A Shadow with a Smile | Ong Seong Wu

         

A young girl paced quickly out of the large wooden door leading to the prime minister of the right's home. She carried her coat over her head as was proper for a girl of her age, and her long hair was braided down to her waist. You could immediately tell she fit in at the house she just came from - her clothes were made with the finest silks and she carried herself with the grace needed to pull them off.
On either side she was flanked by a short woman with rose coloured cheeks and her husband, both looking rather exasperated. As the youngest Miss Lee's personal servants, they were being ferried around to wherever Hye Ryung saw fit that day, week after week after week.
"Slow down, young miss!" Called Jin Ae, Hye Ryung's babysitter since her birth. Shin, who had only joined Prime Minister Lee's household three years ago, stood to the side and let his wife attempt to reel the 18-year-old in.
Today, Hye Ryung wasn't just running around for no reason. As it turns out, the Minister of War had decided that it was time for his eldest son should start looking around for a wife, and the search had obviously begun at the home of the second-most powerful man in the country - one with three daughters.
Hye Ryung did not dislike meeting potential marriage partners, and was in fact rather keen on meeting someone who could stand by her through life, but her unmarried elder sister took priority in the marriage market, so she decided to take herself out of the way and make a good day out of it.
Hye Ryung walked speedily down the dirt path heading towards the stables. Jin Ae and Shin ran behind her, trying to knock the idea of a horse out of her head.
"Do you want to see me dead!? Your father will have me whipped if you fall off!" Shin whined.
"Nonsense! I told you, Eui Geon taught me how to ride!" Hye Ryung retorted. Seeing her husband was going to open his mouth again, Jin Ae shook her head fiercely at him and ran to catch up with her mistress. Shin trailed behind mumbling incoherently as Hye Ryung sped up even more. Eui Geon, her friend from childhood who had recently passed his military examinations and secured a job with the Royal Guard, had been the person Hye Ryung ran to on her days out for the past eight years. They had been introduced by Hye Ryung's mother, who knew everyone around the city. As a result, the two were inseparable best friends.

When Hye Ryung came running into the stables, Eui Geon was busy tacking up his bay mare so she'd be ready to leave as soon as possible. Indigo was the horse that he had first taught Hye Ryung to ride on, and she had become quite attached to her already. As a Jeju horse through and through Indigo was strong enough to carry them both for days upon end, if only they would be let out that long. The two had to settle on afternoons out when they could be spared.

"Just wait there, we're almost done. Jin Ae, Shin, do you mind staying? Indigo is the only one we could spare, and she can't carry all of us." Eui Geon asked. Shin looked around incredulously, but before he could reply Jin Ae smiled warmly and replied in the affirmative.

"As long as she comes back in one piece, don't mind us." Eui Geon grinned widely and turned to Hye Ryung, who had snuck up beside him.

"Could you get me a bridle from the tack room? This one's broken. I think any of the ones without labels will do, they don't belong to the king's horses." Hye Ryung looked around her once and strided towards the nearest open door.

"Not that one, the next one over." She grinned sheepishly and quickly adjusted her path. Not bothering to slow down, she bounded around the corner and skidded to a halt an inch away from something black. Realising she was facing someone, Hye Ryung lifted her eyes to inspect the newcomer.

She had hardly moved out of the way before the figure moved swiftly past her out into the courtyard. Puzzled, Hye Ryung stared after him, wondering why he had his face covered, but soon turned back to the task she had been given. Despite most of the bridles available having the king's insignia on them, she managed to find a blank one quite quickly, and she returned to Indigo and Eui Geon with the same energy she had left them with.

Hye Ryung stepped aside to her aides when she noticed the man from before standing beside Indigo.

"Who's that?" She asked Shin, knowing full he would have scrutinised him already in case he was someone his mistress should not be seen with.

"Did you see his face? He had a triangle of moles on his cheek! I'm sure he's up to no good if he went to that extent to cover such an uncommon characteristic up." Shin answered, obviously not keen on him. Upon hearing this, Jin Ae widened her eyes, and checked Hye Ryung's curious expression.

"A triangle? Are you sure? I didn't see anything." She questioned.

"If Shin's right then that's an amazing coincidence. It would match the pattern on my shoulder."

"The young miss had a triangle on her shoulder? I was never told! I never saw anything!" Shin looked around confused.

"That's because you aren't a woman, you ass!" The married couple continued to bicker and failed to notice Hye Ryung brushing her curiosity off and heading towards Eui Geon, without bothering to wait for him to finish his conversation with the stranger.

Without a warning, Hye Ryung ran the last meter towards the pair and jumped onto Eui Geon's back.

"Hye Ryung! Did you get us a bridle?" Eui Geon chuckled. He turned back to face the stranger only to be met with an empty space. "What- oh, for goodness' sake, he's gone again. Remind me to yell at him for it next time I see him, will you?"

"Who's he?" Hye Ryung quizzed immediately. She slid off Eui Geon's back and hopped over to Indigo.

"Hong Seong Wu. We trained for our military examinations together, but he won't say whether he passed them or not. Why, you interested?" He winked.

"Tsk. He won't even say hello, why would I bother?" Hye Ryung retorted. "Are we going? I want to go to the river, if you don't mind." She took the bridle back out of Eui Geon's hands and turned to fasten it around Indigo's head.

"Whenever you're ready, milady." Eui Geon grinned.