Later that afternoon, Jae Joong went to his wife's altar, inside the main shrine. He brought a bouquet of fresh white magnolia flowers, which were the former queen's favorite. When he reached the altar, he placed the flowers on the side, and he knelt down on the marble floor. He placed his palms together as he uttered his prayers. "My dear, please take care of us, especially our son, Sae Joo. I know you watch us there from the Heavens. Please help our son become a great ruler and follower. If only you and Sae Yoo were alive, if only we were a normal family..."

When he was about to continue his prayer, he heard footsteps going to his direction. Based on the heaviness of the steps, he recognized it right away. It was Jung Ho, who stood beside him. The Prime Minister crouched and placed also a bouquet of flowers on the side. When he stood, Jae Joong asked him a question, "What are you doing here?"

"Is it a sin to visit our former queen?"

"No. I was just asking a question. Now, you are the one who misunderstands things."

Jung Ho smiled. "I apologize but I have heard your prayers. I know that you still miss your other son."

"Yes. I miss my son, my son whom you had killed." Jae Joong lifted a brow.

"Sire, do you still blame me for your son's death all these years? It was for the best. Look what has happened in our kingdom. We have survived everything. People believe that Prince Sae Joo is their savior. I think it would be best if you just forget about him. It was Sae Yoo's fate to save the kingdom."

"Do not even mention my son's name. It was easy for you to say that because he was not your son."

Jung Ho placed his palms together, closed his eyes and prayed. Chil Yook, it has been fifteen years. I am sure that Sae Yoo is also turning fifteen by now. Just enjoy the prince as your son. When I found you, I will kill you right away, and I will take Sae Yoo from you.

~~•~~

In one of the most remote places in the kingdom of Silla, the province of Myeongju, lay the secluded regions of the Taebaek Mountains. It was the northernmost province of the kingdom, near the border to Balhae. Being mountainous, people had structured their houses in a way to adapt to very skin-tingling temperatures and thin blankets of air. Houses were far from each other, and most of them were made up of thick layers of hays on the roofs and solid, sturdy rocks to support the wooden frameworks of the house. Farming was also a bit different. The steep parts of the mountains were crafted majestically into small terraces. Crystal-clear waterfalls from the mountains provided water source to the thirsty soil and crops.

Living in the region was simply basic compared to the grand and extravagant lives in Seorabeol. Residents were dependent on farming, with the help of their farm animals. Women's role in society was basically for household making—sewing, cooking, and taking care of the family. Everything was simple. The air was fresh and cold. The trees, the grasses, and the crops were always lively green and abundant. The marketplace was also complete with different products to offer, but not as busy and noisy as in the capital. People could actually live in peace with just nature alone. However, on this day, their peace was put into a test. One major problem of the province was their increasing number of migrants from other provinces. Some migrants were good, while some, who were hiding on the deepest parts of the mountains were barbaric, just like this stout, middle-aged man, who disrupted the peace again on the market after stealing some olives.

"Thief! Thief! Someone just stole my precious olives!" a woman seller cried.

People panicked. Some ran away, some closed their stores for a while, while some called some hwarangs for help.

Apparently, there was this young man who leaped abruptly from the tavern. He dashed down the rocky road as fast as he could to catch the culprit, but surprisingly, the stealer was indeed fast. With a speed like a hunting tiger, people cleared the way on the sides for him to catch the wretched criminal. His sharp eyes hooked on the target as his long arms propelled his body like a speeding torpedo. This will not do. I have to do something else.

But suddenly, he paused, feet screeching on the ground. Then, he crouched down.

People whispered on the sides, for they did not understand what he did. Some random women even yelled at him for they thought he was just showing off, and he was letting the man escape. The culprit continued sprinting away; any seconds wasted were vital. The young man removed his right thick, wooden slipper and aimed at the thief's nape. He stepped one leg forward and leaned backward, his other leg supported his weight. He closed his left eye, as he pulled his right arm to his head for an accurate trajectory. After a deep breath, he pitched the slipper, and it flew into the mid-air like a fire arrow. After a few seconds, the slipper hit the man's nape, and the stout man lost his balance and tripped on the ground.

The young man rose and sprinted abruptly to the culprit. He grabbed the thief's arms and put them at his back. The stout man resisted and writhed. "Hey, let me go! You prick!"

Then, a loud piercing sound of whistle echoed in the market. It was a group of hwarangs carrying spears. They ran to the culprit, and the young man handed him to the authorities. The hwarangs handcuffed and took him away. The people on the sides were relieved, for the culprit was caught already, and the marketplace would be peaceful again.

"Ooh, thank Heavens! That stealer was caught. Detain that man!" a random man bawled.

"Yes! Take him away from our province!" another man butted in.

The hwarang leader stopped, turned around and walked to the young man.

"Shun, you should consider our offer. Be a nangdo and help this province to remain peaceful. You are more than qualified to be one." the hwarang leader suggested.

The young man flipped his head to the left, and his unkempt shoulder-length hair followed. He fixed his ash-gray, threadbare, body-fit robe and his black fitted pants. He bent forward and cleaned his worn-out black boots. When he rose, he just smirked at the hwarang leader and replied, "I appreciate your offer. However, I think I could help this province even without being a nangdo. You know I cannot leave my father, for he is ill." he bowed his head.

The hwarang leader tapped his shoulder. "What a big waste! I hope your father gets well the soonest. He has been a very excellent blacksmith in our community. I am still hoping that you change your mind someday. You even got the looks!" the hwarang leader laughed.

Shun's cheek turned red in awkwardness. His sharp, almond eyes twinkled upon hearing the words. His heart-shaped red lips curved into a smile, and his cheekbones went high as a mountain as his smile reached his ears. "You flatter me, but thank you."

The hwarang leader and his troops left, and Shun walked on his separate ways. Walking down the marketplace, he saw the sellers re-opened their stores, and people went back to their normal phasing once again. Because of what he did, some people scanned his tall, lean body and his broad shoulders. Some young girls gathered on the sides while giggling. They praised his perfectly carved small nose, his diamond-shaped face, his divinely arched thick eyebrows, and his milky-white skin. While some people admired his good physical appearance, some older women on the sides whispered with each other, hiding their disparaging sneers.

"Look at his skin. It is pure as a milk, compared to his father, who looked like a poor servant."

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"Do you know that Muhyuk, the blacksmith is not his real father? Maybe he just found him from somewhere. I have also heard that Muhyuk is not his real name either. Ooh! Their family is full of secrets."

Shun ignored the women and continued walking. He wanted to plug his ears eagerly for him not to hear those derogatory words. His steps became heavier and rapid. His lips trembled and his nails dug deep into his palms. He wanted to hurt them, not for insulting his identity but for insulting his father. He just breathed deeply and closed his eyes to console himself.

After an hour of walking, he reached a small hill, near their community in the mountains, where a lot of children patiently waited under the shades of a big tree. One of the children saw him and shouted. "Everyone, Shun-hyungnim is here!"

All the children cheered. They ran to him and hugged him tightly. Shun's heavy heart lightened in an instant, and he temporarily forgot all the hurtful words that he had heard.

"All right, children. I have presents for you, but first, you need to prove to me that you have memorized the Silla characters that I have taught you yesterday." Shun smiled.

The children raced to their bags, and they picked their scrolls with their own writings on it. Their energy was high as the sky peaks, and the smiles on their faces permanently stayed.

"All right. Everyone sit down, and I will check your works."

The enthusiastic children sat down on the grasses, and they arranged themselves. Shun inspected their paper scrolls one by one. He examined all ten children's work, and all of them did great on their Silla alphabet studies. As a result, he gave all of them good food, and the children went back to their homes with leaping hearts and warm smiles. It also made Shun's heart flutter with joy. He had treated those children like his real brothers and sisters for he had lived as an only child for almost fifteen years. The smiles on the children's face and their learning experience were more than enough for him to home everyday recharged from busy days.

When all the children left, he went down from the hill and started walking home, up to the mountains—a small community. It took him almost half an hour to finally arrive in their small house. Just like what other houses, it was a small house made up of rocks and strong forest woods. Outside, there was a small open chamber with coals, furnaces, and pre-made swords, knives, and daggers. The furnace was usually burning every afternoon because that was the time his father usually worked. He noticed that the furnace ran out of fire and coal. It made his heart skipped a bit, thinking that his father might not be in a good condition. He went up to the small porch, slid the door and entered the house.

Looking at the right side, he observed that the fireplace has no fire. "Father! I am here. I have delivered those daggers to the marketplace. Forgive me for I stopped by a tavern to buy food for the children. Father? Father?" he called.

No one answered. He walked to the room on the left and entered his father's room, but he saw no one, just his father's clothes scattered on the floor. He started to feel really nervous. "Father! Father!" he called, but no one still answered. He went to the kitchen at the back but he just saw a plate of kimbap feasted by flies on their old table. His breathing became fast and cumbersome for he could not find his father. "Father?"

An idea suddenly popped into his mind. He went out to their backyard, where there was a separate small room leading to an underground storage. To his horror, he saw his father lying on the ground in front of the storage door, unconscious and sweating profusely. He also saw that the door to the storage room was open for the first time.

"Father! Father!" Shun panicked. He carried his father to his back and brought him to his room. He prepared his bedding and a pillow roll. He assisted his father to lie down properly. After that, he dashed to their nearest neighbor, who lived a few meters downhill, who was a doctor. He knocked hard on the door, hoping someone was inside. "Doctor Yang! Doctor Yang! Are you there? Please help my father!"

Fortunately, someone opened the door, and it was a middle-aged man, wearing a blue robe and a cylindrical hat. "Shun, what is wrong? Why are you sweating?"

"Doctor Yang, please help my father. He is unconscious right now. Please, I am begging you!"

"All right. I will just get my things." After a few minutes, the doctor came out and went with Shun to their house. He pointed his father, who was lying in his room. The doctor sat on the floor, inspected his pulse and surveyed his pupils. He also opened the father's robe, and he pressed lightly his chest, down to his tummy.

The doctor shook his head, breathed heavily before he spoke. "Your father has a serious heart ailment. He also has enlarged liver. I am going to apply acupuncture on his wrist and foot. In that way, his chi will flow, and his body will have the energy to recuperate.

The doctor picked a needle case from his sleeves. He opened it and picked one long acupuncture needle. He pricked the needle to the father's wrist. Then, he picked another one and pricked a foot. After a few minutes, he pulled the needles and placed them back on his needle case.

"There. After a few hours, he will wake up. But, you still need to buy some medicines. I am afraid that our hospital here cannot accommodate him because they have limited supplies of medicine. I would suggest something to you."

"What is it, Doctor?" Shun asked, his eyes started to get puffy.

"Go to Seorabeol and buy these medicines that I will list for you."

"Seorabeol?" Shun's eyebrows met. "Do you mean the capital? That would take me around two days. Would my father be fine for a week then?"

"Yes. Trust me. There are some medicines available here that could alleviate his pain but those are not enough. I will list the medicines that are really vital for him. One more thing, make sure that someone would take care of him for five days."

Shun nodded. "I have a friend. I will just talk to him. Are there anything else, doctor?"

"That is all. Here, these are the medicines that you need to buy." the doctor handed him a piece of paper with the list of all herbal medicines needed. Shun placed it in his pocket and gave the doctor some gold coins, but the middle-aged man refused.

"Just use that money for your father. He has been a good friend to me. Just keep it, Shun."

Shun smiled as a pearl of tear dripped down his face. "My gratitude, doctor." he knelt down and repeatedly praised him. The doctor told him to stand and ordered him to boil licorice leaves for his father.

"Make sure he would drink a cup of those when he wakes up. Do not worry that much, Shun. You can do it!"

When the doctor left, Shun boiled some herbs that the doctor advised. While waiting, he went to the backyard and stood at the front of the open underground storage room entrance.

"This room has never been opened ever since. Why was he lying here? Did he get something from the storage? What is it?"

Shun's curiosity was killing him. Two opposing forces inside him debated whether he should go inside or not. Eventually, he decided to go inside, thinking that he would just scan the mystery room. As he went down the stairs, he noticed the span of time that the storage room had witnessed. Spider webs clung on the walls and ceilings, specks of dust lingered in the air, which made him sneeze repeatedly. As he descended fully, he was surprised that there were actually lamps on the corners, which lit the entire room. He saw spiders and cockroaches crawling on the walls and ceilings, worms and maggots slithering on the corners. Colonies of molds and mushroom had sprouted on the wooden pillars. Rotten odors of dead animals and manure he could not find tortured his nose. He ignored all of those because his spirit of interest was even more powerful. He looked around and saw a lot of old things covered with dust. They were actually organized depending on type: rusted swords pile up together as well as old robes, old jars with cracks, and furniture feasted by termites. However, one caught his attention: a chest in one corner. With a spark of whispering eagerness, he opened the chest. Surprisingly, there was no lock, and he opened it easily. He examined its contents and saw a pile of daggers.

"Pfft, why would father put all these daggers in this chest?"

As he looked further, he recognized a red cloth sticking out at the left side. He removed the daggers one by one, revealing that the cloth was actually part of a headband. He pulled the headband from the chest and appraised it. "Wow! I never knew that father has this kind of thing. The color is very vibrant."

He surveyed the headband, and he noticed a bronze-coated dragon insignia in the middle. He admired the durability of the seal because the colors were still in tack, and it did not corrode over the years. He placed the headband on the floor and continued ransacking the chest. On the bottom part it, he found a blue silk cloth. He pulled it gently and shook off the dust, making him sneeze again. "Now, this looks like a baby cloth. I wonder if this was mine." He flipped the silk cloth, and he noticed a written embroidery on the foot side of it. "Hmm, wait. There is something written on it. I guess it was a name."

Shun stood and walked near one of the lamps for him to clearly see the name written on it. "There. I can finally read it. Hmm, S-sa-sae..."

"Shun! Where are you?" a hoarse, cracky voice called.

"Father? Goodness! He is awake!"

Shun heard louder footsteps, approaching him. He turned his head, and he gasped upon seeing a person's silhouette going down.

__________

NOTES:

Myeongju (명주) - a province in Unified Silla, located in Modern day Gangwon Province, South Korea.

Kimbap (김밥) - a Korean dish made from cooked rice and other ingredients, which are rolled in a dried seaweed.

[https://em.wattpad.com/f18aa8e6c611bea84785d717a25e73fa7526f763/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f455567794646724e37567a6a61513d3d2d3636313630303237382e313536633834356466623638373138613835393434343431353631372e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]