Chapter 11: First Snow

Dalrae stood in the doorway with a lacquer tray.

On it sat a small brown pot, one cup, and a little dish of dried plums.

Steam rose off the spout.

The smell came across the room, sweet and sour.

"Lady Baek." Captain Kang's voice came through the lattice, very low. "Don't touch it."

"I'm not going to drink it."

"Don't touch it."

"Who brought it?" Soyul asked Dalrae.

"The kitchen girl. The little one with the burn on her hand."

Dalrae looked down at the tray, then at Soyul's face, and went white. "She said it was from Lady Hwang. For the first snow."

Dalrae set the tray down on the floor.

Soyul didn't bother with the cup.

She pulled her mother's hairpin out of her braid and pushed it straight down the spout of the pot.

It came out black.

Not grey.

Black, like it had been dipped in ink.

Dalrae made a sound.

Soyul sat on the floor with the pin in her hand and the snow coming down outside.

For a moment she was on the pavilion steps again.

Cold stone under her cheek.

His arms.

"Soyul."

His voice, through the wall.

In the other life he had never once said her name.

She stood up.

"Dalrae. Get the kitchen girl. Don't let her out of your sight."

"Where are you going?"

"To the Queen Dowager."

"It's the third watch!"

"Then she'll be home."

Soyul put on her cloak and picked up the tray in both hands.

The two court ladies at her door were asleep against each other.

She kicked the doorframe and they jumped up shrieking.

"Come with me," she said. "You're witnesses."

Captain Kang met them at the front gate.

He had come around the whole north wall at a run.

There was snow on his hat and his shoulders, and he didn't say a word.

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