"Your majesty, I am so happy and pleased to host you in this my humble home." Lord Jang says happily as he sits with his family with Suk-bin and her son.
"You call this humble place?" Suk-bin asks. "Apart from the palace, I don't think there is any other house in Joseon bigger than yours."
"You flatter me your majesty." Lord Jang whispers shyly.
"It's so nice to meet you Ok Jung's mother. I hope we get along well in the future." Suk-bin says and bows.
"Your majesty, why are you bowing to me?" Bai asks.
"Have you forgotten you are the Ming Princess?" Suk-bin asks and smiles. "Courtesy demands I do that."
"Your majesty, please stop being to humble. You are making me uncomfortable." Bai murmurs shyly.
"You must be Ok Jung." Suk-bin asks as she looks at Ok Jung.
"Yes, your majesty. I am Jang Ok Jung." She bows.
"What a very graceful child, more beautiful than what I have heard." Suk-bin smiles and faces her brother. "Are you Lord Jang's son?"
Yes, your majesty." Hae Jae bows. "I am Jang Hae Jae."
"I wish you get along well with the prince in future." Suk-bin hopes with a smile and faces her son. "Yeoning, is there anything you will like to say?"
"No!" Yeoning rejects hastily but politely with a lot of shyness.
"Are you sure?" Hae Jae asks facing the prince.
"Yes." The prince nods.
"Alright." Hae Jae hurriedly stands and in a Jiffy, he is already pointing his sword close to his neck.
"Brother!" Ok Jung calls and rushes to him standing in between her brother and the prince. "What are you doing?"
"Where are your manners?" Bai asks loudly.
"Prince Yeoning, stand and take the sword. I will like to see if the man that wants to marry my sister is man enough." Hae Jae says ignoring his mom words.
"Sheath your sword this instant!" Lord Jang orders loudly.
"Stand down Lord Jang." Suk-bin whispers. "I will also like to see if my son is man enough to be a husband."
"Your majesty." Bai nags.
"It won't hurt anyone anyways, let's see what they are made of." Suk-bin says to Bai. "Yeoning." She calls loudly. "Get your sword."
"Ok Jung stand aside." Hae Jae says as he uses his leg to brush her aside.
"Let's go out!" Suk-bin says with a smile.
The entire crew walks out to the compound, the slaves and attendants stand in twos and threes, whispering to themselves on what is going on.
"Your majesty, are you going to stand and watch them?" Lord Jang asks.
"It concerns my son, I will stand in the rain if I am asked to." Suk-bin smiles. "I will try my best to be a good mother, I want to raise a man that his entire family will be safe with."
"The prince is so lucky to have someone like you as his mother." Lord Jang whispers.
"You flatter me, Lord Jang." Suk-bin says and faces the boys we were already holding swords with them, waiting for an order for them to start. "Begin!" She orders.
"Your highness, shall we?" Hae Jae asks.
"Even though I am not prepared for it, I just have to do to impress Ok Jung." Yeoning whispers looking at the love of his life Ok Jung, wearing a very worried look.
"Save the talk for later your majesty." Hae Jae charges forward, though it caught the prince unaware but he manage to dodge. "Quite impressive!" Hae Jae whispers charging at the prince again.
"I am so nervous." Yeoning whispers to himself and successfully dodges the second charge too. "Okay, play time is over now." He says loudly and charges towards Hae Jae, and in a manner of minutes, they were deeply involved in real sword fight. "You are quite good too." He whispers to Hae Jae once they are so close to each other holding the swords against themselves.
"My sister said she thought you how to use the sword, I don't expect you to deliver less, your majesty." Hae Jae teases and laughs.
The both of them kicks each other hard to set loose from their tied swords.
"I wouldn't expect you to deliver less too, since you brought up the issue." Yeoning whispers moving around to find the perfect spot to strike again.
"Their skills are quite impressive, but I don't think there is going to be a winner anytime soon. We would keep having a tie." Lord Jang comments.
"Is that all you can see?" Suk-bin asks.
"Yes, your majesty." He replies.
Suk-bin faces Bai and asks her. "What about you?"
"I am not even watching them, your Majesty. I am worried looking for Ok Jung. Where is she ?" Bai asks no one in particular searching for her daughter with her eyes.
"Here I am." Ok Jung answers, she has already changed her clothes to a male cloth that she is more comfortable with.
"Why did you change from your dress?" Bai asks quietly.
"This scenario is a beautiful one." Ok Jung smiles. "Look at how hard the prince is trying to beat my brother so he can impress me."
"Yes, that is exactly what I was talking about earlier." Suk-bin smiles. "My boy is all grown up now."
"Halt!" Ok Jung orders loudly and her aim is successful. She brought the boys to halt. "Which one of you will fight me?" She asks moving close to them.
"What?" Suk-bin looks at Lord Jang. "Does she know martial arts?"
"You don't know?!" Bai asks getting very uncomfortable.
"I am afraid to tell you that she taught the prince those things he knows." Lord Jang adds.
"What?" Suk-bin asks again and smiles. "She is exactly what the prince needs, a warrior to himself." She murmurs.
"Which one of you wants to face me?" Ok Jung asks again when she finally arrives at the sparring ground. "Why are there no answers?" She asks looking at the boys in front on her. "Don't you want to face me?"