The Red Moon

“They be kids, they’re educated, they play,” She smiled a little. “And I hope you’ll let whatever kids we have be kids.” She said softly.

---

He nodded as he stood walking with her out the door. “Are you nervous?” He asked softly.

"A little, but I'll be fine - I'm speaking the truth, there is no reason for me to be worried sick," she said to him smiling a little.

He sighed, "They should do some work, I'll be growing extra food they should learn to grow it as well so they can do it once they're older," he said to her.

“Of course they can learn, but they don’t need t start learning until they’re a little older.” She said, smiling a little.

---

He smiled a little. “I know it’ll be fine. You’re brilliant, and I know he’ll see it too.“

Lily walked with him to the throne room and requested to be seen, immediately she was accepted in. She bowed out of respect, "I've come to speak to you again, your highness. You've ignored me once but I am not one to give up easily," she said to him as she wet her lips. "Baek Ah left, but I know he asked you for permission to marry his companion multiple times yet you decline," she said - eyes were on her, "because you denied your son happiness he went to grasp it for himself - chances are he has married his companion out of your reach and has begun living his life the way he wishes, " she looked at him intently, keeping eye contact.

"You will continue to lose sons if you choose to ignore their desire for happiness and love,"

He nodded a little then sipped his water before sitting back in his chair, "It's still early," he said to her.

She made a face, putting the food into the pot to boil and going over to him, leaning down and kissing his face. "Kids should be able to enjoy their childhood, the little boy you're going to be working with, give him lots of breaks, and don't work him too hard." She said softly. "Bring him back here after, I want to feed him if I can help it."

---

"Baek Ah left because he allowed a concubine to convince him he had an alternative," The emperor said to her, crossing his arms. "There are people who are meant to be wives and people who are not."

"Like your mistresses?" she asked as she looked at him furrowing her brow, "It has come to my attention that you made two of your concubines your wives," she told him as she looked at him. "How is this not any different? Are we to think your wives did the same to you? or is it because they've disobeyed your desires to follow their own?"

He sighed,"Yes, yes," he said and peeked out side, "He is here, come here come come eat," he said to him motioning him to come inside.

She smiled as the little boy walked in, he was extremely thin and she knew immediately that she wanted to help this boy. "Baek Ah, you can't take him to work," She said softly, making a bowl with extra rice for him. "Look at him, he's frail." She said seriously, setting the food in front of the child. "Eat up, and tell me if you want more, we have plenty, alright?"

---

"I married who i was told to before making my concubines wives. Baek Ah had the choice to do that as well, he could have had his concubine as a wife after his wife had a son." The Emperor said to her. "He decided not to. Most of my other sons have been set aside to women across the country and I dont doublt they will follow through as promised. Wat does this have to do with you?"

"It's has everything to do with me, my husband and I want our marriage accepted," she said to him seriously, "I want our children to have a future," she told him with a straight face, she wanted nothing more than to hav a future. "If you continue on the path you're on, you're bound to lose more sons - or even daughters," she said to him honestly.

He sighed, "I suppose I'll request for an older boy to help me out, stay here then keep her company while I'm gone," he said ruffling his hair.

She smiled a little and added more food to the boy's bowl who looked shocked to have so much food. "What's your name, little one?" She asked, sitting down at the table next to him. "Dohyun," He said quietly, stuffing his mouth full of food. Maia looked up as Baek Ah walked back in and sighed. "I know it's impulsive but I want to adopt a child." She said seriously. "We have a room empty for a child already."

---

The emperor shrugged. "Why can't you wait? Be a concibine until he has a son, and then marry him and have children to your hearts content?"

"Because I am not going to lower myself to a concubine, ever," she said to him seriously, "I am worth way more than that, every woman is," she said looking at the women at his side, "You're all worth more than just being a pretty woman to warm a mans sheets," she said some of their faces that were hard softened then looked down, "It's an insult to me for him to marry someone else, to lay with someone else, to have a child to someone else," she shook her head. "I know what I deserve and it's deinfitely better than that,"

He looked at her and scoffed, "Yah, what'd you say to her," he joked nudging the boy then shaking his head a little, " I guess but you have to look after him so he isn't under foot," he told her.

"I'd be happy to," She smiled a little. "I mean, he's young and can help me around with cooking and stuff, or help you occaisionally. Plus I don't think we'll have a baby any time soon, with you being so busy, I think it would be nice to have someone to care for. And then whenever we do have a baby, our baby will have a sibling."

---

"This is the way it is in Korea. Your country might have a different culture but here this is not unheard of. You cannot change a culture because it doesn't fit you." He reminded her.

"She's not trying to change a culture. I don't want to marry anyone else, and neither did Baek Ah. He left because Maia made him happy, and he wouldn't be happy with anyone else. I don't want to be with anyone other than Lily." So explained from the emperor's side.

Lily nearly swallowed her tongue at his insinuation that women were to remain how they were she wanted rip his head of but kept her expression stoic. "Heard of or not, if you care for your children you'll give them the right to choose - you'll be surprised at how much more acceptng they are of suggestions. I just want to be with him, I want to be accepted. I don't have anyone besides So, he is my family now; the freedom to choose isn't the death of a culture it's the progression of one,"

He smiled a little then nodded,'Alright then, we should see him taken to a doctor soon to make sure he isn't ill," he said to her honestly,.

She smiled widely and kissed him softly. “Thank you,” She smiled a little. “Was that too impulsive?” She asked sheepishly, pouring the boy some water from the jug.

---

The emperor raised an eyebrow and sighed. “I’ll think about it,” He said to her, looking up as the Princess was announced and walked into the room, making So raise his eyebrows.

She sighed a little as she walked into the room and her eyes immediately dropped to her stomach and for a moment she looked like a fish out of water before covering her mouth then leaned over to So, "she is pregnant?" she asked as she looked at him with a furrowed brow.

He smiled, "Never, I'll be back in for water soon," he said to her as he kissed her head then walked out of the house.

She smiled a little and went over to check on Dohyun, asking if he wanted more to eat and cleaning up. She had to practice gardening but she figured she’d take him with her to get to know while she did.

---

So looked alarmed. “The princess? She shouldn’t be? She is unmarried... so no likely not.” He said as he looked at her. “Why?”

"No.. she is," she said looking back at her stomach then at him, "You can't tell?!" she asked him completely shocked, "she is huge," she murmured.

“I never really looked at her,” He admitted sheepishly. “How can she be so far along?”

Maia sat in their bedroom, waiting for Baek Ah to come back while she painted in the other room. She made a simple toy for him out of rice and cloth so Dohyun played in the other room. “Hey, did you finish?” She asked him when he walked in.

She shook her head a little, "This needs to be brought to light you know what this means right?" she said to him gently, "she was going to use you,"

He sighed a little, "Just a bit, we've got to build a closure for the chickens and goats yet," he said to her wiping his brow.

She smiled a little and gestured for him to come over. “I painted the wall, I hope they won’t mind,” She said as she showed it to him. “I got to know Dohyun a bit more, he’s a sweet kid. Doesn’t have many toys so I made him one.”

---

He looked at her stunned. “What do you mean?” He asked in alarm. “She’s already pregnant.”

"But she didn't look pregnant when she was pursuing you, she was going to say it was your baby," she told him quietly as she shook her head. "They have to know," she told him, "It's unfair to the child, what will happen to it?"

He shrugged a little,"thats fine I'm sure he'll use it well," he smiled as he looked ath.