"Ae-Ra yah, who do you think the crown prince is? I think it's the first prince, isn't he absolutely swoony?", Ae-Ra's first cousin and best friend, Ha-Yoon said dreamily. Ae-Ra just gave a soft twinkling laugh, and continued braiding Ha-Yoons's hair. It was just like Ha-Yoon, to dream over the first prince, he was said to be absolutely charming, and Ha-Yoon loved that.
"I don't know, who knows what goes on behind those palace walls. But whoever the next Emperor will be, we will get to know soon enough.", Ae-Ra said. The ball for the announcement of the Crown Prince and the next Emperor was just two days away, and the whole kingdom was buzzing about who the next Emperor could be from the seven princes of Gogureyeo.
Ha-Yoon gave her a sly smile before straightening up and sitting on her bed, which she was previously sprawled on.
"Ya, how about you try to charm the Crown Prince and become the Empress? You're a picture to look at, now is your time to shine! Just walk up to that Crown Prince, and charm the life out of him. And Ta-da! Empress Ae-Ra! The most beautiful, the most kind, and the craziest Empress in the history of Gogureyeo!", Ha-Yoon finished of dramatically, throwing her hands up in the air. Ae-Ra smacked her face into her pillow. Her cousin was crazy. She gave Ha-Yoon a gentle shove.
"Ouch!", Ha-Yoon grasped her arm in dramtisized pain and horror.
"Who are you calling crazy, huh? And keep your weird fantasies to yourself!", Ae-Ra exclaimed looking with disgust at her cousin at the thought of charming the Crown Prince yet alone being the Empress!
Ha-Yoon shrugged innocently,
"What you are crazy, crazy and violent. Very violet. My poor arm.", she wailed rubbing her arm. She then slung her 'injured' arm over Ae-Ra and said,
"At this rate you may die a spinster you know?"
"I know.", Ae-Ra smiled.
Ha-Yoon smiled at her,
"Well then, I will die a spinster alongside you.", she thumped her chest, "I have always got your back" she laughed, flopping back onto Ae-Ra's bed, dragging Ae-Ra down along with her. Ae-Ra smiled. Ha-Yoon was the best. They both lay, sprawled in an unladylike fashion on Ae-Ra's bed smiling and giggling like chickens. That was until Ae-Ra's mother came rushing in through the doors. Both of the girls got up in alarm, as Ae-Ra's mother panted near the door. She looked at Ae-Ra with a grave face and said,
"Come down immediately."
Ae-Ra was already on her feet, rushing to her mother, with Ha-Yoon close at her heels.
"What happened mother?", Ae-Ra asked following her mother down the staircase. Her mother rubbed her temples,
"You will see once we get there."
The trio silently walked to the Guest room of Ae-Ra's elegant and tastefully decorated home. Standing in the Guest room were two Royal Guards from the palace and a messenger along with Ae-Ra's father, looking at the uninvited guests with a grave face. Ae-Ra's stomach churned, what were Royal Guards doing here? They were never a good omen, Royal Guards usually came to take criminals and traitors away. Was her family in trouble?! The Guards and the Messenger stood imposingly before them, like tall shadows of impending danger. One of the Guards asked, in treble voice,
"Which one of you is Rhee Ae-Ra?"
Ae-Ra's eyes widened as her palms became slick with sweat, what had she done?! She took a step forward, and saw her father and mother stand protectively in front her, and Ha-Yoon grab the sleeve of her hanbok, signalling her to not go forward.
"I am her father, what do you want with my daughter?", Ae-Ra's father voice firm and showed no signs of the fear they all felt churn deep inside them. The messenger took a step forward, taking out a scroll with emblem of the Emperor, opening it and read,
"On his Imperial Highness, Emperor Ahn-Won, of Gogureyeo, orders, Rhee Ae-Ra, daughter of the Minster of Health, Rhee Seo-Hyun, is to serve as the Imperial Guard of the Crown Prince, till his Highness becomes the Emperor."
Ae-Ra's father looked incredulously at the Messenger, whereas her mother gasped and held onto Ae-Ra protectively.
"What is the meaning of this?! How can my daughter be the Imperial Guard of the Crown Prince? How can a woman be a Guard? What is this madness?"
"These are Royal orders, do you dare go against them?", one of the Guards asked menacingly.
Ae-Ra's father clenched his fists.
"No, but how is this possible? Why? How?"
The Guard looked as though he might threaten them again, when the messenger stepped forward, and motioned with his hand for the Guard to stop. He bowed respectfully to Ae-Ra's father,
"Minister, you see the Crown Prince specifically requested Ae-Ra to be his Guard. He said that she saved him from a near fatal attack from a wolf before, and thus he finds her trustworthy enough to be his personal Guard."
"Wolf attack? What?", Ae-Ra's father asked cluelessly before turning to Ae-Ra. Realisation struck Ae-Ra, like a painful sting of a bee as she realised who the Crown Prince was. Ji-Ho. That pest. She shifted around awkwardly under her father's stern gaze. She felt as though he could see right through her brocaded mask of lies. Her father turned back to Guards and bowed to them,
"Sirs, could you please leave us for a moment? We need to discuss some things as a family."
The Messenger and the Guards bowed and left. Ae-Ra's father turned back to her. Good Heavens! She was in for a eon's worth of trouble.
"Ae-Ra explain.", her father said sternly. Ae-Ra twisted her interweaved fingers nervously. What should she do? Should she just tell him the truth? There was no explanation otherwise. Curses. She shouldn't have saved that pest. Oh lord she was becoming a horribly mean person. It just seemed that her temper rose every time Ji-Ho, or now Crown Prince Ji-Ho was involved.
"Its true. I did not know he was the Crown Prince. I had sneaked out of home and saw a wolf attacking him. I…I have a Do, which I had taken with me, so I killed the wolf with my Do, and…", Ae-Ra stopped. She was rambling. Her father looked at her unblinking.
"You have a Do?"
"Yes"
"You snuck out in the night?"
"Yes"
"Where did you learn to fight with a Do from?", this took Ae-Ra by surprise, she wasn't expecting that question.
"I don't know, some of it came to me naturally, some came from memory of watching sparring sessions."
Her father took in a deep breath and went silent. Ae-Ra looked at the floor. Would she die today? All because of that pesky prince? Suddenly she felt her father's warm arms around her. She looked up in surprise. What was happening? Was she dead? Was this afterlife?
Her father laughed at her shocked squirrel like expression and smiled, his eyes glazed with tears.
"I am so unbelievably angry and proud of you Ae-Ra. You did things men could never dare to, and earned honour which no son could have. I am so proud to have you as my daughter."
Ae-Ra just stood there shocked, like an electrocuted chipmunk. Was she delusional? What was her father saying?
"Huh?", was her only response.
"Do not get me wrong, you are in a lot a trouble young lady, for sneaking around in the night, but saving the Crown Prince and being chosen to be his personal Guard? That is an honour most families can only dream of."
Ae-Ra felt a small shy smile blooming on her lips. She had imagined many reactions of her father to her nightly adventures, but never in her dreams had she thought he would be proud of her. A warmth wrapped Ae-Ra, like the warm midsummers evening, full of mirth and some extraordinary magic.
"Ae-Ra yah, you won the lottery! I can't believe you have already charmed the Crown Prince! Now you only have to become the Empres-..", Ae-Ra clamped a hand over Ha-Yoon's mouth but she could not help the smile which escaped her lips. She had made her family proud. She had brought honour to their name. She looked at her father,
"Then can I go? Become his Imperial Guard?"
Her father's face dimmed slightly,
"It is a dangerous job, and I can not bare to lose you, but a Royal Decree, is a Royal Decree, I know you will bring honour to our family name Ae-Ra, just promise to be careful, though its hard to be in a job like yours."
"I promise to try my best to be safe, and save the Crown Prince.", Ae-Ra said solemnly. Her father smiled. Prince Pest knew how to interweave their lives again, as annoying as he was, Ae-Ra could not help but feel a tiny bud of excitement to see him again.
*******