Sae Joo stepped out of his chambers after having a long conversation with the Prime Minister. He trudged down the courtyard, his mind wandering in a faraway galaxy. A quantum shred of trust for Jung Ho—that concept did not exist. That was a given. However, for him to know the entire truth and be free from the chains of his haunted past, he needed to play along. Gamble. After all, he sealed Jung Ho as his best bet. People have said that if you play with the devil, you should be prepared to lose it all. Like planning revenge, you should dig two graves while your foot was rotting under the muddy pit. He had conditioned his mind, his body, and his soul. The moment their deal ended not more than ten minutes ago; he had already sold his life to the hands of the evil forces.
As the dry, freezing wind nipped his red face, he felt something on the top of his head. Cold—he could not say it was soft or hard, just a bearable balance between the two. His curiosity was killing him like a nail clipper pinching his skin. He scooped it from his head, and a smile etched from every corner of his lips. "A snow," he murmured.
Little by little, as he looked around, he saw the gradual falling of the soft ice balls from the sky. Some palace servants seemed ecstatic, jumping and hopping around the courtyard. The end of a season, the beginning of another one. Winter was his favorite. Nights were longer, and the blazing heat of the sun was nowhere to be seen even in supposedly broad daylight. Everything was serene. All people would stay inside their houses, feeling the warmth and love from their families.
Just like the seasons, his heart has changed through time. Sometimes, there even came a time when he was immensely lonely and empty in the cold, not because his love for his family has died out. It was more because his love for himself has extinguished. He did not know how to find happiness from within; he was dependent on how people would give him the joy that his heart yearns. After his fifteenth birthday, he felt that he had no right to be happy at all, for he would just cause misery, havoc, and death to their people. It was a tragic, heart-piercing story that he wished to end in an instant. However, instead of burying himself into the abyss of darkness, he at least tried to lessen the inevitable damage by improving himself. Eight years—eight years of training!
Happiness was a fictitious concept, existing only on artworks. He was willing to let it go, flutter into the winds, and disappear forever as long as he could save all their subjects. All reservations were gone.
Having that in mind, he went straight to the King's chambers to continue with his long-term vision. When Jae Joong permitted his entry, he paid respects and proceeded with his concern. The King offered hot tea and a few rice cakes, which he accepted. Bright fire from the burning logs in the fireplace radiated on his iris as the heat embraced his freezing skin.
"The first snow is not as cold as last year's," welcomed Jae Jong.
"I noticed, Father."
"This is something urgent, isn't it? The sun hasn't risen fully, plus it's snowing outside."
"Don't think so, Your Majesty. I guess I just need to tell this to you myself."
Jae Joong had a measly sip and asked, "Oh? What is it?"
"Balhae... Please let's help them."
The King's eyebrows gathered on top of his nose bridge. "I beg your pardon. Help?"
"You do know what I mean, Your Majesty. Their nation is on the verge of collapsing. People from different regions have been protesting in the capital. Let's set aside these internal affairs first and help the people. They don't deserve to live like this. They didn't choose to be born in a kingdom lacking of iron."
"I know what your heart desires, Prince... but that is not our problem anymore. Those people have rulers like us to help them."
"Father, the rulers can only do so much. I have heard that Balhae has asked help from Yamato, but that nation hasn't responded yet. I'm just saying... we won't lose anything by sharing our natural resources. We have a lot! Would you just turn a blind eye to those dying people just because they are ruled by someone else?"
Jae Joong lifted a brow and pursed his lips. Somehow, Sae Joo's words has smacked him. Though he wanted to help those poor people, there was a heavy reason why he could not raise the bar of the trading doors between the two silent enemy nations. Was it because of Queen Songyeon's refusal of Jae Joong's offers? No—Just no. Never again! The portal between the dark worlds should be closed forever.
Of course, the Prince, with a head as stubborn as a diamond, would not take 'no' as an answer. He would try to convince his father one more time. This time with the use of his hidden card. Sae Joo grabbed a rice cake and chewed it slowly while bludgeoning his father with a cold stare.
Uncomfortable as he was, Jae Joong took another sip and answered, "Prince, instead of worrying about others, why don't you shift your concern to our own problems? I am sure that the royal family of Balhae has contingency plans to solve the problem. Remember, their kingdom is bigger than us. Their government is more complex; they have more warriors than Silla. You don't have to worry that much."
When Sae Joo swallowed the last bolus of the rice cake, he took a deep breath and spoke, "What can I do for you to say yes? Silla has lesser problems than Balhae. Haven't we already strengthened the borders? The fortresses have engaged in more training, and more hwarangs have been deployed, eyeing for threats. So far, that unknown rebel group is nowhere to be seen, and it is considered safe anywhere in the kingdom. If you would compare the conditions of the two nations, you would know who needs more help. We don't need to open the trading for good. Just for this once. I may not know your reasons why you've shut your doors from each other, but for the sake of people's welfare, please—let's set them aside."
"You are too good, Prince. Too good."
"I believe not, Your Majesty. I am just trying to be human. A monster would let innocent people die; a human would not let others get even a small abrasion. Don't you agree? Let's reverse the situation. If our country is in a state of emergency, I am sure that someone from Balhae would step up and help us."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Sae Joo. You have no idea what kind of people sit on their thrones. I told you to protect your guard at all costs. I tried to make a deal with them but they chose to ignore me. They brought it all upon themselves. Those citizens have nothing to blame but their arrogant rulers."
The Prince suddenly shifted his mood, tired of exchanging fires with his father. "I'll do it. I'll be in charge. Please scrap that deal that you've had with them."
"Do you even hear yourself, Prince?" scolded Jae Joong.
Sae Joo crossed his arms and nodded. "The Prime Minister asked for my help. He said that I'm the only one who could convince you. He received a letter from Queen Songyeon asking for help. Their kingdom is desperate. Why can't you understand what I am saying, Your Majesty? In this type of situation, we are in control. We still have the upper hand. It will be easy for us to sprinkle even just a pinch of our blessings to their land and still protect what's ours."
"Stop it! I don't want you to have any connections with Balhae."
"Then let Lord Jung Min do this. Entrust him this mission. If you don't want me to get involved, at least, do it. Order it to someone else."
With another blow, Sae Joo dropped the bomb, and it exploded in Jae Joong's face. "If you agreed to do this, I could even marry Jin Ri today. If you refuse, I don't know—"
The King stood and slammed the table. "Impudent! How dare you!"
"I don't mean to do this, Your Majesty. I can't let those helpless people die because they are trapped between you and their Queen. It's unfair." Sae Joo answered softly with no sign of fear across his eyes.
Jae Joong's face was red as a cherry, his evident veins pulsating on his forehead. The entire room felt like a section in the lake of fire. Every radiation from the furnace clung on every single portion of his yellowish-white skin. He tried to calm himself down. Breathe in, then push the air out. Haaaaaaa! When his hands could finally move, he sat back in his chair and stretched his numb neck.
The persistent Prince finally drew his dormant card (the ace!) and offered, "I could forget Sae Yoo and start a new life as a married man."
Sparkling stars dominated Jae Joong's eyes in a second. If he was willing to forget about Balhae and pretend that the northern territory above them was nothing but barren land, he was even ten times more engaged to the thought that his son would never mention Sae Yoo's name again. In terms of threat intensity, Balhae was a benign tumor, while Sae Yoo was the malignant mutant. The one who lay at the end of the spectrum. The only one who could crumble the entire kingdom once his existence rose into the pool of the people's awareness.
"Fine. Let's do this. But there's one condition. Forget about Sae Yoo and start a new life."
"Then, I will trust your words, Your Majesty."
Sae Joo stood, bowed, and left the room in peace. For about a couple of minutes, Jae Joong's room was filled with complete, utter silence. He could even hear the sound of his breaths and the throbbing of his blood vessels. Sitting at his table, contemplating his verdict, he re-evaluated the weight of the events. On the left side was Balhae's entry through the tiniest crevices of their borders, opening the possibility of an end to their long-time silent treatment. On the right side was Sae Joo's full abandonment of his dead twin brother and moving on to the next chapter of his life. But where would Jae Joong stand? Ah! The pivot. He should be at the fulcrum, holding each balance with the same amount of force. One wrong move and the weighing scale would crash and perish—so as everything that he had.
Good choice, Jae Joong. Good job. He patted his chest, commending his decision-making skill.
As he was enjoying the moment of pure serenity, an announcement distracted him.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister wishes to speak with you."
Jae Joong curled his lips and shook his head in displeasure. "Enter."
Greetings, formalities—all done! Now with the main concern. Could it be another explosive?
"Your Majesty, if your time permits, would you come with me to the Royal Library?" requested Jung Ho.
"Why?"
"I want to ask you something."
"I am lending my ears," smiled Jae Joong.
"No, Your Majesty. There is something that you need to see."
Curious about the Prime Minister's cliffhanger, Jae Joong agreed, and they headed straight to the library, wearing multiple layers of wool jackets. As they were about to enter, a guard bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I—"
He immediately cut-off the sentence, seeing the skeptical face of the King. Jung Ho then interrupted, "Shall we, Your Majesty?"
The door opened, and the two sat at the newly varnished table near the shelves of the Hwarang Section.
"So, what is it that you want to show me?" opened Jae Joong.
The younger brother paced to the end of the section, dove his arm into the dusty shelves, and picked a book. He shook the dust and went back to the waiting king. He opened it and showed the torn pages.
Jae Joong frowned. "This is the master list of the palace Hwarangs. Why is there a missing page? Who did this?"
"If I knew the answer, I would've brought him to you. I have a suspect in mind though."
"Who is it?"
After a beat of about five seconds, the Prime Minister disclosed, "My son. Lord Jung Min."
Jae Joong's forehead puckered like a prune, perplexed, "Come again? Why would he even do this?"
"He might be hiding something. Perhaps he has found someone whom he didn't want to be discovered."
"I don't understand. That's not who Jung Min is. It's against his principles as the Prosecution Head. Why would he hide someone?"
"See, Your Majesty, I just realized that my son and your son indeed share the same pint of blood. They almost think alike. Curious, obsessed with truth, craving for self-actualization. Both of them want to know their roles and places, not just here in the palace, but also in the world that we live in."
"So, what's your point?"
"Do you know what else makes our sons similar?" Jung Ho grinned before revealing the answer. "The person that they're looking for."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, an old friend has told me that your nephew is digging up a grave—the one we buried twenty-three years ago." Jung Ho leaned forward, his eyes goggling as he teased. "He's been looking for Chil Yook."
The horror on Jae Joong's face was an abstract painting even the artist could not interpret.
"I knew it. He's alive after all. I couldn't remember when I've given up searching for his body. I shouldn't have. But Jung Min wouldn't do that unless something or someone has triggered him. What did you do?"
Scoff as a response—Jung Ho defended, "I didn't start it, Sire. I have to imprint to your memory that I still resent that person even after he hid from me—after he betrayed me."
Jae Joong's eyes narrowed like an edge of the sword. He wondered about Jung Ho's glitching subconscious—spitting out word venom like a cobra. "What did you just say? Hid? Betrayed?"
Instead of worrying about being caught by the skeptical king, Jung Ho's lips arched up to his ears in a long grin. Confident. Subversive. Audacious. He tilted his head to the right and confessed, "You must be thinking that my rusts have tarnished my conscious mind again. My screws are malfunctioning like an old hag of my age. But what to do? I purposely admitted all of these to you. I realize that it's hard to keep it inside all by myself for the past two decades. I don't deserve to carry all these burdens alone... you too should carry the consequence."
While the King froze like a tropical fish in the Arctic, Jung Ho carried on with his surprise. "Do you remember the day when Chil Yook and Lady Jang were supposed to be exiled to Tamra Island? They never made it, remember? A group of bandits intercepted them and killed all the Hwarangs, escorts, and guards. You even ordered Dae Wong to check the scene of the crime while we were talking about Sae Joo's coronation as the Crown Prince... I guess with the tone of this conversation, you already know what I will say, don't you?"
Sweats topped up on Jae Joong's neck and forehead; his cheeks were paler than snow while his knuckles were red as an apple. "Do you think I'm dense? I've already told this to you. You're rotten down the bone."
After a shallow breath, the King clenched his teeth, smiled like a crocodile, and clapped his hands slowly. "You've done it so well. Clean and spotless."
The Prime Minister smirked, acknowledging the dark compliment. "Well, there's still something that you need to know. Didn't you wonder why I did that to the Grand Marshal? Because I am afraid that he could spill my secrets? No. No, no-no, Your Majesty. I knew Chil Yook wouldn't do that to me."
"You just said it yourself; he did betray you. How?"
"Let me continue my story. He did not die actually. It was all for a show. I had to keep him alive because even though he could not do anything for me as a Grand Marshal, he could still do errands for me as Chil Yook. Before he was committed to the palace, he was mine. There's a special task that I assigned to him."
"What is that?" glared Jae Joong.
Jung Ho licked the roof of his lips and twitched an eye. "Your Majesty, hasn't it occurred inside you, even in the slightest possibility, that Chil Yook is indeed dead?"
"I've never thought of that even though everyone has told me that he has passed. There was never a corpse. There have been a lot of epidemics and disasters in the kingdom after the eclipse. Somehow, they were more important than him."
"Yes. No corpse means that it's just another record of a missing person."
"Could we just head straight to your point? I have no time playing mind games with you, Jung Ho! What do the torn pages of the master list, Jung Min's search of Chil Yook, and Sae Joo's curiosity about Sae Yoo have to do with each other?"
"As you wish, Your Majesty. You said it yourself. You didn't believe that Chil Yook is dead. Does it also mean that you also believe that Sae Yoo might be alive?"
Thorns sprouted on Jae Joong's throat as he choked on Jung Ho's question. It took quite some time before he responded. "Uh, I didn't want to believe that he's alive. No—he's not. He was an infant when he fell with you in that bluff. There's no way he could've survived that."
"But did you see a corpse after you went down and searched for me? Oh, wait, did you even see the young Prince in that blue baby cloth I was hugging?" leered Jung Ho. A strong electric current shocked Jae Joong's heart. His trachea constricted, allowing him to breathe residual air. He pounded his chest as he stuttered, "Y-you... Where is my son? What did you do to my poor son?"
Jung Ho did not even bother to lay a finger on the struggling king. Instead, he chortled and gushed over his story. "This is where Chil Yook comes into the picture. When you and I had a confrontation on that cliff, there was no Sae Yoo... I sacrificed my favorite pillow. The following day, I handed the baby to Chil Yook, but that good-for-nothing tramp tricked me and ran away with the Prince."
Jae Joong ejected and jumped into the table in a thud. As swift as a mousetrap, his hands gripped Jung Ho's neck and strangled him. "I will kill you!" he snarled. The prowess of a boa would not even match the force of the furious king's deadly fingers. Though Jung Ho was choking, his jugular arteries slowly popping out of his throat, he did not even dare to blink as he spat another poison. "Do... you know... why I told it all to you?" he pushed the table with his feet, allowing him to move more freely. Then he punched the King in the face, which made Jae Joong stumbled on the floor.
Rasping breaths. Wooh! Jung Ho lounged on his seat, stuck his tongue out, and panted. When he had the time to breathe properly, he offered a hand to his older brother, but Jae Joong slapped his palm. "You've lost proper decorum, Your Majesty. You startled me, I must admit. That was a bit unexpected from you."
"Darn it! You demon. I will crush you to death!" Jae Joong redeemed and wiped the blood from his lips.
"That's exactly the reason why I revealed it all to you. All bark, no bite. It's easy for you to say that you'll kill me, but you just can't. They say all of us have our destinies. Let me tell you yours. Hyungnim, you are not the one destined to kill me." Jung Ho shook his finger and giggled.
Let's continue the Sae Yoo story, shall we?" Jung Ho massaged his neck and primped his hair. "I planned of using Sae Yoo against you. Train him, educate him, and of course, brainwash him. What a waste! But through the years, I've found leads. Fifteen years ago, I received a report that Chil Yook was hiding in the most remote community on the Taebaek Mountains in Myeongju Province. When my men got there, they were gone. But I was told that the Grand Marshal has changed his name. Chil Yook to Muhyuk. I postponed my search for the subsequent years until I found out that my son was indeed searching for him. You know, Your Majesty, I have this theory, that one of our nangdos here in the palace could link us to where Chil Yook is." he walked closer to the withering king and showed the master list once again.
"This list follows their order based on their registration, not on their hometown nor their surname. My Jung Min was good! He planned it so well to mess me up."
Jae Joong's lips could not open, his tongue stuck between the spaces of his lips. Jung Ho continued, "I will try to find Sae Yoo this time around and make him a Prince. What do you say, Your Majesty?"
"No!"
"No? But why? Didn't you remember Lady Seol Ji's prediction on Sae Joo's fifteenth birthday? There was an unknown man destined to bring Silla to its highest glory. That man could be Sae Yoo!"
"Stop it, Jung Ho! There's no way in this world that the twins would cross paths. Are you not afraid of the Heavens? When that happens, our kingdom is good as dead. I won't let you destroy everything just because of your stupid, old-fashioned revenge. So forget it!"
"Twins... yes, twins. I nearly forgot that tiny important detail. The ill-fated sons of the king, born on the same day of the solar eclipse. Well, who says there's going to be a brotherly reunion? Never! —Your Majesty, I knew that you tried figuring out who among your sons would be the savior? The destroyer? Perhaps if you have known back then, you would have abandoned Sae Joo and chose Sae Yoo—raise and nurture him to be the best king Silla would ever have. If their fates could be predicted the moment they were born, it would be easy for you to let Sae Joo die. Don't you agree?" smiled Jung Ho, flashing his barracuda teeth.
Paralyzed would be the inaccurate word to describe Jae Joong's condition. It was a total blackout of thoughts. Shut down. Power off. One more minute of Jung Ho in his sight would either destroy himself or make him a total murderer. The King hurled his final glance to the Prime Minister and paced out of the library without making a single sound.
Without following the King with a gaze, Jung Ho stayed where he was seated and flared up an exhausted sigh. He clutched his fingers and stretched them; the sound of every crackle produced an addicting and satisfying crunch.
"That was one long, tiring confrontation. It was too much to handle, right?" he bit his lips and turned to the dusty shelves.
"—Alright, Prince. You can come out now."
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