Lee Jong-suk Courts Shin Min-a in 'The Remarried Empress'

Actor Lee Jong-suk has stepped into Disney+'s new fantasy romance "The Remarried Empress" as a foreign prince who sets his sights on the empress. The first four episodes of the Disney+ original series premiered on Nov. 3 and introduced his character, Prince Heinley of the Western Kingdom.

The series follows Navier (Shin Min-a), the empress of the Eastern Empire. Her husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon), falls in love with a runaway slave named Rashta (Lee Se-young) and tells Navier he wants a divorce. Rather than simply accepting his decision, Navier ask permission to remarry Heinley.

In episodes 1 through 4, Heinley visits the imperial court of the Eastern Empire. Rumors about the prince have already spread throughout the court, sparking everyone's curiosity. But Heinley only has eyes for Navier.

"It's an honor to meet you, my Queen," he tells her, making his intentions clear from the start. With Sovieshu's heart already taken by Rashta, Heinley's approach hints that things between him and Navier are about to change.

The New Year's ball marks another turning point in their story further. When Sovieshu heads off toward Rashta, Heinley approaches Navier, who has been left standing alone, and offers his hand. Unfazed by prying eyes, he makes his intentions clear. The contrast with Sovieshu is hard to miss. Navier takes his hand, a hint that their relationship is just getting started.

Lee portrays Heinley as a man who acts differently depending on who he is interacting with. Around members of the imperial court, he remains relaxed but maintains a guarded expression. With Navier, his voice and expression soften. Lee moves between two sides of the character: a royal prince, and a younger man who isn't shy about going after the woman he loves.

The show also introduced Queen, a character designed with to resemble Heinley, from his clothes, hair color and eyes. The resemblance goes beyond looks. Queen behaves like him, too. The episodes cut back and forth between Queen staying close to Navier and Heinley seeking her out in person, leaving viewers wondering about the connection between the two.

Fantasy is a familiar ground for Lee. He has starred in several dramas with fantasy elements, including "I Hear Your Voice," "W – Two Worlds Apart" and "While You Were Sleeping." This time, he shares the romance at the center of the story with Shin.

Heinley shows his feelings for Navier from the very first episodes. What part he will play as her story tangles with Sovieshu and Rashta is the question the rest of the series will have to answer.

"The Remarried Empress" runs 10 episodes, with two new episodes released on Disney+ each week. Episodes 5 and 6 are set to arrive on Nov. 11.