“Why are you just letting Sookmyung do these things?”

Jidwi asked as he stood in front of his mother, Queen Regent Ji Soo. It was in the middle of the night at Hwarang House— a perfect time for him to confront his mother away from anyone who might find out about his real identity.

“Is it not a good thing for you?” the Queen tells him almost right after he had dropped the question. “Someone else is mistaken as the King instead of you.”

Jidwi stared at his mother as he tells him these words like it was nothing. But deep inside, he was completely against about this ridiculous idea.

“Whether Master Ahnji’s son is mistaken for the King, keep your mouth shut. That is the only thing you could do right now.”

“Are you saying that you planned this whole thing?” he asks incredulously.

“I can do anything.” Queen Ji Soo tells him, desperate to keep his identity safe. “If you can get the throne safely, I can kill all members of Hwarang right now.”

“I can even sacrifice Heo Chunhwa’s life, if that would mean for you to get the throne without any difficulty.”

Jidwi visibly blanched at that, his mother telling him that she can kill all members of Hwarang was one thing. Hearing her threatened to kill Chunhwa was more than another. He couldn’t help but seethe in anger.

“Do you...Do you think that is what I want?” he tries to calmly tell her, trying his best not to explode in anger. “Do you think I want my Hwarang to die especially Chunhwa, for that matter?”

“I do not care about what you want, what you wish to do, and what you hate.” she tells him unconcerned. “However, I care about what I can do.”

The young King narrowed his eyes at that.

“If you want to take the throne in your lifetime, do not do anything. Nothing at all. Do you understand?”

“Will you still just sit and watch?” one ministry official from Minister Youngshil’s side asks the Queen a few days later during their gathering in the throne room.

Yesterday, a rider-less horse approached one of Silla’s guarded gate boarders and made a pair of guards shrink back in complete fear when they saw several human heads tied to its saddle. A banner was also attached to the horse’s back, saying that those who are eyeing Baekje will get what they deserve. This had completely alarmed the palace and the ministry officials.

“If we do not take action, they will think that Silla is a pushover.” another from his side says, looking up at the Queen— who seems to be deeply thinking about this major problem they are facing.

“However, we cannot break the alliance we have kept with Baekje for over 100 years!” Minister Kim Seub cuts in. “Once our alliance breaks, Goguryeo will certainly try to conquer this nation.”

“What alliance?” the other side mockingly says, “From what is happening now, it is obvious our alliance already broke!”

“What do you mean?” Minister Seub asks incredulously, “You should watch what you say!”

Another ministry official from Minister Youngshil’s side scoffs this time.

“If it is not over with them, what is this? The Prince of Baekje is notorious to be aggressive and tyrannical. Then do you just want to sit and do nothing?”

“Let us go into war.”

The Queen’s eyes widen in shock as she whipped her head to look at the owner of the voice— everyone in the room was startled at those words as well as they all look at Minister Youngshil before they started murmuring to each other in disbelief.

“Baekje provokes us when there is chance. We will take the chance and make it ours.” he added, turning his head to look up at the Queen.

“Baekje is stronger than us!” Minister Seub counters back, “How can we take it over?”

Minister Youngshil turned to him. “If we cannot go into war, why do we not send the Princess to make peace?” he turned back to the Queen as he addresses this question to her.

The Queen opened at that but the minister continued, “If we send the minimum number of delegates escorting her, it might be solved rather easily than we think.”

“How can we use the Princess in such matters?” Minister Seub tells him, completely baffled by the idea.

“Then go into war.” Minister Youngshil turns to him. He looked taken a back at his answer and looked at the Queen before looking away.

Minister Youngshil turned to the Queen this time. “What will you decide? Is it war or amity?”

Queen Ji Soo took a deep breath at that but did not answer.

“Please do make a decision.”

The Hwarang men are gathered in their lecture room as they were informed that the Chief Instructor has something important to tell them. As everyone sat on their usual seats, every Hwarang could not help but look and stare as Sunwoo entered the lecture room with his usual frowning expression. He sat down beside Yeowool, looking unaffected from all the stares that he was receiving. Yeowool on the other hand couldn’t help but furrow his eyebrows in what is happening.

“What is this strange gaze?” he said as he look around and then turned his head to Sunwoo who only continued staring ahead, expressionless. At the same time, Jidwi enters the lecture room and spared Sunwoo a look before sitting beside another Hwarang on the other side of the room.

“Did you see him at the sparring competition?” a Hwarang tells his friend.

“I thought I was going to pee in my pants.” he replied, shivering.

“Had I known he was the King, I should have been nicer.” says their other friend who was sitting at their back— they couldn’t help but nod solemnly in regret.

Banryu and Sooho also looked at Sunwoo, both in a deep thought about him being the King. Yeowool sighs as he looked at the three Hwarang men who were talking and then back at the person beside him who remained unfazed.

“Is your face okay?” he asks him, “Everyone is staring at you.”

The expressionless Hwarang ignored him as well. At that moment, the doors to the lecture room opened and Master Wi Hwa together with Master Bujae enters the room, wasting no time as they both made their way up the podium.

The Chief Instructor heaves a sigh as he looks around the room before turning towards the Hwarang men looking at him curiously.

“Today, I have something special to say to you.” he starts and everyone looked at him attentively.

“What I am about to say is not an assignment for which you shall pass or fail and it is not your duty which you must perform.”

Different pairs of eyebrows couldn’t help but furrow at the Chief Instructors words.

“However,” he continued, “It is something that someone must do.”

Master Wi Hwa paused, observing the men in front of him— they were all looking up to him in anticipation and curiosity. No one spoke nor react, obviously giving their full attention to what the elder was about to say.

“You will be amity delegates.” the Chief Instructor finally reveals, “But I cannot guarantee your safety or your life.”

At that, different reactions finally rose from the Hwarang men as they started looking and whispering at each other.

“You will leave in three days.” Master Wi Hwa continues, not minding the little commotion in front of him. “We will take volunteers in the courtyard tomorrow. I will let you think it over until then.”

“Who would do that?” Yeowool says incredulously, turning to Sunwoo. “Don’t you agree?”

“Lady Heo is here to see you, Your Highness.”

A servant announces and just right after, the doors to Princess Sookmyung’s room in the Hwarang House opened— revealing Chunhwa dressed in her hanbok. She entered the room and respectfully bowed to the Princess who was currently drinking her tea.

“Lady Chunhwa greets you, Princess Sookmyung.”

Princess Sookmyung looks at her guard, giving her a signal to leave the two of them alone. As the guard finally leaves and the doors closed, Chunhwa immediately sat beside Princess Sookmyung with a worried expression.

“Your Highness, is it true that you’re going to Baekje?”

“It is,” the Princess concedes with a nod, putting down her tea. “I will be going there for amity between Silla and Baekje.”

“Amity?” the older of the two echoes, eyebrows furrowing. “How can going to Baekje be called amity? We’re on the verge of war at any moment and yet—“

“I know.” the younger cuts her off with a sigh. “That’s what I have told the Queen too, but she is hoping that by sending me there, Baekje would consider not to declare war against Silla.”

“Is there no other way?”

Princess Sookmyung looks at her and softly shrugs. “I’m just following the Queen’s orders.”

“Then I’m coming with you.” Chunhwa tells her determinedly, holding her hand that was resting on top of the table as they look at each other.

“I will protect you.”

The younger maiden places her other hand on top of hers, shaking her head with a small smile.

“There is no need, Chunhwa eonni. There will be a few Hwarang men who will come with me, just stay here.”

“But...”

“It’s okay.” she reassures her, “Besides, you are needed here in Hwarang House. I believe that it will be better if you’ll stay here in Silla. The Queen Mother had also said so.”

“Her Highness did?” she couldn’t believe her ears, but still stubbornly shook her head. “However, protecting the future Queen of Silla is more important.”

Princess Sookmyung smiled sadly at her words.

“Are you still thinking that I will marry my brother when the time comes?”

Chunhwa couldn’t help but give her a confused smile at that.

“Isn’t that supposed to be a Sacred Bone’s fate?”

“Then what about you?” the younger says softly, “Aren’t you in love with my brother?”

Chunhwa immediately froze at that. The Princess knew about her feelings for Sam Maekjong? But... how?

“I know,” Princess Sookmyung says, as if reading her thoughts. “I’ve seen the way your eyes would light up whenever his name was mentioned before. I’ve also seen the way you were looking at the empty throne with longing in your eyes the moment you came back here in Silla. You don’t have to deny anything from me, eonni.”

She smiles softly at her, “I know... and I understand.”

It was the older’s turn to give her a sad smile as she looked down and intertwined their hands together.

“I’ll be fine, Sookmyung-ah.” she looks up to her, “I am not a Sacred Bone and what I felt for your brother was just a childish love... I don’t deserve him.”

“Chunhwa eonni...”

Chunhwa gives her a reassuring smile this time as she pats the younger’s hand.

‘Because from the start he already belongs to you... Who am I to want someone I can never have?’

“Where did you say I am going?” Princess Sookmyung asks as she stood in front of the Queen Regent.

“Did you say you want me to go to Baekje? And without soldiers?” she added, unbelieving what she had just heard.

Queen Ji Soo sighs at her daughter’s expression, “I am not sending you to war, but for amity.”

“Is it not a war just because we deny it?”

“Sookmyung.” the Queen softly utters, “If our alliance with them fails, the Three Kingdoms will be in chaos. They know this as well.”

Princess Sookmyung looked at her mother with an expressionless face, listening to her words but deep inside, she was completely against the idea of sending herself without soldiers to a country that they are on a verge of war with.

“You must alert them of the risk and mend the relationship.”

“Why must I do it?” the Princess couldn’t help but ask.

“Because this is not a war, but an amity.” the Queen says, staring off a distance and then back to her. “Besides, Chunhwa will also be there to protect you.”

Princess Sookmyung felt relieve at hearing that Chunhwa would be there with her, but she had other plans in her mind if she is going to be sent to Baekje for their so called amity. She opened to speak.

“In that case, I have a condition.”

Author's Note:

So, uhm. I'm thinking of putting a pause to this story here on AFF
since that I do not have much audience here. I'm going to continue
posting it however on my wattpad account until I finish it there and
and repost the chapters here. So yeah.

If you guys have wattpad, you can follow this story there.
My WP author name is akia_huneey.

Thank you! : )
 

- flyingjunmyeons [20170721]