Hae Soo

When her eyes opened, she saw the face of her prince. A younger 4th prince, who still had some of his baby fat on his cheeks. Reaching her hand forward, she his face. She was really back. Back in Goryeo. To the beginning when they were both so young. Though she did not remember clearly, it seemed like she had passed the test. So here she was in the 10th century Goryeo.

Looking around, she was not in any of the places that was familiar to her. She remember opening her eyes and briefly seeing Unni, trying to tell her to not worry, reaching for her prince before she lost consciousness. But that was all back in the Hwangbo residence. This place was different. It was a dirty old room, she was in. But there was a mattress on the floor, where she had been sleeping till now. The 4th prince was right beside her on that mattress in a deep sleep. As the moonlight shine a light into the room, she clearly see the prince's face. Filled with blood on his cheeks, down his chin, just like that time he was poisoned. Did it mean that the prince's days of suffering was not over. Her face was clean. Looking around, she saw a basin of water with a cloth. The prince must have cleaned her face, even her arms and legs. While forgetting to clean himself up. Seriously, she did not know what to do with him. Why does he not care about himself?

Standing up, she took a step forward and she suddenly felt the difference. The difference of being able to walk straight with no pain in her knees and her breathing was normal. Her heart was strong and normal. It was true then, she was back in her healthier body. Looking at her wrist with no scar, she was back before Unni died. She was 16. The prince was 17. But the prince had lived longer than her, his soul was older, he had spent over two decades without her, and he had that much more pain to suffer through. She knew that he did not want her to worry. For him, any price will be worth it where he could live like a person and be with her. Bending down and taking the water basin in her hands, she felt a weight around her neck. There was a chain around her neck. Placing the basin down besides the mattress, she took out the chain from underneath her clothes. The chain held her most cherished items. Their wedding rings, sparkling in the limited moonlight in the room. So the items were with them too. Putting the chain back underneath her clothes again, she sat down on the floor. Taking a wet cloth in her hand, she start to clean the blood and dirt on her prince. Her 4th Prince Wang So.

The Princes

With the crown prince in the lead, Ji Mong, Eun, Baek-Ah with two royal doctors and the guards travelled the night towards the old compound. On their way, they encountered even more sights of battle just like what the Captain had described. Even with no letter, they knew that it was the 4th prince that did it. Some places had only the corpses of the assassins, the others had only living ones just unconscious on the ground and some sight had both. The riders truly understood why the Captain was so hesitant to speak about the sight at court. Blood filled ground with bodies lying everywhere. All the bodies had strike though the dead ones only seemed to have a single strike most of the time. The living on the other hand had many bleeding strikes and they were left to bleed to their death. It was a good thing that the doctors were with the doctors. They could quickly wrap the cuts of the assassins that were still alive so that they will survive till they are taken back to the palace jail. It was quite clear that those living assassins were living due to chance. Though the prince did not kill them, if help will not arrive for them, or they will not gain strength, they would have died a painful death by bleeding out. The 4th prince was definitely furious. As Ji Mong said living like a hostage in Shinju made the survival instincts of 4th prince more sharper and when he lost his temper, the results were terrifying.

"But, you are lucky, Your Highnesses. Your brother is really angry at the attempt to harm you." Ji mong also added. While the crown prince knew somewhat of So's temper, he knew that Eun and Baek-Ah were not familiar to it. But at least, this time they will understand that this carnage was due to the 4th's fight for survival, it was not because So was cold-hearted and liked to kill.

After passing at least five such scenes, finally they were at the musical hut. The musical hut was a small house with multiple rooms. Having the guards surround the compound, the princes, the astronomer and the doctors entered the compound. Quietly with weapons out making sure that there were no more attackers upon them, opening each door they passed.

Finally they were at the last door. The crown prince went in first with his sword drawn. As soon as he passed the doorway, everyone heard a yell, before something hit the Crown Prince. Turning to look at his attacker, who had attacked him with an undrawn sword, he saw a surprising sight. Same with the princes that were right behind their oldest brother. For the attacker was a girl with large eyes, who when she saw who was in front of her back-stepped, let go of the sword, and just slumped down to the ground.

"Soo-ya," the 10th and the 13th rushed towards her frozen form. Well, being attacked by a girl was something that the Crown Prince had never experienced but he was relieved that the lady was safe. Looking around the room, he saw a mattress where his 4th brother was lying. A wash basin next to him, clearly the girl was trying to take care of the prince when she had come to her senses, and fearing that an attacker had entered, she tried to knock the supposed attacker out. Which in this situation was the crown prince. What a fearless girl.

Seeing the doctors just outside of the room, he motioned them to enter and attend to their patients. A frozen girl sitting on the ground, who now had grabbed onto the arms of the two princes in front of her as she start to wail and hiccups at the same time, to the motionless prince on the bed that even in a critically ill situation had escaped a kidnapping, saved someone from a kidnapping then had moved to a secluded hide-out before collapsing.

As one royal doctor approach the girl, she suddenly screams. Within a second the room was chaotic. Before the royal doctor or the princes realized, the 4th prince had awaken and had a sword on the doctor's neck. Where he got the sword from or when he had walked over was something that they could not explain. The Crown Prince quickly made his way till he was standing in front of the 4th.

"So-ya. It's me. Mu. Your Hyungnim. You are alright. You are safe. Let go of the sword, that is the doctor, he is not an assassin." As he spoke, the 4th prince raised his face, and his eyes seem to register who was talking to him. Then he blinked before moving his head to see where he was and who was with him. When he seem to be sure of where he was, he let go of the sword and it falls to the ground with a clang.

"Eldest brother, you were alright then," before the 4th prince took a step towards the people on the floor but he was not strong enough that he fell to his knees and his brothers rush to support him, "Eun-ah, Baek Ah-ya, you are alright too. I'm glad." Then the 4th prince look directly into the eyes of the lady who he saved from kidnapping as he smile and say "I am fine." Then the 4th prince collapsed once again, vomiting blood as he fell unconscious once again just like five days ago in the courtroom.