(Ministry of Arts and Humanities, Songak)

~So's POV~

Right after His Majesty's audience with me in the stately Cheondeok Hall, I approached the Crown Prince. To my relief, my eldest brother Mu's greeted me with a friendly attitude, which I felt he might have done even if our father hadn't specifically given his approval, as he didn't seem forced, or disgusted by me. He even genuinely wanted to know how my life had been over the past years that I hadn't been at Court for, and he also told me what life in Songak had been like, in the hopes that I would be better able to adapt to it. Since I'd never be going back to Shinju, whoever here wanted me gone better get used to it.

If I were to consolidate my position at the royal court, I needed to build my connections with the courtiers here, in addition to reconnecting with my siblings. I had Jimong on my side, as well as General Park Sukyung who'd be returning to Songak in perhaps a couple of months' time, but that might not be enough.

It also pleased the Crown Prince to introduce me to one of his counselors, Lord Geolha of the An clan, a nobleman perhaps 4 or 5 years my senior.

"He's not like other politicians," Mu said to me proudly. "Lord Geolha is a patron of the newly set up Ministry of Arts and Humanities. Now that the nation is relatively more stable than it was before, the King has had the time to consider educating our people in the arts and make our culture more widely known. I'll have Lord Geolha give you a tour of the Ministry headquarters. 4th brother, you'll join me and my family for dinner this evening, won't you?"

I was originally prepared to dine alone because my face and generally my presence had the special effect of making people in the vicinity lose their appetite. But since the Crown Prince wanted to invite me, I agreed.

He then took his leave of us and I followed Lord Geolha around. Really, so much had changed since I last came back. I felt like a tourist visiting a foreign court. I needed to find a sense of belonging here. Perhaps one way to do that was to read up on what intellectual ideas this Ministry was seeking to advocate.

"I'd like to stay for a read," I said to Lord Geolha as we walked past rows and rows of bookshelves. "Do recommend a few books that'd enlighten me as to what's in the heads of the people who live in Songak."

Calmly and willingly, His Lordship did as I asked. Instead of just handing a few books to me perfunctorily, he took the time to explain to me what each book was about and what insights I might gain from it. Even given his passion for reading and writing, he didn't need to patiently explain anything to me, but he did, unlike so many others who'd try to kick me out and get rid of me the first chance they got.

"If there's anything I can help with, just let me know, Your Highness," he offered.

I accepted the books and queried almost challengingly, "why aren't you afraid of me?"

"Perhaps Your Highness considers me a fool for not fleeing in fear in your presence," he replied stoically.

"Not a fool," I uttered curiously. "Rather, an exception, much like what I am."

"Is Your Highness really that different from the rest of us?" He questioned. "We all hide behind masks, attempting to ensconce a part of us that we're ashamed of. It's just that Your Highness' mask is tangible and visible. Underneath that, though, we're all humans, and at our core, we just want to be loved."

"At our core, we just want to live," I stated. "It's a luxury to be loved; I ask only for something basic, something instinctual, something simple." Though I did agree with a big part of what he'd said. Actually, it was more like him voicing my thoughts without having to ask me for them in the first place. No wonder he got selected as the future King's advisor.

"I beg to differ, Your Highness," he said, with a certain kind of melancholy. "Try living without the person you love the most, Prince So. It means nothing to live if you are not loved."

Spoken as if he'd been hurt before; that was fascinating. Although I was not interested in thinking about my love life, his words were inspiring.

The King was right. I would be able to learn a lot from the Crown Prince and his consultants.

(Yeondeok Palace, Songak)

~Hyeong's POV~

As usual, I brought Woljin with me everywhere I went, and it wasn't just because she was my handmaiden. It was because I saw her as a close friend of mine, a confidant. I was aware of her friendship with Chaeryung, a maid that worked for the 8th Prince Wook and and his wife Lady Myunghee, so I thought that bringing Woljin to Yeondeok Palace so she could see her friend would make her very happy. I could recognize this maid Chaeryung because she used to work in Prince Won's residence for a brief while before she was transferred to Prince Wook's.

When Woljin and I got there, the 13th Prince Baekah had already arrived. However, there seemed to be some bad news. Prince Wook himself was not at home, but Myunghee sent Chaeryung to inform me and Baekah of what was going on.

"My Prince, my Lady," said Chaeryung who bowed anxiously. "Lady Myunghee would like me to inform Your Highness and Your Ladyship with apologies that Her Ladyship is indisposed at the moment and cannot personally receive and welcome you."

"Is Her Ladyship sick? She has not fallen ill, has she?" Baekah inquired immediately. The expression on his face changed so quickly, from one of mere perplexity to one that exhibited so much concern and worry.

"No, Your Highness. It is not Lady Myunghee who is feeling unwell. It is her cousin, Lady Soo, who is unconscious. Lady Myunghee is very worried," Chaeryung reported.

"May we...go see her?" I enquired.

Chaeryung looked unsure and wasn't able to respond, but then Myunghee herself had showed up, only to apologetically let us know that she could not entertain us today. She was so very distraught; I wondered what calamity could possibly have befallen her cousin Soo.

"Everything's going to be alright. Soo will get better," said Baekah gently. I glanced at him briefly, but it was enough for me to recognize the reassurance he was trying to give to Myunghee. The warmth in his eyes, the tenderness in his tone, and his compelling need to console her...was that what any brother in law would show to a sister in law?

In response, a weak yet thankful smile had momentarily grown on Myunghee's face. At that reaction, Baekah's face lit up. Baekah was 15 like me, youthful and full of energy and life, so when compared to Myunghee who'd always had frail health, it did seem as if she was much older than us when it was only by several years. Still, I wondered if His Highness was as aware as I was of how much his feelings were showing. Was he like this too if and when his very own elder brother, the 8th Prince Wook, Lady Myunghee's husband, was around?

"Hyeong-ah, I know I promised last time that I'd let you sketch a portrait of me…" said Myunghee sorrily.

"It's alright," I smiled. "The 13th Prince and I can keep each other entertained."

"Perhaps we'll come to see you again tomorrow. Don't overwork yourself looking after your little cousin. Your own health is important too. Don't worry yourself sick...it will make me even more worried that way," said Prince Baekah. Caring, attentive, and sensitive...sometimes I could really forget that we were actually the same age when he was so much more mature than I was.

(Seongmok Palace, Songak)

Prince Baekah and I left Yeondeok Palace and at his suggestion headed to his residence, Seongmok Palace, instead, where I thought we could play some music. However it seemed His Highness had something else in mind.

"I have some books here that I think you might like to read. Here, you can borrow these," he pointed at the second row of his bookshelf. He had the biggest book collection of every genre you could possibly think of; it was even dizzying to look at and probably would take me a few lifetimes to finish reading every single one of these books here, and another few lifetimes to actually understand and grasp the meaning and depth of what each book had to offer, whereas Baekah seemed to just get it right away.

"I know what you're thinking," he said with a light laugh. "It actually doesn't take that long. Once you start, you won't be able to stop until you finish. I wasn't willing to put down my books even when I was having meals."

I smiled wryly. "Can it possibly be that interesting, Your Highness?"

He gawked at me. "How can it not be that interesting? Hyeong, books are fountains of knowledge and also help the heart find the way to use that knowledge with wisdom. Without knowledge and without wisdom, what are we?"

I giggled lightheartedly. "I don't know; I really thought that all that matters is that the words used in the books are pretty and sound pleasant."

"You're just scratching the surface. What about the meaning behind the words?"

"Well, I understand what each word means, and the sentences make sense to me, so I never really thought there was much else to ponder upon. The books Your Highness lent to me last week…I've only read a few pages…" I said sheepishly.

"That's a waste, don't you think? There's actually so much more to it, and when you look at it from different angles...it's really illuminating, and there's really so much these books can teach us. That's why I love reading so much."

"Are you sure there's always a deeper layer of meaning that an author is trying to convey?" I asked hesitantly. "Many poems that you've made me read have talked about flowers and trees, beautiful landscapes, the sun and the moon and the stars. They're beautiful and that's why people write about them. Why would you think they're trying to say something else with describing the view?"

He chuckled. "Symbolism, Hyeong. The flowers and trees signify life, a cycle of growth and eventual decay. When people write about the stars and the moon, it's when they miss someone and they're hoping their loved ones are looking up at the same night sky and thinking of them too. I could spend hours giving you more examples of how writers project their emotions and thoughts onto their surroundings. But here, let me show you this new poem. I think you can try to understand what it's alluding to," he said, and showed me last month's volume of poems and proses penned by a congregation of scholars and published by the Ministry of Arts and Humanities. "This one is among my personal favorites," he added, but did not explain why. Perhaps if I could read it as easily as I could read faces, something I reckoned I was better at, I'd be able to figure out why he liked this poem so much.

Fueled by momentary curiosity, I began to study the poem and really put effort into thinking hard. It felt so weird and foreign to be so analytical about reading literature, but apparently according to Baekah this was what literature was supposed to be about. In fact, it wasn't only literature but across the arts. Even with music and dance and more, there was a message that required deeper thought and went beyond the surface. So I tried, and, well, I found that although it seemed to just be another pretty, fancy poem talking about flowers, for the first time it really felt to me as if there was something below the surface just desperate to reach out to me and get through to me. Gradually I opened my heart and mind to what this poem was trying to tell me, and in my mind an image was formed according to the vivid — so vivid! — descriptions of a young boy trying to reach for the prettiest flower on the tree, yet there was no way he could be tall enough, no matter how much he'd outstretched his arms and stood on his tippy toes, and so all he could do was just admire the flower from afar. When a much taller man came along, however, he could effortlessly pluck the flower, and keep it in his possession, which saddened the little boy.

Suddenly, I really could pick up an underlying message from this. Symbolism, Baekah had just said. The flower represented a beautiful girl, the little boy represented her admirer or lover, whilst the tall man was a symbol of an authoritative figure or someone who had the upper hand. And it all made sense to me simply because of how relevant it must be to Baekah. And now it's so clear to me why this poem would be one of his favorites as it was really speaking his mind. Baekah himself was the young boy in the poem. The flower was Lady Myunghee whom he had some feelings for. His 8th brother, Prince Wook, had to be the tall man, as His Highness descended from a wealthier descent than Baekah did, and therefore much more easily and naturally got to marry Myunghee, who was from the big and influential Hae family. Prince Wook was the pride of his queen mother's Hwangbo family, whereas Baekah's mother was a descendant of the Silla royal family, a fallen dynasty. Yes, it was depressing and unfair that they might all be Princes but they were never and would never be on the same level. This place, Songak, always treated people like they were property.

"Now, do you see what I mean about how powerful literature can be?" asked Baekah quietly and somberly as I had my epiphany and it must have shown on my face.

I nodded silently and agreed. I bet that the poet himself must be in a similar situation. Otherwise, there was no way anybody in the world could write such a compelling piece that gripped my heart and emotions.

Only after a solemn pause did I pipe up once more. "You must have to be really intelligent to be able to write something with multiple meanings, especially when you continue to use beautiful language," I said. "Can you show me more pieces like this?" I requested. I felt a sense of wonderment surround me — Baekah's passion for literature had sparked something in me and made me yearn for more.

"Certainly. This poet, called Yoon Tae, has penned quite a number of love poems. If the one I showed you just now resonated with you, maybe you could have a look at these and see what you could decipher of them," Baekah replied, handing a stack of books to me. I signaled for Woljin to come forward and give me a hand with it, but she was unresponsive at first, and only when I called her name did she seem to snap out of her reverie. I found that a little strange as she was usually quite quick to respond. But I thanked the 13th Prince and, seeing as it was going to be evening soon, went home.

(Hyunhui Mansion, Songak)

When Woljin and I were home, we found that we had company: the 14th Prince Jung. He was quite good friends with my younger brother, Geolsang, and as I instructed Woljin to place the pile of books in the study, I found Prince Jung and Geolsang wrestling in the backyard. Geolsang looked up to His Highness a lot and aspired to be a great warrior, just like the Prince was, albeit too young to have any military experience. While my elder brother Geolha was interested in the literary arts, Geolsang had no talent for that (like me) and preferred martial arts, so he and Prince Jung practiced a lot.

"Hyeong-ah! You're back!" said Geolsang giddily and energetically. "Prince Jung was just showing me this new trick he learned today!"

Jovially I approached them. "I'm glad to see that. Your Highness, it's so kind of you to teach my brother so many things. I'm sure Your Highness will make a very fine warrior someday."

Jung's face lit up instantly. "That's true! I'm going to be master the martial arts and you're going to be so proud of me, Hyeong-ah."

"What about me? Don't you think I'm going to make a fine warrior someday too, sister?" Geolsang asked playfully, fishing for praise.

"Eh, you still have so much to learn," both Jung and I said at the same time, and giggled.

Geolsang scratched the back of his head and laughed. "What I lack in talent, I'm sure, I'll make up for with daily practice. I'll make us all proud."

"And I'll be good with all sorts of swords and weapons and then I can protect you, Hyeong," Jung chimed in confidently, displaying his charismatic smile.

I chuckled. "What does Your Highness think I need protection against?"

Jung hesitated. "Um...I don't know. Uh...just...wouldn't it be nice to have someone look out for you?"

I smiled. "I'm in no position to ask protection of a Prince. I think I will count on Geolsang to protect me instead," I said to my brother, patting him in encouragement in spite of how sweaty he was. "I guess that gives you no excuse to not fight well."

"It's not a request you're making. I'm offering it to you. You have my protection, Hyeong," said Jung resolutely. The spark of determination in his eyes was interesting.

"Don't listen to him, sister. You don't know how many other girls he could be saying this to," Geolsang joked and chortled, promptly scurrying to the other side of the courtyard.

"Hey, that's not true!" Jung gawked at Geolsang and ran after him. "Don't run! I'll catch you! Come back here!"

I guffawed. It made me so happy to see that my little brother and the 14th Prince were such good friends. Geolsang for sure loved sports and fighting from a very young age, although he was never very good at it. He lost frequently to Jung and even to a very athletic girl who was playmates with them. Her name was Soonduk and she was the daughter of General Park Sukyung. I heard from Father that the General would be returning to Court from where he was stationed, and by then surely Geolsang and Soonduk would get into a wrestling match again. I sured hoped his skills would have improved enough for him to win at least one match.

I left the courtyard and went indoors, walking up the stairs to the study where Woljin was waiting. I was amazed by the poem Baekah had introduced me to today. The poet, Yoon Tae, sure seemed to have a way with words. It was as if he was a master of words as he employed and utilized each of them with such skill and technique. I never thought that anyone could get me interested in literature — I'd watched my other brother Geolha devote all of his time to it but all along I just never could understand what was so captivating about it, and reckoned it boring and pointless. But now, it seemed my mind just might be swayed.

A/n: Nobody is aware that Geolha's pen-name is Yoon Tae, not even his own sister. Only his love and lover, Park Moongeum aka Lady Dongsanwon.

P.S. Introducing more Princes in the next chapter...and something is going to happen to Nangyung. Stay tuned, and please review!