Chapter 4. The Dragon’s wrath.

 

"I need to see him, Chaerin!"

 

"I know, First Princess… but you can’t."

 

"You used to cover me, Chaerin!" Princess Taeyeon complained.

 

"Hey! Don’t be selfish! If anyone finds out that I helped you to speak with a suspect of high treason… I will go to prison too."

 

And Taeyeon exploded.

 

"Wow! You spoke like First Palace Lady… maybe it’s true and you will just become like her. Leave me alone in my pain!"

 

Without even caring of bowing, Lee Chaerin left the First Princess chambers. Both friends knew Taeyeon was deadly worried about her first love’s fate, and with the emotional rollercoaster of the past days, she couldn’t think properly. Also, the fact both girls weren’t women yet, made them unable to control their emotions as if they were proper ladies. “But it hurts, a lot, to see that your friend could betray you in any second for a man” Chaerin thought.

 

Meanwhile, Choi Taeyeon started to cry in her desk, taking away all the tears she had held for the past few days: Sandara’s death, Bom’s death, being locked in her chambers, unable to see neither her mother nor her nephews, who have just lost their mothers… And also Jiyong’s imprisonment.

 

"Has all these happened because I lied to Chief Palace Lady and said her stews wouldn’t be tasty even as compost?!" she asked to her pillow, which was covered with all her cosmetics after hours of crying. "Or was it because I scared Lady Bo Ah with fake spiders?"

 

Too many things for a sixteen year old to handle… So, Taeyeon did the only thing she could: cry and cry.

 

"Second Prince Choi Daesung wishes to visit you, First Princess."

 

Without even trying to receive him with an appropriate posture or control her tears, Taeyeon lied between her cushions.

 

"Wow! Seems a young lady had a terrible night today" her older brother said with his habitual big smile on his face. How much Taeyeon and Seung-hyun hated that smile, and how much they plotted to do something to make it disappear. 

 

"How can you laugh when so much disgrace has happened?" she mourned. "You have no shame, brother."

 

Second Prince Daesung could be lots of things: arse-er, coward with no personality, puritan, dull and talentless… At least those were the adjectives people used to describe him while they were gossiping in the Palace: the untalented second son who became a guardian of the brilliant one. But he wasn’t a shameless person, and her sister needed to know it clearly.

 

"CHOI TAEYEON! Stop being so childish!"

 

Daesung wasn’t a man of violence, so, when he screamed with his powerful voice, it was impactful, because even in those contexts, he didn’t lose his smile, and that was scary enough to make Taeyeon stand up from her mattress and feel a terrible human being. Maybe Daesung seemed harmless, but he wasn’t.

 

"Sorry, brother" was all she could say.

 

She bowed and begged for mercy with her puppy eyes and cute expressions. “I know how to manipulate you too, brother” she thought.

 

"You are still a child, sorry, sister" Daesung affirmed whit even a wider smile.

 

"Why are you always smiling?" Taeyeon suddenly questioned.

 

"You never asked me that question, why so sudden?"

 

"You seem happier than me."

 

"Well…" he hesitated. "I guess… mmmm… When I smile I automatically become more positive, and… I’m still young, but, in my experience, life is too hard to think negatively. So it’s better to smile."

 

It was a simple yet effective statement: in Taeyeon’s eyes, her brother seemed always cheerful and able to face everything without losing his mind. And she needed so much any type of trick to avoid madness that she had to ask:

 

"And what do you do when smiling is useless, you, brother?"

 

"I pray."

 

"Pray?"

 

And Daesung nodded with energy. His sister seemed lost and fragile at that moment, but, as the new mistress of the Palace, Taeyeon needed to show strength. Daesung was sure she was able to do face the challenge; she just needed orientation and time. And, honestly, that’s why brothers were for: to help their family.

 

"Can I join you at the temple, orabeoni?" she suddenly said.

 

"Of course."

 

Yes, she was going to be alright.

 

 

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It was the first time Kwon Jiyong was present in a trial at the State Council assembly. “Wow! I must be really important if they decided to condemn me here!” he thought while he was chained to the floor, just in case he had the brilliant idea to escape. He glared at his friend once he entered the room. He always looked so majestic in public appearances… what would people have thought about their King if they saw him when he was merely the Second Prince?

 

Even when he remembered things about his past Jiyong had Sandara’s presence surrounding him. “My beloved Sandara, we will be together very soon, my dear, I promise”.

 

During his week in cell, Kwon Jiyong passed some different stages of grief for his Sandara, now, was in the moment when his rage was consuming him. Mainly after hearing the rumors his father communicated him.

 

_ Flashback _

 

All was dark and his throat burned. Jiyong had had lots of hangovers, most of them related with the eternal competition between him and Seung-hyun to see who the best drinker was. But, definitely, that headache surpassed all of them. And alcohol wasn’t involved.

 

"Drink this water, my son. But be careful, slow sips."

 

The gentle and bruised hand of his father held Jiyong’s neck, because the young boy was unable to move properly after days without a proper meal or water to quench his thirst. After recovering his voice and a bit of vision, HyunSuk explained his son the news of the trial.

 

"What will be my sentence, father? Am I going to die?"

 

"King Seung-hyun has demanded a fair trial."

 

"Hahahahaha! A fair trial. When the Left and Right State Councilors want to destroy our family?"

 

"Trust us, please."

 

"But… why a trial? I thought everything was against me."

 

"We want to create a reasonable doubt to keep you alive."

 

"What reasonable doubt?"

 

His father hesitated, but, since he’s son denied to drink more medicine until HyunSuk told him the truth, he continued.

 

"We are going to say that it was the Queen’s entire idea, so you will only be charged by having a platonic affair with the queen."

 

"WHAT?! Are you going to dishonor Sandara? NEVER!"

 

"It’s for saving you, my son. She’s already death…"

 

"That’s why I will join her. I have to be her magistrate too."

 

And Kwon HyunSuk slapped his son, strong, in the cheek. Blood running in one of his lips.

 

"Do you think you can be a proper man to meet her in your next life acting like this?! That’s how a coward acts… you will condemn your soul forever."

 

"They I will take the blame, not because I want to join her, but because I don’t want to ruin hers or Crown Prince’s reputations."

 

"Crown Prince?"

 

"Father… if the Queen is seen as infidel, they will question the Prince legitimacy. I can’t do that to her child, he was too precious for Sandara."

 

Kwon HyunSuk stared at his son with proud yet watery eyes. “He’s determined to die to defend his love; he’s a man of principles”.

 

"Don’t worry father, we will meet again someday. I’m so sorry that I haven’t been a better son."

 

And he hugged Jiyong so firmly that he had difficulties to breath.

 

"I could have never asked for a better son, Kwon Jiyong."

 

"And I could have never asked for a better father."

 

_End of Flashback_

 

"Major General Kwon Jiyong!"- Justice’s Minister Do Kyung-Soo informed and woke him up-. "You are accused of two charges of high treason, were you informed properly?"

 

"Yes, Minister."

 

"According to the act, those chargers are: high treason for having a romantic relationship with the late mother of our nation, Queen Park Sandara. And treason for Royal Concubine Park Bom death. Were you aware of these charges?"

 

"Yes, Minister."

 

"So, let the trial begin. Each one of the magistrates needs to vote against or for you, and, the total amount will determine your destiny."

 

"STOP THE TRIAL!"

 

Everyone turned around, startled and offended by the interruption Chief Security Kwon HyunSuk had just made.

 

"I come here to prove my son’s innocence, minister."

 

"What can you say in his defense?"

 

"That it was me, Kwon HyunSuk, who planned everything with the queen so my son could life happy."

 

 

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"How could you do that?!" Kwon Jiyong screamed at the King’s office. "I trusted you: you were my friend! I guess I was wrong..."

 

After being stopped by Park Sang-Hyun and her own sister to attack the council members when Kwon HyunSuk death sentence was confirmed, the Choi Seung-hyun obliged his friend to follow him to the King’s office and tried to reason with him, but it was a difficult task.

 

"No, you weren't. I am your friend!" he tried to convince Jiyong, but both knew it was impossible after he accepted the verdict.

 

"Then… why will you let my father die for high treason when he’s the most honorable men in the world?! JUST TELL ME WHY?!"

 

"HE CONFESSED IN FRONT OF AN OFFICIAL JURY TO SAVE YOU, JIYONG!" the King yelled. "I can’t just ignore the rules and our justice system! I can’t betray the only uncorrupted Minister because I think a free-will confession of the culprit is invalid."

 

"Only uncorrupted Minister?! What are you going to do with that, eh, Seung-hyun? The system is so rotted and you are such a coward that it will never change even if you have ONE uncorrupted Minister!"

 

Jiyong knew that Justice’s Minister Do was a nice and wise man, who truly believed that the nation could only be saved with a tough control in the men’s ambitions. But, at that moment, after he condemned Kwon HyunSuk to death without hesitation, he couldn’t feel sympathy towards the man.

 

"Don’t ever dare to say that again…"

 

"Or what?! Am I going to be condemned for treason again? Are you so weak that you can’t accept the honest truth?!"

 

Honest truth… when was the last time Seung-hyun heard about it? Yes, it was his Chief Security who used to speak that way. "A good leader must accept the honest truth of his subordinates, even if it hurts. But you can only trust a man that isn't afraid of being honest with you, no matter the consequences" was what Kwon HyunSuk advised him three days after becoming King.

 

"Go ahead, tell me that honest truth of yours…"

 

There was a small pause, and Jiyong tried to breath calmly and reflect about his words: he needed to make it clear.

 

"You know it’s the Chinese Emperor who’s behind all of this, why will you just accept my father’s execution and you don't condemn him?!"

 

"HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT SOMEONE CONDEMNING AN EMPEROR?!" Seung-hyun yelled, Jiyong's statement was so stupid he just couldn't believe how naïve he was. "Are you insane? I will make Joseon perish forever if I dare to do such think."

 

"So you confirm all of this is the Emperor’s fault, right?"

 

The killing stares of Jiyong made Seung-hyun feel weak and vulnerable, it seemed as there was a burning fire in his pupils, intensified by hate, betray and loneliness.

 

"Yes."

 

"Then… Why do you accept his confession, why? You are a coward."

 

And then, the King, who hide his emotions for weeks (an all his burdens for years) exploded.

 

"Yes, you are right! I am a coward! Satisfied, BASTARD?!"

 

In a friendship of fifteen years, it was the first time Jiyong heard Seung-hyun say a bad word. He was always polite.

 

"No, I want you to suffer."

 

"Suffer?!" he fumed. "Suffer?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SUFFERING, JIYONG?!"

 

That last question made Jiyong explode and all the feelings and words he kept in his hearth run free through his mouth.

 

"I saw how my best friend married the woman I loved, how her gave birth to HIS child… when I was overseas in all my missions to protect YOUR nation, I saw colleagues and good men die, men who were so poor that had no remedy but too enlist to provide a better future for their families. Men that could have had better lives if your scholars weren't corrupted and greed of power. THEY DIED BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T HANDLE IT BETTER! I saw the love of my life fade with her unhappiness and your constant humiliations with that concubine of yours..."

 

And Seung-hyun punched Jiyong in the face, breaking his nose in the process. It hurt a lot, but he wasn’t going to show any emotion.

 

"Do you know how difficult it is to live with such a burden? To know you are the cause of your dear ones' unhappiness? You have no idea about suffering… always mistrust, analyze, protect, serve, save, be fair…" He seemed about to cry and Jiyong felt for a second, a bit of pity, but, then again, he was the friend who accepted to kill an innocent man, his father. "All I had to escape from that was Park Bom, and she isn’t here any longer because a stupid Emperor has decided his ambitions were more important than the other’s lives."

 

"THEN DO SOMETHING?!"

 

"What can I do? The nobles don’t pay taxes, and our economy is really weak after the invasions we suffered... I can't create steady taxes to make real changes and re-invest the money. I can’t lose China’s support, because if I do, thousands will perish."

 

"Including my father…"

 

"Your father is a grown man and he knew the consequences of his actions when he confessed, for God’s sake! If his death can save my nation, it shall be."

 

Those last words sentenced the end of the friendship between those two men: one couldn’t serve someone who placed the nation before his friends, and the other, couldn’t let his personal wishes rule a nation. Two visions of life that crashed that hot spring afternoon.

 

"I thought I served a good King, one who will make real changes."

 

"And I will, I promised Bom that I would be a man of honor, but I need time to regain my power to strike the corrupted."

 

"Bull!"

 

And the two men started fighting. Seung-hyun, knowing Jiyong was right, let his former friend hit him with all his strength, hoping that his wrath will blur. But he was wrong: the more he beat, the angrier he was. Suddenly, the doors opened and the two men were interrupted by a bunch of people.

 

"Your Majesty!" Left State Councilor Park Hong-jun screamed, while helping the King to stand up. "Arrest Kwon Jiyong! He had tried to kill his majesty!"

 

Jiyong was immediately surrounded by almost 30 guards, all armed and ready to attack him. Seung-hyun and the Councilors disappeared from his view. He had no weapons... so he did the only think he could: distract them to give Yuri enough time to hear the news of his arrest and come to save him. Yes, he was shameless.

 

"Listen, gentlemen… I was just kicking Seung-hyun’s because he told me I could…"

 

"HOW A KING WOULD ACCEPT THAT?"

 

"It’s the truth. Ask him later. It’s the way the King controls his stress, with violence. Poor little thing, too much pressure. When we were younger he used to fall from the trees on purpose, did you know that?"

 

But the soldiers weren’t looking at him friendly: on the contrary, those weird comments of their King made him angrier, so, when Park Hong-jun screamed, he was lost.

 

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, BUNCH OF INCOMPETENTS?! ARREST HIM NOW!"

 

If this was a movie, the hero, Kwon Jiyong, would have attack them and defeat them all, with his amazing fighting skills, but, since he loved his life too much to become a martyr and he had been held in a cell for almost a week, he did the most logical thing he could.

 

Run. Run. Run.

 

He used the moment of hesitation between the order and the start of action the soldiers had to escape between a gap two rookie soldiers left in the formation. “If they were under my orders, they wouldn’t have been so reckless… how lucky I am”.

 

"ARREST HIM, ARREST HIM!"

 

And Kwon Jiyong run through the terraces of the Palace, looking for a place to hide between the heating systems or something, but no, he had to choose the day were the Palace was full of soldiers and angry men. It seemed he had no escape, when he heard a familiar voice.

 

"BROTHER!"

 

And Yuri, his savior, arrived and joined him in his sprint, holding his hand strongly, while the two of them run.

 

"My lovely sister!"

 

They had to turn back and find a different route because five more soldiers were following them. They used the porches to avoid the arrows they were trowing at them. Yuri seemed to know the Palace better than him, si Jiyong let her guide him. 

 

"What’s your plan orabeoni?" she screamed after stopping an arrow with her sword.

 

"…"

 

"Orabeoni!"

 

"..."

 

"Orabeoni!" she insisted.

 

"I have no plan, piece of !" Jiyong finally confessed. 

 

"WHAAAT?!" Yuri was so shocked that she had to stop running.

 

"Hey, what are you doing?! Are you crazy?!"

 

"HOW CAN YOU FIGHT WITH THE KING WITHOUT HAVING AN ESCAPE PLAN, ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" Yuri screamed while hitting her brother in the head. "STUPID!"

 

"AND YOU?! HOW CAN YOU COME WITHOUT A RESCUE PLAN?"

 

"Excuse me your Excellency because I thought a Major General could be a good strategist!" she said with irony.

 

And they heard the screams of the angry soldiers, searching them.

 

"Less complaining and continue running, they are coming!"

 

"But..."

 

"Shut up Yuri and hold my hand!."

 

"AAAAAAAAAAAA!" the guards screamed.

 

The two brothers continued to run until they were able to find some lush bushes to hide and recover their breaths.

 

"Orabeoni… how… could… you… defeat… pirates… like… that…"

 

"Shut up, girl!"

 

"What… are… we… going… to… do?"

 

"I’m thinking!"

 

"Then think fast! The more we stay in the Palace, the worst!"

 

"Thanks for saying the obvious, sister!"

 

"Stop talking and think!" she yelled.

 

"Shhh, they might hear you…" a femenine voice whispered.

 

The two siblings turned around and saw a beautiful gisaeng with sharp facial expressions behind them. Automatically, both siblings aimed her with their swords.

 

"Relax, relax… My name is Lee Hyori."

 

"I don’t care about your name, milady" Yuri affirmed.

 

"Don’t be rude."

 

"You just say that because she’s pretty!"

 

Lee Hyori got amazed by how those two siblings were able to fight when they were chased by dozens of guards.

 

"I want to help you."

 

"How can we trust you?" Yuri questioned, mistrust in her eyes.

 

"You won’t be able to return to Joseon after you escape, and I want you to take me with you when you leave."

 

"Why do you explain us that?"

 

"Yuri…"

 

"Oraboeni! Let me speak."

 

"I need to leave the kingdom and you need me to leave the Palace. Don’t trust me, but we need each other. It's a simple matter of interest".

 

"THEY’RE HERE!!" some guards screamed. 

 

And the screams of guards arriving to their secret place gave Yuri enough arguments to trust that woman.

 

"So… what’s your plan?"

 

Lee Hyori smirked and showed them a big sack with pretty hanboks and wigs.

 

"Let’s play a game…"

 

And the story of how Kwon Jiyong, the Dragon, and, Kwon Yuri, the Black Pearl, escaped one of the safest places in the country dressed as beautiful gisaengs started to become a myth that day.

 

 

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"But, your majesty! You need to rest!"

 

Seung-hyun was severely injured by Jiyong after their fight a week ago, but he was too stubborn to let his state councilors rule the country while he was recovering. He didn’t trust them.

 

The Left State Councilor, Park Hong-jun, was Sandara’s older brother. The leader of his Clan, the Eastern Parks, and the landlord in the country behind the King. He had control over the most productive lands in the kingdom, which made him a rich man, full of money and resources. He knew that and the king’s need to receive their money to recover the country and used it to his Clan’s benefit. Thanks to that fortune, all the family held precious positions in the government and controlled the Ministries of Personnel and Defense. And he will do anything to keep his family status and power.   

 

The Right State Councilor, Park Sung-woo, was Bom’s father. He was from a poor branch of the Parks, but, thanks to the concubinage of his daughter, a man who seemed inoffensive, created a net so powerful that made him ascend enough to increase his family’s power and transform it in one of the most powerful. He controlled the Ministry of Taxation.

 

Seung-hyun suspected the two men because he knew they would fight against each other to see which Prince will be the next King: the bastard (it wasn’t uncommon) or the Crown Prince.

 

"He must be caught and executed, milord!" Park Hong-jun protested.

 

"The Left Councilor is right, your Highness."

 

As his mother recommended him, Choi Seung-hyun tried to give the Kwons more power in court to control the power of this two families, because, if those factions were too obsessed confronting each other, the King would have been able to change the balance and make it favorable towards his decisions. Unfortunately, with Jiyong’s latest actions, it was difficult to keep the Kwons in a powerful position, especially when they were only able to locate Lady Bo Ah. The other three siblings had disappeared.

 

"As I said before, he was a man blinded by the shame his father brought to his family. He will be banished and the rest of the family won’t be affected. AND THAT’S THE LAST TIME WE TALK ABOUT IT!"

 

The two men looked at the King with fear: yes, he might have simmilar features with the former King, but, Choi Seung-hyun wasn't a man who would let the others control him. So, knowing they won't be able to change his mind, the two men decided to abandon the subject.

 

"Yes, your majesty. I think it’s the best decision you could have decided" Park Hong-jun said.

 

"As you wish, your royal highness. You are always right" Park Sung-woo added, as if his forced compliment would flatter Seung-hyun.

 

“Maybe I won’t have the Kwons by myside to control you two, gentlemen, but I assure you the phantom of the Dragon’s possible vengeance will haunt you until my last breath” the King thought while pretending to be happy with their fake praises.

 

 

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Dong YoungBae couldn’t do it, he just couldn’t.

 

"Is just a formality, scholar!" Minister Do Kyung-Soo insisted. "We need the signatures of all the officials to sentence Kwon HyunSuk to death for high treason."

 

All his co-workers were looking at him desperately: after the beating the King suffered and how Kwon Jiyong escaped without difficulties with her sister from the Palace, everything was a bit chaotic.

 

"I just can’t condemn an innocent man."

 

They groaned in frustration.

 

"He confessed…"

 

"But to save his son, not because he was guilty!" YoungBae insisted.

 

"Do you question me, scholar?"

 

"Maybe."

 

"Then suffer the consequences: you are dismissed from your charge."

 

"Good." 

 

Dong YoungBae left the Ministry and his former colleagues in awe after his first moment of bravery. They thought he was an average man, without ambitions and too coward to face his supperiors. But he proved they were wrong and YoungBae arrived home happy and free from his burdens. His lovely wife was playing with HanBin when he arrived, and, when they looked at each other, she knew something was different.

 

"You just couldn’t sign it, right?"

 

He nodded, expecting a scolding. But, instead, HyoRin embraced him with her petite figure.

 

"I am so proud of you, YoungBae."

 

"But, what are we going to do? Jiyong has disappeared, our contacts too, what are we going to do to survive?" YoungBae panicked: he hadn't thought about their baby's future... 

 

HyoRin just smiled and showed him a small map with Kwon Jiyon’s family stamp.

 

"What’s this?"

 

She grinned even more, but didn’t answer his question directly.

 

"Let’s find the Dragon."

 

 

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A few weeks later, when the Choi Seung-hyun was able to be in full duty again, he and his State Council received a letter.

 

 

To the coward King of Joseon,

I will never leave you alone, because your corrupted government needs to pay for his sins. I will never stop hunting the culprits. Maybe you and your nobles weren’t the ones who killed my father and my Sandara, but, it was your cowardice what let us to that situation.

 

 

Always your worst nightmare,

 

 

The Dragon, Pirate and leader of the Silver Dragons.

 

 

 

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A hint of history:

 

Since it might be a bit hectic to understand all the charges and positions of the different characters in the story, I decided to create some diagrams to make it clearer to all of you. According to what I have read, that was the organization of the Joseon government.

• The Royal Investigation Bureau. It was a private deparment directily controlled by the King and was in charge of investigating and controlling the nobles and scholars the King suspected.
• Royal Secretariat. It was the department in charge of communication between the State Council-The Six Ministries and the King.
• The Six Ministries. They were in charge of the control of the country in concrete aspects. It was the effective executive-justice power. It was led by a minister, who had under his control a deputy minister, a secretary and different officials.
• State Council. It was the private council of the king and their mission was to advise him and decide with him the state affairs. It was led by a Chief State Councilor, who was directly chosen by the King. And he had to control the Left State and the Right State Councilors, because they were in charge of transmitting and executing the King’s direct orders towards the ministries. They usually represented different factions or positions in power.
• The three offices. They were the tools the government had to control the power of the officials, with the ability to condemn, censor and investigate them, without the King’s permission. It’s different from the Royal Investigation Bureau because they had to take control of all the transactions in the country, not only the King’s choices. 

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A/N: Wow! Such a long chapter! In my original script I divided those four chapters in five, but, I don’t know, as I edited everything, it ended this way. In the original one Taeyeon appears more and Jiyong had more scenes with her, but, I just wanted to focus in the hate-guilt relationship that builds up between the two main leads of this story:  best friends that want different things from live and that change irremediably while facing their loss. One focuses in his analytical abilities, the other, in his heart. I think I should have added more scenes between the two friends to make their relationship more credible, but, I don’t know, the introduction was getting too long. Maybe I will show one or two flashbacks in the future ^^

And that’s the end of the introduction of this story. Next chapter, we will see what happened to all of this characters after seven years and a more mature Princess Taeyeon will appear.