"Lady Hye Su?" Jin Wo tilt his head in an attempt to remember her – failing of course, how could he when he never pays attention when his teachers are talking?
"Did we go through her family while studying before?" Jin Wo whispered to Yu Jun to avoid hurting this unknown lady but unfortunately, she heard him, and she didn't care to hide the unpleasantness from her face.
Yu Jun sighed shaking his head at his brother's actions, gesturing for him to shut up. "I apologize Lady Hye Su if my brother made you feel uncomfortable." Yu Jun said putting his political smile to work.
"Stop it brother, don't apologize." Jae I said not taking her eyes off Hye Su. "Lady Hye, don't you think that you are the one who is supposed to apologize for causing the princes to feel uncomfortable with you appearing here, at the imperial family's personal lake, without notice?" she said each word like shooting arrows at her target, every word fell like poison on Hye Su's body, but she kept her cool with her head held high.
"Who is this Hye Su lady?" Tari whispered to Joon Wo who was standing on her left.
He raised his shoulders in ignorance. "I don't know her; I only know her family. I've been away for long," he said leaning down with his head to whisper back.
"Okay, don't take too much at heart, sister," Yu Jun said gently placing a hand on his sister's shoulder signally for her to hold her fire. "Anyway, what brings you here, Lady Hye?"
"Eh? You don't know?" She pretended to be stunned which sent chills of disgust down Nefertari's spine.
'This woman is unbelievably cunning.' Tari thought. Tari has been to too many social gatherings and circles, so she knows all those tricks used by nobles, and to be honest, the way this Hye Su lady is using it seemed too pathetic to her.
"Don't you think that circling around the main topic when you are talking to the Crown Prince of Goryeo is disgraceful as well?" Tari said, within split seconds she turned into the strong woman she is when she is dealing with nobles.
"Oh, you might not know, but soon I'll be closer to the Crown Prince, closer than you will ever get," Hye Su smirked.
Not only did Nefertari pull out her costume that she displays during work, but she also switched to the dark side of her, the part that resembled her father that night where he was inches away from killing Ashkan.
She might resemble her mother in many things as her father always says, but what he forgot to mention that she also inherited his dark side as well.
"I beg your pardon, but, who are you again?" Nefertari said holding her head higher than usual.
"E-excuse me? Didn't you listen to a word I was saying?" Hye Su scoffed.
"YOU!"
All the eyes were no on Nefertari with disbelief at her sudden rise of voice and the cold-dark tone that dominated over her sweet-gentle one, and from the looks of it, she wasn't done.
"You will watch how you talk to me." Nefertari badgered. "I'm Nefertari, Crown Princess, and next in line to the Throne of Kemet the empire created by The Sun God Ra! Now, who are you?" Her silver-gray eyes darkened. The thought that a mere lady like her was talking to her and her friends in that disrespectful tone made her furious.
Nefertari has never used her title against others, and she had no intention to do that either, but for some reason she found herself thanking the gods that she wore her crown today.
The sight of her made Hye Su tremble now, biting down on her lips she looked out the princess of Kemet who stood tall and high, with her clothing making her look almost like a goddess herself, the opened-silk skirt that wrapped around her waist to fall down revealing the matching pants underneath that ended with golden bracelet right around her ankle.
The sun rays finding her figure from all the others fell on her, casting a curtain of golden threads around her, reflecting on the golden cobra that stood of the crown. It all looked as if The Sun God Ra was sending a warning to whoever disrespects his bestowed Queen.
Joon Wo was lost for words, nothing he could say would describe how taken aback he felt at the side he never saw before. At that moment he remembered Azar's words… "She was born to be a Queen," Azar said that day when he watched Nefertari spar with Ashkan.
"S-shouldn't we stop them?" Min Jun said patting Joon Wo on the arm.
"That's enough," Yu Jun said standing in between them. "Lady Hye Su, you've disrespected our honored guest with your wild mouth, if you don't wish to cause further problems with our allying country, I suggest you leave."
Joon Wo could swear that he heard Hye Su's teeth grind together.
"I apologize, Your Highness and Princess," she said looking down at her feet after she realized that this indeed might cause problems with Kemet and her whole family would be band out as traitors. "I was only here at the word of His Majesty,"
"And what would His Majesty want from a Lady of the Changs?" Jin Wo said narrowing his eyes, clearly getting tired of this mess that's ruining their picnic.
Jae I's eyes went wide as she caught up with what Hye Su was talking about. Marriage. Why else would His Majesty offer an audience to a lady from the Changs? They are a great family that got its power and money from trading, not only inside the country but with the neighboring countries as well.
Simply, he was going to secure their power to the imperial family by marriage. But who! The king didn't announce the official heir to his throne! Yu Jun is only taking care of that responsibility as the oldest son.
"I was called here because I'm to be engaged to the crown prince."