His silver eyes are full of laughter.
"In a minute," he says, though not quite as loud as she had sounded. "Come with me."
The court ladies bow away as they approach and the two make their way across the landscaped courtyard - towards the mouth of the bubbling brook which fed the lake Yun was fantasizing about.
"Kang Seo, come here!" Yun shouts as soon as he spots Seo's head over the landscaped tall hedges. Then his jaw clenches when he notices Seol. "Why did you bring her?"
'Sometimes I forget how much he resembles Lord Father," Seol mutters under her breath and Seo chuckles.
"He could hold a grudge," he grins, speeding up to join the prince as he marveled at a small replica of a sailboat that bobbed up and down on the shallow end of the brook. "Why - Wangjanim, she is my oldest friend, should I have left her out of all the fun?"
Seol legs behind as Yun thinks it through, his tongue darting out from the gap of his teeth once more. Seo sits on the ground with no care for his robes. To begin with he isn't wearing his court robes which makes Seol think he had no intention of joining them for tea as invited. She frowns over that while Seo addresses Yun.
"I'd be sad if you ask her to go," he says sincerely. Yun bites his lip and tilts his head.
"Fine then," he declares. "Noona can stay." However, he picks up the boat with a possessive gesture. "But the boat is mine!"
Seo turns to her, mimicking that playful expression.
"I'll make a different one for you."
For a moment she wishes to hold him to that promise and wants to own an object which was carved and polished by his hands. She is brought out of that particular trail of thought by a splash of water and Yun cackles wickedly at her startled expression.
"Come - Nui, come play!" He invites, already knee deep in the brook and his elegant robes hanging partially drenched. Seo laughs at her expression. Before stretching out an arm in invitation.
"Want help?" He asks. Mischief dances in his silver eyes and Seol claps the offered hand without preamble.
Yun screams just as he realizes that he was outnumbered by the other two who had joined forces. Running along the shallow edge of the brook and throwing water at them.
"Catch him!" Seol is breathless with exertion and laughter. Her lungs ache and her throat is raw. "Seo - catch him!"
"You can't catch me! You can't - heeeeeeeeeee!" Yun goes down with a screech as Seo wrestles him down. They vanish with a splash before sprouting back - laughing, rolling on the brookside grass. The sight grips her, Yun with his gap teeth and infectious smile - Seo with his silver eyes full of mirth and his arms wrapped around the boy; that moment seems like a glimpse into a future, a future that something deep within her aches for while knowing full well that when it comes to pass - she would have no part of it.
"Mama - are you hurt?" Seo pauses immediately. His reflexes being so attuned to her only brings more of the prickling moisture at her eyes. Seol turns away.
"Yes - no - no, I'm fine."
Seo leaves Yun from their playful wrestle, ruffles the boy's hair and pulls himself upright, approaching Seol rather cautiously.
"Mama?"
"Could you stop that for a moment?" Seol snaps rather harshly, dabbing furiously at her eyes. Seo looks dumbstruck. "I don't want to be called "mama" - I - just stop!" When she turns he has tentatively approached her. They come up short face to face, too close for a diplomatic conversation. Her eyes are burning. "There's nobody here," her voice is hushed and full of longing. "No need to keep up appearances."
"My respect for you is not an appearance, mama," Seo's voice drops and so does his gaze. "It serves as a reminder of the distance between us -"
He is cut short by the clanking feet of armored men. The transition from Seo to general Kang is rather swift, he pushes her back and directs in an undertone.
"Get your brother."
The men who come, guardsmen from the imperial guard, stand at respectful attention. Before they could inform what had brought them Yong came running, out of breath and red in face - jaw contracted in anger.
"Nui!" He has eyes only for Seol. "Nui - are you alright?"
Seol clutched at Yun with an arm slung across him and unconsciously reached with her other hand to clench Seo's sleeve. Yong cradled her face and hugged her to himself, his shoulders shaking.
"What has happened?"
"An assassination attempt," Yong's voice is muffled against her shoulder. "A pot of tea had been poisoned. For a moment I thought -" He moves away in a moment, pulling himself together, hazel eyes hardened with fury. The bottom of Seol's stomach drops when he turns that hardened gaze on Seo. "Young master Kang, please come with me."
"What in the name of heavens -" Seol turns Yong around forcibly, to face her. "He was right here! With me!"
"Of cause sister," Yong says shortly, wrenching her grip off himself. "Young master Kang -"
The two young men exchange a look. A look that means nothing to Seol.
"You can't take him!" she doesn't care if her tone has turned shrill, if it makes Yong flinch. Yong of all people should know better than to accuse Seo - her Seo - of something so heinous!" "No - I will not let you!"
Seo waves a hand at the guardsmen and pulls Seol away from clawing at Yong. He holds her the same way she had clutched Yun earlier - as if she is nothing but a child.
"Hush," he says. The word pressed into her hair. Seol stills, the struggle leaving her frame lump against his. "Don't make trouble now. I'll be back. I promise."
She looks at him, trying to catch her breath - breathing harshly through her mouth.
"I promise," he repeats. "Let go now. Hmm? Let go."
Seol would have done anything to go against that expressed request but her hold is already relinquished and Seo pulls away, straightening his robes - already drenched from their water play earlier and gestures for the guardsmen to lead the way. Yong lingers for a short moment longer - watching her with a conflicted gaze. Seol openly scowls at him, barred from not ripping into him only by Seo's word not to create trouble.
*