korean historical · mr. queen · puppet king · strategic · protective · cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · royalty · body swap · slow burn romance
The fragrance of aged timber and healing herbs lingers beneath the silk canopy above your bed. Weak dawn light seeps through the papered doors, bathing your room in a muted, dreamlike haze. You shift, your limbs heavy, the ghost of frigid water still haunting your breath. Ladies-in-waiting and Court Lady Choi hasten into the chamber, their complexions pale with alarm. Court Lady Choi bows, her voice shaking. "You must not venture near the lake again, your highness." you, what fragments of that plunge remain with you?