Park Soon Deok

As she is running across the palace, all she could think was just why was she so relaxed that nothing will happen today. In the time she had been besides Lady Soo, not a day has gone by where an incident whether big or small had not occurred. But this was a worrying incident, and she needs to get to the 4th prince as soon as possible and take him with her to his wife's side all without letting someone know the problem.

She didn't know what had happened. Suddenly just as they were exiting Damiwon through a side-door after the tea with the King, Agasshi had look around the hall, then she had no idea what Agasshi had saw but she suddenly starts to walk, no almost run, out of Damiwon. Without knowing anything, she and Woo Hee had chased after her. Wondering what had spooked her that she was almost outright running away from Damiwon without any chance of stopping. Then when Agasshi finally seem to stop at the lotus pond, and Soon Deok had gradually slowed down her speed, Agasshi had start to speed walk again, the chase was on once again. Finally they had catched up to Agasshi at the prayer stones, but her actions were confusing though the effects on her health was obvious to Soon Deok.

Agasshi seems to have been looking at something just above the stones, when suddenly, her hand went to her chest, and she had seen Agasshi's breathing becoming more short, she had ran as fast as she could towards her figure, Agasshi had to calm down before it causes a damage to her heart. Then just as she had reached Agasshi, she collapses, now she was on her knees, the knees that she could not be on at all, her face in her hands just sobbing. Soon Deok had called Woo Hee to help her move Agasshi closer to the tree and lean against it as well as get her off her knees and spread her legs in front of her, so her weight was not on her knees. She had quickly told Woo Hee about Agasshi's health in short sentences, and when Agasshi did not seem to even notice their presence and just continue on sobbing, such heart-wrenching sobs, Soon Deok had left to get help.

To get to the 4th prince, who had to know what happened, who could calm his wife down. To get one of the three doctors that knew about Agasshi's condition, if possible get the Astronomer Choi so that the King will be aware of the situation. Soon Deok just runs past Damiwon, where the princes were prohibited to enter till the drought was over, towards the training field and where the princes had their lessons. Surely, they will be there somewhere, if not at the Astronomy Tower.

Black, Green and Pink. The princes were right up ahead just at the edge of the training field, and see something blue approaching the three coloured shapes. The 14th prince was running behind his older brothers. They must have been on their way to Byul, perfect. She runs as fast as she could, raise her skirt so she could run even faster, she was going to stop wearing hanboks, it just hinders her in a moment of crisis.

"Hwangjanim, 4th Prince." she calls as she runs towards him. When the 4th prince sees her and notices her frantic form, he runs towards her and before he could ask a question, she speaks. "Agasshi is crying. Crying at the prayer stones. I do not know what happened, but her breathing is short, she is not calming down, and she suddenly collapsed and went on her knees. Woo Hee is there with her trying to calm her down, I told her everything she needs to know." She gets all the words out of as she is catching her breath.

"Jung-ah, get the doctor but be secretive. Baek-ah, inform Ji Mong. Eun-ah, take care of Soon Deok." The low voice of the 4th prince was all she could hear, before she witnesses him run in the direction of the prayer stones, and a second later the 14th prince and 13th prince runs off to do what their older brother had instructed them to do. Leaving her alone with the 10th prince.

"Deok-ah, are you alright?" The 10th prince was worried about her, and when she lifts her head, she sees him looking at her in concern. She couldn't help but smile. Her secret love was concerned about her. She trust that Agasshi will be fine, but she has to make her way back to the prayer stones. Looking at the arm suddenly in front of her, she looks up to the 10th prince. "Hurry and take my arm. We have to make sure that Soo is alright. But only after your breath comes back, bear-girl." Smiling, she takes the arm offered to her and just let herself enjoy this moment with her love for a moment, before making her way towards the prayer stones.

Woo Hee

The shocks of this day never seems to end, but this was not a pleasant one, no this was a horrifying one. She didn't know that this Lady, her sister-in-law through her adoption, was hiding a possibility of a terrible disease. A disease that could either shorten her lifespan or rob her off her ability to walk. Maybe even both if she is not be careful. And that strong lady is now just a weak body, sobbing endlessly, not even caring about her heart, her knees anything, just shivering and sobbing against Woo Hee. She prays that the 4th prince will arrive soon, or the doctor, anyone that could calm Soo down.

Because Woo Hee did not know what Soo saw that made her like this, but she wishes that she knows what it is so she can make sure to not let Soo come in contact with it ever again. She didn't realize how much she had grown to like this lady, until she saw her in this pain. All she could do to help this unique person that she had ever met, was to hug her body to hers as they both sat on the ground against the tree, providing her comfort as much as she could, as they wait for her husband, and her adopted brother to arrive.

"Soo-ah." Not a moment too soon, did she hear the voice as well as the figure of the 4th prince. His face clearly showing his fear and so many different emotions. To Woo Hee it was an blink of an eye, before right in front of her, the 4th prince was kneeling down, and was now holding his wife desperately calling out for her, and when his wife's cries did not stop, instead Soo's arms went around the prince's neck and now she was hugging her husband in all her might which still crying. Woo Hee from her spot could make out just a few words that Soo was saying. Sorry. She's beautiful. Pyeha. Aboeji. Daughter. Whatever the lady was saying her husband must have understood for now, he was hugging his wife desperately as well, but unlike the lady's voice, she could make out the prince's words clearly. "Soo-ya, calm down. You have to be strong, she needs you to be strong, she won't want you to be hurt." Those words surely held more meaning but it was enough to finally the lady's cries starts to fade and Woo Hee see that even her body seems to look less fragile, though now it seems like the lady is exhausted.

"Woo Hee-ya," at her name being called, she looks at the 4th prince who was now looking at her though his arms never left its place upon his wife. "Your sister is tired, help me lift her up. Let's go home." Silently she stands up from the ground as the prince slowly stands up andshe helps to support Lady Soo's body, which the prince was now cuddling into his chest. Once the prince was sure that his wife, who seems to have fallen asleep was secured, he starts to walk towards the direction of Byul. She follows after him, just a step behind, but eventually her need to ask overcomes her so she opens to speak.

"Hwangjanim," at her voice, the 4th prince turns towards her with a questioning look on his face, but before she could continue she was interrupted.

"Woo Hee-ya, you can call me Orabeoni. Just like she wants you to call you Soo. You are someone that is part of our family. The aunt of our future children, so don't be formal unless it is necessary." Blinking away her surprise, at just how easily these two people have accepted her into their family, naming her a familial relation to their children truly meant that her place within the family was not just based on paper but rather set in place by the family. But she still had her questions so she starts to ask.

"Who knows about her health? How did she acquire it?" the 4th prince, no now she could call him Orabeoni if she wishes to, glance at Soo in his arm, before replying to her question.

"She was already born with a sensitive body. When she drank poison to save the princes during the exorcism rite, her body's condition became both good and worse at the same time. The poison was very potent, even with my trained body, it took me a week to recover from a large dose, though Soo's normal body also took five days to heal after just a small dosage. Her survival means that she had built a tolerance for poison a little. The assassins found out and try to kidnap us separately but I stopped them. That's when I met Hui, he said he was a doctor and examine her and he let us know both her condition. But this idiotic girl, never seem to take the warning to heart till recently. But now that my younger brothers, Ji mong, even Pyeha knows about her condition, the royal doctors can attend to her, and make sure to stop the illness from taking hold. Besides now Woo Hee you will be with her, so I know that you will make sure that she is taking care of herself."

She could not relate how she was feeling at this show of familial affection towards her but even if she could not speak properly, she could still give a nod. Rather than walking behind the prince with his wife in his arms, she steps up so she was walking together with her Orabeoni.

Ji Mong

He was just on his way to inform the King about what the change he had witnessed in the mysterious eight stars last night, when he was suddenly bombarded by the 13th prince, who was full on running towards him. Without even informing him properly about what was going on, his hand was taken and he was being dragged down the stairs of his tower.

"Hwanjanim, Hwanjanim, what has happened?"

"We have no time, Ji Mong. Soo is hurt, apparently she is crying, she has trouble breathing and she dropped to the ground on her knees. Hurry, we don't have time." Once the information registers in his mind, he quickly make up his mind.

"What about the doctor? 4th prince?" He asks after persuading the 13th prince to stop for a second so he could properly understand.

"Jung went to get the doctor, I think they already are on their way to Byul. Hyungnin went ahead to calm Soo down, I think he must be home by now. Eun-hyungnim and Park Soon Deok is following them."

"Then, Hwangjanim, please let me inform the King. It will be suspicious if I am not in court for my daily meeting with the King. I will quickly inform him of the situation and Hwangjanim, you join the 14th prince in getting the doctors to attend Lady Soo. Remember to be discreet." Then with a bow to the prince, he hurriedly makes his way towards the court, walking as fast as possible without making it appear like he was in rush.

Once he was in court, and there was only the King with him, he quickly relates what the 13th prince had told him, making sure to add that both Doctor Jin and Doctor Song has already left the infirmary to Byul long before he had entered the courtroom. Assuming that the king will receive his own reports about Lady Soo soon, he gets to his personal reports about the stars.

"Pyeha, the stars are showing that now is the perfect time to perform the rain ritual, as the planet Mercury is now very close to the earth, thus water is near. Now the stars of the royal family are still the same but there has been movement in the eight stars. Though it is faint, two of the stars near the 4th prince and Lady Soo's stars are slowly becoming more solid and their flickering had decreased. The rest of the six stars are still the same."

"The meaning of the solid stars?" That was the question that he could not answer. Though he saw the glimpses of the future, it was not something that he could relate to the king no matter how much he wish to. Now how to relate that in a way that the king will get the important information for the present, but with no clues of the future. Sometimes, his position as the one that could see the future truly was a burden to his mind and soul.

SoSoo Bedchamber in Byul

The room was filled with silence. Silence of stressful waiting, where even making a single sound will disturb the very air around them. All of the occupants in their own way was worried.

The two royal doctors were worried about their patient, but also their lives as they knew that their patient's husband, while he did not show it, had a mad temper. The two female friends of the patient were just silently observing the lady still peacefully sleeping on the bed, just hoping that she will open her eyes soon. The three younger brothers were all silently frantic about the condition of their friend and sister-in-law, though they were also worried about their older brother who seemed to have not said a word since they had entered the chamber together with the doctors, or in the case of 10th prince together with Park Soon Deok.

The husband of the lady, the 4th Prince Wang So, was just silently standing at the foot of the bed, where his wife was sleeping gazing at her without uttering a single word to anyone. No one in the room missed the fact that this was the 4th prince's bedchamber rather than his wife's. Nor the fact that the prince's armor was hanging on one of the walls, and right next to the bed, there were two swords within easy reach from both side of the bed, and very close to where the 4th prince was standing.

The reason they were all waiting was because during their examination, the two doctors found something that had surprised them. The two doctors while had vast experience between them did not wish to announce anything that was not true so royal doctor Hong had to be called. In a way, it was good that Ji Mong already knew the situation, and most likely had related it to the King already, so at least it will be easier for the doctor to get out of Cheondokjeon, as the King will surely give him permission. Now, all they could do was wait, though at least Lady Soo was not in any pain, she was just exhausted and was sleeping lightly.

"Your Highness, the doctor is here." There was Ji Mong's voice through the door as the door opens, and the royal doctor enters the room. Then just behind him was the King in a rather plain set of royal robes. When his presence was registered, everyone immediately bowed and said their greetings. Right as everyone stood up from their bows, there were movement from the bed. Lady Soo was waking.

"Where am I? Pyeha?" The lady was looking around, and seems to have noticed the presence of King who was now standing near his 4th son. Once the 4th prince heard his wife's voice, he immediately moves towards his wife, and gently places his hands on her shoulders so that she could see him. Looking at the face of her husband, who wore the uniform of a prince but with a sangtu, the confusion in the lady's eyes disappears and she turns to now smile at her husband in a reassuring way. The prince once he was assured through their silent communication that his wife was alright and not about to expose their secret, stands up from the bed, so that the royal doctor Hong could now examine his wife.

The royal doctor takes the wrist of the lady in front of him and start to check her pulse. Almost immediately, those who could see the doctor's face could see the look of surprise on the doctor's face. The royal doctor exchanges a quick glance with the younger doctors in the room, before going back to his examination of the lady. Gently taking her pulse again, as well as visually scanning the lady's body for a total examination.

"The verdict, Royal Doctor Hong?" It was Ji Mong that asks him, as the royals and the nobles in the room were all quiet and was just staring at the doctor. The doctor stands up from where he took a seat on the bed to do his examination, and almost immediately, 4th prince took his place on the bed. The doctor after a glance at the occupants in the room, faces the 4th prince and his wife before announcing the results.

"My lady, luckily your heart nor your knees were affected by this episode. I will have the tonic prepared by tomorrow. Please drink it daily. Whether in the form of a solid ball of crushed herbs or dissolving the solid ball of the tonic into water and taking it like a tea. Please drink it twice a day."

You could see the faces of relief around the room, as it was found that Lady Soo was perfectly fine. But rather than looking like he was finished with his report, the royal doctor after another sweep of the room with his eyes, begins to speak again.

"That was something that my fellow doctors could figure out, there was another thing that we have discovered which was the reason that they have asked me to come and examine Lady Soo myself."

"And that is?" Once again it was Ji Mong who asks, though perhaps his voice shows a hint of recognition like the Astronomer knew exactly what the doctors have discovered.

"Pyeha, 4th Prince, Lady Soo, congratulations. Lady Soo is with child. She is pregnant with twins, 4th Prince. My sincere congratulations to you. Your Majesty, congratulations for you will soon have two new grandchildren, the heavens have truly bless your son and his wife for this is the first case of royal twins in the history of Goryeo."