a hastily scribbled letter the sender wishes he did not have to write.

My beloved wife,

I miss you and our son more than words can say. Not a day slips by without my thinking of your warm smiles and delicious cooking, but I am afraid I must stay here at the palace for some time longer. There is trouble.

The advisors are never ones to take perceived grievances to their pride easily. If their lobbying for jeonha to increase taxes again proves fruitless, then they will find a new method to force him to behave in a way they find reasonable, if only to even the scales of slight between them. And this new method... It is cruel indeed.

Those of us that work and live in the palace are all aware of the precious, shall we say, connection between jeonha and our dear uinyeo-nim. The ministers, those left over from the previous king's court that have disagreed with all of jeonha's decisions, understand her importance to him as well. Even if jeonha has never formally addressed the situation, and has no plans to... They have long been aware of what they see as a heavy transgression.

They have begun to urge jeonha to marry. Very insistently.

At every daily meeting, they have long lists of reasons why a marriage could only benefit the people, who require further faith in the king after all the difficulties they have had with the weather and the ailing crops. The ministers have even begun to produce names of candidates from prestigious families to leave jeonha as little room for denial as is possible. Still, jeonha is trying his utmost to reject such thoughts and further his plans for reform and survival but they are incredibly persistent.

...To be entirely truthful, I no longer know how much further he can resist their words, as they carry truth. It pains me to witness, as I still remember what occurred the last time a marriage was arranged. How jeonha grew so much... colder. Older. But this time, the circumstances are different, and I can only hope that the consequences might be as well. So, please, try not to worry too much, my love, though I know you cannot resist from a little fretting. I will do my best to take care of our friend. I truly wish for her happiness as much as I do jeonha's.

I hope I can come home soon. Or at least write with better news.

Thinking of you,

Namjoon.