"Agassi! Agassi!! Agassi!!!" . A servant with less ceremony than usual entered the room calling out to her miss.
"What's all this ruckus, Jung?". A sweet voice replied in a low modulated tone.
"The palace finally sent a messenger! The result is finally out!" She cried.
There was a few minutes strong struggle between the pride of an aristocrat and the desire of a woman. Inclination prompted her to run out and see what it was, dignity told her to sit quite still on her seat .
Dignity be damned!
She stood up promptly, raised her skirt with a graceful splendor and ran out with a queenly natural elegance. At the courtyard, her parents awaited her arrival while the messenger gave out the scroll to them and walked out after the ceremonious greetings.
"Why is it only one scroll? Where is the red letter?". She asked though knowing the answer wanted to confirm her fears.
"Eun-hye? Why are you asking for the red letter? Shouldn't you be excited not to be chosen?" Her mother asked flabbergasted with her child's sudden outburst.
______________
The long awaited day finally arrived at last. To Seo-yun, it had seemed a century long , the warm autumn hours oppressed her ,she was sick both in mind and body.
The strain on her nerves was great, the anxiety was almost more than she could bear. She had felt ill before, but since the doctor had made his terrible diagnosis she had felt worse. She was wretched not only from the fact of her illness, but because of the uncertainty over the next outcome which is the final hurdle that will grant her the desire of her life or ruin her ambition.
"Child, you look deathly". An echo encroached on her mind sending her out from the wilderness of her wretched thoughts. Looking up to face the empress, she bowed guiltily and apologized for her absent-mindedness.
The empress beamed with smiles over the outcome of the paramount duty . The 3 daughters of their West faction made it to the top, even the dowager had no objection because those three really emerged with their talents. It would seem the west faction really prepared for the event thoroughly. Her only sadness is that her girl didn't make it. Eun-hye's peaceful face flashed through her mind making her sadder .
The three final candidates according to their scores were Choi Seo-yun, the prime minister's daughter; Baek Chun-ja, the minister of culture's niece and Hong Shi young, the minister of defense's daughter. All were from powerful families creating more allies for the crown prince.
A paper was presented before them by a courtmaid which contained the final and last stage of selection. Intellectual testing.
The question of the hour was ' If there is no emperor and you're a god, what would be your utmost duty to the people of Shu dynasty?'.
The ladies threw back the question paper back to the desk and knelt down claiming it's blasphemous and tantamount to treason to assume being a monarch talk more of a deity even if it's just an exam question. To them, mornachy was akin being a god!
The empress withheld her laughter and told them it's just an exam question. "
The calm expression and assurance of the empress calmed down their fears and relaxed their nerves. Shi young was directed to give a first answer which rattled her momentarily.
"Give them food? Make them rich?" She imploringly asked as she nervously fell on her feet kowtowing. "Your Majesty, I don't really know a deity's work but I believe I would give them wealth" She apologetically answered.
Baek Chun-ja was calmer compared to Shi young. Her answer boosted her own confidence . "Your majesties, your highnesses... I believe, I would cure my people of their infirmities and heal our land. Our country has been ravaged by sicknesses, rife with some incurable diseases and stained with illness, if I was a god; healing would be my forte. She concluded and was immensely proud at her response. The royalties were all happy with her answer and eagerly wrote down a score on their papers respectively.
The empress wanted to end the session on that as the answers satisfied her, she believes that Seo-yun must have same answers as them but the dowager urged Seo-yun to give her own answer before she could end the session.
Calmly, quietly and confidently she gave her answer shocking the whole assembly.
"I would refuse the position of God!"She replied.
This time around, the empress was quite displeased with her answer, how could she be manipulative with her answers? The dowager's interest was piqued and she asked her to explain.
"Why is that?"
Seo-yun swallowed back the lump in her throat and patted her chest before answering. "For the common people who are always in need; food, shelter, security and other necessities is of utmost importance. They pray to god quite alright but he doesn't necessarily come down from heaven to grant this wishes as like a top-tier minister who sends out delegates for a mission. At the end of the day, no one remembers the face of this minister as the faces of the knights are etched on their minds. Such applies to god too! Therefore, I would prefer to provide for my people with a reognizable face rather than with an unknown identity of some God," She concluded her answer.
A big smile broke out from the empress's face. The girl didn't disappoint her . Only the dowager remained unmoved, no matter the girl's level of explanation, she didn't quite answer the question as it was asked. Hence, zero was recorded for her on her paper.
The ladies were told to wait with their fathers while they compile the results and await the crown prince's arrival of his princess selection.
The empress called back Seo-yun and assigned a courtmaid to her. "My child, your complexion doesn't look too good. Allow my courtmaid to take you somewhere relaxing". Fearfully, Seo-yun agreed and allowed herself to be taken.
______________
Two hours later, at the crown prince's training ground.
"That stupid girl failed a simple test despite what I told her. Foolish girl. "
The crown prince was seen fuming when he was informed that Eun-hye didn't make it. At the training ground, he vented out his frustration on the target stand with his bow and arrow.
His chief eunuch received a news from another eunuch and happily ran towards him. Carefully and daringly , he pleaded to whisper at his master's ear. Reluctantly, the crown prince agreed and widely opened his eyes on the content of the news.
"Tell me the whole detail" .He ordered.
_____________
The crown prince came inside the large hall to find out his mother has started her scheming. All three contestants had a dark veil over their faces.
He looked at his mother who conspirationally whispered to her chief maid before smiling brightly at him.
'Royal mother, what tricks are you planning on me?' . The court ministers arose from their seats and bowed in greetings before standing respectfully.
He walked to where his parents sat and gave the customary greetings. Impatiently, the emperor announced the commencement of the final and most important selection.
His heart pounding, his fears growing, he carefully walked to where the ladies stood oblivious of their surroundings.
A tricky situation presented itself before him, all three ladies seemed to have same height and same size. He walked towards the first lady by the left and looked at her in such a way implying he is looking for something then passed over her.
The second lady was nervous hence her trembling body became visible. A soft fragrance filling his nose with a calming sensation emitted from her appealing to his senses. Not her, but the last lady by the right side.
He walked towards the last lady as if in a trance , the diamond ring resting on her delicate finger dazzled, calling unto him. He focused on the ring and raised his hands to reach out for her when he saw the prime minister's smug expression out of the corner of his eyes.
Teasingly, he went back to the first lady to pick her hands making the smug expression die out from his face. Seeing that the expression is gone from the prime minister's face , he went back to the lady with the diamond ring and raised her hands.
Dramatically, proudly and happily, he announced his new bride. "This... is... my... crown... princess!!!"
The noisy laughter from the prime minister unsettled the court. The empress broke into a big smile but the biggest smile was the crown prince's.
He looked at the prime minister and smiled so widely the prime minister became a little scared.
He recalled his conversation with the empress a few days ago after the second round of selection.
" Your Majesty, the crown prince will never choose my daughter... how do we go about this issue?"
The empress smiled ruefully at him. "I know, that's why I am working on a plan". She brought out a diamond ring and gave it to him. "Give this ring to Seo-yun, the first day I saw this ring ... it had an appealing power that drew me to it so I hope the bearer of this ring draws the crown prince to herself".
The prime minister received the ring from her in it's box and made to protest that it is not an enough measure. After all, it doesn't have a magical power that can make someone forget the face of an enemy.
Smugly, the empress produced a very dark veil that can make someone unable to see the bearer. "What about this type of magic?"
Happily, he bowed in deep reverence to the wise woman but still had a sense of doubt.
"I know what you are thinking about, nobody dares defy this empress... I do whatever I deem fit". Eventhough, wearing of veil doesn't have any precedence in the history of their nation, nobody will stop her from doing what she wants.
Jolting back to the present, he returned the crown prince's smile. The dowager's look was something to be remembered. She saw the empress and prime minister's smile and became irritated. It seems that girl has been chosen.
"Seja" The emperor said "Show us the face of your bride".
"Yes royal father!". The crown prince looked at the lady besides him. He could tell she is trembling right now but is it due to excitement or something else? The tremble is quite unnatural. He moved to remove her veil but hesitated as the prime minister's smile grew wider.
Did I make the right choice? His heart pounded.