Captain Choi Seunghyun moved in the shadows of the hallways like one of them. More than been there to guide him, the three Imperial Guards surrounding him looked like they were containing the cold darkness dripping from the Royal Guard. The Imperial Guards never took away their hands from their swords or their eyes from him when they reached their destination.   

“Thank you, Captain Do, Zhang and Kim. Captain Choi, can you come in?”

“At your command, Your Highness.” Replied the Royal Guard from the Valley Kingdom doing a reverence before gently sliding the door to enter an unremarkable room.

The Imperial Guards remained at the door. The Noble Consort Jongin had on his hands something more subduing than any weapon.

“I was informed that the Consort Dowager fulfilled his part of our agreement.” The dark and terrible eyes of the now widower did not raise from the floor when he nodded politely. “Then it is my turn to fulfil my part.” Offered Jongin, arranging the child resting on his arm to let his parent see his sleeping face. “I present you Choi Yoon Gi, son of the Consort Dowager Kwon Jiyong and his spouse, Captain Choi Seunghyun.”

The crushing emotions that crossed the older man’s face were unsettling. The wave of sorrow, pride, and joy reflecting on his hesitant smile and sad eyes was an unthinkable sight for a man famous for his emotionlessness and severe conduct. Jongin respected the other man’s moment of weakness by deflecting his attention to his Ward.

“The Consort Dowager left this message for you.” Added Jongin, moving the baby’s clothes to show the bite mark. With a subtle movement of his tanned hand and his soft brown eyes fixed on his Ward, the Noble Consort authorised the murderous giver to come closer.

Seunghyun immediately understood why this man had caught Jiyong’s interest.

The bite marks on both his son’s flesh and his own matched perfectly.

“May I know what your next command will be, Your Highness?” Respectfully inquired the military man, caressing the mark on his firstborn’s thigh slowly, pretending to still be assessing it.

“The Emperor and his soldiers will you back with the Consort Dowager’s casket. He was our guest, and he died under our roof. Your son will be smuggled into the Valley Kingdom among the Imperial convoy. Captain Zhang will deliver him to a secure location. You will talk with him after this meeting and arrange it. Until your departure, the baby will stay with me.”

“At your command, Your Highness.”

“Good. Captain Kim will be your permanent while we arrange everything to travel to the Valley Kingdom. You are dismissed until further notice, Captain Choi.”

“Your Highness… may I have a word with you?” The hesitant request took Jongin by surprise. Intrigued, the younger man gave his permission. “I will take something out of my robes and leave it between us, on the ground.”

The strange warning made Jongin frown for a moment before he understood the intention of the giver’s words. He was preventing any misunderstanding by making his actions know beforehand to show that they were not dangerous. This is why they fell in love, concluded Jongin with an amused smirk.

Slowly, the Dragon’s former right hand took an elongated box from his robes and placed it on the floor. He stepped back to kneel on the flood and courteously maintain his face down.

“This a token of my allegiance to you, Noble Consort Lee Jongin. I will serve you with the same loyalty with which I am a humble and faithful servant of the Valley Kingdom and its Royal Household. Keep it safe. If you ever need me, send it back to me and I will follow your command. I swear it, Your Highness.”

Jongin stared at the innocent and prettily wrapped gift absolutely stunned. That box contained a power that promised dangerous things. And Captain Choi was giving him the key to unleashing it at will.   

Captain Choi Seunghyun was not swearing loyalty to the East Empire. His promise was only for the Noble Consort. It did not conflict with his unyielding loyalty to protect the Dragon of the Valley’s legacy. The Captain’s sword would never raise to do anything against his Kingdom or his family, and Seunghyun knew Jongin was smart to realise that. He also trusted that Jongin was strong enough to use the gift wisely if a time of need ever came. Jiyong was never wrong.

“I accept your offering, Captain Choi. I will take good care of it.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” The rough and intimidating voice of the newly widower stuttered a little, taking a deep breath and rising his handsome face to face Jongin. “Thank you.” Repeated Seunghyun, unable to find a way to convey his enormous gratitude towards this man.

The man that had doomed the love of his life while saving their son. The man whose spouse had been so close to dying by his lover’s command and had given them a day of happiness. The man who provided the poison that quietly and painlessly killed Jiyong in Seunghyun’s arms.

“Keep a close eye on the Noble Consort Jongin.” Had warned Jiyong while giving his last instructions to his lover. “He came face to face with a Dragon twice and outlasted the experience. He truly was born in the renowned furnaces of the Southern Mountains Kingdom.”

“Be on his good side, Seunghyun, and keep him safe. He is guarding our secrets and will protect them fiercely because kindness is in his nature. He is a good man and I respect him but be afraid of the wrath of a righteous man, as he is one of the most righteous men I have ever known.”

Jongin carefully unwrapped the present and opened the lid. Inside the box, a silk fan was resting on a bed of flower petals. He opened it with curiosity, revelling its exquisite design. The paint was delicate and lovely. The weaved silk was smooth and shiny. It had been undoubtedly handmade by the Dragon of the Valley.

Jongin cradled the delicate object with a smile on his masked face. Captain Choi would have never acted behind the Dragon’s back, even after his death. This gift was the proof that one could be strong by being kind and that hurting was not the only way to leave a mark.

It seemed that he had made the right decision in the end.  

The news about the notorious Dragon of the Valley’s death spread like wildfire. Details of his demise were shared in hushed tones with disbelieve and awe. His heartless acts, his iron fists to rule, his gossiped affairs, his famed beauty, and his scandalous life were legend material, and legends just did not die.

The Royal Physician was made to believe that Jiyong’s death had been due to birth-related complications, the result of a nonmonitored pregnancy.

She redacted an official statement labelling his death as the result of complications on a case of pneumonia that rapidly evolved into a mortal illness.

Gossips on the streets assured that he had killed himself on his retirement, power-starved and mad about been deprived of his previous unrestrained authority as Regent.

The rumours and gossips only peaked when the convoy carrying the Dragon’s casket arrived at the Valley Kingdom for the funeral.    

The only ones that knew the truth were the Kim Dynasty Household, their Imperial Guards, and Captain Choi Seunghyun. One more person was about to know the secret.

“Captain Choi, did you request a private meeting with me?” It was not unusual for the Valley King and his Royal Guard to meet, but Minho was always the one summoning the older man and rarely in confidentiality. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. I deeply apologise for disturbing you during your grief, but I have something important to tell you that cannot wait.”

“Is this about my parent?”

“Indeed, Your Highness.” Confirmed Seunghyun, steeling his nerves and his voice. Although King Minho was his King and Supreme Commander, he was also the child he had raised as his own in everything but blood. “The Consort Dowager and I got married before he went to the East Empire. I have been in love with him for a long time, but we had our duties. With your ascension to the throne and his departure from the Valley, those duties were almost fulfilled.”

To say that Minho was shocked was an understatement.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Minho’s brow raised with suspicion. “Are you looking to claim your lawful rights as my parent’s legal spouse?”

“No, Your Majesty. This marriage was intended to be a private affair between us. Our relationship would not have been welcomed in Court and the Consort did not need more hurtful gossips ruining his reputation. Public recognition was never the purpose of our marriage.”

“You only answered one of the questions, Captain Choi.” Thoughtfully remarked the King, his hand supporting his face with interest.

If he did not have it right in front of his eyes, the light blush dusting the unruffled Royal Guard’s cheeks would have been deemed as an illusion. Bewildered, Minho saw the military man swallow hard to pass a seemly uncomfortable lump stuck on his throat.

“We… mmm… when he received the East Empire letter… The Consort Dowager was moving to the East Palace… We were a married couple, Your Majesty, legally.” Stated Seunghyun awkwardly, as if that reaffirmation could make his next words sound any better. “We oversaw some details…. And your parent was still young and healthy, Your Majesty… It was an unexpected but absolutely joyful consequence, my King.” Was Seunghyun’s eloquent speech, complemented with his rigid posture and arms firmly locked at his back.

The strenuous laugh that made Minho bend in haft rumbled over the whole room.

“Are you telling me that you knocked up my parent and he had to run away to the East Empire to hid it?”

To his merit, the aplomb of the seasoned military man did not falter, even though the blush had reached the tip of his ears.

“Yes, Your Majesty. In summary.” Agreed the older man, skilfully omitting some minor details.

Suddenly, an awful idea crossed the King’s mind.

“The child. Did the child…?”

“He is alright, your Majesty. The Consort Dowager… the Consort died right after giving birth to him.” The Captain’s shoulders lowered with the weight of his sadness. “The baby is in a secluded place. That is why I requested this private meeting to ask for your orders about how to proceed. As our King, your parent and I were committed to respecting your decision.”

As King, Minho had had to make some tough decisions. As the Dragon of the Valley’s heir, he had learnt from a young age that ruling a Kingdom was a heavy responsibility that required a lot of effort and skills. As Kwon Jiyong’s son, the faith his indomitable parent was putting on him to make the right choice was proof of his love and trust in his capabilities as King.  

“I do not remember my giver parent, but I remember the first time you tough me how to hold a sword correctly. My siblings were comforted by the fact that you were there when our parent died. My carrier was a man ruled by reason, and he only showed his emotions to us. He has to have loved you very much to marry you despise all the sensible reasons against it. You were a good substitute giver for us, Captain Choi, and I will be an egoist if I deprive my brother of that.”

“Your Majesty…?”

“Keep him away for a few years. He will be raised under the Palace funding as the orphaned son of a minor aristocratic family. We will forge his legal records to make him younger and later gave him a place at the Palace Academy using his alleged nobility rank to justify his admission. You will adopt him after that and give him his rightful name. Does he have one yet?”  

“Choi Yoon Gi, Your Majesty.”

“I like it. It is a good name. I am sure it was my parent’s idea.”

“It was, Your Majesty.”

“Was not everything always his idea?” Observed the King, shaking his head and rolling his eyes in playful annoyance.  

“He was a clever man, Your Majesty.” Shrugged his shoulder Seunghyun in admittance.  

“A clever man indeed, with a decent inheritance under his name that neither my siblings nor I would need thanks to the Valley Kingdom’s treasure. I am sure that my siblings will happily give it to you as an adoption gift. That, plus your own fortune as our long-time Royal Guard, have to represent a handsome amount. My brother will be well provided.”

“Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty.”

“I am not being generous, Captain Choi. He is as much my carrier’s offspring as any of my siblings, and he will haunt me if I fail to protect our family. That leads to our next step. I will call my siblings for you to inform them about this.”

“Now?”

“You have to take full responsibility for fooling around with our carrier and getting him pregnant, Captain Choi.”

To say that Minho was not utterly enjoying the way the usually impassive Royal Guard’s dark eyes widen and his chiselled jaw locked in embarrassment would have been an understatement.

It has been a great surprise and quite some shocking news, but Minho was happy to know that his carrier had been loved and cherished by the admirable Captain Choi until his last moments.    

The vigil was magnificent. Although a divisive figure, not even his detractors could deny that the Dragon had been a just and reliable ruler. He had come from nowhere and singlehandedly brought years of prosperity to the Valley. His ruthless methods, however, still raised a lot of controversies. The sincerity on the collective signs of mourning was as complicated as the Valley’s love-hate relationship with their infamous Dragon.

The Yang siblings and their Royal Guard were the exemption. They sincerely mourned a loving parent and a beloved lover. Even though it should have been Minho the one at his carrier’s side during his nocturnal vigil, he found the way to sneak out his Royal Guard to replace him.

Seunghyun kneeled by his lover’s side to rest his head on the pillow where his beloved’s head laid. He looked magnificent dressed up in the robes he had used on his coronation day. Carefully, the giver placed the hairpin with the shape of a daisies’ bouquet on his lover’s hair.

He spent the rest of the night caressing Jiyong’s cold hand, peppering his pale cheek with kisses and studying his regal profile to learn every little detail of his lover’s perfect face. For his offering to the Deities in Jiyong’s honour, Seunghyun burnt the old Sword Tassel along with some protection amulets and sacred prays covered in his blood. After a life like theirs, Jiyong was going to need all the help he could get on the Other Life.

“The rats are starting to peep their noses outside their burrows now that the cat is gone.” Confided the brooding man to the sleeping beauty, his menacing eyes envisioning every one of them. “Too bad they do not know that the cat left his claws behind to protect his home, my Sun.” The confident sneer on the giver’s lips would have made even the bravest of men shiver.

The widower said his goodbyes with a long and ardent kiss on his spouse’s motionless lips.   

Choi Seunghyun astutely used the Consort Dowager’s curated collection of poisons and drugs over the years. Some believed that the cruel spirit of the Dragon of the Valley was still lingering over the Valley’s destiny, many years after his premature death.

The Dragon of the Valley was cunning enough to outwit Death itself.

The shadowy fate of the sleazy people that tried to take advantage of the Dragon’s death fuelled the speculations. Not even death could stop the iron-willed Regent and his well-known thirst for power and blood.

The name of the infamous and feared Dragon of the Valley lived forever.

King Minho and his sibling were extremely grateful for the East Empire attentions to his parent. Having a shared private secret strengthened their public liaisons. The relationships between both States could not be better.

The remaining personal stuff of the Consort Dowager was packed and dispatched. The sericulture tools were given back to Lady Dami. The silkworms had been all transformed into silk. The mulberry bushes were removed and left there to dry and become compost, creating a thicker layer of dirt over the secret tunnel, just as the Dragon predicted.

No one guessed how close the Dragon of the Valley had been to claim a different victim.

Jongin had been the one who got closer to the truth. While packing the Dragon’s stuff, he turned around the chambers looking for the missing iron chest and found nothing. He looked at the garden by instinct but swiftly tossed away his worries. It did not have to mean anything, the same way the mulberry bushes and silkworms did.

Surprised, Jongin realised that he had never confronted the Dragon about that.

Why sericulture? Was he testing the Empire? Why ask for silkworms? Tedium? That simple?

The Dragon of the Valley was everything but simple, murmured the voice looming over Jongin’s ear and mind.

“By the Gods, been in the Dragon’s proximity really rubbed some of his ridiculous paranoia on me.” Uneasily chuckled to himself Jongin, his eyes still glaring at the garden without a reasonable justification beyond a cold shiver under his skin.  

The garden remained untouched when Jongin speedily left the room clasping the valuable and rare Sky Reading materials the Dragon had meticulously packed and labelled with Jongin’s name.

The Noble Consort Jongin used the silk fan prudently, as predicted.

The few tasks he requested from Seunghyun were essentially discrete gatherings of information or confirmations of suspicions. Jongin never asked for any of the gruesome things Seunghyun was more use to do, but that did not mean his interventions were less helpful and valuable.

Seunghyun never questioned the aims of his covert work. He frankly did not care, as long as it was not something that could endanger the Valley Kingdom. On one occasion, it even had a positive collateral consequence for his home country. 

If the Noble Consort’s spouse or his in-laws ever knew about their agreement, Seunghyun did not ask and Jongin never said. Seunghyun’s services were for Jongin to use as he deemed more convenient. In contrast with his work as Jiyong’s shadow, Jongin did not use the giver’s stealth skills to gain greater power and influence.

The Jewel of the Southern Mountains’ only goals seemed to be the happiness of his wonderful and crazy relatives, long-lasting peace for his homeland and his foster country, and to quietly built a loving life with his children and spouse while perfecting his dancing skills to become a True Master of his art.

Captain Choi found the Noble Consort’s ambitions perfectly reasonable.