Bohoja.
Soojin can't help but gush over what had unfolded at the Festival.
She was sat in her caravan, knees drawn to her chest, finger twirling the stray strand of hair that had so conveniently fallen out of her bun, over the side of her face.
Her eyes stared out of the window in her carriage, watching carts of rice being carried with the help of buffalos and some driven by majestic horses, whose black tresses were floating in the air with every graceful prod.
Passerbys, women who sold flowers and milk, stared into the palanquin painted in red, with eager eyes, wanting to be the ones seated inside, comfortably.
Only, life wasn't as convenient as it looked.
The detailed report of whatever had unfolded would reach her husband's ears much before she'd reach the Palace.
She'd have to owe him an explanation and he'd humiliate her in the court.
She knew the process, all too well.
She knew he��d corner her, push her against the wall in his red chamber.
She knew he'd grasp her chin and force her to meet his angry eyes.
She knew he'd fondle her while his lips feathered over her ears to fill them with curses and firm affirmations.
She knew him all too well.
But right now, she was too lost in the thoughts of the one she didn't quite know.
She'd decided to call him, Bohoja.
Bohoja was a title given to gallantry men, who stood before adversities and faced them with a hard and perseverant exterior.
It was a synonym for 'Protector' or somewhat a 'Shield'.
After all, he was her human shield.
Whenever Soojin found herself in any sort of peril, her nervous and anxiety stricken eyes would scan the room for him.
Right from the very minute he pulled her into the dimly lit alleyway that night, till today, at the Harvest Festival, the man had been nothing more that a resolute shield to her.
It was almost as though she gravitated towards him and surprisingly, he was always ready with his bulletproof vest, willing to shelter Soojin, rendering any threat, non-vital.
Soojin was convinced that the only reason she truly was able to move on with her life as Queen Consort was because she had her Bohoja ready at the oddest of hours, at a mere glance.
That made her feel safe within the confines of the uncomfortable shackles she'd find herself in, every other night.
Soojin was even surprised at his appearance, every time.
He was a master of disguise.
He'd meet her looking different every fortnight and that is what made her restless.
What if she wasn't able to recognise him in a crowd of hundreds?
If there was one thing she could recognise him by, it'd be his eyes.
Sure, they reminded her of The emotionless King's but, his were gentler.
They had a light brown hue to them.
The crinkles around his eyes were endearing and one thing about him that she loved in comparison to Min Yun Ki, was that her Bohoja never tried to conceal or hide his scar.
The 2 inch scar that cascaded down his right eye over his malar prominence.
It sat on his profile like a proud war scar, something he'd wish to flaunt.
Something that gave him rough edges.
For instance, today, he was dressed as a typical Gyonju nobleman.
He had on a purple vest and a hat.
His black tresses were pulled back into a well arranged bun.
The messy coiled hair that usually cascaded over his face were absent and the dimensions of his face, albeit rounder, were clear to Soojin's vision.
After the events had unfolded, he'd even managed to slip a note into her palm.
'Chief Guard Kim Lee Hyun is on our side. Send your messages through his hands. It will go unsuspected. The Crowned King has increased the workforce in your protection.'
This note had caused Soojin to frown.
Sending messages via The Chief Guard meant that her only chances of interacting and meeting her Bohoja were reduced.
Sure, her number one priority was to see that King Min Yun Ki was reduced to nothing but dirt.
However, this matter had become more than just about targeting the King.
It'd tied the strings of her heart in it, too.
She had no idea what the man whom she was bossing flowers for in her heart, felt.
She was unaware of his side, his perspective.
Was she just a means to overthrow The King? Just another piece on the chess board that had to be laid away before targeting the main opponent?
Thoughts flooded her mind but it was necessary for her to not only focus on the well being of the Kingdom she hailed from but also, her very own self and individuality.
—------------
Stepping into the Palace, she was summoned by her husband into The Garden of Jasmine.
It was time for her to hear the music.
With the sun set, a dark orange hue painted the sky, creating a very solemn atmosphere for the King and his Queen Consort.
Ascending into the Garden, she is met by the silhouette of him sitting on a garden chair while none of his loyal maidservants surround him, which was odd.
He was someone who was very pampered, walked around with 2 loyal maidservants who carried his umbrella to shade him and the other, a portable hand fan.
They even slept with him, occasionally.
Both at the same time or taking turns.
Chief Hong referred to the 2 maidservants as Siamese Twins.
They were vicious, staring at Soojin with hatred as deep as the ocean and as vast as the sky for Min Yun Ki had given her the title of The Queen Consort, whereas they, lived as Royal Concubines.
Then again, Min Yun Ki had over a dozen concubines but the Siamese Twins were by far, his closest ally.
Soojin had even walked past his chamber doors rapped open for her to witness him pounding into one of the twins, an evil sly grin taking over his lips as he stared at Soojin's wide eyes through the heinous act.
He'd purposely have his concubines whine and moan so their pathetic sounds could reverberate past the corridors and fall over Soojin's chamber, mocking her.
"Ah, Queen Consort. Have a seat." Yun Ki says, signalling to a white stool before him.
"Might I add, you look marvellous. The pearls look as though they were made to be adorned on you, My Queen." He coos, leaning forward and playing with the pearl earrings that hung off of her lobe, long enough to touch the tip of her shoulders and occasionally graze the crook of her neck, where his fingers had now advanced.
The pearls of course, were just an excuse to touch her.
The rough pads of his fingers graze the expanse of her neck, causing her to stiffen and sit back in her seat, much to Yun Ki's dismay.
"What might be the issue?" Soojin asks, fiddling with the rhinestones on her ring finger.
Yun Ki slumps back, smirking at her under confident stature, gaining sadistic pleasure through it.
"I heard you were ridiculed and degraded at the event. Is that quite right?" He asks, crossing his hands over his chest, the loose strands of his bond hair wafting through the cool breeze that blew in the open garden.
"You've heard it right, Majesty. I was reminded of my stature, yet again." Soojin replies.
"Soojin-ah, it's not your stature they reminded you of. It's your cowardice that brought about this unnecessary change. What I cannot decipher is how someone like you, who talks to the wind, spurns me in my advances, talks down to me, couldn't wield a sword into the ground on her very first try."
The air grows silent.
Why was he being reflective over her attitude?
Where were the subtle taunts, the sarcastic demeaning tone that stripped her over her clothing despite being fully clothed?
"I-I..tha-that's not true." Soojin mumbles, choking on her words.
"What concerns me is that they talked down to you, The Queen Consort, The Highness of Baekmin. What angers me is that you couldn't stand up for yourself and had to rely on a nobleman to raise opposition to what was happening. Are you so fragile and infirm that you ought to beg for help?" Yun Ki demands, voice picking up volume.
The cruel bastard was right, undoubtedly.
She wasn't like this.
She held her pride and herself in the highest of order.
Nothing was more significant to her than the imaginary crown she wore atop her head.
Where had that crown disappeared?
Her personality was crumbling down, making her weaker with the advancing days.
"Y-You've made me this way." Soojin retaliates.
An eerie silence takes over the scene.
The birds no longer chirping as they too have a home to return to while Soojin lives in a Palace she's learnt not to call home.