Hwangbo Yeon-Hwa

She glances at the door. And she waits. She would have wait longer. But appearance’s vital. Her shoulders slump, stomach ill with rising nausea. She turns to her brothers, straightens her spine. Her gaze so fleetingly falls on Wook, then she focuses her sight on the table.

“It seems like our fourth brother is not going to come.”

Eun raises to his feet, “Sister, seeing So is so scary that it gives me a headache,” he takes a step forward to the table, “I accidentally stepped on his foot two days ago,” slaps a palm against his right eye socket, and glares at her. Or the least, his very best copy of a glare.  

“‘Do you want to die?’” Eun drops his naturally high pitched voice to a bass.

She chuckles at the boy of fourteen. His exuberance serves to only highlight how young he really is. Fourteen years says his body, his mind’s not older than a boy of ten.

“I was so scared,” adds Eun, makes a show to clutch his heart. Always such an exaggeration to everything he does.

“You are so bad,” she teases, twisting her lips into a small smile.

Jung slinks next to Eun, “We may have the same mother, but we’ve never had a proper conversation,” complains the boy of thirteen, she doesn’t expect Jung to hold some love for the man his mother birthed to. The whole family runs on fuel of hatred for the brother they sent away. Saved for Heungbang, and she supposes, Heungbang is barely a blip in her mother’s eyes – for Empress Sinmyungsunseong only sees her boys (two of them anyway).

He adds for dramatic effect, “Even if I say hello to him, he doesn’t respond to me.”

Won nods his head to agree (this brother lurks in the shadows, never having an opinion of his own, parroting others’ words as his) and quips, “He does have a tendency to ruin the mood.”

A force wrestles to open the door. Loud. They turn their attention on the door.

Dark robe moves into the room. Twirls on his heels to get a better look of the room.

Yeon-Hwa sees long raven hair, rests on top of a mask that hides half of his upper right face. Sharp cheekbones. Does not the royal tailors provide him other than black robes? Dark colours brings out a foreboding image, which she without a shadow of doubt knows he has taken a shine to. 

Whatever she plans to say, dies in at the mere recognition of the robe. Breathing ceases to be, as Yeon-Hwa eyes the figure makes his move.

He takes one step forward. And another. And another. 

The younger brothers jump out from their seats. She draws to her full height. The end of her lips curling to a welcoming smile. Yeon-Hwa gifts him her respect, as she would, with any of her older brothers half or full.  

Baek Ah’s the first to cut the silence down, his dark eyes reflecting the quivering nerves he tries to hide, “Brother, you’ve arrived.”

So glances to his right. Where they sit close by.

So gazes to his left. A lone table sits pitifully ahead.

Won, Jung and Eun collectively bend their bodies low. Lower than they would, if they are to bow to Yo. Or the emperor, Father.   

He picks a side. A lone table for a lone wolf.

He’s unpredictable and yet some choices he makes are of expected of him, Yeon-Hwa muses. Are those actions he chooses, simply to keep up appearance? Or is it something more to the moves he makes?

The younger three waste no time to find their seats, on a bench behind Wook. Baek Ah chooses to stand with her. 

He slams the chair against the floor, leans into the chair. Manners be damned.

“You’re late,” Wook remarks, “You and I should practice for the ritual together on our own.”

“We can do that,” is So’s terse reply.

“We have not heard from you at all, so we were going to send someone to Shinju,” she informs him, “Why haven’t we heard from you?”

So lazily retorts, “I’m here, aren’t I?”

She remains undeterred by his brusque reply, it will take more than bad manners to steer her away from the mighty wolf dog of Shinju.

“You should stay here with us, while you’re in Songak,” Yeon-Hwa offers, “I would like to hear about Shinju.”

“Yes, it would be better here than in the empress’s home,” Wook seconds her suggestion, lips twisting into a smile.

“Wook, don’t try so hard,” Yo interrupts, “He understands animals better than he understands the words of people.”

“Ah, no wonder …” So lets out a mocking sigh, lifts his gaze to his brother, “I understand my brother’s words so clear.”

Wook chuckles a mild one. The rest squirms uncomfortably, eyes darting in multiple directions. Yo’s smirk flattens into a thin-lipped smile and his face hardens.

It’s amazing that So’s the only brother around, could elicit Yo’s ire by merely breathing. She wonders what it is that caused the two once closed brothers to treat each other with contempt in their eyes and disdain on their lips.

Chae-Ryung announces, “Princess, we’ve prepared the drinks.”

And they drop their eyes off from each other. Yo flicks a gaze at the maid. So shuts his eyes, arms behind his head and supporting it.

Yeon-Hwa motions at the maid to place the tray on the table. A team of maids, Hae Su included, files in a line and brings the snacks. They all disperse quickly once the snacks are on the table.

Eun reaches out for a snack, even before Hae Su could settles the tray she carries. Eun grabs one and stuffs it inside his mouth. Baek Ah and Jung wait in anticipation, patience’s a lesson they remembered well, before munching on the delicacies.

“Where’s Brother Mu?” Jung mumbles incoherently.

“He’s with his wife, Lady Geun-Yong,” Yeon-Hwa answers, twists to face Eun, “Speaking of wives, ignoring one’s spouse will not render their existence none,” and pours herself a cup of tea.

The rest breaks into amused laughter. Yo’s beady eyes lingers on her too long, that Yeon-Hwa thinks he could bore holes into her back. She keeps her sight on So, instead. Forces her lips into a smile she’d practised day and night.

Eun’s brows furrow, crosses his arms like a petulant child he is. “Talk such nonsense, sister. Heungbang enjoys her time without my constant presence,” he answers, drowns his cup empty.

“All right, then. Your affairs are yours to bear, I will not interfere.”