Shun hurried to the chest and placed back the silk cloth and the daggers back into it. As the silhouette of the man came closer, he closed the dusty box slowly. However, he suddenly realized that the headband was left on the floor.
"Shun?" the voice even became louder and closer to him.
Just like a reflex, he instantaneously grabbed the headband and quickly placed it on his pocket. He stood and walked towards the stairs, welcoming his father who was tottering and still sweating.
"Shun! There you are. I was looking for you. What are you doing there?" his father said, chasing his breath.
The teenage boy darted his eyes sideways. He suddenly thought of a way to diverge the topic. He grabbed his father's shoulder and back, guiding him upstairs. "Aigoo, Appa! I should be the one asking that question to you. What are you doing here? You should be lying in your bed. Come. I have prepared some medicine for you."
Surprisingly, like a tame dog, his father followed. They went up to his father's room and helped his father to lie in bed. Shun went to their kitchen and poured the licorice extracts in a wooden cup. He blew the hot tonic and assisted his father in drinking it. After finishing the drink, his father rose and sat up; he had somehow returned to his senses.
"Now tell me... What were you doing in that storage room? What did you see? Did I not tell you before not to go there?"
Shun bowed his head down and sighed. "All right, father. You got me. I apologize. It was open so I could not hold my curiosity. I just saw your old things."
His father leaned forward and held his arm slowly. "What things?"
"Err, just rusty swords, worn-out clothes, and some ceramics with cracks."
The old man frowned as his eyes narrowed. "Are those all?"
"Yes, father." the boy lied, he looked straight into his father's eyes without even blinking. He hugged his father, which made the sick man surprised.
"Please forgive me, father."
The man caressed his son's hair. "All right. But please do not do it again." Thank Heavens, he did not see my headband and his blue baby cloth.
"I promise! I will not do it again." Forgive me father, for I have lied. I would never get tired of asking for your forgiveness for I will continue to lie for your recovery.
Letting go, the teenage boy smiled as he planned on changing the topic. "Father, I have something to tell you. This is important."
"What is it, son?"
"I have talked to Doctor Yang about your condition. Your heart problem is getting worse. You need to be medicated but the hospitals here do not have the supplies of your medicine. So he suggested that I should go Cheongju-mok to buy some medicines for you."
His father's face became more pale, exhibiting worry and fear. "Cheongju-mok? It would take you a day or two to be there... No! I will not allow it!"
Shun grabbed the old man's hands and gazed at his father's sunken eyes. "Father, I am doing this for you. I want you to recover. I hate to see you suffer. I resent the thought of losing you. Please, let me help you. You have done so much to raise me alone for the past fifteen years. Now is the right time to do my part."
The father smiled. "Even if it takes a thousand of years, I will never get tired of you. That is what parents are." He sucked his lips and held his son's right face. "Fine. I will let you go. But promise me that you will take care of yourself. Never start a fight, but never forget to defend yourself when in trouble. Remember those techniques that I have taught you. You are turning fifteen in a few days. I want to have a small celebration with you."
Shun was surprised to remember his upcoming birthday. He scratched his head and snapped his fingers. "Oh, right. My birthday is in a few days. Your recovery would be the best birthday gift ever!"
"Fine. I will be back before my birthday. By the way, I will just call Deok Cheol to take care of you while I am gone. Please rest, Father. I will be back." Shun gleamed, helping his father to lie down again to his bed.
When he stood, he went out and ran to his friend's house, a few meters away, uphill. He called out from the outside. "Deok Cheol! Are you inside? Deok Cheol!" The door slid open and a teenage portly boy with worn-out robe ran to him.
"Yah! You idiot! How are you?" He embraced the lean boy and rubbed his head, messing his hair.
"I am doing great, you stupid! I truly regret not hanging around. You know my father's condition this past week. His sickness has worsened, which points me to my main concern."
"Hey hey! Do not give me that look. I become nervous when you do that." Deok Cheol said, pointing at Shun's long face.
"I have a favor to ask. I will be going to Seorabeol to buy some medicines for him because that was what Doctor Yang has suggested. It would take me two to three days to go there, and then back. Approximately, it would take me around a week. Could you please move to our house for the meantime and take care of my father?" Shun clasped his palms together and pouted his lips.
Deok Cheol grabbed his friend's arm as his face moved closer to Shun's ear. He looked sideways, checking no one is around before he whispered. "Seorabeol? I thought you have told me before that when you mentioned it to your father, he got strangely angry to you. It seems like he does not want you to go to the capital!"
"That is why I need your help. I said that I will go to Cheongju-mok instead. At first, he did not want me to go, but then, I managed to convince him."
"You are lucky to have a very protective father. Look at me, my parents are always on a trip for trading. I am also left alone in this house..."
Shun bit his lips and pasted his somber eyes to the plump boy.
"Arghh! Fine! Fine! Muhyuk-seonsaengnim has been a good mentor to me in terms of crafting knives. Anyway, we are talking about his health here."
"I really owe this one. I am very lucky to have you as my friend."
"I will just get my things and let us go."
~~•~~
While Shun was extremely worried on how to help his ill, overprotective father, Sae Joo, on the other note, worried on how to converse with his imposing father, while reading some books on the royal library. He actually had a little fight with himself, if he would talk to his father, ask permission to go out of the palace, or proceed with Jin Ri's plan which was to escape. The girl's strategy flashed on his mind, remembering every word she had mentioned.
~~•~~
"I could help you get out of the palace."
"How?"
"We will escape. It is going to be a bit risky but the chances of you seeing a real scenery would be close to absolute, instead of asking permission from your father."
Sae Joo turned back, pinching his right palm as he walked around the gazebo. "This is dangerous, Jin Ri. I am afraid. What if I get caught?"
The young lady tapped his shoulder, and the Crown Prince turned around, lips quivering. "Your Highness, do you really want to do this? Do you wish to see your dream in reality? Anyways, I am just giving you options. Whatever your decision would be, you just need to man up and own it."
~~•~~
The Crown Prince closed his eyes and shook his head. "No! No!" He clutched his head with his hands as he banged it on the table.
"What am I supposed to do? This is killing me! Should I ask my father or should I follow Jin Ri's suggestion?"
After a few minutes, a guard outside announced the King's presence. Upon hearing the announcement, Sae Joo immediately sat up and fixed his hair. He lost his balance because of panic, and he almost fell from the chair but he had a grip on the table before he could fall. When the King slid the door, with a perfect timing, he managed to grab a book and pretended reading.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
As he saw his father's figure on the gaps between the dividers, his voice became louder like chanting every single word he read. "A wounded king is just as equal as thousands of wounded people under his name."
He pouted his lips and looked at the ceiling. "Hmm, I wonder what this statement means." As he was about to move to the next random page, he did not notice that his father had already stood in front of him with arms crossed and eyes filled with dissatisfaction.
"Sae Joo. I know that you are not truly reading that book."
The young prince gasped, pretending to be shocked to see his father. He stood and bowed to the King. "Your Majesty, I did not notice that you came."
"How could that be? The voice of the guard was loud enough to be heard to the next room. Stop making your excuses and let us talk."
The King sat, opposite his son. Sae Joo folded the book and bowed his head, avoiding the King's disappointed eyes.
"What is happening to you? You came to the council meeting with patches of paints on your face and clothes. Is that a proper way a prince should act? Sometimes, I really do not know what is running in your head."
Sae Joo leveled a gaze slowly to his father, lifting his head. "I do not wish to become the prince you want me to be." he tilted his head to the right, keeping his eyes away from the King.
Jae Joong frowned. "Look at me! What do you mean? So, what kind of prince do you want to become?"
This time Sae Joo decided to meet his father's eyes. He wanted to express of all of his burden and agony from the inside. "I am suffocated with all the things you expect me to do, you expect me to become. I want to be a Crown Prince in my own noble way."
He continued before Jae Joong could talk. "I do not intend to involve myself in the world of politics. I want to help people in my own ways, but how could I do that if you do not even allow me to do one single step out of the eight palace gates? I feel like a prisoner, Father. This is not right. I am a human too."
The King's sunken eyes re-sailed and stroke a cold gaze to the Crown Prince. "What? Where did you get the guts to say that? You have only lived for around fifteen years. You still know nothing about suffocation! This is our fate, son whether you like it or not. Politics runs in our blood. It will remain to cling into you as long as you live."
"But father, that is not my desired way to help the people."
"That is the only way. We follow laws and customs, Sae Joo. It is the foundation of our nation. If the next king cannot follow the rules, how would you expect the people to follow you? You are the next leader of Silla. You have to take care of your pride and your virtue. I have trust in you, son. You have a pure heart. All you need is proper guidance." Jae Joong smiled.
Sae Joo could not utter a word, thinking about what his father said. Politics was still a vague concept for him. He thought that it was the one which chained him to do what he was supposed to do. He treated it as a despicable entity, trying to consume his whole, genuine personality to change it into what people wanted to see.
Trying to change the subject, he asked his father, "If you are training me to become a new ruler, why are you locking me in this palace? Why are you not allowing me to go out and see the other parts of the kingdom?"
"It is for your safety, son. I want to protect you. Everyone wants to protect you. You are a precious gem in this nation. When you are ready, I will let see the entire kingdom. That is when the prediction regarding your fate as ruler was revealed by the Head Priestess. I have trust in your fate."
"Do you mean on my fifteenth birthday?" the Crown Prince gleamed.
"Yes, my son."
The Prince squealed inside in too much joy. Finally, the long wait would be over in a few days. The moment of seeing the outside world would be a heartbeat away on the day of his birthday. His heart leaped in joy and excitement. His thirst on seeing new things would finally be quenched.
"Sae Joo, what is this book that you are reading?" Jae Joong curiously picked the folded book.
"Oh. It was just a random book. Ah! Father, I read a quote in here saying, "A wounded king is just as equal as thousands of wounded people under his name". What does that mean?" Sae Joo asked, knitting his eyebrows.
The King held his hands and beamed. "So you are curious? Well, let us just say that your body is the entire kingdom, and your head, with the brain, is the king. If your finger is wounded, can you still go on and work?"
The Crown Prince chortled. "Yes. It is just a finger."
Clearing his throat, Jae Joong's eyes squinched. "Right. But, how about if it is an arm or a foot? Can you still continue?"
"Uh, it depends. Arms and feet are larger than a finger."
"Yes, correct. Now, what if your head is injured and your brain is damaged? Do you think you could still move and probably go on?"
Sae Joo was not able to respond for seconds, staring in a blank space, eyes sharpened. "Hmm, based on what I have read on some basic medical books. The brain is the one that controls the whole body. So, depending on the damage, I may be paralyzed or worse, dead."
The King applauded his son for showing quick thinking and pieces of information to support his claim. "Listen to me attentively. Just like the head, the King is the one who leads the entire kingdom or the body. From the smallest people, like your fingers, up to the noblest Jingols, like your heart, it is the head that controls them all. The head decides whether you should move your hands or not. The head has the power to order or control all the body parts, however, it is also the head's responsibility to take care of and nurture all of them. If the brain has only one minor injury, a lot of your body parts would be severely affected. That is why the head carries both responsibilities to take care of itself and also all of the body parts. Just like Silla, a king needs to protect himself and all people under his kingdom. If a king has been wounded or weakened, a lot of people would be affected, and it will open even the smallest possibility for a kingdom to crumble."
Listening to father's words of wisdom, Sae Joo was left astounded. He admired the King's wit, and somehow, it opened a small door of inspiration and understanding on why his father was too overprotective towards him.
"I think everything is making sense now. Thank you very much, Father."
The King stood and sat beside his son. "I am glad that you finally understand it now. You are my only son, my heir. I will do anything for you. Remember that, Sae Joo."
The Crown Prince nodded. "I will, Father."
~~•~~
As planned, on that night, the Prime Minister gathered all the council members for an informal council assemblage. All the members went to the Prime Minister's balcony. The ladies-in-waiting served the hottest teas. After a few minutes, one of the ladies announced their arrival. "The Prime Minister and Lord Jung Min have arrived."
The doors had opened, and the council members stood and bowed their heads. Jung Ho greeted them all with a warm smile, "Daedungs, I am so delighted that you are complete tonight." he threw a glance to Dae Wong and Yoo Min.
"Please sit."
All the council members sat at the long table, then the Prime Minister followed. "As you all know, the King has mentioned about Prince Sae Joo's upcoming birthday celebration and his investiture as the Hwarang Leader. However, based on our law, that could only happen if, by his fifteenth birthday, the Head Priestess would foresee his future as a good leader. If not, then, and only then, the next highest Jingol would be considered as the hwarang leader."
"What is your point, Your Excellency?" Dae Wong asked with a raised eyebrow.
Jung Ho turned his head slowly to Dae Wong as he smiled. "What I am saying is, if the prediction turned out to be not good, I, as the next highest Jingol would still be the Hwarang Leader."
Yoo Min raised his hand, and Jung Ho let him speak. "So, you are saying that if the prediction turned out to be positive, Prince Sae Joo would be the hwarang leader. But, the Crown Prince has already expressed his non-interest in the position. He is more inclined in the field of arts. We also heard that you have suggested Lord Jung Min be the assistant leader of the hwarangs. Why do you not just be the assistant since you are the highest Jingol?"
The Prime Minister tittered, "Well, we have to respect the Prince's decision and still follow the law. He is such a peculiar one! I have decided to give Lord Jung Min a chance. Besides, he will just act as an assistant, not the real leader, so the highest Jingol is not required since Prince Sae Joo will still be the real leader. What do you say, Lord Jung Min?"
Jung Min raised his head and slowly ran his sight to all the council members. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I would gladly accept the position of being the ghost leader if all of you agreed." he bowed his head, but deep under the table, his fists clenched in fury.
Jung Ho gave him a sideward stare before facing the entire council. "I think we have already cleared some issues in here. So, what do you say? Do you all agree with this plan? For Lord Jung Min to become the assistant leader of the hwarangs?
A middle-aged council member raised his hand and asked, "Could you please orient us the duties of an assistant leader?"
"Well, for this case, he is the one to oversee hwarang training, future competitions, and recruitment. He is also the one who shall make sure that all hwarangs are doing their tasks. Hmm, basically, pretty much everything. The Prince observes; Lord Jung Min acts. But the thing is..." he raised a brow and glanced shortly to his son. "He does not get the credit because we have the real hwarang leader."
Jung Min's lips sketched into a thin line as he tried to drink his tea. With trembling fingers, the cup shook as well, and the tea almost spilled from his mouth. The council members ran awkward glances with each other but Jung Ho broke the silence. "I think this is the best option for the nation since the Prince is not ready yet. Let us wait for him to become mature and behave like a real Seonggol until he could finally be a real hwarang leader. So, do I expect your full support on this?"
The council members talked to each other and finally decided to support the plan while Dae Wong and Yoo Min just sat quietly.
"What about you, Ministers Yoo Min and Dae Wong?"
"This... this is not a bad plan. We will think about it, but most probably, we would agree with this." Dae Wong assured.
Jung Ho grinned. "Good. Now, let us eat."
~~•~~
After the meeting and the dinner, the council members left the balcony, except Jung Min. He remained seated, quiet, his state of mind probably traveling in the lost space of nothingness.
"Jung Min, get your act straight. If we are successful, I could even give you more than the hwarang leader position."
Jung Min turned his head as his eyes narrowed in doubt. "What do you mean?"
Suddenly, the door opened, and Jin Ri entered. She walked to the table and bowed her head. "Father, if you are not busy, I need you to come with me."
"Have you talked to them already?" Jung Ho embarked a half-smile and asked.
The young lady lifted her brow, "Yes, father. They are just waiting for you. Our plan would soon come to life."
__________
NOTES:
Aigoo (아이구) - Korean expression meaning, "Geez"
Appa (아빠) - Korean casual term for, "Father"
Cheongju-mok (청주-목) - a province in Unified Silla, located in Modern day North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.
Seonsaengnim (선생님) - a Korean honorific term for, "Teacher"
Daedung (대등) - Silla's way to address council members.
[https://em.wattpad.com/d0a4b00254ebbfdc087e2c9799eb13bf8aa8125f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7670397a537277646e356a3855773d3d2d3636353033373031342e3135366632323132343165663034303637383632313833393731332e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]