FINALLY! I was able to capture my muse and write this. I am terribly sorry for the delay, but I hope you still remember the story and enjoy this final chapter. :D

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"Uri Myung Dae really does look like his father, doesn't he?" Chae Won was playing with her son in the confides of room. It has been three weeks since she has given birth to Myung Dae, but it is already evident that he is a miniature version of his father. But of course it was only Chae Won who noticed it because the baby is not yet allowed to be exposed to the public until the next full moon.

Jusang Sang Wook would often visit them when he had the time to fond over his "son" and heir. Chae Won would somehow feel guilty whenever she sees the king carry and smile over Myung Dae. He is fully convinced that he is his son, and he has already planned so many things for the child.

Chae Won's reverie was disrupted when the door opened revealing the head monk.

"A pleasant day to you Suk Yong Chae Won. I am here to inform you that the prince will soon be introduced to the kingdom the day after tomorrow, just in time for the full moon. By then please prepare yourself as your duty will be more different now."

I looked at my child who is staring at me with I could consider as pure infant adoration. With a small smile I thanked him for the information. Indeed there is no going back, my child is going to be the crowned prince, the most secure position in the kingdom, just where Joong Ki wanted him to be before he left. As if sensing my distress at the loss of his father, Myung Dae whimpered and tucked his chubby cheek on my chest just above my heart. Thank you for keeping me sane, my child.

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The evening has come when Myung Dae will be presented to the kingdom and will be declared as prince.

Everyone was gathered in the throne hall, positioned in places according to their ranks – the monks on each row facing the throne followed by the soldiers, while the queens and hugungs on the sides. There is a festivity, people making music and dancing around a bonfire. I am totally overwhelmed.

Myung Dae is fussing in my arm and is close to crying due to the unfamiliar noise around him. I patted and rocked him in the hope of comforting him.

The night has come and the ritual has officially begun with the thumps on the janggo, and the hugungs dance around the bonfire while in their most colorful hanboks.

Jusang Sang Wook goes up to the platform and sits on his throne made of wood adorned with gold. He is watching the festivity with great pride. After the performance everyone turns their attention to the king as he stood and projected to the crowd.

"My fellow men, the day has come that the heavens answered our prayers. The security of kingdom is now in place with the birth of my heir! It is of great pleasure and honor to introduce your future king, Myung Dae." He set his gaze to his left where I was carrying my child. This was his cue for me to take my place on the platform and deposit Myung Dae into his arms. He placed a kiss on Myung Dae's forehead and repositioned him so that the people would see his face.

Everyone then bowed before him – this view alone brings shivers to my spine. My child has just been proclaimed as the heir to the king's throne. I should feel joy and pride, but why do I feel uncomfortable?

The festivity continued, plentiful food was served and music filled the air. I glanced on the king and I could see the happiness in his features. He might have sensed my gaze as he turned to me.

"Are you enjoying the night Chae Won?" he asked with a smile.

I was surprised with his warm expression. "Yes I am, I am grateful for everyone's warm welcome for my child". He nodded and turned his gaze to the performance.

The head monk walked towards the platform and bowed before the king. "Your highness, the heavens have directed me to give blessing upon your child. For him to stay safe at all times and grow up as a strong and skillful man as you are."

The king nodded and I handed Myung Dae over to the monk. He lifted my child and prayed to the gods. He was in deep concentration and I could sense Myung Dae was feeling uncomfortable in his arms, thus I requested the monk to give him back to me. All of a sudden his eyes opened and glared at me.

"This child! This child is not from the heavens!" The monk declared. Everyone was stunned and I felt my heart on my throat.

The king stood from his throne. "What foolishness are you talking about?!"

"Your blood does not run in his veins! He is not your heir!" The monk continued to announce.

In an instance I took Myung Dae from his arms and covered him protectively. Jusang Sang Wook looked at me with confusion and anger combined in his eyes.

"The monk cannot lie. What can you say about this, Chae Won?!"

I lowered my head to my child to hide the tears forming in my eyes.

"Is he that traitor's son? Answer me!" He demanded. There was dead silence in the throne hall but the tension was very thick. What am I to do?

"Forgive me, your highness" I could only utter as tears escaped my eye.

What happened next seems like a blur. The king's rage was all over the place and I could only hold my child close to me.

The next thing I knew, I was in a dark place, only a small hole allowed the sun or probably the moon light up the place. I cannot be wrong, this is the dungeon. Panic then hit me, where is Myung Dae? Where is my son?

I searched around the place to no avail. What did they do to my child?

"Myung Dae! Where did you take my child?" I shouted in grief. They could have just killed me if they would just separate me from him.

Suddenly, I could hear faint cries from afar, and footsteps drawing nearer and nearer. My heart knew very well that cry.

"Myung Dae, my son! Mother is here!" I cried out. What appeared before me then is a pair of foot. I lifted my eyes to see Jungjeon Si Yeon carrying Myung Dae.

"Please, your highness, give me my child. I beg you." I held out my arms out of the wooden grills.

"Look how pitiful you are. Do you think you could get away having your bastard son as the crowned prince?" She looked spitefully at me and to my child who was crying loudly.

"Please your highness. I will do anything you want just give me my son."

She must have been in deep thought because it took her sometime before she could respond.

"I am not the kind of person who would want to stain my hands with blood. If I were, you have long been dead. His Majesty, despite being deeply hurt of the circumstance cannot bring himself to personally see and punish you. With what potion did you seduce him? Such a disgrace!"

She looked at my child once more.

"Alright, I will give your child back."

There was a moment of silence.

"And I will let you go. But I will make sure that you will be thrown out of this kingdom and live in poverty. In this way, I know that you are being suffering every single day of your lousy life."

I cannot believe my ears. The queen is freeing me and my child from this palace. I could only bow down and thank her.

She ordered the palace guards to open the dungeon so I could be reunited with my son.

"Hush now Myung Dae. You are safe now, mother is here. I will not let anyone hurt you again, I promise" I whispered while rocking him gently in my arms.

"Now, leave before I change my mind and inform the king of my decision. I do not want to see you and your child in this palace ever again." The queen left with one last spiteful look at me. I did not mind. In fact, I am grateful for her. If not for her orders, I would have killed myself for not being with my child.

In the dead of the night the palace guard brought me to one of the gates. I e last look at the palace, where for a period of time became not only my prison, but my hell. I could vaguely see the figures of Jin Kyung and Hyo Joo, the hugungs who were instrumental to the survival of my child. I muttered a gratitude for them before I proceeded with my journey.

We were ordered to ride the carriage that will take us in a far flung area. Here I am again, a wanderer. The last time I was in this situation was with Joong Ki. But now, even though that he is no longer with us, I believe that he is guiding me and our child from the heavens.

The dusk of the morning came and we were now left in an unknown village.

The palace guard took out a bag full of bread and gave it to me.

"Stay alive" these were the only words he said before departing.

I am glad that for now Myung Dae only needs to depend on me for his meal, but how about in the coming months and years? I should begin seeking for a living before we both die of starvation.

I searched around the village and something surprised me – a very familiar oak tree.

Two years after...

"Myung Dae-ah! Come now, lunch is ready!" I called out to my son who was playing with the village kids in our backyard.

I cannot believe that two years have passed since the whirlwind of unfortunate events occurred in my life. Looking back, it was a miracle that I was able to raise my son in the very town where Joong Ki and I grew into adulthood. The villagers warmly welcomed us and helped me rebuild my life.

"Eommanim, look!" My son happily held out a mugunghwa to me. I leaned down so our faces are level to each other. I took the flower from his small hand and hugged him tightly, "Thank you Myung Dae-ah. Eommanim is very happy to have you, that I am."

"I love you, eommanim" My child said in his adorable baby voice.

I brushed his hair with my hand and looked tenderly into his eyes. He is an exact replica of his father. If only he could see him now.

That evening I was lulling Myung Dae to sleep. He loves to listen me sing and caress his hair. I carefully studied his features, it was only like yesterday when I held him in my arms for the first time. Time indeed flew so fast.

I was about to surrender myself to sleep when I heard a sudden loud thud just right across our window. I instinctively sat from the bed and peaked outside. No one was there though. It must have only been the neighbor's cat. To my delight, Myung Dae was still soundly sleeping. I wrapped an arm around him before I fell into sleep.

It was a nice spring day and since I was done with sewing some hanboks I decided to bring Myung Dae to play under the oak tree. He loves to visit the place even though he still does not fully understand how special it is to me and his father.

We sat together under the shades of the old oak tree with my son on my lap. I embraced his small figure and placed a kiss on his head.

"Myung Dae-ah, remember that this place holds a sentimental value because this is where eommanim and ahboji first met. This is also where we spend most of our time together. He may not be with us now, but remember that he loves you very much." I can't seem to hold back my tears whenever I talk about my beloved Joong Ki.

"Ahboji" my son uttered.

"Yes, your ahboji. We miss him so much, don't we?" I nuzzled my face into his hair which smells of jasmine. Oh how my heart longs for my husband.

Without me knowing someone approached us and was now only a few feet away.

"Ah-" Myung Dae muffled a sound. I lifted my face to see who it was, and despite the sunlight hindering me from fully seeing the person's face, my heart already recognized.

The person in front of me is no other than Song Joong Ki.

He gave me the very familiar smile that melts my heart. "Hello, Chae Won-ah." He said in his very manly voice.

"Impossible. How can it be?" My heart leaped for joy, but my mind is saying that it is impossible that he is alive.

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Flashback in Joong Ki's POV

Pain was all over my body, but this did not compare to the pain in my heart. I am about to die and I will leave my wife and my child. But I know I did the right thing, that is, the best thing that I could do to save my family.

I was dragged outside the palace gates using a rope tied to a horse. Wounds were all over my body. I just knew that anytime now I would pass away from this world.

"Alright men, we'll stop here! You may proceed back to the palace." I heard a familiar voice, and then a hand lifted my bruised face.

"I cannot believe that I was fooled by a lady-looking face like you!" Finally I recognized that it was Muban Kwang Soo speaking to me.

"Now I disgust myself for thinking you as a lady, more so, a beautiful hugung!" He pulled my hair from the ground.

"I am sorry. I only did this for my love." I tried my best to speak.

"I guess so, and look at you now. Struggling with death. Now, what do we do with you?"

"Let me die" I suggested.

"That is just so easy to do. Tell you what. I not let you die. Instead, I will let you struggle to save your life, because I know that one of these days the king will eventually discover that you are the real father of the child. You have to live and come back to them."

I cannot believe my ears. He is letting me live?

"Why?"

"Why, 'why'? Ah, why am I doing this? Just think that I do not want history to repeat himself." From there, he left but requested a healer to come to my aid.

After a few months of recovery I discovered the reason behind Muban Kwang Soo's action. Apparently, his sister was betrothed to a man from the high class, but she was in love with a different man, needless to say someone from a lower class. Unfortunately their story ended when Muban Kwang Soo's sister killed herself.

Given another chance to live, I did my best to recover and retrieve information about Chae Won and our child. True to Muban Kwang Soo's words, the king did discover the truth about my child and they were evoked from the palace.

I gathered information until I learned that Chae Won and our child – who is named Myung Dae, were living in the village where we grew up. As much as I wanted to be reunited with my family, I feared that someone would inform the king and separate us once again. Because of this, I followed them secretly for a year.

It pains me not to be able to hold my wife and child. To provide for them with their necessities. To comfort them when they need me. Therefore, for one year I resolved myself to aiding them in the most discreet way.

There were a couple of instances when Chae Won was selling hanboks and slippers in the market, I requested people to purchase everything on my behalf.

Whenever I see Myung Dae playing with the children, I would pretend to be selling snack so that I could give him something. I could still remember that one time when I handed a rice cake to Myung Dae. He looked straight into my eye with a smile on his face. I wanted to embrace him, but when I heard Chae Won's voice I retreated hoping that one day I will be able to freely embrace him.

One day, I heard that Myung Dae was ill and Chae Won cannot find the right herb to cure him. I went into the mountains just to find that one particular herb that my son needs. I knocked on their door and left it there. I would do just anything for my family.

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Present time in Joong Ki's POV

"Ah-ahboji!" Myung Dae squealed as if recognizing the person before him.

I stoop down to level my eyes with Chae Won's and held out my hand. "Three things. One, I am sorry. Two, please forgive me. Three, I love you both very much."

Tears flowed from our eyes as we looked at each other endearingly. We know that this time everything will fall into place and nothing will hinder us from being happy. Our story began under this oak tree, and I pray that when until the day comes that we depart this world, our memories will remain here until our next life.

END

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There you go, a happy ending! Please do leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you (even for the last time for this story). :') 

Thank you for all the support! Writing has been one of my sweet escape from RL and hopefully this was worth the wait. 

I miss Chaeki/EunMa and I'm glad that they'll both be returning to the small screen early next year! Let's keep our faith that they will be reunited in a project soon! Well, being together in real life is way better ;D