The guards rushed to the unconscious prince, and one of them carried him to his back. The slight commotion was controlled by the eunuch and some of the officials. As the guard brought the Prince to a tent, Shun and Sae Joo reconvened with their fellow captives, while the other Tang nobles just waited patiently outside. Most of them were actually more concerned about what Sae Joo said: considering that something happens to the Prince, all of them would be in serious trouble. Some even panicked, realizing the consequences if the Emperor knew what had happened.
Sae Joo held Shun's arm and asked, "Are you all right?"
"Yes," nodded Shun, tapping Sae Joo's shoulder.
One of their fellow captives spoke, "What is going to happen to us? The final decision still depends on the Prince's words."
"Fret not. Let us just trust in the Heavens. I looked into his eyes as I spoke to him. My words were no ordinary dagger for him. For now, let us just wait until he wakes up," assured Sae Joo.
The guards attempted to tie the captives again, thinking that the low-life persons might strike back and cause more commotions. However, Shun stood in front and defended them, "Dare not! Touch my people again, and you will pay it with your lives! Wait for the Prince's decision before you make a move."
An hour or two had passed before the eunuch came out of the tent and reported, "His Highness is in a stable condition now. Gladly, the hit was not that severe."
"How about his decision regarding us?" asked Shun.
After clearing his throat, the eunuch spoke, "The Crown Prince accepts his defeat. Shun of Silla, you have won against His Highness."
Dazzling sparkles mirrored on each captive as they heard the good news. Now, the final cheers belonged to the captives. Finally, they would be able to return to their families and homelands—see the smiles and hear the voices of their beloved ones.
"Is that true? Do you mean we can... go now?" asked Sae Joo.
"Yes, but His Highness wants one more thing."
The cheers paused for a while because the captives' short-lived enjoyment and excitement might be in great jeopardy again.
"What is that? Shun butted in.
"He wants to know your name," replied the eunuch, pointing to Sae Joo.
"This is a very rare scenario. The Prince was very eager to know the name of the person with a unique vocal capability—the ability to play with words. You are the one who really convinced him to accept his defeat."
"Sae Joo. My name is Sae Joo."
"Hmm, very well then. Sae Joo, this is not the last time that the Prince will see you. Guards? Take them to mainland Silla!" the eunuch announced his final commands and turned around, walking back to the tent. The faces of the Tang nobles filled with disappointments were one of the final moments that the captives had seen on the island as they climbed back to the ship, and went back to their individual cells.
As the morning star started replacing the night stars, and as the sunlight commenced its natural rivalry with the fading moonlight, the ship started traveling back to the mainland. All of the captives felt tired, yet relieved, especially Shun, who fought with all his might and energy for the sake of the people's freedom.
"Enjoy your well-deserved rest, Shun," said Sae Joo.
The young boy yawned. "You too, Sae Joo."
When everyone else fell asleep, Sae Joo was still restless as if the angel of sleep skipped him from the melody of lullabies. He kept on thinking about what he did back on the small island. He could not believe that he actually had the guts to fight for other people, considering it was his first time to see those kinds of people—the ones whose lives were far from what he lived on.
Is this what it feels to be a real Prince? Setting aside your fear and pride just to defend the people who cannot defend themselves. Heavens, I am sending my utmost gratitude for letting me experience this.
He leaned on the cell bars and slowly, trying to get some sleep.
~~•~~
While their whole day was just about to end, someone had already started his, very early. Deep in the woods, just east of the capital, Jung Ho descended from his palanquin in the middle of the dim-lit portion of the forest. The leader of the bandits, whom he ordered to abduct Sae Joo, came shortly. Carrying a sword, the leader got down from his palanquin. He bowed to the Prime Minister, but as he rose his head again, Jung Ho blew him with a quick and stinging slap. "Your incompetence was the reason why my daughter has been punished! This is the second time, huh, second time!"
Jung Ho jolted his arm towards the hilt of the leader's sword and pulled it. When he was about to slash the neck of the leader, the fearful man got down on his knees and crossed his arms over his head, trying to block the sword in a stupefied way. "My apologies, Your Excellency. Please, do not kill me!"
Rubbing his arms hard, he kept on repeating his words of desperate apology. "I-I-I have brought those men who were assigned to take the Prince."
"B-br-bring them out!"
His other men dragged the six men out of the carriage. Their heads were wrapped inside a black cloth, and their bodies, hands, and feet were tied with nylon ropes. The six men knelt before the Prime Minister, begging him to spare their lives.
Seeing nothing but a dark space of nothing, the men tried their best to reach the feet of the Prime Minister and beg desperately for their lives. Their simultaneous and overlapping cry voices triggered Jung Ho's raging fires inside. He swung the sword and slashed their heads one by one, ignoring the amount of blood jetting to his dark cloak and the raspy sounds of their shallow breaths.
When all of the men lied down in the moist forest ground, he threatened the leader as he put an end to their connection. "Get rid of these dead bodies, and get out of here right now! I do not want to see your faces anymore! Run your mouth and tell our secrets, I will kill all of your sons and daughters, including their children."
"Y-ye-yes, Your Excellency" stuttered the bandit leader as he ran back to his palanquin and they left.
When the bandits had left, after about half an hour, four men came and greeted the Prime Minister.
"It has been a while, any updates?" Jung Ho asked.
One man wearing a fitted robe and long pants answered, "None yet, Your Excellency. We have searched all over Silla for the past fifteen years, and no one has reported on us about the former Grand Marshal's whereabouts. Our deepest apologies, Prime Minister."
"I do not need any apologies from you; I need results! How is it that for the past fifteen years, you could not find a single person? I supported your families and your children. I even compensated you enough the moment I removed you from being palace hwarangs, and this is what I will get?"
Another one spoke out, "What if the former Grand Marshal does not live in Silla anymore?"
"We have talked about that possibility a long time ago, stupid! Have I not instructed you properly? Someone had to go to Tang or even sail to Yamato. But what did you do? You just concentrated here on Silla. I really cannot fathom the depth of your idiocy!"
The four men apologized again and pledged to level up their search, in order to find the former Grand Marshal. Jung Ho obviously did not stop from getting updates, for he was very determined to find Chil Yook, who was now living a normal life under a different name, a different life, and with a borrowed son.
~~•~~
The king of the daylight started shining brightly into the early summer skies. The captives woke up from their sleep when they heard the bison horns, telling them that they were near the docks of mainland Silla. Everyone prepared themselves, including their widest smiles. When the ship stopped fully, a guard walked into the middle of the aisle and announced that they had arrived. Soon after, other guards followed and unlocked the cells.
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The captives came out from their cells and walked down the ship in two lines. The levels of excitements soared up to its maximum when they had finally stepped on the ramp going down to the mainland. After all of them had descended from the ship, the majestic scenery of the green forests and long mountain ranges kissed their eyes. Fresh air with a mixed fragrance of summer flowers soothed their noses, longing for some real air. The rest of the captives thanked their saviors as they walked their separate ways.
Sae Joo, on the other hand, was still worried about the old lady, who seemed to be in a more sane condition. "Ahjumma, do you want to come with us? We could buy you some food," offered Sae Joo.
The old woman held his hands and shook her head respectfully, "No need, son. You have shown me too much kindness, considering that I am a stranger."
"Hearing your decision makes me sad. May I know your name, at least?"
"Just call me, Lady Jang," smiled the old woman. She also stared at Shun, which made the young boy a bit uncomfortable.
"I hope to you see again, Lady Jang. Please take care of yourself."
Sae Joo held her hands for the last time and walked on a separate way, with Shun. While walking, when the events of what happened on the island had finally sunk into their minds, the two smiled and hugged each other.
"You did really great!" squealed Sae Joo.
"You too! You were the one who really saved us!" supported Shun.
"So, where are you going now?"
"Just like what I have planned—go to Seorabeol to buy medicines for my father."
Sae Joo pinched his palm and bit his lips, "The thing is, I have no idea how to go back to Seorabeol. I even have no idea where we are."
Shun scratched his head and looked upward, thinking solutions to their problems. "Hmm, here is what we are going to do: let us just go straight and soon as we see a person, let us just ask them directions going to Seorabeol. Agree?"
The Crown Prince nodded, and they started walking down the woods. For hours, they had encountered kind people who pointed them directions and short-cuts going to the capital. Every time they reached a small village, they rested. Some people offered them free water; others gave them food. Locals also stated that a maximum of thirty-six hours was what they needed to reach Seorabeol. Despite the distance, the two patiently traveled—under the scorching ray of sun, through the windy prairie, by the ravaging currents of streams, and across the unforgiving forests.
Upon the fall of the dusk, the two decided to take a rest in a cave, letting the night time pass before they continue again the next day. Shun gathered fallen branches, rub two wood against each other until a fire was produced. Under the rocky formations, they started asking more personal questions to each other, while warming their bodies by the bonfire.
"So, tell me more about your father," started Sae Joo.
"My father? He is my everything, the nicest and the bravest person I have ever known. He was the one who took care of me for fifteen years..." Shun paused and dipped his head in a low bow. Sae Joo waited for more, and the young boy continued.
"... even though I am not his real son."
The Crown Prince's eyes rolled in surprise, "What? I am very sorry to hear that. He did a lot of sacrifices just for you. Err, have you ever thought of finding your real parents? Your real family?"
Shun shook his head, "No need. I have accepted my life already. I do not hold any resentments to my real parents, but I cannot imagine my life without my father. So, I do not care anymore."
"I understand that. You are still lucky that you have been raised by a good person. You know what, living like a Prince is not always what people think. In terms of material things, yes, I have a lot, but there is one thing that I really wanted other than gold: it is freedom. It is a luxury which I could only dream of. That was the reason why I decided to go out of the palace and break the rules. But like you, I also have a very loving father. He is strict but I do understand and love him."
"That is the nature of parents, I guess. All of them want the best for their children," smiled Shun.
There was a brief break from their conversation.
Suddenly, Shun remembered the time when he saved Sae Joo from the bandits, realizing that something was strange.
"Hey, did you notice something weird when the bandits attempted to abduct you?"
Sae Joo's eyebrows knitted, and his eyes silted in confusion, "Err, what do you mean?"
"Something was not right. If they were attempting to take you, they should not have used wooden sticks as primary weapons. They should have equipped themselves with real weapons, like swords or daggers."
"Now that you mentioned it, your point makes sense," agreed Sae Joo.
"What if those people knew that you are a Prince and not just an ordinary person? I was just stating a possibility since the guards on that ship knew that there was a Prince in their captives."
"That might be true, but how? How could they know that I am a prince?"
Shun's face became more serious as he warned Sae Joo about the situation, "I have no idea, but know this: You are no ordinary person; you are the next ruler of this country. Vigilance is what you really need the most. Every time you move, danger could be lurking just around, waiting for the right timing. One more thing, do not give your trust that easily to everybody. Who knows, your greatest enemy might be the ones closest to you?"
The Prince got worried about Shun's last sentence. He remembered the long-time rivalry of his father and his uncle. Although for him, his father's brother had never done anything harmful for him as far as he knew (apart from some scoldings perhaps). But now, that a person had finally instilled it to him, he opened up his mind for a possibility that his uncle could do even more than just a pure reprimanding.
"My gratitude for giving me the advice. May I have a request?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Err, I know that your main purpose of being here is to purchase medicines for your father. But, uh, could you be my personal bodyguard? I mean, I have my retinues in the palace but I am not that comfortable when I am with them. This is the first time that I have felt great comfort with a non-family member. I will be in charge of your father's lifetime medicines."
Shun played idly with a stick he was holding while smiling, "I really appreciate your offer. But I cannot leave my father all alone."
"I am not saying that you will leave him. You can move to Seorabeol."
"No. It is not as easy as that. My father has a strange resentment with the capital. He actually has no idea that I am here. I lied to him, just to buy medicines for him."
"Why is that? Did something happen to him in Seorabeol?" asked Sae Joo curiously.
"I have no idea." Shun yawned and asked Sae Joo to go to sleep. The Crown Prince agreed, and the two put the fire off, lay in their improvised beds made of evergreen branches and leaves. The first few minutes of their sleep was actually comfortable until Shun got disturbed by Sae Joo's continuous movements as if he had trouble going to sleep.
Shun rose and scratched his head, partly annoyed, "Hey, I cannot sleep because you keep on flipping. Is there something bothering you?"
The Crown Prince sat up as well and bit his lips, looking mischievously to the young boy. "Err, I cannot sleep properly... if I am not hugging... something." he bowed his head in embarrassment—his cheeks' apples reddened.
Irked with the Prince's confession, Shun rolled his eyes and shook his head. "What? Are you being serious right now? So, how did you sleep when we were on the ship?"
"Who says I had a good sleep? It was hard for me. You just did not see it because you were the one who always sleeps first. I am telling the truth, I am not making excuses. I will just move over if you are disturbed," sighed Sae Joo, turning around.
Grinning, Shun teased Sae Joo as he lay back down and stretched his arm, offering Sae Joo what he wanted. "Here, lie under my arm and hug me. Come. Just think of this as your reward for saving us all, and besides, I can sleep with a clean conscience, and you can sleep comfortably. Come on," invited Shun, patting his bed.
Sae Joo looked back twice before deciding to lie closer to Shun. He leaned his head on the boy's arm, and slowly moved his arm over the boy's body, hesitating.
"Faster!" Shun laughed, pulled Sae Joo's arm, and tucked him closer. The Crown Prince's entire face turned scarlet as he felt his heartbeat raced, his breath getting shallower.
Why I am feeling this way?
He bit his lips and closed his eyes. Feeling his friend's warmth and heartbeat eventually lulled him slowly to sleep.
Shun looked down at Sae Joo's hair, and said, "You are really a peculiar boy."
~~•~~
While the two young boys finally slept with peace and comfort, some people found it hard even to afford a single blink, perhaps even out of worry or even out of enduring pain. Back in the province of Myeongju, Muhyuk was sitting on their porch while staring blankly at the thousand-star formations. He was worried about his son, who had still not managed to come back.
"Muhyuk-seonsaeng-nim, it is time for your medicine," Deok Cheol called, approaching him with a cup of tonic.
"Why has Shun not come back yet? Cheongju-mok is just a day away," the sick man worried.
"Err, I am certain that he is on his way, with your medicine," the plump boy assured.
Then, Muhyuk saw Doctor Yang coming out from one of their neighbor's house. When the doctor passed by their house, he stopped and bowed to the old man, asking how we was feeling, "Ahjussi, how are you feeling now?"
"Better, Doctor. I really owe it to you," smiled Muhyuk.
"That is good to hear. Thanks to your son, who responded quickly. By the way, has he not come back yet?"
"Not yet."
The doctor looked upwards and murmured, "Well, that makes sense since Seorabeol is far from here. Take care of yourself, Ahjussi!" he bowed again and started walking.
"W-wa-wait, what did you just say?" the old man seemed to be shocked and confused with what he heard.
"Uhh, did your son not tell you that he is going Seorabeol to buy medicines for you? I suggested him to go to the capital because we do not have available supplies of your other important medicines here."
The entire dark skies fell upon Muhyuk upon hearing the doctor's statement. His entire body felt numb as if the entire world had stopped. His chest suddenly became heavier, and his lungs suddenly shrunk abruptly.
Holding his chest, he grunted in pain. Doctor Yang and Deok Cheol assisted him and brought him back to his room.
"No need. I am fine. I was just a bit surprised because Shun told me that he is going to Cheongju-mok."
"Let me check you, Ahjussi," insisted the doctor.
"I am fine. You have done more than enough doctor. Please go home."
The doctor bowed his head and reiterated some safety precautions and first aid responses just in case another incident would happen. When the doctor had left, Muhyuk confronted his son's friend.
"Do you know anything about this?" he glowered.
"Uhh, yes... Please forgive me. Shun told me not to tell you so that you will not worry."
Muhyuk suddenly rose and sat up. Deok Cheol held his arm and ask, "Seonsaeng-nim, what are you doing? You should take a rest.
"Get yourself ready. We are going to Seorabeol."
__________
NOTES:
Yamato (야마토) - Ancient nation of Japan in the 8th century.
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