Fifteen

Waking up with her king was one thing but waking up to his arms around her waist and her head tucked under his chin against his chest was an entirely different level of love. It was everything she'd ever dreamed of.

Noh Ha Kyung slowly and carefully detached her upper body from him. She didn't want to wake His Majesty upon seeing that he was still sleeping soundly. Oh how she wished for time to be frozen in this moment forever!

She still found him as handsome as ever, making her want to kiss those lips again. Noh Ha Kyung closed her eyes and leaned in for it. It was only after she had stolen her morning kiss that Hwi opened his eyes.

"My Queen," he croaked.

Hwi realized at once that his arms were wrapped around her. He quickly removed it and sat up.

"Did you sleep at all?" he asked, afraid that he made her uncomfortable.

"I had one of the best sleeps in a while," she replied shyly.

Weird how her feelings for him never changed despite knowing the truth. If anything, she only loved him more.

"Love is love," she remembered Yu Gong telling her earlier before they returned to the palace.

She was right. This felt right.

"We should probably check on Taeyeon and proceed with our morning greetings to The Grand Queen Dowager," said Hwi, standing up.

He held out his hand to pull her up just in time for a few maids to rush in to tend to their bedding.

"Good morning my sweet boy!"

Noh Ha Kyung scooped Taeyeon into her arms and smothered him with kisses while Hwi smiled at the joyous sight. The little boy was wide awake and seemed happy.

"He has grown quite a bit these past few days," he said.

Apparently, The Grand Queen Dowager agreed with Hwi. She was falling in love with her fast growing great-grandson.

If only Prince Wonsan was here to see it...

"I'm glad you decided to return to the palace and not wander the wild with him," she said to Hwi.

She'd been drowning in all sorts of guilt for so long that she almost forgot what it felt like to be genuinely happy, even if it was just for a short moment. The fact that Taeyeon was continuing her bloodline brought her inexplicable joy. As for Hwi, she owed it to him to allow him to be the best he could be. Who cares if he favored the same gender? She just needed some time to get used to it.

"It's the way you rule that matters most now," she said to him.

Hwi nodded.

"I suppose you will set a great example for Taeyeon," The Grand Queen Dowager added.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Hwi gave a slight bow. This was a lot easier than he had anticipated, but considering his fair share of difficult decisions and life-threatening experiences, he was pretty confident that his endurance level for anything was through the ceiling now.

The Grand Queen Dowager's eyes rolled onto Noh Ha Kyung. She beamed at her granddaughter-in-law and complimented her on her great parenting skills.

"Whether or not Taeyeon becomes someone we will be proud of depends solely on you two," she said to both Hwi and his queen.

Noh Ha Kyung slightly blushed while Hwi gave a simple nod. A court maid returned Taeyeon to Noh Ha Kyung.

"Alright, you both best get out of here and go on about your day," said The Grand Queen Dowager.

The couple gave a final bow and left the premises. When outside, Hwi turned to Noh Ha Kyung and informed her that he'd drop by later in the afternoon after fulfilling his duties. He then proceeded to the assembly hall where the royal officials were engaged in an excited chatter.

"You may have heard rumors," Hwi began.

His deep voice roared throughout the hall, silencing everyone at once. He was always known for this type of grand entry.

"... that I've a plan to strengthen The Royal Institute by initiating a state examination in order to seek out the best scholars in the nation."

Royal Scholar Shin Yeong Su stroked his silver beard and nodded in agreement. He had always fully supported Hwi just as he supported Hwi's father, the late King Hyejong. It is no doubt that Hwi inherited a large chunk of his father's intelligence and wisdom.

"The exam will comprise of a variety of subjects such as literature and classic arts," Hwi continued.

"Scholars from all over the country are welcome to register to test their knowledge and skills, and the top three will be selected to serve our nation."

"A wonderful idea indeed," said Shin Yeong Su. "Have you decided upon a date, Your Majesty?"

"Sometime late autumn," Hwi replied. "That'll not only allow The Royal Institute plenty of time to prepare but also gives scholars adequate time to study."

"This will pave the way for a brighter future for us," Royal Scholar Park Beom Du said with his arms folded.

Hwi smiled and nodded.

"The Royal Institute may come up with an exact date after preparations are ready," he said.

The royal officials nodded in unison.

"Anyone objects?" Hwi asked.

Not a single body swayed.

"We will speak more of this as preparations go under way," Hwi continued. "Any ideas may be proposed along the way."

For the first time in a long time, Hwi felt proud of himself. It was an idea he had shelved in the back of his mind since his Crown Prince days with the hopes of one day proposing the idea to his father in order to impress him. Unfortunately he was never able to bring that topic to the table. Now, however, was his chance to make his late father and brother proud.

"You are really proving your worth," said Eunuch Hong, as they descended the steps from the assembly hall.

The morning assembly ended on a positive note, much to Hwi's satisfaction.

"Well considering the corrupt Minister Baek has been taken care of, we continue with the rebuilding and improving our nation," said Hwi. "Our boot camp strengthens our military but we have yet to really grow intellectually."

"Prince Taeyeon sure does have a great role model," said Eunuch Hong.

Hwi paused at the last step. He'd almost forgotten about the boy... and Noh Ha Kyung, too, for that matter.

"So, how did it go with the Queen last night?" Eunuch Hong asked.

Hwi proceeded forwards in the direction of The Queen's quarters.

"Would you like the details or a short answer?" Hwi shot back.

Eunuch Hong giggled.

"Uh, details would be nice," he replied with a shy smile.

"She confessed her true feelings to me and I felt bad so being as tired as I was, I stayed the night," Hwi explained. "We have a child together now so we would've been morning gossip if I returned to my own quarters."

"That's good," Eunuch Hong replied.

He tried not to giggle. He found it cute that His Majesty could be so... cute.

"You always have to know everything, huh, Bok Dong?" Hwi teased, as he continued to walk elegantly with arms crossed behind his back.

"Well I'm just glad you're happy," Eunuch Hong replied. "I assume you are since you're glowing today."

Hwi thought for a moment.

"Nothing happened!" Hwi slightly raised his voice to clear the air.

He knew what Eunuch Hong meant by "glowing".

"Oh."

Eunuch Hong grunted and smiled sheepishly.

"We literally just turned in for the night," Hwi further explained. "Just... just like those nights before."

And by that, he meant before Noh Ha Kyung had learned the truth. He made her keep their sleeping arrangement a secret and couldn't be more thankful that she kept her word. Hwi guessed that's probably why it was so easy to come up with a convincing story about Taeyeon's background. No one really knew if they did the deed or not... or when Noh Ha Kyung actually left the palace. 

"It isn't easy," said Noh Ha Kyung, as she scooped Taeyeon from Yu Gong's arms.

Hwi arrived at The Queen's quarters moments later to find her soothing an upset Taeyeon. He watched as she rocked him back and forth while Yu Gong went to retrieve tea.

"It may take some time for him to adapt to the palace," Noh Ha Kyung explained. "The weather is getting cooler here."

Hwi put his hand on Taeyeon's cheek and gently caressed it.

"You are growing up fast, aren't you?" Hwi said to him in a babyish tone.

Noh Ha Kyung had never seen that side of him before. She gave a small laugh.

"What?" Hwi asked.

He looked away feeling slightly embarrassed.

She laughed again and handed Taeyeon to him.

"Whoa!"

Hwi didn't have a choice but to take the baby as she had practically forced him into his arms.

"I- I don't think I'm good with babies," said Hwi in a hesitant tone.

He put one hand on Taeyeon's back and pressed down gently so that the baby's head rested comfortably on his shoulder.

"It's really a natural instinct," she replied. "Here."

Noh Ha Kyung grabbed Hwi's hand and repositioned it to Taeyeon's neck.

"You have to support his neck in case he happens to fall backwards," she told him.

She beamed at the uncle-nephew pair, or should she say 'father-son' just to get the hang of it? Technically that's what they were known to be anyway.

"He's not cranky anymore," she said after observing them for a few solid seconds.

Hwi smiled.

"You must be tired," he said to Noh Ha Kyung. "Babies aren't exactly a walk in the park."

"You know no matter how attached I am to him I still have Yu Gong and the other maids who help daily," Noh Ha Kyung replied. "What is a baby anyway when you have a whole kingdom to run?"

Hwi was silent. She really made it sound too easy.

"Remember when I told you I should learn how to care for my own child to truly know how it feels to be the mother of this nation?" she asked him. "I still mean that."

"Of course I remember," said Hwi.

He remembers as if it were yesterday. Honestly, he couldn't imagine anyone else to be his queen. She was undoubtedly beautiful inside and out.

"Thank you," he said in an almost whisper.

"For what?" she asked.

"For always staying by my side."