Rain poured from the sky into the palace of the kingdom of Joseon. Court ladies hurried into covered areas, holding their hands over their heads and trying to shield their clothes. Eunuchs went about their duties, cursing their bad luck as they frequently darted into and out of the wetness to perform their tasks. Yet in a small part of the palace, a small building lavishly furnished with all the finest trappings of Joseon, two eunuchs sat before the young princess of the kingdom, princess Yi Ra-on. Despite only being 10 years old, she looked at these much older men not with shyness or fear, but with a quizzical, calculating gaze, as if trying to gauge what they were about to say before they said it.
Rainwater streamed down from the sloped rooftop, forming puddles across the courtyard outside. The sound of the rain echoed through the building, a soft pattering sound that was still not loud enough to distract the servants from the matter at hand.
"Your highness" the oldest of the eunuchs said, his dark green silk robes creasing as he and his fellow kowtowed to the young princess. "We have been sent by your father to tell you what he has decided for you."
The princess raised an eyebrow at the man before her. "What has he decided? Am I going to be sent away after all?"
"No, your highness" he said, raising his head from the floor to look directly at the girl. "He has decided that sending you away isn't in your best interests, even if it is for your safety."
She sighed in relief. Good, she thought, I don't want to leave my friends, and I bet he wouldn't think about if there were other children wherever he sent me. "Good. Is that all?"
"We believe that rather than sending you away, your grace, it would be better if we simply increased your protection here. The amount of guards to the palace will be increased, and you will have a personal guard to protect you and only you".
The princess sat up straighter, and her gaze sharpened on the servant before her. "A bodyguard?" She said, "who?"
She had seen the the men who guarded her father and mother all the time. These men were always close at hand to the person of the king or queen, always close enough to respond to an attack. While she was well aware of how beneficial having such protection was - she had first hand seen the danger of the attempted coup a year ago - the thought of a man watching her every move wasn't something she was eager to accept. Not that she had much choice if her father had already given the order.
" A young soldier by the name of Song Nam-Deun. We noticed he had become famous for his skill and bravery after the Japanese invaded several years ago. When his army was ordered to abandon a village and it's people and told to hurry to a castle and stay in there to wait for reinforcements, he refused, knowing that the Japanese soldiers would just kill those left behind. So instead, he remained behind and held off the attackers while the villagers escaped. He killed a dozen of the Japanese before he was finally forced to flee, and yet still managed to return to the castle despite having been wounded several times. We believe this man would be the best to protect you."
The princess bit her lip, considering this proposed candidate. If what the courtier said was true, then this Song Nam Deun was very strong, and as princess it was only right that she have the best. If this man had been there to protect her that time...
Her thoughts drifted to the coup a year ago. She had been in her quarters with a court lady, lady Eung who had attended the princess since birth and been more of a mother figure than her true mother, as the queen was always busy with official duties and politics to spend time with her daughter. Eung was bringing her that night's food when they heard shouting. Looking up, she had seen shadows through the thin screening around her room, figurs that she recognised had drawn swords. More shadowy figures appeared, and a furious battle began to take place feet away. The lady gasped, realising the danger, and had hurried her away, dodging past men locked in combat together. The young child was terrified, shaking in fear and unable to think. Only Eung and her arms kept Raon from certain death.
