The only person who should have been affected by the lousy announcement was as composed as a tranquil lake on a sunny, windless day, treating the news as if it was gossip about a local girl who had suddenly become popular at a flower festival. Jay Yi smiled at Ban Rye and helped herself to a piece of delectable fish, her chopsticks fluidly moving from the plate to her mouth as she took a relishing bite. "I am so happy for you, Master Ahn!" There was no mistaking the sincerity in her voice.

The rice cake in Hwan's mouth turned into sawdust. "Let us not speculate. After all, how can you be so sure about something so confidential?" Hwan tried to dismiss it and keep his tone neutral, summoning his endless willpower not to seethe or bang the table to pieces.

Latching on to Hwan, Myung Jin cribbed, "Yes, how can you know something of this nature without announcement? Even the Royal Marriage Directorate has been appointed and closely supervised by the King himself, and the selection has been kept a secret. I would have heard something from Father, too!"

"Yes, you should not spread gossip about His Majesty!" Ga-ram chipped in with her rebuke.

"It is not gossip. It is confirmed! My source is unquestionable, infallible!" declared Ban Rye, emphatic in his belief.

Hwan's stomach dropped. He felt Myung Jin and Ga-ram's fleeting, questioning eyes on him before they averted their gaze. Hwan balled his fists in frustration, willing this conversation to freeze.

"How interesting! You must know someone really close to His Majesty, then?" Mun Jeon asked, still looking straight at Ban Rye, who loved the attention.

Ban Rye paused the vigorous swirling of his spoon, his eyes moving around the table, lingering on each person dramatically. Then he leaned forward secretively.

So did everyone else.

Except for Hwan, who had a very good idea of where this rotten source of information resided.

"My father's sister's daughter is married to His Majesty's Dowager Great Aunt Lady Hyegyeong's second daughter's grandson," Ban Rye whispered.

Everyone blinked as they tried to map the confusing connection.

Jay Yi giggled.

Annoyed, Hwan eyed her. Was she enjoying this?

It was his fault. Ever since he had told the old nag he had already selected the candidate for his Queen, Hwan had relished embellishing the attributes of his said choice with great pleasure. He should have realised the meddlesome woman wouldn't keep her mouth shut.

"W-who is it?" Ga-ram asked, avoiding Hwan's eyes.

"They have not released any official information about it, but," Ban Rye's voice dropped conspiratorily, "I heard she is from one of the most illustrious families of Joseon with lineage going back to Silla Kingdom. She is also rumoured to be very beautiful."

On that announcement, Jay Yi's hand paused for an excruciatingly brief moment before it continued to roll a piece of meat inside the smaller bowl sitting next to her soup bowl with her chopsticks.

Mun Jeon chuckled. "That is hardly surprising."

Groaning in despair, Hwan realised his lofty plans of wooing Jay Yi to the Palace were crumbling before his eyes. Now that she would think he was to be married, she would erect walls that would be unscalable. On the other hand, she even had the gall to look serene about it!

Hwan pushed away his plate sourly.

Kim Myung Jin cleared his throat. "Er, Scholar Park, do you know anything about this?"

"His Majesty does not discuss his private plans with me, but I am sure I would have heard something about it", Hwan muttered.

"Great Aunt Dowager cannot be wrong. His Majesty told her himself!"

Alarmed, his eyes automatically sought Jay Yi's, who was looking at him, expressionless. He wanted to vehemently deny it. Yet all he could do was look away, an unwanted flush warming his ears. Myung Jin loudly sighed.

"I also heard Lady Hyegyeong is not happy with the choice," Ban Rye continued, unperturbed, "as it seems the lady in question is extremely learned, has a mind of her own and is purported to have one of the greatest minds in Joseon, which is why His Majesty has personally chosen her to be his Queen."

Hwan could kick himself. He had gleefully rattled off Jay Yi's qualities one at a time to the tiring woman. This was going to haunt him forever.

"What use will the King of Joseon have with an intelligent woman like that? She would be a prisoner in the Palace for her entire life, wasting away and competing for attention with some brainless Concubines. And if she tries to exercise any of those attributes, she will be thrown out on her behind. Poor woman! I already feel sorry for her." Mun Jeon said bitterly.

"She is the luckiest woman in the world," Jay Yi's clear voice spoke up from beside Hwan, her eyes fixed on Mun Jeon. "Watch what you are saying. You do not know anything about His Majesty."

Hwan's breath stuck in his throat.

The rebuke had a surprising effect on Mun Jeon, causing a humiliated flush to stain his cheeks. "I think I know enough about those sitting on Joseon's throne to know the woman will have a miserable life."

Resting the spoon very carefully on the rim, Jay Yi pushed the bowl away and leaned forward, propping her elbow on the table, to meet Mun Jeon's eyes from around Hwan. Like a non-partisan onlooker, Hwan felt a curious detachment.

"The Queen has always been chosen based on her intellect. His Majesty is the most brilliant man in this country and needs a woman who will match his intellect. He does not treat a woman as less than him. He will find ways to ensure she is happy with him."

As usual, his most loyal subject was quick to defend him, no matter how much it cost her.

"Really? And how do you know all that? Within the year, he will gift her with an army of concubines to exercise her intellect on, a prospect she will undoubtedly find exciting," Mun Jeon drawled.

"If His Majesty was so keen on that, he would have had several concubines by now! He is the most moral, beautiful person who will do right by her!" Jay Yi was passionate.

Mun Jeon scoffed. "On what basis do you make such assertions for His Majesty?"

"I-I heard from my father. You forget, His Majesty was his most favoured pupil."

"Your father was His Majesty's master?" Ban Rye interjected, not wanting to be left out. "I thought it was Governor Min of Gaeseong."

Jay Yi turned red at her slip. "Oh, my father was also his Master briefly before Governor Min." Jay Yi expertly fabricated, recovering.

"Even if that's true," Mun Jeon was obviously not interested in digressing over unimportant details, no matter how blunderous, "and His Majesty is a paragon of virtue as you say, which I highly doubt - the stories of his nasty nature are all over Joseon - "

"The stories of his brilliance, valour and compassionate nature are also all over Joseon!" Jay Yi interrupted darkly, scowling at Mun Jeon.

"--irrespective!" Mun Jeon countered, "The Palace is enough to drain the life out of anyone, let alone an intelligent, living, breathing woman who has so much more to experience in the outside world."

"So much more to experience?" Jay Yi scoffed. "What experience? Cook, clean, darn socks and stitch useless flowers on tablecloths no one cares about? Have you seen any woman pick up a book after marriage? She cannot even step out properly in daylight!" Jay Yi all but banged the table, and leaned close to Hwan, her elbows almost knocking off his soup bowl, to glare at Mun Jeon from around him.

It was war. Hwan felt like a giant fence dividing two sparring swordsmen.

One swordsman and one swordswoman , he corrected the silly adage in his mind, his mouth turning up in a wry smile.

"Aish! You two!" Myung Jin tried to interrupt unsuccessfully.

Hwan turned his head to Jay Yi. "I am afraid I agree with Master Mun here, Master Min Hae Lee. Did you not once observe that Palace is life-sapping?"

He could feel Mun Jeon's surprised look at his back. Jay Yi's startled eyes found him, her mouth forming a surprised 'Oh' as their conversation by the stream flashed by like a secret code between them.

Jay Yi flushed. Leaning away from him more into her seat, she looked away, shaking her head. "That is not true at all! The Palace is a vibrant, dynamic city on its own. It has its own way of life. It has the most beautiful, well-stocked library in the entire Joseon, and its gardens are exceptional; the food in the royal kitchen is the finest. However, that's not what it is. There is an abundance of things to do if you know where to look. There are intelligent, erudite people who find ways to keep themselves busy. The foreign delegations bring a wealth of experience to the Palace. There are games, music, festivals...." Jay Yi's voice was laden with nostalgia. "Aside from the fact that she will already have many duties as a Queen, there are countless ways with which she can occupy herself. And," she paused, then looked at Hwan, "she can aid His Majesty in whatever capacity he requires. And I am sure he would happily welcome her as a partner. If, despite all that, she is still stuck, His Majesty will find a way to break down the walls she is stuck behind."

Jay Yi looked down at her hands.

"Moreover, in the end, it does not matter whether it is a hut or a Palace, it's the people who make it a home." Jay Yi said softly as her eyes sought Hwan's. Their eyes locked.

Hwan's heart was fighting to stay within his ribcage.

"How do you know so much about the Palace or even the duties of a Queen?" Mun Jeon's eyes narrowed.

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Jay Yi broke contact first. "Once, I visited with my father when I was young, and my sister, Lady Min, dedicated herself to studying it during her upbringing as a noblewoman. I, in turn, learned from her." She lied.

"You were - allowed in there?" Mun Jeon was sceptical.

"Why yes, even I have visited the Palace on occasion with my brothers," Kim Myung Jin suddenly found his voice.

Mun Jeon laughed. "It's second-hand knowledge, so you don't know any of it is really true."

Hwan was so stunned that he scarcely heard the last part of the conversation. She did not hate Palace life, far from it. She - missed it. Emotions clogged his throat. He wanted to sweep her up and carry her home. His home. Their home.

"You seemed to have a lot of faith in your King, Master Min," Hwan said, looking into his soup bowl, not trusting himself to look at Jay Yi, fearing he would break down.

"Oh, did you not know Scholar Park?" Mun Jeon cut in sarcastically, his voice feigning surprise, "Master Min is always ready to skin anyone alive if they so much as uttered a word against His Majesty. Which makes me curious - if His Majesty is such an epitome of perfection, and seeing how well she has educated herself about life in the Palace, how come your sister never entered the Crown Princess selection?"

Jay Yi looked away. "Maybe because she would be the most unsuitable woman to be a Queen."

"That is not true!" Ga-ram exclaimed, a horrified look on her face. "You must not say that!"

This time, Hwan turned to her. "That is not true."

"Isn't it?" Jay Yi challenged him, no guile in her eyes. She truly believed in that nonsense, Hwan thought with a pang.

"It is indeed not Master Min! How can you even think that?" It was Kim Myung Jin, irate and offended. Ga-ram nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

Ban Rye tried to sneak back into this rather peculiar discussion that seemed to have grown horns. "Why are we suddenly discussing Master Min's sister?"

Ban Rye's baffled question sounded so unreasonably reasonable that Hwan almost laughed.

"Because Master Min has no idea how horrible it is to live like a caged animal in the Palace!" Mun Jeon said icily.

"You're quite the one to speak about caging a woman, Master Mun, who does not even believe a woman can live alone without being sheltered by a useless family name or shielded by the safety of a man's shadow!" A sob caught her throat as she gripped her forehead with her fingers. Her other hand was clenched on her lap, white.

Hwan had enough. He brought down his fist on the table. "This discussion ends right here, now!"

Few argued with Hwan when he used that tone.

Jay Yi reached for her cup to toss the wine down her throat.

Ga-ram jumped, lost her nerve and disappeared from the table with, "I'll get more d-drinks.".

Ban Rye gaped in fearful confusion.

Myung Jin dropped a spoon and crawled under the table with an "Aiyeesh!".

Hwan felt like an idiot.

Mun Jeon had to have the last word, though, a slight smile on his lips. "You are perhaps right. I do not know enough of the lady or about His Majesty to comment." Turning to Hwan, he asked nonchalantly, "So now that it's settled that His Majesty might marry soon, how about you? Do you plan to marry, too?"

Hwan could have killed the man then and there.

A hand clutching a spoon appeared on the table where Kim Myung Jin had been seated. Then, the top of his head emerged. The other hand of the pair followed the first as Myung Jin's body leveraged it to pull himself back up to the sitting position. "Ah! Some people don't like a head attached to their bodies," He announced cryptically to no one in particular.

Hwan looked Mun Jeon in the eye. "Yes, I intend to marry. As soon as possible."

"According to your family's choice or yours?"

"I believe it will be completely my choice, Master Mun," Hwan said calmly, settling the pesky issue once and for all.

It gave him great satisfaction to see Mun Jeon unnerved by his admission. He raised his eyebrow. "Does the lady or the family in question know?"

"I do not think that is any of your business, Master Mun."

Master Mun chuckled mirthlessly, shrugging. "At least tell us what she is like. Not many of us can boast of marrying someone of our choice."

Leaning back, Hwan loosely kept his hands on the table. "She is brilliant, spunky, beautiful, with a heart of gold and courage of a salamander. Now, if you are satisfied, can we finish our meal?"

Jay Yi stood up and announced calmly. "I would like to leave first if that is all right with everyone."

A pregnant pause ensued.

"Please finish your meal first, Master Min Hae Lee." Hwan was quiet.

Jay Yi knew that tone. Hwan wasn't making a request.

Without another word, Jay Yi sat back down, reaching for her chopsticks.

Ga-ram hastened to fill their cups with the drinks, her hands shaking a little.

"I am sorry for raising my voice." Hwan needed to learn to control his anger around these precious people. Ga-ram bowed, looking uncertain, while Myung Jin simply waived him away.

Ban Rye looked bewildered. All five people who should have been thrilled about his news looked like they had swallowed a jagged stone and would gag on it anytime now. He was not entirely sure what had gone wrong, but he was sure something did. Confounded, he helped himself to some more food.

To dispel the unusually awkward atmosphere, Hwan inquired, "Master Kim, any developments regarding the clock project you were working on? I recall seeing your notes during our last meeting, but you were still compiling the data."

Kim Myung Jin's face filled with relief and gratitude at the change of topic. He rushed from the table to fetch something. Armed with a scroll, he hurried back with a happy smile. "Master Ahn helped me make a fair copy of the observations of the last eight months."

Ban Rye beamed.

Myung Jin unrolled the scroll in front of Hwan. Both Mun Jeon and Jay Yi peered at it from beside him. Elaborate drawings and notes filled the scroll.

"The fifth step's side notes on the leakage problem are incomplete", Hwan observed.

Ban Rye was startled. "Incomplete? Impossible! I am sure I noted everything."

"Let me get the notes," Myung Jin said.

"You can check all you want, Hyungnim; I am sure I did not miss anything!" Ban Rye was almost arrogant in his assertion.

Hwan looked at him. He was immensely irritated at this manchild and was in no mood to tolerate insolence. "You missed a substantial part of it."

Myung Jin returned with a thick wad of papers. Jay Yi, Ban Rye and Mun Jeon helped sort it through.

"Here it is!" Jay Yi found one. Myung Jin held up two more.

Ban Rye had missed three points.

"I am sorry. I will carefully make it again." Flustered, he gathered the papers from the table, stacked them neatly, and rolled the scroll. "I apologise, brother Kim; it will not happen again."

The collective sigh of relief that followed Ban Rye's exit was rather comical. Smiling, Hwan reached for his wine cup and found Mun Jeon's eyes on him.

"Scholar Park, how did you remember something so minute in that thick pile of papers you saw only once?" Mun Jeon was looking at him speculatively.

Hwan blinked, his mind going totally blank at his monumental oversight.

The swirl of snow around them made wavy circles. It randomly caught on hats, tunics, and boots. The bare trees were lined with white powder, looking like magical sentinels guarding the far-off horizons. Their boots made imprints of different sizes in the white fluffy blanket beneath their feet, the velvet crunchy bed of the freshly fallen snow muting out the sounds of their footsteps. The crisp and biting air created puffs of frosty vapour of their breathing around them.

The cold had painted a natural blush on Jay Yi's cheeks, her eyes sparkling in the grey undertones of muted snow covrered dusk light. So beautiful...Hwan caught a breath.

He could see the bridge that crossed over to Jay Yi's neighbourhood.

They had spoken about everything under the sun except the one thing that hung like a sword on their head - Hwan's impending marriage.

"Eunuch Kim said that?" Jay Yi laughed as Hwan regaled a recent skirmish the spunky Eunuch had with a new recruit.

"He does think Eunuch Go was the best new recruit he has ever seen, though I do not think he has forgiven you yet for becoming my favourite one that quickly," Hwan chuckled.

"I was an excellent Eunuch!" Jay said with pride.

"You were," Hwan said sincerely. "I almost got caught today, did I not?" he chuckled.

"You did. Master Mun is very clever."

"Thank you for rescuing me," Hwan said, "again."

Thinking on her feet, Jay Yi had plunged into a chatty explanation about discussing the fifth step's notes with Scholar Park in a meeting when Mun Jeon was not present. Kim Myung Jin had vociferously supported Jay Yi. Mun Jeon looked unconvinced but had little choice but to swallow the excuse.

The evening glow was beginning to fade as dusk rolled in, painting the winter sky darker than usual.

"Did you discover why the Sarim faction of scholars is disagreeable with you?" Jay Yi asked.

Hwan looked ahead thoughtfully. "Their primary opposition revolves around my proposed reductions in taxes for essential crops and the universal military service tax."

"How do you plan to supplement it?"

"I want to increase salt, vessels, and fisheries taxes. I am considering an additional land tax, their biggest fear."

Jay Yi nodded.

"I remember your ideas about the accounting system. Are you still planning on an accounting system to standardise the management of state revenues and expenses? Would that not help you get the taxes from more remote areas?"

Hwan nodded. "I have many families around the country investigated to weed out ground-level corruption, but it needs to be on a more regular basis so I can overhaul the system with dedicated people. I need someone trustworthy to help me weed the corrupt officials before I institute something like that. Especially as many Yangban families are getting interested in mercantile activities."

"You fear commercial monopoly ruining individual business?"

Hwan nodded. How he missed sounding out his ideas with Jay Yi. She understood his mind like no one else.

"Your Majesty," Jay Yi stopped as the house loomed before her, its aristocratic lines accentuated by the delicate touch of pristine snowflakes clinging to the surfaces like a veil, "would you like to come in for some warm tea?"

Startled, Hwan stopped. She had never invited him before.

"I do not think it's a good idea, Jay Yi," he said softly, aware of Tae Kang and Garam at a hearing distance.

"Why not? It's freezing, and you have a long walk back. Thank you for walking so far with us, Your Majesty. It's the least I can offer," Jay Yi was nothing if not a perfect hostess.

"It's going to be night soon. Are you not worried about your neighbours?"

Jay Yi shook her head. "Not with you, never with you."

"What do you mean?"

Jay Yi looked over the majestic structure, her eyes squinting against the cold, cutting air. "This house is yours and will always be open to you, Your Majesty, and I will always serve you whenever you need me."

"Jay Yi, do you not understand that I might be the most unsafe person for you to be around?" Hwan's voice was barely above a whisper.

Jay Yi shook her head. "We will hardly be alone." Jay Yi looked down, the red in her cheeks going so deep that even the mesh of her hat could not conceal it, her lashes veiling her eyes, her hands clutched in front of her. "But even if we were, I do not want to be safe anymore."

She was offering herself, just like that. She never failed to amaze him. Just when he thought she would raise every wall he could imagine, she broke them down in one sweep. Hwan's heart soared and shattered at the same time. "What I said that night in anger was not my answer; it's not what I want from you."

"I know. I do not need an answer from you, Your Majesty. I sincerely hope you live a fulfilling life with Her Majesty the Queen. I will be your servant and be happy with whatever role you want for me."

Heart drumming, he stepped closer, his nails digging into his palms to prevent him from dragging her into the warmth of his arms, "It's late. Go inside, Jay Yi."

Changgyeong Palace - the residence of the Old King

"It's been a year since he has been on that throne. How long must we wait for him to bring his bride home?" The old King exploded. "What are you all doing?"

Left State Councilor Han Joong-Eon and Chief State Councilor Kim An-Jik looked down.

"From what we have found out, His Majesty Yi Hwan has convinced the women from at least seven families to reject him and awarded each of them lucrative posts."

The King let out an exasperated breath. "Hwan is clever beyond comprehension, so why is he acting like a fool on this? We all know what he wants. What is he waiting for?" the old King was getting impatient.

"He is naturally shy, so that could be a reason. It could be His Majesty is hesitating because of Sung On. We are not sure what is stopping him, but I feel there has to be a reason behind it," Minister Kim said.

"Did you not say Sung On confirmed he had burnt the marriage consent letter in the communication he sent last week, Minister Han?"

"Yes, Your Royal Highness, he did. He also sent a letter to His Majesty Yi Hwan. There is a positive movement, though. His Majesty called me three weeks ago and gave this to me," Minister Han placed the names of the two Min families in front of the King. The second name was circled.

A smile lifted the downward turn of the old King's mouth.

"So he is working on it?"

"It seems so, Your Royal Highness, and for quite some time," Minister Han said.

"Have you matched their horoscopes?" The King asked.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness. It is an unusually auspicious match," Minister Han placed a piece of paper with the horoscope match before the old King. Minister Han had many secret discussions with Royal Guardian, Eunuch So and Physician Kim Ji Soo. He had an inkling of what was stopping Hwan. "Initially, His Majesty did waver because of Sung On. He might still be hesitant because of me. Also, he might be worried about the Court's reaction, resistance from the Scholars, or perhaps Lady Min is not agreeable to it," he reflected.

"The woman dares to disregard her King's wishes?" The King was close to apoplectic.

"It is just an assumption, Your Royal Highness," Minister Kim hurriedly assured him.

"In any case, Your Royal Highness, we have a plan that might hasten this," Minister Han smiled