Epilogue
Cheongmyeong 1798

To my dear friend, Beanie,

I went to Hwaseong again because I remembered a beautiful place to paint. Banghwasuryudo is what I called it. Travelling around here reminds me of that journey and our agreement. When do you think you can get away? Let us not wait too long ere I grow too old to get anywhere. Perhaps we can meet again at the mountain retreat? Our wild one has grown tamer. She is doing so well I doubt you can recognise her. Jinjia is growing by leaps and bounds. With care and guidance, he will turn out well. You will not be surprised to learn that old master Shin has been most diligent. I think he looks upon the two as family. It is a kindness that you do for him, to give him purpose. He is in better spirits than I've ever seen him in.

But he is growing older and frailer. You have to try to make one more journey back here at least. Remember your promise to visit Song-mi? Let me know when you have decided.

Kim hyeong.

Folding the paper and tucking it into the envelope, Yunbok kept it in his jacket and lay down on the hwamunseok. Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes to enjoy the warmth of the sun. He did not move when a weight came to rest on him.

"He reminds me of my promise to Song-mi and our agreement," he said.

"Since you are smiling, I take it all is well," she blinked sleepily.

"We have to go back once more. Aboji is getting older too, he thinks he cannot last too long."

"We cannot attend."

"I know. That's why he suggested we visit again."

"Only us?"

"Suro just had her baby, I don't think Chung-ik will want them to travel even if we go next year," he paused for a moment. "Young-joon might. He's been talking about bringing Young-woo to see Hanseong."

"Suk-kwon and Iseul? Pokkot?"

"We can ask them. Pokkot will want to go."

"Will they want to bring Gosu? He's only four."

"He will want to. He's always saying the son should follow the father," he laughed.

"Iseul will not relish having her son galloping off into the unknown."

"She may relish the thought of the many dishes to sample along the journey."

"I have never seen a more enthusiastic cook. You should see the recipes she has compiled," she sighed in contentment, shading her eyes from the sun as she looked at the sky. "She should open a jumak, many will flock to it."

"Who knows? She may open a jumak once Gosu is older."

He opened his eyes and sat up, holding her so she did not roll off. She did not bother to move but remained where she was, looking at the the flowers bending to and fro with the wind, dancing gaily as newly born insects clung tightly, waiting for their wings to spread and harden. Overhead, swallows flitted past with the lazy shadow of a kite gliding about.

"You have something on your mind," she said.

"Pokkot's pursuit of this talent of hers will bring happiness to herself, to others but may not wholly be permitted in later stages," he said sadly.

"What if she can find someone who can appreciate her?" she said, knowing what was troubling him.

"It will be difficult," he sighed.

"There is one family to consider," she said, surprised he had not thought of it.

"Well, yes..," he stopped for a moment. "If she is agreeable. Young-bae has just the right temperament and of the right age."

"Whatever has happened to betrothals where neither of the people concern is ever asked if they would like to get married?" she lamented jokingly.

"We started a bad precedent among ourselves," he grinned and pulled her close. "Make your wish."

"You spotted one already?" She sat up and looked about.

"Quick! A wish!" he chided her for her time wasting. "Just one wish," he whispered, closing his eyes as his brow met hers. "On the very first one."

"You will scold me," she said a moment later.

"What did you wish for?"

"It's not the time to reveal it."

"Secret is it? What is it?" he stared after her dumbfounded. "Aigoo, don't run away! Tell me what it is!"

He leaped up and ran after her, catching hold of her hand. Talking animatedly, they strolled further into the field of flowers.

Suro is Chang-mi's adult name.

F*I*N*I*S

Author note

I originally had one story in mind when I started POTW Ink and Song in 2009. When I completed it, I was reluctant to let the characters go so I started on a second. Part two was easier since I had spent some time thinking of what Yunbok would have gone through in her travels. Once that was done, I did the story on the Japanese spy. That was part three and then a whim struck. Why shouldn't I write five stories? The pivotal event in POTW had been that five nyang. I already have that journey to Hwaseong Fortress in mind but I had nothing for another. It was then I realised I had been concentrating heavily on Yunbok and not much on Jeong-hyang so I shifted focus to her. However, I felt the plot was weak. It was after all, hasty made stuffing to fill that empty space. The original part three ended up as part four and everything fell in place.

By the time I finished all five stories, I had amassed a small library on Korean culture, cuisine, arts, performing arts, poetry, history. To impose what I know of cultures with similar customs into the stories is wrong, I felt. Korea is unique. I have no wish to paint it any different. I have to say my painting is only surface performance, not a true understanding; I have never been to Korea. Additionally, I have to keep in mind I'm writing within a time frame. Korea at that time was a hermit kingdom. From letters and poetry, the cadence of their speech is clear but then, these are words that are left behind by scholars, not the common people. How then, did they speak and behave? I really have no idea. The only thing I could do was to keep modern words and mannerisms out. There is no okay, no shrugging, no kissing, no modern vulgar cursing and perhaps most would be surprised to know that men didn't do what they would do when they take a leak today. No, they did not stand. It's unheard of.

I picked out historical events and put them into the stories. Earthquakes, droughts, Hong-do's works and journeys, etc. The spy in part four is inevitably Japanese. How can it not be so? I spent some time trying to figure out a way to make this spy unique and remembered something of their performing arts.

The call up of troops in part five is fantasy, Jeongjo never gave such an order but I made it up just so Yunbok could get to the capital. To have so many soldiers from the provinces flooding Hanseong, their enemies would be hard put to try to ferret out anything. And so, it is with part five that I wrapped up everything that had happened in Yunbok's journey. Complete closure. Especially with the character who made that decision to do what he did with Yunbok the moment he took her home; Shin Han-pyeong.

Jeongjo died in 1800.

Danwon Kim Hong-do was suspected to have died in 1806. He loved painting and could not resist any requests. Many were his friends and associates.

There is no hard date for Hyewon Shin Yunbok's passing.

My thanks to all who took the time to read. Additional thanks to those who left reviews and messages, it is much appreciated.

Revised / edited 12904.2018

This is one time in which I can say I have truly edited ALL the stories. I started with #1 some years ago and never did give the rest the appropriate attention. The reason being the ups and downs of RL.

When I do it in earnest this time, I'm frankly astonished I didn't get brickbats from readers for some of the weird phrasing and incomprehensible sentences. I'm positively sure there're still mistakes. The mind can go numb after hours of looking through pages and pages of text. I've to confess I was also distracted by music and Twitch; to relieve the background silence. Well, it can be distracting listening to streamers RP-ing nutty pirates. :D

I've lost the blueprint to the sixth story I had intended to write but never did. The victim of PC upgrades and PC tantrums. :D I would have to start anew if I want to write it. Something to bat about for the future, I suppose.