. Ga Ram pushed Jay Yi out of its way, and the rock hit her hand. "Murderer! Catch them!" Someone from the crowd cried out. "She brought dishonour to us. Down with her!"

 Jay realized the crowd was turning against them. She could feel cold beads of perspiration down her spine.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the grizzly-looking man swung his staff, hitting the Royal Guard on his head. The metal end of the wooden stick connected the head with a 'thwack' sound, and the man crumpled.

 "No!" Jay Yi screamed. She swung her head skirt around in a flash, using it as a shield to distract the men and throwing it at them. Jay Yi swiftly removed the Guard's sword from its sheath as the men struggled momentarily, trying to get rid of the voluminous fabric that entangled them. 

She flicked the blade, making an arc that flashed in the retreating glow of the evening sun.

 "Do not come near or hurt him!" Jay Yi warned, standing over the injured Guard, who was groaning, bleeding from his head.

 "Do not do this!" Myung Jin turned to the crowd, pleading. "They are innocent. We have papers!" 

 "Keep your mouth shut!" The youngest of the three men stepped forward and kicked Myung Jin. Myung Jin fell with a thud. 

 Ga Ram shrieked, falling on Myung Jin. "Please don't hurt him."

"They are all in it together! We are slave hunters. We have orders to catch them." The ringleader took out a scroll and displayed it to the crowd.

The man who kicked Myung Jin dragged Ga Ram by her hair. Jay Yi swiftly closed the distance between them and booted the man in the back, who toppled over. She pulled Ga Ram behind her, wielding the sword to keep the men at bay. 

 "I told you, we have papers." Jay Yi turned to the people jostling closer, smelling blood. "Someone call the Gaeseong bureau guards if you don't believe me. I didn't kill anyone!"

 The ringleader of the slave hunter sneaked behind Jay Yi, grabbing a handful of her hair and hitting her on the side of the head, while the shorter one grabbed Ga Ram. Jay Yi's head spun at the hit on her head, momentarily loosening her grip on her sword. The younger man Jay Yi had booted minutes earlier lunged for Jay Yi's sword. Ga Ram extended her leg to break his charge, which propelled him to sprawl on the road again. The man holding Ga ram slapped her hard and twisted her hand behind her.

Jay Yi's scalp hurt at the pull of her hair. She skillfully stepped back, closing her distance from the ringleader holding her captive. She buckled, using the momentum to drive her elbow into her capturer's plexus, winding him and kicking him in the shin. The man doubled in pain but didn't loosen his grip on her hair, dragging her back. Jay Yi twisted and bashed her head into his chin. The man yelped, catching his jaw. Stepping away, Jay Yi slashed her sword across his arm. The man screamed in pain, caving in. 

 "You wretch!" The shorter one let Ga Ram go and came at Jay Yi with his wooden staff. She neatly parried him, slashing his forearm with her blade so the stick fell from his hand, his curses filling the air. Myung Jin got up just as the third man swung his metal stick at Jay Yi. The blow landed on Myung Jin, and he collapsed to the floor in agony. Ga Ram rushed to him, her sobs of terror filling the air.

Jay Yi deftly dodged the second blow from the man's stick and deflected it with her sword. She pivoted on her foot, her form a dizzying swirl of silk, connecting the heel of her shoe with the man's jaw. The man tumbled back, grunting. Ga Ram swiftly pilfered the staff from the stunned man and thwacked him on his head, furiously whacking him again for good measure. The man slumped, unconscious. 

Jay Yi saw the injured ringleader, still nursing his bleeding arm, kick the Guard in the head as he tried to get up. The Guard went motionless. She pulled Ga Ram and pushed her behind, covering her and Myung Jin with her body, the sword outstretched as she challenged anyone to come and hurt them. 

Both nursing injured arms, the ringleader and his minion started closing in on Jay Yi and Ga Ram. 

"Call officers on duty." Jay Yi tried to speak calmly and clearly. "I will surrender myself to them. Don't help these men." But her voice drowned in the din of noises.

"Help us catch them. See how dangerous they are?" The ringleader hollered.

Two stocky men stepped forward from the milling horde of people, batons in their hands, their eyes glinting with malice. "You murderous wench!" They started advancing. Ga-ram tightened her grip on the staff in her hand.

"Aashi, please run," Ga-ram pleaded. Jay Yi shook her head, still shieding Ga-ram with her body.

 The crowd had started to rouse. There was an approaching dust storm, thundering hooves and beating drums behind the agitated horde, the bedlam of sounds overwhelming the charged air. 

 Horses, several of them. 

The crowd parted to make way for the animals galloping towards them in a furious swirl of dust. 

 "Stop it right there!" A ferocious voice cried out.

Feeling faint, her body awash with relief, Jay Yi registered the owner of the beloved voice. 

Hwan.

"People of Joseon, make way for the Crown Prince, the Foundation of the Nation!" A Royal Guard's voice rang out like a battle cry.

"It's the Crown Prince!" The stocky men threatening Jay Yi melted into the crowd. The stunned subjects immediately descended on their knees as the Royal guards dismounted from their horses and surrounded Jay Yi and the men from either side.

 A familiar figure alighted from the tallest horse in the group. Dressed in the red dragon tunic, looking even taller with his massive, plumed Crown Prince hat, Hwan's strode towards them, a gamut of emotions flitting across his handsome face, fury etched in every line.

 Two Royal Guards drew their swords, flanking him. "Drop your weapons!" One of the guards ordered. 

 Ga Ram started sobbing in relief. Jay Yi went limp, the sword clattering on the floor.

She started moving towards Hwan but suddenly got yanked backwards by the ringleader fisting her braid at her nape with his uninjured arm. 

 "Get your filthy hands off her right now!" Hwan snarled. His stare could freeze the blood. 

 The man bowed as Jay Yi struggled to be free of his grip. "Your Highness, she is a fugitive. We have been ordered to capture her. She was the one who wanted to kill you and…" A guttural noise exploded from Hwan's throat as his boot connected to the man's chest, turning his rant into a bloodcurdling howl, his hands flailing as he was thrown halfway across the road.

The guards surrounded the two men and dragged the unconscious one, binding them with ropes as their wailing filled the street, forcing them onto their knees. 

 Hwan caught Jay Yi by the shoulders. She could see the panic in his eyes. "Are you hurt?" 

 Jay Yi shook her head. She gestured at Myung Jin and the Guard. "They are." 

 Hwan knelt beside Myung Jin, "Are you all right?" Myung Jin did not respond. Ga Ram was crying beside him. "Your Highness…he was hit on the head."

 Hwan checked Myung Jin's pulse. "He possibly has a concussion from the blow. His breathing is steady. We need to carry him to a physician." 

 Myung Jin stirred and let out a cry.

 "Are you all right?" All three of them chorused together. 

 Myung Jin tried to sit up. "I am dizzy. What do you men eat to be so strong?" he complained to no one in particular.

 Jay Yi heaved a sigh of relief. Hwan's shoulders relaxed a little at Myung Jin's weak attempt at humour.

 Ga Ram knelt beside Myung Jin, hiccupping as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hand was bleeding where she had tried to shield Jay Yi from the flying stone. 

 "You are blee…aah!" Myung Jin cried out. He could not move his leg.

"Help them!" Hwan ordered. 

 Jay Yi registered Right Councilor standing beside the head guard, observing everything from a distance. She bowed to him. 

 Hwan picked up Jay Yi's overcoat robe from the road, swung it high in the air to give it a brisk shake to get the dirt off, and wrapped it around her, clutching the ends at her throat, dragging her closer to him. He closed his eyes, breathing hard. 

"My lungs feel like they are on fire, Jay Yi. How could you put yourself in danger?" Jay Yi detected the trace of the same terror in his hoarse voice she had felt only minutes earlier.

 "I am alright, Your Highness," Jay Yi's tried to reassure him. 

Hwan moved her behind him, his hand shielding her from the men and the crowd, and drew his sword. "Who sent you after her?" he dug his sword into the ring leader's neck. 

 "We..we were just following orders, Your Highness. She is...was a fugitive." Trussed in ropes and kneeling on the ground, he grovelled.

 "You could not have come from the Royal Investigation Bureau office, Gaeseong Bureau, or even the Slave Hunter's office. The King declared her innocence days ago!" Hwan's thundering voice rang out. "And how dare you lay hands on a Royal Guard?"

 The ringleader hung his head lower. "We were just f-following orders, Your Highness. We were told that someone from the Palace was helping this wom...lady, so we assumed it was the Guard. We were to deliver her to the Minister of Justice's man. We had orders to kill if anyone obstructed us. Forgive us; we did not know better." He pleaded pitifully.

 "That 'someone' from the Palace," Hwan chewed through gritted teeth, 'is me."

 Shock froze the man. Jay Yi could see the terrifying comprehension tauten his body.

 "We deserve to die, Your Highness," he whimpered in sheer terror. "The Right minister set us up. We are innocent."

 "So you were bought by that traitor!" Hwan pushed his sword into the man's neck, drawing blood. "Slave hunters do not kill people for money. You attacked a Royal Guard. You dared to sully the modesty of a noblewoman with your dirty hands. Tell me why I should not kill you right here?" Hwan's voice reverberated in the eerie quiet of the market.

Left Councilor Han stepped in. "Your Highness, let us take them back and interrogate them."

 It was as if Hwan didn't hear. His deathly stare was fixated on the man, his sword digging harder into the terrified man's neck, producing a trickle of blood. The silence was deafening. 

 "Your Highness…" Jay Yi called him softly, stepping closer. "People are watching. Please don't be this angry. We need him for more information. Please let him live."

Hwan didn't move, a muscle twitching in his jaw, his fingers gripping the sword white. Finally, Hwan lifted his incensed, almost unfocused, eyes at her. His hold on the blade slackened as he stepped back, sheathing the sword. The man slumped. He had wet himself. 

The guards immediately dragged the men away. 

 Left Minister ordered the Gaurds to take everyone injured to the nearest pharmacy for treatment. 

 Hwan turned towards Jay Yi. "You are coming with me".

 Hwan grabbed her hand and pulled her along. She could see people angling their necks from their crouched positions, agape. The shocked murmur from the crowd was getting louder. A few whispers drifted to them.

"Wasn't she betrothed to the Left minister's son?"

"She is innocent!"

"It was true that she can fight!"

"That bastard must have framed her!"

"Is she now Crown Princes' woman?"

 They looked furtively as Hwan pulled Jay Yi after him. Hwan did not care.

 "Your Highness," she hesitated.

 "Min Jay Yi, for once, you will do as you are told," Hwan's voice was so low that only she could hear it. She nodded but still tugged doggedly at her arm. His grip tightened for a second, and then he let go. 

 Jay Yi trailed him to his horse, clutching her robe around her face to cover it. Hwan motioned her to mount. Hwan's uncharacteristic display of possessive protectiveness towards her could malign his esteem as the Crown Prince. Jay Yi hesitated and looked at Left Minister helplessly. 

 It was almost as if someone had heard her prayers. Four muscular men carrying a palanquin appeared. The Left Minister nodded at her kindly and went to Hwan. 

 "Your Highness, let Lady Min go in the palanquin." 

 Hwan took a deep breath. "I will ride alongside her." 

 Jay Yi never preferred palanquins as a mode of travel, choosing to walk to most places if she could and avoiding going altogether if she could not. However, today, her heart filled with gratitude at the haven of anonymity the palanquin provided her. The familiar feeling of the carriage she seldom appreciated brought a lump to her throat. She did not realize how tired she had been of pretending to be a man.

 Hwan returned to Ga Ram, who was still sobbing beside Myung Jin. Hwan went down on his haunches, keeping a reassuring hand on Myung Jin's shoulder, and then turned to Ga Ram. "Go back with Kim Myung Jin and take care of him." He instructed gently, "I will bring Min Jay Yi back. And make sure to get your hand treated." Ga Ram nodded through her hiccups.

Hwan turned to Left Minister. "I am taking Min Jay Yi to the gravesite. Send four of the guards with me and take the rest of them back with these dirtbags. I will oversee their interrogation myself after I am back." 

 Left Minister bowed. Hwan swiftly climbed his horse. People lowered their heads further into the ground as their Crown Prince's horse ambled ahead, with Min Jay Yi's palanquin following him.