Like the First Snow

As Wonbeom had expected, breakfast was tense between him and Soyong. After their talk last night, if it might be called that, he didn’t have a chance to be alone with her. He feels as if he overstepped her boundaries, but it was only a reaction to her mixed signals. Wonbeom sees how much she loves him, but she still questions his own feelings. And yet she refuses to let him show them, despite reacting positively the few times she has let him in.

They all get prepared to leave his brother’s home. Hong is the first one to leave to continue his investigation of the assassination attempt. Gyeong-eung plans to visit their trusted guards with new instructions, while Soyong and Wonbeom head to the royal villa.

Wonbeom watches from afar as Soyong waits for him by his horse. She strokes the horse’s mane and pats his large neck, smiling radiantly. The scene is so calm and simple, Wonbeom can’t help but admire it and starts to smile himself.

“It’s hard, isn’t it?” Wonbeom turns around at Hwa Jin’s voice. She comes to stand by his side and looks in her husband’s direction. He’s not far away from Soyong, busy checking the saddle on his horse. “Is it possible to prove your love after hurting someone so much? We can’t change the past as our mistakes have already been made. So you wonder, can you prove your sincerity?” Hwa Jin turns her gaze to Wonbeom. “Isn’t it what you are thinking as well, Your Majesty?”

“It seems like you have managed to make amends,” Wonbeom corrects her. “And what you did was hardly bad…”

“For two years Gyeong-eung watched me love Your Majesty and then desperately try to hold on to your love. Do you really think my situation is simpler than yours?” she asks.

Once again he feels ignorant. He thought his brother and Hwa Jin had moved on with ease. But before, he had only heard Gyeong-eung’s point of view on Hwa Jin, and now he hears hers. There is nothing easy about fixing a relationship with complex beginnings.

“Do you think we can fix things someday?” Wonbeom looks in Soyong’s direction again.

“Does it matter? All we can do is try with everything we have. The final decision isn’t ours to make anyway,” Hwa Jin responds and leaves him to approach her husband to say goodbye. They look so happy that it’s hard to believe they struggle in their marriage as well. If Hwa Jin had not voiced her feelings, Wonbeom would have never guessed.

“Are you ready, my Queen?” He approaches Soyong, distracting her from the horse. He reaches out his hand to help her get astride the saddle, but she hesitates, looking at his palm. “If you can’t ride the horse on your own, my Queen, you will have to endure my company a little longer.”

“About last night…” Soyong looks away from his outstretched hand to meet his eyes. “I need to apologize for my provocative behavior. It was the alcohol that was speaking.”

“The apology is all mine, my Queen. I probably startled you,” Wonbeom says sincerely, but he’s happy to see how she blushes and looks away shyly. His Queen is in denial again, he thinks with a smirk. “However, every word I said is true.” Soyong looks at him again, her eyes going wide in surprise. “Soyong-ah, I have no doubts about where our story is heading.”

“Your Majesty is very conceited,” she notes.

“Of course. I am the King.” Wonbeom shrugs casually and this only makes Soyong shake her head in judgment. Nonetheless, she accepts his hand and allows him to help her get on the saddle. He sits behind her and her close proximity once again sends a thrill running through him as it did last night. Wonbeom leans forward slightly, pressing against her back to hold onto the reins more comfortably.

“Hold on tight, my Queen,” he says next to her ear and he can feel her shiver.

“Are you enjoying this?” she accuses him in a cold tone.

He only laughs and jolts the horse into motion with a side tap of his foot. They race along the dirt road and he can feel Soyong tense her body, trying to stay in place. Though, she has nothing to worry about, as he would never let her fall. Soon she relaxes a bit and straightens her back, moving closer to him.

“It’s so beautiful!” she yells so he can hear her over the wind whipping past their ears. The road has now taken them into the woods, and the full trees and blooming bushes along the path create a delightful view.

He slows down a bit so she can enjoy the scenery and doesn’t have to shout at him.

“After everything settles, we can go on rides like this more often,” he promises. “I can teach you how to ride the horse yourself if you’d like. And when Hyun-ki is old enough, he can join us. What do you think?”

“It would be a nice family tradition,” she agrees. “You boys will probably leave me out once he is old enough to join you on a hunt.”

“We wouldn’t dare to leave you out of our plans, my Queen,” Wonbeom laughs and he hears her laugh too.

“A good activity for a true family,” she says in a quiet, melancholy tone, but Wonbeom still catches it.

“Don’t doubt, my Queen. It will come true,” he assures her. It’s not a mere dream, distant and unattainable. He will make sure it becomes a reality.

They are silent the rest of the way, and Wonbeom speeds up the horse again so they can reach the royal villa faster. When they arrive he helps Soyong get down, and as soon as her feet touch the ground, she shakes off his hands from her waist.

He understands she is probably not happy with their little talk along the way as she thinks he is giving her false hope. Soyong is still not ready to take a risk to trust him and he has no one but himself to blame. No matter how he looks at the situation they find themselves in, it started with him mistreating her and leading her to the edge. Even without the spirit possession, it would have been difficult to assure her of his sincere feelings. But what happened gave her the feeling of what she could have with him, and then it all was taken away from her. Again, it was Wonbeom’s fault.

Soyong doesn’t even look his way, hiking her skirts above her ankles and running up the hill in a hurry. He wants to catch up and speak with her again while they are alone, but he has no such luck. Up the hill, he spots Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon. They both look surprised at seeing Soyong and bright smiles appear on both maids’ faces.

“Your Highness!” Hong Yeon calls in a high squeak. The maid starts to run down towards the Queen and Lady Choi follows her at a slower pace, still slightly limping.

“Mama, you should not run!” Court Lady Choi happily starts nagging again.

They meet at last, all three hugging tightly. Wonbeom can’t help but smile at their friendship, a one-of-a-kind bond. They all start talking at the same time, assuring each other they are alright, and it’s a miracle they understand each other.

“No more temples for me,” Soyong jokes. They all laugh and only then do the maids finally notice him.

“Your Majesty found our Queen again,” Court Lady Choi says with a warm smile and a bow.

“Of course,” Wonbeom smiles back. “She didn’t want to be found though…” Both of Soyong’s friends look at her in surprise and she lowers her gaze, ashamed. “But worry not, we will tell you the story once we reach the villa. It’s not for everyone’s ears to hear.”

“I will tell you everything later,” Soyong corrects and then looks at Wonbeom, “We need to speak with my father first.”

The four of them continue their walk to the villa. Soyong’s maids attempt to pry more information from her, but she assures them that this story can’t be told in a hurry and will need time. Her friends have no choice but to accept this answer; however, they do sulk a bit, knowing that they will have to wait to learn what has happened.

As they approach the villa, Soyong’s face lights up the moment she sees her father with the little prince in his arms. Kim Moon-Geun doesn’t notice them at first, too distracted making funny voices while talking with his grandson. It’s Hyun-ki who notices Soyong first and draws his grandfather’s attention by reaching his little hands in her direction.

“Soyong-ah?” Moon-Geun breathes out, his eyes immediately becoming teary upon seeing his daughter alive and safe.

“Abeonim¹Abeonim – an honorific form of “father” Appa – a casual form of “father”.! Hyun-ki-ah!” Soyong runs towards them with a bright smile. She takes Hyun-ki into her arms and lands many kisses on his cheek, as if she wants to repay him for her long absence. “Hyun-ki-ah, can you forgive your foolish mother for being away so long?”

“Are you alright? Where have you been?” Moon-Geun starts asking, taking Soyong’s free hand with both of his. “I was so worried…” A tear runs down his cheek until it disappears in his beard.

“I apologize for making you worry, Father,” Soyong says sincerely. “Please forgive me. And thank you for watching over Hyun-ki while I was away.”

“Father,” Wonbeom finally interrupts. As sweet as this reunion is, they have much to discuss. “Let’s speak inside. We have something to ask you.”

Moon-Geun looks puzzled with this request, but after Soyong’s encouraging nod, he invites them both into the house. They sit at the lower table, Moon-Geun on one side, and Wonbeom and Soyong on the other.

Soyong refuses to separate from their son, so the prince rests happily in her arms. She kisses his cheeks and looks into his eyes as if he is the most precious person in the world. Wonbeom, of course, can’t compete with her, but he makes an attempt to entertain Hyun-ki by crossing his eyes and sucking in his cheeks in what he thinks is a funny face. Hyun-ki finally gets distracted from his mother and laughs loudly. When Wonbeom looks at Soyong he sees her shaking her head in disapproval.

“What? You used to laugh at it too!” He feels very offended; her father makes the same faces all the time and she never gives him a judgmental look like this.

“I only wanted you to stop as quickly as possible,” she says in a dry tone.

“Well, at least my son appreciates my humor,” Wonbeom proudly declares, reaching out for Hyun- ki’s little hand. The prince grabs his fingers and they shake hands.

“He also eats bugs from the ground if you don’t watch over him closely enough. I doubt you can trust the tastes of a seven-month-old baby,” she continues her mocking, and Wonbeom can feel his cheeks start to heat up.

“Hyun-ki-ah, your mother is just too uptight to have fun like this. But with your appa²Appa – informal for father aka daddy. you can be as foolish as you want,” Wonbeom says to his son, and Hyun-ki smiles at him. They will see who is right when Hyun-ki gets older. Wonbeom might finally gain an ally against Soyong and her teasing.

Only after their bickering do they finally show some attention to Moon-Geun, who watches them quietly with a broad smile on his face. Soyong and Wonbeom steal a glance at each other before looking back at her father with a silent question drawn on their faces.

“This is the first time since the prince was born that I have seen the three of you together like this,” he explains. “Seeing you like this makes me so sentimental… I apologize…” He wipes his tears. “I’m so happy…”

“Abeonim…” Soyong’s face softens, touched by his words.

“Forgive me, what was it you wanted to ask me?” Moon-Geun turns serious. “I will help with anything I can.”

“We wanted you to tell us about the Park family,” Wonbeom starts.

“The ones that used to be our guests when I was little. Uncle Kim Jwa Geun was very close with that family,” Soyong continues.

“Why were they banished so suddenly?” Wonbeom asks.

“Oh, those Parks… It’s a strange story, very strange,” he sighs, shaking his head. “I’m afraid only Kim Jwa Geun can answer that. They were very close. There were even talks about joining our families!”

“What?” Soyong sharply raises her voice. “How?” she asks but is almost immediately hit with the realization: “My orabeoni³Orabeoni – how sister refers to her brother in family. and Park Yul Mee?!” She sounds offended by the mere thought. “But she’s not his taste at all!”

“Yes, we all know where his preference lies,” Wonbeom notes dryly. Even in death, Kim Byeong- in gives him competition. Wonbeom has never forgotten Soyong’s words about her brother being the only one who truly loved her. He doesn’t find it a fair assumption, as she hasn’t given him a chance to love her while she easily gives her brother credit.

“Exactly!” Soyong looks in his direction, completely ignoring his jealousy.

“It wasn’t the only option, Soyong-ah.” Moon-Geun looks down, ashamed, and Wonbeom understands what he means: they were thinking of marrying off Soyong to Yul Mu. The thought raises a fury in him. How dare they!

“But you always said I was meant for the King,” Soyong quietly says, correctly guessing her father’s meaning as well.

“You fell out of the family’s grace… that one time…” he reminds her.

“How can a ten-year-old girl fall out of grace?” Soyong asks dejectedly. “You didn’t even tell me!”

“Because I was working hard to make amends with your uncle and he gave in eventually,” Moon-Geun quickly says. “So I decided not to distract you from your studies. I assured him you were the best candidate to match the next King and he agreed.”

Wonbeom’s rage goes away the moment he sees Soyong’s dispirited face. He might be jealous and angry at the thought of her marrying another man, but this is all about Soyong’s relationship with her father. Her feelings are the most important thing to him, and she’s clearly hurt, hearing once more that no one asked what she wanted. Neither of them chose their lives, and while he is beyond grateful that Soyong became his wife, he knows it hurts her that their marriage was orchestrated by her family.

“Forgive your ignorant father,” Moon-Geun pushes the table aside to bow low to the ground, pressing his forehead to the floor. “I beg Your Highness to forgive me! Foolishly I thought I was making the best decision for my daughter. I was blind, but now I clearly see my mistakes.”

“Get up father, I forgave you a long time ago,” Soyong says honorably. “When the time comes,” she says, turning her head to Wonbeom, “our son will choose his wife himself. Promise me that, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to ask,” Wonbeom assures her. “I would never oppose it.” He smiles at her and she faintly smiles back.

“Father, I want to ask you to take care of Hyun-ki a bit longer.” Soyong looks at her father again. He doesn’t understand her meaning at first, but as recognition dawns on his face, he opens his mouth to argue. “I wish to speak with my uncle myself.” She’s staying strong on her decision.

Wonbeom and Moon-Geun share worried looks, but they both know Soyong well enough to understand talking her out of something is a futile endeavor.

“Please, Your Majesty, do not leave her side,” Moon-Geun pleads to Wonbeom when Soyong leaves to take a bath. Hyun-ki is now dozing off in Wonbeom’s arms. “Don’t let Kim Jwa Geun get under her skin. I know him well; he’s a snake that will spit venom when he has lost.”

Wonbeom nods, understanding he must give Soyong all the support she needs. Soyong was busy recovering from her wounds and confronting the Grand Queen Dowager, so she never saw her uncle after the battle. Wonbeom banished him and made it quick unlike what he did with the other corrupt ministers. He had used them to show what would happen with traitors, and what kind of King he is: he would not tolerate greed from his officials.

Soyong never talked about it, but whenever Kim Byeong-In or his father was mentioned, her face became dark and cold. Meeting her uncle, who caused so much suffering for her, will be difficult. And he must be there for her.

Author’s notes

Kim Soyong vs Kim Jwa Geun in the next chapter! I was personally excited to write it because I imagine Soyong being fierce and smart, showing her uncle his place. Also, I want her to confront him about BI’s death. My bb Soyong never forgives him for it!

The next chapter will have slight references to the chapters:

Chapter 2: Adventure Finds Those Who Seek It ;
Chapter 3: Only The Sea Knows;
And Winter Song from Meet me at the Pale Moonlight series of one-shots for this story.

So you might want to refresh your memories, it’s not that big though.

PS WB rightfully blames himself for the lake incident but I don’t think he’s right thinking it’s his fault their relationships struggle now. It’s no one’s fault, in my opinion, they have to go through this together and it is inevitable. But it’s WB, he blames himself for everything, he’s this kind of man. Remember he blamed himself for HJ betraying him when it wasn’t his fault at all? Since she did that because she hated the Queen.

PSS The Princess’ Man is another Sageuk kdrama with lovely Moon Chae-Won as female lead. The horse ride CJ and SY may also count as a nod to this kdrama as FL really wanted to learn how to ride a horse and ML helped her with it. They had a few rides together among trees and bushes.

• 1
  Abeonim – an honorific form of “father” Appa – a casual form of “father”.
• 2
  Appa – informal for father aka daddy.
• 3
  Orabeoni – how sister refers to her brother in family.