The autumn is now long gone, welcoming the winter, a thick shroud of white has covered everything , the birds have migrated , leaving behind a string of longing and love. The winter is so cold that no one dares to go out without long fur coats and knee length boots, in the quietness of winter, the droplets of water are shingling while running down the roof, creating a calm and sarene environment.
"I am done with my work", said the guy turning to the man who was reading the book.
"Really?, you haven't left it incomplete, right", the man asked back looking at the youth lying in the blanket.
"I am not, I have completed it, I always complete my tasks", the youth answered with a hint of arrogance and proudness.
"Hyuk, are you sure, you completed it?" The general asked again.
"Yes, yes, yes, I completed it", Hyuk said pulling the blanket up his body.
"Now, recite the poem for me", Hyuk demanded as he rolled himself on the floor and stopped in front of the General.
"What poem?".. The General asked confused as he looked at the furry head In front of him.
"Did you forget, you promised, that if I finished my work you would recite your favorite poem for me". Hyuk asked with a hint of shock and disbelief as he looked up at the liar.
"Ohh, that one, that's really long, it will take a lot of time, let's do that some other day, why don't you just sleep for sometime Instead of that", the General said with a silly smile on his face, like he had not expected Hyuk to actually finish all his work.
"No, recite it to me now", Hyuk whined with a pouty mouth.
"Hyuk, some other time please, i am a little busy right now" , The General said lovingly.
"No, I have to hear it today, today today and right now", Hyuk replied in a stern voice.
"Hyuk please, listen to me, i will do it tomorrow, i promise", The General pleaded in a gentle voice.
"No , read it to me, read, read, read, read", Hyuk said hugging the General's back and started shaking him.
"Okay, okay, come here, don't do that", The General said and held Hyuk's hand to stop the shaking.
"Why are you so stubborn, why don't you listen to me?", The General said adjusting Hyuk in his lap.
"Didn't I listen to you and started studying, I do it everyday, when did I not listen to you?", Hyuk asked as if he had been wronged just now.
"You just did one thing but in exchange of that how many things have you said no to and you also make me do, whatever you want", The General said, pinching Hyuk's face.
"You asked for a big thing, I ask for little little things, in comparison to the thing you asked me to do you have to listen to me your whole life", Hyuk said laying comfortably in his chest.
"You are such a cunning boy, but it's okay your highness, I will listen to you all my life", the General said shaking his head and admitted his defeat.
"Okay, then read the poem to me now", Hyuk said seriously.
"You are not going to give up on that one, right", The General asked while picking the book from the table to start reciting.
"Never, I must discipline you, you have become too lazy these days", Hyuk said as if reprimanding the General and sat comfortably.
The General was about to start reciting the poem for his precious one when a knock came from the door.
"Who is it?", The General asked, in a stern voice.
"My Lord, it's the Royal messenger from the palace". The Eunuch answered.
"wait" .. The General said and looked at Hyuk.
"Hyuk, get up and go now", the General said to Hyuk, who was already curled into a ball in his lap.
"Why would I, tell him to come later, it's my time now", Hyuk protested.
"no Hyukie, please leave for now, I promise, I will read the poem to you later okay, my good boy", the General said in an endearing voice.
"Okay fine", Hyuk said giving an annoyed look and came out of the Chamber and walked straight to the servant quarters, getting there he saw jin-He sitting alone.
"Ohh, what a surprise, our Hyukie is back today before sunset". Jin-He said in a pleasent voice.
"Yeah, I don't know, someone from palace came to talk to him, I don't know what's the problem of those people". Hyuk answered sitting in front of her.
"Hyuk, he is not only yours, he is the General of this country, he has a lot of work and responsibilities", Jin-He said with a playful smile.
"Hmm", Hyuk hummed, "let's talk about something else", He said and the two started chatting.
...
In the evening, Hyuk took the General's dinner to his chamber but the Eunuch stopped him.
"Hyuk, the General asked me not to disturb him, tonight he will not eat dinner".
"Why not, is he sick, can i take a look at him?" Hyuk asked worried.
"No he is healthy, there is a meeting going on inside, so you can't enter, you may leave now", the Eunuch explained.
"Okay fine, but if he gets hungry, please tell me, okay", Hyuk said worried.
"Okay, you should go and rest now, it's getting cold". The Eunuch said.
"Okay, I will leave now", Hyuk said and walked back to the kitchen.
....
In the morning, Hyuk woke up by the sound of heavy footsteps and chatting, getting disturbed, he looked through the window and saw a crowd going in and out of the General's chamber, getting confused by the sudden arrival of so many people, he decided to go and ask the General's Eunuch.
"Hyuk, what are you doing here, the General is busy, he cannot see you right now", the Eunuch said worried as he saw people looking at Hyuk.
"I didn't come to see the General, I came to see you", Hyuk said as he walked a bit away from there with the eunuch.
"What's wrong, why are so many people coming to meet the general this early in the morning". Hyuk asked straight forward without beating around the bush.
"It... It's nothing Hyuk, maybe there is a problem or something, it happens occasionally, go back and don't come here again today , these people can't see you". The Eunuch said.
"Okay, I know, I will not come", Hyuk said and turned to leave but he turned to the Eunuch again and said.
"If the General asks for me please call me"
"Okay, I know".. The Eunuch said with a guilty smile.
..
The whole day Hyuk was in his room, looking out from the window time to time to see if the people had already gone back , but people kept coming in until it was late in the evening, he was sitting in the kitchen in front of the fire with other servants, when a maid came to them.
"I have a good news, our happy days back again, the sword hanging on our necks is finally being put down", the maid said smiling.
"What do you mean?".. Other maid asked getting happy.
"Don't tell me those days are coming again", jin-He asked clapping.
"What days noona, why is everyone so happy all of a sudden", Hyuk asked not understanding .
"Oh my dumb Hyukie, the days of freedom are back, The General is going on a war", The maid who told the news first said.
Hyuk got up and ran barefoot to the General's chamber, shocked he just wants to ask what's going on, why didn't he know of this.
"Hyuk, the General is resting", the Eunuch said but Hyuk didn't listen to him and kicked the door in anger.
The General looked up, holding his head, he exhaustedly said.
"Hyuk, let's talk tomorrow, I have a headache right now".
Hyuk walked to the table and said.
"Take me with you".
"Where?".. The General asked.
"Wherever you are going, take me with you.
On hearing Hyuk's words the General looked at the Eunuch who shook his head as a sign of not having told Hyuk about anything and closed the door, sending everyone else guarding the door away.
"Take me with you", Hyuk repeated his words once again.
"Hyuk that place is not somewhere you can go, it's not good for you".
"I don't care, how that place is I just want to go with you".
"Hyuk, stop being stubborn, it's not something you will ask me and i will give it to you , it's not a playground or something. We go to war to kill the enemy and protect our people, it's dangerous., you can't go there".
"Then why did you teach me how to write and read , you should have taught me swordsmanship then".. Hyuk screamed throwing the stack of papers across the room.
"You promised me you will stay with me forever, you are a liar, you did all this so that i cannot follow you anywhere, why do you hate me so much". Hyuk yelled crying his eyes out.
"I don't hate you Hyuk, how can you"..
"If you don't hate me then why don't you take me with you, no actually, why did you hide this thing from me in the first place".
"Hyuk please", the General pleaded as he didn't know what to say.
"You are a liar, you said you will not leave me alone but you are doing it now, fine, go wherever you want to go I will not say anything to you, we will never see each other from now on, you can do whatever the hell you want". Hyuk yelled and ran away from there.
Crying his heart out and went straight to his room, covering himself with the thin blanket he kept crying until jin-He came there and sat besides him.
"Hyuk stop crying, I know how you feel but General can't do anything about it, this is his biggest responsibility, he has to go to the war, you like it or not he has to fulfill his responsibilities", Jin-He said carefully trying to calm Hyuk down.
Hyuk pushed the blanket down his face and looked directly at Jin-He .
"I know you are happy that he is leaving, why are you talking like this, all of you are happy that he is going to the war, he can do whatever he wants and you too can do whatever you want, no one cares about me Or my feelings, why don't you go and celebrate with others rather then sitting here, go back I don't want to see anyone". Hyuk said crying and pulled the blanket up again.
....
In the morning, General was sitting in his chamber, like yesterday, the people kept flocking in, in between the Guests coming and going he called his Eunuch and asked.
"How is Hyuk?"..
"My Lord, Jin-He told me that he has been crying since last night, he has not eaten anything and he refused to talk to anyone, the eunuch explain, the General was about to say something when some people asked the permission to come in".
"It's okay, you can go for now", he said irritated .
....
In the afternoon, when all the people had already gone and there was no one visiting anymore, the General asked his Eunuch to call Hyuk.
The eunuch went to the servant quarters and went inside Hyuk's room.
"Hyuk come with me", the General is asking for you..
"I don't know any General, I am not going anywhere, I am sick", Hyuk said in a fit of anger.
"Hyuk, I know you are hurt but General can't do anything about this, he has to go even though he doesn't want to leave you behind, he is leaving tomorrow early morning and we don't know when will he come back or worse is he going to come back or not, so you only have the time between the afternoon to tomorrow morning, if you don't go now, you may never see the General again", the Eunuch said in a soft voice.
On hearing his words Hyuk immediately got up from the blanket and wore his clothes to go to the General.
On arriving outside the chamber, Hyuk politely knocked the door just like he used to when he first came here.
"Come in", the General ordered on hearing the knock , after getting the permission, Hyuk opened the door and bowed to the General before sitting on the floor far from where the General was sitting.
"Did you ask for me, my Lord?", Hyuk asked trying to hold his tears in.
"Hyuk, why are you doing this, it's hurting me, please stop acting like this and come to me". The General said with a hint of tears in his eyes.
"I am servant my Lord, this is my place, please tell me what orders do you have for me".. Hyuk asked.
"Hyuk please, I beg you, don't do this, please come here, why don't you understand, I have to go even if you don't want to and I can't take you with me, that place is dangerous please Hyuk". The General said as he walked towards Hyuk and held him in his warm embrace.
"But... But, why do you need to go, can't anyone else go In your place, why must it be you. How can i live without you on my own here", Hyuk asked as the tears finally being held captive in his eyes flowed free .
"I am sorry Hyuk, I am sorry ,but I have to go".. The General said feeling lost for the first time in his life.
"When, when Will you come back then promise me, you will come back soon" . Hyuk asked looking at his face with his puffed up eyes.
"I.. Hyuk , I can't promise you that, I don't know when the war will end and I can come back, I don't want to lie to you".. The General said as he carried Hyuk to his place and covered him in the blanket.
"Then, can you at least promise me that you will come back, no matter how much time it takes, I can wait, I will wait but.. But you must come back to me".. Hyuk said hugging him tightly.
"Okay, I promise, no matter what happens I will come back to my Hyuk, you just have to wait for me okay".
"Okay, I will wait.. Wait no matter how long it is".
"Before going, let me atleast fulfill my one promise, let me read you the poem, I promised", the General said and started reciting the poem for Hyuk.
Meanwhile outside, the Eunuch was standing on the door guarding it, when the general's wife came there.
"Madame, I apologize but the General has asked not to let anyone disturb him". The Eunuch said standing between her and the door.
"But I have come to see him before he leaves, it's important, I need to".
"I am sorry madame , but you cannot meet the General, I am sorry but you will have to return"..
"When will the General become free then, I will come at that time?".
"The General doesn't want to see anyone till tomorrow morning, the Eunuch said bowing his head", but the General's voice reciting the poem and someone's soft wailing could be heard clearly.