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ms-interpretation · 5 years ago

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So... I wrote a small fic which I shared on AO3 a few days ago... Takes place after the reunion in episode 16, tried to be a little funny.

I’m a beginner when it comes to writing fiction so don’t expect much, apparently this show just makes me do crazy things haha @coreastories was incredibly nice and beta’d my first draft, I did re-write some stuff and edit after though so just know that there might still be some errors. Fic also included below:

Reunited

Tae-eul was the first to recover from their tear-filled reunion, standing outside of her home tightly embracing Lee Gon, the chill breeze sweeping over them.

He was finally back. He had found her.

Tae-eul felt a wave of relief wash over her whole body. All the tension which had accumulated in her muscles during the last year missing him and worrying slowly letting up.

Lee Gon meanwhile seemed to be getting more emotional by the minute, she could feel a few cold tears falling down onto her cheek, and while Tae-eul was softening in her embrace of him, he only held onto her tighter. As if scared that she would suddenly vanish.

The sudden thought made Tae-eul hug him closer. A memory of another version of this moment flashing through her mind.

“Is it really you?” he had asked her, half in agony half in hope. How many parallel universes had he been to since they last saw each other? He must have been lonely. She had never before felt so alone as she had during this last year.

Feeling yet another gush of cold air sweep over them, she decided to take action. She slowly and gently started to break up their embrace. Lee Gon allowed her to. She could feel his reluctance however, and he immediately took hold of her left hand.

She was going to tease him about being clingy, but looking up at him she was met with his adoring, but tear-stricken face. Her heart ached a little at the sight. So instead she flashed him a bright smile, which he returned with a gentle one. But then he looked away, avoiding her gaze while blinking repeatedly - seemingly becoming aware and slightly embarrassed about his lack of composure.

”Okay, okay…” Tae-eul said, while using her free hand to turn his head back towards her, using her thumb to try to wipe away his tears. “Come here, let’s go inside”. Gon only managed to chuckle wetly in response.

Taking the lead, she dragged him after her up the stairs and towards her door. Before going in, he tugged her hand to stop, and with slight desperation tried to wipe away his stubborn tears, which still kept falling.

”Don’t worry about it,” Tae-eul told the now slightly awkward and clearly struggling proud King. ”My father is not even at home… and he is a bit of a cry-baby as well.” The comment earned her a startled but bright laugh, making her heart feel impossibly light. She just couldn’t help teasing him. She had missed it. She had missed him, and now he was finally here.

***

Inside, Lee Gon was shuffling around in her kitchen. Officially for the purpose of making them tea, having insisted that he should be the one to do it while she sat down. Tae-eul saw through him however - he was clearly actually trying to regain some semblance of composure before returning eye contact again.

After hanging up the beautiful magic lilies he had brought her in her room she sat down at the dining table. Observing fondly how the now almost recovered King was moving around between the stove and cupboards, the memory of the last time they had been in her house flashing through her mind.

It felt like it was so long ago. In a manner of speaking it had only been about a year, and in another way - to most of the world, it had not happened at all.

She remembered her father’s face, the lack of recognition, when she had for once mentioned Lee Gon’s name. She had been too tired, and her father had asked about her necklace for the third time that evening. There were no words to describe how awful it had been seeing her father’s confused expression. It had been an unexpectedly stark reminder of Lee Gon’s absence.

Gazing out of the window, observing the trees now moving with the breeze, Tae-eul couldn’t help but recall how she had simply walked out of her house that evening. She had walked around Seoul for hours, not returning home until dawn. She couldn’t even properly remember where she had been. She had promised herself not to do that again, for her father’s sake - and for her own. Thankfully her dad hadn’t noticed, having gone to bed before she left and not woken up before she returned. He had however never brought up her necklace again after that.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the two blue cups of tea Lee Gon sat down on the table in front of her, his hand settling on her shoulder as he shot her a concerned look. “Are you alright?”

She just nodded in response smiling, and he dragged out the chair to her right to sit down next to her, his gentle smile in response to hers managing somehow to ease the pain of the memory.

They sat there for who knows how long talking and drinking tea. When Tae-eul told him about going into the in-between with Lee Lim, Gon suddenly clasped onto both of her hands on the table firmly, but didn’t interrupt, which she was incredibly thankful for.

As she told him exactly how everything had played out in the space between their worlds he only gave her a long look, a mixture of worry and guilt, but also gratitude being reflected in his dark eyes. She could tell that he had reached the same conclusion as her. That it likely was because she had been in the in-between when time ‘reset’ that she could remember him.

She couldn’t help but notice how his expression was not too dissimilar to the way he had looked at her when she had told him how she’d missed him, when he had finally reached her after she had escaped from Lee Lim’s henchmen. She also realized that she wanted nothing more than to erase that hint of guilt from his eyes, and she started to gently play with his thumbs to try to reassure him.

“Thank you for coming back”, she said, suddenly feeling that it was important to make him understand just how much it meant to her.

He just looked back at her and she was struck by how vulnerable he suddenly seemed. His hands had squeezed onto hers harder as she had thanked him. His expression now reminiscent of when he had admitted to her that he had worried, in the aftermath of her first visit to the Kingdom of Corea, that she wouldn’t want him to come back. She recognised that look of slight fear reflected in his eyes from that time.

“Thank you”, Gon replied, while he reached over and hugged her close. He repeated his thanks several times in a soft slightly wavering voice next to her ear as he held onto her, cradling her close.

Tae-eul was not sure if he was thanking her for simply being where he could find her, or if it was for remembering him. It felt impossibly big whatever he was thanking her for. Hugging him back tightly however, she couldn’t bring herself to ask at the moment. He was here with her. He was okay. That was all that mattered.

They sat like that for quite a while. Later when she asked him about how the coup had played out she could feel him tense up.

Being no stranger to interrogations with somewhat unwilling witnesses Tae-eul knew that he was holding something back, and promptly used one of her remaining unused rules to demand he tell her the whole truth. He leaned back and chuckled in response to her pragmatic request, the playful spark in his eyes having returned.

His laugh was probably one her favourite sounds in the world, she realized, shaking her head, internally chided herself for being silly.

When he finally told her about his initial plan to wait to shoot Lee Lim until the traitor was strangling his younger self her heart almost stopped. The sheer panic she had experienced when his flowers had started to disappear suddenly resurfacing. She hit his shoulder. Hard. He yelped, probably more in surprise than pain but still.

”Are you crazy?!” she exclaimed. He turned fully towards her in response, looking at her with a heavy expression and held onto her hands tightly while continuing to tell her about that night. About Yeong’s refusal to abide by the King’s final request, and about how her words about choosing to be brave had dared him to let the night play out differently.

“There was a beautiful, and simple equation”, he told her, smiling that gentle smile she had missed so much. Tae-eul felt her sudden distress drain away as she took in his words. Focusing on his hands which still held onto hers tight. The contact reminding her that he was here now. That there were no more murderous uncles hiding in the shadows and no universes on the brink of breaking apart.

They made more tea, and continued to talk about everything. Big and small, about how Eun-sup and Jo Yeong were doing. She was delighted to hear about Yeong’s new siblings and Gon was very excited to hear about Eun-sup’s career successes. He looked almost like a proud parent Tae-eul realized, crossing his arms with a very pleased expression when she told him about how Eun-sup had recently started working for the NIS. They talked about their new memories, Tae-eul laughing at Gon’s embarrassment as he told her about how he had as a child idealized his new rescuer to Yeong during their childhood, and at his complaints about how Yeong nowadays was way too smug with himself. They also talked about their “old” memories, about the two versions of their first meeting and the subsequent days. They laughed fondly at how they had both been taken aback by the other’s “forwardness”.

***

At some point later they were sitting on her sofa and Gon was tugging down his black shirt, having taken off the glorious suit, to show her his - or rather the lack of, his former scar. She couldn’t stop her fingers from tracing over where she remembered it used to be. Lee Gon went very still. She realized she could feel his pulse, which was beating fast as she started tracing over the top of his collarbone. Almost like as if under a spell she continued tracing her fingers over his naked skin, feeling his pulse beat harder and faster.

Gon suddenly took hold of her wrist, stopping her, and she realised that he was breathing harder than before. His face now only centimetres from hers, and meeting his eyes she saw how they had darkened and there was a soft, and slightly desperate look in them. She slowly brought her hands up to hold his face, gazing intently into those dark eyes.

Longing, was what she saw, and she knew immediately that he must be seeing the same sentiment reflected back at him in her eyes.

He’s really here.

She used her hands on the sides of his face to suddenly pull him into a kiss. It was hard and more desperate than anything else. She needed him closer and feeling him against her she was suddenly struck with the realization that she wouldn’t ever let him go.

Gon was not slow to respond. Deepening the kiss, slowly taking control and calming it down, withdrawing after a long moment, resting his forehead against hers,

“I missed you.” He said with such raw emotion, voice low and slightly horse, that Tae-eul suddenly felt almost overwhelmed, her tears threatening to resurface.

A few long seconds passed and then the playful spark returned to his eyes and he smiled teasingly at her.

In the next moment Gon had manoeuvred them so that he was hovering on top of her, while she was under him with her back against the sofa, his arms supporting him. The transition was not smooth, as she had simply refused to let go of him for even just a second. Her arms locking him to her from behind his neck, as she hanged onto him. Her heart racing.

Looking up at him, seeing the wanting expression in his eyes, she realized that he was too far away and pulled him down towards her.

“Tae-eul, are you home?” Her father’s voice suddenly rang out from the yard “Help me with the groceries!”

As quickly as Lee Gon had pounced he had thrown himself back. Standing suddenly very tall in her living room, hair a mess, and overall looking way too dishevelled. He had probably never looked less like a King and more like a normal boyfriend, Tae-eul realized. And she almost couldn’t stop herself from laughing at his frozen almost panicked expression.

It made him look younger. She also couldn’t help but notice that the red slight puffiness around his eyes was now matching the colour of his earlobes. She loved him. So much.

The sound of her dad’s familiar footsteps echoing outside from climbing up their staircase interrupted her musings.

This was not ideal, Tae-eul was no prude but this was... not great. So she threw herself at the door, locking it, and then grabbed the still quite frozen King’s wrist and dragged him into the bathroom. Gesticulating in an only slightly threatening manner that he should wash his face and be quiet. Gon’s face unfathomably managing to become even redder, while he opened his mouth to - most likely, protest. Not waiting for him to respond she shut the door in his face and ran back into the living room.

“Why did you lock the door?!” Her father grumbled, slightly annoyed as she opened it for him, no real frustration in his voice. He unloaded his bags onto the table and she started helping him pick out the groceries. Seeing the two teacups, he asked,

“Was Na-ri here?”, at the lack of response he looked back at her, “Eun-sup?”, “Ah, eh no…” Tae-eul at first hesitated, but seeing the confusion in her father’s eyes she made a swift decision, “My boyfriend is here.” She couldn’t tell what happened first, if it was Lee Gon almost falling out of the bathroom - a consequence of being slightly too tall for the door, or if it was her dad accidentally bumping over one of the teacups. Which she managed to catch just as it it fell off the table.

Lee Gon looked much more presentable now, still dressed in his black clothes, his hair almost covering his eyes, and thankfully neither hair nor clothes were in a state of complete disarray anymore. Her father’s eyes had gone round in surprise at her response and he was now staring at the tall stranger standing in his living room at 11 pm.

“Ah, yes… Good evening, sir,” Gon greeted awkwardly, looking a bit lost, before remembering to bow respectfully.

Her father merely blinking in response, stunned at the sudden development.

“I’m Lee Gon, I’m so sorry to disturb you so late,” Gon said apologetically, voice gaining its usual confidence - and now seeming genuinely, or at least very politely sorry for intruding.

“… Lee Gon” her father repeated, suddenly looking at Tae-eul. “The one who gave you that necklace?” He asked, startling Gon by suddenly shooting him a suspicious look.

“Ah, yes... He works with Eun-sup,” Tae-eul suddenly said quickly, realising that a job at NIS would be a good excuse to avoid having to answer too many questions about what Gon does. “He’s been away... and he’s staying over tonight.” She suddenly added, but before she was able to say anything else she was interrupted by Gon’s startled coughing fit and she realised that her dad looked like someone had hit him over the head with a shovel.

“He came a long way to visit, it’s late, and so we are letting him stay here on the sofa. Alright... dad?” Tae-eul said slowly, slightly worried that her father might actually be having a heart attack. After a few seconds he just nodded, still seeming a bit dumbfounded.

After a few minutes of very awkward conversation, where her father had finally greeted Lee Gon, he had simply wished them goodnight and withdrawn to his room to sleep. Seemingly choosing to simply retreat from the strange situation.

Tae-eul looked for a blanket in the old dresser for Gon, having already given him some oversized clothes to sleep in. She put away their tea cups while Gon was borrowing the bathroom to freshen up and change. Coming out a few minutes later, he was dressed in an oversized blue sweatshirt and black sweatpants that miraculously seemed to fit alright, and Tae-eul handed him the blanket and made him sit down on the sofa. Trying to leave the King on said sofa proved more difficult than expected however. As Gon simply took hold of her hand and refused to let go.

“Don’t go,” he said, and Tae-eul simply stopped pretending like she was going to, and sat down next to him, leaning onto him while he put his arm around her.

“That’s my line.” She said in her somewhat, but not actually, annoyed tone. The one she had used when telling him not to drop romantic lines when she was hungry. Sightly more serious she looked up at him and added, “Don’t you dare leave without telling me.”

“I won’t,” Gon responded, looking at her intently.

“I’m serious, I won’t let you go,” Tae-eul said, and then added in a casual tone, “Yeong can declare me a kidnapper if he wants, I don’t care - also the royal guards have no jurisdiction here.” Gon only laughed in response, seeming very amused at the thought of having been kidnapped.

“I’m the one who won’t let you go, you know,” he then said pointedly, demonstrating his words by grabbing onto one of her hands firmly and holding it up in front of her.

She smiled teasingly in response, burrowing into his side and added before she could stop herself, “Who knew that the King of the Kingdom of Corea was so clingy?”

Gon just chuckled at that and as if taking her words as a challenge he held onto her closer and whispered into her hair something about kidnapping her in turn tomorrow.

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept on a sofa.” He whispered a few minutes later, and Tae-eul didn’t know if she found his quite amused tone at the prospect annoying or endearing. Both probably. She did know for sure that she loved the royal idiot sitting beside her. A lot.

The next morning her father found his daughter sleeping on the sofa, covered by their green old blanket, her head resting on her boyfriend’s thighs as if they were a pillow. The boyfriend in question having fallen asleep sitting up on said sofa.

The breakfast was slightly awkward.

#tkem fanfiction #lee gon meets tae eul's dad #ALSO I totally stole half in agony half in hope from persuasion #stealing is called intertextuality in lit class just saying #please don't curse me Jane Austen I'm just such a big fan #written before I knew about the novels so no proposal in this fic but yes I believe they get married post-canon definitely #the king eternal monarch

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sadviper · 4 years ago

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I adore your stories and miss them! No pressure but are you writing anything of late, and can you share anything about it, if yes? Love from a fan.

;;___;; ahhh, thank you! May I ask what fandom you're in? Currently I am slooooooowly (and I mean truly slowly) poking at a TKEM introspective casefic, delving around pre-canon Shin-jae's internal life as he explores his own confusion about his place in the world, pines for Tae-eul, and gets involved in a case with cult-ish overtones. I probably bit off way more than I can chew, since it covers a LOT of ground I've never done before-- religion, cults, first person POV, navel-gazing semi-plotlessness, non-linear storytelling... in addition to coming up with OCs and backstory from scratch. I even have illusions that when I finish, the fic will be both simultaneously hopeful for Shin-jae within the story (and to anyone who reads it without knowing the canon), but ironically tragic for fandom readers due to him canonically being wiped from existence. But ya know. Getting ahead of myself there... I'm ~25K words in, not even close to finishing, and it's a hot mess. -_-; I think if I ever do reach the end, I'll have to do another first to make it readable: EDIT! (pls let it not be rewriting ;;__;;)

On top of that, since the beginning of the year, I was reassigned to a new position that actually has responsibilities, and tragically I've discovered that my creativity isn't the sort that can compete with a day job. =/

I did post a couple of lines for this story under my #my writing tag! I'm leery of posting more since I'm waffling between ambivalence and disgust with what I've written.

Thank you so much for thinking of my stories though! I started re-reading a novel called "The Last Chinese Chef" yesterday, and even though it's about cooking, it mentioned an old Chinese proverb that states that art walks on two legs-- it not only needs the chef/creator but the gourmand/reader/audience to exist. :3 I hope I'll be able to post again sooner rather than later.

#asks #my writing

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convenientalias · 4 years ago

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2020 Creator Wrap: Favorite Works

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

I was tagged by @rain-hat. Thanks for tagging me!

Hm. I’m quite arrogant about my work and I write a lot of short oneshots, which means a lot of separate fics have built up.

...I’m going to just cheat and go higher than 5 things I guess lols.

Some long-ish fics first:

My current project, Like having fangs is something to regret

My Country, Seon-ho/Hwi/Bang-won. Still a WIP. Technically a Bisclavret AU, definitely a werewolf AU. Will the OT3 ever happen? Who knows. It’s about 30k right now and it’s been really fun writing it bc I just crammed in a lot of scenes/concepts I thought would be tropey and fun. A fic of passive-aggressive wolves, unexpected stripping, home invasions, devastating betrayals, etc etc. Also I started the project in October so for Inktober reasons I’ve been drawing illustrations of each chapter, although it’s really really not October anymore.

My last multi-chapter project, The Only Hoax I Believe In

My Country, Hwi/Seon-ho. What if... Seon-ho got amnesia?!?!?! Lols, that’s basically the whole concept of the fic. It’s like 25k of me going “can’t tell if this is karma targeting Seon-ho or Hwi but it’s definitely karma for someone” and then swerving to fangirl over Sung-rok. It was fun to write bc it had angst and lies.

A three oneshot series, I Was a Lover (Before This War)

The King: Eternal Monarch, Jo Yeong/Jo Eun-sup. Just 8k of me going, “what do you mean the main ship people took away from this show wasn’t the self-cest???”

But seriously. What do you mean the main ship people took away from TKEM wasn’t the Jo self-cest ship? Eternally pining for more fic of this pairing. Okay, it was crack, I admit it. (But so is almost every fic in this post anyway.)

And a 30k fic from back in March/April, Computer Parts

Gen fic for Circle: Two Worlds Connected. About 28k. This fic was written about what my theory for Woo-jin’s disappearance had been (the obvious theory, that Human B had kidnapped him) before the show Jossed it. When I was writing it, trifoliate-undergrowth and I called it the Fic of Doom bc it was 28k for a fandom that didn’t exist and therefore a fic that no one would read except me, and that was mostly accurate. But it was fun to write, although a bit less fun to reread, given it’s a fic about a guy being held prisoner for twenty years and a bit claustrophobic.

And some oneshots that I just think came out pretty good:

Left Undiscussed

My Country, Hwi and Bang-won. Five ways Bang-won didn’t talk to Hwi about Seo Geom’s death, and one way they still didn’t really talk about it. I like this one bc the form is weird, five scenes sort of from Bang-won’s imagination (with a justification for why they didn’t happen) and then a brief discussion of canonical events. Basically it’s like 5 canon divergences and a melancholy ramble crammed into a 2.4k fic. Fast oneshot goes zoom zoom.

Separating and joining, O walls of gray

Nirvana in Fire, Jingyan/Mei Changsu. Your basic cave-in fic. Nothing deep to say about this one it’s just tropey and snuggly and I like it.

Seven Red Palms

White Christmas (the kdrama) ensemble fic. A fic about resurrecting a certain character from canon using Necromancy. I wrote this for a fic exchange that encouraged crack and honestly it was just a good time. Also writing scenes with seven characters bouncing dialogue back and forth is something I don’t do often and it’s kind of tricky but it’s a lot of fun if you like all the characters. Which, for White Christmas, I really do.

...I think I might watch White Christmas again this week. It’s seasonal.

Uhh I guess that’s it. I mean I also did do a couple nice My Country pencil sketches bc I’ve been trying to do more art. But I’m about done rambling. It’s been a fun year for writing and drawing for me :)

Tagging: @trifoliate-undergrowth @avauntus @staidwaters @ihamtmus @flo-nelja @general-sleepy @aboxthecolourofheartache and anyone else who wants to do it.

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noona96n · 4 years ago

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2020 Creator Wrap: Favorite Works

i’ve been tagged by the beautiful, wonderful, amazing talented and ingenuous @rain-hat. she’s amazing, please check out her works!! esp if u’re in TKEM fandom!! her fics are the fandom’s classics <3

i don’t really write much this year... idk tbh, i don’t really remember what i wrote & what needs to be updated lol, im terrible at WIPs but i keep making more of them haha

heavenly body & the reimagination (2Moons the series, ForthBeam) a reimagining of Beam & Forth's relationship progression after their night of partaking in pleasure of the flesh ocean of polaris (TKEM, Jo Yeong & Jo Eunseob) polaris is the north star, the one that will guide u home and home is where you're supposed to be loved and understood unconditionally and Yeong's north star is EunSeob, his twin, his soulmate, his twinflame, who loves and understand him regardless of everything in the quiet (my country the new age, SeonHo/Hwi + SeonHo/BangWon ) the title refers to how lies and misunderstanding can fester when we don't communicate honestly with one another, which is fitting for the drama and the fic itself

yes,,,, they’re all WIPs, yes,,,, idk when i’ll be updating asfghjkldi

i have no internet friends except @rain-hat and the equally wonderful, beautiful, amazing and ingenious @drivingsideways but they’ve both done this so, uh,,,,

if anyone wanna do this, please do!!!

#noona96n

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kaahaani · 5 years ago

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I loved ‘To Neigh That’, it is so creative and so heartwarming. I already was a huge fan but that sealed the deal for me, I would have never thought I’d love a story from Maximus’s pov that much. I hope you keep writing for TKEM for a long time, thank you 💗

Thank you so so much for your kind words, I am very surprised by the love To Neigh That has received because it was just a crack fic. It means a lot to hear that it was well-received.

I am truly humbled by your kindness, thanks again!

#replies #tkem #the king eternal monarch #anonymous #fanfic: to neigh that

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drivingsideways · 4 years ago

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2020 Creator Wrap: Favourite Works

Thanks for tagging me, @rain-hat !

I had a productive year, writing-wise! AO3 informs me that I posted a ginormous amount of words, which still surprises me, and also, at this point of the year seems like a fever dream that happened to someone else.

👀 👀 👀 👀

.................??

I guess there are worse ways to have spent this year of our lord 2020, right?

First off, let me fully credit my cheerleaders/handholders @thefeastandthefast and @rain-hat, without whom I probably wouldn’t have written most of this!

Picking 4 of my faves:

1) I wrote 43k plus words in three weeks of sleep-deprived, rage-fueled creativity, as I tried to fix the trashfire that was the historical c-drama “Serenade of Peaceful Joy” in my series “ A Pair of Swallows”. I can honestly say that though I count it among my best work, I never want to go through the emotional turmoil that became this series ever again. Anyways, out of the 11 episode-coda format instalments of this series, my favourite is Legacy. I got a visceral pleasure out of giving my heroine the revenge she was robbed of in canon, and as a plus, I wrote it in a manner that the self-righteous, endlessly pontificating “hero” of the series literally could not speak through the entire story. God, I still get the goosebumps when I recall how I wrote this fic, and the relief-crying that I did after.

2) Inventing Love is the second part of a three-parter series that @rain-hat and I co-wrote for the k-drama The King: Eternal Monarch (TKEM). This was probably the most emotion I invested in a fic after the SoPJ stories; I was terrified that readers would hate it, because it doesn’t have a conventional “happy ending”(and also featured a threesome!) This is also the fic that surprised me the most, as I was writing it, because honest-to-god, I didn’t know what I was writing- I was just feeling a lot- until I finished it, and went, oh.

3) Tell Me The Truth (About Love) This is another TKEM fic and probably the hardest I had to work this year? It kept ballooning in size and scope as I went along and what was supposed to be 20-25k eventually ended up at a 75k epic that took a month of writing for hours almost every single day. It was a humbling experience because I just felt so out of my depth as a writer, all my limitations and ignorance seemed to be constantly playing on a 200inch full HD screen in my head as I was writing it. On the other hand, writing it was also an immense joy, because I got to write a story about second chances and truth and friendship, and those are all Good Things.

4) Destiny’s Child Another TKEM fic, god, KES did a number on me, didn’t she? But this was the most straight out fun I had while writing this year, and that’s why it’s on this list. Again, I sort of speed wrote it, because I was going through withdrawal symptoms after finishing the first draft of Tell Me The Truth About Love, and I wanted to write something silly and light hearted! It’s not entirely that, but hey, I got to write Gon having his first pot brownie and dancing to BlackPink, and I think that was a very worthy contribution to the fandom.

Tagging the wonderful creators who make my life brighter, @michyeosseo, @thefeastandthefast, @sidewaystime, @no-gorms

#year in review #2020: A YEAR #writing things

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coreastories · 4 years ago

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Abeoji’s Revelations

Little Bean Part 5 of 5-- Now complete~

This is how Jeong Do-in finds out about the little bean. Of course Tae-eul's father wouldn't cross the worlds unaware and unconscious.

Sometimes the best-laid plans are just silly.

Plenty of father-daughter banter, some cooking, and a handful of pills involved.

Read here.

#CoreaFiction #CoreaNews #CoreaStories #the king: eternal monarch #the king eternal monarch #TKEM fan fic

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thirtysixexposures · 5 years ago

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Oh my ... the struggle is real. I've never reacted to a kdrama like this before. I tend to get really into fandoms - I was a hardcore Olicity stan for a number of years...then there was Reylo since 2016. Now, TKEM? It's been weeks since the last episode and yet I'm still in the lee min ho & TKEM tags and living vicariously through gifs (of scenes which I have seen hundreds of times!). Tumblr with its scene analysis and twitter with their BTS analysis (and I wholeheartedly agree that SOMETHING IS GOING ON BETWEEN THESE TWO). Waiting for the TKEM squad to throw us some IG scraps! ALSO, ALL THE FICS THAT HAVE EMERGED FROM THIS FANDOM. You guys are all so talented!

Also, re: BTS of TKEM and press conferences and interviews - on one hand I want to know if LMH and KGE are together-together (confirmed dating news)...but on the other hand, I understand that they need their privacy. Both have millions of followers - who would want to share something so precious and new.... In the words of fans on the bird app, we are such delulus. HAHAHAHAHA (I just need to get that out.)

Okay, one last thing. In the SWOON interview, LMH said that KGE sleeps as soon as she lays down. IN WHAT SITUATION, MY DEAR LMH, WOULD YOU KNOW THAT? I mean, I don't think KGE is the kind to just lay about in her chair sleeping in the middle of shooting. So....how exactly?

I really do need to move on. I've said this many times. BUT I JUST CAN'T. This fandom is baby. I LOVE IT.

#lee min ho #kim go eun #lee gon #jeong tae eul #the king eternal monarch #the king: eternal monarch

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stan-of-many · 3 years ago

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https://archiveofourown.org/works/35991889

“I hate that I have to just watch you put yourself in danger for me over and over again,” Gon mumbled, seeming to be reflecting half to himself and half to Yeong, “I hate that I put you in danger.”

“Peyah,” Yeong said softly, “It’s what I was born to do and what you were born to do too...”

After a scare, Yeong and Gon have a drunken conversation about the nature of their friendship.

#tkem #tkem fanfic #fanfic #fan fic #fan fiction #the king: eternal monarch #the king eternal monarch #kdrama #kdrama fanfic #kdramas #lee gon #jo yeong

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coreastories · 5 years ago

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Corea News Digest

A list of all the current updates on the world’s favorite young royals, the King and Queen of Corea. Check this post regularly for new editions, darlings!

Modern Royals: Meet Tae-Eul, the Mysterious Queen of Corea

Modern Royals: A glimpse into the private residence of the king and queen of Corea (updated with newly released photos)

Modern Royals: Queens Day Q&A About the Queen of Corea

Modern Royals: The protocol of touch

Modern Royals: 7 Times the Queen of Corea stole our hearts with her smile

Royals Spotted: Is that the King and Queen of Corea?!

Royals Spotted: Queen’s Unbreakable Sword Has Insta!

Royal Scandal: Proof of the king and queen of Corea’s utter besottedness with each other

A Royal Twin! Meet the Most Honorable Lady Seo-gyeong

Royal Exclusive: the King of Corea bares his heart in a flash interview

Royal Exclusive: Their Majesties are sweet as cake and you need strong tea for this

Love in the Royal Kitchen: A scrumptious glimpse into Their Majesties' routine + a juicy reveal?!

Own A Royal Flat! The King and Queen of Corea in adorable photoshoot for a cause

Royal Triangle? Gong Shin will buy your house and touch your queen

Royal Panic: The queen was lost--and found--in Seoul

Royal Twinkle: The king and queen of Corea have a sweet secret, don’t they?

The Royal Guard: Elite and formidable and just as soft for their king and queen

Happy Queens Day! The king's cake, the queen's portraits, and a stunning photograph

Queens Day Festival - First Day: The king and queen were late because... shenanigans

Queens Day Festival Recap: Where is the queen?!

Palace Announcement: WE HAVE A ROYAL BABY!

Royal Wedding: We FINALLY have wedding crumbs

Royal Baby’s Fierce Circle: The Queen, Her Majesty’s OB, and the PM

Modern Royals: 10 Times the King and Queen made ahjummas ugly-cry over their romance

The Corean Awards: A reunion of the royal love triangle

Romance and Rowing: The 2020 Rowing Competition for the Children's Cancer Fund

International Day for Climate Action, Daesang Medical Group, and Queenly Impatience

Modern Royals: The queen bares her heart about her new project, her queenship, and the king

Outstanding Royals: The King's Birthday

Outstanding Royals: The King's annual support and promotion for Adoption Awareness Month

The Queen of Corea stuns in London

A Dark Day for Corea (continues with The Heartbeat)

Queen in recovery, villain in prison (follows the Heartbeat)

Corea Fiction

Inside Joke (Standalone, canon)

That Situation (Standalone)

The Conversation (HEA With Queen; Read after Corea News: The protocol of touch and The Most Honorable Lady Seo-gyeong)

The First Friday (Standalone, canon)

The Morning After (Standalone, canon)

That bastard, Gong Shin (spinoff for Corea News Own A Royal Flat and Royal Triangle)

Three Hours for Chicken (Companion to Corea News Royal Panic)

Seo-ryeong vs Lady Noh (Companion to Three Hours for Chicken)

The Thirteenth Rule

Favorite Color (snippet)

His Majesty's Favorite Color (full-length)

The Queen's Horse

The Towelette

The Clock

The Talk

Little Bean: Mrs Jang’s Advice

Little Bean: Lady Noh's Tea

Pieces of Paper

The Morning Before

The Ribbon

The Queen's Dresser

The Heartbeat

RPF

A Ride Along the River (inspired by July 2)

A Drive Around the Coast (Inspired by July 13)

#CoreaNews #CoreaFiction #the king eternal monarch #the king: eternal monarch #TKEM fan fic #TKEM #lee gon #jeong tae eul #mineun #leeeul #mingo

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coreastories · 5 years ago

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A Royal Exclusive: The King of Corea bares his heart in a flash interview

Their Majesties stunned us by dropping by without notice. The menacing SUVs and luxury sedan seemed to roll in out of nowhere

While we were all holding our breaths disbelieving the impossible, the king and queen themselves stepped out of the car, shook hands with us like they weren’t royalty, and announced an exclusive interview, if we’d have them

Oh wouldn’t we!

They picked the perfect day for it: our office was absolutely empty because we were moving

This author bemoans the complete lack of furniture for Their Majesties

My staff wondered if this was intentional and a part of security measures

If we had furniture, the arrival of Their Majesties would have been delayed; the Royal Guard would have done an initial sweep of every nook and cranny first

As such, in our empty office, Their Majesties were in and out in 30 minutes

It was glorious to interview the royal couple.

This author did have to scream in the powder room for a minute before composure returned

The king’s chair in the photo: We had three of these portable chairs left in the back room

Making everyone’s hearts flutter, the king took one look at the chairs and the queen was not allowed to sit in it. Too unstable

Instead, the queen’s Unbreakable Sword Jang Mi-reuk fashioned a seat for the queen in the corner of the studio

I swear the entire office shivered with glee, dear reader. The king is just breathtakingly adorable in his protectiveness of the queen.

And all that that implies!

This is an interview with the king. While the queen was also present, she didn’t participate. She only listened and sort of melted in her makeshift seat whenever the king made the sweetest, most adorable answers.

We saw her trying valiantly to stay stoic, almost looking annoyed, but at some point gave up and gave our photographer the chance to snap this sweet photo.

This author can’t blame her!

This was obviously a calculated--and very smart--move on the part of the Royal Court and Royal Public Affairs Office, to deflect the interest on the newly-revealed Lady Seo-gyeong, the queen’s identical twin sister.**

And indeed, this will be all everyone will talk about for weeks to come.

Without further ado, here’s my interview with His Majesty, the King of Corea.

Q. How did you and Her Majesty meet?

I was violating traffic laws. She handcuffed me and took me to the station.

This author is stunned again.

Q. This was in Seoul?

Yes.

I’m afraid this author decided to move onward with more delicious details in case our time was cut short, dear reader. But handcuffing in Seoul is already enough to fuel your imagination, isn’t it?

Q. Are you truly friends with the Prime Minister now?

The Prime Minister is an excellent leader, an excellent person, and I’m glad of her growing friendship with the queen.

I wanted to ask if the Prime Minister still flirts with him, but this author is not a columnist for nothing, dear reader. I’ve been trained to be observant. And my observant eyes noted Captain Jo Yeong and pretty much all the Royal Guard glaring at me. So I removed my questions about the the king’s history--or lack of-- with the PM.

I must say that I also have the highest regard for Her Excellency.

Q. How do Your Majesties start the day?

Hmm. Shower. Cooking. Breakfast.

Q. And how do Your Majesties end the evenings?

(with an amused face) Shower. Cooking. Dinner.

Q. What are Your Majesties favorite foods? Let’s narrow that to meat dishes.

I like fried chicken. Her Majesty likes a variety of dishes and is only opinionated about her drinks.

Q. Yes? What is Her Majesty’s favorite drink?

Soju and beer.

As far as this author could remember from all events and public appearances, there was no soju and beer ever seen in the queen’s hand. Then again, perhaps the queen doesn’t drink in public.

Q. Your Majesty, we do need to ask, are we expecting a royal prince or princess of Corea?

We are told not to confirm nor deny that.

Q. Oh no?

You’ll know anyway.

Indeed we would!

Q. Why doesn’t Her Majesty wear wedding and engagement rings?

She doesn’t wear them in public. It’s too ingrained in her to keep her hands clear and ready to punch someone.

The queen snorted at this. Indelicately.

Q. Are Your Majesties safe now? Are there still threats from the traitor’s followers?

Thankfully none at present and hopefully none in the future. We’ve been blessed in that regard, too.

Q. Yes? Can you elaborate on this blessing?

We were blessed by God to meet and stay together. God made sure our paths would cross and stay intertwined.

Q. That is very cryptic, Your Majesty. Can you say more?

He made her my zero. I was trapped in a square root and she helped me escape.

Well, that was just more cryptic, wasn’t it?

Q. Say the first thing that comes to mind: what do you love most about the queen?

Her smile and her spirit.

Swoon.

Q. And what does Her Majesty love about you?

Ahh. Well, you’ll have to ask her that. She has told me I know how to joke in difficult situations and that’s why everyone in the palace loves me. She reluctantly told me this, so I assume she loves that about me, too.

This author has the feeling the king diplomatically gave that answer so the queen doesn’t combust in her seat. She was very red in the face.

I sense an inside joke or reference only the king and queen would know about.

Q. What is something you adore about the queen, something we won’t see or notice at all because we don’t live with her, but something we can watch out for in her public appearances?

(The king looked at the queen and seemed to assess his answer for several moments.) She often misses her coat pockets. It takes her three to four tries to find it.***

At this point I had to fight very hard not to make any undignified noises. We all miss our pockets, but it’s adorable that the king watches his queen so closely and finds this little thing adorable.

Q. In Mr Jang’s Instagram photo of Your Majesties, he said something about you getting panicky-- this was connected to you and the queen waiting for food, I believe. Can you tell us about that?****

Not much to tell. The queen is terrifying when she’s hungry.

We very quickly offered Her Majesty refreshments, but she assured us she was fine, shooting a, well, adorable glare at the king.

How many times has this author used the word adorable in this article? I’m still out of breath. They are adorable.

We asked if the queen can also answer a few questions, but that was the end of the interview.

Apparently the king is protective of the queen to an extent that she was to be shielded from potentially wobbly chairs and questions from chroniclers like myself, even in the presence of scary, fully armed Unbreakable Swords and members of the Royal Guard with ultra-fast reflexes.

We look forward to the Queens Day when they’ve promised press meetings.

----------------------------------

** See A Royal Twin: Meet the Honorable Lady Seo-gyeong

*** This is true. Someone made a hilarious video compiling all the times Jeong Tae-eul tried to find her coat pockets during scenes or filming lmao this fandom is amazeballs

I’ll edit this post with it when I find it again. Off the top of my head, she did this again in Episode 16 while she and Gon are examining the phone booth.

**** See Royals Spotted: The Unbreakable Sword Has Insta!

#CoreaNews #CoreaFiction

#CoreaNews #CoreaFiction #i couldn't resist these photos #adorable #kim go eun #lee min ho #jeong tae eul #lee gon #the king: eternal monarch #the king eternal monarch #TKEM #tkem fan fic

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coreastories · 5 years ago

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The Queen’s Dresser

Days and Nights of Forever Part 13

On AO3 for kudos and download

The first days of queenship, and the start of the queen’s famous sartorial elegance.

Read with:

Corea News #1: Meet Tae-Eul, the mysterious new queen of Corea

Corea News #24: 10 Times the king and queen of Corea made the ahjummas ugly-cry over their romance (This is the Pyongyang Hospital scene)

Days and Nights of Forever Part 10 Pieces of Paper (for the 14th Rule)

This has been in my outlines for ages, but the recent fashion buzz made by the August 5 posts made me flesh it out. :)

Let me know what you think!

Daily life became daily life.

He was a king. She was a queen, now. But life was somewhat normal until after breakfast.

He always woke up first. He was an early riser. Sometimes Tae-Eul would blink to consciousness with the gray light of dawn seeping between the gap of the draperies and she’d have a moment to think she was the first one to wake but no, Gon’s arms would tighten around her, and he’d kiss her on the cheek or temple and burrow his face into her neck.

They’d have another cat nap cuddled together, or make love, or make love and then nap again, before one of them got up.

That was usually Tae-Eul. And when Tae-Eul got up, Gon would, too. She’d tried to make him sleep a bit more because she was only going for a workout, but he’d said, “I’ll watch. Or we can spar.”

So this became a part of their morning routine.

Perhaps this one wasn’t normal, was it? How many couples in the kingdom or the republic had a suite converted into a dojang and started most mornings sparring?

Tae-Eul loved it. Gon had now become comfortable and competitive enough to be a gratifying sparring partner. He didn’t pull his kicks and hits-- not by much. He expected her to dodge or parry.

He was bigger and heavier, so he was pretty much what she had trained all her life to attack.

The first morning they’d done this-- and once she’d taught him a lesson about his nonsense of not wanting to hurt her-- their spar lasted almost an hour, each of them getting to know each other’s moves, getting into each other’s defenses, and getting under each other’s skin. They’d discovered each other’s tender bruises when they made love in the shower.

The second morning when she’d suddenly feinted a swing and then brought him down with a leg sweep, they decided to do away with the usual courtesies. No bowing. Not even facing each other across the mat. It was much more fun to never know when the other was going to start.

Like now. As soon as they came out of their dojang’s shower in their workout clothes--tees and sweatpants--Tae-Eul spun a kick to Gon’s head.

But his head was no longer there.

Rising to full height from his momentary duck, Gon grabbed her by the waist and dropped her on her back on the mat, locking both arms around her shoulders as he leaned across her from the side, trapping her torso with his completely.

She squirmed and bridged her hips and tried to lift him using her elbows and feet but she couldn’t budge him. “What are you doing?”

He was grinning as he kept her pinned, his head resting almost casually on her opposite shoulder. “This is jiu jitsu, of course. Tap when you’re tired.”

She bared her teeth. She couldn’t believe the bastard surprised her with jiu jitsu. “Like hell I’ll tap.”

She bridged her hips, using her feet and legs for leverage, but that did nothing because he was on her upper body. She could feel him laughing against her and it just infuriated her more that he had enough breath and energy to laugh. He was only pinning her with his body weight.

And she was getting tired.

She straightened her legs and just rested limply on the floor. She smirked when he stopped laughing and instantly stiffened in awareness. He rocked forward a little bit more from his knees and ankles, and pinned her a little bit more firmly on the mat.

He looked at her warily now.

It was her turn to grin. “I bet you’re getting tired. You’re not in a comfortable position at all, are you?”

“No. I can stay here on top of you all day.”

Of course, a court maid opened the door just as he said that.

Tae-Eul closed her eyes and felt her blood rush to her neck and face.

Without moving an inch, Gon said, “Annyeonghaseyo. Are you new?”

Tae-Eul felt as much as heard the thump on the mat as the maid dropped to her knees. “Pyeha. I’m so sorry. I was told to check here and clean. I was told I should do so before six.”

“Ahh. I suppose we got here too early today. You can go.” A pause. A chuckle with his breath fanning across her ear and cheek. “She’s gone.”

Tae-Eul bridged her hips and braced her legs and feet. But this time she didn’t try to push him off. She just started rocking him side to side. As she’d calculated, he hadn’t expected it, and he went off balance as she pushed and pulled him back and forth while he was on his knees.

On the fifth pull, she had both hands on his shoulder, and on the sixth push, she pushed both hands on that shoulder and managed to break his pin. With the space she created between their bodies, she pulled both legs toward her chest and then kicked him off her.

She followed his momentum as he landed on his back. She sat on his stomach, braced with her thighs and feet in case he tried something. She could still feel the heat in her cheeks so she might as well just continue blushing. With more audacity than she really felt, she said, “Well? What happened to staying on top of me all day?”

He must have seen her embarrassment at her own words because he laughed, looking at her with that gaze that still made her want to hide or kiss him. Both. It wasn’t heated. Just too intense, too admiring.

He put both hands on her knees and squeezed. “I can. But we’re going to Pyongyang today.”

And just like that, she folded over and hid her face against his shoulder.

“What should I wear? Are they going to dress me again?”

He stroked her hair. “I’ve laid out something for you, and you won’t need help getting into these, so no, they won’t dress you.” She could hear the smile in his voice. The last time she’d been ‘dressed’ was at their wedding, when she’d been helped into heirloom silk and the dragon robe and the pheasant robe. Everything had been gorgeous… and overwhelming. She lifted her face and looked at him. “You laid something out for me? I guess you do know clothes. The first thing you did when we met was go shopping.”

“No, the first thing I did was hug you.”

“No, the first thing you did was infuriate me.”

“I was just answering your questions.” He smiled at her and stroked her hair. “And you can really wear what you like, you know.”

What a lie that was. Tae-Eul knew she couldn’t just wear what she wanted, or rather, what she’d been used to. Truth be told, she hadn’t really wanted to wear what she had been used to, all those clothes she’d worn as a cop. She simply felt she had to.

When she made detective and no longer had to wear a uniform, she’d been at a loss about what to wear. In the end, she defaulted to big trousers, roomy shirts, roomier coats, clothes she could move around in, clothes in sizes that disguised how small she was.

It was always fun when she punched someone and they were stunned at both the punch and at the strength of it from the size of her. But she’d always faced lowlifes or their wider circle who all had things to hide and she’d rather not face them without armor. Her big clothes had been armor.

And now those lowlifes were far, far away from her. The people around her were their complete opposite in station and stature, she’d seen how the women in this strata dressed here, and she knew what was expected of her as queen.

She swung herself off Gon and got up, nudging his ribs with her foot when she was standing and he was still lying there. “Come on. I want to see what you laid out for me.”

He sat up and stroked her leg over her sweatpants from the back of her knee to her ankle. “It’s okay if you don’t want to go. You can take your time. And contrary to what Secretary Mo says, they can certainly wait to meet you.”

She bent down and retrieved his hand from her ankle, then used it to pull her to his feet. He went willingly enough, and she continued to pull his hand across her shoulders. He tucked her against his side and she looked at him with all the fondness she felt at that moment.

“Fourteenth rule,” she said. “Let me worry about my job. You have yours.”

Back in their suites-- no maids encountered in the hallways this time-- he watched her face as they walked into their dressing room and she saw what he had laid out for her.

Laid out wasn’t the right thing to call it. The whole thing was on a dressmaker’s dummy so she could see how it would look when worn.

She smiled. Gon grinned, half-smug, half-relieved.

“I thought you’d want something more familiar to start,” he said, squeezing her shoulder gently. “And I knew you might not want a dresser yet, not until you get really busy.”

“You thought right.” She stepped away from him and touched the fabric. Soft. It was a black pantsuit, with bronze buttons on the front and on the cuffs, shiny enough when it caught the light, but still subdued. The blouse was white. It was simple. She loved it.

She decided she wouldn’t ask if the buttons were genuine, precious metal. Then what Gon said registered. “A dresser?”

“The queen’s dresser. It’s an official position. Someone who picks out your outfits so you won’t have to. Historically, he or she is your chief eunuch or court lady.”

They looked at each other and they both stifled a laugh at imagining Lady Noh dressing either of them. Gon shrugged. “She would look after our clothes. She checks everything.”

“I suppose it’s not normal if you just continue what you’ve started? I like this.”

That boyish smile grew bigger and then turned impish. “I won’t mind. I’ll make time for it. I have lingerie and nightgowns in mind.”

Tae-Eul pursed her lips. “I won’t mind either. I love you whatever you wish to wear.”

She counted three seconds for that to sink in and then she turned away giggling to go to the shower as he sputtered, “They’re for you! Not me! Why would I-- there are still rumors about me and Yeong-- don’t say stuff like that--”

-------------------------------------------------------

As Gon had predicted, three senior court ladies vying for the queen’s dresser position turned up with Lady Noh that morning. That day’s trip was their first official visit since the marriage, and the first time the kingdom would lay eyes on the queen.

The women all looked familiar. He had probably seen them in his own dressing room over the years.

Except for his valet, whom tradition had dictated to always be younger than the king, he hadn’t interacted with anyone who came and went from the dressing room, but he knew their faces.

And now he looked over the women. One of them just might be chosen as his wife’s dresser. Her most intimate maid.

His wife. That still thrilled him when it crossed his mind.

The three ladies all wore their hair in a bun, and in their uniform, they looked interchangeable, but they all looked kind enough. He knew Lady Noh was quite picky about faces.

In contrast to the king’s valet who was always younger so that he didn’t surpass the king’s seniority in any way, tradition dictated the queen’s dresser to be older than the queen, to impart dignity and wisdom to the queen.

Gon decided Tae-Eul didn’t need to know that. He whispered as much to Lady Noh while they waited for Tae-Eul to appear.

“Oh, my queen, you look lovely.”

“You have the perfect body proportions for suits.”

Gon looked up-- that last comment made him grimace a little-- as the court ladies erupted into movement and soft but insistent compliments.

There she was, walking in with long strides and her shoulders square. Her eyes sought him immediately, so he made sure his gaze locked with hers. He knew saying anything right now would just make her squirm because of the people around them, so he just nodded and smiled.

He realized the last court lady hadn’t spoken yet. She seemed to be the youngest of the three, maybe late-thirties or early forties. She was approaching the queen now.

“How does it feel, Your Majesty? Do you like it?”

Hmm. That was nice. Not obsequious. Sensible. Gon could see potential in this court lady.

Tae-Eul turned to her and said, “Yes, I like it.” She twisted her torso and swung her arms across her waist, testing the sleeves, and the court ladies all had to step back. Gon grinned. Probably a calculated move.

“You made a good choice with the shoes,” the same court lady said.

Gon looked down, and Tae-Eul did pick the perfect pair of pointed shoes for the suit. She looked perfect.

He could also see all the women in the room staring at her with open expressions of admiration. Lady Noh, three senior court ladies, and three maids in attendance, and they were all looking at Tae-Eul.

Lady Noh had told him Tae-Eul grew prettier the longer you looked at her. That memory still made him smile. And Yeong-- not in many or similar words-- had told him that the palace pretty much agreed with Lady Noh’s assessment.

The Royal Guard had put ears out, of course, to detect any malicious intent, but there were none. If anything, the palace was smitten.

The court ladies and court maids were always talking about the queen every time one of them saw her, and the talk was always the same: how fine and flawless her skin was, how fair, the natural waves in her hair. They’d even discussed her figure, slender without lacking the right curves. How tall she actually was, the same height or taller than the court maids considered tall among them.

Well. Gon agreed with all that. His wife was perfect.

“What do you want done to your hair, Mama?”

“Maybe a braided bun, to add texture to the suit.”

“With your hair down, it makes the suit and pointed shoes casual and accessible rather than a power outfit. But you still look very put together.”

Points to the third court lady again. Gon leaned down to Lady Noh. “What’s her name?”

“Torres Chung-cha,” Lady Noh whispered back. “She’s only half-Corean.”

“What’s the other half?”

“Filipino.”

“Family is known to us?”

“Oh yes. They’re good people.”

Gon looked at Tae-Eul, and she was looking at the suit’s reflection in the mirror, her lips doing that unconscious pouting tic he hoped no one would ever point out to her.

“I’ll leave my hair down,” Tae-Eul said.

“Maybe I can run a heated brush through it?” said Torres Chung-cha. “It will look polished and splendid.”

Tae-Eul caught Gon’s eyes in the mirror, and he saw her curiosity and approval. The court ladies saw it, too, because they immediately produced the ceramic brush. One of them plugged it in with an extended cable, another accepted and positioned the chair a maid had fetched, and Torres Chung-cha received the brush from her peers with humility equal to their deference to her now as the candidate with the highest chance of succeeding.

When Tae-Eul was seated and they started on her hair, Gon sat down too, crossing his legs and stretching an arm on the back of the sofa.

“So who was that new maid who was hazed and sent to the dojang this morning?”

It was amusing how synced Tae-Eul and Lady Noh were as they jumped a little and raised their eyes to the ceiling. The five uniformed women all looked at the floor. Tae-Eul was red to the roots of her hair and glaring at him through the mirror.

Torres Chung-cha was the only one who laughed softly. “Pyeha, that’s my cousin. She started yesterday.”

Tae-Eul asked, “Is she all right?”

“Yes, she is, my queen. It served her right. She should have known better and only accepted instructions from her senior court lady. I hope she didn’t disturb Your Majesties?”

Tae-Eul said, “No.” Gon said, “Well--”

Torres Chung-cha was grinning. “You would have no worries on that account, of course, Your Majesties. My cousin wouldn’t talk. Well, she couldn’t talk for an hour or so.”

Gon laughed and opened his mouth but closed it again when he saw Tae-Eul giving him a look that promised retribution if he didn’t. So he did.

Tae-Eul looked at Chung-cha reproachfully, but Chung-cha only beamed.

Gon nodded to himself. He had done what he’d intended. Tae-eul needed someone she could talk to rather than talk at, and Torres Chung-cha had proven she was that someone.

-------------------------------------------------

Pyongyang wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. Tae-Eul let out a breath as she and Gon stepped away from the car and walked to the entrance.

The Children’s Hospital didn’t have a helipad--a situation Gon told Secretary Mo to fix immediately--so they drove from another building whose name she couldn’t remember just now.

There was crowd control already in place, and the Royal Public Affairs Office had kept a tight lid on the date. The result was only two news crews were there when they arrived, probably ones with eyes on helipads and recognized the royal chopper when it landed. Onlookers only came when they saw the press, and they were just passersby with time on their hands.

“Pyeha, Mama,” was on everyone’s lips, and amid all the bowing and greetings, Tae-Eul nodded and smiled, her hand in Gon’s, gripping his tightly but remembering to let go when she saw the sign to the wards.

Gon looked down at her then in surprise, as if he’d forgotten she could detach her hand from his, which was a silly thought. She bit her lip to keep from laughing hysterically. “I’m going this way, Pyeha.” She tilted her head toward the inpatient department.

“Ahh, of course, thank you, wangbi. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

He leaned toward her and Tae-Eul thought he was going to kiss her--and what would she do then? Let him? Deflect it?-- but he only went past her cheek to her ear, and whispered, “Saranghae.”

She walked away before the dork said or did anything else mortifying, but she stopped short when she remembered the order of precedence. She was supposed to move only after the king had moved.

When she turned back to him, he was still there, smiling, and motioning for her to continue on her way. She did as if she hadn’t just made a faux pas. To her right, In-yeong caught her eye and gave her a small nod of assurance. The Parks were royalists and In-yeong had been raised on guns and royal protocol, so that nod meant a lot to Tae-Eul.

She visited all three floors of the inpatient rooms and talked to some of the kids, told them to listen to their mothers, drink their medicine, and get well soon. The rounds should have been quick, but doctors and nurses and parents all seemed to stop to talk to her, and she couldn’t turn them away.

By the time she trailed kids and parents to the new wing, her fingers were trembling a little.

It wasn’t because of the people-- they were all so nice. But Tae-Eul realized she wasn’t really used to talking to people. She usually interrogated them. Or arrested them. Her circle had been small all her life, people who were already around her in the first place, either at home, at the dojang, in class, and then at the academy and the station.

She knew how to be polite and charming, but she’d just discovered doing it twenty-five times in a row was draining. She’d been polite and charming to twice that many people in the last hour.

She also smiled and waved for photos about a dozen times before Jangmi saw she was tired of it and subtly stopped it through the rest of the guard.

Tae-Eul was relieved when she was finally beside Gon again.

The rosette to the new wing took up about half of the double doorway. It was in all the royal colors, black, blue, gold and crimson-- and she and Gon stood on either side of the huge rosette and cut the ribbon.

There was loud applause and cheers, and Tae-Eul was sincerely happy because this new wing would help so many sick children. It was amazing how money well-spent could do so much. It made her proud and happy of this country--her new country.

She wondered if that happiness had gone to her head or if she was really feeling lightheaded.

She smiled and waved to more of the photos and hoped she didn’t look as pale and clammy as she felt.

---------------------------------------

Gon took one look at Tae-Eul and caught Yeong’s eye. Yeong looked at Tae-Eul, looked at Jangmi, and Jangmi looked around and went into the nearest consultation room. When he came out and nodded, Gon rose from his seat and raised a hand to the people in the universally understood language of asking to be excused.

Then he pulled his wife to the room Jangmi had checked.

Yeong closed the door just as Gon pulled Tae-Eul against him. She sighed and burrowed her face inside the lapel of his coat and Gon was a little alarmed at how heavily she leaned on him. Up close, she looked even paler. He pressed his hand against her cheek and neck. Her skin was a little cold.

“Are you all right?”

She nodded. “I’m fine. Let me just catch my breath.”

He stroked her back. “I remember my first royal visit. I was 15. It was at Sejong University, and the Ministry of Science and Technology and I were awarding one of the research centers a grant of nine billion won. I remember meeting so many people, including the foreign exchange students. I had to go sit in an empty room in the middle of it all.”

“Really?”

Gon nodded. For all her bravado and pluck, Tae-Eul was shy. It was something easily hidden by the nature of her job, where initiative was paramount, but Tae-Eul wasn’t someone who basked in attention. In her job, the light was on her targets, whether they were suspects, accomplices, witnesses, or informers, never her.

He’d been raised and prepared for this and it was still exhausting when he did it for the first time. “It helps to think of something else. Everyone just becomes background.”

She sighed against him. Her face emerged from his lapel. Her grip on his back relaxed. “Who’s your dresser?”

Gon smiled. She was such a quick study. “I don’t really know. I pick all the clothes you’ve seen me in since we met. The normal clothes anyway. And when I have to go somewhere, sometimes I don’t like what they lay out for me and I pick something else, but for the most part, they do well.”

“That’s why you were good at being my dresser today.”

“And you liked what I picked.”

She nodded against him, and she felt lighter, once more standing on her own feet.

“I like that I won’t have to think of clothes if I have a dresser.”

“Hmm, yes. You just have to tell them what you like and don’t like. It’s still your decision, but your dresser should also be able to predict your preferences and decisions.”

“Is it really okay when I break protocol?”

“You’re really worrying about that now?” he said in mock outrage. “After all the names you’ve called me? I haven’t beheaded you yet, have I?”

She raised her face from where it still rested on his chest and looked at him with eyes that sparkled a little. He saw so much there, and he tightened his arms around her.

“I need something for me,” she said quietly. “I’m the queen today. The king’s wife. Even my clothes will reflect on you and the country. I need something that’s mine. Just mine.”

He understood. Since he’d met her, he’d also become Lee Gon. Not just the king, but Lee Gon-- and he had made things his, too. He had decided to be Lee Gon as much as king, and he was still discovering what that meant beyond mathematics and rowing.

Meeting her gaze, he said, “Someone asked me once what kind of king I was. And I didn’t know how to answer her. I’m still discovering the answer to that now.”

Two teardrops spilled over but she was smiling. He wiped those tears.

“Let me break the fourteenth rule for a second. Your queenship is yours. You are queen because you’re my wife yes, but you’re also queen in your own right. You have your own authority. You’ll need that authority because it’s going to be a thankless job at times, but I’m already excited about how you’ll shake this country.

“And everything you do to define your queenship will be one hundred percent yours because of your fourteenth rule, won’t it? I won’t have any input unless you ask me. But-- I hope you won’t mind it if I step in where needed. I don’t want you to be any more exhausted than you need to be. And I have been doing this since I was eight.”

She nodded and he smiled at her trust. He hoped he had demonstrated enough times in the past that he never stepped in until she needed him to.

“Your clothes should reflect you and no one else. You’re the queen. You can set trends. You don’t have to follow any.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I doubt I’ll set any trends.”

“You might if I’m your dresser.”

They laughed.

“Can I give you some practical advice?”

She nodded, squeezing his waist.

“When your photos are taken, smile smaller and don’t move much. That way, it won’t tire you out. Just smile with your eyes and that’s it.”

She smiled brightly up at him, her eyes curved slits. “Like this?”

“Well, no. Haven’t you been listening? That’s gonna hurt your cheeks.” She laughed and then calmed down, looking at him fondly. “There. That smile. Small but sweet.”

She held the smile she was giving him and she looked so beautiful he kissed her forehead. Would have kissed her if he wasn’t aware of the public outside the glass windows.

But he’d been aware of them since he was eight.

“Let’s go. We’ve been here long enough.”

They came out of the room to a quieter cheer, with some staff and parents asking if the queen was all right.

Tae-Eul gave them a small smile and told them she was fine. She was.

Of course she was.

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The ribbon cutting at Pyongyang Children’s Hospital was followed by a whirlwind of more appearances. Tae-Eul steadily got used to it all, her stamina increasing and her cheeks getting used to the workout, and true to his word, Gon laid out her clothes for her. More suits, casual dresses, tops and trousers and skirts.

Over time, she also altered his choices, exchanging this blazer for another one, or this blouse for that one instead. On paper and in the palace ranks, Torres Chung-cha was the queen’s dresser, but so far, all she was doing was give Tae-Eul confidence in her choices.

Especially in shoes. Tae-Eul always picked her shoes, and Chung-cha seemed to genuinely like what she picked. Tae-Eul had tested her thrice already, picking pairs she knew weren’t quite right, and all three times, Chung-cha had spoken her mind.

“No, no. Not quite.”

“Oh no, Mama, you only wear brown leather shoes with blue, and even then, it’s the absolute last resort. We’re not in the twenties, we don’t have to wear brown shoes.”

“I’m not letting you out of the palace in that.”

Shoes were easy enough for her to pick, since all the shoes she had were nice. Tae-Eul also discovered an affinity for some additional height.

She’d always prefer flats, but she liked the way pumps pushed at her heels and the rest of her spine. Her gait changed. Her posture changed. It gave her a sense of aptitude and capacity, like she could face anything--and stomp painfully on anything that got in her way.

Maybe that was why Seo-ryeong liked pumps so much and didn’t seem to wear anything else.

“We have a line with Chanel, Versace, Givenchy, Diane von Furstenberg, Stella McCartney, and three boutiques who can supply different designers and brands. I think I have your preferred looks in my head now and if the king stops being your unofficial dresser,” Chung-cha said with wry amusement, “I’d like to try my hand at actually dressing you.”

“He does have that trip to Sweden and it will take five days,” Tae-Eul said, telling herself she wasn’t actually already hating it. “You’ll have your chance then. But why are those designers all European? American? What about Corean designers?”

“Hmm. Corean design is mostly streetwear, so far. Nothing you could wear, Mama. Rejina Pyo has nice coats. I can show you a selection. Leesle Hwang-- she creates modern interpretations of the hanbok. Although I think the Royal Court would prefer you to wear a hanbok properly if you’ll wear one.”

Tae-Eul lifted her chin. She could still hear what Gon had said. Her clothes were her decision, hers alone. Hang the Royal Court. And if it helped a designer gain more recognition, all the better. “Let’s see what she has.”

Chung-cha nodded, bowed, and left the room.

Tae-Eul stood up and looked at her reflection. She-- well, Gon-- had always stuck to neutrals before, but now she was in her most colorful and most feminine outfit. A sheer purple blouse and floral print skirt in black and silver. She had to wear a silk tank underneath the blouse. The shoes she picked were also bold with three colors, black fading into nude at the heels. And the heels and soles were red.

Chung-cha said they were the most gorgeous Louboutins she had ever seen, and the nude color almost blended in with Tae-Eul’s ankles and legs.

Tae-Eul had wondered if she needed to put on red lipstick, which wasn’t her at all, but Chung-cha told her it was fine. Purple and red just worked together by themselves.

The heels were the tallest she’d worn so far, and when Gon came into the room and stood beside her, the top of her head was level with his ears.

“Wow, you’re taller,” he said, smiling. He wore a simple black shirt, black trousers, and a beige coat. It was the perfect, understated match for her more colorful outfit.

They were going to a children’s party. The Minister of Social Welfare’s first granddaughter was celebrating her 100th day with 100 kids and 100 elderly folks. The kids and elderly were from indigent families, orphans, or completely alone. The ministry--with backing from the palace-- would establish these children and elderly in school and housing.

“You look like a doll. Perfect for a little girl’s Baek-il.”

He must have seen the change in her face, because he put an arm around her shoulders and said, “You’re beautiful. You look absolutely fine. Too fine.” He frowned at their reflection at the mirror, specifically at her legs. “Maybe you should change into trousers.”

She backhanded him on the stomach.

It was very light but he groaned and doubled over.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot!” She stroked his stomach over his shirt. She had hit him there that morning in their spar. She hugged him and it felt good to be able to place her chin and laugh over his shoulder without having to tiptoe.

“Try not to hit me in this sore spot until it heals, woman,” he said against her hair, which was down with the waves enhanced. “I’m already your dresser. Let’s not show them I’m also your punching bag.”

“Why didn’t you dodge?” It was a kick and he had to have seen it coming. He had been too winded earlier to answer when she’d asked, and she had been too busy checking if she’d cracked his rib to insist. When she was sure he was only bruised, she’d gone to get ice and forgot her question.

Gon leaned back from her. “You really don’t know?”

She shook her head.

“You were wearing tights! I ban tights on our spars.”

She gaped at him and then laughed.

“Well, you’re the queen’s dresser. You can remove all my tights.”

It was his turn to gape and laugh, since it took her two seconds to realize and sputter, “I mean from my wardrobe! Remove them all from my wardrobe!”

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Sejong University 9 billion grant really happened in 2002 and it really came from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Chung-cha means noble. Patricia means noble. This is for the Patricia in my life, who needs some bracing. I hope this will do?

Swoon, I just saw your comment and I think you’re happy with the coat hiding here. Hahaha.

Please let me know what you think! This is a big chapter! I hope that makes up for the recent gap. More to come!

#CoreaNews #CoreaFiction #the king: eternal monarch #the king eternal monarch #TKEM fan fic

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