Hwarang Palace was crowded, as the archery exam has begun. It was among the subject that the candidates must pass in order to be a Hwarang. The new batch of candidates were selected a month ago among those young soldiers that qualify enough to join the elite squad.
Wang Ki and Miju sat next to each other at the high grand stand with a roof. On the king's left was General Kim and Wang Ki's personal eunuch was standing behind them. Joining them also were the Minister of Defenses, Lord Baek and Military Commissioner, Grand General Kwang.
"We have a lot of candidates this year, Grand General..." Wang Ki said. "And most of them are well-prepared!" he continued watching the candidates.
"Certainly, jeonha mama! General Kim has a good eye for that. These young people still have a will of fire inside. That's why they really work hard for this," replied Grand General Kwang. Wang Ki nodded in satisfaction. The man indeed is right.
"I want to pick one for dul beonjjae wangja as well. He lost a lot of his guards after the attack at the Red Ruby..."
"Dul beonjjae wangja got attacked? Why haven't you tell us about it, jeonha?" Lord Baek fell in a deep shock. He exchanged looks with Grand General Kwang.
"We only aware of what happened at the town to the North. This is new for us," Grand General agreed with Lord Baek.
"Dul beonjjae wangja decided to keep it as a secret. He didn't want to bother jeonha, or us. I believe, he has his own method and strategy to tackle the matter, " General Kim replied on behalf of Wang Ki. He knew the best about the attack. Matter of fact, he was discreetly investigate the matter with some help from Asura, Indra and special force.
Just how Min Jun asked them to do.
"It's a deed by the bandits, I believe..." suddenly, Miju voiced out his opinion. He glared at General Kim as he turned his head away after that, facing the two men who were still in shock.
"His house situated almost at the border of the kingdom. It's a bit secluded with not much protection rather than forest area. That's why, the house is an easy target for threats," Miju continued.
"Dul beonjjae wangja should move out from there. He deserves a new house with a safe environment," said Grand General Kwang.
"I asked him if I should build him a new house. We have an empty plot just between The Sapphire and The Emerald Dragon. He can used that-"
"But, jeonha mama... If dul beonjjae wangja builds a new house there, would it be like overshadowed The Sapphire? I mean, supposedly the residence of seja jeoha should be more nearer to the Emerald Dragon, right?"
Lord Baek's words were something to think about, to be honest. The symbolic of the power relied on the arrangement of the houses.
"It is true indeed, Lord Baek..." said General Kim. "I think, by now, the only thing that we can do for daegum is to give him a good security," the old man added.
"Talking about daegum jaga, I haven't see him around these days?" Grand General Kwang voiced out his concern.
"Ah... Daegun is in China now, for some treatment," Wang Ki replied with a smile on his face.
"Treatment? Is he ill?" asked Grand General Kwang again.
"Actually, yes. He is a bit ill before. But, thanks to General Kim's daughter, they manage to find the cure..." Wang Ki softly patted General Kim's hand, making the man felt grateful. He nodded a bit, looking at the men with a faint smile.
"Your daughter surely is a good physician, General!" Lord Baek praised General Kim. "Does she have any marriage prospect yet?" the question made everyone laughed a bit.
Except for Miju and General Kim himself.
"Ah... I never had that thought yet, Lord Baek! Soo Young still has a lot to learn, and I love seeing her doing things that she loves first," said General Kim.
"Don't worry General! With the beauty and her intelligence, she will meet someone in no time!" Wang Ki replied to him with a smile on his face.
"You're praising the girl a lot, jeonha mama. Perhaps, you want to keep the girl for the royal family, maybe?" Lord Baek teased the king, making him nodded and laughed in joy.
"Looks like you really are, jeonha mama! You're fast!"
With that, everyone laughed together. Except for General Kim, who started to worry about Soo Young. And Miju, who was feeling angry and jealousy inside.
***
"So, your tactical move works, General..."
General Kim bowed a bit when Miju suddenly approached him from behind. They just left the Hwarang Palace after the exam. General Kim was on his way to the military quarters, so when the Crown Prince saw him walking by himself, he decided to approach him discreetly.
"I don't know what you mean, Seja jeoha..."
"You're the one who endorsed Soo Young to be my dongsaeng's personal physician. You plan this all along. You want to set up the conjugal, isn't it?" asked Miju. His face remained calm, but his tone was full of hatred.
"I do admit that my wife proposed the idea. But, I never force Soo Young. She came back from China to work with the royal hospital before she met daegum jaga. His case attracted her to work with him. It's nothing to do with the conjugal tie," General Kim explained to Miju with full of respect.
"I am aware of these tactics, using daughters for your own benefits. All lords that pose a high ranking use the same tactic as well, General Kim! It's just.... I can't believe a man with honor like you will do the same..."
General Kim lifted his head slowly, as the tone of this young crown prince started to feel insulting. He looked at Miju face, brows almost entwine together.
"I never use Soo Young for my own benefits, seja jeoha. She is my daughter!" General Kim emphasized the words bits by bits, showing his firm ground that he stood on to.
"We knew you always want to be connected with the royal family, general. You used to endorsed Soo Young to participate in the crown princess exam. When she failed, you used her to get close to daegum..."
"Seja jeoha, I believe you do know that by now, I am indeed a high rank officer. I even lead the kingdom's army. I don't need Soo Young to endorse anything for me," General Kim was in the final strain of his patience. "About the exam, I don't know if you know, but all the high ranking officers must send their eldest daughter to participate the exam along with princesses from the neighborhood country. Which means, me included. But, Soo Young refused to take the exam after what you did to her!"
They both lock gazes, with General Kim watched Miju with his cynical look. "There's no such thing as using my own family for my own benefits, seja jeoha. My daughter is precious for me," said the general. Before he left, he stopped again, looking at Miju from the side of his eyes.
"Not everyone has the same mindset like you, seja jeoha. Not everyone thirst for power," General Kim said, before he walked away, leaving Miju alone at that spot, holding his anger inside.
***
"According to the kingdom rules, the marriage can be register anywhere. The couple shall bring the registration letter or marriage certificate to the kingdom as a record to the Family Court for the future reference," said Min Jun.
"So, there won't be a problem if Soo Young and I register the marriage here?" asked Dan.
"There won't be any problem," Min Jun smiled as he looked at the couple. It was out of a sudden, but everything seemed easy for these two.
"It's quite a chaos in here, don't you think?" asked Soo Young. Their eyes linger around the registration office that quite packed with people. The office was divided into three sections; for birth registration, death registration and marriage registration. And each sections were full of people.
"Circle of lifes happen in one spot..." Min Jun chuckled, as he glared at a couple who entered the office, another couple who registered a birth and a man who was waiting for a death certificate.
"Next couple!" the woman at the counter called them. Soo Young, Dan and Min Jun quickly stood up and walk into the office.
There was a man, maybe the registration officer, sat on a huge table. He greeted them with a smile and present them a chair. Dan and Soo Young took the chair in front of him, while Min Jun silently stood next to the table, looking at them.
Soo Young talked something to the officer, as the man nodded, and took out a piece of paper from the file in front of him. He explained something in a language that Min Jun didn't familiar with. But, from Soo Young's reaction, something wasn't right.
"What's wrong?" Min Jun asked.
"They put the name wrong!" she said with a sigh. Min Jun scoot closer, looking at the certificate. His name was written in a groom section, while Dan's name was written as a witness.
"Maybe they accidentally mixed them up because we have the same surname..." said Min Jun.
Dan shook his head in disbelief. "So, what now?" he asked Soo Young. His fiancee talked to the officer.
"They said we have to wait for the clerk to fix the name, " said Soo Young. She later wrote something on a piece of paper and handing them back to the officer.
"How long?" Dan seemed to be anxious. He couldn't wait for long. All of this wagon ride made him anxious. Soo Young knew his nervousness by a glance, softly patted his hand and smile.
"Only for fifteen minutes..." Soo Young said.
"Even fifteen seconds is long enough for me!" Dan whined like a child, making Min Jun scoffed and giving his cousin a teasing look.
After a while, a woman came into the room with a new set of certificate. Dan held his breath and finally smiled. Soo Young did a brief check and after everything was set up, she nodded her head to the office. The man signed the certificate before Soo Young and Dan took turned, signing it as well.
The registration was finalize and the three of them leaving the room with a jolly heart.
"How about a wedding photo?" asked Soo Young to Dan.
"Anything you want, my love! If you ask me to jump into the sea, I will be glad to do so!" Dan's sweet talk made Min Jun snickered and laugh.
"Dan being sweet is somehow cringe!" Soo Young frowned, making Dan playfully smacked her shoulder and pouted.
"Just bear it because I will never stop!"
"Really? I think you will stop after a year..." Soo Young stared at Dan with her boring eyes.
"No! Never!" Dan hugged her from behind as he hung his head over his wife's shoulder.
"I swear to God, if you treat Soo Young bad, I will snatch her from you, Dan! Remember, I was just this close to be her husband just now, you know?" Min Jun teased Dan, making his cousin grunted at him.
"I even have the certificate with me..." Soo Young showed the rejected certificate to them.
"Yarh, why did you keep it?!"
"Who knows maybe you will abandon me! I can use this certificate as a reminder," said Soo Young with a laugh. Min Jun shook his head and played along as Dan quickly pulled Soo Young away from Dan.
"We just got married and you already put a suspicious on me, wifey!"
Soo Young laughed as she gave a side hug to Dan. The man finally calmed down and smiled, slowly babying her wife. Min Jun watched them from the side, feeling happy for the couple. Gradually, he was thinking about Uk.
I wish I can be happy like this with you, sobangnim! Perhaps one day, we can be happy, just like them!