BETRAYAL OF THE FIRST

Princess Deokman stood up in fury.

"MISHIL." she said.

"Yes Your Highness." Alcheon Rang replied.

"As it is now that the King is ill and he is without a male heirs, very many are opposing your position as the Crown Princess of Shilla." Yushin said.

"And because of Mishil?" Princess Deokman asked.

"Mishil was a woman who was very brave and smart, she saw to it that your Grandfather the former King Jinji was deposed and her close relationship with Queen Sado threatened most true bones and Seonggols.

Despite being a woman the power that she wielded was a threat and had it not been for her untimely demise she had ushered Shilla into an internal strife through which she could make herself queen.

The fact that you are a woman makes them doubt at all, are you Princess Deokman because to some of them they feel that Mishil has returned to their midst." Alcheon said.

"So there are people amongst the Hwarang?" Princess Deokman asked.

"I too was curious as well Your Highness and I chose to follow the mysterious man, he was with us surprisingly and he was one of the scouts that I worked with while we had gone to spy on the troops of Gorguryeo." Alcheon replied.

"Who is it?" Yushin asked.

"Lee Soseok." Alcheon replied.

"But I don't understand why despite being with us we were unable to know." Yushin said.

"He might have as well been a Gorguryeo spy because why did we end up caught in the first place?" Alcheon asked.

"Yes." Princess Deokman said. "He was definitely a Gorguryeo spy." she added.

"But Gorguryeo was never the less defeated." Yushin said.

"Except that when you changed the strategy he wasn't in the room with all the other Generals." Princess Deokman said. "You told me very well that you had been to the secret camp of the Gorguryeo troops so how did they know in the first place that you were going to war the next day?" She asked.

"I didn't think about that." Yushin said.

"Perhaps he is more than a Gorguryeo spy because why would he stake his life unless he had the support of someone behind him who is the actual puppeteer pulling all the strings?" Alcheon asked.

"There is someone that is powerful and perhaps they could have a reason to fear my power." Princess Deokman said.

"Why Your Highness?" Alcheon asked.

"I have two things that Mishil never had." Princess Deokman replied.

"What are those?" Yushin asked.

"Unlike Mishil, I am capable of becoming worse and perhaps smarter than she ever was." Princess Deokman replied.

"And the second?" Alcheon Rang asked.

"I am a Seonggol." Princess Deokman replied with her smile on her face.

"What shall we do Your Highness?" Yushin asked.

"Keep a close eye on Soseok Rang but see to it that he doesn't learn that we are suspicious of him.

Try to find out who is behind his actions it is likely that the person that came into contact with him is the very person that was trying to frame my Uncle." Princess Deokman replied.

"Your Highness, his certain can you be, in times like this these people must have a clout within the Imperial court so they would get away with anything.

By the time Galmunwang Gukban who is a very high official was being framed, they could be combining their political power to oust him or they might be in possession of someone who is equally powerful." Yushin said.

"I'm aware of that very well and that's why I am determined to be much worse than Mishil.

The reason why she kept up her game for all those years was because she had the support of equally powerful people but because to the people of Shilla especially the privileged aristocrats she was a traitor out of her passion to rule it, there was never a place for her in the pages of History.

I am going to join forces with Galmunwang Gukban." Princess Deokman replied.

"Yes Your Highness." Alcheon Rang said.

"But your Highness, we should also consider the possibility of him refusing to join forces with us." Yushin said.

"At this rate he cannot." Princess Deokman said. "After everything that has happened I am certainly sure that he knows he's enemy's primary motive is to see that he weakens his relationship with my father the King.

Should he support me and become one of my followers I'll have all the power I need to inherit the throne and crush any resistance that forbids me from doing so and on his side it could help clear the King of any suspicions towards him." Princess Deokman added.

"But you realize that in him becoming a very close and powerful ally of yours he is going to attract the attention of all your opposers he shall have created for himself more enemies." Yushin said.

"Thanks to that he'll have to permanently stick to me and he can not turn against because unlike all those men that are out there struggling for power the only thing that he is struggling for is survival." Princess Deokman replied.

"What shall we do to get him to talk to us and you Your Highness in particular?" Alcheon asked.

"I summon him when all eyes are watching." Princess Deokman replied. "That way even if he wished to deny himself it would be unbelievable in the eyes of the other Courtiers." She added.

"Yes Your Highness." Alcheon and Yushin said in unison as they bowed their heads and walked out of the Princess's Chambers.

Content that they had vanished from her sight, she stood up from the very place that she was seated and then walked up to a drawer which she opened.

Inside there was a large folded scroll which she took in her possession and unfolded it to reveal the face of a woman.

She hang it on a support right next to her mirror and looking into it, there was a striking resemblance between both their eyes.

Their faces made them look more like sisters except the face in the painting was chubbier and older.

"Seju." Princess Deokman called. "Even when they try their best to erase you from the face of History, they'll always have me to remind them how fatal you were." She added as she touched her face in the mirror.

"It is sad that you and me were very much the same but unlike you I won't bow or bend to any other man and I won't resign to their fate.

Rather, I shall become the strong and the Great Queen of Shilla that you couldn't become." Princess Deokman said as she smiled at herself.

Seungman and Damhyeong were in the fields when Damhyeong noticed that his friend was in low spirits.

He sneaked behind her and then covering her eyes from behind he asked her to make a guess.

"Damhyeong." She said in a lowly tone as she turned around and looked at him.

"Can't you at least smile while saying my name?" Damhyeong asked.

"I don't know." Seungman replied.

"Why?" Damhyeong asked. "Did anything happen between you and your father?" He added.

"I don't know what to do." Seungman said hopelessly as the two started to walk together side by side.

"You know it that you can tell me anything." Damhyeong said.

"Yes." Seungman replied, "I am just worried and afraid that the truth might be hard on you." She added.

"It doesn't matter." Damhyeong said. "Consider it that I am the one to bear the weight of your heavy heart." He added.

"Ever since we saved Alcheon back then I couldn't find peace in my heart as I saw him in a number of complicated ways." Seungman replied.

"Which ways?" Damhyeong asked.

"To begin with I thought that it must be curiosity but almost every time that I was so close to him and he'd speak out his heart I would trust that with him I could be very vulnerable." Seungman replied.

"You liked him." Damhyeong said.

"This is beyond liking him, it's deeper than that." Seungman replied.

"You love him?" Damhyeong asked.

"I am not certain myself what the very language that my heart is trying to speak is." Seungman replied.

"Then if your heart is not certain why can't you forget him?" Damhyeong asked.

"I thought that if he had returned to Seoraebeol then we'd all be happy and yet every time I see anything it reminds me of the time that I spent with him and the crazy things that we did.

I always feel like my back is against the wall because I thought that I could naturally suppress the passion of the battlefield but I only realized now that every time I was with him to step on to it was my heart's longing which has become a permanent desire." Seungman replied.

"I thought that you had already made a choice?" Damhyeong said.

"I wanted to please father and I hoped that I'd never break his heart but he has noticed for himself already that I might find it very hard to forget Alcheon." Seungman replied.

"And what has Uncle Moo decided?" Damhyeong asked.

"I have asked you to choose, either you embrace Shilla and forsake me or you forsake Shilla and embrace me." Moo Mak said.

"Should it be the latter then I shall take you far and far away from it but should it be the former then on that day I shall forget that I ever had a daughter." Seungman recalled as she narrated the story to Damhyeong.

"He said that after I have decided in a week's time we shall leave Shilla behind even if we have to go to as far as Tang and beyond the Takla Makhan." Seungman added.

"Have you made a decision?" Damhyeong asked.

"As much as I want to convince father that I do not intend to go against his will what I find much harder than surviving his wrath at this moment is trying to forsake Shilla." Seungman replied.

"Why do you keep holding on even now?" Damhyeong asked.

"There is You, there's aunt Namwon and Uncle Pyeonghwa, there's these hills and the son, there's a whole lot of people here that I cherish, love and deeply care about." Seungman replied.

"How deserving is Shilla?" Damhyeong asked.

"Perhaps without Shilla I could not have seen what it means to Have you people in my heart." Seungman replied.

"But you must make a choice." Damhyeong said.

"I'll always feel guilty that I chose Shilla but even I will die and I will go and do shall my father and in the end with all of us abandoned by the world and a new generation has set in, Shilla will remain for generations and generations to come." Seungman replied.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Damhyeong asked.

"Why should it be you to choose over your passion when you have done nothing wrong?" He added.

"What do you mean?" Seungman asked.

"Your father wishes to abandon you as long as you choose Shilla but you don't have to abandon him as well when you make that choice." Damhyeong said.

Seungman looked him in the eye.

"Why are you telling me this?" Seungman asked.

"We'll all go and what makes me happy is what makes you happy above all things, if your father has a reason to make you leave Shilla then only you can give him a reason to stay by either asking him to embrace you both or abandon you both as well." Damhyeong replied.

"What if he chooses to abandon us both?" Seungman asked.

"It doesn't matter at all as long as you can show him one day that you made the right decision and you won't go back on your word and even if the rest of the world deserts you you just stand firm and know that you'll always have me watching and standing by your side." Damhyeong replied.

"Thank you." Seungman said.

"No thank you." Damhyeong replied.

"Why?" Seungman asked.

"Because you are one person that gives me a purpose in life and makes me believe that living it is worth it." Damhyeong replied.

"What is that purpose for your life?" Seungman asked.

"My purpose in life is protecting you." Damhyeong replied.

"Thank you so much." Seungman was still saying until Damhyeong pulled her into a hug that she herself was very much surprised by his reaction.

"Damhyeong?" Seungman called.

"No one shall feel more hurt when you are gone like me, growing up around you made me realize that you are that part of me that I am very much reluctant to let go.

I can not tolerate it even when we are miles apart and should you leave one day and go as far as the Takla Makhan like your Father is saying then I shall certainly follow you there." Damhyeong said.

"Compassion and devotion, I am not certain I could be feeling the same towards you." Seungman said.

"I fervently wish that the way your heart yearns for Alcheon it would also yearn for me and I envy the fact that the first person yours ever beat for was him.

Nevertheless whoever you have in your heart it doesn't matter at all too me because deep down inside mine the only person that I can ever have is you." Damhyeong said.

"I'm sorry." Seungman said.

"I am fine with it." Damhyeong replied as he pulled apart from Seungman and then looking her in the eyes while holding her shoulders he spoke up to her.

"Perhaps not every time must you give up on your dreams and the people you love, if it has never happened for anyone to possess them both then you be the very first person to do so." Damhyeong added.

Seungman nodded her head out of acceptance and eventually, Damhyeong let her go.

The two continued through the field and Seungman couldn't help but feel confused it'd require a lot of courage to speak up to her father.

Gukban was seated in his Manor and he was cleaning a certain sword that was in his possession.

Lady Wolmyeong walked up to him and then she sat down right in front of him.

"It's been seventeen years dear and you've never used that sword, every now and then you pull it out if it's sheath an you polish it with such care." Lady Wolmyeong said.

"We have enough blood on our hands my dear and that guilt overwhelms me." Galmunwang Gukban said.

"I can't help it but reflect with regret as he was a man who was in deed to loyal to his service he died at such a very young age." Lady Wolmyeong said.

"When I polish this sword Everytime it serves as the best cure to remind me that more than one person has to be avenged." Gukban said.

"I understand the weight of all that pain comes crushing down on you but we are in this fight together." Lady Wolmyeong said as Gukban returned the sword into it's scabbard and staring at it, he remembered the very moment that he and Moo Mak had exchanged their swords.

The time that he'd sworn his allegiance and service to him came back to him and as he remembered their oath of brotherhood he nearly shed tears.

"So far away from us, I hope that he is looking after our daughter well in the afterlife." Gukban said.

Lady Wolmyeong stood up and walked to his side as he embraced him and placing the sword on the table he tightly hugged his wife.

"We have each other." Lady Wolmyeong said.

"It was my last wish for an embrace that was eternal for our daughter and a complete family." Gukban said.

"There is a moment for avengement and when it shall come we shall entirely embrace it." Lady Wolmyeong said.

At that point, there was a knock on the door and the two separated.

"Come in." Galmunwang Gukban said and a while later as Damju walked right in.

"Your Excellency, Milady." He said as he bowed his head.

"What is it?" Gukban asked.

"Her Highness has sent a messenger and she wishes to have an audience with you." Damju replied.

"You can tell the messenger that I am not feeling well, I might not have an audience with her." Gukban said.

"Honey, why?" Lady Wolmyeong asked.

"The Princess is quite smart but let's see how far she can go." Gukban replied.

"What should I tell the messenger?" Damju asked.

"Just go to tell him that I am not feeling well, just like I have told you before." Gukban replied.

"Aye Your Excellency." Damju said as he bowed his head and then he walked away.

"Dear, why did you have to lie" Lady Wolmyeong asked.

"The Princess must have realized that I was nearly framed and perhaps she could be wishing to ask me a couple of questions or the King could have asked her to find out the truth from me." Gukban replied.

"But what if she finds out that you are healthy then the King shall be more and more suspicious than he already is. " Lady Wolmyeong said.

"I am not after the King's suspicions and I care less that he is suspicious of me, I only came back to Seoraebeol for one particular motive and that was to seek justice and vengeance for all the lives that were suffocated in the fire that consumed my entire household and to do that I don't need to go too deep or too shallow with anyone.

Additionally I do not wish to be anyone's puppet and J know very well that these allegiances that can be made and the people that we come into contact with could arise so much attention which comes with both rewards and consequences." Gukban replied.

"Can we really turn down this opportunity?" Lady Wolmyeong asked.

"If fate wills it that both me and the Princess should meet then we shall meet one way or another." Gukban replied as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Lady Wolmyeong asked.

"All this has made me hungry." Gukban replied. "Are you coming with me?" He asked his wife.

"Definitely." Lady Wolmyeong replied and the two walked out.

"Galmunwang Gukban is not feeling well and he might not be in the position of accepting to have an audience with you." Yushin Rang said to Princess Deokman who was still looking through a series of reports that had been gathered from the courtiers.

"He is unwilling to see me." Princess Deokman said.

"Why would he lie to you Your Highness?" Alcheon asked.

"Because he is very smart." Princess Deokman replied. "He knows the price that comes with an audience with the Princess and additionally he is also cautious understanding that I could be quite cunning." She added.

"Your Highness, if we can not see him then how shall we manage to Foster an alliance against the rest of the Courtiers?" Yushin asked.

"Who said that we aren't going to see him?" Princess Deokman asked.

"He is not alright." Alcheon Rang replied, "He won't be able to move from his manor to come to the Palace." He added.

"I don't need him to come all the way from his manor to the Palace just to see me." Princess Deokman replied.

"What are you going to do Your Highness?" Yushin asked.

"He's made things much easier for me to get the attention that I need and perhaps I am the one who is earnestly in need of this alliance by force I am going to go to his Manor at once myself." Princess Deokman replied as she stood up from where she was seated.

"We're coming with you." Yushin said.

"Alright." Princess Deokman said as she led the way out while Yushin and Alcheon followed her.

Seungman walked up towards her cottage and before she'd arrived, she saw her father standing there and waiting for her.

She walked up to him and then standing in front of him she looked him in the eyes.

"Considering the fact that you have chosen to come to me you must have made your mind to speak to me as your father?" Moo Mak said.

"Yes." Seungman replied.

"What is it now, what have you decided?" Moo Mak asked as he stared at her with a serious expression on his face.

"Father, everything that you have always asked me to do I have always done bit at this point to forsake Shilla I can not." Seungman replied.

Moo Mak was surprised.

"Are you out of your mind?" Moo Mak asked her.

"No father." Seungman said. "I have grown in Shilla and lived here all my life, Damhyeong, Aunt Namwon and Uncle Pyeonghwa, all of these people are my family and I cannot turn my back on them and abandon them." Seungman replied.

"Are you not forsaking Shilla or you are not forsaking Alcheon?" Moo Mak asked as his eyes became teary.

"I am not forsaking you father because you are also Shilla for me, it's no use for me to live if I can not protect the very thing that you once lived for in your life." Seungman said.

"That's not an excuse." Moo Mak said.

"It is not one father and I do not intend to make it because every time that I fall asleep I see a rider that is dressed in white and on a white horse bearing with him a banner and a flag with with a white sword.

The warrior tells me every time to RISE, RISE AND FIGHT FOR SHILLA and one moment thinking that I am mad and I am losing my senses the other I realize that I feel something different as well father.

I don't know how to explain it but Everytime that I hold my sword I have never felt more alive I feel like from the very beginning the path of a warrior was opened up to me." Seungman said.

"I trained you to protect yourself and not to become a warrior, where has it ever been in the History of Shilla for a woman to wield a sword as a female warrior?" Moo Mak asked.

"Just because there has never been a female warrior for this Shilla doesn't mean that there can not be one this time around." Seungman replied.

"I am protecting you from yourself." Moo Mak said.

"Why Father?" Seungman asked. "Who is going to hurt me?" She added.

Moo Mak was speechless.

"I do not have to choose between you and Shilla because to me you are a part of it father and I don't care if this week was the ultimatum that you gave me you can choose to abandon me but for me as long as I can keep fighting to protect Shilla then I have not forsaken or abandoned you." Seungman replied.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have taught you" Moo Mak said.

"But you did either way father and I only wish to follow in your footsteps and like you become a warrior myself." Seungman said.

"My warrior life isn't perfect at all and it has never been, it's hard to even sleep at night as the souls of the men and sometimes the women that you slew haunt you." Moo Mak said.

"Do you think that it's bearable?" Moo Mak asked.

Seungman kept quiet.

"The first time is a real baptism of fire and you yourself shall be alive on that day to recall these words that I have been here to say." Moo Mak added.

"Father, why do you fight?" Seungman asked.

"I never fought for glory, I never fought for fame, for power, for wealth, I only fought to survive, that's what has always been a part of my warrior life." Moo Mak replied

"Big this time you have me father and I also have you, I only want to fight to protect this land that I cherish and the people that I cherish with it.

Even if history could never remember the warrior that I was, I could still sail to the Netherworld with my heart at peace that for the cause of Shilla and protecting all the people I loved in my life, I did something." Seungman said.

"Then you understand the consequences for your actions." Moo Mak said.

"Have you forsaken me father?" Seungman asked.

"I have never even once wished for it and perhaps no matter how hard I try to convince you I can never change your mind so I am giving you your freedom that I feel I have entirely suppressed.

I won't follow you as a promise because I wish to protect you my dear but of ever you feel so remorseful and the world has grown too small to embrace you in it's arms, even when you are fallen and death is lingering above your head just remember that as long as there is still breath in your body you still have the courage and the will to fight.

Not in the hands of Gorguryeo, not in the hands of Paekche, not even in the hands of this Shilla you are fighting for but in my hands alone shall I be waiting to see you coming home everyday." Moo Mak said as he spread out his arms.

He smiled and Seungman having felt content that she had convinced her father to follow her dream, she hurriedly rushed into his arms and then she embraced him tightly.

"Thank you father." She said. "Thank you so much she added.

The two pulled apart and at that moment Moo Bent over and picked something from the ground and pulling it into Seungman's sight, she noticed at that moment that the sword that was in her father's possession was his usual one.

It had been adorned and it's handle entirely made Whit, I had been resharpened and it's sheath had been improved.

"Father?" Seungman said.

"I promised you that I'd give this to you when you are ready and I have realized it now that it is time you took what was rightfully yours." Moo Mak said.

"How did you?" Seungman asked.

"I had a feeling that this was the decision that you'd make ." Moo Mak said.

"Thank you father." Seungman said as she embraced her father once again.

Moo Mak's face suddenly turned gloomy.

"Forgive me." He said. "For everything that I have done to you." He added.

"It's alright." Seungman said.

"Perhaps for me it is." Moo Mak said as he pricked Seungman at the back of her neck and she felt instantly paralysed at that moment.

"Father?" She called weakly.

"You'll have to forgive me Seungman." Moo Mak replied while she let go of the sword that was in her grip as it landed on her feet.

At last she was looking up at the blue sky while Moo Mak held her before she would fall down on to the ground.

"Perhaps I am too selfish but I am tired if sacrificing all the people that I love for the welfare of Shilla and if I can not take you away from it in peace then I'll do it by force." Moo Mak added as Seungman finally closed her eyes while a tear fell from her eyes.

At least Moo Mak knew that she was still hearing and much as he was still he could feel that even without her lips moving, she was asking why he had done that to her.

"I did this for your own good and because I am your father, none of us will have to be hurt as long as you don't become that warrior you fervently dream to become." Moo Mak whispered in her ear.

At that point, Seungman lost her last sense and she'd slipped away into a slumber that like death itself left her alive aching and mourning inwardly with the betrayal of her father.

"SHILLA." Even before she'd totally blacked out she called.

"Shilla doesn't deserve you." Moo Mak coldly said, "It never has and it never will." He added.