The spring near the beach

"Hyungnim, when are we going to reach Silla"

"In another day of travel or so, Baek Ah. Then it will be all up to you on how we move."

"Yes, I understand. But Hyungnim, where are we sleeping tonight? At an inn?"

"No, tonight we will be in the woods. Tomorrow we will share a room at an inn."

"One room, Hyungnim?"

"Yes, Eun-ah. One room. We are keeping the trip as low-profile as possible. We do not want anyone to use our actions as a tool for blackmail."

"Blackmail? But we are only doing this to help the people."

"Jung-ah, the ministers and the clans will use anything they can to undermine the Crown Prince or have me sent away."

"If you say so, Hyungnim. By the way, why is your hair like that today?"

"Yes Hyungnim. If I didn't know you will look like an unmarried man."

"Eunnie-Hyungnim, Jung ah, didn't you hear Hyungnim before? We have to be unrecognizable. If Hyungnim had both his mask and the sangtu, it will be easy to find out that he is a prince. Same with Soo being in such a plain style today."

"Oh. Baek Ah-ya you are smart."

"Jung-ah, are the horses done?"

"Yes, Hyung. So let's go back. I wonder what Noonim got us for food. Do you know Hyung?"

"No, she had everything prepared yesterday while I was not at Byul. If you are curious, let's head back. I do not want to imagine what kind of trouble Soo will get into if she is left alone for so long."

The Beach

Hae Soo

A picnic on the beach. What a modern thing to do in the 10th century. But it was perfect. Not to mention the sounds of water made her remember the time that her prince had sneaked her out of the palace, the time she received the peony hairpin in the last lifetime. Reaching into her sleeves, she took out that same hairpin before stick it into the plain bun at the top of her head. Then she went back to setting up the picnic. The picnic she had prepared was simple with rice balls with different side dishes and also some dried meat. Not to mention she had made sweets as well. There was no time for tea but the sweets will be like a tea time.

Looking up from where she was taking the food out of the luggage, the sight of Soon Deok, Woo Hee and her laying out food together was something that she never got to do in the previous life. But here there were three ladies who all bore their own scars and love a Goryeo prince setting out a meal to share together. If this trip, which Soo had decided can also help along her plan of matchmaking, this kind of scenes will happen frequently. Besides she had learnt that Goryeo in the time of King Taejo was quite peaceful and it was the best time to marry and establish a solid foundation of marriage. She knew that her husband will not interfere with the succession rather let it take its natural course, and she agreed to it. They did not need the throne, all they needed was enough influence for their family to survive in the palace which they already had. She never wishes to see her prince treated like a hunting dog again.

"Soo-buin" It was a simple title but for her it was proof. That she really did get married to the 4th Prince. But when she hears Woo Hee say that to her it just makes her feel distant, and she knows that she is pouting right now.

"Woo Hee-ah, I told you to simply call me by my name. Just call me Soo. Deok-ah already won't call me by my name, I need to hear someone calling my name rather than titles. What's a title between family and friends anyway. I'm saying it right now, I won't forgive you if you keep on being so formal with me." Soo knew she was downright pouting and was acting spoiled but she wants to be friends with Woo Hee just like she had been before. Looking at Woo Hee's face she knows that she is kind of shocked by her. Especially the part that she said she won't forgive Woo Hee if she is formal with her again. A side glance told her that Soon Deok who seemed to have become used to the antics of a happy Hae Soo was also a little shocked. But she couldn't help it. She wanted her friend who was like a sister to really treat her like a sister.

"Soo-ya, what did you make?" You can always trust the young princes to break a tension, especially Eun-nim. Turning towards where the prince's voice came from, she saw all of the princes, leading the horses back to the shore away from the spring, the dongsaengs in front. Of course, her wolf prince will take the rear end, a natural position for defense. It was these small gestures like that actually shows how protective her husband was of those who he considered his people.

"You have arrived, Your Highnesses. Please arrange the horses around the houses, then we will all have a meal together. Including the guards." She just smile at the surprised faces of the guards. But she didn't care. If she was going to travel with them, then they should get to know each other. Besides she knew that all of the guards chosen for this trip was the younger version of the royal guards that had served Emperor Gwangjong in another world. They were the people who had acted as a shield to protect her king in the past. Apparently, these five had once stopped an assassination attempt on their Seol. Another version of these men had saved her daughter, a simple meal was a pale thing in comparison .

The Royal Guards

Perhaps they should have been prepared to experience strange things when they were selected by the 4th prince to guard on this trip. The palace gossips all said that the 4th prince and his wife both displayed some strange behaviours. Maybe they should have known when even the selection process for the guards were so different.

On that day, the 4th prince had asked all the guards to personally split into five groups based on their personal assessment of which of the five skills they were beat at. Speed, intelligence, strength, invasion, and defense. It was after that the 4th prince had the guards use wooden swords to attack the prince together in group. Five fights, five very skilled beating of the guards later, the prince had selected one guard from each group. Yong for speed, Heok for intelligence, San for strength, Jin for invasive skills and Tae for his defensive skills. Now these five guards were sitting down on the same sheet as royals and high-class nobles to share a meal prepared for them by a prince's wife. You could not blame them for being a little stiff and silent and observing. Similar to the guards, Woo Hee was also silently observing the others, as someone new to the dynamics of the others.

It was easy to observe that the most enthusiastic ones were the 10th and 14th prince. Lady Soo and 13th prince were more of the peaceful enthusiasts though Lady Soo had her moments of excitement, similar to Park Soon Deok. The 4th prince was truly the silent type to observe the others. Though it took a long time, eventually the stiffness that the guards gradually loosen. Who could resist the urge to laugh over the bickering of the 10th prince and 14th prince, even the 4th prince was laughing.

That night in the woods

The ride after their meal at the beach had signs of a more relaxed atmosphere. The soldiers were of course on alert but there was conversations between the groups. The topics ranged from what they think they will find in Silla to a debate over what is the best treat to have with tea. Before they knew it, the sun has start to set, and it was time to set up camp for the night. As there were no large clearing in sight, they decided on a small patch of ground around a group of trees with small branches. After tying the reins of multiple horses to some of the more stronger trees, the guards went to check out the perimeters while the ladies took out several sheets to lay on the ground around the fire, where they could sleep. The young princes had been sent to gather the firewoods while the 4th prince was moving the carts of rations to a more secure place so that it will not attract attention of bandits.

"Hyungnim, we brought the firewoods." The 10th prince spoke as all three of the princes came back to camp with multiple branches in their arms. The 4th prince took a couple of the branches out of the 14th prince's hand before gesturing for his brothers to start arranging the woods, while he starts the fire. As the fire starts, the guards come back from their patrol. Soon everyone is sitting around the fire, just staring into the flame. The night was not a cold one but still a fire's warmth was welcome.

"Ring. Hyungnim where are the rings?" the 14th prince suddenly asks, when he notices what the sparkling ring as well as the double ring that his older blood brother always wore are missing from his hands. Woo Hee knowing that one of the rings was her uncle's so she also starts to pay attention to the conversation.

"Jung-nim, don't worry. I have the rings, all four of them. I don't want the rings to get dirty so I am keeping it." Lady Soo replies to her brother-in-law from where she had her head on her husband's shoulder. "Speaking of rings? When am I going to get to see my little brothers get married?" Lady Soo now looks directly at the young princes with a piercing glance.

"No, I'm not getting married right now Noonim. I don't want to look like a porcupine." The 14th prince quickly protests.

"Porcupine?" Lady Soo questions the 14th prince on his choice of words. A point that many of the others in the group, particularly the royal guards wanted to know.

"That's right, Soo-ya. When Hyungnim was getting married, we saw him at his fitting. He looked like a porcupine with all those pins on him." the 10th prince explained. "I'm not becoming a porcupine to marry someone unless it is someone that I like."

"Then you just have to find a wife then. Speaking of marriage, Yong-ssi, Heok-ssi, Jin-ssi, Tae-ssi, and San-ssi, are any of you married?" Looking shocked that someone in the royal family knew their names that too said it with suffix of respect, it was San who recovered from his shock quickly enough for him to answer.

"I'm sorry but none of are married, Lady Hae."

"Really? Then I wish you find the person that you can truly care for to be your wife. Also don't call me Lady Hae, just address me as Soo-buin (Lady Soo)," the lady speaks as she continues to snuggle closer to her husband who had noticed that his wife was feeling cold and decides to move his position. The 4th prince grabs his wife's waist with both hands and lifts her small body up and gently move her to be in front of him, then pulls his wife backwards till her back and his front are touching and wraps his arms around her. Not even caring about their audience, Lady Soo just snuggle into her husband's hug with a smile on her face. Then turning her head towards the princes, she asks a question. "Do you wish to pray together?"

"Yes, let's do that Soo-ya. We have to make sure that Seol-halmoni's prayers are continued."

"You know about Seol-halmoni, Your Highness?" that was the first time that Woo Hee actually address someone directly after lunch. The 13th prince's face lights up and he now turns to look at Woo Hee and answers her question instead of the 10th prince who had been the one that Woo Hee had questioned.

"We all have heard about Seol-halmoni. Eun-Hyungnim wants to make sure that her prayers will not be forgotten. Did you hear about Seol-halmoni from your uncle as well?" the 13th prince asks. Perhaps it was the mention of a topic that she was comfortable with that Woo Hee seems to relax.

"Many of the tales I heard in my childhood from Uncle Hui was about Seol-halmoni, particularly about her parents."

"Excuse me, Woo Hee Agasshi," San, who was the most straightforward guard asks the adopted sister of the 4th prince, "who is Seol-halmoni? If you have no objection telling us?"

"Seol-halmoni is the oldest female ancestor of Woo Hee's uncle whom I owed a debt." the 4th prince explains.

"Yes, that was Seol-halmoni. Her true name is unknown but it is told that after surviving a drowning she received memories of another person that was named Seol. My uncle's families have told the tales of this soul, Seol-halmoni, through the generation. Also as their ancestors have done, they offer a specific prayer every single time they pray for Seol-halmoni's wish to be fulfilled. Everyone in the household from the head to the musuri offered this prayer."

"What was this prayer, Woo Hee Agasshi?" San once again asks.

"For the biological parents of Seol to be reunited and have a chance to be happy."

"That's right, Woo Hee-ya. Is it ok if I called you that? Anyways, Seol was a hidden child of a king and a court lady who was raised by the king's younger brother. Her mother died soon after she was born, and her father, the Emperor, could never call her his because she will be killed by the Queen who was obsessed with the Emperor."

"Like Eunnie-Hyungnim said, Seol-halmoni was a hidden child but she didn't hate her biological parents instead she said she was blessed to have two fathers who loved her so much. After the Emperor died with the name of Seol's mother on his lips, his personal court lady from when he was a prince, she always prayed for her parents to be reunited and have a chance to be happy again. She is such a filial lady, I was so surprised when I heard the story. You were too, Hyung, Noonim?"

"Yes, Jung-ah. Seol is a child that any parent will be proud of." the 4th prince replies. Now holding onto his wife even tighter, though no one except the couple will know the reason that it was hard for them to talk about Seol.

"Woo Hee-ah," the prince's wife asks the adopted sister of her husband, "did your uncle tell you more stories about Seol?" At the silent nod given by Woo Hee, Lady Soo gives a small smile. "If you are alright with it, how about every night you tell us a story that your Uncle told you?"

"Yes, Lady Hae," but seeing the frown growing on the lady's face, Woo Hee changes her reply, "I meant, of course Soo Agasshi, it will be my pleasure."

"Soo-ya," the 4th prince speaks, "it is getting late, how about tonight we all offer a prayer then tomorrow, once we are in an inn, Woo Hee will tell us all a story." Lady Soo simply nods her head in agreement before turning to face the flames from within her husband's arms and places her hand together in prayer. The princes, ladies, and the guards also follow by holding their hand together in a prayer. Each of them in their own way adding a prayer to either Seol or her parents in it.