The king's niece

It was on Hae Soo death anniversary when little Seol met the king. Soon after that event, her father exile was revoked and she was able to visit Songak once a year around the same date. It did not take long before little Seol became the king favorite niece.

It was during one of those visits when Seol began to fully understand the truth about her birth. She was aware that she was born fairly early in her parents' marriage, and also that her mother died of a broken heart. At least that is how she understood it when she was a baby. Seol knew two things: Her mother had a weak heart, and babies that are born too early, like her, die or at least are very sickly; but she was not sickly. Join those two things she knew, it was a miracle she was survived. With the mother condition only a full time baby could survive...right?

Seol now remember the king telling her father to leave her in the palace, and her father kneeling in the floor. Before it happen she noticed how smart the king was. He did not fall for the injured head trick, but she was also worried about being scolded, that is one of the reasons she hid behind her dad. The palace was a very beautiful place; but she was a very curious and brave little girl; and her new mother had told her that brave and cute little girl then to get in trouble. The palace is full of stiff faced people, and stiff faced people, everywhere, tent to scold little girls. The king did not scold her; but he try to make her stay at the palace... away from father and her new mother. When she overheard the grownups talking about it, they talked about her being a playmate of the young prince. She found this silly, the prince was just a baby and she had been a big girl for a few years no;, but as she grew, and kept (accidentally) overhearing his father and her uncle Baek Haek conversation, she began to realize that it was not the case.

The common people also talked. They kept singing the king's favorite song, they talked about the court lady who sang it, about how the king had only loved her, and how the fourteenth prince, her father, had stolen the king's love. She once commented that to her father, and he demand to know who had told her that. She eventually finds out that the king's beloved and her mother were the same person; but while before she thought that the king had a once sided love, now she knows it was not the case, and that could only meant one thing: she is the king's daughter...maybe.

The first time that thought cross her mind she felt horrible, she did not know who she was, she also felt disloyal to her father. She had many doubts, maybe she was wrong, but who could she talk about it. If she talks with her father, she will hurt him. If she talks with the king, she will hurt him. Uncle Baek Haek was always traveling, and Ji Mong, while kind and playful could be very reserved.

******

It was soon after Wang Ju birthday when Want So met Seol. As tradition every time he refused to go to his son birthday, the queen mentioned how she understand why Hae Soo left him. It became a tradition; every time the king made a decree she did not like she mentioned Hae Soo, and how she is the only one he thinks, and how bitter he must me since she left him. While sometimes it was painful to be remind of Hae Soo absent, not that it was necessary, he also knew it was not true. He had hundreds of love letters, proving him how much she love him, and in this day, when he miss her the most, he had his Seol smiling at him from behind a column in the throne room. He knew she was his daughter, he had no doubt, and Yeon Hwa could not truly hurt him. He sometimes wonders if the queen realized how contradictory she could be. One day she "reminds" him of Hae Soo, and the next day she is berating him for thinking of Soo. Soon she could be saying that everything he east, drinks and wear are because of Soo. The ghost of Soo was a strong presence in the palace, and while it haunts the queen, it was soothing to him. But more than focusing on the ghost, in this moment he is focusing on the living, on Seol.

*****

While Seul loved visiting the palace her male relatives that lived there, she could not stop feeling uneasy in that place.

She loved her visits, but she always felt relieved when her visits ended. She truly loved the king, and her cousin, the crown prince Ju, in a way Ju remind her of her father, at least from the stories shared by Baek Ha and Ji Mon. More than once the crown prince sneak out of the palace, and he loved to mix with the common people, he was a rascal...and the cold queen could not be please for this careless behavior.

To the queen and the court the crown prince was precious he was the only surviving son of the king, and he was born 5 years in to his parents' marriage. It was an open secret that the royal couple had a very cold marriage. After the birth of their last daughter, it was believed the queen became barren, and since the king did not want to deal with another clan, after he had taken so much time and effort in weakened the clans and strengthen his positon as king, it was guaranteed that Crown Prince Ju was going to be the only son of king Gwangjong. The young prince should not be so careless, adventure and fun should only be reserved to younger princes far removed from the succession line...and lucky enough to not be noticed by other princes (unlike Wang Eun).

*****

Soon after Seul reach marriage age, there was an envoy. It was General Park grandson. His Grandfather had advised to find a bride of royal blood. The union was not about power, but about protection. Find a member of the royal family who does not long for power, does not long to live in the palace, obtain permission and give her freedom. In a way, any child born in that union will be part Seon Deuk, and part Eun. Since a union between the children of Taejo and himself was fruitless...but it is not too late, now he is going to approve the union between his older daughter, Eun niece, and Seon Deok nephew, if his other daughter wants to marry inside the royal family he will allow it. But Seul, he promised her mother, and now that an opportunity presents he will jump at the chance, that is if Seul accepts he will allow it.

At first Seul was hesitant to marry a complete stranger, but she knew that it was expected. She could do worse, at least her intended was young, and had no other wife. He was also honorable, and handsome. He was a good match and both her parents and her beloved uncles approved. She agreed to the union, and eventually they married. They soon found themselves in love and happy. She was still free to visit the palace and both her parents, and she was far away from the palace intrigue. Soon after the birth of her second child, she visited the palace to see the king for the last time.

The king got sick and died on bed, surrounded by his wife and children. Seol was also there, since she was the king favorite niece. Gwangjong died saying her mother name, and the queen lost all her composure after the fact. Soon after the Crown Prince coronation, he married her younger sister, and became one of his many queens. They seemed content enough in their roles...Not that she knew much, leaving far from the palace, and all letters from and to the palace were at risk of being read by a third party.

*****

Around the time Goryeo fall and Joseon started, there was a fire and a lot of historical and familiar document were lost, as a result Seul was erased as the order daughter of prince Jung, Her sister, the only biological daughter of the prince was only register as his, and when a young woman named Go Ha Jin found out that Jung only daughter had married in to the royal family she was deeply and strangely concern. It was soon after she regains her memories and met the 4th prince again; when she realized why she was worried about Jung only daughter and also that her daughter is not the one who married to the palace.

Ha Jin had missed Seul's first words, first steps and first laughs, but now she can be sure Seol had them; she was happy and loved and that had to be enough, until they meet again, in just a few months.

*****

Note: Yeon Hwa mentioned how Wang So killed Won and 2 of his nephews. When this happen Wang So had been a king for 11 years. Since I read that the Wang So son was born 5 years after he became king. Therefore when Wang So meet Seul she should be around 10 not 6. I had decided that after scene when Yeon Hwa was "politely reminding" the king to visit his son and then mentioned Hae Soo...Wang So was remembering meeting Seul for the first time, years before.

English is not my first language, and I fear this fic may have" horrography" errors, feel free to nag me about them. This fic is not much of a fic, more like a headcannon, about baby Seol. In truth I had several ideas for fics for this fandom...but I never got to start them, I figured, if I want to focus in the big ones, I should start with the shortest (and least "fic like") one. Now that I finished this, I wonder if I should focus on the silly one or one of the big ones J