"This is a royal order! You have no choice but to follow."
Those words triggered Dong Hee's moral dilemma. Walking down the palace grounds, looking at the vast night skies, her mind boggled, and her heart hopped. Whose order should she choose? Would it be possible to choose both? If she followed the Queen, that would mean treason for disobeying the King. On the other hand, if she granted the King's orders, that would inflict an eternal burden to her heart; her conscience would certainly make her sleepless forever.
She clasped her hands and gazed up at the skies, praying fervently while remembering what she and the King had discussed.
"Please, Heavens. Help your humble servant."
~~•~~
"Now we have something to talk about," said Jae Joong.
Dong Hee fell silent, her thin lips throbbing slowly with her every breath.
Without missing a beat, Jae Joong splattered his question, "When will the Queen give birth?"
She had expected the question. If there was no emergency, why else would Jae Joong summon her? Her judgments faded as the King's dead-stern voice resonated towards her head. However, despite the personal struggle, she had to appear as if she had no attachment to the Queen—just doing her job. She pursed her lips and answered softly, "Most probably tomorrow, Sire. Around the time of Haeshi."
"And the interval of the twins?"
"I am not certain, Sire. Half an hour is the maximum in her case."
"All right. Know that I am doing this just in case things go wrong. This is a one-step plan ahead against my enemies."
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" Dong Hee asked in confusion. Half of her wanted to hear it already to stop her agony, while the other half told her to stop listening.
"Whether the eclipse happens or not, do as I say... When the first twin comes out, bring him to me as quick as you can. I'll be waiting at Minister Dae Wong's house. Your travel time will be short. I will teach you a shorter route."
She breathed heavily, hearing the first command of a big plan ahead. Her sigh could tell that she was like carrying the whole universe on her back.
Jae Joong added, "All troops, which are handled by the Prime Minister, would be on high alert inside the palace because a royal member would be born. That is why you would meet me outside. I don't want the twins to stay too long inside the palace. I'll let you think of your way on how you could bring the Prince out safely."
Those statements gave her a tremendous shock. At first, she thought that she would just do her job in assisting the Queen in her live birth. But instead, she would act like a slippery criminal, or worse a fugitive!—trying to sneak a royal blood outside the sturdy walls of the palace.
Jae Joong continued, "Going back, when I received the baby, go back quickly to the palace and help the Queen for the second twin. Now you listen carefully."
She could not feel the beats of the heart. Did they stop? Jae Joong's sharp scorching glare pushed the gastric juices up to her throat. It burnt; it blistered.
"This twin must be proclaimed dead."
She gasped—hearing words that were against her principles as a Head Nurse. Time stopped. Her blood flowed backward and dried in an instant. All that was left were her worn-out blood vessels and ghastly colorless face. She discovered that she was half-numb, barely twitching a single muscle.
"You need to sneak out of the palace... and... and claim the baby as your own," Jae Joong stammered, snorting to hold back any tears that might fall from his eyes.
"Your Majesty?"
"Yes, claim the baby as your own. If you do not want, just give it to someone else, far from the palace. You'll leave Seorabeol, right? Leave with the baby."
Observing the King's stammered way of speaking, she has concluded that his strong and intimidating presence was a huge act. He had pretended to be indestructible and tough as a boulder, but deep inside, he had a fragile heart for his children. This decision would definitely kill and break his chest into pieces. However, he was the King. He had to endure; he had to sacrifice—for the sake of protecting everyone from the unfortunate prophecy.
Dong Hee protested subtly, reminding the King about the Queen's side. "Sire, Her Majesty will not agree with this."
"Why would she need to know? The Queen shall not know about this! Like what I have said, proclaim the death of the other twin!"
Glaring at Dong Hee, the King hid his cold, quivering hands under the table. "This is a royal order. You have no choice but to follow."
~~•~~
Starry night. Little sparkling jewels brought light into the cold, lonely night, out in the vast woods. Dae Wong and his two nangdos traveled continuously to find the monk in Anju Village. They had lit blazing torches to guide them to the deep forest because the sad moon was nowhere to be seen.
"My Lord, let us settle here for the night. We need to rest," one nangdo suggested.
"Alright, we will set a camp here. Get yourself a good sleep. We will continue first thing in the morning. I know we're in a hurry, but you're right. Let's not risk our health. Sleep is important. Goodnight, everyone," Dae Wong smiled.
About a mile away, unbeknownst to the passionate minister, Chil Yook, together with two Red Dragon Nangdos, immersed into the dark evergreen as well. Whatever the purpose was, one thing was for sure: Chil Yook was more than determined not to disappoint his master again. He pledged to himself—only the best in everything the Prime Minister had ordered him to do. One failure was enough. Two would make him a stupid, dim-witted buff. Unlike Dae Wong's company, their team was even colder than the unforgiving wind (an early winter?). No one was speaking, just concentrating on their tracks as if they were traveling on their own.
A nangdo suddenly broke the silence, grabbing everyone's attention. "Grand Marshal, how long would this trip take anyway?"
"Right now, perhaps about four more hours if we would travel fast," Chil Yook replied timidly.
"Gukseon, it's late. Could we just set up camp for a while and get ourselves a good rest? Our horses are exhausted," another nangdo butted in.
Chil Yook frowned, his icy stares trying to communicate with their brains. You're all weak. No one will eat, no one will sleep! He rolled his eyes and broke the gaze. "Fine. Go set up the camp. Maximum of three hours of sleep. We need to get to that monk first before them."
The nangdos curled their lips; they turned around to hide their long, frustrated faces. As they set up the camp, Chil Yook sat on a dead, mossy log and had a deep flashback for a while.
~~•~~
"What are you standing there? Detain Lady Jang now!" Jung Ho commanded.
The nangdos carried the unconscious woman, but as soon as they were a step away from the door, one of them paused. Together, they turned around and stared at the Prime Minister, as if they wanted to say something with utmost importance. "My... Lord, well."
"What is it? Speak!"
"Well, we thought that you need to know this. We have seen Minister Dae Wong with the Yellow Tiger Nangdos leaving the palace. Horses and big bags!"
"Is that so? Alright. You may leave. Be sure to bring that woman to prison."
As the nangdos left, Lady Min butted in, "My Lord, they are going to Anju Village to find the monk that I mentioned—the one who can read the almanac."
"Anju? You mean the remote village in Jinhae District?" Jung Ho asked.
Lady Min nodded, her breath heaved in her throat—stuck.
"Hmm, it would take a lot of time for them to reach that but I know a shorter route. You need to go through Jinju District and cross the Geum River. If you go take that path, you would only take six hours," Jung Ho added.
"But My Lord, Jinju is famous for its venom forest. Would they take that path?"
"They would take a risk. This is an urgent matter. I am sure that the King had already oriented Minister Dae Wong regarding that path."
Jung Ho suddenly threw a frown at Chil Yook, who was just silently looking at the marble floor like an idiot. Annoyed with the cold treatment the Grand Marshal manifested, the Prime Minister realized that it was because of Lady Jang. Even though no words came out from Chil Yook's lips, expressing how much he cared for the Head Priestess, the eyes and the body language revealed it all. To make things a little bit more exciting, also in the interest of keeping the Grand Marshal away from emotional distractions, Jung Ho decided to order him in search for the monk.
He stood in front of the gloomy man, his shadow dominating his muscular physique. "Do not let Minister Dae Wong meet the monk. He must not discover the information inside the almanac. Don't let me down this time. Understand?"
"Yes, My Lord," the coldness in Chil Yook's voice continued, avoiding the Prime Minister's eyes.
"Look at me! If you are truly concerned with Lady Jang's safety and felt guilty about your negligence, do as I say... Yes, they have the almanac but knowing what was inside makes a significant difference."
Chil Yook leveled his head down in a bow, acknowledging the Prime Minister's statements.
Jung Ho resumed, "Bring me the almanac at all cost but do not kill the monk or the minister. Bloodshed is not necessary for this mission. Tomorrow at noon, I will wait for you in the forest. You know where specifically, don't you?" He squinted before continuing, "Failure means death."
Chil Yook had a thought for a while before answering, "Yes, My Lord."
"Now, Go!"
~~•~~
In the middle of the belated juncture, the King visited the Prime Minister's pavilion. Matter of fact, it was not a brotherly visit. The mere intention of the King was to confirm the reports regarding the coincidental departure of Chil Yook with two Red Dragon Nangdos. He thought that the Prime Minister had ordered his henchman to follow the minister who was on a journey, searching for a monk. With this knowledge, Dae Wong's life would be in a thin tightrope.
Jung Ho had removed his uniform robe and changed into his white night robe. Removing the pin from his top knot, his hair fell on his shoulders perfectly. He placed all accessories on a wooden chest, and he went straight to his bed, straightening the bed sheet.
He suddenly heard the announcement of the lady-in-waiting about the King who demanded an audience. His eyes narrowed in extreme displeasure.
Two trivial things could make him sufficiently annoyed. First, interrupting him while reading. Secondly, distracting him with his private night moments. Well, he could be a bit considerate sometimes, if and only if, the reason for disturbing him was acceptable.
"I barged in without your consent," Jae Joong said, walking to the center table in the middle of Jung Ho's chamber.
"Sire, what made you visit in this hour?"
"Sit," Jae Joong glanced coldly.
Bothered with slight annoyance, Jung Ho pulled the chair and sat. The two remained silent for a few seconds, their eyes shooting fiery gazes with each other. Jung Ho could not handle it anymore. He was annoyed because he was interrupted just to have a staring session. Plugging soft-cushions at the end of his sharp words was one of his subjects of expertise. Tirades masking in the form of gentle commentaries. Shards of broken glasses shimmering like diamonds.
"What do you want, Sire?" Jung Ho asked, calmly.
"Where is Chil Yook?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just answer the question. How dare you talk back to your King?"
Jung Ho did not sugarcoat anything. What would be the point of telling him lies? The King already had an answer in his mind. All he wanted was for those words to come out from the Prime Minister's mouth. Jung Ho raised a brow and answered the question with all honesty. Smooth but straight to the point. "I sent him out of the palace. I ordered him to follow Minister Dae Wong. I want to know what was written in that almanac."
Hearing those vile words from his brother, Jae Joong stood quickly and slammed the table with his two hands. He pointed his trembling finger to Jung Ho, shooting a hawkish glare.
This hasty action did not make the Prime Minister shudder in fear. He reciprocated the King's glare, not daring to give a single blink. He looked directly at him with no sense of fear at all.
"You impudent! I'm warning you. Don't you ever dare touch Dae Wong, or else..." Jae Joong yelled.
Jung Ho scanned the King's red face, bursting neck veins, and stiffened body. He bowed his head a little and spoke, "A piece of advice, Sire. Please think about this rationally. I would not stoop low for those silly tactics you thought I would do. Your mind is always populated with doubts and paranoia. Don't you find it tiring? Why don't we just drink teas and relax? I won't have our precious minister killed. Silla would be good as a cripple without him. I can't do that to our beloved nation. Never!"
He glued a fervent gaze to the King, expressing his sincerity. "Guarantee this. Minister Dae Wong shall come back to the palace alive! Honestly, I was disappointed. It seemed like you do not trust me at all... as your brother."
Jae Joong ardently disagreed with what he said; not about the trust, but about being his brother. He had stopped considering him as his younger sibling ever since that ill-fated day—when his mother died. Jae Joong once had thought that Jung Ho was just a one-night sin, being a son of a hapless concubine. His perceptions had changed as they grew older, giving his brother a chance. However, as the years had gone by, he had witnessed how Jung Ho evolved from being bad, odious, and eventually, to evil. The Gods of the Underworld should truly reconsider their positions. The furious king could not seem to fathom the reason why a heinous person like him would even dream to become the ruler of their Heavenly Kingdom.
"It was hard to consider you as family. I have tried, but it was tiresome. If I haven't pledged to our Father King in his deathbed, I would have abandoned you before. When your mother passed away, leaving no one to protect you, I tried loving you, but it was no sense. Your heart is full of envy. You're too dark. Loving you is dangerous."
Jae Joong continued, "Honestly, you were, and you are still a terrifying person. I don't know the full extent of the things that you can do. Funny, isn't it? A King is frightened to his subordinate."
Hearing those attacks, Jung Ho scoffed, eyes filled with mockery.
The King's statements did not falter the Prime Minister's realm of conscience, which had completely vanished a long time ago. Instead, it made his anger worse. Those sudden word daggers served as burning fuel for his desires and dark aspirations. He even felt disrespected for bringing up their past, especially his late mother.
It was a one-sided story, summing up that the Prime Minister was a despicable and horrifying person. He did not bother to explain his side, believing that the King's beliefs would not change.
"Please stop this, Your Majesty. I don't want to talk about this. It was getting far from our main concern here. I want to wrap this up already... I assure you that Minister Dae Wong will come back safe to the palace."
The King breathed deeply, "I will try to hold on to that. I do not want you to mess up with the solar eclipse ceremony in any way possible. That includes Dae Wong!"
Leaving the chambers without saying a formal goodbye, the King swaggered coldly and slid the door in an instant. The Prime Minister, who was left inside, swore that he would win this battle that had started years ago when they were still young princes.
I swear. One day, I will rule this kingdom!
__________
NOTES:
Haeshi (해씨) - the time between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. in Ancient Silla.
Geum River (금) - a fictional river in Silla.