They made sure that the oral tradition carried this fact...this rumor proved true. After all, how could the great Kingdom of Goryeo....now known in modern times as the Republic of Korea allow their way of life to be sacrificed? How could the people in power allow one man to destroy all the founding fathers had died to protect? One man who let his desire for a blood thirsty beast overtake his desire to lead his people, his country into the promised land. As so it was told.
***
1018 AD
A cry was heard as a small body was thrown to the ground.
"Seo Jun!" A woman came rushing from the inner corridor, concern all about her face.
"Why are you so rough with him? He's only a child!" The boy watched as his mother stooped low and picked up the younger, cradling him to her bosom.
"Mi-gyung! You cannot baby the boy forever." All three turned to see the King standing there, arms clasped behind his back. The woman swallowed thickly but let go of the child.
"Seo Jun is teaching him the way of the world. As he should. Let them spar as they like." And like that, the two brothers began to spar, a match that would endure the remainder of their lives.
***
All of it was burned. Nothing remained. His entire existence had been removed from history. All because of a choice. A choice that he had to make not only as a King but as a man. Whoever said the ruler of men could not too have love lied. He made sure he had the best of both worlds. In his world, she lived and loved freely. He shaped an entire Kingdom around her and his interest with her kind had most definitely been piqued from a young age. It seemed nothing or no one could separate the bond the two had, even as children.
***
1030
A pair of curious brown eyes peeked over the top of the long wooden post, the laborious sounds of the horses drifting into young ears. Small brown hands gripped the post as the sounds continued and the child was in complete awe.
"You're not supposed to be out here." Jumping, the caught girl lifted her gaze to see none other than Wang Cheol Su standing there, hands on his hips, chastising her with his gaze. She felt all the saliva in her mouth dry up and felt the heat of embarrassment as the once quiet sounds grew louder in pitch before all was quiet.
"My apologies Wangja-nim." The gaze lifted to the two fatigued animals that now desired to rest after their midnight rendezvous.
"The horses woke you I assume."
"Yes Wangja-nim." Lifting his arms and folding them across his chest, he felt a smirk come to his face.
"And your curiosity got the better of you didn't it? You had to come see just what the noise was about hm?" Her mouth fixed itself to retort but he instead took hold of it and squeezed, making her pout.
"No matter how many times I tell you to stay in your chambers past dark...you never listen."
"I'm...sorry Wangja-nim." She struggled to get out and at that, he let go of her face, opting instead to laugh.
"When Father gave you to me, he didn't know that he'd given over a handful."
"Perhaps if there was more for me to do then I wouldn't have to sneak out." His eyebrow lifted.
