"Who are you? You are not our throned prince!", his words echoed in the courtroom. People looked at him ghastly. "what is the head saying?", "Is this the right time to joke?", "Has he lost his mind?", all sorts of questions started to pop out of the different corners of the room. I was looking at Ethan scared. How is he going to manage the situation now? "What did you say?", a voice roared in the room. We all looked at the owner of the voice. It was Aiden. His eyes held so much anger that even I felt a shiver run down my spine. "He is not your brother, young prince.", the head replied faking respect. "Huh! So, you are saying I don't recognise my own brother?", he replied sarcasm dropping off his every word. The head hung his head low but he still had a smirk on his face. "But I deny to accept him as our prince. He is someone else.", the head stood up to his point. "Speak for yourself! Don't involve the other court members.", another voice boomed. It was Ethan. "Does anyone else refuse to accept me as the throned prince?", he asked the court and stood up from the throne in anger. Watching him stand all the other people also stood up with their heads hung low showing respect. "If you don't accept me as your prince, raise your hand.", his voice was full of challenge. No one dared to raise their hand even an inch.
"Don't you see! He is not the prince!", the head faced the court and asked. "He is our prince my lord.", the minister said. "Bullshit! I know how the prince looks. And he is not the prince.", the head wouldn't back off. "Enough!", Aiden shouted losing his temper. He walked down the steps and unsheathed his sword. Everyone gasped scared of what was going to happen next. Is he going to put the head to the sword? Aiden placed his sword at the neck of the head. The silence in the courtroom was deafening. "How dare you insult our throned prince like this! Who gave you the power to defame our prince!", his voice roared. "Kneel down and apologise!", Aiden commanded tightening his grip on the sword. The head neither kneels down nor did he apologise. The minister to the right signalled the guards to take charge. The guards ran to the head but Aiden gestured them to stop right there. "He will either apologise by himself or he rots in the prison for the rest of his life.", Aiden ordered. "I refuse to accept him as my prince!", the head said with a smirk and the whole courtroom again looked at him horrified. Everyone could see how Aiden was controlling his urge from chopping his head off. He lowered down his sword and laughed. "You made the wrong choice!", he said and signalled the guards to take him to the prison. "I made the right choice, and you will know it later.", the head challenged and left laughing. The people in the court were scared of two things now, first Aiden was still angry and second the head was cooking up some insane plot seeking revenge. But I was scared of only one thing, how did he recognise Ethan? For the next one hour, all the members discussed the best possible strategies for winning this war against the Gyeonggi province. Ministers presented their ideas and Aiden finalised the strategy we were finally going to move ahead with. As the head was now in prison, Aiden was appointed as the new army head. It was the first time I was going on a full-fledged war and I was scared. Even though at our place they train all the girls and boys in martial arts and sword fighting, but doing it on a battlefield is always different. But I was more afraid of Ethan and Aiden going on war as the frontline warriors. What if they get hurt?
The meeting was adjourned and we were asked to prepare for the war and assemble in our uniforms at the city gate in half-hour. Ethan stood up and left the courtroom first followed by all the other officials. Then the guards left. Now it was just me and Aiden in the room. "What exactly happened today?", I asked not able to control my anxious thoughts. "What happened?", he asked with a raised brow. "The head. He recognised Ethan! How?", I replied to his slow-witted self. "I have no idea.", he shrugged his shoulder saying this. "And you are not afraid?", I asked shocked at his carefree attitude. "Afraid of what? It is just some tricks played by Fate! Now stop wasting your time on this and go and prepare for leaving.", he replied and left the room. I was taken aback by his attitude. What is wrong with him. I sighed in defeat and left the courtroom. But I couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling. And talking with Aiden made me feel more anxious about the matter. Is he hiding something from me? Or does he actually doesn't care? Either of the two is not good for any of us.
I reached my home and I went straight to my room. Kang and Mi So followed me inside. "Are you leaving?", "What happened at the courtroom?". "Is it true that the head is in the prison?". I was bombarded with questions. I just hummed at all the questions. The news spreads like a wildfire in this era too. "Did he actually say that his majesty is not our real prince?", Mi So asked. I nodded. "One day he would come and say even young prince Aiden is also not our actual prince, but is someone else. I feel the head is getting old.", she mocked. Listening to her words it hit me. Why didn't he challenge Aiden's identity? Does he know something more than us or is this another twist by Fate? All these questions were making me lose my mind. "Unnie why are you packing my toy?", Mi So's question made me come back to reality. I looked down and found I had kept Mi So's toy in my stuff absentmindedly. I took it out and gave it to her. "Is something wrong Hyun?", Kang asked. "Nothing unnie, I am just thinking what this war will cost us.", I lied. She held me by my shoulders and made me look at her. "You are a warrior! And it is okay to be scared and nervous, it won't make you less brave. Focus on the war and fight for your people. Don't think too much.", she said and hugged me tightly. "I will miss you unnie!", I said while hugging her tight. "I will miss you too my love.", she replied. "I will miss you too unnie.", hearing the third voice we both let go of each other and I hugged Mi So tightly. "I will miss you, my princess. Take care of everyone at home while I am gone. Okay?", I said. she nodded and kissed my cheek "Stay safe and come back fast.", she said. I nodded. Kang was about to say something when we heard the drums beating. It was a royal call for all the soldiers and officials to assemble at the said location. I picked up my jute bag hugged my sisters the last time, peeked in my mom's room to find her sleeping peacefully and left the house. My heart was beating fast and with every step, the urge to run back home was taking over my pledge to fight for the people. I stopped by the cherry blossom tree and picked a petal from the ground. Keeping it safely in my bag I smiled at the tree and continued walking. Leaving behind the people I love and the cherry blossom tree I was unknowingly stepping into a battle that will be more gruesome than the war we are meant to fight.