(970 AD, 21^st year of Gwangjong’s reign)

Ju hoped that this was not about his mother’s health. She had been sick more often than not over the past year but she had been feeling better recently. As he rushed towards the Queen’s chambers, he racked his brains trying to remember whether there had been any hint that she was feeling sick or tired or worried when he met her for lunch the previous day. After all, she wouldn’t summon him to her chambers early in the morning without good reason. So when he stepped into the room calling out “Ommoni” in a concerned voice, he was surprised to see her all dressed up and smiling brightly. It took a moment for Ju to recover his composure but his mother’s sweet smile told him exactly why he was there. Queen Daemok sported that mesmerizingly beautiful yet strong and regal, extremely pleasant but completely fake smile only for very important occasions. The smile told him that he would shortly witness and possibly participate in some very important political maneuvering. “Ju, there you are. Pay your respects to the new Vice King. Your father is planning to make the announcement today during the festival but we should congratulate him early”, his mother said in an excessively sweet voice. He looked around to see who her unsuspecting victim was and was surprised once again to see Uncle Jung. Ju smiled as he bowed to his uncle, noticing that even as Uncle Jung tried to give off a social gathering vibe, attempting to look like a carefree brother just having an informal tea with his nooyi, his eyes expressed some misgivings. “Uncle Jung is learning. He’s not as naïve as he used to be”, Ju thought to himself as he took a seat at the table. Queen Daemok poured him a cup of tea while she addressed Jung. “I also wanted to thank you for training our Ju. Did you hear that he won the tournament during Hangawi this year? That’s two years in a row that he has won”, said the queen, her face shining with pride. “You are the only one who has a better record than him. Didn’t you win three times in a row before you went off to the borders to fight the Khitan?” The queen’s words reminded Jung of a different time and a different world - a simpler world. He smiled at the memory. Watching Jung laugh and chat unreservedly about the times when he and the queen had grown up in the palace together, Ju revised his opinion - “And yet, he has a long way to go.” Uncle Jung might have learned to be cautious but he had still fallen for the queen’s tactic of lulling her victims into a false sense of complacency before going for the kill.

It was a good half an hour before the queen casually asked, “Why didn’t you bring your daughter along? I’ve wanted to see her for a long time.” The smile disappeared from Jung’s face as he quickly mumbled something about his daughter always hanging out at Damiwon and about the King keeping him very busy during his visits to the palace.  “You make me look bad. My niece visits the palace so often. As the queen, I should have tea with her and make her feel welcome. How can I do that when you keep her hidden from me? What would your wife think?” The topic of discussion worried Ju even as he focused on keeping his expression neutral. He knew perfectly well that his mother was not yearning with an intense desire to meet and have tea with Soel. Far from it, she even avoided thoughts of the girl because she reminded her of the woman she hated. So what was his mother trying to do? “By the way, WHY does my niece visit the palace so often? And the two of you spend so much time with the King. Over the years, you seem to have become very close to him. I remember that you despised him so much that you didn’t even attend my wedding even though I invited you. And look at you now. You make so many trips to the capital that you might as well leave Chungju and move here for good. Now, tell me what is actually going on. You won’t keep your nooyi in the dark, would you?”, Queen Daemok asked with a mischievous grin. Jung shifted in his seat and forced a smile. But the beads of sweat forming on his forehead exposed his discomfort. “Come on, nooyi. You know there is nothing going on”, Jung said with a laugh that sounded hollow. Ju knew that Jung had no way out. His mother could smell the fear and unease emanating from his uncle and she would keep pushing until she got what she wanted. “Really? You mean, you are not planning on making our Soel the next queen of Goryeo?”, Queen Daemok continued in the same teasing tone but now there was a slight undertone of menace in her voice that neither men missed. Jung felt a shiver run through his spine as he quickly countered, his voice a notch louder than before, his tone deadly serious and his face completely losing the façade of geniality, “No, my daughter will never become the queen of Goryeo. She will not marry the crown prince nor will she ever live in this palace.” Jung’s gaze turned to Ju as he insisted in a defiant tone, “I will never allow it”.

Ju felt anger rise within him as he locked eyes with his Uncle. His grip on his cup tightened as the words escaped him, filled with fury, “Why? What’s wrong with marrying the crown prince?” He regretted his outburst almost immediately when his mother interjected with a pleasant laugh. “Don’t take his words to heart, Ju. Your uncle is not belittling you.” Ju averted his eyes and tightened his grip on his cup further to keep his hands from shaking, as he struggled to control his rage. “Of course not”, Jung agreed hastily. Queen Daemok tilted her head slightly as she added in a teasing tone with a mischievous smile, “I wonder if he’s rejecting you because he has some other prince in mind for his daughter?” This time, the menace in her eyes and the threat in her voice were unmistakable. She locked eyes with Jung, daring him to look away. Ju’s eyes opened wide as the meaning of her words sunk in. He realized that this confrontation had very little to do with Jung or even Soel. This was his mother foiling the ambitions of his grandmother, Queen Sinjeong, who wished to make Wang Chi the next King of Goryeo. Queen Daemok was nipping in the bud any plans that the Yoo clan and the Hwangbo clan may have to join hands in matrimony because such an alliance would weaken Ju’s position when the time comes for his ascension to the throne. Ju felt his chest tighten. He was surprised at his own reaction as he struggled to register his mother’s voice while she continued stalking her prey. There was no reason to panic. His mother had it under control. The result of this staring contest was a foregone conclusion even before it started. When pitted against his mother in a battle of nerves, few could survive, let alone win, and Uncle Jung was certainly not one of them. “No, it isn’t… she isn’t… I’m not ready to marry her off yet”, Jung stammered as he looked away.

“I was just joking.” Queen Daemok’s voice was again saccharine sweet now that she had made her point. Jung slowly let out his breath even as he seemed to be engrossed in the contents of his tea cup. “Now that you brought up the subject of marriage, you know, I was thinking it’s time to marry off my eldest daughter.  Your son is around the same age as her, isn’t he?” Jung looked up in surprise, the tea cup and its contents completely forgotten. “Now that I think about it, they would be a perfect match”, the queen continued, apparently surprised at the completely unexpected revelation. “Someday, your son would take over from you as the head of the Yoo clan and would be a great source of strength for our Ju who will take over from his father as the King of Goryeo. When the baton passes to the next generation, I hope they will be as close as true brothers just like you and the King. Wouldn’t it be great if they were also in-laws? This marriage feels destined, doesn’t it? I’m surprised you didn’t bring this up before”, she continued, b with excitement. “But, the King….”, Jung recovered from the shock sufficiently to realize that the person with the biggest say in this particular marriage or any royal marriage for that matter, was not part of the current conversation. “Of course, you must talk to the King when you meet him. I will also let him know that I completely agree with you that this is a marriage that the Gods have willed. I’m sure his majesty won’t have any objections. After all, who can be a better groom for the first princess of Goryeo than the future head of the great Yoo clan of Chungju? They are perfect for each other, the country would be more stable and our relationship would be stronger than ever.”  Jung opened and closed his mouth multiple times looking for the right words to say before giving up and just saying “Yes”. He got up wearily and said something incoherent about some urgent business he needed to attend to. As Jung bowed low and left the room, Ju turned to face his mother. She now wore a triumphant smile even as she looked thoughtful and Ju knew that she was already planning her next move. He smiled an indulgent smile as he asked after her health and warned her not to exert herself too much. When he bid her goodbye and walked out onto the palace grounds, his chest still felt heavy and he was surprised at how uneasy he felt. His mother had just secured his position with the strongest clan in the country and almost sealed it with a marriage. He should be pleased. Yet, something was wrong, something was out of place and for some reason, he couldn’t put a finger on what it was that made him feel so empty inside.