"Han Sung, where'd you go?" I ask as I run around the corner, seeing him watch Dog Bird and Ah Ro. "Why are you-" I start off then he shushes me.
"Listen." He whispers.
"If you die, then so do I. If you're not okay, then I'm not okay either. No matter what situation arises, I will always put you first. So if you really want to help me, think about yourself first." Dog Bird says then I make a disgusted has he holds out his pinky. "Promise me."
Ah Ro then willingly wraps her pinky around his then I gag from the sight then look back.
"You're a good girl. You are." Dog Bird tells her then I feel my whole body shrivel up.
"But you don't seem like such a kind brother." Ah Ro mentions then my jaw drops.
"You're right. I'm not kind." He agrees then I watch them walk away in disgust.
"What are you doing, kids?" Yeo-Wool asks as he walks over and wraps his arm around Han Sung's shoulder.
"Those two aren't siblings anymore, right?" Han Sung asks then he looks at me. "They're still your siblings, right?" He asks me.
"What are you talking about?" Yeo-Wool questions then Han Sung chews on his lip as he observes them. "He's like that because he learned how to treat a sister from Soo Ho. But they're not siblings." Yeo-Wool explains then my eyes widen.
"Wait, if Seon Woo is the King, they're not siblings." Han Sung figures out then I look at them in surprise.
"Is that how it works?"
"Then what are those two?" Han Sung asks as he raises an eyebrow at them.
"Since when the hell did you get smart?!" I ask him then he looks at me.
"Are they your siblings?" Yeo-Wool asks me.
"Seon Woo isn't my brother, but Ah Ro and I are sisters." I answer.
"But you two look nothing alike." Han Sung mentions then I look at him. "Everything about you two is different." Han Sung adds then I raise an eyebrow at him as I cross my arms.
"Like what?" I question.
"Your hair color, your skin color because you're tanner, the way you two dress, your height, your facial features, your eyes are the only thing that are alike." He lists then his eyes widen. "oh, yeah! Even your body shape and br-" he starts off then my eyes widen.
I quickly smack his cheek and Yeo-Wool looks at us in shock as Han Sung frowns at me with his hand on his cheek.
"Yah, that hurt!" He exclaims then I scoff as I turn away from him.
"And here I thought you were smart." I comment as I walk away from them.
"What's up with her?" Yeo-Wool asks Han Sung.
"Still being stuck up about South Buyeo, I'm guessing." He answers then I look back at them over my shoulder.
"I heard you!"
~~~~~~~~
Whispers went around the classroom as everyone continues to glance at me while Ji Dwi stayed quiet and had his head down, still somewhat upset of what I said, then once Wi Hwa walked up onto the small stage, the room silenced.
"The subject you are learning about today is the Book of Odes. The Book of Odes is the songs of the people which have been passed down by word of mouth from a long time ago. Inside are the lamentations of the people's difficult lives yet positive images." He explains then takes a deep breath. "In addition, there is also resentment and pity for the powerless King." He says then I glance at Ji Dwi. "Today, I am going to show you a poem. The title is 'Large Rat'." He introduces then pulls down a scroll. "Ji Dwi, try reading it." He demands then Ji Dwi stands up.
"'Rat, rat, large rat. Don't eat my barley. I took care of you for a long time, you aren't looking after me.'" Ji Dwi reads then he stops as I look up at him in worry. "'Surely, I will leave you and leave to go to that happy nation. Happy place, happy place. I will find a way to justify myself there.'" He continues as he chokes up.
"Here, the rat symbolizes the ruler. In this poem, the King doesn't take care of his people. He's hiding and eating the grain." Wi Hwa instructs then him and Ji Dwi make eye contact. "Just like someone." He says then Ji Dwi looks to the side. "If a big rat eats the people's livelihood, all those people will leave. A king without his people is no longer a king." Wi Hwa instructs then Ji Dwi glares at him. "Do you understand the meaning of this poem?" He asks us.
"Yes!" Everyone, but me and Ji Dwi, respond.
I pull on Ji Dwi's sleeve to have him sit back down.
~~~~~~~~
"Jae-Eun, please enter the palace." A man requests as I walk into the queen dowager's throne as she fans herself, my gaze becoming more hateful towards her.
"Before the Hwarang, there were two Won Hwa. Nam Mo and Joon Jeong. The two Won Hwa led the Nangdoo." She tells me then sets her fan down. "I heard that your sister comforted the citizens well in South Buyeo. So, I'm planning to keep your sister beside me as a Won Hwa." She tells me then I raise an eyebrow at her.
"And you think I'm going to allow that to happen?" I question.
"I'm taking advantage of her because I want to use you properly because she has the power to move you." She tells me then I scoff.
"But you're already using me enough, protecting your son from declaring he's king and from all harm." I remind her.
"If you declared yourself to be King, you are going to act like one, not a skimpy half-bone." She mentions and I bite my lip. "You are to fool the citizens and yourself during this. As long as my son can ascend the throne, I'm not afraid of anything. I am prepared to fool you, my son, and also the entire world. So, you do the same if you don't want to lose your sister." She tells me and I take a deep breath.
"I don't know if I told you this enough, but you're a bitch, you know that, right?" I call out and she stares at me with no emotion.
"I'd watch your tongue, girl, before you get it cut off." She warns then I scoff.
"Let's look at my list and see how many times you've threatened me already." I remark as I smirk at her. "We both know we don't like each other, so don't even try threatening me at this point, you know that if you do try to harm me in any way, it will break your poor son's heart." I remind her then I turn around. "Have a good day, Your Highness."
~~~~~~~~
I sit on the side as I watch Dan Se and Han Sung spar. More like training for Han Sung, but he was struggling. Dan Se was not going easy on him at all, making Han Sung exhausted. Han Sung went for a strike above the head, but Dan Se blocks it and knocks Han Sung over with the stick, making him land on the ground.
"Nine hundred ninety one." Dan Se reveals and I sigh. "If you do nine more, it will be 1000." Dan Se tells Han Sung as he sits up, panting.
"What kind of nonsense is this?" Han Sung asks then looks up at him. "It's unfair. You have great swordsmanship and I don't even like this kind of stuff!" Han Sung shouts and I sit on the edge of the deck, ready to move in when needed.
Dan Se just looks down at an angry Han Sung, who was still out of breath, panting. I look back and forth between the two, noticing the strong differences they've always had.
"What does fair mean to you?" Dan Se asks him.
Han Sung huffs as he grabs a stick and throws it at Dan Se's feet as he stands up, across from him.
"It's 100 times. If you can't win one match, then I'm going to leave the household for good." Dan Se threatens and I shake my head.
"You can't use threats when teaching someone. It doesn't help."
"Ah, what...What do you want me to do?" Han Sung asks, in a whiney voice, walking towards his brother.
"Don't whine." Dan Se demands. "You promised as a man." He reminds Han Sung, leaving him in disappointment. "Later on, don't say otherwise. Do it again." He demands then Han Sung glares at him.
"I'd rather have Jae-Eun teach me." Han Sung mutters, making sure both Dan Se and I can hear him.
"Why would you?" Dan Se questions.
"Because she'd at least be fair with me and so rude." Han Sung answers then Dan Se points to me with his wooden sword.
"Jae-Eun has the best swordsmanship and skill out of everyone in Hwarang and the whole nation. She's better than me, do you think she'll be any easier to train with?" Dan Se lectures.
Han Sung reluctantly drags his feet on the ground and picks up his wooden sword, then getting into his stance. He attempts to strike Dan Se, only getting knocked down again, this time getting angry.
"Why has it always been that I have to be someone everyone else wants me to be?!" He asks then I sigh. "Both you and hal-abeoji try to make me a person that I'm not or want to be! I don't want to have to learn swordsmanship or even be the new leader of the bloodline! Why can't you be that, huh?! Why does it have to be me?!" Han Sung rants.
I hop off of the deck and walk over quickly and stand in between the two.
"Dan Se, let's give Han Sung a break to calm down a little bit before continuing with training." I tell him.
"This anger will help him during the training." Dan Se denies then I shake my head.
"It won't help him at all if he's trying to learn this. He will only get more frustrated and it will become more difficult for him and will delay on time." I argue then I help Han Sung up. "Give me about ten minutes to calm him down then we can continue on the training." I offer then Dan Se nods.
"Fine." He agrees then he turns around and walks away.
I help Han Sung back up then lead him over to the deck. I have him face me as I put my hands on his cheeks as he pouts at me.
"Why does it always have to be me?" He whines with tears in his eyes.
"Because you are the last true bone of your line." I answer then he takes a deep breath. "Your hal-abeoji wants you to be the perfect person to continue your lineage so he's trying to turn you into someone you don't want to be. I don't agree with it, but I live that life too, all you have to do is contribute as much as you can, but still refuse some parts, alright?" I lecture then he nods.
We hop up on the deck then sit back against the walls, shoulder-to-shoulder. I lay my head on his shoulder and sigh as he rests his hand on my leg.
"I hate stress." I tell Han Sung. "The queen dowager is using me as the face of the real king. I'm not sure if I can do that, though." I explain then Han Sung hums.
"Are you the king?" He asks me and I nod.
"I am, but I can't deal with the stress of being king until the true king steps forward." I explain then he looks down at me.
"So, you're not the real king, but the face for him?" He asks me and I look up at him.
"I already said too much. I can't say much more." I tell him then he shakes his head at me.
"You can say more. I won't tell anyone." He assures me and I shake my head.
"Don't worry about it, Han Sung." I tell him then I grab his hand and look down at it. "Just worry about yourself for now." I add then I massage his hand.
"But it's hard not to worry about you." He reminds me as he rests his head on top of mine. "You do all these crazy things that it's risky and I can't protect you from them." He adds then I hum.
"I know, but I also know what I'm doing, sometimes." I tell him then I study his hand. "It's just something I've always done. You don't need to worry about me at all, I can protect myself, I promise you." I assure then he whines.
"But I WANT to protect you." He asserts and I nod. "I don't want to be the weak man that can't protect the one he loves and cherishes." He explains then he interlocks our fingers together.
I smile a little bit as I chew on my bottom lip with my cheeks turning light pink. He lays our hands on top of his leg and I lift my head up and he looks down at me.
"Han Sung," I call out then I rest my chin on his shoulder, "I don't want you to become someone who you think you should be. Only become the person YOU want to become. I won't allow you to become someone that you don't want to be." I assure him then he cocks his head to the side. "I promise you I won't allow you to become someone you shouldn't be. Just stay as your warm, loving self." I tell him.
"And I promise to never leave your side." He promises then I smile as he does as well.
I place my hand on his cheek and peck his lips softly as my cheeks turn really warm. I remove my lips from his and we look at each other and our red cheeks, making him giggle.
"That's more like you." I comment then he giggles more.
I curl up into a ball, leaning my head against his shoulder and he squeezes my hand, making me smile even more.
~~~~~~~~
Ah Ro serves abeoji food as he takes a long drink of soup then sighs as he sets it down.
"Are you alright?" Ah Ro asks him as I sit against the cabinet, my back against it and my legs pulled up.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He answers then looks at her. "I just have body aches from overworking myself for a few days." He adds
"By the way, if you can't obtain the medicine, then what will happen to the people there?" Ah Ro asks him then he looks to the side.
"I will have to get it, no matter what." He answers then I clear my throat.
"You know, I can break into Gakgan's house and steal it for you, if you want." I offer then he looks at me. "I am THE assassin of Silla, anyways." I add then he nods.
"I will let you know if I need you, Jae-Eun." He tells me and I nod.
He reaches for Ah Ro's hand then sets it on the table, holding it.
"It's a relief that you came back safely. I was very worried." Abeoji tells her, making me roll my eyes.
"Of course he worries about her and not me."
"abeoji, I am very worried about Jae-Eun." Ah Ro admits then my eyes widen. "After saying that she's the King in order to save me and the others, there's misunderstanding that she is His Majesty, King Jin Heung." Ah Ro explains and I feel abeoji's gaze on me as I bite my nail. "It seems that through that incident, she incurred the wrath of the Queen Dowager. She doesn't show her face much around the school anymore and always looks angry, worried, or stressed. I'm really worried." Ah Ro tells abeoji and I sigh.
"There is no need to worry about me." I snap as I stand up and walk towards the front of the house. "I am just fine the way I am." I add then I leave the house.
I walk back to the school with my hands behind my back and see Ji Dwi by himself near the garden and I walk up next to him.
"Why are you here?" I ask him as I look up at him.
"I have nowhere to go." He answers then looks down at me. "What about you?" He asks me.
"Left home because abeoji favors Ah Ro too much and I was getting sick of it." I answer then we stare at each other.
"I have something to ask you." Ji Dwi reveals then I look at him. "Because I really like you," he starts off and my eyes widen, "if we build a farm together, have a baby, and want to live as ordinary citizens, would you want to live with me?" He asks then I look down at the pond in front of me. "I can't do anything for you. I have no treasures or silver coins that you like. There is a chance that we will not have a proper house. However, I'm telling you that I would exchange Silla's throne for you." He confesses.
His eyes start to water as his voice chokes and I keep my gaze at the pond.
"Will you go with me? No, let's go." He tells me. "It's okay if that guy is not Han Sung. Even if you liked him, that's fine. However." He says and my eyes water. "Now, come to me. Because I'll not live as anyone's king, but as your Jin Heung-" He reveals to me then I place my hand on his chest.
"Stop." I command as I face him and look up at him. "Just stop, please." I plead as I gulp. "At the moment, I really can't have you falling for me, it is too much on my plate. And I chose to reveal that I am the king to protect you as a person. You deserve the throne more than anyone ever has. Just please," I start off then I shake my head, "don't do this to me and force me to hate you again after I had just forgiven you." I request as I turn to leave.
~~~~~~~~
I sit along the edge of the pong, in the dead of night, contemplating on all my thoughts. I hear a branch snap near me as I turn to look and see a group of assassins behind me, forcing me to stand up.
"By chance, are any of you here to kill me?" I ask.
"Attack!" One calls out then arrows were fired.
I look to my right and see Dan Se firing arrows while Yeo-Wool, Dog Bird, and Soo Ho run down to me. Soo Ho hands me my sword then rips off his sling and draws his sword.
"This is Seonmoon where Silla's Hwarang are staying." Soo Ho mentions and I gulp. "How dare you step foot in here so fearlessly?" He asks then he cries out.
We run at them and start to fight them. I jump in the air and launch myself at them and start to strike them consistently. We end up on the boardwalk above the pond then everything starts to spin.
I was able to cut two of the assassins then I start to stumble around.
"What's going on?"
"Jae-Eun!" Soo Ho calls out.
I start to fall then he runs and catches me in his arms. He has me lean back against him then Dog-Bird runs over to us then holds me in his arms.
"Protect Jae-Eun at all costs." Soo Ho demands then him and Yeo-Wool with Dan Se run at the assassins.
Dog-Bird holds me against him as I start to pant from everything around me starts to spin.