Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa

She closes the book. Returns it to shelf. She scours the library for any book her eyes haven’t feasted yet. Luck doesn’t smile favourably on her. Perhaps, she would get Wook to acquire more books from the capital. Not the scholarly kind, definitely.

After he takes his ritual bathing with her other brothers, of course. For now, her feet takes her down a path that leads her to one of the smaller complexes in the palace.

The garden proves to be beautiful, even as Yeon-Hwa takes note of the fallen leaves pooling around, burying the roots. Flowers all have but bloom like it’s spring again. Water encircling around the complex, littered with wind-blown wilting flowers.

She wonders if autumn in Songak is the same as Shinju’s autumn. Shakes her head to release such thoughts.

Sitting beneath a tree of yellow leaves, Yeon-Hwa spots a younger girl, barely older than fourteen. She closes the distance between them. The girl pauses with her embroidery, comes to her feet. They exchanges courteous bows.

“Sister, what brings you here?” Heungbang starts.

“I was bored.”

Heungbang’s lips split into a large grin. “And there’s nothing else in brother’s place to amuse you until he procure you those books you are fond of?”

The end of Yeon-Hwa’s quirks upwards coltishly, “Yes, Heungbang. And I was afraid you’d be lonely, seeing how Eun always run off at the first chance he has.”

“It doesn’t bother me as much as you think it does, sister.” They takes seats on some pile of huge rocks surrounding the pond.

“Perhaps,” she replies, the grin still etched on her face, “I miss our conversation more.”

Heungbang returns her large eyes back to her needlepoint, “I’ve heard nothing worthy of commentary,” she pauses to insert the needle, “Word has it that brother is finally returning from Shinju.”

“Brother So?”

Heungbang absentmindedly nods, “Yes, Brother Jung mentioned that Brother So will be participating the Narye ritual this year.”

The masked son of Emperor Taejo stands to return to Songak. Last year, Father did nothing to call him back. Or the previous year. Why the change of heart? An interesting development, indeed.

“Oh, that is generous of father,” says Yeon-Hwa, plucking a nearby flower and inhales its scent (sweet for a pale coloured one), “and the Kang family allows this?”

“So says brother Yo, on the condition he would return to Shinju after the ritual. Mostly, that is the speculation,” answers her half-sister.

That’s certainly would be in the best interest of the Shinju Kang family to have the emperor’s son as a member. But what of So? Would he allow himself to be used by the Kang clan? Or does he intent to sever their ties forever?

“Brother So wrote days ago, that he’d be riding in two days’ time. He might be reaching to the palace earlier than anticipated,” Heungbang offers, her eyes still glued to her needlepoint.

“Heungbang, you don’t mind we cut our conversation short, do you?”

“Of course not, sister. I wouldn’t want to keep you apart from your next endeavour.”

“I will make it up to you.”

“It will be highly unnecessary, sister.”

“I take my leave.”

Spending a day with Heungbang is certainly preferable to that girl Wook’s wife brought to Songak. It is rather unfortunate that Heungbang comes from a rotten mother. Oh yes, small consolation that the gentle soul shares none of her mother’s aspiration.

Yeon-Hwa mulls a second or two, the choice of keeping a close connection to Heungbang. One never knows when she could drop important information such as Wang So participating in the Narye ritual ceremony.

They exchange congenial smiles. Yeon-Hwa leaves, heading for the courtyard.

It’s not too late for the possibility of glimpsing him first after all these years. She’s looking forward for that.