2 March 1203

As he ran around the garden that he was forbidden from entering, he noticed a little hole at the bottom of the wall. Curiousity got the better of him as he walked towards the hole with thousand of question marks floating in his head. He had always wanted to know how the outside world looked like as he was never once allowed to step out of the palace.

He squatted and peeped through the hole only to spot a river and some people in the distance. He presumed that the people he saw were villagers living outside the palace just like what he had been taught by his teacher. In his eyes, they were dressed poorly ascompared to the superfluous outfit that he wore. 

As compared to his shiny and healthy black hair, the hair of the 'villagers' looked like they were dying. It looked like it had not been combed for years and it was all frizzy. 

"Why do they look so haggard and what are they doing?" He asked himself as he noticed the 'villagers' use coal and other tools to sharpen the different weapons in their hands. 

All of a sudden, he saw two imperial guards drag a man that was sharpening a sword and slap the man harshly, making the man land face flat on the ground with blood oozing out of his mouth. This made him widen his eyes in fear as he covered his mouth in shock. 

"How could they do this to him?! I must tell the Emperor about this!" He thought to himself.

He had never once been beaten in his life and to see someone beaten with blood oozing out from that person's mouth. As the two guards continued to beat the man and as they laughed as him, it made Seunghyun's heart ache and it made him want to change the lives of the 'villagers' or anyone out there who was suffering as much as the man he just saw. 

Too busy with his thoughts, he failed to notice someone around his age walk towards that hole he was peeping through. When he heard someone say,"Hey what are you looking at?" It made his shoulders jerk up in shock. 

"Who are you?" He questioned back as he looked at the eye that was looking at him, completely blocking his view.

"Who are you?" The person from the other side asked. To him, this person had a soft delicate voice and it sounded so gentle and soothing to his ears that he wouldn't mind listening to it for a thousand, or even a million times.

"Me? I'm the crown prince, Choi Seung Hyun. What about you?" 

"What?! I'm sorry, for speaking so rudely to you just now, your majesty. My apologies. Please do not tell the guards or anyone about this. I'm really very sorry. If you tell them about this, they... they might beat me or worse still, even kill me. Please, dont tell them anything. I beg you..." the person from the other side pleaded, voice cracking.

"Don't worry, I promise not to tell anyone about this. You are my friend okay? Just speak freely with me. What is your name anyway?" Seung Hyun asked. 

"I...I can't be your friend, your majesty. We are on a completely different status and I don't even have the right to talk to you, yet here I am speaking to you. I-I'll leave now, your majesty." The person on the other side said as he stood up with his eye leaving the hole and all Seung Hyun could see next was the rough fabric of his clothes. Seung Hyun looked keenly through the hole as the person walked further away from the hole. Seung Hyun finally knew that the person talking to him was a boy based on the way he was dressed. Best still, that boy looked like he was around the same height as Seung Hyun which meant that Seung Hyun was most likely around the same age as that boy!

It made Seung Hyun happy to know that he could make a new friend and it made him determine to keep this first and only friend of his. With his sharp witted brain, he knew that by using his power, it'll make the boy come back. Seung Hyun bravely, shouted"Wait! I command you to come back here." 

The boy immediately turned his back and ran back to the hole. Seung Hyun managed to catch a glimpse of the face of that boy. He had one of the prettiest face he ever saw although it was covered slightly in dirt. 

"Yes, you majesty? What do you need from me?" The boy asked timidly.

"Your name! I've been asking for your name countless of times already!"

"I...Why do you need my name for? If you don't mind me asking, your majesty. I know that it's wrong for me to talk to you but I didn't know that it's the crown prince and...and I was just curious when I saw something here. Please don't report me to the imperial guards."

"Are you always this suspicious? I just want to know your name that's all!" Seung Hyun sighed in exasperation.

"My name is Kwon Ji Yong but please do not-"

"Kwon Ji Yong? That's a cute name like me! The palace maids always say that I'm cute. Anyway, from today onwards, Ji Yong, you are going to be my first friend. Nice to meet you, my friend."

 "I...I can't be your friend. My mother says that-"

"I don't care! If I say that you are my friend, then you are my friend!" Seung Hyun huffed and crossed his arms angrily.

"Your majesty, don't be angry. I'll be your friend. I...I have to go now!" Ji Yong said hurriedly and ran off quickly after that.

"Goodbye my friend! I'll meet you tomorrow!" Seung Hyun shouted out to Ji Yong but he wasn't sure if he got a nod or any response. However, whatever the case, this was Seung Hyun's first friend and he promised himself that he will keep this friend no matter what. Seung Hyun clutched his heart happily and hugged himself tightly.

"My first friend~ my first friend~" he thought to himself happily and smiled sweetly at the thought of Ji Yong again.

...

"Your majesty, where have you been? We've been looking for you all over the palace!" Eunuch Lee exclaimed.

"Eunuch Lee, can I meet my father now? I have something to speak to him." Seung Hyun asked, completely ignoring the Eunuch's question.

"I'm afraid not, your majesty. The Emperor is out hunting and will be back in 5 days. You might have to wait till then to speak to him." 

"The Empress arrives!" One of the palace maids hollered and everyone immediately got down on their knees, except for Seung Hyun who ran to his mother.

"Mother! Mother! I need to speak to you about something!" He exclaimed, tugging on the silk fabric of the Empress's dress. This made the Empress glare coldly at Seung Hyun with annoyance written all over her face. 

"Crown Prince, how many times do I have to tell you that you are not allowed to address me as "mother". Act like your age and stop behaving like a child if you want to become Ki