The double doors of the Grand Banquet Hall groaned open like ancient gates, spilling golden light into the corridor where we waited.
"Enter," came the sharp whisper from Mistress Choi. "Slow and silent."
My heart thundered like war drums. I stepped forward, my silk robes brushing against my ankles, my arms steady despite the tremor inside.
The hall was already half-filled. Nobles of every rank gleamed in embroidered cloaks stitched with moon-thread, hairpins of jade and sapphire, fans painted with phoenixes mid-flight. Every noble house was represented, and they all turned as we entered.
Eyes. Eyes everywhere. Curious. Hungry. Judging.
We took our assigned positions. Mine was near the third pillar on the right, close enough to see the foot of the king's dais. The carpet felt thick under my sandals, muffling every step.
Behind me, Mira whispered, "They're looking at us like we're centerpieces."
"We are," I murmured. "Pretty decorations. Dangerous ones."
The musicians struck a slow, deliberate chord. The guests bowed in unison as the herald announced, "His Majesty, King Hyunsu of the House of Han, Ruler of the Five Provinces, Sun of the Empire."
We lowered our heads.
The king entered.
I could only glimpse the hem of his robe as he passed, a long train of dark crimson embroidered with golden dragons. He mounted the jade dais in slow, powerful strides and sat upon the throne without a word.
Only then were we allowed to lift our eyes.
His presence was gravity itself. I dared not stare for long.
"Let the banquet begin," he said, voice low and authoritative.
The orchestra swelled. The servers moved. And we began.
My first task was to pour wine into the minister's goblet. I stepped forward, bowed at the correct angle, and filled it smoothly. He did not look at me. That was good.
Around me, the hall blossomed with sound…laughter, clinking glasses, murmurs in old dialects. Every movement had purpose. Every step, a consequence.
Near the center of the room, dancers moved like silk in the wind, sleeves fluttering as they told stories without words. Their choreography mirrored ours in training.
Mistress Sook would be proud.
As I returned to my post, I saw King Hyunsu lean slightly to his left. An attendant approached immediately.
"Summon the first maiden," he said.
A ripple moved through us.
The chosen girl, Suji, was called forward. Her face remained still, but I saw her knuckles whiten. She stepped up the dais with poise and knelt before the king.
He extended a hand. She poured.
Then he smiled.
The court erupted in polite claps. A good sign.
I did not allow myself to hope. It would make failure taste worse.
Two more maidens were called. The second stumbled slightly. A murmur spread through the room.
Mistress Choi's glare could've carved stone.
"Yeonhwa," came the soft summons.
My turn.
My breath caught. My legs moved on their own. Up the steps. Keep your eyes low. Don't shake.
I knelt. Bowed. Presented the goblet.
King Hyunsu reached out, fingers brushing mine as he took the cup. His gaze lifted to mine.
Just for a moment.
Something flickered there.
Recognition?
Approval?
Danger?
He drank slowly. Then gave the faintest nod.
The court applauded.
My pulse hammered as I returned to my place.
Mira's smile was wide. "He looked at you."
"I don't know what that means."
"It means," she whispered, "you've just become a threat."
But I barely had time to dwell on her words.
Because not long after, a second summons came.
"Yeonhwa, again."
The whispers around me buzzed like hornets.
Mira glanced at me, half shocked, half terrified.
I stepped forward again. The dais felt higher this time. The silence…thicker.
King Hyunsu didn't look at me immediately. He seemed deep in thought, fingers tapping the armrest. When I knelt and poured, he finally spoke.
"What is your name?"
My eyes widened. That wasn't protocol.
But I bowed my head and answered softly, "Yeonhwa, Your Majesty."
"Yeonhwa," he repeated. "A name like spring flame."
Polite laughter echoed faintly in the hall.
Then he dismissed me with a simple nod.
As I returned to my post, I felt the weight of the room's attention dragging behind me like a long veil.
From that moment on, everything changed.
Nobles began whispering more openly.
"She's from the southern province, isn't she?"
"I heard she was scouted personally by the chamberlain."
"Do you think she'll be chosen?"
Lady Hyerin's gaze was unreadable, but she whispered something into Mistress Choi's ear that made the latter's jaw tighten.
During a short intermission, Mira nudged me.
"Do you realize what's happening?"
I looked at her, heart still racing. "No."
"You're being marked," she whispered. "Not just by the king. By them."
She nodded toward the noble women at the side tables, who were eyeing me like I was both amusing and dangerous.
"They'll smile to your face," Mira added, "then lace your tea with wormroot."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not. Just... be careful."
Before I could reply, the music resumed. The second round of courses began…stewed goose with golden squash, sea cucumber with black garlic. The scent was intoxicating, but none of us dared eat.
I kept my head low and my movements precise. Still, I could feel his gaze.
King Hyunsu was watching me.
Even when others spoke to him, he responded without breaking eye contact.
At one point, he leaned in and murmured something to his royal aide.
The aide bowed and quickly left his side, whispering something to Lady Hyerin.
Her expression did not change, but a subtle nod passed between them.
Later that night, as the hall began to empty and the music faded into soft background notes, Mistress Choi approached me as we exited the side corridor.
"Yeonhwa," she said curtly. "You are to report to the eastern wing. His Majesty has requested your presence."
My breath caught.
"At this hour?"
"You are not to ask questions," she said. "You will follow me. Say nothing. Do nothing unless instructed."
Mira's eyes widened as I passed her, but I could not respond.
The halls grew quieter as we left the main banquet floor. The lanterns were dimmer here, and the shadows deeper.
When we arrived at a lacquered door guarded by two silent soldiers, Mistress Choi turned to me.
"You will enter alone. You will speak only if spoken to."
The door creaked open.
And I stepped into the private quarters of King Hyunsu of the House of Han.