== PROLOGUE ==

Heaven, can I ask you something? Why did you let me experience that kind of destiny? Why did you put me in a difficult situation? Why did you put me at a position where I want to escape from it badly? Only, if I can… if I can… Why did you even let me being born to this world?

(May 12^th, 2017)

 

== CHAPTER 3 ==

            The strong wind blows in the early morning. According to the sun that already rised, it’s already past 8 am. But it’s still cloudy even the fog still there. As usual, the Crown Prince already prepared to go to somewhere. But General Lee, Lee Joo Heon, as his personal guard forbids him to go out.

            “What is it?” ask the Crown Prince.

            “Joseonghamnida [Forgive me], but the King order me to stay here and forbid you to go out today,”

            “Why?”

            “There would be a family meeting with the King, the Queen also the rest of Royal Family today,”

            “Why is it so sudden?”

            Before General Lee can answer to the Crown Prince’s question, but Eunuch Kim arrived with his Royal Robe.

            “Seja Joha [Crown Prince], the King orders you to attend the royal family meeting right now. So better to change your clothes right now,” said Eunuch Kim.

            Eunuch Kim helps the Crown Prince to change his clothes into the Royal Robe.

            “I’ll you to the Royal Hall,”

           Eunuch Kim and General Lee the Crown Prince to the Royal Hall. But Eunuch Kim and General Lee only can him to the main door, so the Crown Prince enters the Royal Hall alone. As he stepped in into the Royal Hall, the Royal Family already there, waits for him. Not only the King and the Queen, but Lee Jin Yi, Lee Son Ja and Chae Book Gi (Lee Jin Yi’s husband) also attends the Royal Family Meeting too.

            “Deureoora [Go in],” said the King.

            As he heard the King order, then he sits on his chair.

            “Since the Crown Prince already here, so I’ll announce this important matter to you,” said the King.

            The Royal Family looks worried but also anticipated what might be the King said.

            “I’ll announce something about Crown Prince’s marriage,”

            “Marriage?”

          “In order to strengthen your position as the Crown Prince, you should marry to someone who has strong background and ready to be Crown Princess to accompany you to continue this hierarchy. I already have someone in mind, so I don’t need your opinion about the girl who would be the Crown Princess. She has strong background and I personally choose her as Crown Princess. So the marriage between the Crown Prince and her is an order for me. No one can disobey this order. Whoever who dare to disobey this order, I’ll punish them severely, even with the punishment to remove them from Royal Family,”

            The situation seems to be more serious and intense as the King talk about the marriage.

            “Jeonha [Your Majesty], may I ask who would be the Crown Princess?” ask Chae Book Gi.

            “Your daughter,” answer the King.

            “Joesonghaminda [Forgive me], but my daughters already married---,”

            Chae Book Gi looks hesitate to continue his words.

            “Hokshi--- [Maybe---],”

            Lee Jin Yi also hesitates to continue her words.

            “Jeonha! [Your Majesty!],” the Crown Prince rise his voice unconsciously.

            “Seja! [Crown Prince!],” the Queen warned him to not rised his voice like that.

            “Since you already knows who would be your wife, so I don’t need to explain more about that. I’ll send someones to her back here in a few days,” said the King.

            “Joesonghamnida, Jeonha [Forgive me, Your Majesty]. But you can marry me into the one of Minister’s daughter. They had strong background too and I think it’s enough to support my position as the Crown Prince,”

            The Crown Prince tried to give some explanation. But end up with making the King angry.

            “Are you trying to disobey my order?” ask the King.

            “Seja, geumanhaera [Stop it, Crown Prince],” said the Queen.

            “Hajiman--- [But---],”

            The King cut off the Crown Prince as if he doesn’t want more explanation.

            “I’ll send my order as soon as possible and send Commander Moo Jin Mung to personally her back,”

            As he finished his order, the King and the Queen leave the Royal Hall. Lee Jin Yi, Chae Book Gi and Lee Son Ja also rushed to their quarters. But the Crown Prince still there, as if he doesn’t want to obeys every order from the King. But he can’t  do anything about that. He also can’t tell the truth that he hidden for this period time.

            “What should I do?”

            Eunuch Kim and General Lee go inside the Royal Hall to the Crown Prince.

            “Seja Joha [Crown Prince],” said the Eunuch Kim but seems like the Crown Prince doesn’t heard his voice.

            “We’ll you back to your quarter,” said General Lee.

            “What should I do?” only those question that out of the Crown Prince’s mouth.

            Meanwhile, at Lee Jin Yi and Chae Book Gi’s quarter, they’re still thinking about what should they do with the King’s sudden order.

            “Yeobo [Husband], what should we do?” ask Jin Yi.

            Chae Book Gi looks thinking about that matter too, deeply.

            “It’s too sudden,” said Son Ja.

            “I guess we have no choice but to do as the King orders,”

***

 

            It’s a broad daylight and today the sun shines really strong and makes it feels like in the middle of summer. But still, the strong wind still blows to cooling down the weather today. In front of their small house, Ki Hyun and Ji Hyeon play together with the triplets. Ah Young, Ki Hyun’s cousin also there too after escorting Son Han Gi, Ji Hyeon’s adoptive mother to their house.

            “Wow, look at our triplets, they grow so well,” said Son Granny while carrying Yoon Ah to her lap.

            “Where’s Hwa Rang and Hwa Young?” ask Ah Young.

            “They went to help his grand father at the farm,” answer Ji Hyeon.

            “They’ll be back soon,” said Ki Hyun.

            They look so happy together, as the small family. Although they didn’t born in a good social-rank, but they can be happy as long as they have each other, as long as they’re together and shared every good story together. Definitely, they had a good life because they can be with those who they loved. Nothing can be compared to the small happy family. As if they’ll die in peace if they are happy and always support each other no matter in how the condition might be.

            But suddenly there’s a commotion like someone important came into that small village. Indeed, the royal guard comes with the royal palanquin to that small village.

            “Seems like the princess is coming to this village,” said Ah Young. “But why she’d coming to this small village?”

            Ah Young looks really curious with the group of royal guard. But Son Granny looks really anxious.

            “Eommeonim [Mother-in-law], why you look so anxious?” ask Ki Hyun.

            “Gwaenchanha [I’m fine],” answer Son Granny.

            Never expected before, but the royal guard bring the palanquin to the Yoo Family’s courtyard.

            “Ige mwoya? [What happened?”, ask Ki Hyun.

            The female royal guard stepped down from her horse. She gave a parchment to Ji Hyeon. Ji Hyeon looks startled but she still accept that parchment and read what was written on the parchment. After she reads the parchment contents, she looks at Ki Hyun with worry gaze.

            “Mwoya? Wae geurae? [What is it? Why],” ask Ki Hyun.

            Ki Hyun took that parchment from Ji Hyeon’s hand and read it by himself. He really shocked as he read what was written in the parchment. It was the official order from the King that said to the Princess back to the palace.

            “Mwoya ige? [What is it?]. You come to wrong place, there’s no Princess here,” said Ki Hyun.

            Ki Hyun doesn’t want to believe the situation that happend right before his eyes, although he read the parchment by himself.

            “Gongju Mama [Your Highness], I am Moo Jin Mung has been ordered by the King to you back to the palace,” said the female royal guard to Ji Hyeon.

            Ji Hyeon knows well who is Moo Jin Mung. Although she is a female, but she is the Royal Commander who is very tough and cold-hearted.

            “Ji Hyeon-a…”

            “How dare you!”

            Moo Jin Mung want to take off her sword.

            “Meomchwora! [Stop it!],” said Ji Hyeon.

            Ji Hyeon looked at Ki Hyun, Ah Young and her triplet childrens.

            “What really happened?” ask Ah Young.

            “It was true. About what was written on the parchment, that I am the Princess from the Royal Family who been exiled from a really long time and now the order to back to the palace finally arrived,”

            Ji Hyeon tried to explain the situation.

            “Then who is Son Granny and Son Grandsire? Are they your parents, right?” ask Ah Young.

            “No, they are not. But they are the Royal Lady and Royal Eunuch who has been ordered to look after me while I am living as a mere citizen here,” explain Ji Hyeon.

            “MWO?! [WHAT?!],” Ah Young really shocked by Ji Hyeon’s explanation.

            “So did you just said that you’re hiding everything from me?” ask Ki Hyun.

            Ji Hyeon can’t say anything.

            “Wae mareul anhae? [Why you didn’t say anything?],”

            “I didn’t mean to---“

            “Why? Why you didn’t tell me?”

            “Because I thought that I really casted away from the palace,”

            “Geurigo jigeum mwo? [So what is it now?] After you received the order to back to the palace, then you’ll really back to the palace? Leaving me and our childrens?”

            “Aniyo! [No!] You are my husband and they’re our childrens, I’ll bring you and our childrens to the palace together!,”

            Ji Hyeon wants to bring her husband and her children with her. She can’t leaving them like that. But Moo Jin Mung explain more order to her.

            “Joesonghamnida, Gongju Mama. [Forgive me, Your Highness]. But you can’t bring them with you,”

            “Mwo? [What?] But they’re my husband and my childrens,”

            “It’s an order from the King,”

            “Then, I’ll never back to the palace,”

            “An order is an order. You can’t disobey the King’s order,”

            “Shirheo! [I don’t want to!] If I can’t be with my husband and my childrens, then I’ll never back to the palace,”

            “Take the Princess,” said Moo Jin Mung.

            Moo Jin Mung orders her subordinates to bring Ji Hyeon.

             “NWA! [Let me go!],” said Ji Hyeon. “You know what are you doing?”

            “If you refuse to come back, then we’ll use force. It’s the King’s order,”

            “Ji Hyeon-a!!”

            Ki Hyun wants to help Ji Hyeon, but Moo Jin Mung wielding her sword toward Ki Hyun.

            “If you tried to prevent the Princess to come back to the palace, then it’ll be considered as the treaseon. I’ll give you punishments!,”

            “MOO JIN MUNG!!,”

            “Beside that, the Princess would receive the punishment as well because she married to a traitor,”

            “Don’t hurt him, please,”

            Ji Hyeon begs to Moo Jin Mung.

            “There’s another order that lady Son and Eunuch Son to come back to the palace as well,” said Moo Jin Mung.

            “Ye, algesseumnida [Yes, I understand,” answer Lady Son.

            Ki Hyun only looked at Ji Hyeon who tried to escape. From far away, there’s Hwa Rang and Hwa Young’s voice. Ki Hyun thinks about their childrens, and he thinks about Ji Hyeon as well. It’s such a hard decision to make, but he had no choice.

            “Geunyang ga… [Just go…],” said Ki Hyun.

            As they seen their mother being dragged by some guards, Hwa Rang and Hwa Young run towards Ji Hyeon. Meanwhile, Ah Young and Lady Son hold the triplets.

            “EOMMA!!!”

            Ji Hyeon cried seeing her childrens. She really can’t bear to leave them but she doesn’t want them to get hurt as well. But she believes that Ki Hyun would take care of their children.

            “Kaja [Let’s go], Moo Jin Mung,”

            “Ye, Gongju Mama [Yes, Your Highness],”

            Ji Hyeon entering the palanquin that has been prepares for her. Moo Jin Mung and her subordinates bring Ji Hyeon to the palace.

            “Eomma!” Hwa Young trying to escapes from her father’s hand.

            “EOMMA!!!,”

            Hwa Rang tried to chase his mother, but Ki Hyun holds him.

            “NWA! [LET GO OF ME!],” said Hwa Young.

            Inside the palanquin, Ji Hyeon cried.

            “Aga… [My babies],”

            Moo Jin Mung and the royal guard take Ji Hyeon away. Leaving her childrens and her husband.

            “Abeoji [Father], why did you let them bring our mother? WHY?” ask Hwa Rang.

            Ki Hyun can’t give him answer but crying. There’s nothing that he can do. He hugged his childrens tightly and crying with them.

***

 

            Meanwhile, at the palace, Crown Prince tried to convince the King that he can’t married to the Princess.

            “Jeonha [Your Majesty],”

            “What is it now?”

            “I really can’t marry the Princess,”

            “Why?”

            “Because she already married with a mere citizen and they had 5 childrens already,”

            The King only smile.

            “How can I marry to a woman who already married with another man and even has children?”

            “I already know about that,”

            “If you know about that already, so why did you insisted that I should marry her?”

            “Don’t you know your position? You definitely should marry her to strenghthen your position as the Crown Prince. Although she was being exiled from the palace for 17 years, but she still the Princess. She’s still the one of our ancestor descendants. If you marry her, then there’s nothing to worry about them who tried to conspire to prevent you to ascends the throne to replace me later,”

            “But still---“

            “If you dare to disobey my order, not only I’ll punish you but I’ll punish her husband and her childrens. I’ll punish them with the same punishment as they committed a treason,”

            “JEONHA! [YOUR MAJESTY!],”

            He can’t help but to rised his voice again.

            “If you still insisted that you don’t want to marry her, don’t blame me later if something bad happen to her husband and her childrens,”

            “This is too much---“

***

 

            Ji Hyeon, Moo Jin Mung and the royal guards who escorting her finally arrived at the Palace. As soon as they arrived, the Queen welcomes her arrival. Lee Jin Yi and Chae Book Gi, her real parents, also there too to welcomed her. But Son Ja, Ha Ni and Ah Jin had been ordered to wait for Ji Hyeon at their quarters. Only Lady Song and General Im with some royal servants to waited for Ji Hyeon.

             Ji Hyeon stepped down from the palanquin and greets the royal family.

            “Welcome back…” said the Queen.

            “Ye, Mama [Yes, Your Highness],” said Ji Hyeon.

            “It’s been really long time and I glad that finally you can comeback to the palace, the place where you should live,” said the Queen.

            Ji Hyeon only smile with bitter smile, as she heard of what the Queen said.

            “Well, because you comeback as the Princess, I’ll give you special subordinates who’ll treat and guard you. Here’s Lady Song, she’ll work as your personal lady,”

            The Queen introduces Lady Song, Song Jang Mi, who’ll be Ji Hyeon’s personal lady from now on.

            “Song Jang Mi imnida,”

            “And here’s General Im. He’ll work as your personal guard,”

            “General Im Chang Kyun imnida. From now on, I’ll protect and make sure of your safety,”

            Although Lady Song and General Im are young lady and young general, but they got some awards from the palace because of their works. Even the King choose them personally to serve Ji Hyeon.

            “Better you rest at your quarters, because there’s a lot of thing that you need to know as you come back to the palace. Even there’s an important thing that you should know. But I’ll not tell you now,”

            “Ye, Mama,”

            “Lady Song and General Im would you to your quarters,”

            After heard the Queen’s order, Lady Song and General Im escorted her to her quarters. But as soon as she arrived at her quarters, Lee Jin Yi and Chae Book Gi ask to meet with her.

            “Ji Hyeon-a…”

            “Eomma Mama [Mother],”

            Jin Yi hugs her daughter tightly.

            “I am glad that you’re coma back here, to your place, my daughter,” said Chae Book Gi.

            “Aba Mama [Father],”

            “How you’ve been, my daughter?”

            Ji Hyeon only cried and can’t answer to her father’s question. It’s been really long time since she saw her parents. And finally today, she can meet with her parents again.

            “Mianhae… [I am sorry…],” said Jin Yi.

            “Wae mianhae [Why you said sorry]?,” ask Ji Hyeon.

            “Because I’ve been abandoned you for 17 years,” said Jin Yi.

            “Aniyo, Eomma Mama [No, Mom],” said Ji Hyeon.

            “Geuraedo, mianhae [But still, I’m sorry],”

            Jin Yi hugs her daughter again. She felt sorry because she was abandoned her daughter because of the rule and order from the King. But she felt more sorry because the thing that would happen after she come back to the palace.

            “Better you rest now,”

            “Ye, Aba Mama [Yes, Father],”

            Jin Yi and Book Gi left Ji Hyeon’s quarters. They’re heading to their quarters. But on the way to their quarters, Jin Yi stoped her step.

            “Why?” ask Chae Book Gi.

            Jin Yi looked at her husband with worry eyes.

            “Is it okay to Ji Hyeon if we accept that order?”

            “We can’t disobey the King’s order,”

            “But how we can tell Ji Hyeon everything? The reason that she came back…”

            “We have no choice but we should tell her,”

            “But you know that according to the Lady Son and Eunuch Son that---“

            “Of course, I know about that,”

            “How can she endure that pain? Even the pain of the facts that she was being abandoned for 17 years still in her heart, then she was being forced to leave her husband and her childs. And now, we’ll hurt her even more. How can she bear that pain?,”

            “We can’t do anything about that. We need to protect her husband and her childrens too,”

            Without Jin Yi and Chae Book Gi knowing, Crown Prince watching them from the hidden place and observing them carefully. The Crown Prince also felt the same with them. He also can’t do anything about that since he is also had a hard time and in a difficult place.

            “What should I do?”

 

To be continued…