Commitments and Promises

...

Jaejoong and Sooyeon went out to Seorabeol to look a job. They got in the palace wandering on what job to take. After going to the different parts of the palace, they were on the risk on giving up and only walked back to the inn jobless.

"I guess you should decide to be a Hwarang, Jaejoong-ah." Sooyeon kept on teasing Jaejoong. "I could only be one if I could pass the test and show my loyalty. How about you then? It's not like i'll be the only one who'll make a living." He just replied sharply.

"I could be a Hwarang if I could, but I'm a woman and I can't change that. I wouldn't want to be a maid who would be treated as a slave to the members of the Royal family." She just answered back with a glare.

"Then fine, you can pretend to be my younger brother and you can cross dress to be a Hwarang. Right?" He nudged her on the shoulder with a smirk. "No of course not! I mean I am thankful of being a woman. I wouldn't want to be anything else." She whined quietly at him and smacked him on the arm the way back home.

"From tommorow on, you'll pretend to be a boy to join the Hwarangs. Come on you were always boyish when you were working in the market with Lady Uhmwoong." He argued with her as they were walking back home to the inn.

"It was only to catch those girls and gain more money for us to survive you know." She just rolled her eyes at him and place her hands on her hips. "Come on Sooyeon-ah. It's to survive come on. I know you've been curious on how men live daily and now here's your chance." Jaejoong just sighed tired of arguing.

"Fine. But once they find out i'm a woman.. I'm leaving this place." Sooyeon answered shortly as she raised her arms in defeat. "No promises." She added munching on the red bean pastes.

"When they would find out you're a woman, I'd chop off that hair of yours to the point you won't be able to tie it anymore!" He jokingly poked her on forehead.

"But it was your stupid idea in the first place to let me cross dress and do something my gender is forbidden to do." She just rolled her eyes at him while speaking in an 'matter-of-fact' tone.

"Admit it you're good in cross dressing. You lent my clothes that I outgrew as a kid when you were younger and way shorter than me." He raised his voice in an annoyed tone.

"But I'm almost the same height as you, you wetch!" Sooyeon just hit him with the bag she has on the shoulder playfully. "Wetch, me a wetch? If I'm a wetch what are you a witch." Jaejoong pretended to be offended and imitated her manner of speech like a girl.

They pulled each others hair and playfully tortured each other on the way to the inn and getting rest and baths before enjoying the meal they have wanted for almost the entire day.

---

The royal family of Silla was busy tightening the ties it has with the Tang Dynasty. For once, the newly established Emperor Hangeng and his Empress Li Yin came to visit Silla as part of their ties.

"Emperor Hangeng, my greatest respect as you have visited our Kingdom." Queen Seondeok bowed down and greeted the Emperor in full respect carrying the name of Silla on her shoulders.

"I with my greatest joy have visited this beatiful kingdom with my empress. I have also agreed with the conditions that would benefit both dynasties." Emperor Hangeng bowed back with a smile.

"We have secure the southern portions of Goguryeo to be part of the Tang Dynasty." Queen Seondeok proudly told the emperor of the neighboring kingdom of the north. "We have also exchanged ties with Baekje to protect the borders of Tang from Goguryeo to retreat. Goguryeo will never know we would be behind it." She added in pride.

"We have secured eastern portions of Goguryeo and northern portions of Baekje as Silla territories. We are very thankful for what you have done to help our kingdoms become prosperous." The emperor told the Queen with a smile.

"No your highness we should be very thankful. And as a reward we present you a cocumbine." The Queen prepared a surprise for the Emperor of China much to the discomfort of the pregnant Empress Li Yin.

Consort Jiwoo's older twin daughter Hyoyoung came from the blinds and dressed in a lavender and silver hanbok with her hair put up elegantly up rather than the usual matching hairstyle she had with her twin sister with most of her hair down.

"She's just lovely." Empress Li Yin tried to smile in delight holding her slightly swollen stomach yet sounded slightly sarcastic. "You have choosen a great choice, Deokman-na." The emperor smiled at his new cocumbine while mentioning the queen's name that he used to call her as a princess.

"Thank you Hankyung-ah. The last time you called me by my real name was the training with General Yi Shien." The Queen of Silla politely laughed as she covered with her oversized sleeves.

"It's been quite a long time since that. How is your younger brother Yoochun? I have heard he is now married." The Chinese emperor gave a slight grin before remembering the Queen's younger brother.

"Oh my brother ,yes. He is doing well and he would join the Hwarangs for now. He had to be married but his future wife was injured and had to be sent out of the palace to recover. It's been quite a while now and she'd come back and they would get married as soon as she comes back. " Seondeok sighed at the thought of her brother.

At the same moment, The Crown Prince Yoochun was busy practicing with his sword as he would join the Hwarangs later on as part of his training to be the future King. He was so concentrated on his training that he sometimes forgot there were other people in the universe with him.

"The princess has arrived." The maid's voice has startled him and caused him to stop his training. "Hello Crown Prince Yoochun. I have heard you have started training to join the Hwarangs." Princess Jiyeon bowed her head down slightly and asked with a bright smile.

"Yes Grand Princess Jiyeon. I am very thankful that you have mind to visit me." The prince smiled slightly as the princess decided to visit him in his long training.

"I would never be more than glad to visit you, my brother. I have brought you some tea." Jiyeon laughed politely covering with her sleeves as a maid passed a small wooden table with his tea and snacks.

"Thank you very much, Grand Princess." Yoochun laughed with her as he accepted the wooden table and started drinking the tea. "I have heard Princess Hyoyoung has became the cocumbine of the Emperor of Tang?" The Crown Prince sighed as he took a sip of his tea and sat down.

"Yes she has. Mother has decided to let her become a cocumbine to the emperor to spread the royal line of Sila to other royals and as she has more royal in laws the more powerful the royal family of Sila would be." Princess Jiyeon decided to sit down next to her royal half-brother prince and calmly had a conversation with the prince.

"I've also heard the queen is also trying her twin sister to become the first wife of the Emperor of Japan. Is it true?" Prince Yoochun asked in surprise while he bit on his red bean puffs the princess personally made for him.

"Well yes. But it won't be that easy convincing the kingdom of Japan as they have tensions with the Tang Dynasty and obviously know we have ties with them." The princess sighed and looked away to the garden.

"And how about you then, when will you get married?" Jiyeon asked curiously as she nudged the prince's shoulder and playfully. Yoochun just sighed sadly and looked down with teary eyes.

"Oh I'm so sorry for talking about her, your highness!" The princess stood up immediately and bowed down endlessly. "No. Just promise me you shall help me find her and bring her back to where she belongs!" The prince struggled to stand and got on his knees.

"Y..Yes your highness." Jiyeon struggled to speak while nervously answering her half brother. She bit her lips as she turned around and went back to the chambers.