The Red Moon

“I know,” She sighed heavily. “But know this, in three days time you’re mine the entire day, understand?” She said in a sweet voice that had a slightly threatening undertone.

---

“Without permission,” He said softly. “Come on, I’ll come lay with you for a while.”

She nodded a little as she stood up and walked to their bed, she took off her shoes then laid down. There was nothing Lily really wanted besides to be with him.

He nodded a little,"After we finish studying," he said to her nodding a little, "We have to do that too," he said to her.

She whined a little. “Are you so determined to make me have a sexless wedding night?” She asked exasperatedly.

---

He laid down and pulled her against him. “It will work out somehow. I promise.”

She nodded a little as she snuggled into him, "I wish you weren't gone so often, I hardly get to see you now," she murmured gently as she rubed his chest.

He smiled a little, "After finish our studies then we will be free to do as we wish," he said kissing her cheek.

She whined, making a face that was close to pouting. “We get married and then we have to study for four hours,” She said. “Can’t we at least have that day off?”

---

“I’m trying to make as much money as I can just as a backup,” He said softly. “But I wish it didn’t take so much of my time.”

He smiled a little,"We will get days off once we're done learning, we wont have to tend the farm every day - most days it'll just ben tending the animals which wont take long," he said to her smiling a little.

She nodded a little,"I uhm.. I have some things we can sell if we need to," she thought about the earings she'd came in, they were gold and diamond - a gift from her ex but she liked them so she kept them.

“Torturing your wife to be Baek Ah, it’s fine,” She said, sighing a little. “I’ll just wait patiently for my husband to have time to consummate our marriage in between classes,” She said dramatically.

---

“No not yet. We still can see if my father will accept you.” He said softly, nodding a little.

Lily agreed silently then looked up at him, he seemed to be the king of self control, "I wish things were different, a world where we could decide what we wanted," she told him gently.

He smiled a little, "You'll live, don't worry," he said to her as he kissed her gently.

She kissed him back and sighed, wrapping his arms around him. Though she gave him a hard time she didn’t mind doing thi ngs he wanted, she loved him and would do anything to make him happy. “Yeah yeah,”

---

He kissed her hair softly. “I know. It will work I promise, I will make things work regardless of his decision.”

Lily waited outside the kings room, she knew he'd be alone because she asked So, but she could only hope he'd agree to see her. Her heart was thudding in her chest and she waited patiently to see him. She had everything in mind of what she wanted to say, but part of her knew he might not accept her - thus creating more problems. "He will see you now," one of the guards spoke and opened the door, when she walked in she bowed as she had been told.

"Thank you for seeing me, your highness," she said gently then raised her eyes to meet his.

Maia woke up and sighed, laying in bed for a few moments before climbing out of bed and walking over to Baek Ah’s Room. Today was the day they would get married and she was ecstatic, she just wasn’t sure what to expect. “Hey, so what should I do? This is my first Korean wedding so I’m not entirely sure.” She smiled a little.

---

The emperor looked down at her silently, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"I'm sure you're furious, or about as happy with me as someone in your position should be. I also know that your notions on love and marriage probably don't coincide with what I grew up believing," she told him honestly then sighed, "but I do know you did love, I'm asking for your acceptance - for the same acceptance you would have asked for could you have married the woman you loved." Lily sighed a little as she looked down.

"Your son is... more to me than a title, I love him...more than I've loved anyone in my life," she said gently as she looked up at him, "I can be an embassador for your people, it can be a glimmer of hope that love is not all lost on the eyes of the royalty,"

He smiled a little and laughed, "Well you'll wear a hanbok, and maybe braid your hair into a bun?" he offered as he looked at her curiously.

“And what do you have that can be offered as an ambassador? As I’ve been told you stole my son from his prospective wife, and now she is both husband and futureless.” He said coldly, not moving once. “I don’t think you could offer any sort of relatability to my people.”

---

She nodded a little. “So dress like I would have in the palace? Do we go together or separately?” She asked curiously. She still had some of her nice hanboks in her crate, and she could do her hair she just wasn’t sure on the formalities.

"Back in my home, I managed an entire city. I rationed food to people and distributed ale as it was needed," she said to him, "I solved issues of angry people, I helped raise children that weren't my own. I took care of people who I didn't have to... people I didn't even know. I'm not asking for praise, and if we're being quite honest I don't care what she wants she has many other prince's to choose from for a husband. Standing at Wang So's side... We can make this place better," Lily hoped she could get him to understand, even a little would make her happy.

Lily let out a deep breath, "I have patience, and kindness but a willingness to understand not everything can be solved with words. Actions are what I have to prove to you that I am capable of being your son's wife, you say you can not possibly thing I have any sort of reliability but you've yet to give me a chance to prove anything." she told him, "Give me a chance and I'll prove to you just how reliable I am,"

He nodded a little,"We can go in together, if you'd like it's not very serious which do you prefer?" he asked curiously.

“I’d like to go in with you, I’ll be more comfortable that way,” She smiled a little. “So I’ll go get ready and come back,” She smiled and went to her trunk, pulling out the nicest hanbokshe brought and braiding her hair into a bun. She put on a hair pin and sighed, going to sit on the bed. She was excited, this was what she wanted, she was just nervous about what to expect.

---

He shook his head slightly and sighed. “You may go, guards escort her out.” He said, waving his hand and turning away.

She bowed to him then exited the room before making her way back to the chambers she shared with So, then rubbed her face groaning as she walked to the bed falling face first into mattress, "he hates me," she mumbled to no one in particular.

He nodded, "Okay," he said as he began to change as well so they could be ready for the ceremony.

So looked at her from his spot on the bed. “He ignored you, didn’t He?” He asked softly. “The Princess has been by his side incessantly in front of an audience lamenting about her pain,” He sighed. “Maybe if I asked him to take me out of the line of succession, lower me to a royal prince, it might solve this.”

---

She waited in her room, swinging her feet off the side of the bed. It was strange it felt like she was eloping but she wouldn’t have it any other way. As long as she had him she didn’t care.

"What pain could she possibly have? She has many prices to choose from, it is her picky attitude that got her in this position in the first place - she is a idiot," she muttered shaking her head, "I just want to leave, both of us," she said to him as she lifted her head.

He walked to her then smiled, "Are you ready?" he asked as he was dressed for the wedding, he knew this was a big deal but he knew their lives would be different.

She smiled a little, standing off the bed and following him out. She took his hand and walked with him toward the temple. "I'm getting better in my classes. I learned how to make a rice stew yesterday. Today I will lean to make beef stew." She said excitedly. "So I'll be able to feed you, we wont die."

---

"Where do you want to go?" He asked her, shrugging his shoulders. "I know no trades, I wouldn't want to go anywhere I couldn't support you."

She sighed a little then closed her eyes, "I don't know," she murmured gently as she looked at the wall drawing shapes on - was it wrong to want things to be easier.

He smiled a little,"It's good that we won't die, I'd like to live till I'm seventy with you by my side," he said to her nodding.