THE UNION BANNER
"What a small world!" Gopheung exclaimed.
"All this time she thought that she was a commoner when in actual sense she was a Princess." Yushin Rang said.
"You needn't tell anyone what you have heard today and perhaps Seungman first needs some time to adjust to this feeling." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." They all said in unison.
"My heart is at ease that she isn't a rebel right now but should anyone find out for now without her permission that she is the Daughter if Galmunwang Gukban then I am afraid that history shall repeat itself." Princess Deokman said.
"Don't worry Your Highness, if you ask even if with all our lives we'd be more than willing to protect her." Alcheon Rang said.
"Thank you." Princess Deokman said.
"Your Highness, I was also able to find something about the investigation." Alcheon Rang said.
"What is it?" Princess Deokman Asked.
"Honourable Eulje I believe has the answers that you are looking for." Alcheon Rang replied.
"Then arrange for him to meet me and my father, I'll walk over to Father's Palace." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Alcheon Rang replied.
"Any news of Soseok Rang?" Princess Deokman Asked.
"None at all, he hasn't moved quite of late after the poisoning incident." Alcheon replied.
"Keep monitoring him still." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Alcheon Rang replied as he bowed his head.
"Your Highness, there is another pressing issue." Yushin said.
"What is it?" Princess Deokman asked.
"You haven't yet declared who is the overall winner of the Hwarang Games this year and who it is that is going to bear the Union banner." Yushin Rang replied.
"I was so caught up in this mess and yet a champion wasn't considered given that all the participants fought bravely and the last two finalists had a good charge of the army with which they were entrusted." Princess Deokman said.
"But your Highness, both of them can not be winners." Gopheung said.
"Seungman has been very much distracted after the incident at the Kim Manor and I doubt that she will be willing at all to continue so we shall settle the score in a popularity vote." Princess Deokman replied.
"If it's a popularity vote Your Highness then isn't Junghwan Rang bound to be the winner after all he is a boy and to let Seungman bear the flag given that she is a woman it might not be received by the others very well." Yushin Rang said.
"I agree with him Your Highness." Alcheon Rang said.
"Do you think that Seungman's only task was to fight so that she would win the Hwarang games?" Princess Deokman asked.
"What more was it Your Highness?" Gopheung asked.
"Winning isn't everything and the purpose for Seungman to fight this far and to try and beat all the odds to follow her own bidding and not what the others around her dictate was so that she would win the hearts of the Hwarang.
If amongst us they would choose to love her and even if not in a very large number but a few of them then in that alone she will have succeeded." Princess Deokman replied.
"I see Your Highness." Yushin Rang replied.
"The essence of conflicts amongst ourselves Sometimes is to clear the doubts that we have about one another and build trust because these two are the very fundamentals that constitute the force, the might and the will of the Hwarang to fight." Princess Deokman said.
They all bowed their heads to her.
"Your Highness, should we not watch Seungman Rang?" Yushin Asked, "I believe that of Galmunwang Baekban were to find out about the identity of this child he would be so curious perhaps to even try and harm her." He added.
"Seungman can protect herself and finding out her identity right now is not something that we should entirely worry about." Princess Deokman replied while she stood up.
"I am going to see my father so go and Summon Eulje right now." Princess Deokman ordered Alcheon.
"Yes Your Highness." He replied while she strode out of her room at once.
Seungman entered her room barely having the strength to go any further that she decided to sit down onto her bed.
There she was lost in thought as the memories of what had happened earlier to her came back to her head and she seemed to recall the very words that Her father had said as they resounded throughout her ears and continuously lingered at the back of her head.
She was holding the Jade pendant around her neck and correlating the words of Lady Wolmyeong she recalled the sweet moments that she had had with her father and how heartily he smiled all the time he had her around.
She recalled some of the days that he looked sombre and the very nights that he spent looking up at the stars, the hours that he was brandishing his sword that he had given to her and the days that he had cooked food for her.
She shed tears.
"Father." She kept on saying, "I am so sorry." She added when she heard a knock on her door and she turned around to see who it was.
Looking there she caught sight of Haesul Rang.
"Seungman." He called her name.
"What do you want from me?" Seungman asked so lifelessly.
"I saw you passing by and I noticed that you didn't look fine at all, you are all drenched and I know there is something that is on your mind." Haesul replied.
"Why?" Seungman Asked.
"I know that something bad might have happened to you and of you don't wish to tell ke what it is then don't but at least I want to be a shoulder for you to cry on today because your tears are too precious for me to be scattered anyway." Haesul replied.
"Why bother?" Seungman asked, "Don't you think that you are only making things very hard for yourself?" She added.
"I told you that for me everything is worth it and I am mindless when it comes to the world even if I should seem to be so foolish every time that I keep trying when you already gave up." Haesul replied.
Seungman smiled amidst her tears.
"This person here is destined to break the hearts of all men that adore her, heaven gave me beauty but I never realised the price that came with it was eternal loneliness." Seungman said as Haesul walked in and he positioned himself right by her side being in the position to tell that there was something that was definitely wrong with her.
"For me having to be by your side is good enough." Haesul said.
"Your devotion for me Haesul is something that is very precious and too valuable I am afraid that it is something that I can never return in a thousand years." Seungman said.
"There's more to your story than just both you and I." Haesul said.
"How could you understand the feeling of knowing that your whole life you have been living a life that is duplicated and much is it all felt real before your eyes what you cold a reality stumbles and evolves into a rather more painful lie that was covered up for ages?" Seungman Asked.
"Sometimes you don't always walk in the truth but you learn with time that even if something might be fake the emotions that you felt along the way were real." Haesul replied.
"You make it seem so easy when in my own visage I find it all to be rather very hard." Seungman said.
"Nothing is hard as long as you have the courage to face it be it the truth, "It's not hard for me to keep loving you because the courage to face the fact that you do not love me and perhaps you never will is greater than the remorse that I can try to feel from you." Haesul said.
Seungman turned and looked at him.
"I heard that unrequited desire is the most painful tragedy that could ever hurt a man." Seungman said.
"To me the most painful tragedy that could ever befall me is you forgetting my name and depriving me of a place in your heart." Haesul Rang replied.
"I am supposed to feel so sorry all these years I have been a burden to my father but you make me feel so needless of that pity." Seungman said.
"Nothing that you have in this life is eternal including life itself, every time that you have a moment to smile cherish it and you have a will to keep going then devote your all.
As long as the time can come when in your reflection on the past you can not regret the time you spent then you shall have had the very best of it." Haesul said.
"I'll keep that in mind." Seungman replied.
"It's the song of the Hwarang that you should keep at heart because if there is one thing I never mentioned before that at least it communicates to us all then it is the fact that regardless of the situation that we face for everything that happens in our life be it the people or the troubles we meet once we embrace without considering fault and clear our hearts of all malice then we could all live free and cherish the days we have a warriors before the hour of farewell or the time that we have to be buried." Haesul said.
"Hmmm." Seungman muttered as she nodded her head and he tears were slowly ceasing to flow.
"Thank you." She added.
"You shouldn't thank me just if your grateful." Haesul said.
"Then what should I do for you?" Seungman Asked.
"Even if as a friend please could you at least allow me to by your side and stop pushing me away." Haesul replied.
Seungman kept quiet while she hugged him at that very moment.
Alcheon Rang who was rushing by looked through Seungman's window at a distance and noticed the two of them that for a moment he diverted from what they had asked of him to do and be drew closer.
"I won't resist being near you any longer Haesul but please, should my simple embrace be too small to contain your grandiose ambition and even too painful then please break free any time that you feel like." Seungman said.
"For me this alone is enough and I do not have to demand for the whole world when your embrace as all I ever asked for and needed." Haesul said.
Alcheon eavesdropping their conversation turned around at once tired of listening to them and he started to walk away slowly and slowly.
Seungman eventually pulled out of Haesul's embrace.
"How are you?" He asked her.
"Don't worry excessively, I am feeling much better." Seungman replied.
"Then I suppose that I should take my leave because I understand that above all things you need to spend some time alone." Haesul said.
"Yes." Seungman replied as she nodded her head while Haesul withdrew from her presence.
She then turned and looked out through the window as she stared in a distance but could see no one.
She looked at the sky instead which was cloudy and the rain had long ceased to fall.
"Alcheon Rang, perhaps this is our destiny." She said, "How hurtful it is of me that in this life both you and I can never be together like we always dreamt we would be." She added as she closed her eyes.
The rain itself has washed me clean and it has baptised me a daughter of Samhan, I am for all it's people and they are for me and since I can not return my feelings to you or raise a family with you Alcheon Rang then I shall raise a nation." Seungman said to herself so determined she took a very deep breath and eventually she sighed.
King Jinpyeong was seated in his Chambers when the doors were opened and Princess Deokman walked in.
"Your Majesty." She said bad she bowed her head.
"Deokman?" King Jinpyeong said.
"It's me father." Princess Deokman replied.
"Are you alright?" King Jinpyeong asked.
"I am fine and I already recovered." She replied.
"Good." King Jinpyeong remarked, "Very good." He added.
"In deed, heaven has been most graceful that the tomb was deprived of my life." Princess Deokman praised.
"In deed." King Jinpyeong said, "However what is it that brought you here?" He asked.
He had hardly gotten a reply from Princess Deokman when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." He ordered and it being opened his Eunuch led the way while Daedung Eulje followed right behind him.
"Your Majesty, Daedung Eulje is here to see you." He said as they both bowed their heads.
"I was still talking to the Princess." King Jinpyeong replied.
"It's fine father, I asked him to come along because what brought me here also concerns him." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Daedung Eulje replied.
"Very well then, come in." King Jinpyeong said and Eulje walked towards the table and he sat down by the King's side.
"You may leave us." King Jinpyeong said as he waved at the Eunuch.
"Aye Your Majesty." The Eunuch replied as he withdrew while closing the doors behind himself leaving the three inside the room alone.
"What is it?" King Jinpyeong asked.
This is concerning the investigation on the accuse at Ilsan Palace." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Daedung Eulje replied.
"What happened?" King Jinpyeong asked, "There is still much controversy." he added.
"I believe that the personality who orchestrated the plot to poison the Queen is in Her Highness's palace of Ilsan." Daedung Eulje replied.
"What did you discover?" King Jinpyeong Asked.
"While looking through all the cosmetics and the clothes of the other members of the Royal family we were able to discover that in there weren't any traces of Purslane powder and venom in Princess Deokman's residence or any other part of the Palace." Daedung Eulje replied.
"Then how was her Highness poisoned?" King Jinpyeong asked.
"There was a rich composition of Purslane in the soil behind Ilsan Palace and while we surveyed the Queen's Chambers under a similar pretext of detecting the other possessions with both we were rather disappointed there wasn't any thing except for thin traces of Purslane at the edges of the Queen's dressing table." Daedung Eulje replied.
"So that can only mean that whoever carried out such a ploy was from Ilsan Palace." King Jinpyeong said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Princess Deokman replied.
"Then it must be someone who is close to the Queen go to even reach her dressing table." King Jinpyeong remarked.
"Yes Your Highness." Daedung Eulje replied, "It could have been one of the Queen's maids or even perhaps a visitor who had managed to enter her Chambers a couple of days ago or after the Prayer Ceremony because with the evidence we can conclude that the Queen's ornaments and clothes were poisoned within her Chambers rather than out of it." Daedung Eulje said.
"Then how did the Princess come into contact with that poison?" King Jinpyeong asked.
"I poisoned myself having acquired the poison secretly from the storehouse of Ilsan Palace where it had been hidden." Princess Deokman replied.
King Jinpyeong looked so surprised listening to what his daughter had said.
"Deokman?" He called her name.
"Yes father." Princess Deokman replied, "I poisoned myself." She added.
"Why?" King Jinpyeong asked, "Why did you do that to yourself?" He added.
"It was the only way that I too could save myself otherwise even you yourself you wouldn't be in the position of saving me if you wanted to and I would have carried with myself my dreams of a luminous legacy for Shilla to my grave." Princess Deokman replied.
"I don't understand." King Jinpyeong said.
"Father, Her Highness the Queen was the one that orchestrated her own poisoning and by adding purslane and venom to the ornaments that I had given her intentionally she desired to have me framed from the attempted murder of her child along with herself." Princess Deokman replied.
"That is a very strong charge." Daedung Eulje said.
"Just ask yourself firstly to begin with why of all the clothes that were presented to Her Highness that day it had to be particularly the ones that I had given her?" Princess Deokman said.
"I thought that perhaps the Queen was a very naive woman but I had never thought she would be that cruel and heartless, so cunning and scheming to the extent of putting her life on the line for her own wellbeing." King Jinpyeong said.
"Her intentions became clear to me that day that there can never be a settlement for peace or a truce between us as it is that I am a Primary foe for Her Highness she wishes to see to it that her child's inheritance is secured." Princess Deokman remarked.
"Nevertheless Your Majesty this is not something that we can convince the Courtiers about as we can not justify the presence of a grudge between both Her Highness the Princess and the Queen." Daedung Eulje said.
"I knew that it had to be like this in the end one way or another it was the Queen who was safe while I either had to trade my own skin and break my enemy's back so in poisoning myself I hoped to nullify all the claims that would have accused me for making an attempt on the Queen's life." Princess Deokman replied.
"I am so sorry." King Jinpyeong said, "None of this would have happened if not for me." King Jinpyeong said.
"You might not change the past father but I believe that the future can change, I know that there is a certain power that is behind the Queen and if I can not persuade her to relinquish it then I shall most certainly do it by force." Princess Deokman said.
"My dear, it is clear that you are Her Highness' primary target and this time around she could be after seeing you dead, you need to be more careful." King Jinpyeong said.
"I must only be ready and perhaps I have sat for long enough father that I believe it is time I embarked on a counter measure." Princess Deokman said.
"What do you need from me?" King Jinpyeong asked.
"Please from this day do not issue Royal decrees and Whatever happens either dismiss the proposals of the Courtiers or suspend them for me." Princess Deokman replied.
"What are you going to do Deokman?" King Jinpyeong asked.
"Father, I believe that it is High time that we redeemed the FEMALE RULER JIN." Princess Deokman replied as she smiled ghastly.
Galmunwang Gukban was seated inside his study when Damju walked in.
"Your Excellency." He said as he bowed his head while watching his master who was drawing something on a plain white piece of paper.
"The noon is relaxed, Seoraebeol is free, the hills and mountains throughout Shilla soar so high and touch the sky and the Fields and marshlands are most serene." Gukban said.
"Pardon me Your Highness." Damju said.
"What is it that I did so wrong?" Gukban Asked.
Damju kept quiet.
"Was it myself who singlehandedly destroyed the very family that I struggled so hard for the last seventeen years to protect?" Gukban asked.
"Your Excellency every one has their own opinions." Damju said.
"And what are yours?" Gukban asked.
"I don't hold you responsible at one end but I have also put myself in your daughter's shoes who knew nothing about who she really was and feels so guilty for having been a weight on the man that even didn't share a single drop of her blood.
I also put myself in your wife's shoes who has survived on thoughts and no memories of her child, who drowned herself in imagination and prayed for a soul to seek eternal peace while it's owner still roamed the earth, a woman who trusted you with her heart and mind but you didn't confide the truth in her." Damju replied.
"Perhaps my only Crime is that I was too selfish and perhaps I loved so much to the extent that I wronged the very people I loved.
Reserved myself to go after the men in whose attempt against me they had failed that they decided to resort to my wife and daughter.
I am at fault because I grieved bitterly and just as rare as a man's tears are mine were most common but I was only too good at hiding them when the rest of the world.
I am very wrong that a man who cherished me and served me loyally with all his heart and without condition could not move on in life but carried the responsibility that should have been mine." Gukban said.
He halted with his paintbrush and he placed it down on its support.
"Where exactly do I lie right now?" Gukban asked, "The one moment that I have my daughter coming back to me I feel like I have lost everything I have fought to sustain these years it's now entirely crumbling." Gukban said.
"Remorse won't change anything Your Excellency, I believe that what you are going to do about it now is all that matters." Damju said.
"It's the very thing that Moo Mak would have told me had he been here." Gukban remarked.
"I bet so Your Excellency." Damju said.
"I want to go and claim my daughter right now." Gukban said.
"Don't it's still too early." Damju said.
"Why?" Gukban asked, "now that she appears to be drifting away this time around I believe she is much safer when she is close to my side." He added
"This is too much on her and she still needs time to come around it sooner or later, if you show how desperate you are it might only worsen her relationship with you." Damju said.
"So you are proposing that I just sit here and wait for some trouble to befall her?" Gukban asked.
"You'll forgive me for saying this Your Excellency but you were out of her life for seventeen years and she is old enough to decide, the best that you can do is stop trying to convince her that you are a good father and start treating her like your own daughter and also her bossom friend." Damju replied.
"It's alright, I'll see what I can do." Gukban said.
"Your Excellency, this time please don't falter or else you must be forced to lose her for good." Damju said.
"Yes." Gukban said as he got his family stamp and then put it on the paper before he raised his head and he looked at Damju in the eye.
"Thank you." He said to him.
"Your don't need to thank me Your Excellency, I don't want the same thing that happened to me and my father to happen to you and your daughter as well." Damju remarked.
"I am sorry." Gukban said, "I didn't know." He added.
"Don't worry, it is a thing of the past." Damju said.
"By the way, what did you wish to speak to me about when you walked in here?" Gukban asked.
"I was inquiring if you had found a shaman that the Princess had asked you to find yet." Damju replied.
"I was so immersed in what happened yesterday that I almost forgot." Gukban said.
"I knew you would be worried and I had someone in mind but they aren't really that trustworthy." Damju said.
"As long as he can play the part of a make believe Shaman then I believe that Her Highness would be most pleased if we sent him to her." Gukban said.
"Very well Your Excellency." Damju said as he bowed his head and he walked out of the room leaving Galmunwang Gukban staring at the piece of paper that was stationed right in front of him.
The Hwarang gathered in the arena and Princess Deokman walked in a while later as she was accompanied by both Yushin Rang and Gopheung while Alcheon was absent from her usual entourage.
Princess Deokman mounted the stage that exhalted her above all of them and Chilsuk and Seokpum Rang stood right below her as they faced the Hwarang as well.
Everyone seemed to be very anxious to listen to what it was that Princess Deokman was going to say and at that point Seungman and Junghwan Rang stood at the front as the finalists of the Hwarang Games.
A while later, there was a small procession that was led by the Pungwoljis and the different Hwarang-dos and at it's front there was one who bore in his possession the Union banner which was flying high.
They halted at the other end of the stage on Princess Deokman's right while she smiling at them to show her preparedness the bearer of the Union banner went ahead and handed over to her.
Princess Deokman took it into her possession and she walked closer.
"UPON this auspicious day we are gathered here to see for ourselves who shall be this year's bearer of the Union banner." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Everyone said in unison.
"As evaluated even to this day I am most confident that Shilla boasts nothing more than the most remarkable warrior talents in all the three kingdoms and along with it's greatness today in our midst the Wonhwa has been reborn in the very likeness of a female warrior." Princess Deokman said.
"Before you are two candidates and as it has never been in the history of the Hwarang before and as rare as it is that a female warrior is in our midst, displaying both the wonder of women, their might and their unparalleled grace she has shown utmost wisdom on one hand and on the other true zeal for the Nation.
She has loved Shilla and she has fought for it with her own blood while standing amongst you all, The other is brave and strong, he is dignified in the eyes of the enemy and with the edge of his sword Shilla curbed the enemy and claimed her Victory of it.
As a panel along with myself the verdict on who should be the new holder of the Union banner I rest it in your good hands and I believe that with both of you are content under one over the other either way they shall bring glory to Shilla for generations to come." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Everyone said.
"As you have all heard, you shall vote out who is your favourite of the two Candidates and the winner shall be the bearer of the Union banner." Ichan Chilsuk said.
"We'll Begin with those in favour of Seungman Rang from the Nameless sect." Seokpum Rang said.
The other Nangdos looked at themselves at that very moment.
"Can I have those that are in support of Seungman Rang move to the left." Seokpum Rang said.
All the Nangdos started shifting so quickly like tides while they moved from place to place and Seungman was still unmoved.
She didn't bother to look behind and there were a number of Nangdos that had stood behind her most probably because some teams were not willing to swallow their pride others because they were unwilling to let the Dragon Corps truimph at that time around.
The movement was rather dramatic and so was the reaction on nearly everyone else's face as close to a majority except for a few members were moving to Seungman's side.
"Such open mindedness." Yushin Rang said.
"No." Princess Deokman replied in a whisper.
"They'd all sanction for a woman to lead them." Yushin Rang said.
"Because it's not their choice but a last resort." Princess Deokman said.
"Why do you say so Your Highness?" Yushin asked.
"She is reputable and could be one they'd bear with and perhaps even learn to feel endeared to for they are unable to accept the defeat of their Contenders." Princess Deokman replied.
"This is like a coalition?" Yushin Rang asked.
"You can think of it that way." Princess Deokman replied, "How would history accord the Phoenix Corps' defeat by a single woman?" Princess Deokman added.
"This is a division." Yushin Rang said.
"A division that is necessary for all of us to learn." Princess Deokman replied.
"Your Highness, perhaps I am lost here." Yushin Rang said.
"Yushin, never look down on any woman because of who they are my dear because just as one can never tell how far and how long the ocean tides will role with us no one can predict how much shrewd we could and couldn't become.
If a woman can never unite her people one way then to sustain a nation she must be the cause of division amongst her foes." Princess Deokman replied.
"I understand Your Highness." Yushin Rang said.
"All those people that stand with Seungman might never be loyal to her and might not even be her closest of friends.
Nevertheless Her Victory is that in the talents that she best had to display none of her enemies were united enough to fight against her in the people's hearts." Princess Deokman said as she descended from the stage with the Union banner amidst the shock and the surprise of Chilsuk and Seokpum Rang amongst a few others.
"In this vote for popularity SEUNGMAN RANG is the winner and with the grace of heaven let her come and take into her possession the Union banner." Princess Deokman announced.
Seungman walked up to the Princess barely believing the path that she was treading at that moment and halting in front of Princess Deokman she knelt down and all the others knelt down after her.
"Shall you Seungman Rang fight for the Good of all Shilla and remain loyal to her hand in hand with defending the luminous legacy of the Hwarang?" Princess Deokman asked.
"Yes Your Highness." Seungman replied.
"And here in the power vested in me as the keeper of the Hwarang, I declare you the holder and defender of the Union banner and should it within your keep and protection give you guidance to help you understand the calling that heaven itself has given you." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Seungman replied as she took the mast in her hands and then she stood up and turned around to look at all the Hwarang.
She planted it into the ground right by her side and the Hwarang rising up they stood at attention.
Princess Deokman turned to mount the stairs that led to her seat on the stage.
"Thank you so much, Seungman." She thought to herself inwardly as she smiled