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Chapter 10: Gwandeong

The city is a vast, sprawling metropolis of white brick buildings. The cobblestone roads are flooded with people throwing confetti and flower petals into the carriage. Through the chaos, I can see shops and stores. The people are just as beautiful as I had been told. They wore finee clothes and their hair and makeup were pristine. Even the men had a beauty about them. Even the most average of faces looked stunning. Banners written in a language I did not know hang overhead. There are people in the balconies shouting cheers as we pass by. The carriage carrying Lord Ryeok and Ha Rae are far ahead of us. Guards surround us on all sides keeping people away.

“Lord Chan-Yung, please be happy!” A woman shouts from the crowd.

“Yung-a, how can my heart live on knowing you will never be mine?!” Another echoes. I turn to see a young woman, beautifully made up with sparkling blue eyeshadow that matches her dress, crying as she gazes past me at Chan-Yung. He turns in her direction and gives a sly wink. The woman clutches her heart and screams with joy. She runs toward the carriage, but a guard pushes her away back onto the sidewalk.

It dawns on me that Chan-Yung is truly a young master. His people love and adore him. I look at the man at my side and try to find something to like. He is beautiful, true, but that beauty hides venom. His eyes lock with mine and for a moment his face goes blank. My heart races and before I can react, he pulls me closer and kisses me roughly. I stop breathing, the crowd goes wild. I am a statue in his arms as he forces my lips apart and pushes his tounge inside. I begin to struggle, but he holds me closer.

He whispers against my lips, “Play along, or else.” The threat is heavy and his pheromones surround us in a suffocating fog. I go limp in his embrace and close my eyes, willing the whole thing to end soon. The roar of the crowd fades away as I try to pretend I am somewhere else, with someone else. Suddenly, the air smells of honeysuckle and mist. The lips I am kissing belong to another. In my mind, the silver hair turns jet black and the eyes become yellow, intense, loving. I can feel the toned muscles replace the thinner frame and I wrap my arms around a thicker neck. I fall into the kiss willingly, passionately.

“Well, all I have to do to make you comply is mimic my brother’s scent.” The voice is smooth and filled with sarcasm. The image in my head shatters and I am once again in Chan-Yung’s arms. His arms are gripping me tightly and It is getting very hard to breath. His eyes are piercing into mine and the the sound of the crowd erupts back into my ears. “Be prepared to discuss your loyalty to me later, My Love.” My heart pummles my ribcage as Chan-Yung releases me and turns me back to the crowd. I see a massive structure looming before us. Up a steep hill surrounded by a black gate, is a mansion big enough to house half of the town. It is made of white marble and stands five stories tall. I can see hedges and flowers of various colors behind the bars. The crowd is behind us and guards stand in solid lines keeping them from coming closer to the mansion.

“Welcome home, Issa.” Chan-Yung says and we enter the gardens. The hedges I had seen from the street are laid out in a maze. The horses manuver through them with familiarity. The green walls are high enough that it would take a ladder to see over them, but not so tall as to be overwhelming. I glance around and see small openings leading out of sight. I can feel Chan-Yung’s eyes on me as I marvel at the impressive structure. After a while, we enter a small clearing with a massive fountain in the center of it. It is made of a shimmering silver stone and the water is too blue to be real. The depiction of three wolves at the feet of three men stand over the shining waters. The wolves are massive with penetrating gems for eyes. The men, handsome with hair long enough to sweep the ground. Their gazes are serene, but there is a sense of danger hidden behind the stone facades.

“Our founding clansmen and their wolf forms, forever engraved in stone.” Chan-Yung ssays softly. I turn to look at him and I see the admiration on his face as he gazes at the statues. I turn back and notice writing at the base of the statue.

“What does that say?” I ask.

Chan-Yung does not take his eyes from the statues, “Let the world belong to he who does not fear the shedding of blood.” His grin is unsettling and the words themselves make my skin crawl. I look at the faces of the statues again, and the for the briefest moment, it seems as though their gazes had shifted towards me. We pass the fountain and their gazes follow us as we go. My knees give out and I sit for the first time since entering the city. Every new thing I see or hear shakes my resolve. My mind is reeling with the stress of the situation I am in and all I want to do is sleep. Sleep and never wake up.