It was a time of torture that commenced for Emperor Daejong. He preferred this pain to her coldness and felt relieved from her relish. The love for her seemed to feed on what should starve it. A look of gratification overspread on his face
At the moment he was getting used to it, a startled cry of anguish made his eyes lit up. As he had things stuck in his body, he couldn't help but revolve his eyes to the source of it.
"Your Majesties!". A repetition of the cry echoed. A courtmaid in robe of sequin pink, pink of the princess's palace emerged with with a mortified look and tears stained face.
Eun-hye who had been worried about her husband couldn't stop the deep sink of her fragile heart at the moment she saw the courtmaid.
"What's wrong? where is the princess?", she asked in panic. Her feet flew over to her as her face waned like a moon.
"Take this servant's life!", she cried but Eun-hye was too muddle-headed to take someone's life. Her tears fell freely as she held her in a choking grip and asked again but got no response. Impatient at the reluctance of the courtmaid, she ran towards her daughter's palace.
Myung OK had already removed her needles swiftly. He stood up from the ground, his face a sharp contrast to his former look. A face screaming seriousness and 'I ain't joking' gaze.
"What happened?". One short sentence, no feeling, no emotion but very powerful. A simple order.
People always wondered why emperors are feared, sometimes it's not because of their status but because of their domineering attitude.
The order was given in such a way you dare not refute or delay. The sobbing courtmaid, who few minutes ago couldn't let one word out, found herself babbling away without control.
"She said she wanted sweets, I went to the kitchen but found her gone on my return", she swallowed back a sob threatening to erupt. "The princess never leaves without someone. She would never leave without a courtmaid. I searched all over the compound but found no one missing, all her courtmaids were all in their assigned duty".
Emperor listened attentively but found no reason to panic. "Have you searched all over the palace?", he asked calmly but in his commanding tone.
"Yes!", she cried out violently. "That's how we know she's missing".
He walked passed the lady in a haste, no more words were directed at her. "Chief eunuch!", he bellowed. "Search the nook and cranny of the palace with all the servants the palace employed". Still walking hastily, "Chief royal guard!". He saluted and bowed before the emperor. "Seal all the palace entrance. No living thing should come in or go out!".
He turned to Myung OK who fell in behind him ."Stay with me in case she's hurt when found!", she nodded but didn't get out any other word.
Soon, they arrived the princess's palace to find the empress surrounded by tear-faced entourage, crumbled on the bare ground. Myung OK rushed towards her, the emperor on her heel.
"Your Majesty? what has happened?", she asked, fear of an unknown rising slowly in her stomach.
The defeated look on her face turned out more helpless as her tears fell. "They took my baby!", she revealed a white paper in her hand which Myung OK read to be a letter. The emperor grabbed the letter from her hands, a grinding noise came forth from his mouth. He crumpled the paper into an ugly nest as he forced out words through gritted teeth. "Who would dare!"
The suppressed sob evolved to a roaring cry, the empress cried for her baby. "They took my poor baby. My sweet child who has wronged no one". She held Myung OK's hands in a crushing grip. "They said they will torment my child if the emperor doesn't come to get her alone". She looked at the emperor who seemed indifferent to the whole thing as he stood emotionless dishing out more order.
She held Myung OK in a helpless manner. "What will I do? they are asking the impossible! They want him but he won't go".
Emperor who seemed engrossed turned to his lamenting wife and asked. "Why won't I go?, they want a father's life in exchange of the daughter's. What type of father won't trade his life for his child?".
The shock of the news made her collapse. Never did she imagine he wouldn't hesitate to save her child. Their child.
At that moment, she had no regret. She didn't even care he was an emperor or that she was indirectly pushing him to death,she only knew marrying this man was her life's biggest decision and she no longer has any regret. Now, he's become more than a husband or even an emperor. He's become her biggest idol.
Myung OK rushed over to the drooping empress but she opened her eyes in her arms. "Please go with him and protect him", she closed her eyes with a satisfied expression and let her face relax.
Myung OK transferred her to her palace and ordered her servants to take care of her, inform the chief physician and the dowager, and protect her too. Whoever dared to kidnap the little princess is much more capable of worse.
She rushed over to her palace and changed her robe, armed herself and stepped out of her room.
When she arrived the royal stables she found the emperor choosing a horse. "What are you doing here?", he asked, surprised at her outfit.
"I am going with you", she replied as her eyes moved over to the black azure with a white star on its face. "I will take this one ", she told the keeper and went on to mount the horse.
Daejong who was lost in a sea of understanding suddenly jarred up and carried her down. "Stay here!", he ordered. "It will be dangerous and I was asked to come alone".
She disentangled herself from his arms . "Your Majesty, don't worry about me. Right now, they already know you aren't coming alone but will be distracted when they see a weak female physician beside you", she came closer to him and whispered. "If, even I, can notice some of your well trained guards are suddenly missing from the palace, how much more the kidnappers?".
He grabbed her suddenly. "Go back! ", he ordered but she stubbornly refused. "The empress ordered me to help find her daughter". She omitted her task of protecting him as he wouldn't believe anyway.
"I command you as your emperor, you are not allowed to follow...", please don't let me lose you again, I won't bear it.
She walked around him and smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry about me and let's go save the princess together". He tried to say something further but she pressed her index finger against his lips. "Let's not waste anymore time. The princess awaits".
An indescribable feeling of joy despite the situation, arose in his heart. If it were a normal situation and environment, he would have been aroused.
She inwardly smiled at his relaxation. She didn't even know he would fall easily. Before he could change his mind, she mounted the horse and sped out. He could only follow helplessly.
He caught up with her at the gate as he hadn't lifted the ban of no movement inside and outside the palace. The guards all bowed before him as he nodded to open the gate for them.
"How many guards are there ", Myung OK asked suddenly when her restlessness almost drove her crazy.
"Not much, but they are highly trained", was his reply. She had wanted to opt out for the fiery arrows' help but didn't, so that they wouldn't clash with the emperor's men.
The map on him was revised briefly and they took the shortest route. The kidnappers looked highly organized as the location was highly prone to ambush but weren't smart enough to detect they could also be ambushed.
2 hours later, at the east side of the high mountain, they arrived at the location in the letter.
Grasses bent forward as they announced the arrival of the hidden men. In agreement with their intuition, men in black with a caricature mask arrived swiftly and surrounded them.
"Look who it is!", the one who seemed like the leader exclaimed. "It's emperor Daejong and a bitch , I thought the letter said to come alone?", he satirically asked as he marvelled at the lady's beauty. The rest of the men albeit their mask were drooling.
Myung OK who seethed inwardly at the insult she received spoke out. "Would a mother stay back at home if her child is missing?".
All shuddered at the word.
Fearfully, the men looked at one another. The leader walked back slowly and stood few meters away from her. "Are you the empress?", he asked carefully.
She exchanged a knowing look with Daejong and communicated with their eyes. Their sync was in perfect harmony no flaw was detected . The look spoke in understanding that they should play along as whosoever kidnapped the princess doesn't know the real look of the royal family. He or she was ordered with an instruction.
"What do you think?", she asked arrogantly, fully immersed in her role.
The drool dried up and they behaved themselves. Whatever courage they have, it's not enough to mess with an emperor's empress or her maternal family even.
They only surrounded them and locked them up together in a room as they assumed they were real couple. Nobody dared search them for any weapon.
"Where is my child!", Myung OK screamed like a mad woman.
"You will see her only when our boss arrives and the emperor fulfils our demands", the guard said and made to walk out but stopped. "In case you are trying to break this place with your guards, the princess has been kept in a different location and is being well-fed".
Briskly, he walked away amidst the cry of the empress who kept banging on the door like a crazy lady. He finally understood something by her craziness. There is no difference between a mother and an empress. The only difference is the status.
He too had a mother and his mother was crazier than her. He directed his men to be alert as soldiers might be waiting to attack them unaware.
"Dear Lord",he cried silently. "I hope nothing goes wrong". He held his sword tightly and wondered how they fell into a misfortune of holding both the emperor and his empress hostage. He could only wish the pay was gratifying enough to outweigh the disadvantages.