The capital’s citizens were buzzing with excitement on the day of the Moon Festival. While the children were just plainly excited towards the performances and the lanterns that they will be seeing tonight, the women on the other hand were more focused on prettying up themselves. During noon, most of them were found inside Daiseo, one of the trendiest shops in Seorabeol.

“This is pretty!” a maiden says, holding up a pearl necklace in her hands. She put on the pearl necklace and turned towards her friend who was busy looking through the other accessories laid out in front of them.

“Hey, what do you think?” she says, grabbing her friend’s attention. Her friend turned to look at her and thought for a moment.

“It looks good. It suits your dress!”

Another maiden, the head mistress of Okta made her way towards a group of women in one corner of the room, she then lightly smack one of the women’s shoulder using her fan but it was strong enough for the maiden to turn to her with a gasp, capturing the attention of the other maidens in the group.

“What is it?” the woman asks the head mistress in confusion.

“Yah. Make yourselves as pretty as possible!” she says, looking at them one by one critically. She sighs as she looks ahead with a concerned expression, putting her fan near her face in a dramatic stance.

“We may lose in beauty to the Hwarang members who are more beautiful than women.”

The group of women made a sound of agreement despite also sounding depressed at what the head mistress had said.

“Okta’s pride is on the line. Do you understand?” she looked at them with a warning look.

“Yes.” the maidens chorused as they started to pretty themselves more as possible.

“By the way, have you all heard? The carriage that we saw a couple of days ago belongs to a princess from the North.” one of the maidens says and everyone in the group looks at her.

“Really? But I heard it was actually the late Lord Guhae’s granddaughter. She was apparently staying in the North all this time.” said another, causing them to ask themselves as the name they heard was somehow familiar.

“Omo, Lord Guhae’s granddaughter?” the head mistress says in surprise. They all looked at her.

“Do you know her?”

“Does he really have a granddaughter? I can’t remember.”

The head mistress nods in awe.

“That’s right, Lord Guhae has a granddaughter from what I remember. But I didn’t know she’s still alive now that you have mentioned it.”

“Huh? Why would she be dead?” one of them asks. The head mistress looks at them with a compelling look and they all leaned towards her in anticipation.

“AH! I don’t know.” she suddenly bursts out and shooed them away from her personal space.

“Now make yourselves prettier! Go!”

“Yes!”

“My Lady, are you alright?” Damyi asks, looking over at Chunhwa who suddenly leaned on one of the pillars in the Hwarang House with an unpleasant expression on her face.

Chunhwa bend her body down a little, clutching on her stomach— her other hand thumping her chest in a gentle manner.

“I think...” she starts, looking over at her maid with a small smile. “I think I’m having indigestion again.”

“Then, should I you back to your room and inform the other servants to call a royal physician?”

“It’s okay.” Chunhwa shakes her head, breathing deeply before standing upright with effort.

“I was informed that they have a physician in Hwarang. You can summon him instead after taking me back to my room.”

 “Yes, My Lady.” Damyi bows and assists her as they slowly walked back towards the guest quarters.

Ahro was sitting on a chair inside the doctor’s room— her finger still pressed on the top of her head, applying some pressure for her headache to subside when the door opens, revealing Damyi.

Ahro immediately stands up and the two bowed at each other.

“Hello, what can I do to help?” she says politely, looking over at the maid standing by the door.

“Ah, yes.” she starts looking around the room. “May I know who the physician of this place is? My mistress is currently feeling unwell and I need the physician to check up on her.”

Ahro blinks at the maiden in front of her before nodding. “Well, I’m the physician in Hwarang. What can I do to help?”

Damyi looks a little surprised, “Is that so? Well please do come with me to the guest quarters. My mistress is having indigestion and she cannot move too much around right now.”

“Indigestion?” the female physician says, “Alright. I shall take the necessary medicines first and I’ll follow you to her room.”

The maid bowed to her in thanks and left the room in a little hurry, Ahro following her not long after.

Chunhwa lay on her bed as cold sweat rolled down from her forehead. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath— hand still clutching on her stomach as she rolled over to her side and to a foetal position. The door to her room gently opened, Damyi quietly entering together with Ahro behind her.

“My Lady?” she softly calls, spotting Chunhwa’s figure on the bed— her back facing them.

They made their way towards the bed; Damyi gently shakes her shoulder while Ahro placed her medical equipment down the table inside the room and the herbal tea she had made.

Chunhwa slowly opened her eyes, carefully turning around towards Damyi and noticing another person inside the room. She slowly sat up with the help of her maid, wincing as she did so.

“You must be the physician here in Hwarang House.” she softly says, regarding towards the other female inside the room.

Ahro bowed to her as she moved forward and handed the cup of herbal tea towards Chunhwa.

“Please drink this star anise tea, My Lady. It will help your indigestion go away quickly while I give you some acupuncture.”

Chunhwa looked up at her, taking the cup of tea in her hands with a soft thank you before slowly drinking it. Ahro then proceeded to take out her acupuncture needles and sat down on her bed— taking her free hand and cautiously placing the needle on her palm.

Chunhwa handed the cup to Damyi as she finished, she turned her attention towards the female physician who was feeling her pulse— the pain in her stomach was now thankfully subsiding.

“It seems that you have a weak stomach that you tend to have indigestion often.” Ahro says after a few moments, looking up to her. “Have you been stressed lately, My Lady?”

Chunhwa nodded, smiling a little. “That’s right. I think it happens when I move to a new place that I’m yet to be familiar with, but my stomach had been already weak even when I was a child.”

“I see,” she nods, “Well, I shall prescribe you to drink the star anise tea thirty minutes before your meals for a week in order to avoid having indigestion as often as we can prevent it.”

“Alright, thank you.” Chunhwa says, “By the way, may I know your name?”

“Ah, yes.” Ahro nods, “It’s Ahro. My name is Ahro, My Lady.”

“Ahro?” she echoes, “Are you perhaps, Master Ahnji’s daughter?”

Ahro nods again, “Yes. I’m his daughter.”

“Well, do you not remember me? We used to play together whenever my grandfather, Lord Guhae visits your father to have his health checked.”

“Lord Guhae?” Ahro furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but then suddenly clicks and she turns to Chunhwa with a smile. “It can’t be...Chun-Chun?”

The other nods with a small laugh. “That’s right, it’s me.”

“Wow, it has been a long time since we have last seen each other that I almost didn’t remember.” said Ahro as she slowly pulled out the needle from her palm, “So how do you feel now, My Lady?”

Chunhwa took a breath and smile at her, “I feel better, thanks to you. I can’t believe that we will meet again, here in Hwarang House out of all places.”

“I thought so too, My Lady.” Ahro says, standing up and packing up her needles. “However, as much as I wanted to talk to you I shall let you have some more rest in order for you to get better.”

Chunhwa nods, “Alright, thank you for treating me.”

“You’re welcome.” Ahro bows, “It’s nice meeting you again, My Lady.”

“By the way,” Chunhwa says as she was about to walk away.

“Yes?”

“You can just call me Chunhwa, I feel like that would be more appropriate towards two people who were friends when they were young. Don’t you agree?”

Ahro nods with a smile. “Alright, Chunhwa.”

“Thank you again, Ahro.”

The night of the Moon Festival has arrived. Everyone is gathered in the capital square as they watch different performances unfold in front of them from playing the instruments to dancing. The Queen and the princess were sat on the left facing the stage while the Ministers were sat on the other side.

Chunhwa arrived at the capital square together with Damyi and they bowed to the Queen and the princess in greeting.

“I apologize for arriving a little late, Your Highness. I was feeling a little unwell this afternoon.” she says as she looks up at the Queen and the princess.

“Are you feeling well now, Chunhwa-eonni?” Princess Sookmyung asks with a worried expression.

Chunhwa smiles, “Yes, thank you for your concern Princess Sookmyung.”

“Well then you should join us, I have prepared a sit for you beside Princess Sookmyung.” Queen Ji Soo says, smiling a little at her.

Chunhwa looked at the other side and saw the ministry officials sitting on the other side of the square and turned back towards the Queen.

“Thank you, Your Highness. However, I shall greet the ministry officials first before doing so.” she says.

“Alright, do that.” the Queen nods at her and Chunhwa gives them a bow before she and Damyi made their way towards the ministry officials.

As Chunhwa reached them, she gave them a bow in respect, telling them to enjoy the performance in the festival. She reached Minister Seub, Sooho’s father and gave him a bow.

“Hello, Minister Seub. I hope you have been well all this time.” she says politely.

Minister Seub leaned forward and a smile reached up his face. “Aren’t you Lord Guhae’s granddaughter? Heo Chunhwa?”

Chunhwa nods, “Yes, that is right, Minister Seub. It has been a long time.”

The minister heartily laughs as he stood and gently took Chunhwa’s hand in his. “Indeed, it has. You have grown beautifully, my child. If only your grandfather is alive.” he shakes his head with a sigh as he lets go of her hand.

“Anyway, I’m glad you are finally back here in Silla. It was nice to see you again.”

“Yes, it was nice to see you too again Minister Seub. Well then,” Chunhwa bows and proceeds to greet the rest of the ministry officials until she reaches Minister Youngshil.

“Hello, Minister Youngshil. I hope you have been well.” Chunhwa bows to him in greeting, smiling politely. Minister Youngshil narrowed his small eyes at her as he took in her face; he smiles a little as he recognizes her.

“Well, if this isn’t the late Lord Guhae’s granddaughter.” he says. “They said that a princess from the North has arrived but I didn’t know it was actually you.”

Chunhwa smiles at that but did not give him a reply.

“You have grown as a very beautiful maiden all those years in hiding.” Minister Youngshil nods to himself. “I hope the Queen has a good reason as to why she has finally let her favourite dog out and sniffing around in the palace.”

Chunhwa felt insulted at what the minister had said but nonetheless gave him a strained smile, fighting back her rage from the insult.

“Then I shall take that as a compliment Minister Youngshil, I hope you enjoy tonight’s show.”

With that, she gave him a short bow before hastily walking away from the ministers.

“My Lady, are you alright?” Damyi asks as she follows her with a worried look.

Chunhwa stops and turns around, looking at her and back to where the ministers are.

“I’m alright,” She reassures her. “I should not be surprised anyway. He’s still the same wicked old man who envied my grandfather and despised the Queen Regent.”

Jidwi was walking around the tents as he made his way towards the Queen Regent’s tent. He had to know why his mother had sent Sookmyung to the Hwarang House, especially that woman who came all the way from the North. He had to know who she is and why is there something familiar about her.

Busy brooding about different questions in his head, he didn’t realized that someone was actually walking towards him and they bumped against each other. The person he bumped into was about to fall back but his fast reflexes kicked in and he immediately catches her by the waist.

Chunhwa looked up at him with surprised expression as Jidwi had finally got a good look at her face. He looked into her wide eyes and his sight landed on the two moles located under her left eye. Time seemed to stop as he remembers a certain name and a certain face of a young girl 8 years ago.

“U-uhm.” Chunhwa stammers out and Jidwi, finally realizing their position immediately helped her stand up straight.

“I’m sorry. I was not looking were I was going.” Chunhwa says, embarrassed yet stern at the same time before hurriedly walking away from him.

Jidwi stood rooted in his spot as he watches her disappear in one of the tents, his head pounding with new questions and thoughts.

“Is that really you, Chunhwa?” he whispers to himself.

“Was it your idea, mother?”

Queen Ji Soo, who had her eyes closed, opened them to see her son enter her tent and walk towards her.

“Why did you send Sookmyung in the Hwarang House?” he added, giving her a hard look.

Queen Ji Soo smiled at this. “The King is in Hwarang House. Why cannot the Princess?”

“Mother.” he warns.

“If you don’t like Sookmyung being in the Hwarang House, why don’t you just leave yourself?” she scoffs, “A king who dances for the people, do you plan to destroy the king’s dignity?”

“No one knows that I am the king, so why does that matter?” he answers her, his expression now unreadable. “If you will not give me the throne, I cannot become king anyway.”

“You asked why I sent Sookmyung.” Queen Ji Soo ignores his words. “In lines with tradition, Sookmyung will become your bride.”

“I cannot. I will choose my own bride.” Jidwi shook his head at this and the Queen gives him a hard look this time.

“Do you still not get it? What you want is irrelevant.”

“Also, why is Chunhwa back in Silla? You told me that once she regained back her health years ago, she will never step foot in Silla ever again to keep her safe. You even told me to forget her.” Jidwi took a deep breath, “Why did you have to bring her back here?”

Queen Ji Soo smiles coldly at his question.

“She went back here to Silla herself, I never asked her to come back. She just knows exactly when the kingdom needs her to be.”

“I don’t know what you are planning but I won’t ever let her get involved in your plans.” his hands clenched into fists.

“I won’t ever let her get involved in this mess.”

Jidwi gives his mother another one last hard look and he went out of the tent.

Author's Note:

First of all, I would like to apologize for not updating last Wednesday.
I had some writer's block, the common enemy of every writer and I
found it hard to be eloquent writing my update so I took a long time
to be able to give you guys an update I'm really sorry for that but do
not worry! I'll be updating again on Saturday hehe. And please do
tell me if you have found any grammar mistakes and typos!! 

Hope you guys like this chapter!! This is longer than the
last one but the longer the chapter, the better right? kk
Finally I could get some sleep lol
Comments and Feedback are appreciated!
 

- flyingjunmyeons [20170505]