Queen Min’s chamber

Prime Minister Leeteuk sent her wife to Queen Min’s pavillion in an early morning to inform something  “Min Mama, I have a good news for you. Royal council and fortune tellers have set the date for Royal First Night” A triumphant smile drew widely from Lady Yuri, the prime minister’s wife.  

Her eyes grew wider “Is that true, Lady Yuri? But…but how’s King Cho? Did he agree?” From beginning Sungmin didn’t  want to put so much hopes about Royal First Night since Kyuhyun always made some excuses to be able to dodge it, for example, pretending to be sick. It’s not like she didn’t believe that the King was really happened to be sick but why it’s always happened during royal first night date. But still, she couldn’t help to smile because of that sudden good news.

“He didn’t object it Min Mama. Royal doctor has confirmed that he is in a good condition now. But…” There was a slight of doubt from Lady Yuri’s face.

“But… what?”

“It's quite strange. Last week fortune tellers told me that there wasn’t any good date after three months. She saw a bad sign that Venus didn’t shine brightly  this year  instead the moon became closer to the sun. It’s really strange that she changes her prophecy all of a sudden”

Sungmin sighed. She’d never believed of fortune teller. She thought that she owned her future by herself. No one would control her decision. “It's alright. I can handle it if something bad happen”

“Lee Faction depends on you, Min Mama. We hope you will deliver a little prince for Jonseong”

She chuckled cynically  “Yeah. You’re right. That’s the reason why they made me to become a Queen”

Lady Yuri seemed to be taken a back with the queen's comment “Min Mama, it’s not what we mean…”

“It’s okay Lady Yuri. I am just kidding” Sungmin chuckled.

Lady Yuri felt a relief to hear that. She excused herself to leave from Queen’s chamber. After there’s only herself in her chamber, Sungmin called courtlady Sunkyu “Sunkyu, Please prepare a bucket of persimmon fruits for me”

“Excuse me, Min Mama. But can you tell me for what?”

“You will know later”

***

Sungmin, followed by her court ladies, walked between roses garden behind queen pavilion. The further you walked on, the more of beautiful roses you would see. But at the end of that garden, gawked a deep cliff. If you stood at the peek, you would see a nice view of a large forest and Hanyang City from a far.

She often visited this place for thinking about her resolution or just calming her mind. She closed her eyes and took a long breath.

(Gayageum thrumming sounds)

Sungmin opened her eyes, startled. She heard a melodic sounds echoed through the air that surrounded her. The sound was quite low to hear clearly but she was sure it’s from a musical instrument. It had a scattered melodies and kind of sharp yet so beautiful posessing through all pores in her soul.

“Sunkyu” She called her courtlady.

Courtlady Sunkyu took a step forward and answered “Yes, Min Mama”

“Do you know where this sound from?”

“I am not so sure, but I think it’s from a Gayageum”

She closed her eyes again “Gayageum… I wonder who’s the one who plays it… I hope I can meet her one day”. She enjoyed the melodic sound for a while and right after the sound stopped, she opened her eyes. She felt convinced with her decision. Then she walked away to her next destination.

***

Namwol Pavilion. All court ladies (Gungnyeo) who served royal family lived there. Most of them came from middle class family in Jonseong hierarchy. They held rank as officers. While women in a lower class without a rank would be called as musuri, the lowest maids in charge of odd chores. As for Lady Seohyun, she hold rank as a Special Gungnyeo. She was chose by King’s father (the previous King) to be a study pal for the crown prince Kyuhyun because she mastered almost popular chinese philosophy literatures. That’s why she got her own pavilion inside Namwol pavilion. Eventhough it’s quite small, but it’s still fabulous for a court lady like her.

“Inform Lady Seohyun that I want to meet her” said Sungmin to Lady Seohyun’s assistant, court lady Taeyeon.

She bowed to Sungmin deeply “Yes, Min Mama. Please wait for a moment” then she left to call Lady Seohyun.

While waiting, most of court ladies who saw her bowed deeply to Queen Min. The older ones kept their head bowed down quietly, while the youngest ones did the same too but they also kept whispering each other about Queen Min's sudden arrival. Almost all of them had known about King Cho Kyuhyun’s interest toward Lady Seohyun. Some of them were even pretty audacious to estimate that Lady Seohyun would become King’s concubine in the future. And If she gave birth a prince someday, she would replace Queen Min.

Courtlady Sunkyu seemed to get annoyed to the whispering and ready to yell at the source of noises but Sungmin held her hand to prevent her.

“Courtlady Han” She called head of the pavilion who stood behind her. The whispering stopped in an instant.

“Yes, Min Mama”

“I thought you trained all court ladies here well”

“I am sorry, Min Mama. I will punish them after this” Courtlady Han turned her direction to her pupils and shot a death glare to them. But one of them disobediently kept whispering. “She is so arrogant”

The courtlady was so sure that her voice was small enough to be heard but she didn’t know that Sungmin had good ears. Sungmin walked toward the young court ladies crowd. She didn’t even glare at them. She just smiled instead. But her intimidating aura made them held their breath and undared to face her. She stood in front of the young court lady.

“What’s your name dear?” Sungmin said with her delicate voice.

She stuttered “Hyo...Hyo... Hyorin, Min Mama”

Sungmin touched her chin and lifted it up to face her “Do you know what punishment you will get if you talk bad about me?”

She shook her head. Her body was trembling because of fear. “Aaah, seems like Courtlady Han doesn’t discipline you well”

Sungmin came closer. Her face was only a mere inches from courtlady Hyorin. She whispered “That is Cutting... Your... Tongue...”

Just after she heard those words, the Hyorin lady fainted.

“Oops” Sungmin said plainly. Then she moved her direction to the other terrified young courtladies “Am I that scary? I only tell you about the law of this royal palace. As if you all don’t remember” Sunkyu looked like wanting to laugh but she knew she would lose her cool. So she bit her lower lip. That’s my queen. Eat that you es. She thought.

“Courtlady Han”

“Ye...Yes..., Min Mama”

“Say to Courtlady Hyorin. Since I am in a good mood now, I won’t punish her. Well.... At least for now”

“Yes, Min Mama. But..but.. as a head of this pavilion, I will still punish her. So please don’t worry. This will never happen again. I promise”

Sungmin smiled at her “Good”

Court lady Taeyeon came from Lady Seohyun “Min Mama, she is waiting for you in her chamber...”

Sunkyu interrupted her “Wait, Lady Seohyun should come here with you to welcome Queen Min. Doesn’t she know who her guest? Where’s her attitude...”

“Sunkyu. It’s okay” Sungmin said.

***

“What is this, Min Mama?” Lady Seohyun said to Sungmin, curious about a bucket of persimmon fruits that stood on the table before her.

“You’re smart, aren’t you?”

“This persimmons...”

“Yes, It’s a symbol of friendship"

“Min Mama, as you know I am still trying to find out who’s the suspect behind My mother’s house fire incident. So I...”

“Why do you say that to me, Lady Seohyun? I told you, I and my family are nowhere involved by that accident. Do you still suspect me?”

She shook her head “No, it’s not like that. I still don’t have enough evidences...”

Sungmin smiled “Now please back to our topic. I am serious to offer you a friendship, lady Seohyun. Let’s end this hostility"

“I have never hated you, Min Mama”

Sungmin paused for a moment. She knew it. Lady Seohyun had never anchored any hatred toward her. Sungmin was the one who did it. It’s all because of her jealousy. She was eyeing Lady Seohyun. She could see some trace of tears on her cheek. Lady Seohyun probably had heard about royal council decision “I guess you have known about the royal first night that will be held soon”

Lady Seohyun’s lip was trembling “Ye...Yes I know. Congratulation Min Mama”

“I am the Queen of Jonseong. The mother of this country. I must give them a successor. I hope you can understand”

Lady Seohyun’s eyes became moist. Yes. She understood what's Sungmin meant. To end their hatred and more victims to be sacrificed. She should reveive Sungmin’s offer, but it's also meant she would give up Kyuhyun’s love. She took a long breath then said “Fine. Do you really mean this, Min Mama?”

Sungmin nodded “Yes, I sincerely mean it”

***

After she got out from Namwol pavilion gate, she was welcomed by Captain Yonghwa, “Why is the head of King’s bodyguards standing in front of Namwol pavilion?” Sungmin asked with curiosity.

He bowed “King’s Cho send me to look after Namwol pavilion, Min Mama”

Sungmin eyes grew wider. She wondered why captain of main royal bodyguards threw his pride to look after a bunch of middle status women whom weren’t even a noble. But a new thought had come to her when she glanced at his eyes “Captain Yonghwa, do you love Lady Seohyun?”

Captain Yonghwa was shocked “Pa...pardon..? What do you mean Min Mama?”

“If you like her, I will help you”

He bowed “Thanks for your concern, Min Mama. I won’t touch a King’s wo... I mean ...”

Sungmin looked a bit annoyed “Do you mean a King’s woman? How dare you said that to me, Captain Yonghwa. She is just a special gungnyeo”

“I am sorry Min Mama. But in royal palace, all courtladies here are King’s women. I didn’t mean to oppose you”

She paused for a moment. Yes. He didn’t say anything wrong. But just mentioning Lady Seohyun’s name as King’s woman, it made her so annoyed “Captain Yonghwa, why do you sacrifice yourself for a woman who doesn’t even love you?”

He smiled at her “My reason is the same as you, Min Mama”

She chuckled “You really have a gut to talk back at me, Captain”

“I am sorry, Min Mama. I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s okay. Since I am in a good mood today. I will leave now”

He bowed at her again “Please be careful Min Mama”

***

“Lord Eunhyuk, I have a good news” Siwon, chief of Lee’s family soldiers came to his place. “What is it, Siwon? I hope it’s really a good news from our spy in Gyeongbok Palace.

“The fortune teller who serves royal family has set a good date. King’s mother ordered royal council to prepare anything to succeed royal first night”

A content smile draw on Lee Eunhyuk’s face “That’s good. Sungmin must be happy to hear this”

“Yes, Sir. But…”

“But what Siwon?”

“They set it two days from now. Don’t you think it’s quite suspicious?”

He stunned. He knew what that day was. It’s a full moon night. Lee’s family line always stood opposite toward the moonlight. They would have no power and lack of lucks. Sungmin had never believed of prophecy but her brother Lee Eunhyuk did.

“Siwon, do you have anything else to inform me?”

“Yes, Sir. Lady Seohyun will go to visit her uncle at Soraksan temple on the night before royal first night”

Eunhyuk sighed in a deep thought “Right, if the moonlight night is our unlucky day, then the night before it is our lucky day. Siwon, you have prepared all our troops right? Pick the best troops we have. Ten is enough”.

He took a sheet of paper, tint stone, and a brush then wrote something.

‘Prepare for a night attack. We will kidnap Lady Seohyun and annihilated any evidences’

Siwon read it and nodded “Yes, Sir.”

Then Eunhyuk burned the letter until becoming ashes.

‘Sungmin, I will make sure that no one will interfere your happiness ever again…’

***

Courtlady Ok Joo Hyun, Lady Seohyun’s mother, walked toward King’s mother pavilion to be back to her usual works, but she paused for a moment and thought about her last conversation with King Cho Kyuhyun

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Flashback

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’'''''

“Are you sure this is save, Madam Ok?”

Kyuhyun asked her. She personally met him secretly in King’s secret pavilion. Outside Gyeongbok Palace

She sat and bowed deeply toward the King “Yes, Phea. This is the only way to end all this hatred and save Seohyun”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

End of flashback

“”””””””””””””””

She sent a mysterious smile toward the sky’s direction. She was staring at a star.

“The Most Shining Star, Venus. There is only once when you lose your radiance in a dark sky.

That is on a Full Moonlight. When the moon rules the entire night.

Queen Min….. This will be your fall……”

TBC