Chapter 6

The folks have never seen such an early wedding. Rumours spread throughout the kingdom that Her Ladyship Heonui had fallen under a spell, and especially evil tongues blabbered that it was a curse indeed. And yet, a magnificent event was expected, and the whole world was looking forward to it with impatience. Ladies prepared the best outfits, gentlemen — the best court costumes and surcoats. With the approach of each day to the festival, the land of the kingdom was more and more replenished with marvellous rumours, but there was hardly anyone who wanted to miss the wedding of Prince Wang Tae — a madman who, in one day, became the central figure of all secular and peasant conversations.

Wang Han Wang Han, mentally unable to bear this impending act so disgusting to his soul, wished to settle for a while in a country house in China, away from prying eyes and annoying conversations. His soul was filled with anger at the mere mention of Heonui Li-en; his heart was beating wildly when he remembered her phrase thrown in the night when he gave the feast.

"Ah, dear Heonui, why are you doing this to me? How could you!?" now and then, the Prince exclaimed with a painful heart, wandering around the palace from room to room and, thus, frightening the servants who were packing his things for the long journey to his Chinese possessions. "I will not forgive you such humiliation, even when you come running to me in tears of repentance! And you will surely repent! Oh, I foresee this bitter day! But my pride is not an empty phrase, and I will reject you easily, just as you rejected me!"

But at the other end of the palace, the mood was more than sunny. Usually gloomy, rushing about in a frenzy, Wang Tae now fluttered around his chambers like a butterfly, alternately hugging either the maid or the bonne, who remained to serve at the palace as a governess, teaching The Prince languages, then the coachman passing by.

"Your Royal Highness, you are completely unrecognizable!" wondered the old governess. "You're like a different person, so I say!"

"And I am a different person, Lady Tan Tana," Wang Tae laughed as he swirled around the woman. "My madness is over — I am healed and happy! My saviour, with her ringing laugh, drove my shadows away. Her love has etched their poison from my veins. No one else tires me with their otherworldly speeches. For several days now, I have been sleeping like gods on Olympus! It is so quiet and fresh for me to sleep without the groans of these dead!"

"Ah, Your Royal Highness, you will scare me forever with your dead, ah, Mon Dieu!" Lady Tan Tan crossed herself. "I should hear from you only reasonable speeches and leave these to the doctor."

"I shall tell doctor the same, indeed!" Wang Tae exclaimed happily. The blush on his cheeks burned, and his eyes sparkled with contented sparks. "From now on, I am a healthy person! Away, dead people! Ha-ha-ha!"

And what about Heonui, you would wonder? Her happiness lit up everything around her. The Queen did not recognize her own daughter, and her husband could only reassure An Ha's heart that the union would be strong and that rumours would dissipate over time, leaving room only for family well-being. That soon, the mind of the elderly Queen will be occupied only by her grandchildren, heirs to the ducal throne. Lee Song himself did not know in his heart which of his own forecasts to believe, but he believed in the one that he tirelessly told his wife. Their only daughter was going down the aisle. There was a lot at stake — marriage to the Prince, even if it was not originally planned with anyone, had great hopes that would decide the fate, and it would be better not to hide the financial condition of the impoverished Li-en family. Everyone understood this, but they hoped that if the young people liked each other sincerely, then the secondary motives for marriage would not appear so repulsive. Therefore, these motives were not mentioned out loud, but they never left the calculations either.

However, only Heonui had no calculations at all. The family situation was known to her, but she, in the dreams of a rebel young spirit, inwardly imagined herself only marrying for love. And so, her prayers were answered — she did not have to suffer, going against the will of her parents. She walked down the aisle, albeit suddenly, but for love. And as insane as the young Prince was to the world, she could only see the beauty of his face, the sparkling smile he bestowed on her, the tender embrace he embraced her with, and the passion that emanated from his young heart.