A PRINCESS AND PAUPERESS
Princess Deokman arrived at the Palace and she was escorted out of her Palanquin as she walked towards the he direction of her Palace.
As she was walking across the courtyard, she halted when she came across Her father's second woman.
"Your Highness." She said.
"Lady Sungman." Princess Deokman gladly replied.
"I believe that you should now address me as Your Highness " Queen Sungman said.
"What do you mean Milady?" Princess Deokman asked.
"I'm sorry that you spent so much time outside the palace but in your absentia, your father the King himself has issued a Royal decree that there would be no need for a grandiose ceremony, I am in name his new Queen." Queen Sungman said.
"Congratulations Your Highness." Princess Deokman said.
"Thank you." Queen Sungman replied.
"At last should I say that it's what you wanted?" Princess Deokman asked.
"No." Queen Sungman replied.
"Then what is it?" Princess Deokman asked.
"Heaven's will." Queen Sungman replied.
"And do you know it?" Princess Deokman asked.
"Why not?" Queen Sungman replied, "The fact that I am young and I am a Seonggol as well, it is the will of heaven that I give this country an heir that can inherit the throne." she added.
"Thank you Your Highness but just a simple word of advice be careful what you wish for." Princess Deokman said.
"There is one qualification that I am certain I can have." Queen Sungman said.
"Every woman will always pray to be the one to give their husband a son." Princess Deokman said.
"However not all of them succeed as that chance is only granted to a few." Queen Sungman said.
"It's not that my mother couldn't give the throne a son, as you said there is the will of Heaven none of them survived infancy." Princess Deokman said.
"I wonder why?" Queen Sungman said.
"Can you burden that guilt, can you find justice for their blood, enough hands were held responsible for all those children and enough of them shall suffer eternally.
Perhaps it was the will of heaven for them to go to a much better place but you can rest assured my dear mother if I may say, if the will was given to me then it shall not abandon me until it is fulfilled." Princess Deokman said.
"Let's make a bet your Highness." Queen Sungman said.
"I am ready." Princess Deokman replied.
"You can not marry the man you love and you burden yourself with the duty of a man, I have heard from a number of people you were running affairs of state while your father was sick so I shall ease the burden if being the Crown Princess for you." Queen Sungman said.
"Should you not?" Princess Deokman asked, "you should ask yourself which one it is that I love between a man and this our heavenly kingdom of Shilla." Princess Deokman added.
"Don't worry, anything else can happen to me but I certainly won't fail." Queen Sungman replied.
"I have to go Your Highness." Princess Deokman said as she bowed her head.
"I look forward to seeing you as well." Queen Sungman replied as she bowed her head as well and the two bypassed one another.
"Your Excellency." Damju said as he walked into Galmunwang Gukban's room.
"What is it?" Gukban asked.
"Have you not heard the news at all?" Damju replied.
"Which one?" Gukban asked.
"The army and nearly everyone in the capital including the Courtiers heard that there was a girl who disorganized the Princess' inspection of the Hwarang." Damju replied.
"I didn't pay attention to any of those Rumors as I was busy with what the Princess had asked me to do." Gukban replied.
"These rumours are really true." Damju said.
"Really?" Gukban asked.
"Yes." Damju replied.
"What did she do?" Gukban asked.
"When she set foot on the Hwarang Arena, she made an example of some of those Nangdos in the end only Yushin Rang landed a few blows in her but even then she managed to defeat him." Damju replied.
"Are you listening to yourself?" Gukban asked.
"Why?" Damju asked.
"What are the Hwarang training, perhaps they are only enlarging their abdomens and enjoying state privileges if they could lose to a woman." Gukban asked.
"The girl broke all their swords your Excellency." Damju replied and at that very instant, Gukban who was holding onto a piece of paper turned around and looked at him.
"What did you say?" Gukban asked.
"The girl broke all their swords your Excellency." Damju replied and Gukban stood up.
"Really?" He asked.
"Yes Your Excellency." Damju replied and Gukban walked away from the table and he walked towards the window.
"Can it be?" He asked himself inside.
"What's the girl's name?" He said.
"I don't know." Damju replied.
"I want you to find out each and everything that you can about her." Gukban said.
"Yes Your Excellency." Damju replied but something came into his master's mind before he could go.
"Wait." Gukban said and Damju halted in his footsteps.
"If it is her then I could only put her life in danger because I could attract everyone's attention and even Damju here could start to be suspicious.
I could also waste my time if she is someone else." He thought.
"You know what?" Gukban said, "Just let it go." He added.
"Why Your Excellency?" Damju asked.
"There are much more important things for us to do." Gukban replied, "I also fear that if something like this leads us astray then we might give my enemies a Chance to attack as I'll naturally let my Guard down." He added.
"I see your Highness." Damju replied.
"Instead I want you to help me contact Ichan Seulbu." Gukban said.
"What should I tell him Your Excellency." Damju asked.
"He needs to have eyes on the New Queen." Gukban replied.
"What if he asks me why?" Damju asked.
"Don't worry, he'll understand, after all where the grass is new, the cattle like to eat and where the the soil is likely to be fertile the farmer shall plough." Gukban replied.
"Aye Your Excellency." Damju said as he bowed his head and there and then he walked out of the room leaving Gukban on his own gazing outside the window.
"I only hope that I am right about you." Gukban said as he stared in the North.
Queen Sungman arrived in her Chambers and there she ordered her maids to close the door except for one.
The two of them were left all alone and the new Queen looked around the whole place and she admired it.
"Who had ever imagined this?" Queen Sungman said, "Even I myself I could become a Queen." She said.
"Your Highness is very lucky." The maid replied.
"Ssh." Queen Sungman said, "Who better than yourself knows that this is not luck Bora." She added.
"I am only a servant." Bora said.
"Whose servant?" Queen Sungman asked, "Mine?" She added.
"Yes." Bora said, "That is what I must be for the time being." She added.
"You are in deed right to say for the time being." Queen Sungman said, "As it is at this moment that I have finally worn the title of Queen your Master is one step ahead of his dream." She added.
"Thank you Your Highness." Bora said, "But I am only here to remind you whom you are commensurate to." She added.
"You can as well write to him and tell him the good news, I am sure that above all he'll be delighted to hear about my encounter with the Crown Princess." Queen Sungman said.
"However as it is Your Highness, Princess Deokman's thoughts still remain unclear." Bora said.
"I never thought that I could say this but I see what his worry is and on top of that she is quite sweet with words but her wisdom against us makes us uncouth." Queen Sungman said.
"I'll tell him right Away Your Highness but what do you personally think the Crown Princess wants?" Bora asked.
"She still looks determined she is not yet about to show whom she is interested in marrying or she is most likely trying to safeguard and protect him from any negative aggression." Queen Sungman replied.
"It seems that way for me too." Bora said, "If you can not have a Prince soon enough then I am very much afraid Your Highness that when the King perishes you might not serve as his regent on behalf of your son." She added.
"He is already too old so for us each and every second that goes by is valuable and we must not waste it.
Organize for me to dine with the King three days from now when his health is stable and see to it that his meals are rich in a lot of vitamins, carbohydrates and other energy supplements." Queen Sungman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Bora replied.
"Also have the tonics made from the herbs from Maeso brought to me, they have quite a remarkable reputation in helping women become pregnant easily." Queen Sungman said.
"Yes Your Highness " Bora replied as she bowed her head and walked out of the room leaving the new Queen Lying in bed.
"You have a long way to go Princess Deokman, I shall be Queen of Shilla because even I have roots as well and I have the blessing.
If there is something that I hate the most it is having to compare me with another woman." Queen Sungman said angrily.
Yushin Rang walked into Princess Deokman's room and found her looking through a series of books.
"Your Highness." He said as he bent over while gasping for air but Princess Deokman didn't seem bothered as she concentrated on what she was doing.
"Your Highness." Yushin Rang said again.
"What is it?" Princess Deokman asked.
"The New Queen." He said.
"What about her?" Princess Deokman asked.
"So you already heard the News." Yushin Rang said.
"I have been reading through and I have noticed that we have the potential of growing more and more grain that can sustain us all but there are idle lands northwards and the farmers have a hard time predicting the seasons." Princess Deokman said.
"Not very many of them are knowledgeable and some of them are driven by a bandwagon effect." Yushin Rang replied.
"It's a pity." Princess Deokman said, "With such treasures from Gaya we could build a much more excellent food base for all our people." She added.
"Your Highness, how can you of all people be calm especially right now?" Yushin Rang asked.
"What should I do?" Princess Deokman asked, "Should I go and plead to my father to renounce the decree, should I go and demote her from the rank of a Queen or should I declare her whole line of ancestors and turn them all into Jingols?" She added.
"Your Highness, I am only worried that should she give birth to a Royal son then it shall threaten your position as the Crown Princess." Yushin Rang replied.
"There is nothing much that we can do since it has already been done then it can not be undone.
What is there for us right now is to focus on our future and the future if Shilla because there is no use trying to gather spilt water and crying over spilt milk." Princess Deokman said.
"But what if it comes to happen?" Yushin Rang asked.
"If she gives birth to a son then I shall be very happy for her, I could as well still rule Shilla and since I do not intend on marrying I could consider the possibility of turning him into my successor." Princess Deokman replied.
"Alright Your Highness." Yushin Rang said.
"Should the worst come to the worst then I shall rebel and take the throne by force and you know much better than anyone that I am very capable of doing that." Princess Deokman said.
"But for that I fear greatly Your Highness, even if you don't worry about yourself most of the time there is me right here who worries about you.
How can I possibly let my heart grow soft to let some emotions slide as no one shall grieve the most on the day you face the same fate as that of Mishil." Yushin Rang said.
"I have very many things that Mishil didn't have." Princess Deokman said, "I have the Hallowed bone, I have the Hwarang, I have the people's hearts, I have the King's favour, I have the Courtiers and above all I have you where Mishil didn't have Sadaham." She added.
"Of all the things there are in the world for me to boast, having all these makes everything that I am doing worth it so you have your trust in me." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Yushin Rang replied.
"Also I initially wished to see you as well but I was a little bit caught up having to pay Seungman a visit." Princess Deokman said.
"Alcheon Rang seems busy, what is it that he is doing if I may ask?" Yushin Rang said.
"He is still trying to find out a thing or two about Seungman's family, her mother died and her father we still can't seem to know him as it is.
I checked the Hwarang records and I noticed that there was a page missing and it seems that I am not well versed with the circumstances that prevailed in the Royal court when I was a child.
It is possible that there is something that happened that I should find out." Princess Deokman replied.
"I see but my question is do you trust Seungman?" Yushin Rang asked.
"She is smart without a doubt and much as I can trust her and I am starting to little by little I must be wary of her." Princess Deokman replied.
"I thought that you wanted her on your side." Yushin Rang said.
"But she is a very fatal weapon that I am using and the risk that I could get hurt is also a possibility.
There are very many things that have happened recently, first there is the prophecy about someone like Mishil that is putting most of the Courtiers on edge, secondly Seungman appears.
Mishil amongst all the female Hwarang was an outstanding warrior and a mistake that King Jinheung made was to bring her so close because of her brilliance.
As a result of that I am curious to know who Seungman's mother was because if her father denied being a Hwarang and her mother was killed...." Princess Deokman said.
"Who would wish to kill commons especially one whose name has vanished from the records unless they were privileged?" Yushin Rang said.
"Exactly." Princess Deokman said.
"You are saying that it is possible that Seungman could be from a high social caste?" Yushin Rang said.
"Everything that I have come across so far is pointing to that possibility." Princess Deokman said.
"What do you want me to do?" Yushin Rang asked.
"After tomorrow I am going to see the Hwarang, I want you to see to it that by all means, Seungman comes back to the Arena that day." Princess Deokman replied.
"Yes Your Highness." Yushin Rang replied as he stood up from where he was seated and he walked out of the room.
Seungman was in the backyard and there she was practicing with a wooden dummy when Haesul saw her from s distance.
He admired her and the way that she was moving her body around, how swift her legs were and how the wind was blowing her hair.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion and at that moment, his sister Cheongye sneaking up behind him finally ceased him by his clothes.
"I've got you red handed." Cheongye said that Haesul turned around and looked down at his sister.
"What are you saying?" Haesul asked.
"I may be only ten but I am not a fool brother." Cheongye said.
"You are a delusional girl." Haesul said.
"You know it but you are shy to admit it in front of me that you love Seungman." Cheongye said.
"You are spoilt that you have started imagining things." Haesul said.
"Anyone in my shoes would tell you the same thing because it is what is written on your face.
Ever since you were born you have never come close to even wanting to touch any girl but the other night I saw you lifting her off the windowsill when she was asleep and I saw you planting the plum blossoms in the garden." Cheongye said.
"Have you been following me?" Haesul asked furiously.
"If I didn't I wouldn't have seen this tragic secretive lovestory to make me sick." Cheongye said.
"I think I should impart some manners into you." Haesul said as he raised his hand and chased after Cheongye that he didn't notice the direction in which she was headed when he followed.
Eventually by the time that he raised his hand to try and stop himself he noticed that Seungman was looking at him and Cheongye in front of him folded her hands.
"Go ahead brother." Cheongye said, "Punish me from here." She added.
Haesul was not willing to strike her in front of Seungman so he had to surrender and lower his hand which was something very pleasing to Cheongye that she turned around and faced Seungman.
"Sister Seungman." She called, "My brother has been looking at you for a very......" She was still saying when Haesul got a hold of her and then covered her mouth.
".....Long time I thought that you must have been bored training with the dummy that I wanted to be your partner because I am much better and dodging attacks and I am flexible in any angle." Haesul completed.
Seungman looked at him and noticed how he was sweating profusely with the plastic smile on his face.
She laughed at him.
Haesul looked disappointed.
"Did I say anything wrong?" He asked.
"No." Seungman replied.
"Is there something on my face?" He asked again.
"No." Seungman replied.
"What is it then?" He asked.
"You look funny." Seungman replied.
"Have you turned me down?" Haesul asked.
"No." Seungman replied.
"Then..." Haesul said.
"Yes, I appreciate your help." Seungman said as she turned around and Haesul let go of his sister.
"Yess." He said under his breath.
Cheongye angry at him stepped on his foot.
"You have very big hands that you nearly suffocated me and I am still too young to die." She shouted that Seungman turned to see.
"You....." Haesul said as Cheongye ran away that he turned around and looked to see Seungman looking at him.
"Anything wrong?" She asked.
"No." Haesul replied.
"Are you coming with me?" Seungman asked.
"Yes, I am coming." Haesul replied as he partially limped after Seungman.
The two were both facing each other and at that time Seungman possessed a spear and Seungman did the very same.
They walked around in circles and maintained a gaze at one another.
Haesul gaining all the courage that he could possibly find he launched himself towards Seungman and their spears clashed.
Looking at one another in the eye, they both swang them around with their spearheads in contact as they jumped from side to side.
Seungman broke her spear free and she pointed it towards Haesul who span around and dodged it as he pushed his towards Seungman's right chest.
Seungman slightly bent backwards and the spear didn't reach her as Haesul pushed it to the side that Seungman bent to her left as the spear flew above her head she used her left hand to try and trip Haesul but he jumped up and she missed.
They all halted for a while.
"Your skill has greatly improved and so has your speed." Seungman said.
"I vividly remember how our fast fight was like, I had to train myself to get used to your movements." Haesul replied.
Seungman launched herself towards him with a set of spinning kicks while spinning her spear.
Haesul went head on towards her and bending backwards as he slid past her, she looked down at him while he stared above as they passed one another.
They both landed and Haesul turning around sprang towards Seungman and took multiple strikes with his spear as she guarded his attack.
Haesul was temporarily weakened and Seungman ceased the opportunity to fight back as well and the tides of the game changed as Haesul was then the one guarding against Seungman.
Seungman brought her spear onto Haesul who guarded with his but the force that his contender's spear had come with was immense they it forced him down onto a one eighty.
Haesul gathered all the strength there was that he could find in his hands and using his spear he pushed Seungman away as he stood up and then made a head on attack on Seungman.
Seungman slid backwards as Haesul approached with her spear and when the distance between them was safe, she summersaulted and let him pass while she landed gracefully onto her feet and Haesul halted before he would crash into a wooden dummy.
General Sokham happened to be passing by but suddenly he stopped when he saw the two of them facing each other.
None of them had noticed that they had attracted his attention so they continued with their fight.
"You have also become very quick and light on your Feet." Seungman said as she leaped and threw herself towards him.
She descended with her spear towards Haesul but he moved to the side that she planted it onto the ground and cracked it.
She pulled it out again and at that time Haesul turned to make his attack so they both continued to fight and persisted.
The two of them were quick in their reflexes and the continued collision of their iron spear heads caused them to give off some Sparks.
Sokham watched in disbelief as he could barely imagine that it was his son fighting at such a tremendous speed.
His agility and softness, his flexibility all of it looked just the same as Seungman's that he was forced to walk and get closer and closer.
Seungman launched herself into the air and Haesul was confused, he hadn't crammed that technique.
She kicked him from below that he tried to guard with his spear but he was pushed away by the kick that he slid backwards.
He finally came to a halt with his spear planted behind to forbid himself from going back further.
Seungman attacked again and stepping to the side with all the might that she could find she ended up splitting Haesul's standing spear into half.
She eventually stopped and she turned. around to look at Haesul who had already conceeded his defeat.
She turned when she realised that there was another presence and her eyes met with General Sokham's.
"Sir." She said as she let go of her spear and then she bowed her heard to him.
"Father." Haesul said as he did the same.
"What were the both of you doing just now?" General Sokham asked.
"I asked Haesul to help me practice " Seungman replied.
"You are so passionate and devoted to all that you do, Haesul on the other hand is quite terrible when it comes to his practice that he doesn't really like it.
I can't help but wonder what you told him that seemed to alter his attitude towards practice today." General Sokham said.
"There is nothing, I just asked him." Seungman replied as Haesul looked down.
"It's alright." General Sokham said, "besides I am quite pleased that he takes after you so we'll.
This whole new technique if yours that he has mastered seems to be efficient as I am certain that it shall be quite useful to him when he joins the Hwarang." General Sokham said.
"You don't need to thank me Sir, you should thank Haesul instead, he is the one who seemed to master how I fought the first time that he decided to train himself and adapt to my standard." Seungman replied.
"Really?" General Sokham asked as he faced his son.
"Yes." Haesul replied.
"I have to be very thankful that I actually welcomed you into my household." General Fujiyaro said, "You have helped me to indirectly transition my son into a good warrior." General Sokham said.
"Perhaps this could also be my way of showing you my gratitude for the care that you have given me." Seungman said.
"Alright." General Sokham said.
"The both of you seem to be quite exhausted, let's go inside." General Fujiyaro said.
"Yes Sir." Seungman replied as Haesul nodded out of affirmation.
"Good." General Sokham said.
"I'll first put these away." Seungman said, "Haesul can go with you, I shall join you both in a while." She added.
"Alright." General Sokham said as he continued to walk towards the Manor while Haesul followed as he looked back behind at Seungman who was picking up the spear and the remnants of his own.
Seungman's mind was so lost as he picked up the pieces of the shattered spear one by one and she seemed to wander off back to the North.
She could have left her father but that didn't mean that she had forgotten about him as he was still in her heart.
She was feeling so excited that she was in Seoraebeol but at the same time she was quite remorseful that her family wasn't with her.
She had grown so close to Damhyeong that she treated him like a brother and much as she was aware of the feelings that he had towards her, she wasn't going to let her rejection of him alter whatever it was that thy had possesed between themselves before.
When she was done disposing everything off, she held her Jade pendant which was hanging around her neck and she looked at it as she looked up at the sky.
It was already coming to dusk and a saffron firmament was hanging above her head.
She could hear the sound of birds in the air and she could feel the cool breeze of the evening wind rushing over her face.
"It doesn't matter how far I am from you Father, one day if I meet you again in this life I know that you shall be very proud of me and I shall have proven you wrong that coming to Seoraebeol was the best thing that ever happened to me." Seungman thought inwardly as she smiled and walked away towards the Manor.
Princess Deokman stood at the balcony and there she state up at the stars in the dark sky.
As she watched the them brightly she witnessed a shooting star and her mind seemed to wander away to the very moment that she saw Seungman at the Hwarang Arena.
"Your Highness." She heard a certain familiar voice that forced her turn around and see who it was.
"Alcheon Rang." Princess Deokman said.
"Your Highness." Alcheon called.
"Its a beautiful night." Princess Deokman said.
"You make it seem rather lonely." Alcheon said.
"Of course it is." Princess Deokman replied.
"Aren't you envious of other women out there?" Alcheon Rang asked.
"No." Princess Deokman replied.
"You feel luckier?" Alcheon asked.
"Perhaps." Princess Deokman replied.
"It's the first time you said that." Alcheon said.
"Bit certain not the last." Princess Deokman assured.
"I knew since I was twenty years old that the very day that I would choose Shilla would be the very day that I would start to be lonely for the rest of my life." She added.
"At times I admire you Your Highness." Alcheon Rang said.
"Why?" Princess Deokman asked.
"Because at least you don't have to get married and you don't have to fall in love." Alcheon Rang said.
"I rather admire you Alcheon Rang that I sometimes wish I could be like you, you have so many people to choose from. and get married but I can not even embrace the very person that I love." Princess Deokman said.
"There we are both unlucky your Highness." Alcheon Rang said.
"Why?" Princess Deokman asked.
"The girl that I love is much younger than I am and her father hates me, my family could never accept her and even if I were to love her, she is the one person I feel so inadequate to protect." Alcheon Rang said.
"You have served me for a long while Alcheon Rang, how come I never noticed that you had fallen in love?" Princess Deokman asked.
"I don't know when I also fell in love myself Your Highness." Alcheon Rang replied as he also turned around and looked up at the sky.
"For us here there is never love between a man and a woman, all that we have to call our own and the Sole love of our life is Shilla." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Alcheon Rang said.
"It had never occurred to me until tonight what Seju Mishil had felt marrying and loving all those men to survive in the political sphere but to her none of them ever came close to the person that her Sadaham was." Princess Deokman said.
"It's what you'll always be Your Highness." Alcheon Rang said.
"A lonely and great goddess." Princess Deokman replied.
"Yes." Alcheon Rang confirmed.
Princess Deokman turned to him.
"Have you gotten any information from Gokhyeonwangsa?" She asked.
"I sent Gopheung but he hasn't yet returned, when he turns up though I am very sure Your Highness that it won't be empty handed." Alcheon Rang said.
Ichan Seulbu was seated in his room and he was facing Damju.
"Say what you have to say to me." He told him.
"His Excellency is worried and he only sent me here to warn you." Damju replied.
"What is it that I should be cautious of?" Ichan Seulbu asked.
"You should consider looking a bit closer and studying the type of person that the new Queen Sungman is." Damju replied.
"Am I now taking orders from your master?" Ichan Seulbu asked.
"He is just giving advice as he told me to give you this." Damju said as he handed over a small book to him.
"What's this?" Ichan Seulbu asked.
"A list of people that Her Highness has come into contact with before she came to the Palace." Damju replied, "You'd be surprised who one of them is." He added as Ichan Seulbu opened the book and as he strolled through the pages he halted at one when he saw a name that he knew too well.
"GALMUNWANG BAEKBAN?" He said.
"Yes Your Excellency." Damju replied.