Chapter 21. The Second Shadow.

 

"And lord Ji-won smiled at me… and I swear I almost faint, aunt!"

 

Ha Yi was talking about a crush she had for a young scholar, whose talents were too precious in Court to let the King marry his own daughter. For that reason, Taeyeon pretended not to care, because if she gave any type of hope to her niece, Ha Yi would be miserable.

 

"Okay, I will stop talking about Ji-won then…"

 

"That would be appropriate, niece."

 

Ha Yi rolled her eyes and slightly opened the door, to see if they had already arrived at lord HeeChul’s villa. She was so mad at her aunt she could not look at her into the eyes, so she pretended to enjoy the view of narrow streets and brownish snow stuck on the floor.

 

"I am sorry, Ha Yi. I had a terrible week."

 

"It is alright, aunt. I understand."

 

The palanquin stopped and the maids helped them to get out. Once inside the villa, Ha Yi run towards lady Hyori’s chambers and screamed.

 

"Seung-wan!" and Ha Yi run towards the house, looking for her friend. 

 

The adults were behind, and Mi-young, who also accompanied them, hold Taeyeon’s shoulder, trying to bring some comfort to her friend.

 

"I am better, promise."

 

Mi-yound did not believe her but decided it wasn’t the appropriate moment to insist about Taeyeon’s inner struggles. So she approached little Seung-wan, who was eating some snacks in a quite unfashionable position because she had to have her knee up.

 

"I am glad to see you better, young lady Seung-wan." Mi-young sat next to Hyori, followed by Taeyeon and Chaerin.

 

"Thank you kindly, your highness." 

 

"You are welcome, young lady."

 

The ladies started a relaxed chat surrounded by warm blankets: it was being a really cold winter, and not even in the noble houses were exempt of the low temperatures. Ha Yi and Seung-wan were playing with their dolls, when, suddenly, a black raven stood in front of Seung-wan, carefully looking to what surrounded him.

 

"A raven!" Ha Yi yelled.

 

The raven got scared and was about to leave the house, but, Chaerin trapped it before it was too late. Flashbacks of the pigeon the Silver Dragons sent asking for help appeared in her mind. Ravens in the capital were rare, so she thought it couldn’t be a coincidence the animal had arrived to the mansion, so, maybe, they needed their help once again. Chaerin took the small piece of paper hidden with the raven, and read it carefully. The shock she had when she was able to finish it, startled all the presents.

 

"It’s a message from lord HeeChul!"

 

Hyori suddenly took the message away from Chaerin, and read it to the rest of the women.

 

You ask how many friends I have? Watery and stone, bamboo and pine. The moon rising over the easterns hill is a comrade hapiness comrade. Besides these five companionships, what other pleasure should I ask?

 

It is a sijo from Yun Seondo, HeeChul’s ancient master." Hyori informed.

 

"And it is HeeChul’s handwriting, when he wants to make sure it is him, he writes in Chinese using the ancient hangul runs. " 

 

"May I read it?" Mi-young asked.

 

"Of course, your highness."

 

Mi-young inspected the handwriting, and, as lady Hyori had said, it was a sijo written in Chinese, but using hangul. Although… there were some extra characters, which made some words sound strange…

 

"I think it is an anagram, lady Hyori! There are unneeded characters… maybe he needed them to hide something."

 

Taeyeon moved quickly and without asking for Hyori’s permission, took some big pieces of paper and brushes to copy HeeChul’s message in a bigger format.  

 

"Pick up everything you have on the table, please."

 

Taeyeon spread out the message, so everyone could clearly see it. Ha Yi and Seung-wan approached with curiosity towards the table, but, unable to understand what it was written on it. Yet…

 

"When I was little, father made me treasure maps to find sweets hidden. It is like a treasure map." 

 

"How can you remember that?" Taeyeon asked. "How old were you, three?" 

 

"Four." she corrected. "And he drew me maps with things that were not in place. To find out what was missing, I had to find a wooden cryptex with the good map. It was fun."

 

"Maybe he is using the same strategy now…" Chaerin suggested.  "Does it look familiar to what your childhood games, doesn’t it?"

 

Seung-wan nodded and explained more.

 

"Usually someone else had the cryptex, so I had to ask all the maids and help them with the household tasks to get it."

 

"He has always been special, your father." Hyori smiled. "Who might have that cryptex, then?" 

 

"Milady, milady!" one of Hyori’s maids screamed.

 

"There is a boy who wants to see you, with a cryptex!"

 

“How foresighted must HeeChul be that he gave us the message to find him and the code to decode the same day?” Taeyeon thought.

 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

 

Koo Jun-hoe had gone to the closest public well to get some clean water. It was that moment of the year when the flu got hundreds of people’s lives. So, he had decided to bring water at home to prepare preventive teas for his siblings. He was waiting for his turn, when his neighbor came running, to warn him.

 

"There is a fire at your house, Jun-hoe!"

 

The boy left the buckets behind and run as fast as his young legs let him. But, when he arrived, the fire had already demolished his whole house. He screamed his siblings’ names, but there was no answer. When he was about to enter, his neighbor took him and stopped to do such a stupid thing.

 

"It’s over, Jun-hoe! They are gone! "Jun-hoe fell on the floor, screaming and crying.

 

His pain was so big that even all the neighbors surrounding the burned house started to cry and tried to comfort the young orphan. He was about to leave with one of his neighbors, who hadn’t got children and would like to take him home to have someone to take after him when he got older. But, he could sense how someone was observing him, and, scared that it might be related to the cryptex he was hiding in his clothes, he decided to run as fast as he could, remembering the advice the dark-skinned lady had given him a week ago: go to lord HeeChul’s house and show the ring.

 

So, that’s what he did. He could sense how someone was running behind him, and Jun-hoe took advantage of his small height to move faster through the people of the village. It was a crowded morning, and Jun-hoe thanked the Gods for that. After a few minutes struggling and fearing for the worst, Jun-hoe arrived to his final destination, and hide behind one of the guards at the front doors. At first, the man yelled at the kid, but, when he saw his scared expression, he changed his mind and helped the young boy.

 

"The dark-skinned lady Yuri gave me that. It is for lady Hyori."

 

And before the shadow could reach both the guards and the boy to kill them, Koo Jun-hoe was already inside the villa, holding the cryptex. It was too late: their enemies had the information to incriminate Park Sung-woo.

 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

 

Seung-hyun enjoyed those moments in the palace, without the women. Not because he didn’t enjoy their company, but because he could behave a bit more mischievously around his two boys without Ha Yi near.  

 

"Is it necessary to choose, father?" Jeongwan complained.

 

"Of course you have too. If you don’t, you do not choose the weapon." 

 

"But…" Yeon Jun was about to say something to.

 

"No excuses. These are the rules. Two cups have soy sauce, and the other one left black tea. We have to drink the full cup, no excuses, and no expressions or we will get eliminated. If one of you gets the black tea, he will choose the weapon. If it is me, I'll choose who goes first. Your emotionless expressions will help me to decide." Seung-hyun took his cup. "Are we ready? At my signal."

 

The kids nodded and chose one of the cups, which were covered by a small fabric, in order to avoid clues. Once Seung-hyun let them start, both kids suffered the pain of having to drink a full cup with soy sauce, and their stomachs were struggling in the process. Yeon Jun was about to puke, and when Jeongwan realized his brother was struggling too, he held his hand, to encourage each other. Once they finished the cups, both siblings lied on the floor for a few seconds, trying to control the urge to vomit everything.

 

"It has been a while since I taste such a nice soy sauce."

 

The King suddenly said, and both kids rose again, glaring and their father." 

 

"Yours also had soy sauce, father?" Jeongwan asked.

 

"I am immune to this prank, because I used to play it with your uncle when we were younger. So, of course, there was soy sauce in the three cups, kiddos. Do you remember Daesung?" the First Prince, who had been watching the whole scene smiling, nodded. 

 

"You always won. Even to our eldest brother, may he rest in peace." 

 

"No waaaay!" both complained.

 

Seung-hyun laughed and gave both siblings the chance to choose their sword for the combat. They had passed his small prank successfully, so they had both earned the right.

 

"At first blood." Seung-hyun instructed.

 

Yeon Jun was four years younger than Jeongwan, but was already as tall as him. The Parks of the East were known for their height and long legs, and it seemed the youngest Choi had inherited those physical traits from his mother, Park Bom. Whereas, the Parks of the West were known for their petite but agile figures, traits that Jeongwan had inherited from Queen Sandara. Also, all his teachers said that Jeongwan’s technique was far more precise and better than Yeon Jun’s, so the Crown Prince expected to win easily.

 

He let his younger brother attack first, and, as usual, he went straight to his chest: he was that predictable. Jeongwan was able stop him and in a few seconds was able to overbalance and disarm Yeon Jun. With arrogance, Jeongwan gave back the sword to Yeon Jun, in order to keep fighting. But that public offense in front of their father, made the young Second Prince rage, throwing sand to the Crown Prince’s eyes. Using all his strength, Yeon Jun jump into his brother and throw him on the floor, and started to punch him. Jeongwan, angry, took his sword and started to kick Yeon Jun’s head with it.

 

"STOP NOW!"

 

Both the King and his brother, First Prince Daesung, went to the patio and separated the young siblings. They could see their father’s disappointment in his tough expression, and, once they were calmed, Seung-hyun slapped both of them.

 

"You will clean all the mess you have caused today, and, when you finish, you will go and ask the Great Doctor to look after your injuries. NOW!" Seung-hyun yelled so much that even his guards gulped, scared.

 

Once the kids were left, the King and the First Prince started to walk towards the throne room.

 

"You look upset, hyungnim." 

 

"I do not remember we used to fight that much." 

 

"Then you have a terrible memory, hyungnim." 

 

"Really?" 

 

"I have always been the calm little brother, but Dong wook and you were always fighting against each other. And I have never seen a pair of siblings so loyal to each other." 

 

"It wasn’t fighting… he just loved to annoy me." 

 

"Which is the same, hyungnim." 

 

"There was also this hate?" 

 

"I do not remember everything, I was just a toddler. But one day you spoke with mother and your relationship became so cute and peacefully that everyone in court was scared you had been enchanted." 

 

"I remember that conversation: she made us a list of royal lineages that disappeared because two siblings decided to fight against each other. How many lives were lost. It was quite convincing and scary... mother explained in detail their cruel deaths." 

 

"Maybe you could let mother have that talk with them again. It was effective for you twenty years ago…" 

 

"Twenty already?! I feel old." 

 

"We are getting old, hyungnim."

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

The two shadows met without Park Sung-woo, who had left to his domains in the countryside, where they suspected he was hiding lord HeeChul.

 

"I knew from the moment we started to trust lord Sung-woo that he would be useless." 

 

"Is that why you kept the shreds of evidence that could destroy him, lady Park Han Byul?"

 

The second shadow, the former Crown Princess Park Han Byul, nodded and decided to explain to his ally her plan.

 

"Although I hate my family, I have some honor left in my veins. If I had the chance to incriminate a Part of the East, I would do it. Lord Sung-woo was obliged to register his approval to change the budget of the shepherds’ routes. But he thought he had destroyed all the evidence about his implication with that issue." 

 

"How did you trick him? I asked lord Junsu to give him a copy of the register. I am good with men, you know. Sorry." 

 

"Do not be, milady, and explain me everything." 

 

"So, he destroyed a fake copy and I kept the original at the Royal Archives, hoping the right person would find it someday. " 

 

"I was mad at you at first, milady, but, after all the stupid decisions Park Sung-woo has made, it relieves me that you have found an efficient and unsuspicious way to get rid of him. "

 

"If he gets captured, would you be able to kill him?" 

 

"Of course, no one will suspect me."

 

"Then our identities would be safe and we could still be able to kill my nephew, the Crown Prince. "

 

"Are we sure we want to continue with this? The Emperor wants to follow a peaceful path with the Koreans. "

 

"But we both know we have risked too much to stop now, my friend." 

 

"Yes, we cannot go back." 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

"How can those things be related if they were made in different months?!" Mi-young threw herself on the table, unable to find a plausible code to open that cryptex.

 

"For every mission we had, HeeChul use the same type of anagrams, and changes the code every time we start a new one." Hyori informed.

 

"Then… are you sure that if we want to get the information behind his message, we must open the cryptex, aren’t you?" Chaerin wanted to confirm.

 

"His message and the information behind this cryptex must be related… at least, the code to open it." 

 

"And what was usually the code, lady Hyori?" Taeyeon asked.

 

"Numbers, related with his personal life… but nothing works."

 

Taeyeon took the original manuscript and lied on the floor, reading HeeChul’s message over and over again. The leader of the Royal Investigation Bureau had simple yet effective ideas, so, that the code had to be something easier than expected.

 

"We should go back to the palace, ladies." 

 

"But… Mi-young, this is important!" 

 

"Our enemies are inside the palace, Taeyeon! If we do not keep our normal routines, they will get suspicious and it will be more difficult to catch them. We must act as if nothing had happened." 

 

"The Queen is right, Taeyeon." Chaerin said.

 

"It is our best chance… Should I look for the Second Princess, your highness? I think she is with Seung-wan at the kitchens, talking care of the poor kid." 

 

"Seung-wan…" Taeyeon whispered.

 

Suddenly, something inside Taeyeon’s head made sense, and, started to run through the room, looking for something.

 

"Are you alright, Taeyeon?" Chaerin seemed concerned.

 

"Why has he changed the word?!" Taeyeon took one of the poetry books lord HeeChul treasured in the chamber, and, carefully, she looked for one of the sijos. "I have found the original one! Look! Lord HeeChul has changed one word… let me read the original… "

 

You ask how many friends I have? Watery and stone, bamboo and pine. The moon rising over the eastern hill is a comrade joyful comrade. Besides these five companionships, what other pleasure should I ask?

 

"He has changed joyful for happiness!" Taeyeon pointed. "And Seung-wan’s name means the bearer of happiness… so, the code must be related with your daughter, lady Hyori!" 

 

"Try with the Silver Dragon’s core!" 

 

"The Silver Dragons?" Mi-young asked, but no one answered her question: they were too busy

 

"Why the Silver Dragons?" Taeyeon asked. 

 

"We called the mission to save the Kwon brothers the mission to save our happiness, our little Seung-wan." 

 

"Why did you have to save her?" 

 

"Seven years ago, our daughter went to explore alone and witnessed a group of mysterious people plotting, but she could not remember their faces. We got scared after Queen Sandara and Concubine Bom’s deaths and decided to leave the country with the Silver Dragons… " 

 

"Are you relat…" but Mi-young was interrupted by Chaerin.

 

"Then, Seung-wan must have seen the people who plotted against the Royal Family!" 

 

"Maybe. That’s why we have been going so often to the palace. I was waiting she might recognize someone, but no luck. I think she doesn’t remember anything!" 

 

"Damn it! Anyways… give me the code, please!" 

 

"7.8.4.6.3.5"

 

Carefully, Taeyeon took the cryptex and adjusted the combination in order. Miraculously, the cryptex opened, and, inside, a new piece of paper was carefully plied.

 

"It is a budget validation…" Taeyeon informed.

 

"Budget? What budget?" Mi-young inquired.

 

"Mmmm… the shepherds?"

 

Mi-young took the note from Taeyen's hands and read it, not believing what her hands were holding. After almost a whole year searching, finally, they had found the evidence that linked someone to the shepherds and the budget changes registered seven years ago. When she saw the name of the authority involved, somehow, Mi-young did not feel surprised.

 

"Lord Park Seung-wan, leader of the Clan of the Parks of the East." 

 

"He left Court this morning, saying he had urgent matters in his lands." Chaerin informed.

 

Taeyeon took the message the raven had sent them and, using the same code, she started to resolve the anagram hidden behind the poem.

 

"Lord Seung-wan and his sons have me prisoner in his villa. Yes! It is the Right State Councilor who has HeeChul! We must tell the Silver Dragons immediately…"

 

Hyori, Chaerin and Taeyeon were determined to write a message to inform Jiyong and his crew about the news, but, when they were about to start, Mi-young hold Taeyeon’s arm with strength and forced the princess to face her.

 

"No one starts anything until you explain me why are the Silver Dragons in Joseon and why are you helping them to find lord HeeChul." 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

"I am glad you can stay tonight with me, uncle." Jeongwan said to the Left State Councilor, lord Park Houng-Jun.

 

"Your father, the King, told us you missed our company." 

 

"I wished I could stay at your villa instead of the palace." 

 

"Our Queen almost died to save you, Crown Prince. It is normal security has increased." and he gave his young daughter to the wet nurse. "Eat well, my lovely Jisoo." 

 

"She will be very beautiful." 

 

"Indeed, Crown Prince. Like your mother." her aunt, lady Ye Seul affirmed, while she was putting some ointments on Jeongwan’s swollen lip. "A good addition to our small family. How is the Queen? Is she fully recovered?"

 

Jeongwan was happy because ever since the attack, at least aunt Ye Seul said nicer comments about Queen Mi-young. In his innocence, the Crown Prince thought she had finally seen her value and caring attitude towards him. What he didn’t know was that his aunt was only pretending because his husband told her to do so: the Queen didn’t seem quite loyal to the Emperor, so, they needed to have her as a friend if they wanted to survive in Court, especially when she was about to continue her purge against corruption.

 

"Yes, mother is fine and visiting her friend, lady Hyori. When she comes back, father has told me they will scold Yeon Jun a lot." 

 

"I saw what he did to you this morning, it wasn’t nice." Houng-Jun replied.

 

"Uncle Daesung says he is jealous because I am better at sword fighting than him. He shouldn’t be, because he has better brains." 

 

"Do not underestimate yourself, Crown Prince." Ye Seul intervened. "Although you are not as constant as the Second Prince, your tutors say you are as clever as your father." 

 

"Really?" 

 

"Yes, Crown Prince. 

 

"But, if you excuse us, we should retire with the babies for tonight. I am exhausted from traveling." 

 

"Of course, aunt, go and rest."

 

Jeongwan went to sleep about the same time as his uncles, and, due to the fatigue that had caused him cleaning all the mess they had caused. He would apologize in the morning, when he was less mad with Yeon Jun. Jeongwan knew Yeon Jun hated arrogance because everyone looked down at him for being the bastard son, and yet the Crown Prince had behaved like a jerk with his younger brother.

 

"I am sorry Yeon Jun." was all he said before he fall sleep.

 

Jeongwan was a boy with a heavy sleep, so, he didn’t hear the footsteps of the woman approaching to his bed, with a small candle.

 

"You are an incredibly handsome boy, Crown Prince."

 

Park Han Byul looked at Jeongwan, sleeping peacefully and with his face relaxed, as if there was nothing wrong in the world. The young prince had inherited the distinguished traits of Dowager Queen Uhm Jung Hwa: the jawline, the eyebrows, the royal dignity. Sometimes, he resembled her late husband, Prince Choi Dong Wook, and for a few minutes, Han Byul imagined Jeongwan was her own flesh and blood.

 

But no, it had to be her fragile sister, the one so shy and caring that was unable to be Queen, who gave birth to him. Sandara had always been considered prettier and sweeter, their mother reminded Han Byul that every day. Yet, she was able to become the Crown Princess, not the especial Sandara. Her husband took the opportunity to be the most powerful woman of the country away from her… and her own family pitied her because of her tragic fate: to die old and childless.

 

"It would be so easy… to kill you right now, Jeongwan." she murmured. "To crash your skull with one of the objects here in your room, pretending it was an accident… But I am not stupid: sooner or later, the spies of lord HeeChul and lady Hyori would find me."

 

One of the guards entered inside the Crown Prince’s chambers when he saw the light of Han Byul’s candle. With a smile and a small sign asking him to be silent, Han Byul made the guard quiet. Maybe her marriage ended soon, but she learned quite a few tricks from his late husband’s lovers, and was able to control almost any man she wished with her beauty and subtle smiles.

 

"He was having a nightmare and I came to calm him, we shall go and let the Crown Prince sleep. Would you me to my guest chamber, please?"

 

The guard nodded and followed Han Byul outside the room, but, before she closed the door completely, she whispered:

 

"Enjoy your lasts days in this world, Crown Prince." 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

"I cannot believe you lied to me!" Mi-young walked through the chamber, trying to control her anger. "All of you! Traitors! I have to go and tell the King…" 

 

When she was about to leave the room, Chaerin stood in the middle, and didn’t let her go out. Surprised by her lack of manners, the Queen slapped the Second Palace Lady, but she didn’t move.

 

"How disrespectful is that!" she could not believe Chaerin’s actions.

 

"Please, your majesty, listen the full story. Then, if you still wish, you can leave this room, you can. "

 

"Then you and lady Hyori wait outside." she glared at Taeyeon. "I want to hear from my sister the reasons she has to defend a criminal like Kwon Jiyong. In private."

 

Both ladies bowed and left the room silently. Once they were alone, Taeyeon approached Mi-young and tried to hold her hand.

 

"Don’t touch me, liar!" 

 

"Alright."

 

Mi-young needed something to relax herself, so she took the cold tea from the table and served two cups. It wasn’t warm, but the scent of the Korean mint calmed her rage a little, enough to let Taeyeon talk.

 

"Speak. Now."

 

A bit relieved for the opportunity Mi-young was giving her (she was a fair ruler, after all, and would never made impulsive and risky decisions), Taeyeon started to defend the Silver Dragons.

 

"They are some of the noblest people I have ever known, Mi-young. Don’t look at me like that, because is the truth. Never they tried to force us or killed innocent people for the pleasure of killing them. The circumstances and terrible destinies had guided them to the path of piracy."

 

"Yet we still have the choice to do the right thing." Mi-young interruped.  

 

"And they do the right thing, Mi-young! It is true, believe it or not. The Silver Dragons live in this remote Island, where they rise and take care of people who have suffered in the hands of bad noblemen. You and I know how it feels like to be a puppet in the hands of a powerful and ruthless man. And nobles might be born of high birth, but that doesn’t make them men of honor."

 

As much as Mi-young wanted to prove that Taeyeon was wrong, she couldn’t: in her nine months as the Queen of Joseon, she had been struggling to clean the Court of corruption, but, the more she investigated, the more abuses of the privileged she had found.

 

"They have been working with lord Soo Hyuk and lord HeeChul to attack only key targets who were against the commoners’ interests. I bet you that all the ships attacked by the Silver Dragons are on your purge list." she paused for a few minutes, giving Mi-young time to take in the information. "I know they could have done it differently, but, the situation was extreme, Mi-young." 

 

"And how can you defend the man who smashed your own brother so strongly he almost killed him seven years ago?" 

 

"I know Jiyong can be impulsive and ruthless sometimes, but it is because he has a sensitive personality, and sympathizes with emotions in a deeper way most people do. But he is also a man of honor, who dislikes injustice and will do anything in his power to save our family and avenge Queen Sandara. He is really noble and sweet. And besides…"

 

The more Taeyeon spoke about Kwon Jiyong, the more Mi-young realized what truly happened to his friend when she was away:

 

"You love him, don’t you?"

 

The princess stopped talking, and the sweet smile Mi-young was giving her made her crack as she had done the previous week with Chaerin. It was just too painful sometimes.

 

"He came here, that stupid fool came here because he loves me and wants to help me to save my family. How stupid, stupid he is…" 

 

"Shhh… do not cry." and they hugged each other tightly. "Your love must make you stronger, not weaker, Taeyeon."

 

The princess nodded and Mi-young wiped her tears with the sleeves of her dress.

 

"What are we going to do now? The King..." Taeyeon said. 

 

"What we are going to do now is:" Mi-young interrupted Taeyeon's sentence." we are going to let Chaerin and Hyorin return, I will not tell the King anything about our conversation and we will find a way to let you meet the Silver Dragons so you can inform them about HeeChul’s location."

 

"Me?" 

 

"Of course. No one will suspect of our First Princess. But, you have to promise me something." 

 

"What?" 

 

"After you see him one last time... will you come back and fulfill your duty with this nation?"

 

"You know I always do, no matter the sacrifice." Taeyeon didn't even think twice. It was too painful to think about other tragic possibilities. 

 

"Then, take your chance and do not waste it. Not everyone gets the opportunity to say goodbye." 

 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

"He is so handsome! Don’t you think, princess Ha Yi?" Seung-wan, who was finishing her dinner with the princess in the kitchen, turned around to stare once again at the sleeping boy.

 

Just after Koo Jun-hoe had gotten some warm soup in the kitchens, he had fallen sleep in one of the benches. Since the poor boy was exhausted and scared, no one wanted to disturb him and improvised a small bed between the cereals’ sacks. So he could be warm while they prepared something better for him.

 

"Too handsome to be real… would he be a demon or something?"

 

"Princess, those things do not exist." 

 

"My nanny used to say that there were dragons of water and spirits surrounding the end of the world." just remembering those stories her nanny explained made Ha Yi shiver.  

 

"I have traveled through the seas and the ocean with my mother and I have never seen a water spirit or something like that." 

 

"Seung-wan! Please, help me! Seung-wan!" In his sleep, the boy suddenly screamed.

 

 Seung-wan approached him, both scared and intrigued.

 

"How does he know my name?" Seung-wan murmured to Ha Yi.

 

"Told you he was a demon!"

 

But the young lady didn’t believe the princes's words and approached the sleeping boy. Jun-hoe awoke and held Seung-wan tightly, and if stares could kill, the young lady would have already died several times.

 

"Seung-wan!"

 

"Yes?" 

 

"I don’t feel alright…" the boy fainted once again but Seung-wan caught him before he got hurt.

 

"Lady Woman of the kitchen, please! Call a doctor!" the princess begged.

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

The last week had been quite boring for the whole silver dragon’s crew. And, without news from anyone in the capital, the spent days training and playing awful games Taeyang invented. He was a loyal and reliable friend, but he lacked in the fun department, and his games were so boring that most of the time the crew fell to sleep.

 

They knew from the small intrusion Yuri and Jinwoo had at the capital that Bo Ah had effectively killed some of the guards who decided not to shut their mouths about the new mercenaries at lord HeeChul’s villa. Luckily, most of them were smart enough to remain silent and swear loyalty.

 

But, they boredom was about to end, because, during her guards, Taemin saw how two men were approaching to the fortified villa.

 

"Prepare your weapons! Enemies coming!" the archer screamed.

 

Everyone climbed through the walls and stood on the roof, ready to shoot. Then, one of the mysterious men unmasked, only to show the fearless face of the Second Palace Lady, Lee Chaerin. Unable to trust his sight, Seungri descended from the roof and ran towards the woman. They exchanged some smiles and hugged as if they were some old friends who hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

 

"We have come with important news for you."

 

"Who comes with you?"

 

Taeyeon also unmasked, and Jiyong’s heart froze for a second. She was there, looking serene and determined, even a little fierce. If he hadn’t known the princess reputation, he would have thought she was even prettier than before, which was quite impossible, because only four months had passed since the last time they saw each other. No one changes that much.

 

"We might know were lord HeeChul is, lord Seung-hyun." Taeyeon informed.

 

With a smile of triumph, Seungri guided the two ladies inside the villa, a place they pretended to make it look inhabited on purpose: the less people asking for help from the nearest villages, the better. Less people to know their location, and less people who might suffer the same destiny as the previous guardians of the house. Yuri hugged her friends tightly and said a hundred times how much she had missed them. Even Taeyang dared to give them a small hug. Those were moments of tension and of strong alliances, protocols and manners were shallow and unnecessary.

 

"It is good to see you, princess." 

 

"Has the travel back home been dangerous, lord Jiyong?" 

 

"I am not a lord, princess." 

 

"You are one for me."

 

Without being able to hold themselves any longer, Jiyong and Taeyeon hugged each other tightly. Jiyong dipped his head into Taeyeon’s hair, trying to absorb all the smell he could. Meanwhile, Taeyeon struggled of what to do next: “Should I tell him right now that I am betrothed to another and that I love him, or not?” Was all she could think of. And how his hug could be so warm and cozy in that cold weather, of course.

 

"Shall we get inside? I’m freezing." Yuri suggested. They sat in a circle around a small fire. It was risky to have one inside the house without proper ventilation, but it was the only way to keep their undercover. Once the guests were a bit warmer after a whole day walking through the snow, Chaerin was the first one to start speaking. 

 

"According to the registers founinat the Royal Archives, the man who authorized the entrance of Queen Sandara’s and Park Bom’s murderer was lord Park Sung-woo, the leader of the Parks of the East." 

 

"But his daughter died too…" Yuri couldn’t understand how a father could be so blinded by ambition to condemn his own flesh and blood.

 

"We suspect lady Bom’s death was not supposed to die. Her decision to safe the Crown Prince was what killed her." 

 

"A good woman until she died." Taeyang acknowledged.

 

"She was one of the kindness and sweetest woman I had the pleasure to meet." Yuri added.

 

"She will be avenged, don’t worry. All we have to do is rescue lord HeeChul and capture lord Sung-woo alive." Taeyeon informed.

 

"Why alive?"

 

" Because it is impossible he had plotted against the crown without allies, and we need him to confess." 

 

"And where do you think they have lord HeeChul as a hostage?" Taemin asked.

 

"Lord Sung-woo and his children had left court earlier this week, and lady Hyori’s spies have located them at their main mansion in the countryside." Taeyeon informed.

 

"Then… if you have the proofs, why has not the king yet sent his troops?" Taemin insisted.

 

"Because… they have cut lord HeeChul’s hand and sent it to the palace. It was terrifying… and…" Taeyeon wasn’t able to continue, the memories and nauseas she felt when she opened that mysterious box blocked her." … and it is difficult to move an army, they are quite slowly, I must say.

 

"We have no time to lose, because we do not know what other tortures lord HeeChul must be suffering. The more we wait, the more he suffers. And he is a good man who has always helped us. We owe him that." Chaerin added. 

 

"Alright!" Jiyong didn’t even take time to think his answer. "We leave tomorrow at sunrise." he rose his sword. "For HeeChul!" 

 

"FOR HEECHUL!" the others yelled.

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

"Do you understand why are we going to lie to all the Court, right, Ha Yi?" 

 

"Yes, mother…" the princess doubted. 

 

"Ha Yi…" and Mi-young took the girls hands, trying to comfort her. "I am sorry that you have to get your first plotting lesson now, but, you need to understand that at Court we are surrounded by dishonorable people who want to get power and control us." 

 

"I understand mother, but… I have never lied that much. Small lies to father when I broke something, yes…"  

 

"You are the sweetest girl." Mi-young smiled. "So, why are we lying to the Court?" 

 

"Because we do not want to alarm the bad people who plotted to kill my mommy and Queen Sandara seven years ago. And because we want to rescue lord HeeChul."

 

"Are you with us in this mission, Ha Yi?" 

 

"I want Seung-wan to reunite with her father. And I want that the people who killed mommy go to prison. Yes, I am in the mission!" she smiled and jumped a little, making one of the carriers blow due to the effort. "Sorry, mister!" 

 

"Ha Yi, concentration, please… "

 

"Yes!" 

 

"So, what are you going to say?" 

 

"That aunt Taeyeon got the flu and has such a high temperature that the doctor has recommended us not to move her until she recovers. And also, that lady Chaerin has stayed at lord HeeChul’s villa to protect her.

 

"Very well!" Mi-young applauded.

 

"Shhhhh, mother!" Ha Yi warned. "Maybe one of the carriers is a spy and will heard our conversation." 

 

"You learn fast, young lady. Very well. Okay, and then, I will suggest the King to send some extra soldiers to the villa in order to protect the princess. And, when we are alone at night, I will tell them where he should really send the troops." 

 

"But… mother…"Tell me, Ha Yi.

 

"What if father wants to know the WHOLE truth? He is as stubborn as Jeongwan and Yeon Jun… well, all men are like that. " 

 

"You learn fast, sweetie." Mi-young was marveled and relieved: “When she grows older, I doubt anyone would be able to control her.”

 

"What would you tell him, mother?" Ha Yi insisted.

 

"I don’t know, Ha Yi."

 

It was late when they arrived to the Palace, and Ha Yi’s maids took the princess to her chambers as soon as they arrived. The girl did an excellent job pretending she was tired and sleepy, so one of the guards held her to her chambers… “That little monster…” Mi-young thought.

 

The Queen went to her chambers straight away too, only to find her husband sitting on her mattress, clearly irritated.

 

"Did you girls have a nice day?" he raised an eyebrow, waiting for a proper answer. Mi-young sat in front of her husband, with a cautious expression in her face. She needed to do things properly if she wanted his understanding and cooperation.

 

"Do you trust me, my King? "

 

"Why do you ask? What have you done, Mi-young?" he was about to scold her.

 

"Could you just be a good actor for a few days, my King?"

 

"Why?"

 

"Well…" Mi-young hesitated. "You have to send a fake doctor to Lady Hyori’s villa because your sister might be faking an illness to go and save lord HeeChul. And you might also need to pretend sending guards to the villa, but instead direct them towards lord Park Sung-woo’s villa in the countryside." 

 

"Pardon?" Mi-young had spoken so fast Seung-hyun couldn’t get a word of what she had just said. So, when he fully understood what she pretended him to do, his reaction was logical and absolutely comprehensible:

 

"YOU DID WHAAAT?!"

 

"My beloved King…" she begged.

 

"Do not go “my beloved King” on me… alright? Because when you do that I cannot say no. I want the whole true, Mi-young."

 

“Damn it! Ha Yi was right after all. I have to make sure that when this entire nightmare ends, I properly train the young girl”.

 

"I can only tell you the truth you are able to listen right now, my King."

 

"That is a terrible answer, my Queen." 

 

"I know, but I do not have a better one and I do not wish to lie to you."she pouted.

 

"Do not dare to pout at me, Mi-young! Neither the puppy eyes, Mi-young!"

 

In reality, although those shallow attitudes Mi-young was trying to use to convince him didn’t work (well, maybe a little but he will never admit that), Seung-hyun understood that his wife should have a good reason to keep information from him. The same way Seung-hyun did when he hid lord HeeChul’s disappearance: he knew it wasn’t the right time to tell her, because she would have not recovered.

 

"Alright, I will trust you, my Queen." Mi-young wrapped her arms around Seung-hyun’s neck and kissed him, deeply.

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

Everyone was sleeping, getting ready for the battle that was about to come. Taeyeon observed them through the moonlight rays, and felt sorry for what she was asking them to do: although the Silver Dragons were some of the best fighters in all the Eastern Seas, it was risky to attack an enemy without truly knowing his defenses. But she could not think of a faster and more effective way to rescue lord HeeChul: he was the reason why the Silver Dragons existed, after all. And honestly, Taeyeon did not know how her family would be able to survive without him plotting in the shadows with his never-ending net of spies, solving the problems even before they started.

 

"You seem quite troubled tonight, princess." Taeyeon turned around and saw Jiyong looking at her. His eyes were so intense she felt ashamed and had to avoid his eyesight.

 

"Have you ever felt so tired you couldn’t sleep, lord Jiyong?" 

 

"Yes, sometimes. May I sit with you?"

 

Taeyeon nodded and the Dragon sat next to her. It was a cold night, so they were both wrapped in blankets. An uncomfortable silence impregnated the atmosphere, and neither Jiyong nor Taeyeon knew how to end it without making the situation even more uncomfortable. But the princess knew that sooner or later they had to talk about what happened in Oeyeondo, at the cave.

 

"How are Arisa and Na-eun?" Great, we think Na-eun might be expecting.

 

"These are excellent news!"

 

Silence once again. Both of them moving and looking to the floor, because they didn’t know how to continue their conversation. At the end, Taeyeon took the courage to speak about what had happened between them.  

 

"About that kiss…" 

 

"You can forget it if you want, princess. I am truly sorry if I offended you." 

 

"No, not at all."

 

Jiyong googled Taeyeon, eyes so open it seem they were about to fall. But Taeyeon was so embarrassed she wasn’t able to look at him too.

 

"Taeyeon…" Jiyong whispered, his voice full of hope and longing.

 

Slowly, he caressed Taeyeon’s chin and the princess got the courage to stare at the pirate. He looked so ethereal, under the blue moonlight rays, yet so warm, so close… Without warning him, Taeyeon ended the distance between them and kissed him on the lips, deeply. She wasn’t able to find the proper words to confess her love to him, because “love” wasn’t enough to describe how she felt.

 

It was her love for Jiyong what had made her change from a spoiled princess to a somehow courageous person, able to sacrifice everything for her people and, never looking back. She wasn’t the princess she used to be a year before, when she did embroidery with Mi-young inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, unaware of what was about to come. And it was all thanks to those feelings, to the freedom that, without realizing, Jiyong had given her. Yes, some circumstances were risky and extreme, but, even in the worst moments; her love made her a better person.

 

Jiyong deepened the kiss, and Taeyeon felt scared of not being able to let him go if they continued like that. So, with the little courage she had left, she ended it and put her hands on Jiyong’s checks.

 

"In spring I will go to the Forbidden City to marry the Emperor’s brother." 

 

"I know."

 

She didn’t expect that.

 

"You… you… " 

 

"Yuri heard the news when she went to the capital, for a mission." 

 

"I am terribly sorry, lord Jiyong." 

 

"Do not be, princess Taeyeon. I am really proud of you. " 

 

"Really?" 

 

"You have made a huge sacrifice so innocent people would live in peace." he smiled, but his eyes were sad. "You have to be really brave to do such thing. " 

 

"I will always treasure you in my heart, lord Kwon Jiyong.

 

"As I will, First Princess Choi Taeyeon of Joseon. But… I guess the goddess of fortune has written for me a life where I fall in love with honorable women I cannot reach. I will accept my destiny willingly, if that helps thousands to live. "

 

"So do I."

 

Jiyong kissed Taeyeon’s forehead, because he knew another kiss on the lips would be his death, and, all the energy he was using to let her go would disappear. And, although he was a pirate, Jiyong knew that in life, you couldn’t be selfish and expect the impossible. A princess could never be with a traitor.

 

"I hope you understand…" she said.

 

"Of course I do. My father used to say that I was born as a privileged man, and, that with my privileges, important responsibilities came. So, if bad things happened to innocent people, they would happen because of me. And the Gods would not be merciful and give me joy in my next live." 

 

"Do you think we will be able to be together in our next live?" Taeyeon asked.

 

"I will pray every day until my last one in this world to make it happen." 

 

"Can we enjoy the silence and each other’s company for a while, milord? I want to know how it feels like to hug the man I love without worries."

 

Without a word, Jiyong wrapped his arms around Taeyeon and she did the same. There was no need for sweet words or dramatic feelings. Because what matter was that moment single moment of happiness. Sometimes life wasn’t fair to the good people, but, although it hurt, that perfect moment was enough to give both of them the strength to carry on.

 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

"Tell me once again how this can be a good idea…" Seungri murmured.

 

"Shut up, annoying brother!" Yuri kicked Seungri’s head.

 

"Ouch!" he complained.

 

"Silence…" Taehyun whispered. "They might hear us." 

 

"Where is Jiyong?" Yuri requested.

 

"We need his order to attack…" 

 

"Right here, Yuri. " 

 

"Ops! My bad, I didn’t see you." 

 

"Stop acting like a little girl and focus!" he warned. "We have no time for your bull. "

 

Yuri nodded and took off one of her knives, smiling.

 

"I’ll go first. When you are ready, follow me, cowards."

 

Yuri put the knife in , drew her two sharpest swords and jump into the main square of the villa. All the soldiers were alarmed, but they hesitated at first, because there was a woman with swords in front of them and didn’t know how to react. Yuri took advantage of the situation and attacked first, with a speed none of the men down there had ever seen. She jumped doing a flip, and, with four accurate , killed four soldiers. When she landed on the floor, she smiled once again, knowing those hundred soldiers were no rival for her strengths.

 

The alarmed soldiers yelled for the reinforcements, and at that moment, the rest of the Silver Dragons decided to also attack. Taemin and Junghyun stayed on the roof, to shoot as many soldiers as possible.

 

"Taeyang and I will protect them from soldiers… leave! Now!" Taehyun suggested.

 

Jiyong also drew his swords, and jumped next to her sister, who had stabbed a few more soldiers.

 

"Ready?" Jiyong asked her.

 

"Always."

 

Jiyong kneel on the floor with his swords crossed and Yuri used his position as a propellant to jump even higher. With her constant smile, the guards tried to attack her with their spears, but she cut them with the cunning blades of her swords, leaving them unprotected. Once she hit the floor once again, she run into the mass of soldiers, attacking everyone who tried to kill her. One of the soldiers was able to hit her on her knee, she fell on the floor and her swords flied far away from her. When she tried to drag herself through the dusty floor, a guard took her feet and prepared to kill her.

 

"Yuri!" Seungri, who had seen the whole situation, throw his sword to the soldier, and hit him so strongly that his dead body fell over Yuri. He ran as fast as he could, to take his sword and help her sister.

 

"Can you fight?" 

 

"Brother, please."

 

In a few seconds, Yuri disarranger Seungri’s sword from the dead body and a man who was coming from behind. Seungri smiled when Yuri gave him his weapon back.

 

"Okay, no more questions."

 

There were more and more men coming, and by fighting them without a pause, they were losing precious minutes to find lord HeeChul. For that reason, Jiyong screamed:

 

"MinHo! Come with me! The others! Cover us!"

 

The two of them advanced through the mass of soldiers, stabbing everyone who tried to put ahead of their way. Although MinHo wasn’t as skilled as Yuri, he proved to be quite talented, and not a single soldier was a nuisance for them. He needed the Black Pearl at the noisy center of battle, so, they would have enough time to find his friend.

 

"Where are you HeeChul?!"

 

A hidden guard broke one of the doors and trapped Jiyong with his arms. But, before the man was able to cut his throat, a fast arrow hit him. From far, Taemin smiled: “a perfect shoot”.

 

"Are you alright, Dragon?" 

 

"No time to worry, MinHo, keep looking at all the rooms! He must be somewhere." 

 

Finally, after what seemed hours, they found lord HeeChul, gagged and chained. He seemed worried and scared, so both Jiyong and MinHo hurried up to set him free, but when he had his mouth free, HeeChul yelled:

 

"It is a trap!"

 

Before they were able to react, lord Chanyeol stabbed MinHo in his back. The boy muttered a dry sound and fell on the floor, immediately.

 

"No, no, no, no!" 

 

Jiyong screamed so painfully that even HeeChul couldn’t help it but cry, hopeless. But he didn’t have time to take care of the wounded MinHo. No. First, he had to kill that bastard.

 

"Jiyong! Stop! He is Park Sung-woo’s son and might have valuable information!"

 

Even though his first instinct was to kill him, HeeChul was right: they had come there to get information about their enemies’ allies. So, instead, he stabbed lord Chanyeol. It was easy, since the man had never been trained to fight.

 

While HeeChul chained him, Jiyong returned to MinHo’s side, who was struggling to breathe. He took the young eighteen year old in his arms to observe his wound, and, there was nothing he could do for him, so, he cried with his soldier.

 

"I am sorry." MinHo said, unable to control the urge to shake and cough blood.

 

"I am so proud of you, MinHo." 

 

"Tell my mum..." but he couldn’t finish the sentence, he was getting to weak to speak.

 

"I will. " 

 

"Don’t be… sad… I have… ahhh…." 

 

"Shhhh… It is alright." and he hugged MinHo as tightly as he could, unable to hold his tears anymore. "Do not speak, just keep your strength." 

 

"No, Jiyong. Thank you. My dreams…"

 

But MinHo died before he was able to finish his sentence.

 

Carefully, Jiyong placed the boy on the floor. He felt frustrated because the boy had died smiling, as if he did not regret anything in life and was happy that Jiyong’s actions had held him to his premature death. That reckless young man… MinHo was the bastard son of a noble who wanted to fight against the privileged abuses, and his last breathe was on a mission destroying one of the most powerful families in Joseon, another one which took his privileges so far that in their path have ended the life of so many innocent people. So, although Jiyong couldn’t stop crying while he was closing MinHo’s eyes, he felt proud of the young man who had died fulfilling his dreams.

 

"I am so sorry…" a cracked voice interrupted Jiyong’s mourning. Jiyong looked at HeeChul, who was so skinny and bruised that he knew they had made the right choice to go and rescue him.

 

"What happened to you, my friend?" 

 

"It is a long story… and this bastard has tricked me to believe he wanted to help me… I am so sorry… " 

 

"I guess we have all made bad choices. Let me take this monster and you outside. " 

 

"I can walk, Jiyong."

 

Jiyong held lord Chanyeol so strongly that not even with his kicking and complaints he was able to make Jiyong unbalance or struggle.

 

"Let’s go!" 

 

"Wait!"

 

HeeChul took one of the lanterns and throw it on MinHo’s death body. They didn’t have enough time to bury him, but he felt so sad for the young boy’s death that the lord of spies decided he deserved an honorable funeral. When the chamber started to burn, they decided to run outside.

 

"Brother!" Seungri yelled. "Run, fast! More are coming!"

 

The Silver Dragons made a circle and put lord HeeChul and Chanyeol in the middle of it, to protect them. They got their swords ready.

 

"FOR MINHO!"

 

They created a defensive circle, and, every time a soldier was able to pass through the barrier of shoots created by Taemin and Jonghyun on the roof, the guards fell on the floor immediately. But, it seemed the men never stopped to come, and Silver Dragons could feel they were getting tired.

 

"You will die here today!" Chanyeol, who was held in the center of the circle, together with HeeChul, yelled. "The whole army of my clan is here today, you cannot defeat them."

 

Seungri, who usually was able to control his emotions, left the defensive circle for a few minutes, only to kick and smash a little that proud and selfish lord who didn’t mind to kill all his innocent men if that meant his enemies will be defeated. The lord looked so scared that Seungri had to control the urge to kick him even more: “I am not like you.” he whispered.

 

"Let’s see if you are so brave when we say the same to the King."

 

"Taeyang! Attention!" Taemin yelled. A sudden familiar scream alerted everyone, and, on the roof, they saw how Taeyang had lost balance for a second and one of the soldiers took the opportunity to stab him in the stomach and killed Jonghyun in the process.

 

"NOOOOOOO! He has kids!"

 

All the soldiers immediately stopped the attack, because, although they were well-paid, they were also human beings, and stabbing fathers was not something they wished to keep doing. They also had children waiting for them.

 

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" lord Chanyeol yelled.

 

"KEEP FIGHTING!"

 

But no-one moved, tired of confronting each other. It wasn’t the moment to keep fighting, not even for all the gold in the world. One of the soldiers, kicked Chanyeol in the head and the lord fainted. Jiyong run so fast that no one did see him moving next to his best friend. Taemin and Taehyun protected his fallen friends, while Jiyong hold his friend, tightly.

 

"He is alive!" Jiyong screamed.

 

"The Royal Army is here!" one of the soldiers yelled.

 

"Then leave and go find a doctor, orabeoni!" Yuri yelled.

 

"We need our captain alive!" 

 

"DO NOT DOUBT, JUST LEAVE!" Seungri insisted.

 

Jiyong nodded and took Taeyang’s unconscious body outside the villa. With a big jump, he was already outside, and ran as fast as he could with his friend in his arms. He repeated over and over again. 

 

"Be strong, YoungBae, you will survive." 

 

 

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

 

 

When the Thunder, lord Sang-hyun, arrived to the palace of the Parks of the East, the battle had already started. Everyone was so focused on fighting in the interior that no one noticed their arrival. That unexpected factor, helped them to enter and end everything in a few seconds. Once everything seemed a bit calmer, the Thunder analyzed the shocking scene.

 

No one was fighting. Even the soldiers of the Parks were helping the Silver Dragons. “Something serious must have happened if they are not confronting each other.” he thought. Yuri, Seungri and a group of colleagues that he identified as the Silver Dragons were standing in the middle of the main patio of the enormous villa. A big fire was burning the building behind them, some men trying to extinguish it. Exhausted from battle, Yuri fell on the floor and Sang-hyun run towards her, worried as hell.

 

"Don’t touch me, general!" she complained.

 

Sang-hyun respected her will and kept the distance from her, a bit more relaxed because it seemed the lady had only got hurt on the knee. For that reason, he looked at his men, and started to give direct orders.

 

"Stop that fire and find lord Park Sung-woo and his eldest son, lord Park Dong wook. The king has ordered their detention and will be judged as soon as we return to the Royal Palace."

 

Yuri smiled, because, after all, the King had listened and was going to bring those terrible human beings to justice. Maybe he wasn’t a bad monarch, after all.

 

"Pick up the bodies and try to identify as much as you can. Most of these poor men are common guards, their families must be informed."

 

"Lord Sang-hyun…" HeeChul tried to stand up and talk with him: he knew what was coming next from the Thunder’s mouth and wanted to avoid it at any cost.

 

"You should rest, milord!! Colonel Kim!" one of Sang-hyun’s men approached. "Take a horse and leave with lord HeeChul immediately. He needs medical attention."  

 

"But… the Silver Dragons… milord…"  HeeChul insisted, while he was carried to a horse. "They have come to save me. The King must know." 

 

"Alright. Now, leave!" Sang-hyun kicked the horse’s and it started to run far away from the villa.

 

Once lord HeeChul disappeared from his sight, the Thunder turned around, looking directly to Yuri. Then, he informed her.

 

"His royal highness, the King, has decided that for your help today you won’t be automatically executed for treason. For that reason, you get arrested with the rest of these men and will wait at the capital’s prison for a fair trial."

 

Yuri split on Sang-hyun’s face, but the lord didn’t seem to complain about her actions. “I was wrong, the King is a prick, after all.”

 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

"There is fire, Chaerin!" Taeyeon screamed. "We should go."

 

"No! It is too dangerous. Besides, you don’t know how to hold a sword, Taeyeon. "

 

"But you are one of the best swordfighters in this Kingdom!"

 

Chaerin felt flattered by the compliment, but the sound of someone approaching alarmed her. She drew her sword and made Taeyeon wait behind her. She had not been able to join the Silver Dragons because her first duty was to protect the princess. Chaerin was ready to attack, but once she heard lord Jiyong’s screams, she knew something was wrong.

 

"Jiyong!" Taeyeon jumped of her horse and run towards the pirate, who was walking with difficulties through the snow. He was carrying a body of a man, and the princess feared the worst. Once Taeyeon reached him, Jiyong fell on the floor, absolutely broken.

 

"What… Oh! No!" Taeyeon covered her hands to choke a scream and once Chaerin also reached them the Second Palace Lady understood why: Jiyong was carrying Dong YoungBae’s dead body in his arms.

 

"He was alive when we left the villa… but, but… NOOOOOOO!" Jiyong hold his friend tightly and started to cry.

 

In silence, Chaerin and Taeyeon placed an arm on his shoulders, letting him know they were there if he needed them, but also giving him the space to grieve. Jiyong’s face was sunken and haunted, his mind cold and empty.

 

YoungBae had always been his best friend, his most loyal ally, the one who could always rely on when his temperament was too childish or his actions too impulsive. Taeyang was the type of person who always had a smile on his face no matter how good or bad his day had been, because he had to take care of his curious and beautiful children. He would no longer smile at neither to them nor anyone.

 

YoungBae was the one who would always give Jiyong the wisest advises. But nobody would ever know or remember, because all Taeyang had left behind was a widow, two orphans, a small stream of wet blood in his chin and a his friend’s cries. Jiyong carefully cleaned the blood from his friend’s face, unable to stop his tears. He did not know how long he remained there, in the cold snow. But, everything became quiet and ethereal, as if nothing of what had happened was real.

 

After a while, Jiyong couldn’t tell exactly when, Taeyeon kissed him on his check and she firmly said:

 

"The blood of the innocent will be avenged, milord. I promise."

 

Jiyong nodded, his eyes full of rage and his mind filled with thoughts of vengeance.

 

 

 

__________________________________________

 

The shadows have awaken the Silver Dragon's revenge... a man without fear and full of hate is someone you should be scared of. 

 

I cannot tell you how this story will end yet and who will die next, but, I can verify some facts:

• We have the identities of two shadows: Lord Park Sung-woo (leader of the Parks of the East and Royal Concubine Park Bom's father) and Lady Park Han Byul (sister of the leader of the Parks of the West, former Crown Princess of Joseon and eldest sister of late Queen Park Sandara). Yes, you were right, the Parks are related with this plotting, but they are also the least important shadows. Is the other one who is still unknown who has the major role in this plot against the Royal Family.
• The little girl that witnessed the three shadows talking seven years ago (in chapter 2) is lady Seung-wan (Hyori's and HeeChul's daughter and Crown Prince Jeongwan's crush). She does not remember a lot, because it was a traumatic experience for her and has forgotten about it. But, if you pay attention, Seung-wan had never met neither lord Sung-woo nor lady Han Byul face to face. Let's see what happens...
  • Just to make it clear before getting suspicious: Seung-wan will not develop a crush on the young Koo Jun-Hoe... but the boy is quite handsome and had to be aknowledged. 
• Ha Yi will be a badass woman when she grows up.

I am so sorry for the major deaths and sorry because there was no warning... but, you cannot expect to fight hundreds of men and do not suffer the consequences. It had made me really really sad to kill them, specially our sweet family father YoungBae, but... the Silver Dragons and the Royal Family are fighting a secret war against the Chinese Emperor and his allies, it cannot be easy nor peaceful. War is brutal and takes you away the people you love. Never forget that and never support any war in the world, because, somewhere, the blood of the Innocent will flow, and in real life, they do not get avenged.