Chapter 10
Adjustments
The Queen Of Jamaica kept her word, she waited until the ships were emptied of their cargo, horses were safely put in the stables, and her people settled into the new villages (made on the other side of the palace away from the native people and their villages so as to slowly emerge the people) before she even began to relax her mind.
And it was dusk by the time the Queen and King Tae-Han entered the palace. Many of the special arrangements and celebrations that were prepared for the Queen were to be rescheduled for another day.
Now Queen Asora did not ignore that there was a possibility that the King had planned things for the day, so as the King showed her around the palace with her Wisemen, his Advisors, and maids. She eventually stopped him in the hallway before he showed her the last few rooms of the palace.
"King Tae-Han," Queen Asora said and very quickly the King stopped and turned to her with eyes brows raised and a small smile. This had been the second time he heard her saying his name, a wave of heat rushed from his ears to his toes, he liked it... a lot.
"Yes?" He said.
"I hope I am not being presumptuous in asking but did you have any arrangements for you or me? I hope we did not interfere. "
"You are not being presumptuous, we were supposed to and still will."
"Oh, but I feel bad. I know none you are used to this, a Queen having to take care of her own matters and country outside of the King's responsibilities. But I promise as I learn more about your country, people, and this land you call home," Queen Asora smiled. "I will have better time management so that I can support you and your Kingdom. Not as a Queen, but as a wife."
The Queen's uncle smiled proudly, the conversations and lessons he had with his niece, although uneasy, were starting to come to light.
King Tae-Han nodded his head in understanding, "Do not fret over this, I know as a king that it is very hard to get all the timing right, so I completely understand."
"Thank you for your understanding and hospitality."
The King gave a small smile, "No, thank you for coming here. I know it was a long journey, which is why I think we should all turn in for the night."
The Queen nodded her head in agreement, her body ached and her feet felt numb. "I think that is a great idea."
The King then led her and their small crowd of people back through the palace, however, the Queen became confused as the King walked to the main entrance where the guards opened the door back to the main courtyard.
Asora did her best not to scrunch up her face from the pain she felt in her feet as she followed him outside. But after a couple of minutes of walking, the small group left the main courtyard and were walking behind the palace.
The Queen wanted to ask where they were going, but she stopped when something caught the corner of her eye.
There in its glory stood the tallest Palace she had seen, and as they walked closer Asora kept sneaking glances from the palace behind them. How did she not notice this?
King Tae-Han chuckled as he caught the foreign Queens confusion, "You did not think that those palaces were it, did you? The palace we left is called Changdeokgung, it is mostly empty because it is solely used for my general, soldiers, and advisors to lives, it is also where we have meetings."
King Tae-Han stuck his hand out to the grand palace in front of them," This palace in front of you is called Gyeongbokgung. As you can probably guess this is where you and I are to stay."
The Queens's face turned slightly red, "Oh, I thought we, or, at least I, wanted to wait until we were married."
It was now the Kings turn to feel embarrassed as his face turned red, "No, I mean, yes. I agree that our wedding night should be our first night, in, well..." The King stopped and cleared his throat trying to collect his thoughts, while everyone in the group besides the Queen sent smiles and smirks to each other. "I meant you will stay here living in the Gyotaejeon Hall. It means the Queen Quarters, so you're not staying with me, at least just yet." He quietly mumbled.
Queen Asora mentally took a sigh of relief, missing out on his mumbles, "Forgive me my mind jumps sometimes to random places."
The Queens wisemen did their best not to laugh, their innocent Queen was really not ready for intimate life that would be in front of her. "I really appreciate your accommodations, but I do not think it is necessary for me to have my own Quarters, I think a room will suffice."
"Nonsense," King Tae-Han waved his hand. "You are a Queen and will soon be my Queen. With or without me, you deserve it."
The Queen ignored the King's searching eyes in an attempt to stop herself from blushing. "But what about my wisemen? They always sleep near me, I also have some helpers as well that I would prefer to have sleep closer to me too, than rather in the villages; which I am beyond thankful for you creating for my people I know that required a lot of work."
Wisemen Japh and Hugh looked at the Queen with serious looks, at seeing that she immediately knew she had said something wrong.
"Not that I don't trust your people," Queen Asora quickly corrected. "Maybe I could have you and my keepers or as you call it maids work together, so I can overcome the awkwardness."
"No need to explain, I understand." The King said. "And tomorrow morning I will have the maids come and you can pick who will help you. Now since it is late, tomorrow I will also make sure to have rooms cleared for your helpers and Wisewomen Lydia I believe?" Tae-Han looked at her for confirmation he had pronounced her name right.
Wisewomen Lydia smiled, impressed he had remembered her name even if it sounded like, 'Lee-tee-ah', "Yes, your majesty."
"I was going to have you and the other wisemen live in the Changdeokgung Palace with my advisors, so do you all mind sleeping there for one night? Wisewomen Lydia, we will have a separate room for you by tomorrow morning."
The Queen and her wisemen all looked at each other wide-eyed, they did not need the king to go through such great lengths.
"King Tae-Han, if I may just say something or rather suggest something," Wisemen Hugh interjected.
"Of course."
"I believe me and the other wisemen are very content with staying in the Changdeokgung Palace." He looked to Wisemen Judias, Tae-Jeong, and Japh who all nodded their head in agreement. "It's just our concern is Wisewomen Lydia, she would be the only woman in the palace, which is not a problem per se... It's just we could run into some situations that would better require a woman to help the Queen than us."
Queen Asora chuckled, her uncle always knew how to fix her mistakes or correct her bluntness, that is, the King nodded his head in understanding, "That will be arranged first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thank you," Queen Asora said. "And Wisewomen Lydia, you can sleep with me tonight."
"But that is your room, I can just wait for tomorrow," Lydia whispered in English.
"No, buts," Queen Asora said. "Most of the time you're in my room during the night so what's the difference here?"
Wisewomen Lydia blinked a few times before turning to the king and slightly bowing, "Thank you." She said in Korean.
"With pleasure," The King said. "Now let me just talk to my advisor for a moment so I can get something situated."
When he turned his back, Lydia frowned at Queen who laughed quietly. The Wisewomen hated being an inconvenience.
Ki-Yong watched the Wisewomen dynamic with the Queen, and he was slightly jealous. While he did get along with the king, he never felt comfortable joking with the King much.
"Okay," King Tae-Han said as he finished talking with Advisor Daru. "I am going to retire to my room, but Queen Asora would you like me to show you to your room."
Queen Asora's cheek turned red before she looked to her wisemen with confidence. "You all are relieved for the night."
The Wisemen all nodded their head to the Queen in acceptance before giving her a hug. They all told her many little things before leaving while the King's people only bowed to the King and future Queen and left.
When everyone was gone, the King began to lead Queen Asora to her Quarters, there was much silence until the king cleared his throat. "Why did your Wisemen hug you?" He asked.
The Foreign Queen bit her tongue as she wanted to ask what was the problem with that, but she felt like it would come off as rude so she thought of another way of answering.
But then again, she wanted to know.
"Um, well, I don't see why they can't. Of course, it's if I want to be hugged because not all the time I feel like it. But they can definitely hug me. Why do you ask?"
The King put his hands back behind him and slowed his walk so the Queen could match his steps. When she did, he turned his head to her, and she also looked back at him unwaveringly.
"Well, what happens if someone hurt or kills you?" The King questioned.
"I trust all my wisemen with my life and my people. I feel that if someone were to kill me, the people of Jamaica will make sure I get my justice. "
"You have much faith in them." The King said with a rather dull tone.
"And they have much faith in me," Queen Asora said with slight defiance. "In certain, no, many ways, their lives are in my hands. The fact that they trust me to continue to support me as Queen after being appointed makes me want to be a better person and leader."
"And you can't sit on a throne alone and lead, you have to be in the battlefields, villages, trenches, and so on to know your people, so you can lead. So when they hug me it's not because they have to or they view me as Queen, it's because they view me as their family, as a person, as a fellow Jamaican."
"I made my people promise me on the day of my coronation, that while I am Queen they are not my maids or servants. They are my helpers, my wisemen, my brother and sisters, my family, my people." Queen Asora stopped in her tracks and turned to the King who had stopped a few steps behind her. "So hugging them is not a question. It's a must. It's how I know I'm still doing my duty as a Queen."
King Tae-Han blinked, and his hand covered his beating heart. What is this?
The Native King and Foreign Queen talked for an hour more outside of her quarters before finally, she walked into her room.
As she turned around she smiled and did a small wave to the King, earning the biggest smile she had seen yet from him.
"Goodnight Queen Asora," He smiled as he slid her doors shut.
"Goodnight King Tae-Han," She said back.
Both of them stood a little longer staring at the door, each more than intrigued by the other.
It was the King that walked away to his room first before the Queen slid her doors close and walked further into her quarters.
She saw what looked to be a bed in the middle of the room and it was littered with cherry blossoms. It smelt fantastic and she quietly laid into the bed.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the smell of her sheets made her warm and fuzzy. But suddenly she stilled as she saw a picture of someone slowly fade into her head.
When the face became whole she blushed and quickly sat up. She raised a hand of heart fearing that it was beating too loud.
"Deep breaths," She said to herself. "Deep breaths."
"That's not gonna save you from liking the king..."
Asora looked straight ahead to see Wisewomen Lydia smiling back as she slid the Queen's door shut behind her.
"You shouldn't worry about your protection here my Queen. That king of yours," Again the Queen's cheeks turned red. "...has guards all around this palace and two at the beginning of each hallway. I do not know how they rest."
"Well he is King to a large country, and in a way, we have the same thing up on Round Hill. Guards do routine checks and there are 8 guards inside too." The Queen explained earning a playful smirk from the Wisewomen.
"I wasn't bashing the King, my Queen. No need to be so defensive."
"I am not defensive," The Queen said rather quickly.
Again, the Wisewomen gave her a knowing look, "Yes my Queen. You are right."
Asora rolled her eyes and stood up, "I get the right side you get the left. And don't snore."
Wisewomen Lydia laughed, maybe watching her Queen enter into this matrimony wasn't going to be such a stressful thing after all. If the Queen continued to act as shy and bashful as she was now this was going to be fun.
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