(971 AD, 22^nd year of Gwangjong’s reign)

Ju bowed low as did all the ministers when the King declared the meeting closed after making the announcement about his daughter’s marriage. Ju looked around him. He could plainly see the reactions of the clans on the faces of the respective ministers. The first wedding in the royal family, the marriage of the King’s oldest daughter, was less a family affair and more a political statement. It was an indication of which clan the King favored most. Consequently, members of the Yoo clan were present in full force and looked jubilant after the announcement. On the other hand, members of the Hwangbo clan looked furious while all the other clans watched the proceedings with interest. Ju knew that, more than anything else, this announcement was the King’s revenge. He had heard rumors about some stunt that Uncle Wook and the Hwangbo clan pulled to corner the King and challenge his power when he first ascended the throne. He had dug around trying to confirm said rumor because it was also speculated that the King was forced to marry Queen Daemok against his wish because of that stunt. King Gwangjong was never one to forget or forgive. He got his opportunity for pay back when the Hwangbo clan submitted a proposal requesting Princess Mun Deok’s hand in marriage to Wang Chi. It had given the King great pleasure to summarily reject the proposal. With today’s announcement, his revenge was finally complete. As they filed out to the palace courtyard, ministers from the Yoo clan boisterously discussed wedding preparations and how to get everything in place within 2 weeks while the ministers from Hwangbo clan spoke in hushed whispers about what their next steps should be.

Feeling tired and suffocated by the clamoring and power-grabbing, Ju hurried away. His feet led him straight towards the one person who did not feature prominently in any of those discussions despite being the one at the centre of the decision and the one most impacted by it. A sweet smell permeated the air as he entered the section of the garden most favored by his sister where lush jasmine vines were entwined around bamboo shafts that formed arches leading towards a flower bed filled with chrysanthemum flowers of varying hues. Ju felt the weight slowly lifting off his shoulders as the tiny white flowers winked at him while leading him down the path towards the bright flower bed where the chrysanthemum flowers danced gracefully on a bed of dark green leaves. He found his sister there, plucking flowers with a soft touch as though attempting to minimize any pain that the plants might feel because of the loss, and placing them carefully in her basket. She wore a white dress with soft pink patterns that swirled around her as she moved, making her look more ethereal than ever. “I will tell Uncle Jung that he needs to first prepare a patch in his garden to convert into a chrysanthemum bed with jasmine arches before he starts wedding preparations”, Ju teased. Princess Mun Doek turned around with a smile as she asked, “Did father make the announcement?” When Ju nodded his head in assent, he thought he saw her shoulders droop slightly as she let out the breath she was holding, as though, letting go of a tiny sliver of hope that she was foolishly holding on to.

Unsure whether he actually saw what he did or only imagined it, Ju asked tentatively, “Do you still…” “Of course, not”, came the emphatic reply even before he could finish the question. Mun Deok drew herself up to her full height which wasn’t much but Ju was stunned to see how she transformed herself from a petite, fragile girl to a refined princess in an instant. “I was born a princess and I know what that entails. I have privileges and power that very few can claim. It would be very unreasonable of me to enjoy all of those privileges and then balk when the time comes to take responsibility for my position”, she said with a reassuring smile that held just a tinge of sadness. Ju felt helpless as he looked at the brave girl before him, her resignation hurting him more than tears could. “There’s still time. I could talk to mother…”, Ju said, uncertainly. “You know that mother is not the one you’d need to convince”, Mun Deok said softly, eyes drifting to her feet. “Then I’ll talk to the King”, Ju said resolutely. “You’ll do no such thing”, came the stern response. “You need to be in the King’s good graces. He looked so proud when you were announced as the winner of the tournament. This is not the time to destroy the good will that took you years to garner”, she said more softly. “In any case, I’m well aware of my duty. I always have been. When the time comes, I will ensure that you have the full support of the Yoo clan”, she said with confidence. “I don’t want to become King on the strength of your sacrifices. I’d rather see you happy”, he asserted as he took her hands in his. “Who said anything about a sacrifice?”, she asked with a laugh. “I’m not being exiled. I’m marrying into one of the most powerful clans in all of Goryeo. Soel tells me that I’m exactly the kind of daughter that Queen Munhye had always wanted – beautiful, graceful and talented in the arts. I’m sure she’ll love having me as a daughter-in-law. And I promise I’ll take care of your person while I’m there”, she said with a mischievous smile. “She’s not my person”, Ju protested. “Really? That’s hard to believe when you blush like that at the mere mention of her”, she teased. “I want you to promise me something though”, she said more seriously. “Promise me that you won’t be a coward like me. I will be rooting for you and I don’t want to see you give up, ever.” Ju felt a tear trickle down his eyes as he pulled her into a hug. “You are anything but a coward”, he said softly.

As he made his way across the garden, Ju told himself over and over again that Mun Deok was right - it was all for the best. He was taken aback when his sister Princess Cheonchu crashed into him and started complaining about the incessant teasing from their youngest, Princess Bohwa. “She says that mother is marrying me off to Chi oraboeni. That’s not true, right?”, she asked, her bright black eyes swimming in tears. Before Ju could answer, Bohwa piped up, “Of course, it’s true. I heard her talking to the ministers myself.” Ju felt his face grow red with anger as he clenched his fists. The Hwangbo clan had gone running to the queen to air their grievances and secured a promise for another royal wedding. It infuriated him that in all their scheming and plotting, no one seemed to care about what the princes and princesses really wanted, treating them simply as pieces to be positioned in the most favorable squares on the political chessboard of Goryeo. “Stop spouting nonsense, Bohwa. Haven’t you learned that you should not listen in when adults are in a discussion and then go around talking about it?” he chastised Bohwa, his frustration spilling on to his voice, making it harsher than he intended it to be. “Ouch, that’s way too harsh. You should watch your tone, your highness.” Ju looked up to see Wang Chi climbing down the stairs languidly and making his way towards them. Princess Cheonchu hid behind Ju, her face turning red while Princess Bohwa forgot her distress at her brother’s harsh words and started giggling again. “Are you marrying my sister?” asked Bohwa. “That depends on whether your sister wants to marry me, doesn’t it?” he said softly and Ju was surprised at how sincere the words sounded. “Maybe she will, if you ask her nicely”, Bohwa persisted. “Ummmm….. let’s see…. How about something like this? Let me be the wind that dries your tears and your warmth on a cold winter’s day; Let me be the thought that makes you smile for my heart will never sway.” “Ooooooo….. that’s so romantic”, Bohwa screamed, jumping up and down in excitement. “Ewwww…. That’s so tacky”, Cheonchu said as she stepped out from where she was hiding behind Ju. “Now that I’ve heard that, I’m never marrying you”, she said wrinkling her nose before running away, Bohwa chasing after her, squealing.

Ju turned back to Wang Chi intending to rip him a new one for talking so flippantly about serious topics but stopped short when he noticed the pained look on Wang Chi’s face. He followed his cousin’s gaze to where Mun Deok was walking up the garden path, flower basket in hand, stopping every now and then to pick a flower. In that instant, Ju felt sorry for his cousin. Maybe, he didn’t have it all, either. He might be a prince but he was also the son of a traitor, one that the King truly despised. While all the ministers and nobles praised him and compared him favorably to Ju, if he ever made one wrong turn or said one wrong word, the King wouldn’t blink an eye before ordering his execution and none of the ministers or nobles would breathe a word in his defense. Worst of all, the Wang Chi who laughed and flirted easily and recited tacky poetry that made girls swoon will never get to flirt or say those words to the one person they were truly meant for. By the time he turned around again, his expression softer, Wang Chi was sporting his characteristic grin. “Really? Was it that bad? I’m sure you couldn’t have come up with anything better at the spur of the moment, right?” “Spur of the moment, my . Don’t you know better than to joke about royal weddings? If your words were to fall on the wrong ears, there’d be hell to pay”, Ju rebuked him. “Ha….. that’s a surprise. To hear you talk about consequences. You should be more careful THAT doesn’t fall on the wrong ears. Your reputation as the fearless rebel will be ruined forever. What will your detractors say?”, Chi said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Ju shook his head in exasperation as he walked away, blaming himself for trying to have a sane conversation with someone who’d rather hide behind facades and masks.

Wang Chi continued on down the path until he came face to face with Princess Mun Deok who gave him a polite bow. He acknowledged the bow with an off-handed nod of the head but his eyes continued to follow her as she passed him by. “That’s a beautiful ribbon, Princess”, he noted with interest when his eyes caught the pink ribbon, the color of cherry blossoms that adorned her braid. Mun Deok stopped short, regretting the one indulgence she had allowed herself to get through the day. “Yes, it is. Thank you, oraboeni”, she said without turning around. But before she could take another step, she found Wang Chi standing before her, blocking her path and staring intently at her. She quickly averted her eyes but the damage was done. What he saw in her eyes made a small smile spread across his face. He reached out tentatively and cupped her face, lifting it up so that he could look into her eyes, all the while expecting her to push him away and chide him with indignation. On any other day, that’s exactly what Princess Mun Deok would have done. But the knowledge that she’d be leaving Songak in 2 weeks and might never see him again made it a lot more difficult to push him away. “I had hoped…… though I knew I shouldn’t…… I thought I could……if I had more time……” he faltered as he searched her brown eyes that seemed to glow in a lighter shade on her upturned face as the sunlight reflected off of the tears that quickly filled them. Wang Chi closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. When he opened them again, they were shining with a hope and resolve that set alarm bells ringing in Mun Deok’s head. “Maybe, I still can…..” “No, you can’t”, she interrupted him, her voice rendered sharp by her panic. “It’s too late. The King has announced his decision. The wedding’s in 2 weeks and everyone’s busy making arrangements.” But even as she listed out all the reasons why they couldn’t, they shouldn’t dare to hope, she wished he would stop her, tell her none of those mattered, that there was still a way out. But she knew that he couldn’t truthfully say any of those. He had neither the power nor the standing to go up against the King without putting his life and the lives of everyone around him in danger and she couldn’t let him do that. As the tears streamed down her face, she quickly pushed his hands away and bowed as she said, “I should get going.” But Wang Chi was not done. He pulled her into an embrace and as she struggled to break free, he pleaded softly, “Stay…. just for a moment.” She felt his hands her hair and his lips brush lightly against the top of her head as he tried to convey a lifetime of affection in a single embrace. She decided then that she deserved that one moment – a moment when she was not a princess but just herself, one moment when she was free to do what she wanted, what she had always wanted. So she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulders and they stayed that way for one very long moment.