[TWO DAYS BEFORE THE CEREMONY]
The Head Priestess and her shrine maidens were praying at the top of a small plateau on a dull, gray afternoon. They had filled the mini-altar with food offerings to please the Heavens. As the Head Priestess continued praying, she was disrupted by a premonition about the upcoming solar eclipse. What she saw was a clear sky in the late afternoon and people cheering.
Suddenly, she felt a strange cold wind that sent shivers through her entire body. She opened her eyes with a feeling that something terrible will happen.
"Lady Jang, it is almost time. The meeting is about to begin," a shrine maiden said.
"All right. Prepare everything. We will go back to the capital," she replied softly.
The Head Priestess headed back to the capital with her shrine maidens. She went to the main hall of the palace and asked the two hall guards who were standing before the door entrance.
"Did the meeting begin already?"
"No, My Lady. The King has not arrived yet."
The guards opened the door, and the exquisite design of the main hall welcomed Lady Jang's sight. The dragon throne made up of brick-red wood, decorated with gold and jade stood at the far end of the hall. Folded yellow curtains hugged the sturdy crimson pillars and the windows, while the yellow, circular lantern lamps hung on the ceiling, giving life to the entire hall. She walked down the yellow carpet in the middle of the hallway and saw two royal secretaries preparing their quills and scrolls on their tables. As her white robe dragged on the carpet, she noticed the skeptical looks of the nine council members standing on the two sides of the carpet. She stopped before the council members, and she bowed her head in front of them.
"His Highness graces us all!" announced by a palace eunuch.
With his head high, the King walked down the yellow carpet in a dignified manner. He wore a red royal robe accessorized by a golden belt on his waist. Instead of a tall golden crown, a golden hairpin supported his topknot.
All of the people bowed their heads, stealing glances at each other. They kept their heads hanging down until the King reached his throne.
"Council members, the meeting regarding the final preparations for the solar eclipse prediction shall commence."
The council members lifted their heads and stood properly, preparing themselves for the King's announcements.
"I have talked to the Head Priestess already and after four weeks of prayers, star observations, calculations, and rituals, it is confirmed that the solar eclipse is expected to happen in two days, eight gak before sunset. But the thing is..."
The King paused and looked at everyone.
"It will not occur."
The King raised a brow, stretched his arms side-ward and sat on his throne. Everyone was puzzled with what they have heard. Their eyes widened, shooting quick glances at each other.
A minister raised his hand and spoke. He was a tall, chiseled man in his early thirties with small eyes and dark eyebrows, "Sire, how can you be so certain that the eclipse will not occur this year? This is a very peculiar prediction of yours. The solar eclipse is a very rare phenomenon that happens only every thirty-three years. We do not understand why it will not happen."
"Minister Dae Wong, please trust me and what I do. I have already worked with our Head Priestess regarding this matter. She has observed the movement of the stars and noticed something peculiar, right Lady Jang?"
"The solar eclipse will not occur this year. I know that you have been wondering why," she said.
The council members exchanged chatters, their eyes darted confusedly with each other.
"In the past decades, my ancestors felt strange things happening in the alignment of the stars. That is why I observe the night skies regularly. This year, I have noticed that the stars in the Taeyanggye had changed their positions causing an alteration in the cycle of the solar eclipse."
Lady Jang bowed her head.
At the age of eighteen, she became the youngest Head Priestess which ascended to the position in the whole Silla history. She came from the best priestesses in the kingdom who fought back evil priestesses from Goguryeo who cast evil spells in the kingdom. Despite her young age, she had led the kingdom to a number of festivals and offerings.
"This is a very critical phenomenon, Sire. We are just worried that a simple mistake could cost many lives of our people and might bring hardships to the whole Silla. If you predicted it incorrectly, it will bring curse and disasters to our kingdom," said Minister Yeol, the Head Minister of Finance, and the oldest member of the council. He is also the King's father-in-law.
It has been a belief that the arrival of a solar eclipse is like a judgment day of the Heavens to the kingdom. It could bring good fortune if predicted correctly. It is as if you are catching a very peculiar blessing at the right time. If you want a blessing, you need to know when it will arrive. The Kings who happen to have a chance to predict the eclipse correctly will bring glory to the kingdom. Otherwise, the kingdom will face its most gruesome downfall.
The King looked at everyone with a pleading face, "I know the consequences of the mistakes. As the father of our nation, it is my responsibility to make sure that proper prediction must happen. I know that this is one of the hardest parts of my leadership because life and death are at stakes here. Please trust me on this."
Another minister butted in and bowed his head, "If that is what you say, Sire, we will obey it."
Etching a grin on his wrinkled lips, Minister Hoon, the Head of Prosecution department, stretched his arm sideward and talked proudly, "Let us just trust our King regarding this matter. He and the Head Priestess have been very busy these past weeks just to give accurate predictions."
The King thanked the council members for their participation. With a radiant smile from his face, he hoped that everything would go according to plan. He ordered the Head Priestess to return to the Holy Mountains to continue praying. When the Head Priestess exited, the King asked the ministers about the announcements for the ceremony.
Minister Dae Wong bowed his head, "Sire, the announcements have been posted all around the kingdom especially in marketplaces. We have talked to the governors to inform people about the ceremony."
"All right. This meeting is adjourned," the King said. The Ministers bowed their heads and left the main hall.
After the meeting, some of the ministers went back to their offices but not these three - Minister Dae Wong, Minister Yeol, and Minister Yoo, the Head Minister of Arts and one of the youngest members of the council. He looked a bit similar to Minister Dae Wong who was the Second Rank Minister and the King's right hand. They paced down the palace grounds, talking about the mysterious Head Priestess.
Minister Dae Wong was never impressed by Lady Jang. For him, what she did are just prayers and rituals. He was not convinced at her statements, because he believes that this event required accurate calculations.
"Something is wrong. This is the first time I have heard that reason in my almost five decades of service. As far as I can remember, these eclipses happen regularly based on its cycle. I really believe that never in history that it skipped its occurrence. I can really feel that it is going to happen in two days," Minister Yeol firmly said.
Minister Yoo butted in, "The King seems to have too much trust on her. We tried our best already for the past weeks by reminding the King to consider his claim, but now it is final. We just have two days left. Hmm, now I wonder why the former King has appointed her as the Head Priestess."
There was an awkward silence for a while. The other two ministers looked at each other with the same thoughts clouding up their heads. Minister Yeol cleared his throat, "Must be something related to the King's brother, the council leader - Prime Minister Jung Ho. He was the one who requested to ascend Lady Jang to the position. It was because her mother was very ill that time."
Minister Yoo frowned, "I see... By the way, that Minister Hoon is a two-faced snake! He always praises the King, but deep inside I know that he ridicules him as well."
Imitating the old minister's hoarse voice, Minister Yoon's chin wobbled repeatedly, "If that's what you say, Sire, we will obey it..."
He and Minister Yeol laughed boisterously and continued walking, while Minister Dae Wong paused for a moment, thinking very deeply.
"Yes, I remember that! The Prime Minister!" Minister Dae Wong exclaimed out of nowhere. The two just turned their heads and frowned in confusion.
----
In a vast grassland about few miles away from Seorabeol, a group of men carrying a crimson-colored, fancy royal palanquin marched gracefully like following a beat of a steady drum. The palanquin was large enough that even three people can lie down and sleep inside it. It was decorated with red lamp lanterns and on its ceiling with folded maroon curtains. Royal guards marched on their fronts and backs to serve as escorts. Two people can be seen inside - a nobleman in his early thirties and his old, personal maid. The features of the man cannot be clearly seen because of a black, see-through cloth that serves as a divider between them.
"My Lord, I have noticed that you have been reading that book frequently these past days since we left the Tang Empire. I am just curious. What is that about?" asked the old royal maid wearing a light blue simple robe and a silver pin tucked at the back of her braided hair. She looked at the man reading an old brown book while sipping his tea.
The man frowned, "Who are you to ask?" he replied in a soft, sarcastic tone.
Embarrassed, she bowed her head and prepared another batch of tea for her Lord. Just as when she was about to pour the tea, she noticed that the palanquin stopped. She opened the window and asked the men outside.
"Hey! What is wrong? Our Lord must not be disturbed while he is reading!" she yelled.
Hearing the old maid's scolding, the man rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Oh, you are the one to talk."
"We are sorry, My Lady. One of our men here is tired already," a man replied.
"Fix it, quick! You know our Lordship!"
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
She closed the window and apologized to her Lord. The man folded the book in annoyance. Exasperated by the senseless drama and delay, he raised an arm and drew a slash in the air. The maid bowed her head and relayed the signal outside. Hearing the sound of the unsheathed sword and a loud scream outside, the man raised a brow and chuckled, "I do not need weak people working for me."
He sipped his tea with a sinister grin.
----
The King went to the Queen's chambers. It was a huge, candle-lit room decorated with scarlet and pink curtains, and expensive, imported ceramics and furniture from Tang. Pink lantern lamps gave life to the entire chambers. The magenta veil surrounding the Queen's bed shone as light from the lanterns touched it.
Nurses and doctors are currently in the room for the Queen's daily checkup because of her complicated pregnancy.
"Your Grace, the King wants to seek an audience," the lady-in-waiting announced. The Queen's face brightened. She fixed her long, black hair; straighten her plain white robe and get up from the bed, "Let him in!" she replied.
The King entered the chambers, savoring the sweet scent of chrysanthemum enfolding the entire place. He sat down the Queen's bed and kissed her forehead, "Manifolds of moons have passed by since I have visited, my Queen. My apologies."
"I understand Sire. You really need to do your civic duty first. Besides, everything is all right."
The King caressed the Queen's hands like they were his precious possessions, "My love, I am so grateful for taking care of yourself and the baby inside you."
Feeling a slight movement from her baby bump, she giggled and informed the King that she felt two movements simultaneously. Puckering his lips, the King pressed the Queen's lips with his finger, and he jerked his head towards the nurses.
"My apologies, Sire," the Queen said in a soft tone.
The King's eyebrows furrowed a bit and ordered all the personnel to leave the Queen's room.
There was a cold silence all over the room. If the walls, candles, and curtains could talk, they will not have anything to say. The stern looks of their eyes were interrupted when the King stood and cleared his throat.
"I am truly worried about our children's fate," the King said softly.
The Queen gazed at the King and spoke with a sorrowful tone. She was worried ten times more than him. She continuously wondered about her twins' fate if the prediction would be wrong. It made her anxious and sleepless for many days. As matter of fact, she is not worried about being deposed once the whole kingdom knew their secret. What bothers her the most is the thought that her children might get killed.
It has been an ancient prophecy that royal twins must not be born on the day of an eclipse because the two represent the eclipse itself. The good-fated twin is the sun, that will bring the kingdom to its highest glory, while the ill-fated twin is the moon blocking the sun's light to the Earth which represents the kingdom. He will be the one to bring darkness and condemnation all over the kingdom and eventually will lead it to its downfall. They must be separated after birth and must not meet forever, or else the kingdom will experience the wrath of Heavens.
"Trust me. The eclipse will not happen!" the King exclaimed.
"I have trust in you, Your Highness. It is the Head Priestess that I do not trust."
"I will protect you, our children and the whole Silla. Just promise me that you will not tell anyone again about our twins," the King pleaded.
A sensation of fear and doubt reflected from the King's brown eyes. The Queen sensed that his actions represented doubt - doubt that the solar eclipse might happen.
"I thought you are confident that the solar eclipse will not happen. Why do I feel that you are afraid and ashamed of our children?"
"That is not true!"
A thousand liters of boiling blood flowed quickly into every vein of the Queen. She composed herself as her nails dug deeply into her palm, biting her lips to hold back her tears. She closed her eyes, and a deep sigh escaped through her pink lips, "It seems to be that way for me. You were talking as if they are someone else's children."
Engraving a weak glare from his eyes; the King's face reddened, and he yelled to the Queen, "Do not wait for the time that I need to choose between them and the whole kingdom. They are my children - yes, but I will not let my people get harmed. Do you think it would be easy for me to do it? What do you think of me - heartless? They are my children... my own blood and flesh! It would break my heart into a thousand pieces to see them suffer!"
The Queen was startled with what she just saw and heard. That was the first time she saw the King glared but what startled her more was realizing the fact that the King truly cared about the twins, yet he was still decided to sacrifice the children's future.
Feeling drowned to the unfathomable depths of the King's statements, she stayed silent for a while with a blank visage. She felt very weak and powerless. Nothing in this world can contend with the King's sturdy decision.
"Are you saying that it is the twin's fault then?"
Tears slowly fell down from the Queen's eyes, while the King was rooted to his position without any words. The piercing sound of nothingness was what they needed to unload the heavy emotions that they just felt with a blink of an eye.
Not more than two short moments later, a nurse suddenly stormed in the Queen's chambers. Giving her a burning glare, the King yelled, and his voice reverberated across the chambers, "What do you think you are doing? Did I not tell you to leave us?"
"Sire, forgive me. I deserve to die for disobeying, but I only care about the Queen and the twins. It will be bad for the babies if the Queen is stressed," said Dong Hee, the Head Nurse of the Queen. She was wearing a white, long sleeves uniform with a touch of light blue on its sleeves and neck. She also had a white cloth meticulously wrapped at the top of her head.
"She was right, Sire. If you would excuse us, I want to rest already," the Queen requested in a cold tone. She looked away, wiping her tears. The King stared at the two for a few seconds and left.
If there is a single person that the Queen trusts, it is Dong Hee. She has been working in the palace for many years. Sadly, this is her last duty as the Head Nurse because the Queen granted her request to move to Jeonju with her family. But before anything else, the Queen asked her a favor. She pleaded with her to protect her children just in case something wrong happened to her after giving birth. Dong Hee pledged to do what the Queen wanted as a sign of gratitude.
----
Walking down the palace grounds with his personal royal guards and court ladies, the sorrowful eyes and worrisome words of the Queen kept playing in the King's head. He went to his bedchambers, and the ladies-in-waiting slid the door for him. It was the largest room in the palace, decorated with yellow curtains and lantern lamps to make sure it is always well-lit. The exquisite furniture, mostly carved with dragon designs stood in the chambers to symbolize potent and auspicious powers. He sat on a chair and crossed his arms on a roundtable while gently inhaling the sweet, aromatic scent of Chinese candles on the four corners.
"Sire, Minister Dae Wong requests for an audience," announced a lady-in-waiting.
"Let him in."
Minister Dae Wong noticed anxiety in the King's face. The King admitted that the Queen's words disturbed him. He thought maybe she was right. Perhaps he cares for the people more than his own family. The Minister's lips pouted in sympathy. He believes that being a ruler comes with many sacrifices.
"I am worried about..."
The King paused. His eyes were full of complete distress. Minister Dae Wong continued, "What will happen if the twins are born on the same day as the eclipse? Me, You, the Queen and the Head Nurse know this secret, do we not?"
The King nodded slowly.
If there will be a competition in concealing one's emotions, the King would surely be at the losing end. His hazel eyes opened its world easily to Minister Dae Wong, which made him sense doubts - particularly about the eclipse prediction.
"Yes, you were right. I am thinking about the prophecy about the royal twins. Just in case, who among the two will be the good-fated? the ill-fated?"
"It is up to the priestesses, Sire. They can see the future of a ruler if he will be good enough. Do you remember what happened on your fifteenth birthday?"
Bits of memories played through the King's head. He remembered the day of the final round of the King selection. The former Head Priestess favored him because she saw a premonition that he will be a good ruler compared to his brother.
"Yes, I remember that, but we cannot wait up until the fifteenth birthday of the Princes. I need to separate them after they were born," the King said firmly.
Minister Dae Wong's irises widened, gaping in surprise. As confusion clouded up the King's head, he quickly stood and strode towards the door to consult the Head Priestess.
"Just a moment, Sire... For me, it is better if you do not inform her at this time."
The King stopped and turned around, "You think?"
"Sire, please allow me to say it... I do not really trust her that much."
"Why did you say so?"
The King sat back at his table and crossed his arms.
"The fact that she was referred by your brother to be the Head Priestess was very suspicious. Her mother was still alive at that time; just very ill."
The King stared interestingly at Minister Dae Wong. The day of the court deliberation regarding the selection of the next Head Priestess flashed to his mind like vivid images of a theater play. Minister Dae Wong narrated everything about Lady Jang's investiture. According to him, her mother coincidentally died the day after the court deliberation. Some people thought that it was because of the malady, but some thought otherwise. Lady Jang did not have the time to mourn because she was assigned to the position the day after her mother's death.
"That was a long time ago. We were still Princes back then. Are you saying that Lady Jang was involved in her mother's death?"
"Sire, you also need to consider the fact that you were favored by the former Head Priestess to be the King instead of your brother," Minister Dae Wong answered in a serious tone.
The King gulped as an idea came across his mind. He insisted that he was chosen to be the King because he is a Seonggol, meaning a true royal blood or a child of the King and the Queen. Hearing the King's argument, Minister Dae Wong raised a brow and reminded the King that his brother can be a King also because he is a Jingol, meaning a child of the King to a concubine or a child of any royal official.
"The former Head Priestess favored you not just because you are a Seonggol but because you are destined to be a good ruler. It was the Heavens that served as the judge."
The King caressed his chin, "Do you mean it was an act of revenge?"
"I am not completely certain, Sire but for me, it was a conspiracy. The Prime Minister and Lady Jang have something to do with the death of the former Head Priestess. If I were you, I would not trust her fully."
A deep sigh escaped through the King's lips. He finally admitted his long contained doubts for Lady Jang. He kept it for a long time and chose to ignore it because he believes that she is the only person capable of predicting the eclipse. He chose to give her a benefit of a doubt because he did not notice a circumstance where she and the Prime Minister were together.
"Sire, not because you did not see it, does not mean it did not happen. You were not around them every day. There are many ways to communicate."
The King just nodded as he realized the Minister's point.
"Another thing, Sire. Not that I am underestimating her skills because of her age but, did you not notice that your brother's ideas were the ones that always happen every time we conduct festivals?"
"So you were saying that maybe Jung Ho and Lady Jang..."
"I am saying that maybe she is just a front. Maybe it is the Prime Minister that really controls all the religious affairs. I think she is a fraud; a puppet in a way! Perhaps your brother wants to control the kingdom indirectly using the mandate of the Heavens. Considering that it plays a large role in our different actions and beliefs, we have no choice but to abide with it," Minister Dae Wong firmly claimed.
The King's eyes widened. The long contained agony in his mind finally made sense.
"I do not want to jump to conclusions, but I did see your point."
The King closed his eyes for a while and breathed heavily. He suddenly felt sheepish for being too blind and stupid for the past years, but what made his feelings worse is the fact that all his doubts made sense when there are only two days before a major ceremony. Minister Dae Wong consoled and encouraged the King to be positive. He felt a bit sorry for the King, but he knew what he did was right, because the King deserved to know the truth.
"Well, if I could just read the stars and communicate directly to the Heavens just like her, I would choose to do this prediction all by myself," the King blatantly mentioned.
"I know Sire, besides it is the law. The Head Priestess do the rituals, and the King shall relay the mandate of the Heavens."
The King shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead.
"Sire, it is not yet too late. Now that your brother will arrive today from his two months trip in Tang, we can now finally confirm these allegations that we have. We can now discover if they are really working with each other."
"How?"
Minister Dae Wong grinned.
"I have an idea."
__________
NOTES:
Taeyanggye (태양계) - Korean term for Solar System
Tang Empire (唐朝) - a Chinese dynasty that ruled for 289 years. Using their thousand armies, they helped Silla unify the Ancient Three Kingdoms.
Seonggol (성골) - the highest rank in the Bone Rank System of the Silla Kingdom, which determines one's status in the society. Seonggol means Sacred Bone, or the true royal blood; the children of the King and the Queen.
Jingol (징골) - the second highest rank in the Bone Rank System; the True Bone. Someone has to be either a child of the King to a royal concubine or a child of any noble or high ranking official.
Gak (각) - Silla's way of expressing minutes. 1 gak = 15 minutes. Hence, in the story, the solar eclipse will happen 120 minutes or 2 hours before sunset.
Jeonju (전주) - capital city of Modern day North Jeolla Province, South Korea.
[https://em.wattpad.com/f5d1f2f744be17ab8a70a0a27b8141ca80ae6a99/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f425161745f32343367566e3556773d3d2d373135333136332e313534316262336362343664343963373636323433363733373633342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]