Chapter 12 – [1805]

Five years snowballed like night and day, and soon the palace was going to be throwing the Crown Prince’s 15th birthday party. An event that was held every year and viewed as a holiday, an event that can never go unnoticed any year. Thereby the people have woken up before the nobles to prepare their children—whose birthdays will never be nationally recognized—for the party the King was to host. As commoners slaughtered the streets with talks of the fast-growing Crown Prince, many wondered what the child may look like, or how much knowledge has he gained throughout his young days. It was a fact that only the best teachers are hired to become the Crown Prince’s personal scholars, but due to the Prince’s young age, many doubt his true wisdom. Even the concurrent King Minho, a flawless character, never earned a superior title in any fields until he became twenty.

Words of the Crown Prince’s birthday spread like wildfires into other kingdoms, and even to outsiders who knew very little about the Crown Prince existence. However, the Crown Prince who was still a stranger to the world beyond the walls remained oblivious and had resorted to his daily routine of picking pebbles. Though he was fully aware of the meaning of the day, his birthday party meant very little to him. He does not know the truth as to why people would come to see a child grow older. Or why the people would come to watch the performers whom the King has hired. It wasn’t anything new or exciting to see, it was always the same stunts, people in the same attires, the only difference was probably the people under the uniforms and masks. Perhaps a whole new generation that had to replace the old.

Nothing new nor interesting.

Hence, the Crown Prince spent another early morning adventure in search of pebbles—to add to his favorite and only collection. The youth, like his mother the Queen, has an interest in colors and for him especially gems. See, every morning he could probably find a pebble with a completely exotic appearance, but every year he would see the same performances and the heads of people he probably won’t ever recall the following year.

Crown Prince Junseung moved slowly in a squatting position, but swiftly through the row of flower bushes. Rocks were often kept near the bulbs to keep out weeds, therefore the perfect place to search for pebbles was near the stems. Especially when the water was a healthy substance to the plants and created more pebbles under plants or within the ponds that sat around the garden.

Junseung wore a smile as he knew it was going to be his lucky day, again. He will discover yet another new pebble worth bragging about and placed in his collection, which was all displayed on a three-leveled shelf with just rows of rocks. Finally, his smile spread when he noticed a sparkle under a stem, “I found it!” He exclaimed with the widest smile, a smile that enhanced his already genetically good looks. “Chun! Eunuch Chun, I found it!” Junseung reached under a flower bud and took into his three fingers, including his thumb, a crystal clear pebble, the shape of a remarkable smooth marble.

The footsteps of a chubby man in navy green ran over to Junseung. “Y-your Highness!” The older cried, Junseung stood tall and straight before the older came to a stop before him. “Your Highness, must I say it again? Today is the celebration of your birthday, how can you be out here—?”

“Is Changwoo here yet? I have to show him this.” The Crown Prince smiled deeply, satisfied with his great eyesight and gifted hobby. “Changwoo may finally give in to me and acknowledge the new and different beauty of this stone!” To avoid what the older may do next, Junseung skipped past the castrated male and left the garden’s eyes.

Curly, long, and black haired Changwoo gripped the handle of his sword as he faced his friendly opponent, a boy with long hair and clothed with terrible colors, mud-like orange. His adversary held an apple in hand and sword in another. “How long are you planning to stand there? I’m almost done with my apple.” The young said, nagging Changwoo.

An amused smirk crossed Changwoo’s face with ease. “I was waiting for your fill, once you’re full I was going to make you vomit all of that you’ve eaten from that stolen apple.”

The boy across in his breath. “Damn it!” With high speed the boy threw his apple toward Changwoo, causing the lad to dodge to the side, then the boy charged in with a swing of his sword. Their swords clashing against one another allowing a loud cry as they pushed their swords closer to each other, closing the gap between them, they each wearing a sneer on their faces.

“You’ve gotten faster.” The boy in orange said.

Changwoo’s mild smirk slowly evolved into a mocking smile, “And you’ve gotten chubbier. Your cheeks are bloated, Chuho.”

“Why you!” The one in orange, Chuho, twisted his blade but Changwoo followed his lead, hence easily taken a step back without getting hit. With space between them, the two boys locked eyes for a moment until something caught their eyes. Falling in between them was a shoe—a lady’s shoe.

“Hey! You two troublemakers!” Changwoo and Chuho in unison turned to the voice coming from their blind spot. Behind a tree was Eunmi, standing on one foot after having to catch their attention with her other shoe. “Changwoo, father want you home now. He said you have to enter the palace with him.” Eunmi then turned to Chuho with a disgusted look and carried on to pursed her lips outward. “Tch, so dirty.” She said.

A smile foolishly formed on Chuho’s face. “Oh, look like our young miss is mad at this handsome street rat again. But what can I do when she has dropped her shoe before me?” Chuho as he bent over to pick up Eunmi’s shoe and bring it to his nose, taking in the smell of it.

Changwoo heaved a scoffy, disbelief breath but said nothing and only smile. He was used to Chuho teasing Eunmi, the girl the lad semi-openly-has-a-crush-on. “Dirty! Dirty! Dirty!” Eunmi stuck out her tongue at Chuho before fleeing the scene with the bottom of her dress gripped in her small fists. Chuho chuckled as he watches her distance herself from them.

“I cannot wait until the day I’ve become a man. I will marry your sister.” Chuho said looking over to Changwoo, who sighed.

“Don’t even dream about it. If I have a thief like you for a brother-in-law then all my life I’ll be held accountable for your wrongdoings. Or worse, maybe my little sister will end up living in the ruins.” Changwoo said but Chuho clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“I’ll have you know right now Oh Changwoo, that you’re completely wrong. Anyone who has me for a brother-in-law would be the luckiest man on earth. I, the almighty son of a bandit, is quick on my toes and has many tricks up my sleeves. All in all I am undefeated.” Chuho said making a sound with his throat, to show how serious he was while boasting about himself. Changwoo wore a smug.

“Enough, hand me the sword and go on your way. I have to go to the palace now, the Crown Prince will be waiting,”

Chuho shook his head in disappointment, “This is why I question our friendship, why must my only good friend be a kin of the Crown Prince?”

“Then since you and I are kins, wouldn't that make him a friend of yours too?” Changwoo asked, leaving Chuho speechless.

I'm not that selfish in need of a Crown Prince for a friend. Chuho thought.

Junseung was seated behind the wooden table where he lazily laid his upper body over and his hand keeping his head in balance. “Did he say that?” Junseung asked while looking at the clean nails on his free hand. Before him, the eunuch Chun was on his knees with a calm face.

“Yes your highness. His majesty wants you to truly learn of prosperity and to stop your interest in minerals. Your highness spends too much time collecting rocks that your highness rarely study. His majesty is weary of your current schooling. Your highness should know that every year the officials enjoyed testing the Crown Prince’s knowledge, please for his majesty, leave behind your plans of gathering rocks, your highness.”

Junseung sighed deeply, obviously annoyed while sitting straight up to stare down at the eunuch's forehead. “His majesty, his majesty, his majesty! Doesn’t anyone in this Kingdom care about my feelings at all? Is my father the only man who matters!?” Junseung spat angrily.

“Your highness—”

“Everyone only sees my father! So why do they even bother looking at me? I! I have no interest in their knowledge so why do they care about mine? Am I just a puppet to you people?!”

Chun winched at each exclamation mark before stuttering, “Y-your highness, p-please listen to me—”

“Enough! Get out!” Junseung demanded Chun who was shivering with fear moved at the pace of a sloth, hence Junseung grew angry. “Now!”

Chun stumbled as he hurried out and shut the doors behind him. The chubby man who steps were audible traveled back and forth before the door for a moment, his hands hidden in his sleeves to hide his shakiness. Until the hand of a male gently rested on his shoulder and made him froze. Chun spun his head toward the owner of the hand and a sigh of relief came out his throat. “Oh, it is only you young master Oh.”

Changwoo couldn’t hide a smile at the chubby man’s reaction. “Chun, what’s wrong? You’re sweating a lot, again.” Changwoo pointed out, which woken Chun to the realization why he felt chills on his forehead. The chubby pulled away from Changwoo’s touch and tapped his forehead with his clean sleeves. Without waiting for an answer, Changwoo took a quick glimpse of the door to Junseung’s room. “Is his highness inside?”

“Y-yes, should I call to him—?”

Changwoo held out a hand to stop the older. “Let me enter quietly, seeing that you’re beat with shivers it must be that his highness is upset about something,”

“Y-yes.”

While the man took a step back, Changwoo breathed in before the doors opened for him by the two servants at the sides. Slowly, Changwoo took a step forward after exchanging a small smile with Chun.

Changwoo entered the room to find the Crown Prince’s handsome face hidden behind his labor-free hand. “Who said you could come in? I told eunuch Chun that—!” Before Junseung could go on to snap at Changwoo’s throat, the youth stopped himself once he rose from his palm. “Changwoo?!” The Crown Prince's eyes has grown twice its normal size.

“What is upsetting you, your highness?” Changwoo asked a smile spread rather quickly on Junseung’s face.

“You rascal, you dare hold formalities when it’s just us?”

Changwoo sighed but kept his smile. “Seeing that you’re smiling, it must mean that Chun is over worrying about what may have caused your outburst.”

Junseung’s smile turned into a sour frown followed by a sigh, “Like always my father wants me to stop hunting for stones and to study harder. It’s driving me crazy, if I’m not collecting pebbles then I’m always in a room studying or practicing sword with you and Master Oh,” Junseung heaved another heavy breath, “if this is truly how the Crown Prince should live then I do not want it. It’s suffocating,”

“It has been six years since you mentioned that child to me. When will I be able to finally meet him?” Jaemin asked, looking into Taeyo’s eyes.

“If you want to see that child, you will have to rearrange it with Lord Yeo Inpyo.”

An ugly smirk was drawn onto Jaemin’s face, “Why must I meet a man who may harbor ill feelings toward me before I can see that child?”

“That child is Lord Inpyo’s child. I’ve told you before my lord, his surname is Yeo and his name is Wootae, a name your daughter has always cherished no?”

Jaemin’s lashes flickered at the mention of his daughter, the present-day Queen, “Is that so? Then, where can I meet your lord again?”

Taeyo wasted no time answering, “In this very room. He came with me today.”

End of Chapter Twelve.