A year later…

“I’ve allowed you to do whatever you want… But this will not do… I simply cannot let you do this… Not this time Bok Joo…”

“But Oppa~ our country is in dire state right now… Can you bear to let this happen?”

“This country has always been in turmoil because of its geographical location. Whatever you do will not change anything.”

“But Oppa~ this time it will be a two-pronged attack… We will be stretched thin. One from the north and the other from the southern part… At the sea… Against the Japanese fleet.”

“You’re thinking of going to the sea aren’t you?!”

Bok Joo remained silent as she deviated her eyes from making contact with her brother.

“Tell me… Are you intending to go and help the navy?”

“Yes~ I am~ because that’s where I am good at… Ahboeji has taught me a lot about the sea.”

“No! Just no!”

“You once served along Ahboeji too… And you also know that I am a fast learner and just how capable I am…”

“Didn’t you hear what I say? I said no… Uncle would not agree… He won’t want me to let you do that!”

“What happened to the resilient Jae-Joong Oppa that had shown me what true patriotism is? Where has he gone to?”

“He’s gone~ the day we were forced to abandon our old names… And witnessing you, having to abandon the surname of your great father… Is the day that Kim Jae-Joong you once knew died…”

“But Oppa~ even if you don’t want me to do it for the country… Let me do it for Ji Soo Oppa then… How can I be at peace knowing that our close friend is fighting for someone who is not even showing any appreciation for his service…” said Sung-Kyung almost angrily.

“For Ji Soo? He doesn’t even know our real identities. And you have no idea how I feel when you say such things to me… The years I’ve spent trying to protect you from harm’s way… Fending off guards, spies who had been hunting for you, for us… And now you say such a thing to me?”

“I am sorry Oppa… I didn’t mean it that way… But… They are short of people to fight for this country Oppa~”

“But what can you do? You are a lady… They won’t accept you into the army much less the navy…”

“Oppa~ I can go on your behalf… If you don’t go you’ll get into trouble too since your name is under the registry of registered citizen.”

“You are out of your mind Lee Sung Kyung! I’d rather kill myself than send you to war! How will I answer to your parents if I willingly send you to a war in my stead?!”

“Oppa~!” exclaimed a frustrated Sung-Kyung before she stormed off to cool herself down.

“It’s my final decision. I will not let you do it! Not in a million years…!”

That night, she tossed and her mattress thinking of ways to convince her cousin brother whom is like a family to her since her late father, a respected Navy Commander Lee Soon Shin, had been taking care of him when he was left orphaned during a plague that swept the country. However, things took a turn when her father was persecuted due to his allegiance to the first prince. The King had ordered for the death of the whole family but her father managed to make the necessary arrangements for his daughter and nephew to hide, with both her parents sacrificing themselves for the sake of their precious child. Even so, it did not stopped Sung Kyung from wanting to serve the country because she was reminded of her father’s sayings and teachings. Thus that night, she stayed up to write down a letter which she attention it to her Oppa. She then packed her bags and with much care, and tip-toed towards the drawer that had her brother’s identity tag, quietly hiding it under her robe. Once everything was done, she placed the written letter on the floor and kneeled beside Jae-Joong who was lying down on his side asking for forgiveness

“Oppa~ I know you care a lot about me and I am very thankful for that. I could never repay you for all the love you have showered me even though I can be a brat sometimes. But Oppa, what’s happening in our country here… it’s something I must do. I am truly sorry. I hope you’ll understand me for one last time, Oppa…” before stepping out of the house. With tears in her eyes, she put on her straw shoes and left for the southern border of the country where they were building ships for the upcoming battle. Jae-Joong whom she thought was asleep, was in fact crying silently upon hearing those words. He knew that once Sung Kyung had set her mind, it would be impossible to stop her. He then sat up to read the letter she had written for him, and the letter reads;

Dear Jae-Joong Oppa,

Once again I’ve disobeyed your words. For that I am sorry. I know that you realized I participated in resistance groups from time to time, rendering my help when needed. I know you saw the cuts and bruise but chose to remain quiet because of your trust in me. So I am simply asking you to put your trust in me yet again.

You’ve always been protecting me; so do not worry about disappointing Ahboeji and Ommoni. You’ve done more than you could. Because of me you got hurt, and those injuries that you sustained from protecting me when I could not fight them off on my own, never really healed after all these years. Again I am sorry for that. But Oppa~ I just cannot forget all the teachings Ahboeji had passed on to us for me to just abandon my country due to my anger because it will never bring any joy or happiness to me or to any commoners like us. Never once did Ahboeji mentioned about abandoning his country even though they were the ones who had abandoned him by stripping him of his rank. I will also be taking this chance to find out the truth about what happened to Ahboeji and Ommoni.

Please remember to take your medicines regularly, I’ve stocked up the kitchen with plenty of herbs that was recommended by Joon Hyung since you seem much better with it and also food too. I’ve sought the help of a neighboring Ahjumma to help in preparing food and brewing the medication for you. I’ve paid her handsomely in advance so you better eat well. And Oppa~ promise me that you’ll wait for me to come back. I don’t know when I will be back, but still promise me that you’ll wait for me and I will promise to come back home. Till then, please take care of yourself. I will not let you or Ahboeji down. I no longer want to see parents having to separate themselves from their children ever again.

From your one and only donsaeng,

Lee Sung Kyung, the brave daughter Lee Soon Shin

After reading the written letter, Jae-Joong internalized her words and his own emotions, finally deciding to instead of forcefully telling her not to go, he was now praying for her safety; that no matter what happened, she will not suffer the same fate as her father did and that she will be protected.

She adjusted to life well even with the navy daily routine, all while hiding her identity carefully. Her tall stature and physical strength managed to fool her fellow comrades though her beauty, despite applying dirt on her face to make herself looked masculine and rough, still shined, thus earning her the nickname ‘hwarang’. Since she was skilled in sword fighting, calvary and archery, she was tasked to assist the captain in training the young recruits.

The day where they had to set out to sea has finally arrived. She began prepping herself up, by putting on her armor and equipping herself with swords of two different lengths, along with a bow and arrows. As she was doing so, her captain approached her to inform her that she will be joining the flagship along with the Commander and her Captain. His words would have sent shivers down the spine of an ordinary shoulder but not her. She was determined and more than delighted to receive such an order. The flagship will be the one to lead the rest of the ships and will be the key to determine whether they could successfully fend off the enemy or not. After setting out to sail for a few days, they have finally arrived at the point of battle. They waited and were on high alert for the approaching enemy’s fleet of ships.

Meanwhile, back in the city, though victory was gained in the north, casualties from the war were high and they had been transporting the injured service men back. There was a high demand for medical physician from round the country to treat the soldiers. Words finally got to Joo-Hyuk who has been living the life of a commoner when he heard it himself from a physician he had been working for.

“Joon Hyung~ I think I will have to close this shop for awhile…”

“But why?”

“I’ll be offering my service to the palace…”

“Palace? What happened?”

“There was a telegram displayed at the notice board while I was making my way here…”

“What is it about?”

“The soldiers are back from the north and there are plenty of casualties… And I heard there’s a war going on in the south as well… So I hope I’ll be of help there.”

Joo-Hyuk was deep in thoughts after listening to his employer, when he was interrupted,

“What are you waiting for? Pack up… I’m closing…”

“Oh okay…”

“Aren’t you going? I’m sure you’ll be of help to them too…”

“Let me think about it…”

“Why should you even think about it? The country needs us… And it’s our duty as a citizen…” as the physician shook his head in disappointment. Within thirty minutes, everything in the shop was packed.

“Take this… I don’t know when I’ll be back… I hope this will be enough until the time I can reopen this shop… And I am sorry that I am not able to let you stay in my shop anymore because of this...” as his employer gave him his salary. Joo-Hyuk thanked him before his employer made his way towards the city. The decision of the physician definitely made him contemplate about making his way back to the palace.

*I spent so much time running away… Wouldn’t it be stupid to walk right back into the dragon’s mouth?

For a whole night he wandered aimlessly yet again when he noticed a whole entourage with familiar armor, riding on horses. He immediately hid behind the bushes as he observed them passed by; until he saw someone he knew right at the back of the whole group, trudging along. He threw a pebble at him to gain his attention and the rider immediately stopped and turned back.

“I’m glad you are safe, Ji Soo…” said Joo-Hyuk with a sigh of relief.

“Nice to see you again, my friend...” as they gave each other a welcome hug.

“Are you still out here? It’s been months since I’m away… Are you never coming back?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to… I prefer to live the life I am living now…”

“But we need people back at the palace… Even though we won… So many people have lost their lives…”

Looking at Ji Soo’s saddened expression worries him and it made him reconsider his decision yet again before finally deciding to head back to the palace.

“Thank you, Your Highness… You’ve made a wise decision…”

“What did I say about you calling me that?” as the two friend smiled at each other before riding back on their horses.

When they finally reached the palace, there was plenty of commotion at the quarters for the soldiers, as Joo-Hyuk witnessed the blood, tears and sweat. There were also dead bodies lying around as they could not save those injured soldiers on time and it triggered Joo-Hyuk worries, to which he almost lost his footing but Ji Soo was quick to hold him up,

“Your Highness, are you okay?”

“Neh… I’m fine…” as he took a deep breath, “I think I need some time to myself.”

“Arasso… You know I’ll be here if you need me, Your Highness,” said Ji Soo to which Joo-Hyuk nodded in reply.

Joo-Hyuk walked to his room before memories of his cause of trauma began to run through his mind like a bad dream. He used to be fearless, an exceptional warrior who always puts his country first. He had participated in battles along with his brother, the first prince but tonight was a reminder why he wanted to leave the palace in the first place. However, his desire to assist the injured kept him sane and stayed at the palace to render his service. The King was relieved of his worries upon hearing that his son had come back to the palace.

The battle at the sea was still going strong as they held up against the attacks of the enemies. The flagship still stood even though there were significant damages to the ship. Sung-Kyung was excellent during the one on one battle of the ship as she slayed plenty of the enemies. And the flagship alone managed to bring down at least five enemy ships. Sung-Kyung was by the side of the Commander during the confrontation, and had ensured