Chapter 19:
Inside his quarters, the lemony citrus scent surrounds them as she sits beside his bed, feeling his forehead with her left hand. It seems the act of walking after he had woken-up had been too great for his body that he had lost consciousness and is now lying with a fever again.
At the touch of her hand at the side of his face, the prince's eyes open a little. He weakly captures her hand and presses it in his cheek, seeking comfort in it. He then puts it in the nook of his neck and goes back to sleep with his hands still holding hers. She smiles at his unconscious gesture. On a normal circumstances, having her hand touched by a stranger would have scared her away but she's been sitting here at his bedside for a week, nursing him on her own. She's use to touching him now and is just eager for him to awake. Somehow finding him on her own, at her father's lake had made him a little territorial and possessive of him.
In the morning, the other prince comes to visit the unknown man that the daughter of the moon had been busy taking care off. It seemed, she had missed the appointed dinner with the other prince last night because this prince was holding on to her hand. She had ended up sleeping here, sitting at the floor with her head resting on his hand, the prince still holding on to her. The other prince comes in and finds them like that, both still asleep. He stands beside the bed with his eunuch at his side. He quietly commands the eunuch to find out about the real identity of the wounded man. He then moves closer to her and leans down, caressing the side of her face with the tips of his fingers causing her to slowly awake. Confused.
Ha Jin sits up in her bed as Chae Ryung enters her room and greets her good morning. She looks around; anticipating to be sitting on a warm summery room with the lemony citrus scent surrounding her but all she can feel is Hae Soo's soft bed and the wintery cold weather.
"Agassi, thank goodness you're awake already. We need to hurry and get you bathed and dressed, Lady Myung Hee and the 8th prince are waiting for you at the hanok in front of the prayer towers." Chae Ryung tells Has Soo as she takes her by the wrist and pulls her from the bed.
Ah mat-da! Chi-geum-eun Seollal-i-ye-yo! (Oh! Right, it's lunar new year today!)
As Ha Jin stands, she feels lightheaded and sways. She holds on to Chae Ryung for a second, thinking that she's about to see a flash of memory but nothing came. The last time she had a flash of memory was when she touched that familiar ajeossi at their dinner a month ago. She doesn't miss the feeling nor does it bother her that she doesn't see things anymore but somehow today she feels uneasy.
"Gwaen-chanh-a-yo agassi? (Are you alright my lady?)" Chae Ryung asks worried as she supports Hae Soo.
Ha Jin nods, hiding her uneasiness with a smile.
Chae Ryung helps Hae Soo to her wooden bathtub full of warm water. She then dresses Hae Soo in a weaved-silk seolbim (new set of hanbok) with a blue chima matching a light yellowish jeogori. Her hair is decorated with small white flower dwikojji(s) on both sides of her head.
Outside Ha Jin's quarters, the red ribbons and lanterns hanging on tree branches are a stark contrast on the snow covered white courtyard. Ha Jin raises her face towards the sun, soaking in its warmth. She had been cooped up inside their compound for the last three weeks studying under the 8th prince. They had managed to covered 1/3 of the book and Ha Jin can now write and read a few hanja but can only understand a few simple sentences.
They no longer walk to the market during the afternoons since she has her lessons during those hours and its been snowing hard lately that no one can stand the cold outside their quarters even for a few hours. She also no longer walks at night because of the snow and because she has no one to hang out with anymore. She didn't notice that she had been enjoying So's company lately that when he left, she no longer have anyone to talk to at night. She makes Chae Ryung sit with her in her quarters instead, making her memorize the hanja(s) that Ha Jin learned that day. Apparently, Chae Ryung says she can't read too, so Ha Jin makes an effort to teach her.
Lately, all the princes had been busy in their palace work that Jung, Baek-Ah and Eun seldom come over in their compound. They had came once, inviting her for the their tea gathering at the Damiwon that will happen later so she had been really looking forward to this day.
After a few wonderings Chae Ryung and Hae Soo finally reach the hanok in front of the prayer stone towers. It turns out that this hanok is actually a shrine for Hae ancestors. Ha Jin never comes to this part of their courtyard in the morning so she never saw it open. She thought, it was just one of those extra living quarters they have in the compound. No one told her anything about it because she never asked in the first place. Chae Ryung guides Hae Soo to the door and stays behind.
As Ha Jin enters it, she suddenly feels on the edge. She had been anxious ever since she woke up this morning but she shrugs it off thinking that maybe it's because its her first new year here in Goryeo and everything just feels new to her.
She touches a dry peach wood hanging at the door ceiling for good luck as she enters. Inside, the whole place looks like a studio type hanok with no room other than this one big space where a long table is pushed to the wall. A rice paper divider stands at it's one side. She sees Myung Hee and the 8th prince lighting incense to start the ritual of honoring the dead ancestors for the Hae and Hwangbo Clan.
Ha Jin takes her place in front of the long low table laden with different foods. The variety of foods is neatly arranged in balanced rows with the first row, nearest in front of them containing different kwa-il (fruits). Second row contains, na-mul (herbs, vegetables, green) particularly bellflower, bracken, spinach. The third row contains three kinds of soup and two candles on both side: yuk-tang (meat soup), eo-tang (fish soup), so-tang (beef soup). The fourth row contains different kinds dried fishes, jeon (savory pancakes) and rice cakes. The fifth and last row contains the Tteokguk (soup with sliced rice cakes) sul-jan (goblet) and sin-wi (ancestral tablets).
The three of them bow deeply in front of the table, touching their forehead to the ground. At the middle of praying Ha Jin can feel her consciousness being pulled somewhere, she tries to focus shaking the dizziness but somehow that lemony citrus scent is floating underneath her nose. She suddenly stands up suffocating from the heady smell of incense. She runs out to the foyer and falls to the floor.
Baffled, Myung Hee and Wook run after Hae Soo and finds her holding on to the balustrade, kneeling to the floor. Her hands clasping at her chest as she gasps for air. She can feel pain in her upper stomach like something sharp had just gone through her.
"Hae Soo-ya, what's wrong?" Myung Hee kneels beside Hae Soo panicking.
Ha Jin shuts her eyes, counting in her head one to ten backwards, timing her breathing. Wook goes down on the floor about to carry her but she stops his hands from touching her.
"I'm alright." Ha Jin opens her eyes holding Wook's hand away, "I'm fine, please give me a minute. It must be the heady scent of incense inside the closed quarters."
Myung Hee and Wook hold their breath as they wait for Hae Soo. Ha Jin continues counting until she feels her head clear and that lemony citrus scent disappear. It took her eight 10 counts of backward before her breathing becomes close to being normal.
"Choe-song-hae-yo unnie, I don't think I can go back inside. Is it alright if I stay here for a while?" Ha Jin asks weakly.
"Of course, we can sit here all day if you want." Myung Hee answers worried.
"A-ni-yo, please continue with the ritual for our ancestors inside. We wouldn't want to be disrespectful to them." Ha Jin masks her fear with a smile.
She's scared of going back inside the shrine. There is something about the shrine that makes her head swim in a sea of murky scenes of that girl she keeps dreaming about. Ha Jin wonders if it's Hae Soo's memories but it couldn't be. Those places and their clothing couldn't be place in this timeline.
Maybe earlier times? Then who is she?
"Shall we walk you to your quarters so you could take a rest?" Wook asks, concerned creasing his forehead.
"Gwaen-chah-a-yo, Chae Ryung will walk me to my quarters so please go back inside." Ha Jin answers signalling at Chae Ryung who had been watching not far.
After the ritual, the two finds Hae Soo in her quarters' foyer, having Tteokguk and Jeon with Chae Ryung. Chae Ryung quickly gets-up from the table bowing to the 8th prince and Lady Myung Hee. She stands behind Hae Soo, embarrassed to be caught sitting with the lady of the house. Ha Jin bows to give her greetings displaying her best smile to no longer worry her cousin and the 8th prince.
"Maybe we shouldn't go to the Damiwon later, it might not be best for your health." Wook tells Hae Soo worried for what happened a while ago.
"A-ni-yo, cheo gwaen-chanh-seub-ni-kka, cheongmal. (I'm really fine.) Please let me go." Ha Jin was afraid that she wouldn't be allowed to come to the Damiwon if they suspect that something is wrong with her.
"Hae Soo-ya…" Myung Hee starts.
"Unnie, na jin-jja gwaen-chanh-a. (I'm really fine.)" Ha Jin cuts whatever Myung Hee was going to say repeating what she just said.
She pulls her height and tries to remember her manners. She doesn't want to stay another day inside her room.
"Alright but tell us when you start feeling dizzy again. I think we should let a doctor check on you just so we're sure." Myung Hee accedes to Hae Soo's request.
"Ah, we can have Lady Oh check your pulse later at the Damiwon or I can call on the royal doctor." Wook volunteers.
"Ha-ji ma-se-yo, je-bal. (Please don't.) It's really embarrassing for me." Ha Jin tries to talk them out of it. "And it's a new year, don't we usually grant a wish when it's new year?"
Ha Jin takes to the side of Myung Hee, hugging her.
Myung Hee smiles, "A-ra-seo, is there something you want?"
"Eops-eo-yo. (None)" Ha Jin just misses being around family, especially today, "Ah Chae Ryung should take some time off and see her family."
"Cheo-yo? (me)" Chae Ryung asks suddenly caught off guard, "Gwaen-chanh-seub-ni-da agassi, I don't have to."
"Eiii we were just talking about how you miss your mother and your sister. You should go, I can manage for a day or two or a week." Ha Jin offers smiling, still holding on to Myung Hee.
Wook and Myung Hee looks at Chae Ryung, they had never granted their servants to leave their household before because no one had dared to ask. It was unheard off for a servant to leave their master's house no matter what.
Chae Ryung fidgets nervously at her feet. Although she misses her family, she knows she could never leave this house and Hae Soo asking the lady of the household and his prince to grant her leave is putting Chae Ryung in hot waters.
"Well then, Chae Ryung-ah please take a leave for two days and then come back. Is that alright?" Wook asks addressing their servant.
"That is enough your highness, a-chu kam-sa-hab-ni-da. (Thank you so much.)"Chae Ryung bows over and over, grateful and nervous at the same time.
Wook dismisses her. Chae Ryung leaves as fast as she can before the 8th prince and the lady of the household change their minds.
Myung Hee and Wook turn to Hae Soo. They've had a talk about getting tutor for Hae Soo to teach her manners for noble ladies. Looking at her now, they conclude that Hae Soo not only needs to be taught court manners but she also needs to relearn customs and laws of their society. Hae Soo's kindness will get someone killed without her knowing it.
Trudging the thick snow and cold weather outside the 8th prince' compound, Chae Ryung walks with a bundle of hot Tteokguk in both of her hands. The head servant was instructed by the 8th prince to have Chae Ryung take a few Tteokguk and Jeon before she leaves, making it look like she is being send in an errand rather than being allowed to go home. Lady Myung Hee and the 8th prince had taken measures to make sure no one would know that Chae Ryung is allowed to take leave.
Chae Ryung happily hugs the Tteokguk, feeling its warmth. She is busy taking care of the bundle that she had walk into a lady unaware, causing them both to fall to their butts on the ground. Two swords were suddenly drawn at Chae Ryung's neck, making her hold on to the bundle more tightly. A man wearing an all black Yungbok (hanbok usually worn by military officers) helps the elegant lady to stand and draws his sword over Chae Ryung too. The lady stands and looks at Chae Ryung. Chae Ryung stays in the ground, having her hanbok soak in the snow, shaking from fear.
"Sung-go-hab-ni-da Agassi (please forgive me my lady). I was too concerned with trudging at the snow carefully that I wasn't looking at where I'm heading. Cheo-song-hab-ni-da" Chae Ryung profusely apologizes as she kneels in the snow, close to tears.
"Are you running off to see your family?" the lady ask.
"Yie Agassi. Choe-song-hab-ni-da cheong-mal." Chae Ryung answers as she continues to bow.
"Look at my me, my dear child." The lady gently asks Chae Ryung.
Chae Ryung hesitantly looks-up and that was a mistake. The back of the lady's hand makes a harsh contact to her cheek. The ring of the lady slicing shallowly at her skin as she slaps Chae Ryung hard. Chae Ryung falls to the snow, surprised by the sudden cruelty of the lady. With her hand holding her slapped cheek, Chae Ryung gets a glimpsed of the lady. She seems quite regal even for a noble birth. Her age, enough to be Chae Ryung's mother and still beautiful. But it's her eyes that is more captivating than the rest of her. Her dark pool of eyes that contains something akin to madness, making her look more dangerous than her guards who surround her.
The lady walks past her addressing her guards, "Leave her."
"Yie your highness," the man, looks at Chae Ryung one last time and takes his other subordinates with him.
Chae Ryung sits on the snow long after the four people were gone. She was scared to death that she couldn't bring herself to stand. She wipes the tears and trickles of blood on her cheeks and takes the bundle of Tteokguk in her hands again and weakly stands-up. She slowly walks this time, afraid to bumped into anyone again.
Jung and Baek-Ah drop at their 8th brother's household to take Hae Soo with them. Myung Hee and Wook had wanted for Hae Soo to take the palanquin to the palace because of the cold weather but Hae Soo adamantly refuses and makes Baek-Ah take her to his horse. Myung Hee sits inside the palanquin instead while Wook rides in his horse beside her. Wook warned Jung and Baek-Ah not to take Hae Soo on a race to the Damiwon since she was sick this morning so the two walk their horse slowly with Baek-Ah arranging Hae Soo's thick coat around her, making sure she's not cold.
Inside the Damiwon, Eun goes around talking to some gungyeo(s) arranging the place. A wide wooden plank was positioned on top of the inner pool, bridging its end to end parameter. A long table laden with food and makgeolli was then position at its center, with a few cushions lining the side of the low table. Eun instructs the gungyeo(s) to close the doors leading to the outer pool a little so it won't be too cold.
Lady Oh stands at the middle landing of the stairs going to the second floor, with two gungyeo(s) at her back, waiting for her. She observes her nephew and the 4th prince having a conversation beside the outer pool. She had heard that the 4th prince had come to stay on her nephew's tower instead of his own clan's quarters in the palace. She feels nervous as to what his nephew is planning these days.
Won and Yo are celebrating their Seollal at their own household and will not be coming.
At the doorsteps, Wook, Myung Hee, Jung, Baek-Ah and Hae Soo arrive giving their greetings to everyone. Wook helps Myung Hee out of her coat while Baek-Ah takes Hae Soo's and gives it the gungyeo(s) around.
"Hae Soo-ya!" Eun calls from the other side of the inner pool, spotting Hae Soo with the new comers.
Hearing Hae Soo's name being called, Ji Mong and So glance back at the inner pool seeing the five arrive.
Eun approaches the new comers and performs the obligatory new year greeting to his older 8th brother. Wook acknowledges Eun and lets him stand.
"Oh! You look one year older Hae Soo-ya." Eun jokes with Hae Soo as Ha Jin gives her greetings to Eun.
Aigoo this kid, doesn't he know I'm way older than him?
Out loud Ha Jin jokes in cheondemal, "Eun hwangjanim you think less and less compared to your age."
"Ya!" Eun starts bickering with Hae Soo, making everyone laugh.
If they weren't in front of Lady Myung Hee and the 8th prince, Hae Soo would be addressing Eun in banmal. Like Baek-Ah, Eun had specifically instructed Hae Soo to speak to him in banmal, jealous of Baek-Ah and Hae Soo'c close relationship.
Lady Oh comes down from the second floor to give her greetings to the new comers, observing Hae Soo as she passes her.
Jung and Baek-Ah who were standing on both sides of Hae Soo introduces Hae Soo to Lady Oh. Ha Jin bows in her normal greeting, slouched and all smiles. Lady Oh's eyebrow twitch, observing the unlady like manners of Hae Soo. Lady Oh holds out her hand, signalling to her gunyeo from her back to hand her, her thin teaching stick. She walks to Hae Soo and mildly hits parts of her body that is wrongly positioned, correcting her shoulder, the position of her hands and the angle of her arms.
"I heard you're 16, weren't you thought the proper way to greet?" Lady Oh reprimands Hae Soo in a very strict and controlled voice.
Ha Jin fidgets from being hit by the stick, not because of pain but because of embarrassment. She chews her lower lip as a crimson blush consumes her whole face.
"Choe-song-hab-ni-da Oh Sanggun," Myung Hee bows properly to Lady Oh, "Our Hae Soo had lost her memories due to an accident. She is still in the process of relearning her court manners."
Lady Oh delicately touches Ha Jin's chin, leading her to stand. She takes her hand from Hae Soo's chin and quietly observes her posture not minding Myung Hee's apology.
"Stop chewing your lips. It's very unlady like." Lady Oh chastises Hae Soo as she arranges her standing posture by hitting Hae Soo's back and shoulders.
Eun is going to move to stop Lady Oh but Lady Oh catches Eun and looks at him with intimidating demeanor. Eun could only wince as he looks at Hae Soo. Baek-Ah and Jung stand, swallowing at each side of Hae Soo. They know better than to mess with Lady Oh when she's in the mood to teach.
Ji Mong and So watches from the outer pool, amused, trying there hardest to not show any emotion.
"Wang Wook Yeodeolp Hwangja, (8th Prince Wang Wook), I'm taking apprentices this spring. If the lady still hasn't gotten back her memories by then, maybe you'd want to consider sending her to me?" Lady Oh turns to Wook, suggesting taking Hae Soo under her wing.
Wook exchanges glance with Myung Hee, knowing that his wife hates for their Hae Soo to enter the palace for whatever reason. Just this morning, they were considering hiring tutor to teach Hae Soo, courtly manners at home but not in the palace.
"That would be a great honor for our Hae Soo but Myung Hee and I would like to think about it some more." Wook politely declines.
"Yie, gue-rae-hab-ni-da hwangjanim (Yes, go ahead then your highness.)" Lady Oh takes a step back and bows to the 8th prince, smiling.
She looks at Hae Soo one last time and directs their group to the table set at the wooden plank in the inner pool. As she turns to leave, she catches her nephew watching them. Ji Mong gives a discreet acknowledgement to his aunt. Lady Oh only looks at her nephew and then walks away.
"Gwaen-chanh-a Hae Soo-ya?" Jung asks as he and Baek-Ah walk Hae Soo to the inner pool.
"Mi-an-ha-da, we forgot to warn you that Oh Sanggun is quite strict when it comes to courtly manners."Baek-Ah adds anxiously.
"Eii gwaen-chan-a, it's my fault for not learning my manners sooner." Ha Jin assures the two of them. She was so nervous and embarrassed that she would have like it if the ground suddenly swallows her up.
"Oh! Hae Soo-ya, How do you find the Damiwon? Don't worry about Oh Sanggun. She is a little uptight but is usually nice when you get used to her." Eun inserts himself in between Hae Soo and Jung, smiling.
Ha Jin appreciates Eun's effort to make her feel at ease after being put in a tight spot. Guessing that she wouldn't be able to take for granted her courtly manners anymore she resolves to ask Myung Hee later to get her a tutor for it.
Wook calls for a gungyeo to have Myung Hee be given a warm tea as he helps her up into the wooden plank and have her seat in the cushion.
Ha Jin takes a good look around appreciating the wooden architecture of the place. She didn't get to have a looked at it the first time she was in here. She slowly turns in circle now, liking the scent of lavender and freesia everywhere. She then spots So standing at the outer pool alone. Ji Mong is hidden in view by the slightly close doors.
"So-ya!" Ha Jin shouts, excitedly waving at So and then stops, catching herself making a mistake.
Everyone turns to look at Hae Soo, surprised to hear that she had just addressed the 4th prince informally. No one knows that Hae Soo and So had formed a bond by hanging out together at the prayer towers, before he came to live in the palace.
So's face lights up at the sound of Hae Soo calling his name, he was going to give her a small smile as he looks at her but then he notices her suddenly stilling at her feet. She changes from being excited to being formal, bowing to greet him instead. He wonders what's wrong, waiting for her to come to him. He had wanted to see her for the last three weeks but the king and the seja had kept him by their side, orienting him of the palace customs and rules, training him as the seja's right hand in command. He'd been second guessing his self that maybe he made a wrong choice to leave his 8th brother's household because he never sees her anymore.
Ha Jin remembers that So doesn't talk to her in front of other people. She was thinking, he wouldn't like what she just did so she changes from waving at him to bowing formally to him instead and then turns away.
Mu arrives just in time to hear Hae Soo call out at So. The announcement of his presence was neglected because everyone, including the gungyeo(s) and even himself was surprised to hear the girl address his 4th brother with familiarity. He waits a few second watching what Hae Soo and So would do but when its apparent that the girl just made a mistake that she can't take back, he steps in saving Hae Soo from hot waters by having his presence announced.
Everyone bows at the crown prince, giving Mu the standard new year deep bow greeting. Even So and Ji Mong who were outside, kneel at their spot, bowing their heads to the ground. He keeps everyone's attention for a few minutes before letting them rise.
Wook helps Myung Hee up as the crown prince approaches where Jung, Baek-Ah, Eun and Hae Soo stand.
"Please stay seated, I heard from my astronomer that you'd been ill lately." Mu addresses Myung Hee, "It seems we've been keeping my 8th brother busy with his position in the palace that he hasn't been around taking care of you. My apologies my lady."
"A-nim-ni-da wangsejanim, it is the other way around. I feel that we have been keeping our 8th prince in our household that he couldn't come to the palace more." Myung Hee returns the apology.
It is true that Wook seldom enters the palace these days, only reporting in the morning but comes home in the afternoon to teach Hae Soo and have dinner with them every night.
"Nonsense." Mu signals to one of the servants shadowing behind him. A few bottle-ceramics arranged in a neat column in a wooden holder was handed to the crown prince.
"A gift for the lady of the Hae household." Mu hands the medicine to Lady Myung Hee. "Please take it religiously. It would improve your health in no time."
Ji Mong had it made known to the crown prince that he had been hearing lately that Lady Myung Hee is quite sick and had suggested that she needs to be taken care off, subtlely manipulating the crown prince to let him use the royal apothecary to provide whatever Myung Hee needs to be save in this lifetime. He doesn't know how far Myung Hee's illness had progressed or if she is even sick and is at the end of her lifespan already. He's not a doctor to know how to cure her but he knows what her illness is so he describes it meticulously to the royal doctor as accurate as possible and had the royal apothecary brew a special concoction design for her illness. Science hasn't discover antibiotics at this point but he pushes their royal apothecary to make something as close as antibiotics for tuberculosis. It might not work. He might not be able to completely cure her but he'd be damned not to try.
"Kam-sa-hab-ni-da hyungnim." Wook takes the gift from Mu, "And my apologies that my wife had you worried. I'll take better care of my household from now on."
"I know you will." Mu thinks that what he's giving to Wook and Myung Hee is just a medicine improve her health to help her conceive, "Maybe we'll even hear a talk of another prince in a few months?"
"Oh?!" Eun interjects, "But our 8th brother doesn't need to try to too hard, I'm sure our father can produce another prince in no time."
Eun makes a joke out of their father's tendency to marry a lady from each aristocratic family to maintain his seat. Mu laughs but chastises Eun afterwards.
"Please forgive our 10th prince's insensitive antics." Mu apologizes for Eun, "Go-cheong-ha-ji ma-se-yo Myung Hee Ssi, you don't need to feel burdened of having a son but please accept our royal doctor's visit soon."
"Yie Kam-sa-hab-ni-da wangsejanim." Myung Hee thanks the seja for his kindness.
Baek-Ah who doesn't like the thought of his 8th brother touching Myung Hee pulls Hae Soo to him instead. Standing behind her, he puts his arms around her shoulder, being possessive of her. He had accepted that Myung Hee will never become his but he'll make sure his 8th brother doesn't get Hae Soo at all cost.
Ha Jin doesn't mind Baek-Ah's open affection, unaware of his inner turmoil. She's use to his touches by now but his gesture towards her is not missed by anyone. Jung who had been Baek-Ah's confidant about Myung Hee ever since his 13th brother met the lady at the lantern festival five years ago knows that Baek-Ah is only doing this to spite their 8th brother so he lets him be. Wook smiles politely but his face darkens a bit as he sees Baek-Ah being too touchy of Hae Soo, he will have to reprimand her later for not heeding his advice of not giving away her affections too readily. So, whose still at the outer pool with Ji Mong looks at his 13th brother with disapproval. He had been aware that the girl and his brothers are quite close but it's his first time to see them this affectionate. Not wanting to think that the affection he had been getting from Hae Soo is the same affection she's freely giving away to the rest of his brothers, So steps inside to leave. The only way out is the same way Mu and the rest of them came in. He bows to the crown prince and walks away without saying anything.
"Hwangjangnim ddeo-nal-keo-ye-yo? Wae-yo? (Why are you leaving?)" Ji Mong calls out to the 4th prince as he passes Mu and the rest.
Ha Jin freezes, surprise to see the astronomer trailing after So. She moves back closer to Baek-Ah, afraid of the astronomer. The uneasiness from this morning comes back to her making her shake.
"Gwan-chanh-a?" Baek-Ah asks, feeling Hae Soo abruptly shudders in his arm.
Ha Jin nods hiding her discomfort. She takes Baek-Ah's arms away from her and climbs the steps to the wooden plank, joining Myung Hee and Wook at the side closest to the door leading to the outer pool.
Without even looking at his 4th brother, who manages to get to the door in a few steps, Mu commands So to join them, "So-ya, anjh-eu-se-yo. (sit down.)"
So stops at the seja's words, unable to disobey his brother. With no choice, he walks back to the wooden plank, positioning himself to the farthest end of the table away from Hae Soo. Mu leads everyone to sit.
Sitting at the head of the table, facing the door leading to the outer pool is Mu. To his right is So, next to him is Ji Mong and then Jung and then Eun. In front of Eun is Hae Soo. To her right is Baek-Ah and then Lady Myung Hee and then Wook, who is sitting in front of So. The gungyeo(s) starts serving tea and rice cake. Lady Oh waits behind the seja, supervising her gungyeo(s).
"Oh Sanggun, why don't you join us? It's nice to be around families today." Mu invites Lady Oh to join them.
"Kam-sa-hab-ni-da wangsejanim but I am due to serve your father his ceremonial tea in a bit. I'm afraid I cannot join you." Lady Oh politely declines.
"Ah kue-re-yo? Well then, perhaps after, you can join us." Mu smiles at Lady Oh.
"Yie wangsejanim." Lady Oh bows to leave her greetings. She looks at her nephew and the girl one last time and then leaves.
At an open pagoda shrine located to the northwest part of the palace, the king and his two queens with a few of the princesses were performing the ritual for their ancestral rites. King Taejo leads the ceremony, kneeling in front of the ceremonial table.
A eunuch waits for the ceremony to be over before heading to King Taejo and whispers to his ears that a lady consort is requesting an audience with him.
Inside the Hoegyong Hall, King Taejo sits in his throne observing his lady consort who is kneeling before him. He had married this particular lady from the Kangs of Shinju to put an end to the long standing family feud between them and the Chungju Yu Clan, both of which share the position of protecting Goryeo's border at the northwest. To his dismay, the feud between the two aristocratic family only deepen and moved from an open tensed relationship to a polite façade of dangerous play of power, controlling politics and lands in their borders.
"Sung-go-hab-ni-da pyeha (forgive my transgression your highness), I have heard that you are taking back my son. What would become of my household then if our heir gets taken away." Lady Shinjuwon carefully words her sentence not wanting to anger the king but daring to ask.
Lady Shinjuwon's son had died twenty years ago at the hands of the private soldiers of the Chungju Yu Clan. The boy who was being taught to ride his horse had the unfortunate mistake of riding his horse past the territory of his clan. Seeing an opportunity to take away the heir of Kangs of Shinju and tip the power to themselves, the Chungju Yu Clan's private soldiers were commanded to draw their arrows and release it to the innocent boy, killing him at their land. Devastated, Lady Shinjuwon and her clan had demanded that a son be taken away from the Chungju Yu clan too but the king seeing nothing but an endless vicious cycle of revenge had commanded to have one of Queen Yoo's son to be adopted to the Kangs of Shinju in exchange of the heir that they have lost. So became the key that holds the brittle peace between the two warring clans.
"My son is needed back here in my palace." King Taejo answers, every word possessive of his 4th son. He never intended to send his 4th son to be adopted anyway.
"Pyeha, you have plenty of sons in your stead. Isn't it enough that my real son had been untimely taken from me by a lapse of judgment from your queen's clan? Shall I lose one again this time?" Lady Shinjuwon touches her forehead to the ground pleading.
King Taejo knows that his lady consort had never once treated the 4th prince like a son. Up until So was 15, his planted spy at Shinju had reported back to him every maltreatment that So had been subjected too but after his son was sent to the battlefields to defend their borders against the Khitan, his spy had mysteriously disappeared, presumed dead. From then on, the security within the palace at Shinju was doubled and his son was never allowed to visit the palace in Songak again. He's not even allowed to go to trainings under King Taejo's general, Park Soo Kyung anymore. For a few years, King Taejo had no news of his 4th son. He was beginning to be worried until So turned up at his 8th brother's wedding three years ago, looking more reserved and matured. And his eyes; it's his eyes that had the king bothered. It looked less alive and more like his adopted mother's eyes, dangerous and secretive.
"Shinjuwon Soyong (royal consort rank 3), the 4th prince would still be your clan's heir but he would be staying in this palace from now on. Let me grant you a different bidding instead." King Taejo offers another deal to Lady Shinjuwon.
Lady Shinjuwon dares to raise her head and look at the king, "Bidding? May I ask what kind?
"Ma-eum-kkeot meok-da (At your heart's desire)." King Taejo answers entering into a dangerous bargain with Lady Shinjuwon.
"Ma-eum-kkeot meok-da? (My heart's desire?)" Lady Shinjuwon repeats, "Gue-re-hab-ni-da pyeha, kam-sa-hab-ni-da"
Lady Shinjuwon smiles, a dark dangerous gleam dancing in her eyes.
After dinner, Mu had asked to have an alcohol be served to their table. The gungyeo(s) had brought out their finest Yagyongju (medicinal wine) and was put in the table.
"My apologies to the ladies but please do enjoy yourselves, it's a medicinal wine anyway. It still good for your health." Mu raises a glass of Yagyongju to everyone in the table.
"Yie kamsahabnida wangsejanim." Myung Hee politely accepts the glass that Wook had poured for her. She turns away to drink it.
"Ah does Hae Soo drink?" Everyone turns to Hae Soo as Mu addresses Myung Hee.
"A-nim.."
"Kue-reom-yo!" Ha Jin readily answers cutting Myung Hee's sentence. Then she realized her mistake, "I mean, can I try?"
Eun pours a low drink into two glasses and slides one of it to Hae Soo. Ha Jin smiles widely excited to drink.
"Ya! cheon-cheon-hi (drink it slowly) alright." Eun warns Hae Soo.
"Kue-re-yo? Geon-pae! (cheers!)" Ha Jin raises her glass and clashes it with Eun's. She turns away and drinks it in one gulp. She shuts her eyes for a second and shakes her head, wincing as the smooth acid courses in her throat. She turns back to the table and put the glass down. The drink is too potent but she enjoyed it nonetheless.
"Han-beon deo hap si-da! (Let's do it again!)" Ha Jin enthusiastically tells to no one in particular, sending everyone into a laughter except So, who only observes her.
"Hae Soo-ya, not too much alright?" Myung Hee tells Hae Soo over Baek-Ah, who's in between them.
"Yie unnie!" Ha Jin answers happily as Eun pours her another one.
"Loosen up my dear brother, it's a new year." Mu pats So's shoulder as Ji Mong pours him a drink.
"Ah Hae Soo-ya, I'm expecting to see you more in the palace in the coming days." Mu addresses Hae Soo at the far end of the table.
"Cheo-yo? (me?)" Ha Jin asks bewildered.
Wook and Myung Hee exchange looks. They don't know what the seja is talking about. They don't let Hae Soo out of their compound lately, let alone in the palace.
"Hyungnim, may I ask why our Hae Soo is being asked to enter the palace?" Wook politely asks the seja.
"Why, She's joining our 4th brother with his studies, isn't she?" Mu answers smiling, "I might have drag So into some other palace work lately but he'll be continuing his studies in the coming months and I expect the lady will be joining him."
"Hyungnim…" caught of guard, So stills in his seat, the idea of having an excuse to see Hae Soo is not so bad.
"Myeong-ryeong-hab-ni-da. (I command it.)" Mu cuts So's sentence with a royal command thinking that So is going to refuse him again.
Hearing that it is a royal command, Wook and Myung Hee exchange uneasy look. Although the command is directed at the 4th prince, it encompasses them all. They can't refuse the seja, even if it's for Hae Soo's own good.
"Hyungnim! Can I join them too?" Eun raises his hand happily.
"Mul-lon keu-reoh-ji anh-seub-ni-da (of course not)" Mu out rightly rejects Eun, the study session is just his excuse to force his 4th brother to spend some time with Hae Soo without drawing too much attention to both of them, "The course is designed for beginners, I'm sure you're in advance study now, you might not like it."
So is studying advance subjects too. It is close to the ones being studied currently by all the princes. Mu will have to ask So's tutor to draw up a different lesson plan to include a beginner like Hae Soo.
"Cheong-mal-ya?" disappointed, Eun puts down his hand, "Eiii dwaess-eo (nevermind), at least I'll be seeing more of you in the palace."
Ha Jin doesn't find anything wrong with joining the 4th prince in his study. She looks at So waiting for him to look at her but So suddenly finds his glass interesting, aware that everyone is observing him. He takes his glass of Yagyongju and drinks it instead.
"Is there a particular subject you want to study?" Jung addresses Hae Soo.
Ha Jin had thought about it one too many times already. This society is quite unlike the present times. She can't find a course where she'll end up taking a job. Every noble girl in this period always ends up as a wife of someone and coming from a 21st century society where a lady is free to choose any job she wants and a choice to get married or not, she finds the tradition and mores of this time quite confining. She'd still want to leave if she has a choice.
Right! How do I find out what had caused me to end up here?
She looks at the strange astronomer, who had insisted he had never met her. She's too afraid to come close to him but she's sure that the ajeossi knows something about her.
Why else would he say 'quarry', when I only said picnic grounds near the water.
"Astronomy then. I'd like to study the stars." Ha Jin looks at the astronomer, she'll have to swallow her fears if she wants answers.
So looks up from Ji Mong to Hae Soo, observing. Ji Mong concentrates in his glass, nervous. He doesn't know if his little queen is figuring out how she got in here or if she even tried leaving but he's not going to teach her that knowledge. He needs her to stay here.
"Choh-da! (that's good!) We have a resident astronomer here. I'm sure he wouldn't mind teaching you a thing or two about the stars." Mu volunteers Ji Mong.
Ji Mong hides his nervousness with a joke, "Eiii, I heard the lady is quite smart, she might get me out of commission if I take her as my apprentice. Besides, studying with the 4th prince would take most of her time. I don't think she'd be able to take my subject into consideration."
Ji Mong passes the attention to So whose sitting beside him. He can feel So observing him. With his little queen expressing her wishes to study under him, Ji Mong might just find his self being threatened by the 4th prince again.
"So you're not going to teach her?" Jung asks Ji Mong whose sitting beside him.
Ji Mong could only laugh to feign innocence. He can't make up his mind with who's scarier, his stubborn little queen or the possessive 4th prince. He wishes they could all just live happily ever after but fate always has a different plan for the three of them.
A few hours later, with everyone tipsy and some drunk, Eun sits closer to Hae Soo playing a game with her. Baek-Ah and Jung crowds around them, watching the two play cham, cham, cham. The rules were easy, player A would chant cham, cham, cham while holding his/her hand in front of the player B's face. By the end of the chant, player A would direct his/her hand to left or right. Player B should go the opposite of where player A's hand goes.
Ha Jin and Eun modified the punishment. Instead of getting hit in the forehead, the looser will drink one shot. Ha Jin becomes player A first while Eun does player B.
"Cham! Cham! Cham!" Ha Jin points her hand to the right while Eun goes to the opposite.
"Oh! You're good at this." Ha Jin laughs as Eun passes the first round.
They exchange roles. Ha Jin becomes player B this time.
"Cham! Cham! Cham!" Eun points his hand to left as Ha Jin goes to her right, losing to Eun.
"Kue-re! Drink-up!" Eun hands Hae Soo the glass and makes her drink.
Baek-Ah and Jung laughs, entertained with the two.
Ten rounds later and Ha Jin manages to make Eun drink six times while she gets four. Baek-Ah and Jung insisted on acting as Hae Soo's black night for two rounds even though she'd rather drink all of it.
"Hae Soo-ya, neo jin-jja ye-ppeu-da. (you're really pretty.)" Eun raises his hand to touch Hae Soo's face, too drunk to hold his self.
Ha Jin slaps his hand away, laughing. She's tipsy herself but years of practiced drinking had made her more resilient to alcohol even though this particular alcohol is quite strong. Eun slumps to the table, passed out.
Ji Mong and Mu are laughing drunkenly about something while So sits rigid between the two, quietly sipping his glass. His a little tipsy but he can hold his drink just fine.
Wook who isn't drinking much is as controlled as So, watching the two ladies of his household get drunk. He notices his wife's eyes glean in drunkenness as she tries to put down her glass to the table missing the top repeatedly. He smiles, amused of his wife. He takes the glass from her and puts it in the table. He then looks at Hae Soo on the other end doing just fine with Baek-Ah and Jung.
"Baek-Ah-ya." Wook calls out to Baek-Ah.
Baek-Ah turns at the sound of his name. He stands to approach his 8th brother who is holding a drunk Myung Hee.
"Can you look after Hae Soo for a few minutes. I'll just arrange our ride home." Wook tells Baek-Ah.
Smiling at Myung Hee, Baek-Ah answers his 8th brother, "Yie Hyungnim."
"Why don't you take Lady Myung Hee to one of the rooms at the second floor instead. I don't think she would be able to come home in that state." Mu suggests, seeing that Myung Hee is about to pass out."Hae Soo too."
"A-nim-ni-da wangsejanim, cheo gwaen-chanh-seub-ni-kka." Myung Hee politely declines as she slowly stands.
Wook and Baek-Ah move to catch a swaying Myung Hee. Wook got Myung Hee first so Baek-Ah courteously withdraws his arms.
"Ko-ma-weo-yo Baek-Ah-ya. I got her." Wook takes his wife's hand and puts it around his shoulder, easily carrying a passed out Myung Hee, "Please stay with Hae Soo first."
"Yie hyungnim. Please take good care of Myung Hee." Baek-Ah answers.
Up the stairs, Wook carries Myung Hee to the second floor with a gungyeo leading their way.
Ha Jin blinks a few times as she watches the 8th prince take her cousin away. She asks for a glass of water to hydrate herself, getting a little dizzy with the alcohol. She turns to look at the garden at the outer pool, thinking of getting some air.
Inside the middle room at the second floor, Wook gently puts down his wife on the bed, taking care not to wake her up but Myung Hee isn't asleep. As Wook lays her down, she encircles her arms around Wook's neck, stopping him from withdrawing from her.
"Myung Hee-ya, are you alright?" Wook asks Myung Hee, bracing his arms on the bed to prevent his self from falling on to Myung Hee.
Myung Hee doesn't answer, holding tightly to Wook instead.
Wook stops for a minute, worried. His wife had never acted like this before. "What's wrong?"
Under the influence of alcohol, Myung Hee's politeness and inhibition is stripped and in its place is her desperate desire to have the 8th prince hold her.
She had loved him since the first time she had laid her eyes on him and marrying him was her idea. Her parents weren't so keen to marry their daughter to a fallen household of a royal family but their name is still as good as a royal mandate so they had consented to Myung Hee's request and had arranged the marriage for the two. It wasn't really hard to convince the second queen since the queen's clan isn't as favored as it was before. The marriage between Myung Hee and Wook had benefited the Hwangbo's clan more because the Hae Clan is the sole controller and ward of the northeastern borders of Goryeo. With their wealth and power, the Hwangbo Clan gained more authority in the court.
Wook breaks their embrace to look at his wife and asks again, "What's the matter Myung Hee-ya?"
Wook positions the two of them so they are sitting close together, facing each other. Myung Hee looks at her 8th prince for a moment, heart racing in her chest. She raises her hand and tenderly caresses Wook's cheek with the back her hand. She leans in, reluctantly closing the gap in their lips. Wook freezes, feeling Myung Hee shiver as she initiates the kiss. He lets her kiss him, being polite to his wife.
Myung Hee had been a devoted and lovely wife to him for the last three years. He likes her a lot and there is nothing he could ask for but his heart is just not beating for her. He feels guilty all the time that he couldn't return her feelings but what he couldn't return he makes up for his devotion to her.
Sensing that the 8th prince isn't keen on returning the kiss, Myung Hee pulls back, embarrassed. She turns away with tears forming in her eyes, feeling rejected. Wook stops her and pulls her tenderly to him, recognizing that he had offended her. Ever gently, Wook leans in touching Myung Hee's lips with his, taking the initiative this time. He kisses her softly, tasting the wine on her mouth. Without breaking their kiss, he takes both of her arms and puts it around his neck, leading her. He pulls her closer, deepening their kiss as he lays her to the bed and hovers above her.
He'll have to stay with Myung Hee tonight. He trusts that Baek-Ah would stand by his words and look after Hae Soo or he'll come down later after Myung Hee falls asleep and make sure Hae Soo gets taken care off.
Standing in the well lit garden beside the outer pool is Ha Jin, getting some air to sober up. The cold air is starting to clear her head but she still feels a little dizzy.
"Are you enjoying the night?" Jung stands beside Hae Soo maintaining a respectful distance from her.
"Keu-reom-yo!" Ha Jin answers taking a sip of water from her glass. She looks up in the sky and notices the moon for the first time.
"The full moon is beautiful isn't it?" Jung asks, as he observes Hae Soo looking at the moon.
"Oh! It's a full moon and I'm at Damiwon." Under the influence of alcohol, Ha Jin voices out her thoughts unconsciously.
She suddenly starts swaying, not sure if its from the alcohol or from something else. She shakes her head hoping to steady her vision.
"It's the first full moon of the lunar calendar." Jung steps closer to Hae Soo, "I remember you've always like the site of a full moon before."
"Jung…" Ha Jin grabs at Jung with both hands, holding on to him.
"Hae Soo-ya... is there something wrong?"Jung receives Hae Soo's touch and holds her by the waist. He steps further to the side of the pool, backing Hae Soo to the edge.
He looks around. The door leading to the inner pool is still half closed and everyone is busily drinking inside. From his point of view, only Eun is visible, still slumped in the table asleep. Observing that no one is watching them, Jung advances to the edge of the pool letting an unaware Hae Soo to fall.
Splash.
Ha Jin doesn't know what's going on. One minute she was standing at the well lit garden looking at the moon and the next thing she knows, she's in the pool surrounded with warm water. She had been here before. The water only goes up to her waist so she's sure she won't drown but something is wrong. Her feet couldn't reach the floor no matter how much she try.
Was the pool this deep before?
She tries not to panic, reaching her hand above but her hands are only grasping at the warm water. She couldn't break into the surface. Looking around, she notices that it's dark but the garden a while ago is well lit with lanterns.
Shoot! Am I inside a memory or am I really drowning?
The scene is too familiar with Ha Jin. She had seen this when he had touched the astronomer. Terrified, Ha Jin doesn't know if what she's experiencing is real or if it's a flash of memory. This one seems too real. She can taste the bland water in her mouth and can feel the warm water suffocating her.
With her supply of oxygen beginning to deplete and the water getting into her lungs she tries hard to push herself to reach the surface. Two hands grab at her from above but instead of pulling her up, it pushes her down, preventing her from surfacing. Ha Jin struggles to free her self from the two strong hands. She looks above trying to see whose hands it belongs to. The place above the surface is also dark but she can see the face of the astronomer being outlined by the dim light coming from the inside of the Damiwon. She can hear him apologizing to her over and over.
It really is him!
In a few more seconds Ha Jin is about to lose consciousness when a pair of hands pulls her above the surface. She stands trembling from what just happened. Jung is holding her with both of them inside the pool, the water only coming up to their waist. She looks around, her eyes adjusting to the brightly lit garden. She suddenly embraces Jung, scared of what she had just gone through.
"Gwaen-chanh-a Hae Soo-ya, gwaen-chanh-a." Jung strokes Hae Soo's back holding her tight.
When Ha Jin fell into the water, it took a few seconds before the people inside the Damiwon recognized that what they have heard is a splash of water coming from the outer pool. Baek-Ah was the first to the scene, being the closest to the door. He sees Jung kneeling at the edge of the pool watching Hae Soo. There were no urgency on both of them knowing that the pool is shallow. After a minute when it's apparent that Hae Soo isn't coming out of the water, both of them exchange worried look, confused as to why Hae Soo isn't coming up. So who had seen Hae Soo fall into the water, stands up to check what's going on.
Jung goes down to the pool and pulls Hae Soo up, looking like she had really drowned. In her terrified state, she hugs the first person she sees, who happens to be Jung.
"What happened?" Ji Mong asks coming from the inside with the crown prince.
Hearing the astronomer's voice, Ha Jin moves closer to Jung, holding on to him tightly, scared. Jung looks from Ji Mong to his Hae Soo, feeling the latter shivering in his arms.
"It's alright Hae Soo-ya, it's alright. You're safe. Everything is going to be fine from now on." Jung repeatedly assures his Hae Soo.
"What happened?" Mu asks again, demanding to hear the answer.
"Mo-rue-gess-sueb-ni-da. (I don't know.) We were waiting for her to come out of the water after she fell but for some reason, she wasn't surfacing so Jung went into the pool to get her." Baek-Ah explains anxiously watching Hae Soo.
"Jung-ah get her out of the water now." So commands his 14th brother.
Jung would have taken her out of the water sooner but Hae Soo refuses to move. He takes her to his arms instead and carries her out of the pool. Baek-Ah puts his coat to a trembling Hae Soo, who refuses to open her eyes. So follows his two brothers inside, worried for Hae Soo. He would have carried her by him self but the girl wouldn't let go of Jung.
Lady Oh arrives at the doorstep just in time to see the three princes passing with Hae Soo being carried away.
"What happened to the lady?" Lady Oh asks a passing gungyeo.
"It seems the lady fell into the outer pool and drowned." The gungyeo explains.
"Drowned? Again?" Lady Oh asks surprise.
She looks for her nephew and sees him coming back from the outer pool with the seja. She looks at him suspiciously, praying that he has nothing to do with the girl's drowning this time.
Editor's note:
So I remember from chap 8 that I've asked if it's okay that I change the ratings from T - M. I've thought about it for the last 10 chapters and I think I'm going to pursue a storyline where So's past is much darker than what we've seen in the drama and you might not like him. I think much of my characters will go dark in the course of the story, Wook will, Jung Will, even Ji Mong is much darker here. I'm still thinking about Ha Jin's course.
For these changes, let me apologize in advance.