Chapter 4 

The futile smell of death and remains still linger in the walls of the red- painted palace, which seemed to have been splattered with the blood of those sacrificed in the war a century ago to end the thousand yearlong dynasties of inbred mutants.

A hundred years have passed since the last bloody battle that had ended and decided the fate of the war. Summer had come and passed to wrench and deprive fields and crops of their nutrients and value, bringing the nation to suffer from a great famine. Winter came and froze water to solid waste and drained the life from people unable to take warm shelter from the cold.

The previous dynasty’s reign could have seen the light at the end of the dark tunnel if the King was not too easy to persuade and to trick. His wife’s family, who the Kwon clan trace their ancestry to, kept a tight grip on the King to always sway his political decisions to her favour as he was too heavily infatuated with his wife. It had always worked, always did.

The previous King and Queen were double- cousins – as their fathers were brothers and their mothers were sisters; it seemed as if it could have not gotten any worse. Some of the King’s nieces were betrothed or already married to their uncles, while the rest of the Queen’s nephews even wed their own sisters if they could not find a woman suitable enough to their rank. The King was an adulterous man, going from one woman to another, especially during his youth in which his good looking traits and impressive skills and talents would never fail to swoon any woman.

Rumours were that the King’s son and one of his daughters would be married to one another to keep the power within their own family, and to insult the King’s enemies who have previously thrown their children in the King’s face to be able to slither their way into power and prominence.

After the death of the only and most treasured prince in the kingdom, his eight sisters- four older and four younger, had no choice but to be in line to the throne in the absence of their brother. This enraged the nobles and close relatives of the family, as they claimed to have had a closer claim to the throne than the princesses.

All of his sisters all came from different concubines, the Prince had been the only son who was born from the Queen’s womb, as all his half-sisters each had their own mothers of varying statuses from the Queen’s own sister, another noble woman, a foreign court woman from either Qing or Nippon, or even a kitchen maid who had done nothing else in her life other than scrub the dirt ridden ground.

It was the Prince’s death that triggered the war, and it was his forbidden romance with an already betrothed merchant’s daughter that fueled the cause of the war. However, it was eventually the male cousins and the descendants of these princesses that prolonged it even further. Long, fifty years occurred before any sign of peace and pause would even be prominent, and the nation bled for that reason. Even until today.

The eight Princesses fought long and hard to secure the throne, although they all had their own reasons to keep fighting. One of them wanted to fight it for their father, the second wanted to fight it for their dead husband, another for their son, the other for their mother, the other for pure ambition, the other just out of vanity, the other for wealth, and the last for the peace of the nation.

All with different reasons, but they all had the same outcomes. Their third cousin, once removed, yet was nearly the same age as the youngest princess came out as the victor of the war. He was great at battle and war, was handsome and charming, and won the favour of the masses and the common people.

He had beaten nearly eight other competitors and enemies for the throne, forming alliances with certain noble families that had remained alive and safe until this very day. Although he came to the throne with blood and ashes still staining his sword ridden hands, the new King felt it as injustice if the seven were to be left in prison for fighting for something that may have been theirs.

The King chose to marry the princess that he fell in love with – the youngest that had been exactly his age, and the one who fought just to end it all. The other seven were not left to waste for themselves, as they were each betrothed and married to the heirs of the six other noble families that had proved loyal to him. Those five families that have stood by the king include the Jung clan, the Kwon Clan, the Shim clan, the Lee clan, the Kim clan, the Choi clan and the Park clan.

Some of the minor aristocracy and lower ranked nobles have also been granted with the grace and in the favour of the King as well, with lands and grants as they are watched by their overlords or their stewards, who were the five noble families.

All things went well until the kingdom turned corrupt as the King died and his two sons fought for both the crown and for the woman. The woman they desired was of a lower caste, descending from merchants of the Qing dynasty, and had travelled to Joseon in hopes for a better future.

The younger Prince had wedded her secretly, much to the anger and displeasure of the eldest Prince, who then set the kingdom ablaze for her hand. Legends have told that the Princes battled for two nights, and that whoever won and overcame the exhaustion would have both the kingdom and their most beloved woman.

The eldest prince had managed to stab his sword right through his brother’s heart, and took the woman as his wife before they travelled back to the capital to claim his throne. The Kim clan had been torn apart in support as half the family supported the older prince, while the other half had supported the younger prince.

The Midwestern province was split into half after decades of argument- in which half took the northern part of the province and the other took the southern part of the province. Contact between the two had never been seen, ever since the war had ended. They would have never crossed sides, until today.

….

Carriages and palanquins from all corners of the nation have arrived just in time for the hundredth  anniversary of the conclusion of the tragic war a hundred years past. From the bell tower, one could see the trail of visitors reaching past the borders of Qing, and the palace would be clearly full for the night.

Even visitors from lands far away and across the continent would be present for the night, as traders, merchants and important figures that used to be prominent connections of what was once the Silk Road.

The families however, especially the noble six families, or who they call the Hollowed Six, remained loyal and dressed uniformly in their own clan colours. The Kim family, though had broken off into two separate houses still under the same name, both wore varying shades of red, much to the discussion of the general public.

The northern branch of the clan had been all wearing something of dark scarlet and ruby fabric, velvet and silk material shining under the pale moonlight. The former council member looked proud with his two sons with him, Lord Heechul and Lord Jaejoong both attracting the attention of many women tonight.

On the other hand, the branch of the south had been draped in their light, transcending the ethereal beauty of the water that flowed in the Han River. The twin siblings, Lord Kim Junsu and Lady Kim Taeyeon, both looked incredibly astonishing and gorgeous in their mostly black and white hanboks, although they each had a prominent streak of red in their clothing. In their crimson and mahogany clothing, it would get pretty messy later on. Those red colours would be splattered against those same coloured walls.

The Park family came modestly yet very quietly, with only a few horses and a stale amount of companions; they didn’t want to stick out from the other families too much. In their emerald hanboks embroidered intricately and trimmed with gold – the family did make a statement.

After nearly a decade of absence from the court scene at Joseon, Lady Park Jinhee, wife to Ambassador Park Junho made an impact just as eminent as she did as a young woman years before. With her three children with her, the handsome heir Lord Park Yoochun, the strikingly alluring Park Yoona, and the womanly gracious Lady Lee, formerly Park Minyoung; she never felt short of the attention.

Ambition was a clear trait the Jung family possessed, yet no one could ever track their next move. They never fell to disappointment, as they entered the palace with a grand entourage in their lavender, purple and violet toned clothing, and were all gorgeously decorated from grand weapons and armour from lands away to expensive, pricey jewelry with exotic jewels rarely found in Asia alone.

Lord Jung, his thick, greying beard and loud, ignorant laughter echoed through the palace walls, as his extravagant clothing alone already said something on what kind of man he was. His wife, the equally wealthy Lady Yubin, was always the envy of the court, and her new set of hanbok, hairpiece, and ring was arrogantly shown off, her head held high as she always looked forward.

Their children looked as well dressed or even more prepared than their parents. The eldest and only son, Lord Yunho, was clothed in his formal attire rather than the military uniform he usually wore, looking even more charming and good looking than he usually did as a smile was permanently on his face.

His sister, Lady Sooyeon, probably hailed as the most beautiful woman of her time, waved gracefully at the watching crowd of common people in her elegant dark violent hanbok, her amethyst necklace glimmering every time she moved. Sooyeon was always under the spotlight, even as a child, and was a favourite by both nobles and peasant alike, as the entire nation swayed across her feet.

The youngest, Lady Soojung, was a prideful and dignified young woman, only fourteen but already stern and strained like any future Queen. Sooyeon was a darling to the public, as they roared in respect and awe as they saw the lady. Yet if they watched Lady Soojung, even from afar, one would be stunned to silence for a woman as quiet and In contrast to her sister, Soojung was a thick piece of ice, while her sister was the soft, flexible petal of a rose flower. Both would hurt if touched inappropriately, especially if messed with.

Long before the war had even started to broil, the Kwon clan had always been a force to never be reckoned with, and rightfully so until today. Their apricot flag with the piercing view of a flying dragon made a clear message that the Kwon’s were here. Lord and Lady Kwon, a decade ago, were controversial as Lady Kwon was considered an equal to Lord Kwon in holdings and positions in a court where women were viewed as belongings and not as humans.

Lady Boa, eldest daughter to the couple, elegantly and sharply made her way through the palace doors, as her orange coloured hanbok glimmered with the miles long amount of beads sewed on the surface alone. Her cousin and half-sister, Lady Yuri, accompanied her with a yellow-orange hanbok that shimmered in comparison to her half-sister, yet nevertheless stole the spotlight from the crowds alike.

The finance system of the nation would be nothing without the Choi clan, and their wealth still hailed a great influence in the kingdom, only rivalled by the Jung’s whose family connections had stretched continents. The Lord and the Lady proudly came in with their children, all each wearing a few pins or ornaments that were clearly bright canary and gold. Lord Siwon, Lady Sooyoung and the youngest Lady Jinri all came with their parents, brightly shining like stars in the dark sky in their yellow coloured clothes.

The Lee clan, draped mournfully in ebony black and simply dressed, as they have recently passed the death of their lord Lee Minho’s great grandfather. Glum and solemn were always characteristics that the Lee clan had always possessed, forever in the spirit of black and darkness.

Lord Minho was a chivalrous and honourable warrior, great in battle and spear, and performed nothing but excellence as he currently leads his time as the youngest Lee heir. His wife, Lady Minyoung from the Park clan, gracefully circled her arm across her husband’s, and a brief yet rare smile was seen from the young Lord.

Many knew Lord Minho was never very vocal and open about his own thoughts and personal opinions, especially those not about political decisions, but his love for his wife was prominent.

Dawn and night came upon the sky as the long banquet was about to start, yet only one more family from the Hollow Seven was needed to be present before the King could even start the ceremony. The Shim clan, from their horses’ linen helmet to the tips of their own hems, several shades of cerulean to azure coloured fabric was clearly distinguished among their clothing.

All of the Hollow Seven was present, and the ceremony had begun to start as the King came in, dressed excessively as he made his way to his golden throne, and all that surrounded him bowed politely as he sat with his crown heavily on his head.

The King waved gracefully to his subjects, a swift move that he had been used to doing for the past few years. “Offer me your gifts, and then we will start your banquet.” The King’s father and his father before him had all been known as horrible and outrageous rulers and members of the royal family, being either corrupt or adulterous, but this King had proven to be different, and the common people loved him. They probably preferred him as a leader over any previous ruler, even more than how the Hollow Seven loved how he ruled his kingdom.

Shortly after, all the royal families had started to offer their gifts. The Northern Kim clan came up first, offering an ancient heirloom that had in their possession for years – a golden cup that had been passed down from on emperor in Nippon to another, covered in sheer velvet that was made by the greatest seamstresses in the foreign kingdom.

“We offer this gift to you, Your Majesty. It hails from the Kingdom of Nippon, and it had been passed down generation upon generation from our mother’s family. We hope it may be of use, My King.” The King smiled as the eunuch took the chalice from Lord Jaejoong’s hand to his own, and grinned as he watched it shimmer from the candle light’s glow.

He held its handle, slim and delicate when held but strong and firm when actually used, and saw the jewels and carefully etched carvings made on the surface of the gold.

“Thank you so much, Lord Kim. We will be sure to use it for our next banquet. May I know who is next to offer me something for this hundredth celebration?”

Similarly, the Southern Kim clan offered a basket worth of their possessions, a whole set of jewelry that was engraved from silver to platinum material, and stones ranging from pearls to diamonds stuck on these gifts.

Briefly, the families quickly offer their gifts to the King and his own household. The Jung clan has gifted the royal family with purple amethysts from the deepest depths of the mountains from their province, which was the richest province in terms of ores and gemstones found in their mountain ranges.

The Kwon clan gave the King a metal sword, formed by the nation’s best swordsmith and was the same sword years ago that pierced the heart of the late Prince that triggered the war years ago. Nearly taller than the King himself, who was nearly six foot tall; the sword had to be carefully handled by more than five servants to set it aside in the best quality.

Once a three metre long lobster was brought inside the palace halls, one would now clearly that this was from the Choi clan, whose palace was by the sea and watched over the water through high tides and low tides. It was roasted to the deepest red colour, nearly golden brown as it was passed over to the dinner table and to be split up among the royal family.

A month’s supply of the freshest and most nutritious fruits and vegetables was placed on the table to be served, brought by the Park family from their own futile and rich garden and fields that were considered the best lands in the nation to harvest food. Delicious, sweet green grapes were the King’s favourite fruits, and it was immediately set aside to the kitchen to be served privately to him and his family.

The Lee family came humbly yet shortly with the granting of a new small estate just a few miles south of the capital, just in between the borders of the capital and the province, that was built by Lord Minho’s great grandfather just in time before his untimely death.

Lastly, the Shim family came in with a tray worth of scrolls and books that were layered with a fine touch of dust, seeing that these valuable documents have been well preserved deep into the libraries of the Shim Manor Library. The library was said to have been as large and filled with such a wide variety of books like the Library of Alexandria, just before it was burned down to ashes.

A sepia toned book that was burnt on its edges and wrinkled towards the centre, though thick in size and wide in width, was the focus of attention of the King. Boldly it wrote in the old language of their ancestors from the Tang Dynasty “The History of the Great Three Kingdoms”.

“Do you mind if I take a closer look at it, Lord Shim?” The King asked curiously, his interest in the document too evident to hide.

“Of course, Your Majesty – It is yours from now on.”

To the surprise of everyone, he reaches forward to it himself rather than ask his line of servants and handmaids to hand it to him. The King had always been in the pursuit of knowledge and intelligence, as he spent most of his time in the palace library whenever he would take a break from his royal duties.

He flips open the first page carefully, and continues to browse through all the ripped and torn pages of the ancient book in extreme care. Hours had seemed to past as he paused his reading to continue the ceremony, even if he really did seem to want to continue looking at the book.

“Your Majesty, I would like to offer a proposal to make to you.” Lord Changmin courageously stepped forward, and spoke up in a proud yet trembling voice.

Gasps and murmurs erupted between the nobles that sat among the close circle of the King. Lady Jung Sooyeon, now engaged to Lord Shim Changmin, shuddered slightly as she feared that her future husband would make a scene even before the marriage.

Yunho frowned as he knew that even if his sister was smiling brightly beside him, she was sure to have been frowning internally. “Don’t worry sister – He will not shame you so easily. Lord Shim is a righteous and good man; I have known him for years.” He whispers in her ear, reaching out to gently hold on her hand.

“Let’s just hope you’re right.” She hissed crossly, as if she already expected something horrible was going to happen. Sooyeon grabbed her silk fan and fanned it against herself as she patiently waited for the King’s response.

The King looked fixedly at the young lord, slowly contemplating his thoughts carefully. “What is it that you need, Young Lord?” He chuckled, which was a reaction none of them expected from him.

Hesitation filled Changmin’s void of thoughts, yet his father’s glare told him that there was no backing out at this point.

“Your Majesty, we would like to invite you to the marriage of myself and Lady Jung Sooyeon of the Jung clan. We would like to know if you approve of this match of ours, Your Majesty.” He asked.

Yoona couldn’t believe what she had just heard – Lord Shim Changmin was to be engaged to Lady Jung Sooyeon? She was aware that Lady Jung was very popular and favourable with the masses and was known as the nation’s beauty – but for her to have Changmin as well. Life was unfair to her, very unfair.

Her anger fumed and her temper was unstoppable by this point, as she abruptly stood up from her seat and threw the hair piece from her hair to the ground.

She wouldn’t leave this building without Lord Shim Changmin as hers. She would be Lady Shim, not that Lady Jung who pretended to be perfect for her own family ambitions.

Never had she wanted something so much as she wanted Changmin as her lord and husband. She would get what she wanted, always.

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P.S: I’d like to note that by this point, historical and cultural accuracies have started to fall out as the fantasy, political and dramatic elements of the story are starting to take place. I’ve made hours of research long before this story has even been conceived, but I’d like to make my own contribution into that past information and make it something of my own. If the inaccuracies and overdramatic flare has been too much for you, I apologize to say that the story has occurred in too deep for that to even change. I hope all of you enjoy this story with excitement, rage, attachment, love, and sadness. Once again, this is historical fiction (well- fanfiction), not a documentary. Godspeed, queenofthereach.

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