A Bump on the Road

A carriage scuttled alongside terraced rice paddies carrying three men; two monks with weatherworn cloaks and a farmer in the front. They had ventured deep into the hilly countryside of Muhanhan Wangguk.

“Baene is a neighbor town I’m always glad to visit; my daughter married here. You’ll be welcomed in her house like it was mine, just wait…” the farmer’s chatter stopped suddenly when they left the cover of the forest and entered the village of Baene. Instead of being greeted by simple farmers and shop-keepers they found themselves straight across from an unbreakable line of soldiers.

“Cheonjaga Geum. The queen of Seon asks for your audience.” A tall, handsome man had stepped from the lines and taken of his helmet to bow. Sungjong shifted a little when he recognized the title, but Sungyeol kept him still with one hand while standing up in his place. “What if I wish to decline?” he asked.

“That’s alright, the queen has no need for you, Lee Sungyeol.” the tall soldier said, and Sungjong thought he could hear a hint of laughter in his even voice, as if this had been predicted. Sungyeol flinched notably at the mention of his name, and Sungjong had a feeling that they probably knew his name as well. The question was how they’d managed to find them and more pressingly; just how screwed were they?!

“I’ll come with you” Sungjong said. It felt good to finally speak for himself. The soldier nodded and moved over to offer his hand to Sungjong. “Jung Yunho at your service”, he said while helping Sungjong down. The way he carried himself kind of reminded Sungjong of Hoya, only with an even more radiating confidence. “If you would just follow me to the teahouse around the corner” Yunho gestured poitely, but Sungjong got the feeling that no wouldn’t really have been an answer to this man.

The teahouse was quite ancient but from what Sungjong could see it was still the best-kept buiding around. And right now it was serwing a single customer; a lady sitting in the shadows sipping tea.

“Thank you dear, that would be all. Tell your men to take a break, just don’t let that crafty little fox slip away. Oh and you! Lee Sungjong I presume? Come in, come in so I can have a look at you. You know you’ve caused quite a stir” the queen said.

Dear? Sungjong was absolutely and completely bewildered. Where was the horrible tyrant that Myungsoo had told so much about? The one whose name came out only in curses or whispers? If this was a façade it sure was convincing.

“And you are the queen of Seon, the mother of Kim Myungsoo, Kim Gayun?” Sungjong confirmed. “Great, we know each other already!” Gayun smiled brightly and again Sungjong felt apprehensive. “Sit down, share this afternoon tea with me” the queen’s tone was warm and inviting. A young woman arrived hurriedly with and extra cup. With shaky hands she poured the tea for him and disappeared just as quickly. Sungjong sat opposite of the queen warily. He saw immediately where Myungsoo had gotten his picture perfect features.

“Now, I hear that my son has grown quite fond of you. And so has my nephew. Yet you are here, on the other side of the land. Do you see a problem here?” the queen said, smiling sweetly. “I am sorry, but I don’t see the problem for you” Sungjong said, causing Gayun to purse her rosy lips. “My son is a gem, destined for great things. Yet now he is stubbornly refusing to return and do his duty and the only reason I can think of would seem to be you…” Sungjong blushed; if Myungsoo had told his mother about them, he would be doomed!

“No, he didn’t need to tell me if that’s what you are thinking.” the queen said, observing Sungjong curiously. Then she sighed; “I am not a cruel woman, and I know my son like only a mother does. He has great sympathy for stray things. When he was six years old he bought home a dog from the street. Brave, he named the pup, and refused to go anywhere without it. Even when it was dying of pneumonia, only a year old, he stayed next to it until it wasted away. He mourned for weeks after and wowed to never have another dog again.”

Sungjong listened to the story carefully. “Did he get another dog?” he asked when the queen was finished. “He still flinches at the sight of one” Gayun answered, content that the boy at the very least wasn’t a complete idiot.

Sungjong fell silent and the queen waited. Finally out came the mantra he’d been repeating in the darkness under unfamiliar roofs when he couldn’t sleep, tears unexplainably in his eyes; “I have a duty to perform, and it is worth more than my own life”.

The sentiment hardened Sungjong again and he blinked the tears away, angry at himself for showing such weakness. Maybe it was the hurtful alikeness in the mother and son that suddenly had him more homesick than ever before. It felt like someone was twisting his heart like a rag.

“Oh, you are a man after all!” the queen laughed delightedly. Then, with the same hearty tone, she continued; “Maybe I should just kill you, then?”

* * *

“They did what?!” Sunggyu roared. “Rode westward after the news came. They left two hours ago”, the stressed out Woohyun repeated. Things had been falling apart faster than he could fix them for too long now. More than anything he wanted to have at least a few uneventful days.

Sunggyu threw the glass he’d been squeezing convulsively into the wall right next to Woohyun’s head. “Traitors! He disobeyed a direct order!” he growled. Woohyun didn’t dare step closer but he couldn’t leave the king like this, either.

“Considering the situation it is somewhat understandable. Hoya is a brave man, but that boy is his life and blood. And who knows if he’s even alive now” Woohyun soothed. “And Myungsoo is no less emotionally involved”.

From Myungsoo Sunggyu’s mind turned back to the news of the princes’ mother’s party traveling on the back skirts of Infinite Kingdom without announcing themselves. “Sneaking on my territory, sending taunts like that… I have picked up something of yours… Does she think I’m still a boy to be yanked around? She must understand that this could be seen as a war declaration”, Sunggyu muttered to himself. Woohyun moved carefully, like approaching a crouching tiger. “It isn’t if you don’t take it as one” he said slowly. “But I need Sungjong!” Sunggyu banged his wrist on a table. Woohyun closed the distance and laid his hand above the king’s heart. “And so do Hoya and Myungsoo. They’ll fetch him for you”.

“No” Sunggyu said toughly, pulling Woohyun’s hand from his chest. “You will go and negotiate his return. This has been going on for too long already!” Woohyun stepped back; “Is this your final command, my king?” he asked. “Go!” Sunggyu yelled again. But when Woohyun had retreated to the door he heard the king call his name faintly and turned back. “Be safe”, the man whispered and Woohyun smiled back slightly. He didn’t need words to know that he was forgiven.