You're okay with going?
"Always expect the unexpected."
It rained pretty heavily despite being in the middle of summer. Strangely enough, Han Aeng felt very peaceful with the stormy weather raging outside. A danity smile on her lips as she enjoyed the drops of rain rolling off her hand - cold but warm, hard and soft all at the same time.
Ever since she woke up from her mini coma, a week ago, her father was stern about not letting her leave the house. Naturally the servants obeyed their masters' wishes and blocked Han Aeng from stepping a foot out of her room at all times. In a sense, she was under house arrest and full surveillance at all times with Nanny Na on her back.
Even now, Nanny Na was sitting down embroidering a little sparrow on her handkerchief as she kept Han Aeng company.
Han Aeng always compares her nanny to a flower that held on through a rough storm and found reasons to bloom again. The old woman was beautiful, not in the sense she aged gracefully but wrinkles and all, really beautiful. Nanny Na was truly an old soul that had wisdom due to her turbulent life, it was evident in her soft but deep eyes and her eyebrows which were perpetually forming a frown.
They say that people who stay together long enough start to resemble each other, for the two of them the shared the same smile. It was a boxy smile that had an innocent, cheeky childlike charm; the only difference was when Han Aeng smiled, her eyes turned to crescent moons.
"No one could have expected it to rain all of a sudden in the middle of summer, My Lady. More so when we hardly got rain this winter."
"Ah, but that's where they went wrong. When things are going completely well - without any problems whatsoever- that. That's when you should be most worried. It's when you're least expecting something to go wrong that something goes wrong."
"My Lady worries about something?" Nanny Na didn't lift her head up, the past few days Han Aeng had been talking a lot of nonsense so Nanny Na stopped paying attention to it, but that didn't mean she didn't care.
Han Aeng didn't respond immediately but rather observed how the abrupt change in weather left the servants in a panic, running around in a haste to cover and bring in the food they had left to sun dry. "I'm just thinking about the attack. I heard from Doctor Soo that the concentration of the poison was abnormally high- fatal even. It makes me think that maybe this person is someone who knows me very well and was exerting a personal grudge." Han Aeng gave a lopsided grin, her eyes twinkling with excitement, "Who knows, maybe the next attack will be while I'm walking in the safety of our home or the palace walls. Maybe that time it'll be fatal. "
Nanny Na's eyes widened as she dropped her embroidery onto her lap, crying out, "Aeng! Don't say such things; it's a bad omen!"
She wasn't a huge fan of pessimistic words, more so when it came from Han Aeng and especially when it was about her life. In the sixty-five year of living, Nanny Na had experienced too much to overwrite the old saying, words have power.
Despite Nanny Na's worries, Han Aeng only lightly giggled, turning to face Nanny Na's scowling face with a cheeky grin. "Alright, alright. Nanny, you can't take a joke!"
"Tsk" Nanny Na's reprimanding was very clear despite not having utter a word. She spared Han Aeng a glance before continuing to embroider in silence.
Han Aeng gave a light hearted smile and returned to face the window, observing the rain, muttering under her breath, "I just have a premonition."
This could possibly be the first time Han Aeng had woken up after a kidnapping in her own house. Considering she had fought with a kidnapper as she tried to escape, she had somewhat expected them to be highly trained individuals who had faith in their ability. But she didn't think they would dare to walk around the main streets - right in front of the Prime Minister's property at that! Serves him right for getting caught.
Realitistly waking up in the safety of her house was the least of her worries. Kidnapping and being kidnapped was something she'd grown accustomed to. Somehow the heavens were very benevolent in keeping her alive despite her reckless nature and demanding status. What intrigued her more was the poison concentration and the location of her kidnap: things only known to a few people about.
Throwing her head back, Han Aeng scrunched her nose as she thought the whole situation through.
Royal Doctor Soo had stated a high concentration would have been lethal to an average person, so how did someone know to increase the concentration to ensure it had an effect on her. And while many people on various occasions would have definitely seen her around Mt Keun, how did they know the exact time she would show up? Why did they follow her into the mount instead of attacking right away: Mt Keun has only one entrance which is heavily guarded, wouldn't it be easier to if they had kidnapped her before she reached the mountain.
They must have had faith in their abilities and a solid plan to leave unsuspectedly with an unconcious girl. Heck, who was she kidding, the kidnappers had a whole merchant's cosplay going on - obviously they were prepared.
Mt Keun... Poison... Kidnap... Merchants…
Merchant sell stuff. Stuff you can sell at Mt Keun include wildflowers, herbs, and roots.
Aish, that old geezer. No wonder his people have been at the mount lately. He's probably left the necessary equipment in the forest using his servants as an excuse. But how would they get past the security?
"Aeng-ah," Han Aeng jumped at the sight of her father sitting at the table leisurely pouring himself tea. "You seemed lost in your thoughts."
"A little." Han Aeng laughed, taking a seat next to her father.
"What's bothering my baby that she didn't notice someone coming to her room?"
Han Aeng gave an awkward laugh, telling her father about her thoughts would just be unfair.
Lately Prime Minister Han has been attending court affairs more often than usual, he went out early in the morning and came home very late at night, and on some days stayed over at the palace. She wasn't told the specifics of the situation, but she knew it had to do with Chancellor Yi based on the timing of his agitated state. "Abeoji, no one knows you better than the spouse who shares your bed and the friend that shares your bread."
"You mean-" Prime Minister Han questioned, raising a brow.
Han Aeng didn't express her inner thought but rather caressed down his raised brow with her thumb, offering him a smile, "I didn't mean anything; I was just reciting a proverb an old man taught me so that I wouldn't forget his teachings."
"You're calling me old!?"
"You said it, not me." Han Aeng feigned ignorance, playfully peeking out of her shut eyes.
Her father flicked her forehead with a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling "You think you're old enough to not consult with your Abeoji?"
"Oh, this girl is too unlearned and dare not think for herself nearly as troubled as His Grace," Han Aeng joking bellowed out, promptly going down on her knees to bow: keeping their conversation light-hearted."Your Grace has worked very hard for our nation with the alliance."
Prime Minister Han gave a cold chuckle as his shoulders sank. He came to Han Aeng seeking shelter from all of the piling troubles of the marriage alliance, but here she is, bringing them up again. Maybe this was his reminder that he needed to tell her about their demands, sooner rather than later.
Prime Minister Han took Han Aeng by the shoulder, helping her up to take a seat.
"Aeng-ah, you know-" Prime Minister Han's tone suddenly turned serious, "I suggested marrying the Princess off to Shangwei because I was so sure that it would create the perfect pretext to back down and move with you from the capital to the farmlands. It never crossed my mind that Shangwei would want to take a different bride."
Han Aeng nodded her head, but didn't respond to him immediately as she poured herself some tea. Her father was one to never disclose confidential information to her, so she understood that the matter must have been too much pressure for him to carry alone. "Shangwei wants another bride that isn't the princess? How peculiar. Who do they want then? Who's going to get married to Shangwei?"
Prime Minister Han watched her with a blank face. Her indifference to the problem was proof enough for him to know she didn't imagine that she would have to farewell her life here. Truthfully, Prime Minister Han was starting to numb up all over.
The weight of everything was slowing, causing his defenses to stumble. The alliance, Han Aeng's kidnapping, court and state affairs, Chancellor Yi's demand, the King's subtle hints. Everything that happened since he came back from Shangwei was a mess that only got messier the more he tried to clean it.
Prime Minister Han forced his eyes shut, believing it would be easier said if he couldn't see her. If he couldn't see the way the horrid news would sullen her bright eyes, "I never expected that the person to be married off would be you."
Han Aeng's hand froze mid drink.
"They want you, Han Aeng. They want you to be the bride that goes to Shangwei."
Ah. There it is.
Silence followed his confession. Despite Prime Minister Han's worries about her reaction she was very calm about the whole ordeal.
Han Aeng supported her head with her hand as she observed her father's pale complexion without uttering a single word. Now that she took a closer look at his face the toll of lack of sleep and improper diet was evident on his face. He looked exhausted. His cheeks were gaunt, he had heavy eye bags, his frown lines looked deeper and more prominent, he even looked like he aged a little. It hurt her to think she was the reason behind his worries.
"Abeoji, is this why you've been wearing a long face all week? So what if they want me to go."
Han Aeng's calmness stunned Prime Minister Han. A mixture of shock and confusion froze on his face. "You- Why aren't you protesting against it? Are you willing to go?"
"Yes I'm willing to go," Han Aeng responded without the slightest hesitation, "Besides… even if I wasn't, there's no point in protesting. The king already made up his mind, hasn't he?"
Prime Minister Han stood up in shock. His eyes were unfocused as he watched his daughter, hundreds of emotions swirling in his mind while his mouth remained mute.
He didn't understand: no matter how hard he tried to come to terms with the development of the alliance, he couldn't. He tried his best reasoning with both the King and Chancellor Yi, and tried to delay this decision for as long as possible.
But just like that she was willing to leave?!
She promised to help take care of him and be by his side even after she got married and grew grey hairs. She was meant to stay by him as he took his last breath. But now she wants to leave to a country that is too far away for her to come over to his side even if she wanted to.
If she left what would become of him, what would become of his memories of her?
Han Aeng, well aware of his internal strives, stood up taking Prime Minister Han's hand in hers. "One day or another, you would have to let me get married. You knew this day would come. So why are you hesitant now?"
At a tender age, Han Aeng came to terms with the fact that she would leave; rather, she would have to leave. Everything she loved and cared for would one day have to be her past, a place she couldn't return no matter how badly she wanted it. While she understood, while she had come to terms with that knowledge, she wasn't ready to let go. Truthfully, she didn't want to let go.
No matter how much she hated it, fate had its cruel ways like that: it bargains by taking the things closest to you and demands you walk the path it sets.
"We both know it's practically impossible for me to stay safe in Jeontu. Shangwei may be foreign, but it could be safer than here," Han Aeng reasoned, her voice tender. There was no assurance that her words were directed towards Prime Minister Han or herself, but there was no denying the tightness in her heart.
Tears welled up in Prime Minister Han's eyes, and he looked away.
Han Aeng wanted to further reason with her father, but her own emotions were getting caught in her throat. If there's anyone she owed anything to, it was him. No matter what, her father was the strong man that raised and sheltered her at the expense of his sanity. He was her safe ground, her secure base. Somewhere she could return to and know she would be taken care of, even if it wasn't because he loved her.
Han Aeng sighed, trying to settle her own emotions before quietly hugging Prime Minister Han. "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have been so cute to catch Chancellor Yi's attention."
Prime Minister Han only hugged her tighter than before. He realised she no longer fit into his arms as she did as a child. Back when she barely reached his waist, she would cling onto him with her arms wrapped around his neck and laugh about having her feet dangling in the air. She would always hide behind his robes whenever the brother-sister duo played hide and seek, she would even crawl up to his chest to fall asleep.
He felt sorry for the little girl she was. She went through so much for a child her age and somehow still managed to turn out into such a beautiful young girl. "Thank you for growing up so beautifully, my child."
Prime Minister Han kissed the crown of her head. "I will always be here for you. You'll always be my little girl. You know that, right."
Han Aeng nodded her head, refusing to look at Prime Minister Han. She knew she couldn't handle looking at his eyes because the second she would, she'd break down in tears. "I know."